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Bless Your Heart #1
Bless Your Heart
It’s 1999 in Southeast Texas and the Evans women, owners of the only funeral parlor in town, are keeping steady with…normal business. The dead die, you bury them. End of story. That’s how Ducey Evans has done it for the last eighty years, and her progeny―Lenore the experimenter and Grace, Lenore’s soft-hearted daughter, have run Evans Funeral Parlor for the last fifteen years without drama. Ever since That Godawful Mess that left two bodies in the ground and Grace raising her infant daughter Luna, alone.
But when town gossip Mina Jean Murphy’s body is brought in for a regular 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 ones who need to fight back to protect their town.
As more folks in town turn up dead and 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. As the saying goes, what rises up, must go back down. But as unspoken secrets and revelations spill from the past into the present, the Evans family must face that sometimes, the dead aren’t the only things you want to keep buried.
A crackling mystery-horror novel with big-hearted characters and blood-soaked Southern charm, Bless Your Heart is a gasp-worthy delight from start to finish.
But when town gossip Mina Jean Murphy’s body is brought in for a regular 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 ones who need to fight back to protect their town.
As more folks in town turn up dead and 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. As the saying goes, what rises up, must go back down. But as unspoken secrets and revelations spill from the past into the present, the Evans family must face that sometimes, the dead aren’t the only things you want to keep buried.
A crackling mystery-horror novel with big-hearted characters and blood-soaked Southern charm, Bless Your Heart is a gasp-worthy delight from start to finish.
Audiobook
First published April 9, 2024
353 people are currently reading
38313 people want to read
About the author
Lindy Ryan
32 books513 followersLindy Ryan is an award-winning author, anthologist, and short-film director whose books and anthologies have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Booklist and Library Journal. Several of her projects have been adapted for screen. Ryan is the current author-in-residence at Rue Morgue. Declared a “champion for women’s voices in horror” by Shelf Awareness, Ryan was named a Publishers Weekly Star Watch Honoree in 2020, and in 2022, was named one of horror's most masterful anthology curators. Born and raised in Southeast Texas, Ryan currently resides on the East Coast. She is a professor at Rutgers University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,506 reviews
March 7, 2024
Bless Your Heart is a fun, light, mystery horror novel, which I enjoyed taking a bite out it! The characters are quirky and fierce. I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narration and found to it be an entertaining listen.
1999, Texas
The Evans women (Ducey, Lenore, Grace, and now Luna) run the only funeral home in town. They have buried a lot of bodies; they have also had to deal with those that come back. When a local woman is brought in for burial, she rises from the dead. Here we go again! The Strigoi is/are back and the Evans women will need to take care of business yet again! Plus, Luna will learn more about herself in the process.
I enjoyed this audiobook and story. It's the first book in a new series and left me wanting to know what will happen next. I enjoyed the spunky Evans women and their banter with each other. If you enjoy mysteries and some light horror this book might be for you. I found it to be fun, captivating and nicely paced. Plus, it’s not scary, this book wont keep you up at night but it will entertain and maybe have you cracking a smile or two.
3.5 stars
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.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
1999, Texas
The Evans women (Ducey, Lenore, Grace, and now Luna) run the only funeral home in town. They have buried a lot of bodies; they have also had to deal with those that come back. When a local woman is brought in for burial, she rises from the dead. Here we go again! The Strigoi is/are back and the Evans women will need to take care of business yet again! Plus, Luna will learn more about herself in the process.
I enjoyed this audiobook and story. It's the first book in a new series and left me wanting to know what will happen next. I enjoyed the spunky Evans women and their banter with each other. If you enjoy mysteries and some light horror this book might be for you. I found it to be fun, captivating and nicely paced. Plus, it’s not scary, this book wont keep you up at night but it will entertain and maybe have you cracking a smile or two.
3.5 stars
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.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
April 27, 2025
**3.5-stars rounded up**
Bless Your Heart is a Cozy Mystery-meets-Horror novel that I never knew I needed!
This was so stinking cute. My Horror Heart adored it. It was way more graphic than I expected and I loved the small town Southern vibes. Bonus: it's 1999!
Set in Southeast Texas, this story focuses on the Evans women, who are the owner/operators of Evans Funeral Parlor. Their small town has a bit of a history with the dead becoming restless and the Evans are well-versed in making sure they meet their final rest.
The town has spent the last 15-years in peaceful normalcy. That's a pretty long stretch, and it's about to end.
When the town gossip, Mina Jean Murphy’s, body is brought to the Evans for a regular burial, yet she rises from the dead instead, it’s clear that the Strigoi problem is back.
We then follow along, both with the Evans women, and with a local Deputy, Roger Taylor, as they try to figure out what has caused this recent unrest, and as they try to stop it.
This was so fun. The small town vibes, family dynamics and the horror elements, were all very well done.
I was actually surprised at how graphic some of the darker scenes actually were. It was great, just the dichotomy between the cozy and the dark. I loved that part.
It was giving me Sunnydale, but the Texas version, and it was giving me The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, mixed with a touch of Designing Women. I was here for every minute of it.
I listened to the audiobook and absolutely recommend that format if it's an option for you. The narration style of Stephanie Nemeth-Parker fits the overall story so well.
For me, the only critique is that I wanted a bit more of the mystery. I wanted more substance, more suspense, but I am hoping as the series continues the balance between the other elements and the mystery will balance out.
Speaking of 'the series', I'm so happy to learn this is going to be a series. I feel like the more time we get to spend with the Evans, the more attached to them we'll become and the more we'll see them grow and change.
I'm particularly interested in Luna, as she's the youngest, so it'll be interesting to watch her learn about their powers and responsibility and see how she is going to use it.
If you are someone who enjoys Horror, but also love Cozy Mysteries ((like me)), you have to check this one out. I don't think I've ever really read anything like it and I'm definitely looking forward to more in this charming Southern setting.
Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Lindy Ryan, you've impressed me. I can't wait for more!
Bless Your Heart is a Cozy Mystery-meets-Horror novel that I never knew I needed!
This was so stinking cute. My Horror Heart adored it. It was way more graphic than I expected and I loved the small town Southern vibes. Bonus: it's 1999!
Set in Southeast Texas, this story focuses on the Evans women, who are the owner/operators of Evans Funeral Parlor. Their small town has a bit of a history with the dead becoming restless and the Evans are well-versed in making sure they meet their final rest.
The town has spent the last 15-years in peaceful normalcy. That's a pretty long stretch, and it's about to end.
When the town gossip, Mina Jean Murphy’s, body is brought to the Evans for a regular burial, yet she rises from the dead instead, it’s clear that the Strigoi problem is back.
We then follow along, both with the Evans women, and with a local Deputy, Roger Taylor, as they try to figure out what has caused this recent unrest, and as they try to stop it.
This was so fun. The small town vibes, family dynamics and the horror elements, were all very well done.
