Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

Bless Your Heart is a horror comedy set in the 90s that has some serious Practical Magic vibes and a lot of heart. The Evans women are notorious in their small town for being a bit strange. They run the only funeral parlor in town. They also keep the town safe from the living dead. We follow various generations of the family as the dead start rising faster and the bodies start piling up.

This book is delightful and so much fun.

4.5 rounded up to 5 for goodreads.

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio, author Lindy Ryan, and Netgalley for providing me the ALC in exchange for my honest review. The audiobook will be released on April 09, 2024.

4 STARS

It’s 1999 in Texas, and you’ve got Southern charm, mysterious deaths, and the rise of vampires. The story centers on the three generations of Evans women who run the town’s funeral parlor. Not only do they bury the dead, but they also slay vampires. As the bodies start piling up, the local cops are on the case but have no clue that the murders are more than they appear. Only the Evans women can keep the town safe from these “restless dead.”

I was surprised by just how much I was engrossed with the audiobook. I was wholly invested in learning more about the Evans family history and seeing how they interacted with each other. They love each other and have close bonds but also deal with the typical friction that exists within a family. Although the story’s scale is contained, the author keeps the story exciting with good pacing, deadly stakes, and great characterization. Each POV voice felt distinct.

The narrator Stephanie Németh-Parker does a fantastic job. She brings the story to life with animated delivery and uses character voices. I highly recommend!

This was a fun supernatural Southern drama featuring four generations of Evans' women who run a funeral parlour and have secretly been handling all the undead who plague their town. When the body count starts to rise they realize something extra unusual is going on and there may be a new 'big bad' in town.

A perfect mash up of Practical magic, True Blood and Buffy the vampire hunter that oddly worked, I really enjoyed the family dynamics and world building in this story. Great on audio and recommended for fans of authors like KJ Dell'Antonia and Charlaine Harris. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this audio.

This was a great read. I enjoyed that jr had a little of everything. Horror, humor, mystery, thriller. It was great. I enjoyed it. The narrator did great.

This book is listed as a horror-mystery. I do feel that it is more of just a horror book. That is perfectly fine with me. I spent my teen years reading Clive Barker and Leigh Nichols (Dean Koontz pseudonym). Plus, being a teen in the 80s, I spent time watching horror films such as Nightmare on Elm Street. So, going into this book, I was ready for horror and blood.

This book is based on the Romanian mythology of the Strigoi. I know that many people are not aware of the stories surrounding them. So, the picture on the cover doesn't really make sense to many. The Strigoi are a mix between a vampire and a zombie. They start out as a zombie/ghoul type of being that will feed on humans and gain strength. As they gain strength, they will start to appear more and more human. In the original tales of the Strigoi, they can turn invisible and shapeshift. That didn't occur in this book though. However, the beheading and placing the head face down is mentioned in the book as it is in the mythology.

I really love when authors blend mythology and their writing. Lindy Ryan did a wonderful job of spinning a centuries old tale into a modern yarn. She definitely did her research when it came to the Strigoi and the legends surrounding them.

This was the first time that I had listened to a book by Stephanie Németh Parker. For the most part, she did a pretty good job. There were a few characters that were a little on the annoying side. I am not sure if it was that she was overexaggerating them or if that was the way that they were truly written in the book. For instance, the coroner smacked his lips every time he talked. The narrator would make the noise as she was talking in his voice. It did start to grate after a while. Again, it could just be the way the character was written though. If the sentence said that he was smacking his lips as he said something, then I guess she would have to do it.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. They way it ended, it does seem like there might be a sequel. I actually hope there will be. I am definitely on the lookout if there will be.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for providing me with a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an open and honest review.

Yes I have a type, and yes, almost always it includes vampires. I was super excited for this book, and unfortunately it missed the mark for me. I was waiting for this story to pull me in the entire book and that just didn't happen. I thought it was going to be funnier and have more of a goofy southern charm aspect. Overall, it was a fun book and I don't regretting pushing through this book. To me this felt like a YA version of a Grady Hendrix book.

Part of this could have been because I received the audio version from Macmillian Audio. I like the narrator's voice for short amount of times but I tended to having to rewind because I kept zoning their voice out. This is a me problem, not a problem with the narrator.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for the audio-arc of this book!!

This was a GREAT story to listen to! AWESOME narration! Great main characters. The plot was easy to find. The story was engaging and easy to follow. Will be purchasing this book. Shout out to Netgalley and publishing for allowing me to listen and review this story.

4 STARS!

This is a perfect cozy horror novel. Less horror. More dark fun. I really felt like we were missing a prequel but as the story developed further, then we start unraveling what we've been missing. I think this would make a great series if the author wants. I'm left wanting more. I'd like more on their history more on their future.

Also not me all worried about the dog the whole entire time.

If you loved the Sookie Stackhouse books like me, you will also enjoy this book. The Evans women own the town funeral parlor a perfect job for a family that understands the dead don’t always stay dead.

I listened to this book, and Stephanie Németh-Parker did a fantastic narration. Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for the advanced audio copy.

