Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks is so lovely. A widowed animator moves to Ireland to get a fresh start and unexpectedly befriends the undertaker next door. It's sad, sweet, and hopeful. Callum's grandfather left some alarming stipulations in his will, and now he has less than a year to get married to inherit the family business. Lark swore off love after her husband's tragic death, but she's determined to find happiness for her friend. Sparks naturally fly as they get closer and their relationship is so honest and tender. I absolutely love this book.

Many thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

"Morbidly Yours" is an open-door romance featuring a grieving widow, Lark, who travels from Texas to Galway to try to escape her grief, only to become best friends with Callum, the tongue-tied undertaker who lives next door.

While each of them have their issues they struggle with, and they are the opposite of one another in so many ways, they're good for one another, especially since they pull each other outside of their comfort zone to embrace life (and the living) a bit more than they have been. But the major question is, how far are they willing to let each other inside? And are they better off as friends or perhaps as something much more?

I truly enjoyed this book. Its characters were believable, as were the struggles they dealt with. (Cal's grandfather's stipulation wasn't, but the rest of it was!) For many reasons, I felt it was a 5-star book, but since I prefer closed-door romance, I wasn't especially comfortable with the open-door aspects of the story. So I removed a star purely for that reason.

Thank you to Ivy Fairbanks, Penguin Group, and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

*This was an e-arc from NetGalley*

Minor spoilers in this review.

How I read it: ebook (on a Kindle)

Themes: marriage, grief, death, moving abroad, workplace a**hole, friends with benefits, introvert & extrovert relationship

Spice: There are explicit sex scenes, well paced, and enjoyable

Similar to: Love at First Book by Jenn McKinlay

I love this book so much! I was giddy while reading it. I love the relationship of the two main characters, and I love the ending. I wish I could read for the first time again, just to experience it for the first time again.

I would recommend this book. I gave 5 stars because I like it a lot, and would re-read it and/or buy it!

Really cute! It took me a bit to get into this one and connect with the scenario/stakes. BUT it was just a really sweet romance read. I loved the personal healing journey, the cute little adventures, and romantic moments. Grief is always a tricky thing to tackle in romance books and I think Ivy laid it out very well. I feel that Cal and Lark balanced each other nicely and I really loved watching Cal blossom.

OK AND CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE CHESS + IRISH SCENE. The tension!! The translations!! I was shamelessly a goner. Loved that.

Highs:
Irish translations, gimme more, loved this
Havarti & Plague Rat (I die so cute)
Tension was high at like all times

Lows:
Sean (that is all, thank you, bye)

As usual I wish I hadn't waited so long to pick this book up because it has been haunting my digital shelves. Really enjoyed once it got going! Also peeped that nod to a second book towards the end, will absolutely be following up on the series.

🇮🇪⚰️🏠💍

Morbidly Yours is a heartwarming, laugh-out-loud rom-com that deftly balances wit and emotion. In this opposites-attract story, painfully shy Callum, an Irish mortician with a ticking deadline to marry or lose his beloved family business, finds his world turned upside down when Texan widow Lark moves in next door. Determined to help him find his perfect match, Lark sets out on a mission, but their growing connection makes it hard to stay in the friend zone. As Callum’s deadpan humor melts Lark’s guarded heart, and her vibrant presence brings color to his grey world, this unconventional pairing proves that love can blossom in the most unexpected places. Perfect for fans of swoon-worthy romances with equal parts spice, heart, and humor, this book will leave you smiling, tearing up, and craving more.

I really enjoyed this book! Morbidly Yours is a classic slow burn novel where you're practically screaming halfway through for the main characters to get together already. This was a fun read, with great character development, scenery, and overall vibes. I would definitely recommend this to rom-com fans, though be warned, the open door scenes are VERY OPEN DOOR!

