I think the adorable cover made me request this one!

I listened to the audio and it was well done, although I'm probably not the right audience. This wasn't scary, but too graphic/gory-ish for my taste. I enjoyed the characters though and wanted to see how the Evan's women dealt with the "new arrivals" coming to their funeral parlor.

I also enjoyed the small town Texas setting. People are disappearing and Deputy Roger Taylor has suspicions and starts asking a lot of questions. Secrets, Strigoi (vampire-ish people), and fighting the un-dead made this one a rather strange and at times cringy read!

"Bless Your Heart" by Lindy Ryan is a captivating blend of mystery and horror set in Southeast Texas. The novel centers on the Evans women, who run the Evans Funeral Parlor in a small town with a dark underbelly. The story is infused with Southern charm and humor, yet it doesn't shy away from graphic and violent elements, particularly involving strigoi, creatures that are a mix between vampires and zombies. The narrative shifts between multiple points of view, adding depth to the characters and the unfolding mystery. Ryan's writing is both engaging and gasp-worthy, making "Bless Your Heart" a delightful and thrilling read from start to finish.

I didn't finish this book; it just wasn't for me. It might have been the wrong timing for me to read this type of book.

I'm thrilled to share my 4-star review of Lindy Ryan's delightful debut novel, Bless Your Heart!

This charming mystery-horror hybrid had me hooked from the get-go. The Evans family, a quartet of quirky and fierce women, are the heart of the story, and their banter and interactions had me grinning from ear to ear. The way Ryan weaves together humor and horror is nothing short of masterful - it's like a delicious recipe for a fun and captivating read.

The story follows the Evans family's ancient secrets and traditions as they're forced to confront a mysterious vampire, Mina Jean Murphy, who's resurrected in their funeral parlor. As Luna, the young and naive protagonist, learns the truth about her family's business and their supernatural abilities, I found myself eagerly turning the pages to uncover the secrets alongside her.

While I didn't feel completely connected to the characters, I appreciated their unique personalities and quirks. Ryan does an excellent job of juggling multiple storylines and perspectives, making it easy to follow along. The pacing is nicely balanced, with a good mix of action, suspense, and humor.

If you enjoy mysteries with a touch of horror and a dash of humor, Bless Your Heart is an excellent choice. It's not a scary read by any means, but it will keep you entertained and might even leave you smiling. I'm excited to see where the series goes from here and look forward to getting to know the Evans women better as the story unfolds.

Overall, Bless Your Heart is a delightful debut that sets the stage for an intriguing series. I highly recommend it to fans of humorous horror and mystery lovers alike!

"Bless Your Heart" by Lindy Ryan is a light, easy read that offers some charming moments but ultimately didn't fully engage me. While the characters are likable and the writing is competent, the plot felt somewhat predictable. Nevertheless, it might appeal to those looking for a straightforward and pleasant story.

This is not my usual genre. I have to admit I had to stop while eating lunch, there are some gruesome parts, and that was expected in this type of book. I liked the characters a lot, the story started out slowly and picked up speed. The cover is misleading and this book turned out to be very different then what I thought it was. If you are into horror, this is a book for you! I was surprised I like it as much as I did because I am not a big horror fan. Maybe because of the southern charm and touch of humor. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Ducey, Lenore, Grace, and Luna are the Evans women that run the only funeral home in a small Texas town. They bury the dead and they make sure that the dead stay dead, especially after that incident 15 years ago. So when the dead did start rising and feeding, the women and a few others have to figure out what is going on and find a way to stop it before everything comes apart and there is an even worse incident. Multiple viewpoints helps build tension slowly and ratchet up the terror bit by bit until all the pieces come together and the release is explosive. Despite the cover art, readers looking for vampires will need to visit a different small Texas town.

