Heart Strings is Ivy Fairbanks' second book in the Love in Galway series. It follows Cielo and Aidan, who appeared in Morbidly Yours as secondary characters. After breaking up 2 years ago, they are forced to interact during preparations for Lark and Callum's wedding. They end up reconnecting and decide to try and make a relationship work, while overcoming their past and the things that pushed them apart (Aidan's budding music career, Lo's abandonment issues, and long distance dating).

I read Morbidly Yours a while ago, so I barely rememebered these characters. I'm glad that they got their own story, because Ivy Fairbanks did a great job bringing it to life. Cielo is an absolute force, and I found myself relating with her so much. Aidan is the quintessential book boyfriend, always reminding Lo that even though she can do it all,she deserves someone to hold her hand when things get tough. It took me a little longer than usual to finish it because I honestly did not want the story to end. I'm glad there will be a third installment with Saiorse's story.

Good stuff:
-the banter is fantastic, and their chemistry is sizzling
-the spice is spicy! bonus points for creative use of a speaker!
-appearances from Lark, Callum, Saiorse, and Deirdre from book 1. I love them so much!
-this book gave me Hozier vibes so much, and I am here for it
-Aidan's family pranking him with the ventriloquist dummies made me laugh so hard.
-the yearning was strong in the first half of the book, and the ending was so sweet.

Not Great Stuff:
-this book contains triggering themes of cancer (off page, and then potentially on page), divorce, and abandonment. read at your own discretion.
-Lo's mom is very frustrating. I won't say I hate her character, but I strongly dislike her (even if she was coming from a place of love and care for Lo).
-I did see the ending coming about 60ish% of the way through. Thankfully, it turned out as I hoped it would, but being able to predict it takes a little of the fun out of the reveal.

Spice-o-meter: 🌶🌶🌶/5 (features some light bondage, several open door scenes, and dirty talk)

Netgalley provided me with an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

"Some days, all I look forward to is climbing into bed because there's a chance I might dream of you."

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for access to the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book follows Cielo ("Lo") who doesn't believe in second chances, but Aiden is determined to prove that he's worth it. When Lo moved to Ireland for medical school, she fell hard for Aiden. But then Aiden gets his big break as a singer-songwriter, and he takes it, breaking Lo's heart in the process. But two years later, all of his songs still have Lo as the muse. But when they are forced to reunite at Lo's cousin's wedding, they are forced to decide if second chances are worth it.

This book was beautifully written. Personally, I would recommend reading Morbidly Yours before this one because it is the sort of romance series where the characters overlap quite a bit, and it provides a lot of great context for this story. The only reason this isn't a five-star is because it felt a little quick at times since we never got any look into their past relationship. But overall I loved the emotional aspects of this story and the setting and romance were great as well.

I heard he sings to her during phone sex.

Also I don't seen how you can realistically attend medical school, including all your clinical rotations, in Europe and expect to match into a US residency and/or work in the US as a physician. please do your research before writing a romance novel about a medical student.

thank you G.P. Putnam's Sons for the arc in exchange for an honest review

platform: netgalley ebook arc

A cute and spicy romance but I felt more distracted with this one. Overall good!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ (3.5 rounded to 4)

After absolutely adoring Morbidly Yours, I was beyond excited to dive into Heart Strings. Ivy Fairbanks has such a knack for crafting immersive settings and dynamic side characters, and this book was no exception. Galway and the Irish castle wedding were so perfect and I loved the setting. However, while I enjoyed this second chance romance, it didn’t quite hit the same for me as her first novel.

My biggest struggle was connecting with Aidan and Lo, both individually and as a couple. Their chemistry leaned heavily into instalust, and I found myself craving deeper emotional connection rather than just physical attraction. Lo, in particular, was frustrating and while I admired her strength and resilience, her approach to relationships (especially with Aidan) made her hard to root for at times. I completely understood why she had walls up, but her stubbornness often bordered on exhausting.

That said, the music infused romance, the tension of unresolved feelings, and the forced proximity at the wedding kept me engaged. Aidan’s devotion was sweet, and the Irish setting made everything feel all the more romantic. While it wasn’t a perfect read for me, if you do love exes to lovers stories and dramatic second chances, then you will likely enjoy this one!

Would I recommend it? Yes, especially if you’re a sucker for a moody musician MMC and a breathtaking Irish backdrop. Just be prepared for some frustrating FMC moments along the way!

Thank you to NetGalley, Ivy Fairbanks, and Penguin G.P. Putnams Son’s for the eARC of this book.