I was actually surprised at how graphic some of the darker scenes actually were. It was great, just the dichotomy between the cozy and the dark. I loved that part.
It was giving me Sunnydale, but the Texas version, and it was giving me The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, mixed with a touch of Designing Women. I was here for every minute of it.
I listened to the audiobook and absolutely recommend that format if it's an option for you. The narration style of Stephanie Nemeth-Parker fits the overall story so well.
For me, the only critique is that I wanted a bit more of the mystery. I wanted more substance, more suspense, but I am hoping as the series continues the balance between the other elements and the mystery will balance out.
Speaking of 'the series', I'm so happy to learn this is going to be a series. I feel like the more time we get to spend with the Evans, the more attached to them we'll become and the more we'll see them grow and change.
I'm particularly interested in Luna, as she's the youngest, so it'll be interesting to watch her learn about their powers and responsibility and see how she is going to use it.
If you are someone who enjoys Horror, but also love Cozy Mysteries ((like me)), you have to check this one out. I don't think I've ever really read anything like it and I'm definitely looking forward to more in this charming Southern setting.
Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Lindy Ryan, you've impressed me. I can't wait for more!
June 25, 2024
I think the adorable cover made me request this one!
I listened to the audio and it was well done, although I'm probably not the right audience. This wasn't scary, but too graphic/gory-ish for my taste. I enjoyed the characters though and wanted to see how the Evan's women dealt with the "new arrivals" coming to their funeral parlor.
I also enjoyed the small town Texas setting. People are disappearing and Deputy Roger Taylor has suspicions and starts asking a lot of questions. Secrets, Strigoi (vampire-ish people), and fighting the un-dead made this one a rather strange and at times cringy read!
Thanks to NetGalley for my arc. This one is OUT as of April 9, 2024
August 30, 2024
This was fine for a debut. I really liked the overall concept of a generational story of women working in an unlikely industry. There were some pretty gruesome horror elements which I absolutely appreciated. When it wasn't giving horror, it felt more like a cozy mystery lacking in humor.
Unfortunately, I don't think I vibed with the writing style. The Southern banter went a little too hard and grated on my nerves, and some of it just got so redundant. Ducey (the great grandmother character) was sucking on butterscotch candies about every 10 pages. Honestly, it was 31 times in the book which is at least 21 times too many! The big secrets that were revealed in the second half weren't that big or secretive, and the family drama was just way to easily resolved. The ending wasn't bad, but it felt rushed.
2.5⭐
Unfortunately, I don't think I vibed with the writing style. The Southern banter went a little too hard and grated on my nerves, and some of it just got so redundant. Ducey (the great grandmother character) was sucking on butterscotch candies about every 10 pages. Honestly, it was 31 times in the book which is at least 21 times too many! The big secrets that were revealed in the second half weren't that big or secretive, and the family drama was just way to easily resolved. The ending wasn't bad, but it felt rushed.
2.5⭐
June 29, 2024
Bless Your Heart has a lot to love with interesting family dynamics, light horror and humor, diverse characters, and a unique premise all wrapped up in a Southern Fiction story.
There are also vampires, specifically, ones that are called Strigoi. In Romanian mythology, Strigoi are said to be troubled spirits that rise from the grave. They can be quite troublesome and in 1999, in a small town in Southeast Texas, they're giving Evans Funeral Parlor, quite the time of it.
The four generations of Evans women who own this local funeral parlor are doing their level best to get a handle on the Strigoi issue while protecting certain secrets that need to remain buried...
Bless Your Heart was more entertaining than scary and heads up if blood and gore aren't your thing. It's plentiful here. I did enjoy the strong female characters from the Evans family but I wanted more backstory about them and less Southern chatter that slowed things down. Was I the only one who thought the Strigoi felt more like zombies than vampires? That's just me wondering out loud.
This was an immersion read where I preferred the digital version over the audio, narrated by Stephanie Németh-Parker. Her voicing was stellar but again, the Southern chatter wore me down.
If you enjoy light Horror mixed with Southern Fiction Bless Your Heart may be the beginning of a great series for you!
3.5⭐
Thank you to Minotaur Books, Macmillan Audio, and Lindy Ryan for a DRC and an ALC of this book through NetGalley. It has been a pleasure to give my honest and voluntary review.
There are also vampires, specifically, ones that are called Strigoi. In Romanian mythology, Strigoi are said to be troubled spirits that rise from the grave. They can be quite troublesome and in 1999, in a small town in Southeast Texas, they're giving Evans Funeral Parlor, quite the time of it.
The four generations of Evans women who own this local funeral parlor are doing their level best to get a handle on the Strigoi issue while protecting certain secrets that need to remain buried...
Bless Your Heart was more entertaining than scary and heads up if blood and gore aren't your thing. It's plentiful here. I did enjoy the strong female characters from the Evans family but I wanted more backstory about them and less Southern chatter that slowed things down. Was I the only one who thought the Strigoi felt more like zombies than vampires? That's just me wondering out loud.
This was an immersion read where I preferred the digital version over the audio, narrated by Stephanie Németh-Parker. Her voicing was stellar but again, the Southern chatter wore me down.
If you enjoy light Horror mixed with Southern Fiction Bless Your Heart may be the beginning of a great series for you!
3.5⭐
Thank you to Minotaur Books, Macmillan Audio, and Lindy Ryan for a DRC and an ALC of this book through NetGalley. It has been a pleasure to give my honest and voluntary review.
May 27, 2024
A family job!
The Evans women have kept the town safe from Strigoi for decades as the owners of the Evans Funeral Parlor where they can dispose of the spreading evil around town.
Ducey Evans is in her eighties, Lenore is her daughter, and Grace is Lenore's daughter. Last, there is Luna. She is Grace's daughter. A teenager who doesn't know what her family's job really is.
When several bodies start rising, Ducey, Lenore, and Grace know what they have to do.
Bless Your Heart was a light horror novel. At times, the pace was slow and for me, the "Strigoi" felt more like ghouls than vampires.
Cliffhanger: No
3/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by Minotaur Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
The Evans women have kept the town safe from Strigoi for decades as the owners of the Evans Funeral Parlor where they can dispose of the spreading evil around town.
Ducey Evans is in her eighties, Lenore is her daughter, and Grace is Lenore's daughter. Last, there is Luna. She is Grace's daughter. A teenager who doesn't know what her family's job really is.
When several bodies start rising, Ducey, Lenore, and Grace know what they have to do.
Bless Your Heart was a light horror novel. At times, the pace was slow and for me, the "Strigoi" felt more like ghouls than vampires.
Cliffhanger: No
3/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by Minotaur Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
April 7, 2024
Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan is the first book in a new series by the same title, Bless You Heart. This series is a mix of humorous horror with a murder mystery underneath and does tell the story by changing the point of view between multiple characters in the book.
