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Their Monstrous Hearts
A haunting novel about the boundaries people will cross to keep their dreams alive.
A mysterious stranger shows up at Riccardo’s apartment with some 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 he needs to finish his manuscript.
But he might not survive long enough to write it.
A mysterious stranger shows up at Riccardo’s apartment with some 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 he needs to finish his manuscript.
But he might not survive long enough to write it.
308 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 8, 2025
191 people are currently reading
35434 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 503 reviews
February 11, 2025
I will tell you that when I got the physical copy of this, I literally screamed! The cover is absolutely stunning isn’t it?
Riccardo is a struggling writer. One day a mysterious stranger shows up at his apartment to inform him his grandmother, Perihan has passed away. He inherited her home in Milan along with her famous butterfly collection.
When he arrives in Milan, he finds his grandmother’s manuscript. When the story unfolds, he finds himself transfixed on the allure.
This is a slow burn horror story. At first, I was a little leery about the pace. It had some historical fiction aspects to it too. However, the last 30% gets WILD!! That ending blew me away and I NEVER SAW THAT COMING!! I loved it! Add this to your TBR now!
- I paired it with the audiobook-
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Riccardo is a struggling writer. One day a mysterious stranger shows up at his apartment to inform him his grandmother, Perihan has passed away. He inherited her home in Milan along with her famous butterfly collection.
When he arrives in Milan, he finds his grandmother’s manuscript. When the story unfolds, he finds himself transfixed on the allure.
This is a slow burn horror story. At first, I was a little leery about the pace. It had some historical fiction aspects to it too. However, the last 30% gets WILD!! That ending blew me away and I NEVER SAW THAT COMING!! I loved it! Add this to your TBR now!
- I paired it with the audiobook-
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
April 3, 2025
3.75 rounded up for Goodreads!
Title/Author: Their Monstrous Hearts by Yiğit Turhan
Page Count: 320
Publisher: MIRA
Format: Physical ARC
Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: debut
Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978036976...
Release Date: 4/8/25
General Genre: Gothic, Horror
Sub-Genre/Themes: Milan, Italy, Adoption, Butterflies, Death of grandmothers, Family estates, Greenhouses, Immortality, Inheritance and succession, magical realism, Manuscripts, Socialites, Turkish people
Writing Style: Intricately plotted; Dual timelines
What You Need to Know: "A haunting novel about the boundaries people will cross to keep their dreams alive."
My Reading Experience: Yiğit Turhan’s Their Monstrous Hearts is an exciting gothic debut that delivers a promising ability to deliver exactly what gothic horror readers are looking for
A blend of classic gothic tropes such as eerie family secrets and inheritance/succession with modern crime thriller tension.
The real-time narrative follows Riccardo, a young writer with a hard deadline and writer's block in Paris, whose life takes a sudden turn when a stranger shows up with the news he has inherited his grandmother Perihan’s estate and butterfly collection.
The moment he arrives at her estate, it’s clear there is a mystery to solve, and his search for answers leads him to a manuscript detailing Perihan’s mysterious, fairytale-like past. While the POV shifts between Riccardo, Perihan, and others feel jarring at times (especially as the nested story gradually takes precedence over the modern-day narrative)
the storytelling remains compelling and accessible. Turhan’s ability to weave grim, imaginative fantasy with classic gothic tropes AND modern-day sleuthing kept me engaged and constantly guessing.
"Sometimes,
when you find yourself in a dark place, you think you've been buried, but actually, you've been planted."
I love Riccardo's journey <3
Final Recommendation: If you love dark, atmospheric tales of inheritance and buried truths, this book is well worth picking up. I hope to see more gothic fiction from Turhan in the future! I felt a real connection to Turhan's authenticity and inspiration from his own family shine through the story.
Comps: This Cursed House by Del Sandeen, Fiend by Alma Katsu, Midnight Rooms by Donyae Coles
Title/Author: Their Monstrous Hearts by Yiğit Turhan
Page Count: 320
Publisher: MIRA
Format: Physical ARC
Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: debut
Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978036976...
Release Date: 4/8/25
General Genre: Gothic, Horror
Sub-Genre/Themes: Milan, Italy, Adoption, Butterflies, Death of grandmothers, Family estates, Greenhouses, Immortality, Inheritance and succession, magical realism, Manuscripts, Socialites, Turkish people
Writing Style: Intricately plotted; Dual timelines
What You Need to Know: "A haunting novel about the boundaries people will cross to keep their dreams alive."
My Reading Experience: Yiğit Turhan’s Their Monstrous Hearts is an exciting gothic debut that delivers a promising ability to deliver exactly what gothic horror readers are looking for
A blend of classic gothic tropes such as eerie family secrets and inheritance/succession with modern crime thriller tension.
The real-time narrative follows Riccardo, a young writer with a hard deadline and writer's block in Paris, whose life takes a sudden turn when a stranger shows up with the news he has inherited his grandmother Perihan’s estate and butterfly collection.
