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!!

This book falls under the SMP boycott, so my review is withheld for now. Wednesday Books falls under this boycott as an imprint of St Martin’s Press

This book oh my... Rich in characters and story this book absolutely swept me off my feet! I loved Rune and her story and her determination to help other witches. And Gideon matches her perfectly even as a witch hunter. Their story was swoony and frustrating all at the same time! This was a fast paced read filled with so many emotions and such strong world building. By far one of the best fantasy books I've read in a long time. And that cliffhanger ending... Grrr! I want more!

I have no idea how this book crossed my radar, but I'm so glad it did. It was a fresh approach to the witch theme, focusing less on the spells a witch conjures, and more on the witches themselves.
How does one discover their power?
Who supports them?
Who wants to destroy them and why?

Most of this story takes place at a time when witches are believed to be the root of all evil. Did some witches become obsessed with power, take advantage of that power in a very bad way, giving all witches a bad name? Yes.
But our heroine, Rune Winters, is not a bad witch. Still coming into her powers, she is trying to right the wrongs that led to her grandmother's death. And while she has good intentions, it puts her in the crosshairs of a man trying to right his own wrongs, by ridding the land of all witches.

At first, I didn't care for Gideon Sharpe, head of the Blood Guard. However, with time, we get his story and why he hates witches so much. Everything made sense, and I actually felt myself siding with him. So where does that leave Rune? Stuck in a big clusterfuck, including a love triangle, which all comes to a head near the end of this book.

As book one in a series, this does end in a cliffhanger. There are so many open questions, and I'm eager to see where this story leads.

Witch lovers, make sure to add this to your TBR!!

Note: for fans of retellings, this is loosely based on The Scarlet Pimpernel.

First and foremost, I want to give the biggest thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

”She was drowning, and he was air. She hadn’t even realized how much she needed him until he was gone.”

The Heartless Hunter is a cat-and-mouse duet that will have you hooked from the start and I truly hope it receives the hype it deserves in 2024 because this book had me internally SCREAMING on all parts and ends on such a flawless cliffhanger. If you enjoyed Bridgerton and like reading bout witches, this book is for you because it is a perfect mix of the two.

Kristen Ciccarelli creates a story that surrounds two MCs with a dual POV, Rune Winters, and Gideon Sharpe. Rune is a ditsy socialite by day and a witch vigilante who protects witches from being captured and purged by night. Gideon is a witch hunter within the Blood Guard set on purging witches and finding the bane of his existence, the Crimson Moth. Finally, Gideon discovers intel of a merchant ship that smuggled two young witches out of the New Republic and it leads him to none other than Rune. The two MCs decide to court each other to use the other to their advantage. Rune, to use Gideon's position for intel to help her protect her identity and save more witches, and Gideon for wanting to catch the Crimson Moth. But what happens when the facade becomes real?

I am normally not one for YA novels, but Ciccarelli manages to write the book in a manner that does not make it feel as though it is shallowly written for high schoolers with cringy spice scenes that most YA novels have. My rating for spice level is 2/5 but I enjoyed the slow burn of The Heartless Hunter and hope to see more in the second book.

"It shocked her out of her stupor. Rune was no longer the mimic spider, luring her victim into a trap. She was inside her own trap . . . about to be devoured by her prey."

I wholeheartedly believe that Gideon Sharpe will be a 2024 favorite when it comes to morally grey boyfriends because he is a character that you will love to hate, but also want a happy ending for when you discover more and more about him. This enemies-to-lovers trope is such an unexpected but welcomed plot that keeps you on your toes and I am here for it. I also appreciated how many layers Ciccarelli gave the characters, rather than making them one-dimensional. The banter was exceptional and I was constantly on the edge of my seat from how fast-paced this book is. The amount of unexpected twists and turns leave you wanting more, especially the ending.

The Negatives: I do agree with other reviews that mention how the world-building could have been better, but I am desperately hoping we will see more within the next book. Ciccarelli focuses a lot on the characters, but I needed more in the plot because I have many questions. Specifically, why is it that witches are being purged only in the New Republic but live in harmony with others in Caelis? Are they truly accepted in other parts of the world? What are the power dynamics like among witches? Why mention Rune's merchant business but not explain what it entails? My only other qualm with this book is that it seems to lack diversity. Again, hopefully, this is something we will see within the second book, but I wish there had been at least some.

