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The Ruinous Love Trilogy #3
Scythe & Sparrow
Discover the serial killer romance series everyone is talking about!From the no.1 New York Times bestselling author of the genre-breaking international TikTok sensation
Butcher & Blackbird
and
Leather & Lark
comes the final book in the Ruinous Love Trilogy - a friends-with-benefits dark romantic comedy.
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.
***
Friends with benefits
Small town romance
Fish out of water
Forced proximity
Hurt/care
Touch her and die
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.
***
Friends with benefits
Small town romance
Fish out of water
Forced proximity
Hurt/care
Touch her and die
416 pages, Hardcover
First published February 11, 2025
9014 people are currently reading
260371 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 20,214 reviews
March 25, 2025
3.5 stars! I really enjoyed Rose & Fionn's story. Rose's job as a motorcycle circus performer was SO fun & unique to read about. And Fionn was so sweet & shy which was adorable 🥹 but he also still had his own murderous side as is fitting for this series 👏🏻👏🏻
This book had the same fun dark humor as the first two books but also felt a bit different bc Fionn & Rose's romance was so sweet at the end (THE LETTERS 🤭🥹😭).
The only reason I wouldn't rate it higher is that I just loved the first two books a lot more. This is also my fourth serial killer romance (a funny sentence to say, hehe), so I also think the uniqueness of the concept has worn off a bit for me.
BUT a perfect finale to the trilogy, especially because we get so much of the couples from the first two books as well. Felt like a big goodbye to all the characters 🥹 gonna miss them
This book had the same fun dark humor as the first two books but also felt a bit different bc Fionn & Rose's romance was so sweet at the end (THE LETTERS 🤭🥹😭).
The only reason I wouldn't rate it higher is that I just loved the first two books a lot more. This is also my fourth serial killer romance (a funny sentence to say, hehe), so I also think the uniqueness of the concept has worn off a bit for me.
BUT a perfect finale to the trilogy, especially because we get so much of the couples from the first two books as well. Felt like a big goodbye to all the characters 🥹 gonna miss them
February 2, 2025
It was everything I dreamed of and more. Hands down my favorite of the series. Rose & Fionn were everything. I need to collect myself and write a full proper review tomorrow. But for now know that I loved this book with my whole heart.
🧡
It’s here!!!!!!!!
🎪
Guess whose getting an early copy of Scythe & Sparrow?
Me, that’s who 😭 I think it’ll be here tomorrow
🫠
Brynne Weaver is now my friend on TikTok.
🫠
Just found out these two both crochet and I’m deceased
🧶
2025? That’s just a year away 🥴
I think I fell in love with Rose when she was ready to beat down Rowan with her crutches, then made delicious homemade waffles. I get it Fionn, I get it.
🧡
It’s here!!!!!!!!
🎪
Guess whose getting an early copy of Scythe & Sparrow?
Me, that’s who 😭 I think it’ll be here tomorrow
🫠
Brynne Weaver is now my friend on TikTok.
🫠
Just found out these two both crochet and I’m deceased
🧶
2025? That’s just a year away 🥴
I think I fell in love with Rose when she was ready to beat down Rowan with her crutches, then made delicious homemade waffles. I get it Fionn, I get it.
March 10, 2025
I’m kinda realizing that I really enjoy a dark rom-com, the mix is so fun & this one was a great time! Fionn was shy & a bit awkward but definitely had another side to him (I really liked his character!!!) and Rose was authentically herself with a really fun profession. I had a great time going along their story but THE ENDING GOT ME! (leaving it out bc spoilers) but iykyk 📄 ✍🏼
I will say butcher & blackbird is still my favorite (and the most fun) but I’m happy I finished the trilogy and definitely enjoyed this one more than the second!
I will say butcher & blackbird is still my favorite (and the most fun) but I’m happy I finished the trilogy and definitely enjoyed this one more than the second!
Currently reading
March 18, 2025Na-na-na, diva is a female version of a hustla 🤸♀️
She breaks bones, he fixes them—sounds like a match made in questionable heaven. The unaliving? The forced proximity? The circus chaos?? Yeah, I’m so in. 🎪🫡
She breaks bones, he fixes them—sounds like a match made in questionable heaven. The unaliving? The forced proximity? The circus chaos?? Yeah, I’m so in. 🎪🫡
February 27, 2025
2.5 Stars
Idk... I thought this one was better than book 2. I do still think my interest in this series waned as I continued with it. These two just don't compare to the appeal the first one had.
It's fun in a totally unserious way, but I'll forget about it in no time. The romance in this one moves even faster if that's even possible.
Very insta everything.
💛Forced Proximity
🧡Small Town
💛Friends with Benefits
🧡Touch Her and Die
💛Vigilante Justice
🧡Doctor X Circus Performer
💛Dark Rom-Com
🧡Serial Killers
⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ Connect with me on Instagram ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹
Idk... I thought this one was better than book 2. I do still think my interest in this series waned as I continued with it. These two just don't compare to the appeal the first one had.
It's fun in a totally unserious way, but I'll forget about it in no time. The romance in this one moves even faster if that's even possible.
Very insta everything.
💛Forced Proximity
🧡Small Town
💛Friends with Benefits
🧡Touch Her and Die
💛Vigilante Justice
🧡Doctor X Circus Performer
💛Dark Rom-Com
🧡Serial Killers
⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ Connect with me on Instagram ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹
June 10, 2025
reading the back of my conditioner bottle is more interesting than this.
February 12, 2025
sigh. nobody is more sad and disappointed about this rating than me. there were clowns in the book but i fear i am the clown for thinking this was gonna be the best in the series.
it is by far the worst.
!!! i did mark/cover spoilers but ik goodreads can be glitchy about that sometimes so beware just in case !!!
let’s talk about the timeline first of all because i do think that’s where the story really failed for me. around 80% of the book takes place during the same time as b&b and l&l, and then the last part picks up at the scene with rose at the end of l&l. but then that last part is . it felt like i was just reading the same things over again even with the different povs.
and even when rose and fionn were off doing their own thing, it felt like nothing was happening. like truly, what even happened in this? the plot was nonexistent. the first maybe 20% or so started off so promising but then we strayed from the plot, seemingly forgot about it, then made it flat and anticlimactic when we came back to it.
i thought rose and fionn were not only going to be my favorite couple, but also my favorite characters. wrong. so wrong. all the characters in this series felt pretty underdeveloped and two dimensional to me, but it was so bad with these two. literally all we knew about them was and when the characters are so bland and fall so flat, it’s hard to really care about what happens to them.
which brings me to the romance. sort of insta-lusty, which is the exact opposite of what i expected. (see: pre read, where i expected “angst, angst, and more angst”). there was a forced proximity which could’ve ate so hard but didn’t. there was a one bed moment that was such a missed opportunity. and overall i just didn’t feel the chemistry between them. this is definitely a physical attraction first situation, which i wouldn’t mind if i felt any chemistry. there was NONE. the banter was even lacking. and the spice wasn’t really spicing. like, at least give me one thing to enjoy about them.
the time jumps also made it hard for me to really feel the growth and progression of the romance. it’s the most random parts where it’s suddenly “one year later” or even an unlabeled “it’s been a few weeks” ... like huh??? it’s impossible to see the growth when it’s just randomly jumping days and weeks and months.
going off of that (sorta), i didn’t like the writing. which is weird because it didn’t bother me in the first two books, but this one felt like all tell and no show. it was still bingeable, but i found myself rolling my eyes and constantly checking the percentage on my kindle after like 60%. i just wanted it to end because i couldn’t feel the story moving at all.
overall suchhhh a let down. i am so bummed that this sucked so bad because i really was so excited for it. what i thought would be my favorite book in the series turned out to be a victim of a rant review. and honestly the series just went downhill as a whole. but anyway, what should’ve been a legendary couple just turned out to be a lackluster story. i am glad i finished the series at least.
pre read
i expect angst, angst, and more angst 🫡
it is by far the worst.
