Aspeth needs a sponsor to compete to join the artifacts guild, and she finds her sponsor in the form of a minotaur who needs a partner for his upcoming rutting season. She isn't fully honest with him about her identity, knowing that if she is he won't help her. It's a spicy, fantasy grumpy/sunshine romance.

As always, Ruby Dixon has great characters, despite their lack of existence IRL, and imaginative world-building.

This is a fun read. I don't usually opt for these types of romances, but I did enjoy this. It was spicy romance book with some of my favorite tropes from fantasy/contemporary.

✨𝒜𝑅𝒞 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌✨
📖: Bull Moon Rising (Royal Artifactual Guild Book 1)

To save her family from loss of their hold, Aspeth endeavors to join the Royal Artifactual Guild to recover ancient artifacts. But the odds are against her as she learns the Guild won’t let her train because she’s a woman. Hawk, a Guild instructor and Taurian, is running low on options as the Conquest Moon nears. Thus, a mutually beneficial arrangement is hatched.

Tropes:
👀Dual POV
💍Marriage of convenience
📚Bookish FMC
🐂Minotaur MMC
🫂Forced proximity
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒Found family
🐈Sassy cat
🔥Slow burn 🌶️

This book spoke to my love for archaeology and sassy heroines! Aspeth is earnest, quirky, and determined. Her zest for the exploring and discovering was infectious and let’s just say Hawk didn’t stand a chance!

Bull Moon Rising immediately drew me in with its Victorian era elements interwoven with witty banter, magical artifacts, and a steamy Minotaur romance!

So grateful to the author, Berkley Publishing Group, Ace Books, and NetGalley for the review copy. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I enjoyed this book. This follows Aspeth Hanori as she tries to enter the Royal Artifact Guild. She is knowledgeable about artifacts and thinks she can save her fathers hold. When she arrives with her friend and maid she realizes it's harder than she thought. And her idol, who is master at the guild and a women, isn't as she thought. She ends up married to a Minotaur who will be her chaperone and she will help him through his rutting period which is a period of constant sex.

It was very spicy. I like spice but it was a lot and sometimes a bit much as it's a bull and they talk about rutting and very descriptive, watching others and so on. However, I did enjoy the story and characters. Although I got the earc from Netgalley I also downloaded on audible and found the audio narration fantastic. I am not sure how would I have felt without the narration. There was a lot of misogyny in this world but the way the women handled was good. I think the character arcs were great, the world with the history side friends were interesting and it really ended well. Thank you netgalley!

This is a roaring adventure with an amazing and varied cast of characters. Hunting for magical artifacts beneath the earth, this group of misfits must work together to earn coveted spots in the Guild. With a leader who is far from perfect, a massive understatement, they have their work cut out for them. But thanks to a hardworking and fierce Taurian, and their own dogged determination, they do have a chance. Their training leaves them dirty and exhausted. Their adventures test their skills and show them just how much they can accomplish, together. I loved the characters with all their flaws and their loyalty to each other. Add in a sweet and spicy monster romance, and this story had my full attention. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

Bull Moon Rising was not only my first Ruby Dixon, it was my first monster romance.

As a self-proclaimed Historical Romance lover - I have to say, there was so much delightful overlap between this book and my home genre: a spinster fighting against a society that holds her back due to her gender, a ladies maid turned best friend, an old court family nearly brought to ruin by a gambling addiction and a scandal.

My favorite part of any story is the world building—and Bull Moon has that in spades, with the added bonus of the academia undertones I LOVE (think Emily Wilde or Sylvia Cathrall). Dixon’s writing easily sets the scene, telling a story to get lost in: be it a tavern with an insufferable ex or the underground tunnels (which were honestly so effectively described I felt sick and anxious imagining the claustrophobia of an underground dig. *Shudders* but that’s good storytelling.)

Our MMC, Aspeth, is whip-smart and quick-in-crisis, loyal and brave, and an absolute nerd about ancient artifacts that tell the story of Prell, the book’s once-magical setting. She was easy to cheer for in that she was never falsely positive in the face of a plan gone (very, very) awry, but rather she felt the fear or disappointment and made a conscious effort to overcome it “one problem at a time.” We see this trait in her response to the injustice of being denied entry into the guild because she’s a woman (never fear, she’ll marry Hawk and then prove everyone wrong), or the terror of getting trapped on a dig deep underground (arguably a larger problem, but deep breathes and reckless hope abound).

