Heartless Hunter is an addictive whirlwind of romance, danger, and emotional intensity! Kristen Ciccarelli weaves a richly detailed world filled with unforgettable characters and high-stakes tension. At its core is an electric enemies-to-lovers romance between a fierce bounty hunter and the elusive target she never expected to care for. Their chemistry crackles with every encounter, making each moment feel equal parts exhilarating and heart-wrenching. This book is a perfect read for anyone who loves swoony romance wrapped in danger and daring!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for access to an eARC in exchange for my honest review!!

what's it about? ⬇️

It's difficult to live your life as the darling of your city's leaders knowing the only reason they admire you is because you reported your only family as a witch to be killed. It's even more difficult when you discover that you're a witch yourself and have to go into hiding. And despite the witch hunters loyal to the revolution getting closer to catching her every day, Rune Winters continues to strike back against the revolution in every way that she can. So in public, she is the vapid, silly socialite the world expects her to be, throwing parties and flirting with lords. But in the darkness of the night, Rune takes on the mantle of the Crimson Moth: a vigilante who tracks down witches who have been captured before they are killed and releases them, sending them on their way to freedom in a new city. And now, her most difficult task to date is set out before her, and her greatest enemy may just be the only person who can get her what she needs.

Gideon Sharpe is, for all the world to see, the most loyal of the revolution's soldiers, and more than that, his aim is to catch and put down the Crimson Moth no matter what it takes. And when clues point toward the Moth using Rune Winters' resources to set free witches, he realizes he may just have to go under cover to see what the silly socialite who has always frustrated him might be hiding.

What neither of them expects in their matching quests to fool and use one another is to fall in love with their greatest enemy. With pressure from the city's new leaders weighing ever harder on the necks of the witches in hiding and the desire they both feel to reach their goals, will either of them succeed? And if they do, what will it do to the feelings blossoming between them, and what will they risk and lose along the way, especially as a greater evil seems to loom in the background?

my thoughts? ⬇️

It has been such a long time since I've felt as sucked into a YA romantasy as I was with Heartless Hunter. Ciccarelli's writing was witty and beautiful and easy to read, her characters and their motivations were all beautifully fleshed out and their decisions just made sense in a way I don't feel happens often in the fantasy genre. Not to mention, the twists and turns near the climax and end of the story were heart wrenching and so fun to read. I don't have a single complaint and I don't think it could be possible for me to love Heartless Hunter, the world, or these characters more,

I laughed, I raged, I giggled and kicked my feet, and I sobbed uncontrollably...and really, what more could you ask for? Highly, highly recommend.

trigger warnings ⬇️

These all may appear in varying degrees, but I feel that it's always important to be aware of what you may be walking into.

genocide, war, murder, blood, use/mention of menstrual blood, death, violence, gun violence, torture, body horror, injury/injury detail, fire/fire injury, police brutality, gore, self harm (for magic use), death of a parent, death of a loved one, death of a child, child abuse, grief, emotional abuse, toxic relationship, domestic abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse (in the past, but a large part of the story), sexual assault, suicidal ideation, suicide, classism, xenophobia, slavery, drug abuse, addiction, hate crimes, alcohol use, alcoholism, confinement, gaslighting, bullying, sexism, misogyny, body shaming.

First of all, let’s talk about this book cover!🔥 It’s stunning!! I need this on my bookshelf. Next, the story, this witchy read gives all the fall vibes. There’s danger, angst, love, hate, mystery, sorrow, & all the emotions that make up a great book. Rune is a badass! She forges into the fire, fearlessly willing to right the wrongs in her life. Witches are being persecuted left and right and she will stop at nothing to rescue them from the purge. Gideon is determined to see every last witch purged to their death. He has firsthand experience of how dangerous a witch can be. He’s determined to protect the citizens of the New Republic. And he will catch the Crimson Moth, the vigilante responsible for thwarting his attempts at capturing every last witch. Both Rune & Gideon on opposite sides, each believing their cause is noble. But what happens when they collide? Can they get close enough to gather important intel from each other, without getting their hearts involved? This is a 5 star read and the 2nd in the series cannot come close enough! Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, & Kristen Ciccarelli for this eARC.

I love cat-and-mouse stories that are a game of wits, and this was written so well! I can't wait for the next installment! I need to read it now.

Wow! I was not expecting that at all! I loved every second of it! So much pain and love excruciatingly beautiful. I'm excited to jump into book 2.

My track record with Ciccarelli’s books has been a bit hit or miss lately, as I loved the Last Namsara trilogy, but didn’t enjoy Edgewood at all. The Crimson Moth or Heartless Hunter didn’t seem like it would lean one way or the other since the premise was extremely different from her previous works. In the end, I went in with lots of hope and excitement, especially after seeing some positive reviews online!

