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.

t’s been a while since I picked up a brand-new fantasy series, and to be honest, I was kind of dreading the world-building. But I was so wrong. This world was incredibly easy to get into—yet still intricate. The politics ran deep, and the characters felt fully fleshed out.

If you’re here for the monster romance, just know that’s the side dish. The main course? A rich fantasy story spiced with a whole lot of female empowerment.

This is not my first...minotaur rodeo. And it was very fun! Of course, as a former archaeologist, I am also biased about the vibes of this story! A lot more build up than I thought there was gonna be. The FMC was strong and independent which was a nice change as well.

Thank you so much for the arc! I am a Ruby Dixon fan and 100% proud of it. I’m so obsessed with the worlds she creates and her characters. There is never a second to be bored when reading Ruby’s books. This was was so great and I loved it!

Taurian (Minotaur like man) with a KNOT?! Plus an archeological style guild with magical artifacts?? Sign me up.

I have to admit I did start and stop this one several times before finishing it but once I got to that halfway point I was locked in mainly for the guild mysteries and the hope that we would get more spice.

4 stars
🌶️🌶️/5 spice

This one was definitely a slow burn with an enemies to lovers vibe crossed with a marriage of convenience mixed with a secret royal and a conquest moon that makes men crazy with lust.

Which you might be thinking would be FILLED WITH SPICE… but for me personally I could have used more spice. We basically got fondling for the first 75% then FINALLY some action that only made me want more.

Hawk and Aspeths relationship was so back and forth and all over the place that I really had a hard time rooting for them. LIKE GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER. When that conquest moon hit I wanted more spice, more knotting and more of that feral energy he had for her.

The guild was the most interesting part of this series and I just want to know MORE about ancient Prell and these mysterious artifacts.

Kipp was my favorite character and I am desperate for someone to create some fan art so I my mind can accurately picture this cute little turtley frog man?

I do have to admit the hardcover version of this book is STUNNING. It was literally the reason I preordered this one and will be ordering every book in the series.

I am really looking forward to the next one to uncover Gwenna’s seemingly magical powers and see what secrets she has hidden plus see her find love!

I would highly recommend this to those looking for a fun fantasy read and might want to dip their toes in a monster romance. It’s a great starting point with not too much spice.

this book was SO good. I was just so impressed at how it ended up such a well put together story, so many loose ends tied up by the end and the fantasy worldbuilding unfurled all at a steady pace no info dumping.

This just might be THE best found family I’ve ever read. I genuinely cared for this ragtag crew and didn’t mind any page time they took up, they were genuinely interesting and funny.

I loved our main characters and their romance. Our practical and straight forward FMC and somewhat broody & mysterious MMC. And then how down bad he gets for her (but also really appreciates her brain).

The FMC and overall story reminded me of India Holton’s writing, just more explicit spice (somewhat of a slow burn in that dept though fair warning) and more grit, less whimsy (needed for this particular historical fantasy world). I loved the adventure and efforts to combat misogyny.

Thank you to Berkley for the eARC. I also purchased a physical copy myself and the pages feel so nice, I love the hardback. The amazing thing is I saw there will be another book in the series and I really appreciate that this book feels like such a special complete story standalone. I’m so excited for more of the world with the kind of writing and plotting Ruby brought to this book.

Ruby Dixon has done it again with this absolute gem of a monster romance. Aspeth is basically the most badass heroine I've read in ages! she's smart, snarky, and refuses to let anyone tell her what she can't do. And Hawk? Total broody minotaur perfection.
The world-building is perfection with the magical artifact hunting, guild politics, and this delicious slowburn tension that just kills you. Their enemies to lovers is so good I was literally screaming at my Kindle. There are moments where the sexual tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife, and when things finally heat up? Let's just say Ruby Dixon knows how to DELIVER.
Not gonna lie, there were a few plot points that felt a bit predictable, and I wanted MORE scenes between Aspeth and Hawk. But honestly? I couldn't put this book down. The world feels so unique! it's like Indiana Jones met a sexy minotaur and they had a book baby.
If you love fantasy romance with strong heroines, monster love interests, and adventures that keep you on the edge of your seat, YOU NEED THIS BOOK.
5/5 stars. No notes. Absolute perfection.