I'm a bit disappointed with this one. I've read quite a few of Asman's books and always love them, but I found this one to be a bit odd, and more than a little confusing. (I see I'm not alone in feeling this way.) This one feels a lot different than his other works it is a story of love and loss, horror meets fantasy and is definitely heavier than I expected it to be. It wasn't for me, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't give it a try!

Our Black Hearts Beat as One by Brian Asman was very intriguing. This was my first Brian Asman but won't be my last. Great story telling and characters. Digging into this author's back list immediately.

Brian Asman’s Our Black Hearts Beat As One is a bloody blend of magical realism and urban horror, fronted by a lead character who - honestly - is a bit of an asshole. Not that that’s a bad thing.

Supported by an engaging cast of side characters, it’s a quick romp through a wonderfully dark and descriptive world. All good horror should tug on the emotions, and Our Black Hearts Beat As One sets its sights on love. And it largely succeeds, with Mike gradually coming to understand that heartbreak is a part of life - even if it did take an encounter with an ancient god to do it.

Could we have benefited more from seeing the ex-girlfriend’s perspective? Maybe. A plot line with Mike exploring accepting why she left, rather than (spoiler) finding someone else might have said more and shown more character development.

There’s also scope for further exploration of the dark magic and mythologies at the heart of this novella. Trying to pack a wholly new system of gods and magic into such a small page count was perhaps too much of a tall order. But we’re dealing with a short - and not so sweet - horror here, so while Our Black Hearts Beat As One could have given us more, Asman still packs plenty into what we have.

Come for the dark arts, but stay for the love stories.

What's not to love about Brian Asman? 4 stars easily and once again another kick ass book. I would have read another 200+ pages but it didn't need it. Fast, fun and killer!!!💀🎃💀🎃

Or my first book by this author and won’t be my last. I loved every second of it. Perfect amount of gross and plot and horror! Will definitely recommend.

Man fuck this house was one of my favorite books of 2023, so you know I had to get my hands on this one! I love the characters in this one and how relatable Mike is! This is a short and fast read that takes you to another place in the crazy yet enthralling mind of Brian Asman!

Having enjoyed Brian Asman's previous work, "Man, Fuck This House," I approached "Our Black Hearts Beat as One" with anticipation. However, this novel takes a more serious tone than its predecessor.

The book presents some intriguing ideas, but at times, especially in the second half, it becomes challenging to follow. The narrative introduces three stories within the story, where characters share their experiences through a tape recorder. Unfortunately, two of these tales felt cliché, and one was confusing, impacting the overall coherence of the plot.

A significant portion of the book delves into explaining a complex religious system, introducing various gods and their roles. While this might appeal to some readers, I found myself struggling to stay engaged during these parts, with my attention waning. This could be a subjective experience, but the intricate religious explanations disrupted the flow for me.

The inclusion of the "ideal hot goth chick character" adds a layer of stereotypical representation. Initially, her portrayal seemed formulaic, reminiscent of the dark version of the Manic Pixie Dreamgirl trope. To the story's credit, there is more depth to her character later on, providing a more nuanced perspective. However, the initial impression may trigger memories of the overused character archetype.

Regrettably, "Our Black Hearts Beat as One" didn't resonate with me. While there were commendable elements such as intriguing monster designs and an engaging set piece (the weird room with the fans), the overall trajectory of the story shifted from confusing to cliché and, at times, overly sentimental—elements that don't align with my personal preferences. In contrast, "Man, Fuck This House" was an enjoyable experience for me.

I would like to express gratitude to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read this ARC. Please note that the book includes triggering content, such as self-harm, suicide, and suicidal ideation.

This was an interesting read for me. The main character Mike gets his heart broken and finds this underground society right under his nose. The idea of the story is interesting but I feel like Mike's character needed more depth to him. We know he's the lead singer in a band and writes songs but not much else. It would have been interesting to see the ex-girlfriends pov in the beginning as well, maybe give more information on Mike as a partner.

I loved Man, Fuck This House and was excited to see this on NetGalley. I expected a similar vein of occulty- horror-comedy but it ended up feeling more of a magical realism novella. The creepy parts and the portrayal of heartbreak were done well. It gave some Gaiman/LaValle/Iglesias vibes which I enjoyed. The love stories were some of my favorite parts.

I think the novella was slightly too short to leave me satisfied, I think more character background would have helped me connect to them better. Some of the odd nearly-words were just confusing and felt unnecessary, taking me out of the story at times.

The lyrics at the end were a fun touch yet I couldn't figure out what modern love was supposed to sound like so it made it kinda hard to hear them as songs and not poems.

Bonus points for the alkaline trio lyrics in the epigraph and the cover that looked like zine art I made as a emo teen.

