The Ruinous Love Trilogy
Brynne Weaver
Dark romantic comedy of interconnected stand-alone books featuring the Kane brothers & the badass women they fall in love with.
Buckle up book fiends, today we’re diving into the gloriously chaotic and intense Ruinous Love trilogy by Brynne Weaver. This is a dark romance series is about the hilarious Kane brothers and the fierce women who tamed them. Most of whom are serial killers. I would turn away now if serial killer-dark romances sprinkled with some red flag confetti is not your thing.
I listened to the audio versions of these books. I highly recommend going the audio route when consuming this trilogy. The dual narration was spectacular and I found myself fully emerged in the story being told.
The Ruinous Love Trilogy by Brynne Weaver
Click on the book cover to jump the book info.
Butcher & Blackbird
Butcher and Blackbird by Brynne Weaver: A Darkly Delicious Romance of Serial Killers
Every serial killer needs a friend.
Every game must have a winner.
When a chance encounter sparks an unlikely bond between rival murderers Sloane and Rowan, the two find something elusive—the friendship of a like-minded, pitch-black soul. From small town West Virginia to upscale California, from downtown Boston to rural Texas, the two hunters collide in an annual game of blood and suffering, one that pits them against the most dangerous monsters in the country. But as their friendship develops into something more, the restless ghosts left in their wake are only a few steps behind, ready to claim more than just their newfound love. Can Rowan and Sloane dig themselves out of a game of graves? Or have they finally met their match?
Book Information
Butcher & Blackbird
Published August 2023 by Zando.
Audiobook narrated by Joe Arden & Lucy Rivers.
Genre : Dark Romance
Pages : 355 pages, Kindle Edition
Butcher & Blackbird Trigger Warnings
Eyeballs and eye sockets, Amateur surgery, skin ornaments, chainsaws, axes, knives, scalpels – a lot of sharp objects. Accidental cannibalism & Not-so-accidental cannibalism. Questionable use of a mummified corpse, Lobotomized man servant & Ill-advised use of kitchen implements. I’m sorry about the cookies and cream ice cream (I’m not really).
Detailed sex scenes which include (but are not limited to) cock warming, rough sex, praise kink, anal, adult toys, choking, spitting, dom/sub interactions, genital piercings.
References to parental neglect and child abuse, Parental loss (not depicted – one parent murdered, one parent passed in child birth) & References to child sexual assault (not in detail)
It’s a book about serial killers, so there’s some generally messed-up murder and chaos.
Butcher and Blackbird Review
Sloane + Rowan = ♥
Minor Spoilers
This isn’t just a dark romance. It’s a twisted competition between two rival serial killers. A competition where the golden retriever Rowan falls first & falls obsessively hard for the remarkable Sloane. It’s a deadly game that turns friends to lovers.
Sloane is a serial killer. The Orb Weaver. Hunting down other serial killers and plucking out their eyeballs. Rowan is a chef by day. Serial killer, The Boston Butcher, by night. After a chance meeting, Rowan & Sloane enter into a friendly competition – seeing who can hunt down and kill their chosen target first. Hands down, Rowan was my favorite brother & Sloane, my favorite fmc of the trilogy.
Weaver expertly balances dark, witty humor and the disturbing nature of the characters with a beautiful romance. Sloane and Rowan are complex, flawed, and charismatic. I loved how hard Rowan fell for Sloane, he was mesmerized by her. There is just something about a woman writing a man falling for a woman that’s *chef’s kiss.
Butcher and Blackbird Spicy Chapters
16, 17, 18, 19, 23 & Bonus Chapter
Leather & Lark
Leather and Lark by Brynne Weaver: A Darkly Enticing Marriage of Convenience
You’re Mine Dutchess.
Contract killer Lachlan Kane wants a quiet life working in his leather studio and forgetting all about his traumatic past. But when he botches a job for his boss’s biggest client, Lachlan knows he’ll never claw his way out of the underworld. At least, not until songbird Lark Montague offers him a deal: use his skills to hunt down a killer and she’ll find a way to secure his freedom. The catch? He has to marry her first.
And they can’t stand each other.
Indie singer-songwriter Lark is the sunshine and glitter that burns through every cloud and clings to every crevice that Lachlan Kane tries to hide inside. The surly older brother of her best friend’s soulmate, Lachlan thinks she’s just a privileged princess, but Lark has plenty of secrets hiding in the shadows of her bright light. With her formidable family in a tailspin and her best friend’s happiness on the line, she’s willing to make a vow to the man she’s determined to hate, no matter how tempting the broody assassin might be.
As Lachlan and Lark navigate the dark world that binds them together, it becomes impossible to discern their fake marriage from a real one. But it’s not just familiar dangers that haunt them.
There’s another phantom lurking on their doorstep.
And this one has come for blood.
Book Information
Leather & Lark
Published June 2024 by Zando.
Audiobook narrated by Eric Nolan and Samantha Brentmoor.
Genre : Dark Romance
Pages : 390 pages, Paperback
Leather & Lark Trigger Warnings
Eyeballs but not eye sockets, so you’re welcome. Teeth & tooth byproducts. I might have ruined pizza and beer. Also, smoothies. Still not sorry. Snow globes. Autocannibalism…? Welcome to a debate you never thought you’d have.
Numerous weapons and sharp objects, including darts, scissors, guns, saws, knives, grinders, an edger, and a little implement called an enucleation spoon. Severed fingers. You might have new thoughts about crafting with epoxy resin. Vehicular collisions. Drowning in various forms. Terminal illness of a loved one.
