I agree! They’re a comfort read for me. I don’t get the people saying it’s just taking advantage of the paranormal romance trend - it’s actually quite an original genre mashup. More a mystery novel series where the heroine goes on some dates than a fantasy romance - the love interests are all flawed in very down to earth ways and it doesn’t follow a romance HEA formula. The supernatural universe was endearingly crapsack instead of being gritty, but it’s not just the real world with fangs either - all the different creatures feel properly inhuman. And it really was pretty queer inclusive for the time (Pam!), though hasn’t aged well in some ways.

I do get that not everyone loves the bizarre little montages of the heroine enthusiastically doing housework and planning really hideous outfits, but they’re just a bonus imo. Go Sookie, rock that twin-set!

Although, I was extremely creeped out by the old people going to their Descendants of the Glorious Dead confederacy history society thing - but I guess that’s probably just quite realistic? I’ve not read much else set in the southern US.