!!! i did mark/cover spoilers but ik goodreads can be glitchy about that sometimes so beware just in case !!!
let’s talk about the timeline first of all because i do think that’s where the story really failed for me. around 80% of the book takes place during the same time as b&b and l&l, and then the last part picks up at the scene with rose at the end of l&l. but then that last part is . it felt like i was just reading the same things over again even with the different povs.
and even when rose and fionn were off doing their own thing, it felt like nothing was happening. like truly, what even happened in this? the plot was nonexistent. the first maybe 20% or so started off so promising but then we strayed from the plot, seemingly forgot about it, then made it flat and anticlimactic when we came back to it.
i thought rose and fionn were not only going to be my favorite couple, but also my favorite characters. wrong. so wrong. all the characters in this series felt pretty underdeveloped and two dimensional to me, but it was so bad with these two. literally all we knew about them was and when the characters are so bland and fall so flat, it’s hard to really care about what happens to them.
which brings me to the romance. sort of insta-lusty, which is the exact opposite of what i expected. (see: pre read, where i expected “angst, angst, and more angst”). there was a forced proximity which could’ve ate so hard but didn’t. there was a one bed moment that was such a missed opportunity. and overall i just didn’t feel the chemistry between them. this is definitely a physical attraction first situation, which i wouldn’t mind if i felt any chemistry. there was NONE. the banter was even lacking. and the spice wasn’t really spicing. like, at least give me one thing to enjoy about them.
the time jumps also made it hard for me to really feel the growth and progression of the romance. it’s the most random parts where it’s suddenly “one year later” or even an unlabeled “it’s been a few weeks” ... like huh??? it’s impossible to see the growth when it’s just randomly jumping days and weeks and months.
going off of that (sorta), i didn’t like the writing. which is weird because it didn’t bother me in the first two books, but this one felt like all tell and no show. it was still bingeable, but i found myself rolling my eyes and constantly checking the percentage on my kindle after like 60%. i just wanted it to end because i couldn’t feel the story moving at all.
overall suchhhh a let down. i am so bummed that this sucked so bad because i really was so excited for it. what i thought would be my favorite book in the series turned out to be a victim of a rant review. and honestly the series just went downhill as a whole. but anyway, what should’ve been a legendary couple just turned out to be a lackluster story. i am glad i finished the series at least.
pre read
i expect angst, angst, and more angst 🫡
February 23, 2025
I think my final consensus on this series is that you should totally read the first book…and then maybe just stop there 😅 A low three stars for this installment and easily the lowest in the series.
This was…fine. Ish. I guess. There’s really not much to it, it doesn’t hit the killer vibes of the previous two books at all (she’s actually REALLY bad at it in ways that genuinely ruin the MMCs life???), and my god this book just would not END. The 75% mark should have been the ending, in my opinion. It’s neat and concise and a great place to wrap things up, but then the book continues on for more than 3 more HOURS (audiobook) to toss in unnecessary and predictable tropes and drag and drag and drag it’s way to an ending that just leaves you tapping your feet waiting for it to stop.
I was reading this with a friend and I’m dead serious he thought the Time Remaining was glitched when it said there was an hour and a half still to go because there was simply no way we still had AN HOUR AND A HALF left?? It was not glitched.
Brynne Weaver is really good at writing romantic and sexual tension and she excels at it here as well. Her ability to take non-erotic acts and write them erotically is one of my favorite things about her work and it shines here. The insulated relationship of these two characters is the shining point of the story, but unfortunately this wasn’t one where that’s enough to prop up the entire book. It’s unfortunately failed by the everything around that.
And now, please enjoy a random sampling of the text messages I was sending in my buddy read after the 75% mark (where I felt the book should have ended).
(no spoilers):
• There’s no reason to stretch this out another 3 hours, this should have just ended here with [redacted for spoilers]
• 2 and a half hours left. Great. Time for the MOST ANNOYING trope.
• Okay I guess we’re doing that now…what are we doing
• What’s going on for the next 2 hours?
• Why is it taking SO LONG?
• It’s not a coincidence that the first book is the best one and also the shortest
• [image of time remaining showing an hour and a half] How
• [a reply to the previous image] How has it only been 15 minutes since this?
• I wonder if there’s some like author interview or something at the end bc how is it possible there’s another hour of this? (Note: there is not, lmao)
• The rating has been steadily going down for the last two hours
• What the fuck are we doing just END THE BOOK
• [itsdone.gif]
• [replying to the “there’s no reason to stretch this out another 3 hours…” message] This was 2 years ago
This was…fine. Ish. I guess. There’s really not much to it, it doesn’t hit the killer vibes of the previous two books at all (she’s actually REALLY bad at it in ways that genuinely ruin the MMCs life???), and my god this book just would not END. The 75% mark should have been the ending, in my opinion. It’s neat and concise and a great place to wrap things up, but then the book continues on for more than 3 more HOURS (audiobook) to toss in unnecessary and predictable tropes and drag and drag and drag it’s way to an ending that just leaves you tapping your feet waiting for it to stop.
I was reading this with a friend and I’m dead serious he thought the Time Remaining was glitched when it said there was an hour and a half still to go because there was simply no way we still had AN HOUR AND A HALF left?? It was not glitched.
Brynne Weaver is really good at writing romantic and sexual tension and she excels at it here as well. Her ability to take non-erotic acts and write them erotically is one of my favorite things about her work and it shines here. The insulated relationship of these two characters is the shining point of the story, but unfortunately this wasn’t one where that’s enough to prop up the entire book. It’s unfortunately failed by the everything around that.
And now, please enjoy a random sampling of the text messages I was sending in my buddy read after the 75% mark (where I felt the book should have ended).
(no spoilers):
• There’s no reason to stretch this out another 3 hours, this should have just ended here with [redacted for spoilers]
• 2 and a half hours left. Great. Time for the MOST ANNOYING trope.
• Okay I guess we’re doing that now…what are we doing
• What’s going on for the next 2 hours?
• Why is it taking SO LONG?
• It’s not a coincidence that the first book is the best one and also the shortest
• [image of time remaining showing an hour and a half] How
• [a reply to the previous image] How has it only been 15 minutes since this?
• I wonder if there’s some like author interview or something at the end bc how is it possible there’s another hour of this? (Note: there is not, lmao)
• The rating has been steadily going down for the last two hours
• What the fuck are we doing just END THE BOOK
• [itsdone.gif]
• [replying to the “there’s no reason to stretch this out another 3 hours…” message] This was 2 years ago
March 4, 2025
I’m happy to report that S&S was MUCH better after the disappointment that was L&L. The only thing I was super anxious about was the whole Claire thing but honestly, I shouldn’t have been nervous because apart from a brief mention, there was absolutely no other drama. Plus, Fionn wasn’t hung up on his ex and was into Rose from the get go thank fuck hahah😅 Rose is def my fave FMC from this series and an absolute badass lol. Fionn was a great character as well and I really enjoyed seeing their relationship progress. Wasn’t a fan of how the fwb relationship was prolonged for a year and that we didn’t get to see a proper relationship until the end. Also personally, I would have liked to see Fionn suffer a bit more after the third act breakup but that’s just me lmao. He did get Rose’s heartbeat tattooed so there’s that ig🫣 I would have liked him to be more possessive but I digress. Overall, this was a fun read with quite a bit of angst towards the end but enjoyable nonetheless. A good end to this series, I’d say🫡
Safety squad:
- no OW/OM drama (H proposed to his ex but she shot him down; he realised that he wanted a certain type of life rather than her and never really loved her. Some jealousy moments from the H when OM tries to flirt with the h but nothing major)
- no cheating/sharing (there’s a scene that initially looks like the h hooking up with OM but it’s not the case lol)
- no condoms
- celibate MCs (H for 4 years, h for 1 year)
- HEA with engagement/marriage (in the bonus chapter)
***
ETA #3: I'm going to start this soon (and by soon I mean hopefully this month but seeing how slow I am with my current reads, this'll probably be my first read of march lol💀) Also THANK FUCK FIONN IS OVER CLAIRE AND ONLY PROPOSED BECAUSE HE THOUGHT HE HAD TO AND NOT BECAUSE SHE WAS THE GREATEST LOVE OF HIS LIFE whew😄 Gonna keep y'all updated with my thoughts on S&S (once I start obv) since I didn't really enjoy L&L :)
ETA #2: Y'ALL ISTFG I'M GONNA BE SICK IF FIONN ISN'T OVER CLAIRE😭 I'm hoping that never really loved Claire but just proposed to her because he thought that's what the next stage in a relationship should be. There's this scene in L&L where Lachlan mentions that Fionn was "shattered" after Claire rejected his proposal. Also I fucking HATE Claire. That bitch had the audacity to hit on Lachlan after rejecting his brother??? TF BITCH??? I really don't want Rose to get caught up in this mess and drama because I love her and she deserves the world🫶🏾🫶🏾🫶🏾
ETA: It's Rose and Fionn's book WEEEEE🤪 Shit's gonna be chaotic asf and I'M. SO. HERE. FOR. IT. Also, please please PLEASE let there be no OW drama. I know that Fionn previously proposed to Claire but was rejected so I'm hoping that he's over her/never really loved her PLEASE LORD😭 This is one of my anticipated reads!!!