All in all, I do strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romantasy novels and witches. I truly hope that Ciccarelli receives the hype and success she deserves from this book because it is such a wonderful story that I did NOT want to put it down and read the entire thing in one sitting. This book is dark, emotional, tense, and still manages to give you hope. I am thoroughly excited to see what comes next for Rune and Gideon!

*spoilers*


The plot, writing, and ending were good..

But I also don’t care for Gideon. I see his perspective but he’s giving …storm trooper vibes, idk. I empathize for his past and how he got to be so loyal to his position, but unlike Rune, I’m not so quick to forget what he has done in that uniform and what it stands for! I typically love a grumpy to everyone-but-her, brooding, dark haired love interest.. but I just wasn’t buying their relationship and didn’t develop a crush on him.. and book crushes are important.

The witch vs witch hunter storyline got away from itself, probably to develop the romance.. which happened REALLY fast, but despite my genuine sadness at the end.. I do like how it came back around tenfold in the end. I’m here for them being true enemies now. Not just by their titles and awkward history.. but after what happened in book one, it’s personal.

Rune might have been “more than meets the eye” but I still didn’t find her entirely likable. I spent a lot of this book thinking about how Rune is oblivious/doesn’t deserve Alex.. and I felt that way up until the last page. I am more devastated about him than she was. If Rune knew Alex was in love with her, but wasn’t interested at all… you have to respect thats her choice and you can’t force something that isn’t there. But to claim she NEVER KNEW ..never saw it.. girl, come on. But okay, he’s your best friend. He tried to put boundaries with her about his brother in multiple ways, which she disregarded. And then she’s immediately skinny dipping with his brother who she has exchanged minimal words with for years.. and none of them pleasant.. to like a week later being in love and losing her v sleeping with him? Even as a friend to Alex, she was being selfish and shortsighted for that.. no matter her ultimatum. He makes her feel safe, he’s her oldest friend, closest thing she has to family.. and yet she didn’t see him truly, when he is the only person who saw her truly. And that’s sad!!

Her unfair treatment of Alex + the instalove is really what’s holding me back from being a bigger fan of this book. Even in the end she’s like “Alex ☹️……so sad………………… I wish Gideon was here because without him hunting me I feel incomplete” like please be for real.

Will I read the next one? Yeah probably. I do want to know what happens next. Hopefully Rune grows up and Gideon is less of a boot licker.

𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝑵𝒆𝒕𝑮𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒚 & 𝑺𝒕. 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝑷𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑨𝑹𝑪!

“A steamy game of cat and mouse”

and that it was!

This story captivated me like no other has. One page in and I was immediately hooked. It also.. broke my heart a little because WHAT was that ending?!?!

I’m a sucker for a good Enemies to Lovers trope and she did not fail to deliver! The drama never ended, and the deception never seemed to end, either. The twists and turns really kept me hanging on!

This was hands down my favorite book of 2024, and I’ll excitedly be waiting in anticipation for the next part! 🤍

Y’all the way I ate this up. What a rollercoaster this book was and I really wish book 2 was about to come out.

I honestly loved every bit of it, I saw this was going to be like the serpent and dove book since you know witches and witch hunters but oh my, I was not ready for this book and I don’t think any of you all are haha. It was just that good!

The slow burn and chemistry between Rune and Gideon had me melting lol they’re such good characters. Both with tragic backstories and you cannot help but feel for them. I really loved how both of them were scheming for their own gain and were victims to their own trap. Every single scene they were together it was perfection. Like the romance was so well thought and I will never say again I don’t like certain tropes. I mean I don’t like fake dating trope but the way this one was done it was just amazing. So is not the trope y’all, it’s about how it’s done. You guys GIDEON AND RUNE GIDEON AND RUNE y’all are going to love this couple!

The magic system was so good too! Like at the beginning it felt weird because of what was needed to do magic, specially what Rune uses to do her spells but the more you read the more it makes sense so it wasn’t something that bothered me.

