Book Review: Leather & Lark by Brynne Weaver

A physical copy of Leather & Lark stood up on a table and surrounded by candles with a black backdrop

I finished Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver about a year ago, and decided that it was finally time to read Leather & Lark, the second book in her trilogy. If you’re not familiar, The Ruinous Love Trilogy is a romcom series about the murderous Kane brothers and the women they fall in love with. Each book is intertwined, but focuses on one brother’s relationship and life at a time.

I really loved Butcher & Blackbird. I thought it was a unique idea and loved the chemistry between the two characters. Is it a literary masterpiece? No. Is it fun to read? Yes. Personally, I was not ready to move on to the next story and learn more about Lachlan because I really loved Rowan’s personality. I tend to get attached to my book boyfriends. I went into Leather & Lark a little cautious, not sure how I was going to feel.

The Cons

In my opinion, the growing feelings between Lark and Lachlan felt a bit rushed even with part of the plot being that they’re forced to spend time together. Their dark secrets and the exploration of life as a contract killer were more of a backstory while Butcher & Blackbird was mainly focused on Rowan's and Sloane's lives as serial killers. I felt that there was not much to the plot, the build up of the big bad was a little lackluster and his big scheme fell flat. I do think that the main issue with this book was how rushed, or half cooked a lot of things felt.

The Pros

There were definitely enjoyable moments in the book, like the joy I felt whenever Aunt Ethel would stir the pot, or the banter between Lark and Lachlan. The story includes some tender moments, along with scenes that I genuinely laughed at. You get a little more information on Sloane and Rowan, and some details about topics that were hinted at in the first book. Brynne Weaver didn’t shy away from the sex scenes in this book, if you're wondering where one of the trigger warnings is, make sure you read the bonus chapter at the end.

Notes About the Audiobook:

Before I wrap this up, I do want to add that I did listen to Leather & Lark rather than reading it. I think the voice actors did a good job and made the book fun to listen to. There were a few things about the audiobook in particular that gave me some icks, small stuff like how breathy someone sounded, or a giggle that didn’t sit right with me, none of which ruined the book.

Get The Audiobook Here!

The TDLR (Too Long, Didn't Read)

While Leather & Lark in my eyes didn’t live up to the expectation that Butcher & Blackbird set, I do think it is still worth it to read, especially if you loved Butcher & Blackbird. It also falls into the category of not a literary masterpiece, but still fun to read, like the book version of watching a trashy reality tv show. It feels a bit rushed and some of the ideas weren’t given the time to be played all the way through, but it still was a good distraction from the real world that has a healthy amount of dark humor.