Overall, this was such a fresh take on so many of the tropes readers love:
- Marriage of Convenience
- Forced Proximity
- Forbidden Romance
- Grumpy/Sunshine
- Found Family

Thank you to Berkley/Ace for an eARC of this text in exchange for an honest review.

“Have you ever found something you wish you could keep?"
"You.”

4.25/5 ⭐
3/5 🌶️

+ magical elements
+ indiana Jones vibes
+ the CUTEST found family
+ minotaur romance !!!!

This book completely took me by surprise!! IN THE BEST WAY 💕 I was originally drawn in by the stunning cover, the beautiful edges, and just the overall vibe of it. I fell in love before I even cracked it open… and now I’m obsessed with what’s inside too!

So here’s the gist:
Prell was once a mighty kingdom full of wizards and magic… until the gods struck it down and it sank beneath the earth. Now, its ruins are scattered in tunnels and caves, hiding magical artifacts that still hold power.

✨ENTER OUR FMC✨
She needs those artifacts LIKE NOW desperately. Her family’s in financial trouble, and she’s willing to risk everything. She secretly enlists in the Guild (the team responsible for retrieving the artifacts) but quickly learns it’s a very sexist organization that doesn’t believe women can handle the job. A big middle finger to that.
Her solution? A marriage of convenience with a minotaur (yes, you read that right) who needs a partner before the upcoming Conquest Moon… when all minotaurs enter a heat that requires... um... assistance. wink wink hehehe 🔥🔥🔥

Sounds like a simple enough deal… but you already know there’s going to be twists, drama, danger, AND ROMANCE.

This was my first minotaur romance and I LOVED it. Ruby Dixon has officially won me over like I’m ready to devour her entire backlist. this story was adventurous, emotional, steamy, and so much fun. it’s definitely not your typical romance, and honestly? That made it all the more refreshing.

My only tiny gripe is that a few of the adventure scenes dragged just a little?? but I was still hooked from beginning to end. The characters, the dynamics, the world building it was all such a treat. Highly recommend!!! Can't wait for the next book!

I have read a few of the Ice Planet Barbarian books and was excited to try a new world from Ruby Dixon. I really enjoyed the characters but it was too much of a fantasy novel for my taste. I knew the MMC was a minotaur, but other minotaur romances I've read have been less true fantasy. I did enjoy the adventures but this book was a lot longer than I thought it would be.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Ace for providing a copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

First, I would like to place a disclaimer that I have never actually played Dungeons and Dragons. I've watched videos, read some about the game, and have family members that play, but I haven't partaken in this particular hobby. With that said, if I had to describe this book, it would be like a DnD one-shot.

The stakes are low, the characters are charming, and there is an abundance of sexual tension abound. Sounds exactly like DnD to me! (Please don't come at me if I'm wrong!)

While I enjoyed the majority of this novel, I had two main concerns. The first is Aspeth, the FMC, is incredibly annoying. Between her doubts, insecurities, and altogether naivety, I was ready to throw this book down and never pick it back up. She blundered and bluffed her way like no one else's business, and I admired this aspect of her, but when it came to her inner thoughts... no, just no.

My other concern is wholly preferential, but I was not a fan of this monster romance. I will never yuck someone's yum, (and this does not affect my rating for the book), but this just wasn't for me. The scenes were well-written and that's all I will say.

As far as the story, there were a few plot holes, and I didn't understand a lot of the choices made by the characters, but it was a fun story to read. I was happy to see our two MCs get their happily ever after, I just wish it had extended to the rest of Aspeth's squad. Not to spoil anything, but I was really hoping for a better conclusion to this book. With the way it ended, the author has left this open for some sequels, however I will more than likely not be picking any additional books up.

A fun fantasy world steeped in action and romance. This is a fun read and pushed the limits of what I knew of romantasy. This had me laughing between the dynamics of the group and of Hawke and Aspeth.

Thank you to Ruby Dixon, NetGalley, and Berkley Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Ruby Dixon book. I’ve heard about Ice Planet Barbarians but never read it. I had no idea what to expect in Bull Moon Rising. I did like the story overall. Not sure how I feel about the moon part.

I am belatedly reviewing this, months after it was released. I’ve read multiple Ruby Dixon books from her vast array of KU titles, and I love that she commits to the bit. Ice Planet Barbarians only works because she’s committed to the bit and takes the world she’s created seriously, even as the stories are, on their surface, bonkers. The same happens in the first of her Royal Artifactual Guild books– a world with minotaurs, magical artifacts, lizard-people, and more? She takes it seriously and builds a world I know extends beyond what’s in the text, and it makes the book (mostly) work.

