I loved the Irish castle backdrop and was intrigued by the second chance romance. The first half worked for me, but the second half lost steam. Maybe reading Morbidly Yours first would’ve helped, but overall, I just didn’t vibe with this one.

A beautiful second-chance romance from Ivy Fairbanks! Cielo and Aidan’s chemistry was electric, and their reunion as maid of honor and best man was full of feels. This book was emotional, satisfying, and left me excited for the next in the series!

3.5 stars! A very cute American-in-Ireland second chance spicy romance. I read Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks when it was first released on KU then read it again when it was rereleased and I got the physical copy, and it is in my top 10 favorite romances of all time so I had really high expectations for her second book. While it didn’t pull ahead of Morbidly Yours in my opinion it was still really good if you like second chance romance sans immature, unnecessary drama. The characters were mature straight forward but there was still enough angst to keep the plot going until the end. Plus some unique spice scenes which are always plus if you only read romance you know it can get redundant.

I have to admit Ivy’s second book, Heart Strings, was a cute second chance romance but it wasn’t my favorite. Now don’t get me wrong I love Ivy. I’ve met her several times at various author events in Orlando and she’s one of the sweetest human beings and I will always read her books because I know when I settle into her books I’m going to have a great time.

I think my problem was I had such high expectations in this follow up to Morbidly Yours that when it didn’t quite meet my expectations I found it falling a little flat. Now don’t take that as I hated the book. Because I definitely did not. I enjoyed whole heartedly traveling back to Galway. Meeting new characters and catching up with our old favorites. Heart Strings picks up a few years after Morbidly Yours ended. Our story follows Lo & Aidan as they are forced to reunite for Callum & Lark’s wedding. The two had a whirl wind romance and unfortunately it didn’t end well. Neither of them are excited to seeing each other again or coming to terms with their breakup. But for the sake of their friends they decide to play nice.

My biggest issue with this book instead of feeling like a second chance romance. It felt more like one big never ending miscommunication trope. Both of these characters are supposed to be grown adults yet they acted more like teenagers. Don’t get me wrong I understand their reasons but the whole book/relationship could’ve been solved if they had both had open and honest communication with each other.

My favorite character hands down in this book was Aidan. His love, loyalty and perseverance to Lo was heartwarming. I loved watching him be patient with Lo in taking down her walls. The man is definitely up there with some of my favorite book boyfriends. In terms of Lo, I kinda had a love/hate relationship with her. Don’t get me wrong I loved her independent girly demeanor. But you have to also be able to bring balance to that persona and know it’s ok to ask for help. And Lo definitely struggled with that repeatedly. Which as a reader I felt really frustrated reading about. Because personally I’m the exact opposite of her. But even though I struggled at times with her I know others will definitely find her extremely relatable and I can’t wait for people to discover both of these characters later this August.

Overall, Heart Strings was a 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ read and I can say with confidence that I highly recommend this book. Lastly big Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the advance copy to review!

Thank you to NetGalley, G.P. Putnam's Sons, and Ivy Fairbanks for providing this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

When I first read "Morbidly Yours" back in 2023, I immediately fell in love with Galway and the kooky cast of characters that resided there. So, naturally, I was so excited to dive back into this world. Aiden and Lo were such good foils to each other; she, a bit neurotic, and he, a tender loverboy. The level of trust Lo had in Aiden to be able to let go and cede control was monumental, especially after how their relationship ended the first time around. And I love me a man who whimpers hehe.

However, it felt like they very quickly decided to put the past behind them and get together. And, while I love not having to wait through a whole book for the couple to get together, it would have been nice for some more pining during the wedding, to make their eventual reconciliation even sweeter.

Despite some residual trauma and secrecy on Lo's part, their relationship proved to be strong enough to withstand the unthinkable. Their support of each other felt very real, and they were so cute in their matching Fair Isle sweaters. I can't wait for our next journey to the Emerald Isle.

