Ruby Dixon has a wonderful imagination and I’m so glad she chose to apply it to alien and monster smut! It’s been a while since I read her Ice Planet Barbarians books, but I remember really getting into them. I got hooked into this one just as easily, and while it did drag in places, I enjoyed the story, the characters, and the spice! I would definitely recommend this book for those new to monster romance, I think it would be a good book to introduce the genre.

This book was my introduction to anything close to monster smut, and I didn't hate it. The plot, character development, and writing were all really well done. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Not my first Ruby Dixon book; I like most people started with Ice Planet Barbarians and was extremely excited for this book…. And ir did not disappoint!!!! Ruby as always monster smut well done!!👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼. The minotaur was something i was not familiar and was a bit skeptical but I should have known to trust her

DNF @ 57%

I couldn't keep going, and I’m hating myself for DNFing 💔. I love Ruby Dixon’s Ice Planet Barbarians series, so I was super excited to dive into her new series featuring a minotaur MMC. Bull Moon Rising was actually my first minotaur romance, but it just didn’t deliver for me.

It dragged 🥱. I kept waiting for something to hook me in, but the pacing felt off. The worldbuilding is dense and ambitious, which I normally enjoy, but here it felt like it came at the expense of actual relationship building. I didn’t feel connected to the characters or invested in their journey. I kept waiting for sparks, chemistry, tension—anything—and by the time we finally got a spicy scene, I was more relieved than excited.

That said, when the spice hits, it hits. It’s well-written, sexy, and exactly what I’ve come to expect from Ruby Dixon. But it just wasn’t enough to pull me through the rest. I kept putting it down and not wanting to pick it back up. Maybe I’ll try again later, but for now I’m tapping out 😞.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for providing a digital copy for review!

I really enjoyed the Ice Planet Barbarian series and was excited for this book. The storyline wasn't for me. Thank you for the chance to read this.

Ruby Dixon is an absolutely amazing storyteller. Every time I pick up one of her books, I’m catapulted into another dimension and it never disappoints. Her storytelling in Bull Moon Rising is some of her best work, and not to over sell him, but Hawk might be one of my favorite MMCs she’s ever created. He checks every single box that you would want to check when creating your own monster book boyfriend. He has all the realistic traits of a masculine character, and every bit of the coveted longing and obsession romance readers crave.
For high fantasy, there is just enough subtle world building that you don’t get lost in the maps and history. Instead, it beautifully marries with the events and characters in a way that feels organic. There are just enough monsters and magic to keep the edge of this world from feeling too close to home, but real enough, that as a reader, you can see, taste, and almost smell the world of Mithas. It truly was an immersive experience and I look forward to learning what happens in the next installment of the series. Welcome to the Royal Artifactual Guild, where magic meets history.

My first monster romance! This book was creative, steamy, and pure fun! I was trying to explain the premise of this book to my husband, who was more and more taken aback the longer I explained the plot. “Isn’t this supposed to be spicy?” He asked. It was, but it was also so much more! Heartfelt, action-packed, and very sweet.

I’m not really in a historical romance phase right now, and while there were definitely liberties taken with the feudal society this book took place in that made it less historical romance and more magical realism, the setting was the least compelling part of the book for me. That being said, Ruby wrote it so well and I loved the characters, the almost slapstick comedy aspects of it, and the storyline that made the book fast-paced and compelling. I’m also not sure if I’m in a minotaur male main character phase (now or maybe ever), but it worked so well in this book and I’m open to continuing to expand my horizons. I would recommend picking up this book if you’re looking for a fun, slow burn, super unique and totally wacky (in the BEST way) book!

This was very different from the previous Ruby Dixon books I've read, but I really enjoyed this new direction she's going in!

If you've read the IPB series then you have a feel for Ruby's addictive love stories that she usually delivers in a short and spicy package. This book was full novel-length (and pretty long at that), full of a large and well-developed fantasy world with lots of magic, political intrigue, and of course a marriage of connivence. Plot certainly takes the lead here rather than the spice and romance and I found myself whisked away to this whole new world.

Despite Hawk's surly attitude, he was such a cinnamon roll at heart with a soft spot that only got softer for Aspeth the more time they spent with each other. While I do feel like this book could've been shorter and leave out some things that did start to feel a little repetitive, it was altogether such an enjoyable ride. I will certainly be reading the next book as I enjoyed the side characters and like that Ruby is crafting such an interesting new fantasy world for us!

