Thank you netgalley, Berkeley publishing house , and Ace for my eARC!
(Of course I immediately ordered it.)
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Bull Moon Rising follows Aspeth (a 30-yo “spinster”) who is determined to earn her ranks as an Artificer in an attempt to help her father save their estate. What she instead faces is misogyny and rejection stemming from that. In a marriage of convenience, she makes a deal with Hawk. She helps him with his rutting and he chaperones her on her training to be an Artificer.

Are you into monster romances? I am SO SO SO sold on this Minotaur romance. If you’re no stranger to Ruby’s Ice Planet Barbarian series, I would give this one a try! It’s fun, high stakes, and so so good. It’s oddly wholesome in its own way.

I honestly wasn’t sure what I was expecting as I’ve only read one Minotaur romance prior to this but I was delightfully surprised by how much I loved this. I loved the side characters and their quirks. What a fun bunch! And her fat orange cat who steps infinitely. Honestly she was a star in her own right. Shes perfect as can be. 😂

I think this was the perfect balance of plot, romance and spice. 🥵 I can’t wait to see what the next book brings us!

Tropes/Themes:
🌕 Grumpy MMC
🌕Nerdy FMC
🌕Marriage of Convenience
🌕Mentor/Student romance
🌕Possessive - “where’s my wife?” 🫡🥵
🌕 knotting 🪢

This book was so good! I loved Aspeth and her determination to get out an awful situation that was not her doing at all! Hawk was a great MMC although he was extremely grumpy but. Well. I love a good grump so this worked for me!

Ruby Dixon does an amazing job of creating worlds and this book really showcases that. This book has the rich and the poor and the in between. Aspeth coming from the rich was a good detail because it really contrasted with Hawk and Magpie and how they grew up.

I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it for anyone who enjoys fantasy or monster romance!

🌒 Book Review 🌒

Bull Moon Rising by Ruby Dixon
🌒
This was my first book by Ruby Dixon, and it was also my first monster romance book. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was really fun! If you loved the Mummy or Tomb Raider, I think you’d enjoy this book. It was full of archeology, treasure hunting, adventure, and the study of lost languages. It had a really excellent found family trope, and all of the supporting characters were delightful. Aspeth is curvy, strong-willed, stubborn, and super nerdy. Hawk is grumpy, bossy, loyal, and very tender with Aspeth. I wasn’t expecting such a sweet romance, and honestly, most of the time I forgot Hawk was knot a human. Until the spicy scenes, and then you definitely remember. Overall, I had a great time with it, and I want to read more in the series.
🌒
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
🌒
Read if you like:
▫️minotaurs
▫️paranormal romance
▫️marriage of convenience
▫️grumpy x sunshine
▫️found family
▫️dual POV
🌒
Thank you to Ace, Berkley, Penguin Random House, NetGalley, and Ruby Dixon for the ARC. I received an advanced copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Although Lady Apseth Honori is heiress to Honori Hokdings, her family is broke. So, she sets off with Gwenna her maid and friend to find the Royal Artifactual Guild to find a master to apprentice to in order to save her family from debt, and to finally be noticed by her father.

However, when she finds the guild, she’s promptly kicked out because she’s a woman.

Determined to join, they meet a gal named Lark whose aunt happens to be Magpie, an important member of the guild and will be teaching her Five apprentices soon and they need another person to join, which Aspeth happily accepts, and then she finds out she needs a chaperone.

Hawk is a Taurian and the Conquest Moon is approaching when he will go into heat and be useless as a teacher for the guild. Until Aspeth tumbles into his life and offers to marry him to help him and he in turn helps her by being her chaperone as her husband. Hawk thinks it’s crazy, but says yes.

This was a very enjoyable read. Very cozy, steamy, lovely romance, with friendships and found family.

