Heartless Hunter was an interesting experience. The plot in itself was intriguing, which is what made me pick up the novel in the first place. Yet, the lack of character development and poor writing make it a difficult story to swallow.

There were some parts that were really slow (which surprised me considering the premise of the story) and the buildup felt very anti-climatic

Hello Book friends!

Today I’m reviewing Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli. In this fantasy romance, with two POV’s, a quiet rebellion is brewing and Rune Winters is at the heart of it. But as she moves closer to her ultimate goal, saving her grandmother’s dearest friend from the witch purging, she becomes ensnared by the witch hunter Gideon Sharpe.

Now, let’s chat about the book itself.

I love the bones of this story, where you have these two young people, a witch forced into hiding her identity, quietly starting a rebellion, and a morally gray witch hunter, who is hell bent on eradicating every witch, and you have to wonder well why’s that?🤔

What felt a bit off was the complete execution of the story in its entirety, specifically the love triangle in this one. I have said it once before I am not a fan of love triangles. They are often messy and can lead to cliché endings. In this instance we have two brothers vying for the same girl. And I’ll let you discover how this one ends, but I felt the love triangle wasn’t necessary and you could still get to the same ending without it. That Gideon’s younger brother could’ve simply been Rune’s bestie and nothing more. Plus with the ending, I was curious and perplexed why Rune wasn't more upset about what happens to Alex and my hope this gets flushed out and explored more in the second novel.

As the story turns into this cat and mouse chase, Gideon trying to discover if Rune is the Crimson Moth or a spoiled aristocrat, and Rune trying to seduce Gideon in order to free her grandmother’s dearest friend, readers will ache for more one-on-one interactions between these two enemies to hopeful lovers. But as they unhurriedly bring their shields down, Ciccarelli quickly shifts gears, pressing on the accelerator, and you realize you're at the end, a bit disappointed because we didn’t have more time with the simmering romance between Rune and Gideon.

Unequivocally a solid first installment to a very promising new fantasy romance series.

Happy Reading ~ Cece

Have I found a new fantasy series to become obsessed with? I believe that maybe I have! This book gives you the perfect amount of enemies to lovers, to enemies again plus some forbidden romance that just absolutely had me obsessed with the two main characters!

I love that we get dual POV! Gideon is our broody, take no shit MMC and Rune our FMC is a complete badass who will break any rules if it means saving the lives of her fellow witches. I absolutely loved the back and forth between them and I’m so excited to see more of them in the future books!

The romance was great in this book and although I would have enjoyed a little bit more world building (I felt like there wasn’t enough information given about the witches) I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait for the next one!

This is going to be a highly sought after fantasy romance of 2024. We're talking a forbidden love, enemies to lovers to rivals romance. Within this story, magic and witches are illegal on the island they live on. We have Rune, who focuses on setting free trapped witches while keeping her own identity hidden. And then there is Gideon, the witch hunter who is going after the most powerful witch of them all: the Crimson Moth.
This is definitely worth the read, especially with the cliffhanger at the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest review.

Thank you Net Galley for providing an eArc.
This book was such a joy. It had so many things that just kept me wanting more and more. The romance is so good and the love triangle, don’t even get me started cause it ate it up. I cannot wait to see what this author puts out next!

I received this E-Arc from NetGalley and I’m grateful for the read. All opinions are my own and not affiliated with any company.

I really loved the start of this book. It was gripping and the world building started strong, with a really unique and intriguing magic system. The enemies to lovers trope in this book really had me engaged until about the 3/4 through the story. I felt like suddenly the character development stalled and the romance was rushed for the sake of the plot. It got a bit messy there but the ending was strong (if a bit predictable) to lead into book two. I will definitely read the continuation and overall enjoyed this book. This story has potential to be one of the most interesting fantasies of 2024.

Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli
Overall Rating: 4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Spice level: 🌶️ - Open Door but very little description

From the first page, I was absolutely hooked on this book & could not put it down.

Rune Winters is a witch hiding in plain sight, socialite by day & Crimson Moth by night. Her alias, the Crimson Moth, saves witches from the Good Commander & his Blood Guard who are on a mission to capture and execute all witches. The captain of the Blood Guard, Gideon Sharpe, is brooding, good-looking, & hates witches because of his history with an evil witch who killed his parents and younger sister. His only surviving family member is his brother, Alex, who is also Rune’s best friend and secretly the Crimson Moth’s sidekick. The interconnected relationship dynamics in the story make this plot SO interesting and bingeable.

Rune and Gideon’s sexual tension is palpable and the slow burn, forbidden love, and cat & mouse vibes are IMMACULATE.

