This book was just insanity. I couldn’t put it down. I loved the story and the gore and the gruesome and even the smug. Anxiously awaiting book 2.

Also love that Brynne Weaver included an ample list of trigger warnings at the beginning.

I had very little expectations when I picked up this book, as I haven’t previously read anything by this author before. However, the blurb definitely intrigued me and I was in need of a dark romance read! I’ve just finished reading it, so let’s chat about it!

It was a slight slow-burner on the spice front, which was refreshing in all honesty. I felt that it gave the reader a lot more time to connect to the characters, and allowed the storyline to develop. Once the spice kicked in, it was definitely more believable and was pretty damn good! However there was one scene that did make my stomach turn ever so slightly.

I really enjoyed our main characters Sloane and Rowan. They both were interesting characters in their own right, but their chemistry together was just incredible. I loved their banter and their dark humour, it was thoroughly enjoyable to read. I loved the idea of them being two killers, and thoroughly enjoyed Sloane being sort of a vigilante killer. That was a fresh and exciting aspect of the book.

I did find the pacing of the book varied a bit, especially towards the end. I did find that during the last 30-20%, I lacked engagement in the story, which I felt was due to it suddenly becoming quite rushed.

Overall, I did really enjoy the book and would rate it 3.75 stars! It was exciting & fresh, however it didn’t engage me as much towards the end. I’d recommend for any dark romance fans!

This book was fine, I just couldn’t get into it

~This was given by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This book was so friggin amazing and definitely a top five for me this year.

I loved the humor in this dark romance, and the levity Brynne wrote around some of the heavier scenes.

Rowan was so cute and sweet, while being a lethal monster when he needed to be. I liked his unrestrained methods juxtaposed against Sloane's methodical plans. The two were a perfect compliment in that he softened her and she challenged him.

The spice was so amazing and hot. The spit scene melted my underwear. A million stars. Will never recover.

Sloane a female serial killer gets herself in a bit of a predicament after her victim locks her in her own trap. When another serial come to her rescue they team up for a deadly game of who can track and kill their next victim first. Both serial killers separated by distance find themselves growing closer in the fun, quirky romance horror.

I really enjoyed this book. The time jumps were a bit confusing at first but I was quickly pulled in. Wasn’t a huge fan of the spice scenes but the romance and gore were immaculate. Looking forward to the next book!

This book!!! I mean firm page one I was like ok I’m sold. And already by chapter two I was sending it to all my friends to start reading (yes I convinced like so many to already buy it haha) it was funny, it was feels, dark romance fun and I laughed along while rooting for the characters and the deaths were even (albeit gruesome) but funny. Can’t wait to read more :)

I loved this book, and will read every book released in this series. While I love the romance scenes itself the plot itself was well thought out with minimal plot holes. I enjoyed the nice change of personalities between the MMC and FMC since she is more of the dark broody type and he gives massive golden retriever energy, especially at the beginning. I also tend to worry for some dark romance books because of the red flags within the relationship, but their relationship in general was thoughtful, loving, and consensual especially given their hobby.

I see the draw. It just wasn’t for me. I ended up skimming the last 40% because I just wasn’t that invested. Definitely an interesting twist on a romcom!

I have a love/hate relationship with dark romances and I always go into them with a little bit of trepidation. I had nothing to worry about with this book, it was so good. I would consider it to be more of a dark comedy romance and the whimsy of the whole thing made the darker parts much more enjoyable. It’s not often that I cackle at the thought of cannibalism, but this book had me doing that.

Two serial killers who start a competition and end up falling in love, what more could you want?

This is a dark romance with lots of murder, kidnapping, cannibalism and all that kind of good stuff, so check the TW’s.

Thanks to #NetGallery and the publisher. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Genre: Romance (dark)
Format: Digital
POV: Dual
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ /5
Age suggestion: 18+

𝐁𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫 & 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐁𝐫𝐲𝐧𝐧𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞
𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫: 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑
𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘸𝘦’𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬… 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳.
𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟒⭐️
Okay I’ve not read dark romance for a while and I missed it.
Sloan and Rowan meet under unlikely circumstances and I was immediately hooked on their chemistry.
I loved their banter and their yearly competitions.

