Heartless Hunter

Since there is not a description for the book yet:

"A steamy game of cat and mouse between witch and witch-hunter, played out against a backdrop of opulence, secrets, and bloody history.

On the night Rune’s life changed forever, blood ran in the streets. Now, in the aftermath of a devastating revolution, witches have been diminished from powerful rulers to outcasts ruthlessly hunted due to their waning magic, and Rune must hide what she is.

Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe - a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution - who she can't help but find herself falling for.

Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?

Kristen Ciccarelli’s Heartless Hunter is the thrilling start to a romantic fantasy duology where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch...is falling in love."

And I loved it ♥

Надзичайне виконання, цікавий сюжет і досить хімії між головними героями. Авторка добре порозставляла підказки і вже десь на 70% було зрозуміло, хто головний винуватець. Хоча задоволення від читання це аж ніяк не віднімало.

Окрім цього велика кількість деталей збивала з пантелику і було важко визначити, яка з них відіграє надалі ключову роль. Тому серце часто завмирало з побоюванням. А що якщо вода в склянці отруєна? А що якщо Гідеон впізнає коня в конюшні? А якщо помітить знак на піджаку? А перстень? Чому Харроу так наполегливо зводила Гідеона і Рун, а потім вдавала, що вона там ні до чого? Були також деякі не до кінця продумані місця:1) Гідеон жодного разу не подумав, що окрім Молі в місті діють інші чаклунки. Не кажучи вже про те, щоб нагамагатися зробити якийсь портрет поведінки Молі. Будь-які події приписували тільки їй.2) І погроза на стіні теж одразу приписалася Молі. Хоча там не було підпису, який вона всюди залишала.3) Ніхто не додумався під час революції залишити книги з закляттями, щоб розуміти, що вони означають? Серйозно? Також залишилося кілька непояснених місць:1) Чому існують тільки чарівниці і немає відьмаків?2) Що саме Серафін мала пояснити Рун?3) Чому поведінка матері Гідеона перед смертю так нагадувала збожеволілу чарівницю?4) Чи справді Сестри Королеви були такими жорстокими? Гідеон був досить слабким як на головного чоловічого персонажа:1) Чомусь він вважав своє нещасне минуле цілком задовільним приводом до того, щоб почати масово вбивати чарівниць. Навіть 13-літніх дівчаток, які до того ж мали батьків не чарівників.2) Він пішов на уступки з совістю, коли погодився утискати права своїх співгромадян, навіть без жодних обґрутувань. 3) Він два роки недобачав, що Добрий Командир не виконав своїх передреволюційних обіцянок і навколо надалі панує бідність і розруха.4) Просто програв свій військовий жетон у карти?!

Найращий момент у книзі був на її половині: прекрасні тарапати і чудовий спосіб з ними впоратися.
Також досить потужний кінець, однак мене не пробрало так, як сподівалася. І досі залишається багато запитань без відповідей. Схоже, доведеться читати другу частину.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

A high 2 stars. Just a very bland and basic YA fantasy romance, with a romance that I just didn't buy.

This isn't awful, but it's completely lacking in depth. Everything is surface-level, even though the characters are supposed to be oh-so clever and the best at what they are doing. Unfortunately, they just come across as idiots and jerks. The included love triangle is annoying and stupid, plus it's immediately clear how that plotline is going to end.

The world-building doesn't make much sense and isn't very intriguing either. The class system, the land, the wider world or the level of technological advancement—it's all a bit muddled. The info-dumping is kind of clumsy and all of the writing feels clunky. Not bad, but slightly awkward.

I also don't think that this is the kind of book that has a large crossover appeal. It's just SO VERY young adult. When people complain about books being too YA, this kind of plot and characterization come to mind. It just wasn't believable to me.

There are books out there that do the witch/witch hunter dynamic much better in my opinion. This version of it just wasn't my cup of tea. There are some great ideas in this, but the execution just didn't work.

Just so disappointed... started off pretty strong but then the plot, the relationships and character motivations started falling apart and not making sense. Felt like they just gave up on the plot part way through.

