In Their Monstrous Hearts by Yiğit Turhan we get a dual POV story. Riccardo, a struggling writer, is informed of the death of his grandmother. At first, he wants to stay in Paris and work on his novel, but he is literally out of money and out of ideas on what to write, so he journeys to Milan for his grandmother's funeral. Riccardo is the sole heir to his grandmother's villa and butterfly collection. The beginning is well done, but in the middle trying to figure out what is going on in his grandmother's journal the pacing of the story slows to crawl and becomes very muddled. The ending is quite good.

Thank you to Net Galley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for my arc. This book is available now.

This book was disappointing. I was not a fan of the writing style and the story was not what I expected. The story follows a writer who inherits a villa in Italy from his grandmother, who passed away under mysterious circumstances. Soon after he arrives at the villa, he discovers a manuscript written by his grandmother. A large portion of the book is the main character reading that manuscript, which tells the story of how his grandmother met a strange being, and from there, things get weird. There are a lot of bizarre moments involving butterflies and other surreal elements that didn’t quite work for me.

I did enjoy the Italian setting. I always love when a story takes place in Italy. And I appreciated some of the fantastical elements sprinkled throughout. However, a big chunk of the story just felt slow and dull. I couldn’t stay invested, and the buildup lacked excitement.

The ending was decent, but overall, this one didn’t work for me. It had potential, but I just wasn’t a fan of how it played out.

A case of being fooled by an enticing cover, unfortunately.

The first 25% of the book is about getting to know these somewhat flat characters that never really jump off the page for me. Riccardo the struggling writer facing eviction being called to action by the death of a grandmother leaving him her spooky mansion was already a bit of a weak hook for me. His obligatory initial resistance felt performative, like much of his actions.

The family history build-up is a bit dry and boring, though very culturally enlightening. By far, the most interesting part of this story for me is the foreign setting and cultures. I wish these characters could've been brought to life with more about their worlds, backgrounds, and interests through subtle inclusions of style and appearance, language, or architecture. We get such beautiful descriptions of scenery here and there, but not much about the people, these characters we're supposed to care about.

Another thing that takes some getting used to: the sentence structure of the writing feels inexperienced in complexity, or as if the author's native language isn't English -- which is fine if so, just not a style I personally found myself wanting to go back to immersing myself in. The dialogue ends up sounding horribly unnatural for the most part.

However there's enough mystery around the butterflies and some enjoyable gothic imagery to forgive these drags on the story, at least in the first part. A little after 25% in things pick up the pace a little and people start acting more interesting and strange; but there's still not really much going on besides that.

It leans heavily on the manuscript Riccardo finds left behind by his grandmother, Perihan, which itself doesn't have much action besides reciting the tale of how she found what she thought was an angel and brought her to a fancy, bourgeois party as entertainment for the guests and what happened when that night took a dark turn.

The driving force through most of this is the psychological horror and repeated blurring of reality and fantasy -- instead of something like suspense or conflict with pressing, heavy stakes. This is all fine for the first half, but after 70% into the book of nothing exciting going on, dialogue that sounds nothing like the way people would talk, and decisions made by cardboard characters that just plain don't make sense or seem plausible... It's enough to make one angry about having spent so much time on this book already.

Which is why I just cannot recommend this to anyone. There are much more well-written and more engaging books out there more worth the time.

⛓️ ARC REVIEW ⛓️

Thank you so much @netgalley , @harlequinbooks and the author for my early copy of Their Monstrous Hearts! 🖤 this cover is absolutely gorgeous.

Multiple times throughout this book I flip flopped between wtf is going on and oh SNAP this is cool hahaha. I’m very torn on how to rate this because the premise was so cool, the twist at the end was wild, and there were some spooky moments that had me shivering with anticipation, but there were other times where I was completely confused on what was even going on 🥴🤪. All in all, I really enjoyed myself and I’m thankful I had the chance to read this 🥰

Their Monstrous Hearts was released on April 8th and ready to be read by you!!!

Stickers are from @bookishshopcanada_ & there is a 50% off sale going on right now 🥰 mention in the notes that Alaya sent you!

"How far will someone go to keep their dreams alive?"

Their Monstrous Hearts by Yigit Turhan is an atmospheric gothic horror debut with a dual timeline and haunting prose.

