A spicy return to the world of Bull Moon Rising, Ruby Dixon’s By the Horns is a fun read for anyone who enjoyed the first book. It has a bit of mystery, a bit of humor, and a bit of sex with a Taurian bull who’s always ready with a knot, but is a bit confused about the mate he is looking for. That’s actually the only confusion in this book. Taurians are supposed to have enhanced sense of smell…so how does he not identify Gwenna as the ‘sex worker’ who serviced him in the hospital? They were certainly close enough for him to get a good whiff.

This series is completely ridiculous, but it's also pretty fun. This is a (dependent) sequel to her first book in this series. It offers the story of Gwenna (who want to be admitted to the Royal Artifactual Guild) and Raptor (who is a qualified Tauran knocked back to investigate theft within the guild). The story veers between fantasy, mystery, and interspecies erotica. All in all, I found it very entertaining, though perhaps not quite as much so as the first book. I did appreciate the size inclusiveness, which I think more romance could use.

Book two in Ruby Dixon's Royal Artifactual Guild series continues where the first one left off, but this time focusing on Gwenna and Raptor. Full of forbidden love and deadly secrets, the attraction and banter between the two characters leaps off the page, as Dixon crafts two characters that instantly make the reader root for them. I hope there's a third in the series in the near future!

I’m not surprised this was a 5-star for me. It had a little more magic than the first book, and it was death magic at that, which always gets bonus points from me. The pacing is done pretty well and the tension between the characters is drawn out almost perfectly. I absolutely need more from this series ASAP. Thanks to NetGalley for ARC access!

Ruby Dixon never disappoints. This story about follows Gwenna, a former maid and servant, and a minotaur like Tauran named Raptor. *I love their meet cute, if you can call it that. It was hot. I loved the added mystery here where Raptor is undercover in the guild searching for a murderer. Loved it.

I loved this book. Ruby Dixon truly knows how to create a sizzling tension that keeps you hooked. Gwenna is this amazing, relatable character and Raptor, with his flirty, confident energy, adds so much heat to the story.The blend of magic, mystery, and simmering romance is perfect, and you feel every bit of their emotional tug-of-war. The world-building is rich, and the tension both romantic and suspenseful makes this book one you’ll devour. If you loved Bull Moon Rising, this one will have you gripped from start to finish.

Now that her best friend is settled, Gwenna returns to the guild once again to try to become a member and hopefully raise her station enough to support her own mother. One problem, an interaction with a magical device seems to have activated mancer powers in Gwenna - more specifically the ability to perceive ghosts - a power that could lead to her death. Another problem, Gwenna engages in some intimate activity with the Taurian Raptor while trying to distract herself from the dead man in the alley. When the two are joined in a training team, secrets all around make a case of mistaken identity even more precarious.

The world building in this series is interesting. It was good to see that Gwenna gets her own story. This won't make a lot of sense if you haven not read the first book in the series.

I love this series and the world. It's so interesting and I can't wait to read the next one. It was so good to check in on the characters from the first book.

i love you ruby dixon i loved bull moon rising i love by the horns i love this terrible hole you've thrown me in. im literally supporting minotaur romance at work. 10/10.

This was outrageously fun, deliriously hot, and emotionally sharper than I expected. In other words, everything I want from a Ruby Dixon sci-fi and fantasy romance.

Tropes:
— monster romance
— human & minotaur
— curvy heroine
— knotting
— dual POV

This book reminded me of a Cinderella story—but the adult version, where instead of a prince we have a minotaur, and instead of a glass slipper, we get some spicy memories.

In this part, we learn what happened after the first book. The story is told from Gwenna and Raptor’s POVs. I won’t go into details to avoid spoiling either the first book or what’s to come in the second. But I will say this—this story is just as good as the tale of Sparrow and Hawk.

I wouldn’t recommend reading both books back-to-back or out of order—this one includes callbacks to the first, which is great if you need a refresher, but might spoil things if you haven’t read it yet.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is funny, sweet and mysterious. Trying to uncover the secrets is half the fun. I enjoyed the continuation of stories from characters from the first book.

This book had a little bit of everything, including action, suspense, and, of course, romance. I like the characters and I know that our patrons will, too. It's a definite purchase for the collection and I've already got a list of patrons started that will want to read this one.

This was amazing like an action fantasy game blended with romance, adored it! World building was unique and well done and the chemistry between characters was sizzling!

Ruby Dixon has done it again. She's made me like a creature feature situation that I didn't think I could ever get behind. Again, I had no idea I could ever read a minotaur romance and actually like it? But I did! A fun read.

This book is so fun and gives such an adventure vibe while also being incidibly emotional and impactful. The world is so unique and the magic makes me cheer and also gives me anxiety for Gwenna. I love the romance and Raptor - woah! The tension and yearning and steamy interactions are so hot!

By the Horns by Ruby Dixon was everything I wanted and more. Gwenna has easily become one of my favorite FMCs in a long time—she’s determined, caring, and just trying to make a life for herself, all while dealing with a very deadly secret. I loved seeing more of the Royal Artifactual Guild and getting deeper into the worldbuilding, which continues to be so rich and fascinating. The mix of magical artifacts, politics, and forbidden abilities made for such a compelling read.

And Raptor? Oh, I knew he was going to be great from the first book. I was really hoping he and Gwenna would end up together—even if I don’t think they had any interaction in Bull Moon Rising (lol), I just had a feeling. Friends on both sides dating is one of my favorite tropes, and their chemistry was everything I wanted. The tension, the banter, and the way Raptor relentlessly pursues her while Gwenna tries to keep her distance (for very valid, life-threatening reasons) had me hooked.

I also really appreciated how, despite her own struggles, Gwenna was always looking out for the people around her. She’s dealing with the terrifying reality of her necromancer abilities, but that doesn’t stop her from caring deeply for others. The balance of emotional depth, humor, and action was perfect, and I loved every second of it.

I am absolutely obsessed with this world, and I really hope we get another book! Ruby Dixon is creating something special here, and I cannot wait to see where it goes next.

Another great Ruby Dixon read. I liked the first one in this series so I requested this one. It does not disappoint. It has the right mix of characters, story and spicy scenes.

A great second book for this series. I loved the new main couple and seeing all of the reoccurring characters again.

First, thank you for the early reading copy. I really enjoyed the first book in this series and this second one did NOT disappoint at all. I might have enjoyed this one a little MORE, it's that good. I hope there are more books in the series. Looking forward if there are.