I was genuinely excited for this book because I loved Morbidly Yours. This book features the wedding of those two characters, but it’s a second chance romance for two minor characters from the first book. Unfortunately, it just didn’t land with me. There’s zero chemistry. I would’ve liked to have seen more of their past relationship. The writing is good, but the story just wasn’t great.

I absolutely loved Morbidly Yours and this just did not hit the same way. I love the setting and the Galway world but certain areas just fell flat.

I was so incredibly ecstatic when I received the email from NetGalley that I would be getting an ARC of Heart Strings!! I inhaled these pages, could not get enough of it. I LOVE Aidan’s kinks and Cielos character as whole. I’m over the moon excited for Saoirse to find what she’s looking for in book 3. Aidan & Los story pulls on your heart strings

Super cute, I loved going back to Galway 🥰

✨Second Chance Romance
✨Musician MMC
✨Banter
✨Emotional Grand Gesture
✨Med School Latina FMC

“I will never get over the fact that my bubbly, blonde cousin is engaged to an undertaker.”

“I haven’t been truly in love with anyone before or since Lo.”

“How dare Aidan get famous for singing about how much he loves me, when I was so easily thrown away for the sake of that fame.”

“Some guys are intimidated by intelligent women, but Aidan never made me feel like I needed to dull my shine for his sake.”

“Getting a rise out of her is preferable to being treated like a stranger.”

“Sometimes perfect is more about who you’re with than the circumstances you find yourself in.”

“I lost her because I let her believe she wasn’t worth fighting for.”

“Part of me wants to run from him, another part longs to sprint straight toward him.”

“Her smile lights up the most shadowed places of my heart. Where I wonder if I’m good enough. Talented enough. Where I doubt that people like me for me.”

“You don’t need to be perfect all the time. You can be barefoot and messy and real. I like you like that.”

“The man drives me to distraction, even when he’s not around. And I’m beyond fatigued.”

“My greatest fear is getting sick and being abandoned for it again. Having to go through it alone.”

“For so long, I was determined to get by on my own. Now that Aidan’s back in my life, I realize that’s not what I want.”

“Cielo Valdez is worth everything. I wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for her.”

“I don’t understand how you’ve convinced yourself that you’re an anchor that drags me down. You’re not. You could never be that.”

“I’m yours. And you’re mine. That means I’m here when you need me.”

“Let me in. Let me love you like you deserve.”

“I’m not gonna let you do this alone. If you promise to trust me, I promise to be right here.”

I absolutely adored Morbidly Yours when I ARC read it so of course I had to try to ARC Heart Strings. Obviously a success!

We are taken back to Galway for Lark and Callum’s wedding, so excited to have snippets of them throughout the book! Heart Strings is Cielo and Aiden’s second chance. They split 2 years ago but have to spend the weekend playing nice for the wedding. Are they playing or is there still something there?

I really wanted to love this but it just didn’t live up to Morbidly Yours. The romance felt underdeveloped and a bit thrown together. I read this in one day though and did overall enjoy my time reading.

If you like second chance romance, castles in Ireland, and chronic illness representation then you may like this one!

Thank you so much NetGalley, Penguin and Ivy Fairbanks for my ARC 💖

I really enjoyed this second chance romance! This is my first Ivy Fairbanks book and won’t be my last🫶🏼 As a Mexican, I loved reading Mexican culture references in this book. And HOLD UP because this quote “His voice saying my name is like homemade called pollo to my soul” was so good haha.
Lo’s dad struggling to express his feelings because he was taught it was a sign of weakness? SO REAL 😭 I resonated with a lot of things from this book & how her life experiences impacted her life, character, and relationships felt really real to me.
Lo and Aiden’s story was a good combination of sweet & hot! I really love a good personal/character growth and I think the author did amazing with Lo and Aiden 🩵


I cannot WAIT for the next book. Those hints made me so excited already 👀🫶🏼 aaaaand I now need to read Morbidly Yours! Like, ASAP a few scenes of Lark and Callum and I was already in love with them.

I really enjoyed reading Morbidly Yours, so when I saw that Ivy Fairbanks was releasing another book I was so excited. Aidan is such a dream- Irish musician who has written every song about his previous love, Lo… what’s not to love?!? Cielo was a hard working student working through some trauma. Such a cute couple- with some insta-love thrown in. Thank you to Netgalley, Putnam, and Ivy Fairbanks for the ARC!

Morbidly Yours was a refreshing romance with a different setting and unique characters. Heart Strings follows that trend in the best possible way. Much to my disappointment, it missed the mark. The characters are not portrayed true to the nature they are described, and their specific dynamics are not what I usually look for in my literature. Morbidly Yours was a great experience and Heart Strings didn't come close to that, unfortunately.

