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


This was the PERFECT ending to Rune and Gideon’s story, and I enjoyed it even more than the first one.

The author did a really magical thing in this book where we got to do enemies to lovers all over again, but this time with even more baggage and angst. Their fear of betrayal and old habit of trying to stay one step ahead of the other sets their relationship back a bit in a believable way, and it’s great to see them get to an even stronger place than they were in the first.

Once they start scheming together the plot really takes off, and I thought this book made the political struggle even more of a factor than the first, something I thought was missing.

I loved how so many side characters came together to work towards their own kind of future, it was lovely to read.

I absolutely recommend this book. I loved every second and already miss this world and these characters.

Thank you to the publisher for the copy.

I devoured this book in one day! So thankful to get an early copy!

The banter between Gideon and Rune was on point in this book. I was cackling at their barbs!

This whole book had my palms sweating till the very end!

Wow!! This finale 100% delivered everything I wanted and more!

Picking up shortly where the last book left off, Rune is trying to get Cressida an army and Gideon is hunting Rune to stop it.

The dynamic between Rune and Gideon, they have this I could kill you at any moment, but I just can't make myself and I would really like to kiss you instead, but I won't because we hate each other... or do we? Thing going on, and I just ate it up. We have plenty of scheming and plotting leading up to this big finale ending that was full of twists and surprises that I didn't see coming.

The characters are wonderful and so complex I was fully immersed from beginning to end, and while I'm sad this series is over I definitely see a reread in my immediate future!

Heartless Hunter was one of my favorite reads in 2024, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Rebel Witch. I had very high expectations going into this, and I’m excited to say Rebel Witch surpassed my hopes. This was the perfect conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology. Ciccarelli brought back the tension and chemistry between Rune and Gideon while amping up the stakes following the fallout events in Rebel Witch. The plot for this book was very well balanced while moving at a pretty rapid pace. There was plenty of action, intrigue, and schemes to keep readers on their toes. There was also a major plot twist that I did not see coming, and I love when a book can surprise me. I particularly appreciated Rune’s growth and development in this book. She had to come to terms with the choices she made, the consequences of those choices, and deciding how to move forward with her life. I also loved the found family and friends that had Rune and Gideon’s back even when their choices went against what their friends were raised to believe in. Overall, this book is simply amazing, and this duoloyg is a must read.

To preface this, I loved Heartless Hunter. It was one of my favorite reads of last year.

So where did this one go wrong? Why did reading this make me question if I ever even liked the first book?

Let me try to tell you in the least spoilery way possible.

This book was a trope-filled mess of the same arguments being told to the reader over and over. The main characters had so much plot armor that it felt like there were no stakes. And their bickering felt like two children who aren’t getting what they want. Except they desperately just want to have sex with each other every five seconds. There was no plot or character development for most of the book. All of the plot elements were SO predictable and the ending was just a perfectly tied bow.

If you’re a fan of the same old romantasy tropes being used over and over and a plot that’s never ending and predictable, then you may like this book.

But I am Incredibly disappointed in it.

A beautiful end to a wonderful duology! From the beginning, the yearning and tension between Rune and Gideon was perfect! The back and forth/ will they wont they between Rune and Gideon had me on the edge of my seat. I could not put this book down!! The different curses that witches cast were clever and really added to the story. Despite guessing some of the plot points, I still throughly enjoyed the book and it left me wanting so much more! I would gladly read a book about Rune and Gideon starting their family and living in the new world! Wish this was more the just a duology!!!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the ARC of Rebel Witch.

I am always nervous with sequels to books I am absolutely obsessed with. Will the second be as good? Will the story conclude in a way that I like? Will I be as obsessed with book 2 as book 1? WELL!!! Kristen Ciccarelli did it and I am thoroughly as obsessed with Rune and Gideon as I was in Heartless Hunter/Crimson Moth. This conclusion sat so well with me, and I could continue to stay in this world and read about my favorite witch and witch hunter until the ends of times.

This was a solid read for me and I was so glad to continue the duology after reading an ARC of Heartless Hunter last year! I enjoyed the fast pace of the narrative and how it never really slowed down for me to have a chance to get bored. The pining and tension of true enemies to lovers was top notch, as was the forced proximity. Unfortunately, I felt a lot of the plot was repetitive and predictable. The FMC and MMC went back and forth getting into one scrape or another, only to have the other person save them in the nick of time. Still ate it up within a matter of days, though!

Literally everything I wanted and more. It was so romantic, and had non-stop action. it's a book I'd read again and I'm so grateful for being invited to view it!

Am I exhausted after binge reading this in less than 24 hours? YES. Do I regret it? Absolutely not. Worth it!