This was not my favorite book. I’m a pretty fast reader when I’m into something and it took me almost 3 weeks to finish. Granted this was not a bad book. It was well written, the story in of itself was interesting, and if you’re into old school gory vampire books then this is definitely for you. I think my biggest issue is that the pacing was too slow for me. I wanted more action and less POV’s that weren’t the women of the Evan’s family. I felt like I quickly figured out a lot of the “reveals” that didn’t come until around 80% of the book and the more interesting plot points were handed out too slowly for me. Despite the off pacing I can tell that the author is going to take the story somewhere interesting so hopefully the pacing of the next book will work better for me because I’d like to see where the story goes. Thank you netgalley and SMP Minotaur for the digital arc

3.5 stars. Horror with a bit of humor thrown in. Reminds me in some ways of Grady Hendrix, but Grady does it better in my opinion. If you go in thinking this will be a light horror read, you will be very disappointed. This is truly a horror book and overall I enjoyed it.

**3.5 stars**

At the beginning, I wasn’t in to this, I felt the beginning was too slow and the exposition could have moved along at a much quicker pace. But I’m very glad I kept going! It may be tense and have some graphic horror moments at times but it’s also funny, heartfelt, and cozy. I really hope the ending means what I hope it means for my favorite character in the next book! I’ll definitely read the next one.

Thanks to the author and publisher for the e-arc I received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thank You to St Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved absolutely everything about this book.
I loved the quirky characters, the humor and the urban legend vibe of this book. There are quite a few scenes of explicit gruesomeness, if this isn't your thing, you might want to pass.
I laughed, I was left reeling at some scenes and found myself questioning motives and just where was this story going to end up. I definitely need to add a physical copy to my library.
This is the first installment of the Bless Your Heart series and I can't wait for the next book to come.

This book had me at vampires.  They're my favorite paranormal creature and it doesn't matter if it's straight up horror or a paranormal romance, if there are vampires, I'm going to be interested.  So, when you add in the family of southern women - who run a funeral home, no less - I was doubly intrigued.  

I loved how you got the point of view of each Evans woman since they each bring their own perspective and experiences to the story.  Each generation had its own take and perspective on the situation and their place in the town. It made for a well rounded story that gave you many angles on the truth.  

Grace was probably my favorite, but that could have been because she and I are probably around the same age.  The things she did I might have done myself in that situation.  As a mother, I know what it's like to want to sacrifice everything for my kid and the rest of my family.  

The way that the backstory unwinds gives you little bits and hints of what really happened all those years ago.  I enjoyed the way that the past weaved its way into what was going on in the present as well. Plus, the mixture of southern horror and cozy mystery was a new one for me, something I didn't know I needed until now.  

One warning, however.  There are some very dark and graphic scenes so if you're hoping or expecting a traditional cozy type mystery, you're going to be in for a shock.  However, if you don't mind a bit of true horror mixed in with your small town mystery, then this very well might be a good fit for you.

Bless Your heart is a horror mystery full of southern charm. The Evans Women run the towns funeral parlor but when the dead start rising back up that's when the trouble starts. This book is full of horror , secrets and characters that you will love . I adored this book. . I wanted more!

LOVED IT. I really enjoyed this fun little thriller- it made me laugh, but I also stayed up way too late to finish it. I would’ve liked even more backstory- honestly, I’d like an entire prequel to this one. Fun characters, intriguing world- highly recommend.

Bless Your Heart (ARC)
Linda Ryan
3.75⭐️

Pun Date: 4/9/2024

I adored this one but I wish there was more.
It started off already grim but that was actually one of the best things about this book. It was slow to begin with up until the 50% mark but it was interesting enough to keep going. It was written well and the mystery was shrouded well, allowing readers to make their own theories/assumptions *which was really fun*- like who's raising the dead, who's biting and turning people. This revolves around 4 generation of women who have been protecting their town from vampires/strigoi. But when Luna, the youngest, was having dreams, it raised more questions than answering them. This book was really slow at first but the pacing and plot got better towards the end. Most of the questions were answered but the way it ended made me think that there might be a book 2? 🤷‍♀️ or the author might leave us an open ending. Overall, pretty good and enjoyable. If the pacing was faster, I would've bumped the rating up some more.

Bless Your Heart is a cozy horror mystery that’s heavy on the charm and Southern family bonds.

The Evans Women have been battling the restless dead since 80 year old matriarch Ducey was a young woman. Professionals at dealing with ghouls, and with That Godawful Mess from 15 years ago peaking over their shoulders, the dead are starting to rise again.

