I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I loved this book. IF you like slow burn, witches and witch hunters this is a must read. I can’t wait for book 2.

The Heartless Hunter is an exciting, romantic, and suspenseful story, with enthralling enemies-to-lovers tension.

Two years ago, the witch queens were overthrown, and witches were purged in a bloody spectacle. The witches that remained either went into hiding or fled. Rune is a young witch, masquerading as the Crimson Moth, a vigilante who rescues witches captured by the Blood Guard, saving them from a bloody fate. When an important witch is captured, Rune must decide how far she will go to rescue her. Gideon is the captain of the Blood Guard, and responsible for the assassination of two witch queens himself. He is deadly and dangerous, and has been hunting the Crimson Moth for months, hoping to catch her the moment she slips up. Gideon begins to suspect Rune is somehow involved with the Crimson Moth, or is a witch herself. Meanwhile, Rune, an eligible heiress, knows that the only way to free the witch is to get information on her whereabouts from the captain himself. The two pretend to court each other, both trying to uncover each others’ secrets, and hide their own motivations, while also desperately trying to not fall for each other.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a unique world with a clever magic system using spells and blood magic. I liked the checks and balances on the magic, and that the cost of doing powerful magic is steep. The book is told from Gideon and Rune’s perspectives, which was great. I really enjoyed seeing how they both rationalize their actions, focus on the duty at hand, while trying to ignore the fact that they are beginning to care for each other. Rune has secrets to hide, ones that will cost her life, and Gideon is the one she has to keep them from most of all. Both characters are morally grey, which lends a unique element to the story. The side characters were also really intriguing. Alex, Gideon’s brother, cares deeply for Rune and is the exact opposite of Gideon in many ways. Verity is a loyal friend who encourages Rune to practice her magic, but her past is traumatic and she has secrets to hide. Gideon’s accomplice, Harrow, kept me guessing the entire book, and I am still not 100% clear on her motivations or the role she will play in the rest of the story. The pacing and tension is very well done – I was constantly on the edge of my seat while reading. The ending is intense, and does leave you on quite the cliff. I am desperate for the next book already!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books for the electronic advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Whew. Five stars, five stars, five stars.

This book feels like it has it all. Magic and witches, secrets and deception vs truth, and emotions and tenderness. Following Rune, were emerged in a world of magic, witches and witches hunters and cat and mouse, creating an irresistible story for romantasy lovers.

I literally love Rune. I love her name, as well as her intelligence and independence. Her methods to weave, outsmart, and deceive are top notch. She uses everything at her disposal, from magic to strength to words. She’s not afraid to do what’s necessary, putting witches first and the laws (and her safety) second. Her relationships with her friends feel healthy and realistic, and each has their own unique voice. I never found Rune annoying or over the top, and I can’t wait to see more of her.

Ciccarelli really excels at both enemies to lovers and morally gray characters. Gideon is not a good person. He’s a witch hunter, and he isn’t guilty about it. Despite this, however, I can’t feel bad for him because he’s not a bad person. Him, alongside Rune, Verity, and other prominent characters have layers. Their emotions and pasts serve to explain their actions. Gideon and Rune, despite being opposites, explore empathy with each other. They are receptive to each other’s emotions, and despite doubts, secrets, and schemes, are unable to refuse each other. Their romantic scenes always seem to reveal tenderness, a true desire to understand and hear each other. The push and pull within the relationship is supremely well done—at the onset of the novel, they really were enemies. I loved watching the hatred slowly transition into something otherwise, but not at the cost of each character’s goals. Rune and Gideon still remained true to their desires (and therefore their deceptions), not succumbing to insta-love.

I loved loved loved the setting. It felt regency-esque with beautiful, high fashion and balls and socialite parties. Those aspects paired with the rich descriptions of urban settings creates a world that feels realistic.

