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!

Four generations of women going up against and fighting the undead in the south with a mystery and dark humor?? Sign me up!!

What appealed to you the most in this story?

I figured there was no way someone could find a way to put a new spin on a story about the undead rising, but I was so very wrong. I loved how Bless Your Heart was a completely unique and fresh take on a story that involves the undead eating their way through the living (pun intended) and a family of strong women who are destined to send them back to their graves.

Read if you like:

Multigenerational Family
Multiple POV
Suspense
Mystery
The Undead
Southern Noir
Dark Humor
Quirky Characters

How was the audiobook?

I had a blast listening to this story on audio, and it made my work commutes fly by! Stephanie Nemeth-Parker made this such an entertaining and engaging listen.

How was the pace?

This was a slow burn and fun ride!

Do you recommend this book?

I’m already needing the next book in this series because I have to know where it all goes from here!

Thank you, Minotaur Books and MacMillan Audio, for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

Thank you Netgalley, Lindy Ryan, and MacMillion Audio for the great Audiobook!! A perfect and fun audiobook narrated by Stephanie Nemeth-Parker. I absolutely loved this quirky spookyish and even funny at times story! Highly recommend.

I saw somewhere that this is the first of a series and I will definitely be reading the next one. But omg I don’t know what they’re going to do. Great family supernatural thriller.

Synopsis: In a small town in Texas in the ‘90s, the Evans women run the only funeral home in town. They bury all of the bodies, even the ones who won’t stay dead.

Thoughts: So, this is not my typical genre - but it was really fun! I would describe this as a cozy mystery with a side of campy horror. Definitely go into it knowing there is some horror and gore though! I thought it had some similarities to Grady Hendrix’s style but a lot lighter. Things I loved: the four generations of badass women fighting the undead while maintaining their Southern charm, the pacing (it really started off with a bang and just kept going), and the set up for a potential series. I would have liked to get to know the characters a bit better, and it felt like there was a lot going on and a lot of perspectives BUT that’s understandable for the first in a series. A note on the audio: loved the narrator and I think audio is definitely the way to go for this one - she brought the Southern vibes and humor.

Read this if you like:
⚰️ badass women
⚰️ family drama
⚰️ small town
⚰️ fighting the undead
⚰️ light horror
⚰️ campy vibes

I was excited to dive into Bless Your Heart. Dark humor and sarcastic southern charm? Count me in. However, it ended up a bit light on both, and in the end was just an okay read for me.

Stephanie Németh-Parker did a nice job narrating the audiobook.

Thank you Lindy Ryan, Minotaur Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

I'm not going to lie - I totally went into this book thinking it would be similar to a much-loved 90s vampire and housewives book (you know the one).

It is not that book.

Don't get me wrong, the premise of this story was intriguing all on its own - a matriarchal-led funeral home set in the 1990s dealing with the undead is SO interesting and grabbing. Unfortunately, though, the premise was just so darn promising that the rest of the book couldn't really keep up. I found myself wondering and waiting for action/any sort of plot twists. But it never came. Instead, the plot was predicatable and fairly straightforward.

The characters seemed like they would be fascinating and play off of each other well, but there were just so many of them that I never felt like I was getting to know any of them on a deeper level. It seemed like a real missed opportunity to explore these different characters' perspectives. Maybe if we only had 3 or so, there would be more evidence in character growth and/or development. Rather than 8 or so surface level viewpoint chapters.

The story was entertaining, and I did enjoy the narration. Obviously, I rated it 3 stars, so I didn't hate it! However, I did feel the story was lacking real depth and some unfulfilled potential. As this is a debut novel, I imagine the author's next works will be better and better moving forward.

Shoutout to Netgalley, Lindy Ryan, and Macmillan Audio for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Great grandma, grandma, mom and daughter who own the funeral parlour. People die and they bury them in the most precise way. Not deviating. Because if they don’t, the dead might come back to life.

When Mina Jean Murphy comes back to life. The Evan woman are ready fight the strigoi and to protect their town.

While listening to this book I could see it playing out like a tv show or if I was reading a script. There was a lot of characters and different povs which I wasn’t thrilled by but definitely gave you a bigger picture and made it seem like a tv show.

My big issue with this book was the vomiting on the body or almost puking. I get that some people can’t handle pain or gross displays but it’s your job. You need to have a handle on your bodily functions. Like some of these characters might need a new job.

Also Luna is not at infant! She’s 15 years old! That threw me off some much I had to read the description of the book a few times.

I am curious how the next story is going to play out with the characters and how it’s all going to play out in the future

A book about vampires, sort of, Count me in! I was drawn into the storyline very early on. I will say that I felt like part of it was dragged too long, and the ending was rushed, and I wanted more from the ending but overall, I really enjoyed this book and the narrator did an amazing job telling the story. She changed voices which kept me engaged the whole time, and it was easy to know which character was who.

