I absolutely loved this book! It was fresh and different, and not a carbon copy of every other Enemies to Lovers Romantasy.
That being said, each of the twists was well-foreshadowed, and were not unexpected. I'm not a reader who demands to be surprised, so this didn't bother me. In fact, I thought it was well done that each twist felt natural, and made sense within the worlds and characters. But for readers who desperately want twists that surprise them, this might miss the mark.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Coming up on its release date (tomorrow, 2/20!), I urge you to rush out and grab this as soon as the stores open!! This was also a February 2024 BOTM pick, and well-deserving of it!

That was a wild ride. I had a couple of hang ups with some plot choices that made me hold back on my rating a little bit but the story had me wanting to find out what happens next and I will most certainly be reading the next book. Overall it was very entertaining! I loved the enemies to lovers situation and all of the dramatic moments definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. I also cried so that’s always a win for me.

Side Note: I personally do not think this book should be marketed as teen/YA. Please check content warnings.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for this ARC.

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a mesmerizing tale of courage, love, and sacrifice set in a richly imagined fantasy world. It was dark and gothic and just beautifully written! The world-building was simple yet the characters had such depth.

Ciccarelli weaves a spellbinding narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end. Rune’s journey from a reluctant hero to a fearless leader is both poignant and inspiring, making this a must-read if you are a fantasy lover. The witch hunter hunting the witch made for an epic enemies to lovers cat and mouse game! Ooh, the betrayal! The hunter fell in love with the hunted.

Ciccarelli’s lyrical prose and masterful storytelling make “Heartless Hunter” a fantasy gem! That ending….WHAT?! Absolutely epic. I can’t wait for Crimson Moth #2!

Heartless Hunter is a fun take on witches, banned magic and forbidden romance. I liked that there was a dual POV and that each POV was entertaining in its own way. Rune was an interesting protagonist who is quite skilled at donning masks to fool people into thinking she’s something she’s not. I really love it when two characters are using each other for their own gain and make horrible assumptions about the other. Then watching as things get complicated when they begin to realize that those assumptions are wrong. Add to that a slow burn, witch/witch hunter dynamic and I’m hooked. The plot was fast paced but the romance could have had more depth. There was a lot of good action, and I liked how the magic system was incorporated. The cat and mouse aspect had me on the edge of my seat at times. Lots of scheming and deception was constantly happening. The twist was so good. I did not see it coming and it left me wanting even more. I’m definitely looking forward to book 2.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.25 stars

She was a witch. He was a witch hunter. Can I make it any more obvious?

After magic has been outlawed & any known witch killed, Rune Winters has no choice but to practice magic in secret. Over the past two years she's dedicated her life to saving witches from the Blood Guard's clutches under the moniker Crimson Moth.
Gideon, captain of the Blood Guard, has spent his time trying to capture the Crimson Moth, and he's closing in. Suspecting Rune might know the Moth (or might even be her), Gideon begins courting Rune in an effort to try to find out if she is a witch or not.

This was a great start to a series and was much more fast-paced than I was thinking it would be! It definitely leans heavily towards the romance aspect of romantasy, and I really did enjoy the romance. I think the magic system is intriguing and honestly wish it could have been explored a little more. Dare I say the book could have been longer?

I had such a fun time reading this book and am highly anticipating the sequel!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I devoured this book. It had some of my favorite tropes: enemies to lovers and fake dating (although it was a twist on that, since the other didn’t know if they were actually in it for real or not). I loved Gideon Sharpe and the complicated character that he was. I adored Rune and thought she was absolutely the best- had such a wonderful heart and was incredibly smart and brave. And my heart felt for Alex, who was the typical friend-zoned final side of this love triangle.

This had a moderately fast pace, as there was a bit of a background mystery developing, and the love story between Gideon and Rune kept me hooked. I loved the creativity of Rune’s plans to help save witches and how she got out of plans gone wrong, as well.

Overall a GREAT book if you like fantasy, witchiness, and enemies to lovers!

