WOW WOW WOW WOW! I don't even know what to say or what to think or WHAT TO FEEL!! But my heart is SHATTERED! That ending was BRUTAL. Like rip my heart right out of my chest brutal. I am in shock. I knew it was coming. I saw it coming. But it hurt like a B.

*deep breaths* Now let me try to form an official review:

This was so stinking addictive! I couldn't put it DOWN! It gave me so much anxiety and had my heart racing. It's quite the cat and mouse game. We've got an undercover witch trying to rescue other witches and a witch hunter... you can just imagine the tension! This was so good!! I was so completely invested.

There is a love triangle and it killed me a bit (okay alot) because half the time I found myself rooting for the other guy. I mean... how can you not? He's SO PRECIOUS AND SWEET! I adored him. Don't get me wrong I really loved Gideon and felt for him with his heartbreaking past plus they had great chemistry. But gosh the other guy was just something else to. (The bathroom scene 😭) It was a tough one. People who don't love love triangle may struggle a bit with this one.

The overall storyline was so intense and great. I did see a lot of the big twists coming but it still was wild. It gave me major the Serpent and Dove meets The Bridge Kingdom vibes but yet different. It's sexy (but not over the top which I appreciated), addictive and one hell of a ride.

The ending tho. I can't even process it. It makes me wanna give it 3 stars cause it upsets me so much BUT this story was definitely great and deserves more stars. But I am DYING for the next one but also so scared. Like I'm almost too scared to read it cause I'm worried about the major anxiety it'll give me. This is one I'm definitely going to be thinking about. I would definitely say this feels like an adult romance which I loved getting from this author! Her writing style is great! Now I'm gunna go sob into my pillow!

tl;dr
A volatile romance with great cat-and-mouse moments, and plenty of drama.

Thoughts
It's rare that a book promising cat-and-mouse delivers quite as well as this one. Usually you only get a bit of banter before the kissing starts, but there are some real twists and deceptions locked up in this one, and I loved it. (Don't worry, there's also kissing.) Anyone looking for conflicted leads with angst and internal hurts will find plenty here to go around. The chemistry between Rune and Gideon is volatile, with a dash of spice, and a really believable enemies-to-lovers(?)-to-enemies(?) roller coaster relationship. World building is effective, with rules about the use of magic explained with quick, but consistent strokes. Author's notes mention The Scarlet Pimpernel (a personal favorite) as a light inspiration, and I can totally see the spaces where it peeks through. I will say that I have never seen a character marked for death so obviously as [Name Redacted], and when they died I found myself somewhat relieved that it finally happened so I wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. Recommended reading for fans of morally gray, complex relationships, hunter vs. hunted relationships, and a splash of dark fantasy.

"Heartless Hunter" by Kristen Ciccarelli sounds like an enchanting and high-stakes romantic fantasy novel that promises a captivating blend of magic, suspense, and forbidden love.

The book's premise, set in a world where witches have been persecuted and hunted, immediately draws readers into a realm of intrigue and danger. The main character, Rune, who hides her true identity as a witch while moonlighting as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante, presents a compelling and multifaceted protagonist. Her dual life as a socialite and a defender of her kind adds depth to her character.

The introduction of Gideon Sharpe, a witch hunter, as her love interest creates a complex dynamic of enemies turned lovers. The tension between Rune and Gideon, who are on opposing sides of the conflict, promises a thrilling and emotionally charged romance.

The description hints at a plot filled with twists and turns, as Rune and Gideon find themselves entangled in a web of deception, trust, and betrayal. The moral ambiguity surrounding their actions adds layers to the story, making readers question who the true heroes and villains are.

Overall, "Heartless Hunter" appears to be a spellbinding tale of love and magic set against the backdrop of a world in turmoil. It explores themes of identity, prejudice, and the power of love to bridge seemingly insurmountable divides. Fans of romantic fantasy and forbidden love stories are likely to find this novel an enthralling read, and I look forward to discovering the depths of Rune and Gideon's relationship in this duology.

