Thank you to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved Heartless Hunter. I liked the pace of the book, the cat and mouse troupe, and the love troupe, The book kept me guessing. The characters were well developed and interesting. I recommend this book.

5/5⭐️ this will be one of your favourite fantasies of 2024

Tropes:
Slowburn
Enemies to lovers
Fake dating
Courting
Hunter/hunted



Some of the scenes in this book had me giggling and others had me on the edge of my seat.

We follow Gideon and Rune. Gideon is a witch hunter. Rune is a witch. They both decide to court the other with the intention of discovering the other’s secrets. Gideon wants to catch the crimson month, aka Rune, and Rune wants Gideon to trust her enough to give her inside information.

My poor Gideon. He has been through so much and the character he is now is because of his dark past, he is so secretly hopeful and such a sweet heart. He sews her a damn dress.
“Rune was just as beautiful then. Like those marble sculptures adorning the lavish mansions of the aristocracy, existing solely to impress the guests.”

And Rune, I love her. She is strong and independent. She’s funny and cunning. She plays to her strengths and is so aware of her actions.

The romance between the two of them was perfect. They are both trying so hard to make the other fall for them that they don’t realise they’re falling themselves. The wittiness of their chats and the cunning moves had me loving every moment they had together

The witch magic system is very straightforward and easy to understand. The politics are easy to understand. There is underlying mystery that keeps you intrigued. I was able to fully picture the world and imagine it all in my head.

Set against a backdrop of opulence, secrets, and a haunting history, "Heartless Hunter" explores the aftermath of a devastating revolution that has turned witches from powerful rulers to hunted outcasts. The plot unfolds with a perfect balance of suspense and romance, creating a steamy game of cat and mouse that will captivate you from the very first page. The pacing is impeccable, ensuring that the tension never wavers, and the stakes continue to rise. One of the novel's standout strengths is its complex and dynamic characters. Rune, the protagonist, is a multifaceted heroine who navigates the treacherous world of witch-hunting with cunning bravery. The chemistry between Rune and Gideon is palpable, and their evolving relationship is--of course!--a highlight of the story. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy romance and I can't wait for the next installment!

Fantastic.

The premise of this one was so promising and it absolutely delivered.

There's action, angst, romance, and witches! Also great clothes!

Parties, witch hunting, a game of cat and mouse and will he discover her secrets and she his. I read this one while on the very edge of my seat while on a long transatlantic flight. Absolutely lushly written, with excellent pacing, it's romantic, the world building is on point and I am already looking forward to the next book.

Heartless Hunter could easily be a top 2024 fantasy read for many.
I just about ran to my Kindle when I saw I got an arc for this highly anticipated release and devoured it over the weekend.

Rune is a rich socialite, on the surface she appears superficial, attending parties and gossiping around town but underneath the facade is a vigilante witch in hiding. After the purge of her grandmother, she has made it her mission to rescue other witches from the same fate with the help of her best friend Alex.
Gideon is Alex's older brother, he's a witch hunter who has a tragic past and reason to hate witches. He's been tracking down the Crimson Moth for years and is determined now more than ever to finally make a capture.
When Rune needs information that Gideon would know, she starts courting him but unbeknownst to her he's also playing the game when he suspects Rune to be the Crimson Moth.

This book has it all, enemies to lovers, slow burn, fake courting, cat and mouse game, betrayal, heartbreak, politics, revolution, and a balanced magic system. There's a twist I didn't see coming and the end left me wanting more.

While I enjoyed this story and will be picking up the next, I had a slight issue with the world-building. I know this is book one, and a lot of the plot, world, and characters needed to be fleshed out but some ideas weren't fully developed and I'm still left with questions. The pacing was a bit slow, with the action picking up towards the end. I would have liked to see more of Rune being the Crimson Moth and exploring this good vs evil side of witches. I think this book had too much going on so the plot suffered and got lost a bit. I hope the romance can be explored more between Gideon and Rune, they weren't able to fully trust one another (understandably so) but due to this their chemistry and attraction lacked depth.