3.5 ⭐️ Heart Strings is the second book of the “Love in Galway” series, but it can be read as a standalone. Lo and Aiden dated in the past, but broke up two years ago when they didn’t think the relationship could survive the stressors of a music career and medical school. However, the two reunite at their best friends’ wedding, and realize the spark, love, and admiration are still there. This story is filled with silly, romantic, spicy, and sweet moments. Aiden is the perfect book boyfriend, always putting Lo’s needs above his own to prove to her that he will always be there for her. He breaks through her walls and abandonment issues, and creates a safe space for their love to blossom. The overall storyline and character growth is great. I felt like I had to force myself to keep picking it up, but I did enjoy it.

Thank you, NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After reading "Morbidly Yours," I knew I was a Fairbanks fan. I absolutely loved the writing, and this is no different. There's nothing I love more than a second chance with a dual POV, and this had both! Cielo and Aidan are adorable, and I loved this book's humor, wit, and heart. Cielo is a Cancer survivor and a medical student. She was written as a vulnerable yet resilient badass and is very relatable to many people out there. Aidan is committed to winning Cielo back, and after reading what went wrong, he is the embodiment of "if he wanted to, he would. " This man wrote an entire album for her. Like, who does that?? Aidan does.

I loved their story, and it's one for those who know. You're still tied through an invisible string even if you're not together. Something I do wish we had was a dual timeline. Although I'm not the biggest fan of it, it would have provided us more insight into what was wrong and why at that age.

We also get a little peek into the lives of Lark and Callum (characters from Ivy's first book), and I was here for it.


Read if you like:
- Dual POV
- Muscian x med student
- Second chance

When you read the description and it sounds like there's a lot going on at once, that's because there is. But not in a bad way! Ivy Fairbanks did a wonderful job navigating this and building the present-tense world of Lo and Aidan, through the lens of Callum and Lark's wedding. I really enjoyed seeing the little interactions between Lo and Aidan, but wish there was more build-up of their past relationship to strengthen their backstory. Overall, if you like spicy scenes and dual first-person POV, you'll probably eat this up!

I really liked Morbidly Yours, so I was excited by the prospect of reading the next installment. Unfortunately, this book did not live up to my expectations whatsoever. The premise is based on the FMC being upset/jaded/haunted by her ex, who become a C-list celebrity based on his love and breakup songs about her. So you'd be expecting a little bit of groveling on his end when they get back together, or even a sit down to discuss what went wrong, right? Nope. They get back together after about .2 seconds, barely mentioning the reason they broke up in the first place, but letting it continue to hang over their heads for the next 60% of the book. This is coupled by the fact that there's little to no backstory/flashbacks/etc to give us any sort of context or tension between them, so you aren't really given a clue as to why she was so jaded (for the first 30 pages, anyways), nor do you feel any spark between them when they abruptly get back together like nothing was wrong. Basically, the whole buildup portion is nonexistent, which is why I usually want to pick up this genre in the first place.

On top of that, there are way too many plot lines and conflicts that the FMC is dealing with (most of which could've been solved by her being an adult and talking with everyone) that made it hard for me to really take her seriously- she has issues with her mom, her dad, her health, the MMC, the MMC's manager, and herself. All of these kept interrupting the very bare bones romance that was already having a hard time keeping me interested.

Lastly, the writing felt extremely stilted and "tell-not-show." I had this issue with Morbidly Yours as well, but the plot held up by itself (and I loved the MMC) so it wasn't as big of a deal.

While not a 100% disaster that necessitates any lower of a rating, I was really hoping for this to match Lark/Callum's story, and was pretty bummed that it didn't.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC in exchange for an honest review 🐑

This book hit me right in the heart. The romance is sizzling, yes, but it’s the emotional depth that really makes this book stand out. I couldn’t put it down. It’s the kind of book that makes you believe in second chances and the healing power of love. It’s a feel-good, gut-punching, I-can’t-wait-to-read-again kind of story, and I’m here for it all. I absolutely recommend this one for anyone who loves a story that makes you feel everything, it’s perfect.

