"Not everyone is strong enough or lives long enough to fight back.”

I never had any doubt that I was going to love Rose and Fionn, even though I wasn't sure what to expect. These two are not experienced killers nor are they immune to feeling grossed out by it. That was an approach I wasn't expecting in this series and I found it really delightful to see them have to find their footing with it.

Rose is definitely the one more intent on learning though - as she travels with the circus she works for, she encounters many women in abusive relationships. Previously she was inspired by Giulia Tofana's "Aqua Tofana" (a historical figure that is worth looking up) to give them the means to get rid of their abusers once and for all. But after seeing many women who can't take that step, she decides to take matters into her own hands sometimes.

Since she's new, she gets hurt and it's Fionn who finds her and helps her recover. He is not so inclined towards being murder-y, focused on living up to the expectations he thinks his brothers have for him - but he gladly helps Rose and when it comes to protecting her, all bets are off 🤭

Rose needles Fionn endlessly with her bawdy humor and extroverted cheerfulness while he remains reserved and broody (though being in a crochet club softens him quite a bit). They complement each other perfectly, and getting to see the other characters again was extremely gratifying (I adore the relationship between the brothers they're so precious 😭).

This book was an excellent end to a fabulous series and I can't wait to see what Brynne writes next!

Read If You Like:
- Dark romantic comedies with a twist
- Friends-with-benefits evolving into deeper connections
- Small-town settings juxtaposed with unconventional characters
- Stories featuring circus performers and medical professionals
- Novels blending romance with elements of suspense and humor

In the final installment of the Ruinous Love Trilogy, Brynne Weaver delivers a darkly comedic romance that intertwines murder, mayhem, and unexpected passion.

Dr. Fionn Kane, seeking solace from a shattered heart and a derailed surgical career, retreats to a quiet life in small-town Nebraska, determined to avoid romantic entanglements. His plans are upended when Rose Evans, a motorcycle performer with the Silveria Circus and a penchant for vigilante justice, lands on his doorstep with a broken leg after a botched kill.

As Rose recuperates under Fionn's care, their forced proximity ignites a complex relationship that challenges their personal demons and past traumas. Weaver masterfully balances dark humor with heartfelt emotion, crafting a narrative that explores the healing power of love amidst chaos.

This novel is a must-read for those who enjoy romances that defy conventions and delve into the complexities of human connection.

5⭐️S

Thank you so much slowburn for giving me an ARC of this book!

I was screaming crying throwing this was the a perfect book to end an amazing trilogy! What a journey!

Fionn and Rose were everything i wanted. I love love their characters so much and how chaotic they both were (plus barbara).

This trilogy will forever have a place in my heart. There might be a few food ruined for me but oh well (i still havent touched cookies and cream ice cream to this day) i have no regrets!

I love the characters so much and reading this last book got me in so much feels. The epilogues got me and i lowkey teared up. I miss them sm already.

⁝⁝ ARC BOOK REVIEW ⁝⁝

❝Because in killing, there can be living. There can be rebirth.❞

❝It’s okay to love your darkness and still love yourself. It doesn’t make you a bad person. It makes you a whole one.❞

❝ I love you. I’m not letting you go. I never will.❞

✦ MY THOUGHTS

⚜ Type of book: Series / Trilogy / Third installment in the Ruinous Love Series.

I put off this book for as long as I could, afraid I wouldn’t be in the right mood to read it—just like what happened with the previous book. But luckily, I ended up loving it so much. After B&B, this is my favorite book in the series. And, honestly, it was the perfect ending!

As you might’ve guessed, I love Fionn so, so much. And Rose? Absolutely adorable. They were both so relatable and human, and watching them slowly peel away their layers of trauma and hurt to let the other in was deeply moving. This is, at its core, a story of healing—just as Brynne described—and it truly shows. You can feel how much love and care she poured into these characters, allowing them to take their own journey at their own pace.

On another note, I seriously didn't expect Fionn to be sexy, scary, and also the most romantic of them all. But those letters? They made me MELT. And Rose—she made me want to wrap her in a hug and never let go. She’s such a fun character to follow, so full of life, with a sweetness and vulnerability that made me want to protect her at all costs.

Sidenote here: I have to point out—Adam had me cracking up. That’s all I’m gonna say.

I truly enjoyed this conclusion, though I can’t help but crave more. I want to know more about Oleander, what the Kane boys and the girls are up to next, and all those little details that left the door open for future installments.

All in all, I highly recommend this fun, romantic, and utterly insane book. You won’t regret picking it up!

✦ DETAILS

🔞 18+ read due to explicit content. Trigger warnings can be found at the beginning of the book.

