I found the pace of this story at the beginning to be a bit slow. I had almost gave up on the story, when there was an interesting twist.
Undertaker Callum needs to get married to fulfill the terms of his grandfather's will and keep the business that has been in his family for generations. But his stutter and the teasing he endured as a child has left him cautious and withdrawn. The answer seems to be his new neighbor, Lark.

Two years after the loss of her husband she still blamed herself for his death. Sure she just doesn't have what it takes to make a relationship work, she refuses to get too close to anyone. She can't be what Callum needs, but she takes it upon herself to help him find what he needs.

I loved the characters from the start. They just meshed. And I don't think Callum even realized how quickly he became comfortable with Lark. Simply being accepted as he was led to an increase in his confidence. As I read deeper into the story, I realized that Callum was really the stronger of the two. Lark came to Ireland for a job, but really she was running away from memories. She carries her pain behind a perpetual smile and a cheery demeanor. While it took Lark's gregarious, personality to bring Callum out of his shell, he was the one who became Lark's strength and support, helping her to find healing.

When a jealous co-worker stabs her in the back, Lark takes a good long look at herself to try to find the woman Callum knows her to be.

In the end, I found this an uplifting, inspiring story. I'm glad I didn't give up on it.

Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks is a romance novel about an undertaker named Callum who can only inherit his family business if he gets married before his 35th birthday which is only 5 months away. Lark agrees to help Callum with this dilemma but neither of them expects how much they would be attracted to each other. I enjoyed that the characters developed a friendship before a romantic relationship because they are able to get to know each other better. It also allowed for a lot of tension which I loved. The story is set in Ireland which is fun but since Lark is from the US it does mean that their relationship will have some things to work through. I will also say that this book is very spicy and that took up the majority of the second half of the book. That was a bit too much for me but just be aware of it. Overall, it was a fun and fast read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a review!

I was not prepared for the emotional rollercoaster this book was going to take me on!! These two characters could not have been more perfect for each other.

This has to be one of the most random and yet perfect pairings. I never would have thought of a mortician and an animator but the beauty in both of them was such a great opposition. Lark was this little rainbow ball of energy that masked so much pain. Though she was running away, she actually ran into exactly what she needed. Callum was so sweet and so kind. His awkwardness made me want to hold him and hug him through the whole book. They both brought out so much in the other and helped them heal old and deep wounds.

This was such a perfect romcom with so much feeling behind it. All of the side characters were so wonderful and brought such life to the world around Callum and Lark. I loved the writing and am so happy this book is out in the world. I can't wait to see what's next for this author.

Thank you to NetGalley & Putman group for this ARC!

Look out for anything by Ivy Fairbanks because this debut was so good!

This story follows out FMA Lark Thompson who is starting a new job as an animator in Ireland, far from her hometown in Texas after the death of her husband. Swearing off love, she is excited to immerse herself into a new project but is dealing with a macho misogynist at work who undermines her and delays schedule constantly but is protected because his uncle owns the company. She moves into an apartment next door to a funeral home and befriends the caretaker, our MMC Callum Flannelly.

Callum is an introverted man who suffers from a speech impediment that has held him back for most of his life. He’s recently been informed by his grandfathers will that if he wants to keep the family home and business, he needs to marry by his 35th birthday. That’s a short 5 months away and with no prospects in sight, he and Lark work together to set up dates in hopes of finding someone to settle down.

While Lark tries to keep her feelings in check when it comes to Callum, the two feel most comfortable together and sure enough they can’t resist the pull to one another. These two had great chemistry and unmatched banter! The slow burn of their friendship turned lovers was perfectly executed and those scenes are spicyyyy! I loved the quirky side characters and that Lark was able to form real friendships abroad. I also enjoyed the descriptions of beautiful Ireland! I can’t wait to one day visit!


Perfect if you love:
-grumpy/sunshine
-friends-to-lovers
-slow burn
-dual POV
-spicy scenes

Lark moves to Ireland for work and to start fresh after her husband's death (read TWs). She finds herself living next door to a funeral home... hehe whoops. A misdelivered case of body bags brings her to the mortician's doorstep. Callum has to find a wife before his birthday, or he'll lose the family business. Lark is dead set against marrying again (even a marriage of convenience), so she volunteers to help Callum find The One.

