4.5 Rounded up
This is a review of an ALC - thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I have read from Lindy Ryan but I will continue to pick up each new book in this series as they are published - as well as seek out her other titles.

As a dedicated fan of horror, I found Lindy Ryan's Bless Your Heart to be an enjoyable and unexpected addition to the genre. I would personally classify this as "Light Horror" or "Cozy Horror". With its blend of Southern charm, biting humor, and heartwarming female relationships, it truly kept me entertained the entire time.

The unique setting in a small Southeastern Texas town in the late 90's feels just like home to me. Growing up in Texas, I could connect with the atmosphere of the book. As well as the Evans women, who have been charged with the responsibility of being the final touchstone for the members of their community. I was reminded of the cozy atmosphere of Stars Hollow and the undeniably intertwined relationships of Rory, Lorelai, and Emily in Gilmore Girls. However, the Evans women are much more likable to me. They remind me of the matriarchs of my own family and the women who ran the potlucks or dinner trains after a loss in the neighborhood. Much like Gilmore Girls, Bless Your Heart charms readers with its witty banter and heartwarming moments, while also taking a darker turn, delving into the secrets and supernatural mysteries lurking beneath the surface of this seemingly idyllic Texas town and it's only funeral home.

The quirky humor and touching moments blend seamlessly with the horror elements Ryan has weaved into this story of generational love and sacrifice. Bless Your Heart offers distinct southern charm. It's an enjoyable read that explores themes of family, betrayal, and the darkness that lies within us all.

”It was hell to get old. It would probably be hell to die, too. She’d seen enough of the good, bad and ugly of death to know better than to expect her time to come quietly. Things just didn’t work that way for Evans women.”

Bless Your Heart is the first installment in Lindy Ryan’s latest series and immediately upon reading the title, I knew had to grab it (what can I say, it warmed my southern heart)... And once I read the synopsis- A string of unnatural occurrences stirs up trouble in a small Texas town and as the dead start to rise in a truly terrifying way, it’s up to the Evans women to step in and bring an end to the nightmare- I was hooked.

The Evans women are a peculiarly complicated lot, running the town’s only funeral parlor in a small Texas town during the midst of 1999. While at first glance their professions seem respectable and mundane enough, Ducey, Lenore, Grace and Luna Evans serve a far more significant and secretive role than merely the town’s resident funeral directors. For as long as anyone can remember, the Evans women have served as humanity’s defense against the terrible entities called Strigoi- monstrous undead beings that gain power from feeding and turning innocent humans.

The story centers around a shocking outbreak of new Strigoi, 15 years after the eldest Evans women thought they laid their secrets to rest for good. Of course, nothing worth hiding stays hidden for long…

I thoroughly enjoyed the diverse cast of characters and the author’s choice of narration (each chapter alternates between different main characters and their POVs) and while some may find that method tedious, I found it was super easy to follow and works in the story’s favor as it gives the reader a better look at the story as it unfolds.

Caught somewhere between mystery, horror and humorous contemporary, I felt this story carried the vibes of a darker, faster paced cousin of Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic or perhaps a story somewhere along the same vein as Grady Hendrix’s The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires. Or, if you’re a fan of the lore behind Megan Bannen’s The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, this could be a great place to find similar mythologies of the undead, too. Overall, if you’re a fan of any of those series or simply looking to find a book that exudes southern humor and charm, then I would suggest giving this one a go!


Audiobook Experience:
I was able to enjoy this story through the audiobook version, and I really enjoyed it. As an avid audiobook listener, I was incredibly pleased to find that Bless Your Heart is read by Stephanie Németh-Parker, who I have enjoyed in the past. This book is a great option for those who enjoy listening at either a leisurely or fast pace, her voice clear and engaging at any speed ranging between 1.0x to 2.5x and beyond (for this listen, I found 1.75x speed to be the best for my preferences). Stephanie is fantastic at translating character’s emotions through her voice, and I found her to do a great job bringing both the male and female characters to life during all points of the storyline.