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC of this book! All opinions are my own.

Heartless Hunter is a young adult fantasy about a witch hiding in plain sight on an island that has purged them and dethroned their queens. Her days pretending to be a vapid aristocrat by day while she rescues imprisoned witches at night are numbered when a hunter zeroes in on her as a suspect.

Rune Winters has lived alone as a wealthy heiress since her adopted grandmother was sentenced to death as a witch two years earlier. She has allowed the new government and their army the “Blood Guard” to believe she is a patriot with nothing more than frivolity on her mind while she secretly operates to rescue witches from prison as the “Crimson Moth”. But when her best friend’s older brother and Blood Guard captain (Gideon Sharpe) adds Rune’s name to the top of his suspect list the two will play a game of cat-and-mouse game trying to pull each other in for information without giving in to their increasing attraction. Gideon has no love for witches after one of their queens destroyed his family and enslaved him. And Rune can’t give up on rescuing more witches after she let her grandmother sacrifice herself to save her.

Heartless Hunter is an exciting and romantic fantasy with a strong enemies to lovers plot. Rune is trapped in her role as the savior of witches even if it means eventually she could lose her own life. Only her best friends Alex Sharpe and Verity de Wilde know her true identity and playing the different roles of socialite and the Crimson Moth has left her not knowing who the real Rune is. Gideon had everything taken from him by the witch queen Cressida and he is determined to keep his people out from under their rule again even if it means seducing the girl his brother loves. The chemistry and tension between Rune and Gideon make the book a page turning read. There is never a dull moment in the plot as the story leads to a devastating conclusion and sets up the next book. I can’t wait to see where the story takes us next!

5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli is the most anticipated book of this year. The cover of this book is just gorgeous!!! A romantasy, this book has a lot of elements that will capture a lot of readers. Expected Publication of this book is February 20th, 2024.

Rune is an aristocrat and a celebrity or so she wants everyone to think. The synopsis of the book kind of tells the reader a major part of the book, but the thrill of the book is to find out why Rune has to pretend. Gideon is a witch hunter, but why does he hunt witches?

Rune and Gideon are well developed characters. My favorite fantasy series is The Black Jewel series, and Gideon had shades of Daemon, which fascinated me to know more. I hope that in the next book, we know more about the magic system of this world. Though there is enough backstory, I want to know more about this world. This book is said to be YA, but I feel some of the story is a little more mature for that age bracket. It's more of NA than YA. Nonetheless, paying heed to all the content warnings would be good. Overall, I enjoyed the book and look forward to the next one in the series.

Thank you St.Martin's Press @stmartinspress and Wednesday Books @wednesdaybooks , for this book.

CW: Violence, killing of women, blood, SA, hunting, self-harm

First book in a romantasy duology and it’s a good one. A kingdom that has overthrown the rule of witches and a cunning game between a witch(Rune) and a witch hunter(Gideon). Feelings get in the way of these two emotionally scarred people while they try to outmaneuver each other. There are many twists and turns and not everyone is who they appear to be. Add in a heartbreaking cliff hanger that makes you want to read more right now! Looking forward to book 2. Thank you very much Netgalley, St Martins Press and Kristen Ciccarelli.

Alex protects her.
Gideon hunts her.
Both love her.

This fantasy has all the great markers for a great read and no clear resolution to the predicament Rune has gotten herself into.

In this world, if you’re a witch you’re marked for death no matter if you are evil or not. Rune hides in plain sight as a rich socialite but is the Crimson Moth who helps free other witches.

There’s angst, betrayal, action, and a fun enemies-to-lovers vibe.

I enjoyed this book and I will be looking forward to more …

I received a complimentary ARC copy of The Heartless Hunter (The Crimson Moth: Book 1) by Kristen Ciccarelli from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/MacMillan Publishers in order to read and give an honest review.

