A book inspired by The Scarlet Pimpernel? Umm, yes, please sign me up!

A new regime is in charge. Having overthrown the once-revered witches that were in charge, the people of republic now hunt witches and view even witch sympathizers worthy of death. The Book Guard patrols the streets searching for any witch in hiding and for the elusive Crimson Moth who rescues witches on the brink of execution. No one wants to find the Moth more than Gideon. When a hint of an idea is suggested to him, he hatches a plan to court Rune--a vapid socialite--in order to find out her secrets.

Meanwhile Rune--the Crimson Moth who masquerades as a vapid socialite--decides to court the most dangerous member of the Blood Guard--Gideon--in order to find out where they're hiding a witch with very important connections to her. What follows is an oh so fun game of cat and mouse filled with scheming and unseen twists and turns.

The characters are wonderfully built out and the world intriguing. And the magic system is a lot of fun. A lot of the enjoyment came when these three elements collided into heart stopping moments. This book is perfect for fans of books like Serpent & Dove. I, for one, cannot wait to get my hands on the next installment!

They seek her here, they seek her there,
Those Blood Guards seek her everywhere.

Many thanks to the publisher for an arc. All thoughts are my own. (Full disclosure: I will be buying my own hard copy the moment this hits the shelves!)

A deadly game of cat and mouse is played in a world where witches are hunted and no one is who they seem.

Heartless Hunter was one of the perfect books to start my reading year of with. I absolutely fell in love with the female main character, Rune, from the first page. If you like courtly type romances with a fake dating troupe set in a lush a vibrant world, this book is for you.

One of the things I really enjoyed about this book is that the pacing felt absolutely perfect to me. I didn't find myself getting bored, but I also didn't feel like I was getting whiplash.

I already can't wait for the sequel!!!!

Rating 4.5, rounded up to 5.

Wow, I devoured this book! This novel transported me into a world reminiscent of regency romance with a twist of witchery, creating a captivating slow-burn enemies-to-lovers narrative that hooked me from start to finish. Set in a society where witches are ruthlessly hunted after a revolution that overthrew their queens, Rune, operating under the guise of the Crimson Moth, becomes a vigilante rescuing fellow witches from purges.

A twist in one of her rescues forces Rune to divert attention by entering a complicated courtship with Gideon Sharpe, a notorious and ruthless witch hunter. The dynamic between Rune and Gideon is the epitome of a well-executed slow-burn romance, though I craved a bit more banter and spark between them. The story avoids the trap of insta-love and maintains an element of unpredictability, keeping the tension alive with a constant hint of danger and excitement.

The plot strikes a commendable balance between romance and fantasy, with a particularly intriguing element being the exploration of blood magic. I appreciated the inclusion of blurbs at the beginning of some chapters, detailing different spells, their properties, and usage. The magic system is well-defined, featuring limitations and costs that add depth to the narrative. The choice of dual 3rd person perspective, grew on me, offering unique insights into the complex characters of Rune and Gideon. The characters in this tale are far from perfect, existing in a morally grey space filled with secrets. The entire cast contributes to the story's dark and fast-paced nature, navigating through numerous twists and turns.

I cannot wait to read the sequel to this book!

I didn't think I would love this book as much as I did. I was hooked from the beginning and couldn't put it down. Rune and Gideon were well developed characters. I loved both POV's in the chapters. Usually I'm bored with one POV but they were both well done. And that plot twist...I had no idea. This book had everything action, adventure. romance, politics, magic and betrayal. Excellent book and I cannot wait for the next in the series!!!

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

Likes:
-magic system
-enemies to lovers
-witches
-time period setting
-female main character

Nitpicks:
-should’ve been labeled as adult and leaned more into those adult themes
-a lot of the plot set ups were obvious
-a couple minor plot holes

Overall I loved this book and couldn’t read it fast enough. I can’t wait to receive it in a certain book subscription box

Rune Winters is one of the social elite on the island where the Sister Queens (Witch queens) were killed.and a new order and took control. All witches were hunted down to be purged by the Blood Council.

