Thank you to PRH for the #gifted audiobook of Rebel Witch. Heartless Hunter was one of my standout reads of 2024, and after that cliffhanger, Rebel Witch became a need. This sequel picks up seamlessly, raising the stakes while deepening both the characters and their relationships.

Rune and Gideon’s dynamic is enemies-to-lovers at its finest, and as their connection strengthens, it does so in a way that feels both earned and compelling. I loved how it all came together. I chose the audiobook edition, and the narrator’s performance was fantastic—capturing both voices with precision and nuance. If you're looking for a series that blends tension, mystery, and intrigue, this one is well worth your time.

Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli is the thrilling, high-stakes conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology and wow, does it take you on a ride. If Heartless Hunter hooked me, this one completely consumed me. From the very first page, the pacing is relentless, dropping you right back into the chaos with no time to catch your breath.

The tension between Gideon and Rune is everything. Their push and pull, the constant battle between trust and betrayal, is the beating heart of this book. I was on edge the entire time, second-guessing every move they made. I get that some might think the back and forth was a bit much, but honestly? It worked. Every choice, every twist felt shaped by their tangled emotions, and I couldn’t get enough.

he emotional weight, the action, the sheer intensity it was all there. And somehow, I loved this one even more than Heartless Hunter.

This duology is something special, and Rebel Witch was a wild, emotional, and deeply satisfying conclusion.

"If this was weakness, he wanted to be weak. If this was sin, let him be damned to hell."

If you loved Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli, then you will devour and become obsessed with Rebel Witch!

“You are far worse than a thorn in my side. You are a knife in my heart.”

The stakes really are higher, the chemistry and tension are explosive, the banter was chef’s kiss, and the enemies to lovers vibes are ON POINT! The plot kept me on my toes the entire book, and it was so cleverly done. This book reminded me of all the reasons why I love YA fantasy.

I could not get enough of the romance between Rune and Gideon. They kept me so giddy with all their interactions! These two wanted to unalive each other so much, but their feelings kept getting in the way, and ahhhh! So delicious!

I am now in need a novella. I neeeeed more from Rune and Gideon!

- enemies to lovers
- witch x witch hunter
- forbidden romance
- end of a duology
- ya romantasy

5 stars. No notes. I’m so unwell I fear the crimson moth duet is going to become apart of my personality!! I am very down bad for Rune Winters & Gideon Sharpe!! 🫠

This is the sequel but reasons you should read this duet:
☺︎︎ Enemies to Lovers to Enemies…and so on
☺︎︎ Witch & Witch Hunter
☺︎︎ Mega Trust issues
☺︎︎ knife to the throat 🔪
☺︎︎ Slow burn romance
☺︎︎ there’s only one bed
☺︎︎ Tons of Banter, Sass & fights 🤭

I loved heartless hunter so I was so excited to jump into Rebel Witch!

Kristen Ciccarelli did an incredible job expanding the world that she has created. I fell in love with Rune & Gideon all over again. The plot was fast paced, the vibes were so immaculate and there was never a dull moment while reading. Rebel Witch is packed with action, non stop scheming and twists right from the first chapter.

Rune, my girl, her development is phenomenal especially seeing her rise above all her trauma and pain 😭 Gideon, I loved (and hated him) in Heartless Hunter but in Rebel Witch he solidified his spot on my book boyfriends list. WOW. He’s so hot, protective and this book was full of unforgettable moments with Rune that had me BLUSHING 🤭

If you love high stakes fantasy romance with intense chemistry and edge of your seat danger, The Crimson Moth Duet is a must read!!