Riccardo is a struggling writer facing down a deadline and he has a serious case of writers block. With an abundance of bills overdue he needs to find the story that will put his name into the world. When a stranger arrives at his apartment in Paris, Riccardo learns that his grandmother Perihan has passed away and he has inherited her estate in Milan as well as her extensive butterfly collection. Upon arriving at the estate it is clear that time has taken its toll on the once lavish grounds. When Riccardo finds a manuscript written by Perihan he is intrigued with reading about her mysterious past and wonders how much of this fantastical story is fact or fiction?

This is such a dark and atmospheric tale that is beautifully written and full of buried truths. It is definitely a slow burn type of novel as most of the story is a lot of tense build up with a super creepy and unsettling undertone. This is not the typical horror genre that I usually read, more eerie with a creeping sense of dread. I am definitely interested in reading more by Turhan especially since this was his debut!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Yigit Turhan, and Harlequin Trade Publishing/ MIRA for this ARC!! Publication date is April 8th 2025.

Riccardo has missed his deadline, struggling to write a novel up to his agent and publisher's standards. He's broke in Paris with unpaid bills and no one in his life when Maurizio shows up and informs him that his grandmother, Perihan, has passed away, leaving him her villa in Milan. With no other prospects, he makes his way to Milan, discovering some strange happenings in the villa and an even stranger manuscript written by his grandmother but addressed to him. I felt Riccardo's struggles and loneliness and found myself invested in discovering how his story would play out, especially when the plot took creepier and creepier paranormal turns that will forever change how I see butterflies. Fans of lyrical and paranormal horror will enjoy this one.

I had really hoped that I would enjoy Their Monstrous Hearts by Yigit Turhan more. The premise sounded right up my alley, but it ultimately did not deliver the way that I wanted it to. In this story we follow Riccardo, who is a struggling writer who inherits a villa in Milan from his recently deceased grandmother. He decides to move there with the hope that the change of scenery will inspire him to finish his manuscript. There he discovers a run down estate filled with his grandmothers collection of butterflies, her mysterious old friends and a greenhouse that holds dark secrets. Though the writing is atmospheric and richly detailed, the story just fell flat for me. I would pass on this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and MIRA for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review. These thoughts are my own.

Gorgeous book aesthetically. I’m not sure if it was a language issue or if the authors writing style just did not flow for me. Characters were underdeveloped. Quite and extended period of time was given to description of butterflies, but then we have a rushed and awkward (hugely gorgy) ending. I just opened up a new TW for myself with this book……child death by circus animals (hugely descriptive).
So this is just a no for me.
2 stars for sheer imagination .

I was provided an ALC and an ARC of this book via Netgalley and the team Harlequin, all opinions are my own.

This was a strange book for sure. It is told from the perspective of Riccardo, a struggling writer who can't make ends meet and can't find the word to put on the page. His agent is begging him for the draft of his first novel after reading a short story that blew everyone away. At the peak of his dispair, a man shows up with an envelope that could change the direction he is going and possibly pull him out of his downward spiral. The man has worked for Riccardo's grandmother, Perihan for many years, and she has just passed away. Riccardo has been summoned back to Milan to attend her funeral and deal with her estate as her sole surviving relative. There he finds an old journal that spans her lifetime and tells a story that reads like a fantasy novel. These journal entries are told from Perihan's perspective, and we learn about her life and why butterflies are so important to her story.

Overall I thought the pacing was a bit slow. I'm not sure if it was the frequent POV and timeline switches or what. I didn't particularly connect with either character, though I did prefer Perihan's journal entries more than the Riccardo perspective. It felt like Riccardo wasn't doing anything but reading a book for most of the novel, then at the end everything happens all at once. This does have some suspenseful moments and mild horror elements, but I felt like it needed more. This does have a really cool premise and is filled with symbolism

I appreciated that there were two narrators in the audiobook, one for Riccardo's perspective in the present and one for Perihan's perspective when he is reading the journal. The chapters don't have a clean break for the point of view to switch as Riccardo will be doing something, then he will pick the journal up and start reading, so it was a nice touch that the narration changes as he picks up the book and puts it down.