The moment he arrives at her estate, it’s clear there is a mystery to solve, and his search for answers leads him to a manuscript detailing Perihan’s mysterious, fairytale-like past. While the POV shifts between Riccardo, Perihan, and others feel jarring at times (especially as the nested story gradually takes precedence over the modern-day narrative)
the storytelling remains compelling and accessible. Turhan’s ability to weave grim, imaginative fantasy with classic gothic tropes AND modern-day sleuthing kept me engaged and constantly guessing.
"Sometimes,
when you find yourself in a dark place, you think you've been buried, but actually, you've been planted."
I love Riccardo's journey <3
Final Recommendation: If you love dark, atmospheric tales of inheritance and buried truths, this book is well worth picking up. I hope to see more gothic fiction from Turhan in the future! I felt a real connection to Turhan's authenticity and inspiration from his own family shine through the story.
Comps: This Cursed House by Del Sandeen, Fiend by Alma Katsu, Midnight Rooms by Donyae Coles
August 21, 2025
**3.5-stars rounded up**
Going into Their Monstrous Hearts, I knew nothing about it. I was sold by the cover and just had to have it, because against sound advice, I do judge books by their covers.
I was therefore delighted when I discovered that the basic set-up of this novel is an inheritance story, one of my favorite tropes.
We're following Riccardo, a down on his luck author, who is estranged from his family and about a millimeter above rock bottom. Just as he ponders how he is going to get his life back on track, and deliver his agent the pages they're demanding, a mysterious stranger arrives to inform him that his Grandmother, Perihan, has passed away.
Riccardo thinks, what's that got to do with me? I haven't spoken to the woman for years. The stranger, maybe a solicitor of some sort, insists that he'll want to make his way to Milan to learn more about what he's been bequeathed.
Finally deciding he could use a change of scenery, Riccardo takes them up on the plane ticket, and it's off to Milan he goes. Once there, his Grandmother's estate house isn't quite as opulent as he remembered, but it's still better than the street corner he was 5-seconds away from sleeping on.
It's decrepit and definitely giving off an ominous vibe. Curious about the state of his house, his Grandmother's friends and everything else about the current situation he finds himself in, Riccardo starts poking around; as you do.
He discovers a notebook of his Grandmother's writing. As he dives into it, it gets strange. Is this fact, or fiction? A confessional, or a woman's imagination gone wild?
This is a strange story, NGL. It's not going to be for everyone, as evidenced by the current overall rating, but I found myself captivated by the audiobook. First, the wonderful dual narration helped me to envision these characters perfectly.
Mentioning the dual narration makes me think, I should also mention, that not only do we get Riccardo's perspective in the present, we also get all of his Grandmother Perihan's writings, that unfold a story of the past.
The way this rolled out, there was something so intriguing about it to me. Perihan's story, I wasn't sure what to think at times as far as was it true, or was it something she was creating. Either way, I needed to know the truth.
If you're a Reader who can see the grotesque in things that are too beautiful, this book might be for you. And if you know what I mean by that, you are the Reader for this book.
I know the rating at this moment looks intimidating, but there's no way I'm gonna be the only Reader who is darkly intrigued by this story.
It is weird. There are some things I'll admit I'm not sure if I'm understanding the way the author intended, but I really enjoyed the mystery, atmosphere and the more monstrous aspects of this storyline. In my opinion, this deserves some more attention.
Thank you to the publisher, MIRA and Harlequin Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.
I would absolutely recommend the audio if you are going to check this one out. As mentioned above, I feel the dual narrators brought this story to life!
Going into Their Monstrous Hearts, I knew nothing about it. I was sold by the cover and just had to have it, because against sound advice, I do judge books by their covers.
I was therefore delighted when I discovered that the basic set-up of this novel is an inheritance story, one of my favorite tropes.
We're following Riccardo, a down on his luck author, who is estranged from his family and about a millimeter above rock bottom. Just as he ponders how he is going to get his life back on track, and deliver his agent the pages they're demanding, a mysterious stranger arrives to inform him that his Grandmother, Perihan, has passed away.
Riccardo thinks, what's that got to do with me? I haven't spoken to the woman for years. The stranger, maybe a solicitor of some sort, insists that he'll want to make his way to Milan to learn more about what he's been bequeathed.
Finally deciding he could use a change of scenery, Riccardo takes them up on the plane ticket, and it's off to Milan he goes. Once there, his Grandmother's estate house isn't quite as opulent as he remembered, but it's still better than the street corner he was 5-seconds away from sleeping on.
It's decrepit and definitely giving off an ominous vibe. Curious about the state of his house, his Grandmother's friends and everything else about the current situation he finds himself in, Riccardo starts poking around; as you do.
He discovers a notebook of his Grandmother's writing. As he dives into it, it gets strange. Is this fact, or fiction? A confessional, or a woman's imagination gone wild?
This is a strange story, NGL. It's not going to be for everyone, as evidenced by the current overall rating, but I found myself captivated by the audiobook. First, the wonderful dual narration helped me to envision these characters perfectly.
