Bird on a Blade

Hunter’s Heart #1

by Rose Bitterly

Sawyer Caldwell was the worst thing that ever happened to me… until he wasn’t.

Edie
Fifteen years ago, Sawyer Caldwell murdered four people—but left me alive. Now, on the run from my abusive ex, the dense Appalachian forest where I once escaped a killer’s grasp is the only place I feel safe.

Except someone’s lurking in those trees. Watching me. Waiting.

It can’t be Sawyer Caldwell. He’s dead. Shot by the police.

So who’s hunting me in the woods—

And why do I wish it’s the serial killer who let me live?



Sawyer
She’s my perfect prey. The one I chase and chase and never kill.

Fifteen years after my first death, I never thought I’d see her again. But when I catch her scent on the wind, I know someone’s looking out for me.

Not God.

Maybe the devil.

What I do know is that I won’t waste my second chance at making her mine. No matter who I have to hurt or who I have to kill—

This Hunter will finally catch his quarry.

Bird on a Blade is a dark horror romance and the first book in the Hunter’s Heart universe, a series of interconnected standalones. This book contains graphic content that may be upsetting to some readers. Please review the full list of content warnings on the author’s website.

Genres: Dark Romance, Horror, Romance, Dark, Paranormal, Fantasy, Crime

268 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2024

Reviews

[BoringBookLover · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I ever have to read the phrases “my cunt” and “her cunt” ever again, it’ll be too soon 🙌🏻

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first horror/slasher romance and wow it did NOT disappoint! I was so upset when it was over because I still wanted more. I’m a HUGE horror movie fan and this was the perfect combination of horror and romance/spice. I loved the main characters, especially the MMC. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I could NOT put this down because I had to find out what happened next. This should 100% be made into a movie. If you like horror movies/books with a little bit of ✨spice✨ you need to add this to your TBR ASAP❤️

[Metika Constable · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ughhhh!!!!! 🔥🔥🥵🥵
This book was AMAZING!!!! I adore the mmc!!!! 🥵
He would burn the entire world down for her and I am obsessed!!!!!

[Crystal Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do you get when you put Friday the 13th and a dark steamy romance together??? THIS BOOK!

When I first saw the name, not gonna lie I was not sure. But oh my goodness, this book is so much more and then some.

Sawyer watched Edie get tormented at fat camp, so he takes matters into his own hands. Edie watches him die, but he didn’t! 15 years later they are both reunited back at where it all started.

Whew, watching Edie discover the thrill of her dark side, so fun! He is a hunter and a killer, she realizes that excites her.

[Amber Pata-Ellison · Rating 5 out of 5]

nobody fucking look at me

[Kade · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

Holy crap. This was so fucked but also so good. And for me, nothing was lacking, the plot was great and the characters were my favorite ❤️
1st read of the year, done ✅

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m sorry, WHAT. I couldn’t put this book down!
Eighties/Nineties Slasher Vibes with all the smut, I’m completely here for it. Sawyer was swoon worthy & I found myself insanely jealous of Edie. 🫠

Sawyer is an anti-hero, brooding but cinnamon roll for Edie. The attraction between them was on fire from the beginning & it never fizzled or swayed. I was hoping the story would never end.

For me it was five stars from beginning to end. I ran to sign up for her ARC Team & to buy a physical copy. I’m hooked on these stories. 🔥

[ashlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a first slasher romance read for me and I absolutely devoured it. Beautifully written 🫶🏻

[~☆RaeReadsBooks☆~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read, even if it was a bit out of my typical comfort zone. I'm not a huge dark romance reader, but when I do read it, I typically like my MMCs to be morally grey instead of morally black. EX: Rowan from Butcher and Blackbird (does bad things for a good reason).

Sawyer, however, doesn't do what he does for a noble reason, he's just a cold-blooded killer... which I'll admit, kept me from falling in love with him like I did with Rowan. Guess I'm just not twisted enough to fully get into this series... just twisted enough to give reading it a shot. 😆

I'm also not into MMCs that ever entertain the idea of hurting the FMC, and Sawyer does this quite a lot, which was a turn-off for me.