I already cannot WAIT for the second book & this hasn’t even been released to the public yet 😩 LOVED THIS.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy 🫶🏼

Thoroughly enjoyed!! I kept thinking I had things figured out only to be proven wrong again and again.

The ending! I’m in shock!!

Overall an incredible read. Kind of reminded me of Serpent & Dove. Can’t wait for the sequel!

This book surprised me in the best way!!
I don’t usually go for Witch books. It’s just not typically my thing, but as always, I like to give anything a chance.
This book had the constant allure that kept me interested. Especially the dynamic between the two main characters.
I got hooked right off the bat, and didn’t want to stop until I got to the end. And now I’m so excited for the next book!

The plot twist wasn’t obvious. Which is a very good thing. You only really start to consider certain possibilities when Rune or Gideon does.

I’ve read several books that have bored me lately because of boring characters or lack of chemistry. Gideon and Rune had absolutely explosive interactions. It was witty, they both were calculating, and also falling for each other at the same time. I loved it so much!

Heartless Hunter is on my most anticipated romance books of 2024 list and it totally delivered. This year I’m on the hunt for what will be the standout, romantasy book of the year and Ciccarelli’s romance is definitely in the running. The combination of enemies to lovers, love triangle, and romantic suspense all wrapped up into an amazing package that I couldn’t put down.

Romantasy books all start with the heroine for me. And this one is no different. Rune is a witch who is hiding that fact by pretending to be a vapid socialite by day while secretly saving witches who are captured and sent to be purged. Hot on her heels is Gideon, a member of the blood guard who’s been hunting her for two years. He just so happens to also be the older brother of Rune’s best friend Alex.

I loved Rune for her strength and her dedication to her purpose, all in the name of love for the grandmother that she lost. She was all alone in this world, except for Alex and her friend Verity, who became captivating characters all on their own as the story unfolded.

But the story soon narrowed in on the courtship between Rune and Gideon. Gideon had his suspicions of Rune being the Crimson Moth which drove his insistence on getting close to her while she too was getting close to Gideon to uncover the location of a witch in captivity. Trust and communication are definitely not pillars to their relationship but you could definitely sense their attraction and their chemistry just oozed off the page.

Ciccarelli really weaved a great story that kept you captivated, wondering if these two could actually make things work? Or who would hurt who and how?

And yet, while I was hooked on Rune and Gideon‘s growing love story, you’re also drawn into this developing story about Gideon‘s past, the witches downfall, and the current regime problems.

While I wish I saw more of Rune in action as the Crimson Moth, this book felt like a full story, and yet left with quite a cliffhanger and storylines to unfold as the series continues. I will definitely be reading the next book as soon as it releases!

If you love, romantic suspense, enemies to lovers or just a really intriguing, romantansy, I highly recommend Heartless Hunter.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

“She was drowning, and he was air. She hadn’t even realized how much she needed him until he was gone.”
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My first reading of the year was The Crimson Moth(UK)/Heartless Hunter(US) and it didn’t disappoint me at all! I started the year in the best way!!
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If you like slow burn, enemies to lovers, witches, witch hunters, a game of cat and mouse, and fake dating this story is for you.
In this world, witches once ruled, but a few years previously they were overthrown and are now hunted and killed. The female main character, Rune, is a witch who has a secret identity as the Crimson Moth, hiding in plain sight trying to save every witch she finds from the witch hunters who persecute them. Gideon is a witch hunter determined to find and kill the Crimson Moth. The two of them begin to date, each with their own agenda and each wanting to get information from the other. Until the game of the cat and the mouse becomes more and more tense and romantic!!
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I loved anything about this book! The magic system, the witches, the writing, the characters, the plot... literally everything!
The story is told from both main characters POVs making it easy for the reader to understand them better. I loved Rune so much!! She is a complete baddie, willing to break every rule if it means saving other witches and Gideon is the villain of the story but at the same time he is so cute because he writes letters to Rune, creates clothes for her, gives her flowers!! I love him so much!!
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Speaking of the finale I can only say HELP ME! How do I live without the sequel? I need it asap!!
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Thanks to Netgalley, Wednesday Books and Kristen Ciccarelli for providing me with this ARC!
Heartless Hunter is out everywhere on February 20th! If I were you I would rush to pre-order it !

This book consumed me! I loved the FMC, the magic system, the friend group, and the overall setting. I do wish we got to see more of Rune as the Crimson Moth, but I am hoping that comes in book two. Gideon may not be the MMC for everyone because he takes the enemy to enemies to lovers seriously, but in this case I think that will make their eventual romance that much better!