The Evans Funeral Parlor is a family business and for years the Evans woman have been running it without incident. Things have been running so smoothly for the Evan’s family that teenager, Luna, doesn’t even know the real business that the family take care of behind the door of the funeral parlor.
The day has come however for all of the four generations of Evans women to jump right back into business when the body of Mina Jean Murphy is brought to the parlor and she seems to be waking right back up. This is where Luna learns her heritage and just how to really kill an ancient Strigoi, an original vampire.
Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan is sort of like taking the quirkiness and eccentricities of a humorous cozy mystery and combining it with some light horror. Yes, there are murderous vampires on the loose but there’s also some laughs and certainly an interesting family at the center of the story. I did rate this first book at three and a half stars thinking there was a lot thrown into the mix for the first book and I felt I could’ve gotten to know the characters a bit better but I have a feeling that the series will only continue to grow on me as it continues on.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
The Evans Funeral Parlor is a family business and for years the Evans woman have been running it without incident. Things have been running so smoothly for the Evan’s family that teenager, Luna, doesn’t even know the real business that the family take care of behind the door of the funeral parlor.
The day has come however for all of the four generations of Evans women to jump right back into business when the body of Mina Jean Murphy is brought to the parlor and she seems to be waking right back up. This is where Luna learns her heritage and just how to really kill an ancient Strigoi, an original vampire.
Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan is sort of like taking the quirkiness and eccentricities of a humorous cozy mystery and combining it with some light horror. Yes, there are murderous vampires on the loose but there’s also some laughs and certainly an interesting family at the center of the story. I did rate this first book at three and a half stars thinking there was a lot thrown into the mix for the first book and I felt I could’ve gotten to know the characters a bit better but I have a feeling that the series will only continue to grow on me as it continues on.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
April 14, 2025
Fun book. Easy read. Quirky. Nothing heavy at all which is what I needed at this moment. So it hit the spot for me.
It's in the horror genre, but it was ridiculous enough that it made me laugh. I'll be reading the second book too once I can get a copy from the library.
It's in the horror genre, but it was ridiculous enough that it made me laugh. I'll be reading the second book too once I can get a copy from the library.
April 6, 2024
I made it to 67% before I finally gave up. I was going to quit reading this book earlier, but there are so many happy readers that I thought I must be missing something and kept plowing on. I don't believe I was missing anything except the time I gave to keep on reading.
I do admire all the readers who found this a worthwhile book. Apparently, it is not my cup of tea for several reasons:
1) I'm just not that into extremely descriptive blood and guts scenes.
2) I don't like books that are filled with repetition and not action.
3) Reading about these Evens women running around doing nothing annoyed me.
4) Hearing about "the god awful mess" of 15 years ago, without an explanation, grated on my nerves.
5) The habit of some of the older women, such as sucking on candy constantly, made me want to smack something or somebody.
All in all, I can recommend this book to those who don't mind reading about gore and willy-nilly high drama.
*ARC supplied by the publisher Minotaur Books, the author, and NetGalley.
I do admire all the readers who found this a worthwhile book. Apparently, it is not my cup of tea for several reasons:
1) I'm just not that into extremely descriptive blood and guts scenes.
2) I don't like books that are filled with repetition and not action.
3) Reading about these Evens women running around doing nothing annoyed me.
4) Hearing about "the god awful mess" of 15 years ago, without an explanation, grated on my nerves.
5) The habit of some of the older women, such as sucking on candy constantly, made me want to smack something or somebody.
All in all, I can recommend this book to those who don't mind reading about gore and willy-nilly high drama.
*ARC supplied by the publisher Minotaur Books, the author, and NetGalley.
April 1, 2024
Lindy Ryan's upcoming novel, BLESS YOUR HEART, is the perfect combination of Elle Cosimano's Finlay Donovan series meets Grady Hendrix's A Southern Bookclub's Guide to Slaying Vampires. I knew this book would be a bit campy, but I had a total blast listening to the audiobook.
The story focuses on the Evans women, a family who runs a small Texan town funeral parlor. They have an interesting, yet pivotal role within their community. Their role within helping settle the dead becomes apparent when they have a body rise from dead and shows that the town is in trouble. It becomes clear to the Evans women that the Strigoi, the original vampire, is back and they're the only women who know how to fight back. As more bodies begin to pile up, the local police get into the crosshairs of the Evans women, but the two forces definitely have a contentious relationship and both want to keep their secrets buried.
This book was a bit slow, but a total fun ride. The audiobook's narration was expertly done and I really enjoyed how the story developed. The book alludes to this being a series and I definitely can see that being the case with how the book ended (although still can end as a standalone if needed). I am unsure I will continue with this possible series, but I can totally see this being a television or streaming series. Definitely a high-point for the year so far with my reading!
The story focuses on the Evans women, a family who runs a small Texan town funeral parlor. They have an interesting, yet pivotal role within their community. Their role within helping settle the dead becomes apparent when they have a body rise from dead and shows that the town is in trouble. It becomes clear to the Evans women that the Strigoi, the original vampire, is back and they're the only women who know how to fight back. As more bodies begin to pile up, the local police get into the crosshairs of the Evans women, but the two forces definitely have a contentious relationship and both want to keep their secrets buried.
This book was a bit slow, but a total fun ride. The audiobook's narration was expertly done and I really enjoyed how the story developed. The book alludes to this being a series and I definitely can see that being the case with how the book ended (although still can end as a standalone if needed). I am unsure I will continue with this possible series, but I can totally see this being a television or streaming series. Definitely a high-point for the year so far with my reading!
September 6, 2024
This was so middle of the road for me. It was fine, there is nothing objectively bad about this book nor is there anything objectively great about this book. I know for sure that I will not think about this book again, unfortunately it is just rather forgettable for me.
There were way too many POVs and all the characters were incredibly flat for me. There was nothing gripping me to the story.
I don't think I understood the purpose of the book.
𖤓 Was it to be a horror? Because it wasn't scary to me.
𖤓 Was it about a family dynamic? Because the family fell so flat for me.
𖤓 Was it a fresh take on vampires? Because it didn't feel particularly distinct.
Overall I just don't think this books intentions were clear and the characters were not strong enough to carry the story either.
There were way too many POVs and all the characters were incredibly flat for me. There was nothing gripping me to the story.
I don't think I understood the purpose of the book.
𖤓 Was it to be a horror? Because it wasn't scary to me.
𖤓 Was it about a family dynamic? Because the family fell so flat for me.
𖤓 Was it a fresh take on vampires? Because it didn't feel particularly distinct.
Overall I just don't think this books intentions were clear and the characters were not strong enough to carry the story either.
April 20, 2024
I enjoyed this a totally normal amount (read: I'm obsessed). I knew this would be my type of read the second it crossed my Goodreads feed and boy, was I right.
