I was beyond thrilled to read this book. The story enchanted me right away. The main character, Rune, is complex and yet still relatable with a cunning character and sharp wit. Rune is a witch in a kingdom that hunts witches. Rune focuses her time on saving as many remaining witches as she possible can with the help of her best friends, Alex and Verity. After attempting to save a certain witch; Rune devises a plan to find out where the witch hunters are hiding her. Her plan consists of romancing Gideon, Alex’’s older brother who is a general in the witch hunting army who is known for his brutality and the story unfolds from there. The writing was magical and immersive. I couldn’t put this book down until I had devoted the whole thing. Thank you to the amazing author and to net galley for allowing me to read this arc. It surely made my month better.

3.5 stars

Okay, here’s my disclaimer for this book and my rating - I absolutely binged it, could not put it down! The tortured MC and girl who shows the world two faces is everything my ACOTAR/CC/Throne of Glass heart looks for in a romantasy novel. The angst, the tension, the romance was everything.

So, why isn’t this a four or five-star rating? Mainly due to the world building. After reading Night of the Witch by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis, with the amount of folklore and history they used to build their world, this one just did not compare. It’s not as in-depth and the world wasn’t built on anything. We understand the characters’ motivations for their actions, yes, but I had so many questions about the magic system, the history of the Sister Queens, why some territories hunted witches while others did not. The information just wasn’t there.

The good thing is this is a duology. Which means there’s still plenty of story and time to expand upon the world and increase our understanding. For me, I’d read solely for the romance and be 100% happy. But, this is a romantasy, which means the world is as equally important as the character development.

I cannot wait for the next book and hope it gives us much more!

Thank you to NetGalley, Wednesday Books, and St. Martin’s Press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

★★★★★ - 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli
Book 1 - Crimson Moth Duology
༘Spoiler free ༘
⭐️5/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️ one on-page scene, all others closed door.
Young Adult, Dark, Romantasy
Dual POV (Rune&Gideon)
➳ enemies to lovers
➳ Dark
➳ forbidden magic 🪄
➳ Love Triangle 🔻
➳ Slow Burn ❤️‍🔥
➳ Cat & Mouse
➳ Plot Twists
➳ Betrayal/Deception

✨“**You must be very clever now, my love. Clever and brave.**”✨
A holy grail witchy enemies to lovers fantasy, filled with forbidden magic, delicious betrayals and plot twists galore. Unmistakably one of the best fantasy releases this year.

📚📚📚
✨“**You are not the things that happened to you**, Gideon.” He wished that were true. “**None of us can escape our pasts.**” Gideon’s past had *shaped* him. *Haunted* him. *Ruined* him.✨

Detailed Review:

This book hit the ground running and had me holding my breath till the very end. It was such a fresh take on a fantasy book about witches. The magic system is beautifully constructed, there are logical limits and repercussions to practicing magic. Rune is the Crimson Moth, helping free the remaining witches in her society from being purged by the republic. This isn’t your typical magical chosen one book wherein the MC is the most powerful magician of all time, instead it is the strength of Rune’s courage and cleverness that gets her through.

Gideon, our Witch Hunter, has been egregiously wronged by witches, and the political powers that were meant to keep him and his family safe. His brother Alex is all that he has left. Unfortunately, Alex is best friends with Rune, and will do whatever necessary to protect her and save witches from wrongful persecution.

Rune needs intel only the deadliest witch hunter has. Gideon needs to cross off suspects so he can at last unmask the Crimson Moth. They enter into a fake courting relationship to uncover the other’s secrets. Who will end up falling for the rouse?

The character development involved in this book was top tier. It had everything i seek in a fantasy book. There was ample foreshadowing if you knew where to look. That being said, from 70% on i was still squealing and gasping at the plot twists. One thing i particularly loved was the inclusion of lore in the book. I loved reading about the ancients and especially enjoyed the snippets and excerpts from magical books in this world.

I’d wager this book is one of the top fantasy releases of 2024. It was easily one of the best fantasy reads I’ve had all year. 100% would recommend, this was a 5 ⭐️ holy grail fantasy read for me and i cannot wait for the sequel.

💖
LIKES:
⋆ The characters were complex, and their inner narratives were beautifully written. Kristen masters the art of writing morally grey, lovable characters. The banter was well balanced with delving into the depths of human emotions and suffering. I cried for the character’s losses, and felt myself really rooting for them.
⋆ The magic system was a fresh take on witches. I loved the limitations placed on power and the corruption associated with it.
⋆ The plot was strong, i felt the driving force throughout the whole book. I felt like everything was properly set up for, and wrapped up and there weren’t any messy loose ends we were left wondering about.