Overall, I liked aspects of this book but I don’t think I loved it. It had some strong features, especially in some characters and how attached I became to them. I liked Rune and her motivations, how loyal she was to her cause, and how her actions in the past seemed to drive her heavily. I also really liked Gideon, and the nuance he and his story seemed to add to the main struggle in the book. His brother was also a great character, and I enjoyed his friendship with Rune immensely.


However, for most of the book, the plot, and setting felt a bit generic, and like something I’d read quite a few times before in YA fantasy. There wasn’t a lot to make it stand out at first. This changed with the ending, and I do like where the story was left off because of everything that happened! I also had trouble with the romance for most of the book, not due to any lack of chemistry or passion between Rune and Gideon, but for other plot reasons that I won’t explain fully due to spoilers. I do think this latter issue won’t really trouble me in the sequel though, so hopefully I’ll be able to enjoy the romance more then!

In the end, I did enjoy my time with this story and I do like where the series seems to be heading, so I’ll anxiously be awaiting the sequel until it releases!

Title: Heartless Hunter
Author: Kristen Ciccarelli
Genre: YA Fantasy
Format: own book but also have an eARC
Series: Crimson Moth (#1)
Star Rating: 4.5 stars

tw: murder, parental death, shipwreck, executions, carving of skin, blood, family, betrayal, self-harm, injury, stabbing, drug use, branding, child abuse, gun violence, gunshot injury

A special thank you goes to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with a copy of this book. Please know that this does not influence my rating or thoughts on the book itself.

Where do I even begin with this book? I had no idea what kind of book I was getting into but I heard a lot of positive things about it. I had a physical copy from Book of the Month and I was approved for an ARC of this from Netgalley so I figured why not knock it out. I am so glad that I read it because it is up there as one of my favorite books of the year.

I can't even describe to you all how good this book was! The main characters, Gideon and Rune, were so complex. Things that would normally bother me in a book like miscommunication and Gideon himself, didn’t bother me. They were done so well. I should explain what I mean by Gideon bothering me. Without going into too much detail, Gideon is a witch hunter and so he hates witches. Normally, this kind of thing would have driven me nuts but for some reason, I did not mind it with Gideon. Probably because my heart hurt for him. You quickly realize, as you read the book, that Gideon is a very broken man.

The enemies to lovers trope was real in this book and the tension between Rune and Gideo was intense! I lived for every single moment those two had together. They could pretend to hate each other all they wanted but I wasn’t buying it. I knew deep down they were made for each other. There was one scene that made me kick my feet like a little girl and just giggle. I can’t wait for more of those two. I need my happily ever after involving them.

Overall, this book was fantastic! This book brought up a lot of good discussion points like what truly would you do for your family. What side is truly right and what side is wrong? I am so excited for the second book. I hope I get the ending I am dying for. I need my ship to work out. 2025 cannot come soon enough.

A very intriguing YA fantasy about witches and their hunters. It is pretty fast paced and holds attention well. I would have loved to read this when I was younger! Fantastic start to a new series.

I want to thank Netgalley & St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for an ARC of this book.

Captivating romantasy about a witch hiding in plain sight. The characters are each well-developed and the story kept me wanting more. For real, cuz book 2 isn’t published yet.

This was an enjoyable story about the witch trying to outsmart the witch-hunter. In this tale (very loosely) inspired by The Scarlet Pimpernel, Rune is living a double life as a ditzy socialite by day and a daring witch rescuer at night. She tries to get close to the witch-hunter Gideon in order to get information to save a recently captured witch, but in doing so finds herself in over her head. Fair warning, there is a lot of talk about period blood (used to cast spells) so if that makes you uncomfortable, this book is not for you! Aside from that, the story did keep my interest and I'm looking forward to book 2 coming out next year.

I just could not get into this book. The main character's actions did not feel organic, and I could not connect to the setting. It was probably a personal preference, and others will probably love this book. But it was not for me.

I really loved this book and couldn’t put it down. Rune and gileon are well designed characters and were brought to life in the story. The plot itself was full of twists and turns, most hard to see coming. The fantasy theme was really likable for the most part.

The only downside was the author brought up the main character using her period blood way too much. She didn’t need to go into deep details every time it was brought up unneccasrily repetitive. She also left out facts until later in the story that should have been brought up earlier in the story. It seemed like an afterthought and tookaway from the importance of it.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc. All thoughts and feelings are my own.

Heartless Hunter is a masterful blend of fantasy and adventure, showcasing Ciccarelli's talent for storytelling. It’s a compelling read that will resonate with fans of the genre and leave them eagerly anticipating what comes next. Highly recommended for anyone seeking an immersive and emotional journey through a beautifully crafted world.

This gave me Batman gender bind vibes.

Witches are banned. Rune is a witch in hiding. Because of her past she is well off in society and uses that power to give her to help other witches escape from an oppressive society that hunts them down. While trying to help her grandmothers best friend escape she uses the head witch hunter to find out information. Only problem is she starts to fall for him.

