In "Their Monstrous Hearts," we meet 20-year-old Riccardo, who’s stuck with writer’s block and financial issues until he inherits a villa from his estranged grandma in Milan. Seeking inspiration, he stumbles upon his grandmother Perihan's intriguing manuscript, unraveling a chilling narrative that intertwines her past struggles in Turkey with his present.

The story unfolds a bit slowly, especially the parts where Riccardo reads, but things get really intense and surprising towards the end. There are some graphic moments that might catch you off guard, yet the butterfly imagery is a nice, eerie touch. If you're into books that weave together dual perspectives and have unexpected twists, Turhan's debut novel is totally worth a read!

This book is a gripping blend of dark glamour and mystery that will definitely change how you see butterflies. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it, especially since horror isn’t usually my thing. It seems perfect for fans of creepy stories filled with little clues. I can’t wait to reread it in the fall—Halloween vibes, anyone? Big thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC!

I made it to 35% before I just couldn't take it anymore. The story was tedious and boring, and the narrators had accents that seemed fake and did absolutely nothing to bring this story to life. I'm sorry to be so negative, but wow, am I disappointed! With that title and that gorgeous cover, I hoped for so much more.
2⭐️

As always, I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to have an advanced audiobook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Their Monsters Hearts was an unsettling and wild ride of a book. The mystery and suspense gradually unfolded all well-being, extremely haunting.

The both narrators were excellent.
They are new to me narrators and I wouldn’t mind listening to them in the future.

3.5⭐️
I’ll be upfront and say that this book wasn’t for me, HOWEVER, it was beautifully written in that creepy get under your skin type of way.

I consumed an Audio ALC and o had mixed feelings with the narrator. At times the recitation just wasn’t sitting well with me but at other, it was fine. The problem is I can’t put my finger on it. Maybe it was the story itself that made me anxious?

Usually “slow burn” is attributed to romance novels but this book shows that it can be used for horror as well! It was drawn out for the first 60% of the book and then bam, a frenetic pace for the last 40. It was this last 40% that I really enjoyed. The twists were a bit eye popping!

I did love the dive into the human spirit and what someone can accomplish when driven.


I am thankful to have gotten the audio ALC for free from Harlequin Audio through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

I struggled to finish this book. It was slow to start and very heavy-handed with the overuse of butterflies as objects, metaphors, characters, descriptions.

I was not engaged with Perihan’s story, her entitlement, her silly husband, her dress and mannerisms. Riccardo was a little dense and immature.

I really wanted to like this book.

The slow burn, combined with well-crafted world-building, kept me intrigued, even though I was unsure of where things were headed for the first half. But once everything started to come together, especially in the final act, Their Monstrous Hearts becomes a wild, unrelenting ride. The dark twists and turns toward the end were jaw-dropping, and the last few chapters? Completely unpredictable! I found myself thinking about this book long after I finished it.
If you're a fan of dark fantasy and horror with a strong emotional core, this one is definitely worth adding to your TBR list! The final payoff makes it all worth the wait, but I do wish the pacing had been a little quicker early on. Still, an absolutely gripping read overall!

This is, yet again, another case of the cover made me do it! This cover is so gorgeous, and when a buddy read formed on Instagram, I had to join! The beginning was so interesting. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and their back story, but it felt disconnected at times in the middle. It was a little too long, in my opinion, but the ending was so good! I think this will be a good one to talk about with book clubs!

Riccardo, a young writer down on his luck, unexpectedly inherits his grandmother's estate along with everything inside. A magically haunted story. The book was kind of a slow burn. Writing is excellent considering this is his first English book. The story is told in a dual time line, present and past based on a manuscript address to Riccardo. Very enjoyable.

The multiple narrators delivered on a masterful production.  Excellent quality.

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.

The prose is beautiful--words that make you pause and replay them in your head. The plot is a bit slow and at times hard to follow--the author focusing more on beautiful sentences rather than driving the story along. But I love the moody, dark atmosphere. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced audio copy

⭐️: 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.