It was great to go back to Galway! I love this series and these characters so much. It was great seeing Lark and Callum’s wedding, catching up with Saoirse and of course, getting Lo and Aidan’s story. I loved them both so much. I really related to Lo’s struggle to let people be there for her and I loved seeing her open herself up to needing people and still maintaining her independence. And AIDAN. I mean, what a man. I loved how down bad he was for Lo and how far he was willing to go to win her back. The spicy scenes were SO GOOD and oh my goodness, the ventriloquist pranks Aidan’s family did were hilarious. This fully lived up to the hype in my head and I cannot wait until book three to get Saoirse’s story! Also, this series makes me want to go to Ireland SO BADLY.
CW: cancer

Thank you Putnam Books for the advanced digital reader’s copy!

This was such a fun and cute book, I love second chance romance. I loved that this book was based in Ireland, I’ve always wanted to visit os this made it even more fun. Aiden and Lo had such a sweet relationship, there was some miscommunication but it was understandable and felt needed. I loved the chemistry and banter between them! I wish I had read Morbidly Yours before this, I’ll definitely be going back to read it!

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC!

Heart Strings - ARC Review
⭐⭐⭐
.
PUB DATE: August 12th
.
FEATURES:
-Adult Contemporary Romance
-Second Chance Romance
-Set un Ireland
.
WHY:
Second chance romances work the best if they can build and play on the couple's history.
Unfortunately, this book doesn't show many flashbacks or history. The reader is just told they have history (of which was only 6 months of dating) and then readers are just supposed to believe they are still SO in love 2 years later.
Without almost any of the history or get-to-know you scenes, it's hard to be attached to these characters or care if they get back together.
This should have been more of a then and now story - but it kind of skipped the “then” and went straight to “now”.

This is a cute dual POV romance novel set primarily in Ireland. Technically this is the second in a series, but you don't have to have read the first book to understand the second. Lo and Aidan had a 6-month long relationship 2 years ago and they are both still pining for each other. Lo is medical resident in Galway Ireland and Aidan has become a fairly popular indie singer/songwriter. They're drawn back together as the Maid of Honor and Best Man for Lo's cousin and Aidan's best friend. Of course, what follows is an ex to lovers' story with a few bumps in the road.

There are two big reasons this wasn't a 5-star read for me, and one involves a sex scene. At one point Lo and Aidan go swimming in a creek, but they get interrupted because Aidan has a leech on him. They had back to the caste they're staying at, Lo gets the leech off, and then they have sex. WITHOUT SHOWERING after being in the creek. The creek with the leeches. Barf. This was just really gross to me. Like they could have had sex in the shower. I would have been fine with that.

The other issue is that Lo's mother felt way to one dimensional, her only personality trait was being overbearing. I would have liked to see some sweetness or positive interaction between them especially because Lo's mom comes to the wedding and it's implied that they have a standing weekly phone call. It felt like if the relationship was really that negative, then why are they still close?

Other than that, I thought this was a fun, quick romance. The sex is steamy, and the light bondage is respectfully done. I really liked the communication and aftercare that Lo and Aidan share. Even when they aren't on good terms, they're still respectful of each other's boundaries.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Publishing - G. P. Putnam for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam Books for this
ARC! This was too cute!! I hadn't read the first of this series, but I could understand this one just fine! I loved the writing style and loved how Aidan YEARNEDDDD for Lo! I'll definitely be going back to read the first of this series.

I was so excited for this one when I saw that Ivy Fairbanks was writing a curvy heroine!

Cielo ("Lo") and Aiden fell hard and fast for one another. When he left her for a record deal though, Lo wrote him off. When they cross paths once more though, Aiden is determined to win Lo back.

I enjoyed the body diversity with this mid-size heroine and the women in STEM rep as well. This is more of my own reading preference than the fault of the author, but I rarely think the level and scale of the grovel is commensurate with the wrong previously done. This was another instance where I felt the grovel wasn't enough. While some might label Lo an 'unlikeable' heroine, I related hard to her reservations and appreciated her standing up for herself.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I enjoyed this book; however, it wasn't the same as the first book in the series Morbidly Yours which I was more than a little disappointed by to be honest. I don't think that is fair of me, but the heart wants what the heart wants.

Ivy Fairbanks is a great writer though and this was a solid book. I took my time reading it. I love all things Ireland and Irish so this book defintely made me happy in the way. The characters were okay. I loved Aidan but Lo was very frustrating for me to read.

"Heart Strings" is a fun and easy read but I felt like I was missing out on an inside joke I should know.. I even checked out it's predecessor, "Morbidly Yours" in an effort to figure things out (I'll be honest, I skimmed it), but it wasn't helpful. Lark and Callum feature pretty heavily in the second installment of the "Love in Galway" series which I very much enjoyed. Aside from feeling like I started watching a movie from the halfway point, I really liked "Heart Strings" and will likely recommend.

Ivy Fairbanks is bringing back men who yearn (and whimper)!