Aspeth is one of those kinds of people that are hard to dislike. She’s optimistic, but not in an annoying way. She knows what she wants and goes for it, no matter what others say or when others may try to dissuade her. She’s very admirable and adorable. I loved her growth in this story coming from wealth and her eyes being opened to how others love who are not wealthy, realizing that maybe her problems are smaller than others problems.

There’s a beautiful found family that grows in here with the Five. Each of them are unique and different and I loved the support group they became for each other and the loyalty they had for each other, especially when everyone else, especially the men, looked down on them.

The romance is hot and steamy of course, but quite the slow burn. There’s a countdown to the Conquest Moon and you’re just slowly reaching the culminating point when Aspeth and Hawk collide. And it’s wonderful. I loved how natural their relationship developed despite the unconventional way it began.

I also enjoyed the world and excavating they did. Sort of made me think of a video game when you go mining and find artifacts. It’s essentially that, but more politics and drama involved 😆

Also, Aspeth is a cat lover and a cat mom and I am HERE for it!

This made for a fun and enjoyable read and I really needed it after a more somber read before it. I definitely recommend this for monster romance lovers out there!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is my first Ruby Dixon book and my first monster (Minotaur) romance and let me just say, I am obsessed with this book. I would say it was 90% fantasy plot with 10% smut and it was the perfect mix. I LOVED the story line and it’s the first book in a while that I was dying to read when I wasn’t reading it. It had some great tropes, including marriage of convenience, found family, and secret identity. I really enjoyed the whole cast of characters and hope this is a series! This was a really fun read and I absolutely recommend.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Whoa, Nellie. Not just a typical monster erotica/romance novel, Bull Moon Rising is a nuanced and dramatic romantasy featuring a young woman willing to marry the Taurian guy who can chaperone her through joining a guild of hunters of arcane items. It’s a men-only club, and Aspeth is determined to get in. The exasperated Taurian agrees at last, even though they don’t really like each other, and he’s a minotaur about to enter his rut as the Conquest Moon waxes. There’s a lot at stake: Lady Aspeth Honori’s family’s business, Hawk’s reputation. They have strong chemistry, but he has some reservations about a contracted sexual relationship with a protegee spinster who only knows about sex from lurid romance novels, but the discussion of the power imbalance somehow makes it a little more okay. It’s a long slow burn, with a lot of teasing, advancing and withdrawing, and then a debauched giving in that left me wondering how the poor woman could walk the next day.

This was truly unique read, with the sparring and spice balanced nicely with a strong adventurous plot of chasing down artifacts, rich and lushly detailed world-building, strong supporting characters, from Aspeth’s companion and lady’s maid Gwenna and their sisterly relationship to her delightful cat Squeaker. The conflict around her reasons for wanting to join the guild, and his for training her, are complex and add some mystery and drama elements that add depth to the book. Above all, Bull Moon Rising is about found family in a delightfully smutty package with a Dungeons and Dragons flavored setting.

The championing of a plus-size character is always a bonus, and the list of possible triggers in the content warning will be helpful for readers who need to consider their emotional well-being when selecting reading material–it’s a kind, sensitive, and inclusive move that I love seeing. The special hardcover edition, with an October 2024 street date, features a gorgeous cover, with a pen and white inked star speckled drawing of the protagonists against a bright pastel watercolor background and brilliant royal purple edgings–definitely worth the indulgence.

I received a free advance readers review copy of #BullMoonRising via #NetGalley courtesy of #Berkley.

Can Ruby Dixon even write a bad book? I think not. Loved this, just as I assumed I would. My only complaint was that it sometimes felt like there was a little too many moving pieces that didn't get fleshed out enough. But really that's just me saying I wanted more of the story, right?

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of Ruby Dixon and her Ice Planet Barbarians series. I completely adored Ruby’s style and world building in that series, so when I saw this pretty, glittery cover AND IT HAD A FREAKING MINOTAUR ON IT, I was completely sold. I said, “take all my money Ruby Dixon; this one’s going to be a Britt favorite.” And I was right!

