This book will be VERY popular. Just I didn’t like it.
I received ARC and had very high expectations. I love reading about witches and this cover stole my heart. Just look at this cover… so promising and beautiful.
But it had few moments that made me give 2.5 stars. Period blood in vails for spells… it was disgusting. All world building reminded me of Bridgertone and I can’t stand this TV show. MFC loves fashion … it sounded like I’m back in 2000’s. Romantic relationships weren’t deep or believable and made me feeling that I don’t really care what will happen to the main couple.
If you read this moments and thought - nothing wrong in it, then you will love this book.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an E-Arc of Heartless Hunter which was such an anticipated read for me. This comes out on the 20th of February.

The cover drew me in from the beginning, and it did not disappoint, this was a 4 star read for me. This is the story of Rune, our FMC, who is a witch but she has to hide the fact that she is, and nobody knows except for her friend Alex. Then we have our MMC, Gideon, who is a witch hunter and Rune's best friend's brother. I loved the interconnected dynamics between the characters and the internal struggles that they deal with while navigating in this world. This is giving classic enemies to lovers which is my absolute favorite, and I think it did this well. If you like fake dating and slow burn romance you will love this one! The banter and tension was great in most parts and kept me invested in the story and I could not put it down. I was definitely kicking my feet and giggling in some parts. And the plot twist at the end! So good. I definitely recommend this to anyone who loves Romantasy. I cannot wait for the second book!

Talk about a cat and mouse game as the hunter and the witch try to outwit each other in a high stakes game playing for their lives.

There were definitely some regency moments which I love - I’m all for regency romance. While this book is noted as YA, this is definitely more aimed for upper YA/NA given the spice. There were some moments where the characters who are in their super late teens/early 20’s act like adults and some moments where they were very young adult-ish.

I enjoyed the moments where they tried to outwit each out only to fall into each other’s trap. The plot was top-notched in that regard. It’s so fun to see them falling deeper as they get closer and ultimately fall for each other. I just wish there was a tad more banter and interaction between them since there was what I felt like insta-love. Hence, the one star less.

The worldbuilding here is wonderfully done. I love the small blurbs where chapters provide background on the type of spells that exist, the history of blood witches and why the revolution exists. The balance between fantasy and romance here was well done. There was more than meets the eye which ultimately comes into fruition in the climax and the ending of the story ... .that cliffhanger, though….

ARC provided by NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for my honest review

I really enjoyed Heartless Hunter: a witch vs. witch hunter romantasy with slow burn romance, a bit of a love triangle, tension, con-artistry, and the obvious: witches. The characters are each thier own version of morally grey.

This is an excellent book for anyone wanting to start their fantasy-romance era: I found the story and world-building easy to follow and was immediately sucked into the story.

I'm excited for and will definitely read the second book in this duology!

What a fun read!

This book was not really what I was expecting, but that was honestly okay. This book was a fresh, fun, and an easy read.

I really enjoyed the magic system in this book. It felt very unique, and it worked well with creating a conflict device. The main character was enjoyable, and I liked getting to read from both of their POVs. The twists at the end were very unexpected which I rather enjoyed how surprising they were.

My biggest issue I would say was the romance. It lacked a little in my opinion. I wanted more fire, more intense brooding and banter. The ending of this book definitely gives me hope that this dynamic will be built up further in the next book, so I'm hopeful for more in the coming sequel.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. It was fun, and I think a lot of readers will enjoy this title. Big thank you to the author, Netgalley, and the publisher for an opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4.5/5

I thoroughly enjoyed this story!

Rune Winters is a popular socialite who also happens to be a witch, but she lives in a place where a revolution is happening and people finding out you’re a witch is punishable by death. And to top it all off, she’s a vigilante by the name of the Crimson Moth saving other witches from death under the revolution.

While searching for one witch in particular, Rune cozies up to Gideon Sharpe—a witch hunter seeking the true identify of the Crimson Moth—in hopes of gaining intel to save the witch she’s seeking but soon, the lines start to blur with Rune and Gideon.

This story is a romantasy worth reading. It has enemies to lovers, lies, betrayal, a love triangle and it was interesting! Once I got into the groove of reading it, I really wanted to know what was going to happen next.

I honestly can’t wait to see where this series goes because I wasn’t disappointed with this first introduction to the Crimson Moth.

I felt pretty conflicted about this one. It has good bones and the potential to be something really great. I applaud Ciccarelli’s use of foreshadowing because it was clear that all of the twists were planned and executed well. And I thought the twist on blood magic had some interesting potential.

