Butcher and Blackbird
Written by: Brynn Weaver
This is the first book in the Ruinous Love Trilogy. The plot follows two serial killers whose goal is to kill other serial killers. They originally meet in a "sticky situation" and decide to start a yearly tradition of competition in the murdering world. Every year, the two meet up in a chosen location in a battle of who can find the victim first. In their efforts of learning to maintain a friendship, their connection begins to grow even deeper. This is a dark romance story that showcases topics of love, friendship, revenge, murder, and a bit of overcome trauma.
I would highly recommend this book if you are interested in the genre. Weaver does a miraculous job in creating morally grey characters that her audience can still fall in love with. The gore and romance evenly balance out the novel and make it one that is impossible to set down.
Other books you may enjoy:
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Other book by author: Leather and Lark, Scythe and Sparrow, A Shadow in the Reaping, and more!
Leather and Lark
Written by: Brynn Weaver
The second book in the Ruinous Love Trilogy is here! This book surpassed any expectations I had when starting it. I thought the first book was great and nothing could top it, but the second was somehow even better. This book follows the best friend and brother of the main characters in the first book. The two find themselves stuck with each other in an act to protect their loved ones, even though they absolutely loath the little they know about one another. Upon realizing that the only way to keep their loved ones safe is to work together, they find the more they learn about each other, the harder it is to maintain their mutual hatred. Throughout the novel, the two try solving the mystery of who is stalking their family and how to put an end to them before it is too late. This story has mystery, love, passion, gore and will have you captivated from the moment you read the first chapter.
I thoroughly enjoy reading Weaver's writing, as she paints a beautifully vivid picture as you're reading and brings the words on the page to life. The story line is well thought out and understandable, interesting to read, and captivates your attention in the intricate plot twists and mystery. Like the first book, the format jumps points of view between the two main characters and the mystery man stalking them. Weaver did an amazing job at writing these very different points of views and really puts the reader in the mind of the point of view she is writing from. I will forever recommend Brynn Weaver and this series to anyone who loves a good dark romance that holds an interesting plot. I've found that this series is one of few that is able to have the dark romance vibe intertwined into the plot, rather than losing the plot in the romance.
Other books you may enjoy:
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Other books by author: Butcher and Blackbird, Scythe and Sparrow, A Shadow in the Reaping, and more!
Scarred
Written by: Emily McIntire
I introduce the second book in the Never After series. I start with the second book because it was by far my favorite, alongside the final book, Crossed. With the series being based as a sort of new version of fairy tales we have all heard as children, this novel follows the story of "The Lion King". I was very skeptical when I originally heard that it was a dark romance novel based on a fairy tale of animals because I was curious to see how McIntire would portray their story and how accurate it would be. I was incredibly surprised and happily drawn in to the old time, royal world McIntire created. The story follows Prince Tristan Faasa and Lady Sara Beatreaux. Both are after their own version of revenge, Tristan aiming to get the crown from his brother and Sara hoping to rid the world of the Faasa line altogether. Neither took into consideration the thinning line bordering hatred and passion. The best kind of enemies to lovers is the kind where a kiss is shared while a dagger is held to one another. This dual POV novel will have you laughing along with their banter, on the edge of your seat to find out how the two will turn out, and utterly immersed into the romance that sparks between the characters. The novel is incredibly well written and will do nothing but capture your attention until the bitter end.
I honestly can't think of anything bad I have to say about this book. I was fully captivated by every line, hanging on to every word, and obsessed with the chemistry between the characters. I love how the book was written and how McIntire captivated the original tale while still making it her own. It was so fun seeing little pieces of the original dropped into the story line! I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who loves a good time piece, fantasy, dark romance because it was most likely the best one I have read thus far. Although I do hold this book in such a high regard, it does not mean I hold the rest in the same regard. The other books were good and it was interesting that they all had their very own plot, genre, and story line. There may be a post later on to look forward to regarding some of the other books. I do feel very passionately about this series and can't wait to share the rest of my thoughts with you!
Other books you may enjoy:
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Other books by the author: Hooked, Wretched, Twisted, Crossed, Hexed
Crossed
Written by: Emily McIntire
Crossed is the fifth, but not the final, book in the Never After series and one of my favorites I the series. This book is a spin off of the famous tale, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". I was a bit skeptical going in to this book because of the fact that I wasn't familiar with the original story and didn't know if I would appreciate it as much. however, this became my favorite very quickly. It follows a sister, who is the only caretaker for her special need little brother, and a priest, who has one goal in his life time: expunge any person that wreaks of evil inside. Fighting to make ends meet, the woman works at a strip club under the stage name, Esmeralda. The priest is assigned to start preaching at the church of the town the woman lives in, which is where he first meets her. To him, she is everything that encounters sin, being the first woman to ever have any kind of effect on him. He is desperately attracted to her, but determined to stay away and, eventually, kill her. She is intrigued by the new priest, but refuses to let herself be immersed in companionship due to incessant abandonment issues.
I absolutely loved reading this book. I enjoy the forbidden love trope that this story has and to see them be bale to overcome the struggles of life and still come out stronger is amazing. McIntire is a wonderful writer and I can't wait to read more of her novels. She just released her newest book in the Never After series: Hexed. I strongly encourage you to check it out, as well as the rest of her books. McIntire has a way of writing that makes you appreciate the story and holds your attention from start to finish. She has quickly become one of my favorite authors and, while not every one of her books are as good as this one, I did enjoy those very much. This romance and passion seen between these two characters was beautiful and written in a way that immersed the reader into the story with the characters. The plot was well thought out with its fair share of plot twists, heartaches, and over-comings.
Other books you may enjoy:
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Other novels written by author: Hexed, Scarred, Hooked, Wretched, and more!