However, I didn't end up totally hating this book, which is why the three star rating instead of a two or a one. Even though it wasn't totally my cup of tea it was very well written and had a creative premise that gives a nod to horror franchises like Halloween, where the killer is supernatural because they can never really be killed.

I also found it interesting that this book feels like it's in the same universe as the one portrayed in Bones and All by Camille DeAngelis, where there are killers that look like people but aren't and it never fully explains what they are, but that somehow makes it even more interesting. Beings like Sawyer can scent and sense their own kind which is also the way it works in Bones and All, which further lent itself to the idea that it's all the same universe and that there are just multiple types of predators that appear human: "eaters" (Bones and All) and the "hunters" from this series.

All in all, it was a creative and refreshingly different read, even if I couldn't fully get into the love story aspect of it.

[Laísa Aliandro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eu não sei o que o fato de eu ter gostado desse livro diz sobre mim.

Eu nunca nem tinha ouvido falar de "slasher romance", mas o Tik Tok me deixou muito curiosa e eu não me decepcionei. Tiveram algumas cenas que achei insalubres (até porque era o sangue alheio a primeira vez que ele faz coisas com ela) e tem uns kinks que eu não gosto de ler, mas estavam nos warnings, então não posso reclamar.

Mas fora isso, achei até fofo o romance do Sawyer e da Edie. O jeito como ele começa inseguro ao lado dela, mas vai ao poucos acreditando que não vai matá-la e fica mais confortável no relacionamento (eu entendo o quão surreal é dizer isso). E o jeito como a Edie vai vencendo as inseguranças aos poucos e como o Sawyer, mesmo que não intencionalmente, acaba emponderando ela.

Entendo que foi uma necessidade, mas não gostei da Edie deixand a amiga no escuro em relação ao desaparecimento dela. Mas isso serve de gancho para o próximo livro, então acho que posso superar.

[Christine HorrorReaderWeekend · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is described as a “Slasher Romance” and that is A C C U R A T E IN ALL CAPS!

This novel bumped against my limits as a reader of extreme horror and romance books, but oh my and good golly, finding my limits was fun AF!

I had so much fun reading this book, really gory, intense and shocking sex scenes (I was SWEATING) a morally gray (or maybe PITCH BLACK) love interest in Sawyer, an intriguing back story for Edie, extreme violence, bloody as hell while carefully delving into disordered eating, SA and toxic relationships.

My only other dabble in erotic horror is Color of Blood by Mona Kabbani which was about obsession, lust, violence, sociopathy, need, narcissism, greed and sex. Another GREAT READ.

Bitterly’s Bird on a Blade is about forgiveness, self-acceptance, violence and dark need and lust. Simply a shockingly good time in a book. Every gotdam trigger warning (no pets or kids triggers).

[Bre Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been very behind on reading books for spooky season (and reading in general) lately. I guess I’ve been in a reading slump. I saw an ad for this one on TikTok (at 5AM) and immediately had to see if it was on KU. I started and finished it that same day. It was so freakin amazing! I loved everything about this book! It was the perfect mix of 90s slasher, romance, and smut with just a little supernatural. It brought me out of my slump and got me pumped to read the other “spooky” books that I downloaded on KU at the beginning of the month. There’s only technically about 9 days left of spooky season, but who says it can’t go into November?

🔪Serial Un@|!v3r
🎭Masked Man
🖤Dark Romance
☠️Supernatural

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

[danathebookwhisperer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solo una parola: si.
Si al serial killer.
Si all’elemento paranormal romance/urban fantasy.
Si al plus size.
Si alla rappresentazione di violenza domestica.
Si alla rappresentazione di un disturbo alimentare.
Si.

Questo libro è stato veramente tante cose. In primis è stato intrattenimento allo stato puro. Ma è stato anche dolce, splatter, romantico, spaventoso e incredibile.