I LOVED Morbidly Yours, and I knew Heart Strings was going to bring the same sizzly story I fell in love with the first time around. Aidan and Cielo, who we meet in book one, are forced to reunite as the best man and maid of honor at a weekend castle wedding after breaking up two years ago. This second chance romance trope will forever be one of my favorites, but Ivy Fairbanks really knows how to pull on your …heart strings… (I had to) to get the most emotional reward out of the story.

Between Aidan’s inner battle of choosing his first love — his family and Cielo — and his new love — music and the whirlwind of fame that comes with it — and Cielo’s battle of opening her heart back up to trusting others instead of insisting to handling everything herself, Heart Strings really opens readers up to reevaluating what they find most important. Love? Career? Putting up walls? Or is there a way to have all of the above without compromising who they are?

What truly elevated this romance for me, though, was the emotional depth woven through Cielo (Lo’s) journey. As a cancer survivor pursuing med school in Ireland, she’s built impenetrable walls — until Aidan, through lyrics and presence, gently chips away at them. Her health anxieties and history of resilience are treated with as much care as their rekindled romance, giving the story a grounded poignancy. Watching Lo navigate fear, love, and forgiveness (especially in the forging of trust again) made their reunion feel profoundly earned, and not rushed. The YEARING these two had throughout the wedding weekend was palpable, and when they do finally decide to try again, it’s not just a happily-ever-after: it’s a beautiful, grown-up reunion of two people stronger together. It had ebbs and flows of figuring out what a future looks like together (including some self-sacrifices) which felt so relatable and realistic rather than wrapping up in a bow prematurely.

I love the way Ivy Fairbanks handles heavier subjects like grief, stress, and health.They don’t feel overly dramatized for entertainment, they feel like they’re drawn from experience and have been carefully approached to fit the characters and their stories for the best character arcs.

I will forever recommend the Love in Galway series, and I cannot WAIT for who we will see in the next book!

(side note: enjoy the hearse scene!)

Thank you so much to Putnam and Penguin Random House for the advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Such a sweet second chance romance that is also spicy! This was a great follow-up to Morbidly Yours and there will be another story in the series! Cielo and Aiden are too sweet together. I had a great time with this story and can't wait to read more! Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for my digital ARC!!

4.5 stars rounded up. I loved the first book so I’ve been patiently waiting for this book to come out. It was great to see Lark and Callum again (and to see their wedding) but the story focused on Lo and Aidan. Second chance romance that mostly works. Some miscommunication that is understandable. Aidan was wonderful. Lo is a real FMC and you root for her. There were times when you wanted to shake the stubbornness out of her. Can’t wait for the next book in the series.

I received an arc from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This was cute, but honestly disappointed me when I compared it to Morbidly Yours. It was a second chance romance featuring Aidan, a singer/songwriter that became famous and moved away ending things with his then girlfriend, Lo, who’s currently in medical school in Ireland.
The two are both best man and maid of honor at their besties (Lark and Callum from Morbidly Yours) wedding and it’s the first time they’ve seen each other since the break up years ago.
I felt like I needed more angst and anger, that they forgave each other too fast. And once they got back together, the excitement of the plot declined.
However, overall, it was cute! And spicy 🌶️🌶️🌶️

3.5 stars.

"Heart Strings" by Ivy Fairbanks is a second-chance romance between an expat nursing student and an Irish musician who used to date but had a bad breakup and split up when he went on tour. This is a nice, good book, but I can't help but feel like it was missing a little something? I absolutely adored Ivy Fairbank's "Morbidly Yours." That book did a number on me! While I did enjoy reading this one, it wasn't my absolute favorite book of the year. That's not to say it's not good, it is! I enjoyed the characters and the way they find themselves back in each other's orbit. The fact that Lo, the FMC, is a cancer survivor and has massive amounts of health anxiety made her relatable to me. As someone with a chronic illness, I connected with her struggles and her health journey. I understood her struggles and her caution in life, right down the the helicopter parent and the constant doctor's visits. I definitely got Hozier vibes from Aidan, the MMC. He is a musician who has only ever written about Lo, whether she knows it or not (she doesn't because she has refused to listen to his work!). Their reconnection is hard-fought and messy at times. It is full of ups and downs, which made me more invested in their romance. I did enjoy watching the will they, won't they?" aspect of this story as Lo and Aidan attempt to figure out if something real could work between them again. I loved the scene in the pond/little lake, oooooh man, that was SO GOOD. There is a lot of excellent banter between the two of them. Still, I think there was a little bit of a lack of spark between the two of them for me, despite all of this. The book is mostly well-paced, though there are a few spots where it drags a little bit. Overall, I think if you liked "Morbidly Yours" and want something a little lighter (but not *too much* lighter!), give this one a go! Plus, I loved supporting Ivy Fairbanks again!! Can't wait for her next novel!

