Enemies to Lovers | Review: The Crimson Moth / Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli

I’m not usually a fantasy reader, but I’ve been giving the genre a try after enjoying Divine Rivals and What the River Knows. In September, our book club decided to read Kristen Ciccarelli’s Heartless Hunter, which also goes by The Crimson Moth. It’s a fantasy romance duology inspired by The Scarlet Pimpernel, about a witch and a witch hunter that makes for a captivating read. 

Rune Winters has been secretly helping witches like her escape capture and persecution ever since the New Republic ended the Reign of Witches. She evades suspicion while putting on a facade as a socialite, while hiding her true identity as a vigilante known as the Crimson Moth. After an attempted rescue goes wrong, she catches the attention of notorious witch hunter, Gideon Sharpe. He suspects Rune to be the Moth, while at the same time, she needs information from him to rescue a powerful witch. In their attempts to thwart the other, the two pretend to be courting. The closer they get however, the more it entangles them in a dangerous game that will put their loyalties into question and their hearts on the line.

This is how you do enemies to lovers. For a book that is considered YA, it is steaming with tension, both in romance and plot, with an ending that has me anxiously waiting for the next book. Rune and Gideon really are enemies and their motives for what they do are valid the more we get to know them. And yet, their undeniable attraction and the genuine connection that forms are what makes their relationship simmer until it boils over.

The writing is good as is the world building. There are grand balls, spells cast, surprising character reveals, and life threatening incidents that raise the stakes. The only part I got confused by is why there was a revolt against the witches before the start of the book. It begins to make sense as information is revealed, but I wish Ciccarelli delved into it some more. 

Right now, this is my favorite romantasy. It’s a fast paced read that is well balanced between story and the enemies to lovers romance. And look at how gorgeous this edition is from Fairyloot. I’m obsessed!

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In Honor of Saint Agnes | Review: Sugar, Baby by Celine Saintclare

As the year begins to wind down, I’ve been looking back at some of the books I’ve read. This debut novel by Celine Saintclare was different from what I usually read, but left an impression that has made me curious to see what she writes next.

Sugar, Baby follows Agnes, a twenty-one year old cleaner working alongside her very religious mother and living in what she calls “The Wasteland” just outside of London. When she meets Emily, the daughter of one of her wealthy employers, Agnes is introduced to the world of “sugaring.” Although the lifestyle offers her more money than she’s ever had and the affection she craves, it also begins to make her question what exactly it is she wants out of life.

I picked up this book after first seeing it on Aardvark Book Club, and it’s a pretty good read that I almost read in one sitting. Despite what the title may suggest, it is more about identity, touching on race, privilege, and religion, and about finding yourself in your twenties. The premise however is there, and is a central part of the character’s journey. 

What I like most is how Celine Saintclare does not turn this into a cautionary or purely salacious tale. Instead, she looks at all facets of Agnes’s new lifestyle and how it affects her — the luxuries she gets to experience for the first time, her relationship with her friends and family, the situations she gets herself into, but all as she tries to figure out her life. The connection to religion as well, especially her namesake Saint Agnes, is an interesting note that aligns with some of the themes and what Agnes goes through. The ending left me wanting to know more, but actually works in giving some closure to where this part of her life ends and where she may go from there.

If you’re looking to read something different that is messy, complex, and falls into the genre of navigating your twenties, Sugar, Baby is worth checking out.

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