CW: Cannibalism.

Sloane and Rowan are massive opposites: one introverted and happy with her one best friend, and the other gregarious and the life-of-the-party, but they both have one thing in common: they're both antiheros who choose victims the way Dexter Morgan chooses his - they hunt down and murder the bad guys.

This romantic comedy was fun and wonderfully gory. It had quite a number of quotable lines like "And can I blame her? We're both monsters, thrust together in the cage I've created."

Occasionally I did wonder why these two were even attracted to each other as we already know from the get-go that they like each other. There were also huge leaps in logic but honestly it was pretty enjoyable.

Thank you to Zando and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I have seen the HYPE online about this book. And this is one of the few books that I can comfortably say..... the hype is warranted.

I don't remember the last time I actually fully laughed OUT LOUD in a book. Not just a little grunt-chuckle. But actually took my eyes off the page, laughed. Woke my dog up from her nap, laughed. The banter is impeccable and doesn't drop into the cringy side. It is banter written by someone from within this target audience. Nothing is worst than cringy banter written by someone from outside the character and/or reader demographic... This is not that.

I will say that I haven't seen quite as much online discussion regarding the gore of this book. So just know, it is quite gory. If you are okay with body horror and descriptive injuries (both received and delivered), then you should be fine. But if you are triggered at all, I highly recommend reviewing the trigger and content warnings. The two most common are eyeball related and.... accidental cannibalism. Both are mentioned (or described) quite a few times in the book so it isn't something that you could just skip a paragraph, section, or chapter and be fine.

The book promised a dark rom-com, and it fully delivered.

Thank you to NetGalley and Zando for a free advanced reader copy of this book! I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!!

Okay but why was this so good???

B&B follows Sloane, a serial killer who hunts serial killers, and Rowan…. A serial killer.

This book is dark romance, rivals to lovers, romantic comedy, and it’s spicy. What more could you want?

A dark rom com?? Say less... This book had me hooked from the very first page! I was invested in Sloane and her dynamic with this mysterious other serial killer. The book was very interesting, and had a good balance with the dark themes in it. I would have liked a little more back story from both characters, I still have questions I want answered!! lol. But overall it was a great entertaining read. With some really good spicy scenes.

Butcher & Blackbird was such a fun, insane, unique story about two vigilante serial killers. This is not for the faint of heart, as this pair encounters and also creates some grotesque scenarios. And while it is a very slow burn, there is an extreme build of tension, and once the spice hits it is extra spicy!! I enjoyed the dual POV and the banter between these two, plus their loved ones. I am so happy that it is only the first in a trilogy, and we will get more of this crazy bunch. It’s dark, humorous, sexy, and highly entertaining. It will leave you with a weird sense of satisfaction. Definitely recommend! Thank you Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Beef Niçoise salad with homemade Dijon dressing.

Okay but the ice cream SENT me. This book was unhinged and hilarious. Easily on my favorite reads of 2023 list. I devoured it. Rowan Kane is a new all time favorite book boyfriend. I was instantly hooked on the first few sentences, and by the end of the first chapter I knew I was in for a morbid and twisty ride. Anything with serial killers is a win for me, but this one right here was *chef's kiss*. I have never cackled so much when reading a book, and the mummy scene had me rolling. That part isn't talked about enough.

Dark romcom 🖤♥️
Serial unalivers 🔪
Friends to lovers with rivalry 🪓🐦‍⬛
Black cat/cinnamon roll 🐈‍⬛🥮
Touch him/her and die 💀
Forced proximity 🔥
One bed 🛏️

I will definitely be reading the next books in this series!

“Come on, Blackbird. I need some dragonman DP.”

Maybe 4.5 ⭐️

I don’t even know how to put into words what I just read: Yet…I liked it. It’s likely the reason I gave it 5 stars. It’s worthy for an author who can take this kind of storyline and make me love it. Serial killlers of serial killers randomly meet and, through a game of competition with each other, fall in love. Humor ✔️ Spice ✔️ Angsty, Hot Chemistry ✔️✔️ I can’t wait for book 2!