What to expect from this book:
✂️ He wrote an entire album about her
🎶 Cancer survivor who is going to school to be a doctor
✂️ Exes to lovers
🎶 She’s in control but he’s possessive
✂️ Binding kink
🎶 Dual first-person POV
✂️ 5 open door spicy scenes

“To the ones worth waiting for” 🥂

This is the second book in the Love in Galway series. While it could be read as a standalone, it makes more sense if you read book 1 (Morbidly Yours) first. Heart Strings takes place 2+ years after the end of Morbidly Yours.

Cielo “Lo” is an American living in Ireland while she goes through Med School. Aidan is a singer/songwriter from Galway (born in Cork), and Lo’s ex.

Since their breakup, Lo has done her best to avoid all traces of Aidan…which is hard to do since he has a song (written about her) that is on the radio. But when Lo’s cousin Lark marries Aidan’s friend Callum, Lo and Aidan are bound as maid of honor and best man—bound being the operative word! 🥵

Still guarded with hurt surrounding their breakup, Lo and Aidan decide if giving it another go would be a good idea or if they should leave the past in the past. What will become of their apology tour?

————————————

You know what? I wasn’t into this book for the first 30%. It wasn’t bad or anything, it just wasn’t clicking with me for some reason. But that changed during the last 70%. I liked the dynamic between the two main characters. The relationship conflicts between Lo and her parents was a nice side plot. The book isn’t without faults, but overall I thought this was a fun read. I even liked this book more than the first.

Thank you to NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons and Ivy Fairbanks for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.75 stars Overall I thought this was a good read. I loved that we got to see Lark and Cal’s wedding. What was a miss for me was that there wasn’t a real glimpse into the initial relationship between Aiden and Lo. It was only briefly mentioned. Initially I had a hard time buying into their love story. Also, I feel that Lo’s character came off as annoying to me. However, Aiden was very likable. There were a lot of parallels to his story of being a musician to other books I have read from other authors so I felt there was a lack of originality there. I did enjoy it overall but I felt it was a miss in comparison to Morbidly Yours. I will read the third one when that is finished though.

Reviewed for NetGalley:

I loved the first book in the series, so was very happy to get an early arc of the sequel.

Cute overall, but really, really slow, that the reconnection between characters took quite some time to get into.

Great read! I didn't expect to love Aiden as much as I did. He was the best part, and I loved the way their stories came together.

It was hard describing this book in quick little soundbites because there’s a lot going on in it, which I find to be one of Ivy Fairbanks’ strengths as a writer. The main character, Cielo (Lo), is the maid of honor at her friend Lark’s wedding, and has to work with the best man, Callum, for a week, Of course the catch is that Callum is her famous ex-boyfriend who has written and performed and album full of love songs about the two of them, It’s very fun to watch the two rekindle their romance in a castle in Galway. They have tons of chemistry, and it’s easy to see how well they fit together. Ivy Fairbanks also does a great job of writing about their sexual preferences, and particularly about their interest in domination and submission during sex. Another big issue that Fairbanks portrays is cancer. Lo is a nurse, and deals with sick patients, and has also been in remission from cancer. Callum’s little sister is in remission as well. But there’s a cancer scare and Lo has a tough relationship with her parents. The emotion of the book isn’t just about the romance—it’s about how Callum and Lo can learn to trust each other and be there for each other through some hard times. Overall, I found the characters to be really likable, and this was an engaging book.

Thank you NetGalley for the free digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ivy Fairbanks is a new favorite of mine. I recently read Morbidly Yours and was so excited to get an advanced reader copy for Heart Strings to read her follow up. Did not disappoint, think I like it even better than Morbidly Yours!! Rooted for Lo and Aiden so bad! I’m a huge sucker for second chance romances and this was chefs kiss. As a bonus, really nice, well-thought our representation. More like this, please!!

A quick, spicy, second chance romance between a Latina med student and a rising Irish musician with the backdrop of Galway.