First off, I'm not a fan of enemies to lovers because there are few that are done well, this was one of those examples of why the trope doesn't work. The relationship between the MC's was purely lust driven. They never came to any understanding or developed any real connection. Felt like a really forced enemies to lovers trope. The romance was not believable, Alex and Rune's relationship made way more sense...

Gideon was SOOOO unlikeable. Throughout the whole book he was basically a brainwashed nazi.

It was fine. Fast-paced with interesting characters and world building. BUT. Let's talk about elephant in the room.

First of all, this book is marked as young adult. And yes, you feel it when you read it, but a SEX SCENE? With details? As I know, Young Adult genre features girls from 13 years old to 18 years old. And I understand 18 years old reading it, but a 13 girl? Well, no.

Next point. Magic system. I don't really think it is a spoiler, because it's seems like something that could trigger some people. Run a blood for spells? Cutting yourself for magic? Yes, it's unique, but it can be hard to read for certain people. Probably you should consider this fact before reading.

The next point - predictable plot. I understood who is who half way through the book. It's not a bad stuff, but for me it wasn't a surprise though. I enjoyed some of the scenes and characters. The chemistry was there, but not a lot of it.

The book is fine. I would recommend it to some people, but I didn't get the 5 star feeling. And some of topics featured above really put me off the book.

Oh my gosh, I DEVOURED this book.

I'm not too sure why, but as soon as I picked up this book, I was unable to put it down. I spent an entire sitting reading it, and before I knew it, it was all over. Maybe it just fit with the mood I was in at the time, but it was easy to read and had just enough sprinkled in to keep me hooked on the building relationship between our lovely Rune and brooding Gideon.

Kristen Ciccarelli manages to throw sudden plot twists and scenes at me. While I had an inkling of what was going on behind the scenes, I was not expecting it to go a step further to reveal what it did. It's a darn shame that it ended where it did, because things had been left at such a delicious plot point. But knowing that a sequel will be out keeps me content for now.

I wouldn't say this is a perfect book, but I enjoyed every minute of it. Every time I put it down, I found myself picking it right back up again, needing to know what was going to happen. This book has great tension, and I could never predict what would happen next, or how Rune was going to get herself out of the various corners she finds herself in.

I do wish it had ended differently, but I'll definitely be picking up the next book when it comes out.

I really enjoyed this book. The witchy + historical romance + enemies to lovers is so good! I would recommend this book to anyone who likes watching 2 enemies attempt to out-smart the other, while falling for each other along the way.

The Rune and Gideon are great characters, and I loved the pining best friend trope as well with Alex. It is gut wrenching watching him just be in the friend zone and struggle to move out of it.

The story was well written, and I loved Rune as our main character. I loved watching her though process on how to outwit Gideon while also continuing to save her fellow witches and avoid suspicion and being caught along the way. Then, watching her fall for Gideon while trying to resist? So good! The same for Gideon, we love a grumpy man who falls for the socialite against his better judgement.

The twist at the end I was not expecting but I loved it. I can't wait for book 2, because it truly will be an enemies to lovers story and I am pumped for it!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

4.5 stars but in a rare twist of events, I'm rounding up lol. THIS WAS SO GOOD. The pacing, the world building, the characters, the magic system, and the slow burn romance.

I read the whole thing in one sitting and need the next one now please!!

¿POR QUÉ NADIE ESTÁ HABLANDO DE ESTA JOYA?

Iba con 0 expectativas y un poco a la aventura sin saber qué me iba a encontrar. Me ha encantado, el mundo, la premisa, los personajes, un verdadero enemies to lovers... ¿Qué se supone que tengo que hacer hasta que salga el segundo?

Si os gusta la fantasía de brujas, el romance, el enemies to lovers, este es vuestro libro.

SO FUCKING GOOD RTC WHENEVER BRAIN STOPS SPINNING

Okay I'm back and ready to talk. This was fucking amazing. Let's get the easy stuff out of the way. The author is so incredibly talented when crafting a world and not wasting a moment of your time. Truthfully, from the first page I was enthralled and not once did I feel like the words on the pages weren't absolutely necessary.

