It's me, I'm the April Fool's joke for thinking this would be a creepy butterfly book :) :)

I'm not sure if it was a language barrier but I truly have no idea what happened in this book. I went in expecting a hidden manuscript and butterfly horror. And got...Plato and Sylvia Plath, Something Bad Happened at a circus, an angel (??), name-dropping high-end fashion labels, curing cancer with..butterflies (??), using butterflies as some really heavy-handed and convoluted metaphor for change and growing (and possibly taking over bodies?? idk)

This was a mess.

DNF at 6%, after a single chapter.

The writing here is just not good. I spent more time rewriting lines in my head than appreciating what was on the page. The main problem being that the author just slapped a series of sentences down on the page with no care for connecting them together or building any kind of tone.

The few character actions that happened felt bizarre too. An old lady yelling at the sky at the top of her lungs because butterflies are on her house? There was a line about too much beauty becoming creepy, but there was nothing done to create that creepy atmosphere? Not a mention or whisper of the fact that butterflies are carnivores and can strip a rotting body of flesh within hours. Just that there were quite a lot of butterflies! How spooky! Not.

I also found it laughable that a literary agent would tell their client to go out and live life when the manuscript is months late. Huh?!

Expected publication date: April 8, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 out of 5 stars

A slow-build, gothic muted horror.

Riccardo is between a rock and a hard place: his literary agent is breathing down his neck asking for the novel he's been paid for, and his landlord is on the verge of throwing him out.

When a persistent knock prompts him to open his door in frustration, he finds Maurizio, his grandmother Perihan's friend, who states Perihan has died and has left everything to Riccardo.

This surprises him because he was not close with his grandmother, who sent him away at a young age for a "better education," after his mother had abandoned him with Perihan as a baby. He isn't close with anyone, least of all his family. Riccardo declines Maurizio's request to go back to Milan with him and claim his inheritance, but Maurizio gives him a ticket to Milan anyway. Not long after the man leaves, Riccardo finds himself in the dark - literally: his electricity has been shut off due to non-payment.

In hopes of getting some respite from his desolate life, he uses the ticket to Milan, hoping for enough money to keep him afloat until he can finish his novel.

Immediately, he notices how strange the staff is. His grandfather, Marco, has passed away, and Licia, one of the house staff, doesn't seem to have aged at all. They have strange friends over, and Riccardo catches them whispering quite often.

Curious about his grandmother's life prior to her death, he goes into her room and finds empty but beautiful crystal bottles, and butterflies behind glass. He also finds a manuscript of sorts with his name on it. Taking it back to his room, he begins reading what at first seems to be a memoir of Perihan's life.

He soon learns that all of the house is searching for the manuscript, but he can't figure out why they are so concerned about something left for him.

The more he reads, the more he thinks that what may have started as a memoir has become a fantasy novel. Perihan describes a homeless girl with glowing skin who is followed by butterflies, turns into a monster when not loved, and whose tears can be ingested, releasing a butterfly that carries the heartbeat of the person who ingested the teardrop.

At a local establishment, he meets Lorenzo, a handsome but kind soul whose friendship is quickly precious to Riccardo, even as he finds himself attracted to him as the world inside the walls of his grandmother's house devolves into madness.

The story was intriguing and had that slow-burn horror reminiscent of Shelley's Frankenstein with its near-epistolary format and atmospheric setting. However, I couldn't grasp a connection to either the pathetic Riccardo (no, really, he was written to be especially pathetic for a reason) or the cold, calculating megalomaniac Perihan.

Marco, Perihan's husband, reminds me of George from the 1993 movie Double, Double, Toil and Trouble with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen while he was under Agatha's spell - the lights are on but no one's home. Also, what happened to Marco?

I feel like Lorenzo and Licia could have been removed from the story, and it wouldn't have made much of a difference.

Am I asking too much here to want to know what Monarch was? Were there others like her?

Despite these issues, I still thoroughly enjoyed the read, and would definitely pick up any further books by the author.

