My 27th read of the year was Butcher and Blackbird by Brynne weaver, the first book in the Ruinous Love series. This is another booktok one that I never read back when there was hype for it… but oh well, that’s practically a trend for me at this point!
A summary attempt
Sloane has an unusual hobby… she kills serial killers. Known as the ‘Orb weaver’ in the press, Sloane meets the infamous Butcher or a mission where she accidentally gets locked in a serial killer’s trap after she already killed him, and the Butcher rescues here. Rowan and Sloane are immediately struck by how much they are alike, as Rowan also hunts other serial killers, plus they both find the other ridiculously attractive. They decide to stay in touch and thus begins a yearly competition where they travel to an area a serial killer is suspected to operate, and the first to find and kill him is the winner.
At first they don’t speak between games, but slowly they begin to communicate more and more. Rowan is the first to want more than friendship, but Sloane is so easy to spook and has such high walls built around her that it takes a long time for him to earn her trust. Over the years there’s the occasional but of accidental cannibalism, mortifying moments where Sloane visits the restaurant he owns but then bolts before he can come speak to her, and over-time they build a freindship with the other person who can fully understand why they do what they do. They both yearn for more, but are frightened to chase something so real, and unsure if monsters, even if they are monsters who hunt other monsters, deserve love and happiness. On a job gone wrong Rowan’s worst fear happens and it finally tips the scales to help them both admit their feelings for the other.
My thoughts
Okay firstly, you’ve read the concept, let’s not take this book too seriously and enjoy it for what it is. Secondly, I didn’t expect a serial killer romance to contain so much yearning and pining, romantic inner monologues. I did enjoy the attempt to give them back story’s to try and turn killers into sympathetic characters, and I think it does a decent job of both that and their character arcs trying to overcome their trauma and accept something a little lighter in their lives. This book was funny is places, body gore-y in other and all round, a good bit of dark humoured fun. I’m going to continue the series as my easy-going Kindle read.
Antonia Bernardin 