This could have checked all the boxes for me but unfortunately it was a worse reading experience than Morbidly Yours.

I was about 25% into the first book of this Galway series when I saw that the ARC for Heart Strings was available, and since I was enjoying Morbidly Yours up to that point, I decided to request the sequel. But the issues that I had in Morbidly Yours became even more of an issue in Heart Strings.

My biggest gripe with these books is the amount of telling that happens. Constantly being reminded of the characters romantic goals every single chapter was baffling. I just read the previous chapter, why are you telling me yet again that you have to do anything and everything to win her back/keep him away?

For a romance book, I found the romance to be a little lacking. I honestly don't understand what Cielo sees in Aiden. She has one line where stating that "Aiden gave me the permission to live in a moment perfectly imperfect" that left me like ??? Is that it? Because everything else about him that she likes is physical. To the point where upon seeing him for the first time again post break up, two years later, she judges his physical looks harshly. He changed his appearance because his management was advising him to but she did not know that. He could have been insecure about certain things and chose to change them and that is his right. Its his body. Its been two years! People change! But shes upset because his beard hides his dimples and he might be wearing an Invisalign. "He's not the Aiden I fell in love with". Idk maybe you didn't really love him as much as you thought if some facial hair, a tan, and straight teeth changes your opinion of him 🤷🏼‍♀️ but anyways that happens in chapter 6 and soured my impression of Cielo. I understand she's still hurting over the breakup but idk yall. Its been 2 years and they dated for 6 months. The intensity of their feelings, especially the more you read, is so physically charged that I never came around to rooting for them on a deep level (There are like 5 or 6 sex scenes and they were meh).

Aiden had his music career but all his music is about Cielo. Every other waking thought was about Cielo and how he can grovel. And don't get me wrong, I love a good man trying his hardest but not Aiden O'Toole. I found him annoying. I love that my partner is obsessed with me but not like this. Like he kept calling her babe and multiple times Cielo says she is not his babe. And yet he insists. I don't find that cute at all. He's pushy. Theres one scene where he encourages her estranged father: "don't give up on her because she's stubborn". I think aiden should mind his business tbfh. He sees Cielo's dad trying and empathizes but, personally, I don't think its his place to go behind her back and tell her father that. Cielo can and does figure it out at her own pace. That man showed up to a family event as a surprise. Its so inconsiderate. Mind your business, Aiden. Mind your business. He just gave me all around ick.

The main characters in the previous books weren't the best but they were alot more endearing; I was happy they got together at the end. With Cielo and Aiden, I think they needed to see other people.

There are moments where Cielo and Aiden interact with family and friends and I thought those were much more interesting than whatever type of hot/heavy mess they had going on.

Overall, I didn't have a great time and sadly can't recomend it. But it was a quick read and the cover is neat.

The next book is about Saoirse, a character I've liked in both books so I am going to give this series and author one more try. But based on the two books I've read so far, this author is not for me.

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for the eARC.

This is a quick easy read but with all the feels. Cielo is a medical resident student in Ireland after visiting her cousin, when her boyfriend and current music star-Aidan returns to town. for his best friend and her cousin are getting married. They maid of honor and best man for the wedding so of course they will be circling each others' orbits. Will they rekindle the romance? The chemistry is off the charts between these two, but getting them to work through the complexities of their relationship is the journey. Can they make it work.?

I enjoyed this one even more than Morbidly Yours! Cieilo and Aidan were a compelling couple and their journey back to each other was fun to read!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

Singer Aidan and med student Cielo dated 2 years ago before an abrupt breakup, when they are brought back together for their best friends wedding and 2 years of songs written about her unfolds into this absolutely delicious rom com. Ivy Fairbanks has a uniqueness to her writing where she takes what we expect in romance novels and adds elements that are so individual to her works. I adored these characters and the pining and the care they had for each other was just delightful. This was fun and heartwarming and kind of everything you’d want out of a romance. I do think, though, that if cancer is a trigger, this might be a difficult read as it plays a part in Cielos past.