I didn’t realize this was a novella that bridged a gap between two series, one of which I hadn’t read yet and another that will be released later this year. I found the story entertaining but I was a little lost with all the characters as there wasn’t much development within the story; I imagine that was done within the first series. I did enjoy the concept of killing the killers but this may be more dark romance and less thriller than I like.

Out August 12th, 2025 5 stars for The Sticker Bitches
If you’re already obsessed with Brynne Weaver’s Butcher & Blackbird, then Love and Other Killers is your next must-read hit of chaos, carnage, and chemistry. This novella drops us back into the twisted, hilarious, and oddly heartwarming world of the Ruinous Love Trilogy, where vigilante serial killers hunt other serial killers—for sport. It’s Sloane and the Kane brothers, plus their significant others, all teaming up for a competitive kill that’s equal parts bloodbath and bonding exercise. The banter is razor-sharp, the romance is spicy, and the family dynamics are delightfully deranged. Weaver’s signature blend of dark humor and emotional depth makes this feel like a reunion with your favorite psychos—and yes, Barbara’s back too.

What makes Love and Other Killers so irresistible is how it deepens the lore while keeping things fast, fun, and feral. You get callbacks to earlier books, glimpses of future stories (hello, Tourist Season), and a front-row seat to the kind of twisted love that only Brynne can make feel swoony and sincere. It’s short, punchy, and packed with everything fans adore: vigilante justice, found family, and the kind of “touch her and die” devotion that makes your heart race. If you haven’t started the Ruinous Love Trilogy yet, this novella will convince you to dive in headfirst. And if you’re already in deep? Welcome back to the madness—you’re going to love every killer minute.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for this ARC!

Love & Other Killers by Brynne Weaver was the perfect quick read for a summer morning, packed with dark humor, unexpected twists, and the familiar, chaotic dynamic of the Ruinous Love Trilogy crew. Rowan and Sloanne are back at it with their usual snarky tension with a little extra spice, Lark is crafting like her life depends on it, and Lachlan is simultaneously competitive and terrified of his craft queen wife.

Rose and Fionn stole the show for me, still my favorite couple, even though this novella is told from Sloanne’s POV and mostly centers on her and Rowan. The others are more in the background here, but every glimpse of them was a treat. Especially Rose. She is still hilariously bad at being a serial killer but determined to succeed in this weird family. She’s the type to vomit mid-murder while trying to deliver a passionate speech about justice.

And Barbara? Being carried around like a toddler and fully ready to jump into the murder game? Absolutely hilarious.

Thank you NetGalley for the ebook arc. It was wonderful to go back to the ruinous love trilogy and read about the characters together. I really do feel like if she were to write about this more people with read it. There personalities all together and all of them going on a “game” while on an “vacation”. Also thank you for bringing along Barbara.

A brilliant dark little delight by Brynne. I loved this saucy unhinged novella - chefs kiss to our Queen of murderously adorable books that will always make you question: what food might be in the firing line next?

Thank you so much to the author for my advanced copy of Love & Other Killers 🩷🖤

Full RTC.

What a fun little jaunt back with the Butcher & Blackbird crew! This was short and sweet but still full of the fun and chaos of the other books in the Ruinous Love trilogy. If you’re craving more of your favorite characters, this will scratch the itch!

5 ⭐️

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the opportunity to read a digital advance reader copy!

I loved this bonus content of a novella! This is after the Ruinous Love Trilogy and it was just so much fun. I do wish it was just a tad longer, but I loved that we got one final look into this world.

Thank you NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the eARC.

Loved this fun short story. It gave me all the feelings from butcher and blackbird again, and I loved getting another chance at reading about these people.

In true Brynne fashion, it was sharp, chaotic and laced with that perfect brand of comedic unaliving we all fell in love with in the ruinous love trilogy!

Getting back inside Sloane’s head felt like catching up with the most unhinged friend you’ve ever had.

This novella was fast, fun and filled with the kind of references and banter that made me grin like I was in on the inside joke.

The Kane brothers are still disasters. The found-family chaos is still top-tier. Barbara is still iconic and watching the whole crew cause trouble and casually commit crimes in a serial unaliver vs serial unaliver race to 💀 while being weirdly wholesome? Chef’s kiss.

