1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• Heartless Hunter is a fantasy romance novel. Compare and contrast it with other fantasy romances you’ve read. How does Ciccarelli put her own twist on generic tropes like faux courtship, and how does this add to the novel’s mood and suspense?
• Rune and Gideon’s romance is at the heart of the novel. What did you like or dislike about their relationship? Do they remind you of any other fictional couples and why?
• The author takes inspiration from Baroness Orczy’s The Scarlet Pimpernel. What other books and movies with protagonists who lead double lives have you encountered? What do you think explains the enduring popularity of these narratives? 

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• How does the novel’s theme of challenging limiting perceptions resonate with you? Gideon makes erroneous judgments about Rune and her alter ego, the Crimson Moth. Has there been a time when someone made an erroneous judgment about you or a time when your first impression of someone turned out to be misleading? 
• Did you connect with Ciccarelli’s presentation of ethical dilemmas in a divided society? Has there been a time when you felt like you had to be neutral to preserve harmony among friends and family like Alex or a time when you felt you had to compromise your beliefs like Rune? Share a time in your own life when you had difficulty determining the right course of action and how you resolved this inner conflict.