🎧 Audiobook +📗 eBook: Another Fine Mess -Bless Your Heart #2

✍🏾 Author: Lindy Ryan-Read and gave Bless Your Heart 5 ⭐

📃Page Count: 304

📅Publication date: 4-15-25 | Read: 4-7-25

🏃🏾‍➡️Run Time: 10:46

🌎 Setting: Texas

👆🏾POV: 3rd multiple

Genre: Mystery/Thriller, Adult Fic

Tropes: supernatural beings, small town, family drama

⚠️TW: death of loved ones, grief, gruesome killings


🗣️Narrator: Stephanie Nemeth-Parker voices all the characters with standouts from Lenore, Luna, and Ducey. The reading style brought the text to life, and the author and narrator worked together perfectly. The pacing and flow allowed me to get lost in the story. The narrator paused and announced new chapters and there was a table of contents which helped me follow along.


Summary: Grace and Ducey both died saving their daughters, and Luna's boyfriend Andy met his end after killing the townspeople. A new killer starts another murder spree, and people are resurrected with the Evans women running the funeral parlor.


👩🏾 Heroine: Lenore Evans

👩🏾Heroine: Luna Evans


🎭 Side Characters:
*Ethel "Ducey" Evans-Lenore's mother, deceased
*Priscilla "Pie" Evans-Ducey's mother-deceased
*Grace Evans-Luna's mother-deceased
*Sheriff Roger Taylor-newly appointed, was in love w/ Grace
*Deputy Brandon Hinson-dating Kim Cole for 4 yrs
*Crane Campbell-Luna's friend in high school
*Kim Cole-hired at the Evans funeral parlor


🤔 My Thoughts: I love this paranormal series with a slice of life small town living. The surprise resurrections and reveal at the end was awesome. This reminded me of The Southern Vampire Mysteries, which was a classic urban fantasy.


*Spice: 0/5 🌶️
*Rating: 5/5 ⭐

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books, Macmillan Audio, and Lindy Ryan for this ARC & ALC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.

Thank you Macmillan audio for the review audio and Kaye Publicity for the review copy (via Minotaur books). Lindy Ryan returns with the second installment of the Bless Your Heart series, blending horror, mystery, and southern charm in a story that’s as heartfelt as it is haunting. The Evans women are still reeling from the events of book one, and this time, secrets—old and new—take center stage. Luna’s character arc shines as she grapples with identity, grief, and what it truly means to belong. With themes of found family, self-acceptance, and the weight of buried truths, this book balances eerie atmosphere with emotional depth. Shifting perspectives and smart world-building make the story immersive and layered.

The audiobook is an absolute treat—narration that captures every bit of southern sass, sorrow, and suspense. The performances elevate the already rich storytelling, making it easy to sink back and get fully swept into the world of Hallowell. Whether you’re a fan of small-town urban fantasy, character-driven horror, or just love a good supernatural mystery with heart, this series delivers. I’m already counting the days until the next one drops—and yes, I’ll be waiting for the audio again because it’s that good.

NOT YET PUBLISHED!! Look for it on 4/15/25!

So let me just start by saying that in order to read this one, you may need to put aside your normal thinking process and just believe in the mystery and magic of the book!
It's a bit out there, but I enjoyed it, just as I did the first one...Bless Your Heart.

We open up with a woman digging a grave and leaving a note... enough said...

And then of course we have the Evans Women...or at least what's left of them! =0

The town's funeral home has been run by the Evans family (women) for centuries, and they are not about to change that now! But... everyone around them seems to be dying!

And, of course, there are those who have died, and keep rising again!!!

This one will make you cringe, bite your tongue, gasp in horror... and then in the next moment, spit out whatever is in your mouth as you crack up laughing hysterically!!! So there's that!

I always love a book where you can take it seriously, or not seriously at all! That's a true charm in my opinion!!

4 Big, Bright, RISING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!!!

#AnotherFineMess by #LindyRyan and narrated beautifully by #StephanieNemethParker.

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for an ARC of the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.
*** Release date is next week, 4/15/25, so look 👀 for it on shelves soon!! ***

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This was a really fun sequel to a fun first book. I really enjoyed Bless Your Heart and I was unsure if this book could hold up to that. This book managed to have the same wit and southern charm as the first book but it also managed to up the horror. I very rarely love a sequel as much as the original but this book was even better than the first.

