A review by beccabookworm
Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver

dark funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

What a fun romance! I read this in less than a week, which is fast for me. If this was in another context, I would be disturbed and repulsed by a lot of the “romance”. But I walked into this book knowing that the protagonists are serial killers who make a game out of killing people, so they’re bound to exhibit some toxic behavior. The attraction is very intense and very possessive very fast on Rowan’s part. There is the whole break-their-heart-by-gaslighting-them-into-thinking-you-never-loved-them trope that I hate towards the end. I feel like Sloane’s characterization changed a lot too, but I’ll just attribute that to her getting softer because she’s in love I guess. It just felt a little disjointed.     

Just a note on the writing that I found hilarious. There’s some overused imagery throughout the book that’s not haha funny but it’s so ridiculous how much they’re repeated that it makes me laugh. My favorites include bleached white knuckles from gripping something so hard, lip-biting n all contexts, savoring/memorizing the “nuances” of each other’s faces, and seeing/feeling someone’s pulse through their neck/wrist.    

Was it a perfect book? No. Did I have a good time? Yes.
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