This was my first read of 2024 and I’m so glad it was. It was a fast paced novella that kept me interested the whole time. The main character Mike is interesting. He’s this hot rock band singer and he seems pretty chill…until his girlfriend leaves him. He becomes kind of a turd, but honestly who hasn’t become a bit of a turd after a breakup?! I loved the witchcraft aspect of this book. After all there’s a couple times in my life I would’ve loved a new heart 😂 This is also the part that lost me a little bit, since there’s three stories within the story. Eventually it came back around and I was all in. The only thing I wish we got more of was Evangeline! She was an amazing character and I’d love to know more of her background. Overall, a solid horror novella to start out the year

Thank you to netgalley and Mutated Media, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles for allowing me to read this book. This book didnt hit the spot for me.

Thankyou to Netgalley for providing me with an electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Our Black Hearts Beat As One merges ancient eldritch gods, the vile desires of humans pushed to their limits, and the nature of love, into a writhing mass of magic and intrigue.

I thoroughly enjoyed this, the wolrd building was fantastic, and taught me just enough to understand the rich pantheon of this world, without feeling like an info dump. LGBT representation is apways important to me, and felt organic and real.

A great, quick read, I would love to see more from this author.

In "Our Black Hearts Beat as One" by Brian Asman, Michael Mallory enjoys the pinnacle of success as the lead singer of the rising band, Modern Love. However, when an unexpected breakup shatters his world, he descends into the occult underbelly of the city in a desperate attempt to find solace. Amidst a landscape of wayward souls, brutal killers, godlings, and grotesque entities, Mike is on the verge of discovering an undeniable truth — there's nothing more terrifying than love.

Regrettably, Brian Asman's latest offering falls short, marking a significant miss in his repertoire. The novella introduces a unique "Black Magic" lore, crafted by Asman himself, but it fails to resonate. A perplexing decision arises as the author opts for an invented mythos rather than drawing from real-life gods and goddesses. The absence of familiar elements diminishes the potential for reader engagement, leaving them detached from the supernatural aspects. Instead of enhancing the horror experience, this choice results in a sense of confusion and frustration.

The novella's brevity may have contributed to its downfall, as the "Black Magic" world-building feels underdeveloped and left me struggling to connect with the narrative. The absence of real-world mythological references leaves a void, hindering the establishment of a comfortable foundation for fear to take root. Unfortunately, this deviation from established mythologies doesn't enrich the narrative; rather, it leads to a sense of alienation and the feeling of being out of step with the story.

Moreover, the protagonist, Mike, comes across as uninspiring, and the only compelling character makes only a fleeting appearance. This lack of engaging characters further contributes to my overall disappointment with the novella. It appears that Asman's storytelling style may not align with my preferences, and the experience is further exacerbated by the disconnect caused by the unfamiliar "Black Magic" lore.

In conclusion, "Our Black Hearts Beat as One" may not be the ideal introduction to Brian Asman's work for readers seeking a more relatable and immersive experience. The decision to veer away from established mythologies, coupled with the brevity of the novella, results in a narrative that struggles to captivate and resonate. While individual tastes vary, this particular work may leave some readers questioning the author's choice of narrative direction and longing for a more resonant exploration of horror and emotion.

This one was a real struggle for me. The way the plot was laid out just seemed very confusing and convoluted. The novella isn’t very long, but I really had to work on my focus to be able to get through. I have not read Asman’s other work to compare and know if it’s just his style of writing or it’s a one-off with this book. From beginning to end I don’t even really know if I understood what was happening. The cover was eye-catching and pulled me in, but the actual story? Just wasn’t for me.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this in exchange for my honest review!
This book was really confusing for me. I didn’t really understand what was going on throughout the book until I was about 60% in. Then I kind of grasped what was happening. The story itself was very interesting and the writing was super unique. I just couldn’t really get into the book and I feel really bad about saying that. I know authors work super hard to create something they are proud of, and although the book was very interesting, it just wasn’t for me.

I found this book to just be an average read. Some of it was hard to understand. I did enjoy that Mike was the lead singer of a band, though!

This book was a surprise read for me.
I wanted to branch out with my storylines and read something I have never seen before.
While this book was original and creative, I found myself somewhat bored.
I thought this book was going to be more Horror forward but I felt that it was actually almost more Fantasy related with the references to Gods and magic.

Since this is a novella, it was super quick and easy to read, but I still felt that the storyline was leaving me wishing there was more to it.

I found this boring and wasn't able to finish it. Parts were ridiculous and it just made no sense to me. I didn't like the characters and couldn't find enough reason to carry on with it.

read this book if you want good characters, a good romantic thriller and a fun and quick read

it follows a heartbroken man that "erases" his heart but then goes on a litle quest to get a new one back

thank you netgalley for the arc

Having LOVED his first book, I was super excited to read this one & it did not disappoint! Fast pacing & high energy gave the right punk rock vibes to the storytelling! Loved the journey the MC went on! Creepy & unsettling vibes throughout! Would’ve loved a longer story though, with a focus on the past leading up to the present!