Luna creciente en Tauro

Royal Artifactual Guild #1

by Ruby Dixon, Scheherezade Surià López (Translator)

En un mundo de artefactos mágicos y seres fantásticos, una mujer decidida a salvar a su familia une fuerzas con un compañero insólito, un minotauro, en esta novela romántica y llena de pasión de la autora superventas Ruby Dixon.

Como hija de un señor feudal, Aspeth Honori es consciente de la importancia de los artefactos mágicos. Por eso es un auténtico drama que su padre se haya apostado, y perdido, todos los que tenían. Ahora que su familia corre el riesgo de perder el feudo y, también la cabeza, si alguien descubre la verdad, Aspeth decide tomar cartas en el asunto. Se unirá al Real Gremio de Artefactos y a los aventureros que exploran las antiguas ruinas del subsuelo para recuperar los codiciados objetos misteriosos.

Es un gran plan, pero presenta un gran problema. El gremio no la dejará formarse porque es mujer. Aspeth necesita un acompañante de algún tipo. ¿Cuál es la mejor forma de solucionar este contratiempo? Casarse con alguien que le permita convertirse en aprendiz. ¿Quién mejor que un miembro del gremio algo huraño que necesita un favor? Es un minotauro (no pasa nada) que es su maestro (tampoco pasa nada) y está a punto de entrar en celo (ahí es donde se complican las cosas). Tampoco tiene ni idea de que Aspeth es de la nobleza (ups), y no querrá saber nada de ella si descubre su verdadera identidad.

Ahora Aspeth solo tiene que superar la prueba del gremio, frustrar los planes de un cazafortunas, salvar su feudo y., ah, sí, sobrevivir al celo de su monstruoso marido cornudo (literal), del que podría estar enamorándose.

Es hora de llegar al fondo. También literal.



«Ruby Dixon lo hace todo: construye un mundo impresionante, crea personajes atractivos y entrañables, y luego va y me sorprende con el minotauro con el que siempre soñé. Más vale que esta novela sea la primera de una saga, porque estoy OBSESIONADA con todos los personajes. Luna creciente en tauro es una maravilla, y Ruby Dixon se ha ganado mi corazón».

ALI HAZELWOOD, autora best seller de The New York Times



«La cuarta entrega de la sensacional serie de BookTok, lce Planet Barbarians, de Dixon, es sumamente amena y narra tanto una tórrida historia de amor como una aventura de supervivencia. [.] Y, como la saga en general, es una auténtica delicia».

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Monster Romance, Audiobook, Fantasy Romance, Fiction

480 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 2024

About the author

Ruby Dixon is an author of Science Fiction Romance. She likes fated mates, baby-filled epilogues, and cinnamon roll heroes. She also likes to write biographies of herself in the third person, because it feels more important that way.

Ruby also loves coffee and dirty books and will probably be a cat lady at some point. :)

Reviews

[Sarah Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

too much Indiana Jonesing, not enough knotting.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This was my first time reading a Minotaur romance. And that’s a sentence I never thought I would write.

For what it’s worth, I honestly forgot at times that the guy was a Minotaur, and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. But when I was reminded about it, it was usually during the very *ahem* descriptive scenes, if you know what I mean.

Will I ever read another Minotaur romance? No. But I also think you won’t find a better one than this one. The characters are pretty well developed, there’s an interesting cast of secondary characters, and the plot I actually found to be interesting because it surprisingly had little to do with the central romance. This is definitely more FANTASYromance instead of fantasyROMANCE, which is what I prefer. So think about picking this up, especially if you have already read and liked her other alien romance books.

Side note to those who have read this book:
If someone could please draw me a picture of a slitherskin and its house, I’d appreciate it because that was just one thing I couldn’t picture in my mind.

I received a free ARC of this book through NetGalley, but this didn’t impact my rating or review.

[Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Give Me All The Minotaur Smut ✨'s

In a world where magic used to be plentiful, Lady Aspeth is determined to bring her family back to its glory as she runs away to become an artificer, an adventurer who explores ancient underground ruins to find magical artifacts. Wanting to join the only artifactual guild, Aspeth puts all of her hope into becoming a member. However, when she is rejected for simply being a woman, Aspeth agrees to marry Hawk, one of the teachers, if he will vouch for her, and in return she will help him through his upcoming heat. Despite their obvious distrust in one another, as Aspeth and Hawk begin training and get to know each other, Aspeth must decide if she can be fully honest with Hawk about herself and her family.

This was an amazing start to a new romantasy series! It was completely unlike anything from Ruby Dixon I've read before, but still had her signature charm and smut. I loved all the worldbuilding and adventure in the plot, and I cannot wait to explore more of this magical world. The romance was so sweet, Hawk was so very grumpy and obsessed with Aspeth, the minotaur was just completely feral for her. The secondary characters had so much personality, and the found family was everything, I loved how everyone bonded with each other and were willing to put themselves at risk for Aspeth. I absolutely recommend this unique romantasy to enjoyers of magical adventures, horny monsters, quirky characters, all the foreplay, and a captivating plot!

~Many thanks to Netgalley and BerkleyRomance for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don't mind me, I'll just be over here reading some minotaur smut, aka my most anticipated read of the year!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Miranda Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

0 % in - you really want me to read this? Fiiiine.

3% in - Ok ok, guess I judged this one too much by the cover.

5% in - I fckin knew it.

20% in - ... but why am I so invested???

50% in - This plot has no right being this good. I can't even pretend I'm reading this ironically anymore.

100% in - Ruby Dixon.... you won. Now gimme book 2.

[Maeghan 🦋 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25✨

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for this early ARC! (BTW, the cover is STUNNING)

So I didn’t expect this to be a monster-romance Fantasy. But I was positively surprised.
I actually really enjoyed this. The plot was good, the stakes were high, the marriage of convenience was believable.
The FMC was positively delightful. I liked Aspeth a lot 😅. She was cute and funny and quirky. Kind of nerdy too. And her cat Squeaker??? Such a cutie. As the story went on I found myself loving her more and more. She was just such a fun FMC to read about.
To be fair the whole cast of characters were lovable. Especially the Minotaur (Hawk). He was just sooo sweet and thoughtful 🥺 and Gwenna?? Such an amazing friend.

I really love anything that has to do with archaeology so this stole my attention right away. I swooooned at the ending. Loved it.
And I obviously don’t care for human smut in books but monster smut though??? Sign me up. 😆

Out of topic but the author mentioned that she loves Stardew Valley in her acknowledgments and she has just been upgraded to one of my favourite authors.

[Soft Nectarine ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Indiana Jones meets Minotaur SMUT in a strangely cozy romantasy ⛏️⚱️🤎 marriage of convenience between an adventurous spinster & Taurian miner!

Aspeth is a ‘broke heiress’ trying to save her family by FINDING TREASURE! She is determined to join a Guild society that mines tunnels of a ruined city for magical artifacts ✨ One tiny problem…she needs a chaperone! She doesn’t hesitate to grab the first guy (or Taurian) next to her. How CONVENIENT that Hawk aka Big-Bad-Taurian also needs a wife for the…upcoming rutting moon 🌕🌙 *clutching pearls*

My cliff notes:

⛏️ to be a woman in a man’s world! strong female characters #sisterhood

⛏️ Minotaur smut is filthy 👹

⛏️ possessive mmc that actually wants to be a good husband

⛏️ street orgy *I refuse to elaborate!*

⛏️ amazing plus size representation

I enjoyed the Indiana Jones vibes and ‘accidental’ tomb raiding ⛏️⚱️ Most of the story was world building so the actual fantasy plot was not that extensive. I would have loved to see more magic use and history ✨ However, I’m definitely hooked into the world and want to know more about the Guild members and forgotten magic. I really hope we get to see more stories in this world.

