3.5 Stars

Look, I came here for minotaur romance, and Bull Moon Rising technically delivers—but let’s be honest, it’s a bit more ancient artifacts and guild bureaucracy than steam. Aspeth Honori is a noblewoman-turned-apprentice trying to escape her father’s financial mess and ends up in a marriage of convenience with a huge, broody minotaur named Hawk (because of course his name is Hawk). The world-building is actually solid—think magic academia meets monster fantasy—and Aspeth is easy to root for. She’s passionate, stubborn, and just nerdy enough to throw herself into ancient history like her life depends on it. (“Artifacts don’t betray,” she says. “People do.” Girl, same.) There’s a whole adventure plot with cursed objects, shady politics, and a tight-knit band of misfits that’s genuinely fun to follow.

But the romance? Eh. For a marriage between a massive horned beast-man and a bold heroine, it’s surprisingly… chill? Most of their emotional bonding is summarized off-page (“We stayed up all night talking”), which left me wondering if I accidentally skipped chapters. The eventual “rutting” scene (yes, that’s the word used) reads more like checking off a box than the culmination of slow-burn tension. Don’t get me wrong—it’s still enjoyable, especially if you like your fantasy with a side of political drama and badass women. Just go in expecting more magical scavenger hunts than spicy minotaur moments, and you’ll have a good time.

Archaeological Fun, Knot for Snobs!

Ruby has built a delightful fantasy world to which she’s brought her usual humor and strong characterization. A fun, solid plot with adventure and nerdiness, not unlike The Mummy (the best action film of all time). The other plot (aka smut) is also fun as always. I’m excited for the next installment.

What a wild ride. It was ridiculous (in the best way) and fun. I couldn't stop reading.

Www.goodreads.com/erinsbookishthoughts

I have always said minotaurs are my favorite…..
-
-
Having read Ruby’s IPB series, I knew that she had a talent for writing guys I love that love their girls—Hawk was no different!

Aspeth is a lovable FMC who is just trying to find her place in the world via the Artificer’s Guild….her family’s broke and if she can find an artifact worth some money, she can save everything.

Aspeth and Hawk form an unsteady alliance that could blossom to something more.

This is an absolutely gorgeous book, one of the prettiest I've ever seen. A lot of publishers are doing sprayed edges but these are so extra.

I shared this with a book group and got feedback from a member who doesn't usually read romances (especially spicy ones) but likes fantasy. She wasn't sure at first about the whole minotaur thing but got into it after awhile. She said the writing was excellent (she's very cerebral).

This is a great read for romantasy readers or for cozy fantasy readers who are willing to give something new a try.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I purchased for my library.

Bull Moon Rising was my first romance featuring a minotaur and it has spoiled me for future minotaur MC romance books. I loved both main characters apart and the chemistry when they were together. The humor was definitely my taste and I loved the world building and archeology that is the backdrop of the story. Definitely recommend reading this book and I am so excited for book 2!

I had such a good time with this book! I was having bad reading slump and this helped me get back into reading. The stakes were well set up and I loved how determined the MC was to go after her goals. I was rooting for her the whole time. The marriage of convenience part was so fun as well. Hawk and Aspeth had loads of chemistry and it was a delight to watch them become a true couple. If you're looking for a monster romance with some plot pick this book up!!

So this might be blasphemy, BUT this was my very first Ruby Dixon book and all I have to say is that I cannot believe I waited this long. I have been missing out and have to immediately make up for lost time.

I generally do not read much monster romance but honestly Ruby has converted me and I am now part of the club (I hope there's a club).

Aspeths journey with Hawk is so well written and developed, especially given their blatant distrust in one another in the beginning. Aspeth is a fantastic FMC - she's quirky and adorable without being annoying.

I'm an Indiana Jones/Mummy fan and loved the archaeology parts and mixing it with a fantasy romance setting just solidified my enjoyment of the plot. The plot itself was well paced and enjoyable. Marriage of convenience will always be a top trope for me so I adore that we got to see that.

Now, the part that I think so many of us are curious about: the spice. The book is sloooooow burn but Hawk definitely shows Aspeth a thing or two throughout that kept things so so good - especially considering how protective he is towards her.

Overall I'm truly obsessed and I cannot wait to read Ruby's entire backlist (which thankfully is huge). Berkley you picked a winner here and I'm psyched to read more.

