Love Antidote

by Brynne Weaver

Love, murder, and dessert bring two hired assassins together in a darkly romantic novella by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Butcher & Blackbird and Tourist Season.

If anyone can poison a weapons dealer in plain sight, it’s assassin and pastry chef Isla Castillon. Regrettably, it’s competitive contract killer Mateo Rocha who’s accidentally served the delicious but lethal karpatka. Defying professional logic, Isla saves him. Mateo is too hot to die. With off-the-charts chemistry and an undeniable connection, they agree to go after their target together. Unfortunately, he’s guarded by the most terrifyingly sadistic hit man in the business. Isla and Mateo will have to be twice as ruthless and twice as clever to get to their happy ending alive.

Genres: Dark Romance, Romance, Audiobook, Novella, Short Stories, Contemporary, Fiction

62 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 15, 2026

About the author

Brynne Weaver is a #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author and international sensation with over 4 million copies sold in over twenty-five countries to date.  She has traveled the world, taken in more stray animals than her husband would probably prefer, and nurtured her love for dark comedies, horror, and romance in both literature and film. During all her adventures, the constant thread in Brynne’s life has been writing. With thirteen published works and counting, Brynne has made her mark in the literary world by blending irreverent dark comedy, swoon-worthy romance, and riveting suspense to create genre-breaking, addictive stories for readers to escape into. Known as the “Queen of Dark Romcom,” Brynne Weaver aspires to write female-focused stories about resilient characters navigating the darker edges of love.

Reviews

[Sophie]

This was okay. Two assassins have the same target, chaos ensues, and they fall into insta love. That pretty much sums it up.
The plot started off well enough, but once the romance took over, it just felt like more of the same.
Not bad, not amazing. Just meh. It’s a fun quick read, but that’s about it.

─ ✦ ────

✎ᝰ.┊ pre-read: This novella sounds like so much fun and the cover is gorgeous!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

[Liana Gold]

⭐️ 4 ⭐️ Whatever Brynne Weaver writes, I must read. Her usual dark rom-com formula compressed in under 62 pages? Sign me up. I love her humor, her morally questionable characters and absurd circumstances and her top notch banter. This was short, sweet, fun and just how I like it. Plus there are pastries involved? Brynne, you're speaking to my heart. Please write more.




Many thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Original Stories and the author, Brynne Weaver for an early ARC.

Publication date: September 15, 2026

[Ana]

I had so much fun reading this!! Two assassins with incredible chemistry and a dangerous job they are working on together, a perfect recipe for an entertaining novella!!

Isla, a pastry chef and a hired assassin, is hired to kill a dangerous man and she's doing it with a poisonous karpatka.. But the dessert ends up in wrong hands and now Mateo, a fellow assassin, is dying.. She decides to save him and now they're working together on ending the target..

It was such a quick and enjoyable read. I loved them together, the mission, the attack, the boat!! I wish we got more, more of them planning and working on targets, it ended way too soon. It had insta-love, but with novellas that is a given and I don't mind it, it was still believable.
Also, Mateo might have over a hundred kills, but he was so sweet, that dinner scene was absolutely adorable!!

I'll honestly read anything Brynne writes, so of course I had the time of my life!!

*Thank you to Netgalley and to Amazon Original Stories for providing me with an ARC.*

[Ricarda]

I've been curiously eyeing Brynne Weaver's unhinged-sounding serial killer romances for a while now, but I never really wanted to commit to reading a whole novel. So this standalone short story comes in very handy. It's about two assassins meeting in a restaurant as they both try to eliminate the same target. Isla made the man a nice, poisoned dessert and Mateo plans to straight up shoot him in the head, but they get in the way of each other and neither is successful with completing the job. They are successful in finding each other extremely hot, though. I'll make it quick: I didn't like this. I think it could make a decent full-length novel, but as a short story it was not well-crafted. The characters were bland, the pacing messy and the plot uninteresting. I usually love stories revolving around assassins, but everything stayed so completely surface-level here, that I didn't care. I would have loved to dive deeper into Isla's poison knowledge for instance, but there was just no time. The characters needed to meet, fall in love and have sex multiple times in these 60 pages, so when would there be time to explore anything interesting? It wasn't even a silly fun time for me and the smut gave absolutely nothing either. So here I am, none the wiser if I should try a full-length Brynne Weaver novel.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

[aira]

I did enjoy this...it was short so of course there was insta-love, but on an overall, I did have a fun time.