Thank you to NetGalley, Ivy Fairbanks, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

DNFing this one. When a comedy errors jsut becomes annoying. How many times can they find themselves in a ridiculous situation. It’s gets boring after a while. The spice was so vanilla. And 69 in the back of a herse surround by sheep???? WTAF??? I just don’t care about these two at all.

Second-chance romance? Set in Ireland? Yeah, I was sold IMMEDIATELY.

Heart Strings follows Lo, a med student and cancer survivor, who’s just trying to get through wedding season in Galway without losing her mind, and Aidan, her ex, a musician who ghosted her two years ago to chase fame. Of course, they're stuck together as best man and maid of honor. Naturally, serious sexual tension ensues.

I found this book sweet, emotional, and hilarious. Lo is relatable and messy in a good way, and Aidan is by the book MMC material: hot, moody, and good with his hands (he plays the mandolin, get your mind out of the gutter).

It was the perfect follow up to the first book in the series and scratched my romance itch when even Ali Hazelwood failed to do so. 4.5/5!

Thank you to Penguin and Netgalley for the eARC!

Morbidly Yours is one of my favorite romances of all time, so my expectations of this were sky high, especially with this being a second chance romance.
Alright, I overall enjoyed this. I found both Lo and Aidan to be really compelling and fun characters to follow.
When reading the description, I wasn’t sure I’d like Cielo. I should have known better, because Ivy Fairbanks just knows how to write characters I like even if they’re not like any other characters I like, and Cielo was no exception to that. Even though her actions frustrated me at times, I understood her and why she was the way that she was.
Aidan was the sweet musician of my dreams, seriously swoon worthy. He is what every hot musician should be and he’s why dating a musician in real life is often so disappointing; they never live up and are never as sensitive or emotionally intelligent as Aidan.
I think what disappointed me about this was it wasn’t nearly angsty enough for a second chance romance. I didn’t mind the instalove/lust aspect of these two, but I wanted more angst leading up to their reconnection.
That being said, I did enjoy this and I plan on giving it a reread when it comes out, but it doesn’t compare to how much I absolutely adored the first in the series.

Thank you Netgalley and Putnam for the eARC! All opinions are my own.

When Heart Strings dropped into my netgalley shelf I about DIED! I loved Morbidly Yours, so I was pumped to be able to get an early copy of Heart Strings. This is a up in coming rockstar/musician, med student romance and it’s a second chance romance! The relationship between Aidan and Lo was so good! They had good banter and quips with each other. You just want to root for Lo and Aidan, which doesn’t happen with every book you read. We also got to see plenty of Lark and Callum, which I loved! Definitely add this book to your TBR!

men written by Ivy Fairbanks 🫶

thank you Ivy for the eArc, i'm so happy to help you with the release!

I'm always a bit worried when i have to read the second book in a romance series because you'll never know if you'll like it like the first one, if the man is good, etc. In this case the standard was Callum and i didn't thought someone would come close to him but OMG Aidan?? what a simp i'm so much in love with him. Really Ivy where can i get a man like the one you write?? I need one !
Aidan X Lo are such a good couple, they match each other freaks and they love and support each other so much <3
Cielo is such a strong woman I'd love to have her as a friends <3 I really loved her characterization, how she was always herself and how she tried to heal a little bit . Aidan was always so supportive and gentle and so aware of her needs T.T

I was so happy to see again Callum and Lark and to get to see Saoirse more! Can't wait for her book!

Heart strings: Love that Cielo and Aidan are an unlikely couple at first glance (musician and an MD in training.) But then you realize they met when they were both more “academic” as Aidan was practicing as a lawyer and initially saw music as more of a passion. Oddly enough Cielo urged him to pursue his passion for music and that ultimately lead to their breakup. I’m not a huge fan of the miscommunication trope but did love their biting banter and sexual chemistry. This one will get a solid 4/5.

Thank you to Putnam books for the ARC!

2.75! Heart Strings follows the story of Cielo and Aiden, who are forced to interact at their best friend’s wedding. There’s history between them, as they dated two years prior, and things didn’t exactly end on the best terms. Now, they both just want to get through the weekend as quickly as possible.

After loving Morbidly Yours, I was so excited for this novel, but it ended up falling a bit short for me. I did enjoy the second-chance aspect, especially since there was so much unfinished business between Cielo and Aiden. I also loved seeing Callum and Lark again and experiencing everything leading up to their wedding.

That said, I wasn’t a fan of the miscommunication between Aiden and Cielo. Something happened during their relationship that led to their breakup, but it honestly felt like something that could have been resolved with an open conversation. The author does a good job giving both characters a background that explains their communication issues, but I still didn’t find it fully justifiable. It pains me to say it, but they both felt a little too grown to be handling things the way they did. Cielo especially pushed everyone away and didn’t give anyone a chance to explain themselves, which I didn’t really like.

The pacing also felt uneven. The beginning dragged a bit, while the last 20 percent moved too quickly.
It’s totally possible this just wasn’t the right book for me at the moment, and that’s okay. I’m still excited to read more from Ivy Fairbanks, but this one just didn’t land for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!