I just don't stop hearing about this book, and sometimes I feel like an over hyped book makes me nervous of a let down - but not this one at all. OMG it was everything and more... and I NEED MORE! I was left fully immersed and engaged and enthralled and obsessed with these characters, story, and book.

This book is not for those with weak stomachs, and that is clear on page one when our female main character, Sloane, compares maggots to marching Orzo pastas. But also on page one, I knew I was in for a hilarious read if I could get past that, less than appetizing, mental picture. The first half of the book takes place over 4 years, where Sloane and Rowan, our male main character, meet up to do their annual murder competition. This part of the book is fun. You learn who the characters are, what makes them tick, their relationships with other side characters, and about their feelings for each other (both convinced they are unreturned).

Then we hit that halfway mark and it is a RACE to the end of the book. The spice gets turned up to 100 and it is filthy raunch in almost every chapter until the end. Even I was clutching my pearls (in the best way) at some of the scenes I read. But those make the best books. It was so spicy and so good. SO good.

Following is part of the actual plot that does contain spoilers (I'm pretty sure none of us were surprised that a romance book eventually ends in spice so I'm not categorizing that as a spoiler. However, what follows will spoil the plot so stop reading now if if you don't want to be spoiled. I mean it). I was VERY surprised by the twist ending. If you've read any of my other reviews, by biggest pet peeve is the third act breakup over miscommunication, HATE it. So I was getting disappointed the longer I read and the closer I got to that third act breakup, because I really did not think that these characters would have that moment of misunderstanding. And I was right! Instead a serial killer threatens to kill Sloane if Rowan doesn't send her away!! So he makes up lies about how he feels about her to get her to go away!!! AHHHHH. That is like the best possible outcome for this third act breakup!!! And the fact that she gave it right back to him when she came to save him???? AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! So so good. I also knew that the South Bay Slasher would come back at some point when Sloane originally mentions him, but it was so brief that I actually forgot about it until it was brought up again and then it all clicked. But WOW. Yeah. Was really impressed by this read.

Also I don't think it's fair to put accidental cannibalism on the content warning when there is VERY intentional cannibalism on side characters part. I'm just saying haha.

Thank you netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

When a chance encounter sparks an unlikely bond between rival murderers Sloane and Rowan, the two find something elusive—the friendship of like-minded, pitch-black souls. From small town West Virginia to upscale California, from downtown Boston to rural Texas, the two hunters collide in an annual game of blood and suffering, one that pits them against the most dangerous monsters in the country.

I automatically am weary of tik tok reading trends, but I was pleasantly surprised by this. It takes place over the course of several years which I appreciate for the friends to lovers trope. The book alternates between Sloan and Rowan's POVs so you can see where both are coming from and there was a slight twist at the end which I enjoyed. Very spicy and a good segue to the follow up featuring a couple of side characters being the lead.

Overall this was just okay . I couldn’t really vibe with the characters and that made the story hard to get through. If you like dark romance and gore then this book is for you. It missed the mark for me though.

Where to begin... I am literally speechless after finishing this book. I have every single (positive) emotion.
If I had the time, I would have devoured this book in one sitting, it was addicting and exciting and oh-so-swoon-worthy. Real life me would NEVER be into this kind of behavior, but I truly loved reading about it.
Overall, I had the best time reading this and I cannot wait for the sequel.

Here are some of my detailed thoughts:
- Serial killer romance. I didn't know I needed it but now I need more.
- THE CONTENT WARNINGS! First of all, I am so glad this list was there because this book had a LOT of intense scenes/descriptions (which I loved). Second, the way some of the warnings were worded was hilarious and really set the tone for the book.
- I love that the first chapter really dives right into the action and sets up the relationship really fast.
- The scene with the corpse had me jaw-dropped, wide-eyed, and so invested. Like I loved it for its incredibly disturbing nature.
- The BANTER! Rowan and Sloane were iconic. Their banter is hard to beat, it was hilarious and clever and witty. They were at each other's throats but also knew boundaries pretty well.
- The side characters didn't feel super well developed, BUT knowing that the sequel was already planned out for the side characters made me feel a little better about this, and they didn't play a super crucial role that felt like I was missing anything from them.
- The smut here was some of the filthiest I've read- and it was somehow still freaking brilliant (like it was so incredibly fitting for the characters, and it was exactly as it had been advertised/content warned).
- I didn't love the way the timeline jumped from one meeting to the next. At first, it felt very disconnected because attraction was building but we weren't really seeing how or when because they barely ever saw each other. But over time, I got used to it and didn't mind it as much.
---- The timeline jumping also helped soften the blow for the last chapter and epilogue. I don't usually like romance epilogues, but this one was great because it fit the time jumping already established. Also because it was super cute.
- I also read the bonus chapter which was ADORABLE!

