I promise myself I will stop staying up late reading, and then I find myself up till midnight to finish this book. But it's not my fault, it was just really good! I fell in love with Lark & Callum and their funny & sweet exchanges. I wanted to punch Sean, hangout at the Hare's Breath pub, I was fully immersed. And talk about some steamy scenes! Hubba hubba! An amazing debut & I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thanks to Putnam and NetGalley for this ARC! I've heard great things about Ivy Fairbanks and was excited for this one. Unfortunately, Morbidly Yours was not for me. I couldn't get into it, and really struggled with the dialogue. Grumpy/sunshine is not always my favorite, and that was the case here.

I devoured this book. I very much enjoyed the main male character, a shy Irishman with a stutter who has social anxiety and talks in dirty Irish words during the smutty scenes? Yeah, sign me up. I enjoyed the concept of the literal girl next door who has her own personal past with death moving in next to a funeral parlor. This book is full of some of my favorite troupes- slow burn (I just wanted them to just kiss already!), friends to lovers, and a dash of grumpy sunshine. It was unique, and I really enjoyed reading this one. It was sexy, charming, and although it had the dreaded third act breakup, the resolution was so sweet. Plus, the side characters created such a well rounded story- I loved Maeve! It was a perfect beginning to my spooky season reads, and I'm glad that I picked this one up.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Penguin Group Putnam for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

Well, this was adorable! I went into this hoping it'd be a breezy, fun read. And I was pleasantly surprised by just how much I enjoyed the story. The grief storyline was a wonderful touch, Callum was incredibly likable and the romance was believable, well-paced and sweet.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for an honest review.

If you are looking for a grumpy-sunshine romance book, set in Ireland, with a "need to get married to receive inheritance" trope, then look no further than Morbidly Yours. But if you think this will be just a simple puffy feel-good book, you'll get more than expected. Fairbanks does a nice job of balancing sweet romance with deeper topics of grief/being a young widow and even some asexual representation. I adored the main male character, Callum, and overall this was a very cute book. I will more than likely want to read the second in this series as well. Solid 4 stars.

This was cute and funny with a unique storyline that I really enjoyed. The MCs are (intentionally) awkward yet funny. The spice was good, and i genuinely enjoyed watched this friendship and relationship develop over the course of the book.

Highlights:
- Romance: MF
- Friends-to-lovers / friends with benefits
- Neighbors
- Opposites attract
- Demisexual MC
- Love/life after loss

I truly enjoyed this book as it seemed to embody a few of the things I loved in one cute little package. A southerner girl with secrets finding herself again whilst in Ireland…. SOLD! The plot, the character dynamics, the quiet man next door ughhh just couldn’t get enough of this book. This book managed to touch on serious topics while keeping a light and almost relaxed vibe most of the way through which was.a pleasant surprise to me as I am a mood reader and sometimes books can feel very heavy on my heart. If you’ve ever watched the movie “Sydney White” and you’re familiar with the character dinky than your bound to relate when I say our FMC, Lark, had a similar disposition to her she was fun and bubbly and the complete opposite of Callum which just made me love their dynamic so much more. Without giving away spoilers I’d also like to say I loved that there were true honest friendships in this book and that certain characters stayed true to themselves and supported their friends decisions which seems to be far and few in the romances I’ve read as of late. This will DEFINITELY be on my reread list. Read it read it read it, it is so cute.

2.5⭐️s. I was actually pleasantly surprised with the first half of this book. The title and cover felt kind of tacky to my taste honestly and I sort of apprehensively accepted the ARC when it was offered. However, I thought it was well written and had some good depth to it. It dealt with grief and social difficulties, and had some funny scenarios. I was enjoying a lot of the awkward situations and much of the character development.

But the second half just tanked the book for me. The constant doormat situation with a subordinate was really frustrating for one. But mostly, the whole friends with benefits is so cringey and distasteful, not to mention completely selfish on Lark’s part, which yes, she realized and yet did nothing but constant yo-yo-ing and more selfishness. I really disliked her in the 2nd half. And the ending was a complete let down. I just don’t get it.

All in all so much potential cuz again, the writing flowed well and everyone started out really good. But the content and then lack of substance and actual character in a main character just ruined it for me.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.

Morbidly Yours was such a sweet and heartwarming read! It delivered an incredibly solid friends-to-lovers romance that felt natural and well-paced. The relationship between the main characters was refreshingly healthy—there wasn’t unnecessary drama between them, which made their connection feel even more genuine while still keeping the story engaging.

I was pleasantly surprised by how spicy it got in parts, but the balance between the steam and the deeper, more mature themes of grief and loss was beautifully done. The characters themselves were so relatable and loveable, making it easy to root for them throughout their journey. Overall, this is a charming and emotional read that hits all the right notes for fans of contemporary romance. Highly recommend!