Ho amato la costruzione dei personaggi di Edie e Sawyer. Nonostante la loro sia una storia abbastanza “instant lust/instant love” c’è stata la giusta quantità di “””””slow burn”””””🤭 e un arco narrativo ampio nonostante la storia vada dritta al punto.

Mi è piaciuto assolutamente tutto e sono ESTREMAMENTE curiosa di leggere il secondo😏

[Brittney Brotton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was like, 80% spice 20% story. Typically I feel like books with that type of balance dont hold the story up well, but this one did it just fine. Liked the characters enough, I appreciated that the whole time the fmc was questioning herself, it helped make the plot feel a bit more believable. I do wish there was just bit more story and little more suspense. But to be fair, probably just wasn't meant to be that kind of book🤷‍♀️

[Nikki Nadal · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautifully dark and twisted story!!

I went in blind didn't know the author or the book,I am now obsessed!! I devoured this book! It was so deliciously dark and now lives in my soul forever! I fell in love with the characters and the story,it has plenty of spice and let me tell you the spice is super hot and the plot is amazing.This is me telling you that you need to read this book! As always check the trigger warnings !! Happy reading!

[Cinnamon Dawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you ever had a thing for Jason vorhese than this is your book. No but seriously dark romance meets 80/90s slasher movie.

[Lishers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knife. Blood. Murder. Free. Love. First I was like WTF am I reading to OMG sooooo many murders

[Miss Zeets · Rating 5 out of 5]

This slasher romance was one of the best ones I've read and definitely deserves 5 stars. I loved the characters, how Edie still battled with that silly voice inside her head, how Sawyer was just so in from the start, how Edie actually handled the darkness rising inside her.

I just enjoyed this so much, and I can't wait for Charlotte's story!!!!

[Hennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t look at me.

[Nicole Sink · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first read and first ARC from Rose Bitterly, let me just I completely devoured this book in a whole day. I could not put it down! I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of this book, let me just say the smut was ✨chefs kiss🤌🏻✨ I forgot had this arc because 🙄life until I got an email about book 2 coming out in December (which she is looking for ARC readers!) 10/10 recommend 🥵❤️‍🔥

[SE Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

(ARC review)

Rose Bitterly's "Bird on a Blade" follows Edie Astor and Sawyer Caldwell fifteen years after the infamous Fat Camp Killing Spree, in which Sawyer brutally murders four people, leaving Edie alive. Now, in Edie's attempt to escape her abusive husband Scott, she flees back to the site of the murders—the last place anyone would look for her. In a twist of fate, Edie reunites with the serial killer she thought she'd never see again.

At first, I found the set up of the book to be slow-going. Edie's escape plan is well thought out, but it takes her a little too long to settle in. The action really picks up after she actually encounters Sawyer for the first time since that night, and from there, the book really takes off. I felt as if the characters were slightly exaggerated in their emotions—Sawyer is constantly aroused by everything and Edie is too frightened when inside she's not frightened enough—but I think that the characters really grow into each other and begin to mold together well towards the end. I liked that Edie showed somewhat of a struggle of her feelings towards Sawyer, but honestly, I feel like it could've been more. But in a book full of supernatural serial killers, who am I to judge what is real?

I'd recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a quick guilty-pleasure read! I certainly enjoyed reading it late at night with a glass of wine to set the tone. It may not be winning any Pulitzer Prizes nor Reese's Book Club picks, but it isn't meant to be profound or impactful. Just fun pleasure reading.

