The Evans women are the key line of defense between the living and the dead in their town in southeast Texas. Problem is, now the dead are rising faster than they can get them back in the grave. And we, the readers, get to follow them on their quest to find out the truth about what is going on, and how to stop the violence before it escalates further.

Lenora Evans, and her granddaughter Luna are the main living protagonists in our tale-grandmother and granddaughter. Lenora is the steady wheel that keeps things running smoothly-despite all she has lost and grieved. She’s got grit, heart, and an unyielding determination to keep things as they’ve always been-with the Evans women keeping the town safe.

Luna knows what she is, and most especially, what she’s not. And despite loosing her mom, she must keep up normal teenage appearances-all while juggling duties at the funeral home. The only one who seems to under stand her is Crane-who accepts and cares for her just as she is. He’s her rock and steady place-even if it scares her to admit it.

I loved this take on a vampire story that Lindy crafts. You have monsters, family drama, witty and thoughtful characters, and deep buried secrets that come back to wreak havoc on the Evans clan, and the whole town. But there are also tender and heartbreaking moments that drawn empathy out of the reader. You feel the pain the characters experience because Lindy’s compelling prose strikes right at your heart. And the ending the author gives us is bloody, brutal, but sprinkled with hope; not completely whole, but not completely broken.

I confess that I didn’t read the first book in this series, but I now plan on going back and reading it. I feel like I need to meet the women for the first time again. Regardless, I still enjoyed, and recommend this novel. 4.5 stars

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.

I cannot express how much I love this series! It’s such a unique spin on the “restless dead” tropes. First, the characters are INCREDIBLE. I love them so much. Maybe it’s because the Evans women remind me of my husband’s aunts in Kentucky. I always think of them when the Evans women are mentioned, and now I can’t help but wonder if his aunts are hunting vampires in their free time. The story is very well written and an absolute page turner, while still managing to be funny as hell. Ducey is an absolute delight with her snarky comebacks and no nonsense attitude. Lenore is worried about *all the things*. Luna is just trying to figure her life out with *all the things* looming over her. But the newer characters brought into this second book in the series really brought the women some answers, but gave them more questions than anything. This book was a great setup for the next one. I can’t wait to see what kind of shenanigans the Evans women get up to in book three! I’m climbing the walls waiting!

Huge thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!

Luna and Lenore have an unusual relationship with the dead. When bad things are happening in their town, they have ideas other people won't. Even though they have unusual abilities, it never felt as though they didn't take it very seriously.
From the beginning, I empathized with them. This is a dark story, and even though it can be humorous, this is a real horror book. I liked it because I found it consistent and because I like the main characters. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

From the moment I cracked open this book, I was transported into a small town teeming with secrets and spectral energy. Ryan's masterful blend of horror and mystery, all wrapped up in that irresistible Southern drawl, had me utterly spellbound. The vivid scenes unfolded in my mind like a gripping TV series, each chapter leaving me hungry for more.

At the heart of this supernatural maelstrom stands Lenore, a character who tugged at my heartstrings from the get-go. Watching her navigate the treacherous waters of grief while managing a family business spiraling out of control was both heart-wrenching and inspiring. Her attempts to connect with her granddaughter Luna added a touching layer of humanity to the otherworldly chaos.

Speaking of Luna, her dynamic with Crane had me reeling. Their amateur sleuthing adventures, tinged with that delicious "are-they-or-aren't-they" tension, added a dash of sweetness to balance out the spine-chilling horror. I found myself constantly wondering: Will they or won't they? But I was devastated for these two. Why, Ms. Ryan, why?

Ryan weaves the supernatural elements, seamlessly into the fabric of the story, creating moments that had my hair standing on end. It's this masterful integration of the paranormal that truly sets "Another Fine Mess" apart.

While this was my first foray into Ryan's work, it certainly won't be my last. The growing body count, the family secrets, the hair-raising encounters – all of it combined into a reading experience that was as addictive as it was unsettling. I'm already itching to dive back and explore the first book in the series.

Thank you, Minotaur Books and NetGalley, for my ARC.

Lindy Ryan has done it again! When I finished the first book in the series, I immediately was itching for more. This was another 5 star for me!

Another Fine Mess by Lindy Ryan is the sequel to her novel, Bless Your Heart.

"Lenore and her granddaughter, Luna, are the last of the Evans women keeping their Texas town safe from the undead. When the full moon finds another victim, Lenore, Luna and the new Sheriff must dig deep in the Evans family history to uncover what threatens the town and everyone they care about."

This book has some humorous characters, but it is definitely horror. I wouldn't really call it cozy horror (whatever that is) Ryan uses some obscure terms for different monsters and the undead in this book. There are some surprising characters that show up. I think it would have been helpful to read the first book. There are spoilers in this one. The body count is high in this one and several of the attacks are gruesome (but not graphic) There's a pretty wild time at the school dance.

Monster horror fans should enjoy this book from Ryan.

ANOTHER FINE MESS by Lindy Ryan

Pub date: April 15th, 2025
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Rating: 3 / 5


Now why can't the dead ever stayed buried?

In the sequel to Bless Your Heart, the women of the Evans family are facing the fallout from the (latest) Godawful Mess. With the town still raw from the recent murders, now new pets and people are going missing. The Evans women and newly appointed sheriff have their hands full. But things are bloodier than ever and a simple cover up story won't be enough to appease those who are hurting. The dead never stay buried... and everything must eat.