***
PLEASE TELL ME THAT THIS IS FIONN AND ROSE'S BOOK😭😭😭 it's not a want at this point...IT'S A NEED
Safety squad:
- no OW/OM drama (H proposed to his ex but she shot him down; he realised that he wanted a certain type of life rather than her and never really loved her. Some jealousy moments from the H when OM tries to flirt with the h but nothing major)
- no cheating/sharing (there’s a scene that initially looks like the h hooking up with OM but it’s not the case lol)
- no condoms
- celibate MCs (H for 4 years, h for 1 year)
- HEA with engagement/marriage (in the bonus chapter)
***
ETA #3: I'm going to start this soon (and by soon I mean hopefully this month but seeing how slow I am with my current reads, this'll probably be my first read of march lol💀) Also THANK FUCK FIONN IS OVER CLAIRE AND ONLY PROPOSED BECAUSE HE THOUGHT HE HAD TO AND NOT BECAUSE SHE WAS THE GREATEST LOVE OF HIS LIFE whew😄 Gonna keep y'all updated with my thoughts on S&S (once I start obv) since I didn't really enjoy L&L :)
ETA #2: Y'ALL ISTFG I'M GONNA BE SICK IF FIONN ISN'T OVER CLAIRE😭 I'm hoping that never really loved Claire but just proposed to her because he thought that's what the next stage in a relationship should be. There's this scene in L&L where Lachlan mentions that Fionn was "shattered" after Claire rejected his proposal. Also I fucking HATE Claire. That bitch had the audacity to hit on Lachlan after rejecting his brother??? TF BITCH??? I really don't want Rose to get caught up in this mess and drama because I love her and she deserves the world🫶🏾🫶🏾🫶🏾
ETA: It's Rose and Fionn's book WEEEEE🤪 Shit's gonna be chaotic asf and I'M. SO. HERE. FOR. IT. Also, please please PLEASE let there be no OW drama. I know that Fionn previously proposed to Claire but was rejected so I'm hoping that he's over her/never really loved her PLEASE LORD😭 This is one of my anticipated reads!!!
***
PLEASE TELL ME THAT THIS IS FIONN AND ROSE'S BOOK😭😭😭 it's not a want at this point...IT'S A NEED
February 13, 2025
I love you, I'm not letting you go, I never will.
4.5 stars
Happy to report that Fionn was indeed freaky✌ but was he the freakiest? I would say he's a close second to Rowan, but yeah he was HOT.
I really enjoyed this one, and it's probably my second favorite after B & B. It was funny, murdery and hot and all things you would expect from this trilogy.
I loved Rose and Fionn and their dynamic. They had such domestic feel to them from the very beginning and it was just so adorable to me😅 Rose was sweet and funny; she was a killer that still got queasy at the sight of blood and gore and that made her so endearing to me😅 Fionn was this sexy doctor who CROCHETS AND WATCHES REALITY DATING TV SHOWS, but also has a dark side he is scared to embrace.
Their romance was so 😩😩🥺🥺🥺 My man drove 13 hours to see her perform but she never even saw him, he just wanted to make sure she was okay😭 HE GOT A TATTOO OF HER HEARTBEAT!! Also the letterss???? No I was melting that was so cute!! The spice though??? That bonus chapter?? Listening to that in duet style and an Irish accent???? Need I say more?????????????? 🔥🔥🔥
Overall, this was silly spicy goofy fun time, and if you were a fan of the first two books, I'm pretty sure you will have fun with this one! B & B will always be the best for me though, maybe because of its novelty at the time I read it or Rowan being so freaking hot in that book?
“It's okay to love your darkness and still love yourself. It doesn't make you a bad person. It makes you a whole one.”
___________________________________________________________
pre-read
I have a feeling Fionn is going to be the freakiest brother🤭 Will report back ✌
4.5 stars
Happy to report that Fionn was indeed freaky✌ but was he the freakiest? I would say he's a close second to Rowan, but yeah he was HOT.
I really enjoyed this one, and it's probably my second favorite after B & B. It was funny, murdery and hot and all things you would expect from this trilogy.
I loved Rose and Fionn and their dynamic. They had such domestic feel to them from the very beginning and it was just so adorable to me😅 Rose was sweet and funny; she was a killer that still got queasy at the sight of blood and gore and that made her so endearing to me😅 Fionn was this sexy doctor who CROCHETS AND WATCHES REALITY DATING TV SHOWS, but also has a dark side he is scared to embrace.
Their romance was so 😩😩🥺🥺🥺 My man drove 13 hours to see her perform but she never even saw him, he just wanted to make sure she was okay😭 HE GOT A TATTOO OF HER HEARTBEAT!! Also the letterss???? No I was melting that was so cute!! The spice though??? That bonus chapter?? Listening to that in duet style and an Irish accent???? Need I say more?????????????? 🔥🔥🔥
Overall, this was silly spicy goofy fun time, and if you were a fan of the first two books, I'm pretty sure you will have fun with this one! B & B will always be the best for me though, maybe because of its novelty at the time I read it or Rowan being so freaking hot in that book?
“It's okay to love your darkness and still love yourself. It doesn't make you a bad person. It makes you a whole one.”
___________________________________________________________
pre-read
I have a feeling Fionn is going to be the freakiest brother🤭 Will report back ✌
February 14, 2025
I KNEW THIS WOULD BE MY FAVORITE!! Even before it was released, I had a feeling, and BOOM—confirmed. This is how you do dark romance!!! 🎭🩸
Fionn Kane = nerdy, freaky, and HOT AF. 🔥 Our sexy little doctor is out here stitching people up, crocheting, and watching reality dating shows while also having a dark side he’s terrified to embrace??? Sir, please marry me. Meanwhile, Rose is a chaotic, stabby little menace who’s supposed to be an assassin but gets queasy at the sight of blood. GIRL, PLS. 😂 But somehow, this makes her even more adorable. Their chemistry? ELECTRIC. Their friends-with-benefits-but-also-murder dynamic? Perfection. 💀💋
Let’s talk tropes, babes:
✧ Friends with benefits but make it MURDERY 💘
✧ Small town romance ft. circus freaks 🎪
✧ Fish out of water bc Rose is SO not made for Nebraska 🏡
✧ Forced proximity (y’all know I love it) 💓
✧ Hurt/comfort—and oh, does Fionn comfort 🥹
✧ Touch her and die—LITERALLY ☠️
I was swooning every time Fionn just wanted to take care of her. 😭🥺 Like, sir, you are SO SOFT. And don’t even get me started on the spice. THAT BONUS CHAPTER???? I need everyone to experience it immediately. 🔥🔥🔥
The ending had me kicking my feet, giggling, and clutching my chest. Fionn and Rose were EVERYTHING. And of course, we need to talk about Barbara, Sandra, and the Suture Sisters. ICONIC. The humor, the absurdity, the balance of murder and mayhem with softness and yearning—Brynne Weaver really snapped.