[spicy_book_nook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoughts : wow… this book was pretty dang gone good! Sawyer was so unhinged and endearing at the same time. And such a GIVER!!! I wish Edie was a little stronger of an FMC, but still good

Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot / Storyline 👩🏻‍💻: 📑📑📑📑
First Spicy Scene: 18 %
Darkness: 🖤🖤🖤
Red Flags: 🚩🚩🚩🚩
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
HEA: YES
POV: Dual

⚠️⚠️⚠️spoilers - whole story***
Edie is 33 and on the run from her @bu$ive husband, Scott. She goes back to the place he would never look for her and the place she feels safest… The Head Start Camp she went to when she was younger.
PAST -
Edie is 18 and back at camp, after it is closed for the summer because her mom paid a bunch of mean counselors to do everything they can to get her to lose weight (everyone thinks she is “too big”).
Sawyer Caldwell is st@lking everyone and finally unalives them all but Edie. As soon as Sawyer saw Edie, he knew she was different. Sawyer is a “Hunter”, at least that is what his mother calls his people. Supernatural, not human, and just like people NEED to eat or breathe to live, his kind MUST k!11 to live otherwise the bl%d lust overtakes them.
Edie runs into Sawyer as he unalives the last person, he tells her he did it for her and she says thank you and hugs him, then the police bust in and unalives Sawyer.
PRESENT -
Sawyer crawls out of his grave healed after 15 years. His kind can heal and come back, even from death if they can bury themselves in the dirt.
Sawyer finds an abandoned church and with the intent to find Edie he cleans and fixes it up.
Sawyer makes his way to the old camp and realizes Edie is staying there. So he decides to watch and follow her. Edie makes her way into town and some mean guys laugh and make fun of her weight. Naturally, Sawyer on lives them and leaves one of their heads on her doorstep.
Edie finds the head and is not totally grossed out, but then finds out it’s Sawyer. She is scared and relieved to see him. Because he made her feel the safest. Sawyer is able to control his emotions long enough to get her off. But when she does try to reciprocate, he can’t let her because he’s afraid he’ll unalive her if he can’t get his emotions and check.
Scott sends two guys to unalive Edie. Sawyer takes care of both of them.
Edie confesses as to why she’s there. Sawyer tells her everything he knows about himself. Edie and Sawyer devise a plan to get rid of her husband.
He calls him and lures him to the cabin. Scott isn’t dumb and figured something was up. He hired three military guys to flank the cabin.
Sawyer takes care of them and rushes back to the cabin as he could sense something was wrong with Edie. Sawyer comes into the cabin while Scott is graping her mouth. Sawyer sees read and unalives Scott.
The run, making everyone think there was a copycat k!11er and they move to Florida. The rainstorms give him cover to k!11.

[Dakota · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fucked 😤🤘🏻

[Erica Bradford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book! Very unique plot and spiiiiiicyyyy. 😮‍💨 Would have been 5⭐️ if it weren’t for the grammatical errors sprinkled throughout.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an ARC review and where do I even begin??? The cover of the ebook says that it's a slasher romance, which I had no clue what that meant, before reading this book. But holy cow! WTF did I just read??? I finished this book in less than a day, and once you start, you just can't put it down!

I had no idea what to expect from the title of this book nor the cover art, but the description had intrigued me enough to select this as my next to read. Let me tell you, I'll definitely be reading more of this type of book. I've always been one to enjoy "the hunt" and "torture", because killing is just too easy. Slow and painful death is more appealing. If that does something for you, then this is your book. Throw in a good pace of sex, sex, and more sex! Not just vanilla sex but dark erotic details through most of the second half of this book that really makes you question the darkness that may live inside you, as you read in awe of what is happening and loving every second of it!

The story starts off brief with a killing spree that happens 15 years ago with one survivor, the main female character. It then picks back up 15 years later to only have her life lead her back to a place in her past. I wasn't sure where this book was going to with the plot, but there are actually some very complex issues that are being told in this story.

From Evie's point of view and life...
You have guilt of being the lone survivor like out of horror movie, when you are only a teenager. You then have emotional and physical abuse as a running theme in the book. How it's hard for women to escape from it...an endless cycle that just keeps repeating itself and affects other areas of your life. You lose your sense of self-worth and confidence. It also dives into eating disorders, fat shaming, and all the psychological trauma that comes with it, as well as how to face it, start to heal from some of it, and what it's like to go through recovery and have relapses. It also touches on how it's hard to hold meaningful relationships with people, who don't accept you the way you are.

