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addiesbookshelf_'s review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I was so intrigued by the premise of this book and wasn't disappointed! I really loved how bright and bubbly Lark brought out a lighter side in Callum, and how he in turn grounded her. I really enjoyed watching how naturally their chemistry unfolded and grew from friendship to something more.
My one big complaint about the book would have to be the pacing. While I felt like the first part of the book leading up to them getting together was really well done, the ending felt a bit rushed--especially after what I considered to be an unnecessary third-act breakup. I also didn't *love* some of the miscommunication that happened towards the end.
In the end, though, this was a really fun read that also had some depth to it (I even found myself tearing up at one point!) and I can't wait to read more Ivy Fairbanks books in the future!.
Thank you to Ivy Fairbanks and Booksprout for providing an advanced review copy of this book.
My one big complaint about the book would have to be the pacing. While I felt like the first part of the book leading up to them getting together was really well done, the ending felt a bit rushed--
In the end, though, this was a really fun read that also had some depth to it (I even found myself tearing up at one point!) and I can't wait to read more Ivy Fairbanks books in the future!.
Thank you to Ivy Fairbanks and Booksprout for providing an advanced review copy of this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Death, and Sexual content
apolen's review against another edition
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Sexual content
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, Bullying, and Violence
thereadedit's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪🧪
Plot: 5/5
Series: NA
Place: Austin TX 🛫 Galway, Ireland
Tropes: Rom Com, Mortician, Undertaker, Grumpy x Sunshine, Friends To Lovers, Friends With Benefits, Marriage Of Circumstances, Inheritance
TW: Death, Morgue, Grief, Terminal Illness, Ableism, Mortician Tasks
Main Characters: Lark & Callum
Where do I even begin with this beautiful book?? This book gave me ALLLLLL the feels. I laughed (A LOT), I swooned sooo much, I felt some serious tingles, and cried. Lord did I cry. I'm not a crier when I read, but this one did it to me.
Lark & Callum are the exact opposite of each other. But perfectly compliment and make each other better versions of themselves.
With trauma comes self blaming, self preservation, and distancing. All the things someone thinks they need but in reality need people who understand to support them. Not having to death with triggering events around trauma can be super hard. It's unfortunate that there isn't anything someone can say to ease the pain.
“I haven’t wanted to kick anyone’s arse in a long time, b-b-but when he started in on you…” “It’s not a big deal. Being compared to a Barbie doll? I’ve heard much worse.” The thought of what she might mean made the tea curdle in my stomach. But she smiled. “You do kinda look like a vampire, though. And you keep coffins conveniently on hand for naps. I haven’t ruled out the possibility you’re a day-walker.” I shook my head at her affectionate tease. “Sun’s about to set. Let’s walk the canal and watch the hookers.”
Lark was such an amazing woman. She was the sunshine after the rain, the laugh when you couldn't stop crying. She made life soooo much better, and brought Callum out of the darkness. She helped him be his true authentic self because of who she was. She was authentic in who she was. She made me laugh so much throughout this book. She had the same humour that I have and love seeing in someone else.
“Guess you’re picking where we go next time. Since this one was such a resounding success, you’re stuck with me now. I’m the human form of loose glitter.” She pretended to sprinkle some around me, like a possessive pixie.
Callum couldn't have been a more perfect person for Lark. I absolutely loved his humor and his wittyness. He was the most rational person, who was able to see through the dark. For an undertaker, he was such a emotional and feeling person. He knew and felt those emotions that so many people don't think undertakers feel. There is a stigma that they don't have feelings. But they are like so many others, they feel their feels in their ways.
“There’s a reason I choose to primarily work with people who can’t speak.” Callum considered my dilemma to the tune of a weepy steel guitar. “Maybe this Seán fella can take an ‘extended holiday.’” “Holy crap. Did you really just reference Nine to Five?” I shoved his arm softly. Only it wasn’t soft. Under the cable knit were taut muscles I shouldn’t have noticed. “I appreciate where your head’s at. However, kidnapping my office nemesis might create a new host of issues.” “Remember, I move corpses all the time, and cremation gets rid of any evidence.”