First, the dedication spoke to me: "TO MY MOM. There’s a confession I must make: during middle school, I stole every shirtless-cowboy romance novel from your nightstand that you warned me not to read. Miss you every day, and I hope this makes up for it."

I really enjoyed the dark humor sprinkled throughout. "Ireland would be my clean slate, unless they went digging. But I wasn’t going to be handing out shovels." Also "Barbie's Dream Hearse" made me laugh out loud.

Lark describes herself as the human equivalent of loose glitter, and I would agree that was an apt description. I love the trope where a main character is perfectly content with their life until the other MC opens them up to the possibility of more.

I know some say this is grumpy-sunshine, but I would say Callum isn't a grump, he's just reserved (and very deadpan) and doesn't let many people in. Also, Lark isn't all sunshine because of that little storm cloud following her around ("Lonely recognizes lonely."). I would say this is more of an opposites attract story.

The storyline with Maeve was very tender and made me tear up just the tiniest bit.

There were a few things that didn't totally click for me. First, I would have expected Lark to engage in more tourist activities and adventures throughout, but so often the events of the book take place in her rental. I had to look up pictures of Galway to really get a sense of the setting. Second, something about the third act and epilogue was not fully satisfying. The I-want-to-but-we-shouldn't cycle was frustrating.

Read this if you're in the mood for:
- 30s+ romance
- Opposites attract
- Spice
- Dark humor
- Friends-to-lovers
- Dual POV
- He falls first
- Ability representation (stutter)
- Asexuality representation (demisexual)

Overall, a cute romance, but I didn't quite "feel it" like I do for other romances. The main characters were nice, but I would've liked to see Lark's past fleshed out more. It's a heavy topic and it didn't feel heavy reading it. The tropes used were too over the top for me; there were times where I couldn't help but roll my eyes in certain situations. The beginning was slow, but it did pick up in the second half of the book.

I probably won't read the sequel of this one, "Love in Galway #2", because I didn't feel a tug to read more about Lark's bff, which I'm sure that one will be about. Overall, a nice read, but didn't blow me out of the water.

Thank you, Penguin Group and NetGalley, for the ARC for my honest review.

This is a solid 3-star debut romance novel. I appreciated the demisexual representation, and the transition from enemies to friends to lovers was sweet. The last act went on a bit too long for me, and I wouldn't say I like two epilogues in general. This felt in the vein of Yours Truly but made it set in Ireland with undertakers.

That being said, I look forward to seeing what this author does next.

At first I did not think this was a book for me.The title threw me off .I liked that it took place in Ireland where had been before . The character flow was on point .I can’t wait to read more by this author .Thank you for my early copy . A fast read and a must read .

I originally read this over a year ago when it was independently published and really enjoyed. So happy for Ivy and this now traditionally published book! I think this book is a solid 3.75 - I really love the premise and I LOVE Callum. He is so kind and thoughtful. The Gaelige speaking scenes??? To die for. Ultimately I think there’s a little too much going on in the book - between Callum with his Grandfather’s will requiring him to get married to keep his business, Lark helping Callum go on dates, Lark’s grief with her husband, Lark’s job troubles, and Maeve’s story. I wish it flowed better in a way that it didn’t feel like 5 separate plots within one book. By the end of the book you almost completely forget how the book started - with Lark helping Callum go on dates so he could find someone to marry. I also wish we got more from Lark - there’s obviously a large focus on her working through her grief but I feel like we don’t get a satisfying “solution”. As in Lark is harboring all of this guilt and concerns that she is bad for Callum, will hurt him, and that she cannot be in a relationship again. We don’t get a clear sense of how Lark gets over these challenges before she admits to Callum her feelings and then they get together - I wanted a specific scene (I think this is how Maeve’s character could have been better used as a conduit in the story) where we get to see Lark work through these issues. Overall I think this is a solid debut and I’m excited for the following book!

Thank you netgalley and Putnam for the arc in exchange for a honest review!

