4/5 Stars

This book was not what I expected, but that wasn’t a bad thing. It starts slow—almost too slow—but the gothic atmosphere and creeping unease kept me hooked. Riccardo’s inheritance is less of a gift and more of a mystery wrapped in dust and butterfly wings. Perihan’s diary added depth, though it didn’t always feel like a real diary. The ending? It wrecked me. Not sure I liked it, but I get why it had to happen. A haunting, weird read that lingers.

The storyline for this book was great. This author managed to make butterflies creepy! Our main character is queer, so bonus points from me.

The writing isn't amazing but this is the author's first novel in English so I'm not taking points off for that. The ending was so abrupt that I had to reread the last two chapters to ensure I didn't glaze over any details.

I received a digital copy and later an audio copy of this book. For once I am not going to recommend the audio. The male narrator's narration voice was lovely. His character voices however were so similar it made it hard to differentiate which character was talking. The female narrator's voice was so soft it could have put me to sleep.

Thank you HTP and MIRA for this ARC and ALC.

When I was a child, my teacher read our class an old indigenous tale about the friendship and turmoil between the Pine trees and the Maple trees. The Pine tree boasted about not losing its needle through the winter, and the Maple was saddened by this. But during the winter, a small sparrow took shelter and solace in the density of the Pine, and in the spring, it built a nest in the Maple. There is a time and a purpose for every thing and for every need.

Needless to say, over 30 years later, this story has stuck with me. And so, too, will Their Monstrous Hearts. The symbolism is the same, there is a cycle. There is no life without death. Death without life. The comfort I felt reading the words in this book was akin to listening to my teacher relay that story. It made me feel rooted and connected. And it made me feel joy and a prick of fear. Because we humans really do take matters into their own hands against Mother Nature, don’t we?

This book was so richly written that my teeth ached, in the best way. Like when you get the perfect fork full of the Matilda chocolate cake. It was delectable. I loved the narrator, loved the way the language rolled off her tongue. The way she told the story - and the storytelling itself - was so wonderfully old school. I felt like I was sitting around receiving the gift of history and heritage in the form of a story told around a fire.

This books was a real slog. I got to about the 50% mark before finally giving up. I just didn’t find the story suspenseful or atmospheric in the slightest. I think this was partly due to the way the story was presented. The book goes back and forth between our main character Riccardo and his grandmother Perihan’s manuscript. I feel like this worked, but we would periodically get scenes from Perihan’s friends perspectives and it would cut all the tension. I would be sitting there reading Ricardo’s section thinking “what’s up with all these people at Perihan’s house? What are they doing here? What is their motive?” And then the next paragraph would be the friends having a conversation out of earshot from Riccardo outlining all their plans and motivations. I feel like this happens in a lot of books, but it’s that not knowing that builds tension and that wasn’t the case in this book. I also thought there was going to be a lot more desperation from Riccardo, but he seems to be fine just lounging around reading Perihan’s manuscript. Maybe he starts to grow desperate later, but if it hasn’t started at the 50% mark, I can’t imagine it would feel properly developed.
I also wanted to make a quick note about the writing style. It isn’t great. I read another review saying that English is not the author’s first language and this is their first English written novel. While I think it’s amazing they were able to write in a non-native language, that doesn’t mean the writing is “good,” it just felt juvenile and repetitive.

This book was and is beautiful the use of the atmosphere as well as just the hope the MC has with what is given to him really shines off the pages. I will say this isnt an exclusive horror novel its so much more than that. It will make you think about your own decisions and the what ifs in your life. I loved the butterflies it just all came together beautifully.

This book was not for me, but will definitely appeal to fans who enjoy a good psychological horror story. Reading this book gave me chills and I think the story will stay with me for a while. I enjoyed the author incorporating some Turkish culture into the story and found it overall to be a suspenseful read. It just ended up being a lot more creepy than I expected and I also did not enjoy some of the body horror included.

