I am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion of this book.

What a twist!

This book starts out so slow that I almost DNF'd it. I am glad that I held out. It follows 20-year-old failing author Riccardo as he heads to Milan to bury his estranged grandmother, Perihan. Once he arrives at the home he has now inherited, he finds things to be a bit off. Acquiring a journal his grandmother wrote, he discovers some disturbing family secrets and becomes a piece in a game he wants no part of.

The first few chapters of this book are painfully slow, but once it gets going, it moves at a decent enough pace for the story, with the last two to three chapters moving at breakneck speeds. I am glad I had the privilege of receiving both the e-book and audio versions. If I only had the ebook, the DNF bug would have won, and I would have missed out on a good time. This ended up being quite creepy and left me with my mouth agape.

Luca John Filiz and Tina Nakhleh Falkenbury did a good job narrating this story and bringing the characters to life. Their voices were so relaxing that I had to really focus to avoid drifting off.

Thank you to Netgalley, Harlequin Audio, and Yigit Turhan for the ability to listen to the ALC of this book

Unfortunately I found this to be so slow and boring. I had to DNF pretty early on because I just could not stay engaged. I appreciate the advance copy!

Thank you Netgalley for the advance audiobook copy of Their Monstrous Hearts by Yigit Turhan in exchange for an honest review. I am very impressed by this book. My first book by Turhan and I was thrown for a loop. It begins with a young, broke writer who is offered a trip to his grandmother's funeral. He finds a book addressed to him, written by his grandmother and delves into a strange, new world. From there, the story continues to twist along. This story kept my attention through the whole book.

This story took me on the adventure of a struggling author named Ricardo who is summoned back home due to his grandmother's death. Once he arrives, strange things start unfolding and twisting to the truth behind his grandmother.
This story swaps povs between Ricardo in the present and his grandmother in the past. I really enjoyed the dual point of view but I leaned heavily towards the grandmother's side of the story because it was much more intriguing to see what was going to happen on her side.
While the story took a bit to take off for me, the entire book had me wondering what could happen next or what the possible ending could even be. The concepts surrounding this story and ideas just blew me away. And the ending definitely hit me off guard which is my favorite! For a debut novel, this was amazing!

The premise for this was great and I had such high hopes for this novel. It is a gothic horror about how far someone will go to protect their life and proves once again that humans are the real monsters. Unfortunately, for me, this just fell flat. I found it painfully slow and rather boring. It didn't pick up until the last 20% or so, and even then it was still boring. From the beginning you could tell that the people in Ricardo's grandmothers house were not good people and hiding something but even the reveal wasn't that exciting.

I really wanted to like Their Monstrous Hearts, but unfortunately, I had to DNF it at the 50% mark. I was listening to the audiobook, and honestly, it was hard to stay engaged. The story is just super slow, and I found myself zoning out a lot. It didn’t help that the pacing felt really dragged out, and nothing really grabbed me.

The premise seemed intriguing at first, but it just didn’t hold my attention. The plot felt like it was going nowhere, and the characters weren’t interesting enough to keep me invested. I need something that pulls me in, and this one just didn’t do it for me.

I can see how this book might work for some people who enjoy slower-paced, more atmospheric stories, but it just wasn’t what I was looking for. Maybe it gets better, but after 50%, I wasn’t feeling it and just couldn’t keep going.

Overall, Their Monstrous Hearts wasn’t for me.

"Their Monstrous Hearts" is a hypnotic gothic horror novel that unravels like a fever dream—haunting, atmospheric, and deeply unsettling. A story of ambition, legacy, and the terrifying price of keeping dreams alive, it lures readers into a world where the past refuses to stay buried.

When struggling writer Riccardo inherits his grandmother Perihan’s crumbling Milanese villa and her famed butterfly collection, he hopes for a fresh start. Instead, he finds a decaying estate filled with eerie relics, a circle of enigmatic old friends who seem to know more than they let on, and a greenhouse that harbors something deeply wrong. As he delves into Perihan’s diary, searching for inspiration—or perhaps just survival—the line between art and obsession, past and present, life and death begins to blur in the most disturbing ways.

Turhan’s prose is lush and immersive, painting a world that feels both intoxicating and oppressive. The creeping horror builds slowly, with unsettling imagery and psychological dread that lingers long after the last page. At times, the novel leans heavily into its dreamlike, disorienting atmosphere, which may leave some readers craving more clarity. However, for those who love gothic horror drenched in mystery and macabre beauty, "Their Monstrous Hearts" is an unforgettable descent into darkness. 4 star read.