If you loved the first two books, you’ll adore this. It’s silly, spicy, and stabby in the best ways. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to cry over the fact that this trilogy is over. 😭💔
P.S. Fionn was indeed freaky, but was he the freakiest Kane brother? 🤭 I’d say a close second to Rowan, but let’s discuss. ✌️
Fionn Kane = nerdy, freaky, and HOT AF. 🔥 Our sexy little doctor is out here stitching people up, crocheting, and watching reality dating shows while also having a dark side he’s terrified to embrace??? Sir, please marry me. Meanwhile, Rose is a chaotic, stabby little menace who’s supposed to be an assassin but gets queasy at the sight of blood. GIRL, PLS. 😂 But somehow, this makes her even more adorable. Their chemistry? ELECTRIC. Their friends-with-benefits-but-also-murder dynamic? Perfection. 💀💋
Let’s talk tropes, babes:
✧ Friends with benefits but make it MURDERY 💘
✧ Small town romance ft. circus freaks 🎪
✧ Fish out of water bc Rose is SO not made for Nebraska 🏡
✧ Forced proximity (y’all know I love it) 💓
✧ Hurt/comfort—and oh, does Fionn comfort 🥹
✧ Touch her and die—LITERALLY ☠️
I was swooning every time Fionn just wanted to take care of her. 😭🥺 Like, sir, you are SO SOFT. And don’t even get me started on the spice. THAT BONUS CHAPTER???? I need everyone to experience it immediately. 🔥🔥🔥
The ending had me kicking my feet, giggling, and clutching my chest. Fionn and Rose were EVERYTHING. And of course, we need to talk about Barbara, Sandra, and the Suture Sisters. ICONIC. The humor, the absurdity, the balance of murder and mayhem with softness and yearning—Brynne Weaver really snapped.
If you loved the first two books, you’ll adore this. It’s silly, spicy, and stabby in the best ways. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to cry over the fact that this trilogy is over. 😭💔
P.S. Fionn was indeed freaky, but was he the freakiest Kane brother? 🤭 I’d say a close second to Rowan, but let’s discuss. ✌️
February 25, 2025
The more I sit and think about this book I have to update my review because I am actually quite disappointed and I think I just forced myself to think this was better than it was. I will say, audio was perfection - Rose & Fionn had me freaking cackling and swooning!!
But the story, this was my least favorite of the three by far and now that it's a solid 2 weeks since I've finished.. I can honestly say, I don't really remember anything.
-dark romcom
-friends with benefits
-fish out of water
-forced proximity
-hurt/care
-touch her & die... literally
But the story, this was my least favorite of the three by far and now that it's a solid 2 weeks since I've finished.. I can honestly say, I don't really remember anything.
-dark romcom
-friends with benefits
-fish out of water
-forced proximity
-hurt/care
-touch her & die... literally
March 19, 2025
2⭐️
The way I was so let down by this book makes me so incredibly sad. 😭 I wanted to love it and there were parts that I did, however the bad just outweighed the good in this case.
First things first, the characters. I actually really loved Rose and Fionn! I really loved Rose's personality and how badass this girl was. If I were to experience a zombie apocalypse, this is the girl I'd want by my side. She was fiercely loyal and her heart was always open to others, even if it was begrudgingly. However, I didn't see much character growth on her end. She felt very static and stagnant, and I wish it would've dove a little deeper. We got some background, but that didn't really aid in her character progression which was disappointing. Fionn is such a sweetheart deep down. I mean, how can you not love the man? Loyal and lovable would be the best way to describe him honestly. Their banter and chemistry though? SPOT ON! They just meshed so well together and I think their connection was beautiful.
Now the plot...how do I say that this was so incredibly boring in the nicest way possible? The potential it had was astronomical and it could have been SO GOOD but, alas, it was poor. We start off the book with a bang and I could've seen it being a 4 star. I soon found out that was very short lived. There was ZERO substance to this book. While it was very character driven, that's not excuse for a piss-poor plot. I felt like I was reading sooooo slow because nothing was happening. A big part of me couldn't wait for this to be over. The "main" plot (the whole Matt Cranwell issue) should have been more fleshed out and it dragged on for ages with nothing happening for 50-100 pages at a time...CRIMINAL!
Overall, I think I've come to the realization that this author and her books probably aren't for me. I hated B&B and loved L&L, but 2 out of 3 misses for me is just too much for me to want to continue. Maybe I'll give one of her future books a chance, but this series was an overall miss for me. I have to say though, that the one common thing I liked through all of these books was the spice. It was extra, messy, and all over the place but I was here for it. I just wish that could've outweighed all the other blatant problems for me. 😅
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The first one in this series was a miss and the second was a hit for me, so I hope this doesn't disappoint 😅
The way I was so let down by this book makes me so incredibly sad. 😭 I wanted to love it and there were parts that I did, however the bad just outweighed the good in this case.
First things first, the characters. I actually really loved Rose and Fionn! I really loved Rose's personality and how badass this girl was. If I were to experience a zombie apocalypse, this is the girl I'd want by my side. She was fiercely loyal and her heart was always open to others, even if it was begrudgingly. However, I didn't see much character growth on her end. She felt very static and stagnant, and I wish it would've dove a little deeper. We got some background, but that didn't really aid in her character progression which was disappointing. Fionn is such a sweetheart deep down. I mean, how can you not love the man? Loyal and lovable would be the best way to describe him honestly. Their banter and chemistry though? SPOT ON! They just meshed so well together and I think their connection was beautiful.
Now the plot...how do I say that this was so incredibly boring in the nicest way possible? The potential it had was astronomical and it could have been SO GOOD but, alas, it was poor. We start off the book with a bang and I could've seen it being a 4 star. I soon found out that was very short lived. There was ZERO substance to this book. While it was very character driven, that's not excuse for a piss-poor plot. I felt like I was reading sooooo slow because nothing was happening. A big part of me couldn't wait for this to be over. The "main" plot (the whole Matt Cranwell issue) should have been more fleshed out and it dragged on for ages with nothing happening for 50-100 pages at a time...CRIMINAL!
Overall, I think I've come to the realization that this author and her books probably aren't for me. I hated B&B and loved L&L, but 2 out of 3 misses for me is just too much for me to want to continue. Maybe I'll give one of her future books a chance, but this series was an overall miss for me. I have to say though, that the one common thing I liked through all of these books was the spice. It was extra, messy, and all over the place but I was here for it. I just wish that could've outweighed all the other blatant problems for me. 😅
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The first one in this series was a miss and the second was a hit for me, so I hope this doesn't disappoint 😅
February 11, 2025
REVIEW TIME!!!
4.75/5 Stars
Look at the author's trigger warning!!!
While this book could be read as a standalone, this is book 3 of the Ruinous Love series.
ℙ𝕆𝕍: first person, dual perspectives
𝕄𝕪 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤:
When I first ARC read the indie version of B&B, I knew in my heart that this book and series would take off. Never did I imagine that Brynne would get the beautiful opportunity to share with an even larger crowd. I received the S&S ARC months ago, and let me just tell y'all, Fionn and Rose left me in such a rut. I had a hard time even writing this review because I knew I couldn't even begin to accurately rave about how wonderful this book is!
For those who've read this series, we've all met Fionn and Rose. Their story has been at the front of my brain since the very beginning, and I loved finally watching it play out! Fionn is our trusty doctor who is practicing in Nebraska, and Rose is a part of a traveling circus. Crazy circumstances cause the two to meet, and I guess you could say that rest is history.
Brynne has a way of infusing her books with laughs for days. Her books are the 1st I've really read of comedic dark romance, and they're definitely one of a kind. S&S was no different. To the trigger warnings, to the crocheting, and even our dear ole Barbara, I laughed hysterically! Rose kept our Fionn on his toes!🤣
Bravo, Brynne! I'm so incredibly proud of you. This series was a life changer for me, and I know for plenty of others as well! I hope this release exceeds everything you can imagine because you DESERVE IT!❤️
***EDIT***
Y'ALL, I'M HEADED IN! I'M SERIOUSLY SO GRATEFUL THAT I BECAME A PART OF BRYNNE'S ARC TEAM BEFORE SHE DID BIG THINGS LIKE BECOMING PUBLISHED! SHE'S ONE AUTHOR I'LL FOLLOW TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH FOR! ROSE AND FIONN, HERE I COME!
***NEWS UPDATE***
My heart is literally beating out of my chest for this! Is it bad that I hope Brynne extends this series past this trilogy??? I've already read all of her books, and B&B was top tier! I have no qualms about reading more about romcom serial unalivers!😏🫣🤣
4.75/5 Stars
Look at the author's trigger warning!!!
