The way a vampy read warms my heart!

BLESS YOUR HEART was such a fun story with eccentric characters, and with A Southern Bookclub’s Guide to Slaying Vampires vibes that were just spooky enough for me. I loved the small town Texas setting, complete with funeral parlor.

I listened to the audiobook, and loved the narration! Definitely immersed myself even more with this format.

*many thanks to Minotaur Books, Macmillan audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review.

Loved the narrator but the story was only so so for me. I was hoping for a little more humor and creepy vibes

BLESS YOUR HEART
Lindy Ryan, Author
Stephanie Németh-Parker, Narrator
Cozy Mystery

It’s the year 1999 and the Evans women have been going about their business running a funeral home for 15 years without a hitch. But when the dead don’t stay underground for good they know a certain vampire is back.

This book is fun and witty with a dash of sarcasm thrown in. It will have you laughing one minute and then in a full fledged battle the next. I definitely give this book a solid 5 stars and am not so patiently waiting for the second book in the series.

Book Review: Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan (Narrated by Stephanie Németh-Parker)

Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan is a playful and quirky blend of cozy mystery and light horror, with a storyline that stands at the intersection of family drama and the supernatural. As the first book in the "Bless Your Heart" series, it sets the stage for a charmingly bizarre world where a family of undertakers deals not only with human deaths but with ancient, undead creatures.

The Evans Funeral Parlor has been managed by the Evans women for generations, and things have been running smoothly—until a vampire, Mina Jean Murphy, quite literally reawakens at the parlor. At this point, Luna, the teenage protagonist, is introduced to her family's hidden legacy and learns just how deep the family’s business goes, taking on the monstrous task of confronting the ancient Strigoi.

Ryan’s writing blends the atmospheric tension of horror with lighthearted, humorous moments. The supernatural elements—vampires, family secrets, and the dark undercurrent of the funeral business—are balanced with an eccentric cast of characters that bring warmth and levity to the tale. However, the rapid introduction of multiple points of view and the intricate family dynamics can make it feel like a lot is happening at once. This creates a slight barrier to fully engaging with the characters early on, though it hints at potential depth and growth as the series progresses.

The narration by Stephanie Németh-Parker adds another layer to the experience, delivering the personalities of the characters with charm and vibrancy, especially during the lighter, humorous moments.

While Bless Your Heart offers a unique take on the genre, with a mix of humor and horror, it may not be for everyone. Readers who enjoy supernatural mysteries but shy away from "blood and guts" may want to approach with caution. However, if you're up for a fun, spooky ride, this book will likely appeal, especially if you’re a fan of cozy mysteries with an edge.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars – A promising start to a series that could develop into something deeper and more engaging as it evolves.

Bless Your Heart turned out to be completely different than what I expected. I went into it expecting a cozy mystery, but it ended up delivering something much darker and more thrilling. Set in a small Texas town, the story revolves around the Evans women, who run the local funeral parlor. When the dead don’t stay dead and vampires resurface, these strong, multi-generational women are the only ones who can step up and fight back.

At first, the pacing felt a bit slow, but once the story picked up, I could easily keep listening. The blend of Southern charm, supernatural elements, and family dynamics made the characters really engaging, and I especially enjoyed Ducey’s tough attitude. If you’re looking for something with humor, horror, and a bit of heart, this is a great pick.

Lindy Ryan’s Bless Your Heart is a captivating blend of Southern charm and thrilling suspense, set against the backdrop of a small-town mystery that will keep readers hooked from start to finish. The novel immerses readers in the picturesque yet troubled town of Oakwood, where secrets and scandals simmer just beneath the surface.

The story centers around Erin, a tenacious journalist who returns to her hometown after the tragic death of her sister. As she digs into the circumstances surrounding her sister’s death, Erin uncovers a web of deceit and corruption that extends beyond her own family. Ryan’s skillful narrative weaves together elements of mystery, drama, and a touch of Southern Gothic, creating a richly atmospheric and engaging read.

What sets Bless Your Heart apart is its authentic portrayal of Southern life and its vivid characterizations. The small-town setting is brought to life with a keen sense of place, and the interactions among characters are imbued with a mixture of warmth, tension, and wit. Erin’s journey is not just a quest for answers but also a journey of personal discovery, as she navigates old relationships and confronts buried truths.

Lindy Ryan’s prose is sharp and evocative, drawing readers into the heart of Oakwood’s mysteries and the intricacies of its inhabitants’ lives. With its compelling plot, well-drawn characters, and an irresistible Southern backdrop, Bless Your Heart is a must-read for fans of contemporary mystery and Southern fiction and I loved it. Narration was well done and enjoyable.

Thanks you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this ARC

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* ....i was not expecting that lmao i started this book without reading anything about it and was (pleasantly) surprised!! very Sabrina the teenage witch (netflix) vibes IMO!

This book was fun but also creepy. I didn't know what to expect going into this book. I really thought it was going to be more of a cozy mystery and I was wrong. It was more gothic and light horror. It has a bit of a 90's buffy vibe but with a southern twist. The story was good. It did start off a little slow for me, but once it took off, I just couldn't put it down. If the beginning had not been slow it would have been a 4 or 5 star for me. IT did take a little while for me to really get invested. The story took a wild turn for me and I thought that was fun and it was then did I really want to dig in more. I am very excited for the next installment. The characters are fun. I think there could have been a bit more layers to each one but I have a feeling that will happen in the next book. Lots of build up in this installment.

This is a book about a family of morticians that are tasked with trying to put down an uprising of undead creatures in their small town. I love vampire books so when I saw this I jumped on a chance to read it.