As of recently, each new book I pick reaches all the way up in my favorite reads and knocks the others back down—especially in the fantasy genre. This one is no exception: it deserves a thousand stars. And its second installment is needed, like, yesterday. I devoured it in one sitting. It’s action-packed and intricate. The love story is like no other, and complicated and tangled in more ways than one. (And do we mention both main characters’ background story? Those who say “the struggle is real” clearly haven’t read this gem of a book yet.) The premise was very promising, but I must say I was not expecting to love this story so much. Kristen Ciccarelli did a phenomenal work at crafting multilayered, flawed, and hurting characters into a plot where tension grows more palpable at each page.

Thank you so, so much to the author and St. Martin’s Press for the advance copy. I can’t wait for the sequel!

Rating - 3.5 stars

I would like to thank Wednesday Books for providing me with an advanced copy of Heartless Hunter.

Heartless Hunter begins strongly with the purging of a witch, immediately immersing us in the New Republic, a place where witches face hatred and are hunted. This book has several concepts similar to popular romantic fantasy stories, but that didn't reduce my enjoyment. Rune Winters, a witch hiding in plain sight, is on a mission to rescue her fellow witches. Her love interest, Gideon Sharpe, serves as her antagonist, being a witch hunter. I found their progression from enemies to lovers to be engaging and found that it stayed true to that trope.

However, I would have appreciated more in-depth characterization of the supporting characters, as certain aspects of their storylines did not resonate with me. I also had reservations about how some of these storylines unfolded. On a positive note, I recognized the book's thoughtful handling of issues related to abuse, although I believe there were several other key themes that could have been further explored. My disappointment stemmed from how these themes were ultimately resolved.

In summary, Kristen Ciccarelli demonstrates a skillful storytelling style that kept me engaged in the plot, despite the presence of some predictable twists.

This book is a wonderful game of cat and mouse, perfect for fans of Dance of Thieves and Serpent & Dove.

In a world where merely being a witch is a crime, Rune Winters does what she can to save the witches from slaughter to atone for her past. The Crimson Moth is a desired vigilante who Gideon Sharpe will do anything to capture. But when the lines are blurred between what is the task at hand and what is developing, both characters find themselves in hot water.

I absolutely loved the dual POV in this book, making me fall for both the hunter and the hunted. The author did an excellent job at cultivating grief through her words which drives the characters’ actions.

I was sobbing by the end, for many reasons, but in part because I didn’t want my journey with them to end. I know it is some time until the sequel but I can’t wait!!

The storytelling of this book is beautiful. I did not want to put it down. I wish the MC had been a stronger female lead, and not reliant on a man to give her meaning, especially given the themes of the book. Other than that, I loved it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
Wow wow wow.
First of all, enemies to lovers as a witch and witch Hunter I was sold immediately.
But also this was just an excellent book altogether. Great magic system & world building & character tension.
Chefs kiss.

I told myself to wait to read this until a little later because there's still a long way until the release but I couldn't stop myself. I just knew deep down I'd love this book.

Rune is a witch who needs intel to help hunted witches escape prosecution. Gideon is a witch hunter who needs to find the vigilante helping witches escape. The both need to use each other get what they want. It's a true enemies-to-lovers romance. Rune and Gideon truly don't like each other in the beginning, but they must put aside their differences and pretend to court each other to gain trust and learn each other's secrets.

I finished this book in two days. If you loved Serpent & Dove, I HIGHLY recommend reading this. Also, readers who love fake-dating or enemies-to-lovers will also enjoy Heartless Hunter. There's mystery, action, deception and very fast-paced. I have no doubt many readers will fall in love like I have. The worst part is waiting for the second book which is going to be torture.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC!