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Kristen Ciccarelli for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
You can pick up Heartless Hunter on February 20th!

I devoured this book! A bit of a roller-coaster, edge of your seat read that is unique, quick, and perfect for teens. The cast of characters makes me want to get to know all of them more. Well…. Almost all of them 😉 Curious to see where the next one will go.

Socialite by day, Vigilante by night, Rune fights to protect her fellow witches from witch hunters. When a mission goes wrong Rune must court the witch hunter Gideon to try to throw him off the trail of her alter ego, the Crimson Moth.

Heartless Hunter is a slow burn enemies to lovers romantasy inspired by the Scarlet Pimpernel. Fans of Serpent and Dove will love the cat and mouse antics of the witch and witch hunter.
Remedial Magic

While I appreciate the author's exploration of interesting concepts such as witches, aristocracy, revolution, and fascist regimes, I found that the worldbuilding in the book fell short of my expectations. Although the ideas were interesting, they were not fully developed, leaving the world feeling small and not fully fleshed out.
The central focus on the relationship between the two main characters, Rune and Gideon, was the biggest issue for me. Despite the potential for a compelling romance, I didn’t find their attraction to each other believable. The narrative asserted their attraction, but I felt a lack of chemistry and depth in their interactions. Why do they like each other? I found myself thinking page after page. I couldn't understand why they were drawn to each other, making their romance not convincing.

The book is written in dual POV, and I was more engaged reading the chapters that followed Rune, as the elements external to the romance in which she was focused on being the Crimson Moth added substance to the story. Unfortunately, these moments were overshadowed by the predominant focus on the relationship between Rune and Gideon.

While the plot had potential, I felt it was somewhat contrived, and the pacing was very slow. This book was over 400 pages but I felt like not much substance had occurred. If the narrative had allocated more attention to the rich backdrop rather than primarily concentrating on the central romance, I believe the story could have been more compelling.

In summary, the book has promising elements, and I do believe that those who buy the romance between Rune and Gideon may find it more enjoyable. Personally, I believe a more balanced approach to character development and plot focus could have made the overall experience more enjoyable for me.


Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a free advance reader copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

A fantasy Scarlet Pimpernel retelling? Yes, please!! I love The Scarlet Pimpernel, and I love witches, so Heartless Hunter is the perfect mash-up for me. It has all the tropes and elements I love: hidden identity, enemies to lovers romance, slow burn, witch magic, and rebellion. And the story moves so quickly that I didn't ever want to put it down!

What I love most about this book is the romance. The dual POV adds a lot of tension to the relationship, and I love seeing both Gideon's and Rune's thoughts about each other and how those thoughts changed throughout the book. There are some incredibly romantic parts, and I was on the edge of my seat wondering how everything would play out.

I have a couple of reservations, mainly that I found it to be quite predictable, which is saying something coming from me—I rarely pause and make accurate predictions. All of the foreshadowing was a little heavy handed, and it took some fun out of the plot. I also got the ick from recurring conversations about trying to manipulate a character for sex to get answers (as if this behavior is okay and excusable).

Reservations aside, I was overall delighted with this fast-paced witchy fantasy retelling. I can't wait for the sequel!

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 4
Plot/Movement: 4
Character Development: 4
Overall: 4

Thank you, Wednesday Books, for the arc!
Releases Feb 20, 2024

Trigger/Content Warnings: witch hunts/genocide, torture, public murders, death of a child, death of parents/grandparent, fighting violence and wounds, addiction, domestic abuse, physical and sexual abuse (off page), self harm, one open door scene

As I sat in my room to start this, the walls started to disappear and I was in the world of witches & blood guards.

Every moment I wanted to know what would happen next and so I kept reading. 4 am and I cannot believe it ended like that, my emotions are a bunch from sad to anticipation on what happens next.

Gideon and Rune have become my favorite forbidden romance of the year. I absolutely loved the hint of secrecy, plotting, and desire. A witch with a witch hunter, what could go wrong.

