Wow. Just wow. You are going to love Rune and Gideon. The book is just perfections. And the end. I can’t wait for the next book.

A delicious enemies to lovers romantasy. I'm not a big witchy girl, but done correctly- I bask in it. This was done perfectly. The world building was minimal and consumable. The characters were diverse and complex. I agree with others that the first half was more YA then NA or adult. The love triangle trope was giving me major YA dystopian vibes like Hunger Games. The second half of the book picked up in paced and I zoomed through it. The ending...I cannot....

If you enjoyed the Serpent and Dove series then you'll most likely enjoy this. I would say there is more banter in Serpent and Dove then in Crimson Moth. There's sexual tension and build up but not like what Lou and Reid had. I will say, I cannot wait for the next installment!

4.5 rounded up!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and St. Martin's for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this so much! I think Heartless Hunter is the first *actual* enemies to lovers I have ever read. All those before were just ‘dislike to lovers or something because this one packed a punch I’ve never experienced before.

Rune is a witch in hiding in a society that hunts witches. Gideon is a witch hunter who due to trauma at the hands of an evil witch truly hates them. Unfortunately, they each want to use the other for something, so they are forced into one another’s orbit.

There were some twists that I didn’t see coming and some things that I did but the anguish that this book was written with is what stands out. What can you look past for the person that you love?

This book ended on a cliff hanger that is absolutely killing me since the second book in the duology isn’t released until 2025 but it was so worth it that I will be sitting here kind of patiently waiting.

"Heartless Hunter" by Kristen Ciccarelli is an enthralling start to the Crimson Moth series, blending elements of fantasy, romance, and high-stakes drama. The story follows Rune Winters, a witch forced to hide her identity in a world where witches are hunted to near extinction. By day, she masquerades as a superficial socialite, but by night, she becomes the Crimson Moth, a vigilante rescuing fellow witches.

The plot thickens when Rune decides to court Gideon Sharpe, a dedicated witch hunter, to gather crucial information. Their relationship evolves from mutual deception to genuine affection, creating a compelling enemies-to-lovers dynamic. Ciccarelli's world-building is vivid, with a dark, post-revolutionary setting that adds depth to the narrative.

While some readers found the plot twists predictable, the character development and emotional intensity keep the story engaging. The novel's ending leaves readers on a cliffhanger, eagerly anticipating the next installment. Overall, "Heartless Hunter" is a captivating YA fantasy romance that promises an exciting continuation in its series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

I am obsessed. Everything about this was pure perfection!

This ending broke me. The author did an AMAZING job building the world and making you fall for the characters. I loved Rune and the brothers. But oof. That ending. I am dying to get my hands on the next one.

Witch x Witch Hunter? Say less. Can honestly say I loved everything about Rune & Gideons story. The tension!!!!!!!

I loved how fast paced everything was & how easy it was to imagine the settings of the book with little world building,

The ending kinda shocked me.. but also I knew something was up in regards to part of it 🤔 still hurt my feelings though. 😭

A beautiful fantasy written about strong characters and adventure. I loved this story quite a bit. I would recommend this to anyone who liked books about fantasy and romance.

The romance and the edge of your seat conflict was much needed. I can definitely see this being a book for those that enjoy fourth wing.

I’m a big fan of Ciccarelli’s magical and romantic writing and this one was no exception
Ciccarelli’s stories immediately transport you and captivate you from page 1
Heartless Hunter is a beautifully written fantasy romance with a dual POV that will keep you wanting more and more… I finished it in a day because I couldn’t put it down 🤗
I loved the characters! They are all flawed and chaotic but also relatable and unique.

There was just something missing for me in this book…
I wouldn’t say this is an enemies to lovers more like rivals to lovers since Gideon doesn’t truly know who Rune is and then I felt like the romance progressed fairly quickly I wish there was more of the “enemies” component and maybe if it was a little longer the angst would have built up better (for me)
I also saw that final twist a mile away so that took away the shock factor for me

Overall, this is a great fantasy and probably the best fantasy I’ve read this year however there were some things missing that would have made this 5 stars for me

Really, really good enemies to lovers trope. I was fully invested in the story the whole time. The characters were well written and I enjoyed them. I thought the pace was great. I look forward to the next one!

This book was so so so GOOD! I truly could not put it down! The writing was amazing. The characters were diverse and interesting. I was captivated by the plot and needed to know what was going to happen next. I also did not see the plot twist coming. This story was interesting and new. Even though it's YA, it is something that can be enjoyed by anyone! I cannot recommend this book enough, and I can't wait until the next one!
Thank you to @netgalley for an advance ebook copy in exchange for my honest review!

Please give me a moment for my heart to heal….
A witch battling against what is easy so that she can do what’s right. A hunter who guards himself the same way one might do to save the only family he has left from the witches who bore the same evil he believes all witches carry as he remembers the slaughter of those he held most dear. What else can he do?

