I absolutely loved this book and devoured it in pretty much one sitting!

I loved the with/hunter dynamic and really felt connected to both characters.

I can't wait for the second book!

The Crimson Moth is a book that has been on my TBR since before it even released. I originally got this one as an ARC but never got around to reading it before publication. I have read and loved some of Kristin’s other books in the past so I honestly cannot explain why it took me so long to pick it up. But after one of my book clubs has turned to a book prompt each month instead of a chosen book, I decided to finally pick this one up for February’s ‘Read a book with pink or red on the cover’. I am now kicking myself for not picking this one up sooner, because I absolutely adored everything about this book.

The Crimson Moth is a gender reversed retelling of The Scarlet Pimpernel. This is a story that I personally didn’t know anything about, but that didn’t matter. You can absolutely understand everything about this book not knowing what the original source material is about. It follows Rune, a witch who lives in a world where witch’s use blood magic. And in the past, when witch’s were in charge they cut tattoo like designs on their body to show their power. However, since the revolution witch’s are hunted and killed. Rune hides in plain sight, pretending to be an air-headed socialite when in reality she works as a vigilante saving witch’s from the witch hunter’s clutches. These hunters are desperate to find the ‘Crimson Moth’ and she keeps evading them. Gideon, a key witch hunter starts using Rune to try and find out information about The Crimson Moth, while Rune intends to use him to get information about what witch he is going after next. But when they start to fall for each other, their romance may just have a devastating fall out.

I loved everything about this book. It’s absolutely fantastic and I just couldn’t put it down. From the moment I started reading, I was desperate to find out how everything was going to play out. I really loved that this was told in dual POV. I personally don’t think I’d have loved this as much as I did if it had only been told from Rune’s perspective. I really appreciate how this way, we got to see Gideon’s past and the reasons that he hates witches as much as he does. I think without that the romance wouldn’t have been quite so enticing, as he would be seen as just a horrible cold-hearted villain. The Gideon POV chapters makes him so much more loveable.

I absolutely devoured The Crimson Moth and have been left dying to get my hands on the second book, The Rebel Witch. I cannot wait for it to release at the end of the month so I can see what is going to happen with my babies. I have so many theories swirling round in my head and I cannot wait to see if I am right. I will definitely be diving into The Rebel Witch as soon as I have my hands on it. If you are a fan of witchy books, enemies to lovers, or just a fantastic Romantasy, this book is definitely for you. This is an absolutely must-read so if you haven’t picked this one up yet, let this be your sign to grab it. You won’t be disappointed.

I love a good, old magic witchy read and this one was definitely that!

A witch hell bent in helping other witches escape the purge. A witch hunter intent on ridding the world of witches. This was never going to be a HEA (was it?) but I was totally along for the ride and SO wanted it to be.

Like I just KNEW it was going to break me at some point. And I was so right. That ending was just heart shattering!

I was totally drawn into the enemies to ?? storyline of Rune and Gideon as they both played a dangerous battle of cat and mouse, and drew ever closer to the possibility of being together.

The vulnerability of Gideon was just so brilliantly crafted and I spent the whole story wondering if it was possible they could be together.

I was so not ready for that shock ending, and desperately need book two!

I absolutely devoured The Crimson Moth—it’s everything I could want in a romantasy! Rune and Gideon’s dynamic is pure tension from start to finish, with their fake courtship full of hidden agendas, forbidden attraction, and just enough vulnerability to make you root for them even when you know it’s doomed to explode. The mix of high-society intrigue, outlawed magic, and Rune’s double life as a vigilante kept me hooked, and the twists were so well done that I never felt ahead of the story. The magic system, with its reliance on blood and the ethical dilemmas it creates, added such depth to the stakes. The cliffhanger wrecked me in the best way, and now I’ll be counting down the days until the sequel!

First off thank you to net galley for allowing me to read this 📚

Loved this read so much Gideon and Rune is just amazing there personalities together is great because there are so different but also the same. Both characters intrigue me so much.

Enjoyed the world this book was wrote in and the difference of witches and how the magic works.

Just had an amazing time with it and can't wait to read the sequel 😍

4.5 stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

"The hunted had fallen for the hunter.” ⚔️

This really exceeded all my expectations. I loved the writing and the angst between our main characters. The enemies to lovers banter was *chefs kiss* & the twist wow just wow.