It has everything I love, a cozy small town setting, hilarious characters, a mystery and VAMPIRES!!! Vampires make everything better, lemme tell you.
I highly recommend the audiobook because the narrator is brilliant and perfectly brought all the characters to life, giving them all a unique voice. It was such an amazing experience listening to this, and I'd do it again!!
The plot was giving Supernatural, with the whole "saving people, hunting things (strigoi), the family business", except the Evans women don't have to leave their backyard to do it!
I was surprised at which characters died, some were actually really important, but the author wasn't shy about doing away with them. It hurts a little, not gonna lie. So when you start this, be warned, no one is safe.
The ending was so good and made me so excited for the next book...which isn't coming for another year. Do you think I can wait that long??? Huh, do you???
While looking for the author's newsletter, I found out that THIS BOOK/SERIES IS GETTING TURNED INTO A TV SHOW AAAAAH!!!!!! Which is honestly just perfect because I can imagine it like a mix of True Blood & Supernatural, but still with its own twist.
I cannot wait for both the next instalment and the TV show, I know both will be bangers.
It has everything I love, a cozy small town setting, hilarious characters, a mystery and VAMPIRES!!! Vampires make everything better, lemme tell you.
I highly recommend the audiobook because the narrator is brilliant and perfectly brought all the characters to life, giving them all a unique voice. It was such an amazing experience listening to this, and I'd do it again!!
The plot was giving Supernatural, with the whole "saving people, hunting things (strigoi), the family business", except the Evans women don't have to leave their backyard to do it!
I was surprised at which characters died, some were actually really important, but the author wasn't shy about doing away with them. It hurts a little, not gonna lie. So when you start this, be warned, no one is safe.
The ending was so good and made me so excited for the next book...which isn't coming for another year. Do you think I can wait that long??? Huh, do you???
While looking for the author's newsletter, I found out that THIS BOOK/SERIES IS GETTING TURNED INTO A TV SHOW AAAAAH!!!!!! Which is honestly just perfect because I can imagine it like a mix of True Blood & Supernatural, but still with its own twist.
I cannot wait for both the next instalment and the TV show, I know both will be bangers.
March 6, 2025
3.75 rounded up!
Title/Author: Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Minotaur (St. Martin's Press)
Format: Audiobook (Libro FM)
Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: The Darkest Night (editor), Mother Knows Best (editor), Into the Forest: Tales of Baba Yaga, Under Her Skin Anthology
Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978125088...
Release Date: April 9th, 2024
General Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller/Crime
Sub-Genre/Themes: Vampires, small Southern town, police investigation, monster hunters, funeral parlor,
Writing Style: Character-driven, dialog heavy, first-person narratives, multiple POV, large cast
What You Need to Know: "A crackling mystery-horror novel with big-hearted characters and Southern charm with a bite, Bless Your Heart is a gasp-worthy delight from start to finish from debut author Lindy Ryan."
My Reading Experience: Listening to Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan was entertaining and accessible. I looked forward to spending time with it on my long walks around the neighborhood. Thanks to its rich character work and engaging dialogue, the story is easy to invest in. With a large cast, the novel captures Southern charm and humor that gave me Fried Green Tomatoes vibes while also weaving in gruesome and fascinating Strigoi lore. I love the Evans family and the setting of their family-owned funeral parlor.
The slow-burn storytelling style includes micro-detailed descriptions of movements, facial expressions, and fleeting thoughts, which sometimes slows down the pacing. However, the blend of horror, humor, and heart makes this a promising start to a series with broad appeal. Lindy's writing style will be compatible with fans of Rachel Harrison and Grady Hendrix. I need the UK edition. The cover perfectly captures the spirit of the book with the 1950s style housewife looking glamorous in her coffin and little bite marks on her neck.
Final Recommendation: This book is nominated for a Bram Stoker Award (2024)! I'm excited for the next book in the series and could see this being a big hit for a wide fanbase of readers who show up for horror/thriller genre blending. The small-town gossip and large cast of interesting/memorable characters are entertaining. Just enough gruesome, gory details to keep horror fans happy, too.
Comps: The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix, Cackle by Rachel Harrison, Cutting Teeth by Chandler Baker
Title/Author: Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Minotaur (St. Martin's Press)
Format: Audiobook (Libro FM)
Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: The Darkest Night (editor), Mother Knows Best (editor), Into the Forest: Tales of Baba Yaga, Under Her Skin Anthology
Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978125088...
Release Date: April 9th, 2024
General Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller/Crime
Sub-Genre/Themes: Vampires, small Southern town, police investigation, monster hunters, funeral parlor,
Writing Style: Character-driven, dialog heavy, first-person narratives, multiple POV, large cast
What You Need to Know: "A crackling mystery-horror novel with big-hearted characters and Southern charm with a bite, Bless Your Heart is a gasp-worthy delight from start to finish from debut author Lindy Ryan."
My Reading Experience: Listening to Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan was entertaining and accessible. I looked forward to spending time with it on my long walks around the neighborhood. Thanks to its rich character work and engaging dialogue, the story is easy to invest in. With a large cast, the novel captures Southern charm and humor that gave me Fried Green Tomatoes vibes while also weaving in gruesome and fascinating Strigoi lore. I love the Evans family and the setting of their family-owned funeral parlor.
The slow-burn storytelling style includes micro-detailed descriptions of movements, facial expressions, and fleeting thoughts, which sometimes slows down the pacing. However, the blend of horror, humor, and heart makes this a promising start to a series with broad appeal. Lindy's writing style will be compatible with fans of Rachel Harrison and Grady Hendrix. I need the UK edition. The cover perfectly captures the spirit of the book with the 1950s style housewife looking glamorous in her coffin and little bite marks on her neck.
Final Recommendation: This book is nominated for a Bram Stoker Award (2024)! I'm excited for the next book in the series and could see this being a big hit for a wide fanbase of readers who show up for horror/thriller genre blending. The small-town gossip and large cast of interesting/memorable characters are entertaining. Just enough gruesome, gory details to keep horror fans happy, too.
Comps: The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix, Cackle by Rachel Harrison, Cutting Teeth by Chandler Baker
January 21, 2024
The Evans women are the owners of the only funeral parlor in town. When the dead die, they busy them. The end. That’s how it’s always been.
But when town gossips Mina Jean Murphy’s body is brought in for a regular burial and she rises from the dead, its clear that the original vampires are back. Good thing the Evans women are there to fight to put them back.
As more folks in town end up dead, the deputies begin asking questions and the Evans women must figure out who’s behind the vampires return. As the saying goes, what goes up, must go down. As secrets are revealed, the Evans family must face that sometime, the dead aren’t the only things you want to keep buried.
