I love the world building in this book and the characters are complicated even though it’s a spacey type of romance. It’s funny and heartfelt at the same time and I could not put it down. This is what mine would love.

This was fun and a solid romp from Ruby Dixon. I liked Aspeth's characterization and understood her motivations even when she went a little far. Definitely set up some more fun stories in this world, so I'm excited!

I enjoyed this more than I will be admitting to my family and friends. This is cozy fantasy with a steamy romance (although, unfortunately, reading this book was a discovery that I am more open-minded to the idea of romance with a blue horned alien than a minotaur). It is heavy on the plot, world-building, and side characters, so anyone looking for nonstop minotaur sex is going to be disappointed, but I personally really enjoyed the story.

I knew going into this one...it's just not that serious. This was a good time and exactly what one would expect from a Ruby Dixon minotaur romance. The slow burn was in full force and was overall, it was just a really good time.

Steamy romantasy where a woman determined to save her family joins forces with an unlikely partner.


This was so much fun! I love the way the story progressed. This was on the longer side but honestly I had such a good time reading it that I didn’t really care. I can’t wait to dive into book two (out in September)!

rating: 5 stars

read if you like:

- romantasy
- minotaur smut
- marriage of convenience
- mating season
- teacher/student
- knotting
- MY WIFE

quotes:

“Woman, I’m obsessed with you. I think I’d lose my mind if you left.”

“Because she’s mine.”

“My wife.”

Thank you so much to Berkley for the free ebook! All thoughts are my own.

One thing I really appreciate about Ruby Dixon books is that you know what you are going to get. This was a solidly good Minotaur romance. I’ve seen it marked as Indiana Jones meets Minotaur smut and, yup! That is exactly what you get. But I felt this was focused more on the story than the smut, which you might not expect if you’ve read Dixon’s Ice Planet Barbarian series.

Daughter of a failing Holder family, Aspeth sneaks off to join the Royal Artifactual Guild in hopes of securing her family’s status once more and proving herself more than just a Lady. When she gets there, she is hit with a brick wall of misogyny that tells her she needs a chaperone in order to continue. What she finds is a marriage of convenience (hello, rutting Minotaur!), a team of outcasts, and one obstacle after another in order to set out to achieve what she’s started.

But overall, I found Aspeth to be a bit more on the unenjoyable side than Dixon’s other FMCs and the chemistry felt a bit lacking (I know, marriage of convenience doesn’t equate to insta-chemistry) and didn’t really build up to anything spectacular. A decent read but nothing that wowed me.

came for the ruby dixon dream and stayed for the relic hunting through creepy tunnels. unfortunately i am overall pretty bummed. we all know ruby can write a damn book, and i loved the found family and queer side characters and relationships.

HOWEVER, i am really uncomfy with ruby's admission that her minotaur characters, who's quinquennial descent into mindless rut is a major plot point on which the entire story relies, are based on Sherpas. other characters make off-handed comments about how a minotaur character will fuck any hole during a rut. considering the racism in monster romance, boooooo, how damn disappointing.

I must be on a fantasy kick right now because this was everything I wanted, needed, and didnt know I needed. I am SO impressed! Now, ive read a good chunk of the IPB series and although i enjoyed them, this... this was on a whole other level. Maybe if 'Raiders of the Lost Heart' met 'Emily Wildes Encyclopedia of Faeries' met 'Morning Glory Milking Farm'? This is genuinely such a fun read with a lot of Indiana Jones vibes, wholesome characters, fluffy cats, and ughhhhhhh the teasiest, slow burn that can set someone aflame.

I had a great time reading this one, it was a little too long and wish Aspeth would stop keeping secrets from Hawk. Overall, it was very steamy, very light and fun and I especially loved the archaeological side to it and finding different artifacts with some magic elements too!

Sometimes Ruby Dixon’s books are hit-or-miss for me, but thankfully, Bull Moon Rising hit just the right way! There are some inconsistencies (small things, not crazy important to the overall story) and I had a hard time not judging Aspeth (h) too harshly for her choices. But she and Hawk (H) made for a fun read, and the tomb raiding/ancient culture fascination aspects were great. Plus, minotaur smut! Yes please!

The story is written in first person, dual POV. No OW drama, some OM drama from Aspeth's ex-fiance, who’s a threat to her father’s hold now. Hawk is experienced (some mentions here and there of past experiences but not too bad and no serious relationships) and Aspeth is inexperienced other than some light petting.

Aspeth is optimistic, resolute, and persistent. She’s also physically not prepared for the task she’s set for herself and fairly naive. She was sheltered and pampered growing up. She also didn’t have anyone in her corner, not to give her affection or to show interest in her, and part of this enormous life shift for her brings not only a husband but also new friends. She’s in a group with 4 other fledglings and they rise or fail together. It does take time for them to act as a team and there are varying personalities to adjust to. Lots of training moments and banter. By the end, I loved this lil group and how they banded together. Also, Aspeth’s competency when it comes to knowledge and history were so appreciated. It really helped me bond with her character.

Hawk is a totally different specimen though. He’s at times stern and others tender. The Guild doesn’t treat the minotaurs well and his background also doesn’t come from a warm and fuzzy place. Aspeth frustrates him as much as she intrigues him, but he does want to do well by his new wife. I liked how they approached learning each other’s bodies and the little moments of intimacy they built when they’d share stories sometimes. But their relationship is also rife with secrets, suspicions, and occasional hurt feelings. I loved Hawk and how he was trying to keep himself afloat, but also do what was right for the Guild, and help his friend-turned-dead-weight. Aspeth’s secrets and actions frustrated me immensely in places.