There were so many things to love about this book and so many things that Dixon just got RIGHT! Let’s dive into what I really liked!

1. I freaking love monster romances, especially when they involve minotaur MMCs and human FMCs. Am I living vicariously through these characters, you ask? Well of course I am! Minotaurs tend to be these big imposing creatures, but they also seem to be the gentle giants of the monster romance world. They are ginormous and can throw their weight around no problem, but they know how much they need to make sure their human mate in on the same page as them in all aspects.

Hawk was no exception! He was brilliant, he was the true leader of the little band of misfits, and he was smart as a freaking whip! But he was also gentle and passionate and really wanted to make sure Aspeth knew what she was getting into, in more ways than one.

Of course, I also loved Aspeth. She was just so freaking determined, no matter how out of her element she was! She came up with this incredibly challenging plan to try to save her homestead, she continued to follow through even when she was tested more than she ever had before, and she became a defacto leader of her group of 5 when one was so clearly needed. She may not have been the best or even the conventional "chosen one", but she had a lot of grit and determination, and that made her one hell of an FMC.

2. Speaking of which, I loved the little misfit group and how Aspeth was the worst one! I am a huge fan of underdogs and this group was the epitome of that! I loved watching all of their personalities play out in all of the situations they found themselves in, and I think their endings made a lot of sense, even if they weren’t the traditional “happy ending” some may have expected. AND I SHALL SO NO MORE ON THAT!

I do want to recognize how well Dixon did with their different voices as well. In a group setting, as the 5 frequently found themselves, it was easy to understand who was talking or doing something, as their personalities were completely and totally their own. I fell in love with each person for their own flaws and quirks, and loved them as a group. This found family was incredibly perfect and fun to follow on their adventures.

3. I loved the world building. When you have a monster romance/fantasy book, the world building is one element that can be hit or miss, and this one was definitely a hit! I loved seeing the infuriating biases within the guild, and the rest of the world, towards Taurians, and watching our characters overcome some of them! I loved the geography and different places introduced along their journeys. And I absolutely loved the artifact/magic system!!!

4. I loved the concept running throughout the book of “don’t judge a book by its cover”. Whether it be a role model, a maid, a Taurian, or a noblewoman, each character stepped outside of the box initially assigned to them and showed there was so much more to them than met the eye.

5. Lastly, I love that there is so much more that can continue in this series! You bet I will be first in line when the next book comes out!

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and Ruby Dixon for the opportunity to read this book. The thoughts and opinions expressed above are honest and my own.

4.5 stars!

I absolutely loved *Bull Moon Rising* by Ruby Dixon! Set in a world where magic was once abundant, Lady Aspeth is determined to restore her family’s honor by becoming an artificer—a daring adventurer who delves into ancient ruins to recover magical artifacts. Aspeth is determined to join the prestigious artifactual guild, but when she’s rejected solely for being a woman, she strikes a deal with Hawk, one of the guild's teachers. She agrees to marry him if he'll vouch for her, in exchange for helping him through his impending heat. Despite their mutual distrust, as Aspeth and Hawk train together and grow closer, she must decide whether to reveal her secrets to him, including the truth about her family.

This is such an incredible start to a new romantasy series! It’s unlike anything I’ve read from Ruby Dixon before, but still has her signature charm and steam. The world building and adventure were captivating, and I can’t wait to see more of this magical realm. The romance was just perfect—Hawk is the ultimate grumpy, protective hero, completely obsessed with Aspeth. His minotaur side was feral for her, and the chemistry between them was off the charts. The secondary characters were full of personality, and the found family aspect was everything. I loved how the group came together and risked it all for Aspeth.

I highly recommend this unique cozy monster romance to fans of magical adventures, monstrous love interests, quirky characters, plenty of foreplay, and an engaging plot. It’s an erotic romance featuring a Taurean (aka a minotaur) and a plus-sized, nerdy heroine with glasses, and it includes these tropes:

- Marriage of convenience
- Mating season
- Teacher/student
- Knotting

You’re in for a wild ride!