Their Monstrous Hearts by Yiğit Turhan is a haunting and atmospheric novel that combines dark romance with chilling supernatural elements. Set in a world where monstrous beings and humans coexist in an uneasy balance, the story follows the tangled emotions and dangerous desires between the protagonists. The central characters are complex and flawed, with their growing connection both beautiful and unsettling.

Turhan masterfully creates a moody, immersive atmosphere, with vivid descriptions that pull you deep into this eerie world. The book delves into themes of love, obsession, and the monstrous nature of its characters, exploring how far one will go for the sake of love—and what makes a monster in the first place. The pacing is compelling, with enough twists and tension to keep readers on edge.

While some elements of the plot can be predictable, the emotional depth and dark allure of the story make it a captivating read for fans of Gothic romance and supernatural fiction. Their Monstrous Hearts is a mesmerizing tale of love and monsters, with a twist that lingers long after the final page.

Ricardo has few options. No money, too many bills, and a severe case of writer’s block. He learns that his grandmother, Perihan, who he has not seen in many years has died, and he travels to her home in Milan for the funeral.
Her once grand house is vastly different and the people who are there seem to have their own agenda. When he finds Perihan’s diary, he is not sure if he is reading fact or fiction. Whatever it is though, it tells a very disturbing story.
Told by Ricardo in the present and through diary entries explaining his grandmother’s past, the more that he learns, the stranger the story became. Is it fact, fiction, or a combination of both? Butterflies play a large part in the story and by the end……. Well, I cannot say more because of spoilers. Let me just say I was shocked at how the story ended. I was screaming “No” at my Kindle, though I do understand why it ended this way. I may not have liked what happened, but I did enjoy this book, the first one I have read by this author.

Struggling, young Riccardo might have just had his life saved thanks to his recently deceased grandmother and her fortune, but nothing is ever as it seems.

Their Monstrous Hearts has one hell of a premise, and I was looking forward to diving into the macabre of deceit, greed, and magic, but I found this book to be incredibly repetitive with a rushed and weak ending.

This book tales our story from two different perspectives. One, a young aspiring author and the other, a grandmother sharing her life story. Unfortunately, the tones between the two characters were too similar to perceive the story being told from two narrators. We are constantly told that the grandma’s writing is flawless and amazing, and while it’s a great premise, cool story, unique, and fun, the greatness that the story tells us that it is just falls flat.

Though this book wasn’t for me, it definitely will be for someone else. If you like dual narrators weaving pieces to form one story, filled with repetitive imagery, and the darkness greed can bring out of people, give this a try.

Special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I will preface this review to say that horror isn’t my favorite genre, but I still felt like I gave it its fair chance. I made it through 35% before I stopped trying to force it.

This book was unreadable. The formatting of the ARC was incredibly distracting to follow what was happening — especially when alternating between Ricardo’s lived experience and Perihan’s manuscript. The mystery surrounding Perihan’s death was eerie but also confusing and not in the “I wonder what’s going to happen”: more like confusing in the “what is actually happening. The butterflies throughout the story I think were intended to be foreshadowing but instead came across as again, confusing. I won’t be reading this book when it is published.

I hate writing negative reviews, but after over 40% of this book, I decided to give up on it. The writing style was super clunky and felt YA and almost like it was written by AI at some points. There was a lot of repetition of describing words instead of giving us something to imagine. I cared about none of the characters, and the dialogue and even some of their actions did not feel like the way humans actually interact. This book is portrayed as a horror, but getting to halfway through and feeling no sense of suspense or creepiness was super disappointing. There was no intrigue to the story so nothing made me care about the plot, The diary entry sections and the flashbacks felt misplaced, and I'm not a fan of that plot device unless it's done really well because it feels like a cop-out and doesn't give the reader an opportunity to figure out the mysteries by themself. Overall it was disappointing and I could not bring myself to finish reading.

