Introduction
Published in December 2023 by Brynne Weaver, this dark romance follows a unique mix of comedy and spice that made readers fall in love with her writing. Butcher and Blackbird is the first book in the Ruinous Love Trilogy.
A Summary
Rowan knows he likes Sloane when he finds her in a cage… Next to a dead body… And tons of maggots. He invites her to join him in a yearly game stalking monsters across the country, and this leads to a mutual friendship between two messed-up people trying to make the world better. As the years go on, the friendship develops into something more, they have to reckon with their past in order to move forward.
Writing Style
The writing style is heavily focused on comedic value mixed with horny themes, which works better than you can imagine. The book has two POVs - Sloane and Rowan - but all POVs are in first person, so there are a lot of internal monologues (especially because of Sloane’s anxiety). The chapter lengths vary massively, but it is such a fast read overall.
My Thoughts
Butcher and Blackbird is a book I knew I would like if it was done correctly, and truly it was. I read this book as an immersive read (I listened to it and read it at the same time) and that just made the comedy hit much harder. I had a smile on my face the entire time… well maybe apart from the cookie dough ice cream scene. I also loved the fact that they were more of a vigilante type serial killer, because I was very concerned that it would be idolizing the murders of innocent people. Luckily, every person murdered in the novel was a stupid, disgusting person.
Sloane and Rowan were both amazing characters and I loved the ‘he fell first’ trope for this story. It felt fresh and matched with his personality. The way he created a game in order to keep her around, the way he sent food to her house to teach her to cook and the way he integrated her into his life as a whole was the highlight of the book. I love a man who loves his girlie and is not afraid to show it.
I also really loved the plot twist, despite the fact I did see it coming. I think it worked and was what the last part of the novel needed to keep some momentum before the full resolution.
I also loved the side characters - each had so much personality and their own lives that intermingle with one another perfectly. I cannot wait to read the next book from Lark’s perspective.
Trigger Warnings
Please note this is a non-comprehensive list and there may be triggers in this book not explicitly stated here.
-
- Eyeballs and eye sockets
-
- Amateur surgery
-
- Skin ornaments
-
- Chainsaws, axes, knives, scalpels
-
- a lot of sharp objects
-
- Accidental cannibalism
-
- Not-so-accidental cannibalism
- Questionable use of a mummified corpse
- Lobotomized man servant
- Ill-advised use of kitchen implements
- Kinky sex
- Murder (obviously)
- References to parental loss
- References to child sexual assault
- References to child abuse
Recommendation
I absolutely recommend this. It’s unique, fun and incredibly cute. I already miss these characters and I only finished the book yesterday.
