⭐️: 4/5
Genre: Thriller

Sorry, I’m starting at the end because WHAT WAS THAT ENDING?? Never in a million years did I expect that person to do that thing (yes you will just have to read it to find out what I’m talking about)

Also, can we talk about how DUA LIPA (yes, that Dua Lipa, the Grammy Winning artist) is the blurb on the front cover?? How. And speaking of the cover, I’m simultaneously intrigued and obsessed

On to the book itself, I really enjoyed the dual timeline, and was actually much more invested in the past/manuscript storyline than the present day

Overall, an intriguing and fun story!

Thank you to HTP Books and Yiğit Turhan for the physical and audio ARCs! All thoughts are my own

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 Stars (Excellent)
Setting: A mysterious old house in Milan, Italy
Genre: Dark Gothic Thriller (Gothic Horror? I wouldn’t classify it this way.)

Their Monstrous Hearts is less of a horror novel and more of a dark, atmospheric thriller. The story follows Riccardo, a struggling writer who inherits his grandmother Perihan’s decaying Milanese villa and her famed butterfly collection. But what seems like an unexpected windfall quickly turns into something far more unsettling. As Riccardo navigates the eerie home, its cryptic inhabitants, and the secrets buried within Perihan’s diary, he is drawn into a web of mystery that threatens to consume him.

The novel excels in crafting a foreboding atmosphere, with lush yet unsettling descriptions that make the house and its surroundings feel like characters themselves. The tension is palpable, and the story’s gothic undertones add to its dark allure. However, the middle portion of the book occasionally loses momentum, making it easy to drift from the story. Fortunately, the ending delivers, tying up the suspense in a satisfying way.

While Their Monstrous Hearts didn’t fully grip me the whole way through, its haunting imagery and compelling conclusion make it a worthwhile read for fans of slow-burning thrillers with a gothic edge. If you enjoy unsettling family secrets, eerie settings, and a touch of the macabre, this one is worth picking up.
#netgalley #theirmonstroushearts #booked_this_weekend

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 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.

Their Monstrous Hearts begins with a slow burn that increases to a low boil halfway through the story as the magic is revealed and the stakes become dire. The narrator for this audio book was able to capture the essence of Perihan’s extraordinary and increasingly decadent life. Part fairytale, part memoir, entirely enchanting.

I nominated Their Monstrous Hearts for LibraryReads.

This audiobook did not work for me at all. It may have been the narrator's accent, but I could not keep myself engaged in the story and it was hard to follow.

Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this advanced copy of Their Monstrous Hearts.

I unfortunately decided to not finish this one, as I had trouble following the storyline and a hard time with some of the accents, which was absolutely a me problem. I am a bit hard of hearing sometimes (subtitles girlie over here). I think I would have enjoyed a physical copy a lot more, and I will definitely be checking this book out when it comes out!

I really enjoyed the book itself, the story and atmosphere that was created. I knew right from the moment I read the synopsis that I would be stuck on this book and I wasn’t wrong. My only struggle was that I had a hard time focusing on the story with the audiobook, as much as I liked it, I feel like Their Monstrous Hearts is going to be a book I will need to go back and read as a physical copy because the audiobook just didn’t do it for me. I think maybe with this style of book for me I just need the more visual aspects in order to connect a bit more.

I normally do not want to rate a book I consider DNF, I'm sorry it just wasn't for me. Maybe I'll try again another time.
DNF @ 43%

So so so good!!!
Gothic? ✅
Dark ✅
Haunting and atmospheric? ✅✅

This book was slow paced but still kept me intrigued until it hit a certain point where I was hooked and gave me chills!! I would absolutely recommend this book

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.

Holy cow! This book came out of nowhere! I went into it blind and came out shocked (in a very good way)! This book was a slow burn about a man named Riccardo whose grandmother has passed away. Riccardo is down on his luck, a struggling author, and owes a lot of money on bills. He learns he has inherited his grandmother's butterfly collection, and he decides to go to Milan for the funeral. While staying in his grandmother's house, a lot of her old friends are around all the time. He finds a manuscript with his name on it in his grandmother's writing, and it tells quite a tale. At first, he feels it is a work of fantasy, but as he reads more, he realizes the journal may be more reality than fiction. I was not prepared for this and I loved every minute!!!

ABOUT
A haunting novel about the boundaries people will cross to keep their dreams alive.