❤️‍🩹
DISLIKES:
⋆ it’s not a true dislike, but the massive cliffhanger has me aching for the release of the second book. This book truly left me without any complaints. Perhaps i might’ve enjoyed to see some more about alex?

**Fantasy Scoring**
Worldbuilding ➷ ✅ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Foreshadowing ➷ ✅ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot ➷ ✅ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Relationships ➷ ✅❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

Heartless Hunter follows a witch hiding her true nature behind the facade of a materialistic socialite and the Witch Hunter attempting to expose her.

Rune masquerades as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who saves her own kind from being purged. Gideon Sharpe, is a ruthless hunter who will stop at nothing to catch her. When a rescue mission goes wrong, Rune is forced to pursue Gideon to throw him off her scent, and when Gideon learns that Rune’s merchant ships are being used to smuggle the witches, he courts her back to gain intel. But soon, both of them are fighting against the intense attraction they feel for one another and are surprised to find there is more to meets the eye to both of them.

Will Gideon discover her secret and turn her in? Will Rune survive their love?

Heartless Hunter is a delicious cat and mouse, enemies to lovers story. I highly enjoyed this dark romance and THAT ENDING!! I can’t wait for the next one to come out so I can continue their story!

How am I supposed to wait for the next book now??? This was so good. I want to keep reading about the Crimson Moth. Witches and witch hunters, enemies to lovers, the bestest best friend and all kinds of twists. Must be prepared to have your heart ripped out because this book does not have a HEA.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-ARC. I am now very eagerly awaiting the release of book number two (and the first one isn't even out yet!)

I really loved this book! The dual POV was great and really built the suspense between the two main characters, I really didn't see how they were going to get over their differences but somehow the angst and buildup worked. I like the action at the end and wish there was more of this, can't wait for the next one!

Thank you so much to Netgalley & Wednesday Books for an e-ARC of HEARTLESS HUNTER!!

Because, seriously, THIS!! BOOK!!!

I do love a good witch and witch hunter story. This gave me some SERPENT AND DOVE vibes with a different, unique magic system and a VERY enemies to lovers romance!

Rune is a witch, and she's been able to hide from the witch hunters by playing the role of socialite after having no choice but to turn in her grandmother who was a witch. She uses this cover and her magic to help other witches escape death. Enter Gideon, our sexy witch hunter. He's got a past and has made it his mission to help the guards eradicate witches so no one has to go through what he and his family have been through.

When Rune and Gideon meet, he's immediately suspicious of Rune. She immediately needs some additional information only he has. These two go head to head in a game of hearts and wits and I AM HERE FOR IT!!! I can't help but mention a wee love triangle that made my heart ache for all involved...

I loved the secrecy, the parties, the cat and mouse game, the romance!! THE ROMANCE! I am always here for a good romance arc and this did not disappoint!

And that ENDING! The TWISTS!!! How dare Kristen Ciccarelli! I need the next book NOW.

Fast paced with plenty of action. Perfect book for fall spooky, witchy reading season. Heartless Hunter is a cat and mouse tale of a witch and a witch-hunter. Perfect for fans of the Romantasy genre that I’ve heard a lot buzz about.
This had a fantasy world that was easy to understand. The world and world building made sense. Set in a society where witches have recently been purged, Rune is a witch works behind the scenes to save other witches.
She is able to hide behind her wealth and social connections. The chemistry between Rune and Gideon was excellent. The story had plenty villains and treachery behind the scenes. Overall I enjoyed this but think I might have enjoyed if I had read this at a different time. Life distraction has made reading hard plus I’ve read a lot of witchy books this fall. Witches being hunted has been a theme in a few recent reads so this felt a little overdone.
Many readers will enjoy this as it has great characters with a steamy romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rune, a witch herself, finds herself in a precarious position, fighting to save fellow witches from impending execution due to their magical abilities. Her quest leads her to seek a husband with influential connections who can assist in her mission as the infamous Crimson Moth. This path brings her to Gideon, a man with a deep-seated aversion to witches, renowned for his ability to uncover the most affluent among them. Suspecting Rune of being the Crimson Moth, Gideon reluctantly courts her to confirm his suspicions. As their relationship deepens, they grapple with the challenge of keeping their secrets hidden.

“Heartless Hunter” by Kristen Ciccarelli was a really good book. The ending was such a big cliffhanger, and I don’t know how I’m supposed to wait for the second book. I liked the world building and the allure of the socialite scene with the glitz and glamour. I was at war with myself because I sympathized with both Rune’s and Gideon’s belief with the witches. I enjoyed the book so much and will patiently wait for the nest book. 5 out of 5 stars for sure.