This was a tale of gothic horror and magical realism that uses it's creepy villa setting very well. It is slower paced (which is not a problem for gothic fiction) but the pacing felt uneven at times. This is a debut and gothic horror can be difficult to pace and balance. I felt like the main character was well developed, but the other characters were not as much. Although the diary is supposed to give us a glimpse into Perihan's life, it does feel a little stilted. It reads more like someone trying to imitate a diary (which I guess the author literally is) than actual diary entries.

I did think the setting was incredibly well done and you really get the feeling of a creepy empty villa. The inclusion of the butterflies was slightly heavy handed but I thought it was good overall. There is some dark humor and the last 20% of the book really packs a punch.

For a debut it's solid, and I would love to see what this author does in the future.

Loved the concept and vibes of this book. Turkish grandmother who has been living in Milano most of her life, leaves her creepy Italian villa with secrets and a suddenly dead garden to her grandson. I didn’t think butterflies could be morbid and gothic, yet here we are. The plot is like nothing I’ve read before.

Why then 3 stars? The writing style is clunky. The best analogy I can compare to is like the plot is a gothic victorian house but the writing style is a modern office building. It made it hard to stay in the story. And the plot pace doesn’t pick up until the last 30% of the book.

I do hope our author keeps writing because this is still a good tale even while reading like a debut, and maybe with more novels skill will grow to match the writing style to the story.

Their Monstrous Hearts is a masterfully eerie and unsettling tale that blends gothic horror, family secrets, and magical realism into a narrative that is as captivating as it is chilling. From the moment Riccardo, a struggling author, inherits his late grandmother Perihan’s villa in Milan, readers are drawn into a slow-burn mystery that evolves into something far darker than expected.

The story is enriched by Perihan’s diary, which Riccardo finds within the villa. Through her words, we are transported into a world that is at once beautiful and grotesque, as we learn about her past in early 20th-century Turkey and the haunting secrets she harbored. The butterfly collection—an innocent enough symbol—takes on a sinister significance, embodying the fragile line between beauty and terror. The creatures themselves seem to mirror the horrors lurking beneath the surface of Perihan’s life.

Turhan’s writing is mesmerizing, luring readers into a story that is part mystery, part horror, and part surreal exploration of family, obsession, and desire. The atmosphere is rich and immersive, with every page building tension, from Riccardo’s unsettling arrival at the villa to the mounting dread as he uncovers more about his grandmother’s life. The intricate weave of horror and magical realism creates a story that stays with you long after you turn the final page.

The mix of slow-burn suspense and visceral, mind-bending reveals makes this book a truly unique reading experience. The author’s ability to create tension and unease, especially through vivid descriptions and complex character dynamics, is extraordinary. The relationships in the story—particularly the tension between Riccardo and his grandmother’s memory—add layers of emotional depth to the supernatural horror.

Fans of gothic horror with an intellectual twist will find Their Monstrous Hearts a compelling, atmospheric journey that lingers in the mind. Turhan has crafted a truly haunting narrative that transcends typical genre conventions, delivering a story full of surprises and unsettling truths. Highly recommended for those who enjoy beautifully written, thought-provoking horror with a dash of the supernatural.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the the opportunity to receive an ARC of this book. I will always be forever grateful.
This book for sure was one that left me sitting in awe of how engrossing this novel is. This book is a haunting tale of what people are willing to do to defy the limitations of life and death. And the monstrous beings they become..
I honestly wasn’t too sure what to make of this book before I decided to type in but it for sure was really engrossing, haunting and just all around a total mind f***. And I loved every minute of it.
It’s for sure an old trope that kind of has been done over and over again. The trope of being a down on their luck person has a stranger visit them about a family members passing and has them returned home to deal with what was left behind. And when they return things began to slowly unveiled themselves in a dark and twisted manner. Overall engaging,haunting and shocking.
For sure would recommend to those looking for a tale that will leave you gasping.