What they don't know is that Rune is searching for an old friend of her Nan's who is a witch. She is treading in dangerous waters as she navigates her life as a social elite in the new regime and her quest to find the witch. Only her best friends, Verity and Alex, know her secret. She decides that she needs to get close to someone in the know when it comes the the Blood Guard and their Witch hunts. Enter Gideon, Alex's brother, who has a reputation as one of the most ruthless witch hunters on the island. Is he the one Rune needs to get close to in order to get the answers she desires?

This book is beautifully written and starts off slow. However, a few chapters in the face picks up and doesn't stop. The suspense of Rune's quest and if she will succeed is as captivating as her love life. There is a bit of world building which is well done and adds to the depth of the story. It is in itself a love story and yet so so much more.

This first installment in The Crimson Moth Series certainly has an interesting premise- Witch vs Witch-hunter where both seek to outsmart each other in order to get information- things go not as either expect.

I enjoyed the plotting of this book- it kept me guessing to a good degree and it seeks to problematize who are the good guys and the bad guys, as of course we find both on either side. The magic in this world is interesting, but underdeveloped for me as witches need fresh blood to do their magic, it is hard to see how the main character is on the one hand "so strong" and yet so weak b/c she will not use blood from others. Some of the plotting is also inconsistent and the characterization fell quite flat as neither character should be as naive as they act at times. Let's stop using SA as a trope for "really bad guy" please. IF that bothers you, you will likely have issues with this story. I was leaning towards not wanting to finish the series, but the ending raises a lot of questions that makes me want to know more, so in the end I may pick up the next one.

In short- I see why a lot of people will love this concept and the series but for me it fell a little flat. I'd like to see more character development than there was here. Maybe we will get that in the next volume?

Who doesn't love an enemies-to-lovers story with a witch and witch hunter? It was such a fun book concept with a great execution. It's slow burn and excellent for those of us who like a dark-haired broody love interest.

If you like Enemies to loves/ Witch and Witch Hunter, This story is for you! Both the MMC and FMC have great personalities and voice, not to mention they are both morally grey.

Things I liked in this book are:
Enemies to lovers
witch and Witch hunter
twist in the end
great plot
good pace- didn't want to put it down
slowish burn romace


The magic system is different in away that I have never seen before. No one has unlimited power they all have to give something in order to use the magic.

Tropes - Enemies to Lovers ⚔️ Best Friend’s Brother 🖤 Cat + Mouse Game 🐈‍⬛ Witch x Witch Hunter 🌙

The Plot.
Rune is looked at as nothing more than a flighty heiress whose biggest concerns are what she’s wearing to the next party and who she’s going with…when in reality she’s actually a vigilante with a powerful secret. She is the Crimson Moth, a witch working to save as many of her fellow witches as she can from being unalived. Alongside her friends, Verity and Alex, Rune works tirelessly to outwit & evade the Blood Guard (witch hunters) who seek to rid her island of all witches. Who, you might ask, leads this Blood Guard’s charge? None other than the older brother of Rune’s childhood best friend: Gideon Sharpe. As Captain of the Blood Guard, Gideon will stop at nothing to capture the Crimson Moth and bring her to justice. and his latest suspect – the woman in question who he is “courting” – might just be his undoing… and he, hers.

This book was genuinely Enemies to Lovers perfection for me. I haven't read many stories that strike such a phenomenal - and I mean phenomenal – balance of tension, drama, intrigue and emotion as this one did. I was so wrapped up in the setting and characters that i hardly wanted to put it down at all. I needed to finish it like needing to breathe. That’s how drawn i was to it, like a moth to a flame 😉

Rune Winters.
Such a complex, fantasy heroine but one I absolutely loved! She really does it all. She’s a society heiress doing the most to paint the picture of a self-absorbed girl, all while she moonlights as a dangerous, vigilante saving witches?? And she’s a witch herself?? Rune is what we refined readers would call a BA. I really loved the way the author Kirsten revealed Rune’s heart and motivations for her actions to us. Rune struggles so much with her grief and regret from the past and it was beautiful to see how certain characters brought out different things that her complex emotions often masked due to her grief. She is clever, strong, and skilled and ultimately finds her match in Gideon who shares those same attributes.

