This is such an easy 5 star book for me. The world built itself with the setting that was given, The story was intriguing from beginning to end, it was immaculate. I did guess "the twist" but only half of it. Rune, Gideon, and Alex have my heart and I'm so excited for the second book.

I am waiting for the continuation. As a reader, I was talking to Rune with suggestions and warnings as she followed her goals to completion. When it became too late, I was nearly as surprised as Rune was. This is a well-written suspenseful romance with more depth of character than many books of this genre. I think we need a prequel and maybe a couple of those to explain how magic ended up where it is.

Read this book! You will lay in bed at night unable to put it down. You will be rooting for one of the brothers. Do you think the new books might be centered on them? Thank you for the story K Ciccarelli!

I will be withholding my review of this book until smp addresses the very reasonable demands of the boycott.

What a great book! This will be a series and I cannot wait for book 2, even though book 1 comes out on February 20, 2024! Thank you to for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Rune Winters life changed forever when a revolution determined that witches could no longer be, they were found and purged. Due to this, she has to hide what she is, a witch, and can only trust her best friends with this knowledge. During the nights, she becomes the crimson moth, a vigilante who helps to protect and save witches from their fate of death by the witch hunters. When a rescue goes wrong, she tries to court Gideon Sharpe, a witch hunter and her best friends, Alex’s brother, to try to gain intel. But when she starts to fall for him, things start to become uncertain. This cat and mouse game between a witch and witch hunter will leave you wanting more!

I have been read more fantasy recently and a fellow bookstagrammer recommended this- thank you! Most fantasy that I have read did not have witches and that made this book so much more fun! I loved the cat and mouse game between the characters and all the foreshadowing. The twists at the end had me turning pages until the end and wishing I could grab book 2 immediately. 5 stars!

4.5 stars rounded up

Guys, this book is bloody <b>fantastic</b>

I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Fabulous characters, action packed and twisty plot, forbidden romance. I was down for it all. It’s a great New Adult read.

Rune is feisty and loveable. Gideon is your classic bad boy with a traumatic past. Their romance was secret enemies to lovers and it was done really well. Hats off to Ciccarelli for not making it cliche. Alex is so precious and good, I was rooting so hard for his little heart to not be broken *cries internally*

I liked the magic system and I thought it was well explained, simple but original.

It was a little weak in its world building hence me docking half a star. But I enjoyed it too much to rate it any lower.

Can we also just talk about how heart wrenching that ending was? I can’t wait for the sequel now 😭

Heartless Hunter masterfully intertwines elements of captivating fantasy and romance. The protagonist, Rune, portrayed as a formidable character who daylights as a daft socialite, and the mysterious witch hunter Gideon contribute layers of complexity to the narrative as the embark on a cat and mouse game. Earning the book, a well-deserved four-star rating. The meticulously crafted world-building, enriched with historical deviations from societal norms, serves as a unique backdrop that enhances the overall charm of the story.

From the first chapter, the narrative proves to be enthralling, skillfully balancing elements of thrill and romance. The power dynamic between Rune and Gideon, entangled in a perilous game, keeps readers on the edge, fostering a desire for the development of their intricate love story. Kristen Ciccarelli’s adept storytelling introduces layers of romantic tension and ethical quandaries, elevating the enemies-to-lovers fantasy. The action-packed world building, complemented by relatable characters, makes it effortless for readers to cheer for Rune and Gideon, even as their loyalties collide.

If you’re a fan of Serpent & Dove and Bridgerton this book is for you. While it seamlessly blends regency-era romance with the high-stakes dynamics of forbidden love. Set in a post-revolution era where witches are hunted, Rune, known as the Crimson Moth, embarks on a perilous mission to rescue her kind. Gideon, initially perceiving Rune as a superficial socialite, becomes ensnared in a fake and lethal courtship, leading to expertly executed revelations.

Delving into diverse belief systems and intricately explores the magic system, offering perspectives from both Gideon and Run. This multifaceted approach creates a compelling story that leaves me eagerly awaiting the sequel.

I would recommend this book for enthusiasts of fantasy romance seeking a unique blend of magic, historical twist, and enemies-to-lovers dynamics.

Heartless Hunter was an interesting experience. The plot in itself was intriguing, which is what made me pick up the novel in the first place. Yet, the lack of character development and poor writing make it a difficult story to swallow.

There were some parts that were really slow (which surprised me considering the premise of the story) and the buildup felt very anti-climatic

Hello Book friends!

Today I’m reviewing Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli. In this fantasy romance, with two POV’s, a quiet rebellion is brewing and Rune Winters is at the heart of it. But as she moves closer to her ultimate goal, saving her grandmother’s dearest friend from the witch purging, she becomes ensnared by the witch hunter Gideon Sharpe.

Now, let’s chat about the book itself.