This was a quick and interesting read. I thought that it was a fun take on a horror story, though it wasn’t exactly dark horror, more lighthearted horror or horror adjacent. The Evans family was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed getting to know their characters, but I felt that this book was a little bogged down. There were so many points of view in the book I don’t think that we got to know any of the characters on a deeper level. I wish that that this one would have been told through maybe 2 to 3 points of view and we could have gotten to know them on a deeper, less superficial level. The story itself however was rather compelling and kept the story moving. I do feel like this book was a little slower than I would have preferred, it took a while for things to pick up and take off and I would have preferred we got to the meat of the story a little quicker. I felt that by the time we knew what was going on the book was almost over and there wasn’t time to finalize things nicely, and therefore I felt the ending was a little rushed. I do think that this book had a lot of potential, and it was a fun quick read. I would recommend it to some looking for a lighthearted horror read.
Thank you so much to the publisher, St Martins Press @StMartinsPress and Netgalley @Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
But when town gossips Mina Jean Murphy’s body is brought in for a regular burial and she rises from the dead, its clear that the original vampires are back. Good thing the Evans women are there to fight to put them back.
As more folks in town end up dead, the deputies begin asking questions and the Evans women must figure out who’s behind the vampires return. As the saying goes, what goes up, must go down. As secrets are revealed, the Evans family must face that sometime, the dead aren’t the only things you want to keep buried.
This was a quick and interesting read. I thought that it was a fun take on a horror story, though it wasn’t exactly dark horror, more lighthearted horror or horror adjacent. The Evans family was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed getting to know their characters, but I felt that this book was a little bogged down. There were so many points of view in the book I don’t think that we got to know any of the characters on a deeper level. I wish that that this one would have been told through maybe 2 to 3 points of view and we could have gotten to know them on a deeper, less superficial level. The story itself however was rather compelling and kept the story moving. I do feel like this book was a little slower than I would have preferred, it took a while for things to pick up and take off and I would have preferred we got to the meat of the story a little quicker. I felt that by the time we knew what was going on the book was almost over and there wasn’t time to finalize things nicely, and therefore I felt the ending was a little rushed. I do think that this book had a lot of potential, and it was a fun quick read. I would recommend it to some looking for a lighthearted horror read.
Thank you so much to the publisher, St Martins Press @StMartinsPress and Netgalley @Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
March 8, 2025
Small town murder mystery meets graphic horror in this story of the Evans women, who keep the undead in check.
"...every now and then a body would rise, unfinished and hungry for a second bite at the life it had left behind."
I learned the hard way that I shouldn't read this mystery-horror novel right before bed. When I say that's it's graphic, I mean Gory with a capital G (which I loved; chants: bring on the gore!). Think faces eaten off, brain matter splattered, and internal organs spilling out of razed corpses, etc. Lindy Ryan is so adept at crafting these scenes that I saw these bleeding bodies in mydreams nightmares. 😱
I enjoyed the hints of Southern charm throughout this book, and I loved seeing four generations of women work together to keep their town safe. I was less interested in following Deputy Roger Taylor, who arrives after the victims' bodies have been eviscerated. Since we already know what's tearing these people apart, the deputy's repeated speculations that it might not be animal attacks and may have something to do with the Evans sisters felt superfluous.
I felt the same way about Ducey Evans' love of butterscotch candies. She pops so many into her mouth throughout the book that I began to feel resentful of those little hard-candy sweets. I hoped they would prove significant in some way (e.g., maybe Ducey would turn out to be an undead and the candies were a way to mask her foul breath), but alas, she just really likes butterscotch candies. Like, A LOT.
I was also under the impression that the Evans women would get out and actually hunt the undead, but they mostly stay in their funeral home and stab things at a leisurely pace. But Ryan does eventually deliver some satisfying slaying, which I was pleased to see. 😎🔪
Finally, if I'm being completely honest, I don't fully understand the ending. I think I know what Ryan is hinting at, but not with certainty, and that's disappointing. But a lot of people seem to really like the ending, so this is probably just a me problem.
Overall, I found Bless Your Heart a delightfully gory and entertaining read. I'd have loved to pick it up during the month of October when the weather is ripe for haunting reads. And I can definitely see myself giving the second book a chance in the future.
P.S. Why does the cover feature a woman with vampire teeth? There are no vampires in this book. Did I miss something?
"...every now and then a body would rise, unfinished and hungry for a second bite at the life it had left behind."
I learned the hard way that I shouldn't read this mystery-horror novel right before bed. When I say that's it's graphic, I mean Gory with a capital G (which I loved; chants: bring on the gore!). Think faces eaten off, brain matter splattered, and internal organs spilling out of razed corpses, etc. Lindy Ryan is so adept at crafting these scenes that I saw these bleeding bodies in my
I enjoyed the hints of Southern charm throughout this book, and I loved seeing four generations of women work together to keep their town safe. I was less interested in following Deputy Roger Taylor, who arrives after the victims' bodies have been eviscerated. Since we already know what's tearing these people apart, the deputy's repeated speculations that it might not be animal attacks and may have something to do with the Evans sisters felt superfluous.
I felt the same way about Ducey Evans' love of butterscotch candies. She pops so many into her mouth throughout the book that I began to feel resentful of those little hard-candy sweets. I hoped they would prove significant in some way (e.g., maybe Ducey would turn out to be an undead and the candies were a way to mask her foul breath), but alas, she just really likes butterscotch candies. Like, A LOT.
I was also under the impression that the Evans women would get out and actually hunt the undead, but they mostly stay in their funeral home and stab things at a leisurely pace. But Ryan does eventually deliver some satisfying slaying, which I was pleased to see. 😎🔪
Finally, if I'm being completely honest, I don't fully understand the ending. I think I know what Ryan is hinting at, but not with certainty, and that's disappointing. But a lot of people seem to really like the ending, so this is probably just a me problem.
Overall, I found Bless Your Heart a delightfully gory and entertaining read. I'd have loved to pick it up during the month of October when the weather is ripe for haunting reads. And I can definitely see myself giving the second book a chance in the future.
P.S. Why does the cover feature a woman with vampire teeth? There are no vampires in this book. Did I miss something?
March 1, 2024
TLDR: Too much talk about butterscotch candies & not enough talk about everything else. This book may be about slaying the undead, but it was not a slay.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for offering an audiobook in exchange for an honest review. The audiobook itself was extraordinarily well done. The narrator was truly exceptional at giving different characters their own voices which made it easy to follow along with who was speaking.
However, the story itself I found to be lacking. I was SO excited for a book about 4 generations of Southern Women taking on the undead. The execution of this idea fell short for me. There was too much filler in the beginning and none of it made me feel particularly connected to any of the characters.
A lot of the explanation didn’t come until the very end. Even the explanation had me scratching my head wondering if maybe I dozed off during a crucial part of the story. After reading a lot of other reviews, I don’t think I did.
