I was teetering between a 3 and a 4 but that epilogue chapter definitely made an impression. Delightful. I didn't enjoy the main relationship as much as the couple in the first book, but I didn't dislike them, either. It was still funny sometimes, sad others, and steamy towards the end. Again, not quite to the same level as the first book, but not bad, either.

Honestly my biggest gripe is the constant pop culture references. If I hear Constantine, Keanu, or Batman ONE MORE TIME—

Another great book in Brynne Weaver’s Ruinous Love series. Hilarious with some suspense added in, this was a fun adventure. The romance was good and the characters had me laughing aloud a couple of times. 5 stars, I can’t wait for the next one.

THIS BOOK HAD ME HOOKED FROM THE START. Lark and Lachlan are two of my favorite characters of all time. Every time Lachlan said “my wife”, I was deceased. I wish I could read this again for the first time.

Feckin' hell, I think I love this better than Butcher and Blackbird! I tagged teamed reading this with both the ebook and audio; and as a 'not a big fan of audio due to personal inability to get my brain to focus on them' I absolutely ADORED the dual narration and had little issue getting my brain to settle down enough to listen.

Brynne did not disappoint with the spice, the trigger warnings, or the plot in her trilogy's middle child. I do have to say though, I am much less squicked by the pizza than I was the ice cream. IYKYK.

Thank you to NetGalley and Zando for the ARC!

continued great book in the series. Love grumpy vs sunshine, even if her sunshine is only skin deep most days.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Leather and Lark by Brynne Weaver!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I think there's crack in these books. I'm obsessed with them. They are some of the best dark romances I have read, I cannot wait for book 3!

“You fucking destroyed me. And now I can’t imagine being anything but the man that I am with you.”
Leather & Lark is completely unhinged in the best possible way, and I was all in! I was thrilled to get my hands on this ARC because I adored Butcher & Blackbird, and while I really enjoyed this one, I have to say I still loved the first book just a tiny bit more.
Now, Lachlan Kane... oh my god, where do I even begin? Lachlan is a contract killer, a grumpy Irishman, and a tortured teddy bear all wrapped up in one complex package. Then there's Lark, a fiery little miss with a secret "multiple deleter" side (yes, you read that right). Together? Chefs kiss. Their banter, chemistry, and spice were absolutely on fire.
The dynamic between them starts off with pure hate, then transitions into a marriage of convenience. And let me tell you, the slow-burn tension between them had me craving it more. It’s definitely slow, but oh so satisfying when things finally heat up. When they finally get together, the spice is filthy—in the absolute best way.
While it took a while for their romance to truly unfold, the payoff was so worth it. The tension, the banter, the slow build—it all came together for a completely addictive ride. Overall, I absolutely enjoyed this book and am beyond excited for the third book in the series!
If you can, I highly recommend listening to Leather & Lark—the audiobook just takes it to the next level and makes everything even better.

Tropes:
Hate-to-love
marriage of convenience
grumpy/sunshine
He falls first
Touch her/him and unalive
Slow burn

4.2/5 stars
3/5 spice
Thank you Brynne Weaver and NetGalley for providing an arc for
an honest review.

Brynne Weaver makes me question things about myself. I really liked this one (and tbh, more than the first which had some big icks for me) and I am absolutely in to finish this insane trilogy.

Marriage of convenience between enemies-Yes, please and thank you. This steamy slow burn has contract killer Lachlan Kane meeting his match in Lark Montague.
If you thought Brynne Weaver was gonna hit a second book lull after the phenomenal Butcher & Blackbird, you thought wrong.
As always, Brynne comes out swinging and gives us everything our little deprived hearts could possibly desire and a few things they didn't even know they wanted. She also ruins some more foods but ya know, she's almost perfect.
Okay, so Brynne can write a hot swoon worthy dude, no problem. And not brushing that off by any means but her female characters :: nsert BISEXUAL PANIC::.
Seriously, how is Lark this cute and psycho? Harley Quinn, move over. I want craft time with Lark. I fall so hard for all of her FMC it is ridiculous. I refuse to choose a favorite (it will probably always be Lu) but I can dream up my own harem of Brynne's ladies, right?!
Now, the chemistry between Lachlan and Lark felt more apparent and delicious in the first portion of the book, before the marriage, and felt a little muted for the middle portion. I tried not to compare it to Sloane and Rowan from Butcher & Blackbird but there was a high bar set there and this one didn't quite vault over it for me as much. I appreciate them as a couple but they are not gonna take the gold from Sloane and Rowan... Fionn and Rose are gonna have to work extra hard in book three.

Love it and I went out to buy the copy. I can not wait to see the next installment.
I had a joy reading it. Hate and love romance and fun to read. A real page turner.

I loved book one but in book 2 Lark really brings the "cute but psycho" personality that I love seeing in my heroines ten fold! She was the perfect opposite for Lachlan! Ten out of ten recommend.