I love the bones of this story, where you have these two young people, a witch forced into hiding her identity, quietly starting a rebellion, and a morally gray witch hunter, who is hell bent on eradicating every witch, and you have to wonder well why’s that?🤔

What felt a bit off was the complete execution of the story in its entirety, specifically the love triangle in this one. I have said it once before I am not a fan of love triangles. They are often messy and can lead to cliché endings. In this instance we have two brothers vying for the same girl. And I’ll let you discover how this one ends, but I felt the love triangle wasn’t necessary and you could still get to the same ending without it. That Gideon’s younger brother could’ve simply been Rune’s bestie and nothing more. Plus with the ending, I was curious and perplexed why Rune wasn't more upset about what happens to Alex and my hope this gets flushed out and explored more in the second novel.

As the story turns into this cat and mouse chase, Gideon trying to discover if Rune is the Crimson Moth or a spoiled aristocrat, and Rune trying to seduce Gideon in order to free her grandmother’s dearest friend, readers will ache for more one-on-one interactions between these two enemies to hopeful lovers. But as they unhurriedly bring their shields down, Ciccarelli quickly shifts gears, pressing on the accelerator, and you realize you're at the end, a bit disappointed because we didn’t have more time with the simmering romance between Rune and Gideon.

Unequivocally a solid first installment to a very promising new fantasy romance series.

Happy Reading ~ Cece

Have I found a new fantasy series to become obsessed with? I believe that maybe I have! This book gives you the perfect amount of enemies to lovers, to enemies again plus some forbidden romance that just absolutely had me obsessed with the two main characters!

I love that we get dual POV! Gideon is our broody, take no shit MMC and Rune our FMC is a complete badass who will break any rules if it means saving the lives of her fellow witches. I absolutely loved the back and forth between them and I’m so excited to see more of them in the future books!

The romance was great in this book and although I would have enjoyed a little bit more world building (I felt like there wasn’t enough information given about the witches) I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait for the next one!

This is going to be a highly sought after fantasy romance of 2024. We're talking a forbidden love, enemies to lovers to rivals romance. Within this story, magic and witches are illegal on the island they live on. We have Rune, who focuses on setting free trapped witches while keeping her own identity hidden. And then there is Gideon, the witch hunter who is going after the most powerful witch of them all: the Crimson Moth.
This is definitely worth the read, especially with the cliffhanger at the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest review.

Thank you Net Galley for providing an eArc.
This book was such a joy. It had so many things that just kept me wanting more and more. The romance is so good and the love triangle, don’t even get me started cause it ate it up. I cannot wait to see what this author puts out next!

I received this E-Arc from NetGalley and I’m grateful for the read. All opinions are my own and not affiliated with any company.

I really loved the start of this book. It was gripping and the world building started strong, with a really unique and intriguing magic system. The enemies to lovers trope in this book really had me engaged until about the 3/4 through the story. I felt like suddenly the character development stalled and the romance was rushed for the sake of the plot. It got a bit messy there but the ending was strong (if a bit predictable) to lead into book two. I will definitely read the continuation and overall enjoyed this book. This story has potential to be one of the most interesting fantasies of 2024.

Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli
Overall Rating: 4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Spice level: 🌶️ - Open Door but very little description

From the first page, I was absolutely hooked on this book & could not put it down.

Rune Winters is a witch hiding in plain sight, socialite by day & Crimson Moth by night. Her alias, the Crimson Moth, saves witches from the Good Commander & his Blood Guard who are on a mission to capture and execute all witches. The captain of the Blood Guard, Gideon Sharpe, is brooding, good-looking, & hates witches because of his history with an evil witch who killed his parents and younger sister. His only surviving family member is his brother, Alex, who is also Rune’s best friend and secretly the Crimson Moth’s sidekick. The interconnected relationship dynamics in the story make this plot SO interesting and bingeable.

Rune and Gideon’s sexual tension is palpable and the slow burn, forbidden love, and cat & mouse vibes are IMMACULATE.

I already cannot WAIT for the second book & this hasn’t even been released to the public yet 😩 LOVED THIS.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy 🫶🏼

Thoroughly enjoyed!! I kept thinking I had things figured out only to be proven wrong again and again.

The ending! I’m in shock!!

Overall an incredible read. Kind of reminded me of Serpent & Dove. Can’t wait for the sequel!

This book surprised me in the best way!!
I don’t usually go for Witch books. It’s just not typically my thing, but as always, I like to give anything a chance.
This book had the constant allure that kept me interested. Especially the dynamic between the two main characters.
I got hooked right off the bat, and didn’t want to stop until I got to the end. And now I’m so excited for the next book!

The plot twist wasn’t obvious. Which is a very good thing. You only really start to consider certain possibilities when Rune or Gideon does.

I’ve read several books that have bored me lately because of boring characters or lack of chemistry. Gideon and Rune had absolutely explosive interactions. It was witty, they both were calculating, and also falling for each other at the same time. I loved it so much!

Heartless Hunter is on my most anticipated romance books of 2024 list and it totally delivered. This year I’m on the hunt for what will be the standout, romantasy book of the year and Ciccarelli’s romance is definitely in the running. The combination of enemies to lovers, love triangle, and romantic suspense all wrapped up into an amazing package that I couldn’t put down.

