Rating this book 5 stars makes me so happy.

I literally screamed when I got the email with the ARC. 7 months early?! I’m honored and privileged and I’m gonna cherish this opportunity forever 🥲😂

This was my most anticipated conclusion to a duology and BOY, DID IT DELIVER. This was EVERYTHING I wanted. Did I predict most of it? Yes. But the execution? Perfection.

MINOR SPOILERS, if you consider tropes and out of context quotes spoilers, so proceed with caution 😙

Kristen gave us one of the best enemies to lovers, will they, won’t they, she gave us pining, tension, the forbidden love, forced proximity, fake dating, HOT anticipation, she gave us a F*CK IT moment 🥵 which, I must say, is my absolute favorite micro trope and I screamed when I read it. Kristen gave us EVERYTHING.

GIDEON “What the hell do you think you’re doing with my wife?” SHARPE, the man that you are 😮‍💨 could I be more in love with this man? The internal battle he’s constantly going through, having to choose between the woman he wants and his believes. The way he wants to protect her, at all cost, even if it puts him at risk 🥲

RUNE’S “TRUTH” SPEECH?! I was unwell. The way I gasped when she said THAT line. Screaming. Crying. Throwing up. I love her character. She had her moments when I was like “what the hell are you doing?!” but she redeemed herself every time.

“I know the Crimson Moth. And she is no caged thing.” The way he knows her 😭 even when he “hated” her, he always knew exactly what she wanted and what she needed. And he let her be herself, didn’t try to change her.

The love declarations were everything. Also, I don’t know how Kristen managed to make closed door romance that hot but she definitely did just that 😮‍💨

The ending was perfect. A great conclusion to the story. The book was action packed, I wasn’t bored for a second, the chapters were often short and I could not put this down!

Oh man, how sad I am to be done with these characters!!

What a wild and emotional end to Rune and Gideon’s story. Rebel Witch took me on a breakneck journey through love, heartbreak, war, and magic.

The scenes between Gideon and Rune were, as always, electric. I could feel the tension sizzling off the page. Their quips and banter is unmatched. I adore how these two just fit together so perfectly, so well matched not despite their differences but because of them. Their romance was so EARNED and fought for.

As an end to the story I quite liked how things wrapped up, though the pacing was perhaps a bit TOO action-packed. It would have been nice to sit with all of our characters a bit more between the last few chapters and the epilogue. (Which is just me being selfish and wanting more time with them to be honest.)

Still, a stunning conclusion for my favourite witches and witch hunters!

First off, if you haven't read Heartless Hunter yet, the first book in the duology, stop what you're doing and order it (it's currently on KU!). I got it as my February BOTM and absolutely loved it. I was dying at the cliffhanger it left the readers on, so I just about screamed when I got an ARC for Rebel Witch.

Rebel Witch picks up a few weeks after Heartless Hunter ends. I don't want to say too much because the release date is still months away, but I think I actually liked this one more than Heartless Hunter! In the first book, Gideon and Rune are playing cat and mouse for the majority of the book. I really enjoyed how in Rebel Witch, they had to work together as a team, despite being enemies. It gave LOTS of forced proximity and tension. I ate it right up, and literally could not put the book down. This duology has scratched the Powerless itch for me, and has been one of my favorite fantasy reads of the year!

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books and St. Martin's Press for the e-arc! I can't wait to get a physical copy for my shelf in February.

Rebel Witch picks up right where we left off in Crimson Moth and as always Kristen knocked it out of the park. Kristen skillfully hints at significant plot developments while ensuring there are some surprising twists at the end. And let me tell you when you get to this twist, you will be feeling ALL THE EMOTIONS. There is one quote from this scene that I wish I could share with you all but you'll just have to read it to find out. Evil laugh.