A ruined arch in the background framed Callum perfectly. Celtic crosses studded the attached graveyard, and even I could appreciate the gothic romance of the overgrown estate. “Hold still. I want a photo of you in your natural habitat.” I lifted my phone to catch a rare, bashful smile. Crinkles formed at the corners of his eyes. He didn’t look carved out of stone anymore, but approachable. Handsome. A little happiness made him endearing. “Now lean on that gravestone, drop your hip and give me a saucy wink over your shoulder like this,” I joked, demonstrating a Bettie Page-worthy pose. “Come on. We can start our own website, call it MournHub.” “We’ll be rich.” I snapped another while his teeth flashed. Coaxing out Callum’s delightful laugh felt like a worthy achievement.
I received a complimentary copy via the author and Booksprout. All opinions are my own, honest and voluntary.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪🧪
Plot: 5/5
Series: NA
Place: Austin TX 🛫 Galway, Ireland
Tropes: Rom Com, Mortician, Undertaker, Grumpy x Sunshine, Friends To Lovers, Friends With Benefits, Marriage Of Circumstances, Inheritance
TW: Death, Morgue, Grief, Terminal Illness, Ableism, Mortician Tasks
Main Characters: Lark & Callum
Where do I even begin with this beautiful book?? This book gave me ALLLLLL the feels. I laughed (A LOT), I swooned sooo much, I felt some serious tingles, and cried. Lord did I cry. I'm not a crier when I read, but this one did it to me.
Lark & Callum are the exact opposite of each other. But perfectly compliment and make each other better versions of themselves.
With trauma comes self blaming, self preservation, and distancing. All the things someone thinks they need but in reality need people who understand to support them. Not having to death with triggering events around trauma can be super hard. It's unfortunate that there isn't anything someone can say to ease the pain.
“I haven’t wanted to kick anyone’s arse in a long time, b-b-but when he started in on you…” “It’s not a big deal. Being compared to a Barbie doll? I’ve heard much worse.” The thought of what she might mean made the tea curdle in my stomach. But she smiled. “You do kinda look like a vampire, though. And you keep coffins conveniently on hand for naps. I haven’t ruled out the possibility you’re a day-walker.” I shook my head at her affectionate tease. “Sun’s about to set. Let’s walk the canal and watch the hookers.”
Lark was such an amazing woman. She was the sunshine after the rain, the laugh when you couldn't stop crying. She made life soooo much better, and brought Callum out of the darkness. She helped him be his true authentic self because of who she was. She was authentic in who she was. She made me laugh so much throughout this book. She had the same humour that I have and love seeing in someone else.
“Guess you’re picking where we go next time. Since this one was such a resounding success, you’re stuck with me now. I’m the human form of loose glitter.” She pretended to sprinkle some around me, like a possessive pixie.
Callum couldn't have been a more perfect person for Lark. I absolutely loved his humor and his wittyness. He was the most rational person, who was able to see through the dark. For an undertaker, he was such a emotional and feeling person. He knew and felt those emotions that so many people don't think undertakers feel. There is a stigma that they don't have feelings. But they are like so many others, they feel their feels in their ways.
“There’s a reason I choose to primarily work with people who can’t speak.” Callum considered my dilemma to the tune of a weepy steel guitar. “Maybe this Seán fella can take an ‘extended holiday.’” “Holy crap. Did you really just reference Nine to Five?” I shoved his arm softly. Only it wasn’t soft. Under the cable knit were taut muscles I shouldn’t have noticed. “I appreciate where your head’s at. However, kidnapping my office nemesis might create a new host of issues.” “Remember, I move corpses all the time, and cremation gets rid of any evidence.”
A ruined arch in the background framed Callum perfectly. Celtic crosses studded the attached graveyard, and even I could appreciate the gothic romance of the overgrown estate. “Hold still. I want a photo of you in your natural habitat.” I lifted my phone to catch a rare, bashful smile. Crinkles formed at the corners of his eyes. He didn’t look carved out of stone anymore, but approachable. Handsome. A little happiness made him endearing. “Now lean on that gravestone, drop your hip and give me a saucy wink over your shoulder like this,” I joked, demonstrating a Bettie Page-worthy pose. “Come on. We can start our own website, call it MournHub.” “We’ll be rich.” I snapped another while his teeth flashed. Coaxing out Callum’s delightful laugh felt like a worthy achievement.
I received a complimentary copy via the author and Booksprout. All opinions are my own, honest and voluntary.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Blood, Chronic illness, Confinement, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, Bullying, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Gaslighting
doseofromance's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Such a lovely and tender book, I absolutely loved it. Callum and Lark both got some stuff to work on, and they do, but they just fit together. I'm of the opinion that you shouldn't need to be in a relationship, but I'm not a fan of the thought that you should always wait until you've completely healed on your own. Lark and Cal are the perfect example of that. They're not putting their issues on the other, they're just accepting each other's support.