It was the perfect palate cleanser! equal parts heart, humour and homicide. Brynne, I’d follow your murderous little muse anywhere. 🔪💋

Thank you for the ARC 🖤

Love and Other Killers was such a quick, thrilling read! As someone who hasn’t read the Ruinous Love Trilogy, I’ll admit it took me a bit to catch up with the characters since there are quite a few, but once I settled in, the plot really pulled me in!

This novella is short, spicy, and packed with action. The concept felt wild in the best way. Dark romance with killers? Definitely not something I usually pick up, but I had so much fun with it! The story is fast-paced and super easy to follow, which made it the perfect one-sitting read.

What really stood out to me was Brynne Weaver’s writing. It flows so effortlessly, and even in such a short format, I could already get a good feel for her voice and storytelling style. It actually makes me want to dive into the full series now!

If you're looking for something dark, fast, and a little spicy to break up your usual reads, this novella is a great pick. Definitely worth checking out if you’re in the mood for something different and exciting!

I'm not really sure what the point of this book was. It's a novella following the characters from the Ruinous Love Trilogy, however this follow up has no plot or seemingly a point. No character updates are provided, other than they're all still together. I was disappointed in this read.

It was so fun to get a bit of extra time with these characters, and awesome way to close the series. It made me giggle so much. Can’t wait for what comes next.

A perfect little morsel of our Ruinous Love couples, seeing them all together playing the annual hunt made my heart so happy. This murderous family couldn’t be more perfect, and you know when they all get together some wacky crazy things go down. A simple hunt turns chaotic when boys vs girls gets competitive. I enjoyed the fun calls backs that put a lovely bow on a series that has taken the dark romcom world by storm!

This is such a fun, quick, easy novella read that takes you back into the Ruinous world. The banter, the plot, the characters, and the couples all give that same nostalgic feeling from reading the rest of the series.

This novella brought back all the big and small quirks in each couple's story, wrapped it up in a bow, and said happy yearly anniversary to a certain tradition.

It's an enjoyable read that had me giggling and gagging while reading.

A quick novella that covers a quick murder and a quick spicy scene of our favorite characters. This novella is from Sloanes POV and I absolutely loved every second of it.

Love and Other Killers was great! I loved the Ruinous Love Trilogy so I was super excited for another story with all of the characters! I really enjoyed that it was Sloane's POV because she is my favorite character in the series.
It was a fun & quick read, and now I'm even more excited for the next series!

The novella we didn’t know you needed. It was fun to see the Kane brothers reunite with their partners for a fun competitive game and better yet girls versus guys. It’s always exciting to learn about their target being purposeful while saving the community one game at a time.

This books deserve many star stickers. You need to read this book if you read the trilogy.

ARC Review
Short, funny, hot, and very murderous. It was so incredible to read about these characters again, specially since we get to see them all together. Just an amazing treat for people who love the Ruinous Love Trilogy.

Thank you so much NetGalley for the e-arc!

Ahhhhh this was everything I wanted it to be! It’s so good to be back with all of the characters from the Ruinous Love series.

I love seeing their friendship and interactions and of course, Barbara!

If you find yourself missing Butcher & Blackbird, this is the perfect story to get back into it!

Love and Other Killers is like an amuse-bouche. It’s a dark romance novella that is a bridge story between the end of the Ruinous Love Trilogy and the beginning of the Seasons of Carnage Trilogy. All three couples from the Ruinous Love Trilogy participate in Sloane and Rowan’s Annual August Showdown where serial killers race to see who lands the killing blow on their target (another serial killer, of course).

I like that there is a main couple the story centers around but the other characters seem to compete for attention making the story a bit chaotic. It’s considered a rom-com but wasn’t nearly as cringey funny as Butcher and Blackbird. Overall, as a novella it serves its purpose to wet the appetite for the next serial killer hunt.

Lastly, huge thanks to Brynne Weaver, Amazon Original Stories, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC, which allowed me to listen to the book and voluntarily provide an unbiased review.

TROPES/ THEMES: serial killers killing serial killers, female piercings, games/competitions