This was a fun read set in Ireland with two interesting and compelling characters. I was originally thinking this book would have more of a spooky/Halloween feel but I couldn’t have been more wrong. It was cozy and sweet. While the MMC does have a bit of a *spooky* job, it didn’t play into the story too much. Our main female lead is quirky with past trauma but the banter between the two is light and enjoyable. The side characters in the town are a delight to read and made the book even better.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

Thank you so much Penguin GROUP for this ARC! I think Ivy Fairbanks has become now one of my favorite authors! I loved how the love story. It was definitely interesting reading about Callum’s occupation. That was intriguing and also terrifying. Lark helping Callum on his love journey was the sweetest thing ever.

DNF'd - couldn't finished this one as it felt very immature and YA... The male main character didn't interest me and the female main character unfortunately came off very annoying

This was such a fun read! The characters were relatable and fun. The plot was funny and interesting. Let's not forget the spicy with the handsome MMC *insert drool here*. I adored the unusual setting and the fact that the MMC wasn't cocky or macho, instead he was sweet and nerdy and kind of really awkward. This story was so unique that I can't stop recommending it to others!

Book Review:
Title: Morbidly Yours
Author: Ivy Fairbanks
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/3 stars

Hey, mortician's need love too!! Even if the one in this book is extremely awkward and antisocial. Callum Flannery is going to lose his family's funeral home unless he gets married by his 35th birthday. At least, that's what his grandfather's will stated. He's hoping to find a loophole, but none have revealed themselves just yet, and time is running out!

Enter Lark Thompson, widow, and an American cartooner/animator who has just temporarily transferred to Ireland for a career opportunity. She just happens to move in next door to a funeral home. Creepy(At least she thinks so)!

Lark makes it her mission to help Callum earn his inheritance, find the lady of his dreams, and live happily ever after. But is Lark starting to feel more than friendship towards Callum? And is Callum, unknowingly to Lark, reciprocating the feelings? Hopefully, they figure it out fast!!!

Published: August 20th, 2024

Thank you, @netgalley, and @putnambooks for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

*Neighbors --> friends --> lovers
*Hot, tall Irish guy with glasses! He's shy!
*Random old lady friend side character?
*It felt a little too long in the middle. When I was at the 65% mark I was thinking, how can I still have so much of this story left?? It took me a while to get through that part of the story. But I am glad I finished, everything wrapped up nicely in the end.

This was an interesting read. Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks is a contemporary romance about a recently widowed woman falling for an undertaker. That is putting it in the simplest terms possible. Lark Thompson had to get away from her life after her husband died, so when a spot opened to head a project in Galway, she took it, packed everything she could take with her and left. Now halfway around the world, Lark finds herself living across the street from a mortuary with a cute undertaker who admittedly has his own baggage to deal with.

Callum Flannelly is mourning the loss of his grandfather, the owner of the mortuary and who raised him, all while dealing with the fact that his grandfather left the business to his estranged father if Callum isn’t married by the time he is 35. That time is approaching quicker than he’d like with zero hopes of finding someone he’d want to marry. That is until the American moves in across the street.

There are so many layers to this book. It is a sweet friends-to-lovers romance that burns slow. When Lark learns of Callum’s dilemma, she wants to help him save his business and keep his home. She forces him out of his comfort zone and into the dating scene all while catching her own feelings for him. The author beautifully blends the grief and guilt Lark has into this story. It’s much more than just a romance as it deals with subjects such as spousal loss, PTSD, anxiety, and depression. It’s about as close to real life as you can get.

Overall, I really enjoyed Morbidly Yours. It’s a beautifully written story about two polar opposites becoming friends and then eventually more. If you are looking for an unconventional romance, this is it!

Callum runs a mortuary but needs to marry by 35 in order to keep his family business and his inheritance. Luckily Lark, a visitor staying next door, shows up at his funeral home out of nowhere. Even though she doesn’t believe in love after losing her husband, she’s willing to help Callum find his person and get married. Only as she sets him up on dates, they begin to fall for each other instead.

This story was fun and unique and Callum was the sweetest grumpy MC. There was a good mix of (sometimes dark) humor and witty banter to balance out Callum’s job. I enjoyed the dating project and thought it made for some fun moments. But the slow progression of their attraction to each other was fun to watch play out.

Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for the advance copy.

Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks. The dedication made me tear up: "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'd stared at Callum all night like the bug-eyed, whistling wolf in a Tex Avery cartoon all night. From the moment I saw him at The Hare's Breath, dressed down with his hair flopped over his brow as he swayed to the band, I'd fought the urge to throw my head back and howl in delight."

If I were to say "name a profession for someone who is like a black cat," you might say undertaker. If I were to say "name a profession for someone who is like a golden retriever," you might say animator or artist. Now say them in the same sentence. That's Morbidly Yours. And my GOODNESS does it work well.

Lark Thompson, an American animator, comes to Galway, Ireland running from her grief. Eighteen months before, her husband died, and she wants a fresh start where she isn't reminded of her loss at every corner. Yet her rental happens to be right next to a funeral home, with its own grief-stricken undertaker Callum. In his Granda's will, Callum must marry by the age of 35 in order to inherit the business, since his Granda was afraid that the socially anxious Callum would never get out of his shell.

Wait, a marriage of convenience plot? Nope. The bubbly Lark refuses to fall in love and experience loss again, but she takes Callum under her extroverted wing to help him find someone to marry. She is patient with his persistent stutter and anxiety, and he finds that Lark is the only person he actually feels comfortable talking to. As Lark helps him undergo more and more dates, with his deadline on the contract and her deadline on her visa looming, their connection strengthens and blossoms.

For some reason, I've been on a kick of reading romance novels that talk about grief. This one talks about it the best. It gets into the discomfort, the guilt, and the way that human connection can help us not get over our grief, but grow with it. Lark and Callum's anguish are both different but both so real.

I love how Ivy Fairbanks subverts the marriage of convenience trope. It would be easy enough to just say "Lark, marry Callum." But in the subversion, Fairbanks allows for a deeper look at demisexuality in a genre that celebrates hyper-sexuality. She depicts stuttering accurately, including circumlocution and the way certain sounds cause issues. Lark doesn't "cure" Callum's social anxiety; she supports him in stepping out of his comfort zone while enjoying things one on one with him in appreciation of how he lets her in. He doesn't "cure" her grief, he gives her the time to share about Reese in her own way.

And the spice. My god, the spice.

Everything adds to the story. From the battle with the nepotism hire at Lark's animation studio to the terminally ill woman who gave Lark a couch to the sparks between Lark's cousin and an Irish lawyer, this makes one beautiful story with a hefty dose of spice and Irish goodness. (Psst: pull up Google Translate while you read. Thank me later)

Come for: probably the most unique premise I've heard of in ages
Stay for: nerdy animation references, accurate depictions of undertaking, Irish slang, and the cutest Irish nicknames you've ever heard

Thank you for this ARC and I really wish I could undergo a memory wipe so I could read this again.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I have never read a non-queer romance, but I thought an undertaker as a main protagonist would help this feel a little queer. And it did! I loved the setting and I thought the story was quite sweet. I was rooting for these two the whole time.

This book had some cute moments and I liked the setup of it, but it fell prey to a couple of the romance pitfalls that make me dislike a romance, namely a comically evil bad guy at a character's job and a pointless medical emergency to up the stakes. The tone was also overly explanatory for me, as if the reader doesn't trust the audience. Nonetheless, I did stick with it because there were a few swoonworthy moments.

Don’t let this cover deceive you. Even though it’s an animated cover (cute nod to our FMC, maybe) it’s actually a quite deep and thoughtfully serious novel. There are certainly moments of adorable sweetness and humor that offers levity, but I loved the genuine life struggles that were presented in this book. As a debut, this hit out of the park for me.

The writing is beautiful, and what sold me was the honest depiction of grief, the accurate representation of challenges women can face as talented workplace professionals. It was the joy of finding a kindred spirit but the sadness that comes when it’s clear that they’re only with you for a short time and the clock is eternally winding down as you just try to cocoon yourself in the warmth of their friendship. It was the sweetly patient and gentle way that Callum drew Lark out of her shell of grief into the land of the living again, and the equally loving way that Lark encouraged, inspired, and pulled laughter from Callum’s serious nature. I really just loved this book.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Cute, tender, feel good romance. Definitely all the cozy rom com feels in an unexpected sort of story