Another Fine Mess, is the second book in the Bless Your Heart series by Lindy Ryan, at the end of the first book the Evans women went from four down to two and then this book they go back up to four but not everyone wants to fight on the family’s side. buchanan’s not even cold in the ground yet in the new sheriff Roger has more death on his hands and it looks like it’s being done by a Shapeshifter. One thing is certain whoever is doing it keeps leaving souvenirs for Luna. before it’s over they’ll all learn sometimes family is those you pick and when you can add them to those are related to it makes it that much better. I freaking love these books so much! My favorite is doozy, who totally reminds me of my aunt Mel but even down to eating her butterscotch candies. There is so much more that happens in this book and I mean a lot more I love that Roger is the sheriff I really thank him and Nana Lena have a spark between them but I could be wrong but I don’t think so. If you love gray paranormal mysteries and want to read one about southern women who fight the undead to try and keep one southern Texas town safe the new absolutely love the blessed your heart series I would definitely start with the first book though. This could be read as a standalone as they explain things as it goes but it’s so much better when you know the whole story. I listened to the audio version with narration done by Stephanie Namath Parker, who has such great voice and character distinction whether it’s male female non-binary she’s just so freaking good! I definitely recommend the audio version she said such a great tone with even better comic timing I just can’t say enough about this book and the narrator.!’ #NetGalley,#McMillanAudio, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #StephanieNamathParker, #LindyRyan, #AnotherFineMess,

Another Fine Mess by Lindy Ryan is a fun jump back into the work of the Evan’s Women. Fun mystery of a new beast and I loved the inclusion of some of the townspeople with our main ladies. The audiobook was great with the narration.
I am really looking forward to the next in this series and man I wish I could know these kick ass ladies in real life.
Thank you Net Galley, Lindy Ryan and Macmillan Audio for the audio arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Interesting to listen to. I will definitely have to go back and read the first one. Some mystery and some funny moments.

This was not my favorite. Had to listen at 1.75 speed because the narrator was very slow. The story itself was not what I would typically read but I can see why for those who like the undead and ghoul thing would like it

While I felt a little disappointed by the story (full review below) I really enjoyed the narrator. She did an excellent job with the accents.

Full review:

Feeling a bit conflicted about this one- I enjoyed the first one but evidently did not remember enough about it and feel that that negatively impacted my reading experience. I felt thrown into the second one

BUT I love Ryan’s writing style, the characters, the quirkiness, that’s all excellent. I will still be promoting it because I see its value and Ryan’s talent.

As soon as I finished Bless Your Heart, I knew that I was going to be rabid for the second book. And it did not disappoint!

As if the restless dead aren’t enough, there’s a dark and deadly element that is throwing even the most experienced of Evans women for a loop. The evolving mystery of the plot kept me on my toes, in such a satisfying way. We’re thrown into a now-familiar world with a brand new unknown.

Despite loss and heartache, these strong and lovable women keep on keeping on! Every character had such a distinct personality, and I inhaled each POV as it came. I was especially glued to Luna’s growth, who continued blending the poor decisions of youth and the wisdom of a maturing young woman.

This was an absolute delight of an adventure, even when I was upset with the characters or turn of events. Lindy Ryan writes with such imagery and wit, that I’ve added her other books to my TBR! The fast pace kept me eager for each new chapter, so I devoured this book in a day.

I laughed, I cried, and I excitedly told anyone around who would listen “oh, this guy is definitely going to die.”

Lindy Ryan is absolutely gifted at finding the perfect mix of humor and horror in this charming, funny yet gory and scary novel about a family of women tasked with fighting the restless dead in their quirky southern town,

Another Fine Mess is the sequel to Bless Your Heart, and it takes place one month after the disastrous night when blood-thirsty ghouls attacked their family-run funeral home. The family is in tatters, still quietly battling the restless dead, until it becomes apparent that there is an even more monstrous killer on the loose in town. And it seems to be tied to young Luna Evans.

The murders are gruesome and frequent, and Ryan builds the tension deliciously, while readers get to enjoy the sarcasm and snark, the grudges and bitterness, the deep love, grief and loyalty the Evans women feel for each other. There are shocking scenes of violence and brutality, scenes of grief and despair that made me misty-eyed, and scenes where I laughed out loud.

Give me more stories with the Evans women, please!

Upon completing this novel, I discovered it was the second in a series, a fact I had overlooked. While I found reading book two before book one less than ideal, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. The narrative was consistently engaging, although the Evans women did create a somewhat unsettling atmosphere. However, the twists and turns in this dynamic town setting provided a satisfying conclusion. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to readers who appreciate complex narratives set in vibrant small towns. Thank you, Linda Ryan, for providing an ARC and the opportunity to submit this review on NetGalley.

