Series · romance
The Ruinous Love Trilogy
The Ruinous Love Trilogy series by Brynne Weaver has 3 books and is best read in publication order, starting with Butcher & Blackbird (2023).
- Books
- 3 books
- First published
- 2023
- Status
- completed
- Last checked
Start here: Butcher & Blackbird (2023) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Butcher & Blackbird
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Butcher & Blackbird - Book 2:
Leather & Lark
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Leather & Lark - Book 3:
Scythe & Sparrow
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Scythe & Sparrow
About The Ruinous Love Trilogy
The Ruinous Love Trilogy is Brynne Weaver's breakout dark romantic comedy series about a family of serial killers who only fall for people who can handle their... hobby. Each book pairs one sibling (or in-law) with a love interest who is either unbothered by, actively into, or eventually recruited into the body count, and plays the premise for both genuine horror-adjacent tension and laugh-out-loud banter — think grovelling, chaotic-good murder logistics, and a lot of dog references (the family runs a doggy daycare as a day job). It's a romantasy-adjacent dark romance that leans hard into humor rather than pure grimdark, which is a large part of why it went viral on BookTok as a palate cleanser between heavier dark romance reads.
Each book is a complete, self-contained romance for a different couple within the same extended family and small-town setting, with earlier couples returning as supporting characters. Expect explicit content, blood, and morally-grey-to-black characters throughout — this is not a series for readers who need their leads to be conventionally good people.
How to read this series
Publication order is the only order: Butcher & Blackbird (2023), Leather & Lark (2024), Scythe & Sparrow (2025). Each book follows a different couple, with the earlier pairs showing up as family and friends in later books, so reading in order gives you the full running cast and callbacks. There are no novellas or side stories to slot in — the trilogy is complete at three books.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in The Ruinous Love Trilogy?
Three: Butcher & Blackbird (2023), Leather & Lark (2024) and Scythe & Sparrow (2025). The trilogy is complete.
What order should I read The Ruinous Love Trilogy in?
Publication order: Butcher & Blackbird, then Leather & Lark, then Scythe & Sparrow. Each book is a standalone romance for a different couple, but characters carry over.
Is The Ruinous Love Trilogy finished?
Yes, it's a complete trilogy as of Scythe & Sparrow (February 2025).
How dark is The Ruinous Love Trilogy?
Very dark in premise (the family are serial killers) but played with a lot of comedy and banter rather than as grimdark horror. It's explicit and violent, but tonally closer to a dark rom-com than straight horror.
Do I need to read Butcher & Blackbird before the others?
You don't strictly need to, since each book follows a different couple, but reading in publication order avoids spoilers for earlier couples' arcs and introduces the extended family in the order the author intended.
Reading order last verified .