Dark Romance Comedy / Dark RomCom
◈ Friends with Benefits
◈ Slow Burn-ish
◈ Small Town Romance
◈ Forced Proximity
◈ Morally Grey MCs
◈ Broody, Protective, Handsome MMC
◈ Fun-Loving FMC
◈ Grumpy / Sunshine
◈ Fish Out Of Water
◈ Touch Her & Die
◈ One Bed
◈ Hurt/Care
◈ Who Did This To You?
◈ Primal Play
◈ Anâl Sêx
◈ Dual POV
◈ Mild Praise Kïnk
◈ “Good Girl”
◈ “I’m Not Done With You Yet”
◈ “Eyes On Me”
◈ Love Letters

✦ SCORES

Plot development: 4/5
Characters development: 4.5/5
Pacing: 4.25/5
Spicy content: 3/5
Spicy quality: 5/5
Overall Score: 4.5/5

Thank you to the author, Zando and Netgalley for the ARC.

I loved this series so much and Scythe and Sparrow did not disappoint. I was dying to know more about Rose and Fionn and they did not disappoint. This book may have been my most favorite of the whole ruinous love trilogy.

Officially my favorite of the trilogy!!!!

Absolutely obsessed with Rose and Fionn and will love them most forever!! I think that’s because, although fictional, they were the most realistic of the three couples.

And I love that Fionn is a good boy gone bad. And Rose is just a natural badass. Spice for this was through the roof!! Probably at least a 4.5/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

The wrap-up (and potential opener for more) at the end was very satisfying. Can’t wait to see what comes next!!

(Thank you, Zando | Slowburn and NetGalley, for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.)

Five stars isn't enough! This entire series has me in chokehold. Fionn and Rose are perfect and I will take no feedback ;-)

Thank you for this early copy!

Y’ALL. This book. This SERIES. I am feral. Scythe and Sparrow was everything I wanted and more, and now I’m emotionally unwell knowing the Ruinous Love Trilogy is over.

First of all, Fionn and Rose?? Peak idiots in love energy. Fionn, our soft, morally-grey doctor, and Rose, the badass circus performer/vigilante, have a friendship-to-lovers arc that felt so organic and real. Their whole friends-with-benefits setup (complete with rules that obviously just made things messier) had me screaming because the tension? IMMACULATE. The yearning, the banter, the angst—literal chef’s kiss.

Also, I am personally obsessed with how unhinged the women are in this series. Like, morally grey doesn’t even begin to cover it, and I love that Rose is just as (if not more) chaotic than Fionn. There’s something so satisfying about seeing both leads be absolutely reckless and still ride-or-die for each other.

And let’s TALK about my fave micro-trope—guy gets a tattoo for girl. 🫠 The way I MELTED. It’s the little things that send me over the edge, and this?? Perfection.

Overall, Scythe and Sparrow was way more romantic than I was expecting, and I was LIVING for it. The ending had me gripping my Kindle, and now I need Brynne Weaver to write 14 more books exactly like this because I am not ready to say goodbye.

I remember audibly gasping when I received this notification in my inbox that I got this book. This ws honestly everything I hoped for in the wrap up for this series. Rose and Fionn were honestly just perfect. There connection seemed so pure and so hot that I was constantly just giddy kicking my feet. I especially loved the character growth between these twos. Starting out as friend turned lovers was truly done so well and it felt organic and not rushed. As per any Brynne Weaver book this was funny, sweet, and spicy all wrapped up in one little murderous bow. I loved every second of this and was so sad for it to be over!

Truly a love story to healing. I can't even begin to explain the depth of this story. Fionn and Rose are spectacular.
The suture sisters are spitfires. Barbara is everything.

Fionn and Rose have quite the story that's been unfolded here. Neither one can commit to fully opening up themselves to each other until it's too late. But let me just say those letters were the best! I loved every part of them. Especially when Rose decided to write her own and when they read them together 🥹

Again, this one didn't necessarily give off the same feel as B&B did, as it was more focused on their relationship rather than the dark and gory parts. Now there are a few sprinkled in, and I loved them, obviously lol.

I think that I loved the relationship that Sloan, Lark, and Rose built the best! These bad@$$ women all being as close as they are, what more could you ask for?

Ooooh and Barbara! Love you, girlfriend. Haha.

What an ending to the Ruinous Love Trilogy 🧡

Whilst this was not as dark or gruesome as the previous two books, it was as equally as depraved & fun! Rose is as endearing, as she is twisted & it was interesting to see Fionn accept parts of himself he kept hidden. Rose is such a refreshingly fun & sassy character & I love how Fionn complements that.

