This book was absolutely fantastic. Rune was extremely likeable. I found myself rooting for her and Alex to get together. I finished this book in under 24 hours because it was so engrossing. The games between Gideon and Rune were so fun to read. I loved the dual POV, it was really written. I can’t wait for book 2 to come out.

A great start to this new Kristen Ciccarelli series. I loved the ending of this book, so many surprises and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series. I feel bad for Rune; she worked so hard to free everyone and nothing turned out the way she wanted it to.

No major plot spoilers!

Rating: 4.75

I’m going to start this review off by saying that I absolutely loved this read! It was so good that after I finished it, I didn’t know what fantasy book to read next because I simply need another tension filled enemies to lovers situation! I mean, I did stay up late to read 70% of the book so I clearly enjoyed the story.
•
•
Rune: I was immediately intrigued that her childhood best friend is part of her vigilante act of rescuing young witches, but his older brother is a well-known witch hunter… The drama, and the tension was *chef’s kiss*. How could you not sense the love triangle, that would come, and a brothers one at that! I’m glad that Rune had two close friends she could confide in with her secret - you need an outlet with a secret that big.
•
•
Gideon: Gideon making Rune a dress…no words other than me squealing and kicking my feet in bed! I mean, I let out the weirdest sound out of my mouth when he wrote “ PS I promise to go slow this time”. Like what?
•
•
Gideon & Rune: I found that sea scene very steamy and I simply enjoyed the tension between these two. What’s not to love about a witch and a witch-hunter trying to play each other but end up falling for each other?
•
•
The Love Triangle: While I adore Alex for how he treated and looked after Rune following the discovering that she’s a witch, I’m obviously rooting for Gideon because we love the enemies to lovers and the tension. A love triangle between brothers always gets me - I mean do we remember the Vampire Diaries!?
•
•
The Writing: You know I’m not a fan of the miscommunication trope but it worked well in this book. There are quite a few plot twists, and I’m always wearing my detective hat so I was able to pick up on some of them.
•
•
I need to know what curse Cressida put on Gideon! Also, not sure I trust Harrow - she felt very icky with pushing Gideon to sleep with Rune; I was uncomfortable. Overall, I love an enemies to lovers, but an enemies to lovers back to enemies!?! Give me the sequel right now please!

This fantasy realm brims with witches, magic, and peril, woven into a captivating enemies-to-lovers narrative with intriguing dynamics. Ciccarelli's writing is both propulsive and enthralling, skillfully depicting Rune and Gideon's inner conflicts and deceptions as they navigate treacherous paths in pursuit of their goals. The alternating points of view offer a deep dive into their struggles and insecurities, keeping readers hooked until the gripping cliffhanger conclusion. Overall, a four-star recommendation for a riveting read!

Holy moly. I don't even know how to review this book other than to say I'm obsessed. This is easily my favorite Scarlet Pimpernel retelling ever. I'm a little mad that I read it so early since book 2 doesn't come out for almost a year. But it's one that I will absolutely be rereading in the future!



*Strong language including f-words, one skippable open door scene, gore, violence, mentions of previous abuse and assault

A friend had suggested I read this book. I don’t read descriptions going into things 😅 and fantasy isn’t really my thing. But I did enjoy this one! It kept me interested!

Is this pretty much exactly what I expected from a YA enemies-to-lovers novel? Yes. Did I still enjoy it? Yes. Go in knowing the tropes are gonna trope, have a fun time anyway.

The story centers on Rune, a young witch who acts like a simpering debutante by day and spends her nights saving other witches as the Crimson Moth. Witches are being hunted down and killed in her world, so Rune is risking certain death by trying to save others and keep up appearances that she's nothing more than a society simpleton. She runs into complications in the form of a Gideon, a damaged witch hunter who has all the information she needs to save a particular witch — he's also, of course, super hot and her best (guy) friend's older brother.

Rune is, honestly, not that compelling to me as a main character. Action seems to happen to her throughout much of the novel, rather than her propelling the action herself. Also, I find love triangles — especially love triangles involving one girl and two guys who are brothers — to be tiring. The world building is kind of pushed aside in favor of the romance. I'm hopeful, especially since the love triangle is resolved at the end of this book, that the next one will delve more into the world and that Rune will gain more agency.

I did enjoy the romance. Yeah, it's toxic and they're both liars. They're also both broken people, and hey, I love when broken people find each other. I found Gideon's actions somewhat harder to swallow than Rune's, but his backstory does make him a Sad Boy you want to root for. He would be irredeemable in real life, but this is fiction, so we'll just say he's trying his best. I understood Rune's motivations until the end, when she appears to team up with a character who is definitely not worthy of her trust....but I will hold out judgment on how that turns out for the next book.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

This book has skyrocketed to the top of my list of favorite reads in 2024. Holy cow! Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli is the enemies-to-lovers fantasy I didn’t know I needed. This Scarlet Pimpernel retelling was fabulous! It held my attention from start to finish, keeping me guessing at every turn. The magic system was unique and the characters were well developed. I loved the dynamic between Rune and Gideon and can’t wait to see where their story leads in book two. The sequel to this story can’t come out soon enough!