It’s up to this great grandmother and her three descendants to fix this problem before it gets out of control. That’s no easy feat when this family has been keeping secrets from their youngest, Luna, who has no idea what her mom and grandmothers actually do at the funeral parlor they own. Coupled with a creepy new kid in town and a nosy Police Department, these women have their work cut out for them.

This is a well paced horror story with a lot of heart. As the secrets start to come to light, the body count rises, and the family must band together. The third act was fast paced and exciting and managed to surprise me, not an easy task when I’m notorious for predicting the ending. There were three distinct shocks for me and that delighted me endlessly.

I didn’t realize this was the first book in a new series and I can’t wait to check back in with the family for a new adventure next year!

Thank you St Martins Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the arc.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for letting me read BLESS YOUR HEART early. This one is out now!

I didn't love this one, I think this could make a better movie than a book. Maybe it's just that cozy horror is hard. I'd skip this one.

Bless Your Heart
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Lindy Ryan

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Rise and shine. The Evans women have some undead to kill.

It’s 1999 in Southeast Texas and the Evans women, owners of the only funeral parlor in town, are keeping steady with…normal business. The dead die, you bury them. End of story. That’s how Ducey Evans has done it for the last eighty years, and her progeny―Lenore the experimenter and Grace, Lenore’s soft-hearted daughter, have run Evans Funeral Parlor for the last fifteen years without drama. Ever since That Godawful Mess that left two bodies in the ground and Grace raising her infant daughter Luna, alone.

But when town gossip Mina Jean Murphy’s body is brought in for a regular burial and she rises from the dead instead, it’s clear that the Strigoi―the original vampire―are back. And the Evans women are the ones who need to fight back to protect their town.

As more folks in town turn up dead and Deputy Roger Taylor begins asking way too many questions, Ducey, Lenore, Grace, and now Luna, must take up their blades and figure out who is behind the Strigoi’s return. As the saying goes, what rises up, must go back down. But as unspoken secrets and revelations spill from the past into the present, the Evans family must face that sometimes, the dead aren’t the only things you want to keep buried.

My Thoughts: This was a mystery spun with horror and splash of fantasy blended in. This is the first book in the Bless Your Heart series. The story takes place in 1999 in Texas. The Evans women (Ducey, Lenore, Grace, Luna - four generations) run the only funeral home in town. They have placed a lot of bodies in the ground, sometimes more than once. The Strigoi, vampire who wants control of the town, is back. It is up to the Evans women to fight back and save the town and their funeral home. This follows the trope of cozy mystery with slight humor and horror blended in.

This was a slow burn at first, but a great reading journey. The Evans women are very spunky. The characters were well developed with depth, eccentric-minded, mystery, were witty, and fierce. The author’s writing style was complex, multifaceted, a tad suspenseful (I would love to see more), funny, great world building, and engaging. The paradox between the mystery coziness and the dark (horror) was fabulous, I really enjoyed seeing this combination that I have not seen before. Some of the scenes were quite graphic. Now that does not bother me because I am an 80’s slasher horror movie buff. I loved the vibe of the small town, the ingenuity of incorporating horror elements, and then the Evans family dynamics were well executed.

I had the pleasure of having the digital and audio versions for the ARC, I leaned on the audio more. This was a light, fun, mystery with a flare of horror and fantasy (vampires & people rising from the dead). Think Finlay Donovan vampire edition. This was not scary and won’t keep you up at night or give you nightmares. I would love to see more suspense in the next book in the series. I highly recommend picking up the book or audiobook today.

3.5 stars

This was a fun read! I really loved all the Evans women in this book. Especially Ducey! The story follows a family of women who run a funeral home along with all the services.. and some extra! This book definitely took you on a fun and interesting ride.

Thank you netgallry for the earc in exchange for an honest review.

This would be such a funny movie. I can picture it. Take the women from Sweet Magnolias and place them in a funeral parlor. Oh and then the dead become undead. And there is a vampire that caused all this??? If Gothic Southern writing was your jam in high school you are going to love this book. It is so funny and so southern. And so gothic. It’s going to make you laugh and suspend your disbelief.

Thank you so much to Net Galley and Minotaur books for an e-copy!