Morbidly Yours is a romance novel set in Ireland with a shy and morose funeral director and a bubbly sunshine animator from Texas. I thought this seemed like a cool setting and love books set in Ireland!

Things I liked: The setting! I also liked that Callum was a funeral director and Lark was an animator. Those are jobs that I don't think I have ever seen in a romance novel, and I always enjoy it when unique professions are shown. I liked the representation in having queer and nonbinary co-workers and Lark (who is White) having a biological cousin who is Latina.

Things I had issues with: I don't know what it is with American characters x characters from the British Isles, but this book was so aggressive towards American people. In some ways I get it, but who do you think is reading this book?? I think it's mostly Americans who want to romanticize those places! I liked Lark just fine but really struggled with Callum. This book is dual POV I had to take a deep breath before his chapters. The story also just didn't work for me. I considered DNFing after the weird aggression towards stupid, uncouth, unsophisticated American people. I honestly really should have but it just had me in its clutches and I couldn't pull free.

Overall, this wasn't my favorite. 2 stars. If you LOVE grumpy/sunshine you might enjoy it! Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and NetGalley for the eARC, my thoughts are my own!

This was such an excellent take on the grumpy/sunshine trope! I didn't know I needed a mortician in my romance until this book. Loved the side characters and felt this was really refreshing in a lot of necessary ways (thank you for no kids or oops pregnancies! thank you for making them talk about their feelings & needs!)

I looked one it was published and I wish that it had an audiobook, but my brain filled in the accents as best as possible.

I absolutely adored Lark and Callum!

Lark is a widow of 2 years from Texas. She needs a change in her life after feeling like her whole world was turned completely upside down after the death of her husband, Reece. Her best friend, Rachel, Reece's sister, blames her for the death of Reece. Lark feels completely isolated and takes a big leap, moving to Galway, Ireland for a contract animation job. When a package is randomly delivered to her apartment, she stumbles to her neighbor's house to give the rightful owner the package.

Lark meets Callum, a sweet, quiet introverted undertaker with a slight stutter. Callum is a little standoffish at first, but he starts to let his guard down around Lark. Callum explains to Lark that he has his own dilemma, he must be married within 6 months, by his 35th birthday, to keep his family legacy of undertaker. If he isn't married by his 35th birthday, the funeral home is gifted to his father, and his father cannot wait to sell to another branch.

Lark helps Callum navigate the world of online dating and sends him on several dates to search for the love of his life. The only issue, Callum isn't fiercely attracted to anyone and is having a difficult time finding anyone worth his time. The more time Callum spends with Lark, the more he notices he's really attracted to her, and he would like to pursue something more than this new friendship. Lark is resistant to the idea of a relationship with Callum or anyone else. Lark has solemnly sworn off any kind of relationship since the death of Reece. She doesn't feel like she's entitled to happiness since his passing.

But we all know what happens in romance novels. Eventually Lark opens up and lets Callum in a litle more. They become best friends, with the benefits of a little more and their relationship becomes stronger. Lark and Callum make each other happy, but can they race the clock an determine they're right for each other before Callum's time runs out? or will Callum be forced to marry someone as a paper commitment with no real love?

This is a beautifully blended story of love, loss and finding true love again. I would definitely recommend reading this one. Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for this ARC in the exchange for my honest review.

Morbidly Yours is a slow-burning, grumpy-sunshine romantic comedy. This book was SO AMAZING to me. Sincerely, I'm happy that this is a series, and I'm eager to see what happens next! I loved the main characters and the entire story.

Thanks to Ivy Fairbanks, G.P. Putnam, Penguin Random House and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC copy.

"Morbidly yours" is the first book written by Ivy Fairbanks.
The MC are Lark, the "sunshine" and Callum, the grumpy. As imagined, the main trope here is sunshine vs grumpy, and friends to lovers.
Callum, has inherited his business (very particular and out of the ordinary for a romance novel), but on one condition, he must marry before the age of 35 (and it's already late, just under a year to go). Lark decides to help him in this arduous undertaking. The story is very particular, and at the beginning you can say it started with a bang, but after that I found it a bit boring and slow.
All in all, it's not a bad debut, there's certainly some room for improvement.
Furthermore, I found the setting perfect for a cosy autumn reading.
Thanks to Ivy Fairbanks, G.P. Putnam, Penguin Random House and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love love loved this book! I really liked the aspect of a MMC not being the typical masculine that we are used to but an individual that truly struggles with every day life that gets “rescued” by our MFC even though they are truly saving each other in their love!

I have also spend a good amount of time in Galway and felt the author described and depicted the area well as I could picture the location in my mind!

5 star!

Heat Factor: It starts off slow but the heat is just right

Character Chemistry: He’s a shy, demi-sexual cinnamon roll mortician whose world is rocked by a rainbow technicolor, boot-wearing, Texan graphic artist

Plot: Lark moves to Galway to escape the deeply traumatic ripple effects from the death of her husband and ends up trying to help Callum (her neighbor and sudden best friend) save his mortuary from being sold. They’re so well-matched it’s painful.

