Heartless Hunter was awesome and I couldn’t put it down. Believe the hype! Loved the writing.
It’s an enemies to lovers trope which is one of my favorites. The witches have been outcast and are being ruthlessly hunted because of how dangerous they are. The blood guards were tearing the town upside down, picking them off one at a time. This was an exciting read that had all my favorite things. It had great chemistry and romance oozing suspense. I highly recommend it and can’t wait for book 2!
Thanks St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley.

A fantastic start to a new slow burn, enemies to lovers fantasy romance. Perfect for fans of Serpent & Dove! This follows a witch and a witch hunter fake courting to get information out of each other and then they eventually fall for real. I can’t wait for the next instalment.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the superior fantasy trope is witch/winter hunter. So I knew this was going to be a hit for me.

Short Synopsis:
Rune is an heiress. She’s spends her days wearing fancy dresses and hosting parties for the elite. But her nights? She spends as the Crimson Moth - rescuing fellow witches from the witch hunters. She lures suitors to use spells to get information. Until she tries it on Gideon- her best friends brother and captain of the witch hunters.

My Thoughts:
I was so captivated by this story. I loved how complex the characters are. Rune is smart and clever and kind and a terrific FMC. Gideon was a unique perspective. I loved how complicated his POV was.

The love triangle in this had me TORN. It was so well done. And I loved the push and pull of the romance. I was fully absorbed and cannot wait until book two!

Read if You Like:
❤️ Romantasy
❤️ Witches/Magic
❤️ Enemies to Lovers
❤️ Best Friend’s Brother
❤️ Cat and Mouse games
❤️ Forbidden magic

Are you in the market for a sizzling romance with a touch of mystery and cat and mouse? Then this would be the book for you. This book is beyond addicting and the characters are lovable. You will not be able to put this book down!

ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

From the characters, to the world building, to the enemies to lovers --- I enjoyed this book very much. The story kept me turning page after page! I did predict a few things early, but honestly I'm good at that haha. It's a curse sometimes! Thank you for this arc read.

Thank you to Wednesday Books/St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. Rune is a witch hiding in plain sight as a socialite who seemingly hates witches. Secretly, she is also the Crimson Moth - a vigilante who rescues other witches from being purged. Rune finds herself entangled with Gideon Sharpe while trying to rescue a witch. Gideon is a witch hunter loyal to those wanting to eradicate all witches.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book - it has been awhile since a YA fantasy story has captured my attention and not let me down with the plot. I will admit that I guessed one of the twists fairly early on, but that did not decrease my enjoyment at all. I liked the dual POVs and the slow burn enemies-to-lovers romance. I am already eager to read the sequel. Overall, 4/5 stars and I would recommend picking this one up.

Wow. That’s all I can say for this book. A whole new take on witch/human world with a craftful enemies to lovers. You can tell how much time the author put into this novel to make it seamless. I loved all the small details and plot twists that just dug into your heart. The romance is also top tier and I hope we see a lot more of it in the next book. I felt like a little girl reading this I was so excited and couldn’t put it down. Definitely recommend to anyone who loves romantasy, action packed fantasy, enemies to lovers, found family, and lovers who help heal each other from trauma. Thank you netgalley and Kristen Ciccarelli for this ARC, I think you may be one of my new favorite authors!

Wow. Rune and Gideon sucked me right into their story and I could not stop reading. The characters, the world, and the enemies-to-lovers storyline were all well developed and I appreciated the depth of the characters and their relationships to each other. I saw the twist coming but thought it was well executed, and can’t believe I’m now going to have to wait until the next sequel. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC of this fantastic new series! The story was completely engrossing! I loved the characters and the plot was super intense throughout. It was a hard book to put down! The only negative of this book is it ends on a huge cliffhanger and the next book isn't even out yet! Definitely would recommend to lovers of fantasy or a good story! I'm not huge into fantasy and I still was addicted. One of my top books this year for sure.

What a book! Brilliant and twisty romantic fantasy with a killer ending ... Can't wait for the sequel, and will be recommending it to everybody!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a review copy

Words can't describe how much I enjoyed this book. It has fantastic world building and a magic system that makes sense, is fair, and doesn't produce an "all of a sudden" super powerful witch out of nowhere. The romance is slow, until it's not. That's maybe the one part I didn't enjoy as much, is that the romance between the leads was a little quick. They both start pretending to like each other to infiltrate and get information, but it seems like the first kiss and they're besotted. I would say this book is spicy-ish, two chilies out of five.

I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel!

I could not put this captivating story down! 'Heartless Hunter' is a thrilling adventure following a daring protagonist, Rune, as she conceals her clever mind and witch identity behind her ditzy socialite persona. She's the highly sought after Crimson Moth, a vigilante freeing witches by night, and witch hunter Gideon can't wait to end her - if he can discover who the Crimson Moth really is.