Final Thoughts:
I easily read Bless Your Heart in one sitting, and found it easy to fall into within the first few chapters. Each main character offered something unique and relevant to the story in my opinion, and I quickly found myself growing fond of this oddball cast. Ryan also portrayed a more progressive and daring side of southern culture and southern individuals that I so rarely see in fiction most of the time, which I greatly appreciated.

I plan to pick up book two when it comes out, as I was absolutely blindsided at how quickly it ended, feeling as though I had just gotten started when my audiobook came to stop I was so invested! So I hope to see more of the Evans ladies soon!

Thank you to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the ARC.

Rating: 4.5

This book was everything I wanted The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires to be. I felt so let down because I loved Grady Hendrix's concept, but the book itself felt so clunky. Bless Your Heart had it all, and felt like an AWESOME answer to what I was actually looking for: strong female leads, humour, and personality mixed with the paranormal. Highly recommend this book. I found Ryan did an excellent job introducing the lovable and quirky ladies, I loved the way this story was woven with some helpful flashbacks from the past, and I just fell in love with the family.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Loved the choice of narrator for the story. Characters felt distinct and I was engaged throughout. The book wasn’t for me but I will look for the narrator in the future. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy to review.

The Evans are a peculiar bunch. None of the men in the family tend to be bound for this Earth very long. They have a tendency to alienate the townsfolk with their refusal to cow to societal norms. They are also an intergenerational set of women who have been running a funeral parlor in East Texas for years...and harboring a gruesome set of family secrets that are starting to threaten their livelihoods and very existence.

This novel was like finding the first season of a fun, positively addictive dark comedy . There were bright, interesting characters and vivid settings to gnaw on, dashes of mystery to ensure I would stay intrigued, and healthy helpings of gore to keep me on my toes. There are compelling storylines whose beats feel familiar and true, with enough twists and nuances to keep it feeling fresh. You have a small town cop following his gut even as he's being pulled in other directions--- and distracted by a crush on one of the Evans themselves; a teenage girl being drawn in by a mysterious outsider, thereby falling in love and most assuredly into trouble; and that classic, beloved trope of a misfit teenager with untapped and amazingly dangerous magical powers who is both the key to a Mystery, and a potential disaster in waiting.

These characters don't always behave in the manner you'd expect, however, and things don't go the way the would on, say, an episode of Supernatural --- some people are taken out of commission by the story's end that wouldn't ever be down for the count in a typical serialized piece of media. It makes for much higher stakes, a twistier ride, and a bigger punch to the gut when things finally stop moving.


This novel was a gory barrel of fun, and I'm very hopeful that there will be a sequel sometime in the future. One of my favorite aspects of this novel is the special intersection it occupies in genre--- it's a delightful blend of folk horror, murder mystery, and family drama that leaves it feeling like Gilmore Girls meets Buffy, wrapped in a much bloodier package. It makes you squeal, laugh, and tear up. It simply works. I can't wait to read more from this author!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you @macmillan.audio and @minotaur_books for the #gifted ALC/ARC of BLESS YOUR HEART!

If you’ve ever wanted to read a light hearted comedy/horror/mystery novel then look no further than BLESS YOUR HEART. BLESS YOUR HEART is set in a small town in Texas in 1999. Four generations of the Evans women have run the funeral parlor in their town for decades. What the townsfolk don’t know is that the Evans women make sure that the dead actually stay dead and don’t rise back up as Strigoi. When a local’s body is brought in for burial and she rises from the dead, the Evans women know that it’s time to start hunting and find the master Strigoi who is behind the dead rising.

This book was so much fun and the audio is a blast. The narrator’s Southern accent makes the chatty dialogue and Southern charm really shine through. I loved the throwback late 90s references (there’s a recurring joke about goth fashion taking over the town). As a child of the 90s this really added a nostalgia factor for me.

