a dark, murderous story of what happens when people cross set boundaries
Riccardo is a struggling author, losing his inspiration
when a stranger arrives at his apartment with the news of his grandmothers death and her villa in Milan that was left to Riccardo
hoping for a change of scenery and possibly a small monetary inheritance, Riccardo is shocked to find not the nostalgic home of his childhood but a run down version with a haunted greenhouse and butterfly collection that seems more and more monstrous
exploring the estate, Riccardo finds his grandmothers diary with hints to her mysterious death, this could be the story that changes Riccardo's career, if he can survive long enough to write it

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Their Monstrous Hearts.

I was pleased my request was approved because the premise definitely caught my eye.

Sadly, this didn't hit the mark entirely for me, and let me tell you why:

I liked the premise, I was curious about Perihan and her relationship with Riccardo, but the writing style wasn't for me.

The writing was almost YA-ish but maybe because Riccardo is so young and immature.

It didn't help that Riccardo is a dull, uninspiring main character. Or maybe he's supposed to be.

I'm not a fan of narratives where there's info dumping via a journal or manuscript.

Nothing happens, at least not to Riccardo, but perhaps that's the point. Nothing happens to him because he's a nobody.

Also, I wouldn't categorize this as horror, more like magical realism and fantasy. Or I feel like this because I don't scare easily.

I did like the ending, at first, I wasn't a fan of Perihan, she's cold, cruel and callous, but by the end, I admire her resiliency and her calculating manner.

The narrative is less a horror story and more a story of identity and reinvention, of living your life however you want and make it to be.

I liked the author's note at the end and her love for her grandmother and their shared love of horror movies. What a wonderful bond to have with one another!

This debut YA horror novel first caught my attention with its striking butterfly cover, but it was the haunting story inside that immediately pulled me in. Ricardo, a struggling writer, is at rock bottom—his creative spark has vanished, his money is running out, and the bills are piling up. Just when things seem hopeless, a knock at the door changes everything. His grandmother has passed away, leaving him her villa in Milan. Hoping for a fresh start, Ricardo moves to the villa, where he discovers his grandmother’s cherished butterfly collection. As he settles in, fragmented childhood memories of living with his grandparents resurface, revealing his grandmother’s eccentric and mysterious nature. The villa’s staff is unsettling and secretive, making him question their true intentions. Then, he stumbles upon a manuscript written by his grandmother—one addressed to him. With each page, he slowly unravels the chilling obsession behind the butterflies and the dark secret that brought him to the villa.

For a debut, this book delivered everything I love—an eerie atmosphere, a perfectly paced mystery, and deeply intriguing secrets. I couldn’t put it down, and I can’t wait to read more from this author!

This was definitely a slow burn thriller. It was almost a little too slow burn and it really took me a lot to get invested in this story. I will say that the plot was unique and the writing was atmospheric. But, the writing seemed very blocky to me, and disjointed. It didn’t feel like it flowed well. The wording in the book felt reparative and the narration felt too straightforward. Overall, I felt the ideas in the book were unique, but the execution just wasn’t right for me. It was just too much of a slow burn and the writing threw me off. Perhaps I just wasn’t the right reader for this book!

First off a big thank you to the publisher for the invite to read and review this book as well as giving me a check to check out a new to me author ,but sadly this author isn't for me , I'm having terrible getting into the story , as well as getting into the writing style of it, even though the book cover is beautiful and the title the type of title that would definitely catch my eye , that alone can't keep me Interested in the story , so at 50% I'm DNF it , because like I said before I'm ststruggled with this author'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 the only book by this author I've tried to read .

The cover of this book is gorgeous. I had an eBook copy from Net Galley. I love the cover of the book, and the title alone sold me. This is a new genre for me to get into so, this was kind of a good way to get into it.

Ricardo is discovering things from his childhood are not what they seem and finding his grandmother's journal after her passing becomes more interesting than what it was when he first arrived at the estate.

This is a very slow start horror but, in the end, it is worth it and not really that predictable. It definitely to me gets the mind working to know what's going to happen next.

