Your new favourite #BookTok read was written in Nova Scotia

On a farm in Pictou County, N.S., author Brynne Weaver daydreamed of murderers.

She imagined two serial killers becoming allies, teaming up to take down other, more deadly serial killers — and then fall victim themselves to the friends-to-lovers romance trope. 

Her book, Butcher & Blackbird, has exploded on TikTok. Creators from England to Australia have shared reviews on the app, dubbed #BookTok, about the very dark, very comedic, very spicy novel.

Weaver said the online response has been overwhelming.

“A lot of my previous books, even though they are a little bit more on the dark side, they always had little bits of comedic relief in them,” said Weaver, who uses a pen name. “And I think that’s something that readers always gravitated toward.”

In recent years, there’s been a surge in demand for romances, but local writers will tell you this isn’t a one-off — Atlantic Canada has an ever-growing cast of romance authors.

“For a long time, it’s a genre that hasn’t really gotten the respect I think it deserves. In part because it’s written mostly by and for women,” said Deborah Hale, the current president of Romance Writers of Atlantic Canada, which has about 40 members.

“It’s about building a lasting relationship with someone, and I just think that’s such a great adventure.”

While the two main characters in Weaver’s novel certainly have some adventures, both of them have also gone through some pretty traumatic events.

“It gives the characters something really to connect over,” she said, adding, “It doesn’t prevent them from falling in love or finding another person who is very much like them.”

Weaver says apps like TikTok have given women a platform to share what they’re reading more freely and without judgment.

“There was a time that you used to cover your books,” said Sue Slade, manager of the Dartmouth Book Exchange in Cole Harbour, N.S.

Bookstores like hers are also noticing the growing popularity of the romance genre, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Romances are guaranteed happily-ever-afters. The worse it gets out there, the more people are buying them,” said Slade.

A trend she’s noticed with contemporary romance is the difference in book covers.

“Before it was a picture of a couple, and they’re nice, and they still sell,” she said, but the new covers rely more heavily on graphic artists instead of models.

Slade says authors are even re-releasing books with new covers to try and reach a younger audience.

“Younger readers are sort of finding books like Brynne Weaver’s book and saying, ‘Wow, I didn’t realize this is what romance can be like,'” said Hale, who has published more than 30 books over 26 years.

Hale said the ability to self-publish has made it easier for writers in places like Atlantic Canada, but it means a more saturated market, too.

Weaver, who grew up between Nova Scotia and Ontario, self-published Butcher & Blackbird on Amazon, as she’d done with previous works.

Two days after its online release in August, she was contacted by romance audiobook narrator Joe Arden, who wanted to record a dual narration and have it ready for October.

The audiobook and initial publication were such a success that Weaver has since re-released the book through a publishing company.

On Dec. 11, the day before the book’s re-release, Weaver and her husband and son moved from Nova Scotia to Chicago.

“I’m excited. I’m sad to be leaving, but we still have family here, so we’ll be able to come and go,” she said.

The second book in the Ruinous Love trilogy, Leather & Lark, will be released on June 4, 2024.