I hadn't realized this one was YA when I chose it, but I did really enjoy it. There were some twists that I did see coming, and some that I didn't. I enjoyed the romantic aspect of this fantasy story and the witchy elements, but felt like I needed more story on how Rune operated as The Crimson Moth. I can't wait to read more with the next book in the series!

Opinion: Would Recommend
Level: Medium - 3.5⭐️

Title: Heartless Hunter
Author: Kristen Ciccarelli
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

On the night Rune’s life changed forever, blood ran in the streets. Now, 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.

Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe - a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution - who she can't help but find herself falling for.

Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?

I really enjoyed this read! The first chapter or so was iffy for me, with Rune’s superficial artificial personality at the forefront, but she grew on me quickly. The society part was frustrating, because superficiality always frustrates me, but Rune played her part admirably and I loved how she had everyone fooled about the truth of her.

Gideon was a fascinating character: a strong man who was broken in the past. I enjoyed getting to know him and all the layers of his personality. The worldbuilding was fascinating, and I’m looking forward to reading more.

Kristen Ciccarelli is a bestselling author who lives in Ontario. Heartless Hunter is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

⭐️ Ratings:
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5/5
Writing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
Romance: 🌹🌹🌹🌹 4/5
Spice: 🔥 0.5/5

📖 What to Expect:
✓ Witchy vibes
✓ Great world building
✓ Slow burn enemies to lovers romance
✓ Sort-of love triangle
✓ Lots of action, fast-paced
✓ Big cliffhanger

An amazing 4.5 YA/NA fantasy romance. I, for absolutely no reason, was holding off on this one. But so glad I finally read it! Judging by the description, it really wasn’t what I was expecting, but in a good way. The whole seaside setting with aristocrats and witches and hunters is an easy way to my heart. The book was very fast-paced and had some great twists throughout.

I expect to get the Gideon and Rune endgame that I want in this next book :)

thank you to netgalley for a free arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!
okay i was not expecting to like this. the beginning was a little slow and I think the writing could be a little bit better but this was so fun! good chemistry between gideon and rune and a great enemies to lovers story. this is what i want when i look for enemies to lovers, not just rivals but actual enemies! i'm hooked and can't wait for the rest of the series
i'm totally in my witch era now!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC of this book.

so basically Batman but with Witches.

Jokes aside, I think this was a decent first book. Definitely predictable, definitely some basic writing. But it was entertaining. I really enjoyed Gideon and his tortured old brother standpoint.

I’ll probably end up reading the second one.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I was immediately sucked in to the story and really didn't want to put this one down. This is a fun twist on the Scarlet Pimpernel, and I'm anxious to get my hands on book 2 to see where this story goes. We get some deliciously deceptive fake dating between witch and witch hunter, and the chemistry between our two mc's is top notch. I think one of my favorite things was that I really didn't see the plot twists coming (always a win, in my book), and they were really good, too.

There were one or two things that I didn't love, but they didn't really affect my enjoyment of this book. I will happily recommend this to other romantasy lovers and I'm excited for the next book!

This book was soooooo goood. I enjoyed the two main characters playing each other. The romance, the emotions, it was fast paced and I loved it! Being a YA book, some of the things had me giggling and loving those young girl moments, the period blood, the “looking between the legs” and many other things. I do wish we would have gotten more of Rune’s action saving witches.
Some of the twists were a bit predictable and the end seemed a little rushed BUT I know we were just being prepped for the next book. I CANNOT wait for it! I have so many questions thanks to the cliffhanger.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this advance copy!

wow just wow this book had me hooked from the first page and i devoured it in 2 days. If I would've started this on a saturday or sunday I would've finished it in a day. The deceit, the forbidden love, the betrayl but numerous people and the secrets kept were so well written and revealed at the right times that I could not put the book down until I finsihed it. I loved it and I can't wait for book 2 to come out!

This was a very solid fantasy/romantasy witch and witch hunter story. Perfect for fans of Serpent & Dove, very engaging story, fast-paced plot, Rune is secretly a witch in a society where witchcraft has been banned and witches are hunted and executed. By day she is a socialite but by night she is the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who frees captive witches to save them from death. When the captain of the guards seems to be on her trail, she begins to court him, but the two of them become entangled and real feelings start to emerge.
Will definitely be reading the sequel!

This was a great read with all the angst, tension, and betrayal you could want. It's going to be torture waiting a year for the conclusion.

Thank you to Net Galley and the Publisher for a chance to review this ARC.