Aspeth was the take charge heroine we all want to be! She was lonely and sheltered but that did not stop her from venturing into the unknown. She grabbed the BULL by its horns FIGURATIVELY & LITERALLY! 🤎


marriage of convenience
kind hearted mmc
scholarly fmc
plus size rep
virgin fmc
voyurism/exhibitionism
knotting
rutting Moon 🌙
found family
HEA

[Dul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not me spending an entire weekend binging a book about a Minotaur romance! 😭 Not even sorry though - this was SO MUCH FUN! Like, imagine your favorite fantasy RPG but with a spicy romance twist that you never knew you needed.

Ngl, I picked this up because the cover was pretty (I'm basic like that), but the story actually sucked me in hard. You've got this noble girl, Aspeth, who starts off pretty clueless and sheltered (lowkey wanted to scream at her sometimes lol), but her character growth? chef's kiss

The whole artifact hunting aspect was actually way cooler than I expected? It gave me major dungeon crawler vibes, and I was living for it. Also loved all the political drama with the guild - it's giving fancy people being messy but make it fantasy.

Fair warning though - if you're not into slow burns that eventually turn into a straight-up forest fire, maybe skip this one. Also, some parts drag a bit, but I was too busy being invested in our horned daddy to care much tbh.

3.5 ⭐️

Thanks for the free book PRH

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 3 out of 5]

*2.5 stars*

I love Ruby Dixon, and I read nearly everything she writes, but Bull Moon Rising didn't grab me the way some of her other series have.

I'm going to start with the negatives (tis my way). I think Ruby Dixon was trying to have some "hooks" like the Ice Planet Barbarian series, and they didn't quite pan out. The fact that the male MC was a minotaur didn't really play the role I was expecting, and seemed like an afterthought. The "rut" where he had to have sex with someone ("wink, wink"), was a fun concept, but I didn't love how it played out. It felt forced, instead of something natural and sexy. I feel like the author could have done more with it.

Also, I love a size difference and an interspecies romance (something Ruby Dixon always does so well), but it didn't even seem necessary here. There was just a bunch of details that felt mismatched. The romance itself was also suuuper underdeveloped. The chemistry didn't strike the right note for me. It went nowhere.

I'm a paranormal/sci-fi romance addict, and I can't help compare this book's world building to other series. I don't think Ruby Dixon needed to re-invent the wheel, but I think the world building was a bit shaky. I liked the artifacts and the holders, but it didn't feel fleshed out. I always compare these types of books to my royalty authors, Ilona Andrews, and this one felt lacking in that department.

What did I like? Well, the side characters were actually immensely charming. I really enjoyed them all, for good and for bad, and I thought they added a lot of fun to the story. I also thought it had a lot of potential to really develop in future books, especially with some of the other side characters as MCs. I hope the author works with her pacing (this one dragged), and some of the finer details going forward.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

*~*Follow me on instagram for more reviews, book talk, and deals posts*~*

[jenny reads a lot · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️ || TikTok

Overall it was a good time, the 🌶️ was fun, I love a curvy FMC, and anything with Archeology vibes, but it was just too long and repetitive to really blow me away.

What I loved…
- curvy, nerdy, family & friends first, strong FMC
- grumpy MMC that just wants to avoid the brothel during the Bull Moon
- The Mummy/archaeology vibes meets Regency era “houses” and setting
- Marriage of convenience
- 🪢
- All-Star side characters
- I usually really dislike the inexperienced female/experienced male trope, however this was done so well! A++++

What I didn’t love..
- This was a bit too long, the repetitive inner monologues got to be a bit much.
- The fact that the fmc was running around with her glasses off for 80% of the book drove me absolutely NUTS - there was no good reason to be walking around with blurry sight for the whole novel

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group (Ace) for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

[Zoë · Rating 2 out of 5]

all I kept thinking about was she chose to be basically blind instead of wear her glasses which I also did in the fourth grade because of bullies lol

[Sonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars: romance + a bull + a human + a conquest moon=

The slow-burn smuuuuuut you didn’t think you needed🔥.

Aspeth’s (30) father has gambled away their precious artifacts, artifacts that have built their fortune 😬. So she’s on a mission now to try to find more and be part of the guild that’ll allow her to do so. She joins the Royal Artifactual Guild and becomes part of the adventurers who explore the caverns where this can happen. And this is where she meets Hawk 👀 (late 20s ish?), a Minotaur who’s about to experience what the conquest moon does to a bull every five years: a rut where their eyes turn red and all they think about is 🔥.

