Thank you NetGalley and MacMilan Audio for an ARC of the audiobook Bless Your Heart!

Well, call me a Strigoi because I ate this book up and am restless to read book two!

For context, Bless Your Heart is the first book in a cozy horror meets small town mystery series. It follows four generations of Evans women as they deal with running a funeral parlor and trying to keep the undead at bay, all while dealing with their own secrets. Along the way, you meet a cast of lovable small town locals trying to figure out why dead bodies keep popping up all over their town. Lindy Ryan pays as much attention to the humorous banter and clever wit of the characters as she does to the gore and horror, giving this book a refreshing feel! As someone who rarely ventures into the horror genre I was nervous going into this one that it would be too much to handle; however, I could not have been more wrong! I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a gateway into the horror genre or those interested in the genre who welcome an energizing new read.

As I said before, I received this book as an audiobook and I simply cannot sing enough praises to the book's narrator! There are many different characters in this book and at times, we get bits and pieces of their perspectives. The narrator handled this with vocal gymnastics that made it easy to follow the plot and who was speaking. Such a delight!!!

This book was absolutely incredible and I feel like it’s opened the book world up to a whole new genre: cozy horror. It had all the heart, banter, and unrequited love of a cozy with all the gruesome gore of horror. The Evans women are a monster hunting force to be reckoned with but still have all the mother daughter, family drama of any other family. I definitely connected with the small TX town feel of this novel and of course loved ALL the references of 1999. I can’t wait to not only read more bout this family and town but also see it on the small screen since it’s been picked up for a series. All the characters were really special in this and after reading the acknowledgments it was really obvious why. This is overall a really fun book and I can’t wait to see what the world thinks about it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC of "Bless Your Heart" by Lindy Ryan.

"Bless Your Heart" by Lindy Ryan is a fun romantic comedy set in the cozy town of Magnolia Bay. You'll be laughing along with Emma Lee as she tries to find love in a sea of small-town drama. While the story is entertaining and the characters are lovable, some parts might feel a bit too predictable, and a few characters could use more depth.

The narration in "Bless Your Heart" is easy to follow, pulling you into Emma Lee's world with its vivid descriptions and relatable dialogue. It's like watching your favorite rom-com unfold on the page.

Overall, "Bless Your Heart" is a feel-good read that'll leave you smiling, despite its occasional predictability. If you're in the mood for a light-hearted romance with plenty of laughs, this book is sure to hit the spot.

This was not what I was expecting. From the synopsis I was looking for something more Grady Hendrix-esque, but this fell short. I feel like there were lots of loose ends left at the end too.

Y'allllllll. Okay, I know this book takes place in Texas, but I can picture the characters right here in south Louisiana. I can see them sitting on their porch, I can hear the mosquitoes, feel the humidity, and smell the wet grass.
With the exception of people turning zombie-like in the beginning of the book, the first 30ish percent was quite wholesome and funny....then it got GROSS but in the best way possible. Don't let the cute little southern women and cartoon cover fool you. 🫣

If you liked the Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix, I think you'd like this. I also think if you read Suburban Hell by Maureen Kilmer and wanted a little more gore, you might wanna pick this one up.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

That was a fun one to listen to! Horror but not too graphic, with some decent characters and good pacing. The narrator did a good job. I would continue this series.

Four stars for the audiobook, and three stars for the novel! The narrator was great. I thought the book was super fun overall with vampire zombie mashups and the family of women working in the funeral parlor. I liked the characters and all the butterscotch references. My mind wandered a bit with the story, but overall the audiobook performance made it enjoyable.

Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan includes plenty of fun elements that will suit a variety of readers. This book has plenty of gruesome bits that are perfect for horror fans, along with elements of intrigue, Southern charm, and some quirky characters. The nostalgic 1990s setting and the backdrop of a Texas small town create the perfect environment for the Evans women and the creatures they battle...the Strigoi. As far as the characters go, I loved all of the Evans women! They are each strong in their own ways, but of course they also have their own unique challenges to overcome. There are plenty of side characters that help the story move along while adding their own flair. I think this book is a refreshing addition to the mystery and horror genres and I love the way it's not a typical vampire story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to review an eAudiobook of Bless Your Heart.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this audiobook for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was a very fun, quirky, gory Southern mystery with some vampire/zombie creatures thrown into the mix. I absolutely adored the intergenerational perspective here and I fell in love with the Evans women very quickly!

The intergenerational perspective added a lot of mystery to the novel, as well as a lot of humor, and was one of the biggest strengths of the novel. Ducey was by far my favorite character with her brutally honest demeanor and dark humor. The horror aspect is also fantastic. Be wary if you can't handle gore, because there is plenty of that. I also enjoyed that the reader found out details about the Evans family bit by bit, getting hints here and there as to what was happening. It was very satisfying to see the pieces all come together by the end. And the big plot twists were excellent as well! :)

Listening to the audiobook was such a fun way to experience this book because the narrator included a southern twang to the characters' accents, which made the setting feel even more real! I think I would have gotten the characters' relationships (particularly the Evans women) sorted out in my head quicker if I was reading the novel, but I still greatly enjoyed the listening experience. I greatly look forward to the next installment in this series!

Publication date: April 9, 2024

Thank you NetGalley and McMillan Audio for this ALC. This novel is the eptiome of "cozy" but that does not detract from the "horror" element. The cast of characters, though set in a small town, are "diverse". Ryan comments on small town ideas about LGBTQ issues, legacies, and responsibilities. The women in this novel are funny, yet fierce. I really liked Ryan uses the Strigoi variation of the vampire. It has been some time that I have seen this creature in our popular media. Overall, this was a great story and a fast read. It will entertain!

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
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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