We then see the book take on a darker tone, as Edie, tries to figure out her feelings, sense of both security and guilt, with the killer she has come to know personally, but yet sees him in a different light. She is more scared of her ex-husband than of the man who is a serial killer.

From Sawyer's point of view and life...
Who is this guy really? You clearly read in the book that he dies only to have him come back to life 15 years later??? What the heck is going on??? I don't feel enough detail was given even to guess. Yes, it was stated that he can't die. Why did it take him 15 years to come back? Was he literally in the ground for that long...buried? That all is kind of blurry in the book.

But moving beyond that, I got to experience the thoughts, feelings, sensations, and so much more of what goes into the mind of a hunter looking for its prey...the chase, the taunting, the torture, and the killing. To me, it was told in such a fascinating way, that it was intoxicating to read!

I wanted to give this book 5 stars, but 4 instead, because I feel there's more explanation needed for who and what Sawyer is...immortal? supernatural being? I can't wait to read the next book in this series...I hope that the author gives us an update on Edie and Sawyer in future books. Also, I have a feeling that Edie's friend, Charlotte, shows up again later too....maybe she falls for one of the other hunters??? One can hope...LOL. I do want a book about Jaxon and one on Ambrose too. I can't wait for Sawyer's mom to come back into the story as well. So much to look forward to!

Note - it was already stated that clean-up was needed for grammar errors etc, so I won't focus on any of that...hopefully, before this goes to final release, it's been proofread again.

[Talie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bird on a Blade by Rose Bitterly
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ x100000 /5

If I could give this more than 5 stars, I absolutely would!

I cannot stress enough how much I loved this book. It's genuinely been so long since I've been this excited to read a book and then to have it meet AND exceed my expectations??? I couldn't be happier!

Without giving any spoilers, I want to say that this is a solid read in my opinion. For starters, both the plot and the writing itself are very well done. With a lot of smut books, I think things can get cringe really fast - characters don't act like how they probably should, there's sex scenes in places there shouldn't be, and sometimes the pacing of a book is just way too jarring to look past. This is not the case with this book.

The plot is good and actually exactly what I've been hoping to come across. The idea of a serial killer who is obsessed with you and will kill anyone who hurts you? Yes, please. Top that with a dark haired psycho MMC (my weakness) and a plus sized FMC and this is exactly what I've been manifesting for a long time. I also really like how the FMC’s weight and subsequent mentality on her weight was written too. It's a huge part of the plot which originally made me a bit wary because sometimes authors who write "fat" readers don't necessarily portray the characters in the best light and, as someone who is also plus sized, I'm not looking to be shamed when I'm trying to read a book for fun. But I think Bitterly does a fantastic job at portraying Edie, and even better, Sawyer's absolute love and obsession for Edie as she is, is even better - and he makes her feel beautiful inside her own skin. Anyway, combine that with some gruesome murders, fear of both the good and bad kind, and some A++ sex scenes and you've got a great book in your hands.

Bitterly also writes very well. Like I mentioned, smut can sometimes feel forced or out of place no matter how much the reader might want for it to happen. You can't be in the middle of a battle scene and then all of a sudden you're getting fingered against a tree, you know? A lot of these scenes or when characters don't act the way they're supposed to can make me DNF a book altogether, but Bitterly's writing seemed to captivate me and keep me hooked the entire time. I finished the book within a day (and with how my reading schedule has been going, that's basically unheard of). Nothing in the book feels forced to me. Everything flows and makes sense to a certain extent and I just really genuinely enjoyed everything about it.

I'm really looking forward to the next book coming out in December. I'll be on the edge of my seat for the next few months lol.