Bull Moon Rising was an okay monster romance book. I definitely thought that I was going to enjoy this more though.

It’s dual POVs with duet narration which was amazing.

Hero: Hawk, a minotaur who’s part of the Artificial Guild
Heroine: Aspeth, a human who’s trying to join the Artificial Guild

Tropes: marriage of convenience, sex lessons, and found family

The overall premise was enjoyable. I did like all the side characters and the found family aspect. However, there was a lot of repetition and slow-paced moments.

The romance was cute but I was hoping for more to be honest.

Overall, just a quick and light read.

Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was not expecting a Victorian-fantasy adventure but that's exactly what this was and I loved it! This is the perfect recommendation for fans of Tessonja Odette's "Fae Flings & Corset Strings" series as it combines a Bridgerton style fantasy with perilous adventure and spicy scandal. Here, the landowner's daughter Asbeth tries to become a archeological trainee to uncover magical artifacts. She's a history buff but the job proves to be more like manual labor as the guild loots the magical items for the wealthy. She needs to find enough items to save her family's inheritance.

Hawk is one of the best finders but he's blocked from advancement due to anti-minotar prejudice. Yet, his kind is always called on to lead the rescue missions when less experienced finders get into trouble. His position is at risk due to his mentor's alcoholism so Hawk is trying to hold everything together. When Asbeth offers a solution to his mating issue, he really can't afford to turn her down. But this marriage of convenience proves to be more challenging and delightful than either of them expected.

I loved Asbeth's can-do attitude even when she's way out of her depth. She's tenacious! Her group of fellow trainees is nearly all women which is rare for a fantasy adventure. It's also amusing how Hawk tries to keep things professional but can't help admiring Asbeth... and lusting after her! This is a mating romance that will delight fans of shifterverses, omegaverses and monster romances. A very different aesthetic then what we've had from Ruby Dixon before but she shows up masterfully!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I was excited to give this a try after enjoying the ice planet barbarian series by the author. This feels pretty on par with the writing and vibe you get from that. I thought the taurian aspect was interesting and spicy. This is one of those where you can't stop reading even if you wanted to. I could not look away because I needed to know what they would end up doing as far as spice goes. I will say the world building was interesting but not as immersive as ice planet barbarians. One challenge I had while reading this was the pace felt inconsistent, which may be because of the spice you get throughout. I'd give this 4/5 on my spice scale. Overall 3 stars.

This wasn't what I expected.
I had read a bunch of the Ice Planet Barbarians books and expected something similar.
This has a lot less giggles and feels more historical fiction romance than monster smut.
Decent, but it was one of the few times going in blind hurt me rather than helped.
There is a lot in here to discuss so I am excited that it's a book club choice.
Should make for a very interesting book club.
I will def be reading the rest of this series when it comes out.
Much love to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group and Ace for my copy.

Absolutely love this story! Ruby builds such a rich world and characters with the perfect amount of spice!

Sure it’s a Minotaur romance but damn still an amazing book. I loved the world building, the characters, and the romance spice. I can’t wait to read the next book!

This was an action-packed Romantasy read that had me hooked immediately. The fantasy aspect of this book was amazing. Not to mention the wonderful world-building and charming characters. This was a bit different from what I usually read but I really did enjoy it. It was my first Ruby Dixon read and I can't wait to read more by the author!

I love Ruby Dixon, so I was always going to read this, but I'm grateful for the advanced copy. I went in only know that it involved a minotaur, but I found a very strange and interesting world. It was a bit slower than I anticipated, but I will be picking up the sequel!

I love Ruby Dixon: sometimes her books are a big hit, and sometimes they're a miss, but always they are fun. I'm not quite sure how I felt about this particular book. I loved the archeological aspect of it, and the characters are great. But the worldbuilding was a bit lackluster and I just wasn't sold on the romance. I also think that, with the exception of the Morning Glory Milking Farm, minotaur romances just aren't for me. Still, it's a fun read, and the cover is GORGEOUS.

While I love a paranormal romance, this one left me feeling bleh. I have read some of the other series and those were entertaining, this one I felt like the romance was forced, and I just didn't enjoy it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Bull Moon Rising by Ruby Dixon!

I absolutely loved this it was such a cozy and fun spicy romance. Ruby Dixon puts some type of special magic within her worlds and I could keep visiting over and over again.