Because she’s a woman, she needs a chaperone, and because the moon’s about to happen, he needs a woman to be there for him 🫠. Enter a marriage of convenience 😅.

Hawk becomes the teacher she needs, along with four others. There are a part of their team. But as time progresses, there’s more than meet the eye 😅 and feeling starts to develop 👀.

What will happen after the conquest moon passes? 👀

What I liked/loved: possible spoilers
—the 🔥. So, yeah. This is slow burn, but it’s so delicious 🤤. He shows her pleasure at about 35% with many sprinkles of different 🔥 scenes throughout until the big finale at about 86% 😮‍💨. It was a loooong wait but sooooo worth it 🫠

—how obsessed Hawk is with making Aspeth 💦. This male uses his huuuuuge Minotaur tongue to his advantage 🥵 not to mention other parts of him 😉

—duet narration 👏🏻. I love me a duet-narrated book

—the side characters ❤️there’s a lot of plot going on with the artifacts and the team Aspeth’s a part of who need to train for it. I really wish Kip, the lizard, had talked 🤣 but it’s okay that he didn’t 🤣

—the OMD 😈 I love how possessive and jealous Hawk is, especially when it comes to her ex (good riddance)

—how sweet and protective he is 🫶🥹. This boy will do anything for her

— calling her little bird and wife 🫠❤️

—finding of the ring/artifact 🫶. This got me emotional

—the way the book ended ❤️. I love we get a sneak peek into their future and how they’re going to work out

— the pacing 👏🏻. Even though this was super long, I still felt invested as a book was progressing. It’s probably because we see them together a lot, especially when it comes to the 🔥 build up

—the author’s note 🥹. Okay. But tell me why did I get emotional knowing RD included her own late cat’s characteristics in Aspeth’s cat? 😭

What I wanted more of: SPOILERS
—we don’t see the ring ceremony 😒. I mean. Cooooome on 🤣🤣🤣🤣

—the fact that I kept thinking about how clean his fingers were whenever he used them during 🔥 times 😬😅🤣🤣🤣

—a better epilogue 😒. Ummm… so no protection was used and nothing happens? Come on 😑. I wish you had seen more of them years into the future.

— a better comeuppance for her ex 😑. I really felt like just a slap on a wrist 😒

—for this not to be as long 🫠. It felt like I wasn’t progressing fast enough sometimes 🤣 it probably has to do with the fact that I was super busy with end of the school year stuff and Christmas though 🤡🤣

Overall, I loved it ❤️

⚠️safety squad⚠️
-no cheating/sharing/owd
-death/corps
-misoguny
-alcoholism/addiction
-mild OMD- the h’s ex caused mild drama in regards to the h and her father
-virgin h/not a manwhore H/has some experience and there are a few mentions of his past but no owd/h has had some light petting
-dirty talk/voyeurism/almost exhibitionism
-no condoms/birth control charm (necklace) is used at the end
-HEA/HFN/no real epilogue

[suonnahbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me falling for a hot Minotaur so do with that what you will 👀😅🤪

[Lily · Rating 1 out of 5]

1/5 - Thank you NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for the free ebook ARC.

I finished it! It was an interesting premise with some interesting characters, but unfortunately, that is where the good ends for me.

This book was........not good. Not the writing, the world development, the character development, the story development. It was bad. And I read a lot of things traditionally considered "bad."

I genuinly do not know where to start. I said some characters were interesting. They were, but there were no characters that were particularly likable, even the MC's. All the antagonists were only evil in the sense that they were super condescending. But that was literally, like, everyone. Everyone had the same character/personality of "look down their nose at you." None of "the Five" were memorable, except for the slitherskin, and that is only because he looked completely different and didn't talk.......No one scenario was handled or written well in this story. The pacing was terrible all around. Everyones an idiot. The relationship wasn't authentic or compatable. I'm stopping now, because, bottom line, it was BAD.