Kristen Ciccarelli really did something with this that shocked romantasy readers with this one. From the cover I didn't expect this to have a hook in me as much as it did. I still think about this book daily since I read it as an e-arc in February and the enemies to lovers between Rune as the MMC was just full of tension and I ate it up.

“Gideon paused, studying her. If he and Rune Winters were truly courting—which would never happen—this is exactly the argument he would have with her.”

Tropes:
Witch x Witch Hunter 👩👨
Enemies to Lovers ❤️‍🔥
Heroine Vigilante 🥷
Outlawed Magic 🪄❌
Brother’s Best Friend 👩‍❤️‍👨
High Stakes ⚠️
Slow Burn Romance 🔥❤️
Forbidden Desires 🚫❤️
Epic Tension 🥵

I'm so excited for book 2 and I pre-ordered it straight away.

I liked this book, but it didn't enthrall me as much as the Last Namsara did.

The relationship was interesting. I loved the way the two characters both had reasons to pursue a relationship that were less than savoury. Gideon to find out whether Rune was the moth and Rune to get information out of him so she could go on a rescue mission.

I liked the fact that both were attracted to one another before they had a reason to get into a relationship as well. This was two people who had been around each other before and already had an impression of the other. I wish there'd been more bickering between them at the start though. I felt it moved on from hatred to a doomed relationship a bit too quickly.

I really need to stop reading books that end on cliffhangers because waiting until next year for book two is going to be TORTURE.

A really fast paced romantasy - she's a witch hiding in plain sight, he's a witch-hunter. The book had everything, strong characters, plot twists, political unrest, mystery, heartbreak (it's been a while since a book made me cry, no spoilers here though!)

Definitely recommend (if you can handle a cliffhanger that is.......)

Thank you to HarperCollins- UK and Kristen Ciccarelli for granting me a Netgalley digital arc to review The Crimson Moth in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Crimson Moth combines four of my favourite bookish elements – enemies to lovers, a brilliant retelling, witches, and a Regency-inspired historical setting. I hungrily devoured the pages of the Crimson Moth like a starving bookworm denied the pleasure of a good book too long after the awful book slump brought on by my last read of 2023.

The writing is captivating, with a fast-paced, gripping plot of intrigue, deception, and life-and-death high stakes. A gorgeous retelling of the classic Scarlet Pimpernel, featuring a high-society lady in disguise as an elusive vigilante witch who rescues witches from blood-thirsty Witch Hunters imposing the law of a realm where magic is banned. No one can be trusted, as even your nearest and dearest can turn you in. So many twists and turns in this fascinating world with a unique magical system and action-packed fantasy romance with a traitorous heart.

The characters are the heart and soul of The Crimson Moth – brought to life with incredible intricacy fashioning emotionally intelligent, complex natures and carefully crafted masks they hide their true selves behind. Every character receives this exquisitely detailed polish to add depth and devastation to the story. I loved the dual POV featuring Rune and Gideon – you got to see their raw characters under the mantles of Socialite/Vigilante and Witch Hunter, who are bewitching with morally grey desires, inner struggles, turmoil, and fabulous flaws.

The relationship at the heart of The Crimson Moth is a tantalising game of cat and mouse between Rune Winters and Gideon Harte, full of forbidden attraction and a web of scheming, lying, and betrayal. The attraction comes on quickly – tainted and forced – as both Gideon and Rune use their flirtation and chemistry to get close to one another for information and harbouring suspicions. It is fake dating with an agenda and treachery style. Genuine affection grows as Gideon and Rune open up, revealing parts of themselves into their courtship and vulnerable sides as fragile trust grows. You can’t help but fall in love with Gideon and Rune; know it will all end badly with broken hearts when the secrets they carry get out in the explosive cliff-hanger finale!

Love love love! This is such a good book and I cannot wait for the next. Gave me all the feelings, including a few tears near the end... I must have the next book as soon as possible to heal my heart.

I enjoyed the magic system of this book a lot too, I loved the ideas of unique signatures and the plot twists were well laid, I didn't just them until maybe a chapter or two before!

