Wow, wow, wow! I devoured this book in a little over a day and preordered it before I even finished reading it. How do I describe how surprised I was by this one?

We follow Riccardo, a young man down on his luck without any options to pull him out of his dark trajectory. That is until out of the blue, he is presented with the inheritance of his late grandmothers villa in Milan by a strange man. Without any other options, he travels to Milan and upon arrival notices the villa isn’t quite as magical as he once remembered. Following the funeral of his grandmother, he finds a manuscript written for him. In secrecy, he reads through the manuscript and slowly starts to uncover the dark secrets written within the pages and crevices of his grandmothers life. The staff is at unease, the villa is filled with skin crawling eeriness, and Riccardo is discovering that he may not be out of the woods of his bleak future just yet…or ever.

This isn’t your typical horror story; this was a major slow burn, but the payoff is so worth the wait. The writing of this gothic tale hooked me from the beginning. The pages were crawling with atmosphere and claustrophobia as we unraveled Perihan’s dark and twisted secrets. This was a tale of a powerful woman’s determination to hold onto the life she created for herself. Full of desire and greed, Perihan literally stopped at nothing to garner a life full of wonder, using the beauty of such delicate creatures (butterflies) to magnify the darkness the lies beyond the beauty of life. I was HOLLERING by the end of this. With about 60 pages left, I was wondering how this story would wrap up with so many questions still left unanswered. And then you’re gut punched with the reveal, left to somehow pick up the pieces of your exploded mind. The way the author weaved this tale through horror and magical realism was such a unique experience. This was a trip and I cannot wait to get my hands on the beautiful physical copy upon release. Highly, highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I LOVED this book so much...but i will never ever look at a butterfly the same again! This was the perfect slow burn horror story and I couldn't get enough of it. By the time you get to end of the book, you'll be asking yourself "how far will I go to preserve my dreams?"

Their Monstrous Hearts by Yigit Turhan is a fantastic slow-burn horror story. Riccardo is a young writer experiencing severe writer’s block and facing eviction from his home. A strange man arrives bearing news that his grandmother Perihan has died and asks Riccardo to accompany him back to Milan for the funeral. Riccardo learns that he has inherited his grandmother’s villa there, along with her rare butterfly collection. He decides to go, but when he arrives he finds the villa is in disrepair, Perihan’s staff and friends continually whisper and sneak about, and something is very off about the greenhouse. Riccardo discovers a book written by Perihan entitled, “For Riccardo,” and begins to read it. He hopes it will hold the key to what happened to her, but then thinks it will help him write his book.

This is an incredibly unsettling book, and I say that with the utmost respect. The author’s descriptions of the animals/creatures are gorgeous and grotesque. I loved the juxtaposition of Riccardo’s character vs. that of Perihan. The whole book just felt so rich in every aspect. I devoured it. And do we even need to mention that gorgeous cover?!

Overall, I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars! It held my interest from beginning to end. It is a slow burn of a book and guaranteed to reward you if you stick with it! There is pure terror towards the end of this book and you can’t look away from it. Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via Net Galley. All opinions are my own.

Successfully hits the gothic horror tropes with mysterious family secrets, a sprawling villa, disturbing imagery and a writer's soul that once to document it all. There is even a little bit of romance -- I'm very glad to see more overt queerness in the genre!

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 ⭐️
Release Date: April 8, 2025

Wow! What a way to debut. Their Monstrous Hearts is Turhan's debut English novel and it was a wild ride!

Riccardo is a struggling up and coming author who is on the brink of eviction. With just a few dollars left in his pocket, he is approached by a man who claims that Riccardo is the sole heir to the estate of his wealthy grandmother, after her abrupt passing. The events that follow will have Riccardo questioning everything he thought he knew about the philanthropic matron and those closest to her. Can Riccardo put all the strange pieces together and solve the sinister puzzle before it's too late?

This isn't one of those in your face types of horror books. It is insidious, combining fantastical realism & gothic horror, it settles somewhere inside you leaving this overwhelming sense of unease that continues to build as the story progresses all while dealing with greater themes of identity, grief, loss and feelings of abandonment.

Perihan's character development was masterful at portraying the lengths people will go to not only feel accepted but also to achieve their goals.

While some parts in the first half dragged a bit, overall the pacing was very well done. Once the story gets its claws in you, you will not be able to put it down (or look at butterflies the same way ever again)

Their Monstrous Hearts will make a great atmospheric read for casual & avid horror readers alike.

I struggled with this one. The premise was crazy good as was the writing, it just wasn't my style of book. The ending though, wow. I feel like this would make a great movie. I appreciate the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review

Add this dark and spooky tale to your TBR immediately! It’s perfect for a fall read that is sure to catch your attention and keep you interested in the happenings between the characters.

Down on his luck writer, Ricardo, moves into his late grandmother’s home, and is left to unravel a lifetime of secrets.

I wouldn’t consider this book horror, it’s more magical realism, and I believe it will appeal to a wide audience. It was a fantastic read with a truly unique plot. I had no idea where it was going and that kept my interest peaked. I look forward to reading more from this author!

Thanks for the opportunity to read in advance!

