I was a big fan of her first book in this series, Morbidly Yours and this one was just as brilliant.

It is a gorgeous second chance romance and I'm a big fan of that trope, so I have high standards for them. I appreciated that their re-connection was mostly handled with maturity by the characters after an initial adjustment period. The story had the perfect blend of banter and fun, but with emotional depth. Ivy's prose is beautiful and she's able to really immerse you into the story with her descriptions.

I'm looking forward to the next installment in this series.

Heart Strings by Ivy Fairbanks is a second chance, forced proximity spicy romance. This is book 2 in A Love in Galway Series and I was beyond excited to receive this ARC (you absolutely need to read Morbidly Yours if you have not already)!!

Cielo, a Texas native living in Galway for medical school and residency, is tough and determined to live life to the fullest. Aidan is a lawyer turned famous musician who is struggling to write his second album. They broke up when he made it big, but are coming back together now as best man and maid of honor at a weekend-long Irish castle wedding. Seriously, this book is swoon worthy! I was captivated by the characters, emotion, intrigue, angst, humor, and oh yes, steam of the novel. It was just a beautifully written story and I honestly did not want it to end!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Putnam Books, and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved Heart Strings! After enjoying the first book in the series, I had high expectations for this one, and it did not disappoint. The story is captivating, with just the right mix of emotion and intrigue. A wonderful addition to the series! Highly recommend.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of Heart Strings, and let me tell you—this book is angsty, steamy, and full of feels. If you love an exes-to-lovers romance with a stubborn heroine, a swoon-worthy musician-turned-lawyer, and a forced proximity wedding weekend in an Irish castle… buckle up.

Cielo “Lo” Valdez does not do second chances. But Aidan O’Toole? Oh, he’s determined to prove that their love story isn’t over. And the fact that every song he writes is still about her? Cue the emotional damage. 🥲🎶

The tension? 🔥 The pining? Gut-wrenching. The chemistry? Off the charts. But while I loved the angst and the setting, some parts felt predictable, and Lo’s walls were so high that I wanted to shake her at times. That being said, if you’re into love stories that hurt before they heal, this one’s for you.

✨ Tropes:
💔 Exes-to-lovers
🏰 Forced proximity (hello, castle wedding 👀)
🎶 Musician hero (who never got over her 😭)
🔥 Spicy & emotional

Would I recommend? If you love an emotional, slow-burn romance with a musical twist, absolutely! 🎶💘

disclaimer: I CRIED MULTIPLE TIMES WRITING AND RE-WRITING THIS REVIEW. IVY, I'LL BE SENDING A BILL TO YOUR OFFICE.
—
some love stories don’t get a perfect ending the first time around. some loves are too big, too consuming, too real to fit within the narrow confines of timing and circumstance. she doesn’t do second chances. but he’s not done writing their song.

Cielo “Lo” Valdez knows the weight of heartbreak. she knows what it’s like to give someone your heart, only to watch them walk away with it. surviving cancer taught her that life is too short to waste on regrets or past hurts, and she’s lived by that rule—until now. because when Aidan O’Toole, the man who shattered her, steps back into her world, she’s forced to confront the truth: love like theirs doesn’t just disappear.

Aidan has it all—fame, success, an album that turned his dream into reality. but every song he writes, every lyric he sings, carries the ghost of the woman he left behind. two years haven’t dulled the ache, haven’t lessened the pull of Lo in his heart. now, fate (or a very unfortunate wedding seating chart) has given him one last shot to prove that their love story isn’t over. set against the breathtaking backdrop of an Irish castle wedding, this novel is a raw, heart-wrenching testament to love lost and found. it explores the way grief shapes us, the way wounds heal imperfectly, and how sometimes, forgiveness is the bravest thing of all.

THIS BOOK WRECKED ME IN THE BEST WAY. the chemistry between Lo and Aidan is electric, charged with years of longing and pain, but also with a love so deep it feels destined. the tension was super intense—the stolen glances, the lingering touches, the lyrics Aidan sings that hold a history only Lo can understand. their story is messy, beautiful, and achingly real.

i also loved Lo’s strength, her refusal to be a woman who settles for anything less than she deserves. and my man my man my man Aidan—God, Aidan. he is the kind of man who makes mistakes, but he learns from them. he doesn’t just want Lo back; he wants to earn her trust, her love, her forever. this isn’t just a second-chance romance. it's a story about PERFECT timing, about CHOICES. about how love can SURVIVE even when it’s been bruised and broken. it's about the songs we write for the people who shape us and whether, in the end, we get to finish them together.

if you’ve ever had your heart shattered and dared to believe in love again, this book will speak to your soul. and if you haven’t? well, this book will teach you what it means to love so fiercely that even time can’t erase it. beautiful writing, Europe, two less lonely people in the world.

5 stars 5 stars 5 stars. my favorite romance of the year.
thank you so much Penguin Group PUTNAM and Ivy Fairbanks.

Ivy Fairbanks has done it again! This series is really fueling my obsession with Ireland. I need to get on a plane immediately but I will settle for running to my local bookstore on August 12th.