ANOTHER FINE MESS is overall an entertaining follow up to Bless Your Heart, but it does fall a bit flat compared to the charm and mystery of the first book. The best parts of the sequel are Ryan's multi-POV story structure that builds up anticipation and propels the plot, her signature gorey descriptions and creepy writing, and the love between the living (and deceased) Evans women. The side characters who have stepped up into larger roles this time around also add fun dynamics to the story. There were plenty of surprises, with new monsters haunting the pages, but the major third act plot reveal did not get enough development before the book ended. The pacing of the final act felt rushed and disappointingly left a lot of questions unanswered. Hopefully, another book is in the works and can provide a more satisfying ending for the Evans women. They deserve it!

Readers should note that the book includes possibly triggering content including graphic descriptions of gore and violence against animals/animal death.


(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!)

This was a wonderful read. Absolutely loved it

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book

I was unable to finish this and thus will not be posting a full review. I wasn't engaged and this book just wasn't for me. Thank you for the opportunity.

Another Fine Mess is book two in Lindy Ryan's Bless Your Heart series. This story picks up soon after the events of book one. Lenore and her granddaughter, Luna are still picking up the pieces and trying to live their lives following the deaths of Grace and Ducey. The Evans women have been dealing with the dead rising from their graves for a century and now are facing a new challenge.

I enjoyed Bless Your Heart so much and was very excited to get to read the sequel early. This book is just as good as the first! I was so happy to be back with the Evans family. I feel like there is a lot I can't say to avoid spoilers because there were some pretty surprising developments even early in the story. This is such a darkly funny book with so much heart. There are multiple people dealing with grief in their own ways. Both the loss of loved ones and the loss of relationships. There are some truly heartbreaking moments in this book. I will be counting the days until I can read the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC to review!
Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being excellent)
Quality of writing: 4
Pace: 4
Plot development: 3
Characters: 3
Enjoyability: 3
Ease of Reading: 4

Overall rating: 3 out of 5

This is the second novel in Lindy Ryan’s Bless Your Heart series of supernatural horror. The continuing story of a family of Southern women who run a funeral parlor in a small Texas town has a high body count and lots of gore, but also plenty of humor and heart-warming moments. I won’t go into any details because I don’t want to spoil any of this book’s surprises. The story held my attention and kept me guessing right up to the end, which sets us up for future stories of the Evans family and friends.

The story is told in multiple points of view, alternating between the perspectives of each of the Evans women and other residents of the town. I found the characters likable and loved the found family vibes. Some of the Southern expressions the characters used cracked me up. I also enjoyed some of the bits of late 1990s nostalgia, such as a character doing research on AOL. I appreciated the author’s unique take on the undead and how she continues to expand that mythology.

Whichever format you prefer, I highly recommend this series for those who enjoy small town supernatural horror with humor. If you enjoyed Book 1, you should enjoy Book 2 just as much. If you haven’t read Book 1 yet, I recommend starting with that.

I received a free ARC through NetGalley. I volunteered to provide an honest review.

Another fun ride with the Evans women. The family is learning how to get by after the lose of two of their most beloved members. But the ride isn’t over, someone or something else is attacking the citizens of their town and savagely murder if them. What could it be? I love the characters in this book and can’t wait to read another installment. 3.5

I love the Evans women and this sequel was perfect! With even more twists and turns (and some tear jerking moments) this was everything I hoped it would be and more, left me with some questions but hopefully that will be wrapped up in the next book! I love love love this paranormal mystery series, it has a ton of heart and the characters are relatable and loveable (I love em s'much)

Thanks for the opportunity to read this book. However, I could not connect with it as much as I wished.

Even more suspenseful than Bless Your Heart! I love the Evans women and their men. One sweet scene with Luna and Crane had me in tears. There are still secrets to be revealed, hopefully in the next book.

UPDATE: it's true, I have to listen to these books. I gave the audio version of this one a five star review on here, so check that out if you are curious. It's a weird anomaly for me to only like something in audio, but it is what it is!

ORIGINAL REVIEW: it's an official thing: I cannot read these books. I received an ARC of the first book and struggled mightily, just as I did with this one. Then, later in the year, I received an audio copy of book one and REALLY enjoyed it. So apparently, this is a series that I have to listen to, not read. It's weird when that happens, but there are definitely books that I vastly prefer in one format or the other, so I guess I need to keep that in mind going forward. I liked the way this one opened, so will just have to wait for the audio and then should be set!

Incidentally, I read Ryan's "holiday" book (Cold Snap) as a physical book from my library and LOVED it, so it's not her writing. It must be something about this series - or perhaps the narration - that makes me prefer that format. <shrugging my shoulders> I'm going to give it 3 stars for now since I couldn't finish and will come back once I listen!

When finished Bless Your Heart I was hoping that this was going to be a series and I'm so glad Ryan wrote a sequel. I will continue to read this series as long as they keep coming. I adore all of the characters, and each one is definitely unique but relatable if you're from the south because southern women are sweet as pie but can stab just like the rest of 'em. (Seriously though, there's a bit of stabbing in this one too.)

In Another Fine Mess we have another killing spree happening but the dead aren't rising, so while the Evans family tried to figure out what is going on and the sheriff's keeping their secrets from the public before anymore people die can be a challenge. Especially, when they are still dealing with every day tasks, like homecoming, work, and a constantly flow of incoming bodies.

This book is the perfect sequel to Bless Your Heart! Full of twists and turns, the southern charm in this paranormal mystery was so fun! I really enjoyed this sequel and can’t wait to see what she comes up with next! I need the third book faster to find out why the dead won’t stay dead in this small Texas town.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.