Hopefully book 2 will fill in some of the gaps and fix some problems I had with this book, but I don’t think I will be reading it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for offering an audiobook in exchange for an honest review. The audiobook itself was extraordinarily well done. The narrator was truly exceptional at giving different characters their own voices which made it easy to follow along with who was speaking.
However, the story itself I found to be lacking. I was SO excited for a book about 4 generations of Southern Women taking on the undead. The execution of this idea fell short for me. There was too much filler in the beginning and none of it made me feel particularly connected to any of the characters.
A lot of the explanation didn’t come until the very end. Even the explanation had me scratching my head wondering if maybe I dozed off during a crucial part of the story. After reading a lot of other reviews, I don’t think I did.
Hopefully book 2 will fill in some of the gaps and fix some problems I had with this book, but I don’t think I will be reading it.
April 11, 2024
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 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 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.
🔪𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 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.
October 12, 2023
I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. A multigenerational family of women running a funeral home and keeping the town safe from the undead. You couldn't help but fall in love with this group. The writing was engaging and the plot kept me turning pages.
March 31, 2024
Bless Your Heart
by Lindy Ryan
Horror Paranormal
NetGalley ARC
Pub Date: Apr. 9, 2024
St. Martin's Press
Ages: 15+
In Southeast Texas, the Evans family are the owners of the only funeral home in town, and while it's a normal business, the other members of the community think it's weird that the owners are, and have always been, women, because 'it's a man's job', but the men in their lives have either passed on or left town.
Luna is the youngest of the four women, raised by her single mom, Grace, with the help of Grace's mother, Lenore, and Lenore's mother Ducey. And for the last fifteen years, after the 'Godawful Mess' which was the reason Grace had to raise Luna alone, all has been quiet.
That was until Mina's body was brought in, and as she laid in her coffin before her service, she rose from the dead as a Strigoi. But the Evans women know how to deal with that, but they also know, that when one rises, more will follow until they find the Strigoi that fed off of Mina and stop it.
Selecting this book, I thought I was getting a humorous vampire story, but sadly, it wasn't all that funny, nor are the creatures your typical vampires.
Yes, there were funnies, but nothing that made me laugh out loud, mostly I just snort/laughed a few times. And for the Strigoi/vampires; I interpreted them as more zombies because they just tore and swallowed, though it was never explained how they were able to feed off a human without killing them/not leaving a mark.
The characters were great, all had their own little quirks, but they did blend together here and there, and got confusing on who was who and their age order. (Kid- kid's mom, kid's grandmother, kid's great-grandmother.)
As for the reason/person it all started with, the how was not really explained, or if it could happen again the same way, and for the Strigoi that fed from the first victim, I guessed who it was pretty quickly.
It's not a bad story, there is humor, and language, and even though there's not a lot of blood and guts, there is violence, making it suitable for readers 15+.
3 Stars
by Lindy Ryan
Horror Paranormal
NetGalley ARC
Pub Date: Apr. 9, 2024
St. Martin's Press
Ages: 15+
In Southeast Texas, the Evans family are the owners of the only funeral home in town, and while it's a normal business, the other members of the community think it's weird that the owners are, and have always been, women, because 'it's a man's job', but the men in their lives have either passed on or left town.
Luna is the youngest of the four women, raised by her single mom, Grace, with the help of Grace's mother, Lenore, and Lenore's mother Ducey. And for the last fifteen years, after the 'Godawful Mess' which was the reason Grace had to raise Luna alone, all has been quiet.
That was until Mina's body was brought in, and as she laid in her coffin before her service, she rose from the dead as a Strigoi. But the Evans women know how to deal with that, but they also know, that when one rises, more will follow until they find the Strigoi that fed off of Mina and stop it.
Selecting this book, I thought I was getting a humorous vampire story, but sadly, it wasn't all that funny, nor are the creatures your typical vampires.
Yes, there were funnies, but nothing that made me laugh out loud, mostly I just snort/laughed a few times. And for the Strigoi/vampires; I interpreted them as more zombies because they just tore and swallowed, though it was never explained how they were able to feed off a human without killing them/not leaving a mark.
The characters were great, all had their own little quirks, but they did blend together here and there, and got confusing on who was who and their age order. (Kid- kid's mom, kid's grandmother, kid's great-grandmother.)
As for the reason/person it all started with, the how was not really explained, or if it could happen again the same way, and for the Strigoi that fed from the first victim, I guessed who it was pretty quickly.
It's not a bad story, there is humor, and language, and even though there's not a lot of blood and guts, there is violence, making it suitable for readers 15+.
3 Stars
Read
May 6, 2025Southern revenant-corpse story. Great premise but the pacing is exceedingly leisurely, meaning I had too much time to think up plot niggles. DNF @40%
October 27, 2023
I cannot resist a southern tale involving vampires, especially when it gives off Grady Hendrix vibes. But it didn’t quite live up to what I had hoped it would be.
Don’t get me wrong. This was a fun story. Fun, but not necessarily funny. I expected more humor from it, but that’s okay. It had plenty of other things going for it.
For example, it has four generations of southern women fighting vampires. I loved that!
It also has some rather horrific scenes, a couple fantastic twists, and an action packed ending.
I did feel there was a bit of repetitive filler, but it still moved along at a steady pace.
My biggest problem is solely a “me” problem, and not a flaw within the book. I’d also like to blame Mr. Hendrix for this, though. He has caused me to go into campy horror with the belief that there will also be strong social commentary involved. I had erroneous expectations here and that’s not fair to the story, but I would have enjoyed it a lot more if those expectations had been met.
I am immensely grateful to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.
Don’t get me wrong. This was a fun story. Fun, but not necessarily funny. I expected more humor from it, but that’s okay. It had plenty of other things going for it.
For example, it has four generations of southern women fighting vampires. I loved that!
It also has some rather horrific scenes, a couple fantastic twists, and an action packed ending.
I did feel there was a bit of repetitive filler, but it still moved along at a steady pace.
My biggest problem is solely a “me” problem, and not a flaw within the book. I’d also like to blame Mr. Hendrix for this, though. He has caused me to go into campy horror with the belief that there will also be strong social commentary involved. I had erroneous expectations here and that’s not fair to the story, but I would have enjoyed it a lot more if those expectations had been met.
I am immensely grateful to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.
October 13, 2024
I wanted to DNF this book multiple times. When you’re at page 200/295 and absolutely NOTHING has happened… there’s a problem. At one point I legitimately thought, “this might be the most ridiculously dumb book I’ve ever read.”
I feel like this book is what you’d get if you took all the sex appeal out of True Blood and 3/4 main characters were shittier versions of Sookie’s grandma. When the author tried to throw in southern dialect here and there it sounded absurdly cringe. Lenore’s dead husband is named Jimmy Stewart and described as being a Marine with long jowls and a soft smile… please be for real. If I had to read one more time about Ducey, “sucking on a butterscotch,” I was going to LOSE IT. I honestly should have kept track of how many times that was said, but to quote Lindsay Lohan, “the limit does not exist.”