This book had me yelling at the characters, pacing, crying and everything else in between.

Bravo. Bravo. No notes.

Oh my goodness me.

Firstly, I got this book at the most randomest time on the most randomest day, and LET ME TELL YOU WHAT A BLESSING IN DISGUISE IT WAS TO COME.

I just want to thank NetGalley and Wednesday so so very much for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rune and Gideon are at it again in this wrap up to Ciccarelli’s enemies to lovers romantasy, and it did not disappoint for one minute.

Funny enough, getting this arc was so unexpected I didn’t even reread the first one. But since I liked the first one so much, I pretty much remembered everything about it.

Some Note include:

1. The Writing: OH MY GOD KRISTEN you make it look so easy!!! How can you possibly make a story sound so beautifully compelling, and mesmerizing with every word and sentence you used to write this? Not to mention it was also super easy to follow and going back and forth between Gideon and Rune’s point of view was quite seamless.

Some of the quotes had me 🥵

2. The World Building: I can’t see anything in my head to begin with (aphantasic hoorayyyy *insert my sarcastic tone of voice) BUT this felt so vivid to read! I like to think the world was built a bit modernized without technology: kind of like 19th London with Witches and a bit of steampunk involved so in that sense it was freaking awesome.

3. Characters:

Gideon - listed as an immediate book boyfriend.
Rune - loved her about 90% of the time, with a 10% annoyance.
Side Characters - also fun and added angst, tension, and nail biting scenes in the plot too.

4. Back and Forthness of the Plot:

- Crazy Witches and morives? Always a great one to read about. The Rosebloods are psychopaths.

- The Cat and Mouse aspect I loveddddd between Gideon and Rune.

- A few repetitive moments and predictable twists in the plot that made it a teeny little boring (spoilers not to be disclosed), but still fun to read.


This was really great overall, and I’m sad Rune and Gideon’s story has come to an end. Definitely up there as one of my favorite YA couples though.

READ IT. LOVE IT. ENJOY IT.

Because I sure did 🤧🤧🤧

The way that I loved this 🫠
Truly couldn’t put it down. The tension between Rune and Gideon was EVERYTHING. I’ve been craving a romantasy book with more tension and less smut, and this hit the mark for me.
Now I will say, it wasn’t 100% perfect (no book is, let’s be real). I found it to be fairly predictable in some parts, and I wish certain storylines from book one could’ve been expounded on a bit more in book two- but all in all, it didn’t hinder the story for me. I ate it up and left no crumbs. I actually forgot how much I liked these characters until I dove back in. I was so sad to close the door on this world. If a follow-up novella were to happen and give us a glimpse of the “after” for several of the characters, I wouldn’t be mad 😇

HUGE thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read the arc!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Rune Winters and Gideon Sharpe are more at odds than ever. The book opens with the two reeling from the deep betrayals and shocking secrets they faced in Heartless Hunter. How can they ever trust each other again, even though they desperately want to? Circumstances force Rune and Gideon together, and the feelings they've tried so hard to suppress return to the surface. Amid discoveries that alter their world and deadly encounters that press them to their very limit, Rune and Gideon must decide what they will sacrifice to save the one they love.

What a stunning conclusion to this epic duology! I ignored my family just to read this book. I truly did not know how the story would end and at times it was very stressful, but that made it such fun to read! I was very invested in the characters and loved watching them discover their true strength. The love story is beautiful and I did cry--not just tear up--truly cry. I absolutely adored this duology and I really feel that this was the perfect second half of the story. Everyone should read these books!

Heartless Hunter was one of my favorite reads of 2024. Rebel witch is already one of my favorites of 2025!

Thanks to the publishers & Netgalley for the ARC Copy. I devoured this as soon as i was able to read this.

Oh I devoured this!!!! This book is action packed from the very beginning. It’s a forbidden romance at its finest. I can’t get over that ending!!! It was a little rushed, but it was so good. I can’t help but want more of these characters and of the story! I hope there are some short stories or something released to expand on this world. It’s tied up well, but I feel like there is so much more to be explored. I would even love to see an interconnected series with some of the other characters (bc I’m in love with them).

I already can’t wait to reread this duology!

Giving it 4.5 stars, possibly rounded up to 5. I just really wish the ending had been expanded.

Rebel Witch took everything I loved about Heartless Hunter/Crimson Moth—the tension, the slow-burn romance, the high-stakes magic—and turned it up to eleven. This sequel is darker, more intense, and absolutely impossible to put down.

