BookTok can be an endorsement for some and an avoidant for others. As a romance reader, I tend to fall in the middle as I'm not a BookTok watcher but the hype around Butcher & Blackbird is real.
Released in 2023, Butcher & Blackbird has been a title most readers have either heard of, seen in a store, or seen some kind of content about. Originally, this was a book I was so incredibly scared to read due to the hype.
Once Zando sent me a finished copy of the collector's edition, I knew I couldn't say no and decided to pick it up to start 2025. For those who don't know, Butcher & Blackbird follows two characters: Sloane and Rowan who are both serial killers. Yes, you read that right, these two are killers and they meet under the most unlikely of circumstances.
Sloane ends up getting stuck with one of her victims in a cage and Rowan finds her, lets her out and the two immediately start bantering back and forth. While it might seem odd since there's a dead body nearby, it's clear there is a connection between Rowan and Sloane from the very start.
Should you add Butcher & Blackbird to your TBR?
From there, it's a real cat-and-mouse game between Rowan and Sloane. While they both work regular jobs, they're also having a competition to see who can kill their target before the other. It seems odd because it is but honestly, the moments without all the gory details are true rom-com material. That might seem like a strange sentiment, but it's true.
Brynne Weaver somehow managed to write a rom-com between two serial killers. There are plenty of adorable moments between everything going on. No matter what they're doing, it's clear Rowan is so obsessed with Sloane but she's acting as though he's not. The way these two are so clueless about their feelings yet such smart people will make you question everything but it just works.
These two have such traumatic pasts and things to work through before getting into a relationship yet we see that work. We see Sloane and Rowan working through things and figuring out what works for them as a couple. While I'm making this book out to be as cute as it can, it is but it isn't without some dark moments, too.
There are so many content warnings to wade through including murder, cannibalism, eyeballs, abuse, and possible reasons to never eat cookies and cream ice cream again. That last one was just a personal one I added as that scene might scar you. While I'll probably eat cookies and cream again, it's not going to be my first choice.
Ultimately, Butcher & Blackbird is dark, zany, and romantic, making it the perfect romance to snuggle up with during a cold winter day. While the content might be unsettling for some, it's clear Butcher & Blackbird has found its audience. Given how much I enjoyed Butcher & Blackbird, it has me even more excited to pick up Leather & Lark.