Their Monstrous Hearts by Yigit Turhan

I received this ARC from Harlequin Trade Publishing via NetGalley


I enjoyed the whimsical, curious rollercoaster of this book. It’s not scary, just strange—different, and not for everyone

***May contain spoilers***

Riccardo, a 20-year-old aspiring writer, is broke and behind on bills, struggling to start his novel for his editors. He’s been estranged from his family for years, and when his grandmother passes away, she leaves him a strange gift—her butterflies.

Riccardo gets the chance to escape his current life and move into his grandmother’s villa. But when he arrives, the place is run-down and eerie, not at all what he expected.

Among her belongings, Riccardo finds a book that seems to hold the key to understanding who she really was. As he searches for answers and becomes involved in a mysterious ritual, Riccardo realizes he had the crucial book all along. As he begins to uncover the secrets of his grandmother’s life, he learns she was mysterious, only revealing what she wanted others to see.

Inheriting his grandmother’s butterflies leads Riccardo into a journey far more complicated than he imagined. Betrayed and deceived, he learns that his suspicions about this spontaneous gift were right from the beginning.

P.S. Don’t skip the author’s note—this one is important! It was really cute and gives you a better understanding of the author and the story that was written.

I LOVE horror stories about bugs or mushrooms it just hits that itch, especially when it's butterflies, and the story is not in any way weak in fact it's a fantastic gothic tale! 5 stars would recommend. tysm for the arc.

This was a dark gothic book perfectly made for spooky season! Riccarfo was an interesting MC an Dad I really enjoyed following his story. This book with its lurking people and creepy estate was very atmospheric! Read this one ASAP and follow this mystery till the very cool ending

This is, yet again, another case of the cover made me do it! This cover is so gorgeous, and when a buddy read formed on Instagram, I had to join! The beginning was so interesting. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and their back story, but it felt disconnected at times in the middle. It was a little too long, in my opinion, but the ending was so good! I think this will be a good one to talk about with book clubs!

A perfect spooky season read, as a horror fan, this gripped me and the ending was amazing!! Such a unique plot line with getting a second chance

It is a haunting story about the boundaries people will cross to keep their dreams alive. Riccardo receives the unexpected news that his grandmother has died and leaves him her villa in Milan and her renowned butterfly collection. He hopes the move to Milan will inspire him to complete his manuscript, but only to find the villa in disrepair. His grandmother's old friends add to the unsettling atmosphere, as do the strange happenings in the greenhouse. When he discovers his grandmother's diary, he uncovers clues that could explain her death and inspires his writing.

The book's strength lies in its atmospheric writing and the sense of tension that builds with each chapter. The characters, particularly Riccardo, are well-developed. Riccardo's journey is about facing his fears and limitations. The supernatural elements add depth to the narrative, which is more than just a typical suspense novel. The intricate plot makes it a standout story that will linger in your mind. I enjoyed this book so much.

I received an ARC ebook for my honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA.

Thank you @htp_hive @_mira_books_ #partner for the gifted eARC of this one!

This book starts out with a bang as I was completely engrossed into Riccardo’s sad life and the mystery behind his grandmothers death. The vibe is dark, dreary and has quite the sense of foreboding from the get go! I love the idea of a dead relative and then trying to piece together the part of their life that was unknown. This book was a case of where I really liked the beginning, loved the ending but the middle was pretty long, a bit repetitive and somewhat flat. I will say, if the middle could be shortened or spiced up a bit this book would be a wonderful horror book for me! The ending made the middle worth it for me because what ensued was a dark and chaotic, quite intense family story! 🐛🦋 If you’re a horror fan I say give this one a go because the ending is quite epic!

Their Monstrous Hearts is a dark journey that just keeps you guessing till the very end. Perfect for the spooky season. Marvellous!

I was so excited to read this for a buddy read planned through a week! It was hard to stop myself from reading forward because I was intrigued on what was going to happen.
This book has a graphic literary fiction feel with some blends of horror. What I will say is it made me think of butterflies differently! 🦋
That ending though?! It definitely took me by surprise!!

This book is definitely a slow burn. Usually, I do not like gothic horror novels which is exactly what this is. However, the creepy elements of this story kept me interested. Also, there is a bit of a luxurious component to Perihan which kept me hooked. Not to mention that the story is SO incredibly original. The idea of getting a second chance at life is appealing to just about anyone. I have not read a story like this one before. I posted my review on my social media site roughly half of a week ago. I gave the story 3.5 stars when I posted my review. However, I think this is a 4 star book after thinking about it. This is a great story.

Their monstrous hearts is a well thought out novel that supported some dark themes that added to the plot really well. There are minor pacing issues about a third of the way in but not enough of an issue to lose interest in the story. The main character is complex and I appreciated that.

𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★ ★ ★ ★
𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: April 08, 2025
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪:

First of all, the cover stole me but as I started reading I realized the backdrop for this story and the eerie dark atmosphere of this book took my heart. Every single page I anticipated what awaited me and it definitely kept you moving along through the book. I found this to be a steady pace read and I moved through in in 2 days. I do want to mention that this is horror as you would imagine it, there was more to it than that. We meet many characters throughout this book. We have Perihan who returns to Milan per his attendance is required after a mishaps occurs. We get different perspectives which is great as well. This book is full of twists and turns as well as a feel that will leave you perfectly unsettled the entire time. This is a must have on the TBR.

𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦: Eerie, Family Secrets, Relationships, Milan Setting, Magical Realism, Supernatural

Large thank you to our Author, NetGalley as well as Harlequin Trade Publishing for this e-arc copy.