I loved how the stories crossed over with one another & we got cameos from the other two couples.

I do not say this lightly when I say check your TWs! BUT if you like a book with a shopping list of TWs then this is for you! 💀

Ah! The more I think about this book, the more I love it! And after that epilogue, I CANNOT wait to see what Brynne brings us next! 🖤

I've been so excited for this book and wanted to savor it and simultaneously gobble it up as quick as possible! fionn and rose were the perfect pair to wrap up the trilogy. they were such a slow burn and so heart wrenching at times, but we still got a lot of those hilarious moments we've come to expect from brynne. I loooooved that their story also overlapped the other two books, and we got to see glimpses of all our other favorites and more details of scenes we've already seen! if you haven't gotten on the hype train for these yet, nows the perfect time! I can't recommend this whole series enough!!

SO GOOD!!!

I went into this book not really remembering anything tangible about Fionn & Rose so I was a little worried. The timeline for their story goes back farther than I expected so it was cool to see their POV of events that took place during B&B and L&L.

Rapid fire thoughts:
1. Rose girly you’re insane!!! (Affectionate)
2. The boxing match scene will be imprinted on my mind forever.
3. I would’ve been putty in Fionn’s hands.

Love this series SO much. Thank you so much to the publisher for giving me a chance to read this book ahead of release day <3

Oh how sad I am to see this series end! While I didn’t quite feel the same magic with Rose and Fionn as I did with the others, I still enjoyed the ride! Brynne’s strange humor is so magical to me and it once again shines in this book (especially in Aunt Barbara). The push and pull between the characters is delicious as always until they find their HEA, with plenty of excitement along the way. I am so obsessed with Brynne’s writing style and I can’t wait to see what craziness she has in store for us in the future!

🌟 4.75/5

🛑 Look at the author's trigger warning!!!

‼️ While this book could be read as a standalone, this is book 3 of the Ruinous Love series.

ℙ𝕆𝕍: first person, dual perspectives

𝕄𝕪 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤:
When I first ARC read the indie version of B&B, I knew in my heart that this book and series would take off. Never did I imagine that Brynne would get the beautiful opportunity to share with an even larger crowd. I received the S&S ARC months ago, and let me just tell y'all, Fionn and Rose left me in such a rut. I had a hard time even writing this review because I knew I couldn't even begin to accurately rave about how wonderful this book is!

For those who've read this series, we've all met Fionn and Rose. Their story has been at the front of my brain since the very beginning, and I loved finally watching it play out! Fionn is our trusty doctor who is practicing in Nebraska, and Rose is a part of a traveling circus. Crazy circumstances cause the two to meet, and I guess you could say that rest is history.

Brynne has a way of infusing her books with laughs for days. Her books are the 1st I've really read of comedic dark romance, and they're definitely one of a kind. S&S was no different. To the trigger warnings, to the crocheting, and even our dear ole Barbara, I laughed hysterically! Rose kept our Fionn on his toes!🤣

Bravo, Brynne! I'm so incredibly proud of you. This series was a life changer for me, and I know for plenty of others as well! I hope this release exceeds everything you can imagine because you DESERVE IT!❤️

First and foremost, Fionn is by far my favorite brother. He is a but awkward and has a dark side that he tries hard to fight against, even I begged him to let go. He and Rose are absolutely perfect for each other and she makes him realize that even his darkness can be loved by the right person, if he will just learn to love and accept it himself. Their connection is so powerful from the very beginning of their meeting and the slow burn absolutely frustrated me, but when it hit, wow! Loved getting to see the other characters, like Lark and Lachlan, Rowan and Slone. The friendship between the three girls made my heart happy. I cried so hard in the last couple of chapters. The love story was amazingly written. I am sad to see this series end, but that ending has me excited for what is coming next.

5⭐️ 3.5🌶️
- MF
- Forced Proximity
- Friends with Benefits
- Primal
- Creative Use of Cotton Candy
- Rules Were Meant to be Broken
- Dark Romcom

Brynne does it again! The Ruinous Love Trilogy is officially one of my top series ever. It was everything I have come to love and expect from Brynne. Scythe and Sparrow was absolutely bonkers and had me laughing out loud so many times.

I’m used to some pretty unhinged FMCs from Brynne but Rose was a whole new level of chaos. I think it is because she was more of a fly by the seat of her pants kinda gal. She knew what she wanted to do and just hoped it all worked out. Sometimes it did but more often than not poor Fionn was chasing behind her cleaning up her mess. But she always has the best of intentions and was such a fierce protector of vulnerable women and I loved that so much.

