3.5/5 rounded up

Thank you Minotaur Books for the advanced reading copy!

SYNOPSIS -- It's 1999 in Southeast Texas, and the Evans women are up to their eyeballs in dead bodies. While this isn't entirely unusual seeing as they own the local funeral parlor, it is definitely an unexpected twist that some of these dead bodies are, well, undead. Local busybody Mina Jean Murphy rises first, setting into motion a string of chaos that seems familiar to some of the Evans, especially matriarch Ducey, her daughter Lenore, and HER daughter, Grace. Grace's daughter, Luna, is about to find out about a major family secret revolving around the Strigoi, the original vampires. Armed with trocars and deceit, the Evans woman have to protect their town and themselves.

This book was sooo different than anything I normally read, and I'm surprised that I liked it so much! It was definitely creepy and icky at times, but I was hooked from the start. All of the characters had a ton of layers and nuance between them, which added to the story a ton. There were, however, too many POVs in my opinion; I think this made things confusing and diluted more than it needed to be. The middle got a little bit lost on me, but we made our way back for a powerful and shocking end. The Evans women were fantastic and fun main characters, and I enjoyed their dynamic with each other and the other characters immensely. I'm super intrigued by this series and hope to read more of it soon! That cliffhanger.... I can't wait!

When someone dies, they're supposed to stay dead. Right? Right.

Well, that just doesn't happen when your town has a particularly nasty case of vampires. The Evans family women — Ducey, Lenore, Grace, and Luna — run the only funeral home in town, and are in charge of making sure that the dead stay that way. So when vampires start popping up again, it's up to the women to figure out exactly what's going on, and how to stop it.

This was a pretty fun, light-hearted horror/mystery that I definitely enjoyed taking a bite out of. ;) The Evans family was a lot of fun to pal-around through the pages with, and my only real complaint is that for me personally, it felt like there were far too many POVs, and the story was weighed down a little because of it.

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Bless Your Heart is set to be published on April 9, 2024. Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley and the author for the digital advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A huge thank you as always to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the eARC!

Every once in a while, a book comes around that’s written in a way that feels like it was crafted just for you. I can say this is very true of Lindy Ryan’s, Bless Your Heart, a story that is bursting with heartfelt relationships and equally grotesque misfortunes. Set in Texas in the 90s, we follow four generations of Evans women, Ducey, Lenore, Grace, and Luna, who run the town’s only funeral parlor. Business seems to be running as usual until the dead refuse to stay that way, revealing the added job responsibilities of the Evans women. Not only are the dead rising but family secrets are unearthed as the fight to right the balance of living and dead ensues.

Bless Your Heart is easily summarized in one word: charming. Ryan writes this story in such a grounded, realistic manner that depicts life in the South in the late 90s in a nostalgic, idyllic way. Most of all, the dynamics between the Evans women are captivating and endearing; despite their secrets and differences, there’s a whole lot of love to be found in their unconventional family unit. I couldn’t help but feel this was the best-constructed mashup of Gilmore Girls meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer for all the charm and lighthearted humor dispersed throughout the novel. However, just when you think things are light and fluffy, Ryan executes some gnarly scenes of body horror and gore.

Speaking of gore, I was thoroughly impressed with just how detailed these scenes of terror proved to be. From missing appendages, bloodshed, and black goo, there’s not much Ryan doesn’t cover in the realm of body horror here. This unique balance of violence with light-hearted endearment makes this a truly unique story that thrives through its character work. The ability to become invested in the Evans women’s story felt as easy as breathing, additionally ramping up the sense of danger when the undead attack. This is a group of characters who mean business and exemplify traits of selflessness, bravery, and action without taking away from their femininity. Truly, God bless the Evans women.

A tale of sacrifices, danger, and above all, love, Bless Your Heart is easily one of the most delightful reads I’ve come across in recent memory. Maybe it’s because I’m a fellow Southerner myself, but Lindy Ryan’s writing easily stole my heart through her lovable cast of characters and unyielding confrontation of horror. If there’s any complaint to be had, it is that I have not spent nearly enough time with the Evans women.