Mentioning the dual narration makes me think, I should also mention, that not only do we get Riccardo's perspective in the present, we also get all of his Grandmother Perihan's writings, that unfold a story of the past.
The way this rolled out, there was something so intriguing about it to me. Perihan's story, I wasn't sure what to think at times as far as was it true, or was it something she was creating. Either way, I needed to know the truth.
If you're a Reader who can see the grotesque in things that are too beautiful, this book might be for you. And if you know what I mean by that, you are the Reader for this book.
I know the rating at this moment looks intimidating, but there's no way I'm gonna be the only Reader who is darkly intrigued by this story.
It is weird. There are some things I'll admit I'm not sure if I'm understanding the way the author intended, but I really enjoyed the mystery, atmosphere and the more monstrous aspects of this storyline. In my opinion, this deserves some more attention.
Thank you to the publisher, MIRA and Harlequin Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.
I would absolutely recommend the audio if you are going to check this one out. As mentioned above, I feel the dual narrators brought this story to life!
April 25, 2025
Many thanks to the author, Yigit Turhan, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book. The publication date is set for April 08, 2025!
I haven't read many horror books, but I was excited to try this genre. The prologue and the overall premise really intrigued me, and the cover of the book is beautiful. The first few chapters captivated me, and I was instantly hooked. However, at some point, my interest began to wane, and I slowly lost my enthusiasm for the story. Once the book is released, I plan to listen to the audiobook to see if that enhances my experience. For now, I am giving it 3 stars.
Update: The audiobook didn’t help. The same issues I had with the original ARC persisted. The premise and beginning of the book are extremely intriguing, and I was instantly hooked and filled with curiosity. However, as the storyline progressed, it began to taper off and ultimately felt a bit flat for me. In my opinion, this isn’t a horror book, which is completely fine; that aspect doesn’t bother me at all. The best way to describe my experience is that it felt long-winded. I hope this book finds its audience, but unfortunately, it wasn’t for me. I would rate it 2.5 to 3 stars.
I haven't read many horror books, but I was excited to try this genre. The prologue and the overall premise really intrigued me, and the cover of the book is beautiful. The first few chapters captivated me, and I was instantly hooked. However, at some point, my interest began to wane, and I slowly lost my enthusiasm for the story. Once the book is released, I plan to listen to the audiobook to see if that enhances my experience. For now, I am giving it 3 stars.
Update: The audiobook didn’t help. The same issues I had with the original ARC persisted. The premise and beginning of the book are extremely intriguing, and I was instantly hooked and filled with curiosity. However, as the storyline progressed, it began to taper off and ultimately felt a bit flat for me. In my opinion, this isn’t a horror book, which is completely fine; that aspect doesn’t bother me at all. The best way to describe my experience is that it felt long-winded. I hope this book finds its audience, but unfortunately, it wasn’t for me. I would rate it 2.5 to 3 stars.
April 13, 2025
It must be a wink of fate… That’s what penniless and writer’s-blocked author Ricardo thinks after a mysterious stranger informs him that his grandmother Perihan has died, and he’s the lucky heir. All he has to do is leave Paris, attend her funeral in Milan, and he can have her villa, which includes a famed butterfly collection. His hopes of finding a story to inspire him, and inheriting anything of real value vanish though, and everything seems kind of off. When he stumbles upon Perihan’s diary, the book divides into two storylines, Perihan, her childhood in Turkey and her way to Milan, parallel to Ricardo and his life, his trying to make sense, to solve the puzzle before him.
The story holds the overall suspense of a 90’s or early 00’s TV-thriller like Dragonfly, The Secret Window or Skeleton Key, and I can imagine it turned into a movie, it’s so visual, with the butterflies and a strange mythology at its core. Some scenes were genuinely creepy and although it did drag a little in the middle, the ending was actually really good. I loved Perihan’s transformation! So, it was a solid read for me.
I did listen to the audiobook version, and I have a critique point that’s specifically about the audio production, something that bothered me, although I don’t really have a solution for the problem. Maybe I’m missing something here, but for a book set in Italy, I would have preferred they just left out the Italian accent and just spoke in accent-free English to each other. Normally these people would be speaking Italian, which is obviously not possible unless it’s the Italian edition, but if they are to speak English to each other, we can just pretend without the distraction of Super-Mario-like fake Italian accent, I guess. I’m speaking specifically about Ricardo and his scenes here, because the narrator switched between his American accent during auctorial narration and English with Italian accent in dialogues/ Ricardo POV. I have read enough books that are set in non-English-speaking countries and sometimes it happens in books set in SE Asian countries but there are others where the accent is left out completely, an example would be Journey in Moon Light where the characters weren’t given Hungarian accents at all. It is normal Perihan would have an accent because she’s not from there and will have an accent no matter what language, except Turkish, but Ricardo not really.
As I said, maybe I’m missing something, but it distracted me a lot while listening.