I really struggled to connect with this book and story. Initially I was very interested but as the multiple perspectives and flashbacks were introduced, I felt it lost its relatability. The surrealist elements came out of the blue for me and increased my disinterest in the story.

Thank you NetGalley & Yigit Turhan for the ARC. This review is my honest opinion.

I did not finish this book. I thought the language was beautiful, the writing however did not capture me. I was bored and not invested in the main character. I think this book would appeal to a lot of people who may not be mood readers like myself. I can only rate what I did read.

Riccardo is facing a long bout of writers block as his agent hounds him for work and the bills continue to pile up on his table. Frustrated at his lack of writing he isn't sure what he will do when a knock comes at his door from a man named Maurizio. He tells Riccardo that his Grandmother has passed and left her forutne to Riccardo he need only come back to Milan to settle affairs and then can begin his new life is the beautiful home she has left him. Under no small amount of scrutiny Riccardo decides to go for no other reason than he need the money but if only he knew what he is getting ready to walk into.

Upon arriving the home is nothing like what he thought that it would be. From vibrant and full of life it is now dark and decaying. The people surrounding him seem to be keeping something a secret from him. His Grandmothers home is as foreboding as it has always been and upon finding a manuscript in her room he begins reading what he thinks is an autobiography until it begins to delve into the fatastical. Butterflies, Monsters and unending life.

He may have arrived as Riccardo but nothing here is as it seems and he may not remain the Riccardo that he is now. Family has a way of transforming you.

The book was decent enough but it starts slow and continues as a slow burn that for me just never really picked up speed. For me there was nothing memorable about this novel but alot of times that boils down to being the type of book on enjoys and for me this just wasn't it. I as always reccommend everyone making up their own minds and always giving a book a chance. You never know it might be just what your looking for.

I want to thank #Netgalley for the chance to read an eArc of #TheirMonstrousHearts by #YigitTurhan in return for a fair and honest review.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me an ebook ARC for this through NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review!
A struggling writer finds himself in Milan inheriting his late grandmother's estate. What he didn't expect was to also inherit the horrors that awaits him. As he finds inspiration for his new book, he comes across a manuscript his grandmother left him. As he reads along, he discovers the origins of the horrors he's come across.
The story was a little slow to get started, but by the end it will have its claws into you. The ending wasn't at all what I expected and the suspense kept me at the edge of my seat.

Riccardo has inherited his grandmother Perihan's villa in Italy - and her creepy butterfly collection. This is a Gothic that moves around in time between Riccardo in the present and Perihan's writing. I liked the latter more than the former (but can understand why some readers might find Perihan's parts frustrating). Yes there's a monster and no, no spoilers from me. It starts off strong and then sags a bit in the middle. Less scary than creepy. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. For those looking for something different.

This one just wasn’t for me. Too repetitive and that’s the one major pet peeve I have. Hopefully I’ll enjoy the next one bc I’ll def read this author again.

WARNING: it's another unexpected unpopular opinion review!!

There was just something about that creepy cover and the premise itself that made it impossible to resist adding Their Monstrous Hearts to my shelves. I love a gothic vibe in my books, and the premise of this story by Turkish author Yigit Turhan sounded absolutely fantastic with its Italian setting, the butterfly element and the promise of danger lurking around every corner. Unfortunately, I ended up loving the concept behind the story considerably more than the book itself... And I'm sad to say that even making it to the final page was quite a chore.

Like I said before, there is nothing wrong with the premise of this story. In fact, the concept behind Their Monstrous Hearts is absolutely fantastic and there is no doubt that this book had SO much potential. Sadly, the actual execution of this plot was rather lackluster for me, resulting in a story that was surprisingly dull despite the many gothic horror elements incorporated into the plot. There were so many missed opportunities to add more suspense in my opinion! I think part of the problem was that there was too much telling and too little showing what was happening, and this detached feel made it hard to fully appreciate the gothic vibe. The descriptions just weren't atmospheric or thorough enough, and this ment that it was harder to actually picture everything.