This book wasn’t for me BUT that said it was well written and flowed nicely. I simply just didn’t connect with the content and found the mixed timeline harder to follow because of this.

Yiğit Turhan's horror novel, THEIR MONSTROUS HEARTS, has been on my TBR for months, so I was very excited to be given the opportunity to read this one early! This book dives into family, grief, and trauma while infusing horror throughout.

When Riccardo, a struggling writer on the brink of eviction, learns that his grandmother Perihan has died and left him her villa in Milan—along with her famed butterfly collection—he leaves without hesitation, hoping for a fresh start. However, the once-lavish estate has decayed, the butterflies seem eerie rather than beautiful, and Perihan’s old friends linger with unsettling presence. As Riccardo uncovers her diary and the secrets hidden within the house, he finds himself entangled in a haunting mystery that may either inspire his next novel—or cost him his life.

THEIR MONSTROUS HEARTS is one of the most unique books I’ve read, blending genre, narration, and plot into a gothic story that builds toward an excellent twist. While the slow burn is INTENSSEEEEEE, the rich Turkish cultural elements, haunting butterfly imagery, and exploration of true monstrosity (ba dum tss!) make the journey worthwhile. The audiobook kept me engaged (not sure if I would've been able to power through the physical copy), and if you enjoy horror with a powerful, unexpected twist, this is a must-read!

When Riccardo, a struggling writer on the verge of eviction, receives unexpected news of his estranged grandmother Perihan’s passing, it feels like a stroke of fate. He has inherited her villa in Milan, a crumbling estate filled with dusty remnants of a life he barely remembers—including her famed butterfly collection, once a marvel, now a macabre display of decay. Hoping the change of scenery will spark his stalled creativity (or at least provide financial salvation), Riccardo packs up his meager belongings and heads for Italy.

But the villa is not as he remembers. The grandeur has faded, replaced by a sense of quiet rot. The butterflies—once shimmering in vibrant colors—seem almost watchful in their glass cases. The greenhouse doors remain bolted shut, despite the fact that Perihan was known to spend hours inside. And her group of eccentric, ever-present friends seem far too invested in his every move.

Then Riccardo finds her diary.

What begins as idle curiosity quickly morphs into something darker. The pages whisper of rituals, transformations, and an obsession that consumed Perihan in her final days. As Riccardo reads, he starts to sense a shift within himself—his dreams grow vivid, his reflection seems altered, and the butterflies, lifeless as they should be, appear to move in the corner of his vision.

And the greenhouse? It isn’t empty.

Steeped in gothic unease, creeping dread, and a touch of the surreal, this book will haunt you! #harlequinaudio #yigitTurhan #theirmonstroushearts

It is funny how usually the worst monsters in a book end up being human, especially when they are trying to stave off death or looking for immortality. I would call this a slow burn horror with the insidious of it slowly creeping up behind and you can feel the wrongness but don't know when it will hit you. Riccardo was abandoned by his family at a young age, struggling to make ends meet and he is a good character so you feel for him when he arrives back at his grandmothers house in Milan and something is not right. I told him to run so many times as I listened to this audiobook but I was also fascinated by the journal he found that Perihan left for him. So, it goes between the past (via the journal) and the present, weaving together I tale of magic and horror. This was a fun book to listen to and the ending was not what I expected and left it with just the right touch.

The narrators did a great job in making the characters of Riccardo and Perihan come alive and twist the story to darkness. Nicely creepy! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to listen to this audiobook!

I'm really sad this book wasn't for me. It was beautifully written and had a really interesting plot I just never really got into it. I may just not have been in the mood for such a literary horror and that's on me because this book really had all the elements of something I would love. I am sure other horror and suspense readers will love it as well. In the case of this book I really think I was the problem so don't let my rating stop you from reading this.
Turhan wrote a beautiful and lyrical tale of horror and family. This book did an amazing job of exploring themes of family and belonging. The slow building dred this book evokes is perfect. As well as the thrilling ending hand me on the edge of my seat. This is definitely one I would recommend.

Their Monstrous Hearts felt like a fairy tale inside of a fever dream in the best possible way. It's eerie and unsettling, with prose so beautiful that it almost reads like poetry. The story follows Riccardo, a struggling writer who inherits his late grandmother Perihan's villa in Milan, hoping the change of scenery will spark his creativity and give him a financial lifeline. But when he arrives, the villa is far from the glamorous retreat he remembers, and it’s filled with ominous clues that something is very wrong.

The atmosphere in this book is brilliantly crafted—the decaying villa, the unsettling butterflies, and the cryptic group of elderly friends all create a sense of growing dread, one that steadily increases until the ending that I'm STILL not over. The narration was perfect for the story, and just added to the creepy, surreal atmosphere.