I received this book from the publisher & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Me thinking a Dark Romance about two Serial Killers falling in love wouldn't be romantic and funny... now I'm obsessed and questioning my life choices.

I had seen Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver all over bookstagram and booktok, but I am a very picky Dark Romance reader, so since I had A TON of books to read before, I left it on my Want To Read pile until I saw it on NetGalley yesterday, and I couldn’t help myself. 📚🤷‍♀️

This Dark Romance is so ROMANTIC and so FUNNY, and it’s gross at the same time, but I loved every second of Butcher & Blackbird. 😍🤣

I love broken characters that find that missing piece because of love, and boy is Butcher & Blackbird delivering. 💔❤️

Have I mentioned Joe Arden is narrating the Audiobook?

I NEED MORE PLEASE!

Butcher and Blackbird by Brynne Weaver

My rating:
5/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Two serial killers who kill other serial killers? Say less!

My friend recommended I read this one and when I saw it on netgalley I instantly requested. It was like Christmas being able to read it! 🎄 I went in without knowing what this book would be about and the minute I read the trigger warning page I knew I was in for a crazy ride.

I loved this book so much. It was funny, extremely spicy, had some pretty graphic content but the author made it all fit together perfectly. I will say this one was SUPER spicy at times for me, so I had to mention that, but can’t be scared right?!

I would absolutely recommend this one if you like Dexter and romantic comedy all in one. Thank you netgalley for the ARC! This will be re-released on January 9th, so add it to your TBR! 🔪👀🍽️🐦‍⬛

I love this book so much that I could not put it down. I ended up getting the audiobook, so I could keep going with the story while I was working. Little did I know that I would experience the BEST audiobook I have ever listen to an any genre. And I am somebody who listens to about 75+ audiobooks a year. It sounded like a literal movie in my ears.

When I read that this was a serial k*ller romcom, I had no idea how an author would be able to pull that off well. But that describes Butcher and Blackbird perfectly. I was laughing my ass off, crying, swooning, biting my nails, stressed… I literally felt all of the things while reading this. I absolutely love Sloan, and I love that the author did not focus the book on Sloans background, but of excepting who you are, and finding someone to do the same. How Sloane and Rowan got together was honestly so fun to read. And the SPICE, good lord. It’s a masterpiece. I can’t wait for more from this author, she has become an instant preorder from me no matter what she writes.

While I completely appreciate that Butcher & Blackbird is the first of its kind— I expected more. I had high hopes for the first dark romance rom-com. But it fell flat for me. While I appreciated the quick wit and banter in the book, the plot was very lackluster. There was so much potential for growth in the second book, so I’m excited to see if it picks up!

What a perfect blending of the thriller/suspense genre with the romcom genre . The banter between the two MCs is so funny. Definitely a little gory, I had to read quickly past some paragraphs but also many instances where I LOLd. Can’t wait for the next book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A vigilante serial killer, romance?! AND it has its own Spotify playlist? AAAAAND it’s well written, has a kickass FMC, pulse pounding (in more ways than one, *wink wink nudge nudge*, engaging, and completely binge-able?? Immediately 5 stars.

I inhaled this book in less than 12 hours and cannot wait for the next 2!

#orzo

Y'all this is absolutely going viral for a good reason. I was not sure what a dark romcom about two serial unalivers would entail, but Brynne was writing it, so I knew it would be a good time. It was sweet and silly and psychotic and pretty much perfect? It was everything I didn't know I wanted. These psycho k*llers are silly. Like I was laughing at their antics so much, even though they were doing very much non-laughing activities. There were also a bunch of surprisingly tender moments that had me tearing up a little, and not just because I'll never look at cookies and cream ice cream the same way again - iykyk.
If you're intrigued by the idea of a dark romcom, definitely pick this one up!