I really enjoyed this book, it was a pinch of cozy mystery and a big scoop of horror. The audiobook narrator really brought this book to life and I would recommend the audio version. I liked Lindy Ryan’s writing, it reminded me of Grady Hendrix. There was good Southern charm in this book with 90’s nostalgia. The four generations of Evan’s women added some humor to the story, especially Ducey. The women own the only funeral parlor in town where the dead die and then sometimes come back to life, that’s when the Evan’s women really get to work.

There are creatures waking up in town called Strigoi who are a zombie/vampire mix and really seem terrifying. The scenes with the strigoi were super gory, but I loved that! The author's descriptions of some of those scenes were spot on and you could really envision them. I’m a character driven reader and I liked all the characters in this book. I will definitely read another book by Lindy Ryan and books narrated by Stephanie Németh-Parker.

I would recommend this if you are a fan of Grady Hendrix or you like a good southern horror novel.

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

The Evans are a family of women who puts the dead to rest. They own a funeral home in Texas in 1999 when the dead start to rise out of nowhere. In this story the dead are called Strigoi a bland of vampires and zombies. They need to determine what is making the dead rise and how to put a stop to it.

I found this book nice, but too hard to follow in terms of who is whose daughter. For the longest time, I thought Lenore and Grade were sisters and not mother and daughter. The story has four generations of Evans women: Ducey --> Lenore --> Grace --> Luna.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

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 Macmillan Audio for the gifted copy.

Ok. So I was looking forward to this one, as it is out of my wheelhouse, but it was not at all what I expected.

Horror. Romance. Family. Dead…being…um…NOT dead.

And the women who own the ONLY funeral parlor in town have some secrets they’ve been hiding.

Very gory. Very graphic. And very far-fetched…and did I mention gory?? (at least, for me)…
Loved the THEORY behind it…and it definitely kept my attention…just wasn’t for me…and that’s on me.

Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan and narrated beautifully by Stephanie Nemeth-Parker.

3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for an ARC of the audiobook which is DUE OUT on April 9th.

Feel free to like, follow and friend me on: Goodreads,
IG @ #BookReviews_with_emsr or
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Thanks so much for reading!📚⭐️

This was so messed up.
I really enjoyed the new take on vampires and zombies.
This was my first Lindy Ryan, but I will definitely be stalking her backlist.
Much love to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for my ALC.

Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan is a suspenseful horror style mystery.

The book focuses on The Evan’s family, which consists of four generations of women. They run a funeral home, but unfortunately the normal order of things involving death doesn’t seem to be the case in this small Texas town. Normally the dead stay dead, but here the dead rise. What’s creating Zombie like creatures? Could it be the mysterious creature that caused the dead to rise fifteen years ago? As the death toll increases, so does the number of bodies coming back. Like the dead, secrets aren’t going to stay dead and buried long.

The characters for the most part are fun and sassy. You never know if The Bless Your Heart is going to be an uplifting comment or an admonishment. I liked the youngest daughter Luna the most. The author really showed her feisty and rebellious attitude. She was explored the most, causing the biggest connection.

I disliked how long it took to discover the mystery. Parts drug a bit. There were too many points of view which caused you to not really get to know any one particular character.

The story was fast moving in many parts but very slow in others, although the story did contain a lot of interesting components. The end of the book gave so many answers and I wished a few had been delivered earlier on to create more connections to the characters, . The book was a quick easy read. It was definitely an interesting twist on vampires and zombies.

I definitely enjoyed the narrator. She definitely made this a very entertaining and enjoyable listen/ read. I would definitely listen to other books by her.

Overall I feel the book is more of a 3 1/2 but I rounded up to 4 stars

In a small town in southeast Texas in 1999, there lived the Evans women,, who owned the only funeral parlor in town. It had been in their family for generations. The Evans women were rumored to be a strange bunch, but seeing as how they were the only choice to bury one's loved ones, people had no choice but to accept them. When town gossip Mina Jean Murphy’s body is brought in to prepare for burial and she rises from the dead instead, it’s clear that the Strigoi—the original vampire—are back, and the Evans women are the only ones who know how to deal with them. As more and more folks in town turn up missing or dead, Deputy Roger Taylor begins asking way too many questions, Ducey, Lenore, Grace, and now Luna, must take up their blades and figure out who is behind the Strigoi’s return, and quick.

This is the first book in a new series, and I am already eagerly waiting the next book in the series. This audiobook was so much fun. The narrator did an excellent job with all of the different voices, and the storyline was fast paced and funny. I loved Ducey, Lenore, Grace and Luna. They were all so quirky. Actually, a lot of the other characters were as well. I loved how crochety the old sheriff was, and the way the book ended left it set up perfectly for the next book. This is perfect for fantasy lovers, light horror, or anyone who loves books like Grady Hendrix's A Southern Bookclub's Guide to Slaying Vampires