I vaguely remember seeing Morbidly Yours in stores so often, that the cover and title stuck out. A graveyard on the cover, morbid in the title, seemingly a romance? I was intrigued enough to eventually check it out.
I was surprised by how instantly I got swept away by this book, in a way that reminds me of when I read Just for the Summer. It's an interesting comparison too, when considering the themes and journey of the characters.
Background and Context
Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks is the first book in the Love in Galway series, with book two coming out later this year.
The book is a dual point-of-view romance that follows our two main leads. Lark Thompson has moved to Galway from Austin for work, and to escape the painful memories that haunt her back home. She quickly meets her neighbor, Callum Flannelly, a shy mortician who needs to be pushed out of his comfort zone to save his family business.
Why It Became a Surprisingly Fast Favorite
Morbidly Yours felt very realistic, which made my enjoyment that much stronger. While in a bit of a unique situation (I mean I don't often come across morticians), the story is grounded in human emotions, conflicts, and qualities.
Lark and Callum were the perfect leads: They're interesting, personable, and kind. Fairbanks captures the tension between self-discovery and self-restraint. Moreover, there's equal focus and development of both characters, since their individual journeys are imperative to the development of the romance.
This lends to the novel's journey of healing and second chances. I can't speak to the accuracy of these experiences, but I can speak to the empathy I felt throughout my reading experience. Lark comes to Galway dealing with grief, and Callum is on the precipice of losing everything. However, they both were on their own journeys that required bravery and vulnerability, and they lean into each other and grow with each other.
This book is a testament to the fact that life has hardship, but they're is beauty in connection and change.