I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne WeaverNarrator: Joe Arden, Lucy Rivers
Series: The Ruinous Love Trilogy #1
Published by Blue Nose Publishing, Zando on December 12, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Romance / New Adult
Length: 8 hrs 43 mins
Pages: 368
Format: ARC, Audiobook
Source: Publisher, Purchased
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“I want to ruin her so that she’s mine, my beautiful disaster. My wild creature. My goddess of chaos.”
The viral TikTok friends-to-lovers dark romantic comedy full of murder, chaos, and sizzling chemistry—unlike anything you’ve read before—now available in all bookstores
When a chance encounter sparks an unlikely bond between rival murderers Sloane and Rowan, they find something elusive—the friendship of two like-minded, pitch-black souls who just happen to enjoy killing other serial killers.
From small-town West Virginia to upscale California, and 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.
But as their friendship develops into something more, the restless ghosts left in their wake are only a few steps behind, ready to claim more than just their newfound love.
Can Rowan and Sloane dig themselves out of a game of graves?
Or have they finally met their match?
This was so much fun! I am a reader who is always looking for something a little different that doesn’t fit nicely into a single genre. As soon as I heard that this was a serial killer rom-com, I knew that I needed to read it. It was gory, sexy, laugh-out-loud funny, and rather romantic. All the things that I love. Once I started reading this book, I couldn’t get it out of my head until I had reached the end.
I liked Sloane and Rowan and thought that they were perfect for each other. They were both killers and seemed to understand each other. Plus they were able to enjoy their hobby and even made it into a game that they play once a year. Some scenes are pretty intense so this may not be the right choice for every reader but I loved the way that the author was able to weave humor into the story along with the gory bits. The chemistry between the pair was incredibly well done and I wanted to see them work things out.
I listened to the audiobook and thought that Joe Arden and Lucy Rivers took the story to the next level. They were able to bring Sloane and Rowan to life through their narration. I loved the slight accent that Joe Arden used for Rowan’s character. I thought that the narrators’ voices complimented each other very nicely and I had no problem listening to this book for hours at a time. Their performances added a lot to my overall enjoyment of this story.
I would highly recommend this book to others. I found it to be a really well-done and rather unique story. I found myself rooting for this pair of killers and I loved that there were some pretty big surprises worked into the story. I can’t wait to get my hands on the second book in this trilogy!
I received a digital review copy of this book from Zando.
Wow a serial killer rom-com not that’s not a combo you hear often lol
Glad you liked it Carole, so was it Dexter-like?
I definitely have been seeing this one around and a bit curious about it. Looks like it was such a solid read for you there.
Lovely review!
Thanks for your fun review. This does sound a bit outside the norm and I always like that.
Yeah this definitely sounds different! So glad it was well done and lots of fun!