Unfortunately there was a severe lack of character development and that was a huge disappointment especially considering where some of the characters started. It also happened to take just about every pet peeve I have about YA enemies to lovers fantasy and smoosh them all into one book. (Very open door romance in a book that is being marketed for grades 7-9, constant reminders that he is huge and she is tiny, and all of the romantic development hinges on how hot they think the other is - just to name a few.)

Honestly, it has all the ingredients to be a hit though so I am sure I'll be in the minority and there will be a lot of love for it. If the second book were already out I might consider reading it but I doubt I'll be interested by the time it does publish.

Heartless Hunter is a captivating YA romantasy read with a strong plot. I felt a little disconnected from the characters, I wanted more character development and tension building leading to their romantic feelings. It felt like insta-love, which I don’t enjoy but many people do. I enjoyed it but probably won’t continue with the rest of the series.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. Heartless Hunter has a writing style that is very easy to read. Beyond that, I do not think that this book is appropriate for the target audience and think it should be marketed as an adult book. The way sexual assault is handled also made me super uncomfortable.

Witch, enemies to loversish story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this

Rune and Gideon, the main characters I liked their back and forth and the perspectives from both of them throughout the story.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day?

Perhaps.

Heartless Hunter just jumps right in. Immediately we are desperate for Rune to rescue her target and evade capture by the Blood Guard. And then the action never stops.

Which has both good and bad merits to it: I love a good fast paced story, but I feel like toward the end when plot and reason needed to catch up that we were forced to ignore other telling signs until it was too late.

The back copy, as you may have read above, spoils the relationship for you, which it didn’t need to because Rune and Gideon’s enemies to lovers arc can be seen from space.

Watching both Rune and Gideon play off of each other, both somehow knowing the other was hunting them and also convincing themselves that wasn’t true was funny, satisfying, and at times incredibly frustrating (in the shaking-my-book-in-the-middle-of-the-night-about-why-these-two-don’t-see-what-I-see sort of way).

I didn’t feel the need to push through Heartless Hunter, since every scene had a point, purpose, and action, but when things began to wrap up, they did so in a way that didn’t feel right. Characters learned new secrets but ignored them to focus on the romantasy aspects of the plot, and other reveals weren’t set up well throughout the plot like they had been dropped in the ending act.

I did enjoy the read, however, and do recommend you go pick it up.

Especially if you like to text your friends at 4am to complain about characters.

Absolutely obsessed! Thank you netgalley, the publisher, and Kristen Ciccarelli.

This book was great. From the start to the very end I could not put it down. It moved at a great pace and I did not see that ending coming. What a cliff hanger! The wait for book two is going to be so hard.

As a fan of Witch x Witch Hunter relationships, I was excited to read Heartless Hunter. A reimagining of the The Scarlet Pimpernel, on paper, the Heartless Hunter had everything I could ever want in a fantasy novel: a compelling plot, a creative magic system, and dynamic characters.

However, I don't know if it was just the execution of some elements, but while I enjoyed reading Heartless Hunter, I wouldn't say it lived entirely up to my expectations. There was quite a bit of info dumping to establish Rune's backstory and her relationships with other characters throughout the book. It wasn't until around the middle to end mark when I really started to enjoy it.

One thing I will say that I was pleasantly surprised about was how the love triangle between Rune, Alex, and Gideon was executed. Often in YA love triangles, it's clear which of the two love interest the author favours. However, Ciccarelli did a fantastic job of making both Alex and Gideon compelling love interests for Rune by making them necessary parts of her life, but in different ways.

Perhaps I'm outgrowing the YA genre, so that might be why this book didn't quite hit the spot for me. However, if you're looking for a refreshing take on the Witch x Witch Hunter relationship, I would recommend Heartless Hunter!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Wow! This book was absolutely amazing.

You’ve got witches and witch hunters and fashion and parties and operas! I mean this book seriously has it all.

Rune is a witch in hiding, Gideon is a witch Hunter. Gideons brother happens to be Runes best friend and knows her secret! After having to turn her grandmother in to the witch hunters and watch her be executed Rune vows to save as many witches as she can. So she becomes the Crimson Moth.

I seriously cannot wait for the second book.

5/5 stars and will buy a physical copy for my shelf.

Wow- I first want to promote the wonderful and very hard work done by Kristen Ciccarelli. This book was incredibly well done and had a fresh take on some typical romantasy nuances. There are some very sweet scenes in here that Ciccarelli paints vividly for the reader. Things I’ve never read before and loved that she went the extra mile to find and write some fresh content for readers who enjoy what can often be a repetitive sub genre of books. The ending of the book was fast paced and has me waiting eagerly to get my hands on book 2. Hopefully book 2 is as good a read as book 1!

Slow burn, enemies to lovers, witches and hunters, gray morality, fantasy romance!