Aspeth and her ladies’ maid-cum-sidekick Gwenna (Mercedes Lackey fans, I hear you shrieking, I did too) have left their keep to venture to the big city, where Aspeth is determined to join the guild, hunting in underground ruins for magical artifacts to sell and enrich her family. Because her secret is that her spendthrift father has blown all his money, sold his artifacts, and is still broke due to his gambling and travel. So Aspeth, imagining herself an explorer and an experienced lady traveler, takes off to apprentice to the guild. And there, her dreams take a hard left turn, when she’s not automatically welcomed with open arms, but instead, laughed at because she’s a woman. When the only yearmates she can get are fellow women and a lizard-person who wears his shell-home on his back, she’s dismayed but determined. Her teacher is Hawk, the aforementioned minotaur, but he’s facing a serious dilemma as well– soon, he (and every other minotaur) will go into rut, and he’s going to either have to contract a sex worker or find a willing partner to bang it out for a month until he’s of sound mind again. Aspeth needs a chaperone, Hawk needs a partner, so they reach an agreement on a marriage of convenience.

Parts of this book were delightful– Aspeth reminded me of some other scifi bluestockings I’ve enjoyed, like Alexia Tarabotti or Emily Wilde, and the world feels ripe for exploration. I loved the Indiana Jones of it all, but I think Dixon needed an editor with a stronger hand, because I feel like the story could have tightened up by about 50 pages, easily. I’m not going to recommend this as an intro to romance, but for those who’ve ventured into monster romance, this is a solid entry in the category. I’m happy to hear there’s a second book coming, but I hope for Gwenna’s sake that the editing is better.

A spicy good time! Ruby Dixon can do no wrong in my eyes! She will forever have a fan in me!!! Not my absolute favorite of her books but I enjoyed it! I will read anything she writes!

3.5 ⭐️ Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book! Initially when I started reading this book, I was all in. About midway through, I started thinking I might DNF this book. I am thoroughly glad I kept reading. The last fourth of this book picked up and took me on a ride. I enjoyed this book, Minotaur knots and all!

This was an extra spicy read with a good storyline and plot to back it up. The protagonists are almost immediately thrown together in a situation where they need each other to get what they want. With one being a Minotaur and the other a somewhat naive daughter of a nobleman, miscommunications and misunderstandings work to spice up the developing relationship. I enjoyed. 3 stars.

Based on a digital Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by Berkley publishing group - Ace and NetGalley for an honest review. Thank you!

Okay so first of all, I never thought I’d be reviewing a book with minotaur smut in it. How did I get here? Not sure. But honestly overall I’m not mad about it because this was so entertaining. I am still relatively new to monster smut in general but the minotaur thing was interesting.

Bull Moon Rising follows Aspeth, a daughter of a Holder. Her father has gambled away all of their family’s money, and she takes it upon herself to join the artifactual guild to try to bring back precious artifacts that can help her repay debts and save their family from ruin. She is fierce and determined and I loved that she wasn’t afraid to put some of these men in their place. She ends up meeting Hawk - a minotaur who works with the Guild. They end up betrothed in a marriage of convenience, because he wants a wife to spend time with during the upcoming conquest moon, and she needs an easy and full proof way into the guild. Naturally though, feelings develop and we get lots of spicy spice and steamy tension throughout the book.

To be honest, I very regularly forgot that Hawk was a minotaur. Which was great and also surprising. Until they started talking about he and Aspeth not being able to kiss because his face/bull head wasn’t compatible with her human head 💀. I fear this gave me the ick. But otherwise, the spice was enjoyable (listen - Bride by Ali Hazelwood changed me, okay???)

HOWEVER, I otherwise enjoyed this more than I anticipated I would. It was a silly fun time. Certainly not a anything life changing. But, to be fair, does anyone pick up a book about a minotaur and expect a literary masterpiece? Doubtful.

Aspeth was admirable and was a pretty great FMC overall. Hawk was actually so sweet and I loved how protective he was of Aspeth. I have always and will always love a marriage of convenience and this was no different. The plot was engaging at times but also slightly dragged in others. I found that I really did not care about any of the side characters but I can look past that.

Overall, if you’re looking for a fun, lighthearted yet spicy read, this is it! (if you can look past the minotaur thing 🤪)

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Romance for this copy of Bull Moon Rising!

