Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver – A Book Review

Spoiler-Free Overview

Sloane Sutherland is a serial killer who hunts serial killers. After a botched attack on one of her victims, she ends up locked in a cell for several days while his body rots in the cell across from her. Enter our MMC, Rowan Kane. He’s also a serial killer who hunts bad guys, and he was on his own excursion to kill the man Sloane just took out. So, Rowan’s vigilante mission turns into a rescue mission to release Sloane and take her away from the stinking dungeon.

Rowan is immediate taken with Sloane, especially after learning who she truly is, The Orb Weaver – because she leaves behind maps in fishing line with her victims *ahem* peepers, orbs, organs for sight (don’t make me say it) after plucking them out of their heads. To try to keep her in his life, Rowan suggests an annual contest between the two of them, to hunt a bad guy and gain bragging rights. Sloane accepts.

Over the next few years, they meet up once a year to track and kill a target set by Rowan’s brother Lachlan. Don’t worry, Rowan is adamant that his brother won’t give him any advantage. In fact, he might even try to help Sloane just to see Rowan botch the job. Got to love sibling rivalries. 

Eventually, Sloane and Rowan’s rivalry turns to friendship which turns to love (this is a romance after all). 

Liz’s Thoughts and Feelings

This book is so funny and dark and cute all at the same time. I listened to the audiobook, and I cannot recommend it enough. The style is more dramatized, with the female narrator performing all female dialog and same with the male narrator regardless of who’s POV the chapter is. This really amps up the flirty nature of their dialog and overall snark between the characters.

On to the actual story! It takes place over several years and really highlights the growing friendship between our main characters. Even though Rowan lusts after Sloane immediately, he draws out their relationship to build a foundation between them. And it is just so flipping cute. The sass and snark between them is high, especially from Sloane who’s a classic grumpy with all of the sarcasm. Rowan is our lovely sunshine who loves to poke the bear, in this case Sloane, but he’s too nervous to spook her. He’s also a chef by day which leads to several fun (and sometimes spicy) food scenes.

I love that we get a book where friendship is the foundation, and we actually get to see the friendship grow, instead of it already existing. They have shared interests – vigilante murder, but still -, playful banter, and an attraction that increases as their friendship does. 

We take some time to get to the spice, but wow, it is worth the wait! Rowan is controlling in the bedroom, and I’m here for it! There’s a bathtub scene followed by a one bed situation. Um, yes, please!

The annual contest and inevitable killing scenes are fun, unique, and chaotic. In fact, that’s just this whole book. It’s a delight and wonderfully comedic. Each hunt is different and pushes Sloane and Rowan’s relationship along. If this book is an indication for what’s to come in the series, I’m one-hundred percent in. Especially if the next book is about Lachlan!