Author: Brynne Weaver
Series: "Ruinous Love" #1
Genre: Dark Romance Comedy
Page Length: 360 pages
Publication Date: August 15, 2023
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
As a fan of dark romances and a fan of rom-coms, I was quite eager going into Butcher & Blackbird. A dark romcom about a competition between serial killers? It sounded right up my alley, particularly after my enjoyment of the Mindf*ck series in 2022. Butcher & Blackbird lived up to my expectations and far surpassed them, giving me a new all-time favorite to add to my shelves.
In Butcher & Blackbird, we follow two serial killers who take out other killers. After a rather hilarious first encounter, they begin an annual murder competition that takes them across the country over the span of multiple years. And, of course, romance starts to bloom.
I loved both the main characters in this. In a romance book, good character building is essential to keep readers invested. After all, romance plots revolve mainly around rooting for two or more characters to get together. Brynne Weaver did a stellar job at making me fall for Sloane and Rowan. Between their witty banter, toe-curling flirtation, and surprising tenderness, I was ready to fall for these characters myself.
Apart from the characters, Weaver crafts an exciting adventure for us readers to go on with Sloane and Rowan. It takes a truly skillful writer to make murder into a hilarious endeavor but she truly succeeded with this story. From ruining cookies & cream ice cream to accidental cannibalism, the trials these characters endure on their quest to kill had me cackling out loud.
It's rather rare to have both an exciting plot and well-crafted characters in a story. However, Weaver managed to achieve that and more with Butcher & Blackbird. On top of that, the spicy scenes were stellar and well-balanced. I'm not someone who loves a lot of spice in books but Weaver managed to make the scenes both exciting and purposeful.
While I love Sloane and Rowan, we also got to meet a variety of side characters that we'll get to see featured in the future installments of the Ruinous Love trilogy following the Kane brothers and their romances. I am particularly excited to see how Lachlan and Lark get on in the next installment after their frosty demeanors towards each other during the rare moments they've been on page together.
All that being said, I'll leave you with this: Butcher & Blackbird is an addicting, hilariously gruesome story with a surprisingly touching romance that tugs at your heartstrings. It's not for the faint of heart and the trigger warnings should be taken as the warning they are, but if it hits your preferences, it will surely become a new top favorite.
Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren
You can follow my bookstagram here for more bookish content!
To get more awesome posts like this post, click the follow button to the right!
To get more awesome posts like this post, click the follow button to the right!