Note: contains some language and an open door scene.

Thank you to Netgalley, Kristen Ciccarelli, and St. Martin’s press for an e-arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

Wednesday Books does it again!

Fantasy and YA are two genres I haven’t given a fair chance. 1. I’ve never been drawn to magic, dragons, or witches and 2. being an adult, I’ve always thought YA topics would be out of reach…but @wednesdaybooks has changed my mind! There have been quite a few books I’ve read from this publisher and any time I get a chance to read books published by them now, I don’t think twice about it.

In Heartless Hunter, witches are hunted and persecuted. Rune Winters, witch in hiding, masquerades as a champion of the revolution, supporting these hunts. In truth, she aligns herself with leaders of the revolution to gain intel and save the witches — a vigilante known as the Crimson Moth.

Gideon Sharpe is a ruthless witch hunter and the brother of Rune’s best friend Alex. He wants nothing more than to find the Crimson Moth, which has managed to evade him for two years and put a stop to her. He suspects Rune but isn’t sure, so he decides to court her. They begin a game of cat and mouse to get info from each other until things go awry.

I loved all the plot twists and was shocked by the cliffhanger at the end! The characters were very relatable. I loved Rune’s fearlessness, resilience & tenacity and liked her friendships with Alex and Verity. Gideon has been through a lot, and even though he’s jaded, I liked that he still possessed a soft side.

The only downside was that I found some parts to be repetitive but it wasn’t a deal breaker for me. Looking forward to the next book in the series!

Read if you like:
❤️‍🩹 Enemies to lovers
🧙🏽‍♀️Witches
🔺 Love triangle
✴️ Dual POV
🤯 Cliffhanger ending

Thanks so much to @wednesdaybooks and @netgalley for the e-ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley, Wednesday books and Kristen Ciccarelli for the opportunity to read Heartless Hunter. This is my honest and unpaid review of the book.
The first thing I noticed about this book was the gorgeous cover! Once I read the synopsis I thought it sounded like a great story. And it was! I'm so glad there's another book coming to continue Rune's story. There are so many things I enjoyed about this novel. The descriptions, especially the clothes, the magic (subtle but present), the characters' relationships with each other. I was a bit confused at the start about what was happening and what had happened in the past but I quickly caught on and liked the history behind the current events. Without giving away too much information, I thought the romantic developments in Rune's life were very intriguing and I'm curious to see what will happen as the story continues in book 2!

This book was amazing. The world building was great and the way the magic was used was unique. The main characters were dynamic and it was good to see that they were flawed. The story was fast paced and kept me wanting to know more. The twists were interesting and the ending left you wanting for more.

I would say that there should be trigger warnings for those who may have triggers with sexual assault or abuse.

I cant wait to read the next instalment!

This one was a fast-paced cat and mouse romantasy that kept me entertained the entire time. Witches, witch hunters, magic, a love triangle, betrayal it was all there and so fun. I do wish that the FMC would’ve been a bit more of a badass fighter, and that there would’ve been a little more romance and steam, but it’s fine. It leaves on a cliffhanger, so now I have to wait a whole year for the next one, but I’ll definitely be picking it up.

Ok, this was one of my most anticipated since seeing both the US and UK covers. They are both absolutely gorgeous and drew me in immediately. After checking out the back of the book, I was just as drawn to the story inside.

Now, the first part of the book took me a bit to get into. Part of it was because the names threw me off. Two of the characters are Harrow and Gideon, and I immediately thought of Gideon the Ninth (and Harrow). So because of that, I was taken out of the book a lot through about the first quarter. It also could have been partly me being in a weird reading mood as a mood reader, or it could have been the story at first. Whatever the reason besides the names, I was honestly afraid I might not end up liking this story. 😫

I am happy to say, though, that the rest of the story was so good! I fully enjoyed Gideon and Rune, which were really fun characters to follow, and I loved watching them interact and get close.

It is not the most unique story line, as it does follow any of the big fantasy romance tropes. But that did not deter me from enjoying it as much as I did. I truly can't wait to see what's next for our characters after the way the story was left off. 👀

Giving this one between 4 and 4.5 stars

Absolutely loved this book! A captivating story with well-developed characters and an engaging plot. Couldn't put it down! Highly recommend to all book lovers.

Heartless Hunter is the romantasy book that I needed right now! I have been looking for something that I can just jump into and fully lose myself in, and let me tell you, this was it! This book had intrigue, mystery, enemies to lovers, and twists I didn't see coming. The characters were wonderful. They each had so much to them - they had nuanced backstories that made them very three dimensional. Their interactions were not flat and the story was a good balance between world building and action. It felt well paced and I never got bored. I absolutely flew through this book, and now I am having a bit of a moment losing my mind because I need to know what happens next. I will be counting the days until I can get a hold of the next one. I have read several books by Kristen Ciccarelli, and I am at the point where any of her books are just an automatic read immediately for me. This is definitely in my favorite reads of the year so far.