While this book could be read as a standalone, this is book 3 of the Ruinous Love series.
ℙ𝕆𝕍: first person, dual perspectives
𝕄𝕪 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤:
When I first ARC read the indie version of B&B, I knew in my heart that this book and series would take off. Never did I imagine that Brynne would get the beautiful opportunity to share with an even larger crowd. I received the S&S ARC months ago, and let me just tell y'all, Fionn and Rose left me in such a rut. I had a hard time even writing this review because I knew I couldn't even begin to accurately rave about how wonderful this book is!
For those who've read this series, we've all met Fionn and Rose. Their story has been at the front of my brain since the very beginning, and I loved finally watching it play out! Fionn is our trusty doctor who is practicing in Nebraska, and Rose is a part of a traveling circus. Crazy circumstances cause the two to meet, and I guess you could say that rest is history.
Brynne has a way of infusing her books with laughs for days. Her books are the 1st I've really read of comedic dark romance, and they're definitely one of a kind. S&S was no different. To the trigger warnings, to the crocheting, and even our dear ole Barbara, I laughed hysterically! Rose kept our Fionn on his toes!🤣
Bravo, Brynne! I'm so incredibly proud of you. This series was a life changer for me, and I know for plenty of others as well! I hope this release exceeds everything you can imagine because you DESERVE IT!❤️
***EDIT***
Y'ALL, I'M HEADED IN! I'M SERIOUSLY SO GRATEFUL THAT I BECAME A PART OF BRYNNE'S ARC TEAM BEFORE SHE DID BIG THINGS LIKE BECOMING PUBLISHED! SHE'S ONE AUTHOR I'LL FOLLOW TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH FOR! ROSE AND FIONN, HERE I COME!
***NEWS UPDATE***
My heart is literally beating out of my chest for this! Is it bad that I hope Brynne extends this series past this trilogy??? I've already read all of her books, and B&B was top tier! I have no qualms about reading more about romcom serial unalivers!😏🫣🤣
July 4, 2024
I wish there were more Kane brothers cause I don't think three books will be enough.
February 17, 2025
Blegh. So boring and so disappointing, I swear aside from Butcher and Blackbird this series is completely underwhelming. The lack of chemistry and the forced nature of Fionn and Rose’s relationship was off putting. For a dark romance that's supposed to be laced with humor and unhinged quirkiness, this book was just uninspired and drab. The first 30% was decent, but then the whole plot veered in a completely different direction and left me bored. The clear antagonist of the book was nowhere to be seen and when they did come back, the climax was so very dry and tiresome. People talk about the traditional publishing curse and I truly believe it now, the whole series has gone downhill.
Final Series Ranking:
Butcher and Blackbird- 5 Stars
Leather and Lark- 3 Stars
Scythe and Sparrow- 2.5 Stars
Final Series Ranking:
Butcher and Blackbird- 5 Stars
Leather and Lark- 3 Stars
Scythe and Sparrow- 2.5 Stars
July 12, 2025
“it's okay to love your darkness and still love yourself. it doesn't make you a bad person. it makes you a whole one.”
the grand finale of the ruinous love trilogy, a series that dared to ask "can serial killers have adorable meet-cutes?" or "can murder be a love language?" yes, it absolutely can. but reading scythe & sparrow felt like going into a circus ring and getting distracted by cotton candy.
₊˚꒰ 🧡 ꒱ ⊹ i. plot and romance. ₊˚⊹ ꒱
rose evans is a motorcycle stunt performer who, when she's not trying to defy death, decides that murdering abusers sounds like a great hobby to have. unfortunately, rose is better at giving tarot readings than murder. after one of her brilliant crimes (one that would take a jury 0.4 seconds to convict her for) leaves her with a broken leg, she ends up in the care of small-town doctor fionn kane, a man who crochets to suppress his homicidal urges.
now, you'd think a book about killers and murderous chaos would have some action, right? amazing plot twists? cool stabby-stabby excitement? WRONG. nothing. happens. for pages and pages and pages.
rose and fionn start off with a purely physical arrangement because fionn is emotionally repressed and refuses to acknowledge he has feelings like a normal person. the tension between the two felt so lifeless it could legally be declared dead. there’s NO excitement or chemistry. i feel like i’ve read grocery lists with more passion. there was a raccoon named barbara, and i was more invested in her well-being than their snoozefest of a love story.
also, despite all odds and ta-da moments, this book manages to be one of the most uneventful things i've ever read. to me, the action didn’t feel thrilling enough. in fact, nothing in this book made me feel anything. in the spirit of honesty, reading the directions on how to heat up frozen mac and cheese in a microwave was more interesting than this.
₊˚꒰ 🎪 ꒱ ⊹ ii. conclusion. ₊˚⊹ ꒱
listen, you guys, i wanted to love this book. i loved butcher & blackbird, i loved them in the first book, and i love morally gray characters, dark humor, amazing banter, hot murderers falling in love and whatnot. and yet, somehow, this book made me feel like i was trapped in an inside joke that i wasn’t cool enough to understand.
for a book full of clowns, i felt like the biggest clown there was.
— 1.5 stars. ⋆˚☆˖°
.° ༘🎧⋆ favourite quotes 🖇₊˚ෆ
“it wasn’t really by choice. but i’d take a raccoon to the face for you any day, rose evans.”
“i don’t just want part of her. i want all of her. i want to consume these boundaries between us until i finally feel whole.”
“if you hit someone in the back of the head hard enough, you can pop their eyeballs right out of their face.”
“i finally realize i don’t care about the illusion of light anymore. my rose blooms in the dark. and all i want is to grow there with her.”
☾⋆⁺₊🎧 ✧ ₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ.
₊˚꒰ 🌷 ꒱ ⊹ pre-review.
↳ finished on 02.23.25.
for the life of me, i cannot remember what happens in this book other than a drug-addicted raccoon.
₊˚⊹ ᰔ pre-read.
↳ started on 02.10.25.
taking a break from xaddy riorson to have brynne weaver ruin another food for me.
Read
February 15, 2025nope.
DNF at 10%.
I couldn’t take the fragmented sentences any longer.
Honestly I’m really sad about this. Butcher & Blackbird is one of my favorite dark romances ever and I was so excited for both Leather & Lark and Scythe & Sparrow, but book 2&3 both fell incredibly flat. But not only that, it felt as if book 2&3 were written by a completely different person than book 1. I’m pretty sure I’m crazy experiencing this, but who knows, maybe I’m not alone in this feeling.
Scythe & Sparrow has the potential to be incredible, but fragmented sentences drew me completely out of the story. It felt like I was reading a to do list instead of a story. Does that make sense?
I hold Butcher & Blackbird close to my heart and will forever continue too, but book 2&3 were really not for me and it actually makes me upset because I was so excited to read this book.
DNF at 10%.
I couldn’t take the fragmented sentences any longer.
Honestly I’m really sad about this. Butcher & Blackbird is one of my favorite dark romances ever and I was so excited for both Leather & Lark and Scythe & Sparrow, but book 2&3 both fell incredibly flat. But not only that, it felt as if book 2&3 were written by a completely different person than book 1. I’m pretty sure I’m crazy experiencing this, but who knows, maybe I’m not alone in this feeling.
Scythe & Sparrow has the potential to be incredible, but fragmented sentences drew me completely out of the story. It felt like I was reading a to do list instead of a story. Does that make sense?
I hold Butcher & Blackbird close to my heart and will forever continue too, but book 2&3 were really not for me and it actually makes me upset because I was so excited to read this book.
March 5, 2025
Well narrated but the story was so disappointing.
It seemed like Weaver was just trying to outdo her sex scenes in previous books, but forgot to build the relationship, the suspense or work on the plot. This is just many many explicit sex scenes (not nearly as edgy as the first book) in between a lot of inner monologues of both of them wanting each other but resisting that want for no good reason. Over and over, rinse and repeat.
There was little thrill in this thriller and even though I really liked both characters, I didn’t feel their connection and missed Weaver’s usual dark suspense. Yes, Rose is a murderous serial killer, but why? None of that is well developed. Too much time is spent on her cum obsession and him thinking he was too dark for her (too dark for a freaking lady murderer, my eyes kept rolling). The inner torture he had was silly and went on too long. And it was basically the entire plot.