This is the story of Rune, the Crimson Moth, who spends her nights rescuing witches from being purged from her community. Rune finds herself stuck in a precarious position when one of her rescues goes wrong and she finds herself courting Gideon Sharpe, who she (shockingly!) finds herself falling for. Little does Rune know that Gideon's brother, Alex, is also helping Rune, leading to its own issues. Will Rune be able to rescue the witch before it's too late, or will Gideon beat her to it?!

I enjoyed this and can't wait for my hardcover to come in from BOTM! I would definitely recommend if you're not totally ready to dive into a hardcore romantasy. This reads almost like a YA romance duology. The world building isn't too intense or hard to follow, which I appreciate.

Place your library hold or pre-order ASAP, Heartless Hunter's release is on February 20th!

Thank you to NetGally, St. Martin's Press / Wednesday Books, and Kristen Ciccarelli for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you love a good enemies to lovers romance with all the witchy vibes, this book is for you!

I really enjoyed this one. The story was interesting and kept my attention the whole time.

There is obvious chemistry between Gideon and Rune as they blur the lines between pretending and actually falling for each other. I loved all the moments they had together.

The last 20% of the book had some plot points that I didn’t love and took my rating down a notch. Overall I really had a great time reading and will probably pick up the next book.

By far one of the best YA romantasy books I’ve read in awhile! It’s actually more of an NA romantasy but whatever i had a great time reading this. The romance was absolutely addicting and I can’t wait for the plot and world building to thicken in book 2! Definitely a solid 4/5 star read 🦋🦋🦋

Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli is the 1st book in her new romantic fantasy duology Crimson Moth series. We meet Rune, our heroine, whose life drastically changed forever, when a terrible revolution, when witches became outcasts; hunted and killed. To save her granddaughter, Rune was told to pretend that she knew nothing about her grandmother being a witch, with Rune hiding what she is to survive. Devasted by the death of her grandmother, as well as all the deaths of witches, Rune changes her life. During the daytime, she is a wealthy socialite and by evening she is the infamous Crimson Moth, who rescues witches before their horrifying deaths.

Gideon Sharpe is a witch hunter, who has unsuccessfully been trying to find the Crimson Moth. He gets a clue that Rune might be using her ships to free the witches, and decides to pursue her and in order find evidence that she is a witch. Gideon’s brother Alex, is Rune’s best friend, as well as Verity, and they both know that Rune is the Crimson Moth, but they are totally loyal to her. When Gideon starts making advances, Alex is not happy, as he secretly loves Rune. Gideon plays the part of courting her, and slowly begins to fall for Rune, learning more about her intelligence, as well as being caring. Rune also learns more about Gideon’s past life, hating the witches who killed his family and used him.

Though I understand Gideon’s past with a witch who destroyed his family, I found him to be a bit harsh, going to any length to discover if Rune was a witch. I did love Rune, who was a cunning fighter, always trying to save the witches. With both constantly changing their minds on what are their real feelings in in this game of cat and mouse. There were a lot of twists and turns as we get closer to the end, and saying too much more would ruin this for you.

Heartless Hunter was a fast-paced compelling page turner, that was intense, intriguing, exciting, and a forbidden romance. The last third of the book was wild and tense, with me unable to put the book down. Heartless Hunter was so very well written by Kristen Ciccarelli, was well as being a fantastic world-building. I look forward to the next book, especially since this is a duology.

Synopsis:

Being a witch has been outlawed and witches are being hunted down and killed. Witches can be spotted by their scars, and any trace of scarring is a death sentence. Rune is a scarless witch, and she is working to rescue, hide, and smuggle witches out of town. Gideon is a that captain of the Blood Guard, a witch hunter, and the brother of Runes best friend Alex. Does he suspect Rune is a witch, and can she use him for information and stay one step ahead of him? Or will he figure out her game and become his next victim?

Despite the rating, I did enjoy this book. It was well plotted and paced, but a bit predictable. That was fine, because it was a lot of fun to be brought along on the journey. If you're an adult who likes to read YA fantasy, I'd say this was a good time.

There were a few problems for me though. The characters were a bit one demensional and the tropes were very heavy handed. The magic system utilized some things that I found a bit gross as well.

My major problem was the romance. The romance was very hot and heavy. While it made sense for building lots of tension, it also used sex as a plot device. While I would mind my business if this were an adult book, this was very inappropriate for a YA in my estimation. Amazon has this story targeting 7-9 grades, and ages 13-18. While maybe an 18yo would be ok to read this, I would certainly find it completely inappropriate for a 13yo and definitely not for 7-9 grades.

As an educator, I do not recommend for the targeted audience.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for a complimentary copy of this digital book.