I would like to thank Net Galley for the opportunity to read this as an ARC. I am sorry, I did not like this book. The original synopsis did not clearly state how gory and horrific it was. It was not what I expected and not something I am interested in reading. If you are into horror and Stephen King type books- this might be for you.

This is a fun ghoulish Halloween read. Not very believable but a light read for all the description of blood and guts!

This book for sure caught my attention by its unique cover. For sure gave me some southern vibes with the title with vampires thrown into the mix and I was like, sign me up!
One of the main things I like about this book are for sure the characters. They each have that southern charm mixed with witty dialogue that make me instantly take a liking to them. Especially Ducey, the family matriarch of a sort who for sure you can tell lived a life with a bit of dark humor after everything she has been through. Which I love. To the youngest family member Luna who you kind of feel bad for for her first introduction to her family’s vampire ‘Caretaking’ business. But she seems like one of those characters that after the initial shock she will take to it like a fish to water with minor missteps along their way. You feel like you are a part of their family/world. I feel invested in their story. Which is for sure a key to a great story.
Overall this book was for sure one of my favorites of this year. It made me smile, feel like I wanna cry and shook me to my core. A solid book that i would recommend to anyone looking for book filled with a southern charm and sass and most importantly, heart. And who doesn’t love a book about bad(bad word) women slaying vampires.

Thank you to the folks of NetGalley for the a ARC of this book. My review is a honest reflection of my feelings towards this book.

Small town / country vampires. I loved it. From the elder outspoken family member to the young’uns just figuring it out, there was a lot going on. I even had to make a hair appointment with my hair dresser from 30 years ago because she is still in a small town. (Just to make sure she was still there.)

Lots of fun and country charm. Definitely with a read if you enjoy cozy mysteries with a little “bite”.

Vampy and Campy family drama/cop procedural/ horror novel

Four generations of Evans women working in a funeral home taking care of business and making sure the dead stay dead in this small southern town where things aren’t as they seem.
Multi POV

Overall this was kinda the middle of the road for me. It was fine and fun but it didn’t hold my attention and answer questions the way I was expecting. I liked the creepiness of the strigoi and the family dynamics of the Evans women I probably could have done without the bumbling cop pov and just had the focus on the family. I’d probably read a second book especially if some of my questions get answered.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press for an eARC.

This was a fun read! It was about a multi-generational family of women who keep a town safe from the undead, all while taking care of the dead running the funeral home. Make no mistake, these women are tough!

Loved this book so much! You can't help but side with the Evans women. The multigenerational family owns a funeral home in a small town. They are also faced with protecting the town from the undead. I loved the spooky mystery, the writing and the plot. Can't wait to read more from Linda Ryan.

I wanted to love this book. Horror + humor ticks my boxes. Add southern? yeah, please! But, somehow, the combo platter didn't work for me. And I'm pretty sure it's me, not the book. Although I go through very few reading slumps, there are periods when certain types of books please me or don't please me. Right now is not the right time FOR ME for this book. I've marked it TBR to try again when my capricious reading brain changes. I'm rating it four stars for the parts I read and skimmed, and for the premise, which is great.

Great read. I did get crossed up with the 4 different generations of women, but it was still, overall a good read. Even with my shortening attention span for many books, I did want to know what happened next.

Side note, I thought about the hair dresser, in the small town I grew up in, and I went to her for high lights the week after I finished this book. Hahaha.

I actually wanted to finish it. That’s a good review for me. Hahaha.

I was provided this book free of charge. All opinions are my own.

What a quirky fun read. I didn’t know what to expect with this novel, but I truly enjoyed it. It was a unique mix of mild horror, humor and enjoyable characters. I read a lot, and it is refreshing to read a book that is unlike any other. The author kept the action moving along, minimized the gore, and had enough surprises to keep me guessing. I think most readers, except the extremely squeamish, would enjoy this clever novel.

3.5 stars

Four generations of Evans women run a funeral parlour. They also happen to take care of the ones that don't stay dead.