The premise of this story was so unique and interesting that I couldn’t help but be intrigued. This was before the dedication and the first page hooked me in and I was completely swept away. Once I picked it up, I was utterly incapable of putting it down. This book was amazing and I was thoroughly entertained for the entire time that I was reading. I loved that our FMC Sloane “Blackbird” was so incredibly awkward. Her intelligence shone through the pages and her self consciousness when it came to Rowan “Butcher” was perfectly delicious. The chemistry between the two was palpable and the tension waiting for one of them made me squirm. I loved the care that Rowan took with her, knowing that Sloane would be embarrassed, and he never tried to rush anything with her. The part with the grocery deliveries had me swooning! Once the spice hit though, man I was panting. This was such a fun start of a smart, yet macabre love story and I am “dying” to find out what happens next!

I had no idea what a fun and spicy ride this would be. I was creeped out at the maggot scene and then I was laughing out loud at another part of the book. Then I was swooning and fantasing about the steamy and extra spicy parts. This book has everything you didn't know you needed! Just in time for the holidays. Put this book under a stocking stuffer for the naughty and the nice.

Who would have thought that a dark romantic comedy, between two serial killers, makes such a great book. It really does. But it was still a hard book to rate. The book was a bit long, not much happened in the first half, so that could have been whittled down. But overall, really I did enjoy it. I thought both main characters were excellent and I loved the dual povs. The story started very slowly and overall it was a very slow book, which usually isn't my thing, except here it was dressed up with a slow burn romance and it hooked me. And also, once I got into it, it turned into a very fast read. It’s incredibly dark and at the same time romantic, wildly tense and dramatic, and the dynamic between the two leads can’t be described in any other way but *chef’s kiss*. I was fully invested in them from the moment they met. The tension and sparks came almost immediately and I was pulled into their dynamic.
Lastly: the cover art! I absolutely love it.

🔪 Dark Romcom
🍦 Both serial killers
(Who only kill serial killers)
🔪 Accidental cannib*lism
🍦 Gorey
🔪 Slow burn
🍦 One bed
🔪 Killing competition

This book was 0% what I expected
But I LOVED IT.
It was so fun and kept me intrigued the entire time.
I will never look at eyeballs or cookies and cream ice cream ever again.
I will say it had less spice than I expected.

Definitely pick this up for a Halloween spooky read 🍦🔪💕🍨👻

Y'all don't even understand how much I LOVED this book. It came to no surprise to me that I am absolutely obsessed with this book, it's Brynne's book so naturally of course I am. I was super pumped to get into this book because Brynne is the QUEEEN of giving us serial killers in romance, Rowan and Sloane included.

These two were funny, cute, their banter was freaking fantastic and as always the spice was top-tier. Rowan was absolutely obsessed with Sloane and I loved it so much. This was a great twist on a rom-com type story, with a dark but amazing twist. I couldn't put this book down, quite literally finishing it in one sitting.

One of my most anticipated books for the year, I fell head over heels for this book and I cannot wait to get more from the trilogy because if they're anything like book one, I just know I'm going to love them just as much. You're going to want to RUN to get a copy of this book, because it's so much fun and so good, that it's all I'm going to be talking about for the next few months. A perfect read going into spooky season!

Thank you Brynne & NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Y'all don't even understand how much I LOVED this book. It came to no surprise to me that I am absolutely obsessed with this book, it's Brynne's book so naturally of course I am. I was super pumped to get into this book because Brynne is the QUEEEN of giving us serial killers in romance, Rowan and Sloane included.

These two were funny, cute, their banter was freaking fantastic and as always the spice was top-tier. Rowan was absolutely obsessed with Sloane and I loved it so much. This was a great twist on a rom-com type story, with a dark but amazing twist. I couldn't put this book down, quite literally finishing it in one sitting.

One of my most anticipated books for the year, I fell head over heels for this book and I cannot wait to get more from the trilogy because if they're anything like book one, I just know I'm going to love them just as much. You're going to want to RUN to get a copy of this book, because it's so much fun and so good, that it's all I'm going to be talking about for the next few months. A perfect read going into spooky season!

Thank you Brynne & NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!