One of my main issues was with the writing itself. There was just something about the way this story was written that just didn't hit the mark for me, and it was unable to create the right atmosphere for this story. I was particularly frustrated by the fact that the plot kept jumping between Riccardo's POV and Perihan's diary (or manuscript as it says in the book), often without any warning at all. Using separate chapters for the diary entries would have worked so much better, because as it was the whole structure simply felt sloppy. To make things worse, the diary entries were told in a way that slowed down the already glacial pace even further, and they were also surprisingly dull considering what was happening. It's definitely not the subject itself, but more how it was told without descriptions to paint a proper and vivid picture of both Perihan's past and the present.

I can't deny that the beginning of the story was somewhat stronger and the ending wasn't all that bad either, although there are too many questions left unanswered. Still, with the majority of the story basically being a slog to get through with its incredibly slow pace and dull storytelling, I had a rough time convincing myself to keep reading. The diary entries could have been such an asset, but sadly not in its current state... The characters lacked development as well, and the sudden romance just didn't feel credible and only distracted from the rest of the plot.

I guess it comes as no surprise when I say that Their Monstrous Hearts didn't exactly end up being the delightful and atmospheric gothic horror reading experience I thought it was going to be. The concept has SO much potential, and I definitely feel sad I wasn't able to enjoy it better... But it is what it is I guess. I seem to be in the minority so far though, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt if you think this book is a good fit for you.

I had really anticipated reading this one due to the gothic vibes it was giving off. Overall I really liked the setting, the atmosphere, and the premise of the book. I did feel it was slow and I was a little lost throughout the middle of the book. The beginning and end were strong, and I was shocked at where things went in the end. I enjoyed Perihan’s manuscript parts throughout the story and the unraveling of her life and how Riccardo came to inherit her house. The slow burn to the climax just wasn’t for me.

3.75 ⭐️

Their Monstrous Hearts is an interesting and atmospheric read, though I found it a little light on the horror aspect. It’s certainly creepy and spooky, but not necessarily scary. Nevertheless, I definitely enjoyed this book!

Most of the story is actually told by Perihan, but I still sort of wanted more of her POV. Riccardo was a little interesting, but he mostly served as a vessel for Perihan’s story (and if you read it, you’ll get what that means 😉). She was by far the most interesting character, so I do wish we’d gotten a little more of her.

It was a little easy to predict the direction the book was heading, but it’s really the journey along the way that matters. The finale of the story wraps up quite quickly, but the journey up to that point is what I cared about.

Overall, Their Monstrous Hearts was a pretty solid read for me. It’s a little spooky, a little gothic, and a pretty quick read. It was easy to sit down and read for hours without even realizing that much time had passed.

Thank you Mira, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and The Hive for the early copy of Their Monstrous Hearts. All opinions are my own.

"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 news: 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."

The age old question, to write the book or survive the horrors...

Okay - so this wasn't awful. I did struggle to read through this and often stopped and started over the course of about two months. Their Monstrous Hearts is a slowwwww burn, with a very intriguing beginning, a rough and grating middle, but a beautiful end. The premise is heavily gothic, a splash of fantasy, and a taste of horror.

Here, we follow an author bogged down with writer's block and a deadline. He's broke, his apartment's a mess, his life is a ruin. A stranger appears with what seems to be a golden ticket, and he goes back to an ancestral villa where he discovers his grandmother's manuscript. There's butterflies, dead gardens, and a family mystery.

Solid chunks of the middle are the grandmother's manuscript/diary/thing. It's brutal to wade through and often comes across as padding, so I wish we could've gotten a solid edit to cut through and really shape up the story around this. I didn't jive well with the author's writing style and really didn't like the appearance of the pages - solid, huge, chunky paragraphs.

The last 20% or so was wild, the first 15% an intriguing introduction, and I loveeeee the presence of butterflies in a horror - so unique!!!!! - so I appreciate those aspects, but getting there was a challenge.

Just finished this ARC copy, thanks to netgalley, the publisher and the author. Once I got past about 37% it was smooth sailing, I met the monster. I loved the concept & they sounded beautiful. I absolutely loved the butterflies & how the author incorporated them with the monster. Yeter, suprised me 100%! I hope the author has more like this!