P.S. to Ivy Fairbanks herself: The hearse scene goes crazy (iykyk).

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Sinopsis en español:


Cielo "Lo" Valdez no cree en las segundas oportunidades. Sobrevivir al cáncer enseñó que su vida es demasiado corta para pasar tiempo con alguien que te hizo daño. Pero Aidan O'Toole está decidida a demostrar que su vida se pasa mejor juntos.

Cuando la tejana dura como las uñas se mudó a Galway para la escuela de medicina, no estaba buscando amor. Aidan, una hermosa abogada tatuada que juega a la mandolina, pasó por alto sus defensas. Cada uno de ellos cayó fuerte y rápido. Pero cuando Aidan recibió la oportunidad de su vida, de mudarse a Londres y grabar un álbum, la aprovechó, rompiendo el corazón de Lo. Sin embargo, más de dos años y un álbum exitoso después, cada canción que escribe sigue siendo sobre ella, la que dejó escapar. Y cada vez que Lo escucha su voz en la radio cantando sobre el amor, es una flecha directamente a su alma.

Ahora están en curso de colisión como dama de honor y padrino en una boda en un castillo irlandés de fin de semana. ¿Vale la pena perdonar algunos errores? ¿Puede Aidan convencer a Lo de que su canción no estaba destinada a terminar?







Reseña: 3.5⭐️


Antes que nada gracias NetGalley por el ARC.

Es un romance de segunda oportunidad entre una doctora y un músico. Lo y Aidan pensaron que serían para siempre hasta que él recibió la oportunidad de volverse famoso y obviamente no iba a desperdiciar, pero a cambio perdió a Lo. Dos años después tienen que asistir a la misma boda y los viejos sentimientos vuelven a aflorar.

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam books for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this! Second Chance Romance along with an Irish Rockstar? Sign me up!

Cielo (Lo) is a Texas transplant in Galway Ireland as a Med Student. Her cousin and best friend is getting married and the best man? Aiden, her ex who moved to London, ending their relationship for his music career 2 years ago. Aiden quickly realizes he’s not over Lo, and she is his muse (swoon).

Lo is a cancer survivor so the book does discuss a lot of that, but the author does it in a great way!

Totally recommend especially if you read Morbidly Yours! Can’t wait for the next book in the series!

𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙡𝙖𝙬𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙡𝙮 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙘

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶
😭😭😭😭 (number of times I ugly cried)

𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 is a second-chance romance for people who are fiercely independent, loyal to a fault, and need a reminder that there is still good in the world.

🪕Dual POV
🩺Musician X Med Student
🪕Meddling best friends
🩺Miscommunication
🪕Absent Father
🩺Cancer treatment (past)
🪕A perfectly placed flock 🐏 😉
🩺 Rope/Bondage play
🪕Power play
🩺HEA

After loving Ivy Fairbank's first novel, 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦, I was so glad to revisit the main characters in her newest release, 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴. While MIL had themes of grief and loss, 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 illustrated themes of 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳.
Fairbanks expertly portrayed a woman who is fiercely independent, but is honestly her own worst enemy. Cielo doesn't ask for help and deems herself weak if she can't do everything on her own. 𝗚𝗶𝗿𝗹, 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲! However, the story follows such a unique order of events that perfectly illustrate Cielo's dynamic growth. She is so far from the person she was on page 1 and I'm so proud of her! 🥹

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗼'𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀--𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲, 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵, 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵, 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗯𝗼𝘀𝘀𝘆, 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗿𝘂𝗱𝗲, 𝗰𝗮𝗻 get their happy ending without sacrificing their identity. Even in the darkest of times, Cielo never loses sight of who she is. She uses the adversity she faces as fuel to take what she wants and to be vulnerable. Simply put, she doesn't change who she is at her core for the sake of her happy ending. Instead, she finds her rock.
Honestly, this is just as much Aidan's story as it is Cielo's. While, Cielo learns to let others take the reins, Aidan must learn to use his voice for more than serenading crowds. Aidan's story illustrates advocating for yourself, owning your identity, and fighting for what you want. Aidan is swoon-worthy for more than his songs.

𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 will make you realize that even if you can handle everything on your own, take all the punches as they come, and organize those punches by color and size, you shouldn't have to do it alone. 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 encapsulates the complexities of navigating that uncertain terrain, and what happens when you succeed in letting others in.

Thank you to Ivy Fairbanks, Netgalley, and Penguin Group - Putnam for an advanced e-galley of one of my favorite books of 2025!