Plot-wise, the book was fast moving, and there was truly never a dull moment. It flows smoothly, and the duo perspective between Rune and Gideon is really well done. Typically, duo perspective is iffy to me, but each character feels to have a different voice, perspective, and goal AND Gideon’s perspective is seen significantly less than Rune’s is. There’s one substantial plot twist that’s heavily implied, and I kind of wish it was more of a blindside. I also hope that in the future book, we see more about magic in terms of backstory/history of witches and magic, more magic from Rune, and an explanation about the witches’ ultimate goal. Despite this, however, I couldn’t stop reading.

Book 1 isn’t even officially released yet and I already need book 2. Highly recommend!

* I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love and read this as it sounded up my alley and gave off Serpent & Dove vibes, but ended up DNFing due to SA

This was one of the most unique witchy books I've read. The magic and how they weird it was wild but in a good way. I do wish there had been a little more of an explanation on the magic system.
Rune was such a badass, the many faces she had to wear to be the Moth and nor get caught, was amazing. Gideon, I didn't like him very much in the beginning, the always finding something negative in what she said was really childish. But in the second half, I grew tk love him

The absolute chokehold this book had me for all those hours until I finished...and when I'd have to break to work the amount of time I'd be thinking about it...thanks for my new obsession.

Rune Winters. I loved all of her. Her as a secret witch. The Crimson Moth hiding in plain sight as a shallow aristocrat. The quick wit and intelligence. Her practically one track mind to save all the witches from the purge. Her absolute love for her friends.

Gideon. The blood guard witch hunter, one of the best. With a past that haunts him and continues to keep him focused on ridding his island of witches and of finding the Crimson moth.

I love how they both suspected one another the whole time of the lies the other held in. While a slow burn builds.

I'll admit I had some theories as to the witch behind the blood guard murders. And pleasantly surprised my number one suspect turned out to be...half right.

I'll just be over here counting the days until I can delve into this world again. Obsessing more like.

4.75⭐️

Look for a YA fantasy romance with a well established magic system? Heartless Hunter is for you!

Reading this book was such an enjoyable experience. It brought back nostalgia for YA books from 2010s. Easy to read & get lost in the characters/story. While the world isn’t terribly fleshed out, it didn’t distract from the story. Would love to see more of the world explained in the next book.

As I said, the magic system is well established. There are rules/limitations to the magic that make sense. Also some intriguing ways of how the witches magic works that destigmatize real life society standards.

If you love a true enemies to lovers (with also enemies again), the romance between Rune & Gideon will hit the spot. The duel POV was great way to tell the story of these two. At times I wasn’t sure if I was on Rune or Gideon’s side. The chemistry, banter, and angst between the two was phenomenal. With also a hint of a love triangle, how could you not fall in love.

All in all, I am so glad excited to see where the next book goes! I highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

The story was an enjoyable read of a cat and mouse game between a witch trying to save her fellow witches and a hunter who won’t rest until all witches are killed. It jumps right into action with Rune carrying out her grandmother’s last wish, giving us a glimpse of the witch’s duty and how she works. I also find the backstory was done perfectly, at the right time and the right length.

It is a nice read if you’re looking for a light and easy read. Despite the high stakes of the situation, I don’t feel the tension nor sense of relief when Rune, the witch, is able to escape Gideon, the witch hunter, for one more day. Overall, the emotions felt flat to me.

Also, the pair are trying flirt with each other in order to learn the other’s secret. But the whole courting felt awkward and dry.

However, the magic system was well done and explained clearly throughout the book. Only the explanation behind casting scars should’ve been earlier rather than later.

In the end, Heartless Hunter is easy, light read if you love enemies to lovers with witches in the mix.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t even know where to begin. This book was FANTASTIC. We’re not even a full month into the year and I’m already certain Heartless Hunter/The Crimson Moth will end up as one of my top reads of 2024.
I feel as though I may not do justice to this book in my review, so I’ll keep it fairly short. Bridgerton vibes but also not. Nina and Matthias vibes but also not. A witch and a witch hunter set in a regency-esque time. What more can I say, it was addicting.