Detailed sex scenes, which include (but are not limited to) adult toys, choking, rough sex, mild degradation, sexual acts in public, pegging and praise kink.
References to parental neglect and child abuse (not depicted). Religious references/trauma. Explicit and colorful language, including a lot of “blasphemy.” Don’t say I didn’t warn you! Injured dog (cause of injury not depicted, and he’s okay, I promise!)
There is a lot of death… it’s a book about a contract killer and a serial killer falling in love, so I feel like that’s probably a given.
Leather and Lark Review
Lark + Lachlan = ♥
Minor Spoilers
Leather and Lark is dark, lyrical and dripping with tension and desire. When they first meet, Lark – Sloane’s bff, and Lachlan – Rowan’s brother, hate each other. Slowly, the cold hard ice between them begins to thaw as they are forced into marriage. Their forced proximity facilitates a slow-burn romance, where tension simmers beneath the surface.
I personally didn’t enjoy Leather and Lark as much as Butcher and Blackbird. I didn’t find Lark as captivating, or Lochlan as swoon worthy. That’s not to say that they weren’t. Lochlan is a broody leather working contract killer and older brother of Rowan. Lark, like her best friend Sloane, is a serial killer. A serial killer who likes to make crafts with trophies of her kills. Glorious.
Weaver maintains her blend of dark romance and humor in Leather and Lark. I just didn’t personally love it as much as Butcher and Blackbird.
Leather and Lark Spicy Chapters
18, 19, 20, 21 & Bonus Chapter
Scythe & Sparrow
Scythe and Sparrow by Brynne Weaver: When Doctor Meets Killer love blooms beneath the Circus Lights
Murder.
Mayhem.
And spice.
Doctor Fionn Kane is running from a broken heart, one he hopes to mend in small-town Nebraska, far away from his almost-fiance and his derailed surgical career. It’s a simpler head down, hard work, and absolutely no romantic relationships. He wants none of the circus he left behind in Boston.
But then the real circus finds him.
Motorcycle performer Rose Evans has spent a decade on the road with the Silveria Circus, and it suits her just fine, especially when she has the urge to indulge in a little murder when she’s not in the spotlight. But when a kill goes awry and she ends up with an injured leg, Rose finds herself stuck in Nebraska, at the home of the adorably nerdy town doctor.
The problem is, not every broken heart can be sewn back together.
…And the longer you stay in one place, the more likely your ghosts are to catch up.
Book Information
Scythe & Sparrow
Published February 2025 by Zando.
Audiobook narrated by Eric Nolan & Samantha Brentmoor.
Genre : Dark Romance
Pages : 416 pages, Hardcover
Scythe & Sparrow Trigger Warnings
Eyeballs…again. If it”s any consolation, I don’t know why I keep writing them into books because eyeball shit freaks me the fuck out. Also, eyelids. Yep. We’re there now. I’m not sure as I really ruin cotton candy as much as maybe just defile it. Possibly sausages and/or hot dogs. Ill-advised use of a staple guns. Are drug addicted raccoons a trigger? Debate! Clowns. Sexy clowns.
Medical trauma including serious injury, ambulances, open fractures, puncture wounds, blood loss, hospitals, surgical recovery. Impaling (not the sexy kind, but okay…that too). References to domestic physical abuse (not depicted), psychological/emotional abuse, sexual harassment, threats & intimidation, misogyny. Injured dog – but if you have read Leather and Lark, you already know Bentley will be fine! He’s too grumpy and badass to die. Parental neglect & child physical abuse (not depicted).
Numerous weapons and sharp objects, including knives, guns, baseball bats, metal hooks, an edge beveler – you should be used to these by now. Detailed sex scenes, which include (but are not limited to): adult toys, primal kink, cum kink, anal, rough sex & sexual acts in public. Explicit and colorful language, including a lot of “blasphemy”. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
There is a lot of injury and death…it’s a book about a doctor and a serial killer falling in love, so I feel like that’s probably a given.
Scythe and Sparrow Review
Rose + Fionn = ♥
Minor Spoilers
We first meet Rose & Fionn in Butcher and Blackbird. Sloane was in need of being patched up & Rowan takes her to his younger brother, the crocheting Dr. Fionn Kane. Technically we met Rose first, and I was not a fan of the circus performer. She grew on me during the events of Leather and Lark. Fionn? well I knew he was going to be in the running for Best Kane Brother.
A good portion of the events in Scythe and Sparrow take place during the two previous books. I suppose if you really wanted, you could even read it tandem with the other two. Prior to Rowan and Sloane showing up on Fionn’s doorstep in Butcher and Blackbird, Rose showed up in his clinic. Their romance blooms as Fionn nurses Rose back to health. If the care taker micro trope is your jam, this one is for you.
Fionn is the only Kane brother who is not a serial killer. Meanwhile, Rose is taking out dirt bags left, right and center. I ended up really liking Rose as we get to know her in Scythe and Sparrow.
Scythe and Sparrow Spicy Chapters
13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 22, Epilogue 2 & Bonus Chapter
Captivating, disturbing and utterly enthralling.
If you’re a fan of dark romance and serial killers prepare to be consumed by the Ruinous Love trilogy. It’s a little bit twisted, a little bit thrilling, and a whole lot captivating. And lets not forget, funny. Multiple times I caught myself laughing out out to myself.
If I could forget one of these books so I could read it again, it would be Butcher and Blackbird. & if I could just forget one of these books, it would be Leather and Lark.
I’d be down for one, or two last bonus chapters. All six of them sitting down at Butcher & Blackbird, or 3 in Couch discussing who has the highest kill count.
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