Thank you Netgalley and Zando, for this gifted e-read, in exchange for an honest review!

Serial Killers who fall in love??? I am not much for romance, but if I ever were to be, it would involve serial killers. Butcher and Blackbird was a 5/5 stars for me! So far, this one is my favorite book of 2024. It was incredible!! It had everything; very steamy romance, serial killers, gore, and lots twists and turns. I can't wait to read anything that Weaver writes!

Brynne Weaver wrote the dark romance/comedy we needed. Hot, hilarious, and perfection! I’m counting down for book two.

Diving into "Butcher & Blackbird" by Brynne Weaver, I was immediately ensnared by its unique blend of dark themes and biting humor—a rare combination. At the heart of this novel are Sloane and Rowan, two serial killers with an unconventional yet deeply compelling bond. Their annual competition to hunt down other killers introduces an electrifying dynamic, setting a backdrop for a story that is as much about their evolving relationship as it is about their dark deeds.

What captivated me the most was the depth and complexity of both characters. Sloane, with her tough exterior masking a tumultuous inner battle, and Rowan, whose affection for Sloane reveals a tenderness unexpected in a man of his...profession. Their interactions, filled with both tension and tenderness, paint a vivid picture of two individuals finding solace and understanding in the most unlikely partner.

The narrative's pacing is masterful, skillfully balancing the thrill of the hunt with the slow burn of their relationship. The dark comedy woven throughout offers a counterpoint to the story's more gruesome aspects, showcasing Weaver's ability to navigate a tightrope between horror and humor without diminishing the impact of either.

Supporting characters add richness to the story, though I found myself yearning for deeper dives into their backgrounds and motivations. However, the primary focus remains on Sloane and Rowan, whose chemistry is undeniable. Their romance, while emerging from a dark premise, is surprisingly heartfelt and genuine, challenging conventional perceptions of love and partnership.

As the plot twists towards its climax, the suspense and stakes escalate, drawing me in further. The blending of genres here is seamless, offering a fresh take on romantic suspense that defies easy categorization. It's a bold narrative choice that pays off, delivering a story that's as unpredictable as it is satisfying.

"Butcher & Blackbird" is a standout novel that pushes boundaries and challenges expectations. It's a testament to the idea that love can indeed flourish in the darkest of places. Weaver's storytelling is a thrilling ride, punctuated by moments of unexpected vulnerability, making for a reading experience that's as thought-provoking as it is entertaining. I eagerly anticipate the next chapter in this daring and darkly romantic saga.

what did miss brynne weaver put in this book because i’m absolutely obsessed!! my first 5 star read of the year. i read this book with the duet narration and it was incredible and so entertaining! the comedic timing of the narrators were unmatched and they delivered the story with every ounce of the emotions so well. highly recommend reading with the audiobook!

sloane and rowan are both serial killers who met by fate when sloane was in a bit of a hiccup during her escapade and rowan came to the rescue. not wanting to bid farewell so soon after their brief encounter, they decide to have an annual competition of being the first to hunt down other serial killers. what started as a friendly competition begins to develop into something more.

i loveeee rowan!! he fell first and fell so hard for sloane. that man was obsessed with her and was pining after her for four whole years. every time he said “you’ll love me someday”, it had me giggling and kicking my feet. he is such a romantic and so swoony. nothing makes a man more attractive than being really good at something, and rowan is an amazing (& hot) chef. the scenes where he taught sloane how to cook over the phone and also the table that he has reserved for her at his restaurant had me melting <3

sloane was such a badass throughout the book. she has this tough exterior but she’s also battling her own demons. i saw bits of myself in her whenever her anxiety took over and seeing rowan calm her anxious thoughts and embrace that part of her is so endearing.

i’d never thought i’d fall in love with fictional serial killer, but here i am. i love these two crazies! they were destined to be together and to have someone who sees and accepts them for exactly who they are. i cannot wait for what’s to come in leather & lark!

A perfect book for fluffy romance readers who want to dip their toes into something a little darker and more horror based. A blend of genres that I haven’t personally read before but can not wait to read more of! So excited for Leather and Lark!

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.