Morbidly Yours Book Review | A Debut by Ivy Fairbanks

Today’s blog post is going to be sharing my Morbidly Yours book review. This contemporary romance novel by Ivy Fairbanks is emotional, sweet, and very fulfilling. It’s plot and characters are so unique. I really feel like this is an amazing debut novel. And apparently this book became a tiktok sensation so a lot of other people agree with me!

What’s not to love? A vivacious American cartoon creator befriends the shy owner of a funeral home. Opposites attract. Right?

If you enjoy like contemporary romances with humor and heart, keep reading for my full Morbidly Yours book review. And if you enjoy today’s blog post, you can read more romance book reviews here.

What is Morbidly Yours About?

TikTok sensation Morbidly Yours, an opposites-attract romantic dramedy about a shy, demisexual Irish mortician who must marry by his 35th birthday to keep his beloved family business, and the Texan widow escaping her past who moves in next door.

Falling for the wrong person? Bury your feelings.

Painfully shy 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 condition: He must marry before his 35th birthday. Texan animator Lark Thompson moved to Galway, Ireland, to restart her life and career, not be reminded of losing her husband by moving in next to a funeral home.

But when she learns of Callum’s dilemma, Lark’s certain she can help him find The One, even if she’s sworn off love herself. Though as the dating project progresses and Lark spends more time with straight-laced, sarcastic Callum, he starts to crack the ice around her grieving heart. And the more joy that vivacious Lark brings to Callum’s grey existence, the less he can imagine letting her return to Texas.

If they think they can ignore their connection, they’re dead wrong. (from Amazon.com)

My Initial Thoughts

I wasn’t sure how I was going to like this book going into it. I knew from the book description that while this is a romance novel, it also has some darkness in it. Lark is a young widow and still grieving her husband’s death. Callum is a shy guy with a bit of social anxiety who focuses mainly on his work at his family’s funeral home. Both of them are going through different challenges and the realness of it all strikes at different times.

But I was really surprised. And comforted. Because this book honestly reminded me that death is a part of life and something we all deal with at one time or another. I feel like being a mortician is a very different type of career and I was worried he was going to be weirdo, but I wound up liking him a lot. Just goes to show that you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover!

The Main Characters

I love Lark so much! She’s a vivacious American cartoon creator who winds up in Galway for a new animator position. It was so interesting to read about her job. My sister in law is an animator and she read this book before me and really liked it. She said that she doesn’t like to read books about this topic because they don’t get it right but that she really liked this one.

She and Callum became friends very quickly and I loved how they were able to help each other in different ways. For instance, as a local Callum is able to take Lark to different and interesting places around town. He has the insight to be able to talk to her openly about the people she meets and the coworkers she has issues with.

And Lark really helps to bring Callum out of his shell. He’s an introverted mortician. And a big part of this story is that he has to get married by 35th birthday if he wants to keep his family business, due to what is written into the will of Callum’s grandad. And that makes Callum uncomfortable because dating is difficult for him. For him to want to want a physical relationship with someone, he has to really get to know them and connect with them on a deeper level.

And not all women in the modern dating scene understand that.

Callum’s Dating Situation

I thought reading about Callum and his more disastrous dates was a fun aspect to this story. We all know dating and online dating can be difficult in normal circumstances. Add to that the fact that he has to get married in 6 months (give or take) and that’s a lot of pressure. 

I appreciated the fact that Callum didn’t just want to marry anyone. People offered to marry him and he also had the suggestion of finding someone who was looking for a green card marriage. But he didn’t want that. He felt that marriage was more serious than that. And I liked that about him.

I think we can all sympathize with painfully shy Callum’s dilemma. I was equal parts nervous and invested as the story progressed and couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next.

Girl Power!

A major component of this story has to do with Lark’s new job. As an art director at her new company, most people are welcoming. Except for one coworker. The only reason he is nasty to her is because he thinks he could do her job better than her, and that is so obviously not true. He tries to act like she’s just this bubbly Texas girl who randomly got the job, but in reality she is the most deserving of it.

Ugh! He just left such a sour taste in my mouth.

It’s a very tough situation for her to be in, but I really admire how Lark dealt with her situation. Women belong in positions of power in the workplace and I really appreciated this part of the story. I think it will inspire readers.

I Love Funny Romance Books

A lot of romances focus mainly on the messy feelings between the main characters, but this book also places a ton of focus on the humor. One of my favorite scenes has to do with roller skates and I will leave it at that. No spoilers. 

And then of course there’s the meet cute with a box of body bags. But that’s all I’m going to say! You’ll have to read the book for an explanation to that one.​

I think that’s part of what made this book so great. Lark and Callum deny their mutual attraction for each other for so long that when they finally admit their true feelings, it’s like a falling anvil on their heads. Friends to lovers is one of my favorite romance tropes and it really worked in this story because of the fact that Lark and Callum are truly best friends.

In Conclusion

I really enjoyed this emotional love story. It is an emotional story, but it’s also filled with humor. It’s so much fun to watch the developing friendship and relationship of Lark and Callum. It’s a quick read, but also a cozy read. If you’re looking for a fun contemporary romance, I definitely recommend Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks.

If you enjoyed today’s blog post, you can read more of my romance reviews here.