This was my first time dipping a toe into the waters of monster romance, and, while it will likely never be my favorite genre, I did find it enjoyable. The spice was definitely hot, including some voyeurism and exhibitionism. The characters were interesting and unique, and the world-building was fairly strong, although there were a few points that I found confusing/inconsistent. The ending dragged a bit and wasn’t as satisfying as I wanted it to be but overall this was an enjoyable read that I would recommend both to fans of monster romance and those looking for an accessible entry point.

A dozen stars isn't enough! Enough snark, banter, sizzle, adventure, secrets, power plays, and just darned fun to keep you turning that page, oh just one more! You may forget to eat and won't want to sleep - you will just want to keep reading! A real winner!

would classify this as a STEMinist romance. Yes the fantasy setting is very real, but at the heart of the story is a woman attempting to gain recognition by an academic society that is riddled with racism, sexism, and classism, like most academic institutions.

The setting - Mithas - a realm that has banned the use of magic by people, but allows magical imbued items to be used. If this universe is not expanded upon by Dixon I will be CRUSHED.

The FMC - Lady Aspeth Honori - heir to the Honori hold, lover of all things Old Prellian, very Rachel Weisz in The Mummy in attitude. Perfect main character

The MMC - Hawk - a member of the Royal Artifactual Guild and a trainer "assisting" Guildmaster Magpie. Gives very much untenured, underappreciated, in debt, associate professor vibes.

If you are debating reading this - just read it - you'll be so happy you did.

I really enjoyed this romance novel! Thank you so, so much to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for allowing me to read this title!

Blurb:
As a Holder’s daughter, Aspeth Honori knows the importance of magical artifacts . . . which is why it’s a disaster that her father has gambled all theirs away. Now that her family is in danger of losing their hold—and their heads—if anyone finds out the truth, Aspeth decides to do something about it. She’ll join the Royal Artifactual Guild and the adventurers who explore ancient underground ruins to retrieve the coveted arcane items.

It’s a great plan—with one big problem. The guild won’t let her train because she’s a woman. Aspeth needs a chaperone of some kind. The best way to get around this problem? Marry someone who will let her become an apprentice. Who better than a surly guild member who requires a favor of his own? He’s a minotaur (it’s fine) who is her teacher (also fine) . . . and he’s about to go into rut (which is where it gets tricky). He also has no idea she’s a noble (oops), and he’ll want nothing to do with her if he discovers her real identity.

Now Aspeth just has to pass the guild tests, thwart a fortune hunter, and save her hold—oh, and survive a rut with her monstrous, horned husband, whom she might be falling in love with.

It’s time to dig deep. Literally.

Received an ARC from NetGalley

I loved the characters….the sexy times were 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (and I’m a woman who tends to skip 99% of the dirty stuff because I feel like I’ve read it all) but the pacing didn’t work for me. I put this down for almost a month and completely forgot about it. I never fully understood the world….why a King? How did the Holders get their Holds? What were the people who created the magic items and how did that city end up buried? Some of these facts may have been lost to my boredom and skimming through some sections just to get through it. There’s a lot of intrigue going on with the Guild but that’s not a genre that keeps me interested. I might pick up book 2 just because I liked the characters so much but I’d go in knowing I was going to skim through most of it.

My first Ruby Dixon book and definitely not my last! This took me on such a wild ride and it was highly entertaining and fun to read.
I was kind of intimidated because I've never read monster romance or anything similar, but Ruby Dixon has sold me! Someone described this as Indiana Jones meets minotaur smut and that's exactly what it felt like.
I really liked Aspeth as a character. She’s a bit naive due to her sheltered background, but it was so brave of her to take control of her life and make her own choices. At times I kept forgetting Hawk was a minotaur! Even though their relationship starts as a marriage of convenience, he is really patient and dedicated to Aspeth, which is why I liked him.
The concept of the Artifactual Guild and treasure hunting was really cool and I loved the dynamics between the Fledglings! You know what else I loved? Aspeth's cat Squeaker! Their interactions were so cute, I'll never get tired of cats in books.
Some of the word choices during the spicy scenes took me out of the story and had me cackling, but honestly that is all about personal preference! I think this is one of those books where once you embrace the silliness, you have a lot of fun reading. I'm looking forward to the sequel!
～Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group (Ace) and NetGalley for the ARC!

Very different from my usual read. A bit much for me. But entertaining. And it was nicely written. Dialogue and how the story flowed was fluid, didn’t feel weird. But couldn’t get over that he’s a bull.

I got an ARC of this book.