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this arc!!

[* A Reader Obsessed *]

4.5 Stars!

[maddi ⋆˚ᨳଓ.⋆]

✧˖°. ┆★★★ ¼ — 𝟯.𝟮𝟱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀

₊ 🔪 ⊹ 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑠 ⋆˚࿔
okay so this was fun!(?) i don't typically read suuuper short novellas under 100 pages like this, so i think it's probably more of a me problem, but i'm going to give my two cents on this anyway.

it was definitely a fun, fast-paced read, but i personally think it was too fast. the pacing just felt a bit off for me, and there were some moments and scenes where i think just a bit more time spent on them would have elevated it a lot instead of jumping or having it end so abruptly. the romance was veeeery insta-love-y, and i can kiiind of understand it?? i get that it's a super short read but they didn't HAVE to be in love, and i feel that if it was just left a bit open-ended i might be less annoyed w it. buttt there were some super sweet moments too. omg the lab date!? if someone cooked me dinner over a bunsen burner and gave me wine in a beaker i fear i would swoon immediately too, the science nerd in me was SCREAMING 🤭 def my fav scene of the whole novella. also loved the meet-cute and premise of this, super fun, and the cover is so stunning too!!

overall, i wasss a bit disappointed, especially considering brynne weaver is one of my fav authors, but i still had a good time!! i'll always love a gory read w crazy trigger warnings from my fav <3

ps. i think i have a quote saved on my ipad so if i find it i'll add it later!! xx

⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹

⋆˚꩜｡ ┆ 𝑝𝑟𝑒-𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑 .ᐟ ₊ 🧪 ⊹
*dramatic sigh* brynne weaver always has my back she is mother bcuz i was just scrolling through my updates (as one does), thinking abt what i can read in half an hr, and then i see THIS on my page. AND it's a 'read now' on netgalley?! say no more 🙂‍↕️✋

𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒐 𝑵𝒆𝒕𝑮𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒚, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒓, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑩𝒓𝒚𝒏𝒏𝒆 𝑾𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆-𝒂𝒓𝒄!! xx

[vaishnavi ☆ﾟ⁠.⁠*]

This was so fun!! I immediately fell in love with Isla and Mateo 🫠🤍 They gave Mr. & Mrs. Smith vibes so bad, I just had to put my kindle down to watch the film lol. Read the entire thing with a smile on my face. (Except the part with the eyeballs, that creeped me out)

[Alya]

Really enjoyed this short read! You can always count on this author to deliver dark rom com!

Plot Summary
Isla Castillon is an assassin and pastry chef who accidentally poisons fellow hitman Mateo instead of their intended target. After saving him, the two realise they have strong chemistry and decide to work together to take down a dangerous weapons dealer. But with a ruthless killer protecting their target, Isla and Mateo must outsmart their enemies if they want to survive and get their happy ending.

My Bookstagram

[Nenia Campbell]

Would it be weird if I said LOVE ANTIDOTE was like a cross between Ratatouille and Mr. and Mrs. Smith??? Because... kinda. This story is about Isla and Mateo. Isla works in a Michelin restaurant as a cover but she's actually a contract killer, which provides her with the perfect opportunity to poison her target. Unfortunately, she accidentally poisons someone else instead-- she thinks he's a restaurant inspector but he's actually another contract killer: her rival, actually.

This story has all the usual hallmarks of a Brynne Weaver book: strong, take-charge women; men who are obsessed with that; smart, snappy writing; and lots of funny moments to balance out the dark. Novellas can be a tough sell for me but this was an 11 out of the gate and just kept going, with no slow points.

I really fucking enjoyed it.

Thanks to the publisher for the review copy!