I’ve never read anything by Kristen Ciccarelli, but wow, this was a great introduction. I am a huge fantasy fan, and I particularly like fantasy books that focus on magic and witches. This book has an interesting and well thought out (albeit simple) magic system that is enjoyable for novice and seasoned fantasy readers alike. It was unique, and I’m not sure I’ve read another story with a magic system quite like this one, so that certainly scores this book big points. It’s easy to rejig existing concepts, and hard to create something distinct - I think Ciccarelli manages to do that here.

The characters are interesting and fairly well developed - although again, simple - not in a bad way, but uncomplicated and without a ton of heavy backstory. I think she could have given us more in this area, but in order to keep this a shorter book, and for a perhaps younger audience, what she did offer was perfect. I could see this easily being double the length, if she’d wanted.

I’ve been in a pretty big reading slump this year, and this was one of the first books of 2024 that I couldn’t put down. Overall, 5 stars, and I’m v upset I have to wait till 2025 for the second book in this series.

Where to start even start with this one?! I am obsessed. I plowed through this. I also love witchy reads so I may be slightly biased— but the magic system in this book was SO unique. I have read a lot of witchy books and have never come across a magic system like this one.

Loosely based on The Scarlet Pimpernel, the story follows Rune, our witch, & Gideon, the witch hunter. Separately both of them decide to court each other for nefarious reasons. Time to gain intel about where another witch is being held prisoner, & Gideon to determine if Rune is The Crimson Moth— the vigilante who frees witches from captivity in the middle of the night.

This creates a cat and mouse dynamic and the start of enemies to lovers 👀

There is also some goood plot twists that I didn’t see coming and this ends of a cliffhanger that has me dying for book 2!!

The writing style is right to the point. It’s not fluffy, making this a quick, fast paced, and action packed read.

There are definitely some things I didn’t enjoy. The main thing being Harlow and her pushiness (if you’ve read this, you’ll understand). But regardless, I had such a fun time with this. This is the first book in awhile where I didn’t see the twists coming so for that alone…

5/5 stars ✨✨

This is marketed as YA— but check your TW before reading. There is discussion of abuse/SA/loss of a family member in the past tense.

romantasy at its finest. twisty and fast faced and I can feel the impending agony coming my way. bless me

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgally, however I did opt to listen to the final published version of the audiobook. As always all opinions are my own.

This was a fun new YA fantasy. If you are looking for something with magic and romance, but without the spice this is a good option. There is romance, but everything is pretty fade to black when thing get to that point between characters. This will be great for the teenager who wants to read something a bit more mature, but without all the details and language you might find in a more adult fantasy romance. As I was reading this, I was reminded Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunter's Series, Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, and Night of the Witch by Beth Revis and Sara Raasch. If you enjoyed those books I thin you will enjoy this.

This follows Rune a wealthy socialite by day, and a revolutionary by night. In a society where magic is hated and feared and witches are put to death, Rune is known as a friend to the Republic for having been an informant in the past. She spends her nights as a double agent freeing the women that the republic is trying to eradicate and that she spends her days pretending she hates. Gideon is one of the Republic's most repected guards and witch hunters. He has a personal vendetta against witches and he would love to catch the vigilante known as the Crimson Moth who frees the witches he and his comrades capture and mark for death. He and Rune enter into a dangerous game to gain information from each other, but their hearts get involved as much as their heads do.

I really enjoyed watching this play out. This had some twists and turns to keep the reader interested, but I did feel it was a tad predictable. The author did make some creative decisions that I did think were unexpected with a few of the plotlines. I enjoyed getting to know Rune and Gideon and the banter between them. I'm anxious to see how their relationship develops in the next installment. There is a major reveal and bit of a cliffhanger at a the end and their relationship will certainly be a big part of the next book. I also enjoyed the magic system, it was well explained and not overly complex. I always appreciate when the author takes the time to explain the magic system and the rules, and we do get that here. There is blood magic and the mention of blood quite a bit in this book, so if you aren't into that you might want to steer clear of this.

I'm looking forward to the next book and finding out what happens next for Rune and Gideon.

I completed this in less than 24 hours. Obsessed! I need more! Enemies to lovers to enemies. Wow wow wow!

At page 121, I'd realized that I have no emotional investment in these characters nor I am interested in seeing the development of their affair/various causes so I deciced to stop reading.

The book is alright. It checks things off the list, re: There are popular elements that should entertain its targeted audience. Regretfully, I was hoping for something more.

