Pros: stutter and demisexual representation in Callum - Callum in general was a pro, he was so sweet. I like the becoming friends first into romance (a slower burn). I bet if they got the right narrators this would be good on audio (to hear Callum's accent).

Cons: My biggest issue with this book was Lark's coworker enemy who is quite possibly one of my most hated book characters ever (so I guess props for writing a villain so well?). I just don't really feel the need for a villain in a romance (unless they turn into the romantic interest!). Maybe it's just my past experiences with shitty men at work that it really just made me mad and even tho I suppose he gets what he deserves in the end (kinda he's still an ass), it just really took away overall enjoyment of this book.
This has the beginnings of marriage of convenience trope, but ended up being a slow burn so the 'reasons' Callum has to get married ultimately become a barrier to their romance (perhaps maybe that just wasn't what I expected from the first few chapters).
While I understand Lark's qualms with moving on after the death of her husband, it did feel a bit repetitive to continue hearing about it without much development (until the end).
Something about the writing style and pacing also felt a bit awkward at parts.

Thank you Netgalley for an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Content Warnings:
Graphic: Grief and Death
Moderate: Car accident, Ableism, Bullying, Body horror, and Sexual content
Minor: Child death
There are some descriptions of what Callum does as a mortician, so if you're not into that prob not the book for you.

Thank you to Penguin Group/Putnam/ G. P. Putnam’s Sons for my e-arc of this title.
I thoroughly enjoyed the friends turned lovers story of Callum and Lark. This trope is difficult to do and I feel that Ivy Fairbanks did a great job of managing suspense as well as telling multiple intriguing side stories of the funeral home business, previous losses of both Callum and Lark, and making an animation short film. There was not only romance but also plenty of other action to keep readers entertained and invested in reading. Additionally, the story takes place in Galway, Ireland, and there are beautiful descriptions of multiple sites in the area-making Ireland another stop on my travel bucket list. There is some spiciness in the love scenes, but not horrid-so if you don’t like that, you might want to skip ahead.

This was pretty adorable for a book with morbid in the title.

There is a great sense of balance between the characters and their traits/ personalities, without the author constantly prodding the reader to remind them.

The pacing was a lot slower than I'm used to. That's not a flaw but definitely something to be aware of in the case of being a reader who prefers a quick pacing to their romance.

Overall I really enjoyed this books positivity and messages about living after meaningful people die. It's real and not like the usual lighthearted and easily solvable problems most romances have.

I'll be honest. I didn't even read the blurb for this book when I requested it on Netgalley. I saw the cover and name and knew it was meant to be. I mean, I wore a pair of pink Twisted X boots daily pretty much from the time I was 13 until I was 26. So, yeah. Lark called to me.

Anyways, Lark is very much an Austinite from the pink boots down to the sweet Texas twang. She's every bit WWDD (What Would Dolly Do?) in her upbeat, outgoing personality. She's a little ray of sunshine with a storm cloud in her past. Why else would she move from Austin to Galway at the drop of a cowboy hat, so fast that she doesn't realize she's moved next door to a funeral home?

Poor, quiet Callum really doesn't know what to do when Lark bounces into the funeral home with a misdelivered box of body bags and rapid fires questions at him.

I loveeeeee the way Lark developed as a character. She goes from this bright on the outside, stormy on the inside character who shies away from conflict to bold and vibrant and stands up for herself, along with the person she cares most about.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Putnam for the ARC!

Morbidly Yours portrays a beautiful love story where two opposites truly make each other better. It explores demisexuality and grief in a very thoughtful way and gave us unique and lovable characters. I loved Lark & Callum's relationship but I did not always love the plot lines and how some of the story unfolded. It felt like there were a lot of tropes at work but there was not full commitment to any of them. As a debut, I enjoyed it and would consider reading more from this author in the future! Thank you GP Putnam and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

What a great book! This was such an enjoyable read. It was quick and easy and so fun. I liked it more than I thought I would. My first by this author but won’t be my last. Please check trigger warnings

4.75 stars. I laughed, I cried, I cringed, I loved Morbidly Yours. I loved Callum and Lark. Every part of their story drew me in and kept me interested. From the moment Callum and Lark met, I knew I was going to be hooked until the last page. The way that Ivy Fairbanks wrote these two characters and developed them not only as the love interests/couple, but as individuals throughout the story was beautiful. Her portrayal of Callum coming out of his shell and showing his vulnerabilities as well as Lark's ongoing grief and self-sabotage was so well done. It was easy rooting for them to get together but also for each of them to grow and better themselves.

While I loved our two main characters, I also loved each and every background character that was introduced (not you Sean, never you). Each of them were more than just a side character thrown in to move the story along but felt like well thought out individuals. The plot was great and pacing was perfect for the story (even if I'm not a fan of third act breakups).

I would highly recommend Morbidly Yours for any fans of a good rom-com with some heartfelt moments of self-reflection thrown in. Definitely a fan of Ivy Fairbanks' writing and I can't wait to read what she puts out next.

Absolutely lovely. Sweet romance novel with well developed characters and a unique storyline. I felt the portrayal of grief was well done and appreciated the author’s thoughtfulness.

OK I am officially an Ivy Fairbanks stan. What a great romance! What a unique story! What a beautiful setting! Lark is grieving the loss of her husband, as well as the heartbreak of her marriage, and Callum is the undertaker next-door, who helps her love again, and feel secure again. This debut is absolutely delightful. As an Irish girl, I loved all of the references and emphasis on the beautiful Irish language and culture. I can’t wait to read what else Ivy Fairbanks has in store for us.

