This is a slow burn horror story with a hint of historical fiction. This book was good. I wasn't expecting the ending.

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
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

🎧 Narrator: Luca John Filiz; Tina Nakhleh Falkenbury

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.

3.5 rounded up
*Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for audio review copy*

What a sinister ending! The author did a good job with the atmosphere throughout this book. There was times it felt like the main character Riccardo was in a thriller novel where he was trying to scam his way into money. The realities of this being a slow burn horror makes me want to applaud the ending.

The emphasis here is on slow burn. If you can enjoy the build up the pay off is worth it. The build up for me was a drag which is why I could not give it a higher rating. However, I am sure there's going to be plenty of praise for this and I can't wait to see other people talk about it.

This one left me a little torn to be honest. I love gothic horror with it's slower pace that unfolds to the big reveal. And yet. The pacing here was pretty inconsistent. The beginning was fine and the ending was absolutely phenomenal, but getting there was almost painfully boring.

The author relied very heavily on metaphor, particularly butterflies to represent transformation. It was effective, but after a while, I felt like I was being beaten over the head with it by someone who really wanted me to notice the cool thing they just did.

This is by no means a bad book. I did enjoy it. The writing is beautiful and descriptive from start to finish. It's just not a *me* book. If I had the choice to go into it for the first time again, I may have skipped the audio and went with the actual text. The narrators did do a phenomenal job bringing these characters to life.

I think it's safe to say this was English debut jitters. This is still a book I would recommend to someone if they enjoy things slow and atmospheric, because that was here in spades. I still plan on trying more of this author's work, but this one was just a bit of a miss for me.

Thank you to Harlequin Audio and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this audiobook for the purpose of review. My opinion is, as always, honest and my own.

Their Monstrous Hearts is a slow burn horror.

Riccardo, a struggling writer trying to make ends meet, finds out that he’s the beneficiary of his late grandmother’s inheritance, which includes a villa in Milan, an intricate butterfly collection, and—most intriguingly—a diary. At first, he believes the diary’s stories must be fictional, as they seem too bizarre to be real.

While I found the writing style a little choppy and repetitive at times, I understand this is Turhan’s first novel in English, so I’m willing to cut some slack. The plot took a while to gain momentum, but trust me—the payoff at the end was worth the wait.

The Italian setting and atmosphere were fantastic, and the incorporation of butterflies into a horror element was unique and refreshing. The book reads more like a gothic mystery than a traditional horror, but it was still an enjoyable ride.

I received this as an audiobook ARC, and I have to admit the narration didn’t quite hit the mark for me. It felt a bit disjointed and clunky, which made it harder to fully immerse myself. But, despite that, I still found myself invested in the story, especially as it picked up steam toward the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This cover is BREATHTAKING.

I received a free copy of the audiobook via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a stinker. Riccardo is boring character with little depth beyond being a struggling writer who just can't get a good idea for a novel. During his darkest hour, he learns that his grandmother had died, and she's left him her butterfly collection (and huge house.) When we get to his grandmother's mysterious manuscript, her account of her life before marrying her husband is the most interesting this book gets, and the closest we get to a developed character.

However, the audiobook was the nail in the coffin for me. The male narrator does an accent for Ricardo that had me constantly thinking of Oskar from Hey Arnold. The female narrator is good, but if I have to spend time with Ricardo, I'm not going to make it through this book.

Their Monstrous Hearts follows the story of a struggling writer named Ricardo. One day an unexceptected knock on his door leaves him the sole heir to his grandmother Perihan’s estate and famed collection of butterflies. With nothing to lose he arrives back home and discovers his late grandmothers diary. He soon finds himself immersed in the mystery of his grandmothers life and her strange passing. Will he be able to figure out what lurks behind her written pages or will the monsters consume him first?

