Alright, y’all, I’ll own it: I skimmed the blurb for Bless Your Heart and saw “Southern charm” and “cozy mystery” vibes, picturing sweet tea on porches and quirky Texas neighbors spilling secrets over pecan pie. Lindy Ryan delivers that in spades—the Evans family’s wit is sharper than a church lady’s side-eye, and the 90s small-town setting, with its flip phones and humid nights, had me hooked. Luna’s coming-of-age arc felt warm and real, like catching up with an old friend who’s got family drama for days. The dialogue? Pure Southern gold, dripping with “bless your heart” shade.

But, oh honey, my blurb-skipping ways backfired. The vampire horror crashed in like a bull in a china shop—graphic, gory, and way too much for my tender heart. Blood-soaked scenes and undead mayhem stole the spotlight from the cozy mystery I craved, leaving me queasy and DNF-ing faster than you can say “y’all, I’m out.” The pacing was decent when focused on family ties and town gossip, but the relentless horror drowned out the charm. If I could’ve skipped the gore and kept the Southern storyline, I’d have been all in. For hardcore horror fans, this might slay, but it left me wishing I’d read the fine print.

Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan is not a book for rushing to the end; it’s the kind of book that invites you to come in and stay for a while. It may invite you to have a seat on the porch and ask you if you want some cornbread and buttermilk, and you'll say no you don't like buttermilk but could you have it with regular milk, and it'll look at you, shake its head a little bit, but it'll get you regular milk - whole milk, none of this skim milk that’s basically water, and definitely not oat milk or almond milk or any other tree milk, and it’s no use saying, but, I’m vegan because you know that cornbread was made in a cast iron skillet seasoned with lard.
That really got away from me, but that’s what happens when you spend time with four generations of Southern women who don’t let a little thing like running a town’s funeral home while protecting said town from a restless dead or two detract from their manners.
Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan is what would happen if Designing Women (look it up, kids) had a baby with Buffy, the Vampire Slayer (the show, not the character).
It follows the Evans family, four generations of women - Ducey, Lenore, Grace, and Luna working in their family-run funeral home - while protecting the town from the Strigoi - in this context, basically a vampire/zombie. It is set in a small southeast Texas town in 1999, and it is funny, surprising, a little scary, even a little sad. Ryan does a beautiful job building this little world and letting us get to know the characters in it.
The minute the book was over, I put the second one in hold at my library, and I can’t wait to spend more time with them.
Note: I listened to the audiobook narrated by Stephanie Németh-Parker who did an excellent job giving the characters, in particular the Evans women, distinct voices without resorting to caricature. Excellent production!
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook for my honest review.

Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan is a fast-paced and entertaining start to a new mystery-horror series. The story follows four generations of Southern women who run a funeral home in a small Texas town, blending humor, family banter, and light horror. I listened to the audiobook and found the narration engaging, which made the Evans family dynamic stand out even more. Ducey, the spunky matriarch, was a highlight for me with her wit and sass. The book balances Southern gothic atmosphere with a cozy, spooky mystery vibe that’s perfect for the fall and Halloween season.The only drawback for me were some of the graphic descriptions of the undead, which were a little off-putting at times, though they didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment.Recommended for readers who enjoy cozy mysteries with a Southern twist, light horror that isn’t too scary, or anyone looking for a fun fall read.

“That’s why what we do here is so important…If the dead are satisfied with how they are laid to rest, they have no reason to rise from the grave…Our job is to make sure those who die are buried properly…”

Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan is a delightful read with Texas charm. Stephanie Németh-Parker’s narration is as welcoming as your grandmother’s pecan pie!

In this darling yet horrific novel, Southern idioms and witticisms are ubiquitous, and there are probably many I didn’t even realize since they are part of my native tongue!

Four generations of Evans women not only run a funeral home, but they also bear the burden of defending their town against the Strigoi. These women are not your typical Southern belles! Secrets bubble to the surface as Ducey, Lenore, and Grace must reveal all to Luna, the youngest of the Evans women.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing an advanced review copy of the audio version of this title for an honest review.

This had such a fun setup, with a family of women running a funeral parlor in small-town Texas, secret history, and oh yeah, vampires rising from the dead. It definitely gave me campy Southern gothic vibes, with a mix of quirky banter and buckets of gore. And honestly, the idea of generations of women fighting off Strigoi is super cool.

That said, it didn’t totally work for me. The pacing dragged in spots, the “Southern charm” dialogue started to feel repetitive, and I wanted way more depth to the family secrets than what actually unraveled. It’s not bad, just not as sharp or spooky as I hoped. Still, if you’re into light horror with a side of sass, this might be your thing.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Bless Your Heart has a fantastic setup. Southern charm meets small-town funeral parlor horror, with a family of women squaring off against the undead. The mix of mystery, folklore, and family drama makes for an intriguing premise, and the narrator, Stephanie Nemeth-Parker, did a solid job bringing the characters to life.

That said, the pacing dragged for me, and some of the themes (especially Columbine) felt unnecessary and even off-putting. I usually like going into a story without knowing much, but in this case, I wish I'd read a few reviews first.

Overall, the concept was stronger than the execution, though I can see this appealing to readers who love a blend of Southern gothic atmosphere and vampire lore.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the chance to listen to this title in exchange for my opinion.

Going to have to pass on this one. I listened to the first four chapters and cannot get behind finishing this one at this time.

i tried getting into this story twice but it just didnt stick with me, it was fast paced though so i liked that part about it, i just expected more

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this audio arc!