I was pleasantly surprised when I read this and ended up really enjoying it. I loved the FMC and the love interest and the build up to their romance. And I cannot wait for the sequel after that ending!

This was quick passed and I found myself happily lost in it right away. The story was simplistic in the best way, which I really loved, it didn’t go on different side quests that other authors do. The ending was so well done!

"Enemies-to-lovers doesn't get more high stakes than a witch and a witch hunter falling in love in bestselling author Kristen Ciccarelli's latest romantic fantasy."

A young adult witchy version of that old classic The Scarlet Pimpernel.

Rune, a young heiress, is hiding in plain sight as revealing herself to be a witch would be a death sentence. A painful one. She is shallow, pretty and not too bright.... an effective disguise that enables her to fool the guard and save those captured before whisking them away to more friendly lands.

Gideon is in charge of the Blood Guard whose remit is to locate and capture any witches. Blood needs 'guarding' as it is used to perform any spells; freely given or taken affects the spell's power. He suspects Rune but needs to tread carefully as she is much loved by his brother.

Alex had always loved Rune and does his best to aide her while caring deeply for his brother.

I enjoyed this but parts were hammered home such as.... Rune could be the Moth, he mustn't fall for her, what if she were a witch, he couldn't risk loving her, could she be a witch. Over and over. I felt like I was constantly being reminded of the plot.

That said there were some lovely reveals, interesting twists and I liked how the magic worked. I feel Rune should've had a more ruthless edge but I guess there wouldn't have been the swoony, hate him/love him vibes then.

Thanks to Harper Collins UK and Netgalley for an arc, all thoughts are my own.

The Crimson Moth is among my favourite books of 2024 so far! I absolutely love the witch x witchhunter trope, and I can guarantee that Rune and Gideon will become your new obsession if you like enemies to lovers. The tension between these two was intense. I was hooked from the start and enjoyed discovering the various twists and turns the plot took, as well as the lush society settings.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the ebook in exchange for my honest opinion and views.
Dark and atmospheric this tale of witches and betrayal was gripping from start to finish.
I was pulled in from the opening chapter and was invested in the story and the characters the blood magic was an interesting concept and I lights how it linked with witch craft. Some of the uses of blood was a bit much but overall the story was captivating and interesting the characters were well written and I do want to read the second book. Some parts had me a little bored and I wanted to skip but I kept reading.
I have recommended for my library and will be on my Fantasy recommendations for my YA/Fantasy Reading Group.
Solid 4 Stars a good start to a series.

I absolutely adored this.
It's fast paced and funny and lovely and like all other Kristen Ciccarelli it hits right in the heart.

Though I didn't love this book quite as much as I adored Ciccarelli's debut The Last Namsara - I was still immediately swept away and engaged with both main characters and the plot. And the world building is as always intriguing and made me want to know more and see more of this world.

Though the romance is exactly what I expected I still enjoyed every minute and cannot wait for the second book.
I will say the plot is easy to follow (I usually enjoy these being a little more convoluted) and the plot twist did not shock me as much as expected - but the magic system did make up for it and it was still a marvellous ride from page 1 to the end.

An addictive immersive enemies to lovers, action packed, simmering romantasy.

Part of me has been getting romantasy fatigue, the cringey dialogue, the shallow world-building or surface-level character development grating on me the more I read, but this one managed to hold my attention and keep me immersed and engaged and believing in the characters and the world despite that which is quite an achievement.

Yes, if you think about it there are holes, we have to suspend our moral compasses as well as our disbelief for most of these enemies to lovers books, because there has to be high stakes, they're often in brutal visceral worlds with cataclysmic plots, and that tends to mean bloodshed and brutality, so how can our heroine ever fall for anyone like that?! Well, it's because their world is not our world, and each side commits atrocities because they believe they're in the right, and the 'to lovers' part of the enemies to lovers is largely brought about by how each come to understand the other person's perspective, even if they still don't agree. Again, moral compasses aside, this is done quite well here, and the kind of fake courting element means that the usually too quick 'I don't like him, he's my enemy, but he's hot, so I love him' insta-lust trope which can often spoil enemies to lovers for me, makes sense for the Crimson Moth, because our FMC Rune's alter-ego means that she, has to get close to Gideon (MMC) and learn about him, even while they are on opposite sides of a conflict.