Their Monstrous Hearts turns several horror tropes on their heads, and in many ways defies categorization. It's about loss, heartbreak, and transformation, the writing sometime expressed such a keen feeling of loneliness that I could feel the ache in my heart. I found the initial hook to be very enticing, and Riccardo to be a sympathetic protagonist. However, I did find the prose to be awkward quite a bit, and the dialogue was quite stilted. The epistolary element of this book often overwhelmed Riccardo's storyline, and as much as I loved the development of Perihan as a character, it felt like it was to the detriment of Riccardo instead of benefitting both their stories. Their Monstrous Hearts felt very uneven.

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 Yigit Turhan has created a novel with a terrifying cover and a spooky premise- but that’s about it. The writing in “Their Monstrous Hearts” 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 single 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.

A Mysterious Gothic Fantasy
3.5 but not quite a 4
This is one of the strangest books I have read in a long time, but I don't mean that negatively.
The story went in a completely opposite direction than I was anticipating. Honestly, I struggled quite a bit for the first half. Took almost 5 days just to get 50% through. I just couldn't really get into the flow. BUT, if I had known then how that ending was going to pick up (read the last half in 24 hours) I would have buckled down and stayed in it.
Slow star-Strong finish
I think that my struggle was in the fact that it was an ARC and the layout was really off which thew off my reading rhythm. And possibly the repetitiveness and overuse of several descriptive words.
Regardless of those factors, in the end, I really enjoyed this story. It was VERY unique and a nice blend of genres, with a villain you never saw coming.
I will Never look at a butterfly the same!

Huge thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this early and help get others hyped to grab it in April when it's released!

Riccardo is a writer desperate to get past his writer's block. One day, a stranger shows up at his door to tell him that his grandmother has died and left Riccardo both her home in Milan and her renowned butterfly collection. Considering he is out of money, Riccardo travels to his new home, hoping the change will break his writer's block and help him survive. The house is not what he remembers; the butterflies strike a menacing tone, and his grandmother's odd friends always seem nearby. As he explores the house, he discovers his grandmother's journal, and what he finds within might not only be the answer to her death but might be what he needs to inspire his book. The key is making it through all of this alive.

This is not your typical horror novel. This one creeps up on you. Filled with secrets, magical realism, and gothic terror, this novel captures the monstrous side of humanity and will leave you reeling towards the end of this story. This one will haunt me for quite some time.

This was a fun gothic horror! I flew through this -- it was very easy to pick up and read. It did have some slow parts that could have been edited it, but overall I enjoyed my time with it! Thanks!

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.

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you @netgalley for the gifted book.
When I signed up for this ARC I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I really didn’t even read the synopsis, I just simply picked it because the cover and name sparked my curiosity.
Oh boy! This book is something, I don’t know what it is but it was definitely something else. The ambiance, the pace, the characters, the ominous feeling are all there to make you feel like something bad is going to happen, Riccardo, the main character knows it and you as the reader know it too and on top of that you will feel helpless because there’s nothing you can do to help.
That’s exactly what this book is, a sensation of impending doom that cannot be stopped.
Additionally, this book reiterates that monsters don’t always look like one and that people would most certainly hurt and destroy something beautiful and magical either for profit or to achieve what they need. The real monster is the one that hides its real self behind good intentions.
This book reminded me of a movie that I remember creeped me out when I watched it, The Skeleton Key. It was a good scary, suspenseful flick.

Thank you net galley for this arc, it was amazing! I enjoyed this so much, I can't wait for a physical copy to be released so I can get my hands on it. I rated this book a 4.5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins, and Yigit Turhan for this lovely ARC!

Riccardo, our heroic protagonist, learns that his estranged grandmother has died and he has inherited her estate. When he goes to Milan to claim what is his, he learns of a horrific story involving his grandmother’s community and a creature with magical powers.

This was an interesting story about complex familial relationships. I really liked the descriptions in this book. Yigit paints a gorgeous, atomospheric picture of Milan. The ending of this story was shocking to me, but I won’t ruin it for anyone!