A writer experiencing writer's block suddenly inherits a villa. When he travels to Milan, he does not expect to be involved in a mysterious situation. After coming across his grandmother's personal diary, he begins to learn about a part of her life that he would've never guessed and the meaning behind those butterflies she collected, which seem to hold a deeper meaning.

I received an e-ARC and ALC! The narrators did an excellent job bringing the characters to life, and that, along with the production, made for an enjoyable story.

Definitely recommend this book!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the e-arc and ALC!

Thank you @tlcbooktours @htpbooks @mirabooks for the beautiful special edition and for including me on this tour!

“Beauty had a threshold, and beyond it, it became a captivating terror, holding people’s attention hostage to fulfill its own needs.”

A mysterious stranger shows up at Riccardo’s apartment with some news: his grandmother Perihan has died, and Riccardo has inherited her villa in Milan along with her famed butterfly collection.
The struggling writer is out of options. He’s hoping the change of scenery in Milan will inspire him, and maybe there will be some money to keep him afloat. But Perihan’s house isn’t as opulent as he remembers. The butterflies pinned in their glass cases seem more ominous than artful. Perihan’s group of mysterious old friends is constantly lurking. And there’s something wrong in the greenhouse.
As Riccardo explores the decrepit estate, he stumbles upon Perihan’s diary, which might hold the key to her mysterious death. Or at least give him the inspiration needs to finish his manuscript.
But he might not survive long enough to write it.

This is a very unique and fantastical story with both beautiful and grotesque imagery. I was completely immersed in the eerie and gothic setting of Milan. The translated writing could be quite lyrical and the ending left me with chills! I also appreciated the author’s note about how his inspiration for the story.

Rating 4⭐️

An atmospheric, dark, slow burn horror- filled with multiple POV's, family secrets, twists and turns, and an ending that will SHOCK you!

Alternating between Riccardo's POV in the present day, and his grandmother, Perihan's manuscript from the past, we get a deep dive into the truths of her mysterious death. This story was very detail heavy, and lagged just a bit at times (for me) - however, these details were needed and by the end of it I was stunned.

Overall, a very strong debut for Yigit Turhan and I can not wait to see what else the author puts out.

The idea of the book was great but it felt a bit longer and I found myself wanting to skim some paragraphs.

Gothic is a hit or miss for me and this one was riiiight in the middle. It also didn't feel like horror at all, it was more of a fantasy thriller?

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the arc.

3.75*

Riccardo is pulled back to his grandmother’s house in Italy after trying and failing to make it as a writer. Though his first work seems to have earned him accolades, he is now failing to meet the publisher’s deadline for his next. However, one day a man arrives at Riccardo’s door and informs him of his grandmother’s passing. He tells Riccardo he must come back to Italy where he will receive the house and his grandmother’s butterflies. This is where the story really seems to begin.

Riccardo arrives at his childhood home where his grandparents took care of him after the disappearance of his mother. Upon wandering around the house and stepping into his grandmother’s room, he finds a handwritten book by her, and he decides to read it as it has his name on it. He calls it a manuscript because the story within starts as a memoir but seems to evolve into a fantastical tale he cannot imagine to be real. However, the friends of his grandmother are still sticking around the house, and they seem to be plotting something.

The story is a bit slow, at times, since much of it is Riccardo reading his grandmother’s story. The last quarter of the book is fairly quick, and it seems to rush to wrap things up. I do find an eerie atmosphere and lots of questions regarding what the grandmother is hiding. It is clear the book is not telling everything even if it presents itself like a memoir. It’s not a bad book, but the pacing was off, and I feel like I had a lot of questions still lingering.

Their Monstrous Hearts by Yigit Turhan is a tale about what happens when your inheritance may cost you your life? Riccardo inheritshis grandmothers home and as a struggling writer welcomes the idea of this gift... at first. After a bunch of wild occurances and disturbing behaviors told through journal entries, Riccardo is not sure if he has bit off more than he can chew. Great build and character development. Loved the storyline and plot points.