Who knew serial killers falling for one another could be so much fun?

Also, the whole scene with the accidental cannibalism was great 🤭😅!

Recommend if you like
Serial killers
Friends to lovers
Gory scenes
Spice 🌶️
Different POV

I did get a bit fed up with how many times Sloan could ‘blush’ I felt that was over used but other than that a great quick read that ticks boxes for me! I’m looking forward to carrying on this trilogy.

Please check TWs before reading.

Thanks to @netgalley & Zando for this Arc!

#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booktok #bookreview #darkromance #funbooks #bookstagramuk #netgalley #netgalleyreads #netgalleyuk #netgalleyreviewer #ilovebooks #bookworm #booklover #booktease #prettycover #bookishcontent

I am honestly SURPRISED at how MUCH I loved this one. It really gave us a great synopsis and then delivered every single vibe I not only wanted but didn't even know I NEEDED. I'd describe this as a dark rom-com with the perfect amount of banter that made even the goriest of moments feel light and hilarious. It had more fantastic tropes like Friends to Lovers, considering they're both serial unalivers really had me. Just the perfect mix and now one of my favorites.

I am never eating ice cream again 🤢 I loved every second of this book! (Just not the eating human parts😅) Rowan is the sweetest golden retriever bf I’ve ever wanted 🥰 Sloane is so good. I love their banter and the two of them together is magic! Can’t wait for Luther and Larks book 🤩

I DNF'd at 75% of the way through. I didn't like that the MMC changed his behavior mid-way through. The scene where they didn't save an innocent person bothered me. Another big thing that gave me some major ick was all her piercings. Just not for me.

Also I found there to be some chronological issues for me in the beginning. All and all, I liked the premise and was aware of most of the trigger warnings, but there were even more which weren't laid out that honestly probably on paper aren't as bad but just made it not enjoyable for me.

Every dedicated reader gets in ruts during which nothing suits them or they’re just tired of the same-old tropes. This is the kind of book that can fix either of those problems. It’s so unique and twisted and deliciously spicy. Both main characters are the type of person you want to root for even though you really shouldn’t. If you’re looking for a good read that will probably bust you out of a slump, this is it!

This was an interesting read to say the least... never thought I’d be repulsed by Ice cream. (IYKYK)

The vibes for the book are set in the first chapter with an… interesting… first meeting between the two main characters Sloane and Rowan that end with an agreement to their first (of what is to become their annual) serial killer hunt. Their friendship only grows stronger over the years, and so do their romantic feelings.

Love and murder surprisingly fit well together, Sloane and Rowan’s relationship is super adorable and I highly enjoyed watching their relationship blossom with their annual game. Despite this, I don’t really feel connected enough with the other character to want to continue with the sequel.

I’m pretty sure I’d have enjoyed this book more at a different time, and I’m considering rereading at a later point to fully give this book it’s fair shot, but I have to admit I was a little disappointed.

However, I had a generally pleasant time reading, and I’m sure the majority reading this will too. While some parts are definitely very dark, this novel deals with it with more humor and lightness than many other Dark Romances. You should give it a read if you’re looking for a “gray” romance, or just some serial killer love.

Big Thanks to Netgalley, Zando, and the author Brynne Weaver for allowing me to read an E- arc of this novel.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶.5

Oh. My. God! This book was incredible. It was so sweet and funny and dark all at once, it was absolutely perfect. I don't think I've ever laughed and smiled so much through a single book!

Sloane and Rowan are officially my favourite little psychopaths. And I cannot wait for Leather & Lark!!

ABSOLUTELY OBSESSED AND IN LOVE WITH BUTCHER & BLACKBIRD BY BRYNNE WEAVER! Like, let me just get that out of the way. Yes, 100% absolutely recommend this book, especially for fans of the Mindf*ck series. I wasn’t sure how this would be a serial killer dark romcom but it absolutely was and I think that might be my new favorite genre.