READ IT IF YOU LIKE
- Slow burn horror
- Some historical fiction elements
- Mexican Gothic
- Hereditary
- Mythical undertones
- Family and loss
- Symbolic butterflies
- Gothic horror
- Dual timeline
- Suspenseful mystery

BRIEF REVIEW
Let me preface this by saying I am not a huge fan of gothic tales and I really wanted to like this one. If you do like gothic horror and any of the things I mention above I do think you'll love it. For me it dragged and never really reached a climax of events that tied everything together. I found myself getting distracted easily while reading. Maybe I should stop trying gothic stories but I have hope I'll eventually find one I love.

From an audio perspective, I listened to this one at 2x, which is about my normal speed so the narration speed was average! The only real issue I had with the narration itself was the French accent--I get, it, but it was unnecessary and...not great. If it had been more prevelant than it was, I probably would have stopped listening.

Overall the story is solid, but I definitely think the writing style lends itself more to being read vs. listened to. I love listening to horror because the vibes of the narrartor can really sell the story, but it didn't really have the same pay off in this one. I love a story with family secrets and gothic elements, and this one just didn't fell like it hit all of the marks for me with atmosphere or plot.

I enjoyed it enough to finish it, but it definitely is one of those books that has a LOT of set-up before you get hooked. Like, the first 50% of the book was build up and suspense and then at the snap of the finger things unravel and unravel quickly. I love that in horror books, so it worked for me, but I DO know I'm in the minority with that, so be mindful that it is on the slower side if you're looking for something to grip you instantly.

I think I may try this one again in a few months with a physical copy to see if I enjoyed it more, but the audio wasn't bad! Just not fully my cup of tea.

I was really excited to read this book after reading the premise and loving the creepy cover.
Sadly, I’m not sure exactly how I feel about this book. The premise is interesting, but the execution was lacking. The first 75% of the book really dragged in my opinion. I found myself very uninterested in the grandmother. She was terrible and actually quite boring. The last 30% was surprising and really engaging. I wish the rest of the book had been as fast paced. I also thought the narrators didn’t mesh well and didn’t really bring the characters to life for me. I’m not sure if that negatively affected my opinion of the story overall.

I did love the use of butterflies and what their life cycle represents in the story. The level of betrayal in this book is deeply disturbing! There is definitely some gore, but not as much as I had expected.

Overall, a very slow burn horror with some disturbing twists and thought provoking moments.

The cover is absolutely stunning isn’t it? The audiobook was something I jumped on and it was enjoyable.

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!


4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I 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 liked the multiple narrators! That aspect was great. The author is talented, but the story was too slow for my taste. I need more action I think to keep me interested for the long haul.

With writing that is both dark and vibrant, this is definitely an author to watch! I loved the layer upon layer of mystery.

Inheriting an old house is a trope I fall for every time, especially when there is a creepy factor. We also get this really ominous butterfly collection that I found incredibly intriguing. But, it is the diary belonging to the woman who owned the house, our protagonist’s grandmother that I really vibed with!!!

I highly recommend the audiobook which was produced and narrated so well.

Audiobook/Book Review 📖🎧🦋

thank you so much partner Harlequin Audio, Mira Books, & The Hive for the gifted ARC + audiobook!

Their Monstrous Hearts
by Yigit Turhan
Narrated by Luca John Filiz; Tina Nakhleh Falkenbury

About the book 👇🏽

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 will inspire him, and money to keep him afloat. But Perihan’s house isn’t as opulent as he remembers. Perihan’s group of mysterious old friends is constantly lurking. And there’s something wrong in the greenhouse. The 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.

🦋My thoughts:

It took me a bit to get into this story as it is a very slow burn. I initially started the physical book, then switched to audiobook, then back to physical book. I really liked that this story was in fact unique and ominous. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book quite like this and it is absolutely an atmospheric read. It was the premise and cover that ultimately intrigued me and got me to request it but it just didn’t land the way I was hoping it would. The narrators were fine in the audiobook but I can’t say I preferred one version over the other. Although it wasn’t for me… I hope it will be for other readers! Their Monstrous Hearts hits shelves 4/8/25!

Happy reading 📖🎧🦋

I struggled with this one. I couldn’t really get into it. Not much was happening for me. I thought the narration was fine. Just wasn’t my fav.