Their Monstrous Hearts was such a deranged, magical, dark tale. It starts off slow, but when it really gets going, I was stressing. 🥲 I was kindly gifted the audiobook and loved how well done the narration was. The ending is so wrong and I loved it - I realize I’m weird for that. I enjoyed the diary entries that gave us insight into such a magical, yet depressing story Riccardo’s grandmother, how she came to have the butterflies anxiously what the butterflies are capable of. If you enjoy dark family secrets, magical realism and a dark, gothic atmospheric setting, this makes for a quick, haunting read. Thanks to MIRA and The Hive for my advanced audiobook. Their Monstrous Hearts is available today.

Perihan's decaying Milanese mansion provides an unnaturally sinister setting. The reader comes to know the deceased Perihan through her diary, her surviving servants, "friends," and Riccardo's own childhood memories. Perihan wrote of her immigration, leaving her oppressively religious home and embracing "the thrill of transformation." One night she meets a beautiful, mute girl with irredescent skin, surrounded by butterflies. Perihan brings her to a party, as a novelty, not even bothering to learn her name. But this "angel" is "cruelly replaced by a monster" that preys on the shallow and the superficial in exchange for eternal life.

At first, I couldn't put my finger on why the reading felt uneven. Then I realized that the third-person narration for present-day Riccardo fluctuates between direct and passive voice while the first-person diary of the past flows more naturally. Consequently, Perihan's dramatic revelation completely overshadows Riccardo, who deserved more character development earlier on. There's also a gratuitous amount of repetitive or out of place modifiers throughout. This is all, of course, up to an editor to catch. Overlooking these few structural flaws, it is like a Lovecraftian mix between The Masque of the Red Death and The Great Gatsby! A thin veneer of success and beauty hiding an insatiable, cancerous darkness, and how it all unfolds will certainly stay with you.

This was such a fantastic book. This is something I wouldn't normally pick up, but I am so glad I did.

Not only am I extremely impressed that the author wrote this on English even though it's not his first language, but the overall story was so beautifully written. It was mysterious, emotional, and impossible to put down. I highly recommend checking this one out.

I liked it but did not love it. I keep learning that slow burn isn't my thing. And it is especially hard when reading/listening to audio books. The narration, and the story telling is very beautiful and lyrical. It's a fairy tale. But one that isn't beautiful. But it is so so slow. And the horror doesn't really shine till the end.

This books in on point gothic. Mysterious house, mysterious family, family secrets, dark underlyings.. It all builds on this gothic fairy tale. And we have a diary that tells it all. You want to know the mysteries of the butterflies and this beautiful and enigmatic grandmother.. but also how long will it take? I wanted something more in between those diary entries.

I'm sure there will be readers that will love the prose and the style. But not me. I was 100 the cover buyer, as I'd pick this book just based on it! IT IS gorgeous.

Thank you to The Hive, Mira, HTP, and Harper Audio for the gifted copies!

Their Monstrous Hearts
Yiğit Turhan
Publishing Date: April 8, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Talk about judging a book by its cover… the moment I saw the cover of this one I was drawn in. I love butterflies and it was just so beautifully creepy. Then add in the Italian setting, it was one I knew I had to read.

The concept here was intriguing and had a lot of potential. Ricardo is a struggling author who has just inherited his grandmother’s estate and.. butterfly collection. When he arrives in Milan he also finds a manuscript his grandmother had been working on. As we read, we go back and forth between real life/present day and Perihan’s manuscript. It quickly becomes evident that something strange is going on. Perihan’s friends are always lurking around whispering, there is a mysterious greenhouse behind the house, the butterflies, and the manuscript tells a super eerie tale. Will Ricardo get the inspiration he needs to finish his book or is he in danger?

We spend A LOT of time in Perihan’s manuscript, quite possibly more time than we spend with Ricardo in present day. I found this made the majority of the book hard to connect with. Without a lot of time WITH the main characters it was just hard to feel invested in what was happening. I really like the book within a book concept, I just think a different balance would have hit better. The manuscript was bizarre and I found myself a bit confused by it for much of the book. Once we hit the last 20% or so the connection between present day and the manuscript start to weave together and that is where this book had its moment to shine. It just took a bit too long to get there.

🎧 The narrators themselves did a nice job with this one. However, the perspectives change suddenly and in a way that is not very clear. This in addition to the back and forth between present day and the manuscript, made it a bit confusing at times on audio. If I had to do this again I would either read with my eyes or do tandem.