The yearning in this is chefs kiss. I think the characters were kind of stuck in a loop of Will they? Won’t they? In the first 50%
The tension was great and what you expect in a second chance romance. I love the setting. I loved seeing all the fun side characters.
Lo and Aiden are wonderful.
Lo was very relatable. From family issues to feelings of insecurities and confidence all the same. Finding it hard to express herself and trust after being hurt.

Heart Strings has me EMOTIONAL. I adore Cielo and Aidan’s story so much. The YEARNING in this book… YES. MORE YEARNING.

I’m a sucker for a book about Irish musicians, and this scratched that itch! Aidan playing his songs in a pub in Galway just makes my heart so happy.
The author showed the down and dirty hard parts of living with cancer in a real and important way, that sometimes people feel like a burden to their loved ones. Also showing the flip side to that, that the people closest to you will always show up when you’re in need.

I really enjoyed this! Cielo and Aiden both surprised me. I think they both showed great character development throughout the story. The overall plot was very entertaining and engaging. I can’t wait to read Saoirses book!

I KNEW I was going to love this after reading Morbidly Yours last year. This was another fun and unique love story. I love Lo and Aidan, I love the setting, their back stories. There was pining, yearning, some emotional trauma. But it's a HEA that I am after and I saw it here! I cannot wait to see what Ivy writes next. You may love this if you like:
* Second chance romance
* Music artist / Medical professions
* "Can't stop thinking of you"
* Funny banter
Thank you Ivy, Putnam, and Netgalley for the chance to read this early! It was a pleasure.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was a cute read. I didn’t realize it was the second in an interconnected stand alone series before reading, and I wished I did. I feel like I might have been able to connect with the characters more if I had read the first book.
I am very in the middle about how I feel. The pacing of the story was a bit off for me and I felt like I wasn’t invested in the characters much which made it hard to connect with what was happening.
Though it was still a lighthearted read that touched on real life topics. The themes and love between Cielo and Aiden were touching.
It wasn’t a home run for me, but it still was a cute read.
And every Irish MMC ends up being Niall Horan in my head no matter how they are described in the book

This is the first time I read a novel by Ivy Fairbanks. This novel is the second in the "A Love in Galway" series. This novel can be read as a standalone as I did not read the first novel, but was able to follow the storyline.

Cielo "Lo" Valdez and Aidan O'Toole were hot and heavy two years ago, and then Aidan got an offer he couldn't refuse. Lo has not forgiven him for leaving her and spilling their love out for the entire world to hear. However, Aidan isn't done with fulfilling all of his dreams, which include Lo. Will Lo give love and Aidan a second chance?

This novel is the definition of a "rom-com." It is sweet, lovely, funny, and adventurous. Aidan and Lo are brought back together after their breakup to help their respective friends with their wedding. Lo is the maid of honor for her cousin Lark, the bride. And Aidan is the best man for his best friend, the groom, Callum. As Lo and Aidan navigate Callum and Lark's fairytale wedding, overprotective family, ventriloquist dolls, handmade jumpers, and their feelings are played out in songs and a tattoo. I found myself laughing at some of the ridiculous moments, especially one that involved a hearse. The love story of Lo and Aidan pulled at my heartstrings (excuse the pun) and made me believe in real love. The patience and persistence of Aidan, mixed with the willingness to learn and determination of Lo, made them both relatable.

The love scenes get 🌶️🌶️🌶️for spiciness for me. They were adventurous, but not as spicy as I like. The pace was also a little slow for me. I often found myself looking to see how much more I had to go. This novel is for people who enjoy rom-com movies and novels. Overall, a good rom-com read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you Net Galley for an ARC of Heart Strings. I was very excited to read the second installment from the A Love in Galway series! Having loved Morbidly Yours, I was really looking forward to Cielo's story.

Cielo came to Galway to get her medical degree and become a doctor. As a perfectionist and cancer survivor, she has the strength to tackle it. When she moved to Ireland, she met Aidan, a cousin of Callum's, and fell in love. But sometimes love isn't enough, in her experience. As they are falling in love, Aidan's singing career finally takes off. Fast forward two years since they broke up, and they see each other again at Lark and Callum's wedding. Both are at different points of their lives but the moment they see each other, it's almost like their feelings pick up right where they left them.

Lo's story if a second chance romance, protective and loving MMC. There is slight rope play in this book. No crazy second or third break up act.

Overall, I gave it a 4 star. I felt like the character development of Lo and Aidan were like they were stepping into their true selves, together.