4.5 stars

[angelinabvby ۶ৎ]

good news: this was better than butcher & blackbird 💃

loved the assassin x michelin baker x romance plot. isla was baddie and mateo had it BAD. the instalust was very ali hazelwood and isla didn't even reveal her bakery dreams to mateo...but overall an enjoyable story!!

˚₊ · ͟͟͞͞➳❥ preread🔮
be better than butcher & blackbird 🙏

[Stacey]

Isla has a tip that a food critic will be at her restaurant. Well, not her restaurant, but hopefully someday she will own her own restaurant . She has prepared the perfect dessert and…..injected it with poison? Holy cow, her main source of income is an assassin. A poisonous dessert is the perfect way to knock off her target, except the dessert was sent to the wrong person. She rushes to the person to administer an antidote. After a brief discussion and introductions, meet Mateo, they realize they are both assassins. What are the odds and instant chemistry ripples through them. They work together to take down their guy.

This short, dark romcom is hot, hot, hot 🔥 Brynne Weaver made it happen in a few pages!

[Sarah]

Can Brynne Weaver write a complete banger in just over 60 pages? Yes, yes, she most definitely can!

Isla is a contract killer who sets her sights on poisoning Tomasz Nowak. When the poisoned pastry she prepares gets served to Mateo instead, she decides to intervene and give him the antidote. She gets more than she bargained for when it turns out that Mateo is also a contract killer. Talk about a killer meet cute!

I’m obsessed. This is a super short novella, but it’s totally fire! Brynne Weaver never misses. I loved how both characters were so into each other while also being deadly assassins! It was so entertaining watching them come together and become the perfect killer duo. Absolutely loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[mary ♡⋆ ࣪₊ꫂ᭪݁⋆˙]

Who doesn’t like a story about two serial killers trying to kill the same man, then the FMC accidentally poisons the MMC and he falls in love with her 🤣🤣

Like don’t tell me that’s not interesting

I devoured this story like I did all of Brynne’s other books
They’re so fun and entertaining, and this was no different 🤭🤍

[Kelsea]

"For a guy who obviously feels like dog shit, he’s still fucking hot."

Isla is a pastry chef and assassin on assignment. Things go horribly wrong when she inadvertently poisons another assassin on the same assignment, Mateo. In a stream of consciousness she decides to save him. Leading them down the road of lust, chemistry, obsession and more. Why did Isla save Mateo? What happens with the contract?

"It feels like he wants to look at me but won’t let himself. It’s as though something will break open if he does, and we both know it can’t be put back together."

Love antidote is told in dual pov, fast paced by nature, plot driven and the sweet treat everyone needs. This short story is tooo cute and any and all Brynne Weaver lovers will enjoy it. It's the perfect amount of spice, banter, and morbid humor one could and should (in my opinion, lol) love.

[Steph ✨]

This was fun. As always, Brynne never lets me down. I would love a full length novel from these two characters though.

[EmJustReading]

This was a very fun 37 minutes of reading! Yes I timed it because I was curious how long it would take to read.

Typically I’m not a big fan of short stories/ novellas, but this one was surprisingly enjoyable! I liked the story line (it matched the Brynn Weaver writing that I’ve read before) and the characters were the perfect amount of developed.

The plot was very John Wick-esque because of the contracts and bounties. It also made me think of Yama and Kronk talking about “the poison, the poison for Kuzko.” Everything wrapped up perfectly in the short window, and I thought the romance was good, if not a teensy bit bland.

It was also funny, the line about the “sexiest thing I’ve ever heard” made me laugh. And it was comical and unique how the events work out. It also made me a bit hungry thinking about the food (the un-poisoned food anyway)

There was a bit of an instant love trope… but what else can you expect when you have less than 70 pages to tell a story

Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC through NetGalley!

[Renee]

Super quick but fun story from the Queen of dark romcoms Brynne Weaver. She manages to have a fully developed story even though it’s so short and I hope we get to see these two some time in the future in another book.

Easy and fun five stars.

[Anna (annareadit)]

It was good, but short 🙂 I think I would have enjoyed it more if it were a full-length book. But if you're not in the mood for a long read, this is the perfect choice to enjoy a short story.

