Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan
First line: Edwin Boone was not the kind of man to be intimidated by a walk in the dark.
Summary: It’s 1999 in southern Texas and a string of mysterious deaths have been plaguing a small town, home of the Evans Funeral Home. The Evans women have been running their funeral home for years but when the local town gossip is brought in for burial, she suddenly rises and they know that their old adversary, the Strigoi, have returned. The women know that in order to keep their town safe they need to put down the Strigoi and find their master before the whole town becomes the undead.
My Thoughts: Before reading this I read several reviews that likened it to Steel Magnolias meets Salem’s Lot and I believe this is a spot on description. The Evans women are good Southern ladies who happen to be “vampire hunters”. There are humorous bits but then a little bit of horror mixed in. I found the story and the audiobook to be a delightful twist on the vampire genre.
Underlying the whole vampire slaying and mystery there is a deeper secret in the Evans family history. Luna, the youngest of the main characters, is shocked by what her family does and spends much of the book trying to come to terms with what it means for her. The reveal at the end was an interesting twist which I think will make for some intriguing future plot points.
If you want something cozy but with a little darker theme for your summer TBR then I would recommend giving this a try!