“…filled with witches, magic, danger, darkness, and a twisting enemy to lover, to love triangle dynamic that keeps you on your toes culminating in a devastatingly brutal cliff hanger…”

Young Socialite Rune Winters is a flirty young aristocrat living in a country famous for condemning witches to death. To the eye, Rune seems like a guileless, shallow debutante, but she is also a brilliant actress who carefully harbors a secret: she is not only a witch herself, but she is also the Crimson Moth, a crusading witch who uses her magic to save other witches from the clutches of the deadly Blood Guard. The Blood Guard was established when an evil witch, Cressida, had taken over the land with her destructive magic, their mission is to execute all the witches.

As a mere child Rune herself had been forced to betray her grandmother, the woman who raised her by turning her into the brutal Blood Guard at her insistence. Rune’s powers did not surface until after her grandmother’s execution and now a young woman Rune has been searching for her grandmother’s friend Seraphine to help her understand her power. When she hears that Seraphine has been arrested and is awaiting execution Rune sets out as the crimson moth to rescue her before that happens. Upon failing to locate her and desperate for information on where she is being held, she decides to seduce the Captain of the Blood Guard, Gideon Sharpe, and older brother of Rune’s trusted confidant Alex. Gideon, repulsed by Rune’s socialite ways, suspects her of being the Crimson Moth but when more information hints he is correct he makes it his mission to seduce her in hopes of revealing the truth and for once executing the witch who has murdered his men and freed the witches who he feels should be slaughtered. The game is on both intent on seducing the other to get to the truth, a cat and mouse game like no other. As the game continues, do enemies become lovers who begin to believe the lies…or are they lies?

Set in a “Victorianesque” era the Heartless Hunter is filled with witches, magic, danger, darkness, and a twisting enemy to lover, to love triangle dynamic that keeps you on your toes culminating in a devastatingly brutal cliff hanger. With a twisty plot and perfect pacing this was a quick and enjoyable read I would highly recommend. Was it YA? I am on the fence it dealt with some dark issues, and in my opinion, it leans more to NA.

This was a great book. I loved the action and the angst! The ANGST! Witch hunter falling for the Witch, who is also his younger brothers best friend! I gasped and laughed and definitely teared up a little while reading this. I need the next one yesterday!

Sometimes a book just hits for you and this one absolutely hit for me. I feel like I devoured it with how fast I read it and how much I thought about it. The Serpent and Dove comparisons for this book are fair, it does surround a witch and witch hunter in a fake sort of real dating situation where they each have their own agenda as they slowly fall in love. I also saw the twists coming a mile away. And even with all of that, I felt so much tension and propulsive energy, I couldn't put the book down. I was fully enmeshed into this world and devastated when I finished (the sequel says 2024?? Is it a duology? Tell me more).

Rune as the witch in hiding who must play the vapid aristocrat while secretly saving witches was everything to me. Gideon as the stoic witch hunter guard who pretends to court Rune to see if she is a witch I also absolutely my type. The two of them together, as they gradually let their guards down was just magic.

The story was propulsive and filled with action as well as steamy and heart pounding scenes. I feel like I highlighted half of this book. This is capital ENEMIES to More and the chemistry was present from page one.

I just so enjoyed this fantasy (romantasy?) series beginner and I am absolutely feral for the next book.

Thank you so much Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Tale as old as time, witches and witch hunters. Rue hides her identity as a witch by day and is a vigilante at night. I enjoyed the political and social intrigue as well as the magical elements. Rune's character complexities shown through but the MMC did not grow on me. There were times where the main characters did not seem to have chemistry. Overall, I enjoyed the story but do not know if I would continue the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I had heard a lot of buzz about this one and was so excited to have a chance to review it. Heartless Hunter lived up to the expectations! Rune, a witch in her own right, is living at a time when witches are being hunted and executed. She is living as a witch secretly, even having gone so far as to turn her own grandmother in to be executed as a way to honor her family, keep up appearances, and stay alive. Her best friends, Alex and Verity, know her secrets and help her save other witches from the Bloodguard, who are tasked with ridding the New Republic of all witches. Gideon, Alex's older brother, who he has a very complicated relationship with, holds a high ranking position in the Bloodguard, Rune is determined to honor her grandmother at any cost by saving a very powerful witch who has been imprisoned, but she will have to deceive Gideon to get the information she needs without the help of Alex. Events unfold and allegiances are broken, relationships tested, and there's plenty of action throughout. This book ends on a bit of cliffhanger and that was slightly annoying since I didn't know going in that this was a series, but I will say that I will definitely be reading the next one for sure!