My friend and I were texting making up assumptions of what was going to happen next while we were reading and although we figured one of the twists instead of being annoyed I was extremely excited because there was so much we did not see coming.
Also beware this author will make you fall in love with some characters and then rip your heart out and that should be the main reason for you to pick up this book lol.

If you love witches and with hunter romance, forbidden love, magic, enemies to lovers and a well done story. This is for you!

If you are looking for a witchy, enemies-to-lovers, Dual POV fantasy romance you will be delighted by this book. Rune is a socialite by day and rescues witches by the dark of night. Gideon is definitely a heartless hunter and will do anything in his power to catch the infamous Crimson Moth. Rune and Gideon find themselves playing each other to gain information and end up with a deadly attraction to one another. Can they make it work or will their secrets ruin them? The scenes with Gideon and Rune had me on the edge of my seat wondering if one of them would slip and let their deceit show. Rune was masterful at outsmarting her potential captor but he captures her heart instead.

This is a wonderful new romantic fantasy that will have you begging for the next installment. 4.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and Kristen Ciccarelli for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m just going to start this review off strong and say I LOVED this book!
I have been in a bit of a book slump and this book finally pulled me out of it. I wish I knew the exact things that make me get hooked into a book, and become immersed in the writing, but whatever it is - this book has it.
I loved the premise, the story, the push and pull between Rune and Gideon. The pining of Alex and the overarching sense of duty that compelled Rune at every turn.
The writing was so smooth and beautifully descriptive, without being drawn out or overwhelming. I loved that the world building didn’t feel forced, but rather naturally fit into the descriptions and discussions between characters.
My only issue now is that I need the next book!

Thank you Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review. I completely devoured this book. It took me less than 48 hours to finish this book. I was in love with the characters and the world and I’m completely obsessed! I love a dual POV enemies to lovers and this brought that and so much more. Seeing inside of Gideon and Rune’s minds added extra layers to the story that made it so hard to put down. Though I guessed some of the twists I was very surprised by different parts of the story. I can’t wait for this series to continue and I’m a bit sad that I read the arc so I have to wait even longer 😂

Wow. I loved this book!

This story follows Rune, who is a witch in hiding in a republic where being a witch is punishable by death. She is also a vigilante known as The Crimson Moth who frees captured witches before they can be killed by night and masquerades as a wealthy shallow socialite by day. When a witch who was her grandmothers best friend is captured before Rune can find her, Rune is desperate to free her.

Gabriel is a witch hunter who has been trying to discover the identity of The Crimson Moth for 2 years. He suspects Rune and decides to court her to determine if she is the vigilante witch. Rune has also decided to seduce Gabriel to try and find out where her grandmothers friend is being held.

As they both try to get information from the other, their feelings grow.

Anyone who loves stories about witches or loves fantasy romance will absolutely love this story. The world is very easy to follow and the characters are all well developed. The dynamic between Rune and Gabriel is sizzling and the plot twist, though heavily foreshadowed, was great.

I received an ARC from Netgalley but all opinions are my own.

I was immediately drawn in, thought it was fairly fast paced and the plot twist had my jaw drop! Rune is so fierce and clever, and I just adored her. There was great tension between her and Gideon, and this is another example of where I think enemies to lovers was done right, mostly because each character has very valid reason to be at war with the other. I enjoyed their cat-and-mouse games so much, especially as they both tried to extract information but ended up falling in love instead. The ending was absolutely heartbreaking and I really don't know if there will be an HEA for Rune and Gideon! With the way it ended, it sounds like there will be another book and I can't wait!

I'll be sharing an official review on my Instagram page during relase month, but below is a link to where I already started talking about this book on my page and shared the synopsis with my followers.

Top tier romantasy enemies to lovers!! At LEAST 5 stars! Rune is such a complex female fantasy heroine, I love her so much and she was relatable (even though she's a witch lol) in so many ways that made me love her even more! Gideon is everything I wanted him to be and he has such a way with words that makes me teary to think about!! Only reason I'm sad that I read this as an ARC is that that means I have to wait even longer for the sequel! Just means I will have to reread a lot until then!