The story holds the overall suspense of a 90’s or early 00’s TV-thriller like Dragonfly, The Secret Window or Skeleton Key, and I can imagine it turned into a movie, it’s so visual, with the butterflies and a strange mythology at its core. Some scenes were genuinely creepy and although it did drag a little in the middle, the ending was actually really good. I loved Perihan’s transformation! So, it was a solid read for me.
I did listen to the audiobook version, and I have a critique point that’s specifically about the audio production, something that bothered me, although I don’t really have a solution for the problem. Maybe I’m missing something here, but for a book set in Italy, I would have preferred they just left out the Italian accent and just spoke in accent-free English to each other. Normally these people would be speaking Italian, which is obviously not possible unless it’s the Italian edition, but if they are to speak English to each other, we can just pretend without the distraction of Super-Mario-like fake Italian accent, I guess. I’m speaking specifically about Ricardo and his scenes here, because the narrator switched between his American accent during auctorial narration and English with Italian accent in dialogues/ Ricardo POV. I have read enough books that are set in non-English-speaking countries and sometimes it happens in books set in SE Asian countries but there are others where the accent is left out completely, an example would be Journey in Moon Light where the characters weren’t given Hungarian accents at all. It is normal Perihan would have an accent because she’s not from there and will have an accent no matter what language, except Turkish, but Ricardo not really.
As I said, maybe I’m missing something, but it distracted me a lot while listening.
March 15, 2025
Their Monstrous Hearts
by Yigit Turhan
Suspense Fantasy
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: Apr 8, 2025
Harlequin Trade
Suffering from writer's block, Riccardo is about to become homeless because he can't pay his bills. Then a man knocks on his door telling him that his grandmother has died and Riccardo has inherited her estate.
But when he goes to his grandmother's home for the funeral, a place he hasn't been since childhood, he finds that his grandmother's friends lurk in the house.
While exploring his grandmother's room, he finds a notebook; within it is what he believes is a manuscript, but as he reads, he begins to wonder if there is more to his grandmother's story.
I can say that the ending of this story was a good twist, but getting there was long, slow, and boring. Yes, I can understand why the author did it this way, but all of it, especially the grandmother's POV needs a lot of dressing up. More showing because as is, it's telling. Ninety percent is the grandmother's manuscript which reads more like a diary. (The blurb says diary, Riccardo claims it's a manuscript.)
Also, this is listed as horror: Nah... it's not scary, it's more suspense with a dusting of fantasy.
I should have DNFed, but I skimmed to finish...
1 Star
by Yigit Turhan
Suspense Fantasy
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: Apr 8, 2025
Harlequin Trade
Suffering from writer's block, Riccardo is about to become homeless because he can't pay his bills. Then a man knocks on his door telling him that his grandmother has died and Riccardo has inherited her estate.
But when he goes to his grandmother's home for the funeral, a place he hasn't been since childhood, he finds that his grandmother's friends lurk in the house.
While exploring his grandmother's room, he finds a notebook; within it is what he believes is a manuscript, but as he reads, he begins to wonder if there is more to his grandmother's story.
I can say that the ending of this story was a good twist, but getting there was long, slow, and boring. Yes, I can understand why the author did it this way, but all of it, especially the grandmother's POV needs a lot of dressing up. More showing because as is, it's telling. Ninety percent is the grandmother's manuscript which reads more like a diary. (The blurb says diary, Riccardo claims it's a manuscript.)
Also, this is listed as horror: Nah... it's not scary, it's more suspense with a dusting of fantasy.
I should have DNFed, but I skimmed to finish...
1 Star
Read
October 9, 2025This book was so slow I had to DNF. I feel like it could be good but just no… not for me but could be for you. Love the special edition though oh well
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
October 7, 2024
A haunting and atmospheric novel about human determination and the lengths one will go to preserve their dream, an unusual and unique story where moral and existential dilemmas are explored alongside science with mythical undertones. Shelved as horror this transcends the usual tropes and gimmicks popular in the genre, it's more creepy than scary if that makes sense? Incredibly unsettling and eerie, theres a permanent sense of disquiet throughout, a slithering creeping ever nearer dread that lingers around the periphery when reading, a sinister gothic with eldritch elements, exploring the shadowy facets of humanity with surrealist symbolism, the ambiguity and mystery propels the narrative forward, the prose is spectacular and beautiful. A one-of-a-kind, exquisitely crafted narrative that seamlessly blends elements of horror and fantasy, creating a mesmerising gothic fable.
September 2, 2024
This is a story of family, of loss, of Riccardo, a young struggling writer, who is on the brink of being evicted, so when a stranger arrives at his door with the news that his grandmother has passed away, leaving him to inherit her villa in Milan, including her collection of butterflies, he leaves with little hesitation. This is just what he needs.
When he arrives in Milan, he is somewhat surprised by the changes in her villa, although many years have passed since he was there, he remembers how lavish it was when he was much younger. Even the butterflies held in their glass cases seem to have lost their beauty, and her villa seems to have deteriorated over time.
