Wow, I had no idea what this book was about going into it, and I was so pleasantly surprised!

This book is honestly such a vibe. We've got a culty type of situation happening, ritual things going on, a young man lost and trying to find his way and ALL THE BUTTERFLIES.

Honestly, it's pretty bleak. But I loved the way the story was told, present day, but with our MC reading his dead grandmothers manuscript and learning about her life that way.

And the ending? Heartbroken. Damn. But also, so fitting and truly I wouldn't have wanted it to end any other way. It took me a while to get into it, but once I was in it, I was hooked. All the quirky characters, the dark vibe and the perfect setting!

Riccardo's grandmother Perihan died, leaving him her estate in Milan. It's a villa with her famed butterfly collection, but they're not as grand as he remembers them. In fact, the pinned butterflies seem more ominous. As a struggling writer, Riccardo doesn't have too many options. After finding Perihan's diary, he hopes to make sense of her death and maybe use it as inspiration for a novel. This assumes he lives long enough to write it...

We first meet Riccardo in his Paris apartment where he hasn't submitted anything to his agent or editor, he's behind on rent, the fridge is empty, and then the electricity is turned off. The invitation to his grandmother's villa comes at an opportune time, and finding Perihan's manuscript helps him feel closer to her. There are butterflies everywhere in the house, the gardens, and the manuscript. He at first thinks he can cannibalize the manuscript into his own novel, especially after its contents grow more fantastic and feels less like reality. As he reaches this part of the manuscript, the people around him seem less and less friendly.

While we get long excepts from the manuscript itself, I didn't enjoy them. The passages were descriptive and relayed parts of Perihan's early life, but they meandered and I didn't like the younger version of Perihan presented there. I wanted to know more about what was happening in the present day, when the household staff seemed off and mentioned a ritual. It isn't until the halfway point of the novel that we start to get an idea why the manuscript is so important. This is where the tension in the novel increases, both in the manuscript and around Riccardo. The final quarter reveals the ultimate plan, and the real reason for Riccardo to be in Milan. It comes together in a chilling manner, and truly takes on the aspects of a horror story.

The line "Even monsters endured their suffering in their monstrous hearts" had stuck out to me around the halfway point, and it's definitely a driving theme for the book.

I loved the creepy suspenseful world that Yigit Turhan created. Each of the characters had a level of desperation that took them beyond the limits of their comfort. My heart ached for Ricardo and all that he wanted out of his life. And his grandmother- I loved her character, until I didn't. At the close of this story I was reminded of the movie the Skeleton Key but only loosely. I wish I had gotten more answers around the monster his grandmother kept. All in all, it was a very dark, gothic read filled with troubled people and I was entertained throughout!

The premise of this book was so interesting, but unfortunately it just didn’t hit for me. None of the characters were likable, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but none of their motivations made sense either. The monster was an interesting concept, but then the way it acted didn’t make any sense either. So it’s fine with slaughtering tons of people who happen upon it, but it leaves Perihan alone, who constantly abuses it? Also, Perihan’s manuscript was strange too. So she was writing it for herself in the future, so why did she constantly add ‘My dear Riccardo’ every couple chapters? That doesn’t seem right.

The book switched perspectives a lot, which took away a lot of the mystery and intrigue about what was gearing up to happen, and also felt a bit clunky. I think it would’ve gone better if it was only told through Perihan and Riccardo’s perspectives.

Overall, the beginning and the ending were fairly solid, but it slogged in the middle with too many uninteresting details. I think that there was a lot of potential in this story, and with some heavy editing it could be very interesting. 2/5 stars.

This was so good. I loved the plot and characters. It was paced perfectly. I didn't wanna put it down and was on the edge of my seat

Amazon and Barnes&Noble Reviews posted
Blog post goes live May 20th
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**TL;DR**: Quick and creepy!
**Source**: NetGalley - thank you so much to the publisher!

**Plot**: Ricardo discovers his grandmother’s life and discovers something terrifying.
**Characters**: No one here was a nice person.
**Setting:** We were confined to a manor and a memoir that kept us in Italy. It wasn’t great but also not the point of the novel.
**Horror:** This was a tense horror novel with a slow build. If that isn’t your thing this isn’t going to work.

**Thoughts:**

Their Monstrous Hearts has two things going against it if you’re looking to pick it up. The most common complaint is the writing, the next is the slow build through the bulk of the book. For me both of these were not a bother, but I can see the issues.

The writing is something I give grace too here. This is our author’s English language debut and for me the choppiness of it added to voice. It was rough, and felt hasty which sped up the story. We’re also reading the amateur manuscript of a woman detailing her life for most of the book, I don’t expect it to be mind blowing.

