Miranda Owen | Dark Romance – Killers Killing Other Killers

Killers Killing Other Killers

“We’re not normal people. We are monsters.

But if we’re monsters, we’ll thrive in the dark.

Together.”

BUTCHER & BLACKBIRD, Brynne Weaver

BUTCHER & BLACKBIRD, the first book in Brynne Weaver’s Ruinous Love Trilogy, was my introduction to romances featuring killers killing other killers. I am thrilled that this romance subgenre has exploded. Sloane and Rowan are killers – serial killers who kill very bad people. There is an instant chemistry, and they start as friends who appreciate each other’s murderous artistry and skill set. They meet every so often and compete for different baddies to kill. This book is sophisticated, charming, and scary. I love the shout homages to other fiction killers/films – like Norman Bates, Hannibal, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It’s like somebody said, “let’s take scenes from those films and weave a romance happening around them and have the couple interact with this psychos and do their own damage. Hooray! For me, the romance works because the author puts so much care into crafting the main characters. I definitely always keep an eye out for this author’s next book.

After BUTCHER & BLACKBIRD, I stumbled across SINNERS RETREAT (what would end up being the first book in Lauren Biel’s Slaycation series). When I was trying to explain what the sinners retreat was to my husband (a huge horror fan), I started by saying “remember the ending of Shaun of the Dead, when they have zombies chained up as pets or used in some way for the benefit of humans…..”. That’s just the first thing that comes to mind. Baddies are referred to as Cattle, divided into categories and have different colored suits to differentiate them visually, and used as manual labor, and eventually killed off for sport. Each book in the series features a different couple with several different romance tropes – but with a murder-y twist. The things that stay the same in each book – killers are invited to a central location/vacation spot and the main events involving The first book in the series sets up the main characters and explains how the setup works to readers. However, my favorite book in the series is the second installment – SLAY RIDE. In this installment, the festivities are set in a winter wonderland. I was definitely digging the wintry vibes. This is an enemies-to-lovers story, and that’s not usually my favorite romance trope but the characters reeled me in. Bennett is a flawed protagonist (apart from his murder hobbies) and he takes a lot of heat and ribbing from his friend group. I found him relatable in some ways because he doesn’t really have the glamorous life of the assassin typically portrayed in books and films. Killing is an outlet for him but it’s also a job that can be difficult at times. Despite a bravado that he normally shows to others, he is more sensitive and insecure on the inside. He also cares a great deal about people closest to him like his brother and mom. Initially, Cat is one of those people who is not one of Bennett’s biggest fans, and is quick to think badly of him. Early in the book, circumstances push them together and passion turns from “grrr” to more lustful feelings. Getting to know each other on a physical level leads to the two of them getting to know each other better emotionally. There are a few sex scenes involving food, because that’s one of Bennett’s kinks. I admit to kind of skimming through those parts. For those also may not be into that, there are also other spicy scenes that are foodless. This book is a re-read for me.

Now that I’m thoroughly addicted to dark romance, I was scrolling through titles when I luckily hit upon the Hemlock Society series by K.N. Wilder. I love everything about this series! It’s basically a secret murder society made up of a select few. They each have different skill sets and murder preferences, but all employ them against baddies. As a historical romance fan, this club reminded me a little of Stephanie Laurens’ Bastion Club series. There’s a wonderful camaraderie among the members. Thorne Ravencroft heads the group because he founded it, but he doesn’t rule with an iron fist. All the members are equally invested in the group’s success and issues that come up are voted on. The first book in the series, X MARKS THE STALKER, features tech nerd Xander Rhodes. Xander is used to maintaining control in his life, but things get upended when crime journalist Oakley Novak wanders into his world. Oakley is ruthless in her pursuit of the man who buried her parents – killing them, as well as dirtying her father’s reputation. Xander surprisingly finds himself thrown into the role of sexy guardian angel when Oakley gets too close. He also gets his hands dirty helping her exact justice for her parents. This book is a fab mix of spicy moments, sexual tension, and murder. Although this story had me hooked and compelled me to read it through without stopping, my favorite book in the series, so far, is the next book – KNIFE TO MEET YOU. Unlike the previous book, the mmc and fmc are both killers who cross paths. Jiya takes down bad men via poison, and she figures out that Calloway Frost is the Gallery Killer and proceeds to stalk her prey. The sexual tension is delish and the big reveal/meeting ends up being both gory and erotic at the same time.