My thoughts: Overall I enjoyed this story. I found it creative and after listening to the authors note a lot within the pages felt more meaningful. I thought the narrators did a good job being the story to life and keeping me wanting to continue listening. I don’t feel like this is a horror novel, but more of a mystery/thriller with magical elements. It would be a great starting book for those looking into starting their horror reading journey! The slow burn was a bit hard at times to stay interested in but I really enjoyed the last couple of chapters and how the twists came together for the ending! I would give this book 3/5 stars. 🖤🦋

Thanks to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for an audio ARC of Their Monstrous Hearts in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

I absolutely loved this book. It's beautifully written and full of rich symbolism. Although it’s a longer read, I didn’t mind at all; I found myself eagerly looking forward to diving back into it every day. I also highly recommend reading the author's note at the end.

I truly wanted to like this book. I just struggled to get into it. I also struggled to get into the audiobook. I wish that the narrator used more range in his voice and made me want to be more invested in the story, but I just wasn’t.

Thank you so much to @htp_hive @htpbooks @harlequin_audio and @_mira_books_ for the #gifted #audiobook!

Sorry Dua Lipa, Their Monstrous Hearts was a miss for me. And that's so hard to say because this book was all about butterflies and I'm obsessed with butterflies. I decorate with them, I plant native plants in my yard with the sole purpose of giving butterflies places to lay their eggs, I even have my own collection of them that I have pinned! So a story featuring a paranormal, almost magical system of butterflies is something I should have eaten up.

Alas, I did not think the writing quality was there. This was an interesting idea with poor execution. The story-within-a-story was weird, the characters were bland, and the pacing was way off. I had no idea what was going on, but not in a cool way where I wanted to figure it out. More like in a confusing way where I was uninvested. The ending ended up being interesting, but I can't say the journey was worth it.

But the butterflies were really cool!

This book started out strong for me and I was enjoying it but then it just fell flat for me. I lost interest. Some books are just not meant for you and that’s okay.

Th beginning of this book started off strong, but as we continued the story it became boring. The best part of the book for me was Perihans manuscript/diary. I really liked seeing her story unfold, but the constant backing forth felt a bit jarring.

The author did a good job of describe the green house and the elements of the butterfly.

I just felt like Riccardo wasn’t fully flushed out at a character and that made it hard for me to really care what happened to him. It was very slow and the horror elements took awhile to come into play.

Overall, I don’t know if I would recommend this.

Thank you NetGalley & Harlequin audio for the ALC!

DNF @ 40%

The story is so very disjointed and confusing and I’m bored reading this right now. The two narrators were great though and were got me to the 40% mark.

Thank you to the publisher for an eARC and ALC. all thoughts are my own.

This was a slow read—but not in a bad way. Their Monstrous Hearts takes its time, and while I found the pacing sluggish at points and wished the characters were more fully developed, I’m glad I stuck with it. By the end, it pulled me in.

The story centers on Riccardo, a struggling writer who inherits his grandmother’s villa in Milan, along with her butterfly collection. As he settles into the house, he begins to uncover bits and pieces of her past through old diaries, and that’s when the story starts to shift. There’s a quiet unease that builds—not traditional horror, but something more emotional and unsettling.

I had a hard time connecting with the characters at first. Riccardo felt distant, and some of the supporting characters didn’t leave a strong impression. But what kept me going was the overall mood and the way the story slowly revealed its themes around grief, memory, and inheritance. It’s less about plot and more about what those things feel like—and Turhan captures that feeling well, especially in the second half.

This won’t be for everyone. If you’re looking for a fast-paced story or a clear-cut mystery, this probably isn’t it. But if you’re okay with a quiet, slower read that leans into introspection and emotional tension, there’s something rewarding here.

First of all that cover is absolutely gorgeous!! This book has very dark and gothic vibes. More creepy and weird than horror for most of this book. The last few chapters were definitely horrific though. The writing was so detailed and beautiful. I could truly picture the world and the characters. Definitely a story I could see being beautifully done as a movie. I can’t wait to get the physical copy.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me an audio-arc in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley.

