Review: Morbidly Yours (Love in Galway #1)

Morbidly Yours, Book 1 in the Love in Galway Series by Ivy Fairbanks

Published By: Penguin
Publication Date: August 22, 2024
Date Read: April 18, 2025
Genre: Adult – Contemporary Romance
Source: Bought
Format: E-Book
Pages: 352

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Callum Flannelly would rather dive into an open grave than take a stranger to dinner and a movie. But he can only inherit the family undertaking business and carry on their legacy under one condition: He must marry before his 35th birthday. So it’s out of the mortuary and into the dating scene.

Lark Thompson would rather get crushed by a falling anvil than stay next to a funeral home during her stay in Galway, Ireland. The vivacious American cartoon creator and animator came here to embrace life, not be reminded of losing her husband.

When Lark learns of Callum’s dilemma and aversion to marrying out of necessity rather than love, she agrees to help the introverted mortician. Although sworn off love herself, she is optimistic that Callum can find The One and secure his inheritance.

But as the dating project progresses and their friendship grows, so does a mutual attraction. The more time she spends with serious, sarcastic Callum, the more she dreads finding him a match. And the more disastrous dates he endures, the more he dreads Lark’s imminent return to the states.

If they think it’s possible to ignore their connection, they’re dead wrong.

“You don’t need to pretend. I want to share in your happiness and in your sorrow.”

Morbidly Yours is not a book that’s been on my radar for long. I remember seeing the book is stores last year, when it first released but as I don’t really read a whole lot of contemporary romance. Fast forward a number of months, and it was selected for my book club pick for April 2025. I was so certain that this was a book that I’d read once and never again so I got it on kindle (my go-to format for books I don’t think I’ll love). My god, was I wrong. This is the biggest surprise for me of 2025 so far. I loved everything about this book, it was honestly moving and such a gorgeous romance.

One of the things I loved so much about it was the amazing asexual/demisexual representation. I just wasn’t expecting it at all. Our male main character, Callum is nervous and introverted. He is also on the asexual spectrum. And honestly, the representation was fantastic because there were conversations that really explored how being asexual is a spectrum and you can have a normal physical relationship. I feel like there are so many views out there that suggest if you’re asexual that it, you never want a relationship ever and while that is the case for some, I adored how the author explored that that’s not the case for everyone. I also loved that it was the main character as I feel like in most romance books the male main character is hyper sexualised and it was a nice change of pace for this not to be the case here.

Having a character being demisexual did make this book a slow burn. And I was absolutely here for it. I love a friends to lovers trope, but the vast majority of the ones I have read are always childhood friends. I absolutely loved that in this case they became friends in adulthood and slowly developed feelings for each other. I loved that and it’s honestly one of my favourite things. I love slow burn because you just become to attached to the characters and the emotion is the key aspect of their relationship. This was definitely the case here, and I loved every moment of their relationship development.

Now for the things I wasn’t crazy about. I could have done without the gruesome details. Now, I know Callum is a mortician, but some of the graphic details about his job had me feeling slightly queezy. I personally could have done without that, but it wasn’t prevalent enough to affect my enjoyment of the book overall. The other thing was that Lark irritated me a little bit. She was so closed off romance, which looking at her background is completely understandable. However, even after she accepted that she was in love with Callum she was still like ‘no he should be with someone else’ and honestly it really annoyed me a little bit. She was very aggravating in places. However, overall this was a fantastic book and I’m excited for more from this author in the future.

Morbidly Yours was such a fantastic, emotional and thought provoking read. I have definitely found a new romance author to look out for, as I really loved this one. I love a romance book with great representation in it and this one had it. I will definitely be picking up Ivy’s next book. I cannot wait. If you’re looking for a new romance book to sink your teeth into, then I highly suggest picking up Morbidly Yours. Check trigger warnings before you do as it does tackle some deep issues, but I think everyone would love this one.

“No one could make me forger about Lark, not in a million years.”