The spice? Fantastic. Love it. Amazing. Hot. Great. A million other adjectives. It was great and actually broke the boring mold of other dark romances that say spice and think that just means a bit of strangling. This went harder and I mean, considering it is a romance between two serial killers, it had to.

The romance? Perfect, perfect, perfect. It unfurls slowly and over time. Yes, it is a matter of telling us time has passed but it wouldn’t work to show four years of time passing. That would break the tension and turn into a procedural crime novel instead of romcom. We see instalust but have the pleasure of watching that turn into friendship turn into like turn into love. It is built step by step instead of just throwing characters and readers into an unrealistic romance. There’s respect, healthy boundaries, and tough conversations. It is actually one of the healthiest dark romances I’ve read in a while, which is wild considering again, serial killers in love.

Now, my favorite part – the characters! Rowan is absolutely the epitome of golden retriever energy. He is so wonderful and fun and the brevity he brings is refreshing. Yes, Rowan has a darkness in him, of course he does. But it isn’t his sole defining feature or flaw. Sloan is exactly as she calls herself, a skittish blackbird. We get hints of the horror she’s endured in her past, of what molded her into the killer, and woman, she is.

Meeting Rowan brings her to a crossroad where Sloan has to decide if she is going to keep shying away in fear from anything real or stand still enough to test the waters. He falls first and falls hard but recognizes Sloan isn’t there yet, may never be there, and doesn’t burden her with his feelings and wants. Rowan has a life outside of Sloan, outside of murder. He has a family, friends, a business. Sloan has a career, a best friend, a cat. They aren’t simply murder and lust but well-rounded characters.

I 100% recommend Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver for anyone interested in dark romance and cannot WAIT for the other two books in the series.

This book was really good. Super gory, like really really gory, kind of reminds me of MindFuck meets Dexter, there was more plot and gore than spice so I guess it’s a slow burn. But it didn’t feel that way to me, because I loved how the characters developed and the plot was very interesting. Also the ice cream trigger really needed to be in bold. 🤢😂

Now I just have to wait here patiently for the next book to come out…sigh 😂

Whew! Take the trigger warnings seriously! Although they peaked my curiosity and made me want to read it even more. 🤪 I may have gone through every emotion reading this! The love story between the butcher and blackbird is anything but “normal” but I assure you full of twists and turns. Be ready to fall in love with a serial killer (or two) and gag (in a good way and bad) 😜

A Dark Romance Delight with Butcher & Blackbird

First of all, I’d like to express my gratitude towards Netgalley, Zando Projects and Brynne Weaver for generously providing me with a free advanced reader copy. This review is entirely voluntary, and I want to emphasize that it truly reflects my genuine emotions and thoughts about the story.

Star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Spice rating 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

I absolutely understand the hype, and I'm thrilled to have jumped on the bandwagon. "Butcher & Blackbird" was not just a thrilling and spicy read; it served as a much-needed balance amidst the darker elements in the book. This is precisely why I'm drawn to dark romance – it can be filled with suspense, chaos, and death, yet when paired with the right dose of spice, fun, and romance, it transforms into an emotionally exhilarating rollercoaster. I wholeheartedly enjoyed every page of "Butcher & Blackbird," and I'm eagerly anticipating the upcoming tale of Lark & Leather.

Despite its breakneck pace, the story didn't compromise overall enjoyment, a pitfall many fast-paced books fall into. The risks were low, and challenges resolved swiftly, thanks to their uniquely dangerous hobby. Yet, this didn't detract from my enjoyment; instead, it showcased the resilience of the central couple, who managed to navigate through all the twists and turns.

The author masterfully crafted tension throughout the narrative, and the dynamic between Sloane and Rowan was pure brilliance. Their banter kept me hooked, and when they finally admitted their feelings, the payoff was a tantalizingly spicy scene that left me craving more.

For anyone seeking a quick, fun, and darkly spicy read, "Butcher & Blackbird" is a must-try. It more than lives up to the hype it received.