This one was such a fun sexy read! I was deeply impressed with the world building here and was as invested in the fantasy element as I was in the love story.

Thank you Ruby Dixon and Berkley Publishing Group | Ace for providing an ARC for my unbiased review

Ruby can write about anything and I’ll read it… I mean this proved it

Was I entertained? Yes
Did I like the plot and characters? Yes
Do I want more?? Yes yes yes

I’m about two weeks late in writing this review because ~life~ always seems to get busy around this time of year and I’m constantly playing catchup. However, I haven’t stopped recommending this book since I finished reading it so you might be able to say that I’m a fan. Truly the photo is courtesy of a friend who I gushed about the book to so she went out and got it.

I might be one of the few romance lovers who has yet to dive into Ruby’s Ice Barbarian series, and I won’t lie I picked up this book solely on the description and cover alone and it wasn’t until I was half way through the book that I decided to look at the author. I went in expecting for this to be a fun spicy romcom with a hot Minotaur. Maybe about the same size as Bride by Ali Hazelwood? Not a 400 page genre bending delight. Because not only is it a fun and spicy romcom with a hot Minotaur, but it is also a slow-ish burn, high fantasy with excellent world building and an full cast of characters that all seem to hold their own. Both? Both.

Romance readers are often fans of tropes (not all of us I know, but this one is so hear me out). Walking into this story you are going to be delighted to get found family, a sort of runaway princess, spunky women standing up to the patriarchy, a marriage of convenience, as well said Minotaur husband who is going to be going into *ahem* rut and therefore has needs, oh and magical grave digging archeology.

While this is a fun story, it also hits on some very deep real life learning moments. Our heroine is a thirty year old spinster trying to save her lands ~alone~. Well, her version of alone means with her best friend / lady’s maid, and their complicated relationship makes my heart happy. Because I think often times many of us don’t want to impose on others, or understand their motivations, but others love us despite deserving it in the way we think that is needed, instead they cherish and love the relationship because we are there, as flawed as we are. Aspeth is sheltered, determined, funny and I loved getting to watch her character grow.

I think I am still just so blown away by the history and the archeology element, and while I don’t want to deal with the rats or spiders, I too would follow Hawk her hulking mentor-turned-husband-of-convenience who also needs to learn that others will care for him. His gruff but practical demeanor paired with Aspeth’s romantic yet tenacious ideals were so fun to watch as they dealt with one another. Also hot, this was so very, very hot and deserves all the spice emojis.

I’m not even doing just surrounding the relationships in the crew, which I won’t lie in the beginning I wasn’t sure they’d ever find the trust in each other that they’d need. But this whole story was somewhere between a ‘coming of age’ and a ‘coming to power’ where they each had their own issues, and had to deal with more. While the found family aspect was a side plot, it wasn’t any less important than the romance and probably led to why I was so impressed with the book as a whole. I would probably say that the relationships shined as the star of the writing but Ruby juggled the multiple plot lines, expansive world building, brought in the tried and true conflict of miscommunication, and had all the spice of some of our favorite romcoms.

I was so impressed, and yes I stayed up past 2 am because I just had to finish the story. I hope other have picked it up, or if you haven’t this makes you look closer at doing so because I would love to yell with you about it!

This book was the definition of a fun read. Every moment I read this book I felt the stress of life wash away and a rush of heat take hold of my body instead. It was so interesting because yes there’s the sexy aspects to this story, but there was a lot of Aspeth and Hawk getting to know each other. There’s the parts where Hawk is training Aspeth to become a guild member and pushing her to her limits.

I loved the aspect that while in the beginning it truly is a marriage of convenience there’s something real that builds between them over time. Hawk sees her as this nerdy, incredibly intelligent, maybe even a bit brash of a woman. Aspeth sees Hawk as this physically strong, yet very discerning as a teacher, someone who is very capable and knows everything about his trade. There is an undeniable chemistry between the two of them and the pull they have towards each other only gets stronger as the book goes on.

I loved that the down time between the two of them and the tension between each other increased the impact of the “sexy time” scenes. It felt like they came together very naturally and as much as Aspeth was thinking about it in a casual way, I feel like that detachment is what let her be so open and what allowed genuine love to grow between them.

If you love fantasy and want some sexy escapism to brighten your day “Bull Moon Rising” is a perfect book to pick up. I had the best time reading it!