I started reading Heartless Hunter yesterday, and I've got to say, it was quite the ride. Ciccarelli has a knack for weaving tales that are both intricate and immersive, and this book was no exception.

The story's blend of vengeance, love, and redemption really hit the mark for me. I was particularly drawn to the emotional depth and the twists that I honestly didn't see coming. There's something about the way Ciccarelli crafts her characters—flawed, complex, and straddling the line between hero and villain—that really resonates.

That said, it wasn't a perfect read. I noticed some pacing issues. There were moments when the story seemed to drag a bit, which pulled me out of the experience from time to time. But when the plot picked back up, I was right back in, hooked on the unfolding drama and the richly detailed world.

For anyone who loves fantasy that doesn't shy away from darker themes or who appreciates characters with real depth and moral complexity, "Heartless Hunter" is definitely worth checking out. It's a story that lingers, challenging your perceptions and leaving you pondering long after the last page.

Thank you SO much for the ARC, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press! I have a feeling that this will be one of my very favorite books of the year. It has everything that I’m looking for in a book - likable characters, a compelling plot, twists and a budding romance. I cannot wait for the rest of this series! 10/10 book!

Read if you like:
𐀔 true enemies to lovers
𐀔 witches/witch hunters
𐀔 hidden identities
𐀔 forbidden love
𐀔 high-stakes story

Oh how this one completely pulled me in! I was absolutely immersed in that story from the first page to the last one. It's one of those books where it literally hurts to wait for the next one (what am I supposed to do with my life now?). It was addictive and the world-building was easy to follow and made up for such an interesting story with all its history. I just loved everything about it, it was a beautiful story with just enough fantasy, mystery and a romance like I absolutely adore.

The attraction between our two main characters was palpable and with all the faking and scheming, it was just the best to watch them try to resist it. Knowing everything that was going on in both of their lives made it all the more interesting considering they are true enemies and have such reasons to be. They both have a pretty big backstory and it is kind of impossible to not love them right away and want them to be happy after all that happened (even though we can tell that it will be a long way before that, *tears*).

The alternating POV made it easy to understand where they are coming from, why they act a certain way and the struggles they are going through with all that is happening and forcing them to do things they might not be okay with. Danger is everywhere and it made for such a page-turner story. Ciccarelli kept us on the edge of our seats and all the while she still was able toconvey a narrative full of emotion and sweet moments as much as heartbreaking ones.

It's dark, it's romantic, it's full of magic, tension and mystery, truly captivating. Definitely recommend this one!

Thanks to the author, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for my eARC. All opinions are my own.

The hype about this one is real!!

Slow burn, enemies to more, forbidden romance. What more could you ask for?!

It leaves you hanging for book two!

Heartless Hunter is one of those books that I can see taking BookTok by storm. It's got a lot of tropes to love--forbidden romance, enemies/rivals to lovers, hunter x hunted, secret identities, and just a hint of spice that makes this the perfect read for those not yet ready for full-on ACOTAR but craving a little something more than fade to black.

I think the romance between Rune and Gideon is compelling, and I love that their "enemies" part works on multiple levels. High society girl Rune thinks Gideon is the coarse and heartless brother of her best friend, Alex, and Gideon thinks Rune is an air-headed socialite; BUT their secret identities of witch (Rune) and witch-hunter (Gideon) also clash, and I loved that. The worldbuilding is intriguing, and I loved the complicated politics and identities that the characters all have to navigate.

That being said, for me, it felt a bit flat. It may be because I've read a fair bit of romantasy and YA, so a lot of the plot points felt very predictable, and the writing style wasn't something I particularly connected with. It was fine, but I was looking for a bit more of that heat and that spark, and it felt (to me) like we were being told, rather than shown, the connection between Rune and Gideon. I would have also loved a bit more interiority on both Rune and Gideon. The beginning also had a fair bit of info-dumping that did tend to fade away once we got into the middle (which read rather smoothly); however, this is pretty on par for a lot of YA romantasy, so again, definitely a me thing!

If you like all of the above tropes, I can see this book being a runaway hit!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Kristen Ciccerelli for granting me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I was given an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli is the first book in the Crimson Moth Romantasy series. Rune is a witch hiding her identity as she tries to save as many other witches as possible under the moniker Crimson Moth. Gideon is a witch hunter whose family has been deeply impacted by the former witch royal family and vowed to destroy every last witch and Crimson Moth. Rune and Gideon play a cat and mouse game as Rune courts Gideon to get information and Gideon tries to find out if she’s the Moth he’s looking for.

I was into this concept from the moment I found out about it. I love enemies-to-lovers, I love it when love interests share a trauma that is two sides of the same situation, I love Romantasy and powerful women, I love cat and mouse games, and I love denial of attraction.

Gideon comes from poverty while Rune comes from quite a lot of wealth, but Gideon is a captain of the Blood Guard, which gives him a lot of respect in the new government, and Rune has to pretend to be shallow about her interests to hide her true motives. There’s miscommunication on the romance end because of their very different backgrounds and specific situations but they’re each other’s intellectual equals as they try to outwit each other.