While there are moments of despair, and moments of danger, as well, this is listed in the horror category, so I appreciated the lack of what most consider horror since I’m not a fan of that genre. There are some lovely moments, as well. To me, it felt like magical realism with a sprinkling of some moments of danger.
Pub Date: 08 Apr 2025
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Harlequin Trade Publishing / MIRA/HTP Books
January 1, 2025
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 the 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.
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 the 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.
February 2, 2025
When a stranger brings news of Riccardo's grandmother dying, Riccardo discovers that he is now the inheritor of her Milan villa filled with her collection of butterflies. Riccardo, who is a struggling writer, chooses to go to her villa where he finds his grandmother’s diary.
The more Riccardo reads from the diary, the more questions he ends up with. While hoping for inspiration on his book, he also dives into exploring his grandmother’s death.
This book had the makings of a great story. I loved the premise, the atmosphere, and the setting. I always love books set in Italy. I also appreciated the uniqueness to incorporate these butterflies into the horror. Unfortunately, I felt that the writing and structure fell short for me. I found myself a bit confused in the middle of this story and the writing wasn’t the most advanced. The beginning and end were the strongest parts of the story, but I got a bit lost in the middle and it was hard for me to keep interested in this book at times.
I read somewhere that this is the author’s first book written in English which makes me less concerned with the writing because I know that this is miles ahead of anything that I would be able to write. I think with some more practice, this author can really polish off the bumps in prose. For being his first English novel, I’m actually pretty impressed. I’ll definitely read more books by him in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc. All opinions are my own.
TW: suicide, child death, gore, violence, animal death, injury detail, blood, body horror
The more Riccardo reads from the diary, the more questions he ends up with. While hoping for inspiration on his book, he also dives into exploring his grandmother’s death.
This book had the makings of a great story. I loved the premise, the atmosphere, and the setting. I always love books set in Italy. I also appreciated the uniqueness to incorporate these butterflies into the horror. Unfortunately, I felt that the writing and structure fell short for me. I found myself a bit confused in the middle of this story and the writing wasn’t the most advanced. The beginning and end were the strongest parts of the story, but I got a bit lost in the middle and it was hard for me to keep interested in this book at times.
I read somewhere that this is the author’s first book written in English which makes me less concerned with the writing because I know that this is miles ahead of anything that I would be able to write. I think with some more practice, this author can really polish off the bumps in prose. For being his first English novel, I’m actually pretty impressed. I’ll definitely read more books by him in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc. All opinions are my own.
TW: suicide, child death, gore, violence, animal death, injury detail, blood, body horror
March 30, 2025
Finished reading: March 27th 2025
"Not everyone who leaves us needs to suffer in our absence, you know that. Some of us are better off away from the people who brought us into the world."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and MIRA in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
REVIEW
WARNING: it's another unexpected unpopular opinion review!!
February 10, 2025
started listening to this book and I have to say it was hard to listen to. I didn’t care for the people that wear telling the story. It just, there tone and the way they were speaking was long and dragging. It was very hard to listen too. I didn’t listen to all of it because it was just to hard to listen too. I think I will try to just read the book instead..
I want to thank NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.
I want to thank NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.
April 30, 2025
I tried reading this. I DNF’d it and started something else. Then I came back to it. Read further. DNF’d it again. The writing is so bad I just couldn’t anymore.
March 18, 2025
Riccardo, a struggling writer, learns that his grandmother, Perihan, has died suddenly and that he is set to inherit everything. Out of money and ideas for his latest book, he decides to accept. When he arrives at his grandmother’s house, things are not quite what they seem—especially with her inner circle and beloved greenhouse.
This book was such an interesting ride. As someone who adores monarch butterflies, I was immediately hooked by the prologue. It was beautifully creepy, and I needed to know what happened in that greenhouse. I loved how butterflies were woven into so many aspects of the story—it added such a unique (and slightly unsettling) touch.
The book alternates between Riccardo’s POV and Perihan’s manuscript. At first, I was a little thrown by how much detail was in Perihan’s writing, but as the story unfolded, it started to make sense. I did struggle with some of the POV shifts—there were moments where I had to pause and figure out whose perspective I was in. But the ending made up for all of it. I thought I had it all figured out… I did NOT. Overall, A solid four-star read that kept me guessing until the very end!
Thank you HTP Books, Mira Books, and The Hive for allowing me to read a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was such an interesting ride. As someone who adores monarch butterflies, I was immediately hooked by the prologue. It was beautifully creepy, and I needed to know what happened in that greenhouse. I loved how butterflies were woven into so many aspects of the story—it added such a unique (and slightly unsettling) touch.
The book alternates between Riccardo’s POV and Perihan’s manuscript. At first, I was a little thrown by how much detail was in Perihan’s writing, but as the story unfolded, it started to make sense. I did struggle with some of the POV shifts—there were moments where I had to pause and figure out whose perspective I was in. But the ending made up for all of it. I thought I had it all figured out… I did NOT. Overall, A solid four-star read that kept me guessing until the very end!