I did not love this book.

I want to be clear that this has received a lot of positive feedback, so the issue is likely with me and not necessarily the book. While I do enjoy romance books, I felt this one became cheesy quite often. In just the first handful of chapters, I had already lost count of how many times both Rowan and Sloane referred to Rowan as "pretty boy." It just got old. I felt like the dialogue was too forced and too unrealistic.

Again, plenty of people enjoy this book, but this just wasn't for me.

This book was great! Banter-check, serial killers-check, romance-check. It had everything I love in a quick read and more. I’m so exited for the second book to come out! I am a huge lover of dark fantasy and found this to be pretty mild for the genre however I still couldn’t put it down!

I received this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so good!. I didn't know how much I would love this book when I started it. From the first chapter, I knew this would be one of my all-time favorite reads. While it has a dark them, it also feels like a Rom-Com. Rowan is absolutely amazing and is definitely one of my favorite love interests. I also loved having an FMC that I could relate to on a few things. I am a sucker for character growth, and this book definitely delivered, both the characters individually and as a team. I can't wait to read the next book!.

Dipping a toe back into the dark romance waters with my first dark romantic comedy, question mark? I found the quippy banter between our two serial killer main characters to be fun and a good way to develop their relationship. And for sure the sex scenes and murder scenes were graphic and intense I also found it a bit lacking. Maybe my true crime obsessed mind was looking for more details about the hunt for the other serial killers. And I also like there to be more balance and lead up to the will they or won't they moment. But overall very solid start to the series and was presented exactly as advertised. Looking forward to book 2.

Now THIS is what I would define as a 'dark' romance. It has the right amount of everything (also, I love the writing style!)
Rowan & Sloane, OH GOD 🤌 Can't wait to read Lachlan & Fionn's stories (also, the list of content/trigger warnings seem to get longer with each, and I'm here for it!)

Why was this book so absurdly delightful! It was incredibly hard to put down and I managed to read it all in one day. Loved all the gruesome references and the romantic tension between the main character's. I think my only complaint would be the massive sex scene dumps toward the end of the book. I would have liked them more spaced out. But chef kiss to the third act "breakup", best one I've read in a while.

What a great combo of a romance book tied together with a thriller. I read this in a couple of sittings and could not put it down. I loved the relationship between the two main characters.

Butcher & Blackbird is an AMAZING start to this planned trilogy. Trigger warnings abound in this serial killer romance with absolutely fantastic banter.

Must read for dark romance readers, but also for anyone with a pulse.

When going into this trilogy I was a bit nervous not going to lie. The trigger warnings, which if you haven't looked at please take a look at. This is a dark series with a ton of trigger warnings. Anyways, I was quite nervous but this book was absolutely amazing. It was so funny at times. I felt myself laughing, crying and thoroughly enjoying the book. It's definitely a fast paced read that is so so good. I can't wait for the others in the trilogy to be released!

"Because I bet I know the darkest parts of you better than anyone. Just like you know the darkest parts of me."

I absolutely loved this book! I’ve never read a serial killer romance before and I am so glad I did because this was amazing! I cannot wait till the next book. This book was so unique, funny, dark, sweet, and page turning. I could not get enough of Sloane and Rowan! Sloane and Rowan had a very unique meet cute that had me giggling. They had amazing banter and chemistry right off the bat, they really sucked me into the story. I could not get enough of Sloane and Rowan, it was a slow burn but was totally worth it because it became hot hot hot! I read this book then re-read it by listening to the audiobook, 100% recommend reading or listening to it! The audiobook made me love it even more.