I’m so disappointed with this ending. It does not measure up to either of the previous books. It feels rushed and like she was relying on the plots from previous books too much and didn’t bother really digging into this one.
It gets three stars because the narration was good and the writing ok (not her best) but not sure if I will bother reading anything else by this author as I think butcher and blackbird was a one hit for me.
Book five in my reading Canadian authors for 2025.
**********************
Yay! It’s out AND it’s my birthday!
Yaaaaay!
Audiobook preordered for my birthday!
(My birthday is launch day if anyone wants to send me gifts)
It seemed like Weaver was just trying to outdo her sex scenes in previous books, but forgot to build the relationship, the suspense or work on the plot. This is just many many explicit sex scenes (not nearly as edgy as the first book) in between a lot of inner monologues of both of them wanting each other but resisting that want for no good reason. Over and over, rinse and repeat.
There was little thrill in this thriller and even though I really liked both characters, I didn’t feel their connection and missed Weaver’s usual dark suspense. Yes, Rose is a murderous serial killer, but why? None of that is well developed. Too much time is spent on her cum obsession and him thinking he was too dark for her (too dark for a freaking lady murderer, my eyes kept rolling). The inner torture he had was silly and went on too long. And it was basically the entire plot.
I’m so disappointed with this ending. It does not measure up to either of the previous books. It feels rushed and like she was relying on the plots from previous books too much and didn’t bother really digging into this one.
It gets three stars because the narration was good and the writing ok (not her best) but not sure if I will bother reading anything else by this author as I think butcher and blackbird was a one hit for me.
Book five in my reading Canadian authors for 2025.
**********************
Yay! It’s out AND it’s my birthday!
Yaaaaay!
Audiobook preordered for my birthday!
(My birthday is launch day if anyone wants to send me gifts)
February 23, 2025
Fionn Kane, 😭😭 Oh how I really thought you’d be my second favorite after Rowan Kane before reading the book, but now your place has been taken by Lachlan Kane. 🫥
👀 Fionn is great—there’s no doubt about that—but I preferred Lachlan's story and plot more than Fionn's. 😭 The plot of S&S was good, but not as captivating as L&L—sorry! 😭
Rose Evans and Barbara are my favorites! 😍😘🌷Rose has so much potential 👀, and she’s now my second favorite, she stole Lark’s place!
*Inhale, Exhale.* The story started with a lot of interest, and I was already hooked. 😗Rose is definitely a diva; she has that aura. 🙂↕️My favorite scene was when she treated Naomi’s husband with so much love. 🥰🥰🥰 IYKYK. Even when she started living with Fionn, I was invested, but when she returned to Silveria Circus, I felt a bit bored (just a bit), and I skimmed through some pages. But, the story took a great turn, and I was hooked again.🖤🧡🖤🧡
Is Fionn freaky? Yes, but not… really. That broody guy Lachlan definitely caught my attention after reading this book. CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT? 😭
I was going to give it four stars since my expectations were high 🥲 cuz I liked Fionn from the B&B, but after finishing this book, I’m going to give it three stars. I love Rose and like Fionn, but their story could have been better.
Am I disappointed? Umm… not really. (Just a bit. 😭 Sorry.)
🙌 Barbara 🙌
👀 Fionn is great—there’s no doubt about that—but I preferred Lachlan's story and plot more than Fionn's. 😭 The plot of S&S was good, but not as captivating as L&L—sorry! 😭
Rose Evans and Barbara are my favorites! 😍😘🌷Rose has so much potential 👀, and she’s now my second favorite, she stole Lark’s place!
*Inhale, Exhale.* The story started with a lot of interest, and I was already hooked. 😗Rose is definitely a diva; she has that aura. 🙂↕️My favorite scene was when she treated Naomi’s husband with so much love. 🥰🥰🥰 IYKYK. Even when she started living with Fionn, I was invested, but when she returned to Silveria Circus, I felt a bit bored (just a bit), and I skimmed through some pages. But, the story took a great turn, and I was hooked again.🖤🧡🖤🧡
Is Fionn freaky? Yes, but not… really. That broody guy Lachlan definitely caught my attention after reading this book. CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT? 😭
I was going to give it four stars since my expectations were high 🥲 cuz I liked Fionn from the B&B, but after finishing this book, I’m going to give it three stars. I love Rose and like Fionn, but their story could have been better.
Am I disappointed? Umm… not really. (Just a bit. 😭 Sorry.)
🙌 Barbara 🙌
March 1, 2025
3.5 ⭐️ Listen to this book instead of reading because the audiobook is f*cking amazing!!
WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ dark rom-com
✨ small town romance
✨ vigilante serial killers
✨ doctor x circus performer
✨ forced proximity
✨ friends with benefits
✨ he falls first and hard
✨ 3.5/5 🌶️
✨ HEA
✨ dual POV
✨ TW: murder, gore, domestic abuse (past), patricide (past). Check the author's TW before reading.
My Thoughts:
Audiobook rating: 5⭐️ For the narrators alone. Seriously, the Irish accent has me 💦🔥🥵
Story rating: 3⭐️ I like the MCs, but I don’t know if I truly felt their connection.
I liked Fionne and Rose just fine. I wouldn't say I LOVE them but they were likable individually and their unusual friendship was sweet. It was VERY insta-love, at least on Fionne's end, to where I didn't understand why he was so drawn to Rose. There is an explanation for it but it wasn't realistic or believable in my opinion. Instead of focusing on this hangup, I ignored it and ended up enjoying how the romance developed.
Fionne and Rose both have traumas. Fionne's makes sense and his character felt a lot more developed and fleshed out than Rose. Rose's explanation for killing abusers is because she had been abused (hit by a partner). I believe that's it. Maybe I missed something else but if that's it, damn. Seems like a leap going from being hit by a partner to killing a bunch of random men you don't know. I don't want to say I needed her to be more traumatized, but I would have liked a bit more insight into her psyche and really understanding how she got to this point.
Also, the fact Rose never got caught even though she's really bad at killing was very unbelievable. I mean, in the book Rose tries to kill one (he lives) and almost gets killed herself, and then the other men she kills but she leaves a messy crime scene and ends up needing help. She's not smart enough (like Sloane) to pull this off. So the only reason she succeeds is by sheer dumb luck, and it's just not realistic that her luck hasn't run out.
The spice was good. Some of it was not my cup of tea but it was hot listening to just because of the male narrator. His Irish accent is so fucking hot. I'd be down to listen to just about anything coming from him. 💦🔥🥵
This story had a few scenes that coincided with moments from the previous books, which made it feel like the book wasn't quite its own. It totally works and makes sense but at the same time, I just didn't love that we were getting repeat scenes but from different perspectives.
There were a lot of time jumps, which made the story feel disjointed. Doing this in a romance always leaves me feeling unsatisfied because there's clearly a lot of moments of the developing relationship we're missing.
Overall, the Scythe and Sparrow audiobook was entertaining and I had a great time. I 100% would recommend it if you've read the other books in the series.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ dark rom-com
✨ small town romance
✨ vigilante serial killers
✨ doctor x circus performer
✨ forced proximity
✨ friends with benefits
✨ he falls first and hard
✨ 3.5/5 🌶️
✨ HEA
✨ dual POV
✨ TW: murder, gore, domestic abuse (past), patricide (past). Check the author's TW before reading.
My Thoughts:
Audiobook rating: 5⭐️ For the narrators alone. Seriously, the Irish accent has me 💦🔥🥵
Story rating: 3⭐️ I like the MCs, but I don’t know if I truly felt their connection.
I liked Fionne and Rose just fine. I wouldn't say I LOVE them but they were likable individually and their unusual friendship was sweet. It was VERY insta-love, at least on Fionne's end, to where I didn't understand why he was so drawn to Rose. There is an explanation for it but it wasn't realistic or believable in my opinion. Instead of focusing on this hangup, I ignored it and ended up enjoying how the romance developed.
