Review: Leather & Lark

 

Title: Leather & Lark 

Series: The Ruinous Love Trilogy

Author: Brynne Weaver

Release Date: June 4

“I don’t just want to hear her laugh, I need to earn it. Every time I gain a little ground, I want more. I want to break out of the shade and back into her light. Without even realizing it, I’ve become addicted to it. To her.”

From the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the genre-breaking international TikTok sensation Butcher & Blackbird comes the second book in the Ruinous Love Trilogy—a hate-to-love dark romantic comedy packed with danger, chaos, and heat.

Contract killer Lachlan Kane wants a quiet life working in his leather studio and forgetting all about his traumatic past. But when he botches a job for his boss’s biggest client, Lachlan knows he’ll never claw his way out of the underworld. At least, not until songbird Lark Montague offers him a deal: use his skills to hunt down a killer and she’ll find a way to secure his freedom. The catch? He has to marry her first.

And they can’t stand each other.

Indie singer-songwriter Lark is the sunshine and glitter that burns through every cloud and clings to every crevice that Lachlan Kane tries to hide inside. The surly older brother of her best friend’s soulmate, Lachlan thinks she’s just a privileged princess, but Lark has plenty of secrets hiding in the shadows of her bright light. With her formidable family in a tailspin and her best friend’s happiness on the line, she’s willing to make a vow to the man she’s determined to hate, no matter how tempting the broody assassin might be.

As Lachlan and Lark navigate the dark world that binds them together, it becomes impossible to discern their fake marriage from a real one. But it’s not just familiar dangers that haunt them.

There’s another phantom lurking on their doorstep.

And this one has come for blood.

Tropes:

Hate-to-love

Marriage of convenience

Grumpy / sunshine

He falls first

Groveling, but make it psycho

Touch her/him and die

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So Butcher & Blackbird should be read before Leather & Lark. 

Lachlan Kane is ready to retire from contract killing, to having a quiet life in his leather shop. 

But when his boss sends him on a job meeting a woman who is a walking catastrophe - Lachlan's grumpy attitude gets the best of him. And screwing up that job means his boss will never get his claws out of him. Not until Lark Montague offers him a deal. 

Lark is sunshine and glitter, but she has dark secrets hiding beneath her bright exterior. So when her loved ones are threatened - she makes a hard decision. They may not be able to stand one another, but they are getting married in hopes to help them both. 

They must both navigate the dark world where they are bound together, it becomes impossible to distinguish their fake marriage for a real one. But negotiating their newfound marriage isn't the only challenge they have to face, when danger comes knocking. 

So, I loved Butcher & Blackbird, and couldn't wait to get a hold of Leather and Lark. I needed this book - thanks to that little teasing chapter in B&B. 

Plus, I love grumpy/sunshine & marriage of convenience so I was dying to see how this played out. Dark romances are my jam, & I loved how B&B was a dark rom-com. 

And while this also falls under the dark rom-com category... I wouldn't really call it dark. It was a bit slower paced, and had a lot of fluff to it, with just little crumbs of things making me want to read more. There wasn't as much danger and suspense as I would have hoped given the circumstances, and when we got it, it felt a bit rushed. And some of the relationship felt less "show" and more "tell". (Not all, there was some parts that SHOWED it too, but there were some parts where we were TOLD what happened with the characters). 

It did have great banter, great side characters, & some steamy scenes within. It was overall a good read. I loved the characters and their relationship. I loved the slow burn and tension. And overall enjoyed the story.  & I'm excited for the next book in the series!

4⭐ out of 5⭐. 

3🌶️ out of 5🌶️. Multiple detailed scenes throughout the book including some non-traditional scenes. 

Trigger Warnings

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Writing has always been a hobby for Brynne. Even as a young child, she loved typing out stories on her grandmother’s typewriter. She wrote award-winning poetry and essays, and dabbled in various forms of fiction over the years. In 2019, Brynne committed to publishing more of her works, and released her first non-fiction book (under her real name!). She then began focusing on her first fantasy-romance (or ‘romantasy’) series, The Diviner. Next up was the three-part Shadow Realm paranormal dark romance series. Brynne then partnered with author Alexa Harlowe on the contemporary dark standalone romance, Black Sheep.  

Brynne aspires to write female-focused stories about complex, resilient, imperfect characters who struggle with anger, trauma, fear, courage, and love. 

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