Romantasy books all start with the heroine for me. And this one is no different. Rune is a witch who is hiding that fact by pretending to be a vapid socialite by day while secretly saving witches who are captured and sent to be purged. Hot on her heels is Gideon, a member of the blood guard who’s been hunting her for two years. He just so happens to also be the older brother of Rune’s best friend Alex.

I loved Rune for her strength and her dedication to her purpose, all in the name of love for the grandmother that she lost. She was all alone in this world, except for Alex and her friend Verity, who became captivating characters all on their own as the story unfolded.

But the story soon narrowed in on the courtship between Rune and Gideon. Gideon had his suspicions of Rune being the Crimson Moth which drove his insistence on getting close to her while she too was getting close to Gideon to uncover the location of a witch in captivity. Trust and communication are definitely not pillars to their relationship but you could definitely sense their attraction and their chemistry just oozed off the page.

Ciccarelli really weaved a great story that kept you captivated, wondering if these two could actually make things work? Or who would hurt who and how?

And yet, while I was hooked on Rune and Gideon‘s growing love story, you’re also drawn into this developing story about Gideon‘s past, the witches downfall, and the current regime problems.

While I wish I saw more of Rune in action as the Crimson Moth, this book felt like a full story, and yet left with quite a cliffhanger and storylines to unfold as the series continues. I will definitely be reading the next book as soon as it releases!

If you love, romantic suspense, enemies to lovers or just a really intriguing, romantansy, I highly recommend Heartless Hunter.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

“She was drowning, and he was air. She hadn’t even realized how much she needed him until he was gone.”
•
My first reading of the year was The Crimson Moth(UK)/Heartless Hunter(US) and it didn’t disappoint me at all! I started the year in the best way!!
•
If you like slow burn, enemies to lovers, witches, witch hunters, a game of cat and mouse, and fake dating this story is for you.
In this world, witches once ruled, but a few years previously they were overthrown and are now hunted and killed. The female main character, Rune, is a witch who has a secret identity as the Crimson Moth, hiding in plain sight trying to save every witch she finds from the witch hunters who persecute them. Gideon is a witch hunter determined to find and kill the Crimson Moth. The two of them begin to date, each with their own agenda and each wanting to get information from the other. Until the game of the cat and the mouse becomes more and more tense and romantic!!
•
I loved anything about this book! The magic system, the witches, the writing, the characters, the plot... literally everything!
The story is told from both main characters POVs making it easy for the reader to understand them better. I loved Rune so much!! She is a complete baddie, willing to break every rule if it means saving other witches and Gideon is the villain of the story but at the same time he is so cute because he writes letters to Rune, creates clothes for her, gives her flowers!! I love him so much!!
•
Speaking of the finale I can only say HELP ME! How do I live without the sequel? I need it asap!!
•
Thanks to Netgalley, Wednesday Books and Kristen Ciccarelli for providing me with this ARC!
Heartless Hunter is out everywhere on February 20th! If I were you I would rush to pre-order it !

This book consumed me! I loved the FMC, the magic system, the friend group, and the overall setting. I do wish we got to see more of Rune as the Crimson Moth, but I am hoping that comes in book two. Gideon may not be the MMC for everyone because he takes the enemy to enemies to lovers seriously, but in this case I think that will make their eventual romance that much better!

The two major things that brought this down to 4 stars instead of 5 for me were:
- the pacing - I enjoyed the pace of the entire book, but then when so much happened in the last 20% it felt very rushed
- I am SO tired of the love triangle with brothers; it actually enrages me and takes away from the overall romance vibes

This book ends on a cliff hanger and I can't wait for the second book!

Heartless Hunter is a beautiful, mesmerizing tale of witch's and witch hunter's and those who will sacrifice everything for the ones they love. I knew from the start I was going to enjoy this book, what I didn't know was how it would pull at my heart.
After the reign of a cruel witch began a devastating revolution, where witches became outcasts and were hunted along with those who would dare sympathize with them. Rune knows all to well the dangers of being a witch and has to hide who she really is to survive. By day she is a young socialite, by night the Crimson Moth rescuing witches before their purging. Gideon Sharpe is a witch hunter who has been chasing the Crimson Moth for years, when he gets word that Rune may be using her ships to rescue witches he pursues her with the intent to see if she is who she seems or a witch in disguise. A game of cat and mouse that will have you on the edge of your seat and uncertain where your allegiance lies.
I loved how the complexity of the characters and the various layers that made up their personality. To me this book had a little bit of everything love, magic, and heartbreak. My only complaint is I have to wait for the next book to see how it resolves.

I devoured this book in two sittings, and it was because I went to sleep in between!

I love how fast-paced this book was and also it packed with high tension game of cat and mouse between a witch and a witch hunter that kept me reading! My favorite scene was the mine, oh boy that was really fun to read! The romantic bits were also well done!

But I also found some parts to be quite repetitive and there are few things that I really hope will be explained more in book 2 such as the back story of the three queens, the revolution, and the reason why The New Republic might be the only city that hunts witches. I felt that a lot of things are underexplained but I enjoyed it overall.

Looking forward to book 2! Do we have a date yet?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me the eARC in exchange for an honest review.