Fionne and Rose both have traumas. Fionne's makes sense and his character felt a lot more developed and fleshed out than Rose. Rose's explanation for killing abusers is because she had been abused (hit by a partner). I believe that's it. Maybe I missed something else but if that's it, damn. Seems like a leap going from being hit by a partner to killing a bunch of random men you don't know. I don't want to say I needed her to be more traumatized, but I would have liked a bit more insight into her psyche and really understanding how she got to this point.
Also, the fact Rose never got caught even though she's really bad at killing was very unbelievable. I mean, in the book Rose tries to kill one (he lives) and almost gets killed herself, and then the other men she kills but she leaves a messy crime scene and ends up needing help. She's not smart enough (like Sloane) to pull this off. So the only reason she succeeds is by sheer dumb luck, and it's just not realistic that her luck hasn't run out.
The spice was good. Some of it was not my cup of tea but it was hot listening to just because of the male narrator. His Irish accent is so fucking hot. I'd be down to listen to just about anything coming from him. 💦🔥🥵
This story had a few scenes that coincided with moments from the previous books, which made it feel like the book wasn't quite its own. It totally works and makes sense but at the same time, I just didn't love that we were getting repeat scenes but from different perspectives.
There were a lot of time jumps, which made the story feel disjointed. Doing this in a romance always leaves me feeling unsatisfied because there's clearly a lot of moments of the developing relationship we're missing.
Overall, the Scythe and Sparrow audiobook was entertaining and I had a great time. I 100% would recommend it if you've read the other books in the series.
February 21, 2025
2/5
I don't understand what happened to this series. Butcher and Blackbird was in my top 5 reads of 2024, it had me giggling and kicking my feet. It was gross and cute and funny, truly a serial killer rom com. But it feels like Brynne gave everything she had to Butcher and Blackbird and did not leave anything for the rest of this series. Leather and Lark was *passable* but this book gave us nothing. 😞
Honestly the raccoon kind of carried.
I don't understand what happened to this series. Butcher and Blackbird was in my top 5 reads of 2024, it had me giggling and kicking my feet. It was gross and cute and funny, truly a serial killer rom com. But it feels like Brynne gave everything she had to Butcher and Blackbird and did not leave anything for the rest of this series. Leather and Lark was *passable* but this book gave us nothing. 😞
Honestly the raccoon kind of carried.
February 9, 2025
when I tell you this book is EVERYTHING I wanted.
It has the crazy murdery plot like BB and the romance, character development of LL, mixed with humor, spice and family.
Rose is hilarious in her quest to do right by women who have been hurt. She just can’t seem to get murder done easily. And Fionn is ALWAYS there to help her. No matter the consequences.
Their friendship, to lovers was such a breath of fresh air. It felt realistic, yet hopeful. The pining, the YEARNING. And the end omfg.
this is a story about loving the dark part of you and letting the person you love the most, see the darkness - and them loving you because of it. OBSESSED
5/5 no notes.
Thank you for the early copy BW and Zando
It has the crazy murdery plot like BB and the romance, character development of LL, mixed with humor, spice and family.
Rose is hilarious in her quest to do right by women who have been hurt. She just can’t seem to get murder done easily. And Fionn is ALWAYS there to help her. No matter the consequences.
Their friendship, to lovers was such a breath of fresh air. It felt realistic, yet hopeful. The pining, the YEARNING. And the end omfg.
this is a story about loving the dark part of you and letting the person you love the most, see the darkness - and them loving you because of it. OBSESSED
5/5 no notes.
Thank you for the early copy BW and Zando
February 22, 2025
I loved each book in this trilogy and it looks like we could be getting at least one more book in this world! Yea! I know there are people with big feelings about these books—most love B&B, didn't like the second, and kinda like the third. For me each book was unique—each couple had an interesting love story all their own. I rate them equally 5 stars, though I do think B&B is the most graphic and shocking (or maybe I just got used to the serial killer grossness after the first book?). Fionn is a great hero. I enjoyed his journey of self discovery, which is saying something because men are rarely as complex or interesting as women. Rose and her chaos was a good balance to Fionn. I loved the wit and the humor (Barbara is a special fav). I also loved that they talked to each other instead of dragging on with the misunderstanding stuff. These books are unlike anything I've read before, which I also enjoyed. I will definitely keep an eye on Brynne Weaver's release schedule! She is now an auto buy!
January 3, 2025
I’m sobbing because it’s over but grateful for it happening. What a hell of a way to wrap up the ruinous love trilogy. Fionn, our (not so) soft baby doctor, and Rose, our vigilante tarot card reading badass are a match made in heaven. Their tension between one another was thick enough to cut with a knife and the spice was SPICING! The ending was everything I wanted and more! I can’t wait to listen to it again next month when the audiobook releases! Thank you so so SO much Brynne Weaver, Zando, and Netgalley for this ARC.
February 11, 2025
Is it too much to ask that my books with cotton candy butt plugs also have complete sentences? Or at the very least, not have weird scene breaks?
Fragments aside, this was just boring. Butcher & Blackbird was clearly an anomaly because both Leather & Lark and now Scythe & Sparrow have been huge disappointments. The Insta-love was a boner killer, the gore wasn’t gore-ing, the tension wasn’t there, and the sentences weren’t completing.
Here, I’ll show ya:
I can’t make out the words. But the rage in his voice is clear. Louder and louder until it feels like the windows will crack. The house is alive with it. And then crash, something thrown inside. And a scream.
Sorry? This is a trad pub book. That means it should have had a trad pub editor. Since it very clearly didn’t, I’ll do it now.
I cant make out the words, but the rage in his voice is clear enough for me to hear from the outside. The sounds are getting louder and louder; I fear the windows might crack. The house appears alive with rage. I hear it then: a crash, like something or someone was thrown, followed by a piercing scream.
It’s really not that hard and I’m getting so tired of indie authors getting picked up for trad and having zero edits done to their work because publishers just assume “consumers know what they’re getting, let’s save money on copy editing because they’re here for fun, not function.”
YOU CAN HAVE BOTH!
Sentence structure lecture over. The last thing I’ll speak on were those annoying weird scene breaks. I’m not sure if it was a formatting issue because I read it on my kindle, but a tense scene would be happening and then, out of nowhere, there would be that typical scene break indicator placed right in between an action or conversation?
Just another miss from editing, I guess.
Fragments aside, this was just boring. Butcher & Blackbird was clearly an anomaly because both Leather & Lark and now Scythe & Sparrow have been huge disappointments. The Insta-love was a boner killer, the gore wasn’t gore-ing, the tension wasn’t there, and the sentences weren’t completing.
Here, I’ll show ya:
I can’t make out the words. But the rage in his voice is clear. Louder and louder until it feels like the windows will crack. The house is alive with it. And then crash, something thrown inside. And a scream.
Sorry? This is a trad pub book. That means it should have had a trad pub editor. Since it very clearly didn’t, I’ll do it now.
I cant make out the words, but the rage in his voice is clear enough for me to hear from the outside. The sounds are getting louder and louder; I fear the windows might crack. The house appears alive with rage. I hear it then: a crash, like something or someone was thrown, followed by a piercing scream.
It’s really not that hard and I’m getting so tired of indie authors getting picked up for trad and having zero edits done to their work because publishers just assume “consumers know what they’re getting, let’s save money on copy editing because they’re here for fun, not function.”
YOU CAN HAVE BOTH!
Sentence structure lecture over. The last thing I’ll speak on were those annoying weird scene breaks. I’m not sure if it was a formatting issue because I read it on my kindle, but a tense scene would be happening and then, out of nowhere, there would be that typical scene break indicator placed right in between an action or conversation?
Just another miss from editing, I guess.
April 27, 2025
This was my least favorite of the three books. I was hoping that I would’ve enjoyed this more and while I still did, it was just “okay” to me and had a lot of problems.
Scythe & Sparrow felt like it was lacking the spark that the other two books had. While it did have the same elements as the other two books (to some extent) it just felt more, watered down.
The chemistry between Rose and Fionn didn’t feel as strong to me as with the other two couples and I honestly felt like their characters weren’t as developed as those in the prior two either. The story wasn’t as strong or enticing. A lot of this story revolved around Rose needing to take it easy because of her leg injury so it felt as though there was less murder (sigh) and when there was a murder, Rose seemed so inexperienced and that’s because she was. I can appreciate the fact that maybe the author decided to write a character that had less experience because let’s be honest.. what are the odds that all three brothers turn out to be serial killers with serial killer wives/girlfriends? But I missed the well established signature kills that the other two books had. I wanted more finesse and murder!