When I say I was a goner at the first page, I mean I was a goner at the first paragraph. I knew this was going to be good but I absolutely adored it. I have very high hopes for the next book, which I’m going to need immediately!

I think this book must have been wrong book, wrong time, because this seems to be the most unpopular of opinions, but this was a DNF for me. I think I will pick up this book down the line and hope it clicks for me better then.

3 star rating is based on what I read before setting it aside - I liked it and maybe would've really liked it at a different time, but not enough to want to continue. No huge complaints.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley. Thank you for the opportunity

It lives up the the hype. Very amazing development

my new favorite YA fantasy! this book was magnificent, from the writing, to the character development, to the world building, and the plot twists. in a modernized fantastical regency setting where a vigilante and corrupt militant lead each other in a courtship of their own benefits. I loved the dual Pov, rich character dynamics and politics that made for a compelling read that was hard to put down. i can’t wait for the next one.

Beautiful cover which is one of the reasons I decided to pick it , second it was enemy's to lovers, as well as a new to me author and series to start . Love the world building as well as the take on the magic and how the witches used it , only downside was at times I wanted to scream at the two main character's but over all I enjoyed it so much that those times can be overlooked .

Look I thought this was going to be firmly in the 3 1/2 to 4 star range while I was reading until I got to the last 1/3 of the book and now I’m a screaming mess itching to get my hands on book 2 because WHAT.

Look, Gideon and Rune are two truly dumb/unobservant people most of the time and it’s kind of hilarious but at the same time I loved them so much I didn’t care????? I was invested and they were dumb and they were also whip smart when they needed to be and they were cunning and I am A MESS WHAT WAS THAT CLIFFHANGER AND ENDING, KRISTEN?! WHAT WAS THAT?!

I need book 2. SMP I will be busting down your door to get to it.

(Thank you for book 1, Wednesday books, sorry I waited until it was on audio to read it 😬)

PS: the audio of this was 🤌🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼

Heartless Hunter by Kirsten Ciccarelli was my first novel by this author but Kristen has been on my radar for a while and I'm so happy I got this book not only from my Book of the month but also my Owlcrate!!! This is a first in a Ya Fantasy duology and I'm pissed off (In a nice way) of how fast I read this one!!! @Wednesday books u are telling me I have to wait till February 2025 for the sequel and finale?!? Looks like I'm going to have to do a re-read next year and I wouldn't be mad because this was another 5 star read for me!
We follow two main characters name Rune and Gideon and boy or boy if this doesn't scream enemies to lovers then Idk what does?! This was a book I heard of because of book of the month and tbh it wasn't on my radar till I saw how beautiful this cover is and then I read the summary of this novel and it's a witch hunter falling for a witch! I feel like this would be a perfect book to read in the fall time just because of the two main characters are witches and a witch hunter!
A thing I loved that this book had was not only an enemies to lovers trope but it was also almost a cat and mouse chase andt here was a hiest invovlved and a love traingle!!! Like what all of my favorite things in a ya fantasy novel?! If u haven't picked this novel up yet I highly recomended you do so and it will totally be in my favorite list of 2024!!(:

I've been sitting with my thoughts on this one for a few days and I think I'm comfortable at putting this at 3.5-4 stars. Whenever I'm thinking about rating a book, the first question I ask is whether or not I was entertained. Was this a book that I didn't want to put down? Did I have this deep desire to take it with me wherever I went?

In the Heartless Hunter's case, the answer is a solid "yes" for me. I enjoyed myself which - at least in my opinion - is the most important thing and I can't wait for the second book.

Now, is this story super, crazy original? No. The idea of a witch and a witch hunter in a "How to Lose a Guy in 30 Days"-like storyline has been done. Is is predictable? Yeah, somewhat. But I don't mind it because - again - it was entertaining.

But it wasn't perfect.

There were just some actions by the characters that didn't match up for me at all. Like Laila. Her insistence and constant nudging to get Gideon to see Rune naked and then to sleep with her felt super weird and forced and not necessary? And I did have some serious problems with Alex and his motives for helping the witches - especially given his brother's past. Honestly - the reasoning didn't make sense (trying to not give too much away here, but seriously - like wtf?).

I also really REALLY would have loved to have seen Rune as The Crimson Moth more. We got a good sense of her aristocratic debutant cover, but I would have loved to have seen her vigilante side more (perhaps in book 2?).

Also, I am grinding my teeth slightly at the forced love triangle that I'm seeing developing and praying to all the gods everywhere that we nip this in the bud and fast for book 2. Not needed. Keep it to Gideon. Please and thank you.

All said and done, definitely a book that kept my interest. So much so that I bought a physical copy once I read as an ARC, so I'm going to stay optimistic and hope that book 2 fills in some of the gaps. Fingers crossed.

Thank you to the NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

#NetGalley #HeartlessHunter #ARC