Must read for anyone who loves gothic horror!

Their Monstrous Hearts by Yiğit Turhan is a creature of creature features. And while it’s disheartening the words ‘struggling’ and ‘writer’ are always married in sentences, here we are: Riccardo has severe writer’s block. He’s stretched his deadlines, his agent, and his emptying pockets to conjure his latest work. That is, until the death of his beloved grandmother left him with full ownership of a villa in Milan and her renowned butterfly collection. When he happens upon his grandmother’s diary shortly after attending her funeral, Riccardo thinks he’s struck gold, but as any seasoned reader of gothic horror will tell you, there’s always a madwoman in the attic. This was a story that had many unique elements and perspectives attached to it. I found it quite interesting. The performers for this audiobook really helped keep me immersed in the narrative. There were many parts that I feel would’ve hampered my “traditional” reading of the book, so I am grateful NetGalley and Harlequin audio offered me an eARC of this work.

Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher for this ARC. This book had all the elements of a horror story that I love ! It was atmospheric and had Gothic horror, elements. I thought the plot was unique and I liked the author’s writing style and character development too. It was a little slow for me, but the ending had amazing twist in terms. I would truly recommend this book and I’m looking forward to more books from this author!

Thank you, Yigit Turhan NetGalley, for the ARC. I leave this review voluntarily and happily. Also, thank you publishers for your hard work!

Im going to start off and say this wasn't exactly horror in my mind. It definitely was atmospheric, creepy, and definitely a mystery at times. There is also the element of the magical and fantasy here and there. Even so, I really enjoyed how this story turned out. Definitely didn't see how it was going to end nor the twists that happened. The details are very beautiful, and just all the butterflies use is definitely something i haven't seen. I really enjoyed it. I got to learn about different kinds of butterflies throughout the book. There is death, mystery, and all sorts of things going on in this book. You'll enjoy going through the journey like the main character does. Or you might not.

A stranger comes and tells the main character his grandmother is dead. He leaves the life he knew and moves back to the home he lived in when he was a child. Things seem strange and dark. Things change once he finds his grandmothers diary. It outlines her life and what happened till her last moments. What happened to her? What's going on with the people in this house, and what dark secrets are going to be found within the pages of the diary? Read and find out.

Like I said before, this wasn't really horror for me, but i did enjoy the journey it took me on. The murder and the mystery around it all was definitely what kept me locked into the book. Not only that, but the mythical and fantasy aspect surrounding it as well. Also, I loved the butterfly and all surrounding that.

Never trust the butterfly

This book is one wild ride! It's an atmospheric, slow-burn journey that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat, even if you're not the biggest fan of horror. The story kicks off when Riccardo, a struggling writer, inherits his grandmother's villa in Milan after her mysterious death. Of course, he's hoping for some inspiration and maybe even a little cash, but when he gets to the villa, nothing is as it seems.

The house, once grand, has fallen into disrepair, and those butterflies in glass cases? They're not as charming as they sound. The more Riccardo digs into his grandmother's past, especially after discovering her diary, the more questions pop up. What really happened to her? And what’s up with the creepy vibe that’s creeping through the entire villa?

The pacing’s a little slow at times, but trust me, the last part of this book will leave you shook—that twist is one you won’t see coming. It’s eerie, it’s haunting, and it’s definitely not your average horror. If you're into stories that mess with your head and keep you questioning what's real, then you definitely need this on your TBR.

Big thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

This book is unreal!

For a majority of the book, it reads like historical fiction. With dual timelines, it is captivating and suspenseful. It keeps you wondering where it all leads. The final 20% or so is twisty and absolutely unreal. The final 5% slaps you in the face and is just WOW! I did not see that ending coming.
A very s l o w burn horror story indeed.

This is unlike any other horror novel I have ever read, and it's very good. I will never look at any butterfly the same way again.
I recommend everyone who enjoys a great gothic horror story to read Their Monstrous Hearts when it's available.

This was one of the creepiest books I've ever read! I truly could not read it fast enough- I've never needed to know what was going on more in my life. It's best to go in blind.