This book was really quite good. You really get to know a lot of the characters since the story has multiple POVs and I liked reading from all of them. The main characters are compelling and I really liked reading about them. The plot was quite good imo and while I saw the twist coming about who was behind everything I still liked how it played out.

My one warning about this is the cover makes this look like a kind of cozy horror since it’s cartoonish but it very much isn’t. A lot of the killing happens on page and it can get quite extremely bloody and gory. Overall I really liked this though and recommend for horror fans and fans of vampire horror in specific especially.

I love a blend of humor and horror and "Bless Your Heart" delivered. The story was focused on a small town and those that found the dead a little undead. A light read

An incredible book with wonderful characters and a beautiful setting. It will keep you guessing until the end.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own. Bless Your Hear isn't the type of book I gravitate towards. I started listening to it, then stopped for a while, then picked it back up. I don't usually like horror novels. This is has a sprinkling of horror throughout the book. It's not my favorite part. I did enjoy the town and townsfolk, and the premise of the story-lady under takers that have to take care of the ghouls, or undead. It was funny in several parts.-which made up for the yuckiness of dealing with the undead. I loved generations of women that still work together to take care of the town's undead problem. Ducey was my favorite. The story gave me "Lost Boys" vibes. (Which I loved).
I could possibly purchase this for our high school library.

This may be one I come back to but for now, I'm going to put in my review and mark it as one I did not finish. I requested this title because of the cute cover, title, and overview. I thought this was going to be a bit of cozy horror, if such genre exists! The book got a little too graphic/gory for me and it just wasn't the type of book I thought I was going to be reading.

This was such an entertaining read. It was funny but not overly so. Definitely a perfect read for spooky season! It wasn’t super heavy in the vampire realm. Reminded me of that vampire show? There may have been a bit too many POV to keep track of. But I still had fun with this.

"Bless Your Heart" has a lot to love with interesting family dynamics, light horror and humor, diverse characters, and a unique premise all wrapped up in a Southern Fiction story.

There are also vampires, specifically, ones that are called Strigoi. In Romanian mythology, Strigoi are said to be troubled spirits that rise from the grave. They can be quite troublesome and in 1999, in a small town in Southeast Texas, they're giving Evans Funeral Parlor, quite the time of it.

The four generations of Evans women who own this local funeral parlor are doing their level best to get a handle on the Strigoi issue while protecting certain secrets that need to remain buried...

"Bless Your Heart" was more entertaining than scary and heads up if blood and gore aren't your thing. It's plentiful here. I did enjoy the strong female characters from the Evans family but I wanted more backstory about them and less Southern chatter that slowed things down. Was I the only one who thought the Strigoi felt more like zombies than vampires? That's just me wondering out loud.

This was an immersion read where I preferred the digital version over the audio, narrated by Stephanie Németh-Parker. Her voicing was stellar but again, the Southern chatter wore me down.

If you enjoy light Horror mixed with Southern Fiction "Bless Your Heart" may be the beginning of a great series for you!

3.5⭐

Thank you to Minotaur Books, Macmillan Audio, and Lindy Ryan for a DRC and an ALC of this book through NetGalley. It has been a pleasure to give my honest and voluntary review.

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 enjoyed this book. I liked the plot and that storyline that this is a family thing and they keep their town safe. I will say that if you didn't read the blurb that the cover is misleading. There are fangs and to me that is vampires. I would think that this book is about vampires not zombies/ghouls. Other than the cover I really did like the characters and the different POV even from the characters who don't make it in the end. It was well done.

DNF-ed. This was really upsetting for me because it was one of my most anticipated releases of the year -- I love vampires and I love souther settings. But the plot felt so slow and uninteresting. I was expecting more action and vampire hunting -- kind of like Buffy but in the south -- but I feel like it just wasn't paced fast enough. The narration was fine I suppose, but it wasn't anything special.

Set in small-town Texas, three generations of Evans women (Ducey, daughter Lenore, granddaughter Grace) run the local (and only) funeral parlor. When a local woman shows up on their slab and rises from the dead, they react not with the horror you would expect, but with a mixture of concern and resignation. The Evans women have been the first line of defense against the strigori. If this isn't an isolated incident, it may be time to let Grace's teenage daughter Luna in on the real family business.

As the deaths pile up and more bodies appear (or disappear) it seems they have a real problem on their hands and some secrets they thought buried, may not have stayed buried.

This is interesting, almost light-hearted horror. An inquisitive deputy sheriff who has a history with the Evans but doesn't know as much as he thought about them offers an outsider's view of the events which is important to ground the story. A cantankerous old sheriff who also has a history with them sheds his own kind of insight on the story.

With each death, the crisis becomes a little more critical. Ryan interjects some history of the Evans family as well as the strigori. This history interrupts the flow of the story and doesn't always inform you as much as you would hope. Some of the character's actions seem illogical, or at least slow given the seriousness of the situation. Still, it's a fun story with a generous amount of blood and some engaging characters.

The audiobook is narrated by Stephanie Nemeth-Parker who does a good job making the character voices distinctive. She also makes the dialogue fit the time and place of the story.

I was provided a copy of this audiobook by the publisher.

What a weird little horror novel. I enjoyed "Bless Your Heart" more than I expected to, it reminded me of several other stories - Practical Magic, Sookie Stackhouse, and Six Feet Under (family funeral parlor). These all have some dark humor in them and my only complaint is that I expected a little more humor in this book then was always there. I still had a great time which is a little surprising because I am not typically a horror reader. The cover and blurb were pretty convincing! I loved the four generations of Evans women and how they were a little salty, a little sweet and 100% there for each other. The narrator did a great job showing readers their personalities.

Slight spoiler, but I also loved that the dog didn't die!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an audio ARC.