Rune and Gideon’s story picks up right where we left off, and let me tell you, the angst is unreal. The stakes are higher, the betrayals cut deeper, and the push-and-pull between them is so deliciously painful. Every stolen glance, every forbidden moment had me screaming internally. Kristen Ciccarelli knows how to make you ache for a romance, and Gideon and Rune’s dynamic is just so good—full of longing, guilt, and undeniable chemistry.

But this book isn’t just about the romance (even though, let’s be honest, it owns my heart). The world-building expands beautifully, pulling us deeper into the rebellion, the magic, and the consequences of every choice. The twists?? I gasped. More than once. There were moments that broke me and moments that had me flipping pages at lightning speed because I had to know what happened next. Couldn’t put it down!

If you loved Heartless Hunter, Rebel Witch will wreck you in the best way. It’s full of betrayal, heartache, and a romance that burns—slow, agonizing, and so worth it. Buckle up, because this one hurts (but in a way you’ll love).

I’m so happy that these book ended up being my first five star read for 2025. Crimson Moth was my first five star read for 2024 and Kristen knocked it out of the park with this one. Since this is the second book in this duology I’ll try to avoid spoilers as much as I can 🖤 This is a dual pov fantasy romance with enemies to lovers of the greatest kind, a witch and a witch hunter.
We do get pov of both MMC and FMC,
Gideon is a witch hunter who has been hunting a witch known as the crimson moth. Rune is a high society girl, hiding in the aristocratic lifestyle. ✨ This leaves off right where the first one ends and I could not be happier being back in this world full of witches. The drama that goes down during this book is intense, I couldn’t put this book down. My first sitting of reading I got through 40% of the book. Gideon and Rune’s chemistry is strong enemies to lovers as they are constantly pulling at my heart strings throughout this book. The magic system is this world I also found unique with the way witches have to cast their spells using their blood. There are also heists featured in both books. I cannot recommend this series enough. If you haven’t picked it up yet, what are you waiting for ? ✨ I’d look up triggers/ warnings before reading 🖤

Book One was so utterly heartbreaking. Rune was tasked with deceiving Gideon, a witch hunter, in order to obtain information from him so she could free witches in captivity. Except, somewhere along the line she fell for him. Until he showed her that he couldn’t be trusted when he learned about her true nature and was going to turn her in. So she accepted a proposal from his brother, but things continued to go downhill and now Alex is dead. Gideon loathes her and wants to end her very existence. He felt played, as though her feelings were never real when it came to him under the thinking that she was in love with his brother the whole time.

Fast forward to book two and there she is. In the arms of a prince. Flaunting their “love” for each other. Gideon is ready to strike, he just has to wait for the opportunity to present itself. It does take long until it does. Gideon has Rune cornered in the bathroom, gun poised ready to go, but IS SHE CRYING? He hesitates. But his hesitation costs him because he is soon discovered and in the grasps of Cressida. The woman who struck his hatred for witches. The very woman who did unthinkable things to him. Who wants him to be hers but Rune is in the way.

Book two was such a whirlwind. The amount of times I have screamed just openly communicate you two, there is so much misunderstanding happening between the two of them. There are so many twists in this book and I shall share not a single one of them with you because you are about to have your mind blown in the best way.

What an ending to the duology.

Thank you Wednesday books for the eARC. This was such a blast to read!

An action packed, emotional conclusion that had me on my toes from start to finish! Huge fan of the enemies to forbidden lovers to enemies to reluctant lovers action going on! We had a lot of characters from book 1 returning and got to learn a lot more about them, and we also got introduced to some new characters! There were twists and turns and things I certainly did not see coming. I appreciated how everything wrapped up in the end.

This is a fantastic fantasy romance duology and I absolutely recommend!

Thank you to Wednesday books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

4.25⭐️ 1.5/2🌶️

Man do I love Rune and Gideon and just this whole duet and I’m sad it’s over! Listen, yes the miscommunication can get really tiresome at times and will drive you absolutely mad! But it’ll all be worth it in the end, and this was a beautiful conclusion to the story.

I can’t believe this duology is over and I thought this was honestly better than Heartless Hunter! Everything was amplified with such a relentless pacing - the undeniable chemistry and tension, the raw emotions and deep feelings of betrayal, heartbreak and absolute desperation. The YEARNING. Their moral compass, constantly battling the bigger impact of their love vs giving into what they yearn for. If you’re looking for a true ennemies to lovers - this is it.

Similarity to how I felt with Heartless Hunter, I really think making this YA felt forced and did the book a MASSIVE disservice. Both for the romance but also the plot and the world, which could’ve dove deeper into the darker themes.

Flag on my end here with a spicy scene? This was not closed door imo… and I read a lot of it so I was here for it but I don’t think this belongs in a book that can be read by a 12/13yo.