Ricardo is a struggling writer in desperate need of a book to pitch to his agent when a stranger arrives at his door to tell him his grandmother has passed away and he has inherited her villa in Milan. So Ricardo packs up and head to Milan in hopes of being inspired, but nothing is as he remembers it -- there's something sinister beneath the butterflies and there's definitely something wrong with the greenhouse. And when Ricardo discovers his grandmother's diary, he starts to learn more about her life. But things seem a little too fantastical, and although he's sure it's a work of fiction, there's a few too many things that are starting to add up. He's hoping her diary will help him write his new book, but he'll have to survive long enough to write it.

This reminded me of an old movie called the Skeleton Key but with a scary butterfly lady creature? I don't even know hoe to describe her. OKAY. Trying to keep this spoiler free, so let's start with characters. I really enjoyed the diary aspect and learning off the grandmother's story at the same time as Ricardo. There's a few scenes that really freak you out with the details in the writing, but for the most part it does feel like the story is moving slow. With that being said, as much as it felt slow there were a lot of times that I would look down and see I jumped another 15% into the audio without even realizing becuase I was just drawn into this. The butterfly aspect of things was really cool, and the ending was wild. I actually had to go back and relisten to it because it's such a subtle moment at first that you're like wait, what? And then you go back and you're like WHAT. Overall, this felt like a classic horror with a lot of subtle moments, despite actually seeing the monster pretty early on. I thoroughly enjoyed this and I'd 100% recommend it to people who enjoy a mystery with a side of horror.

Thank you to Netgalley, MIRA, Harper Audio and Yigit Turhan for the ALC!

“Sometimes when you find yourself in a dark place you think you’ve been buried but you’ve actually been planted…”

Ricardo is a struggling writer when he finds out he has inherited his grandmother’s villa in Milan after her mysterious death. Perihan’s house is nothing like he remembers from his youth and he stumbles upon his grandmother’s diary, which opens up a whole can of worms (or maybe I mean, can of butterflies? LOL)

This may be the most unique horror book I have ever read! Though it is a bit of a slow-burn (til a jaw-dropping twist), it was so rich in history and horror that it made me in think and truly stayed with me after. Told in dual points of view, Perihan’s writings were a big part of the story. I thought the narrators did a fabulous job on audio as well. I loved this book so much that I ordered a pretty finished copy before I even finished reading - I can’t wait til it arrives!

Although this book was a horror story, the love Ricardo had for his grandmother was evident throughout. The author’s note at the end explained Turhan’s relationship for his own grandmother and basis for writing the story. He has a beautiful writing style as well and I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next!

”Their Monstrous Hearts” releases April 8, 2025. This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

To say I loved this would be an exaggeration, but I did enjoy it. I thought the PoV was unique and the story was eerie throughout.

Riccardo had the worst luck in family and I feel no shame in saying I was pulling for him. The story telling was good, but the ending was very unsatisfying. I really wanted Riccardo to come out on top where he could use this experience to turn his life around - even if he was a bit defeatist and melancholy.

This is again one of those stories where the title has you thinking of monsters, but throughout the journey you realize that humans and their insatiable greed and selfishness are the real monsters.

I felt so bad for the “monster” of the story. She lived a horrible existence with Parihan because of her abilities and ended up being belittled and used up by the end.

Note: I dual read this one: physical and audio. The audio was good and I liked how it switched back and forth from the mail and female narratives.

Riccardo, a struggling writer, has just had the electricity turned off in his Paris apartment when a mysterious stranger shows up at his door with news. Perihan,. Riccardo's grandmother, has passed away and left him her villa in Milan and her butterfly collection. Without options, Riccardo returns to Milan to claim his inheritance.
But the people Perihan surrounded herself with are very odd and lurking and always keeping tabs on Riccardo. And something is DEFINITELY wrong with the greenhouse. Nothing is quite what Riccardo remembers from childhood. Before the funeral, Riccardo stumbles upon Perihan's journal and is delighted to find out that she was also a writer. Because the story she weaves couldn't be real. Or could it?
I'm going to need more from Yigit Turhan! The writing was exquisite and this author definitely knows how to weave a story. Definitely a favorite so far for 2025. Who knew butterflies could be terrifying?!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for this digital audio e-arc.*