Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

Leather & Lark by Brynne Weaver

29 reviews

lilawsahar's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The first was better imo. This one really focused on how one of them really fucked up when they first met. I get that he messed up, but they milked it for a really long time. Made the book kind of stale for me. I also didn’t like the audio for this one as much as the first. It was still a fire audiobook but not as good as the first book. 

Lark and Lachlan are not friends, not even lovers. But they get married to save the Kane brothers from being killed by Lark’s family. Larks family business has been targeted by a serial killer but they cannot figure out who or why. They are suspicious of the Cane brothers and have ideas to kill them until Lark marries into their family. Now, Lark and Lachlan need to find the serial killer targeting Larks family. 

I wasn’t really interested in the serial killer subplot as much as the x-rated smut. Can’t wait until the next book is released.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Murder, Body horror, Torture, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, and Cursing

Minor: Animal cruelty, Vomit, and Violence

bookscatsandtats's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Torture, Murder, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Death, Sexual content, and Violence

Moderate: Animal cruelty

mkattss's review

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Chronic illness, Murder, Cancer, Gore, Gun violence, Death, and Drug use

jessanicolesingh's review

dark emotional funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

You guys, Brynne Weaver knocked it out of the park AGAIN! Only she can make a story about serial killer & contract killer a cute little rom-com ♥️

I adored the chemistry between Lachlan and Lark, and absolutely ate up their slow burn romance. Being the second book in the series, I also loved that the characters from the first book were integrated into the entire storyline rather than just a quick cameo.
There was a good amount of murder, death, and crafting gore (iykyk), as expected. Last time, this author ruined cookies and cream ice cream, this time say goodbye to beer and pizza 🫣. Compared to the first book however, you will see significantly less spicy scenes, it was fairly dry until the third act (and the bonus chapter).

My only complaint is that the antagonist didn't feel connected to the story overall; they were introduced in the beginning, vaguely alluded to throughout, and really only made a physical appearance during the climax. It just didn't seem to blend in well, as if it was an afterthought to give the MCs an enemy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, and Sexual content

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Confinement

Minor: Kidnapping

ninahuynh's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I gotta say, I like and enjoyed this book so much more than Butcher & Blackbird. I think slow burn works well for the couple and the overall theme. It could do without all the "this is a serial killer romance" trope, as it taking a back seat made this love story more fulfilling than it did in the former book. There were parts that confused me, like

maybe it was because I was listening to it in audiobook form so I missed it, but this whole time I thought her onstage instrument is a guitar only to get confused when it says she's using a bow, then later find out it's a cello... for a band?? And I am sure it would have been so obvious to everyone what was going on, cause isn't she also singing too?

and

the whole explanation of who her father and step-father are and their relationship to her mother was also confusing.

I like the fact that there are more dimensions to both character, and yes, of course they have the physical attraction, which we get in like chapter 2, but the story goes into more depth on their feelings and building their relationship rather than just wanting to fuck the other person. I also like that despite being killers,

they're both squeamish about extracting eyeballs xD

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Death, Blood, Gore, Stalking, Violence, Alcohol, Child abuse, Grief, Gun violence, and Kidnapping

kitsunasaur's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Blood, Cursing, Stalking, Terminal illness, and Violence

Moderate: Gun violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Confinement, Body horror, Cancer, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Sexual assault, Vomit, Animal cruelty, and Death of parent

kaelizaco's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Death, Kidnapping, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Gore, Medical content, Pedophilia, Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Grief, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Cannibalism, and Gun violence

condls27's review against another edition

dark emotional funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I always have a good time with Brynne Weaver book! The banter was great and I enjoyed the story I just got stuck on how Lark could be a “multiple deleter” and Sloane not knowing or it be mentioned in the first book. I understand why she is, it just almost felt forced for this book. I wish it focused more on the mystery of who was attacking her family but I still had fun and will absolutely continue the series  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Animal cruelty, Sexual content, Death, Gore, Confinement, and Murder

laneelizabeth's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Genuinely one of the best romances I've read in a while. Not as dark as B&B, but still dark so check trigger warnings. Serial killer x contract killer. Lachlan Kane is a cinnamon roll with hardened edges to survive and I love him.

The way Brynne Weaver gets into serial killers' heads -not just the main characters who do what they do for a reason, but the actual psychopaths that are also in the story - it's very impressive and incredible how realistic it is.

Tropes: arranged marriage, hate to love, nicknames, banter! he falls first

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Cancer, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Medical content, Rape, Stalking, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Torture, Confinement, and Panic attacks/disorders

amateur_bookworm's review against another edition

dark funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

My summary:

Lark Montague is a singer—and a serial killer. Once the victim of abuse at her boarding school, she has since made it her mission in life to rid the world of as many other abusers as she can. When one such event goes wrong, Lark has to call in a cleanup crew. The responding guy is a complete asshat, who she later finds out is Lachlan Kane. Lachlan’s brother, Rowan, is marrying Lark’s best friend, Sloane. And now Lachlan, a leather worker by day, is stuck in his contract job even longer after he botched Lark’s cleanup job. When a threat emerges against Lark’s family, the only way to save those she loves is to do the unthinkable and marry Lachlan. And also find the person hunting them. 

My thoughts: 

Leather & Lark is the second book of the dark romance Ruinous Love trilogy by Brynne Weaver. This book, just like the first in the series, is a wild ride. 

This book is completely fecking unhinged, right off the bat. Lark is the beautiful singer and sparky serial killer that I never knew I needed in my life. And Lachlan’s determination to win over Lark is, well, sweet and hot. 

I love the little bit of overlap in time between this book and Butcher & Blackbird. Somehow this was a more tender and less murder-y book than Butcher & Blackbird. There is still plenty of dark humor here but not quite as much as I hoped to have. 

Brynne Weaver does say the injured dog listed in the trigger warnings will be ok. But seriously, if he wasn’t, I would throw hands over it. I can deal  just fine with the serial killers but I absolutely cannot deal with dogs being harmed. So, I will confirm that she told the truth and the dog is ok. 

I enjoy that it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but I do *not* enjoy now having to wait for the third and final book of this trilogy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Gore, Blood, Cursing, Confinement, Death of parent, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Child abuse and Animal cruelty