I normally like Ruby's books. Don't know what happened with this one, though.

[Noi (in & out) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this was a book.
That I read.
And I don't think I'll ever think of it again.
-----------------------------------
My first Ruby Dixon book, I'm a bit apprehensive but let's see

[EmmaSkies]

RTC after this episode of Shit We’ve Read: After Dark releases

[꧁ ༺Minne༻ ꧂ · Rating 3 out of 5]

What the hell, this was disturbingly good. Actually, I’m not even sure if it was actually good or if I’m just in shock because my expectations were alarmingly low.

I said before that I haven’t read any monster romance, and then I realised while writing this review that’s not true. At Christmas, I read one about Krampus. Please, don’t ask. Let’s just call it morbid curiosity.

I was very skeptical starting this because I had a hard time imagining how the romance would work, so I kept telling myself, think Beauty and the Beast, think Beauty and the Beast. But Aspeth is no beauty and Hawk is no beast. I was expecting some spicy monster romance, but this is so much more than that. In fact, the MCs’ relationship didn’t feel traditionally romantic, and the spice is kind of limited? At the same time, the way the characters approach sex is very direct and clinical.

I feel like this is a book you either really like or really hate because of the archaeological theme, and for me, that concept was very refreshing. If you don’t enjoy reading about archaeological digs, cave explorations, or artifact hunting, you’ll probably find a large part of it boring. Though the artifacts are supposed to be magical, we don’t get a lot of magic in the story, which didn’t bother me personally.

It bothered me that I couldn’t really place the era the book is set in. Based on their clothing, it sometimes felt Regency or Victorian, but at other times, it didn’t feel like either. Apart from Aspeth and Hawk, the other characters aren’t very developed. They’re simple, just there, popping up often enough that you can remember their names.

I’m not sure how good the other books in this genre generally are, but I’m rating this based on my enjoyment. So, if you’re a seasoned reader of this genre, please don’t take my word for it.


Updates while reading ༄˖°.☕️.ೃ࿔📚*:･

I'm trying hard not to look too hard at this cover. I've never read monster romance before ​👀​

💘 Valentine’s reading list 💘
﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌
𑣲 Tourist Season
𑣲 A Portrait of a Scotsman
𑣲 An Academic Affair
𑣲 This Book Made Me Think of You
𑣲 Bull Moon Rising
𑣲 Gloves Off

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

Ruby Dixon has never written a better book than this. Feel free to prove me wrong. This was so good that I WISH I could find another book of hers that I loved as much.

I received this book for free as an advanced reader copy and HIGHLY recommend it!

Aspeth is hoping to rescue her father and home from her father’s terrible choices while also finding a life for herself in joining the guild. She’s the typical bookish heroine who is book smart and street dumb. She’s a bit desperate and willing to do anything it takes to have a chance to live. She made some sketchy choices but aligned herself with some good people, like her new husband.

The beginning of this was a little hard to get into, but the book quickly picks up and there’s a lot of fun detail about the world where an ancient magical time shadows the non-magical modern era by providing powerful artifacts that people die and fight over.

This starts off with a marriage of convenience and it was fun to see Hawk’s and Aspeth’s relationship develop emotionally as well as sexually.

Great side characters (her team of five is super fun) and a really fun adventure.

I LOVED the ending. Things are tied up really well and everyone gets taken care of in a way that felt super satisfying. And, of course, Hawk and Aspeth (Sparrow) end up happy and in love.


Safety deets
- No other women or men. Aspeth has an ex-fiancé that does come around but she’s not interested. There is some jealousy on Hawk’s part tho. She's a virgin and there are few mentions of past lovers for Hawk. I can't think of anything specific other than how he dealt with the last moons with strangers.

- A little bit of voyeurism. They both watch others and do things where they might be watched.

- The consent was GREAT! Even when Hawk gets a little bit crazed (it’s a whole thing), he’s still able to step back and make sure she’s okay.

- Aspeth does hide her past and lie about some things which causes some tension. Thankfully, it doesn’t last long. Hawk gets really upset and does/says something pretty mean but does an amazing job at apologizing.

