Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC.

Usually I really like found notebook/diary stories, but this one kind of dragged out. Riccardo didn't feel like that interesting of a character to me, and he is pretty clueless. He's really there just to find his grandmother's manuscript and deliver its story to the reader. EVERYTHING happens at the end of the book and EVERYTHING is a metaphor.

The narrator did a good job, but this was a difficult book to listen to on audio. I may have enjoyed it more in physical format.

I DNFed about 50% through. I wish the narrator had a buffet town while telling the story. I don’t care for the story either. The character and plot were flat in my opinion. In the future I’m willing to give it another try. Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin audio for this ALC

Didn’t love this one. I tried. I wanted to. But I just couldn’t. Too much repetition for me to enjoy. We got it the first 10 times. But the narrator did a great job.

A slow-burning, atmospheric mystery with Gothic undertones. When struggling writer Riccardo inherits his grandmother Perihan’s crumbling villa in Milan, he hopes for inspiration and a fresh start. Instead, he finds an eerie house full of unsettling butterflies, cryptic old friends, and a diary that might hold the truth about Perihan’s death or drive him to his own.

The writing is moody and immersive, perfect for fans of quiet suspense and literary mysteries. I loved the sense of decay and unease, and how the house almost feels alive. The pace is deliberate, so it may not be for everyone, but if you like stories where the dread builds slowly, this one might stay with you.

This book had all the ingredients for a great story… I loved the premise, the eerie atmosphere, and the Italian setting (always a favorite of mine). The use of butterflies in the horror element was also really unique and creative. Unfortunately, the execution didn’t fully land for me. The writing and structure felt a bit underdeveloped, and I found myself confused and disconnected in the middle. The beginning and end were definitely the strongest parts, but I struggled to stay engaged throughout.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book. I initially debated DNF’ing around the 12% mark, but I pushed myself to read through to 25% to give it a fair chance.

While the premise—a Gothic thriller involving an aspiring male writer dealing with his grandmother’s death and mysterious occurrences tied to monarch butterflies—sounded intriguing, the execution just didn’t work for me. The pacing was slow, the atmosphere lacked the eerie tension I expected, and I struggled to stay engaged. Around the 18% mark, we began getting his grandmother’s perspective and some strange activity started happening in the house, but even that wasn’t enough to pull me in.

The writing was okay, but ultimately, this story wasn’t a good fit for me. I appreciate the opportunity to read it early, but I’ve officially decided to DNF.

I think I really enjoyed the concept and characters, but the way the story was actually told and the way we gained information was a little too disjointed and jumpy for me😕 I honestly think if I just had Riccardo’s pov and Perihan’s manuscript, I would’ve been a bit better, but getting Licia and Lorenzo’s and even and omniscient pov really took the suspense and tension out of the story for me🥸 And also, bc I listened to the audio and had the physical book, the narrator for Riccardo’s voice would have these weird moments where it would sound like a clip was recorded separate from the original audio recording and was just spliced in after the fact😭 And it would be in like the middle of a paragraph, so it would literally take me out. But it never happened with Perihan’s narrator either, so idk😭

Despite a compelling hook and a strong gothic slant, Their Monstrous Hearts never quite hit me with the full force of its narrative. The super slow-burn pacing is fun at first, but I found it trying by the novel's midpoint. As a result, its final third (wherein all the true horror is finally on display) feels rushed.

I definitely enjoyed the setting, the tight principal cast is interesting enough---with the obvious exception of Ricardo's literary agent/convoluted plot device---and so is the dual narrative revealed through Perihan's manuscript, but its strain of magical realism was both a little too predictable and a little less intriguing than I initially hoped.

Their Monstrous Hearts definitely has some interesting things to say about the burden of familial ties and the idle rich's inevitable march to depravity, I just wish it could've spun that into a more cohesive whole.

I gave this book a 2/5 ⭐️. Unfortunately, this book was not what I thought it was going to be. It started off good and I felt like it had potential, but I just couldn’t get into it. I felt like I was bored and not understanding most of the book. When I was at the 60% mark, that’s when it started to pick up, but I still wasn’t sure how to feel about the story.

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.

Things I liked:

The premise was solid and genuinely had me curious

The ending finally delivered something worth sticking around for

Some of the imagery and mood had potential

This is one of those books that sounds great on paper but doesn’t quite work in execution. The writing style was a major roadblock for me—overwritten, repetitive, and constantly explaining things it had already made clear. The author clearly loves a certain kind of language, but when you hit the same descriptive words 5–10 times a chapter, it starts to feel like a broken record.