Everything about the premise ended up being nonsense. The “strigoi” are supposed to be these horrific monsters, but almost always die immediately upon trying to come back from the dead. The few that don’t are all taken out by 50-80 year old women in the last 5 pages, not exactly the nightmare the strigoi are alleged to be.
The secrets that come out at the end are very obvious from the beginning and the fact that it was dragged out so long before being “revealed,” kept the story from ever moving forward. Crane is the only semi interesting character (eye roll at the name) and we barely see him.
After looking on Goodreads I saw this book is getting a sequel and I cannot fathom how or why. I guess that will be when something actually happens on page…? I’ll never know because I won’t be reading.
I feel like this book is what you’d get if you took all the sex appeal out of True Blood and 3/4 main characters were shittier versions of Sookie’s grandma. When the author tried to throw in southern dialect here and there it sounded absurdly cringe. Lenore’s dead husband is named Jimmy Stewart and described as being a Marine with long jowls and a soft smile… please be for real. If I had to read one more time about Ducey, “sucking on a butterscotch,” I was going to LOSE IT. I honestly should have kept track of how many times that was said, but to quote Lindsay Lohan, “the limit does not exist.”
Everything about the premise ended up being nonsense. The “strigoi” are supposed to be these horrific monsters, but almost always die immediately upon trying to come back from the dead. The few that don’t are all taken out by 50-80 year old women in the last 5 pages, not exactly the nightmare the strigoi are alleged to be.
The secrets that come out at the end are very obvious from the beginning and the fact that it was dragged out so long before being “revealed,” kept the story from ever moving forward. Crane is the only semi interesting character (eye roll at the name) and we barely see him.
After looking on Goodreads I saw this book is getting a sequel and I cannot fathom how or why. I guess that will be when something actually happens on page…? I’ll never know because I won’t be reading.
March 6, 2024
TW: Blood, violence, cancer, Columbian mention, bullying, family drama, f*g slur, homophobia, smoking, language, blood, gore, toxic relationships
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
It’s 1999 in Southeast Texas and the Evans women, owners of the only funeral parlor in town, are keeping steady with…normal business. The dead die, you bury them. End of story. That’s how Ducey Evans has done it for the last eighty years, and her progeny―Lenore the experimenter and Grace, Lenore’s soft-hearted daughter, have run Evans Funeral Parlor for the last fifteen years without drama. Ever since That Godawful Mess that left two bodies in the ground and Grace raising her infant daughter Luna, alone.
But when town gossip Mina Jean Murphy’s body is brought in for a regular 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 ones who need to fight back to protect their town.
As more folks in town turn up dead and 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. As the saying goes, what rises up, must go back down. But as unspoken secrets and revelations spill from the past into the present, the Evans family must face that sometimes, the dead aren’t the only things you want to keep buried.
Release Date: April 9th, 2024
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 298
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
What I Liked:
1. Cover is adorable
2. Mentions of amazing bands
3. Writing style was fun
What I Didn't Like:
1. Quigg's constant ticking of his mouth drove me crazy on the audiobook
2. Rambling a lot
3. Crane calling Luna Moon Girl
4. All the butterscotch mentions
Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer I write my review as I read}}
Why wouldn't they have stabbed the heart when they put Boone in metal cooler? That would have some time since they knew he was going to come back anyways.
Oh if I could count how many times I rode around listening to Type O Negative in 1999.
Ohhhhh Luna is half ghoul and half human
Usually I write a huge review but I don't know what happened here. I guess it felt like nothing was really going on where I had much to think on.
Final Thoughts:
My attention for this book started failing as I got to the halfway point. I wanted stuff to happen, but it was all just stale at that point.
At the end it felt repetitive and predictable, but it was just meh. Meh isn't bad. It was entertaining and I didn't hate it. I just don't know if I will remember much past reading this book and years later.
IG | Blog
Thanks to Netgalley, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
It’s 1999 in Southeast Texas and the Evans women, owners of the only funeral parlor in town, are keeping steady with…normal business. The dead die, you bury them. End of story. That’s how Ducey Evans has done it for the last eighty years, and her progeny―Lenore the experimenter and Grace, Lenore’s soft-hearted daughter, have run Evans Funeral Parlor for the last fifteen years without drama. Ever since That Godawful Mess that left two bodies in the ground and Grace raising her infant daughter Luna, alone.
But when town gossip Mina Jean Murphy’s body is brought in for a regular 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 ones who need to fight back to protect their town.
As more folks in town turn up dead and 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. As the saying goes, what rises up, must go back down. But as unspoken secrets and revelations spill from the past into the present, the Evans family must face that sometimes, the dead aren’t the only things you want to keep buried.
Release Date: April 9th, 2024
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 298
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
What I Liked:
1. Cover is adorable
2. Mentions of amazing bands
3. Writing style was fun
What I Didn't Like:
1. Quigg's constant ticking of his mouth drove me crazy on the audiobook
2. Rambling a lot
3. Crane calling Luna Moon Girl
4. All the butterscotch mentions
Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer I write my review as I read}}
Why wouldn't they have stabbed the heart when they put Boone in metal cooler? That would have some time since they knew he was going to come back anyways.
Oh if I could count how many times I rode around listening to Type O Negative in 1999.
Ohhhhh Luna is half ghoul and half human
Usually I write a huge review but I don't know what happened here. I guess it felt like nothing was really going on where I had much to think on.
Final Thoughts:
My attention for this book started failing as I got to the halfway point. I wanted stuff to happen, but it was all just stale at that point.
At the end it felt repetitive and predictable, but it was just meh. Meh isn't bad. It was entertaining and I didn't hate it. I just don't know if I will remember much past reading this book and years later.
IG | Blog
Thanks to Netgalley, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
April 6, 2024
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.
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.
July 26, 2024
Campy cozy horror at its finest, a perfect blend of horror, mystery, humour and family drama, with veins ( 👀) of 90s nostalgia running throughout BLESS YOUR HEART was an entertaining read that gave me the fuzzy wuzzies.
The undying ( 👀) solidarity of the Evans women in the face of life's most difficult challenges is at the beating (or not 👀) heart of this novel.
It seems obvious that most people would draw a comparison to Grady Hendrix’s The Southern Bookclub’s Guide to Slaying Vampires and whilst yes it is brimming with southern charm and biting ( 👀) wit, in reality, the two books are quite different. Specifically, the depiction of women, rather than being victimized the women in Ryan’s novel take control, strong and powerful and despite their differences their unconventional family dynamic adds a lot of sincerity to this story.
Rising like the dead ( 👀 ) to meet the recent resurgence of vampires in the literary world, Ryan has staked (👀 ) her claim as one of the best in this heartfelt feminist monster yarn.