This book was absolutely enthralling. I was sucked in right away. The characters are so well crafted and the plot kept me on the edge of my seat. The magic system is very well done and I enjoyed learning more about it. The romance was also incredible and the ending destroyed me. This book is perfect for fans of the Serpent and Dove series or any fantasy romance in general. My only issue is that now I have to wait so long for book 2!

I’ll admit that when I first got the email accompanying the invitation to read an early copy of this, I wasn’t so sure. Ultimately Rebecca Ross endorsing it, and the few reviews there were at the time (early September 2023) decided me, and I started the novel.

Well, wow. I really wasn’t expecting to be soooo interested in this story. Before I even finished, all I could think was that I can’t wait to read the second title of this duology!

This was a very, very fun read.

You’ll hate waiting for the next book too, but it’s a total recommendation.


Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the DRC!

i ADORED this book. the tension both romantic and external was on point throughout the book. the ending was one of the best i've read in a long while, though heartbreaking and left me upset after finishing in the best way possible. My only qualm with this story was the timeline of the golden age of witches to the persecution confused me a little. Not enough to affect my love of the book and i can't WAIT to read the sequel.

I had been itching to get my hands on this book ever since I saw the blurb and the cover release on a Tiktok back in May 2023. Witches? Enemies to lovers? Sign. Me. UP! Did it deliver on those promises? Heck to the YES! Just writing this review has me wanting to just sit down and start the book all over again. While reading this you will be rooting for Gideon to FINALLY catch the Crimson Moth while also rooting for Rune to get the information that she needs and NOT be caught. The action scenes will have you on the edge of your seat. The ending will have your jaw on the floor. If you were a fan of Fourth Wing or Divine Rivals, you will want to pick this one up!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Access full content (sex, language, violence) review and a condensed version of my thoughts here:
https://www.novelnotices.com/heartless-hunter//

To be honest, I have no idea where to start. My rating in my head is more like 3.75 because I was just so FRUSTRATED (like please, guys, just, I don't know, *talk* instead of going at each other's throats? You're very cute and banter-y when you talk, the miscommunication just isn't working for you <3 )

WARNING: Slight rant (of love, obviously). I wrote this very late at night after staying up to finish the book.

I've read only one Scarlet Pimpernel retelling/inspired book before, and I appreciated the freshness of the story and the plot. However, it was pretty predictable and a bit repetitive. Within the first 20 pages of the book, I felt sure I knew how this was going to end.

Did that detract from my enjoyment of the book? Well, maybe a little—but only because I spent the whole time absolutely dreading the betrayals the reader knows are coming. Ciccarelli really was like, "oh here, look at these two opening up to each other and being all soft and vulnerable with each other, aren't they just so beautiful—oh no, that's not right. We loathe happiness in this book and therefore I must always be playing the other and let's just remove SweetGideon™ from existence."

SLIGHT SPOILER: can I just say that Gideon sewing Rune flowers is my favorite thing. He's so precious, I cannot—

I'd like to have it known that fake dating is so not my trope. Like??? Just kiss and admit you love each other??? And I will never forgive that ending. An ending I *knew* was coming—I had the entire book to prepare for it! (And to be clear, this is totally a compliment to the author—there is nothing worse than reading something that's supposed to make you upset or frustrated and just feeling nothing. I really cared about the characters and the plot here.)

On a different note, I loved Rune and Gideon. The side characters could have used a bit more fleshing out, but I'm hoping we'll get to see some of that in the next book (HEA or I'm protesting). Currently, they're all very interesting and seem multi-faceted, but the focus was heavy on Gideon and Rune (for obvious reasons) so it wasn't really shown.

