I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Ruby Dixon does it again with this sequel to the Royal Artifact Guild. Gwenna from the first book has to wait another year to try and pledge in as a fledgling at the Royal Artifact Guild. However, her friends from last year cannot help her this year. Luckily, she meets Raptor. A Taurian who is undercover as a fledgling and joins teams with her. She may be weaker than her team, and slower, and the worst one on the team. However, she has a secret that could get her killed. She has real magic, being able to hear the dead may be a nuisance but it may just save her and her team's life, and help find the treasure they are looking for. She and Raptor have to learn to trust one another to get through the criminals trying to get them out of the way.

4.5✨
Hugeeee thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and Ruby Dixon for this ARC! I screamed when I got the email and immediately got to it 😂

This was so enjoyable! I liked this a little more than book 1 and I absolutely loved book 1. The author included a list of TW and I really appreciated that!

Gwenna was a character I really got attached to in the previous book. She’s resourceful, smart and simply fun to follow about. I really loved Raptor too. I was happy we got to see the previous characters and the found family is just simply too precious!

The Indiana Jones vibes with the plot and world building absolutely worked for me. And the romance was sweeet! It lays a bit on insta-lust but the author makes it work.

I really hope the author writes author stories in this world because I’m absolutely bewitched!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
5⭐️

Monster romance meets magical worldbuilding in this spicy, heartfelt gem.

By the Horns delivers everything fans of fantasy romance crave—unique worldbuilding, laugh-out-loud banter, steamy monster tension, and a heroine on a mission to take control of her own life. Gwenna is fiery, determined, and so easy to root for, especially as she navigates unexpected chemistry with the mysterious (and very horny) Raptor. Their dynamic is hilarious, hot, and surprisingly sweet.

This book balances insta-lust with real emotional payoff, skipping the tired third-act breakup trope and giving us characters who actually grow. The world is rich with political tension and evolving gender roles, making it a standout in the monster romance genre.

Perfect for readers who want monster spice with heart, humor, and world-shaking stakes. Ruby Dixon has created something special—and we’re ready for more.

Solid romance novel, though sometimes the prose feels a bit unrefined. It does manage to make the miscommunication trope quite funny (and isn't the cause for a third act breakup, but the conflict in the first act). Overall, enjoyable but not an all-time favorite.

Gwenna didn't aspire to join the Royal Artifactual Guild, but followed her friend Lark to the city anyway. Now that Lark is settled into her dream job at the Archives, Gwenna has to decide if she wants to try repeating her training and working for a guild spot or spend the rest of her life doing drudgery maid work. But Gwenna has a lot of ground to make up and unfortunately, more than a few secrets she's trying to hide - like the fact that the voices of the dead follow her and press her to do their unfinished work!

What Gwenna needs is a distraction from the voices so that she can focus on training and earning a living - enter the best distraction around, a Taurian guild member named Raptor who has his own secrets to deal with. What starts as a quickie to distract and take the edge off becomes a search for a mystery woman, a hunt for a traitor, and sabotage that could actually kill!

If you like your fantasy steamy, sticky, and hilarious, don't wait to read this latest release from Ruby Dixon!

5/5 By the horns was the perfect follow up to bull moon rising and had the same perfect blend of sweet and spicy - i fell in love with gwenn and raptor's story just as much as I did with aspeth and hawk!

4.75 stars.

That was delightful. I loved the first one and I adored this one.

If Ruby Dixon would like to keep writing about this world, I will gladly keep reading!

In book 1, Gwenna accompanies her naive (and virginal) lady on her quest to become an "artificer", something women DON'T do. And Gwenna is not super enthusiastic about coming along for the ride. However she saw that there could be more for her life than being a servant and she WANTS that. She's hungry for more.

in book 2, we see Gwenna after her first year of trying ended up in failure. She's getting ready for her comeback when some strange powers start irritating the crap out of her. It's when she's at her lowest where she meets Raptor, blinded and healing in the hospital and suffering from extreme horniness (ya ya, it's a monster romance... it makes sense). He thinks she's come to "relieve him" and she decides to "jump on it", (literally) to distract her from her irritating powers.

Well, he's smitten after one time and proceeds to hunt for his new love when he's finally out of the sick bed.

Little does he know that he'll end up on the same team and he'll be fighting his attraction to his teammate without knowing she's the mysterious woman he is crushing on.

I am not not for insta-lust. Nor am I a big fan of most of Ruby Dixon's books... but this one WORKED for me!

I was giggling, kicking my feet, and fanning myself!

I loved this. I was a bit bummed out by their lack of trust for each other all the way into 70% of the book, but it resolves fairly easily and we don't' have a 3rd act breakup (phew).

The worldbuilding is SO FUN and I want so many more stories of what's going on and whether they can change the world so that women as artificarers are normalized and mancers are welcome and looting history for power is not so prevalent.

Safety deets
- Both are experienced. Raptor has been with a lot of sex workers because of his particular issue, but once he meets Gwenna, he's true to her even at the risk of his own comfort and well-being.
- No birth control or disease prevention discussed during their first time... and disease is not discussed later. I would be a bit nervous to be with Raptor because that dude has beeen arouuuuund.
- They are happy, in love, and married in the end.
- no third act breakup

Thanks to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so much fun! I absolutely enjoyed it. If you loved the Bull Moon Rising, then you will enjoy this next installment in the Royal Artifactual Guild. Dixon does such an amazing job of expanding on the lore she is creating. i also love that we get to see life and characters development from characters i already loved from the first book. I don’t know how she does it but ever couple Dixon introduced is my favorite until I read her next book. I really hope there will be a another book in this series.