One of the things I loved most about this book was that it wasn’t predictable and too easy for our main character. She had plans fail, things went awry, and things weren’t solved immediately after coming up with the solution, she had to work for everything she did and had to adapt to the curveballs thrown her way. I also appreciated how clever she was. There was romance but there was also self-awareness on her end of the precarious situation that she was in. Nothing was too easy or too quickly solved or too overdone and I thoroughly appreciated that. Nowadays there are too many fantasy romance books that consist of 2 things: extreme sexual attraction with no tension or build up, and conflicts that are solved instantaneously, despite them being initially presented as some huge obstacle to overcome. This book wasn’t like that in the slightest and I am so very glad that it wasn’t.

I also loved the interpersonal relationships throughout the book. It’s dual POV so you got to experience interactions from both Rune and Gideon’s POV’s. It was most interesting to see the difference between their interactions and relationships with Alex, Gideon’s brother, and Rune’s best friend. I adored Rune and Alex’s friendship.

Lastly, the ending. No spoilers but wow. I can’t pat myself on the back too much because I came to some realizations prior to their reveals, but only after they were very heavily hinted at, so I’m not quite as clever as I may wish. But I loved the buildup to the ending and overall did not expect it to go as it did.
Honestly, I can’t even believe this is a YA novel. While younger (teen+) readers can absolutely easily understand and enjoy this book, it felt like I was reading an Adult Fantasy Romance in the best way possible. (0.5 – 1 chili pepper in spice)

I guess the worst part about reading an ARC is not only is the book not even out yet, but it’ll be ages before the next book is even on the horizon. I am DESPERATELY awaiting the next book in the Crimson Moth series. Easy 5/5 stars, cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy when the book releases on February 20, 2024.

Kristen Ciccarelli's Heartless Hunter introduces a captivating romantic fantasy duology, immersing readers in the intense cat-and-mouse game between a witch and a witch-hunter. Set against a backdrop of opulence, secrets, and a haunting history, the narrative skillfully delves into the intricate dynamics of love and betrayal. With a flawless build-up, a captivating cat-and-mouse narrative, and a whirlwind of romance, the story seamlessly transitions between enemies and lovers. This enchanting and deeply romantic tale didn't just capture my liking; it made me fall head over heels for the book. Anticipating the sequel eagerly, I acquired my copy through NetGalley, courtesy of St. Martin's Press.

“The hunted had fallen for the hunter”


This book… this book is amazing. You quickly get caught up in the messy web of lies that is the growing romance between witch and wanted vigilante, Rune Winters, and notorious witch hunter and Blood Guard Captain, Gideon Sharpe. The lies and yet the honest, true feelings growing make this a page turner…. Knowing that they both are falling but one or the other could easily destroy what they’re developing by just speaking the truth. There are curveballs you don’t expect… you heart may break at the end but you’re left wanting more of Rune Winters. I loved this book but wish we got to see even more of Rune and Gideon together… I feel like we were JUST beginning to see who Gideon Sharpe truly was before he completely closes everyone out. We also were just beginning to see Rune put her own desires above her call to save other witches before things went badly…. I wish we could have see more of Gideon and Rune that way. My hopes for how this book may end were shattered and I’m dying to know what happens in the next book… will Rune remain with who she is at the end to be useful or will she try to make a stand for some semblance of virtue.

Heartless Hunter, by Kristen Ciccarelli, is a captivating novel. From the world building to the plot to the writing style, I was unable to put this book down until it was completely finished.

While I enjoyed this book, I did have some minor complaints related to the plot twist and the main characters. There’s a mystery teased throughout the plot, and without spoiling anything, half of the big reveal was too heavily foreshadowed for me. I would have preferred it to be more subtle, as the big reveal lost some of its impact. I also didn’t connect to the main characters as much as I wanted to; while Alex’s characterization was perfection, Rune and Gideon fell slightly flat for me.

On the whole, The Heartless Hunter is very well done, and I would recommend it to fans of Stephanie Garber’s Once Upon a Broken Heart series.

I received a digital Advance Reader’s Copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 4.25/5 stars.