Content warning for mentions of sexual assault

I would recommend this to readers of Romantasy, fans of enemies-to-lovers, and readers looking for a steamy witch x witch hunter book.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli in exchange for an honest review. This was an amazing book one of The Crimson Mother's Series. I wasn't sure what to expect and I got hooked on Rune and her quest to save the witches. Then there's the question of which brother to choose, the witch hunters, and no one is who they seem. I really liked this book.

I will not be publicly reviewing this book until St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books addresses reader concerns.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⚡️3.75 stars
I heard good things about this book so I was excited to read it.

I mostly enjoyed the story although there were some things I had issues with (mainly how she obtained blood for her spells).

There were some things that were obvious and there were some plot holes that didn’t make any sense. And the amount of stupid mistakes she made drove me crazy.

But ultimately I was entertained and enjoyed the overall story and I will probably read the next book when it is released.
🩸
This felt like a mix of the high society and balls of Bridgerton mixed with the Witch/Witch Hunters of Serpent & Dove series.

I was not expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did, and I would like to blame the Tragic Backstory trope for that.

Heartless Hunter is one of the select few romantasy books that I enjoyed. Maybe it was the spying and the subterfuge, or maybe it was my curiosity as to Gideon's backstory, but I read 75% of it in one day. I thought the worldbuilding was cool (I'm always a fan of blood magic) and I also loved the "post-revolution" type story.
The story follows two POVs - a witch's and a witchunter's. Rune is a witch trying to smuggle other illegal witches out of the country and Gideon is a witchhunting soldier bent on catching the Crimson Moth (who is Rune). There's a lot of politics and fake courting with ulterior motives. I did manage to call one of the plot twists immediately (my first annotation for one character is "either they're not trustworthy or they're going to die"...and both were right). I called the other one right before it happened, but both of them were extremely well done.
I don't know that either of the main characters really stood out to me personality-wise. They reminded me a bit of Nina and Matthias from Six of Crows. Surprisingly enough, I preferred Gideon over Alex, I think mainly because of Gideon's Tragic Backstory. None of the other side characters really stood out to me because they were all relatively shallow.
Romantasy fans will not want to miss out on the fast-paced, enemies-to-lovers story that is Heartless Hunter.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
4/5

Yess!!
This book was so good!
I can't wait for more Gideon and Rune being enemies.
Witches, enemies to lovers back to enemies

Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday for the digital arc!

I loved this story so much!

The characters, the premise, magic, all of it! The ending had me on the edge of my seat and oh my heart! I will posting a full review on Instagram page soon.

A must read!!!

Overall, this was a really fun and engaging read that I would absolutely recommend. It’s not a heavy fantasy and its world and characters are understandable and pretty easy to follow.

The world was interesting and pretty light on the building. It gave a lot of Bridgerton vibes, with socials and balls and mansion houses. I liked that aspect of it.

The magic system was actually quite well fleshed out and described and I feel like I understood it really well right from the start. Witches use blood for their magic, and it leaves silvery scars that they decorate their bodies with. The blood is drawn in patterns for various types of spells, depending on what you want to do. Very easy to follow and it stays consistent throughout the book.

But on the note of consistency…..some of these characters do not quite keep to their personalities. I’ll remain spoiler free but one makes a decision that I find completely unfathomable considering the information they had. And several of them just seem to not stick quite with the personality traits they had at the beginning and it was a bit weird considering some of the plot hinged on those traits.

There’s also a bit of reliance on deliberate obtuseness and being pigheaded for the plot to move forward…but if you don’t let that bother you then it’s a good read.

I know there’s criticism in here but honestly I had a really great time reading this and will absolutely be picking up the second the moment it comes out. The tension of the final scenes was great and the cliffhanger has me begging for me.

I recommend picking this up for an easy to read and fun new fantasy!

Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC!

This book ended up being so much more than I thought upon initially picking it up. The skillful writing absolutely brought to life the strategic rivalry and tension between the stubborn witch and even more stubborn witch hunter. Gideon and Rune kept me on the edge of my seat and sanity as this story took twists and turns I never quite anticipated. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book!

Oh be still my heart!! I simply loved this book so much!

The storyline is inventive and so well done. Several years before, there was an uprising against the ruthless Witch Queens. All known witches were killed and those who survived are trying to hide what they are in order to survive. The Blood Guard was formed which is a dedicated group of witch hunters.

At the center of this story is Rune, whose own grandmother was slaughtered as a witch. Rune works hard to continue to ruse that she is a silly socialite with no magical abilities. But in fact, her abilities showed up shortly after her grandmother died, leaving her with no-one to train her to use them other than the spell books left behind. She has made it her goal to try to help other witches to escape the clutches of the Blood Guard and the notorious Gideon Sharpe - - a well known witch hunter. It has earned her the nickname of Crimson Moth as that is the signature left behind when she uses her magic.

