REVIEW: Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks

In Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks, Lark Thompson’s world was upended nearly two years ago with the loss of her husband. Guilt, shame, and grief have been her constant companion ever since, particularly after reluctantly leaving her job back in Austin. Now having just moved overseas to Galway, Ireland, this is Lark’s clean slate. Her time to pick herself up and begin moving forward again. After a mistaken delivery–of body bags!–sends her next door to what she thought was a bed & breakfast but turns out to be a funeral home, Lark is charmed by its owner: Callum Flannelly. She’s not on the hunt for a boyfriend anytime soon, but being new in Galway, she could surely use a friend. But as she and Callum quickly form a casual companionship, she realizes she could all too easily give him her heart. Something she swore off. Focusing on his predicament, to find him a wife by his thirty-fifth birthday or lose his family business, seems like a much safer bet. Maybe.

‘If someone had told me eight months ago that a misdelivered package of body bags would lead me to a man I’d fall in love with, I’d have told them they had the wrong girl. But here he was.’

Callum has never had good luck socially or in the romance area. So, the caveat in his granda’s will to find a wife was quite the shock, even if he does know why he’s being pushed out of his comfort zone. When his new neighbor Lark offers her help with his dating dilemma, Callum figures he has nothing to lose. But as it turns out, he has his heart to lose to Lark with every evening they spend together and every outing they go on. As time winds down to his all-important birthday, Callum can no longer hide his feelings for Lark. He wants to comfort her when she has a tough day at work. He wants to go sightseeing with her around the beauty that is Galway. And more than anything else, he wants to settle down with the Texan beauty and bask in her laughter and light. But it will take some major convincing on his part after the way she lost her husband–although who better to help her through her grief than himself, an undertaker devoted to taking care of others?

‘I wanted Lark to stay the night. To stay forever. I wanted more. Strings very much included. Tangled, woven, knotted strings.’

From its gorgeous setting of Galway, Ireland to the laughs of delight and tears of sorrow along the way, author Ivy Fairbanks’ debut, MORBIDLY YOURS, was a touching, thoroughly enjoyable, heartfelt romance to remember.

‘Lonely recognizes lonely.’

CW: View Spoiler »Grief and loss, mortuary work (detailed), depression/severe loneliness, fatal car crash & possible suicide. « Hide Spoiler

A shy undertaker and an effervescent animation art director might seem like an odd combination, but author Ivy Fairbanks completely captivated me with Lark and Callum’s slow burn relationship–as well as ALL the angst and funny predicaments they found themselves in over and over. But MORBIDLY YOURS wasn’t just about their meet-cute and their simmering attraction. Instead, this was an emotionally complex story tempered with the losses Callum and Lark had both experienced recently.

While communication with each other wasn’t necessarily Callum or Lark’s strong suit, the pair had much in common when it came to hiding their grief and trying to put on a brave face. Granted, they were outwardly very different–Callum was both shy and introverted as well as socially awkward; and Lark was a Texan with no verbal filter, had never met a stranger and was always up for an adventure. One other endearing quality they shared was their willingness to stand up for their friends and loved ones. Lark and Callum held people close. And their innate kindness made those in their circle feel cherished and loved–something they felt for each other, too. It was when romance was brought into the mix that threw them for a loop.

A good chunk of the book was Callum and Lark holding each other out at arm’s length to keep from giving in to their chemistry and growing feelings. It was frustrating at times, waiting for them to both get. On. The. Same. Page. But I honestly did adore how they became friends first. Callum and Lark were so sweet together and I think when they eventually did get their HEA, it made all the difference for them having that friendship as a sturdy base to help them get through any more tough times ahead. Sigh.

QOTD: Lark was an amazing artist & animator. Do you have a favorite animated movie, classic or contemporary?

Book Info:

Publication: Published: August 22nd, 2024 | G.P. Putnam’s Sons |

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 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.

When the vivacious Texan animator learns of painfully shy Callum’s dilemma, she 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.