2.25 Stars

Riccardo is struggling to write his first novel when he is notified his grandmother has died and he has inherited her estate...and butterfly collection. Upon arriving at the estate, the staff are acting shifty and he finds a manuscript outlining the strange and dark story of his grandmother's life.

While the premise had promise, the execution of this story was sadly lacking for me. The balance of Riccardo's actions vs the manuscript is about 20/80, leaving me feeling disconnected from Riccardo as the main character and leading to a lack of suspense related to the Act 3 plot twist. The writing had a tendency to tell the reader how they should feel about the characters and events without genuinely building those feelings. The interesting elements of the plot are not introduced until the second half of the book, leaving the first half of the book with slow pacing and a lack of intrigue.

Overall, I would not recommend this book.

Struggling author Riccardo has not heard from or seen his family for many years when a surprise visit reveals that his grandmother, Perihan, has passed away and left him her villa in Milan. Returning to his childhood home, everything is not as it appeared in the photographs he was shown. As he prepares for his grandmother’s funeral and settles down into the house, it becomes clear that something more creepy is going on.

The pacing of “Their Monstrous Hearts” was a bit slow often, and I struggled with maintaining interest in the narrative at those times. The premise was intriguing and I could see the gothic influence in the narrative and setting. I enjoyed the flashback elements, as well as the inclusion of Perihan’s manuscript. As some other reviewers have mentioned, the varying lengths of chapters also threw me off sometimes.

This cover is so eye-catching. It also has actual meaning in the story. I'll admit to being initially put off by this author's writing style. It's very conversationalist, if English was your second language and a bit stream-of-consciousness which I usually hate. About the author Yiğit Turhan who was born in Turkey, Google Books says he is "a lifelong reader [who] owes his love of horror to his grandmother and the films she shared with him. He has previously published a horror novel in Turkish. He lives in Milan, Italy, where he holds a C-suite role at a renowned fashion house. This is his English-language debut." My previous assumptions about the style made more sense after researching this. I like also that his Grandmother shared her love of horror with him. I find it necessary to state that here because other US readers should expect a certain international flair to the writing going in. I found the writing style gave the story a certain cinematic quality in an art nouveau, nior kind of way.

Pushing through, the plotline begins to find it's legs. This premise is unusual which I quite liked. Perihan, lives in a villa in Milan, who after shopping for her birthday returns to discover her entire house encapsulated by butterflies and surrounded by onlookers. After her death the villa and belongings pass to her indigent grandson Riccardo and the game is afoot. The idea of him discovering this old gothic villa that he almost has no memory of is intriguing and what pressed me to continue reading. I love books where the houses themselves become characters. I tried. I really did. The style and pacing honestly drove me nutty even skimming parts but I did skim through to that outrageouly good ending. It reminded me of The Witch of Painted Sorrows by M.J. Rose.

I'm just not the right reader for this book. Harlequin Trade Publishing is putting out a gorgeous limited first edition with stunning red sprayed edges. It's a challenging read. If you're a fan of slow burn horror give this a try yourself.

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.

I had trouble following this one along at first, and I’m not sure if it was because I was just listening on audio (the narration moved back and forth between present and the past via a journal), or if we’re supposed to be confused by what’s going on the same way the main character is.
Because as we got towards the end, it suddenly made sense and WOW that ending is vicious. In short, the main character moves to his recently deceased grandma’s house in Italy, because she left him her butterflies.
This goes from a tale of a sweet grandma who maybe cared for her grandson more than he realized, to a surprise revelation of just what kind of character the grandmother was. There’s also all the suspicious staff of the house, and as he’s reading the journal his grandma wrote, it’s in such detail he mistakens in for a fantasy novel mixed with real life. Because there’s no way… right?

My confusion was going to lead me to give a lower rating, but that ending redeemed it in my opinion and I was like wait that’s kind of brilliant.

Thank you Harlequin Audio for the listen!