Gideon Sharpe.
Boy did this man grow on me. I truly didn’t like him in the beginning (and we even got his POV and I was still weary because this man is equally as complex as Rune but in very different ways). We don’t learn his motivations super quickly – at least not until his character opens up more – but when you do… dang. He has experienced some trauma for sure that has desperately required him to need to put up walls in order to drag himself out it. That being said: if you’re a fan of misunderstood, morally gray characters in books who are intentional and caring for one person, I think Gideon is going to be right up your alley. He definitely was for me!

Bottom Line.
This was just *peak* Romantasy/Enemies to Lovers. I never wanted it to end. Like, I got to the final page and literally said aloud to an empty room with just me and my dog: “Uhm, WHAT. Excuse me, Kristen? Where's the rest??” Kristen (the author) strangely did not respond to this random outburst from me in my room. So now I’ll just be on my merry way to go stare at a wall and watch paint dry for the next bit as i try to emotionally recover from that cliffhanger. Cannot wait for this read to be out in the world next month! Do yourself a favor & go preorder your copy now 🖤 It’s a must read if there ever was one!

I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did and it will probably be in my top fantasy reads for this year. This book had everything. There was enemies to lovers, great banter between the characters, betrayal, good world building, and a magic system that was easy to follow but fairly unique. I loved the dual POV and getting to see both of their perspectives on how they were going to outsmart each other. This book was fast paced and had a lot of twist and turns that made me not want to put it down. I can’t wait for the next book I need to know what’s going to happen! Thank you so much NetGalley for this ARC.

Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli

I was immediately sucked into this story from page one and didn't come up for air until I finished the last page. This book was face-paced and had many unpredictable twists and turns that kept my attention the entire time.

Here are some of the things I loved about this book:
-Witch and Witch Hunter aka enemies to lovers
-Rune was a fun character. She is a strong FMC but hides behind a shallow exterior. Her heart is in the right place and I am excited to see her character grow into her magic. 
-I liked Gideon as the MMC. I always appreciate a backstory on why a character becomes morally grey. 
-I enjoyed the dialogue between Rune and Gideon. I love when there is a good amount of spoken dialogue between the main characters. -I thought the side characters added a lot to the story. 
-There was a lot of action throughout the book and it kept my interest the entire time. 
-This book ends on a cliffhanger and I am really looking forward to continuing on with the story!

Kristen Ciccarelli has always been a favourite of mine, so I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to read her latest fantasy. Ciccarelli has the wonderful ability to weave a story that is just compulsive to read, and HEARTLESS HUNTER is no different. The characters are layered, imperfect and you can't help but cheer for Rune. I'm usually one to pass up stories involving witches because they are not my thing, but Ciccarelli really had me staying up well beyond my bed time to "just one more chapter." Really hope 2024 is the year that readers discover how amazing Kristen Ciccarelli and her books are!

I really enjoyed this one. I thought the world building was interesting- witches are real and they need blood to do their spells. Witches used to be the ruling class, but they let their thirst for power corrupt them and their magic, but their monarchy has been over thrown. Now magic is outlawed and punishable by death. Rune is a witch hiding in plain sight, secretly working to save other witches.
Can't wait till the next book in this series, such a cliff hanger!

To be stupidly honest, I picked up Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli not expecting much. I thought oh, what a pretty cover. Oh, I love witch stories. Let’s try this! BEYOND GLAD that I did! This was SUCH a great Fantasy Romance (I would say Romantasy, but it had actual good plot that wasn’t just in furtherance of the romance.) I got strong flashbacks to another fantasy romance that became one of my favorite trilogies, The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco, and classic lit The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy, which wasn’t a romance?? But I definitely read it as a romance when I was a child.