The second big issue I’ve seen is that the book is slow and I’ll agree. If you’re not down for a slower build this is a miss. The book is also short so though the build is slow, the tension grew at a perfect pace for me. The characters were unlikable and did some really weird things that had me shocked at times.

This one isn’t going to be for everyone. I can see that, but if you’re okay with the two things I mentioned, it is fun and creepy. I never though butterflies would be disturbing, and I loved the ending. I would recommend it to the right reader!

I really, really wanted to love this. The atmosphere was great, the suspense was great, the characters were a little lacking in development but had promise, and while the first few chapters were enthralling, I just slowly lost interest. The beginning and the end were the best parts, but the middle left something to be desired.

This book is unfortunately another example of me not meshing with the writing. A lot of very short staccato sentences - "I did this. I walked there. I sat down". However, I do understand that english is not the authors first language so I think that people could really love this! I'm just not great at focusing when I'm not loving the writing

This book had the potential of a great story. I love the atmosphere and the setting. Unfortunately the writing and structure didn’t meet my expectations. I found myself lost and confused halfway through and the writing didn’t help at all. The beginning and end were the strongest parts but it just fell short for me. I feel like the author will definitely be better with the more they right but this one just needed more help with the prose.

I was intitally captivated by the premise of this read. I was a little disappointed in how hard I felt it was to get into it. I struggled with the constant changing of POVs and the slow burn. It was definitely not the book for me!
I did really enjoy the happy ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the eARC!

really good mystery. Kept me on my toes and loved all of the characters and what they went through on this journey. Loved that they a happy ending happened.

Audiobook: 2/5
Book/Story Overall: 3/5

I found this read to be a little disappointing. Like many readers, the cover instantly caught my eye, and the concept and story pitch really hooked me. I was looking forward to a fully immersive reading experience—and once I had the audiobook, I dove right in.

That being said, I would not recommend the audiobook to anyone. There were some voice and accent choices that really pulled me out of the story and didn’t feel cohesive. The effort to differentiate characters felt forced and noticeable in a distracting way. Also, because of the way the story is written, you frequently shift between different POVs, but there’s no clear distinction outside of the male and female voices—which made the switches feel jarring and sometimes confusing.

If you’re someone who enjoys slower reads—a really slow burn—you’ll probably enjoy this book more than I did. It had its descriptive moments, but it could’ve been much more atmospheric. There’s a lot of telling instead of showing, and I never really felt immersed in the world.

The story had a strong beginning and a well-done ending, but the middle dragged considerably. That’s where I think slow-burn readers might really lean in, whereas I struggled with the lack of gradual build in pacing. I don’t mind a slow burn if it feels like it’s steadily rising toward something, but this felt more like a long, flat road that suddenly drops into a fast-paced finale.

I honestly considered DNFing this book multiple times, but I kept seeing other readers mention that the ending was worth it. For me, it didn’t quite land that way. When a book takes too long to get to the point, I start to lose interest—and that’s exactly what happened here.

I also had to stop listening to the audiobook because the narration felt flat. The only moments that caught my ear were due to the foreign accent or POV shifts—otherwise, I didn’t feel any connection to the characters through the audio. The narration ended up deepening my sense of disconnect instead of enhancing the experience.

That said, I do think there will be fans of this book—especially those who enjoy slow-paced literary horror with emotional twists. There’s definite potential in the story, and it could’ve gone in so many different directions. Because of that, I’m still intrigued to see what this author does next.

“Beauty can captivate us individually, but in overwhelming swarms, it becomes eerie…because it holds such power, you know? Beauty, I mean.”

Their Monstrous Hears by Yigit Turhan
🦋 🦋 🦋

QUICK LOOK 👀
Riccardo returns to Milan after his grandmothers death to settle her estate, but he find people acting strangely and then discovers what seems to be his grandmother biography she had written and hid, except what’s on the pages is stranger than fiction.

FINAL THOUGHTS 💭
The premise of this book is there, the story is there but I felt like I would get sucked in only to get bored. I can’t even put my finger on what I’m was missing from the story at the same time giving me loose skeleton key vibes. I wanted more from the story but less at the same time if that makes sense?

Creepy, and so sad! Thanks for the audio because that with the book really made my reading experience 100x more atmospheric. I felt so sorry for Riccardo and needed to know why things were happening. This one was suspenseful and a page turner- but you will hate butterflies after you finish it.

Their monstrous hearts has such a cool cover i love it. I didn't expect to love this book as much as I thought I would. But it was definitely one I could not put down.

I really struggled with this book - I couldn’t get into the characters or the storyline. There were parts that felt interesting; but the journal entries were so long and I continually lost interest.

Book Review
Their Monstrous Hearts
Yigit Turhan
reviewed by Lou Jacobs


readersremains.com | Goodreads


In Yigit Turhan’s second novel—and his first to be published in English—he masterfully mixes his gothic tale with elements of the supernatural to create a slow-burn mystery that explodes with a twisted, horrific denouement.

