Leather & Lark by Brynne Weaver | Audiobook Review • Ana's Attic Book Blog

Leather & Lark: The Ruinous Love Trilogy Book 2 by Brynne Weaver

Narrated by Samantha Brentmoor and Eric Nolan

Second in a trilogy featuring different couples in each. Dark, morally grey (black) romantic comedy.

I loved the first book in this dark romantic comedy series, Butcher & Blackbird, so I was beyond excited for Leather & Lark, the second standalone in Brynne Weaver’s trilogy. With the first book, my expectations were low because so many of the popular BookTok books haven’t impressed me. But Butcher & Blackbird was such a unique, fun, and slightly twisted romance that I found myself hoping Leather & Lark would be even better.

Unfortunately, I set my expectations too high and ended up disappointed with Leather & Lark. Butcher & Blackbird was my first non-paranormal serial killer romance, and I think its uniqueness made it special. While Leather & Lark tried to capture that same unique vibe, it fell short for me—I found myself getting a bit bored at times.

We met Lachlan and Lark in Butcher & Blackbird, but they felt like completely different characters now in their own book. Maybe it was due to the different narrators, but the spark just wasn’t there. The chemistry was mid, and the plot was thin. On top of that, we hardly got to see Sloane and Rowan. Despite all this, there were some great moments and giggles, and it was still a fun read.

“A snow globe,” I say slowly, waiting for her to look up, which she doesn’t do. “You made a severed finger into a feckin’ snow globe.”
“It was almost Christmas,” she says with a shrug. “It felt … festive.”

I think I might have enjoyed the book more if I’d read it on its own. While I did find parts of it entertaining, it just didn’t measure up to what I had anticipated. Normally, I would recap the plot, but to be honest, I’m not sure I even remember it after two weeks. I liked the beginning and the end, but the middle? I think I zoned out or something. I’ll definitely need to re-read before the third book in the series, Scythe & Sparrow, releasing in February.

The Narration:

One of the things that made the first book so special was the duet narration. Samantha Brentmoor and Eric Nolan did a great job in Leather & Lark, but a few things grated on me—especially the giggling. They both giggled so much, and it was odd because only the giggling, singing, and, well, the sex scenes were performed like that. The singing felt a bit cringey, but I suppose I’d rather have singing than none when it’s in the text.

Likes:

The scene where she showed her license.
Their initial meeting.
The “sunshine and grumpy” dynamic, even though she’s a serial killer.
The Irish accent.
He fell for her first.
The “Duchess” nickname.

Dislikes:

Didn’t live up to the first book.
Got a bit boring in the middle.
Not much plot.

The Down & Dirty:

If my expectations had been lower, I might have rated Leather & Lark a bit higher. I genuinely enjoyed the book, but I didn’t love it, especially compared to Butcher & Blackbird. I liked both characters, but they lacked the depth and connection I was hoping for. It also wasn’t nearly as dark, gory, or wild. Still, I’m eagerly awaiting the third book, Scythe & Sparrow, and I won’t mind re-listening to this one before its release.