Thank you #Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Ivy Fairbanks' "Morbidly Yours" is a delightful blend of humor, heart, and unexpected warmth. The story follows Lark, a grieving widow, and Callum, a reserved undertaker, as they navigate grief, friendship, and a blossoming romance. Fairbanks deftly balances the somber themes with witty banter and endearing characters, creating a truly captivating read. The author's portrayal of grief and loss is both honest and comforting, while the budding relationship between Lark and Callum is both sweet and spicy. A charming debut that will leave readers smiling and satisfied. Thank you to NetGalley and Ivy Fairbanks for the opportunity to read this wonderful book.

Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks is Love in Galway #1, and I'm certainly eagerly awaiting #2. This was a great cozy read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital review copy.

Rating: 3.5/5

This was an enjoyable read! I found the relationship to have a cute progression through lots of little adventures and interactions Lark and Callum had. Pacing sometimes feels a little rushed in romance books but that wasn't the case in this one in my opinion. I also found the premise to be unique and fun, and the mood was developed well through the setting.

I did appreciate that the author included a character with a stutter and who is demisexual. Those are two bits of representation I don't see often! However, it does feel a bit like Callum was stereotyped a little too much as someone who is demisexual - that he is just shy, social anxious, introverted, and a little awkward. I think that there could have been more care taken in this demisexual representation to avoid playing into harmful stereotypes.

The other critique I have is that the timeline felt a little wonky, and sometimes at the start of the chapter I was confused if it was the same day as the previous chapter, a week later, or something else entirely. I was kind of surprised that this took place over less than a year because I thought there were a lot of time skips.

Overall I'd say this is a great read for someone who likes something lighthearted with a small touch on serious issues like grief. I was disappointed that the serious topics were glossed over and not touched on in depth, which would have made for a better book in my opinion. It has it's flaws but is still overall a nice read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the eARC!

As a demi person myself it’s nice to see positive portrayals of ace/demi people esp a male in a romance book setting. Plus it was just exceptionally sweet and enjoyable overall. There needs to be more of this so people get a better picture of the ace spectrum and that it’s not all sex repulsed or avoidant. (Just like the myth that bisexual and pan people just want to bang everybody all the time.)

This was a fun take on the grumpy-sunshine trope with a good balance of spice and depth. I enjoyed the Galway setting and the unique careers of both main characters.

2 Stars I was really excited for this one after seeing people rave about it from when it was independently published on KU, but sadly it fell short of expectations. I was intrigued by the premise, but just couldn't really get into the story. I also really dislike when the MC wants to be with the love interest but does the "no, I can't, I shouldn't" because of whatever happened in their past. I did like the demisexuality representation and the honest discussions of grief.

Ivy’s writing takes you on a visceral journey emotional directly alongside Callum and Lark’s story. They are adorable and this novel is a poetic front row seat to a love you don’t wanna miss.

I was a little hesitant about this book but figured it was worth a shot. This book surpassed my expectations. I loved the characters and felt their chemistry. This book made me laugh and swoon while also dealing with heavier topics. The author did a great job of not glossing over hard topics. I enjoyed this book and found it to be a quick read.

I was given an Advanced Reader Copy by NetGalley for an honest review.

Morbidly Yours is the first book in the “Love In Galway” Series by IV Fairbanks in the book we meet widow Lark, who has moved from Austin to Galway to flee the memories of her husband and being cut out of her friend group with the exception of Lolo. When opening boxes to move into her new apartment there’s one with body bags in it and she sees it was meant for her neighbor. To say she is curious as to why her neighbor needs five body bags is an understatement so she brings it to them and low-key hopes she can meet a new friend and that is exactly what she does. Her neighbor is Calum an undertaker in a family owned funeral home in little does he know but his new mate lark has an aversion to everything having to do with death and funerals. His neighbor isn’t his only issue though his dad wants Callum to sign over the funeral home because his dad thinks there is no way he will find a wife in the next six months and unfortunately that is one of the provisions his grandfather put in his will. Although Callum has no prospects he refuses to do it. Thankfully though his new neighbor and friend lark that’s going to help him find a wife… Until things get complicated and I’m not just talking about the stalker that follows her from Texas. Okay let me start with I really enjoyed this book I thought lark was lots of fun is definitely the only type that could bring a Callum out of his box to get more out of life but I don’t know why they have to have sex scenes in these books I mean either write erotica or romcoms. I wish sites where you get books would be more explicit about letting you know what’s in the book because I was looking so forward to reading this when I got to the nitty-gritty I just wanted to throw my phone at the wall. I was so let down having said that however it still is a fun book with a little bit of drama and a definite happy ending. I loved the concept and the execution they were just minor things and the sex scenes I could’ve lived without but having said that I still recommend this book.#NetGalley, #PenguinGroupPutnam, #IvyFairbanks, #LoveInGalway, #MorbidlyYours,

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book to read and review.

I loved the idea of this and they synopsis sounded fun. Unfortunately, this one was not for me. I couldn't seem to get into the story and I found myself not wanting to pick it up.

This book was so beautifully written, I loved it and I loved the characters and relationships. The grief in the story was so accurately depicted and well written. I loved Lark and Callum and their relationship! The character development was also strong!