Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

I enjoyed reading this book. The magic system was easy to follow and helped the reader understand the world we are brought into. This story is full of magic, witches, witch hunters, a love triangle and enemies to lovers.

I knew the plot twist was coming but it didn’t go how I expected so that was a pleasant surprise! It’s hard to find a book where you can’t guess the plot twist or surprises that are supposed to happen. I am looking forward to reading the next book and seeing what happens next.

This might just be the fantasy book of 2024.
This story is for you if you enjoy slow burn, foes to lovers, witches, and witch hunters. This book does a fantastic job of executing many of my favourite tropes. It's got fantastic characterization. Every character has a distinct voice, personality, and moral ambiguity. Yes, this book does not contain any characters that are flawless.
There is a hard magic system in this book, which is one intriguing feature. There are safeguards against abuse. Nobody with unrestricted power appears at convenient and suspenseful moments throughout the novel. Hard magic systems are not usually found in YA fantasy, so I really enjoy this concept.

Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"Heartless Hunter" by Kristen Ciccarelli is a fantasy romance that offers a captivating blend of slow-burn tension, enemies-to-lovers dynamics, and a richly developed world of witches and witch hunters. One of the strongest aspects of the book is the development of the complex magic system in the world that Ciccarelli created. Before getting into this book, I do highly recommend looking through content/trigger warnings for this book as the book does involve SA victims; I would probably say this book is more of a NA than a YA, so I would recommend younger readers should avoid this book. If you’re a fan of NA fantasy, then you will absolutely love this book.

As mentioned earlier, the world-building in this book is excellent. I absolutely loved the fascinating magic system Ciccarelli created where witches must use blood for spells, with consequences for wielding powerful magic. The inclusion of a hard magic system with checks and balances added a layer of realism I’ve rarely seen in YA/NA fantasy. Creating this magic system in the Victorian-era setting made the experience even more immersive and engaging. I also thought the characters were well-developed, and I enjoyed the troupes used throughout the book, though sometimes these troupes and the romance became a bit cliché at time. Ciccarelli is able to create realistic and flawed characters with the presence of gray morality adding depth to the story.

However, I think the book fell a bit short in terms of character dynamics, though that come be remedied in the sequel. I think this character building was put on a back burner a bit, which is often a problem when there are clear ideas for a sequel where this development will be taking place. Specifically, I wanted more development of Gideon because even though he is portrayed with understandable trauma and hatred towards witches, I struggled to sympathize with his actions, particularly his role in mass genocide. On the other hand, I absolutely loved the female protagonist, Rune, due to her complexity and depth. I thought she served as a compelling counterbalance to Gideon.

Overall, "Heartless Hunter" offers an engaging storyline with fantastic worldbuilding. I can’t wait to experience more of the world Ciccarelli created in the sequel and engage more with this development as well as the development of the other characters.

This was everything I needed and more in a forbidden romance novel. I am a huge fan of the witch x witch hunter trope and it reminded me a lot of “Snow White and the Huntsman”. I was captivated by this story the whole time and cannot wait for the sequel!

Wow I have not read anything like this before. I can’t wait to share my thoughts with my friends! Was such a fun book

Both characters are sort of morally gray. Each thinking what they’re doing is for the right cause. Story had some action to keep it going. Enough angst. The twists though! And that ending! Such a cliffhanger.

I was expecting to enjoy this book after seeing all of the rave reviews, but I was not prepared for how much I LOVED it! Witches and witch hunters, enemies-to-lovers, AND cat-and-mouse games?! This story completely satisfied all of my requirements and guilty pleasures in a romantic fantasy. I fell deeply in love with Rune and Gideon even though they were pitted against each other from the start. The author created such a perfect depth of development and emotions that I had no choice but to empathize with both of them. It was an intense and exciting read that will surely be a fan favorite of 2024. I'm just bummed that I will probably have to wait months to read the second book in this duology. The good news is that everyone can read this book in two weeks! Pub date is 2/20/24. I highly recommend it to readers of all genres! You will not be disappointed.

Thank you to the author, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for granting me digital access in exchange for my honest review!

3.75 (rounded up)
—————

Heartless Hunter was a solid book. But spice is not what I expected from this YA novel, but it’s what I got?

This book has fantastic world building. The author creates this world in the background of the plot, using events and characters to establish this witch-resistant place. As we go alone, details unravel in a pleasing way that sets the reader up to know what the need to know without info-dumping. It really plays into how the plot is presented. The plot of this one is familiar and expected, but the world is unique and added a new edge.

The plot is your basic cat and mouse chase I anticipated. The concept of witch vs. witch hunter as enemies to lovers isn’t unique or new, but it really worked here. I found myself needing to know what would happen next. I loved the dynamic of these roles played and how they play against each other to the end. You honestly can’t really go wrong with an enemies to lovers romantasy with blood magic and witches. Fast paced, action paced and it held my attention.