Morbidly Yours was my favorite romcom the year it was released. I absolutely knew I needed more Ivy Fairbanks storytelling as soon as I could get my hands on it. Heart Strings picks up a few years later, still in Galway, in the preparation for a wedding where the maid of honor and best man haven’t really spoken since an awful breakup. What I love about Ivy’s writing is that her stories aren’t all sunshine and roses, just like life isn’t. Big, scary, difficult situations happen, but how and with who we handle them can make a world of difference. And ultimately, you have to make sure you’re happy with the life you’re living, no matter what others may try to tell you. I laughed. And I cried. And Heart Strings was some wonderful catharsis, and an excuse to play Irish trad music in the background. A firm five star read for me. Give it a try if you’re interested in:

-Second Chance Romance
-Latinx FMC
-Rockstar Romance (although Aiden might disagree with you)
-Hookers (absolutely not what you think it is)
-Light Bondage
-Inappropriate operation of a hearse

Absolutely looking forward to Saoirse’s book, but if her intended male lead is who I think was suggested in this one, I’m not sure how Ivy’s going to manage to redeem him in my eyes after that introduction.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ivy Fairbanks, and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Plot:
Cielo moved to Galway for medical school, where she met Aidan. He was an aspiring musician at the time and they were head over heels in love. As her schooling got busier and his career took off, they decided it be best to part ways and "not do the whole long distance thing."
Now Aidan is back in Galway for a wedding that Cielo is also a part of. Looking to reconnect, can Aidan use this wedding to his advantage?

My Thoughts:
The 1st Love in Galway book was adorable and this one was just as great. I love when a character knows what they want, are able to admit their shortcomings, and act like adults. Aidan was perfect at all those things. He realized he messed up and he wanted his lady back.
Both characters had their own plots and I liked that each person tried to handle any issues on their own. They both work on themselves and grow as people before the wedding forced them to see each other again.
Cielo is a great character that I can resonate with. Likes to be in control and is a perfectionist while Aidan is capable of going with the flow and challenging some of Cielo's ideals. They complimented each other really well.

Here's to hoping for a Love in Galway book 3. Maybe there was a hint of a spin-off couple? At least, I sure hope there was.

Fairbanks does it again. She has crafted an interesting story with characters that I immediately cared about. I loved this book. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was very cute! I enjoyed it a lot and found it to be very funny, heartfelt, and also spicy. This is everything a modern romcom should be. The representation felt very respectful and I can tell that the author takes that seriously. There were also many moments while reading where I laughed out loud. This was so fun and enjoyable!

i'm sad to say I didn't enjoy this book like I did with morbidly yours. i wish their love story was presented better and introducted in the first book. I frankly did not connect much with either character and the constant lust factor really took me out of it. i'm looking forward to whatever ivy puts out next but this was a miss for me. thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC!

i'm sad to say I didn't enjoy this book like I did with morbidly yours. i wish their love story was presented better and introducted in the first book. I frankly did not connect much with either character and the constant lust factor really took me out of it. i'm looking forward to whatever ivy puts out next but this was a miss for me. thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC!

I absolutely adored Heart Strings by Ivy Fairbanks! The growth of Cielo and Aidan over the years they’ve been apart is so beautifully crafted. Both characters really come into their own during their time apart, and you can see how the events of their lives shape who they are when they finally reconnect. What really struck me was the intentionality they both have in being open and honest with one another, allowing for a deep emotional connection to bloom that feels real and earned. Cielo’s journey, in particular, is so empowering—she learns that it’s okay to lean on others during tough times, and that support isn’t a weakness, but a strength. Her emotional growth was a big highlight of the book for me!

The writing is fantastic, too. Ivy Fairbanks has a perfect balance of humor, heartfelt moments, and great dialogue that makes the book so enjoyable to read. The way she weaves in scene-setting without bogging things down, while still keeping the story flowing, is impressive. The second-chance romance feels so genuine, and I loved how Cielo is a strong, independent FMC, while Aidan is in touch with his feelings in a way that’s not overly dramatic. If you love a swoon-worthy romance with characters who grow and evolve both individually and together, this book is a must-read!

Really cute, sweet and heartwarming read. I haven't had a chance to read the first book in this series (Morbidly Yours), but it had been on my TBR list. I was still able to follow the story with no issue. The characters from the first book are included and a big part of this plot, and I can't wait to read their story as well.
This is the first book that I've had the pleasure of reading by Ivy, and I'm looking forward to exploring her other work, Her writing is easy to read and easy to follow. I read this book in one day because I started reading and just got totally sucked into the story. The pacing was really good. There was one part of the story that had me absolutely screaming with laughter because it went from spicy to dark humor so quickly. The male main character Aidan reminds me of Ed Sheerin and he is a YEARNER. Big fan of that. The female main character Cielo "Lo" is a force to be reckoned with and she comes off as a tough as nails ice queen because she doesn't want to have to need anyone. The second chance romance is a trope that I'm a fan of and Ivy absolutely delivered in an original way.

A really emotionally evoking book tackling tough subjects but staying relevant and easy to resonate with! I really loved the main characters and their relationship!

I’m in the minority for this book, but I just wasn’t a huge fan. I love romance, but I struggled through this book. I found myself wishing the main characters wouldn’t get a HEA.

This book had me swooning, sighing, and smiling like a fool from start to finish. Set against the charming backdrop of Galway, Heart Strings delivers a perfect blend of slow-burn romance, musical chemistry, and emotional depth. Ivy Fairbanks nails banter, longing, and all the little moments that make romance unforgettable. If you love Emily Henry or Abby Jimenez, Heart Strings will hit all the right notes.