Kristen Ciccarelli’s Rebel Witch delivers the high-stakes, angst-filled finale we’ve been waiting for—brimming with magic, betrayal, and just the right amount of will-they-won’t-they tension between Rune and Gideon. 💥🔥

💔 The Drama: Rune and Gideon’s relationship? A slow-burning, stabby, enemies-to-lovers-to-maybe-something-more masterpiece. Their chemistry is undeniable, but with literal life-or-death stakes, trust is a luxury neither of them can afford.
✨ The Magic & Action: The plot moves FAST. Political intrigue, deadly magic, and a rebellion that could reshape their entire world. Ciccarelli keeps the tension high, and the magic system continues to shine.
🎁 The Ending: Here’s where I struggle—everything wrapped up a little too neatly. After the chaos of book one, I expected a messier, more unpredictable conclusion. Don’t get me wrong, it was satisfying! But it lacked some of the gut-punch moments that made The Heartless Hunter a full 5-star read for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5—An exciting, beautifully written, and swoony finale that ALMOST reached the heights of book one. If you loved The Crimson Moth, you’ll be turning these pages faster than a witch on the run!

Big thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

When I say I want Romantasy, THIS is what I mean!! Enemies to lovers!! Magic!! Darkening eyes!!

We even got a “who did this to you?” and I may have squealed aloud (super embarrassing since I was secretly reading this at the office)

This also proves that we need more duologies vs 5-10 book series. You can still do a lot in 2 books! The plot moved along nicely and we got a resolution and I don’t have to sign up for the next 3-8 years of my life to be waiting to find out the ending

“I may not know Rune Winters, but I know the Crimson Moth, and she is no caged thing.”

Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli
Release date: February 18th, 2025
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Age rating:17+
Spice:Ch 71 pages 406-410

Thank you and Netgalley for this arc. Guys this book was EVERYTHING! It has everything I love from a romantasy, it was incredible. I was hooked the entire time. This brought me out of the reading slump I’ve had since the beginning of February and I’m so happy. I laughed, I cried, and I screamed. I binged this book in one day. I sat down and didn’t do anything for four hours it was SO GOOD! The plot was interesting and fast paced. The twists that happened were so good. I had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next. The character are amazing and I love them so much. Rune and Gideon *insert me screaming into a pillow* I love them so much. They are everything to me. Their relationship was a true enemies to lovers and I ate it up. The tension and banter between these two was just incredible. They had me blushing, giggling, and kicking my feet. Like I’m pretty sure my family was wondering if I was okay. I also cried at one point, and other times I had to fight the urge to cry like guys I just can’t it was so good. This book had me throwing my kindle I’m not even joking, something would happen and I’d just throw my kindle onto my bed far away from me. I’m going to go so I don’t ramble for thirty minutes so please go read this duology! It’s so good and perfect if you’re in a romantasy mood!

A swoony conclusion to the duology. Luna and Gideon are embroiled in the ultimate cat and mouse game. Will he get the revenge he swore she deserves or will she successfully get Cressida back on the throne. As they say best laid plans go awry and soon both Luna and Gideon find their priorities changing as they realize they must work together to defeat a greater enemy. While the conclusion definitely felt a bit rushed, overall this was a quite the romp. I loved the back and forth between Rune and Gideon. Readers won't be disappointed.

4.5⭐️

This duology is about Rune Winters, a witch hiding in plain sight as an “air-headed” heiress. But Rune is also none other than the notorious Crimson Moth, a vigilante rescuing other witches from the Republic. Gideon Sharpe is a witch hunter tasked with catching the Crimson Moth. When he suspects Rune Winters may have information on her whereabouts, he pretends to court her, leading to a deadly game of cat and mouse.

This was such a great conclusion to the series! I really enjoyed Heartless Hunter, so I was excited to read the sequel and I actually ended up loving this one more. I love the tension and angst between Rune and Gideon, and their banter had me entertained from the first chapter. I am really happy with the direction the book took and I highly recommend this duology to anyone who loves YA fantasy books. I am sad that this series is complete, but I am excited to see what Kristen Ciccarelli writes next.

What to expect:
🖤 YA Romantasy
🖤 Enemies-to-Lovers
🖤 Witch x Witch Hunter
🖤 Forbidden Love
🖤 Slow burn

Thank you to Kristen Ciccarelli, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“What kind of girl falls for someone who despises her very nature? Who wants her dead?”