"Heartless Hunter" by Kristen Ciccarelli swept me away into a world of magic, danger, and forbidden romance. From the moment I opened the book, I was hooked by the story of Rune and Gideon, two compelling characters whose lives collide in a thrilling game of cat and mouse.

Rune, with her courage and determination, immediately captured my heart as she navigated the treacherous waters of her double life, masquerading as a socialite by day and a fearless vigilante by night. Gideon Sharpe, the witch-hunter, intrigued me from the start with his complex motivations and unwavering loyalty to the revolution. The dynamic between Rune and Gideon crackled with tension, drawing me deeper into their world with every page.

What truly impressed me about "Heartless Hunter" was its masterful portrayal of the enemies-to-lovers trope. The gradual shift from animosity to attraction between Rune and Gideon kept me on the edge of my seat with anticipation. The dual perspectives of Rune and Gideon offered fascinating insights into their characters, adding depth and complexity to the story.

While I did manage to figure out the twist shortly before it was revealed, I still found it intriguing with more questions raised. I eagerly await the next installment and highly recommend this book.

3.5, rounded up. The world-building and established laws are strong, and I appreciated the nuance and vulnerability among the love interests in this book (that ending, though...very mean); it prevents the enemies-to-lovers trope from becoming toxic. That being said, I wish both Rune and Gideon were stronger, more consistent characters. Made me wish a certain character wasn't killed off (see: mean ending). I'm not as invested in their relationship as I thought I would be because of this, but I'd still read the next book in the series.

I had high hopes for this book and really wanted to like it more than I did. It seems like this book was just a waste of potential. The plot and pacing were fine, just a little predictable as other reviewers have mentioned. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and didn’t really find myself caring one way or the other what happened to them. The world building was pretty solid, I’ll give it that. The last major issue for me was the magic system. I’m not what one would call squeamish, but holy lord, WHY with the menstrual blood?! Like, I get it in terms of that’s how the magic system is constructed, but seriously, enough.

Overall 4⭐️

Thank you NetGalley, Wednesday Books, and Kristen Ciccarelli for allowing me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this book! It was action-packed, emotional, suspenseful, romantic, and heartbreaking. It took me a little bit to get into which is why its not rated 5 stars but once I got into it, the story was amazing! Heartless Hunter (Crimson Moth) follows Rune, a noble woman and witch in hiding, who moonlights as a vigilante who saves other witches from witch hunters. To get more information on a captured witch, Rune decided to court Gideon, her best friends older brother and ruthless witch hunter. When feelings begin to develop between them things get complicated.

This book does end on a big cliffhanger which has me wanting the next one as soon as possible! I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoy enemies to lovers, fantasy romance, morally grey characters, a bit of a love triangle, and a plot twist. I really enjoyed the book and I am excited for others to read it!

Thank you to Kristen Ciccarelli, NetGalley, and Wednesday Books for an ARC copy of Heartless Hunter. All opinions are my own.

Rune’s story grabbed my attention from page one. The magical world of witches, witch hunters, and blood guards was incredibly intriguing. Rune, our FMC, is a strong witch who has dealt with her fair share of trauma. I loved that she was secretive about practicing magic and was able to thwart the Blood Guard from her identity as a witch by using her “monthly cycle”. I thought the magic was incredibly interesting because it was blood magic and therefore required blood in order to complete spells. This was a unique magical system that I hadn’t read before. Rune’s attempt of making reparations for the heartache she has caused comes in the form of saving other witches from being killed.

The setting reminded me of an old-timey, regency-esque time period, with parties, high society, courting, and terrible suitors. I liked the history of the island involving the Witch Queens and the revolution that led to their present day situations.

Our MMC, Gideon, seems to be a bit of a loner and at first he doesn’t have many endearing qualities. The main characters only seem to have interest in each other in order to find the means to the end of thwarting the Crimson Moth, a vigilante that helps witches escape the Blood Guard. At first, he is incredibly hard to like because he is pigheaded in his mission and is only using Rune. As he gets to know her, he softens and some redeemable qualities come to the surface. His brother is best friends with Rune and he feels a sense of duty and loyalty to his only family member and to his country. His misguided sense of self importance and familial trauma makes him hate witches, which was a bit annoying at times. I’d love to see that he wasn’t always trying to justify his actions and deceit by being the white knight to helpless people in the clutches of evil witches. I am sure the purpose of this is to show tremendous character growth over the course of the novel.

As the story progresses, Gideon and Rune’s relationship becomes more interesting but also more complex leading to some unfavorable outcomes for their personal lives. They start to let their guards down and be their true selves while still under the strict scrutiny of the game they are playing with each other. It’s a game of cat and mouse coupled with an attempt to seduce the other person. At first I didn’t see how it would work, when they were constantly trapping each other but it worked well and the novel flowed smoothly.

Overall, I’d rate this book a 4 STARS. I really enjoyed the plot, aspects of romance, and setting. My only complaint was I’d like a tiny bit more spice and sexual tension between characters. I am interested in reading the sequel to see where Rune’s story takes us.