This is an amusing, light read, a cozy horror would best describe this novel. I think this is the first of a duology, the ending left some things open to tackle next time. The vibe is Buffy meets Sookie Stackhouse, so decide for yourself if this will be too scary for you or not enough. I loved the four women MC's, each with their own particular quirks.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This southern gothic set in 1999 just post-Columbine stars a magical matriarchy that runs the only funeral parlor in their tiny Texas town–with a side job of sending any dead that reanimate back to the grave for good. The Evans ladies keep their secret skill close, only disclosing the true family business when the next daughter comes of age. A series of recent violent and disturbing deaths has local law enforcement thinking that a large animal is on the loose and on the attack; Ducey, Lenore, Grace, and Luna know better, and hope to get everything resettled again before the townspeople gain a true realization of the monsters in their midst.

The strigori are a Romanian-based cross between a zombie and vampire: the restless spirit of a corpse rises as a flesh-eating monster that can only be killed for good with a metal stake through the heart. Some evolve to be powerful enough to pass for human, which is a whole ‘nother can of worms. The mythology is excellent, and the plot twists and turns include hints of romance and a lot of mystery.

The worldbuilding here is as complete as an excellent fantasy novel, down to nail polish trends, what was playing on the radio and in the movie theatre, and cultural trends, including what was on the national radar for news and concerns. I am not able to pin down WHY the story needed to be set in 1999 (note: are books set in 1999 historical? Am I … OLD?), but it works, and for this Gen-X reader, it was an accessible, authentic, and validating stroll down memory lane populated with landlines, malls, black trench coats, and misguided homophobia.

Point of view shifts from the Evans to law enforcement, availing readers to multigenerational perspectives. The characterizations are strong and distinct, and the dialogue is snappy and funny (“There’ll be time for math after the zombie apocalypse, points out one teenage character eager to help.”) It’s juxtaposed with truly disgusting descriptions of stomach-turning gore. To be able to balance humor, pathos and horror so wonderfully and viscerally is a true skill; Bless Your Heart is recommended or fans of Breathers: a Zombie’s Lament, Sookie Stackhouse mysteries, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Sadly, it will not be out in time for Halloween, and is slated for publication in April 2024.

Side note: I love the vibrantly colored, flat, cut-paper collage look of the cover!

I received a free, advance reader’s review copy of #BlessYourHeart from #NetGalley.

The concept behind this book promised an enjoyable read, and it even left room for a potential series based on how it concluded. However, I have to confess some reservations about diving further into it. The story's abundance of perspectives left me a tad disoriented, with moments where I found it challenging to keep track of the characters, particularly the different Evans women. On the bright side, I did manage to unravel the twist approximately halfway through, and it turned out to be a rather gratifying revelation!

I was very excited to read Bless Your Heart. This southern vampire story sparked my interest. With a small town environment, a police force that has history with our main characters, dead that won't stay dead, as well as some teenage drama, this one has it all. I loved the Evans family who are our main characters., four generations of Evans women running a funeral parlor and having a secret.

As the story unfolds the author allows us to meet and get to know people who eventually become victims made me all the more invested in the story. I was kept guessing as to how what was going on and especially, what happened 15 years ago that is a pivotal moment in the Evans family.

This story has some pretty gruesome attacks, but are primarily fade to black and the details being conveyed in part by the police reactions to what they are seeing. This gives quite a macabre feel still. The author gives the reader lighter moments as we learn the events of the past but there is always and underlying urgency in place.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

I liked the concept of this book as a southern perspective of a campy story about the undead, or "restless dead" in this case. I was really enjoying it for the first 2/3 or so of the book but the last third became a little convoluted. It seemed like there was too much story left to wrap up in such a short period.

I would say it's worth a shot if you like light hearted looks at a topic that is usually reserved for horror books and films and are looking for some fun for the beach, poolside or on a plane.