The undying ( 👀) solidarity of the Evans women in the face of life's most difficult challenges is at the beating (or not 👀) heart of this novel.
It seems obvious that most people would draw a comparison to Grady Hendrix’s The Southern Bookclub’s Guide to Slaying Vampires and whilst yes it is brimming with southern charm and biting ( 👀) wit, in reality, the two books are quite different. Specifically, the depiction of women, rather than being victimized the women in Ryan’s novel take control, strong and powerful and despite their differences their unconventional family dynamic adds a lot of sincerity to this story.
Rising like the dead ( 👀 ) to meet the recent resurgence of vampires in the literary world, Ryan has staked (👀 ) her claim as one of the best in this heartfelt feminist monster yarn.
September 14, 2025
3 🌟
Mood/Seasonal Reading: Fall for me
Don’t read this if you plan to eat at any point again.
I had so much hope for this one. But it just disappointed me. I was very close to DNFing the only way I finished is lots of skipping and double speed.
The four generations of woman who protect the town from the rising dead had so much potential but it just fell so flat to me. I can’t pin point right now exactly what I disliked so much. I know I was dying to just be done with it. Even when the twist came I didn’t see it coming cause I was so bored I stopped trying to guess.
A rough read for sure. It just left me feeling disappointed and icky.
Mood/Seasonal Reading: Fall for me
Don’t read this if you plan to eat at any point again.
I had so much hope for this one. But it just disappointed me. I was very close to DNFing the only way I finished is lots of skipping and double speed.
The four generations of woman who protect the town from the rising dead had so much potential but it just fell so flat to me. I can’t pin point right now exactly what I disliked so much. I know I was dying to just be done with it. Even when the twist came I didn’t see it coming cause I was so bored I stopped trying to guess.
A rough read for sure. It just left me feeling disappointed and icky.
March 31, 2025
Finished Bless Your Heart just before the next book in this series is due to be released. Dubbed by other readers as a “cozy horror” and a “southern horror” book, I have to agree. But don’t be fooled by the “cozy” description. This book has its fair share of gore. And the guts and blood splatter was the stuff I liked best!
I’ve been looking forward to this read for a while. A solid story, but not sure I’m invested enough in the Evans women and their ghoul-fighting abilities to read the second book.
Another Fine Mess by Lindy Ryan due to be released April 15, 2025
3 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
I’ve been looking forward to this read for a while. A solid story, but not sure I’m invested enough in the Evans women and their ghoul-fighting abilities to read the second book.
Another Fine Mess by Lindy Ryan due to be released April 15, 2025
3 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
April 28, 2024
A fun read for sure! All of the characters had their delightful quirks that added so much more to the story. There were some pretty decent gore scenes. I also enjoyed that it was multi pov.
Would recommend.
Would recommend.
January 5, 2025
Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan might be one of the funniest horror novels I have ever read, and I love that it centers around a family of women who make sure the dead stay buried… even if it kills them. I suppose the cover should have made it self-explanatory, but I didn’t know until the dead started rising that the funeral home was a bit more than your typical one, and just what this family was up to. I loved how unique this concept was, and it kept me on my toes while also grossing me out tremendously every time someone got eaten/bit.
I also found the audiobook to be extremely enjoyable, and I thought Stephanie Németh-Parker did an excellent job with all the viewpoints she had to narrate. Since the overall perspective is female, this worked really well for me, and I had no complaints with her narration at all. The mystery element was great and ended up surprising me which is all I can ever hope for. Read this if you love fierce female leads who take no shit, fabulous banter, and horror that is gory but funny!
Thank you to the publishers for my advanced listening and reader copies of this book. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
I also found the audiobook to be extremely enjoyable, and I thought Stephanie Németh-Parker did an excellent job with all the viewpoints she had to narrate. Since the overall perspective is female, this worked really well for me, and I had no complaints with her narration at all. The mystery element was great and ended up surprising me which is all I can ever hope for. Read this if you love fierce female leads who take no shit, fabulous banter, and horror that is gory but funny!
Thank you to the publishers for my advanced listening and reader copies of this book. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
May 4, 2024
In Southeast Texas in 1999, three generations of Evans women run the only funeral parlor in town. But when bodies start arriving and rising from the dead with a hunger for their neighbors’ flesh, Ducey, her daughter Lenore and her granddaughter Grace all know what must be done: the dead must be put to their final rest as per familial custom.
Sometimes cozy and sometimes grisly, Bless Your Heart is a novel with engaging characters, sprinkles of dark humor, horrifying antagonists and more than a couple of secrets. I enjoyed reading about the Evans women, their struggles with their complicated history-particularly following an event fifteen years prior known as the “Godawful Mess”-and at times with one another.
Each member of the family has their own distinct personality and while their mindsets sometimes differ in terms of how they view the vampiric Strigoi and the nature of death, their love for one another is still paramount.
Lindy Ryan does a wonderful job of capturing the nature of a small Southern town; where relationships, secrets and grudges are closely intertwined. The secondary characters are also interesting: with Deputy Roger Taylor trying to puzzle together a growing number of disappearances and dead bodies and Crane, the mysterious newcomer to the town who captures the interest of Grace’s daughter Luna.
The Strigoi are portrayed as utterly horrifying and bear characteristics of both vampires and zombies. The gore depicted from their attacks was initially surprising, but helped to emphasize the extent of their threat as the number of victims increased.
The tension in Bless Your Heart builds steadily to its thrilling and emotional climax, though I wish we had spent a little more time with Ducey, Lenore, Grace and Luna prior to the conclusion.
Thank you very much to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and Lindy Ryan for providing access to this ebook. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
Sometimes cozy and sometimes grisly, Bless Your Heart is a novel with engaging characters, sprinkles of dark humor, horrifying antagonists and more than a couple of secrets. I enjoyed reading about the Evans women, their struggles with their complicated history-particularly following an event fifteen years prior known as the “Godawful Mess”-and at times with one another.
Each member of the family has their own distinct personality and while their mindsets sometimes differ in terms of how they view the vampiric Strigoi and the nature of death, their love for one another is still paramount.
Lindy Ryan does a wonderful job of capturing the nature of a small Southern town; where relationships, secrets and grudges are closely intertwined. The secondary characters are also interesting: with Deputy Roger Taylor trying to puzzle together a growing number of disappearances and dead bodies and Crane, the mysterious newcomer to the town who captures the interest of Grace’s daughter Luna.
The Strigoi are portrayed as utterly horrifying and bear characteristics of both vampires and zombies. The gore depicted from their attacks was initially surprising, but helped to emphasize the extent of their threat as the number of victims increased.
The tension in Bless Your Heart builds steadily to its thrilling and emotional climax, though I wish we had spent a little more time with Ducey, Lenore, Grace and Luna prior to the conclusion.
Thank you very much to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and Lindy Ryan for providing access to this ebook. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
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