4⭐️

I really enjoyed this one! That ending my gosh I can't wait to read the conclusion of this duology.

In this book, witches used to rule into the three sister queens are killed. After that witches were outlawed and purged whenever found, Rune is a witch hiding in plain sight trying to save every witch she finds after her grandmother is purged. She has a hidden identity known as the crimson moth. Gideon, captain of the guard, is the brother of Runes best friend and is in search of the crimson moth.

This was a great example of a cat and mouse story. Rune and Gideon are both playing eachother, but it turns into something more. I really enjoyed both characters a lot. Everytime I thought I had something figured out this book would surprise me.

Although is a fantasy romance, there is this bigger underlying issue of people being the hero's in one story turning into the villains. That they think they are doing the greater good by basically committing genocide to witches and assuming all are inherently evil and bad, this is due to their own trauma that endured. My only critique for this book it wasn't inherently clear to me who took over after the death of the queens and who was in charge.

I would really recommend this book to any fantasy romance fans or fans of witch centered books.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St Martins press. My review is voluntarily my own.

I will be posting my review to my Instagram page lthe.floofs.booknook and retail sites close or on publication.

I really liked this one! I love the idea that magic always comes with a price and it is just not a free toy that anyone can play with. I don't usually like dual pov as much as single pov, but the author did it really well with this book. It was cool to see the different thoughts of the main characters and how they were plotting to best each other. This book is great if you like enemies to lovers, witches, dual pov and suspense.

This was a fast read for me. Enemies to lovers, witch and witch hunter? Yes please! So happy to get to read this during the fall season. This is sure to be a hit in the romantasy readers circles.

First, thank you to NetGalley and the author for allowing me to read an advanced reader copy of this book! This book had so many of my favorite things: enemies to lovers, an amazing and well designed magic system, high stakes cat-and-mouse type action scenes, and a climactic plot twist! I thought that the magic system and major plot points in this book were really original, unlike any fantasy I have read thus far. I also liked that the romantic building scenes were fresh (measurement scene, ocean scene: iykyk) and did not rely on the usual subtropes. The main female character was also a total badass! **SPOILERS(?)** I loved the complexities of her personality and how on one hand she had this materialistic facade that most people saw, and on the other this vigilante disguise, and how at times she couldn't tell who the real "her" was behind all of the masks. In some ways, I feel like this made her super relatable to any reader who has questioned the different "fronts" they may put on in certain situations in their own life.
My only con, and this is mostly just a personal preference and totally my own opinion, is the point of view seemed a little convoluted at times; it was multiple POV, and captured the characters' inner thoughts/feelings, but was told in third person. I felt like there was a bit of distance put between me and the characters with this, which may not have happened if it was strictly first person. Besides this, it was a great book, and hooked me from the start! Already can't wait for the second book, and will be looking to read more from this author in the future! :)

This book had one of the best executions of a cat vs. mouse chase that I have encountered. The moments between Rune and Gideon where each of them omits information to subtly manipulate the other were very entertaining and had me at the edge of my seat. I also enjoyed how each of the leads was likable in their own ways and had motives that fit the characters. Additionally, I enjoyed the split POVS because I felt like they each had something of importance to add to the characters. This is especially true in regard to the plot twist and the illustration of how both Rune and Gideon were affected separately. In terms of negatives, this book did not seem to have many. A few of the chapters were very short to convey how the characters felt at certain moments, which felt slightly unnecessary but did add context to said situations. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would like to read subsequent books and other works by the author.

Thank-you to NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for this awesome book.

Enemies to lovers is my fave, add in fantasy, witches, a witch hunter, and lots of banter and you have me hooked. The book gave me SJM vibes. The world and characters were amazing.

Fell in love with this story in chapter one! Am excited for the next book!!

While it took me until about 20% to get really invested in this book, I ended up thoroughly enjoying it and really could have read this in one go if I’d had the time!

Heartless Hunter follows witch, Rune Wintersea, and witch hunter, Gideon Sharp, as they each attempt to seduce the other into spilling deadly secrets! This felt like a pretty well done enemies to lovers trope, though I will say, they fall for each other very quickly. However, the tension between them as they’re fighting falling in love and trying to each do their duty to their respective causes keeps that enemies to lovers energy flowing well! Rune aggravated me at times, but overall I enjoyed her and her dedication to saving her fellow witches. Gideon is a complete cinnamon roll and no one will change my mind on that. He’s a babe, and I love him.