I also struggled with how Fionn was constantly saving Rose during her murderous escapades. She felt like a weaker FMC to me because of this. Not only that, but the pacing was crazy fast. Rose meets Fionn and I suppose it could happen given his history, but it took me out of the moment because it felt unrealistic. Not that these books are striving for realism, but I hope you get what I mean.
I’m also so sad to say that I didn’t really enjoy their sex scenes either. I thought (again) that the other two books had spicier and more exciting sex scenes.
Their story just ultimately was not my favorite out of the three books. Butcher & Blackbird will forever be my favorite and Leather & Lark was a close second.
What I did love though was the humor, as always. And Barbara! I NEEDED more Barbara in my life. I thought the circus was interesting as well and I honestly wish that we had more detailed scenes involving the circus. It would’ve been awesome to get a scene showcasing Rose in the motorcycle cage or see more of her as a tarot reader. I always get excited too when the previous characters get page-time in the new books. I was so happy to see Sloane and Lark again and I love how all of the women interact together. The crocheting was a surprise that I found I enjoyed as well. I loved the Suture Sisters scene.
I don’t know if the author plans to write more books like this or not, but I would love to see more murderous romances like this. I’ll 100% continue to read this author even if this last book didn't hit the mark for me. Problems aside, I did still really enjoy reading this and almost read it completely in one sitting.
TW: sexual content, gun violence, violence, murder, animal cruelty, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, gore, vomit, medical content, injury detail, kidnapping, medical trauma, stalking
StoryGraph Review
Fable Review
Scythe & Sparrow felt like it was lacking the spark that the other two books had. While it did have the same elements as the other two books (to some extent) it just felt more, watered down.
The chemistry between Rose and Fionn didn’t feel as strong to me as with the other two couples and I honestly felt like their characters weren’t as developed as those in the prior two either. The story wasn’t as strong or enticing. A lot of this story revolved around Rose needing to take it easy because of her leg injury so it felt as though there was less murder (sigh) and when there was a murder, Rose seemed so inexperienced and that’s because she was. I can appreciate the fact that maybe the author decided to write a character that had less experience because let’s be honest.. what are the odds that all three brothers turn out to be serial killers with serial killer wives/girlfriends? But I missed the well established signature kills that the other two books had. I wanted more finesse and murder!
I also struggled with how Fionn was constantly saving Rose during her murderous escapades. She felt like a weaker FMC to me because of this. Not only that, but the pacing was crazy fast. Rose meets Fionn and I suppose it could happen given his history, but it took me out of the moment because it felt unrealistic. Not that these books are striving for realism, but I hope you get what I mean.
I’m also so sad to say that I didn’t really enjoy their sex scenes either. I thought (again) that the other two books had spicier and more exciting sex scenes.
Their story just ultimately was not my favorite out of the three books. Butcher & Blackbird will forever be my favorite and Leather & Lark was a close second.
What I did love though was the humor, as always. And Barbara! I NEEDED more Barbara in my life. I thought the circus was interesting as well and I honestly wish that we had more detailed scenes involving the circus. It would’ve been awesome to get a scene showcasing Rose in the motorcycle cage or see more of her as a tarot reader. I always get excited too when the previous characters get page-time in the new books. I was so happy to see Sloane and Lark again and I love how all of the women interact together. The crocheting was a surprise that I found I enjoyed as well. I loved the Suture Sisters scene.
I don’t know if the author plans to write more books like this or not, but I would love to see more murderous romances like this. I’ll 100% continue to read this author even if this last book didn't hit the mark for me. Problems aside, I did still really enjoy reading this and almost read it completely in one sitting.
TW: sexual content, gun violence, violence, murder, animal cruelty, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, gore, vomit, medical content, injury detail, kidnapping, medical trauma, stalking
StoryGraph Review
Fable Review
February 12, 2025
The ending was so damn heartwarming. The yearning and longing were immpecable. Rose is quite possibly the worst serial unaliver. And Fione never knows what the fuck he is doing. 😂 Barbara. Sandra and the Suture Sisters, absolutely epic. As always the uniqueness of Brynne's books are so welcomed. Loved them all.
P.S the audiobook is SO GOOD.
P.S the audiobook is SO GOOD.
February 23, 2025
This book was literally the missing piece to this trilogy, there were a couple of scenes where it all just clicks!
This is a dark romance with a lot of funny scenes and I’ll love a book that can make me laugh. Rose is such a badass character and I loved that she stepped up for women who were in a abusive relationship. Brynne was a genius for putting a little of the Aqua Tofana story in there, if you’re into murder/mystery podcasts, Bailey Sarian explains a little more of this story.
We got a little of Rowan’s & Sloane’s pov at the end of the book
This is a dark romance with a lot of funny scenes and I’ll love a book that can make me laugh. Rose is such a badass character and I loved that she stepped up for women who were in a abusive relationship. Brynne was a genius for putting a little of the Aqua Tofana story in there, if you’re into murder/mystery podcasts, Bailey Sarian explains a little more of this story.
We got a little of Rowan’s & Sloane’s pov at the end of the book
February 28, 2025
“I don’t just want part of her. I want all of her.
I want to consume these boundaries between us
until I finally feel whole.”
i had low expectations for this since i really did not like Leather and Lark, but surprisingly, I’d say Scythe and Sparrow can sit comfortably next to Butcher and Blackbird. i don’t even feel like there was much of a plot and if there was, i couldn’t find it but i didn’t even care. the romance was so good and i liked Rose and Fionn together, i think they make a perfect match.
“I finally realize I don’t care about the illusion of light anymore. My Rose blooms in the dark. And all I want is to grow there with her.”
Rose was more chill than the other fmc’s in this series and because of that, the story overall felt different compared to the others. im notoriously a sucker for hurt/comfort, so seeing Fionn take care of Rose the whole time was everything to me. at first, i thought it’d be insta love but it really wasn’t, their relationship developed naturally and i was actually dying for them to get together cause the chemistry was palpable.
”It's okay to love your darkness and still love yourself. It doesn't make you a bad person.
It makes you a whole one.”
Fionn is my fav Kane brother after Rowan, him feeling like he had to cover up who he was to meet his brothers expectations made a whole lot of sense but i love that Rose embraced every part of him from the start— him being a doctor was just a bonus lol. Rose finally finding a home and someone to love and cherish her made me so happy, they were what eachother needed for sure. the end section when all the characters reunited and Fionn had a chance to reconcile with Rowan and Lachlan was so sweet, im actually gonna miss these characters now that the series has come to an end.
I want to consume these boundaries between us
until I finally feel whole.”
i had low expectations for this since i really did not like Leather and Lark, but surprisingly, I’d say Scythe and Sparrow can sit comfortably next to Butcher and Blackbird. i don’t even feel like there was much of a plot and if there was, i couldn’t find it but i didn’t even care. the romance was so good and i liked Rose and Fionn together, i think they make a perfect match.
“I finally realize I don’t care about the illusion of light anymore. My Rose blooms in the dark. And all I want is to grow there with her.”
Rose was more chill than the other fmc’s in this series and because of that, the story overall felt different compared to the others. im notoriously a sucker for hurt/comfort, so seeing Fionn take care of Rose the whole time was everything to me. at first, i thought it’d be insta love but it really wasn’t, their relationship developed naturally and i was actually dying for them to get together cause the chemistry was palpable.
”It's okay to love your darkness and still love yourself. It doesn't make you a bad person.
It makes you a whole one.”
Fionn is my fav Kane brother after Rowan, him feeling like he had to cover up who he was to meet his brothers expectations made a whole lot of sense but i love that Rose embraced every part of him from the start— him being a doctor was just a bonus lol. Rose finally finding a home and someone to love and cherish her made me so happy, they were what eachother needed for sure. the end section when all the characters reunited and Fionn had a chance to reconcile with Rowan and Lachlan was so sweet, im actually gonna miss these characters now that the series has come to an end.
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