I loved Fionn so much. He thought all he wanted was some peace and quiet and to be a respectable member of society. *insert snorting laugh here* Because while he might be the most chill Kane brother. He is still a Kane and after growing up with Rowan I think he has had plenty of practice dealing with the aftermath of chaos.

I loved Rose and Fionn together. She kept him on his toes. He never knew what to expect from her which is probably how he ended up with a raccoon to the face. He was so broken and closed off and continuing that way just wasn’t an option with Rose in his life. She quickly broke down his walls and encouraged him to have more fun than just a weekly crochet circle. I loved the growth the two of them experienced and the comfort they found in each other.

While I’m devastated that this series is over I think Brynne did an amazing job wrapping it up. Those epilogues made my heart so happy. I already can’t wait to reread this series. I said it before but I truly mean it, this is one of my favorite series of all time. I can’t wait to see what comes next from Brynne.

TW - clowns, medical trauma incl serious injury, ambulances, open fractures, puncture wounds, blood loss, hospitals, surgical recovery, impaling and needles, domestic physical abuse (scs on page and MC past, mentioned / recounted), psychological / emotional abuse (scs), sexual harassment, threats and intimidation, misogyny, injured dog, parental neglect, child physical abuse (mentioned), numerous weapons, knife violence, gun violence, blood, graphic violence, blasphemy, serial killer, drug addicted racoons, vomit, aggravated assault (sc, mentioned), alcohol consumption, murder (patricide, past and others on page), revenge porn (scs, implied), drinking while driving (sc), tobacco use (sc), drug addicted parent (past, mentioned), alcoholism (parent, past, mentioned), underground fighting, death of grandparent (mentioned), drug dealing (scs), imprisonment (parent, past, mentioned), cannibalism (sc, implied), death of a parent (child birth, implied)

CW - toys, public play

Tropes - touch her and die, circus performer x doctor, serial killer, friends with benefits, small town, he tends to her wounds

Hm

I'll start by saying I really loved and enjoyed Butcher & Blackbird and I'm glad I continued reading the series to see the conclusion to the Kane brothers. I've rounded this rating to 3⭐️ as I feel like it's closer to that than 2⭐️.

This book felt... unremarkable to me and frankly, boring at times. My initial opinion on Rose (FMC) was that I was extremely unimpressed. I felt like the very beginning and obviously the introduction of her first target sets the scene for her to be a badass FMC in the same vein as Sloane and the show down was… embarrassing, lol. I did not have high hopes for her for the rest of the book and that remained until the final page.

Rose and Fionn's (MMC) relationship felt unconvincing to me, it didn't seem like they had much chemistry which I guess wasn't helped by the time jumps; I felt like we almost missed out on them actually developing feelings for each other over time.

Rose is some sort of vigilante killer and she is fucking terrible at it to the point that it’s SO embarrassing lmfao. Fionn is right to question why she’s doing this because she can’t stomach the gore and she’s only really getting away due to whatever luck she has on her side. My feelings about this were made even worse given how the infamous third act breakup unfolds and the reason why.

By the third act breakup, I felt absolutely no sympathy for the characters, Fionn calling the person he called was a very stupid move and, as a doctor, you'd think he'd be smarter than that.

Despite how negative that all sounds, the book was okay. Getting to see all the characters at the end was nice and some of the scenes were cute. It defo wasn't a complete write off and I didn't loathe the book 🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️

🔥 scythe & sparrow 🔥

Fionn and Rose story is FINALLY out to the world!!! I devoured it! I was privileged enough to receive an early copy back in October and I devoured it!! Like it took me only a few hours to finish it because ITS'S ADDICTIVE 😳.

It’s not a secret since Butcher & Blackbird I developed a HUGE crush on Rose. I adore her! She was more than I expected and I’m so happy she got her own romance. She’s sweet but also wild and so loyal. And freaking hilarious 🤣. I thankful she exists.

And sweet sweet Fionn 🤩. He didn’t see Rose coming 😂. He literally was living a peaceful life, different from his brother’s life’s but unfortunately he wasn’t happy. So imagine his surprise when Rose began to show him that it’s okay to be HIMSELF. And in return he showed her that’s okay to embrace our darkness.

Their romance was everything. The tension, the unknown, the uncertainty… I was stressing but in a cool way.

Btw, the side characters were GIVING THEIR BEST PERFORMANCE. Love the ladies crochet club so much 🫶🏽.

This book was brilliant and I’m so devastated that it’s over. I’m seriously missing the Kane brothers and the most beautiful wicked women.

Scythe & Sparrow is the perfect conclusion for The Ruinous Love Trilogy. I’m so excited for what’s coming next regarding Bry fabulous writing.

I’d like to thank Bry and Zando for the early copy.