A great debut for this author. She has me immersed in the story of The Evans women from the first chapter. A Grandmother, a Mother and a teenage daughter may be the odd ones in town, but that’s just the way the townies think. However if they only knew the evil that lurks and how the Evans women help to keep it at bay. A good mystery with a rather solid plot and likable characters.

This was a fun supernatural Southern drama featuring four generations of Evans' women who run a funeral parlour and have secretly been handling all the undead who plague their town. When the body count starts to rise they realize something extra unusual is going on and there may be a new 'big bad' in town.

A perfect mash up of Practical magic, True Blood and Buffy the vampire hunter that oddly worked, I really enjoyed the family dynamics and world building in this story. Great on audio and recommended for fans of authors like KJ Dell'Antonia and Charlaine Harris. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

I was excited about BLESS YOUR HEART. Had I seen it in the store, it would have been a cover buy, but I'm glad it was just an arc request because of the cover since it was disappointing. It has a super fun cover, but the book is not that fun. I think it's trying too hard to be too many things. I found myself either overwhelmed because so much was happening or bored because not enough was happening. It definitely needed some more editing to help with the pacing. I DNF at 25% because it just wasn't worth pushing through.

I will give it 2 stars because it had a great premise and some excellent scenes. However, it needed some editing to make it a smoother read.

Thanks, Minotaur Books and Netgalley, for the gifted arc!

I could not get into this book. I started it and got about 15% thru and could just not read anymore. It was too gruesome for me and I never found the humorous part. The funeral scenes were just more than I could stomach.

Thank you, Minotaur Books and NetGalley, for the advanced copy of Bless Your Heart.

I wanted to give this four stars, but I settled on three. I will be following this series to read book two. The descriptions of sucking and clicking on teeth were a little too much. The cover is a little misleading. The novel was a fun campy horror story, but I think Grady Hendrix has ruined this genre for other authors. If you're going to do campy horror, it needs to be done the right way. I'm hoping that this story was more of a laying down the backstory for this series. I can see this series getting better as the novels continue. I look forward to seeing what's to come for the Evans family.

what a great book and i loved reading this author. . loved the romance and how the couple came to be. Loved that they worked through their issues and found love. Loved this mystery

The Evans women have some undead to kill. As the saying goes, what rises up, must go down.

I received Bless Your Heart as an ALC and an eARC and I literally could not and did not stop listening/reading it. I read it mostly in one sitting. If I wasn’t listening to it while I was doing mom stuff, then I was reading it while the kids were playing. This is one book I wanted a physical copy of so badly but sadly did not get. I just knew in my heart I was going to love it, and guess what… I did! First of all, the cover and title already won brownie points before I even got to the pages. Everything about the outside of this book screams “You’re going to love me!!”. I absolutely loved everything about this book. You have a family of women keeping the town safe from the undead and they’re all people you already know and love. Well you at least know someone similar to them. I loved the dark humor and southern charm in this story. It’s fast paced and keeps your engaged throughout, making it also a great palate cleanser (if you’re in a slump), aside from it being a fantastic novel! I cannot wait for this gem to come out April 9, 2024 so I can get my hands on a finished copy to keep forever!

Thank you so much NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for my advanced copy and the chance to review it honestly.

Happy reading!

I listened to the audiobook for this one and the audio narration was great. Perfect choice to perform this reading.

This one def had Southern Bookclub (#gradyhendrix hi!👋🏻 ) vibe. This book was like a lighthearted softer Grady Hendrix book with less gore. It was more diet horror/dark comedy than horror. Is #cozyhorror a thing, if it is that would be the proper category for this one.

I prefer scarier books but I enjoyed this one and getting to know all of the characters. I like the strong girl power vibes amongst the Evans women. I also thought the lgbtq+ added in was a nice rep.

It was evenly paced but a bit slow for my preference as I prefer something a little more fast paced.

I would read other work by this author.

Thank you @minotaur_books #partner for the #gifted ebook!