More pros / things that did not make me want to scream/cry/blackmail Ciccarelli for a peek inside her brain to make sure RuneGideon start acting like adults and coming to their senses:
I loved the world. I personally hadn't read anything too similar and I ate it up.
The magic system was cool too!
I am very attached to Rune. She is unapologetically herself, even when she isn't sure what that means. She's feminine, but she's also saving all these witches (note: I wish we'd seen more of that in the actual book) and learning to do magic. And she has a dagger. Crossing my fingers that book two has a dagger-to-throat kiss scene.
Gideon's past and character development. His backstory isn't something we see a lot of in YA fiction—and if we do, it's not really focused on. I wanted to cry for Gideon, hug him, and wrap him in bubble wrap so nothing else could hurt him about a dozen times throughout the novel.
Their dynamic. I'm a simple girl. Boy x girl who learn there's more to the other than what they think—10/10.

Wow I was not expecting to love this so much. 5/5 stars!
Thank you St. Martin's Press (especially you, Alexis) for granting me an ARC.

I basically read it all in one sitting because I had to know what happened next, THAT ENDING THOUGH??? How am I supposed to live when I need the next book immediately! I loved this dangerous and steamy cat and mouse game that the ML and FL play with each other.
ughhh I love them both so much, they've both been through so much.

This could be your favorite fantasy romance of 2024.

If you like slow burn, enemies to lovers, witches and witch hunters, this story is for you. This book features many of our favorite tropes and executes it incredibly well. The characterization is phenomenal. Each character had their own personality and voice, and gray morality. That's right, there's no perfect characters in this book.

One thing I found interesting about this book is there is a hard magic system. There are checks and balances. There is no one with unlimited power that manifests itself at convenient and plot-thickening times. Also, there are negative consequences to casting powerful spells. I like this concept a lot, as hard magic systems are rarely seen in YA/NA fantasy books. It was a fun system to learn about and super creative.

I would highly recommend this book to fantasy romance lovers. If you're new to fantasy romance, this would be a great place to start.

Thank you to Alexis from Wednesday books for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for providing me a copy of this book! This was a cute fantasy romance read, centered on the relationship between a witch and witch hunter. This is a familiar trope with familiar themes but I still eat it up each time. It had very much Kaguya-Sama vibes, where both parties were attempting to outwit the other while fully aware of their feelings. The romance was very much the focus of this book, but I’m hopeful the world / magic system gets expanded on. The book ends on a major cliffhanger, so I’ll be sure to pick up the next one.

I devoured this book. And I definitely wasn't ready for it to end. Book 2 can't come fast enough, although I have no idea where they are going to go from that ending.

This book pulled no punches. Every character was, at best, morally ambiguous. I loved the MC, and the magic system was creative and well fleshed out.

Definitely recommend.

Wow. Let’s me start off by saying I was not ready for how much I was going to love this book. It’s that high romantic fantasy where you just have a range of emotions. Witch who pretends to be a silly and dumb elite to hide her secret identify. A witch hunter who keeps being outsmarted by said witch and has a tragic backstory…
The banter is phenomenal. The tension is pretty much started from the meeting of the two main characters in the first couple chapters. They are both trying to use each other to get information for the opposing side. They are constantly fighting yet also respecting the wit the other has.
Rune is a secret witch trying to get all the witches out of the kingdom for atonement of telling the authorities her grandmother is a witch. The magic system does use blood magic so trigger warning for self mutilation. She is smart but I like that the author shows her inexperience really with falling in love. I do feel conflicted on her relationship with Alex. I’m hoping the second novel will really discuss if she actually felt more or if she was just pretending. I was very much rooting for her while also sometimes screaming at the book.
Gideon… I didn’t honestly think I could find a name like that attractive but here we are. He is the hero for the town. The captain of the witch hunters who is obliviously to women. His interactions felt realistic because most of the time he kept messing up. I loved that the love interest was dense in actually courting a girl and tries too hard at times.
The chemistry between the two was amazing. I really just loved how it felt like love between two people that are so similar but also opposite sides. I was happy to say it wasn’t a true love triangle but the younger brother of the love interest does show feelings for the main character. It’s definitely best friends older brother trope for sure. But this is a really captivating story that some parts are predictable but others left my jaw on the floor. I can’t wait to read the sequel!