I loved that we got POVs from each of the Evans women. My favorite was the matriarch Ducey. She was no nonsense and knew her way around a blade. Plus she constantly had butterscotch candies which is such a grandma move that you can’t help but love her!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6378896585
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/C5i7OrEruDR/

mini synopsis: four generations of Evans women have kept the town safe with their funeral parlor. Why you may ask? Well sometimes the dead have unfinished business & that’s their specialty!

I saw a reviewer on goodreads say this is a mix of Elle Cosimano & Grady Hendrix which perfectly sums up this book! It’s a little wacky & silly like Finlay Donovan, with off the wall shenanigans (maybe the dead banging on a freezer) mixed with silly horror like Southern Book Club (actual vampires?!) I really enjoyed all the characters, the generations of evans women. I also enjoyed getting little pieces of other towns peoples POV. I think my favorite was Luna bc I felt like we were right there with her wondering what was going on!

The audio book was great but I kinda wish we had multiple narrators to keep all the perspectives straight. ALSO! I can’t believe we lost 2 of the family at the end I was so surprised!!!

This is a marked as a series but I’m wondering what is going to happen next! And I can’t wait to find out!

Bless Your Heart is a well-executed story with a killer (no pun intended) concept and the audio is SO well done. I wasn't sure what to expect on the humor vs. gore scale for this one and while it was darker than I anticipated, it balanced the internal workings and history of the Evans women with the drama and tension of the Mysterious Goings-On in town.
Lindy Ryan has created a cast of characters that are easy to have strong feelings about. I was rooting hard for the Evans clan throughout and found the ending satisfying.
If you're uncomfortable with body horror this might not be the one for you.

This debut novel was delightful, so thank you ever so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc of the audiobook.

2024 has been the year of bangers in the literary world, and Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan was one of those bangers. I thought at first that this was going to be a campy book in the vein of Grady Hendrix, but I was pleasantly surprised that this book was more of a character study and a bit of a mystery with some family drama thrown into the mix.

I live in a house that's older than Dr. Pepper, and I live across the street from an abandoned funeral home, so I suppose you will believe me when I say that I read this book during the day as I found out early on that this book is about the Evans women who own a funeral parlor. Not only that, they are the only ones who stand between the innocents of their town and vampires, of course. So, yes, I read this book during the day, even though it's not incredibly scary or anything, so don't get me wrong there either. If you are incredibly squeamish, I think you could still enjoy this book.

I haven't mentioned yet that there's some family drama going on between the youngest member of the Evans family, Luna, and the rest of her family who, it seems, can keep a secret really well.

I enjoyed it all, the storyline, the family drama, figuring out things before they are revealed, and the characters as well. This is a book where I liked the characters also. Sometimes I read a book where I dislike the characters in personality, but still like reading about them and what's happening. This was not one of those books. I liked the Evans women and I liked the other characters too.

This is an impressive debut novel, and I'm also glad they chose the narrator for the audiobook because she was excellent. The slight difference in cadence in her voice to reflect the different characters lent for a smooth listening experience where the characters were differentiated well. Overall, a very pleasant and delightful read. Bravo!

If you’re okay with some mutilated bodies finding their way into your cozy small-town mystery, you might just enjoy the unusual genre mashup of Bless Your Heart. It’s an oddly lovable thriller with the kind of no-nonsense characters that you’d want by your side if the dead ever started to rise.

Full review published on NightsAndWeekends.com and aired on Shelf Discovery

A dash of Sweet Magnolias, a splash of Salem’s Lot, and a sprinkle of The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires and you’ll get close to this hysterical, absurd, cozy horror novel, Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan. This book is a whole lot of fun and the audio narration is top notch!

Review | Bless Your Heart

I’ve been loving the number of books publishing that are set in the 90s. That time period just barely scrapes by as old enough to have a completely different vibe, but not so old that we are calling these historical fiction (yet). Those hazy days before cell phones and social media made us all perhaps a bit too connected to one another allow for stories like this to shine.