- We get to see them in their HEA… and it’s SO GOOD!

[Mira · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️

I had never read a monster romance book before, so I had no idea what to expect—but I can confidently say that my first experience was a great one!

Aspeth is a noble, but after her father loses all their money and magical artifacts to gambling, her family is in danger of losing their hold. Determined to save them, Aspeth secretly joins the Royal Guild in search of new artifacts. Her loyal servant Gwenna follows her into this adventure. The only problem? The Guild doesn’t allow women to train. The only way around that? Marry a minotaur who’s already a member.

I really enjoyed the characters and how their relationship developed gradually over time. Aspeth, though a noble by birth and at times seemingly frivolous, proves herself brave, hard-working, and deeply loyal.

Hawk may come off as gruff and commanding at first, but deep down he’s sweet and caring. The way he looks after Aspeth completely melted my heart—I kept forgetting he was a minotaur! And don’t even get me started on his hilarious reactions to Squeaker, Aspeth’s cat—they had me giggling every time.

As for the side characters, Gwenna was my favorite. She was not only a great companion but also a true friend to Aspeth, so I’m really excited that the next book will be about her. I’m definitely continuing with this series!

𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
✓romantasy
✓curvy heroine
✓marriage of convenience
✓found family
✓minotaurs
✓grumpy / sunshine

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group (Ace) for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Jareth Navratil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hate that I didn’t hate this…

Okay ladies, I see you! What I am about to say is going to sound like I am poking fun, but I assure you that I mean this in all sincerity… I tip my hat to you on discovering how to camouflage your smut so spectacularly that you can read it in public without anyone not “in the know” being the wiser. Well done!

I picked up this book on account of its gloriously colorful cover, and after reading its blurb, couldn’t resist purchasing it, thinking, “There is no way this author can deliver on this book’s promise of 400+ pages of marriage of convenience trope coupled with minotaur on woman anthropomorphic smut.” But she sure did!

And honestly, the author did a superb job fleshing out some very three-dimensional characters that I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know. The one critique that kept this book from earning a five-star review in my opinion, was that the author could have stepped up the world-building a hair-shade. I would have loved to have learned more about Old Prell and guild life just a little more, perhaps in lieu of one or two of the obscenely descriptive bull tongue cunnilingus scenes… there seemed a surplus of those in my opinion.

I look forward to the sequel!

[Anna (annareadit) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tropes:
— monster romance
— human & minotaur
— marriage of convenience
— grumpy & sunshine
— found family
— curvy heroine
— knotting
— voyurism/exhibitionism

Who can explain why it’s so hard to write reviews for books you loved? This isn’t my first Ruby Dixon book; I’ve already read her Ice Planet Barbarians series, which I love. So when I saw this one, I couldn’t pass it up.

It was fun, funny, and steamy (in the best possible way).

Aspeth Honori’s noble family is on the verge of ruin after her father gambles away their fortune and magical artifacts. To save them, she secretly joins the Royal Artifactual Guild—where women aren’t allowed to train. Her only option? Marry a grumpy minotaur who needs a favor and agrees to take her on as his apprentice.

He doesn’t know she’s noble. She doesn’t know if she can survive his rut—or the dangers of the Guild’s trials. But with her family’s future on the line, Aspeth is ready to risk everything…

I totally fell for Hawk. He’s like a grumpy cinnamon bun—warm, a little soft, and definitely something you’ll want to cuddle (but maybe only if you’re brave enough). I loved Aspeth’s kind heart and her sharp mind. She gave off Jane from Tarzan vibes, with a little bit of Evelyn Carnahan from The Mummy thrown in. The book’s atmosphere was fantastic, and Aspeth’s quirky crew was the perfect mix of oddball and lovable. Plus, the themes of sexism, disability, and responsibility were handled with just the right amount of seriousness... and the perfect dash of humor.

The funniest thing? Squeaker reminded me so much of my own cat.