The story is permeated by the ever-present image of butterflies, which spark the metaphorical connection between the caterpillar transforming into something more beautiful and lively. The theme of seeking immortality forms the foundation that transcends this twisted tale.

The prologue introduces the main character, Perihan, a woman in her seventies, who is walking back to her villa in Milan after a day of shopping. A crowd is gathered around the gates of her villa, which is inexplicably covered in butterflies.

Juxtaposed with this is the presence of a young aspiring writer in Paris. Although successful with short stories, he is stalled in creating his first novel. His advance has been spent, and his bills are mounting, with rent coming due. Although hounded by his editor, he has repeatedly failed to create an outline or a chapter for his promised book. A knock on the door reveals a gaunt-looking stranger named Maurizio. He wishes to bring Riccardo back to Milan to attend his grandmother Perihan’s funeral. Riccardo barely recalls his grandmother from early childhood. Although initially refusing, he leaves that night on the one-way ticket given to him by Maurizio.

Perhaps this will provide the necessary income to tide him over while struggling with writer’s block.

After arriving at the villa, he is told to freshen up for dinner and is escorted to a room. When left alone, he notices a wall of books. He comes upon a manuscript of Perihan’s life—kind of a memoir—addressed to him. Over the next several days, he secretly continues to read the haunting and somewhat magical entries in this memoir. The quality of her writing astounds Riccardo and even sparks a possible story idea that he could turn into a novel.

One of the most striking events she recounts is coming upon a magical creature that outwardly appears as a shy, beautiful waif. She quickly realizes that the creature changes based on how it is treated—growing more radiant and beautiful if treated with kindness, but metamorphosing into something disgusting and tearful if tortured or mistreated, surrounded by butterflies. Over time, she realized these creatures were instrumental in uncovering the secrets of immortality.

Riccardo soon realizes that Maurizio and the house staff are frantically searching for this manuscript. Without it, they cannot hope to complete the “ceremony.” Riccardo soon learns of his grandmother’s power and reputation from the staff and her neighbors. And then there is the mysterious “closed-up” greenhouse, with maids coming and going carrying “filled buckets.”

Has Riccardo inadvertently opened Pandora’s Box?

Yigit Turhan proves to be a masterful storyteller as he magically weaves together this horrific tale with lyrical prose, slowly ratcheting up the tension and intrigue until the unexpected, explosive, brutal, and creepy denouement. Toward the end, I found myself exclusively listening to the audio version, expertly narrated by Filiz an Falkenbury. They provided the multitude of characters with appropriate voices and context to bring the book alive in the theater of my mind.

Thanks to NetGalley, MIRA, and Harlequin Audio for providing an Uncorrected Proof and Advance Audio version in exchange for an unbiased review. I certainly look forward to further translations of Turhan’s work.

Young and struggling Riccardo seems to be down on his luck. His utilities are being shut off, he can barely afford food, and his deadline for his book's manuscript is quickly approaching. When everything seems like it cannot get worse, Riccardo receives a visit from a mysterious man who lets him know his Grandmother has passed and he has inherited her butterfly collection. Thinking that he truly has hit rock bottom and has no other choice in hopes that he also inherited something that could be worth monetary value, Riccardo decides to leave his decrepit home in Paris & head to his Grandmother's estate in Milan.

Once there, things seem to be off. The home isn't as grand as he once remembered, and memories from his time in Milan come quickly flooding back. Upon his arrival, he finds a mysterious notebook that says 'For Riccardo' on the front, and it seems to be a detailed memoir of his Grandmother's life. Longing for inspiration for his own book, he dives into his Grandmother's manuscript in hopes it'll spark something within him but so far, he is met with unease.

This book has a slower pace, but if you enjoy a long build-up of suspense before a big twist, you will enjoy this novel! Although some of the writing's prose felt a little... clunky, the need to understand the mystery of the butterflies and the strange happenings was enough to keep me turning the pages.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel and congrats to the author!

Based on the description of this book, I thought I would love this book. However, for me, this book was very slow. I am a plot based reader, so I enjoy books with lots of things happening and the plot continuously moving forward. This book progressed way too slow for me personally.

I did like the writing and the vibe of the story, I liked the depth of the characters, and I liked that the setting of the story.

This is a review of the audiobook.

Ricardo, struggling writer, inherits a villa in Milan from his recently deceased grandma and her massive and apparently rare and sought after butterfly collection. If you’re getting creepy vibes now, that works because nothing good can come from inheriting a collection of animals impaled and killed for display, right? It’s a literally a collection of death, and while her notebook inspires him to write what he hopes will change his life, it may well be the end of his life. But if a slow burner but very dark and interesting.