Author Ivy Fairbanks’ debut novel about an antisocial Undertaker from Galway and the bright and bubbly cartoon creator who barrels into his life and changes everything
Hello and welcome to another episode of “Monica Reads Through!” Today I’m going to be chatting about one of my (many) ARCs, “Morbidly Yours” by Ivy Fairbanks. This is Fairbanks’ debut novel, and based on Goodreads, it looks like there are plans for a sequel! This book is the first of the “Love in Galway” series.
Let’s get to the synopsis: “Morbidly Yours” tells the story of Lark Thompson, a cartoon creator who drops everything in her Texas town to move across the world and take a job at an animator studio in Galway, a city on the west coast of Ireland. She wants to forget the tragedies she left behind and move forward with her life and career. Unfortunately, it’s hard not to think about her past when her neighbor is an Undertaker who lives in his gloomy mortuary.
Callum Flannelly (lol) runs the family mortuary in Galway, and he’s pretty good at it. Especially since the people he works with aren’t especially chatty. When his late grandfather puts a stipulation in his will that says Callum has to be married by the time he turns 35 or he loses the mortuary, Callum would rather dig his eyes out with a rusty spoon than marry for necessity instead of love. But the thought of losing the family business drives him to at least try some dating apps.
When Lark learns of Callum’s predicament, she brings her happy-go-lucky attitude into making Callum’s need for a wife her latest project. But when she starts to develop feelings for the introverted mortician, suddenly the line between “friends” and “more than friends” starts to look a bit murky. But with her horrific past still swirling around her mind, all she wants to do is keep those feelings buried. But what if her feelings for Callum are reciprocated?
My star rating: 3 out of 5
So y’all know I love me a good romcom. It’s my jam for the most part. But when it comes to this one, it just fell flat for me. I think I’m over the “grumpy/sunshine” trope; I’ve seen it take over the romance world and I haven’t read a book where there is a different spin to it. Also, the grumpy, introverted mortician with the bright, extroverted cartoon creator? Could we be more on the nose?
Another trope I’m over is the “quirky, clumsy girl” one. Lark, the FMC, is heading to her first day at her new job at an animation studio (also, are there just animation studios in Galway? Is there a hub?) when disaster strikes! Her bus is running late, it’s pouring rain, and as she takes her phone out to call a cab, a bicyclist wizzes by and splashes water all over her! Because of this shock, she drops her phone and – oh no! – it manages to fall through a sewer grate.
Look, I’m a huge fan of the “meet-cute” in romcoms, but this is the most clunky, manufactured situation to shove the two MCs together that I’ve seen in a while. I can suspend some disbelief, but don’t ask me to suspend it all.
So because of all of these shenanigans, her neighbor, Callum, offers her a ride. In his hearse. But don’t worry! It’s empty – for now.
The big thing for the first half of the book was the pacing. It was slow, and add that to the whole “I’m not feeling these two as a couple” and it made for a rather rough bit of reading. I didn’t feel chemistry between these two. It felt like a relationship of convenience. It also played on her fear of death after what happened to her late husband. It was almost as if she had to be with this man because it would show she can not only move on and have a happy life, but she can finally walk by cemeteries again! Yay…?
Another trope that makes my eyes roll: the over-the-top misogynistic antagonist. At her new job, Lark has a work nemesis, Sean. Basically he’s a man on her animation team that feels like he deserved Lark’s job. Not only that, but the animated film they’re working on is about a well-known Irish woman, and Lark’s American! There’s no way she can tell the story appropriately, she doesn’t understand the character’s Irishness!
Basically Sean’s a jerk and says a lot of comments that dig at Lark. Apparently he’s been saying these kinds of things to his other coworkers for years, even before Lark started at the company. So why is he there, you ask? Oh, nepotism. Oh, he’s a nephew to someone that’s high up but not really around, so he doesn’t see how Sean’s a big fat doody head!
I’m very fortunate to have never been in a situation like this: a problematic coworker who is related to someone high up the food chain. Because I haven’t been in that situation, I don’t know how it tends to be handled in real life. I hear stories; usually about how people feel they can’t say anything because it would be their job on the line, or nothing will come of it and they only just pissed the problematic coworker off even more. Things like that.
But come on, this man is a caricature of himself. He lies, he gaslights people, no one likes him. I just feel like this is a “safety in numbers” kind of situation and y’all go to HR to discuss it. Whoops! Can’t do that, because Sean’s work BFF is… the HR rep. Dear lord, the author really made sure the only thing that would make this guy go away is the Rapture, huh? So basically Lark just deals with Sean’s crap, he keeps running his mouth and annoying everyone, and they all just try and get through it. Just like any respectable company.
I’m sorry, but when this kind of situation pops up, it takes me out of the story. I roll my eyes, I get irritated more with the situation being put in the book more than the actual situation itself. Sean was basically the only antagonist (well, except for the work visa office) and he was so one-dimensional. Nothing to flesh out, he was just there. Saying sexist things. Being rude. Not doing his job and hoping it would look badly on Lark instead.
The second half of the book picked up with pacing, but not enough for me to really get back into it. I think the big thing is that I didn’t like Lark’s character. Which is a shame, since she’s one of the main characters. I feel like her past with her husband didn’t get fleshed out enough. I didn’t like how she was extroverted and bright and shiny but couldn’t stand up for herself at work. When she did, it was during a time where it was almost unnecessary, because shit hit the fan and things were progressing in her favor already. I also felt like she didn’t have true chemistry with Callum. I think they had good sexual chemistry, but nothing more than that. So the insta-feelings were not very believable for me. There were cute moments, don’t get me wrong! It just didn’t quite hit for me when it came to their love. I did like Callum though; could the reason be that I’m also an introvert myself and would love to work with others as long as they simply lie there and not speak? And every once in a while I can poke their innards? Maybe. Could be. Unsure. Need to take one of those career tests online again, just to be safe.
In all seriousness, I did like Callum’s character. I like how determined he was to keep his Granda’s business in the family and not have it be sold off to people who will probably close it down and build lofts or a resorts. I like how he really did enjoy his job, as dark and sobering as it is. I like how he did really care for Lark and was bummed about how it was shaking out. I can even forgive him for entertaining the idea of throwing all he knew in Galway and go to Texas with Lark. I can forgive that! Because he merely entertained it. He wasn’t really going to do it.
He wasn’t really going to do it… right?
Right??
Okay, moving on.
I think the biggest thing that made me guffaw (and not in a good way) was how the “problem” was so easily “resolved.”
The main premise of the story was how Callum needed to get married before he turned 35 or he’d lose the mortuary. It was a whole to-do: get married or lose everything. He was stressin’. He was sweatin’. Oh no, time’s running out! He’s 34 and a half! What to do! If he doesn’t get married the business will go to his father, who is basically frothing at the mouth to sell the place and run off with piles of cash. But he can’t do that! It’s not what Granda Tadhg wanted!
Well, it turns out… This whole drama could’ve been avoided if Callum just read his Granda’s will more closely. Or had a lawyer look at it. Did he? I’ve already forgotten. But yeah. Just read the damn will better, dude!
So the ending was a giant ker-PLUNK and anti-climactic, so there’s that.
Many thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
“Morbidly Yours” is out now!
monicareadsthrough.com 