What’s Bless Your Heart about?

It’s 1999 in southeast Texas and the Evans family is busy as ever at their funeral parlor (the only one in town). Four generations of Evans women still work together on their family business—great-grandma Ducey, grandma Lenore, mama Grace, and teenager Luna. The Evans women have worked to put ‘That Godawful Mess’—a tragic incident fifteen years earlier—behind them. It claimed the lives of Grace and Lenore’s husbands in relatively short order, and it’s left an air of gossip surrounding the Evans women that they can’t escape.

Is it karma, then, when the biggest town gossip Mina Jean Murphy dies unexpectedly and ends up in their funeral parlor? (As an aside, how fitting is the name “Mina Jean” for a southern busybody?) Mina Jean never met a cigarette she could turn away, and the cancer finally took her. But not long after her body arrives at the Evan’s funeral parlor to be prepared for burial, it turns out that her body isn’t quite as dead as it seemed. Mina Jean is in the middle of having her funeral make up applied (Vamp lipstick is a nice touch), when her body rises right up from her coffin. Thankfully the Evans women are always prepared with a silver blade close at hand.

As the Evans women know better than anyone, Mina Jean’s undead rising is only the beginning of another flare that links to That Godawful Mess and it’s time for them to bring Luna into the fold. They have protected her as long as they can; the Evans women are the only ones who can stop the Strigoi—a supernatural creature they refer to as the “original vampire”—and prevent the plague from spreading to body after body. As the Evans women tackle the rising problem and try to discover who is behind the return of the Strigoi, they begin to realize that in a family and town with so many dark secrets, dead bodies aren’t the only thing you hope stays buried…

Why should you read it?

Don’t let the cute title and cover fool you into thinking this is a fluffy book—I would firmly consider this cozy horror. The book is humorous, but it has it’s share of (not overly graphic) gore. This is a book about the undead, after all. I personally didn’t find it too gory, but I think that depends on how much you can tolerate. I can handle up to a light-to-moderate amount and presented in a way that isn’t too dark—this book hit well within my range.

Lindy Ryan brings a wonderful wittiness to the dialogue in this book that is balanced perfectly with the southern drawl and charm. I listened to the audiobook which was narrated by Stephanie Németh-Parker and she brought that mix of biting wit and southern charm to life through this book. Ironically (given that this does have some gore), I think the audiobook might be the way to go over the physical book if you worry about it being too much. In the audiobook, those moments slid right by like a cold glass of lemonade, whereas reading the words can make you fixate on them longer and get stuck. Just my advice though!

Through alternating chapters, the reader gets the full spectrum of how people in this small town are finding out what is going on (with heavy emphasis on the Evans women). Luna, for instance, hasn’t been brought into the loop about the Strigoi or the general vampire slaying and undead burials that her family has done for generations. Luna’s mother Grace also is clearly carrying a heavier burden through the book—her chapters aren’t as sarcastic and light hearted as those narrated by grandma Lenore and great-grandma Ducey (who are, as the southerners say, a ‘hoot’). You’ll find out why Grace is responding that way as the events unfold and you learn the full truth about ‘That Godawful Mess’. That happens later in the story so just know going in that you’ll get the answers, but they come when it’s time for Luna to learn them as well.

Is there anything I’d change?

I saw another reviewer remark that Grace and Andy (Luna’s boyfriend) don’t have enough character development for their storylines to pay off at the end. I agree completely, and I think this is more true for Andy than it is for Grace, but it applies to both. There needs to be enough investment in their relationships with Luna for the emotional impact that their story arcs carry. Perhaps Ryan made the creative decision that she wanted to stick to dark humor as the tone for this book and worried about anything emotional weighing it down. I can’t say for sure because I read it the way it is. My only thought was that perhaps an epilogue might have helped with this, showing Luna and the other characters months or a year after the events of the book. We needed more of Ryan’s signature humor at the end—something we a bit of a wink and a sugar-coated verbal jab at the antagonists, delivered as sweetly as southern iced tea.