Callum is the absolute sweetest. In general I'm just a sucker for shy heroes that are a little bit starchy or stuck up and Cal ticks that box in the best way. I loved that he was demi-sexual and it was integrated into the book organically and without awkwardness or shaming by anyone. Onto his job. He took the responsibility of it so wonderfully seriously and he's truly the mortician I'd like at my side. There are a couple of graphic scenes of him preparing bodies, so do be aware of that, but I liked that his job was not just mentioned as a backdrop. It's truly a huge part of his personality and who he is and I think it illustrates how this occupation SHOULD be done. Because unfortunately every one of us will have to say goodbye to our loved ones at some point and knowing you've got a Cal to do that with instead of some price gouging undertaker, would truly take a lot of the burden of. But enough of that. Cal was just so sweet and adorable and hot and adored Lark. He realized he snagged himself a queen and he took that seriously. Good on him.
Lark is honestly a perfect Barbie, if you will. She's gorgeous, funny, bubbly, smart, and fantastic at her job. She's an animator and new to Ireland, but she takes to the culture shock so well. Bringing someone into a completely new culture as a part of the plot can be iffy, because you need to be respectful of both cultures. The author does it very well though and it made me even more determined to go to Ireland soon. Lark's professional life wasn't always easy to read about, as a work conflict is a major plot point, but was unfortunately rather realistic. I loved that she had a lot of lovely and diverse colleagues that were open to her and excited to work with her.
Finally, Cal needing a wife was the main driver of the story and really moved it forward a lot of the time in a natural way. It added the needed - for a lack of a better word - stress for Lark and Cal to act, because both of them are somewhat stuck in their positions. The set up for the storyline made sense, which I think is the main trouble with a trope like that, and I liked the resolution. The only thing I didn't like about it (and about the book as a whole) is that Cal only meets comically weird women. I think him meeting at least one woman through an app that he could have been into, would have fit a little bit better and I just really doubt out of all of the dates he went on, not one woman was just "normal".
Some final unconnected thoughts:
Lark's personal illustrations were *chef's kiss*.
Lmao at Cal trying to bring disco skating back.
Houdini the mouse really added a lot to the story line.
Cal being an awkward undertaker dressed in three piece suits the whole time was indescribable.
CW/TW: short on-page scenes of preparing a body, work place harassment, sexism, (past) death of a partner and family members
I received an advance copy of the book from the author and voluntarily read and reviewed it. All opinions are my own.
Callum is the absolute sweetest. In general I'm just a sucker for shy heroes that are a little bit starchy or stuck up and Cal ticks that box in the best way. I loved that he was demi-sexual and it was integrated into the book organically and without awkwardness or shaming by anyone. Onto his job. He took the responsibility of it so wonderfully seriously and he's truly the mortician I'd like at my side. There are a couple of graphic scenes of him preparing bodies, so do be aware of that, but I liked that his job was not just mentioned as a backdrop. It's truly a huge part of his personality and who he is and I think it illustrates how this occupation SHOULD be done. Because unfortunately every one of us will have to say goodbye to our loved ones at some point and knowing you've got a Cal to do that with instead of some price gouging undertaker, would truly take a lot of the burden of. But enough of that. Cal was just so sweet and adorable and hot and adored Lark. He realized he snagged himself a queen and he took that seriously. Good on him.
Lark is honestly a perfect Barbie, if you will. She's gorgeous, funny, bubbly, smart, and fantastic at her job. She's an animator and new to Ireland, but she takes to the culture shock so well. Bringing someone into a completely new culture as a part of the plot can be iffy, because you need to be respectful of both cultures. The author does it very well though and it made me even more determined to go to Ireland soon. Lark's professional life wasn't always easy to read about, as a work conflict is a major plot point, but was unfortunately rather realistic. I loved that she had a lot of lovely and diverse colleagues that were open to her and excited to work with her.
Finally, Cal needing a wife was the main driver of the story and really moved it forward a lot of the time in a natural way. It added the needed - for a lack of a better word - stress for Lark and Cal to act, because both of them are somewhat stuck in their positions. The set up for the storyline made sense, which I think is the main trouble with a trope like that, and I liked the resolution. The only thing I didn't like about it (and about the book as a whole) is that Cal only meets comically weird women. I think him meeting at least one woman through an app that he could have been into, would have fit a little bit better and I just really doubt out of all of the dates he went on, not one woman was just "normal".