Gideon happens to be the brother of Rune's best friend Alex who knows she's a witch and helps her. Yet, as much as Alex helps her, he'll never put himself directly between her and Gideon as he tries to maintain a sense of loyalty to both of them. When Gideon and Rune both get the idea that getting close to one another may be advantageous, Alex knows it's a bad idea and he also may be a bit jealous. Gideon wants to rule Rune out as having connections to the Crimson Moth and Rune wants to use Gideon for information. What the two of them actually find is an intense attraction that they struggle to deny. After all, they are opposite sides of a battle that has very definitive lines drawn. How could things between them ever work. The sad thing is that eventually they share their histories with one another and the other person learns a bit about walking in their shoes. Rune learns what Gideon went through at the hands of one of the Witch Queens and he gains a bit more of an understanding of how horrible it was for her to lose her grandmother in the way she did. Yet, will it be enough for them to bridge the chasm is Gideon ever finds out she truly is a witch? There's just so much to this story and so much push and pull between these characters. I was HOOKED. I loved this book so much that the wait for the next one will be excruciating....but I'll manage.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review this book and the opinions contained within are my own.

This is book grabs you and pulls you right into a rich world of intrigue and danger! It's a true cat and mouse game between the two main characters. Rune is secretly a witch in a society that is rounding them up. To add to this, she is also smuggling witches to safety. Gideon has a tragic backstory which leads him to become the most skilled witch hunter around, and is determined to uncover the identity of the Crimson Moth, AKA Rune. Adding to this, Gideon's brother, Alex, knows the truth about Rune... Fantastic novel! Your YA readers will love it!

A witch who poses as a faithful socialite by day but traverses the night as a vigilante rescuing other witches. The crimson moth eludes the witch hunters with the help of friends.

The cat and mouse game between Rune and Gideon is spectacular. Alex is a great friend even though it is unexpected. The magic system was unique. Not to mention the way Rune goes around the original ways of using magic. The plot twist I didn't guess completely. The romance was steamy. The ending wasn't expected either. I can't wait for the next book to see how this story plays out.

•enemies to lovers
•fake dating
•love triangle
•betrayal


Triggers
•death
•murder
•r*pe


Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for sending me an arc to read and review.

This was such an interesting witchy read! I enjoyed how it was almost in regency times so there were balls and suitors but in this world...witches. Witches once ruled and now they are hunted. Our main character Rune is a witch but keeps it hidden so she can keep her life.
Gideon is a prominent witch hunter and is hunting the crimson moth (rune)
This book is a slow burn, cat and mouse game.
I enjoyed it & will def. be reading the next one.

This is easily going to be one of my top books of 2024. It ended on a huge cliffhanger, and my heart is shattered into a million pieces. I can’t wait for book 2!

In this book, we have a slow burn enemies to lovers story between a witch and a witch hunter. The slow burn tension had me gripped from the beginning. The FMC, Rune, is so likable. She puts on a persona of aloof and shallow….in reality she is anything but those things. She’s a witch that is trying to save other witches from “the purge.” Gideon is her sworn enemy as a witch hunter. He does not think very highly of Rune. He is convinced she is the crimson moth and will do anything to prove it.

Along the way, lines are blurred. What is real and what is a game? Will Gideon catch the witch he’s been hunting for 2 years or will she outsmart him?

I laughed, I cried, I giggled, I kicked my feet. I felt all of the emotions. I’m so in love with these characters and I am so sad that the book is over!

This was a great story from start to finish!

Thank you to netgalley and st. martins press for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

This review will be posted on February 26, 2024 on Goodreads!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-arc--this was a book that I was highly anticipating, and I can confirm that it definitely lived up to my expectations.

Heartless Hunter is a quick read that delivers an adventurous and thrilling love story between Rune, a secret witch in hiding. using the Crimson Moth pseudonym to save witches being persecuted following the revolution, and Gideon, a witch hunter who has dedicated his life to hunting and stopping the mysterious vigilante known as the Crimson Moth. Both characters are very strong-willed and dedicated to their respective causes, and honestly, it was very refreshing to read a romance where both characters are strongly driven by outside forces. This was my work transit book and holy cow, Rune and Gideon...actually made me <i>excited</i> to go to work? The story was so fast paced and the characters were so interesting that I could not wait to pick it back up again.

One thing this book really succeeded at was taking me on an emotional rollercoasters with great highs and lows. <b>WOW</b>! So much of the book is contingent on the fact that the relationship and feelings that both characters feel are taboo and not allowed. The tension was CRAZY! Rune and Gideon had me stressing time and time again, and yet I still wanted it to work out. A lot of times, too much tension can really put me off, but the execution of their circumstances and introspective thoughts was so good that I never felt annoyed or off-put by the constant stress.

This book did not get 5 stars from me simply because the book felt very tropey--let me explain. I thought this book was wonderful--it was captivating and full of adventure alongside an ample amount of tension and forbidden longing. The problem I have is not at all with the story itself and more with the writing. Sometimes, the execution of the tropes felt very unnatural--like the trope was simply there to increase reader appeal rather than occurring organically. Now, I will say that this did not take away a ton of enjoyment, in fact I even found myself embracing it at some points, but it is a major pet peeve of mine when this is present in a story and therefore, in order to remain consistent, I've taken off a star.

This book is perfect for lovers of true enemies to lovers, forbidden romance, fake dating, witches and an overall fast-paced story full of mystery (albeit a predictable one), romance, and magic.