I'm not sure the ending will be a popular one for a lot of readers, but I loved it. You might not if you need everything wrapped up and tied in a neat bow. I don't think that kind of ending would have had as much impact in such a gorgeously artistic yet haunting work, though. This is going to stay with me for a long, long time.

As much as I enjoyed the mystery around the grandmother, there simply wasn't enough suspense to keep me hooked or a strong enough protagonist to relate to. I DNFd at about 30%, partially due to being uninvested and partly due to the narrator. It was unclear why the audio only featured accents for dialogue and not for the entire novel, which would have been more immersive. More than that, the pacing was too slow after such a promising initial scene with the butterflies, and it was difficult to discern what kind of themes the author wanted to convey. I just needed more tension and more compelling characters.

A haunting tale of one man's discovery of his grandmother's secrets, written in a book he finds after her passing. Riccardo returns to Milan to honor his late grandmother and claim his inheritance, but when he begins to read a manuscript addressed to him, he uncovers his grandmother's history and pieces together the horrific truths of her life - and what it means for him.

Admittedly, this story was difficult to get through for the first... 60%? I had both an ebook and audiobook and still couldn't find myself becoming invested in the story. The gothic undertones set a nice atmosphere, but the plot moves along very slowly. I feel like there really is no plot for a large portion of the middle.
The final 25-30% does pick up quite a bit, with the horror elements becoming more prominent, and things begin to come together and make sense. For me, it took too long to get to this point. If I hadn't been reading it for an early review, I would probably have dnfed this.

Audiobook:
The narrators brought the story to life, breathing inflection and passion into the voices of Riccardo and Perihan.
The narrator for Perihan's manuscript was excellent at delivering the events in a mysterious and fascinating way.
Riccardo's narrator also did a great job, but it was a bit jarring at first to have his accent change between dialogue and sidebar narration.

The writing was beautiful but it lacked urgency and I found myself wandering.

Perhaps the slow pace was the point? Long meandering diary entries that I was loving wasn’t enough for me to get really behind our writers blocked 20 year old protagonist.

Beautiful but boring.

The narration, like the writing, was beautiful, but I found I couldn’t get excited or care about the events. Too slow. Everything was too slow.

I enjoyed this but I’m still very confused. It wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be but it was still attention grabbing. In the end I still had questions!!!

That last fourth had me screaming “these people are so f*cked up” while driving and probably looking unhinged 😂. Thanks to HTP Books and HTP Hive for the ALC and eARC.

This is a really slow build and it took me a while to get into as it didn’t capture me right away. I’d say the first half is pretty slow. But then things got more twisted the more Rodrigo unraveled his grandmother’s past and I was enthralled. The author explores what it means to be a monster, whether it’s the appearance of one or the actions. The monsters that walk in human skin, disguised by their well mannered appearance while committing horrific atrocities for their so called higher purpose.

The twists and turns were unpredictable and the horror level went from zero to a hundred in the last fourth. It’s like when you know things are about to go horribly wrong but you can’t look away. But the ending was so abrupt. I was hoping for an epilogue because of its abruptness but that was not the case. Regardless, the audiobook narrators did fantastic work and fans of the genre will most likely enjoy this one.

The audio production of this story was pretty good. I truly did enjoy the narrators and the life they brought to this book. While I tend to lean in more towards duet when listening to audiobooks, I didn't mind that this was dual. Both the female and male actors did a wonderful job.
The story itself though...it wasn't my favourite.
It was super long getting to the point, while still maintaining an eerie vibe. I don't know how I feel about butterflies as they now haunt my dreams.
The symbolism of using beauty to cover up deep dark secrets...it was different.

While I believe put in a lot of heart into this story, unfortunately for me it was just so, so, so, slow.
There were moments where I was listening to the story and my mind would wander leaving me to back track to figure out what was going on.

I compared it very much to the film I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House. It was unsettling because you knew there was something lurking in the darkness but never knowing what it was.

If you can push through it, the pay off at the end is worth it.

I didn't completely hate the book but I didn't love it. It was-good.

Thank you to HTP and NetGalley for the chance to listen to the audiobook in advance.

Oh intergenerational trauma!
Ricardo, abandoned by his family years ago, finds himself struggling. A one promising author - book advance spent, isolation and desperate, Ricardo clamps onto his grandmother's death. Returning to her home, finding her manuscript, Ricardo has his next book idea and a family obsession.
Definitely kept me drawn until the last word.
Loved the audio - each character was individual, well done.