I enjoyed the characters of this one. I’m not overly connected to them, but they are well written. Rune is so well flesh out. You can feel her grief, her anger, her sadness. Played against hard, no nonsense Gideon and his soft underbelly, her character really shines. The side characters are engaging and not two dimensional like side characters can be sometimes. They were perfect for moving the plot along and establishing the motivations of the group. But Gideon was my favorite of all. Hard edges, soft underbelly, he was really well written and you want to like him, despite his job and who he is in this world. I loved his respect for his brother and his motivations make sense given his past.

While I definitely enjoyed it, this book felt like YA written for adults? I’m seeing a lot of reviews saying “good spice” but that’s just not what I expect from YA novels? That could just be me. I also didn’t love how the sexual assault in this book was handled, but could also be a me thing.

This was a solid start to a series. It leaves you on enough of a cliffhanger to be satisfied but also interested in what happens next. I’ll definitely see this series though.

First I would like to thank St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own,

For the most part, I really enjoyed this novel. It's fast-paced, has compelling main characters AND side characters, and the world building is top-notch.

The romance aspect is what drops this down to four instead of five stars.

I think the romance could have been better had there been some growth shown for both MCs, but honestly I needed it more for Gideon, the MMC. And because the witch hunter didn't have any kind of emotional arc throughout the book, it really dragged my opinion of Rune, the FMC. I couldn't believe that this close-minded, toxic guy is who she preferred. Yes, there is a slight love triangle, but it's clear who the love interest is, no matter how much the author dangled THE PERFECT MAN in front of the FMC.

Alas, let's move on to better and brighter things. Oh, yes the magic. This story features blood magic, so keep in mind, that the details can get ... bloody. I do think it was well done, although I honestly could have done without one of those details, because I got a tad squeamish. Other than that, I found it very interesting and wished that our witchy MC had shown a little more progression because while there was a lot of magic and lore, I wanted more!

In that same line of thinking, the world building was great. While still being a fantasy novel, I understood the history of this world and how these characters live in a complex social and political climate, without being overrun with the dreaded ~info-dumping~. Chef's kiss!

While I didn't care much for the romance between the two MCs, their actual characterization I liked. I understood their motivations, what made these characters think and act the way they do (independently from one another, of course.) Gideon, I especially felt heartache for. He has a very tragic backstory, Please, give Gideon therapy or something! The secondary characters were also great, and I felt like they were fleshed out really well.

While I did figure out the twist about halfway through, maybe earlier?, I was still shocked at how it all turned out. This does end on a cliff hanger, so beware! There are some high-stakes shenanigans that are about to go down and I am eagerly awaiting the next installment!

This was so romantic! Rune, a witch who secretly helps other witches in need, is being hunted by Gideon. Gideon's only job is to find her and capture her.... but let's just say she captures his heart instead!!! (Hello, that was such a cheesy line, and I'm not sorry!!).

Definitely check this one out!

Out February 20, 2024!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

A fun and witchy twist on “The Scarlet Pimpernel” with cunning plots, lots of angst (but not so much that I was rolling my eyes– people seem to forget that young adults feel things deeply *and* revolutions leave scars), and a love triangle worthy of Gale & Peeta (except the Gale in this story, Gideon, is 1000x more compelling– I loved how Rune’s perception of him changed as her feelings evolved), “Heartless Hunter” was an enjoyable read. This is a duology so brace yourself for the finale! One note I would make is that this book is marketed as YA but has some content I would deem inappropriate for the 13-18 crowd: a skinny dipping scene and semi-vague on the page sex scene, along with some profanity.

I loved this book! The world building is great! And you fall in love with the characters. Also good spice

So I ordered this as my BOTM and requested the ARC because the description was so good (and honestly the other book of the month club books were not very interesting to me)

I'm not a fantasy reader, not an ACOTAR reader, but I love a good enemies to lovers story. Throw in witches and magic and I'm there

This book was really good, although it reads like a YA novel (not a bad thing since I enjoy YA novels as well). At first I thought, "man I'm not going to enjoy this" but by a third of the way I was hooked.

BAD NEWS: it's the first book and the second one doesn't even have a release date! I need to see this through!

Thank you netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Heartless Hunter is an enticing, enemies-to-lovers romantasy with witches, witchhunters, and forbidden magic.

Romantasy can be hit or miss for me, but I found myself completely enveloped by the story and the “will they, won’t they” tension between the characters. I love the magic system and how Kristen took the basic plot from The Scarlet Pimpernel and attributed it to a world of witches and witch hunters. The cat-and-mouse plot adds a bit of action and thrill to the slow burn romance, making this book hard to put down. I constantly wanted to find out what would happen next.

My only disappointment is a decision the female protagonist makes near the end that felt out of place and a bit distasteful after everything that happens. I realize that this is a duology so the characters can’t get together and be fully happy before book one ends, but I don’t feel like Rune’s choice helped the story in any way. It just made things weird. They could have easily had a falling out for a different reason and wouldn’t make me feel super icky about the supposed love triangle in this book. I’m also so tired of characters getting together and almost immediately fighting.

But overall, this is an exciting, swoon-worthy story and I’m eager to find out what happens next for Rune, Gideon, and all the witches in book two.