An intriguing game of cat and mouse between the witch and witch hunter ensues, and the line between enemies and lovers begins to blur in this dangerous, high-stakes world where all magic has a cost.

Ciccarelli's dark, tense world and story-telling will keep you enthralled from start to finish! The intense, excruciating ending left me desperate and begging for more of this addictive tale.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press Wednesday Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review! A review of this title will also be posted to my Instagram closer to the date of release.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Prepare for a fast-paced adventure that will take your breath away. This is a page-turner that blends excitement, forbidden romance, and intriguing world-building seamlessly. The author's ability to weave these elements together creates a narrative that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book.

The forbidden romance between the two main characters is electric, giving me goosebumps with each stolen glance. Their love story is a compelling force in the midst of danger, making it impossible to put the book down.

The world-building was awesome. The author has crafted a unique and immersive world that is both vivid and thought-provoking.

With unexpected twists and turns, the plot keeps you guessing and hungry for more. The story's unpredictability adds an element of excitement and ensures that you're never quite sure what will happen next.

The ending, while satisfying in its own right, leaves you with the knowledge that the characters have many trials to overcome. It's a brilliant setup for what promises to be an engaging series or sequel, and I can't wait to see where the author takes these characters next.

In this book, you'll find a delightful mix of adventure and romance that will leave you eagerly awaiting the next installment. Highly recommended for those who love a fast-paced, thrilling read with a touch of forbidden romance.

In a society where witches are hunted, socialite Rune must hide her magic. She portrays the Crimson Moth and rescues fellow witches from horrible fates. To save them, she courts the ruthless witch hunter Gideon Sharpe for information, but soon romance blossoms and changes both of their lives. A gripping read filled with magic and romance, _Heartless Hunter_ is a fantasy novel that I could not put down.

Woah! "Heartless Hunter" took me by surprise. I was not at all prepared to read this cover to cover in one sitting, but I did just that because I had to know what happened! I was immediately drawn in by the two main characters as they are clearly on different sides, but for similar reasons. This builds a delightful tension that Ciccarelli employs throughout the book. My only regret is not having access to the second book right now!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was SO GOOD I couldn't put it down (not that I'm at all surprised, Kristen Ciccarelli is one of my absolute favorite authors). It was one of my fastest reads this year. When I read the first chapter I knew the voice was pulling me in, in a way that few voices do. I love the spin on the fake dating trope that it includes, plus enemies to lovers, swoony romance, and the super fun cat-and-mouse dynamic. I can't wait for book 2!!!

This one was just fine to me. It was super predictable, had confusing character development, and just didn’t really hold my attention super well. That being said, it was just mildly enjoyable. I think the concept has a lot of potential, and some of the characters really flew off the page. I don’t think I’ll be reaching for the next one when it comes out, but wouldn’t be avoiding it either.

Kristen Ciccarelli's "Heartless Hunter" was a sneaky read; for as (figuratively) slim a book as this is, it takes it time reeling you in, luxuriating in the slow unraveling of world-building details. Yet, despite this, the plot still manages to move at a fairly brisk pace, keeping you locked in. The setting has a slight Russian revolution lean, but as seen through a fantastically magic looking glass, with overthrown Witch Queens instead of a Tsar. I was surprised by how eagerly I await the sequel now, having finished the first. Would recommend.

The concept introduced in the summary sounded so interesting and for the most part, this book delivered on it. Although I had trouble with the pacing of the book, especially in the first third, I found that the tension between the two main characters kept driving the plot forward. I especially liked how both characters knew each other were the enemy, and had moments of doubt that they could outwit the other. The romance did feel a little forced, as did the love triangle which was obvious from the start, but the story overall wrapped up well enough that it makes me want to continue the series.

The magic and world-building was done well and I didn't feel too lost by what was going on, and the use of scars was an interesting concept. I only wish that one of the side characters didn't push the male main character into trying to sleep with the female main character so often; it got really uncomfortable and I can't tell if this was the author's intention.

Overall, 4 stars and would love to continue this in the next book.

IT'S A SCARLET PIMPERNEL RETELLING. What more do you need?!

I devoured this pacey, clever romantasy in one sitting--ending way too late at night haha. It was so similar to The Scarlet Pimpernel, which is one of my all-time favorite stories, but with tense cat-and-mouse game bound up with a delightfully layered romance. Rune's character was fabulous--so unique and full of personality--and Ciccarelli gave such glorious depth (and pain agh) to Gideon. The magic system was incredibly well-developed, and I loved the lore woven into the story.

If anything, I really could've done without the way that the witches get their blood--heh. And I'd categorize it more as NA than YA, for sure, but would definitely recommend to older readers/lovers of romantasy.

So grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc--I'll be ordering a copy!