Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver

Here is a summary with spoilers of Butcher and Blackbird

Sloane Sutherland, known as the “Orb Weaver,” is a serial killer who hunts other serial killers. When we first meet her, she’s trapped in a cage with the corpse of her latest victim, Albert Briscoe. She has no way out and is forced to endure three days without food until Rowan Kane—the infamous “Boston Butcher”—arrives. Rowan, who was also hunting Briscoe, finds the keys, frees Sloane, and invites her to lunch. The two have long heard of each other by reputation, and the attraction between them is immediate. Rowan nicknames her “Blackbird” after her dark hair, flighty nature, and a song she was singing in the cage. Despite living in different states, Rowan suggests an annual competition: each year, they will race to see who can kill a particular serial killer first. Best three out of five wins, and the victor gets to eliminate the elusive “Forest Phantom.”

A year later, as Sloane waits for news about the competition, she tortures and kills Michael Northman, a predator who abuses children. Her best friend, Lark Montague, encourages her to see Rowan again, but Sloane remains hesitant. Rowan’s brother, Lachlan—an expert leatherworker and hired assassin—texts both Sloane and Rowan with the location of their next hunt: a small town in West Virginia. Rowan packs while his brothers, Lachlan and Fionn, tease him about his feelings for Sloane.

Sloane and Rowan reunite at an eerie, empty inn, where the innkeeper, Francis, warns them about a nearby trail where people go missing. Unlike their previous hunts, they don’t know who their target is—they must figure it out and then race to take them down. That night, Rowan hears movement behind a painting in Sloane’s room and realizes someone is spying on her. He chases the intruder away but doesn’t get a good look. After discussing it with Sloane, they deduce that Francis is the killer. They break into his house, and Rowan kills him, whispering possessively that Sloane is “his.” She tends to Rowan’s wounds, and they dispose of the evidence before parting ways. Sloane takes Francis’s cat, Winston, home with her.

Lark urges Sloane to pursue Rowan romantically, but Sloane resists. On impulse, she visits Rowan’s restaurant in Boston but loses her nerve when he confronts her, claiming she has a business meeting and leaving without seeing him. She does, however, leave behind a drawing of a raven. Not long after, Rowan surprises her in Raleigh. Without revealing his presence, he pays a child to deliver groceries to her for three days, then calls her to walk her through cooking them. He shares that he and Lachlan’s first kill was their abusive father and that cooking was how he provided for his brothers. In turn, Sloane confesses that she used to love art, but now it feels tainted.

Months later, their next hunt takes them to California, where they target Thorsten Harris—unaware that he is a cannibal. At a bar, they charm their way into an invitation to his home, where his seemingly nonverbal servant, David, serves them an elaborate meal. Sloane avoids eating, suspecting David was lobotomized and forced into servitude. Thorsten claims he “saved” David after an accident, but his true nature is revealed when he drugs Rowan. Under the influence, Rowan accidentally consumes human flesh and, in a dazed state, confesses his feelings for Sloane before passing out.

When Rowan regains consciousness, Sloane has already subdued Thorsten. She methodically flays his skin, suspending it in a web—her signature display. She reveals that her first kill was an art teacher who abused Lark, and like Rowan, she now hunts the monsters who prey on others. After killing Thorsten, she nurses Rowan back to health and suggests giving David a dishwashing job at Rowan’s restaurant. Rowan agrees, unaware that David is a serial killer in disguise.

Eight months later, Sloane attends a gala in Boston where Rowan is receiving an award for his restaurant. She assumes it’s a date but is disappointed when Rowan instead suggests they kill a doctor named Stephen Rostis, who murders his patients. Before they can act, Rowan is called away for a restaurant emergency, leaving Sloane alone.

Four months later, the next hunt brings them to rural Texas, where their target, Harvey Mead, attacks Sloane, injuring her shoulder and locking her in a cellar with another woman. Rowan rescues her, kisses her, and then overpowers Harvey with an ax. While Harvey is restrained, Sloane taunts him with the mummified corpse of his mother, which she found in his house. The psychological torment overwhelms him, and he dies of a heart attack. Rowan takes Sloane to his brother Fionn, a doctor, to treat her injuries. While recovering, Sloane and Rowan finally sleep together. Later, Rowan gets Sloane’s raven drawing tattooed on his back. A woman named Rose, who is staying with Fionn, reads Rowan’s tarot cards and warns of impending chaos.

Sloane moves to Boston, arranging to work remotely for a medical company. Rowan shows her his soon-to-open second restaurant, which he names Butcher & Blackbird. They confess their love for each other. The restaurant’s opening is a success, but Rowan is overwhelmed with stress. For the next round of their competition, he asks if they can work together instead of racing.

One night, Rowan goes to check on the restaurant, only to find David waiting for him. David threatens to kill both Rowan and Sloane unless Rowan gets rid of her, in which case he will only kill Rowan. When Sloane arrives, Rowan breaks up with her to protect her, referencing a cryptic comment from April that confuses her. Suspicious, she checks old texts from Rowan and realizes he was warning her about David. Reviewing a secret camera she installed at the restaurant, she confirms the danger and rushes back, ultimately killing David and saving Rowan. However, David has already cut up Rowan’s arms.

In the epilogue, Lark moves to Boston and forms a budding romance with Lachlan. Sloane designs a colorful tattoo to cover Rowan’s scars. Rowan proposes, but Sloane stresses over wedding planning, torn over inviting her estranged parents and dreading a large ceremony. Meanwhile, an unknown figure—the sibling of one of Rowan’s past victims—plots revenge by targeting Lachlan.

To ease her stress, Lark takes Sloane on a beach spa retreat. Unexpectedly, Rowan appears and suggests they get married there. They do, with Lachlan walking Sloane down the aisle.

Thanks Super Summary

https://www.supersummary.com/butcher-blackbird/summary/?searchId=73b2cfce-bf28-4dd2-9b65-96fc286352de&searchPosition=2