Final Thoughts

This book is absolutely a delight to read! It’s fun, dark, bizarre, and witty. Ryan’s writing adds the perfect comedic tone to the book, and Stephanie Németh-Parker’s narration on the audiobook brought it to life. If you’re a fan of Grady Hendrix, you’ll love this book.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for my copy. Opinions are my own.

The Evans women own the funeral parlor in town. But they sometimes have to kill the “undead”. It seems the whole town is now under attack. And all the Evans women may have to take up their blades just to make everything go back the way it was. In other words, what rises up must go back down!

Well! This was not exactly what I was expecting. Y’all know I do not read the blurb and I should not have chosen this book. Just not my genre…you would think I would have gathered that from the cover…but the title Bless Your Heart got me. I was expecting a more light-hearted, fun, southern read! I was bamboozled!

This tale is a bit gruesome and graphic. However, I did enjoy the characters and the hunt to save the town. So, if you like vampires and people who come back to life…THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU!

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The narrator, Stephanie Németh-Parker did ok. But, there were several places that required very raspy voices. Just didn’t sit well with me.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

“Bless Your Heart” by Lindy Ryan is a captivating and quirky mystery/horror novel set in Texas during the summer of 1999. The story revolves around three generations of the Evans women, who run the town’s only funeral parlor. They are tasked with making sure that the dead STAY dead. They know they have a problem when more and more townsfolk start turning up dead, and not always staying that way. The Evans women find themselves having to protect their town, their family, and perhaps most importantly; their secrets.
Lindy Ryan delivers a quirky horror story, with characters that you cannot help but love. The pacing of the story kept me interested throughout, and I loved the premise of this book. The audio narrator did a great job of bringing the southern charm to life, and I would definitely recommend listening to this one!
If you are sensitive to gore at all, then this may not be for you. I did not expect the amount of gore that was here from the cute quirky cover or from the synopsis. So beware of that going in.
The issue I did have with this book is that I feel like we didn’t get to know these characters as well as I would have liked. I truly loved the dynamic of the 3 generations, and would have loved to get to know them on a deeper level.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Lindy Ryan for the ALC of this book! All opinions are my own.

“Not all family was blood, and—as far as Luna was concerned—not all blood was family.”

Fun! Funny! Fanatic women! Bless Your Heart is a light, yet somewhat gory, take on horror. It’s gore…with humor? Like I said, so fun.

This story is a little bit True Blood and a little bit The Walking Dead. And maybe a dash of a darker Steel Magnolias, with a funeral home instead of a hair salon as the career of choice.

The audiobook really elevated the story for me, helping me to get lost in this crazy world.

“Darkness was like a disease once it got its teeth in you. A hungry thing that didn’t let go. Sometimes you had to feed it, keep it satiated, to stop it from spreading.”

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and the author for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I did listen to Bless Your Heart on audio this past week driving to and from work and it was highly entertaining and completely outside my normal genre. It is horror story of a small southern town in the late 1990s where zombies are terrorizing the town. But it is also funny, laugh out loud funny. And not actually scary because I hate scary things. It was filled with larger than life and quirky characters, southern charm and witty banter. And the narrator had a southern accent to really immerse you in the setting.

Horror is not one of my favorite genres, whether vampire-specific or otherwise. Still, I was enticed to read Bless Your Heart by the whimsical cover, the women family–owned business, and the mystery.

I felt like the story was somewhat repetitive, though some of that might be due to multiple points of view. The author tried to string us along too long, with the result being tedium, rather than excitement. I predicted the “bad guy” well ahead of the characters. I don't generally ding a book's rating for that if I'm suitably entertained, which I was in this case. It took me a while to figure out and keep track of the generations of women, as well as the supporting characters. Now that I “know” the players, I'm anxious for the next installment. Yes, this moderately gory vampire story has enough humor, sassy women, and mystery that I want more! 3.33⭐

This unbiased review is based on an audio ARC supplied by the publisher—Macmillan Audio. Publication is expected April 9.