In a world where witches are outlawed, Rune finds herself saving all those she can from persecution while a deadly witch hunter is always on her trail. I don't even want to give you more because oh my god all the turns and the road you take is just too good to spoil. Rune is accompanied by these friends you fall in love with and god is my heart broken there. With her disguise as an aristocrat shallow girl, we get glimpses of designer clothes and elegant balls while watching our girl scheme to charming the pants off of anyone for information on her next mission.

GIDEON fucking Gideon. I shed tears for this man. This witch hunter is fuel by hate and set on the mission to kill the Crimson Moth. This man has my heart yall. The softness to him is something we only got a glimpse of and I cannot wait to watch their relationship bloom.

I felt so much for this book. I have read over 200 books now since my reading revival and truly not one book has made me feel so many emotions. The last 100 pages was a whirlwind of disgust, tears, and happiness. I seriously cannot wait to for the next book. I'm not religious but I am PRAYING for the release date to be pushed up. How can y'all be waiting years for books??

(DNF) Wasn't for me, but will appeal to others.

There are YA books that easily bridge the gap to adult books and then there are YA books that feel young. This book feels young, despite containing adult themes.

The writing is very simple. There's not a lot of variety to the sentence structure and the descriptions of characters are very black and white . I felt like I was being spoon fed everyone's feelings and motivations instead of letting their actions speak for themselves.

It was giving me How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days vibes in that the two characters seemed to be working against each other while outwardly pretending otherwise. It didn't feel as serious as I would have expected despite hints at more serious topics appearing later in the book. I'm not qualified to speak for the plot overall as I didn't finish it.

Pros: It would probably be easy to read and there is some promising world building, so if you don't see a problem with my issues above it might be worth a try. But I would definitely recommend downloading a sample first to see if you vibe with the writing. I personally couldn't get past it, but maybe the plot would have pulled me in eventually.

“Heartless Hunter” plunges readers into a whirlwind fantasy teeming with classic tropes, from enemies to lovers and friends to lovers, to political intrigue and shocking betrayals. The novel introduces us to a captivating dynamic between an outlaw vigilante and her righteous counterpart, weaving a tale of fake dating that adds an enticing layer to their complex relationship.

The narrative thrives on its adventurous spirit and the exhilarating cat-and-mouse game between the main characters, whose palpable tension and fiery exchanges are the book's standout features. However, the novel garners a modest three-star rating. Despite its promising plot and engaging tropes, “Heartless Hunter” falls short in several critical areas. The character development feels somewhat superficial, with protagonists lacking the depth and emotional resonance needed to fully connect with the reader. The world-building also leaves more to be desired, as the setting sometimes feels like a backdrop rather than an integral part of the story. Additionally, the anticipated angst that often enriches such tumultuous relationships is notably mild, detracting from what could have been a profoundly stirring narrative.

Overall, “Heartless Hunter” offers an enjoyable escape with its intriguing plot and lively interplay of classic fantasy elements. Yet, it could have soared higher with more robust character exploration, immersive world-building, and a deeper dive into the emotional undertows that define the genre.

This was my first Kristen Ciccarelli book, and I can promise you it will not be my last. I don't know what it is about her writing but I absolutely just fell in love with it.

Rune is a witch in hiding as she is being hunted, but also goes out at night to save witches that the Regime has captured. She decides to court Gideon, who is a witch hunter so she can get more intel. He courts her as he believes she may be the witch he's been hunting. Every scene between the two of them felt like a chess match - both trying to outsmart the other constantly.

This is truly what Enemies to Lovers should be. A battle between each other and themselves. Not a page went by where I could stop reading. I read most of it in one day!

Definitely a 2024 favourite already!

Thank you Wednesday Books for the Advance Readers Edition!!

This was an amazing book filled with all the tension and other worldliness that I think of when I think of a Witchy Read. Ciccarelii has written an Enemies to Lovers romance that truly sets the bar for what can be done with this trope, especially when blended in with the Brothers Best Friend subtrope. With World building this vivid and detailed I cannot wait to see how the author will build on this for the nxt book.

Thank you St Martin's Press and Net Galley for sharing this arc with me!

This book was such a a great read! It had good pacing for both plot and the development of the relationships which k really appreciated. The overall story was really intriguing and kept me wanting more. The magic system was super interesting and I loved the little tidbits before some chapters giving details about it.