The spice was spicing!! I love anything Ruby Dixon and this book did not disappoint. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves romance or paranormal romance (out of the ordinary). 10/10

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ruby Dixon has done it again! Bull Moon Rising is a mythological monster romance that completely captivated me. This fantasy romance is packed with tension, action, and a world so unique that I couldn’t stop flipping the pages. The exploration of ancient underground ruins and the quest for artifacts added such an exciting layer to the story. I loved this story and the characters!

And who knew I could fall in love with a Minotaur? I officially have a new book boyfriend, and the audiobook made him extremely sexy to me! The chemistry is off the charts (definitely a four-star spice!), and I found myself laughing and fully immersed in this wild adventure. Literally, I was super attracted to him!!!!

If you’re looking for action, smut, and a fantastic time, this is a must-read. Ruby Dixon never disappoints!

Bull Moon Rising by Ruby Dixon, Lady Aspeth Honori was born with a silver artifact or spoon in her mouth she is the daughter of a handler who also owns and must defend all the land surrounding his Homestead but the big secret is is he cannot because he also has a gambling problem and has gambled away all the magic artifacts and money and has no way to keep them safe should there be an attack. This is why under disguise Aspeth, her ladies made and best friend Gwinna and her pet cat squeaky set off for Vastwarren. The big city where the artifact guild society once a year takes on fountlings which are trainees to learn how to archive from magical artifacts something that gives you power and privilege in the world they live in. After she runs into a few closed doors in a public embarrassment she then goes to Gwenna‘s Plan B and that is how they meet Lark. The two women cannot believe their luck because Lark is the niece of Magpie The only female archivist in the boss of hawk.. for the sake of Time and space I’m going to cut to the Chase Hawk is a bull Minotaur and he also is the guy who trains magpies foundlings when she is too drunk to do it he is very skilled and doesn’t want to take females on but when Aspeth learns The males in his species is about to go into their five day heat pattern and will crave sex in an overwhelming fashion she offers him a compromise and is is one he accepts because he does not like One night stands or prostitutes. So more or less things are going according to Aspeth’s plans, but what will her father say when he finds out she married a Minotaur and that she’s falling in love with him? I really and truly enjoyed this book because this was the total opposite of Insta lost or Insta love love how they got to know each other over the training I love the world building AN the history given for this world and they even gave ancient history for this world as well I find ruby Dixons books to be awesome I have a lot of quirks when it comes to reading books but I have noticed from reading other peoples reviews that my quirks are minimal compared to the reviews I read where it seems people run through the book with a fine tooth comb but to each their own in my opinion this is a great book and one I definitely recommend as I said I love this authors books and she did not disappoint I love ice planet barbarians but I must admit I thought she outdid herself with Bull Moon Rising. If you like great world building with the fantastic writing and wonderful characters then you’ll definitely enjoy this book. They do have detailed sex and profoundly base wording when it comes to that sucks but I just skip those pages and still love the book. #NetGalley, #BerkeleyPublishing, #RubyDixon, #BullMoonRising,

Aspeth is an heiress with nothing left to inherit.  Her father gambled away their valuable artefacts and now they have no money and no magic to defend the family's lands.  Out of options, she decides to run away and join the guild in charge of excavating new magical artefacts.  Hawk is a Taurian, a species of humanoid bull-like people.  Although he works for the guild, his people are treated as second class citizens.  He needs to train a successful group of applicants to the guild or he'll soon find himself out of a job. But the conquest moon is coming soon - a time when the Taurians go into a wild lustful state, and he must find a way to deal with the rising tide of lust while also doing his job.  Both finding themselves in a tough spot Hawk and Aspeth make a salacious agreement to help with the others' needs.  Told from alternating perspectives, this story has explicit and passionate romance and an interesting well thought out fantasy world created with enough restraint to have a broad appeal to romance lovers.  The fantasy setting allows the inclusion of a broad spectrum of fun and interesting characters which cover classic archetypes in a more interesting way.