This is obviously going to be a series and I can’t wait to find of what happens next.

4.5/5⭐

I loved this so much, it was everything I wanted it to be. It sucked me in right away and it's been a long time since I've been so immediately immersed in a story. The witchy fantasy vibes were perfect, the magic system was fresh and a little dark, the characters were complex and interesting, and it was all just so good. Enemies to lovers isn't even one of my favorite tropes but I guess it is when it's done so well like this?? I need to look for more witch/witch hunter romances because the cat and mouse forbidden thing going on here was peak tension and I loved it.

I highly recommend this, it's one of my top books of the year for sure!

I was in a fantasy mood and this one has been on my TBR since it was published and WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG.

It’s been a while since I read a witch type fantasy and I thoroughly enjoyed this.

The deception, the games, the wittiness… I was captured from the very first chapter.

I could not put this book down and even read it in the parking lot before my kids swim class lol.

I also totally didn’t expect to be BAWLING like a big fat baby last night at 10pm. I was not prepared!

If you like:
⚠️Love Triangle
⚔️Enemies-to-Lovers
🧕Hidden Identity
🧙🏻‍♀️Witch/Guard 🗡️
🌹Fake Courting (but they both don’t know each other is faking it)
🔥 Slow Burn

I truly can't believe I put this off for so long. This is everything I've ever wanted in a witch/witch hunter romance. I will be crying until I can get book 2 into my hands.

updated edit:

✨ Romantasy
✨ Witches / Witch Hunter
✨ Love Triangle (kinda)
✨ Enemies to Lovers
✨ Best Friends Brother

Okay FINE you got me, this book was 100% worth the hype. I got this as an ARC, then I bought it on audible, then I bought it as my BOTM. And I JUST started reading it the other day, so knowing all of that, I REALLY wish I had read it when I first got it. The magic, the history, the romance, the friendships, the plot twists. This was so freaking good and I am so happy I read it. And side note, not normally a love triangle kinda reader, but this one ends up being resolved by the end so I wasn't too put off by it, hence the 5 star review still.

This was fast-paced and delicious - perfect for fans of The Serpent and the Dove, and >The Dagger and the Flame. This is a dark romantic fantasy set in a world where witches are persecuted and hunted. Our protagonists are a vigilante witch, who hides in plain sight, living as a vapid heiress; as well as a brooding and brutal witch hunter soldier, who has a very personal reason to hate witches. Their romance starts as one of convenience - they each need information that the other has, and the best way to get it is to get close to each other. Predictably, they start to surprise each other, and discover there are real people behind each of their (respective) masks, and soon, real feelings start to arise.

This was genuinely, a lot of fun. I finished it in one day, and cannot wait until the next book (especially after THAT ending!!!).

This book isn't groundbreaking - but the chemistry was palpable, and there was a lot of promise on the table for what's to come in this series. There were some narrative decisions that felt surprising, and out of character - namely [the Cressida and Alex of it all (hide spoiler)] - and I felt like that could have been handled in a way that felt more effective and true-to-character. As it was, it came across poorly fleshed out, and out of character, and I felt like it took away from what was otherwise a really compelling character and plot twist.

Ultimately, this was exactly what I was looking for: Romantic, tense, toe-curling, dark, and smart - and I cannot wait for book 2!

(Dates read: 24-26 Jan)
This was a fantastic reimagining/inspired by the Scarlett Pimpernel book! It’s use of fake dating, enemies to lovers romance, and love triangle I thought were done very well for a YA romantasy about a witch falling for her witch hunter. 💔

I found Rune to be a very believable double-life character for a young woman. The survivor’s guilt spurs her on to help more and more witches from being hunted and killed by the very man she ends up falling for. While some of her decisions did end up being a bit rash in some situations, I still felt like Ciccarelli did a great job portraying this woman as she struggles to balance her double life as a valid socialite and vigilante. 🩸

Gideon as a second POV provided both an interesting complexity to the book as well as a great foil to Rune. While she is outgoing, he’s a bit of loner but for good reasons. His trauma dedicates a lot of his decision making, and I found him to be a tragic antihero like character. Adding his POV into the mix also created a great contrast between the two as they attmept to outplay each other only to hard core fall for each other. . . That and also shows how they really are clueless to each other’s attraction to the other. 🔫

The plot itself was done very well as it did leave me quite surprised with its major plot twist towards the end, and the magic system complex enough to be unique, but not over the top and poorly developed as in some books I’ve read this last year. I did find myself enjoying the game Rune and Gideon were playing with each other, and I will miss their banter with each other. Definitely can’t wait for the sequel! Definitely for readers who love enemies to lovers with great banter, and witch and witch hunter characters/love interests!❤️

A bit thank you go out to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for accepting my request to read in exchange for an honest review. And to the author, Ciccarelli, for making such a great story! 🔪

Overall: 4.5/5 ⭐️