Riccardo as a main character didn’t do much for me. He wasn’t awful—just flat and hard to connect with. Perihan was even harder to invest in, though I’m not sure we were meant to like her. The biggest issue? I spent most of the book waiting for something meaningful to happen, and by the time it finally picked up (around the 70% mark), I was already checked out.

There were pages of info that felt more like filler than story—references to art, side notes, random observations that didn’t add much. The book is clearly reaching for something atmospheric and introspective, but I just didn’t feel any emotional pull.

It wasn’t a total loss—I think this story could work better on screen, where the vibe and visuals could carry it—but as a novel, it dragged. If you prioritize premise over polish, maybe you’ll like this more than I did. Personally, I needed more depth, tighter writing, and a reason to care sooner than the final act.

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.

After looking at the description for this book, I truly thought that I would love it. However, for me, this book was unbearably slow and I found that I really disliked our main characters. Perihan’s POVs were the hardest for me to get through which didn't make it easy to stay focused on the story.

As a horror lover, I was waiting for the story to draw me in. The concept was interesting but things didn't get revealed until the end and at that point I had already lost interest do to the confusing way everything was presented.

Unfortunately, this book just wasn't for me and maybe I would've enjoyed it more if I read it instead of listening to it through audiobook.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to listen to this in exchange for an honest review.
1⭐

4.5 rounded up.
Slow burn horror and was quite captivating.
Our dude is in a writing slump when his grandmother dies and leaves him everything. He finds a manuscript she was working on part memoir part scary fantasy. And he feels like he hit the jackpot. Until…
lol it was great. Full of bugs, mystery and weirdos.

Thanks to netgalley and harlequin audio for an alc

3.5 stars, rounding up to 4! I really enjoyed Riccardo's story but the best parts for me were the entries from Perihan's journal entries. The creepy, ethereal vibes took this story to the next level. Will recommend to my spooky readers!

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 was the first novel that I would categorized as atmospheric in a dark way. I won’t lie, it took some getting use to and I almost put it down. I’m glad I didn’t. It has the haunting feel that only an old Italian villa could have. With rich, brooding prose and an almost tactile sense of place, it explores the thin line between artistic genius and madness. Riccardo’s inheritance of his grandmother’s decaying Milanese villa sets the stage for a slow unraveling, where memory, ambition, and haunting secrets intertwine. Every detail, from the sinister butterfly collection to the chilling greenhouse, is rendered with exquisite dread. Readers will find themselves spellbound by a story that asks: How far will we go to keep our dreams alive, and at what cost?

A dark and haunting story of family and responsibility that unfortunately suffered from a slow pace and predictable plot. It was interesting as an allegory but would have been more compelling as a short story or novella.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

3 1/2 out of 5 stars



Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Ricardo is a struggling writer looking for his big break when he gets news that his grandmother, Perihan has passed away and left him her money and estate in Milan. This is his chance to find out more about the Grandmother that took care of after his Mother abandoned him. Alone in the Gothic estate he feels like the estate is alive, whispering to him and then he finds a diary that belonged to Perihan and there he begins to unravel all the secrets of his family that he never knew. What he finds changes his life forever.

This is beautifully Gothic tale with a bang of an ending. I wish I could give this a higher rating but there was just something that didn't hit right but I have no idea why. Still a fantastic read!

When Riccardo learns he has inherited his grandmother's estate, he accepts that it may be a ticket out of his Paris apartment he can't afford and potentially a way to cure the paralyzing writer's block he has had. The villa is creepy though. There is something wrong with the greenhouse and his grandmother's friends are always lurking, whispering, and watching. Riccardo soon uncovers a manuscript she wrote and through it begins to try to unravel the mystery around him.

I felt like the premise of this was so incredibly interesting. I love horror, and thought creepy houses and family secrets sounded like a great combo. I will say that the twists were twisty and the book kept me guessing all the way to the very end. The gore made my skin crawl, and I found myself very eager to read the next manuscript entry every time they'd appear on the next page.

Unfortunately, I think the pacing just really didn't work for me. This book was slow and we meandered toward the solving of the mystery at the heart of it. I also found the characters deeply unlikeable, which hurt because a lot of my fear when I engage with horror is rooted in not wanting bad things to happen to the characters. When I don't care what happens to them, some of that magic is lost. This book simply was not for me.

I think if you like slow paced horror, family secrets, and some gore this book could really be a hit for you!