Thank you to netgalley, Putnam and Ivy for the advanced copy of Heart Strings for a honest review.

Once again, Ivy's writing is amazing and really easy to read. She has a talent for writing scenes that will have me blushing and laughing. The spice was also chef's kiss.

However, as much as I adore Morbidly Yours, I had some challenges connecting with Heart Strings. Specifically that I felt like we didn't get enough of an explanation or a bigger talk about why they first broke up in the first place. The reason is there, but I wish there was more groveling and discussions around it before they fell back into a relationship, which made it harder for me to fully engage with the story.

That said, I'm confident other readers who enjoy second chances more than me will have a different experience. I know it will be loved by many, it just wasn't for me.

What happens when you put a dreamy Irish musician and a determined doctoral student back together again? That's right...things get wet in more ways (and places) than one expects.
Giggling and kicking my feet in happiness for this amazing addition to the Love in Galway series. Ivy does it again with creating two characters that were made for each other.
If you loved Callum and Lark from Morbidly Yours, then Aidan and Lo will show you it's never too late to give love a second chance, no matter what life throws at them, even sheep.

What a LOVELY love story... Ivy Fairbanks has done it again. She has such an amazing way with words and her stories are all so cozy... makes you want to curl up with a blanket and coffee and get lost in her world.
For this second book in this interconnected Love in Galways series we have Cielo and Aidan... they are the Maid of Honor and Best Man of their Best friends wedding {Callum & Lark from book 1 Morbidly Yours} They are forced to spend a weekend together at a castle where the wedding will take place. This would be fine if Aidan hadn't broken Lo's heart 2 years prior when he chose his music career over her... or just maybe did she break his heart too. They realize really quick they are not over each other and secrets come to light as they work together to make the wedding perfect for their friends.
I mean this man wrote an entire album for her... how could she not see how much he loves her.. can he prove it by being there when she NEEDS him most?? even when she doesn't tell him herself because she is trying to put his needs above hers.
"You're the song in my heart"

I Just LOVE the two and I could not put this book down!!! Absolutely wonderful story.

"Every little freckle on her nose is right where I left it"

Dare I say, I almost liked this more than Morbidly Yours (Love in Galway book 1) 😬🙌 and I can’t say too much because I don’t want to spoil it! So here’s the short and sweet:

I zoomed through this book. Aiden and Ceilo’s dynamic was so comforting but also a little stressful. I never knew what was going to happen but in the best way. I just absolutely loved being back in Galway with everyone. And having bigger look into Aiden’s family was so fun! Seeing little snippets of Lark and Callum’s life was also a bonus!

There are some serious notes in this book and I really appreciated how the characters overcame their obstacles. It made them so much more relatable.

Thank you for the advanced copy! I absolutely loved it!

My very first arc and I’m oh so excited!! Thank you so much to Ivy, NetGalley and Putnam for this advanced copy!

Morbidly Yours was my favourite read of last year so I was super excited to dive back into this series! And Heart Strings did not disappoint… I inhaled this book in less than 24 hours.

Lo and Aiden are perfect. I love a second chance romance that feels organic and earned, and that is exactly how these two fall back together. I loved the glances back to Cal and Lark, and the CASTLE?! Better yet… the HEARSE SCENE?! Amazing. Stunning.


This book is heartfelt, genuinely funny, spicy and sweet. Ivy writes the more difficult topics in a way that feels very honest.

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ loved it!

I'm sobbing at how perfect of a book this is. Morbidly Yours is one of my all-time favorite contemporary romances, and this one might even top it. This is set in the same universe as Morbidly Yours and features exes Lo and Aidan. I won't spoil anything, but I read this in a single day and swooned, laughed, and sobbed through it. If you enjoyed Morbidly Yours, you have to read this follow-up. And if you haven't read Morbidly Yours- read it now before Heart Strings comes out on August 12th! I'm not much of a contemporary romance fan a lot of the time, but these are now on a favorites shelf 🖤

Heart strings

“I don’t understand how you’ve convinced yourself that you’re an anchor that drags me down. You’re not. You could never be that. You’re the stability that keeps me from getting tossed about in a storm.”

Ivy Fairbanks did the impossible; she made me LOVE a second chance romance.
The way Cielo and Aiden are written is honestly chef’s kiss 🤌🏻 You can just feel the tension radiating from the pages. And the spice?! Ya’ll ain’t ready… Ivy’s writing is immensely descriptive which really catapults you into the story. I love this Galway series of hers and can’t wait for the next instalment!

I rated this book 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to @netgalley & Ivy for the advanced copy

Thank you so much to Ivy, Netgalley and Putnam for an advanced copy of Heart Strings. 💚

I was a little scared going into this book because of my own personal traumas with cancer and cancer treatment. But Ivy hasn't let me down yet with how she handles sensitive subjects. Seeing Lo grow and accomplish things, seeing her really live post treatment, healed something that broke in me after I lost my best friend. Lo faced the worst and came out the other side, not necessarily unscathed but more determined to make a difference with the second chance at life she was given.

I was so glad when she finally stepped away from what she considered safety to fully embrace what life is, even in the face of the unknown and scary. She's so incredibly strong and resilient. I really related to her need to not be a burden and her hyper independence.

I loved the way Aidan showed up for Lo, big or small. Once he realized he had the opportunity at a second chance, he listened, he cared and he showed it. The small things he does for Lo warm my heart so much and it's so incredibly beautiful to see a person love someone so loudly.

The side characters are so vibrant and full of life. They each have their own distinctive personality that really shines, even when they aren't the main focus. They don't outshine the main characters but they compliment them beautifully.

Ivy's writing is so genuine, so real, and full of heart and her characters, story and world reflect that. This book makes you feel like you know each one of them personally, they feel like home and comfort.

Heart Strings is a beautiful, magnificent, love story that will fill your heart to the brim. This is going to be one of those books that I'll never shut up about. 💚

☘️Love sometimes has a way of coming back around if you let it. This story was a perfect example of opening your heart to the possibility for a second chance. ☘️ I enjoyed the slow burn between Lo and Aidan. They were familiar with each other, but at the same time, the lingering looks had that new romance feel. The dual view was brilliant in this story. I enjoyed reading their thoughts and struggles. How they left things and how they both felt what had happened. I loved how open they were. Their passion was pure fire. They knew what they were missing and they both wanted that back. When Lo was going in for her appointment, my heart sank. She was alone and the fear heavy on her shoulders. Aidan so far away and unknowing. I will admit my eyes were experiencing waterworks during those chapters. ☘️ I fell in love with Morbidly Yours, Book 1 of this series, and now my heart is full after reading this book.
Book Blurb: Cielo “Lo” Valdez doesn’t believe in second chances. Surviving cancer taught her life is too short to spend time on someone who wronged you. But Aidan O’Toole is determined to show her life is best spent together.

When the tough-as-nails Texan moved to Galway for medical school, she wasn’t looking for love. Aidan, a gorgeous, tattooed, mandolin-playing lawyer, slipped past her defenses. They each fell hard and fast. But when Aidan was given the opportunity of a lifetime—to move to London and record an album—he took it, breaking Lo’s heart. Yet more than two years and a successful album later, every song he writes is still about her, the one he let get away. And every time Lo hears his voice on the radio singing about love, it’s an arrow straight to her soul.

Now they’re on a collision course as maid of honor and best man at a weekend-long Irish castle wedding. Are some mistakes worth forgiving? Can Aidan convince Lo their song wasn’t meant to end? #book #booklover #bookaddict #bookworms #bookreview #arcreview #netgalley #hearstriings