This southern horror follow-up to Bless Your Heart is full of charm, monsters, 1999 nostalgia, and a high body count! I fell in love with the Evans’ family women in Ryan’s series opener, and couldn’t wait to get back to this family of undertakers. Another Fine Mess, is just that; a MESS as a new type of monster begins tearing apart locals’ pets and then citizens. The Evan’s women have been hunting the undead for generations, but this new creature is beyond their knowledge and requires input and support from some new unlikely allies. Multiple POVs, witty humor, gruesome horror, and a propulsive mystery make this novel move along at a quick pace. I’ve grown quite attached to unique cast of quirky characters and I can’t wait to see how the series continues!

“The Evanses might be the weirdest family in the world, with an undead woman, a master strigoi, a moon child, and who knew what else in their strange little funeral parlor — but she hadn’t seen a group of monsters love each other this hard since The Munsters.”

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for my ALC; narrator, Stephanie Németh-Parker is phenomenal. Fantastic accent work, clear characterization, and heaps of emotion and wit make the audiobook such a fun time.

1999, Southeast Texas. The Evans women run their small town funeral parlor, but their true vocation is to help the dead stay dead and buried. Luna's mother, Grace, died a month ago in an incident that shattered Luna. A few more dead bodies have started showing up, and the people who have seen them can't really write them off as rabid wolf attacks: something undead is doing a lot of lurking.

This is actually the second book in a series, which I didn't realize when I requested the ALC. While it was clear to me that I was missing some plot and character details from the previous book, I actually didn't find that it limited my enjoyment of this book. That said, I definitely recommend reading book one first (and personally I will go back and read it).

Another Fine Mess has cozy mystery charm with paranormal appeal. Be warned, there are some graphic descriptions of body bloodied body parts. I found that the tone of the novel helped mellow the gore factor, but consider that as you approach the book.

3.5 Stars – A Fun, Cozy Horror Sequel

This sequel to Bless Your Heart is best enjoyed after reading the first book. Another Fine Mess continues the Evans family’s fight to keep the undead buried in their small Texas town. With witty banter and supernatural intrigue, it delivers a fun blend of horror and humor.

While I loved the Evans women’s sharp wit, the multiple POVs felt unnecessary at times and slowed the pacing. Still, if you liked the first book, you’ll enjoy this one too!

Thank you, NetGalley & Macmillan Audio, for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

The Evans women rarely get a chance to rest as they battle to contain the restless dead in their small Texas town, and this time, there's a new monster in town.

I really enjoyed Bless Your Heart, the first book in this series. I was thinking book number two was going to be a three-star read for me, until the last 20% of the book ramped up the action and emotional impact. I did guess a major part of the book pretty early on, but that didn't affect my enjoyment of the story. What was keeping my opinion lower for the first 2/3 of the book was the overabundance of purple prose, and the fact that so many of the characters are unlikeable. Lindy Ryan can turn some unique and interesting phrases, but sometimes they get annoying. I think this series is worth reading, if you're into slightly cozy horror.

Thanks to Macmillian Audio and NetGalley for the audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Didn’t know I could love this one more than the first one but omg! Love each and every character! Lindy Ryan has become one of my favorite authors. Thanks NetGallery!

Narration: 5/5. The cast is fantastic and did a great job!
Plot: 1/5

I wasn't the biggest fan of "Bless Your Heart," but I was incredibly intrigued about the ending of the book so I really wanted to give this series another shot. Sadly, pretty early on, I realized this definitely wasn't for me. I was so intrigued by the first chapter, but then the next chapter was in the perspective of a cat.... No thanks. Also that opened up to the book, again, having a thousand different perspectives instead of focusing on just a few and perfecting them. I will, unfortunately, be calling it quits here.

This is such a fun series. Definitely start at the beginning (Bless Your Heart) so you get to see the character development. I love these ladies and the town. Also, the narrator is great!

This is book two of the Bless Your Heart series and I would recommend reading book one before diving in to this one. There are quite a few characters in book one and events that are mentioned in this book. I read book one and I even had trouble remembering what had happened.

I would say this is a cozy horror. Is that a thing? I’m not sure, but that’s what I’m calling this. We have a werewolf type creature on the loose killing multiple people in this tiny Texas town. We also have zombies (they don't call them zombies in this book) and other supernatural creatures among the living. There is some gore, but the characters have a light hearted nature about themselves because it’s pretty normal day to day occurrences that’s why I refer to it as cozy horror.

I like the Evan's women in this book. They are a fun group of women and have a good sense of humor even though everything around them is a disaster. Sometimes the characters were confusing because people who you thought have died actually come back to life so it’s hard to keep track. I find these books fun to read, but not that memorable. That being said, I would probably read book three because they are a light fun little horror read.

The narrator does a great job with this audiobooks so that is an enjoyable experience.

Thank you to MacMillian Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.