Thank you HTP Books, Mira Books, and The Hive for allowing me to read a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 27, 2025
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Apr. 8, 2025
Turkish writer Yiğit Turhan has created a novel with a terrifying cover and a spooky premise- but that’s about it. The writing in “Their Monstrous Hearts: A Gothic Horror Novel with a Dual Timeline and a Suspenseful Mystery” is chunky and the storyline itself is disjointed. I felt no connection to the characters but kept persevering all the same, as I wanted to see if the ending would provide the entertainment I was looking for (it didn’t).
Riccardo is a struggling writer, about to be evicted from his apartment, when a random stranger shows up and informs him that his estranged grandmother has left him her estate in Italy. When Riccardo arrives, the villa is far more rundown than he expected and so many strange things start happening that Riccardo starts to wonder if the trip, and the villa itself, is worth it. When Riccardo discovers his grandmother’s journal, his curiousity is piqued enough that he sticks around, grateful to understand a little bit more about the woman he once knew. It isn’t long before Riccardo uncovers the dangerous secrets his grandma, and her home, hold and Riccardo is soon desperate to leave however the house, the town and the residents, are not going to let Riccardo leave- alive.
“Hearts” is told from Riccardo’s perspective, interspersed with portions of his grandmother’s journal. Some chapters are very long, others are short but overall, it is a dual timeline, single protagonist horror story.
Initially, I wondered if “Hearts” was written in another language and translated (badly) into English, but it does not seem to be the case. I struggled with Turhan’s writing style and language use and I cannot determine if that is due to the language barrier or to the fact that “Hearts” is only Turhan’s second novel. Some editorial polishing may have made a world of difference for “Hearts”, and I was quite surprised that it was carried by a rather well-known publishing house.
The story had multiple plotlines, any of them could’ve carried an entire novel on their own, but together, the structure was disorganized. There was little character development and, although the setting was creepy and the “monster” in the story had huge potential, I was too confused by the overall story to enjoy the scary parts as much as I was expecting to.
I went into “Hearts” with no expectations, as I was not familiar with Turhan or his writing, but I still managed to be disappointed.
Expected publication date: Apr. 8, 2025
Turkish writer Yiğit Turhan has created a novel with a terrifying cover and a spooky premise- but that’s about it. The writing in “Their Monstrous Hearts: A Gothic Horror Novel with a Dual Timeline and a Suspenseful Mystery” is chunky and the storyline itself is disjointed. I felt no connection to the characters but kept persevering all the same, as I wanted to see if the ending would provide the entertainment I was looking for (it didn’t).
Riccardo is a struggling writer, about to be evicted from his apartment, when a random stranger shows up and informs him that his estranged grandmother has left him her estate in Italy. When Riccardo arrives, the villa is far more rundown than he expected and so many strange things start happening that Riccardo starts to wonder if the trip, and the villa itself, is worth it. When Riccardo discovers his grandmother’s journal, his curiousity is piqued enough that he sticks around, grateful to understand a little bit more about the woman he once knew. It isn’t long before Riccardo uncovers the dangerous secrets his grandma, and her home, hold and Riccardo is soon desperate to leave however the house, the town and the residents, are not going to let Riccardo leave- alive.
“Hearts” is told from Riccardo’s perspective, interspersed with portions of his grandmother’s journal. Some chapters are very long, others are short but overall, it is a dual timeline, single protagonist horror story.
Initially, I wondered if “Hearts” was written in another language and translated (badly) into English, but it does not seem to be the case. I struggled with Turhan’s writing style and language use and I cannot determine if that is due to the language barrier or to the fact that “Hearts” is only Turhan’s second novel. Some editorial polishing may have made a world of difference for “Hearts”, and I was quite surprised that it was carried by a rather well-known publishing house.
The story had multiple plotlines, any of them could’ve carried an entire novel on their own, but together, the structure was disorganized. There was little character development and, although the setting was creepy and the “monster” in the story had huge potential, I was too confused by the overall story to enjoy the scary parts as much as I was expecting to.
I went into “Hearts” with no expectations, as I was not familiar with Turhan or his writing, but I still managed to be disappointed.
August 26, 2025
Their Monstrous Hearts was a difficult book to finish, and unfortunately, it did not deliver on its promise of horror. The pacing was slow, with little actual plot progression, and the tension never built to a point that felt impactful. The supposed twist at the end was easy to predict, leaving the conclusion unsatisfying rather than shocking.
Much of the novel would have benefited from stronger editing. The prose often felt repetitive and overworked, with entire passages that read like word salad rather than purposeful storytelling. Scenes were bogged down by excessive description and unnecessary allusions, which were then spelled out directly in the next sentence, stripping them of any subtlety. This tendency made the writing feel redundant and overly drawn out, to the point where the narrative easily could have been condensed into a tighter novella.
On top of this, the book relied heavily on telling rather than showing, which created a flat reading experience where emotions and stakes were explained but never felt. Combined with a lack of genuine horror elements, the story became more of a chore to get through than an engaging read.