Deadly fantasy!
18yo Rune lost her only family to witch hunters two years earlier when Nan told Rune to betray her. Nan was a witch who knew her time was up and she wanted to save Rune. Nan made Rune promise to turn her into the witch hunters and denounce everything she grew up knowing and loving. After Nan’s capture and death, Rune became the Crimson Moth; a vigilante who rescues witches and helps get them to freedom. Rune attends social events to discover the witches who are next in line to be captured, so she can swoop in and save them. Her disguise seems to be working but one guard suspects her and will do everything he can to catch her.

Likes/dislikes: I enjoyed the mystery and the reveals. The world building was done well. The danger makes the story even more interesting.
Mature Content: R for on page sex.
Language: R for 28 swears, 8 f-words.
Violence: R for bloody deaths.
Ethnicity: The ethnicity consists of mostly white, with ocher and golden skin tones mentioned.

Heartless Hunter: The Crimson Moth is the first book in a duology set in the Republic of Red Peace, where witches once ruled, but are now hunted by witch hunters known as the Red Guard. Teenage Rune Winters, a wealthy socialite, is known for turning in her own witch grandmother to be purged. However, Rune was persuaded to do so by her grandmother, to save herself. To vindicate her death, Rune operates in secret as the Crimson Moth, who helps witches escape the Purge. Her grandmother charged her with finding the witch Seraphine for help, and to do so she courts Gideon Sharpe, the head of the red Guard, hoping to get a clue about her location. In turn Gideon suspects Rune of being the Crimson Moth and returns her advances, trying to catch her in the act. What they didn't expect was to fall in love. The complexity of the conflict paints neither side as wholly good nor evil. A dramatic ending sets up the sequel in which the two factions will continue their battle.

First of all, thank you NetGalley for the ARC of one of my most anticipated releases of the year.

While the romance in this book wasn't for me, I can see why others love it. For my fantasy romance, or romantasy, I prefer my characters to have a REAL and deep connection. I despise books with instalove, and unfortunately that is what we got here. We got Rune, a girl who at the start of the book is using vials of blood stored from her last period to cast magic. Until almost the ninety percent mark, she hasn't had another period. Which means that she fell in "love" in under four weeks? That isn't real or believable and didn't make me love the romance because they truly did not have a connection in my opinion.

Also, this under four week love story ruins any pretense of enemies to lovers. It had such a promising premise, and the story itself was really interesting, if not a bit predictable, that the romance was truly the biggest downfall. Friends to lovers would have made this much sweeter and believable since we had characters with a history and who accepted one another despite their station in life and circumstances, and that would have made for such a good pairing. I just want characters to chose one another in my fantasy books and not "the bad guy" for once! Is that too much to ask for?!

Instead, what we got here is a sexual assault victim who is leading the campaign to eliminate an entire group of people, but who is then pressured into having sex with another girl in order to inspect her body for the telltale scars left behind by practicing witchcraft. I repeat, THIS. IS. NOT. LOVE. This is gross. Thinking about it now, this book should not be classified as young adult. This definitely read more NA in my opinion.

Overall, I did like this and I will probably be picking up the next book when it comes out to see where the author goes from here.

Overall: 3.75/ 5 ⭐️
Spice: 0.5/ 5 🌶️

🖤 witchy Bridgerton
🖤 witch x witch hunter
🖤 third person POV
🖤 dual POV
🖤 fake courting
🖤 blood magic
🖤 love triangle

Originally believing herself to be a powerless human, a young Rune discovers that she is, in fact, a witch. She must maintain her pretense of being a vapid socialite in order to stay hidden. In a world where witches are persecuted, Rune and her friends must work covertly to help captured witches flee to safety. Her best friends Alex and Verity have their own motives for helping the witches, and Alex’s brother Giddeon is a witch hunter/ captain of the guard. Rune and Giddeon pretend to be courting each other in a deadly game of cat and mouse to try to uncover each other’s secrets. Gideon is desperate to discover the identity of the Crimson Month and capture her. Meanwhile, Rune will stop at nothing to fulfill her grandmother’s final wish and rescue the witch, Seraphine. Which of the two will succeed and who will be caught in the crossfire?

What I liked:
-the story was well paced
-characters and world were well developed
-ALEX
-the sense of urgency was well executed

What I didn’t like:
-the chemistry between Rune & Gideon was not believable to me
-GIDDEON – honestly, he’s just such a jerk
-HARROW – always appearing unexpectedly, the suspicious timing, and always pushing for Giddeon to sleep with Rune to find out if she’s a witch…honestly, the whole thing was weird and gave me the ick.

Favorite quotes:
“The sight of him was like coming home. Like wrapping herself in a warm blanket on a chilly day”

“she reminded him of the sea: steal-your-breath beautiful on the surface, with the promise of untold depths beneath.”

*Goodreads review posted, Amazon review pending approval