Looking for a quick, gruesome, multi-generational family tale of keeping the dead from rising? Look no further. The Evan's women has been keeping a very close eye on the dead and keeping them from rising ever since that Godawful Mess 15 years ago.. But when a body- or what was left of it- turns up in their small town, they know it's the beginning of something bigger: it's starting again. They will tell you it's starting again at the end of almost every chapter, as well as how they need to tell their youngest family member, Luna, about the truth. It will take many, many chapters for them to actually do that. While the constant not doing anything is taking place, you are learning about the quirks of the family- Ducey, Lenore, Grace, and Luna, as well as members of the sheriff's office in their small town. Most of the officers have been in love with an Evan's woman at some point. But the Godawful Mess kind of ruined things for them. The outcasts of the town, with the only funeral home in town, they are given wide berth.
This is more plot driven, without the plot moving that quickly- but the body count adds up and the gruesome discoveries of the bodies will keep lovers of gore in their element.
One other reviewer stated how the Evan's family reminded them of the Owen's family- the witches from Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic series. And they do, in a way, with their family banter about killing the undead almost a topic of daily conversation over breakfast. Less margarita's though. Shame.
This is an easy read if you are looking to sit and lose yourself for an afternoon and not get too invested in writing style- enjoyable characters, adequate gruesome kill scenes, and a satisfying ending (which I called at the very beginning.)
Out April 9, 2024.

This was such a fun read! It gave me major Grady Hendrix vibes - a perfect blend of humor, horror, and mystery-thriller. I was immediately drawn into the story. The fast-pacing kept things super engaging and I never wanted to put it down. It really flew by - I could stayed in this world for longer and already am craving a sequel!

I loved how this wasn't your traditional take on vampires. The strigoi were much more complicated than that, and not being familiar with their mythology wasn't a hinderance at all. Such a unique story! The family history was super interesting as well, and I especially loved getting to know each of the Evans women. Talk about strong female leads! The sense of family, protection, and love was so strong. It was so easy to root for them.

Great writing all around - the descriptions of those gory and horrific moments were really well done. So fun to flip between sharp and witty dialogue and those really disgusting death scenes. And the messages woven in throughout with the teens of being yourself and sticking up for your friends and what you believe in was really lovely - nothing felt preachy. It all felt real.

I will say that sometimes the multiple POVs became a bit too much for me. At times, I would have liked to stay with one character for longer. It was never confusing jumping back and forth between people but I didn't always feel the need for it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy!

Such a fun story! I had no idea it would be a little creepy though so glad I read it during the day!

The story picked up fast, slowed in the middle, and then had a perfect end!

Let me start by saying that if you go off the cover of this book you’ll be pleasantly surprised that this is more than just some vampire book. I read book synopsis very quickly and I assumed this would be a southern vampire story. But it contains so much more complex ideas.

I was immediately drawn to the idea of Steel Magnolias meets Dracula meets Night of the Living Dead. But be aware, this is not a vampire or zombie story. It’s a new monster birthed by Lindy Ryan.

The story starts like all the great, fun horror films. A quiet town where everyone knows each other and the gossip starts soon as you turn your back. With each chapter more and more gore is spilled until the town and its people are almost unrecognizable.

I love the Evans women and their quirky family. I love that they run the local funeral parlor because I always wanted to work at one. Each woman is strong and unique with their own wants and needs. How amazing is it to have a household with four generations of women?! Luna, despite the nightmares and eventually chaos, is a lucky girl!

The story actually reminded me more of Practical Magic. A bad man leading a woman astray. A family considered weird by a small town community. And everyone having to work together to protect their loved ones. Also, bad guy buried under roses and midnight margaritas.

I could see this being a series and I’m not sure if that has been expressed by the author but I definitely would read more in this world and by the author.

I highly recommend checking out Bless Your Heart if you enjoy unique horror books/films that make their own rules and have fun doing it. Thank you to NetGalley, Lindy Ryan, and Minotaur books for the opportunity to read Bless Your Heart. I have written this review voluntarily.

I was excited to read Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan. I'm a big fan of humorous horror and this title looked to be right up my alley. This is a fun read with lots of gross descriptions of mayhem and plenty of southern charm.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this digital ARC.