In the end, Their Monstrous Hearts did not succeed either as horror or as compelling fiction. With significant editing and a sharper focus, it might have had the potential to work, but as published, it was difficult to stay invested.
Much of the novel would have benefited from stronger editing. The prose often felt repetitive and overworked, with entire passages that read like word salad rather than purposeful storytelling. Scenes were bogged down by excessive description and unnecessary allusions, which were then spelled out directly in the next sentence, stripping them of any subtlety. This tendency made the writing feel redundant and overly drawn out, to the point where the narrative easily could have been condensed into a tighter novella.
On top of this, the book relied heavily on telling rather than showing, which created a flat reading experience where emotions and stakes were explained but never felt. Combined with a lack of genuine horror elements, the story became more of a chore to get through than an engaging read.
In the end, Their Monstrous Hearts did not succeed either as horror or as compelling fiction. With significant editing and a sharper focus, it might have had the potential to work, but as published, it was difficult to stay invested.
January 1, 2025
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 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.
Thank you to Net Galley for this advanced reader copy, all opinions are my own.
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 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.
Thank you to Net Galley for this advanced reader copy, all opinions are my own.
April 5, 2025
The ending? Fantastic, fabulous, insane.
The entirety of the rest of the book? Kind of boring despite everything that was going on.
If I had to rate this book without the ending, it would probably be 1 or 2 stars. But once the ending hit, everything fell into place. I just wish the lead up had been a bit more palatable.
Side note: I think Ricardo was the problem. He was just so BLAND. He had no personality, and he was so quiet and unassuming, AND HE'S THE MAIN CHARACTER. I also feel like he didn't fight hard enough at the end. He was a 'writer', but no wonder he had writers block when he was so dull 😭😭
The entirety of the rest of the book? Kind of boring despite everything that was going on.
If I had to rate this book without the ending, it would probably be 1 or 2 stars. But once the ending hit, everything fell into place. I just wish the lead up had been a bit more palatable.
Side note: I think Ricardo was the problem. He was just so BLAND. He had no personality, and he was so quiet and unassuming, AND HE'S THE MAIN CHARACTER. I also feel like he didn't fight hard enough at the end. He was a 'writer', but no wonder he had writers block when he was so dull 😭😭
March 22, 2025
Wicked cool cover. Interesting concept at its bones, but unfortunately, was a boring execution. The writing in this was just… sorta bad. Overly detailed, yet felt like I was learning nothing important. The characters were also just blah. I think if you look at the beginning and ending - there’s potential, but then everything you have to read to get you there is so dull it’s not worth the ride.
April 19, 2025
The audiobook was insanely hard to listen to, so maybe the physical book would be better...
But literally, the writing was so awful and the narrator just made it worse. Slow slow slow burn. I swear nothing happened in the beginning. 🥱
But literally, the writing was so awful and the narrator just made it worse. Slow slow slow burn. I swear nothing happened in the beginning. 🥱
March 3, 2025
This was okay. I was originally really excited for this book based on the premise but I found myself struggling to connect with the characters and the story. I honestly was thinking of DNFing quite a few times. I think maybe the audiobook was part of the issue. The male narrator kept changing his accent. I couldn’t figure out if he was Riccardo or if he wasn’t. He’d have an accent when he’d say Riccardo’s parts but then would immediately drop the accent so it just sounded disjointed compared to the female narrator who had an accent the entire time. I think the pacing was also something I struggled with I was waiting and waiting for things to happen and it just seemed like it took a while to get there. The overall premise is good just kind of a clunky story that felt like it was missing something. Maybe if you’re a fan of very slow burn stories with gothic elements and an air of mystery this might be for you.
Thank you HPT the Hive for providing me with an ALC
Thank you HPT the Hive for providing me with an ALC
April 4, 2025
DNF around 10%
I didn’t enjoy the writing enough to make myself power through. It seemed to be written in a juvenile manner where the adjectives were repetitive and the characters’ emotions were exaggerated.
The cover is beautiful, but I wasn’t interested enough in the substance of the story to keep reading.
Really appreciate HTPbooks and NetGalley for allowing me to try this book in advance!
I didn’t enjoy the writing enough to make myself power through. It seemed to be written in a juvenile manner where the adjectives were repetitive and the characters’ emotions were exaggerated.
The cover is beautiful, but I wasn’t interested enough in the substance of the story to keep reading.
Really appreciate HTPbooks and NetGalley for allowing me to try this book in advance!
September 12, 2025
This book has some beautiful imagery and concepts. I loved what the author did with butterflies, was very eerie. Is a creative and interesting concept.
This book did drag some though unfortunately, definitely had some dull or slow parts BUT the last little bit is a big BAM! and almost compensates for it.
I did not care for any of the characters in this personally. I found them pretty unrelatable and I definitely did not like Grandma or Perihan-but I doubt any of us are supposed to like her. I did end up having some sympathy for the main character Ricardo because of his circumstances but didn’t really relate.