🦋 Reveals and Secret Identities
🦋 Enemies to Lovers
🦋 Betrayal
🦋 Second Chance Love
🦋 Slow Burn

Rune is still hurting from the recent death of her best friend and trying navigate the this new world where working for either side could get her killed. Her heart still yearns for the Blood Captain but she knows that was all fake, they were both playing each other to get what they wanted. But why can't she stop thinking about him when all he wants to do is kill her? Secrets and hidden identities revealed that might give them and this new world a chance. When given the opportunity to make change, all Rune wants to do is run far away from the threat of war. Can she be the Crimson Moth again? Is the fight worth it?

Please do yourself a favor and read this book when it comes out! I hope you love it as much as I did.

WOW! This is an epic conclusion to this duology and is filled with the same palpable enemies to lovers banter as Crimson Moth. I flew through the first half of this book and was locked in once Gideon and Rune were locked on the ship together. I think this was a necessary development to tie them together after the events of Crimson Moth. This is a duology I think I will find myself picking back up time and time again to step into this lush, challenging, dark, but romantic world the author has created!

I did find the twists in this book very predictable, but I also didn't find myself too upset about seeing the twists coming.

There were just a few things that stopped me from being about to rate Rebel Witch 5 stars like I did Crimson Moth. I thought the first half of the book was incredible, but when we got to the back half, I felt like I lost some of the fire I have expected out of Rune. I know she was broken down, but it almost seemed too apathetic and then there was a transition back into caring, without enough internality for me to see how she got there. I also found Rune's jump to wanting to get married a little rushed, I think I would have liked to have only seen that in the epilogue. There wasn't as smooth of a transition out of enemies to lovers/steamy banter into the lovey dovey attitude towards the end of the book. I kind of wish the author had still made them lovers, but kept some of the snarky banter to make it feel more natural.

Delivers a captivating and satisfying conclusion to the series, featuring a beautifully handled reconciliation between Rune and Gideon, non-stop thrilling action, and a vivid, well-crafted world. The pacing is perfect, keeping readers engaged from start to finish. Highly recommend.

"But they were standing on the cusp of something new. Fragile and shimmering, like a moth emerging from a chrysalis."

At the end of Heartless Hunter we are left with some big questions and anticipation, which for me included how could Gideon and Rune ever overcome the betrayal of each other? At the start of Rebel Witch Gideon is once again hunting Rune, who is now working with Cressida to overthrow the corrupt government of their homeland. This duology is what I find to be a TRUE enemies to lovers romance, with both characters in such opposing positions socially and in their upbringing that it seems they could never be on the same side.

I really liked the development of Rune and Gideon's relationship and was very giddy with the chemistry between the two of them, more so because of how it contradicted their distrust of one another yet they couldn't seem to stay away. It did get repetitive in the first half with how much the two were bouncing between their feelings for each other and then remembering they can't trust the other. Let's just say I was glad to be off the boat by part 2.

In part 3 is where I really think Ciccarelli's writing shines as she so beautifully calls back important plot points and how the characters' relationships and outlooks have developed, as well as bringing home a key theme of this book: a dream of a world no longer divided by who or what you are.

"Because for the first time in her life, she was completely herself. And that was worth everything."

Review: 4.5 stars.

The book starts off with a bang with zero fillers in between. From start to finish the underlying tension between Rune and Gideon is so clutch. The fact that you could feel something for each other yet cannot act on it due to being on the opposite sides and not trusting each other makes it dang angsty at times especially when they are forced to play their parts less they give it away in their game.

Rune is such a strong lead that (Spoiler) When she went through what she felt she needed to, to break Rune’s curse - that literally had me in tears. Gideon, I love how he did not compromise his values on the sole basis of making Rune happy and still see it through the end. The chemistry was oh boyyyy!

The supporting cast of characters shine in this book making it a great balance. We also come to understand how the history of witches came to be and some of the twists added to the book was soo good that I could not put the book down.

This duology is definitely a must-read for fans who love forbidden love, enemies to lovers and a strong assembly of characters with solid worldbuilding.