Ruby Dixon does it again with another fun, sexy romp set in the world of Bull Moon Rising. The story starts six-ish months after the first one ends, following Gwenna as she tries yet again to become an artificer while also struggling with the fact that she is, in fact, somehow connected to the dead.

I really enjoyed this one, though maybe not quite as much as the first book. I enjoyed Gwenna and Raptor as our main characters, and I loved getting to see our favorites from book one again! (Kipp remains my absolute favorite, to no one's surprise.)

While I liked the first book more, this was absolutely a worthy follow-up and one I think fans will really enjoy!

It's impossible that Gwenna is a Necromancer. She's quietly working hard until she can apply to the guild again after last year's debacle. But why then can she hear the dead? She can hear the newly murdered man in the alley. She can hear the dead down below. But if anyone discovers she's a Necromancer her life is forfeit. It's illegal for anyone to have that kind of power, and certainly not someone they would let into the Royal Artifactual Guild.

As Gwenna focusing on becoming a fledgling with the guild for the second time, she's stuck with Raptor, a Taurian who is on a mission to figure out who is stealing from the guild. And Gwenna definitely is hiding something. She's Raptor's best lead, and the woman he can't keep his eyes off. As their attraction builds, so does the danger both Gwenna and Raptor are facing. Will they figure out in time they are the one they each need?

The second in Ruby Dixon's Royal Artifactual Guild series is as much fun as the first, and will keep the reader engaged, and coming back for more.

*Thanks to NetGalley for providing an eARC of this title. All thoughts are my own.*

This was a solid follow-up to “Bull Moon Rising.” I will admit to liking the first one a little bit more, but I didn’t dislike this one. Gwenna and Raptor were different enough from Hawk and Aspeth, as was the circumstances of their relationship. There was some feeling of repetitiveness, with them having to go through another year of training. But not enough for me to not enjoy this one.

It’ll be interesting to see if there’s a third installment, even if it’s not immediately obvious who the main characters will be. I like this universe quite a bit and wouldn’t mind another visit.

Necromancy? Forbidden. Ex-fling with a dangerously flirty Taurian? Complicated. Hearing the dead while trying to pass your magical internship exam? Just another Tuesday for Gwenna.

By the Horns is a spicy, high-stakes romp through a world of magical politics, forbidden powers, and one minotaur who refuses to be ghosted (literally or figuratively). Ruby Dixon blends heat, humor, and heart with fantasy flair—this sequel hits hard and horns first.

Short, sharp, and totally addictive.

3.5 stars. Readers should definitely start with Bull Moon Rising for the best experience-- there are a lot of reminders throughout the book re: world-building and the book 1 adventures, so readers don't have to worry about reading them back-to-back or remembering every detail, but readers jumping in at book 2 might feel at a disadvantage.

Only 3.5 stars from me, as this felt pretty same-y-- both to book 1 and, generally, to the author's Ice Planet Barbarians series. This is set apart from book 1 by having a more sexually-experienced heroine and jumping in to the physical intimacy within the first scene. Although the universe is expanded a little bit, this is an explicit romance with a side order of fantasy: not at all a problem, just manage expectations accordingly. I probably won't continue with this series, if any more books appear-- I dunno, maybe if I had a plane trip or something-- but I would definitely check out new stuff by the author farther down the line.

eARC from NetGalley.

By the Horns is an amazing sequel! Gwen’s goes on a rollercoaster of adventure with mythical and magical creatures who will delight you to no end!

I likes By the Horns better than Bull Moon Rising. Gwenna is a great character, and her conflict in the book is interesting and well done. The romance develops partially as a slow burn and it's a nice organic relationship.

Gwenna, is instantly relatable. She's a pragmatic, hard-working woman with simple aspirations and a strong sense of responsibility. Her desire to secure a position at the Royal Artifactual Guild and provide for her mother is a driving force, making her character instantly sympathetic. The added complication of her secret (and illegal) necromantic abilities throws a wrench into her plans, creating compelling internal conflict and raising the stakes considerably. Gwenna’s internal struggle – wanting a normal life while battling her extraordinary circumstances – is well-written and believable.
Enter Raptor, the big, flirty, and utterly charming Taurian. He's everything Gwenna doesn't need in her life but can't seem to resist. Dixon excels at writing compelling alien romances, and Raptor is no exception. His dedication to his mission, coupled with his genuine interest in Gwenna, creating a dynamic tension. The "one night stand turned suspicion-filled romance" trope is well-executed, with both characters having valid reasons for their distrust and attraction.
The plot itself is intriguing. The mystery surrounding the artifact thief adds a layer of suspense to the already complicated romance. The forbidden magic element is also well-integrated, adding depth to the world-building and raising the stakes for Gwenna dramatically.
By the Horns is a delightful blend of fantasy romance, mystery, and humor. Ruby Dixon delivers another entertaining read with compelling characters, a steamy romance, and a world filled with intriguing possibilities.

A perfect follow up to Bull Moon Rising. I cannot wait to get more books in the wonderfully interesting world. Although a little dark at times, the story had good pacing and I loved the relationship between the MCs.

After a one night encounter Raptor and Gwenna find themselves thrust together as part of the same five for fledgling training. What develops between them felt real and natural. As Raptor is searching for the woman he thought he needed while Gwenna was that woman all along.

Some little part of the outline felt a pinch forced or rushed. But overall it came together to make sense and flow well. I want to learn more about Kipp and his little lady friend! They better be in future stories!

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.