I've only read this author once before, but that book didn't blow me away. When I read the description for this book, I knew that I wanted to get my hands on it! This is how I like my new adult genre. I loved the world building to this story, and it was so well done! As much as I love witches, I don't always love how they are portrayed in novels. That was not the case with this book. I honestly can't stop praising how much I loved it, which makes it hard to do a review. I just want to say I loved it! I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel. I've already told others that this is a must read. I'm hooked! The characters were great and I loved their back and forth. And then don't get me started about the ending. What a cliffhanger!

Gideon, the main love interest, should try therapy instead of joining and leading a group set on committing genocide.

I loved Ciccarelli's other book series when I was younger so I was so excited to read this first part of a new duology. I was not a big fan from the beginning because I don't enjoy tropes of love triangles with brothers. It's weird, but I wasn't going to hold it against the book. But for someone repeatedly said to be "smart," Rune very quickly pushed aside the fact that Gideon wants her, and all people like her dead, because he was pretty. It's hard to support a love triangle where one brother is enacting a genocide and the other brother is part of the resistance. I read the entire book because it was fast paced and I expected Gideon to have a change of heart halfway through or near the end. But no. He's totally cool murdering all witches just because they are witches and he was abused by a witch in his past. Maybe he should try some therapy. And Rune is able to look past this, despite being a witch and spending years trying to rescue other witches, because he's attractive. This book was so enraging.

I recieved an e-arc through NetGalley and this isy honest opinion of the book.

Incredible, intense, keep you on your toes kind of book. If you loved Serpent and Dove this book is for you. The 2 perspectives are amazing it makes you more in the know and you read anxiously trying to figure when the shoe will drop. The tension with the romance is wonderful. The banter between all the characters create a very vivid world. Although the actual physical world outside the place they live isn't fully explained it seems purposely so you are more drawn into character development. Rune and Gideon are amazing. Wonderful read.

If you liked “Serpent & Dove” but wished it was a grittier story, than “Heartless Hunter” by Kristen Ciccarelli is the book for you!

The first book in the “Crimson Moth” romantic fantasy duology, “Heartless Hunter” tells how Rune Winters struggles to navigate life after the bloody revolution that cast witches down from the ruling elite to ruthlessly purged. As a witch, Rune must walk a knife’s edge to conceal who she truly is and maintain her place in high society.

While pretending to be a vapid socialite, Rune is able to get information that she uses as the Crimson Moth, the notorious witch vigilante who rescues other witches from being purged. When her latest rescue mission goes wrong, Rune knows she needs to change her tactics. And so she pretends to court the handsome Gideon Sharpe, an unforgiving witch hunter that was instrumental in overthrowing the witch queens during the revolution.

Gideon Sharpe loathes everything Rune represents—the opulence of the aristocracy—but after uncovering a connection between her and the Crimson Moth, he decides to pretend to court her right back. The more time that he spends with her, Gideon realizes that there is far more to the socialite than she lets on. Rune is kind and intelligent, and seems like his perfect match…except that he suspects her to be the very enemy he’s hunting.

“Heartless Hunter” is an enemies-to-lovers with some of the highest stakes I’ve ever come across. Rune and Gideon are both key players in a post revolutionary world and both are doing what they think is best for their people. Those goals place them firmly on opposite sides until the two reach a point where they need information that only the other could provide.

Rune and Gideon begin a dangerous waltz—Rune trying to get information on the witch she was unable to rescue and Gideon trying to determine if she is the Crimson Moth he’s been hunting. Their romance kept me biting my nails, waiting for them to fall in love, waiting for them to be caught in a lie, waiting for it all to go terribly wrong. For an enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance, it was a surprisingly grounded tale. The two main characters were well rounded and had a lot of depth that was explored over the course of the book and their chemistry was phenomenal.