Wow what a great book! I really enjoyed the premise of this book. The characters are great. I even enjoyed the secondary characters. The writing style was great and this really was an easy read. It had meek hooked from page one. I don't always have a hard time putting books down but this one had me..lol. I highly recommend this book if you are in a reading slump. This was a first for me by this author but will not be my last. The narrator did this book justice.

This book was a slow burn. And it was slowwwww. I found the ending to be too cut and dry even though I know there is a sequel coming.

The narrator did amazing with the southern accents!

I just finished Bless Your Heart and honestly, I had such a good time with it. It's a fun, bloody, and heartfelt read. Perfect if you like horror that doesn’t take itself too seriously but still has real emotional stakes. It’s set in small-town Texas in the late 90s, and the story follows four generations of Evans women who run a funeral home. But it’s not your typical family business, they also deal with making sure the dead stay dead. Think vampires, family secrets, and plenty of Southern sass. I'll definitely be checking for more by Lindy Ryan.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free audio version of this book. My review is voluntarily given, and my opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this book, but I do wish I had requested the Kindle version instead of the audio version. Not at all because of the narrator, because she was amazing. Seriously, the narrator did a wonderful job. It was that there are tons of gruesome scenes in here that I could have easily skimmed over that I was stuck listening. It was nothing so horrible that I was sick to my stomach or anything, but definitely would have skipped past those descriptions.

Other than that (which I'm not going to rate down or say anything against that, since just because I don't care for it doesn't mean other people don't) I thought this book was amazing. If I was just reading it on Kindle, I probably would have finished it in one sitting. Love how it was set up for a sequel and can't wait to read it!

Definitely would recommend!

Fantastic! I am so glad that I picked this book up! While it was a bit gory for my taste, the story line sucked me in and the characters kept me hooked. A horror filled paranormal novel, with generational love at its heart. Can’t wait to read the next one!
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced listener copy!

The patriarchal undertones, body shaming, “slut” shaming, having a bullied gay character whose parents don’t accept him, the mention of Columbine in relation to someone who dresses goth, etc are all so icky and outdated. Yes, the book was set in the late 90s, but it was too much. I quit at the 55% mark. Not a book for me.

🎧This was a fun and quirky book! I listened to the audio and enjoyed how the characters were bright yo life & the ambiance it brought. After reading heavier books, this one was on the lighter side while still packing a punch!

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillian Audio for this ALC.

Bless Your Heart is filled with nods to the late 90s and is great for fans of vampires and zombies. There are a few gory scenes, but the overall story isn't too gruesome.

I have heard a lot of good things about this book and was very excited to give it a listen.

I enjoyed the multi generational family dynamic. Each of the Evans women was a delight to get to know, I did have a little bit of trouble keeping them straight at first, but it wasn't too bad.

The mystery/ horror element was great. I am really enjoying some of the 'lighter' horror books that around now. Don't get me wrong, the gore and scares are still there are still very real, but the background, and not gory moments are lighter. There are still several really gross and genuinely scary moments.

The narrator did a great job, but it would have been nice to have multiple narrators, to maybe help differentiate the different POVs, but it was perfectly fine as is.

Bless Your Heart has an intriguing setup—Southern Fiction with a splash of light horror, quirky family drama, and some supernatural chaos thrown in. The premise is fresh, centering on four generations of Evans women who run a funeral parlor in 1999 Southeast Texas… and just happen to be dealing with a Strigoi problem.

The Strigoi, drawn from Romanian mythology, are restless spirits rising from the grave to cause trouble, and trouble is exactly what they bring to Evans Funeral Parlor. The mix of strong female leads, dark humor, and eerie atmosphere definitely kept me listening.

That said, the pacing dragged in spots, weighed down by Southern chit-chat that sometimes overshadowed the plot. I also found myself wanting more backstory on the Evans women—especially with so many generations involved—and a bit less filler. And while marketed as vampires, the Strigoi often read more like zombies, which pulled me out of the spooky vibe.


Overall, Bless Your Heart is more entertaining than frightening, with plenty of gore for those who don’t mind it. It’s an imaginative start to what could be a fun series, but I’m hoping for tighter pacing and deeper character work in future installments.

Bless Your Heart is a novel that came out last year. I submitted an inquiry to review it but was denied. This month, however, I was approved through NetGalley to review the audiobook version. At first I was certainly hesitant. I have not had little to any success of enjoying and completing one. I decided that attempting the audiobook would confirm/deny a purchase of the physical copy for my library. Keep reading…

The first thing I have noticed with audiobooks is that I struggle with them because of the narrator. I blame my brother who made me suffer through Lord of the Rings on cassette tape in our high school years in the 90s. This is rather fitting because Bless Your Heart slides in at the last year of the 1900s. BYH is narrated by Stephanie Németh-Parker. She deserves her name mentioned in this review because I was shockingly surprised at just how well she actually did the narration. At some parts it did feel a bit cheesy/extra, but I truly believe that fits with the world this book lives within. It is filled with 90s nostalgia. As an 80s baby, this was extremely appreciated. It stirred up memories of my youth in the 90s. I could see Luna’s character in juxtaposition of my own.

The Evans women are beyond compare! Their wit, humor, and Southern sass is so fun to read. Further, Lindy has created characters that are enjoyable to read about. I feel that it is also important to recognize that instead of a male dominated story, she has chosen to write about women who are powerful, smart, and can do things for their city that none of the men in it can, including the local police, with grace (pun intended)!

This is a perfect read for fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and True Blood. So the real question is will I purchase a physical copy? In Ducey’s words: You can bet your sweet ass!

I requested this book solely on the cover and title and did not read the synopsis. I generally do not read books with supernatural plots but did enjoy this book. I did struggle with the 7+ POVs. The narrator did not do different inflections for all of the POVs/characters. I will likely pick up the sequel.