What made this book an unpleasant read for me was that I found the writing to be quite poor. I realize there are some readers who don't mind that so much as long as they're getting a good story, and this book DOES have a good story, so if the sentence-level stuff doesn't ruin the overall tale for you, you might enjoy this a lot more than I did.

I'm not sure I can explain what I found engaging about the story told here without spoiling things, but suffice it to say I found it held unique and interesting ideas. And I appreciated how the author chose to end the story.

As far as the writing - I found it to be very juvenile, but then learned that this is the author's first English language novel, and so that may explain some of it. Either his grasp of writing in this language isn't as good, or what his typical readers value in their writing differs from what I do. Beyond a few story inconsistencies, characters acting in ways that human interaction does not actually occur, and an extremely unlikable main character (albeit for a potentially good reason), my biggest issues were these:

Instead of "show, don't tell", the author chooses to do both. He does a good job setting an ominous yet captivating scene, but then outright tells readers, "It made for an ominous yet captivating scene". Speaking of captivating, the word appears 48 times in this book, sometimes in consecutive sentences. Beauty or beautiful is used 80 times, mysterious/mystery 40 times, scent 39, delicate 38, intrigued/intriguing 28, eerie 28, fragrance 28, vibrant 23, enchanting/enchanted 21, enigmatic 18, allure/alluring 16, and ethereal 15. Despite doing a decent job imparting these ideas in his story, he will repeatedly explain to us how captivating and alluring the enchanting enigmatic mysterious fragrance was, invoking a vibrant and ethereal beauty. A lot.

Because my main issue was with the execution, I feel like the intriguing premise here would come across much better as a movie from a streaming service or something. Alas, this book was not for me. But if story trumps writing in your reading, it might still be for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/MIRA for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Yigit Turhan’s Their Monstrous Hearts is a gothic gem that would make a stunning stop-motion film for adults in the vein of Tim Burton’s work. Riccardo’s eerie inheritance—a crumbling Milanese villa and ominous butterfly collection—sets the stage for a haunting tale of family secrets and creative desperation.

The decaying estate, mysterious greenhouse, and unsettling characters are ripe for Burton-esque visuals, with intricate designs and dark whimsy amplifying the novel’s themes of ambition and legacy. Perihan’s cryptic diary and her enigmatic circle of friends would translate beautifully into a visually layered, emotionally resonant narrative.

Though the story’s pacing can meander, its atmospheric tension and poignant conclusion ensure it leaves an impression. As a stop-motion film, Their Monstrous Hearts would captivate viewers with its macabre beauty and haunting depth.

Their Monstrous Hearts had its moments, but it ultimately left me feeling mixed. The book started strong and ended well, but the middle really dragged, making it hard to stay fully engaged throughout.

One of the standout aspects was the diary elements, which added an entertaining layer to the narrative. They kept me intrigued, especially as the mystery around the butterflies unfolded. However, while the story hooked me enough to want to uncover the truth, the pacing was uneven. This seems to be a trend lately—books with great beginnings that lose momentum midway before rushing to wrap things up.

The biggest issue for me was the lack of proper buildup to the ending. The conclusion felt disconnected from the earlier parts of the book, like the foundation wasn’t fully laid for the payoff. It left me wanting more cohesion and depth to tie everything together.

Overall, Their Monstrous Hearts was okay. There were intriguing elements and moments of strong storytelling, but the pacing and structural issues held it back from being truly memorable.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

After receiving news about his grandmother’s death Riccardo returns to Italy to claim his inheritance of her villa. Down on his luck the 20 year old wannabe writer finds a mysterious manuscript addressed to him from his late grandmother telling a magical tale of monsters, beauty, butterflies, and the secret to eternal life. As more mysteries about Riccardo finds maybe the story is true, but is it too late for his twisted fate at the end of this. Imaginative and unique this story kept you propelled to the shocking conclusion. A big thanks to @htp_hive @htpbooks . 4⭐️.