The other characters were also interesting, if a bit predictable. Ciccarelli did a great job of ensuring that there were enough characters around to fill out all the high society settings, but never made the reader feel overwhelmed with an excess of named characters. This can be a difficult needle to thread but as a reader I appreciate Ciccarelli’s work.

The most admirable part of “Heartless Hunter,“ from a technical standpoint, is the unique magic system that Ciccarelli developed. The witches use blood magic, which is common enough, but Ciccarelli incorporated a really interesting detail on how the scars on a witch’s skin would turn silvery and they intentionally would cut themselves in beautiful patterns—almost like tattoos. Those silvery scars were also how witches were able to be easily identified, which is something that Rune has to constantly work around through the book. Spells also have a visible signature that stays behind after the spell wears off, a sort of maker’s mark, which was also a fascinating addition to the magic system.

“Heartless Hunter” was a fantastic story that kept me biting my nails as I read through the night. I absolutely can’t wait for the sequel to come out and already know that I’ll be devastated that “The Crimson Moth” is a duology. I highly recommend “Heartless Hunter” to anyone that likes a darker fantasy world with high stakes and a slow burn romance.

A game of cat and mouse, witch versus witch hunter. Enemies to lovers ✨

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 Stars!!

Rune is a witch in hiding. Witchcraft is outlawed and punished by death. Even since her grandmother’s death two years ago and the witch purging began, Rune has been living a double life. By day she is an elite socialite, but by night she is the Crimson Moth. She pretends to be a stuffy socialite to gain intel to recuse captured witches.

Who has the best intel than the Head of the Blood Guard, Gideon. Rune starts a courtship with Gideon find out the location of a captured witch. Little does she know, Gideon suspects she is the Crimson Moth and is trying to find incriminating evidence. So the game of cat and mouse begins.

This book is very easy to read. The spicy is extremely mild. There are some big twists at the end of this book that I didn’t expect. Definitely makes you need book 2 ASAP!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

I’m so conflicted on what to rate this one! Overall, I enjoyed myself and did stay up late to keep reading it. Howeverrrr it did take me until the 25% mark to stop thinking I was going to DNF.

The writing itself just felt juvenile and I felt like the author didn’t trust readers enough to pick up on subtleties and the way they would impact the overall story because key points were often repeated in ways that were not helpful or new. I also am not a fan of writing that uses “BAM!” And “CRACK!” which this author used a few times. It makes the writing feel unpolished. Which, coincidentally, felt like an overall theme in this book. I think with more time and willingness to draw bits out a little more, this could have been a 5 star read for me. Instead, the world building felt rushed and the character building felt shallow at the start.

All that being said, this book DOES have some of my favorite things: enemies to lovers to enemies! Unexpected betrayal! Unexpected death! Unique magic!

All of which takes this from a 3.5 to a 4 for me.

I also know that not every FMC needs to be a murderous killer to be a badass, but I would have liked to see Ruhn act a little more mature and cunning. She supposedly runs her own estate and is this incredible agent of subterfuge and excellent at fooling everyone, yet she doesn’t see the most obvious things coming or have the forethought to interrogate oddities more. I felt like I was told more about her prowess than I actually saw. That being said, I do have really high expectations for FMC.

This book also has clearly drawn inspo from ACOTAR (dark haired evil man is actually a softy/son of a dress maker/victim of SA perpetrated by the female villain) but it’s still different enough and offers new plot lines enough that I’m not really mad about it.

Allllll of this being said, I need book two NOW!

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars
*spoilers*
I have to say, I absolutely devoured this book in less than 36 hours.
I found the world building and magic to be fantastic and well thought out. The blood magic, the way it scarred, and the different levels was very unique and interesting. That is definitely something I can appreciate after reading so much fantasy.