Heartless Hunter was such a fun read!! It’s been a while since I’ve read a witch / witch-hunter book and it lived up to my expectations. Heartless Hunter took me a bit to get into and didn’t start out as strong as I hoped it would, but by mid-point I couldn’t put it down and almost read the book in one setting.

Light on the world building, heavy on fun flirtation, it was an easy read and I look forward to getting my hands on the sequel asap!

Thanks to NetGalley, Kristen Ciccarelli and St Martin’s Press/ Wednesday books for the arc copy to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

I loved Heartless Hunter!
It was a fantasy romance, but also a cat and mouse game between Rune – a witch hiding in plain sight as a socialite, saving witches under the guise of the Crimson Moth, and Gideon – a Witch Hunter committed to the cause.
I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book!
I love enemies to lovers and it’s become this buzzword lately… half the time the so-called enemies are lovers within a few pages! I appreciated Heartless Hunters because Rune and Gideon were very much enemies and yet drawn to each other very reluctantly. It was the perfect way to execute the trope.
Definitely add this one to your TBR… it has forbidden magic, blood, betrayal, and the best romantic tension. Highly recommend.

The hunter... the hunted. Just another example of this; if it is enemies to lovers, I am getting it.

Kristen Ciccarelli did an AMAZING job in this category, the main characters truly DESPISE one another for their justifiable reasons, and it just makes their undeniable chemistry so much more heartwrenching. Lies, deceit, trickery, morals crumbling, perspectives shifting, hearts tugged in one way and then another. I was gripped with both hands right from the beginning.

✢ Witches and witch hunters

✢ Enemies to lovers

✢ Love triangle

✢ Cat and mouse

✢ Unique magic system

Overall the total rating I am giving Heartless Hunter is 4.5

It was sitting at a very steady 5 stars for the majority of the book, but I like to do this thing where I try to figure out plot twists before they happen, and in this case, I felt like it was very easy to figure out and it kind of ruined the ending to the book for me sadly. I wanted to give it 5 stars so badly guys, I was riding an emotional high through this book and I adore these characters. I just felt a heavy weight of dissatisfaction when I finished, and it was so disappointing due to how much I love this book.

Another thing I want to mention is my confusion with the era this book is set in. Sometimes it feels Victorian, with the elaborate dresses, courting, horses, and letters. But there are also running showers, guns, and other more modern-century things that just left me with a back-and-forth image of the scenes in my head.

I feel like we are just getting to hit the surface of Gideon and Rune, and I am beyond excited to read their next chapter, the amount of love I have for both of them is unmatched.

Thank you, Kristen, NetGalley, and St Martins Press for an ARC of this amazing book.

Thank you Netgally, St martins press and Kristen Ciccarelli for the ARC of The crimson moth.

Excellent a great cat and mouse and enemies to lovers book. The beginning started a tad slow but once it got into the meat of this story it got good. There were things I thought I knew were coming but was terribly wrong. I really enjoyed where this flowed and cannot wait to read the second book!

3.75

I feel like I was in the minority of people who weren’t completely obsessed with this book but oh well. I did like this book but the romance didn’t keep me hooked as much as it did other readers. Some of it was predictable but only right before the plot twist which was good and it was well written. I can see myself reaching for the next book in this duology because I think the author will wrap the series up quite well.

This book was a fun and intriguing read, which I devoured in only 2 days! I found the premise intriguing and the book itself enjoyable. It has complex characters, danger and mistrust, and solid world-building.

This book is a YA romantasy that follows Rune and Gideon, a witch and witch hunter. Rune must hide her identity as a witch for fear of persecution, while she saves other witches from death by the Blood Guard. By day, she is a shallow socialite, by night, she risks her life to rescue other witches with the help of her friends, Alex, and Verity. Gideon is a captain within the Blood Guard and personally killed 2 of the 3 witch queens during the revolution that marked the beginning of the Witch Purges. When he suspects Rune to be involved in the smuggling of witches out of the Blood Guard, he decides he must do anything he can to uncover her identity, including courting her. Rune decides this is a prime opportunity to uncover the secrets of the Blood Guard to rescue more witches – as long she doesn’t get caught. And so, we enter a cat-and-mouse game of fake dating, enemies-to-lovers.

The magic system was well done and easy to understand, with descriptions of different kinds of spells littered throughout the book.
I found the cat-and-mouse game played by Rune and Gideon intriguing, and it was hard to know who had the upper hand throughout most of it, with the tables constantly being turned.

One thing to note about this book is the content. There is a sexual assault storyline that, in my own opinion, was not well handled. This may be dangerous for younger readers if they are not well-educated on the topic, as it may normalise some of the toxic behaviour shown on the page. I believe this book may be suitable for older teenagers, however, caution should be taken and content warnings available before reading.

Overall, a fun and easy read! If you like enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, witches, and Regency themes, then you should give this book a go!

Content warnings:
Graphic violence, death of family members, sexual assault, genocide.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This review has been posted to Barnes & Noble, Waterstones, and Goodreads. This review will also be posted to Amazon on the release of Heartless Hunter.