The two major things that brought this down to 4 stars instead of 5 for me were:
- the pacing - I enjoyed the pace of the entire book, but then when so much happened in the last 20% it felt very rushed
- I am SO tired of the love triangle with brothers; it actually enrages me and takes away from the overall romance vibes

This book ends on a cliff hanger and I can't wait for the second book!

Heartless Hunter is a beautiful, mesmerizing tale of witch's and witch hunter's and those who will sacrifice everything for the ones they love. I knew from the start I was going to enjoy this book, what I didn't know was how it would pull at my heart.
After the reign of a cruel witch began a devastating revolution, where witches became outcasts and were hunted along with those who would dare sympathize with them. Rune knows all to well the dangers of being a witch and has to hide who she really is to survive. By day she is a young socialite, by night the Crimson Moth rescuing witches before their purging. Gideon Sharpe is a witch hunter who has been chasing the Crimson Moth for years, when he gets word that Rune may be using her ships to rescue witches he pursues her with the intent to see if she is who she seems or a witch in disguise. A game of cat and mouse that will have you on the edge of your seat and uncertain where your allegiance lies.
I loved how the complexity of the characters and the various layers that made up their personality. To me this book had a little bit of everything love, magic, and heartbreak. My only complaint is I have to wait for the next book to see how it resolves.

I devoured this book in two sittings, and it was because I went to sleep in between!

I love how fast-paced this book was and also it packed with high tension game of cat and mouse between a witch and a witch hunter that kept me reading! My favorite scene was the mine, oh boy that was really fun to read! The romantic bits were also well done!

But I also found some parts to be quite repetitive and there are few things that I really hope will be explained more in book 2 such as the back story of the three queens, the revolution, and the reason why The New Republic might be the only city that hunts witches. I felt that a lot of things are underexplained but I enjoyed it overall.

Looking forward to book 2! Do we have a date yet?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to review this book!

I REALLY loved this book. This story was intense from the very beginning and there wasn’t a single point where I didn’t feel engaged. I think the author did a wonderful job with character development and the magic system, and the world building wasn’t overwhelming.
This really was a game of cat and mouse! I thoroughly enjoyed watching this “game” unfold into true vulnerability between the main characters, and to see that the beliefs they hold about each other are essentially a misunderstanding due to trauma. The last quarter of the book was an emotional rollercoaster for me and my heart physically hurt for both Rune and Gideon. Kristen, please heal my heartache in book two!!!

Unfortunately, I had to DNF Heartless Hunter.

From what I read, this book is well written and the plot is interesting. I think fans of enemy to lovers and romantasies will devour this. I may attempt to come back to this at some point in the future.

Big trigger warning: the use of blood magic, cutting, and scars. I tried to make it past these, but it was too much for me to handle at this time. The description should mention blood magic or at least provide trigger warnings so sensitive readers are able to avoid these topics.

Predicted 4 star read for the right audience. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC ebook.

Ahhhh I loved this book. Witch and which hunter? Sign me up. Enemies to lovers, slow burn, fantasy. This book has it all. Absolutely loved this book and I will reccomend it to anyone.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. I liked the romance of the book, and the hunter vs hunted, but it didn't feel unique to me. Still a fantastic novel, but as someone well read in similar stories, I kept looking for something strongly NEW. I still would recommend to others that have not read similar storylines. A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

An e-ARC was provided by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions remain my own.

-3.75 stars

This is a fast-paced, enemies to lover new fantasy duology. While this book is marketed as YA, I would say it leans more NA. Overall, this is an entertaining and engaging fast read. I really liked the FMC, who has a heart-breaking backstory. I wish we got more stories of the work the Crimson Moth does and the individuals she helps.

When I thought I knew what plot twists were coming, I was pleasantly surprised to realize I had guessed wrong.

The world is super intriguing and unique. I wish there had been more world building, more information about what life was like during the Sister Queen’s rule, what led to the revolution, how/why is the island so different than Caelis?? Maybe we will get this information in the second book.

I do feel confused about the morality of the MMC, who is a witch hunter and is responsible for the deaths of many witches but then also expresses distaste for other witch hunters who display unnecessary abuse (which is understandable) except that you spend your life finding and executing people? Maybe this was an attempt to show an internal struggle and humanity for the character, but given his level of hatred for witches it felt incongruent with what we learned about him.

I am looking forward to seeing where KC takes the series.

"Enemies-to-lovers doesn't get more high stakes than a witch and a witch hunter falling in love in bestselling author Kristen Ciccarelli's latest romantic fantasy.

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?

Kristen Ciccarelli's Heartless Hunter is the thrilling start to The Crimson Moth duology, a romantic fantasy series where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch...is falling in love."

That cover is sheer perfection.