My last complaint would be the repetitive use of certain words or phrases. Usually this doesn’t bother me but this book overused “sent shivers down my spine” so much that “Spooky Scary Skeletons” played in my head every time I picked this back up. “However” and “enveloped” are also used a bit too much. If I’m noticing, its too much because again I don’t normally nit pick things like this.
I didn’t hate this book but I didn’t absolutely love it either. I do think this is worth the read as again the concept is really unique, eerie, and interesting! Never thought butterflies would “send shivers down my spine”.
If you’re patient this is worth the read!
This book did drag some though unfortunately, definitely had some dull or slow parts BUT the last little bit is a big BAM! and almost compensates for it.
I did not care for any of the characters in this personally. I found them pretty unrelatable and I definitely did not like Grandma or Perihan-but I doubt any of us are supposed to like her. I did end up having some sympathy for the main character Ricardo because of his circumstances but didn’t really relate.
My last complaint would be the repetitive use of certain words or phrases. Usually this doesn’t bother me but this book overused “sent shivers down my spine” so much that “Spooky Scary Skeletons” played in my head every time I picked this back up. “However” and “enveloped” are also used a bit too much. If I’m noticing, its too much because again I don’t normally nit pick things like this.
I didn’t hate this book but I didn’t absolutely love it either. I do think this is worth the read as again the concept is really unique, eerie, and interesting! Never thought butterflies would “send shivers down my spine”.
If you’re patient this is worth the read!
December 20, 2024
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 abound Riccardo finds that 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. Huge thanks to @htp_hive and @htpbooks for the advance copy. Publication is 04/08/25. 4⭐️ #hiveinfluencer
April 17, 2025
⭐️3 Stars⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook of Their Monstrous Hearts! I really enjoyed the two narrators of this audiobook, they both really helped this story come to life. The story was very slow paced for me, I personally prefer a fast faced story. After a while I got tired of all the butterfly talk, I felt like it could have been turned into a drinking game. I wouldn’t consider this a horror book, I would more consider it a mystery book. I did like that this book kept switching between the grandmothers past to the grandsons present day! I think this book would be the perfect read to take on a vacation with you! Thank you again to NetGalley for this audiobook!💕📚
Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook of Their Monstrous Hearts! I really enjoyed the two narrators of this audiobook, they both really helped this story come to life. The story was very slow paced for me, I personally prefer a fast faced story. After a while I got tired of all the butterfly talk, I felt like it could have been turned into a drinking game. I wouldn’t consider this a horror book, I would more consider it a mystery book. I did like that this book kept switching between the grandmothers past to the grandsons present day! I think this book would be the perfect read to take on a vacation with you! Thank you again to NetGalley for this audiobook!💕📚
didn-t-finish
May 1, 2025The concept of this book really intrigued me- and I made it 49% in but I had to finally DNF this. I tried mixing audio with reading to get through it- but unfortunately this book is just painfully boring.
At least I have a pretty butterfly stenciled edge book on my shelf now. 🤷♀️💁♀️
At least I have a pretty butterfly stenciled edge book on my shelf now. 🤷♀️💁♀️
March 11, 2025
ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.
I thought both the narrators did a great job and it was always easy to tell which characters were speaking! The story itself was a little out there for me, even in the world of obscure horror. I did like how the old stories got passed down and how they weren’t the typical ones that you’ve heard a million times before! I would recommend if you’re into horror stories with a touch of science fiction!
I thought both the narrators did a great job and it was always easy to tell which characters were speaking! The story itself was a little out there for me, even in the world of obscure horror. I did like how the old stories got passed down and how they weren’t the typical ones that you’ve heard a million times before! I would recommend if you’re into horror stories with a touch of science fiction!
April 16, 2025
Somber, dark, and cold. Skipping between timelines in this book makes it feel like you’re looking at a hazy memory from your life as a child, one that is fuzzy at the edges while still emitting a raw emotion of melancholy and unease in you.
There really isn’t more “horror” here, but the different tones between Ricardo’s and Perihan’s writing styles makes this feel even more unnerving, there is such a sharp contrast between the two that you just feel like something is missing in the story that keeps being hidden.
There really isn’t more “horror” here, but the different tones between Ricardo’s and Perihan’s writing styles makes this feel even more unnerving, there is such a sharp contrast between the two that you just feel like something is missing in the story that keeps being hidden.
March 21, 2025
I received this book from NetGalley. It was an old school type of horror on the macabre side. It is about a young man named Riccardo who is a destitute writer. He is in his last coin when a man comes to him and tells him his grandmother has passed.
The man gives Riccardo a ticket to Milan to collect his inheritance. Riccardo has nothing to lose so he heads to his grandmother’s. He finds her manuscript and finds out grandma was doing things grandma shouldn’t be doing. The ending was unexpected yet also I kinda expected it.
The man gives Riccardo a ticket to Milan to collect his inheritance. Riccardo has nothing to lose so he heads to his grandmother’s. He finds her manuscript and finds out grandma was doing things grandma shouldn’t be doing. The ending was unexpected yet also I kinda expected it.
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