3⭐️3.5🌶️

First person
Present tense
Romantic Fantasy
Grumpy/sunshine
Mythical creatures
Marriage of convenience
Forced proximity
Guilds
Patriarchy
Training


The book cover is beautiful!

I went in completely blind with this being my first Ruby Dixon book. I know, I know… how is that possible? I’m not too sure. But here I am.

The plot was decent. There aren’t many archeological rom coms out there, so it was definitely unique. But I found things a little too repetitive in descriptions and internal dialogue. But the world building was well done and I found the setting to be engaging. Interconnected standalones in this would will be interesting.

The main characters were fine, but nothing to write home about. Nerdy/Curvy woman (who refuses to wear her glasses) is attracted to big and burly/grumpy minotaur. She seemed a bit too naive and immature for her age. And he didn’t have much of a personality at all.

The discussion about this looming Minotaur mating moon, overshadowed the plot just by how often it was mentioned. The spicy scenes that were present were fine, but lacked a level of intimacy due to the lack of kissing… because Minotaurs don’t have lips/can’t kiss… which makes sense… but still. There was knotting, but meh. I guess I need the romantic lead to have lips. I learn something new about myself every day.

The secondary characters were fun and a good diverse group of personalities. It was a good found family trope.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Bull Moon Rising was an amazing start to Ruby Dixion’s new Royal Artifactual Guild series!

A minotaur and human… can’t say I have read that combo prior to this book, but Ruby makes it work. I loved the grumpy obsessed MMC and the determined quirky FMC.

The marriage of convenience trope is my new obsession and I loved seeing it in this books! The plot and smut were great and I can’t wait to see what’s next for this series!

When Lady Aspeth Honori, the bookish daughter of a Holder, discovers her father has gambled away all of the family’s artifacts she makes the decision to travel to Royal Artifactual Guild and enroll to become an artificer. The only problem is that the Guild doesn’t accept women into the program without a chaperone and Aspeth only has her maid as company.

Hawk, a Taurian and member of the Guild, must get a group of 5 recruits through training or else his mentor Magpie might lose her position, and he won’t have the funds to pay off what he owes. To complicate everything the Conquest Moon is soon to be upon him and his urge to rut will be uncontrollable. Enter in Aspeth, and a motley crew of misfits who want to join the Guild. In desperation he accepts an offer from Aspeth–he’ll marry her and become her chaperone which will enable her to become a recruit, and she’ll help him out during the Conquest Moon.

I never know what to expect when I open a Ruby Dixon romance, but I’m always pleasantly surprised. I haven’t read that many minotaur romances, and I’m not sure I’m going to start adding them to my TBR, but I should have known this author would make it work. This is a complex world with quite a bit of depth. I will admit that it started out slow for me, as I was taking in all the worldbuilding, even though I adored Aspeth almost immediately. She’s a thirty-year-old sheltered daughter of a Holder, who doesn’t have much physical strength, but once she finds out that her lands and people are being threatened by her father’s wastrel tendencies, she comes up with a solution.

The marriage of convenience aspect of the romance was believable, as well as the chemistry between the main characters. Being a Ruby Dixon book, there are quite a few sexy scenes. All open door and super steamy.

I think the thing that grabbed my attention the most was the lore of the underground city full of magical artifacts that are gathered by going into tunnels and digging. And while I do think the overall page count could have been cut down a bit, I did really enjoy seeing the recruits finally head down the tunnels to train. Each of the side characters are endearing and I hope there are plans for Ms. Dixon to spend more time in this world telling their stories.

By the way, make sure you read the author’s note at the end. I think you’ll find the way this story came about fascinating.