3.25 stars rounded down
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This book was not at all what I expected it to be. I not sure why I was expecting more humor from it, but it was a pretty straight horror-thriller novel. I just don’t know how I feel about it.

I enjoyed the idea of the book, for sure. This book nailed the gory, horror element, I flinched at some of the descriptions. But it was almost too much for something people are calling “cozy horror.” The idea of a generational slayer family and the vampire/zombie hybrid was definitely a fun twist. But I found it overall to be repetitive and for all the action, a bit boring. I saw the ultimate ending coming pretty early on so I wasn’t really shocked by it. I nearly DNFed for that reason, but I stuck around to see if I was right. The writing was okay, but not really engaging.

I found I was neutral on the Evans women. The multiple POV was good for seeing all sides of the story and seeing the variable personalities, but it got to be too much with the other POVs thrown in. The story lacked suspense with some of these chapters, too. There could have been a way to build suspense with the added chapters, but as is, they didn’t seem necessary for the story to me.

The potential for this one was so good, but it just lacked in follow through.

Bless Your Heart was a fun read. I really enjoyed learning about the Evans family dynamic. That ending was insane! I am in shock still and hope there’s a sequel. This storyline has a lot of potential.

Thank you Minotaur Books for allowing me the opportunity to sink my teeth into this ARC!

I could not put this book down. Three generations of Evans women do their duty to keep the dead from rising. And it usually works. Except for That Godawful Mess of fifteen years ago. Another Godawful Mess is coming and it is time the fourth generation Evans learns her heritage and duty. I loved this story, its characters, and their small Texas town. More, please!

First things first, thank you so much for the chance to read this arc! I’m a sucker for a cute cover.

“There’ll be time for math after the zombie apocalypse.”

I’ve always had a thing for vampires, thanks Twilight, but throw in some Southern charm? SOLD. If you’re new to the horror genre and want to dip your toes without giving yourself nightmares, look no further. This is the one for you. This was such a fun read and I can’t wait to purchase my physical copy!

Oh, wow! Okay, so I went into this expecting it to be a little silly/campy, not really expecting much actual horror - and I'm blown away! I loved the way this ramped up so quickly, and especially loved the levels of blood and gore we got to experience. I also didn't realize this would be the first in a little series, and I think this makes an EXCELLENT book one. It does everything a first book should: introduces you to the main characters, the "big bad", and then sets you up for more fun coming in the second book: BLESS YOUR HEART nailed this and I'm eager to see what comes next!!

Based on the summary, cover design, and title, I expected this to be much more of a funny romp than it was. I mean, a vampire looking very Jackie O? How campy is that? But this is a solid horror. And apparently the first in a series. It is the 1990s in Texas and the Evans family run the only mortuary in a small town that seems to have a zombie infestation. Dealing with it seems pretty simple, but first they have to let the youngest member of the family, Luna, in on all the family secrets. And Luna is keeping secrets of her own. This is a solid horror (she says again) and had I known that going in, I would have given it a full 4 stars. I liked it. I liked the characters. The writing was terrific. But I kept looking for the camp and was disappointed not to find it. The next in the series I'll read knowing better!

Wow… this was a tough read. It was very well-written, and I loved how the author developed the characters and the entire small town it was set in. However, the detail of the gore that went on was too much for me. I enjoyed the paranormal horror plot, but the amount of detail of how violent and bloody everything was just put me over the edge at times. If you have an uneasy stomach, definitely consider if you can handle this book.

Thank you Minotaur Books for the complimentary DRC.

Do you ever read books and not have a lot to say about them? That’s the case with this book for me. I liked it but didn't love it.

I didn’t connect to any of the characters and the lack of communication between the 4 women really got under my skin. I didn’t ‘believe’ in the relationships between any of them until right at the end.

The start was slow and I considered DNF-ing. I’m glad I didn’t though because I was drawn in by the ending and want to read the next book. It reminded me of ACOTAR in that I didn’t love the first book but it ended in a way that I believe book 2 is set up to be great!