Don’t let this cutsie cover fool you! This one was hilariously funny but also dark with a small bit of gore and I was so pleasantly surprised by the mix! I loved this family owned business of the local funeral home where anything but a typical burial happens. When the dead rise off the table of the funeral home the Evans sisters quickly realize the Vampires are back! More bodies end up dead and let’s just say not fully and it leaves the Evans sister scrambling to find out what is behind the sudden upheaval.

Thoughts: Who would have thought horror and comedy mixed with supernatural would all go together?! I’m telling you Lindy Ryan pulled this off flawlessly! It was such a fun group of sisters to follow through their fight to keep the vampires at bay! I wasn’t sure if I loved them or feared them but I certainly was rooting for them. Their banter was on point and kept me chuckling the whole way through! There were parts of this book that reminded me almost of an older horror movie (the scary parts) and I loved the vibe! Without giving spoilers I will say I loved how the Vampires were able to move amongst the population 😂 it made for some pretty amazing visuals in my mind! If you love a fun horror book with some good old fashion southern charm grab yourself a copy of this one!

This was such a fun read!!! Let me tell you, I really think this will make a great addition to everyone’s shelves this spooky season. It started off just creepy enough to set the mood and then quickly had you loving the Evan’s women. Nothing is better than a family of women who take care of business.


The story was quick paced, switching from multiple POVs, and introduced you to several characters that didn’t feel overwhelming or confusing. Surprisingly, I was able to guess the twist but it didn’t take away from the story. It was the unfolding the made it all so entertaining. A fun and quick read for anyone!

Thanks so much NetGalley and. Minotaur Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this book! The cover and description caught my attention and the book did not disappoint! The Evans women are amazing. They run the only funeral home in their Texas town. It is their job to make sure the dead stay buried.

It is well paced with some horror, mystery, and humor! The characters are great and I love that it took place in the 1990s . I can’t wait to read more by this author! If you like mystery, horror and humor this is a must read! Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur books for the opportunity to read and leave my honest review.

I absolutely LOVED this book! Definitely one of my favorite books I’ve read in a while. Southern charm, the undead, the 90s and Texas! With such great characters it was easy to love each one, even the bad ones! Ducey is my favorite! Thanks NetGallery!

Southern charm, four generations of a kick-ass family & vampires…..needless to say I was ecstatic to get to read this book. And I’m very pleased to report that it is in fact an excellent one! Think Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Steel Magnolias.

Despite the cover & description, don’t be fooled into thinking it’s just a cozy horror novel because it is not. It’s got some truly gruesome & eerie elements that take it up so many notches. This is horror, no doubt about that. It also has its own unique take on vampires & adds some interesting bits to the lore. The Evans women are each unique & while I while I think not all four are equally fleshed out, they are a fantastic family to read about. Crazy ending! Totally did not see it being so big & climactic. Just wow! This is definitely a big recommend from me. I hope this isn’t the last we hear of the Evans women.

What a great read. I felt like I was watching this book as a movie (or show) the whole time and hearing their voices. The author is very skillful in creating awesome characters with very distinct personalities. She loses no time in setting the mood and vibe of the story with a gore attack and then showing us a scene at the funeral home almost comical. This will introduce the Evans Women to the reader and all will keep us glued to the pages. I couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting. The southern language, expressions, and Ducey's habits and answers add to the charm. Now I need to have some butterscotch candy.
Multiple POV with a hint of practical magic, small-town mystery, with evil rising (literally) from the grave. Has its red herring and plot twists, and the author drags the answers and revelations to the very last moment. Great ending. This is my first contact reading this author, but l look forward to reading more titles.
Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher for this arc.

i thought this was interesting but it just didn’t live up to the hype i had for it. it felt a little repetitive at times. i still enjoyed the story and think more people would too!

Thanks to NetGalley for proving me an ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

*SPOILER ALERT*

Bless Your Heart is a wild mystery/horror novel that keeps the action continuously moving and readers guessing about what will happen next. As someone who doesn't care for a lot of blood and violence (and this definitely had plenty!), it was never enough to make me want to stop reading.

