I really enjoyed Heartless Hunter, I found it to be a very quick and engaging story. I really liked the nods to the Scarlet Pimpernel. I feel like we don’t have a lot of books with that as an inspiration. I liked Rune and Gideon as our main characters. I kind of saw the twist coming at the end, but it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the story.

When I saw this described as “a steamy game of cat and mouse between witch and witch-hunter” I was like, absolutely. Sign me up. And it did not disappoint.

Heartless Hunter is the first book in The Crimson Moth series and I am so excited for the upcoming books in the series. This story followed Rune, a witch who spends her nights as the vigilante, the Crimson Moth, and her days as a superficial socialite. When one of her rescues goes wrong, she decides to get more intel by dating Gideon Sharpe, a notorious witch hunter.

It is a really entertaining enemies to lovers, cat and mouse story that I literally couldn’t put down. The setting really reminded me of Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn, with the balls and hiding in plain sight. I loved every minute of it.

The ending absolutely BROKE my heart… but I am impatiently waiting for the next book & will be devouring it the moment it releases.

Thank you so much to Netgalley & Wednesday Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was SO good!! The tension between Gideon and Rune was amazing! And that ending??? SHEESH! I need the next book immediately.

I'm going to preface this review with the fact that this currently holds my second favorite book of the year. It was everything I wants Serpent & Dove to be. I wanted real stakes, real danger, and a loathing (sorry, longing) from our two leads that then when their Mr. & Mrs. Smith game comes to a head, they then really have to go their separate ways because of who they are. I love that both of our mains are fully fleshed out and are more than what they are to each other and specifically seek to work in opposition to each other. Our supporting cast is great too and really helps expose the classism embedded in this world.

4 stars

Thank you Nwtgalley and publisher!

Well, I'm officially ready for the second book. I devoured this book in a day.

I loved Rune's character and was really into her and Gideon's relationship. I also loved how this book was a quick read. It's nice to read one of those once in a while.

Can't wait for the next book!

This book seems well done. This book is also a dnf for me.

Allow me to explain.

Every time I started reading this book, I was filled with a sense of dread. Then I realized, it's because the stakes in the book are so high it was giving me anxiety! However, this means that the author was able to convey that sense of danger effectively. So if you enjoy high stakes, witches, witch hunters and affairs between the two, I would highly recommend this book!

I will confess that I went into this book with all sorts of preconceived notions, the primary one being that I wouldn't like it because my tastes have changed, and this is primarily a fantasy romance. So, with expectations set low, I began my journey into this story, neatly sandwiched between two aggressive books about power, control, abuse, and death. This, in short, was to be my delightful palate cleanser.

What I did not expect from this book was an imaginative retelling of The Scarlet Pimpernel, a story set during the French Revolution, where a masked hero, disguised as a foppish aristocrat, crosses the English Channel and rescues revolutionaries from the guillotine. In this first in the Crimson Moth series, author Ciccarelli skillfully reverses gender roles, and our heroine is the plucky Rune Winters, pretending to be a shallow society girl while riding out to rescue her fellow persecuted witches. The love interest, of course, is the witch hunter Gideon, hot on her trail.

The witch hunts here are not the historical ones, where an Early Modern Europe executed approximately 50,000 of its own in the witch craze. Rather, Ciccarelli creates a fantasy world where magic is real, the witches cast real spells, and we live in a world of make believe.

And that's all the plot I will reveal. I expected to skim whole sections of this book that I did not think I would enjoy. Instead I found myself riveted to the page, especially the back-and-forth dialogue between our two young lovers, Rune and Gideon. I am shocked and amazed at the ending, and I am on pins and needles (figuratively, that is), until the release of the story's continuation.

Kudos, Ms. Ciccarelli! Nice job!

I did NOT want this to end - when is the next book out?
The tension, the vulnerable male mc, witches and kickass women and a great twist - well done and I must have more!
I loved Rune's character - though her experience with Nan was repetitive as a way to show guilt. I loved all of her interactions with Gideon.
Gideon was my favorite character - I loved his POV as well as the male lead with trauma and issues. So well done - I love when a male character exhibits such vulnerability.

New favorite romantasy rec incoming!! This one is good… SO good!!

Vigilante witch posing as a Bridgerton-esque aristocrat decides to fake-date a witch hunter to throw him off her trail. The premise is simple, and I’ve seen lots of comparisons to 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘋𝘰𝘷𝘦 - which I also loved, but the execution here far surpasses it. 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 really is a true enemies to lovers story, with high stakes and lots of suspense, which sets it apart from other witch/witch hunter stories that feel watered down in comparison.

This book doesn’t go too deep into the world-building, but I think it actually works really well here because everything you need to know is skillfully weaved into the characters and plot line. The blood magic system is interesting and the way our hero chooses to wield it is very unique and clever. The backstory of the revolution added a layer of political and social intrigue that made the setting and characters so much more rich and complex. There’s an interesting history between these characters too which heightens the stakes! My favorite parts - the tension, banter, and visceral emotions between Rune and Gideon - were EVERYTHING an enemies to lovers / forbidden romance should be!!

𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 had me completely hooked from start to finish. Blending historical fantasy, mystery, and romance (more swoony than spicy) this may just be the start of my next favorite fantasy series! I loved every minute of it - even though it shattered my heart with a huge cliffhanger ending!!!

Thank you Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the eARC!

The premise of Heartless Hunter sounded so intriguing to me - a romance between a vigilante and the witch hunter trying to capture her. Sadly I got to 20% before deciding to dnf. I could not get into the storyline and I wanted more chemistry between Rune and Gideon.

Well, that was a great read. I had been so excited to get my hands on this book, and I'm so glad I read it. This is definitely my kind of book.
It's got everything I could need. It has a slow burn, enemies to lover romance, an interesting world of witches and witch hunters, and an interesting twist at the end that left me dying for the next book.
It was really interesting to see both Rune and Gideon's point of views, to see them both get into this to try to manipulate the others, only for them to fall for each other. Both characters have their own past that explains where they are, which I think makes it even more addicting and heart breaking at the same times. It shows how both of them, came to be who they are.
Overall, it was a really great book that I ended up devouring in an afternoon. I'm already dying for the sequel, and I can't believe I have to wait until 2025.

I picked this book up and did not want to put it down! Between the fake dating plot and the mystery of the Crimson Moth, I just had to know how it was going to play out especially for Rune. The magic system in this book was interesting. I found the world building detailed and immersive. This was my first book by Kristen Ciccarelli and I will definitely be checking out others while I eagerly wait for the next book in this duology! Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Heartless Hunter was a fun dual-POV story between a witch and a witch hunter on opposite sides of a politically charged history. The world building with clear and intriguing, and it made for a great backdrop of cat-and-mouse played out between the main characters. It continued to pick up steam and ends with a cliff hanger that really leaves you wanting the next book immediately.

After over a month of not having the best reading luck I FINALLY got a five star read!

I’m over the moon about The Heartless Hunter. It captured me from page one and made me forget that I was reading.

I’ve read this authors books before and I’ve loved them all, so I was not surprised to love this either. She has done such an amazing job creating two introspective characters who are caught in their own traps but have solid motives for why they behave and believe as they do. I loved the push and pull and wholly believed in their chemistry.

The magic system was fantastic. There were limitations to what witches were capable of and side effects to the uses of their magic. The blood aspects were smart and effective and I really enjoyed how it played out.

The plot was great. So many moments of action alongside slower moments where the characters got to interact and make deeper connections to eachother. Those quiet moments I crave were spot on.

All in all a fantastic new adult fantasy with a firecracker finish! Gahhh I love a good cliffhanger and will be itching to get my hands on the next book.

Bloody Fantastic.

This book was amazing. It is a new favorite of the year. It had so many great moments in it. There were great romantic moments and great action moments. I love how we got two POVs so we could see the witch and the witch hunter. It was so cool getting to see each of them fight their feelings for each other but still falling in love anyway. I loved this book so much and I can't wait for the next one!

3.5 ⭐️
Spice: 🌶️ (one open door, non-explicit scene)

Gideon and Rune were the absolute, stand-out, best parts to this book. I loved them individually as characters —their insecurities, struggles, feelings, hopes and dreams —and TOGETHER they were so fun to read about. I loved the enemies to lovers, witch/witch-hunter, cat and mouse games, between them. They were funny and cute and brought out so much character development in each other.

But everything else….was really meh. The world was interesting but I don’t think we got enough background and world building to really understand and connect with the magic and political system. Some of the details and plot lines were a bit weird and confusing (again lacking some sound explanations), not to mention that she uses her period blood to do spells???? (I will never get over that). The ending made sense but was also SO QUICK.

I would definitely read the next one, but mainly because I need more Gideon and Rune please and thank you.

Thank you to St.Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the eGalley!!

Oh my gosh this was AMAZING! I couldn’t stop! This was just a fantastic read, and it hooked me in from the very first page!

why did i eat this up. to be fair, this was a 4 star in my head til 70-75% then it was equal to a train wreck, everything moving at super speed and crashing. i was dismayed like... how did we get here? the last quarter kinda ruined the book for me. insta feelings and Fate Of Alex. meh

the faking and tension was definitely the best part. while being overly predictable, the witch plot was boring. we need to variety!

I was very impressed with this book, and never wanted to put it down. Thank you so much netgalley for an arc of this book. It was easy for me to get so invested with the characters and the story. I loved it.

This was the first book I have read by Kristen Ciccarelli and I really enjoyed this book. I don't read many fantasy books but I'm so glad I got to try this one. This book is a slow burn, with enemies to lovers, witches and witch hunters. The characters were relatable and had many challenges in their past. Rune and Alex's friendship is so sweet. I loved all the sweet things Gideon did for Rune. The ending was so heartbreaking and shocking and leaves you with a cliffhanger. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book. I would definitely recommend this book!!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.