In this romantasy were set in a world with witches, in fact witches ruled the land with three sister queens. Until one day the people revolted against them slaughtering them to bring about a better world. Now witches are hunted down and few are left. We follow two different POVs throughout this book one of Rune, who is a witch in hiding as a socialite. She has been helping witches escape the hunters as the crimson moth. Our other pov is of Gideon he is a commander for the witch hunters and has been on the trail of the crimson moth. I loved the will they won’t they cat and mouse aspect between the two. Had some giddy moments that made it hard to put the book down. I also really enjoyed the magic aspect of this world being based around blood. There is multiple degrees of this magic system that I found makes it rather unique. Also it was darker than I was expecting it to be, which was a welcome surprise. I really loved this book had me teary eyed by the end of it. I can’t wait for the next book 🖤 A few tropes I noticed while reading :
Enemies to lovers ✨
Fake dating ✨
I would look up triggers / warnings before reading 🖤

I didn't realize this was a YA novel when I requested it. I don't read YA much anymore, so I won't be reading/reviewing it. But I will suggest to the YA Librarian at the library I work at to purchase it for our collection.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. The following opinions are my own.

I was really looking forward to this book. Unfortunately I didn't realize it could potentially have so many elements that would not be for me. There is a ton of sexual assault content. Which was not something I personally want to read about. I'm sure others will be fine with it though.

The only thing more treacherous than being a witch is falling in love.

In the aftermath of a devastating revolution, witches have been diminished from powerful rulers to outcasts ruthlessly hunted due to their waning magic, and Rune must hide what she is. Under cover of night, as the Crimson Moth Rune works to free witches. When a rescue goes wrong Rune befriends the witch hunter Gideon Sharpe to gather intel and throw him off her trail. Both will find something they weren't looking for.

Heartless Hunter will play with your emotions the entire way. You won't find yourself going back and forth trying to decide whose side you're on because you'll want what's best for everyone. This is an enemies to lovers tale where both sides are right even when the circumstances aren't.

If this isn't a page turner I don't know what is. The cat and mouse game being played makes for some very exciting scenes. The magic is easy to understand and teases us with possibilities. The history of this world is just barely touched on but we can still fully grasp the situation. Every character is more than just an enemy or friend and could easily have their own story told.

I knew early on I was going to love this. You can see where things are likely heading and all you can do is turn the page carefully to see if the characters are going to survive. So much hope, so much heartache. Sweet moments in between that take your breath away. The Heartless Hunter has it all. The ending leaves you begging for more. Needing more. These characters can't be left adrift. There's so much more to the story. I can't wait to find out tne rest.

If you are looking for an enemies to lovers romantasy story with an interesting world and conflict, this may be the book for you.

Rune is a witch in a place where it is now forbidden. She doesn’t let this stop her from trying to help her kind in secret. Rune was a strong, interesting character with whom I found it easy to connect.

The novel is told in dual POV with the second being Gideon the witch-hunter. He is rigid in his beliefs and hate of witches which of course sets up the conflict between the two characters.

The supporting cast and character interactions between Rune, her friends, and Gideon are done very well. The story has twists and turns and a for me, unexpected ending that has me looking forward to reading book 2.

Wowie Kapowie I loved this book. Sign me up for the remaining books because I absolutely need to know what happens! I don’t know what’s happening to me but who is this girl over here reading romantasy?! Swoon. First let’s talk about the cover. It’s beautiful!🤩

Ok on to the book…Rune is a a witch that is hunted by the community she lives in. Ever since the revolution witches are hunted therefore causing Rune to hide her true colors….that is to everyone except one boy, her best friend. She pretends daily she’s normal but each night the Crimson Moth persona tries to help save witches from being killed. The problem with that is she cannot get caught and needs more intel. She decides to get close to Gideon Sharpe, Runes best friends brother, who will hunt witches with no remorse. They both suspect each other isn’t being truthful and what ensues is an epic game of cat and mouse. Runes best friend knows her true identity and she just walk the fine line between the two brothers. Sigh. What happens is two brothers both in love with the same girl. I don’t want to say more but you must read this book if you’re a romantasy lover. I loved loved loved this witch hunter, witch saver duo. THE entire book I couldn’t decide which brother I loved more and my heart literally broke at the end. 😭 Do yourself a favor and buy this book! You will not be disappointed.

Strong 3.5 stars...