Ahhh! Lark and Lachlan! I loved Lark and Sloane’s friendship and was super interested in the little pieces of the past we got of Lark’s history in B&B. Same for the little snips of Lachlan. The banter between them was great and I loved how Lark’s character had a bit of an “underestimated” vibe. Brynne will give you everything you expect in the book… then throw on some glitter and gold star stickers … a few questionable food choices and you love this one as much as B&B. Now I can’t wait for S&S!! 🖤

Brynne Weaver has quickly become a favorite author of mine! I never heard of dark rom-com before, but it turns out I’m a fan! Butcher & Blackbird is still my favorite, hands down…nobody holds a candle to Rowan and Sloane! But this is a close second!
Lark is just adorable…almost like a Harley Quinn character, she’s bubbly and girly, loves glitter, and is a totally messed up dark vigilante! And Lachlan has that broody, dark sex appeal going for him with an Irish accent as a cherry on the sundae! LOL

One of my favorite quotes in the book was this one! “Are you a serial killer?” “No.” She scoffs. It’s entirely forced. “Of course not. No. I’m more like a . . .” She drifts off into thought as she seems to weigh several possible responses. Dread sinks into my guts as her brow furrows and then smooths. A heartbeat later, a vibrant smile erupts on her face. “I’m more like a multiple deleter.” That will be my new term from here on out…multiple deleter! 😂

If you like dark romance or dark rom-com, this is definitely a must read!

Sadly, I didn´t enjoy this one as much as the first in the series.
I loved the beginning, the meet cute (even though his humpf-ing and growling was a bit much - USE YOUR WORDS, MISTER).
All in all I didn´t have a problem with the progression of their relationship. Where I DID take issue were the spicy scenes.
(Some spoilers from here on.)
I think it´s fine to have a bit of kink in romance novels, espescially if you put thriller and romance together.
But time and place.
DON`T put S&M in a romance where the FMC was traumatized and abused in her childhood. Having the MMC basically thinking about degrading her and making her submit to whatever he wishes when she had no control over her body in her early life IS NOT OKAY.
That whole scene actually made me sick.

I also wasn´t the biggest fan of the thriller aspect in this. As a reader, knowing really quickly who the big baddy is and having him "stalk" the MCs was kind of boring and I couldn´t take the thread serious. I feel like the whole seriel killers falling in love idea was done amazingly in book 1 and that´s where it should have ended.

All in all, kind of disappointed and not sure if I want to continue with the series.

I love Lachlan and Lark. It’s such a wonderful marriage of convenience love story! I loved her aunt Ethel as well! Such great side characters. I ate this up! So many great things in this book! I love the “meet cute”! The pet names?! -so great! I also thought it was the perfect grumpyxsunshine! So many amazing aspect of this story! Now desperately waiting for the next brothers story!

Dark romance, or anything stronger than a nice moral grey, is not my forte. I was intrigued by the series, and I connected more with this one than with Butcher and Blackbird. I didn't love it, but I didn't dislike it, and I'm glad that I can give personal feedback when folks ask about it!

To think I was lucky enough to get an arc from Brynne Weaver herself. I pinched my whole fucking face when I got the NetGalley email. Before I continue with this review, Brynne, if you ever see this, you're making life a tad bit bearable with your books and days end better after finishing one of your books. WE ARE LUCKY TO HAVE AN AUTHOR LIKE YOU IN TODAY'S DAY AND AGE.

Moving on.

FUCK ME SIDEWAYS, this book has left me in a state of bookish bereavement (I don't use that word but it's Brynne's book so move on). How the hell am I supposed to go on knowing I've closed the chapter on Lachlan and Lark's heart-wrenching saga? HOW do I move on with life after this one? This shit isn't just a story; it's a goddamn masterpiece that's carved its name into my soul.

Lachlan Kane, with his broody ass, and his leather-working hands and assassin precision, is the brooding force of nature we all secretly (or not so secretly) NEED IN OUR LIVES. And Lark's a fucking ray of sunshine with a backbone of steel, hiding her own darkness behind a dazzling smile. Their hate-to-love, fake marriage was absolute dynamite. The chemistry between them is so charged, I swear I got static shocks flipping the pages.

Brynne Weaver literally reached into my chest, gave my heart a tight queeze, and said, "You thought the first book was good? Hold my beer." And she wasn't lying—the balance of dark themes with just the right amount of light. ABSOLUTE FUCKING PERFECTION. It's not as graphic as "Butcher and Blackbird," but it doesn't need to be. The thrill, the suspense, the emotional rollercoaster—it's all there, making you crave more with every word.

And now it's over. I'm sitting here, a goddamn mess, yearning for book three like Lachlan yearns for a life beyond the shadows. I know for a fact Fionn and Rose's book will leave me in shambles and so the minute I find out the release date I will request for 2 days off to recover after the read.

It was okay. I'm giving it 3 stars. I wish it followed the same characters from the first book because I really liked them and that's what I was expecting this book to do (I didn't read the synopsis). I was bored for a lot of the book, but the ending was pretty good. I wish there was more violence and less build up, but that's just my personal opinion and I get bored with books that don't have a lot going on. I also struggled with the characters as they all felt like the same person to me and I had to keep flipping to the start of the chapter to see who was actually speaking (they also seemed too similar to the characters in the first book, I needed more distinction between everyone)