I loved Heartless Hunter (a/k/a The Crimson Moth) and with the way that book ended I was so worried about where the story was going to go and how Rune and Gideon were going to find their way back to each other (if that was even possible).

Without spoiling anything, I can safely say that this book was another roller coaster of emotions. I screamed and cried at the ending and even said to myself, “There’s no way it ends like that, right?!?!?!”. Well, luckily there were still 10 pages or so to go and things in fact did not end like that. 👍🏻

I was able to guess the plot twist easily. I’m not sure if it was obvious because the author definitely could have chose to not go that route, but when thinking of the overall picture, it made sense that that was the outcome.

Rune and Gideon served some of the best enemies to lovers that I’ve ever read! Kristen’s writing is superb and you are really drawn into the story. If you loved book 1 in this duology, I have no doubt you will love this one just as much!! ♥️

Rebel Witch releases February 18, 2025 and while I know that’s a long time from now, I promise you it is worth the wait!

Thank you so much St. Martins Press/Wednesday Books for an advanced reader copy! I loved this story so much and I’m hoping this is not the end of reading about this world. Give me alllll the spin-offs @kristenciccarelli!

Rebel Witch is a fantastic conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology, bringing all the tension, betrayal, and impossible choices to a gripping finale. Rune and Gideon’s dynamic is electric, filled with love, hate, and everything in between as they navigate a world that’s stacked against them. Kristen Ciccarelli does an amazing job writing these characters, making you feel every ounce of their struggle and emotion. The stakes are high, the action is intense, and the romance is just as deadly as promised. I absolutely loved this book and thought it wrapped up the story perfectly!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 4.75 stars
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC of this book via TBR and Beyond Tours in exchange for an honest review!

Rebel Witch is the sequel to Heartless Hunter and follows the story of Rune and Gideon, a witch and a witch hunter faced with an impossible choice!

“The problem with love is the more you try to destroy it, the stronger it becomes.”

I adored everything about the first book and oh my god that ending had me seriously screaming! I loved the emotions I went through and needed to know how the story of Rune and Gideon would continue after the betrayal and the reveals!

First off, the writing style for this duology is amazing! The way the books are written makes it super easy for me to get lost in the story and be truly emerged in what’s happening on the pages! It reads super quickly, is addicting from the very beginning and impossible to put down once you start. There was a slight lull in the middle where it started to become a bit repetitive, but luckily that was over quickly.

The plot is a bit more predictable that the first, but that didn’t mean I didn’t enjoy all that was happening! I loved the progression, the ups and downs and the build-up towards another ending that had my heart breaking in a thousand pieces!

Rune goes through a lot in this book and I did not expect her journey to be like this! She comes out so much stronger after all of it, even with the little hiccup in the middle. She is the Crimson Moth through and through and it was beautiful to see her journey back to herself. Gideon is slowly starting to question all he does and if he made the right choices and I loved seeing him unravel throughout!

Rune and Gideon are true soulmates in my eyes! Their chemistry, the passion and the pull between them is palpable and I loved every second of it! True enemies-to-lovers and amazingly written. I think the highlight of their love was actually shown at the very end! You’ll know what I’m talking about when you read it😉

The ending was EVERTHING I wanted from this book! It was heartbreaking and had me crying and screaming in the middle of the night when reading it! And then the little twist that had me pumping my fists came after that hahahahaha. It was the best and most satisfying ending to this duology!

Overall, Rebel Witch is a perfect sequel and a perfect example of what I love in romantasy books! I would highly recommend this duology for everyone who loves romantasy books, high stakes and enemies-to-lovers!

I’m not sure what I was expecting but this entire book took me by surprise.

It started off in a much different place than I expected after how the first book ended.

There was a lot of action but no real pay off. I was never worried about what the outcome would be, and never feared for any of the characters.

There were no plot twists that I hadn’t already seen coming.

The pacing was slow up. Even when there was a critical moment, there was no urgency from the characters or the writing.

Last but not least, the ending was too clean. I hate when it gets slapped with a big shiny bow and everything ends up being perfect.

I was hoping this sequel would be epic and satisfying, but it just solidified that this duology is not for me.