Rune is a witch but she can't let anyone know... she's also the Crimson Moth a vigilante saving witches awaiting persecution and a giant pain in the ass to the Blood Guard. She had 2 friends who know and aid in her endeavors. Verity who's sister's were murdered for being witches during the revolution and Alex, who's brother Gideon just so happens to be the captain of the Blood Guard.

Gideon has a suspicion that Rune might be helping the Crimson Moth and a witch herself, so he starts courting her as a way to see if she is. What he doesn't know is that Rune is courting him too for her own Intel.

Review:
My god. This was so good. I didn't want to put it down once I started it. If you're looking for a book that hooks you from the Prologue, you got it! I felt like this had a pretty unique magic system and plot for a book about witches. I really loved the character development and it was so easy to love the characters immediately. The plot twist got me. I didn't see it coming until just before it did. I loved where the story ended because I know the next book is going to be SO GOOD!

Pick this up tomorrow when it comes out! I promise it won't be a let down.

thank you @netgalley and @wednesdaybooks for the arc!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-arc copy of Heartless Hunter.

This book was everything I wanted in terms of romantasy. There were high stakes, the romance was full of tension and passion, a witch and a witch hunter, and a world that was enticing it was almost impossible to stop reading,

We' meet a witch, Rune, who is the elusive Crimson Moth who saves her own kind from being hunted and purged. Gideon is a witch hunter, desperate to track down the Crimson Moth and be done with her once and for all. The pair are locked in a dance around one another, utilizing each other for their own benefit. But what happens when they fall in love with the one their supposed to hate?

This book was intense, immersive, and absolutely addicting. I went into this with high expectations and left with them intact. This book was everything it was cracked up to be and worth the read a thousand times over. I cannot wait for the second book in this duology.

Special thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

This book was a definite hit for me that I did not expect. Yes I don't like romance in books, but this was extraordinary. Witch and witch hunter. A romantic thriller..

This book was the easiest 5 stars I've given in awhile. I take my 5th star seriously. I loved it and cannot wait for the next one.

With heart-pounding twists and thrilling turns, Heartless Hunter is an alluring new fantasy full of duality—witch and witch hunter, love and hate, enemy or ally. From the very first page, it instantly draws readers in with a clever and cunning heroine you can’t help but root for.

On the outside, Rune Winters looks every bit an unassuming, flighty socialite with her sweet smile and undeniable charm, but Rune has a deadly secret—she’s a witch. Feared and hunted, witches are part of a bloody and violent past the new era of government wants rewritten, so Rune hides in plain sight, escaping at night to become the sought-after vigilante, The Crimson Moth, and rescues witches from their fate. When the captain of the guard has his sights set on taking down The Crimson Moth, will Rune be able to keep up her façade, or will her growing feelings for the captain put her position in jeopardy?

I absolutely devoured this book and fell hopelessly in love with this story and the incredibly written characters! The witchy, almost regency vibe instantly lured me into the story with Ciccarelli’s dark and mysterious setting and beautiful and romantic storytelling.

The enemies-to-lovers romance in this book is *shouts to the rooftops* INCREDIBLE. From the insane amount of passion, chemistry, tension, and angst (my favorite), Ciccarelli created a true enemies-to-lovers story where the lines of love and hate blend together. You believe their strong feelings of loathing and hate all while they helplessly fall for each other. Just absolute PERFECTION.

I can gush forever about this book and am literally DYING for the next one!! If you love Little Thieves, The Winner’s Curse, or Serpent & Dove, definitely keep this book in mind.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*