REVIEW: Heart Strings by Ivy Fairbanks

Heart Strings by Ivy Fairbanks: If there is one thing that Lo has learned from surviving cancer is that life is too short to waste it on someone that isn’t as invested in you as you are in them, too bad Aidan didn’t get this memo… Moving from Texas to Galway for medical school was supposed to be the fresh start that Lo needed, that is until her tattooed, guitar playing ex Aidan walks back into her life. Thrown together as best man and maid of honour at their friends wedding, they have no choice but to face each other and their old spark that never quite went out. But as they reconnect, old fears and past mistakes keep pushing a wedge between them… the question is can they finish their love song or is it destined to be an unfinished melody?

I have to say that I didn’t know what to expect going into this book, but gosh was it so worth it. Fairbanks does a brilliant job in balancing witty banter with some heartfelt moments that will just tug at your heart strings. It was pretty easy to get lost in Aidan and Lo’s journey in allowing each other a second chance, though there were a few moments that felt a bit rushed but this was just a minor blip in an otherwise beautiful story.

Lo was a total survivor. I loved her attitude and zest for living her life to the fullest. While she was strong and independent, there were definite scars from her past that held her back at times. I did really like getting to see her push herself to not allow her fears to hold her back. I will say that I liked that we got to understand her cancer story but also that she did not allow this to define her as a person, she was so much more than a cancer survivor. With Aidan on the other hand, he was so open and caring and ready to love and prove himself. We get to see him really opening his heart and poring out his truths with his music. I really liked the way he expressed his feelings and opened his heart to Lo through his music. I really liked getting to see the different layers to Aidan’s personality and seeing his serious lawyer side being balanced out by his soulful musician side.

I loved the tension and constant pull between Lo and Aidan, these two clearly have unfinished business and I just loved getting to see them work their way back to each other. I loved the push and pull between them, where Lo is reluctant to allow Aidan back into her heart, but his constant presence proving to her that he is invested in their relationship. I really liked the slow burn element to their relationship and the fact that there is this past connection that keeps anchoring them to each other and the wedding setting plays the perfect backdrop for these two to reconnect and hash out all their pent up feelings and fears.

All in all Heart Strings was a really sweet and heartfelt second chance love story. While there were a few rushed moments, the chemistry between Lo and Aidan was undeniable. If you are looking for a cute and heartwarming love story, with a beautiful Irish setting then this is definitely a book to check out!

Book Info:

Publication: August 12, 2025 | G.P. Putnam’s Sons | Love in Galway #2

Cielo “Lo” Valdez doesn’t believe in second chances. Surviving cancer at seventeen 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 too long not to spend it 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 Lo’s cousin’s wedding. Are some mistakes worth forgiving? Can Aidan convince Lo their song wasn’t meant to end?