ARC provided by NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for my honest review

I was so incredibly lucky to receive an ARC for Rebel Witch. I devoured Heartless Hunter and could not wait to jump back into this world. The story picks up a couple months after Rune escapes and Gideon vows to find her and get revenge. It gets right into it. I won't give any spoilers since it's so far out from release date. But this book was excellent. Like I blushed, I cried, I laughed. The amount of angst and heartbreak throughout, killed me. The banter was so well done. I love that both characters are coping with trauma and seeing how they change as people. Honestly, I'm going to be thinking about this book for a while to come!!!!

This sequel is so good and holds up to the first book in my opinion. The love story is so sweet at its core and I really adore the MCs. The political plot was good, though I found it slightly less enticing than the first book. Overall a very solid romantasy duology!

This is the conclusion of the crimson moth (heartless hunter) book series. We continue right where book one left off and we jump into a delicious amount of tension between our enemies and the perfect amount of spice. I found I was satisfied by all the plot points and might even love this book more than book one. I love Gideon and Rune and these two books might be my favorite series of the year. Our tropes are lovers to enemies, fake dating, miscommunication and more miscommunication. Definitely add these two to your tbr and dive into this witchy banter filled romance.

I am a huge fan of Heartless Hunter. I loved that book so much. This book, however, fell very flat to me. It felt like there was too much going on in this book that was not established or introduced in the first book. I felt like Rune was a completely different character in this book. She seemed to not even know who or what she was. The Crimson Moth that was a badass had somehow turned into a woman that just thought of the man she wanted to be with. I wish that this book would have been fleshed out more. I did enjoy some of the romance aspect at the ending with Gideon. That is probable what saved it for me.

As much as this one felt off to me, I plan to read more books from this author in the future.

I screamed when I got access to read Rebel Witch because Heartless Hunter was one of my top reads this year and I couldn’t wait to see how this duology finished! ❤️‍🔥

Spoiler-free review incoming:
Rebel Witch started quick and kept the fast-pace all throughout! It felt like there was always something happening that kept you wondering “what next?!”. We continue with Rune and Gideon’s story, the former being a witch and the latter a witch hunter. Things ended real messy in HH, and it picks up right after that, with both characters working through their feelings, and dealing with the consequences of their actions. 👀

Rebel Witch was incredible, I loved that I got to understand a bit more the magic system, and that lines were blurred so much that sometimes characters you didn’t like you ended up liking and vice versa. The author did a phenomenal job with the push-and-pull from Gideon and Rune and their cat-and-mouse game got even riskier this time around. The stakes were much higher and I think that’s why I couldn’t stop reading! ❤️‍🔥

I adored how the book ended and it really wraps up the duology really nicely 🥰 although Kristen, if you want to add an extra 50 pages of Rune+Gideon content, I’d love to keep reading their adventures 🩵 This duology is at the top of my reads this year!!!🌟

Magically enthralling! The rebel witch has me captivated with its imaginative world-building and enchanting love story. The characters are richly developed, and their journey through a realm of magic and intrigue is both thrilling and emotionally resonant. The writing is vivid and engaging, blending romance and fantasy seamlessly. A must-read for fans of epic adventures and heart-stirring romance.

4/5 ⭐️

I really loved this book! It grabs you right from the start with action, which I appreciated. I was initially concerned that the characters might be separated for too long, but I'm glad that wasn't the case.

Without giving away spoilers, I enjoyed seeing the enemies-turned-lovers theme and the forced proximity that made them work together. This sequel didn't quite reach the same level of obsession for me as the first book did, but I still loved it (obviously since I binged it).

Kristen has such a wonderful writing style, especially in how she portrays witches. Some scenes felt a bit rushed and lacking depth, particularly the ending. I wish there had been more detail and a more drawn-out conclusion.

Despite guessing some plot points ahead of time, it was still enjoyable to see everything unfold. The romance between Gideon and Rune was also so good. Book 1 will forever remain one of my favourite books as well. Overall, I definitely recommend it!

This is everything I could have wanted in the conclusion to the Crimson Moth duology. I’m going to try to keep this review pretty vague so as to not spoil anything for Heartless Hunter or Rebel Witch, but just know that I loved this book so much and cannot wait for it to be out in the world in February 🥲

In my humble opinion, these books are two of the most fun and encompassing Romantasy stories that you could hope for. They are really accessible fantasy reads and especially great for someone just getting into the genre. Rebel Witch has the perfect combination of slow burn, political intrigue, and twists and turns. All the characters, including the side characters on both sides had some brilliant character development, and there were some really fun plot surprises.