“I don’t appreciate bloody objects wrapped in tissue paper. Murder isn’t a love language!”

MATCHMAKING FOR PSYCHOPATHS by Tasha Coryell

Sometimes you get a book, and it doesn’t live up to the blurb on the back of the book. Happily, for me, MATCHMAKING FOR PSYCHOPATHS by Tasha Coryell lived up to all my expectations and then some. In some ways, the circumstances in MATCHMAKING FOR PSYCHOPATHS seem almost surreal, but on some level, I can totally relate to Lexie. She had a very dysfunctional childhood and therefore has kind of a fetish for “normal” stuff. Reality shows are soothing for her, and it can be a struggle attaining normal relationships and acting in ways and responding to social cues in a way that reassure others. Lexie works as a matchmaker – but specifically matchmaking for psychopaths. Her background makes it a little easier for her to spot the psychos, however some are better at masking and hiding than others. There is romance and a HEA but there are a ton of elements that will appeal to fans of thrillers. Tasha Coryell blends themes of betrayal, the struggle to form connections, family dysfunction, and romantic love – with a healthy helping of murder and destruction. I would love to see this book adapted to film. The author does a superb job of painting a picture for the reader and creating a cinematic quality to the storytelling. The tension in MATCHMAKING FOR PSYCHOPATHS is Hitchcockian and Lexie’s journey of self-discovery and battling old demons and inner fears make for a strong character-driven plot.

The Seductive Psycho

“If you gave me a fresh carnation
I would only crush its tender petals
With me you’ll have no escape
And at the same time there’ll be nowhere to settle –

Touch my heart and feel winter
Hold my hand and be doomed forever”

Carnation, The Jam

The first book by Sam Mariano I read was BRUTAL AMBITION. I really enjoyed that, so I decided to try EVEN IF IT HURTS. Dare and Aubrey are a couple that appear in BRUTAL AMBITION, but their book came before that. EVEN IF IT HURTS has one of the most thorough trigger warnings in the front of the book that I’ve ever seen from an author. It starts with “If you’re here for a lovely, upstanding hero, you have come to the wrong place. This one’s a real bastard. He’s manipulative and spoiled. He’s fickle and controlling. He will do shit you will not like. This is not a healthy relationship…if you meet a Dare in the real world, you should run like the wind.”

Despite all the – very accurate – warnings by the author, this was such a compelling book. I don’t normally come across many romances in which the mmc is a straight up, this is who he is, not gonna change, scary, psychotic villain. It’s like watching a wildlife documentary or something. Dare does plenty of appalling stuff in EVEN IF IT HURTS – to Aubrey (the girl he loves?) as well as others – but it’s almost the insidious things that sneak up on you that leave you feeling the most shocked by. The juxtaposition of all of Dare’s awful moments set against the ones where he almost seems normal and charming is a real mindbender. The story is mostly told from Aubrey’s POV, but the bits told from Dare’s POV are fascinating. This is a story that can really suck you in and you feel everything Aubrey’s feeling, and it will stick with you and haunt you for days after finishing it. If you read the author’s trigger warning and are still interested, I highly recommend this book. I also think this is a story that might appeal to fans of psychological thrillers.

Playlist:

Love’s Not a Competition – Kaiser Chiefs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqyaMayQ2nw&list=RDbqyaMayQ2nw&start_radio=1

Only You – Portishead https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmDkzVvherk&list=RDTmDkzVvherk&start_radio=1

A Girl Like You – Edwyn Collins https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oqJ0JpMj6I&list=RD6oqJ0JpMj6I&start_radio=1

I Want You – Madonna feat. Massive Attack https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Mln4XgMPmM&list=RD5Mln4XgMPmM&start_radio=1

Accidents Never Happen – Blondie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7J_zKhegOy4&list=RD7J_zKhegOy4&start_radio=1

Love Kills – Joe Strummer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fSGV-1gtE4&list=RD8fSGV-1gtE4&start_radio=1

The Killing Moon – Echo and the Bunnymen The Killing Moon

Tell Me Now So I Know – Holly Golightly Tell Me so I Know

Baby I Love You – The Yahoos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE-7IP6e6d8&list=RDUE-7IP6e6d8&start_radio=1

Black Cat – Janet Jackson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH-rPt1ftSo&list=RDqH-rPt1ftSo&start_radio=1

The First Taste – Fiona Apple https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zgIiwohjR4&list=RD-zgIiwohjR4&start_radio=1