The book centers around four generations of Evans women, three adults who run a funeral home, and the daughter, Luna, who is in high school. There is essentially a zombie outbreak (called strigoi in the book) and the Evans women have to put a stop to it.

The Good:
This was fast-paced and kept me guessing as to who the next victim would be and how the story was going to eventually play out.

The Bad:
It took me half the book to remember who was who with the Evans. I think it would have been cleaner to have just had three generations instead of four.

I understand zombies biting and killing people but I didn't understand how the strigoi clawed people to death with just their fingers. That made no sense to me.

I didn't care for the ending. The actual master strigoi was obvious so it made the reveal very anti-climatic. I also didn't like that Lenore's mother and daughter both died. It was too much and she and Luna didn't appear that affected by the huge trauma and loss that they suffered. I think the ending left the story with the possibility of a sequel, otherwise it was an odd choice to leave it open-ended.

Final Takeaway:
This was an interesting book and I liked getting out of my comfort zone with this genre. However, it just didn't deliver in the end for me. I give the plot a 7 out of 10 and the characters a 6 out of 10 with an overall grade of a C-.

One of my biggest hang-ups with "Bless Your Heart" is that the marketing synopsis isn't technically wrong, but it is definitely misleading (and the cover is even more misleading). Regardless of that aspect, this still wasn't a particularly good book. The book was lackluster enough that I considered quitting about 20-25% in, but powered through (mostly because it's not very long). Now, I can say that I wouldn't have missed much if I had just given up.

Despite being a short-ish book, there was a LOT of repetition, lots of overly-descriptive nonsense, and quite a bit of completely unnecessary filler information/scenes. Far too many people bit their lip/tongue/cheek 'hard enough to bleed' and/or wound clocks until their hand bled. And how many butterscotch candies can one woman actually eat in a day?! But the writing was also simultaneously, frustratingly vague; for example, That Godawful Mess was referenced far too many times for far too long before it was finally addressed.

I've seen some chatter that there's going to be a sequel, which makes some of the story (or lack thereof) make a little more sense. However, I'm pretty sure I won't be bothering to find and read the sequel whenever it appears.

3 stars

I was expecting this to have more of a dark comedy vibe, a la Grady Hendrix, but it ended up being light on the laughs and heavier on the horror and gore than I was expecting. As a horror fan, that wasn't an issue for me; I just had to adjust my expectations while reading.

I enjoyed the multigenerational aspect and the setting of a Southern family funeral parlor, but wish all four of the Evans women had been more developed, especially Grace and Lenore. I often had trouble differentiating which woman was narrating between those two.

The ending felt too rushed, especially the action sequence. The ending in general felt unsatisfying, but I've since learned there is a sequel in the works, which explains why some things felt unresolved. I'm not sure I was invested enough in the characters to read the sequel, but I'll decide that when the time comes.

If you are looking for an excellent vampire read set in the Deep South, look no further! You are going to love this amazing read! The protagonists and the plot truly sizzle, no pun intended!

Set in Beaumont, TX, Bless Your Heart is a slow-burn small town horror novel that was just the right amount of slice-of-life and strange/gruesome/weird that kept me reading until the very end.
I would say this book’s overall feel is B-movie horror( I mean this in the best way possible). It’s campy and pulpy good fun. I enjoyed the idea of inter-generational group of women fighting the undead. Lindy Ryan’s depictions of horrific scenes were just the right amount of shocking and gory, yet were paced out enough so that my brain could recuperate from the jarring scenes.
I was pleasantly surprised that the backdrop of the book is Beaumont, Texas in 1999, a time and place near and dear to my heart. I live very close to this town and was a middle schooler during this time! I enjoyed the author’s nod to southeast Texas restaurants(Rao’s,y’all!), shops (Parkdale Mall!),and the overall feeling of home and nostalgia in this book.
I will gladly pick up another book by Lindy Ryan and look forward to what she has coming up after this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the advanced reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.