Unfortunately, Gideon never has the same learning curve when it comes to him understanding Rune's viewpoint or motivation, because he only gets to know the Rune that she is forced to present, not the Rune that he is on the opposite side of, she sees him and knows where he stands and where he comes from, but he doesn't get that chance, so he doesn't actually come to love all of her. But then, we will see what future books bring, another reason why Crimson Moth was written so well, there is a reason to want to read on, it isn't just the conflict that is left unfinished, it is the conflict in the relationship between the main - and the side - characters that is yet to be resolved and leaves the reader yearning for more.

So yes, a blockbuster, yes the usual tropes, but yes please for the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free ARC in exchange for a review!

I enjoyed this witchy tale! Rune is an interesting protagonist, and there is a genuinely good twist towards the end.

However, I really struggled with the love interest. The enemies to lovers is difficult because one of them is sort of a genocidal maniac who's tortured and killed a bunch of people, including kids potentially. The best thing about him is he doesn't torture witches too much? <Spoiler> He also really betrays everyone including his own brother at the end because I guess he really loved genocide? </spoiler> I usually really enjoy enemies to lovers but Gideon wasn't brainwashed or religious or anything, he was fully aware and okay with murdering and torturing people because <spoiler> his abuser was a witch, which doesn't really excuse this at all </spoiler> So I really couldn't get behind him.

But it's not like Alex presented an actual option, it was barely a love triangle since we had Gideon's POV and they only hint at Alex's feelings until he comes out of left field with his "I've always wanted you" stuff.

I'm very intrigued to find out where this goes, and I'll definitely be reading the next one, but honestly more for Rune and Verity than anything else. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 for Goodreads.

I was initially drawn to "Crimson Moth" by its captivating cover, intriguing description, and great recommendations. So, of course, I started the book with high expectations and I'm pleased to say it didn't disappoint.

"Crimson Moth" follows Rune, a witch who hides in plain sight in a society that hates and hunts witches, while secretly saving those condemned to die. On the other side, it follows Gideon, a witch hunter driven by a profound loathing for witches, on a quest to unmask the elusive Crimson Moth. Themes of love, friendship, loyalty, pretense, hatred, and betrayal are woven throughout the story.

From the outset, the book captivated me, I couldn't put it down until I finished it. Particularly the last part was highly engaging; I needed to know how it would end.

Both main characters were well-developed. Their motivations were well described and understandable. One fights to protect witches out of solidarity, while the other seeks retribution for his past. Neither of them is entirely right or wrong, and that complex dynamic adds depth to the story.

This is a very character-driven story, so there isn't an extensive description of the world they live in. It was only halfway through the story that I realized they were on an island, and almost at the end that I found out witches aren't hunted in other places. I would have liked a bit more explanation of the book's universe.

The story is straightforward to follow, the writing is simple, but the story doesn't need much complexity. There are some quotable parts, especially in the conversations between the characters. In general, the book is a quick read.

Some moments felt a bit predictable to me. I'm not sure if I'm good at predicting story twists, but they didn't surprise me because I saw them coming much earlier. Nevertheless, they were good twists and made the story much more interesting. The ending left me eager for more.

Overall, I recommend this book if you enjoy enemies-to-lovers stories with a touch of magic. The tension between the protagonists, the debate between attraction and what each of them represents, was the most complex and engaging part of the story, truly the highlight, and certainly what I enjoyed the most. Can't wait for book two!

4.5

I'll start off by saying I think this author writes so beautifully, and I loved how immediately I felt immersed into the world. I really liked the magic system and the worldbuilding, and it felt very unique! The plot was very clever too - there are a lot of layers to the story, with the game of cat and mouse being played throughout by Rune and Gideon that made the story so exciting! I also did really like Rune as a main character and I enjoyed getting to know her backstory as to why she was this witch vigilante - I just felt a bit disappointed that we didn't see more of her as this vigilante? We're told throughout the book how badass The Crimson Moth is, but we only really get one scene where Rune is actually her alter ego, and I would've liked to have seen more of that. The plot twists however were exciting and although the biggest plot twist was a little predictable, I still felt shocked by it! I'm really looking forward to the sequel after how this book ended, and I'm definitely looking to pick up more from this author!