When Lark Thompson accepted a short-term job in Ireland, she had no idea she would end up living next door to a funeral home. And the mortician at the funeral home, Callum Flannery, is nothing like she expected. Callum is painfully shy and quietly carrying the weight of a clause in his grandfather’s will: if he doesn’t marry by his 35th birthday, he’ll lose his inheritance and the family business. With less than a year on the clock, Lark jumps in to help him find The One, but what happens when they start to fall for one another instead?
This was my book club’s most recent pick. We assumed a story featuring a mortician would be a perfect, slightly spooky October read. While this book was not spooky at all, and my book club all agreed that we thought there would be more mortuary scenes, it ended up being charming in its own way.
This book is a slow burn romance, and by that I mean a VERY slow burn. I couldn’t tell you how many times I wanted to yell at the characters to just use their words and kiss already. Lark and Callum are total opposites, but as the saying goes, opposites attract, and watching their dynamic unfold was enjoyable.
There are a few subplots woven in, including one centered on Lark’s resentful coworker who believes he should have been hired for her job. I wasn’t a huge fan of this side story; villains who are mean for the sake of being mean never feel compelling to me. It didn’t add much to the story beyond creating one more obstacle to Lark staying in Ireland, especially since her visa depends on her employment.
Additionally, the pacing in this book was a bit off to me. I found it nearly impossible to tell how much time had passed. I couldn’t tell you if this book takes place over one month or twelve. Aside from a passing mention of Christmas, there are almost no seasonal cues – no weather shifts, no hints of holidays, and very little sense of progression. I would have liked some indication of the time passing, beyond Callum’s countdown to his birthday.
This book was entertaining and offered a cute premise, but I’m not sure it’s one that will stick with me in the long run.
Nice review. It’s so helpful to hear both the good and bad about a book before deciding whether to read it.
Thanks! I try to balance out the positive and negative aspects. Glad you liked it!