Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Butcher & Blackbird — The Gold Standard of Dark Romance (5 ⭐)

Author: Brynne Weaver
Genre: Dark Romance / Romantic Suspense / Serial Killer Romance
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 out of 5

⚠️ Trigger Warnings

Child abuse • Child sexual abuse • Sexual violence • Torture • Murder • Cannibalism • Gore • Violence • Emotional abuse
(Yes, it’s dark. Yes, it’s still adorable somehow.)

😈 Initial Thoughts: I Had a Silly Grin the Entire Time

This. This right here. This is the dark romance.

I loved every single second of Butcher & Blackbird. It’s funny, it’s cute, it’s sweet, it’s romantic, and somehow — despite being about serial killers — it’s downright joyful. I genuinely kept catching myself with a stupid little grin on my face while reading. 😏🖤

Is it a little childish at times? Absolutely. Does that bother me? Not even a little. In fact, that playful tone is part of the charm. It knows exactly what kind of book it is and fully commits.

Yes, it’s predictable — but honestly? I would’ve been upset if it ended any other way.

📚 What This Book Is About (Premise)

Butcher & Blackbird follows Sloane Sutherland and Rowan Kane, two serial killers… who exclusively kill other serial killers. (Ethical? Debatable. Entertaining? Extremely.)

They meet under unusual circumstances, spark instant chemistry, and begin an annual game: a cross-country competition where they race to take down the worst monsters they can find. What starts as flirtation and rivalry slowly turns into a slow-burn romance, forcing both of them to confront intimacy, vulnerability, and love — all while covered in blood. 💀💘

The book explores vigilante justice, identity, and love in morally dark places, without ever taking itself too seriously.

🚨 SPOILER WARNING 🚨

Full plot summary and ending below. Nothing is hidden.

🔪 Full Plot Summary: Murder, Romance, and Competitive Foreplay

🕷️ The Meet-Cute (In a Cage… With a Corpse)

Sloane Sutherland, known as the Orb Weaver, is trapped in a cage with the dead body of a serial killer she just murdered. Enter Rowan Kane, the infamous Boston Butcher, who was planning to kill the same man.

Instead of freaking out, Rowan frees her, takes her to lunch, and gives her the nickname “Blackbird.” Sparks fly immediately. Rowan proposes an annual competition: five targets, winner gets the honor of killing the elusive Forest Phantom.

🏨 Round One: Murder Inn Romance

A year later, their first official competition takes place in a tiny West Virginia town. They discover the killer is the innkeeper, Francis, who spies on guests through the walls.

Rowan kills him. Sloane cleans up. They flirt. Sloane adopts Francis’s cat, Winston. Perfection.

🍽️ Cannibal Dinner Party (California)

Next stop: California, where they target Thorsten Harris, a charming cannibal. Rowan is drugged, accidentally eats human flesh, and confesses his feelings for Sloane before passing out.

Sloane brutally kills Thorsten, revealing her own origin story: she began killing after an art teacher abused her best friend Lark. She no longer uses color in her art. Rowan nurses her. Feelings intensify.

(Also: they unknowingly bring Thorsten’s “lobotomized” servant David into their lives. Spoiler: he is very much not lobotomized.)

🩸 Texas Gone Wrong

In Texas, Sloane is injured and trapped in a cellar by Harvey Mead, a chainsaw killer. Rowan rescues her, kisses her, and they finally sleep together after Sloane is treated by Rowan’s doctor brother, Fionn.

Rowan tattoos Sloane’s raven drawing on his back. Love is officially happening.

🖤 Moving In & The Big Threat

Sloane moves to Boston. Rowan opens his new restaurant: Butcher & Blackbird. They say “I love you.” Life is good.

Then David resurfaces, threatening to kill them both unless Rowan leaves Sloane. Rowan pretends to break up with her to protect her. Sloane, being Sloane, figures it out and kills David, saving Rowan’s life.

💍 The Ending: Murder, Marriage, and Happily Ever After

Sloane covers Rowan’s scars with a colorful tattoo. They kill another target together. Rowan proposes.

After some wedding stress, Sloane and Rowan skip tradition entirely and get married at a beach resort, with Rowan’s brother Lachlan walking her down the aisle.

Dark. Romantic. Perfect.

🖤 Why This Works So Well

  • Golden retriever energy Rowan 🐕‍🦺

  • Unhinged, brilliant Sloane 🕷️

  • Humor that actually lands

  • Predictable in the best way

  • Romance that feels earned

  • A tone that somehow balances cute + horrifying flawlessly

⭐ Final Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This is my personal benchmark for dark romance done right. Funny, sweet, bloody, and completely irresistible.

📚 If You Loved This, Try These Next:

  • Leather & Lark by Brynne Weaver

  • Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton

  • The Mindf*ck Series by S.T. Abby

  • Her Soul to Take by Harley Laroux

  • Den of Vipers by K.A. Knight

🖤 Bottom Line:
If you like your romance dark, your leads unhinged but lovable, and your love stories sprinkled with murder and banter — Butcher & Blackbird is an absolute must-read.

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