This book!!! I loved it so much. Could not put it down. The chase, the banter, the tension. It was all so delicious. It's everything I wanted and more for the sequel. The cat and mouse trope could not be better.
I loved the fact that Rune & Gideon were together for most of the book because that's what we want to see. Even if it was to try and unalive the other. The secrets were a bit predictable but loved it all the same. I was giggling and giddy the whole time during their adventure.
If you're a fan of "my wife" and "who did this to you" then you will eat this one up.
Thank you so much to NetGalley for granting my wish on this one. I could not be more thankful

This book has me as obsessed as the first book. The angst between Rune and Gideon is written in such a captivating way that it made me feel their longing for each other. I love that we get to see their internal struggle of fighting to protect the people they care about and doing what is right for each other. It had me truly internalizing their emotions. This book also has its fair share of deceptions and plans that have you wondering who is going to come out on top. It was exciting to read those parts. I love how their characters develop and how it adds to the growth of the plot. The world-building continues to be expanded upon as we learn more about the history of the island and see the world beyond it. There is so much I want to say about this book but I’m afraid I’m going to spoil it, so the last thing I’ll say is to add this to your TBR because it is a must-read.

Rebel Witch is the second and final book in the Crimson Moth duology. It wastes no time, and jumps right into fast paced action. There are plenty of plot twists that kept me guessing throughout the book. Rune’s character continued to be one of my favorites. She’s such a strong, intelligent, and calculating FMC. I also loved Gideon, and his stubbornness, in this book. The enemies to lovers romance that ensued was full of tension and was just so good. I could literally feel the yearning they had for each other at times! The ending did feel a little bit rushed to me, but overall it was a really enjoyable read!

I am so happy I got an ARC for this book because the minute I finished the Crimson Moth (and that brutal cliffhanger) I was able to jump right into Rebel Witch. I needed to know immediately what was happening. I have such a love/hate affair with cliffhangers because I love them, but I hate waiting for the next book!

Additionally, I have been loving duologies lately. It’s the exact amount of information I want. That first book to set everything up and a second book to pack it in.

The enemy to lovers trope was done so well with the witchand witch hunter forced to work together. Rune and Gideon had chemistry that was through the roof. It was absolutely undeniable. These books are so well done!

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

@kristenciccarelli has outdone herself with the ending of her duology featuring Heartless Hunter and now the release of Book 2 Rebel Witch.

Heartless Hunter was one of my favorite reads in 2024 and it will be no surprise that Rebel Witch will be one of my 2025 favorite reads.

This book wrapped up the series so phenomenally. It brought me laughs, sadness, tears, and hope. I loved it! Follow Rune Winters as she finds herself again after being betrayed by the captain Gideon Sharpe, the man she loves. Rebel Witch and Witch Hunter, who fell in love amidst secrets.

If you love YA, fantasy, witches, some war… then this is the book duology for you! I loved both of them so dearly.

5 ⭐️s
.5 🌶️

Rebel Witch is available wherever books are sold tomorrow 2/18.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the opportunity to read and review Rebel Witch.

"The problem with love is the more you try to destroy us, the stronger it becomes"

This was a rollercoaster of emotions. The first bit was so frustrating because I just wanted them to TALK to each other. The tension is everything. I ate it up. The way they walked away and crashed back together time and time again. The slowest of slow burns. Like I said, playing with my emotions.

This was a fantastic end to the duology. I do wish the final showdown had been a bit ... More? Idk. It went so fast and felt a little anticlimactic. I'll probably re read it and change my mind, but first impressions and all that. There is so much here that I love but I don't want to spoil anything! Overall, awesome.

This sequel was a beautiful ending to a great beginning.

Runes inner turmoil with loyalty, trust, love, and lust was an enjoyable guiding force through this book.

Rune went from being under Cressida's thumb to finding her strength and cunningness again as the Crimson Moth, then on to dicovering herself as Rune Winters. Her relationship with Gideon was complicated from the beginning to the end, but I would not have wanted it any other way.