This book includes:
Dark Romcom
Friends to Lovers
Slow Burn
Forced Proximity
One Bed
Grumpy x Sunshine
He falls first (and hard!!)
Touch either one of them and die
Annual Competition/Rivalry
5/5 stars
2.5/5 spice

Thank you Brynne Weaver, Zando, and NetGalley for providing an arc for
an honest review.

I really enjoyed Butcher & Blackbird! Serial killers who kill other serial killers?! Sign me up! The premise was great, and it was a wild ride to read. I liked how the plot was fast paced, so nothing really dragged. I did see the twist at the end coming, but it was still well done. Sloane and Rowan were great characters, I loved them both! They had great chemistry and character growth throughout the story. I also enjoyed the side characters, especially Lark and Lachlan. The next installment is about them, so I will look forward to reading the next book. Hopefully Sloane and Rowan make an appearance because I can't get enough of them! Overall a solid 4 star book, that was fast paced and entertaining to read.

Thank you NetGalley and Zando for the ARC!

Well written and good story arc. But for me a little bit to bloddy. But a really good book for thriller/spice fans.

Where to begin... I am literally speechless after finishing this book. I have every single (positive) emotion.
If I had the time, I would have devoured this book in one sitting, it was addicting and exciting and oh-so-swoon-worthy. Real life me would NEVER be into this kind of behavior, but I truly loved reading about it.
Overall, I had the best time reading this and I cannot wait for the sequel.

Here are some of my detailed thoughts:
- Serial killer romance. I didn't know I needed it but now I need more.
- THE CONTENT WARNINGS! First of all, I am so glad this list was there because this book had a LOT of intense scenes/descriptions (which I loved). Second, the way some of the warnings were worded was hilarious and really set the tone for the book.
- I love that the first chapter really dives right into the action and sets up the relationship really fast.
- The scene with the corpse had me jaw-dropped, wide-eyed, and so invested. Like I loved it for its incredibly disturbing nature.
- The BANTER! Rowan and Sloane were iconic. Their banter is hard to beat, it was hilarious and clever and witty. They were at each other's throats but also knew boundaries pretty well.
- The side characters didn't feel super well developed, BUT knowing that the sequel was already planned out for the side characters made me feel a little better about this, and they didn't play a super crucial role that felt like I was missing anything from them.
- The smut here was some of the filthiest I've read- and it was somehow still freaking brilliant (like it was so incredibly fitting for the characters, and it was exactly as it had been advertised/content warned).
- I didn't love the way the timeline jumped from one meeting to the next. At first, it felt very disconnected because attraction was building but we weren't really seeing how or when because they barely ever saw each other. But over time, I got used to it and didn't mind it as much.
---- The timeline jumping also helped soften the blow for the last chapter and epilogue. I don't usually like romance epilogues, but this one was great because it fit the time jumping already established. Also because it was super cute.
- I also read the bonus chapter which was ADORABLE!

I wasn't expecting much going into this but I loved it to bits. It was just a tonne of fun if you think serial killer romances can't be light hearted then think again.

5 stars

This book is completely wild! It is a dark romance and I do mean dark, following the perspectives of two different serial killers. This book had everything in it. The romance has the buildup, tension, and the characters getting to know each other as we get to know them. It's also very hot between them because of the chemistry, and the unique intimacy between them because of their common interest. It also has these shocking factors and events that happen, paired up with some gruesome details and in-depth descriptions of things. This book has a very captivating and one of a kind feel to it. Rowen and Sloane are very captivating characters, their personalities and history, I just ate up and I love how smitten Rowen was. This is a slow build romance, but the plot was so great, keeping you engaged and at the edge of your seat. There was nothing dull about this book. Like I said it is a dark romance so please check trigger warnings, but I loved this book, highly recommend. I cannot wait to continue this series.
I received an ebook, via Netgalley. This review is my own honest opinion.