Rune Winters is a young lady who likes to party, gossip, and flirt, but she also has a deadly secret: she is a witch. More than that, she is the Crimson Moth, a vigilante witch who rescues other witches when they are caught by the Blood Guard. Desperate for new, reliable information on the prison where the witch she is trying to save is being held, she decides to seduce Gideon Sharpe, the Captain of the Blood Guard, and older brother of Rune’s best friend. Gideon wants nothing to do with Rune, but when some clues point in her direction, he decides to court her, in the hope of discovering if she is the Crimson Moth.

The pace of this book is good, and it’s easy to fall into the story and read it quickly. The fact that both Rune and Gideon are lying to the other, but are also suspicious of the other’s true intention means that there are a lot of lies, scheming, and pretending to be what they think the other wants them to be. While I really liked this game of lies and deception, the big twists and revelations were a little predictable, and I was not really surprised by anything that happened.

I liked the magic system in this book, the witches need to use blood to do their spells, the fresher the better, but cutting themselves to use their blood for a spell leaves a silver scar behind, and the Blood Guard is on the lookout for anyone with such scars. The part of the world-building that I didn’t enjoy as much is the use of modern elements in a Victorian-style setting. It was jarring at times, for example, the main character is going to balls, wearing nice long gloves and dresses, but wearing a “lace bralette” underneath… Some words or actions just didn’t fit with the Victorian vibe, and I am not sure if it’s simply because it’s a more modern version of the usual Victorian setting, or if it’s a poor choice on the author’s end.

Rune was an interesting and well-developed main character. She pretends to be this shallow elite woman, but she is much more complex and layered than that. Sadly though, we don’t see much of her doing actual Crimson Moth work. It’s mostly about her planning, and trying to ensnare Gideon to gain intel on the witch she is trying to save, but there is only one scene where we see her being the Crimson Moth, in the middle of the action. I loved that scene, and it was probably my favorite moment in the book, so it is a little sad that there weren’t more of those action-packed moments. I do enjoy the scheming and lying, but it would have been nice to balance it with a little more action.

I never truly warmed up to Gideon. He has a dark, traumatic past with witches, and it spurred him to take part in the revolution that dethroned and killed the previous witch queens. Still, even if it’s said that he abhors some of his brethren guards more violent behaviors with the witches they capture, he is still a part of the purge that is still happening, years later. I think I didn’t really like him because he felt hypocritical, saying that it’s not acceptable for the guards to beat up witches with senseless violence, but still going around, capturing them and killing them with no trial, and for no reason besides the fact that they are witches. No matter if they committed atrocities or not.

The romance between Rune and Gideon was reminiscent of the one in Serpent and Dove, but it lacked the chemistry and delicious banter that Lou and Reid had. There was physical attraction between Rune and Gideon, and some sexual tension, but no real connection or chemistry. They were both playing a role at first, and it changed to true feelings, but I didn’t really feel that progressive change so it felt sudden and shallow even at times.

There is a kind of love triangle, in the sense that two men are attracted or in love with Rune, and she cares for both, but in different manners. I know that many are not fans of love triangles, so I wanted to mention it, but it doesn’t take much room in the plot, and there is not that much indecision on Rune’s part.

While it wasn’t my favorite witch book, it was still a good, enjoyable book, and I will read the sequel because it promises to be filled with more action, and hopefully some angst too, seeing how things ended up between Rune and Gideon.

This book made me forget I was reading. I was so engrossed the entire time, visualizing everything, it felt like a movie playing out before my eyes. Fast paced but never forfeiting tender moments and character development, I ate this book up. There were some minor issues I had (at times repetitive, questionable choices, convenient moments, I really don’t understand Harrow’s motive for THAT request), but they really pale against the completely engrossing story.

This is TRULY an enemies to lovers story. I was unsure if the journey to lovers would suffice given how much these two start against each other, but the author made it a very emotional and believable transition.

I’m still processing everything (I read 400 pages in two days) but let me just say if you’re a fan of fantasy romance, do yourself a favor and lose yourself in Heartless Hunter. I CANNOT wait until the conclusion!!