I think I went into this expecting something completely different than it was. I wanted something funnier, more southern belle banter, more fun. The characters were great, but not sure I would describe this book as fun. This was a darker more horror than comedy. There were twists and turns and it definitely had some unexpected plots. It was well done, but at times dragged on. It was often very repetitive. I wish it had more banter and fun to balance out the mystery aspect.

Thank you NetGalley for my advanced reader copy.

This was exactly what I thought it would be (in a good way), I always appreciate when the blurbs actually match up to the story and this one totally does. I really enjoyed the close knit family of women and their….unusual…occupation, it was a fun and unique take. While I enjoy high drama supernatural books, this was a nice reprieve from the sometimes exhausting intensity they often have. The more casual, cheeky vibe made it a fun read that I didn’t have to be too emotionally invested in. Also, the late 90s in the South vibes were spot on (as someone who lived in Alabama and Florida for a big chunk of my 80s/90s childhood). I would definitely pick up future books by Lindy.

This ALMOST did it for me! I feel like I was really into the story at times (southern vampires!! How could I not be?) but other times, I felt like the story was really repetitive which bogged down the pacing for me.

It was entertaining but not a book I feel like I’d pick up again!

Much like the southern town it takes place in, the plot meandered and moseyed along. It was well past the halfway point before some crucial backstory was revealed. This didn’t build tension. It built frustration, especially since none of it was surprising.

Dragging out the beginning left no time for some major questions about the rules of the world. The BBEG of the past and present didn’t make complete sense to me. The hows and whys never got answered. The reveal and the ending felt rushed, especially given the body count.

The writing is good. There were quite a few parts I highlighted and the southernisms were fun. It was the pacing that turned me into the frustrated Stitch gif. I was reading for answers, not because I cared about the plot or characters.

Also, every POV character had something up with their stomach. I wanted to chuck a giant bottle of Tums at the book. I liked the concept but the execution was meh for me. It looks like it might be part of a series. I might read something else from this author but I don’t think I’d revisit this world again.

A southern vampire, or more accurately Strigoi (troubled spirits who rise from their graves and gain vitality from the blood of their victims), story the only funeral home in a small Southeast Texas town and the women who operate it.

BLESS YOUR HEART is like no vampire story I have ever read. There were no bats or caped creatures with fangs. It is not a scary or gruesome story. Some scenes are "gross", but not horrible. I enjoyed the story and was intrigued and surprised by the end.

I have been provided with a review copy of this title from NetGalley for an impartial review. I just absolutely had so much fun getting to go along on these characters journey. I was just swept away and I just absolutely can’t get enough of this series or its wonderful characters. This author just has a way of drawing you in with her wonderful stories and you just can’t get enough of them. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

Set in Southern Texas in 1999, Bless Your Heart is a cozy gothic horror mystery following the Evans women as they run their family funeral home - and kill the undead. Told from multiple POVs, settle in for a gory vampire hunt of a mystery! Somehow heartwarming and goosebump raising at the same time, Bless Your Heart is sure to be a hit!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an advanced electronic copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lindy Ryan’s latest book is like a cozy horror mystery. There are a lot of gory details and several deaths, but for some reason, I never found it too dark or scary, which speaks to the way Ryan presented the story.

Set in Southeast Texas, four generations of Evans women run the local funeral home. Readers soon learn that they have a past with vampire-like beings, and one woman even got up close and personal with one.

Fast forward to the present and things start happening again that get them worried. The local sheriff knows their secrets and he is immediately suspicious. To add to the drama, there is a new young man in town that looks mysterious and has befriended the youngest Evans woman.

This was an entertaining read and I found it safe to read when I was home alone. Many thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to review this and recommend to other readers.

Thank you so much to netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I am so sad to say that I did not enjoy this book. I thought it was going to be funny and a bit campy but that is not what I experienced. I felt it was boring and super gory. I loved the idea of this book but it did not deliver for me. I didn't finish this one because I felt it just kept dragging. I also wasn't connecting with any of the characters.

I know many others have loved this one but it was not for me.