Thank you to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[LollyDolly]

Brynne Weaver is the queen of dark Rom Coms for me. This is a fun quick spicy read, at just under 60 pages. I enjoyed reading this while I had my morning coffee. Good times ❤️

[Kayla_Wilson]

😫 I want more!!!

[Larareads]

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love me a Brynne Weaver novella!!! It's fast-paced, it's dark but it's also light and fun. The chemistry between Isla and Mateo was instant and the spice is absolutely incredible. To have this much tension, chemistry and yearning in a 54 page novella is insane! So so good!!!

Tropes:
• enemies to allies to lovers
• contract killers
• dark romance
• "touch her and die"

[Jessica ❥˚♑︎]

⋆˙⟡ ── ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ 3.5 ⭐️

No surprises. Super quick and cute. You get exactly what the blurb tells you. Aside from the nature of it being two assassins after the same target, it’s a fun, light read.

[kaz ruby &#x1065a; ‧₊˚ ⋅]

the way this was choppy and literally didn’t flow at all

[charisse ♡]

˗ˏˋ 5 stars ⟡ ݁₊ .

omggg this was actually so good?? it was so fast paced and funny, i ate this novella up like no tomorrow. i loved isla and mateo so much, anddd did i mention they're rivals too??? like c'mon.

and like idk how brynne does it but like the YEARNING in this 60ish pages novella was done so well, i'm obsessed! like i 100% wouldn't find reading a full length book about these two!

also that tw list is crazy work! and we have eyeballs too so do what u will with this info, ahaha

⤷ thank you to netgalley, amazon original stories and brynne weaver for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

︶︶︶⊹︶︶︶˗ˋ୨♡୧ˊ˗︶︶︶⊹︶︶︶

₊˚⊹♡ pre-read ♡⊹˚₊ ↴
I HAD TO DO IT when i saw this on "read now" on netgalley... and two contract killers?? helllo?

[anovelaccount (Kayla)]

Short and sweet, this is a one-sitter that kept me entertained start to finish. I’ve only read one other Brynne Weaver book, and this one seemed significantly less dark, which was fine by me! The idea was cute and very well executed in such a short amount of time! This is a great palate cleanser if you’re in need

[✮`,— maddie .ᐟ.ᐟ (s.ia, school)]

╰┈➤ 4.25 stars ⭐️.ᐟ ˎ

Why did I lowkey enjoy this more than her actual books 😭

[Siena Kannenberg]

2.75⭐️. Very cheesy and insta-lovey, but fun. Expect the same level as trashy reality TV.

[Jessica]

Just finished immersive reading an advanced copy of a book that was just released today called, Love Antidote. This is about Isla, she is a pastry chef and an assassin, and she is using her restaurant job to take out her next target. But when things go wrong and a poisoned pastry gets delivered to the wrong table, that's how she ends up meeting Mateo. Mateo is an assassin eating at the restaurant and he's also planning to take out the same man as Isla, but as he is getting into position to take out the target, he starts to feel weird. And with his life on the line and their target getting away, sparks fly between these two assassins.
Brynne is truly one of my favorite authors, no one creates stories like she does, and the way she was able to create such a masterpiece in under 100 pages just blows my mind! This had me laughing out loud, fully invested in the story, attached to the characters, and on the edge of my seat from start to finish! I wanted to immersive read this because I know the audios for Brynne's books never disappoint, and this was absolutely fantastic! The narrators did an incredible job! This short story had everything you would expect from a Brynne Weaver book, but in under 100 pages! This is a must-read for any Brynne fan! 🩷📚

Thank you to Brynne Weaver, Amazon, and Netgalley for this eARC of Love Antidote, in exchange for an honest review.

[Melissa (honeybee.reads)]

Love Antidote is a novella that was an absolute banger in a little over 60 pages. It was just so good. The story, the characters, the way it developed, everything was just perfect. It was just fire, I loved the characters and the fact that they were both deadly assassins. Their meet cute was the best 🤣 It was funny, entertaining, dark but not as dark as her previous stuff and I loved every single second.