Morbidly Yours is a sweet and spicy, grumpy-sunshine, friends-to-lovers romance set in Galway. So much fun to read! If you don’t fall in love with Callum and Lark the way I did, I’ll marry you to save your funeral home. (Read the book and you’ll understand the reference)

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Putnam for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I'll be honest, I was *very* skeptical about this one. And y'all, heavy content aside it was utterly and absolutely the sweeeeertest. 🥰🫠🥰

When widower Lark moves to Ireland for work, she meets the undertaker next door, Callum, and the two strike the most heartwarming friendship ever. Callum has a slight predicament of needing to be married by a milestone birthday that's just a few short months away and Lark, being his new bestie does what she can to play matchmaker but along the way, they both end up falling. Both believing their not in a spot to love the other the way they need to but watching along as they fight their obstacles together and separate to come back together for their HEA was just sooo good. I loved the scenery, the friends they met along the way, and just the overall healing thst occurred over the course of the book.

I wanted I think a bit more for the epilogue but overall, I really enjoyed this book and falling in love with Callum and Lark's story. 🥰



Thank you Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the ARC in exchange for my review!

Morbidly Yours has a unique group of characters the intro was instantly gravitating. Former Texan, Lark decides to move to Ireland after a sad/tragic event and runs into the mortician next door....feeling rise, chemistry is undeniable, and the friendship they form turns to more. I was not crazy abt the miscommunication but it made since for these characters. I loved knowing Lark was a TX girlie but honestly found so many things relatable in this book. I need to buy a physical copy asap to annotate this is the PERFECT October/Fall read.

Morbidly yours was a great slow burn but once it got going it was so hard to put down. I kept screaming just kiss already. I enjoyed this book and will definitely pick up more books by the author.

After a tragedy, Texas native Lark decides to start over in Ireland. She takes a job in Galway and rents a house next to a mortuary. Callum runs the mortuary and is dealing with his own major life problems.

I enjoyed the humor and characters in the book. The main relationship is built on lack of communication which is not a favorite of mine. A cute and enjoyable read.

Morbidly Yours featured some of my favorite tropes: grumpy sunshine, forced proximity, friends to lovers, etc. I also appreciated how grief, loss, healing, and forgiveness were addressed in the story. Please be sure to check CW’s.

The book started a bit slow for me, but I’m glad I stuck with it. I loved Callum from the start, but it did take me a bit to warm up to Lark. Her hot and cold behavior gave me lots of whiplash. I did love their opposites attract chemistry though and how they each truly saw the other for who they were. It’s a slow burn build up, but completely worth it. The steamy scenes were both sexy and heartfelt, and really showcased the connection between Lark and Callum. Unfortunately, the main conflict dragged on and on and made the book feel unnecessarily angsty and too long. It was still an entertaining read though and I really enjoyed getting an epilogue from each of their POV’s.

CW: social anxiety, panic attacks, stutter, bullying, death of spouse/loved one, grief, parental abandonment, workplace harassment/toxic work environment, terminal illness (secondary character), mentions and discussions on page about preparation of the deceased for funeral services

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

A recent widow and a mortician living next door and becoming friends and then maybe something more? What a great hook for a book! Overall, I really enjoyed this one - it moved quickly (though the pacing was too quick at times - I would have liked to linger in some of the important moments a bit longer) and the lead couple were super cute together! I'm super excited for the next book in the series!

Morbidly Yours is a cute romance novel with the HEA and spicy scenes you would expect but also romantic and heart jerking bits that I did not expect but made the core of its story and gave it heart and depth that you often do not find in romance novels.

Set in Galway, the city that Lark ran to while trying to escape her own grief and painful memories after the loss of her husband, and the city that Callum has called home his whole life. When Lark moves next door and receives a package of body bags meant for Callum she never expected that she had moved in next to a funeral home while trying to avoid all reminders of her husband's death. Yet she finds herself drawn to Callum and he is in need of some assistance with months to get his love life in line to keep the family business per his grandfathers will so she sets up to be his own personal matchmaker.