I listened to Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan and definitely enjoyed it! I love a good supernatural story, in this case Strigoi! These blood thirsty vampires filled the tale with action and conflict, while the multigenerational Evans women’s filled it with humor and badassery! With such a cliffhanger ending I will be looking forward to the next one!!

The Evans women have some undead to kill. As the saying goes, what rises up, must go down.

I received Bless Your Heart as an ALC and an eARC and I literally could not and did not stop listening/reading it. I read it mostly in one sitting. If I wasn’t listening to it while I was doing mom stuff, then I was reading it while the kids were playing. This is one book I wanted a physical copy of so badly but sadly did not get. I just knew in my heart I was going to love it, and guess what… I did! First of all, the cover and title already won brownie points before I even got to the pages. Everything about the outside of this book screams “You’re going to love me!!”. I absolutely loved everything about this book. You have a family of women keeping the town safe from the undead and they’re all people you already know and love. Well you at least know someone similar to them. I loved the dark humor and southern charm in this story. It’s fast paced and keeps your engaged throughout, making it also a great palate cleanser (if you’re in a slump), aside from it being a fantastic novel! I cannot wait for this gem to come out April 9, 2024 so I can get my hands on a finished copy to keep forever!

Thank you so much NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for my advanced copy and the chance to review it honestly.

Happy reading!

I listened to the audiobook for this one and the audio narration was great. Perfect choice to perform this reading.

This one def had Southern Bookclub (#gradyhendrix hi!👋🏻 ) vibe. This book was like a lighthearted softer Grady Hendrix book with less gore. It was more diet horror/dark comedy than horror. Is #cozyhorror a thing, if it is that would be the proper category for this one.

I prefer scarier books but I enjoyed this one and getting to know all of the characters. I like the strong girl power vibes amongst the Evans women. I also thought the lgbtq+ added in was a nice rep.

It was evenly paced but a bit slow for my preference as I prefer something a little more fast paced.

I would read other work by this author.

The ones who read Sookie Stackhouse series, rejoice! Now you have whole family of women digging holes, putting stakes through dead men’s hearts, and keeping divide between alive and dead wide apart.

Evans family ran a funeral home. When there were no man left to do the job, women took over. Three generations of women were busy doing their job until they heard that zombie like vampires were coming out of their tombs. Grandma Evans hated those ghouls more than anything. She did not bat an eye when she put those stakes through walking dead’s heart. Meanwhile, daughter and granddaughter were trying to find their own ways to protect the town.

While these vampires were not surprise for the townsfolk, there was a big surprise for granddaughter at the end of this story. While I have a lot of questions about the mechanics of that surprise, I’m sure vampire romance lovers will tell me all about it

This was such a fun read and listen!!! The narrator created such an energy. Let me tell you, I really think this will make a great addition to everyone’s shelves this spooky season. It started off just creepy enough to set the mood and then quickly had you loving the Evan’s women. Nothing is better than a family of women who take care of business.

The story was quick paced, switching from multiple POVs, and introduced you to several characters that didn’t feel overwhelming or confusing. Surprisingly, I was able to guess the twist but it didn’t take away from the story. It was the unfolding the made it all so entertaining. A fun and quick read for anyone!

Thanks so much NetGalley and. Macmillan Audio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was such a fun read! It was written very well. I'm not a big fan of multiple POVs but the transitions were seamless. Character development and world building were executed with expertise. I'd like to read more by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for offering this title in their catalogue. The opinions expressed are my own.

The Evans women run the only funeral parlor and live to protect the people of their town from the restless dead. Old legends and creatures, ghouls, the Strigoi’s return. There are callers and there are knockers..
This book wasn’t what I expected but I did enjoy this book, I was very entertained.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for this arc!

I enjoyed this debut book! I’m not sure what category I’d put this book, it was funny and thrilling at times and had some body horror! It felt like a cozy horror story at times which I like.

I enjoyed:
- the narrator
- the southern setting
- the vampire/zombie monsters


What I didn’t enjoy;
-two many POVs for my liking
- slow at times


I’d read more from this author in the future!

Can I give it more than 5 stars?!? I absolutely LOVED this book! Definitely one of my favorite books I’ve read in a while. Southern charm, the undead, the 90s and Texas! With such great characters it was easy to love each one, even the bad ones! Ducey is my favorite! Thanks NetGallery!

A small town in SE Texas the Evans women run the funeral parlor. They have secretly keeping the town safe from Vampires because the dead have been coming back to life so they have been killing them and keeping the town safe. This book was more graphic than I thought I would be.

I liked how it takes muti-genrations of woman to keep the town safe. I thought based on the cover this book would be funny and have some comic moments but it was more of a straight horror book.

Wow! I loved this book! From the multigenerational cast of characters to the small town vibes plus an enticing story! I am definitely continuing this series. Lindy Ryan did a fabulous job weaving this story together.
Strong women, funeral home, paranormal. Win, win and win!!
Many thanks to Net Galley and MacMillan Audio for an audio ARC of this book for an honest review.