The world building is interesting, but light. What I mean by that is, there is definitely world building but we don’t go deep enough to answer basic questions. The island Rune lives on was full of magic and witches. Things happened and now witches are illegal and killed. Yet, we know from Rune’s POV chapters and what Alex (ugh my HEART) tells her, that the mainland is still very much pro magic or at the very least a safe haven for witches. Something that is never explained, however, is what the connection this island has to the mainland. Are they separate countries? Why didn’t the witches simply leave the island as refugees of war? Like, yes I get not wanting to leave your home and you shouldn’t have to, but I still wonder why didn’t they go to the mainland to regroup, and plan their next move. Even more confusing would be if they are one single country. If so, who is in charge? Why did they let the witches in charge do what they did and why did not they care to send a response when the coup happened? That one question is one of the biggest issues with the world building, but even that wasn’t too bad because the STORY ITSELF was so captivating.

Speaking of plots, it was pretty solid for a YA/NA fantasy. It accentuated the romance and progressed beautifully. Rune is desperate to help witches from being put to death, absolutely willing to throw her own life away if it means keeping others safe. The pacing is pretty quick as events unfold rapidly once pieces start falling into place. There’s a slight twist toward the end, but it is fairly predictable.

Now, where the story truly shines is its characters. I fell in LOVE with Alex. Yes, he’s simply a side character – Rune’s best childhood friend. But he is also the love of my life. He is absolutely devoted to Rune, however she will have him. Alex only wants what is best for her and works to keep her safe. Knowing he can’t deter her from her mission, he takes it up as his own. All that said, I am heartbroken he isn’t the main love interest. His brother, Gideon, is. And this is where I feel some Bone Witch similarities. Bone Witch had Kalen and Kance, cousins that loved one another, were devoted to one another, but love came up between them. Here, we have Alex and Gideon. Both love one another fiercely, willing to do practically anything for the other, and then love interferes. Gideon is devoted to his brother and to eradicating witches. He suspects Rune and has to play pretend suitor to get to the truth.

While I’ve gone on about Alex and my love for him, I love Gideon as well. He carries so much trauma and guilt that it is heartbreaking to be in his POV at times. He has what are very valid reasons to him for doing what he does and when he has to confront that against his love for Alex and possible feelings for Rune, it just does things to my poor heart. And then, of course, we have Rune. She is just as bound up in guilt and trauma and self-loathing as Gideon. She holds herself responsible for almost everything that has happened and will continue happening. Rune loves Alex, but how does she love him? Rune is having trouble playing pretend with Gideon. Rune is conflicted between what she knows about witches and what she gets told. It’s just all so deliciously angsty.

I absolutely fell in love with Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli. Plot and pacing were good, world building was interesting, but characters are where this fantasy romance truly shined. I absolutely cannot wait to see how this duet ends.

This was a fast-paced story with all the elements to capture my interest, but instead of creating any emotional attachments to the story or characters, it felt like I was being led to believe it. Overall it fell flat for me. Enemies-to-lovers is a trope I love, yet I couldn't get behind this as believable. It lacked the romance aspect, authentically anyway.
The reader is made to believe Rune is cunning and badass, posing as a dimwitted socialite who doesn't think much past her next party or suitor. She's secretly a witch, who must hide her power because the new regime in place ousted the former reigning witch queens and now seeks to exterminate all witches. Rune organizes jailbreaks of other witches captured by their Blood Guard, Her ruse is effective in throwing off suspicion of her true identity, yet she continually makes dumb choices throughout the book and I didn't particularly like how she used seduction to get information out of men. She gets a taste of her own medicine when the captain of the guard, Gideon, uses the same antics to pursue a relationship and get close to her to see if he can find out any information about the Crimson Moth, or if she may be the moth herself when evidence is uncovered possibly linking her to escaped witches. What they don't expect to meet each other at every turn, cat and mouse outwitting the other when they are both smart. But then they both make mistakes too. He kills witches and she is one who wants information to free more prisoners. He wants to catch the Crimson Moth. They both clearly aren't tricked into believing any of their pursuit of one another to date is real. But then she stupidly takes easily given information and falls into a trap even I saw a mile away. Granted, it led to a fun chase scene, but it also made me wonder how she fell for it so easily. These two ultimately develop sexual tension, but overall I am not convinced there were any real feelings of love. The words say there was, that it becomes real and they now care for each other, but it didn't feel that way. Also, why was Harrow so hell-bent on Gideon sleeping with Rune? It was kind of awkward honestly. To make it worse, Rune's best friend is Gideon's brother, someone who knows her secret identity and abetted her in them because he has loved her since they were 11. So there's also the love triangle between the brothers to make it more awkward. That just kept getting worse too. Gideon and Rune, two good-looking young people of course have sexual tension, and spend a lot of their time together basically naked, but not much is there to make the feelings believable. They were both playing a game but that seems like all it was so the author didn't make the enemies-to-lovers believable. Rune keeps making bad choice after bad choice which ultimately leads to the ending of this book in which everything is falling apart, as predicted. While this is all happening, there's another mystery to solve and I wasn't super surprised by that plot twist. Unfortunately, I didn't feel invested in any of the characters.
There was a really unique magic system with costs of magic I really appreciated. I also loved the concept of this, it just didn't work for me. I feel like the content is mature but the characters weren't so it toes the line of YA/NA. The pacing kept me invested overall and the tension of culmination of secrets being revealed.