The way that Gideon and Rune pine for each other is what enemies to lovers dreams are made of. The absolute loathing is truly there among all the bubbling romantic feelings which I love in an enemies to lovers. Throughout the duology you can tell that although they’re going about it different ways, both Rune and Gideon are so selfless in their determination to make their world a better place. The push and pull of the romance in combination with the constant battling each other to come out ahead in their game of deception made this one impossible to put down.

Without giving anything away, I thought the ending was the perfect conclusion. It was so intense and I definitely shed a few tears. It also definitely leaves things open for more books to come in this universe and I’m hoping that that ends up being the case 👀

In case you couldn’t tell, I LOVED IT! And if you enjoyed HH, I think you’ll love it too.

I’ll be posting this review on Instagram by the end of the week 7/27 and the link to my profile is below.

Kristen Ciccarelli has outdone herself. She has written a masterful, romantic conclusion that made me never wanting this book to end. So buckle up, because this is a wild ride that you won’t want to get off of.

Rebel Witch will catch you off guard as Rune and Gideon continue their game of cat and mouse. Their impeccable tension and banter are top notch. I loved every page, every chapter of this book. The fast pacing and constant turn of events will constantly grip your attention.

I didn’t even read the book blurb I just jumped right into the book, and in doing so made this so fun to read. I would recommend to anyone who read Heartless Hunter to do the same, and go into the story blind. Because I guarantee if you loved the first, you will love the second even more. This novel is perfect. It is everything and more for what I wanted to be the conclusion. I’m still crying that it’s over.

As someone who extremely enjoyed the first book, I didn't think it could get better than the first but this second installment far surpassed my expectations. This was so wonderful and I think I enjoyed it much more than the first. We get so many Rune/Gideon scenes and interactions which I was so grateful for since there was a lot of healing and rebuilding trust that was needed to be done. The beginning was very angst and forbidden love esque as we see Rune and Gideon battle their feelings towards each other and the roles their world has assigned to them that make it impossible for them to be together. Every single chapter had me on my toes itching for more, and can I just say, the author did such a fantastic job with the dual pov. I was equally invested in both characters and was firmly rooting for them until the end. This duology will definitely be on the my top romantasy book rankings. I cannot wait for the final release and to buy my copy on release day~

“Gideon Sharpe will be the end of me.”
Never related to something more…

What an incredible ending to this duology!
You will be drawn in right from the beginning of this book. I missed these characters and this world so much.

Rebel Witch was 100% fast-paced, very thrilling, and so difficult to put down. The chemistry, the tension, the banter, the found family… There’s just something about Kristen Ciccarelli’s writing. I fell in love with her writing style in Heartless Hunter, which is one of my favorite reads of this year. Getting to see more of Gideon & Rune just made my heart so very happy! These characters and this world are so special to me! oh and Gideon Sharpe, THE MAN THAT YOU ARE!! You guys will be swooning so much from this man once again. I want to say more, but I do not want to spoil for anyone! Just know that I absolutely loved Rebel Witch, and it was an amazing ending. There won’t be a day that goes by that I won’t think of this duology. I feel a reread coming very soon🤭

Whatever Kristen writes next, I’M IN!!
**Thank you St. Martins Press for providing me with this ARC! My life is made

5 ⭐️
Touch her and die? ✔️
One bed? ✔️
Enemies to lovers? ✔️
Found family? ✔️
Magic? ✔️
Bad ass FMC? ✔️
Do anything for those you love? ✔️

I absolutely devoured this book. If you’re looking for your next Romantasy obsession look no further than this duology. There were times I was not sure which direction this book was going but I am so glad I went along with wherever Kristen decided to take me tears and all. The beginning middle and end were so well done. Now how do I move past this series 😭

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advance reader copy!