[cuore__di__carta · Rating 5 out of 5]

ITA/ENG REVIEW

ITA
Avete presente quell'inspiegabile attrazione per qualcosa di proibito e strano? Ecco, questo dark slasher romance l'ho visto proprio così. Se vi dicessi che i cattivi alla Jason e Freddie Krueger hanno la loro storia d'amore? Attenzione, i TW sono tantissimi!

TRAMA
Per sfuggire al marito violento, Edie va nell'ultimo posto dove lui la cercherebbe: sulle montagne dove quindici anni prima è stata l'unica superstite di un efferato serial killer. Edie spera così di ritrovare se stessa e poter ricominciare. Ma non è affatto sola lassù. Per uno scherzo del destino Sawyer - il killer di allora - è sopravvissuto, la vuole e farà di tutto per proteggerla, anche farle scoprire i suoi desideri proibiti.

Wow. Non mi aspettavo che questo romanzo mi piacesse tanto. Ma è così diverso dal solito che mi ha davvero intrigata. Edie è una ragazza curvy con molti traumi, ma da ragazzina ha condiviso con quel killer un inquietante momento di tenerezza. Sawyer, dal canto suo, non è completamente umano, è per questo che è sopravvissuto e che la riconosce subito: ne sente l'odore, le emozioni. Lui, d'altronde, è attratto, anzi, eccitato dalla morte e dal sangue. All'inizio non sa neanche lui se vuole ucciderla o possederla e inizia così un valzer di omicidi e macabri pegni d'amore.

Disturbante, a tratti disgustoso, incredibilmente splatter e spicy, ma mi è piaciuto molto! Quest'autrice appena scoperta è davvero brava e io non vedo l'ora di leggere il secondo volume. Intanto, vi consiglio questo, perfetto per Halloween!

VOTO: 5/5

--

ENG
Do you know that feeling when you're attracted to something creepy and disturbing but you go on anyway because you're feeling it in your bones? Well, this dark spicy splatter romance is exactly that and you'll love it!

BLURB
Edie is running away from her abusive husband towards the only place where she'll feel safe... and where she survived a serial killer fifteen years before. But she's not alone, Sawyer - the killer - survived and is now eerily attracted to her. He'll do anything to protect Edie, even initiate her to her darkest desires.

I freaking loved this book. It's creepy and disturbing and oh so right. Imagine Jason or Freddie Krueger having their own romance. there's a lot of blood and splatter but also sweet romanticism and absolute spice. I loved how Edie learns to accept all of her shades and how Sawyer understands that he doesn't want to kill her, not with blades anyway, but just with his hot body. And nope, he doesn't change babes.

I'm so happy I discovered this new author, she's amazing and her writing skills are so good. Can't wait for volume two!

RATE: 5/5

[QueenSpiderRider · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book perfectly introduces the slasher romance genre. It had just the right amount of everything and kept me hooked. I was incapable of putting it down - so much so that I read this book in one sitting and plan on re-reading it in a few days... after my exams, so that I can enjoy it to the fullest without the sense of urgency pressing down on me.

Edie is relatable in a way I've never imagined would be possible. She reveals a side of raw and brutal honesty that made her even more human. She's not a damsel in distress, she understands right from wrong and her conflicts with her own feelings are so articulately written that it's impossible not to empathize with her and ultimately accept this as a part of her.

Edie's struggles, her past, even the way she moves forward, finding new determination and coming to terms with her true feelings all feel authentic and genuine, it's not rushed or obscured, her doubts and conflicts are shown in equal amounts compared to all the 'distractions' Sawyer provides for her.

To me, Edie is perfectly human, she's suited for a world like hers and that's what makes her relatable. She has her weaknesses and her strengths and she's fairly clear about them with Sawyer, miscommunications that could be sparked between them are all neatly avoided thanks Sawyer's ability to interpret the scents of her emotions and thereby understand her even when neither of them know the right thing to say. I perhaps like that the most about them, the fact that there's no unnecessary drama and miscommunication even though they're both socially a little awkward around each other at first.