The world felt well developed without it being too overwhelming or taking away from the story. I still have some questions about certain things, but I know there’s more to come regarding the world and magic system in the next installment.

There are quite a few side characters and we get some background on them and how they play into our MCs stories, but a few felt a bit hollow could have been more well rounded. I also wasn’t a fan of <spoiler> the love triangle. I mean, Alex is Gideon’s brother and Rune’s best friend and I knew immediately where things were going. I was just so ticked off that Rune went with it at the end of the book… iykyk </spoiler>…

The ending!!! Y’all. I was big mad at that ending. Haha! Seriously, the last few chapters had me holding my breath and when I read the last page?! No! I was not okay with that cliffhanger. I had an idea of how things were going to play out and things did follow that path, albeit with a twist I didn’t see coming. Basically, I need book two immediately!!

One quick note, there is some on page spice/steam (which I’m here for, okay?). However, given the context and details <spoiler> (basically, Gideon is told to seduce Rune to check her for witch marks. They are both consenting and both aware that the other is using sex to serve a purpose but they both are in love and wanting to give their relationship a real shot at the time so it isn’t completely as a means of spying on the other.) it does makes me consider this an upper YA or NA book. I’ll be clear, I don’t know what this book is currently marketed as, but I would class it as NA.

Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books, for the complimentary arc. All opinions are my own.

Heartless Hunter masquerades as a moth when really it's a viper poised for attack with its venomous fangs. The twists are stunning, the character dynamics are ripe, and best of all, the star-crossed love between a witch and her hunter is absolutely devastating. I wept, I shrieked, I couldn't contain my feelings. The twists are impeccable and plentiful. When you think Ciccarelli finally rests, she rips your heart out one last time and cuts straight to your core.
------------
Deception runs deep in Heartless Hunter, the newest romantic thriller from Kristen Ciccarelli. Best part of this one? Rune Winters, our heroine witch, has attached herself to the hunters. Can she seduce the captain of the guard to gain his secrets? You'll be shredding this one apart to find out, my friends.

The next book can't come fast enough. I don't know how I'm going to survive the wait.

Thank you to Wednesday books and NeyGalley for an advanced copy to review.

Undoubtedly, this seems like a great start to a fantasy romance. A perfect addition to add to my ‘fav reads’ shelves. Can't wait enough for the next instalment already!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for this advanced copy! You can pick up Heartless Hunter on February 20, 2024.

This was one of the easiest 5 stars I've given out in a while. I loved the Scarlet Pimpernel feel of it, the way the characters interacted with one another, the world, the plot twists, everything! I couldn't believe how quickly I tore through this book and didn't want it to end.

The background we learn about the island and the witch vs. witch hunter conflict engaged me from the get-go. I loved the different roles Rune played, and how we see so much vulnerability from her amid clever deceptions and daring escapes. The magic was super fascinating yet simple to understand, and I love how often Rune DIDN'T rely on magic to slip away from her foes.

And don't even get me started on the romance. Gideon and Rune had me feeling EVERYTHING, all at once. The tension and build-up was immaculate. The vulnerability and opening up tugged my heartstrings. The betrayal and ultimate anger felt earned, not predictable. This YA book felt more romantic than the spiciest of smut novels, and I just want to see more interaction between Gideon and Rune (especially after that ending!).

The worst part of all this is that the book itself won't come out for months, and then we'll likely wait several more months for a sequel. I need answers ASAP, and I'm already looking forward to diving back into this witchy adventure. 10./10 would recommend!

Heartless Hunter is a regency story about a high society witch named Rune who lives a secret double life . Outwardly she is infamous due to the events of her grandmother's death and her social status. Behind closed doors, however, with the help of her two best friends Alex & Verity, she is the one and only Crimson Moth, saving witches from death.

Plans are going well as they get closer to fulfilling her grandmother's dying wish when officer Gideon puts a thwart in her plans. In order to fix this issue Rune comes up with a new plan, one that could risk not only her identity but everything they have worked hard for.

The longer this plan is in place the more her heart is entangled and the more she begins to question everything, by the time the puzzle pieces fit will it be too late ?

Heartless Hunter is the second book I've read by Kristen Ciccarelli, while it has a more playful tone it is every bit as enjoyable. I read it pretty quickly, the chapters were fun and to the point.

I give this one two or three chilli peppers out of five for spice, there aren't many steamy scenes but chemistry between Gideon and Rune is SO good.

The characters were well written, especially the villain. My heart was not ready for that ending, it hurt so much.

Heartless Hunter has a love triangle, dual points of view, and perfect for those who love the new adult genre . I look forward to reading the next book in the series !