Rune is a stuffy aristocrat by day and the Crimson Moth by night, saving witches from the purge. In a world where witches are hunted and executed she must find other ways of practicing her magic, ways that don’t leave behind scars. To gather more intel to save a witch name Seraphine, she must get close to someone with the information she needs to rescue her and countless other witches that will follow. Gideon, a respected Blood Guard captain, is exactly the person she needs to get close to to get the job done. Gideon has hunted down and sent countless witches to their deaths, but finding the Crimson Moth is his goal above all else. He suspects Rune, but first he must get close to her to find proof. What ensues is most definitely a cat and mouse game that will keep you on your toes and guessing what will happen next.

While I loved Rune and how strong and resilient she was, I had a hard time with Gideon’s character. While his past trauma helped me understand him and his motives more, I could not get behind or understand the indiscriminate killing of witches. Although he fell for Rune and learned she was a kind and intelligent person, when he found out she was a witch there was never any realization that not all witches are evil. Just like not all humans are evil. In the end we are back to square one where he wants to hunt down Rune again. That might have been the author’s intention, but I found it a bit frustrating and I was hoping for more development in his character.

Overall I think fans of romantasy, witches, and enemies to lovers would really enjoy this book like I did!

✨ARC Review✨
📖: Heartless Hunter
🖋️: Kristen Ciccarelli
🗓️: 2/20/24
⭐️: 5 of 5
💬: “Would you like to see a witch’s bedroom, Citizen Sharpe?”

Tropes, Topics & Themes:
✨Fantasy Romance
✨Enemies to lovers
✨Fake dating
✨Love triangle
✨ Witches/witch hunters
✨Secrets and lies

I hope I don’t have to wait too long for the next book because of the way it left us. I need to know what happens next.

Rune hasn’t been the same since she lost her grandmother to the witch hunters. Following her grandmother’s wish. Rune reports her so Rune is not at risk of being caught.

Living a double life. Rune pretends she’s not as smart as she is while surrounding herself with the elites to hide who she really is.

With her two best friends by her side, Verity and Alex. They help her stay safe but they are part of The Crimson Moth. Where they help save the last of the witches from being eliminated.

“Beautiful heiresses might court common soldiers. But they don’t marry them.”

Gideon is the Blood Guard captain and he’s known for being ruthless, bloodthirsty, and extremely rude. When it’s brought to his attention that Rune may be involved with the Crimson Moth. He decides to court her to gain information.

While Gideon may think he’s smarter than Rune. She has a plan of her own. Get close to him to figure out where a certain witch is being held.

From hilarious banter and the slow burn between two enemies. The tension is high and the stakes are even higher.

“Be my wife, Rune. Come with me to Caelis. Let me give you the life you should have had.”

Can Rune ever live a normal life? Will Gideon forgive Rune if he finds out who she really is? What will become of the city when the uprising of the witches begins?

I can’t wait for the sequel!🔥🔥

Thank you, Kristen Ciccarelli, St. Martin’s Press, and Netgalley for this EARC! As always, my review is my opinion and thoughts. This review will be shared on my Instagram @Alexandriavwilliams_ shortly.

I really enjoyed this! The pacing of the story was great and kept me interested, I love anything to do with enemies-to-lovers. It was a quick and easy read!

A delightful fantasy
Enemies to lovers done right
A fun quick magical read

Witchcraft is outlawed and punishable by death.

Rune a young witch tried to hide who her magic and true self behind the facade of a vapid socialite. However, she is also known by the alias the Crimson Moth, and is doing everything she can to help rescue accused fellow witches and get them to safety.

Gideon is the leader of the witch hunters (and the brother of her best friend). He has lost everything under the rule of the witch queens. and haunted by what he saw he cannot believe a witch can be anything but evil. He is determined to uncover the Crimson Moth, the witch that has been undermining him at every turn.

Both of them are attempting to get critical information from the other while reluctantly falling in love at the same time. Both of them are good people - they just see things from differing perspectives.

I really enjoyed this book and read it in one sitting. So why 4 stars not 5? Those reading my reviews know I TRY to save 5 for those books that I close and go "wow". Books that give me that hangover. But this is a 4.5

Thank you to th author, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review.
#NetGalley #HeartlessHunter