Falling for the wrong person? Bury your feelings.
Callum Flannelly would rather dive into an open grave than take a stranger to dinner. But he can only inherit the family undertaking business under one condition: He must marry before his 35th birthday. So it’s out of the mortuary and into the dating scene. Lark Thompson came to Galway, Ireland to embrace life, not be reminded of losing her husband by moving in next to a funeral home.
Then the vivacious Texan animator learns of painfully shy Callum’s dilemma and makes it her mission to help him find The One. Although sworn off love herself, she’s certain Callum will find his match. But as the dating project progresses and their friendship grows, their attraction is undeniable. Spending time with serious, sarcastic Callum starts to crack the ice around Lark’s heart, and the more color Lark brings to Callum’s monochrome existence, the less he can imagine life without her.
If they think they can ignore their connection, they’re dead wrong.
Release Date: Aug 20, 2024
Series: Love in Galway
Book: 1
Heat Level: Hot
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Imprint: Berkley
Price: $10.99
Ivy Fairbanks’s debut is an absolute treat, and it all starts with a box of body bags!
This book was both cathartic and a lovely romance, featuring an awkward introverted undertaker and an extroverted animater on the run. Callum and Lark are both intimately familiar with death, though in different ways. Where Lark is running from it, Callum embraces death, helping those who’ve passed with dignity for their remains. So, of course, the woman who is scared of cemeteries ends up moving in next door to a funeral home.
This book is equal parts a rom-com and an emotional ride. The characters are so real, and I really could envision Callum and Lark as if they were jumping off the page. I lived and breathed this book in a span of forty-eight hours, two days, because I had to work. This book was so easy to sink into, and I didn’t want to put it down. One of those stories I was eager to come back to when I did have to walk away. Fairbanks does an amazing job of setting and characterization, and honestly, it made me run through a gamut of emotions.
If you’re good with being on the verge of tears devolving into laughter and enjoy a dose of slow burn that devolves into a good sprinkling of spice, then Morbidly Yours is definitely the book for you. Another great part is conflict that exists outside of the romance conflict. It’s so clear and acute that it makes everything work. Bonus, up until the last minute I was guessing on how they would solve their individual problems. The author even went down the roads, I guessed and then flipped them on their head, which was a wonderful wow for me as a romance reader.
What keeps this from a five? There were times I found myself skipping through paragraphs where there was too much introspection and I wanted the next piece action, which slowed down the pacing for me. You know I’m picky when it comes to this stuff. But I will say Fairbanks is on my author-to-watch list, and I can’t wait for the next book she has planned.
Overall, if you love guys who are bilingual, tortured heroines/heroes, and the grump vs. sunshine trope, I suggest you snatch this one up. It’s perfect for hiding away from the last days of summer heat.
~ Landra
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