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

[Nat · Rating 3 out of 5]

damn why was that plot so nonsensical?? befuddling really

[Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun speculative romance from Queen Ruby that delivered what I want from her - low angst, high camp, high fun. I wasn't expecting this to be in a full on fantasy world (I thought it would be more paranormal or monster romance set in a version of our world), but I am intrigued by the setting and politics established in this book & hope we get more stories here. I liked our MCs and their relationship progression, except that I am not sure I bought that they were full on in love by the end. Seemed more like a HFN rather than a HEA, but I'll take it either way :). Can't wait for my snazzy edition to arrive when this releases!

[Jo Graves · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hello, you have reached 1-800 KNOT for me

[MillennialMomReading · Rating 5 out of 5]

HEAR ME OUT. I was the biggest skeptic about this book, because I was under the impression this was all just monster spice (no hate if that’s your thing, it’s just not mine!) with no plot. But the romance in here was actually sweet? As much as it could be, and I thought the background/plot centering on guild artifacts was SO interesting. I absolutely think I’ve become a Ruby Dixon fan, and this gives me an excuse to buy the next book which is an equally gorgeous shelf trophy.

[Helena · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not my fave Ruby Dixon book and I'm heartbroken because I really wanted to love it! I kept reading because I love minotaur smut / romance but it was a huge let down for me.


PLOT:
Aspeth is a holder's daughter, a sort of wealthy family that holds magical articles. Her father has gambled their articles away and with it their lives / status. To fix this she tries to join the guild, a group that grave robs / searches underground tunnels for artifacts but there's one big issue - they won't let her train since she's a woman. Since she needs a chaperone she approaches Hawk, a minotaur (taurian) guild teacher and proposes to him - he'll let her train and she'll sleep with him for the bull moon.




THOUGHTS:

- let me say that the book wasn't terrible but I also really didn't enjoy it at all. The way the chapters are set up lead up to the "bull moon" and when hawk is going to finally make her his and it kind of took me out of the story because the stuff I actually was interested in was at the end so I was forced to keep reading. I LOVE Ruby's other series and she's never missed for me but this whole story and romance felt like an afterthought drag fest.

- first off .... The story did not do it for me or grip me in any way and I'm sure most of my questions could have been answered but the premise seems so dumb to me. Like your dad sucks and gambled your future, instead of setting off on your own at 30!! (Which seems pretty old to me since it's like a pseudo regency / sci fi magical world) Aspeth decides to steal a bunch of artifacts??? Literally why, so ur dad can gamble this too???

Next you want to join the guild but don't know that they don't allow women? Doesn't seem like she thought this through very well. Next there are women at the guild... Did they all have sponsors or something? And no one really treats them badly so why is there a no women rule if there's actually a bunch of them.

Then the whole marriage thing??? Literally you want to help your family and join the guild so badly you'll proposition a man you've never met to sleep with him so he can rut you for one day... Literally why would Hawk agree to this realistically? We see that he wants a wife but also that minotaurs are pretty sought after by sex workers in the book... So like why wouldn't he just hire someone for one night and be done with it. Wayyyy less hassle than trying to make it work with a woman you have nothing in common with.

- HAWK - look I wanted to love him but really I honestly forgot he was supposed to be a minotaur. He didn't seem to have much personality aside from being super buff and hot. Kinda fell flat to me.

- Aspeth - I didn't care for at all tbh. She was kind of annoying, made dumb decisions and badgered people to get her way. At first I kind of liked her no nonsense personality but it wore on me after a while.

- the whole thing with the random fiance? I feel like if she had been running from him from the start as her primary reason that could have been something but his inclusion felt really random.

THE SMUT.... Ruby why?!? I love her smut but this was kind of not great. They have sex for the first time when he's actually totally taken over by the rut so it feels kinda rapey and she has to keep distracting/ pushing him off. I also thought it would be sexier and more in depth but ugh not at all. I honestly felt kind of cheated. I stuck with it for chapters and then that's all we get .... Sigh.

- lastly.... Apparently I'm the outlier here but I hated the cover!!! Like objectively it's beautiful and super cool but it doesn't match the tone I got from the book. It seemed smoky, kind of historical romance meets magic and grit and not.... Bright shiny glowiness to me.