Well, this was a journey. I loved the world building. I wasn't really into the romance. The romance was secondary throughout the whole book, still have no idea why they said they lvoed each other. They didn't really know each other. But the idea of a guilde grave robbing to get artifacts to keep the rich rich was fascinating.

I could have done without the graphic dirty talk and lack of romance in this one. It didn't add anything for me. I am all for some minotaur smut, but this just didn't live up to smut or romance. It did make an interesting fantasy book though. If you are looking for really hot romance, it really won't do. It was mostly all talk, no action. There are other books that do smutty romance much better. This one however, has a much better world and rules around the way things worked. If there was more romance, then the dirty talk would have been fun and exciting, instead it just felt graphic for no reason.

I don't really know what else to say. I was invested in the side characters. I wanted to know more about them and I enjoyed the ride. I just kept asking where the romance was.

I am a little concerned with how cats worked in this world. Some creatures were sentient, but cats were still pets? I need a bit more explanation there.

Overall, this was a fun read, but it was an 18 hour audiobook. It is a journey.

Bull Moon Rising was a spicy yet cozy read, a combination that I wasn't expecting!
Aspeth leaves her family estate in hopes of being able to save it, but being a spinster and trying to become a member of the Royal Artifactual Guild is no easy task! There were so many things to like about this book but these two are top tier:
 - The Found Family? Perfection. This group of ragtag women and a Slitherskin pulling together to be the underdog group of five? Yes please, and I'll take each one's story next!- The Marriage of Convenience? Perfection. Hawk needed a partner for the Bull Moon and Aspeth needed a chaperone to complete her training. Love was never supposed to be on the table but.... 
The plot grabbed my attention from the start, and I have to say that all of my concerns throughout were wrapped up nicely by the end! I'm definitely looking forward to reading about Gwenna and Raptor this fall in By The Horns!
Thank you, Berkley/Ace for the ARC in exchange for a review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This is such an absolutely fantastic way to get into reading monster romances! It's so much fun, there's a dual POV, and really - it's an easy read! He's her teacher, she's this fierce badass and they get married and the spice is just perfect... and well, it all makes for an interesting and fun book.

Aspeth Honori is determined to save her family from her father's gambling addiction. She sets out to join the Royal artifactual guild. Aspeth was raised a lady and has always had maids, chaperones, etc. Aspeth sets out to a rough city with her maid, Gwenna to find artifacts which equal power/money in this world. Little does Aspeth, or Sparrow as she decides to be called since all guild members have birdlike names, the guild is made up of all males. This requires her to have a chaperone in order to join the guild. Enter Hawk, the Taurian (aka minotaur), who is about to go into season/rut very soon and needs a partner. The two strike up a deal to be what the other needs. Throughout the story we see Aspeth and her four teammates working hard to become guild members. Hawk is a mentor to Aspeth and her team even though the guild members look down upon women, Taurians, and basically everyone who isn't exactly like them. The taunts and bullying from other guild members and fledglings are heartbreaking to read. They won't even give Aspeth and her team a chance. I enjoyed watching the team try their very best to overcome all the challenges and stick together forming quite a tight bond. I also loved watching Hawk and Aspeth grow closer together. Seeing them grow their relationship had me swooning quite a bit. I will say, I listened to the audiobook of this, and it was top tier. Highly recommend. I can't wait for the next book in the series!!

“Aspeth, he has hooves.”

I’m not sure what genre this book is trying to be. Is it fantasy? Is it smut? Is it romantasy? Is it a love story? I can’t quite pinpoint where it falls.

The story of Aspeth’s quest and the world building seemed unfinished. I realize that’s not the main focus of the book, but it is a pretty important part of the plot. Part of her backstory is a mystery in the beginning, and then the answers are kind of thrown in towards the end, as if they don’t matter at all.

Aspeth seems dense. offering to marry a minotaur.

Taurians and Hawk give me the creeps. Sorry.
“‘I’ve heard from my mother’s brother about a Taurian who had a mate. She used a sponge to stop his seed inside her and the hand of the god was so heavy upon him that he fished it out and then shoved it into her mouth to stop her protests… Heard she had twins, too, because the god was teaching them a lesson.’”
And we’re just supposed to be cool with that, I guess. It’s not the only time things seem nonconsenual.

Maybe monster romance is not for me. While I found Ice Planet Barbarians to be ridiculous, it was at least entertaining. Bull Moon Rising has too much of a (unfinished, in my opinion) plot and it doesn’t feel silly enough for me to be entertained for this level of spice.

The book felt like it dragged on, with some dialogue being repeated.