Steam-wise, there’s plenty of minotaur smuttiness to enjoy and Hawk’s (k)not afraid to educate Aspeth on what she’s in for (it’s a knot y’all, he’s packing a special knot only for this event). There is a voyeurism scene involving some minotaurs and sex workers and a couple of times when Hawk and Aspeth could potentially be overseen, but no mention of anyone actually noticing them. When Hawk goes into rut, it’s made clear that he’ll be out of his mind and when that actually comes, oh boy, it’s just as intense as advertised (and not just because some other stuff is going on). He's still considerate of Aspeth though, even in his madness, which was precious.

One part of this story that did really work for me was the ending. Other than one little bit I wanted to know more about (and could be addressed in a future book), it all comes together and everything gets tied up nicely by the closing. I was left satisfied with our main couple, especially with Aspeth and Hawk’s future looking bright and having opportunities. I definitely look forward to continuing this series!

I loved Ruby Dixon’s Ice Planet Barbarians series so I was just as excited to read her latest monster romance series. Bull Moon Rising delivers if you’re craving a delicious minotaur romance! Her prose in this book is beautiful and I loved the victorian archaeological vibes through out the book. I’m looking forward to reading the sequel!

This is book 1 of a new fantasy-romance series featuring a sheltered (some would say "spoiled") heiress who is trying to save her family and their reputation by scourging for ancient artifacts. Basically, she's Indiana Jones looking for buried treasure.

Aspeth's journey quickly hits a snag when she's not accepted to join a powerful guild due to her being a woman. Misogyny follows us everywhere, am I right ladies? To be honest, I actually really liked the use of prejudice against women in this fantasy-romance, it showcased strong female characters pushing back against the "it's a man's world baby" mindset. Instead of giving up, our leading lady finds someone to form a mutually beneficial alliance with--enter Hawk! A Minotaur.

What does Hawk get out of this marriage of convenience plan? Someone to help him through his upcoming heat!

The partnership between Aspeth and Hawk is tense at first as neither really trusts the other. I'm not the biggest slow burn fan, especially within fantasy genre, so that made me a bit eager for the story to progress at times. But once it did, I loved the dynamics. Hawk is a cinnamon roll deep down and he just wants to be a good husband--swoon!

Overall, as someone who's read a couple of Ruby Dixon's other books (the more smut over plot ones) this was a great start to a new series. It was a bit more world building than I prefer but it was done well so I didn't end up minding all that much. While this story is definitely different than her others, it still had her signature writing filled with endearing interactions, sexy dialogue, emotional character connections, and downright horny scenes. Some of my favorite little things about this story were the side characters that created a found family bond, the adventure storyline, how savage Hawk was for his new wife, and how filthy Minotaur sex is lol

If you're looking for a fantasy-romance with a smart fmc, gruff mmc who's also a sweetheart, plus size characters, knotting, voyeurism, and a HEA, then this is a book I'd recommend checking out!

Thank you a bunch to Berkley Publishing Group | Ace for the e-ARC via NetGalley. Review is my honest opinion.

I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have received an review copy of Bull Moon Rising from the author, and Ace/Berkeley Publishing Group! 🫶

If you mixed Indiana Jones with a Minotaur romance then that is Bull Moon Rising in a nutshell. I also never imagined in my life that I would ever combine the words Indiana Jones and Minotaur romance in the same sentence but this book is also nothing like any other book I have read so I really shouldn't be surprised. The romance in this book is truly so much fun and I basically was eating it up like I would with a bag of potato chips. Lastly, the world building was amazing and I loved getting to dive into this world.

If you love Indiana Jones meets Minotaur romance, romantasy books, incredible world building, marriage of convenience, and a book that will make you smile then this is the book for you! 🫶

Thank you NetGalley and Ace/Berkeley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Well that was damn near perfect. While everything started a bit slow and I wasn’t sure I’d love the main characters, that ended up being the perfect combination of plot and intrigue and character development and hot spicy scenes for me. I cannot wait to keep decking into this universe.

I loved this book—honestly, way more than I expected to going in! I picked it up thinking I’d get a fun, spicy monster romance, and while it definitely delivered on that front (hello, hot minotaur husband!), it also had so much heart, adventure, and character development that I found myself totally hooked. At a certain point, I couldn’t put it down—I just had to know how everything would work out!

Aspeth and Hawk were absolute perfection together. Their dynamic was full of tension, sweetness, banter, and growth. Hawk was such a well-written character that I genuinely forgot he was a Minotaur half the time—his personality and emotional arc were that strong. And Aspeth? I loved watching her grow into her own strength, take charge of her future, and figure out what she really wants out of life. She’s smart, determined, and so easy to root for.

As for the spice? Chef’s kiss. 🔥 It was exactly what I want from a monster romance—steamy and bold without overshadowing the actual plot. There were plenty of sexy scenes (as promised!), but the emotional connection and storyline still felt front and center!

If you’re looking for a minotaur/monster romance with adventure, magical artifacts, swoony slow-burn tension, and a hot, grumpy minotaur who will absolutely ruin you (in the best way), Bull Moon Rising is a must-read. I’m already dying for the next book in the series!

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.