Some final unconnected thoughts:
Lark's personal illustrations were *chef's kiss*.
Lmao at Cal trying to bring disco skating back.
Houdini the mouse really added a lot to the story line.
Cal being an awkward undertaker dressed in three piece suits the whole time was indescribable.
CW/TW: short on-page scenes of preparing a body, work place harassment, sexism, (past) death of a partner and family members
I received an advance copy of the book from the author and voluntarily read and reviewed it. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
carla20's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Car accident
cleansetolovers's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Thank you Ivy Fairbanks for the Arc! Morbidly Yours was incredibly emotional, delightful and just knew when to hit you square in the emotional gut. Fairbanks needs to be lauded for crafting such a delicate story of love and grief. She walked a line that could have come off as callous, but made it sing. I also was so happy with the care taken when talking about a main character’s disability and Demisexuality. Again, this is something so easy to beef the landing, but Fairbanks works it beautifully.
I’m a sucker for a good grumpy/sunshine, and Lark and Callum might be the pair of the year. I loved watching their relationship bloom, from the awkwardness of returning a mis-delivered package, to that hike at the cliffs of Moher, hanging with Maeve, to time spent at the Hare’s Breath. Watching them grow and develop is a gift. Their chemistry is phenomenal and the spice was oh so delicious.
The side characters also really added to the beautiful world that Lark and Callum inhabit. We all need a Lo, Deirdre, Maeve or Saoirse in there lives, and a Sean to beat the stuffing out of. The actual background of Galway is also truly amazing, you really feel the mist at Lark and Callum’s special spot, the cold of the mortuary, the heat of the bedroom, it’s all delicious.
Ivy Fairbanks created something special, and I’m so excited to see what’s in store for Cielo and Aiden!
The side characters also really added to the beautiful world that Lark and Callum inhabit. We all need a Lo, Deirdre, Maeve or Saoirse in there lives, and a Sean to beat the stuffing out of. The actual background of Galway is also truly amazing, you really feel the mist at Lark and Callum’s special spot, the cold of the mortuary, the heat of the bedroom, it’s all delicious.
Ivy Fairbanks created something special, and I’m so excited to see what’s in store for Cielo and Aiden!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Car accident and Toxic relationship
themargherita_s's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
I received an ARC and I’m leaving an honest review.
This book is the definition of a “great time”. I have the terrible problem of finding most rom-coms not… comedic. This one, however, was actually really fun and I loved every single moment of it.
I love soft men, so obviously I fell for Callum right away. I'm extremely happy about his character, both for the type of personality he has, but also for his struggles and the way he handles them.
I loved Lark equally as much. She was lovely and so kind with everyone, but especially Callum. The grief regarding her past relationship was handled really well, and I like how she navigates it.
I think the two of them were really great together and again, I might sound repetitive, but this story was truly a delight. I had the suspicion I was going to like it when I picked it up, but I didn't think I'd enjoy it this much. I honestly haven't had this much fun reading in quite a while. I definitely want to grab a physical copy when it releases.
Representation: straight american woman, demisexual irish man with a stutter and anxiety.
Content warnings: death, corpses, graphic description of caring for the dead in a funeral home, grief, loss of a spouse, terminal illness, explicit sexual content, ableism, misogyny.
This book is the definition of a “great time”. I have the terrible problem of finding most rom-coms not… comedic. This one, however, was actually really fun and I loved every single moment of it.
I love soft men, so obviously I fell for Callum right away. I'm extremely happy about his character, both for the type of personality he has, but also for his struggles and the way he handles them.
I loved Lark equally as much. She was lovely and so kind with everyone, but especially Callum. The grief regarding her past relationship was handled really well, and I like how she navigates it.
I think the two of them were really great together and again, I might sound repetitive, but this story was truly a delight. I had the suspicion I was going to like it when I picked it up, but I didn't think I'd enjoy it this much. I honestly haven't had this much fun reading in quite a while. I definitely want to grab a physical copy when it releases.
Representation: straight american woman, demisexual irish man with a stutter and anxiety.
Content warnings: death, corpses, graphic description of caring for the dead in a funeral home, grief, loss of a spouse, terminal illness, explicit sexual content, ableism, misogyny.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death
Moderate: Terminal illness, Sexual content, and Ableism
cover2covertx's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
RTC! :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Sexual content
Minor: Sexism, Ableism, Misogyny, Body horror, and Car accident
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