Overall: I’m actually going to remember this book because it had so much character and originality and it was so well thought out.

I guess it’s pumpkin spice season, so let’s just lean into the morbid with this adorable Irish romance!

Lark is ready to call it on anything death related when she learns that the cute inn next to her is not actually an inn, but a mortuary. The owner of the mortuary is handsome but fits the part—he wears all dark colors and wears little round glasses and is just generally an Addams family dreamboat.

Because Lark is human sunshine, she quickly ends up roping Callum into living his life more fully—it turns out he’s demi-sexual and has some anxiety/sensory sensitivities, plus he has a mild stutter—so he’s kind of isolated himself in his own pleasant little world. Through her warmth and happy nature, Callum ends up trying new things and putting himself out there more. Which is good, because Callum’s problem is that his grandfather died, leaving the mortuary to Callum…if and only if Callum marries by the time he’s 35. Otherwise, it’s going to his father who is chomping at the bit to sell it and make a load of cash.

Lark’s hang up is that her husband died in a traumatic car accident right after a really difficult argument, and then her late-husband’s sister publicly blamed her for his death at the funeral. Lark isn’t sure she’s the kind of steady, reliable person who should be entering into things like marriages and long-term committed relationships and parenthood. Callum is a true cinnamon roll, constantly building Lark up and caring for her in gentle ways, and slowly Lark begins to open up again after believing the worst about herself.

I kind of want Erin to read this one because it has all the ingredients of one of her biggest pet peeves—writing off love forever because of one really bad experience—but the way the author executes it is very well done. It slowly becomes very clear why Lark and Callum’s situation is going to hit their dark moment; after all, if Callum needs to get married to save his mortuary and Lark is terrified of commitment, their relationship already has a lot of hurdles that will require deep introspection and healthy communication to pull it off. Callum needs to marry but he literally can’t have a relationship unless there’s a deep emotional connection, so dating is incredibly hard. Plus, Lark is on a visa with a rapidly approaching end, and she’s dealing with job issues…so by the time the dark moment comes, there are little tidbits of proof that Lark and Callum are not being ridiculous and that they really are in a very challenging position, but the way they bring out the best in each other and their absolutely mind-blowing chemistry makes it impossible to want any other outcome but happily-ever-after. It doesn’t hurt that this has strong small-town romance vibes—so you know there’s a dynamic cast of secondary characters just waiting in the wings for the next book.

I’m honestly thrilled this is a series and I can’t wait to see what comes next!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the eARC. for the eARC.

Loved this novel, but I knew I would just from the synopsis. I loved the main characters, all of it. So good.

First, thank you for NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for allowing me access to this romance novel. Absolutely loved it. Can’t wait to buy the audiobook so that I can listen to that as well. Highly recommended!

The first part of this book was really strong. I was hooked on it. The characters were hilarious and I was in love. But as the book continued my love started to drain and I had a hard time wanting to continue to read the book. By the end I was ready for the book to end and the love story to be done also.

The cover is adorable and the premise of the book intrigued me. Overall a fun slightly morbid romance.

*I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher; the review is my own.*

3.5 stars

My feelings about this book are complicated. The characters and story drew me in right away and didn't easily let me put my Kindle down whenever it was time for me to do other things. However, I'm not entirely satisfied with how it ended, and certain content prevents me from recommending or purchasing it. Had those two issues not existed (or even just the latter), I could have easily given this book four to five stars. Unfortunately, I didn't do enough research prior to requesting the book to realize that much of the second half would require me to close doors that the author left wide open (or perhaps didn't even install).

Despite their very obviously contrasting natures, Lark (29) and Callum (34) were well matched, and I really liked them together as friends and more. They were like the two parts of a kite--he was the string, and she was the vibrantly colored sail. Their friendship was meaningful and impacted each of them in just the ways they needed. Strangely, though, Callum was the optimist. Although Lark was a bright, bubbly person, she used those aspects of her personality to mask and avoid dealign with her grief and guilt over losing her husband. Over time, I became irritated with her, not because of what she was suffering but because of her selfishness regarding Callum. I'm sorry (actually, I'm not) but "friends with benefits" is really the stupidest idea anyone has ever come up with, especially concerning someone like Callum who takes a long time to form personal connection and develop physical attraction. I do not judge or blame her for her grief, but her treatment of him was careless.

I'm pretty confident about which characters the next book will follow, and I am certain that some readers will be lining up to read it. Unfortunately, I can't continue the series now that I know what type of scenes to expect. It really is a shame, as Ivy Fairbanks is a talented writer. Her characters are well written, and she handled some difficult topics with both candor and sensitivity. I wouldn't call this book a rom-com, but it had a good balance between joviality and seriousness.


Note: Language, including f words (English and Irish). Several open-door sex scenes. A really awkward chess game.