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
Bless Your Heart (A Bless Your Heart Novel, Book 1) by Lindy Ryan
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 301 / Genre: Horror
Audiobook Narrator: Stephanie Nemeth-Parker / Duration: 10 hours 50 minutes
Releases tomorrow!

The Evans women have been running a funeral parlor and taking care of the town’s pesky undead problem for three generations. This town is afflicted with Strigoi, which are technically living humans who have been infected by vampirism and go around feeding off others and infecting them so that when they finally die, they come back as zombie-like vampire monsters who attack the living. I felt like this was almost more of a zombie story than a vampire one, but I’m more of a witch fan so what do I know?

All in all I really enjoyed this book. It’s a horror show for sure but in a kind of light-hearted way with super likable characters. Just don’t get too attached to any of them. The author is not afraid to kill them off. I love it! This is the first book in a new series and feels like it. There’s a lot of backstory that’s covered and now that we’re all set up, I can’t wait for the next one!

I listened to the audiobook and Stephanie Nemeth-Parker did a great job narrating.

Thank you @NetGalley, @Macmillan.Audio, and @LindyRyanWrites for my gifted copy. I loved it!

✨ ALC REVIEW ✨
🧛🏻⚰️📖: Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan

Rating: 4⭐️
Audio rating: 5⭐️ The narration was very enthusiastic and the southern accent tied everything together!
Pub date: 4/9/24 (tomorrow!)
Publisher: Macmillan Audio (thank you for this advanced listener copy!!)

1 sentence review: Such a fun paranormal mystery/horror with plenty of gore and heartfelt moments!

I’ll be honest with you- I really did not want to read this because I was just not in the mood lol, BUT I’m so glad I did because it ended up being a really fun and engaging read!! I loved the family aspect of this story and I loved seeing how close the 4 Evans’ women were, even with their drama! The “vampires” were really unique, like a cross between a vampire and a zombie.

In my opinion, the gore/horror level was good for people who aren’t horror fanatics! So if you’re squeamish/scare easily, you may still want to check this one out!

This book is the first in a series (I’m assuming???) and it definitely left on somewhat of a cliffhanger, with some unanswered questions- so I’ll be picking up the next book when it’s released!!

Read This if You Like:
🧛🏻 Practical Magic
🩸 The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires
⚰️ Family businesses and 4 generations of drama

Q: What’s your favorite show/movie from the 90’s??

I'm not going to rate it on social media because i didn't finish it. I pushed myself multiple times to read this and get through more than 40%, but i cant its just not for me. The cover and blurb drew me in, but sadly, the story is why i left. Maybe I'll come back to it. But the writing and character didn't do it for me. I also wanted to listen to it because i heard it's going to be a show

1999, Southeast Texas - The Evans women have run the local funeral parlor for 80 years, burying the local bodies without issue. Well, without issue in the past 15 years at least. But when the town gossip is suddenly found dead only to rise again, the Evans family knows they’ll need to keep secrets and bodies buried before the rest of the town realizes the Strigoi vampires have returned.

Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan, narrated by Stephanie Németh-Parker, is a comedic horror novel that brings together southern charm with mystery, paranormal, and murder.

Up front I will definitely say it was a little too gory for me, but it was definitely a fun ride. It’s similar vibes to The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, except I could actually finish and enjoy this one (once again, it’s just the gore for me and honestly it wasn’t even that bad).

I so loved the narrator as she went between characters, really adding the personality and subtle differences between everyone. Each character was really unique in their own way and I really enjoyed the small town feel where it was really like you as the reader knew everyone. That’s just so unique for a book to pull off so well.

In conclusion, if this plot calls to you then you NEED to pick this up. I hope to see more from this author and this story soon! 🖤

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the audio ARC!