Oh, and I also highly appreciate the fact that Sawyer isn't mad or upset with Edie for the lie she told about him attempting to kill her that night fifteen years ago. Although his feelings about it are never obviously stated, he often comes across as bemused about what story she told everyone about what happened that night in order to hide the truth. Given the fact that Sawyer's death left her to face the aftermath of his killing spree on her own, it feels reasonable that she would spin a lie like that in order not to face more repercussions.

All in all, this book is a masterpiece in it's own right, I genuinely enjoyed the mysteriousness of the supernatural elements revolving around Sawyer and the other Hunter's existences. It was thought-provoking and intriguing, bringing a spectrum of possibilities and theories to mind without overshadowing the interactions between the characters or the plot of the story itself, rather it ran parallel to the story masterfully supplying a sturdy support to explain the Hunter's abilities.

[Malicious May · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book about a too thin red neck immortal "hero," Sawyer, and an obese heroine, Edie, who spends nearly all her time thinking about her eating disorder, being chunky, how others treated/treat her for being big, how she wants to be a confident chub chub like her friend even though she won't even eat a fucking cupcake, which makes no sense because she gained all that weight back by either eating things she shouldn't have or overeating. Good grief. This is embarrassing and makes no sense.

Eye roll moments:

--Her friend gets concerned because it's the afternoon and Edie hasn't eaten yet because she was out running errands, so she calls and makes sure she eats. LOL. She makes Edie show her the stove via a video call to prove she's cooking and then eating. Be so for real. Edie is in no danger of withering away, and she wasn't purposely avoiding food. She's also big again, so she's obviously been eating just fine. She's not some dainty, malnourished thing. If her friend truly cared about her, she would encourage Edie to adopt healthy eating habits and lose weight slowly, and love herself during the journey. Same with Sawyer. No one should encourage her to stay at a weight that puts her at risk for a plethora of health issues.

-- Sawyer noticed her eyeing the cupcake at the store, so he got it for her later. LOL. Of course he did. Then, he tells her it's okay and gets her to eat it, like this girl hasn't been eating this whole time. This shit is cringy.

-- She knew his body had gone missing, but went back to the camp anyway. Smart cookie.

-- The hypocrisy of calling a size 8 monstrous is wild. Fuck off.

Had the heroine just been what she wanted to be–confident–shut the fuck up about her weight, ate without being weird about it, etc., this book would've been a hell of a lot better. As is, I couldn't make it to the end because I was tired of all these characters being so focused on her being big.

[Kimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Thriller
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Murder, mayhem, and a second chance at life—this book has it all! "Bird on a Blade" takes us back to a horrifying murder at Fat Camp, where Edie, the lone survivor, has returned years later, hiding from her abusive husband. But just when she thought things couldn't get worse, the *original killer* is back from the dead! I was hooked.

Sawyer, the brooding anti-hero, might just be Edie's fated mate. The chemistry between them is fire! But wait—there are other hunters in the mix, and Edie’s past isn’t done haunting her yet. When her husband finds her again, I was on the edge of my seat. The tension ramps up as Sawyer battles his instinct to take her blood but ultimately wants to protect her instead.

Their growing bond is as dangerous as the situation they’re in. I loved watching them navigate trust, especially when Edie lets Sawyer in and he chooses not to kill her. But as they fight to survive, Edie decides to paint over a god’s symbol the hunters left on their cabin—can you say creepy vibes?

The stakes skyrocket when a PI’s partner tracks her down, but Sawyer doesn’t hesitate—he takes him out. Edie and Sawyer’s feelings finally come to a head, but, of course, *she runs* (WHY do they always run?!). Sawyer catches her, and their heartfelt confessions made me swoon.

As the story hurtles toward a dark, satisfying end, Edie’s best friend raises some red flags—why is she so interested in a photo of the sigil? But Edie and Sawyer’s plan to kill her ex and fake her death had me cheering for them all the way to their Happily Ever After.

Twisted, thrilling, and undeniably steamy—this one’s for readers who like their romance with a side of danger.