The Scarlet Pimpernel + Serpent & Dove = Heartless Hunter. 😍

I FREAKING LOVE THIS BOOK.

I’ve loved every single one of Kristen Ciccarelli’s books but I think this one is my favorite. Because THE VIBES. The Scarlet Pimpernel is one of my favorite classics, and this tale hit all the right notes while still standing on its own as a completely unique take on the classic tropes.

I am 100% going to die waiting for the sequel. 10/10 recommend just so everyone can die with me. 😂

Heartless Hunter releases February 20th, 2024, so mark your calendars!

I received an advance copy from the publisher, all opinions are my own, and a review was not required.

I don't even know where to start with this book except to say that I loved it.

In a land where witches are hunted and the hunters are ruthless, Rune, a witch who keeps her powers hidden under a mask of privilege and high society, is doing everything she can to save her kind. Vapid socialite by day and vigilante by night.

In stalks Gideon who hates everything he presumes she is and is out to destroy all she truly is; he is a Hunter and he is out to get her.

Read this if you love:
*a historical, almost medieval setting
*slow burn romance
*enemies to lovers...or is it lovers to enemies
*a strong female lead character - I really liked Rune and how many layers their were to her character
*some surprising twists and big reveals
*the thrill of the chase
*magic - the world building and magic system in this one were, dare I say, magically done.

I cannot wait for the second book. I need to know how this end!

St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books - Thank you so much for this ARC. I only learned about this book a few weeks back, but as soon as I saw it, I knew I had to read it right away.

"Blown away" is an understatement. This is a must-read.

Completely captivating. Heartless Hunter, the first book in the Crimson Moth series by Kristen Ciccarelli, is enchanting. This book left me breathless. The story unfolds in a way that will leave you spellbound.

I devoured this book. This story will capture your heart. It is an action-packed, thrilling, suspenseful fantasy with the perfect splash of romance and banter. I loved everything - the world, the magic, the characters, and the plot.

The breadcrumbs the author left were perfect. I had correctly speculated on the twist early on, but even so, there was zero disappointment. There was so much good buildup and tension. Certain events may leave you heartbroken, but I absolutely cannot wait for the release of the second book. I'm very eager to see what happens next.

If you do not have this on your TBR yet, this is a must-read if you love fantasy as much as I do. You will be hooked from the first sentence to the last.

The publication date is February 20, 2024. This is a five-star book for me!

I think this book is going to be wildly popular when it comes out. Obviously witch x witch hunter isn’t a new concept but the story line here feels very original. I could not figure out how this book was going to play out. It reads very YA and while I do like YA, I am surprised I liked this book as much as I did. The ending is pretty emotional and had a very “duology” feel for me.. as in little resolution but setting up for an big finish. Obviously being an uncorrexted ARC there is some editing needed, but I’m sure that’s will be ironed out and will only make this book that much better. I would like to see a little more world building, the magic system building was amazing and I really liked it. I just felt a little lost as to what kind of time period we were in.. needed a little more context maybe.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kristen Ciccarelli and St Martin’s Press for allowing me to read and review! Thoroughly enjoyed and not so patiently awaiting the next book