Bull Moon Rising is a fantastical blend of romance, high fantasy, and intrigue! This book follows Aspeth our main character who is looking for a quick way to gain fortune. Her plan is to join the artifact guild, but certain rules prohibit her from joining…unless she has a chaperone. This is where bull man Hawk comes in, he’s trying to save his butt by crossing a line of students into the guild to maintain his job, but he finds himself one person short. Are you following what I’m putting down??

Anyways add onto that, the fact that Hawk is gonna go into a sexual trance and needs someone to stay with him for the duration of his “rut” and we got ourselves a genuine marriage of convenience. This book was so entertaining. Dixon masterfully develops her characters, imbuing them with depth and complexity. The tension between the lead couple crackles with chemistry, showcasing not just the allure of their physical connection but also the emotional struggles they face. Dixon’s writing is immersive, drawing readers into the vivid details of the shifter culture and the challenges they encounter, while also maintaining narrative so as not to get lost in the details. Themes of loyalty, identity, and acceptance resonate throughout, making the narrative not just an entertaining read, but also a thought-provoking one.

Overall, Bull Moon Rising is a thrilling addition to the paranormal romance genre. Ruby Dixon has once again left me wanting more! Whether you’re a longtime fan of shifter tales or new to the genre, this book promises to deliver an unforgettable reading experience 🫶🏽

Adventurous, magical, enchanting and oh so spicy. I had the absolute best time while reading Bull Moon Rising. The intricate world building and magic system was so unique and the story line was so fun, it was like I was on an adventure. Never did I think Minotaur smut was going to be my thing but just as the giant blue aliens that came before him, Hawk stole my heart, knot and all!!!

If Ruby writes it, I will read it!

This book is really good and I loved the spice. I’m a big fan of monster romance and this does that really well I haven’t read very many Benatar books, but this one goes to the top of the list. The physical book is so beautiful. I will definitely be picking it up.

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley/ Ace, and Ms. Dixon for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I asked for this because I enjoy Ms. Dixon's books. Tbh I was a little put off by the cover, which is like My Little Ponies + sparkly rainbows + SHINY, on steroids. So you can imagine my VERY PLEASANT SURPRISE to discover that this is absolutely a fantasy with a healthy dose of romance, as opposed to smut with a fading whisp of plot. I don't mind a romantasy, aka, a romance with fantasy elements, at all. I've been reading them since *before* it was cool. But it's nice to see a romantasy with the emphasis on the fantasy.

Aspeth is a Holder's daughter (sort of a ruling governor) who leaves her Hold to travel, alongside her friend/maid Gwenna, to the city of Vastwarren to join the Royal Artifactual Guild (sort of a tomb raider/Indiana Jones/archaeologist hybrid group) in hopes of finding valuable artifacts to restore her Hold's coffers and defenses. The Artificers are run by (human) men, who do not welcome applicants of other genders or species to their society. Out of other options, Aspeth and Gwenna join up with two other female applicants and a slitherskin (sort of a gecko with a snail shell?) with a grouchy Minotaur named Hawk for a teacher. Each applicant must have a chaperone and, since Aspeth does not, she offers to marry Hawk: he will stand as her chaperone and in return, she will see him through his "Conquest Moon": a several days-long period that happens once every five years, in which he goes into rut and spends days on end having sex.

With that sort of description I really expected some serious action but to be completely honest it was a very slow burn. There's quite a bit of training montages (both physical and mental) and world building and, while there is certainly an attraction between Hawk and Aspeth, they certainly don't fall straight into bed. It was fun to watch Aspeth show off her knowledge of Old Prellian language and facts, and honestly I appreciated her misery as she suffered through the physical parts of training. Doing that sort of work is *difficult* and physical and frankly she should have anticipated it. I loved the found-family aspect of the team of five, even Kipp the slitherskin, and Gwenna was my favorite by far. (Don't hate me but I could have done without the fat screaming fur ball, lol)

Looking forward to seeing what Ms. Dixon does with this series next.