This novel is a great read if you are looking for something lighter that you will know will have a HEA while still dealing with themes of grief, spousal loss, and death. If those are touchy subjects for you I would stay away as this novel does deal with them very head on. The Writing through was excellent at balancing the mix of romance, spice, and grief processing in a way that had me a bundle of emotions by the end.

I would recommend this novel to you if:
- You love an Irish accent
- You want to read a HEA with some grief processing
- You like your spice fire-y and sometimes outside
- You are looking for a morbid romance novel
- In the mood for a good spooky season lightweight read

Overall, I deeply enjoyed this novel and the world the author built up around Lark and Callum, while this was a quicker read for myself, I enjoyed every moment and look forward to the next in the series.

I received an advance review copy of this book, and I am leaving this review voluntarily and all thoughts and opinions are wholly my own and unbiased.

Morbidly Yours portrays a touching and heartfelt narrative centered around Lark, a grieving mortician, and animator, as she navigates love and healing alongside her neighbor Callum. Following her husband's passing two years prior, Lark embraces the idea of a fresh start in Ireland. However, her plans to distance herself from death and sorrow are challenged when she befriends Callum, a mortician facing a familial ultimatum to marry in order to inherit the family mortuary.

This engaging and delightful tale explores common romance tropes such as the "falling first," friends with benefits, and the dynamic of a grumpy individual paired with a sunny counterpart. The relationship between Callum and Lark is portrayed as sweet, healthy, and perfectly matched. Callum emerges as a charming and endearing character, earning a place on the reviewer's list of beloved book boyfriends. The juxtaposition of his shy demeanor with moments of dirty talk adds depth and appeal to his character.

While the theme of grief plays a significant role in the narrative, it is skillfully woven into the storyline without becoming overwhelming. The exploration of grief is diverse and nuanced, adding richness to the characters' development. The reviewer's only qualm with the story lies in the handling of the third-act conflict, which is perceived as one-sided and unnecessary. This element detracted from an otherwise exceptional reading experience, leading to a less-than-perfect rating.

🖤🖤🖤🖤✨
4.5/5

𝓘𝓽’𝓼 𝓰𝓲𝓿𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓟𝓼. 𝓘 𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓶𝓮𝓮𝓽𝓼 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓜𝓾𝓷𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼 𝓿𝓲𝓫𝓮𝓼. 𝒜𝓃𝒹 𝐼’𝓂 𝓈𝑜 𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝒾𝓉. I originally requested this book because of its setting…Ireland. I’ve visited there & hope to go back in the future with the love of my life. It’s a beautiful country & Ivy Fairbanks captured it exquisitely.

Lark moves from Texas to Galway, Ireland for a new job and a new chapter in life. Funny thing is, for a girl that actively avoids being faced with death or anything that has to do with it….opening a package of body bags wasn’t on her new life bingo card. That lovely BnB next door? Oh, it’s actually a funeral home. Yes, Lark moved into an apartment right next door to a funeral home….and the handsome enigmatic Callum.

I was pretty sold on this whole story by the first chapter (if I’m being honest, the cover and title sold me to begin with). The storyline is so much more than your typical romance story.

Here’s what I ✨loved✨

👻 the obvious: that this combined my love of Ireland, romance, & morbid curiosity

💚 the Cliffs of Moher scene

♋️ Lark guessing Callum’s astrological sign

📺 the cartoon references!

🍿 kitchen sink popcorn (which inspired my photo!)

🐁 Houdini

💞 Mauve & Charlie’s story

🛼 This Lucky Charming Man & Dolly Pardon My French

🧪 this quote: “We obviously have physical chemistry. Well, like, ‘Oops, we accidentally blew up the school science lab’ chemistry.”

🏰 the castle scene… iykyk 🥵

🪦 Morbidly Yours is out now! And this is the perfect book for the in between of the end of summer and the cusp of fall! Definitely a must read for your fall reading list.

BLESS THIS BOOK IT WAS IMMACULATE. I read it during release week and it was so so good that I literally went to go find my bookstore nearby and went to get myself a copy. I did not know I needed a painfully shy love interest who talks dirty in Irish to win me over but this man earned my heart and a place atop my favorite book boyfriends