[DIVINITY🌙 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before I go into my review I want to say I really really did enjoy this book and will forever read ANY and EVERYTHING written by Ruby Dixon..I love the worlds she creates and would pay to peak into her mind. I think with this one it just was a little more plot than I’m used to with her books. I mean her books have plot but the romance is always the most important part of the story which I like for her books.

I was not prepared for a slow burn😂 and I would have liked a more emotional connection between the characters.

I still enjoyed myself and again will be reading the next right after 😊 so don’t let this 3 star deter you from reading

[RLbooks (in and out) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes Ruby Dixon’s longer books drag for me but thankfully, Bull Moon Rising hit just the right notes for pacing. I was so happy to have a smooth read that kept me engaged the entire time that I spent my Sunday afternoon just reading this. There are some inconsistencies (small things that don’t impact the overall story or character arcs but still did poke at my brain) and I had a hard time not judging Aspeth (h) too harshly for her choices. But she and Hawk (H) made for a fun read and the tomb raiding, ancient culture fascination aspects were esp great. Plus, minotaur smut.

The story starts with Aspeth on her way to join the fledgling ranks for the Royal Artifactual Guild. She has become an expert of an older civilization that was built around magic, before it collapsed. The Guild employs people to hunt through the ruins of this civilization to find magical artifacts. Aspeth is a holder’s daughter, but her father has put the hold in a terrible position, gambling away all their funds and selling their artifacts, leaving them open to potential attack. Her solution is to join the Guild to save the hold, but she can’t let anyone know who she truly is. She’s joined by her former maid, turned companion and fellow potential fledgling. Their dynamic is an excellent one throughout the story, loved them.

Except, none of Aspeth’s plan starts off the way she envisioned. The Guild is actually filled with misogynistic jerks, she needs a chaperone as a female trying to join, and she’s just not as prepared for any of this harsh life as she assumed she would be. Hawk is a minotaur that works for the Guild, but he’s got his own problems. Thanks to an approaching event, he’s about to go into rut and doesn’t have a particular someone to ease him through it. His business partner with the Guild is also a useless drunk, whose ass he’s essentially attempting to constantly save. Aspeth shockingly ends up proposing a marriage of convenience to Hawk where she’ll help him through his rut and he’ll be her chaperone (he’d also be her instructor). Thus the bargain is struck, though Hawk has no idea who Aspeth really is and everything gets more complicated as her training progresses and his rut draws near.

Written in first person, dual POV. No ow drama, some om drama from the h’s ex-fiance who’s a threat to her father’s hold now. H is experienced (some mentions here and there of past experiences but not too bad and no serious relationships) and h is inexperienced other than some light petting.

Aspeth is optimistic, resolute, and persistent. She’s also physically not prepared for the task she’s set for herself and fairly naive. She was sheltered and pampered growing up. She also didn’t have anyone in her corner, not to give her affection or to show interest in her, and part of this enormous life shift for her brings not only a husband but also new friends. She’s in a group with 4 other fledglings and they rise or fail together. It does take time for them to act as a team and there are varying personalities to adjust to. Lots of training moments and banter. By the end, I loved this lil group and how they banded together. Also, Aspeth’s competency when it comes to knowledge and history were so appreciated. As a real life history nerd, I could so relate to this part of her character.

Hawk is a totally different specimen though. He’s at times stern and others tender. The Guild doesn’t treat the minotaurs well and his background also doesn’t come from a warm and fuzzy place. Aspeth frustrates him as much as she intrigues him, but he does want to do well by his new wife. I liked how they approached learning each other’s bodies and the little moments of intimacy they built when they’d share stories sometimes. But their relationship is also rife with secrets, suspicions, and occasional hurt feelings. I loved Hawk and how he was trying to keep himself afloat, but also do what was right for the Guild, and help his friend turned dead weight. Aspeth’s secrets and actions frustrated me immensely in places.

Steam-wise, there’s plenty of minotaur smuttiness to enjoy and Hawk’s (k)not afraid to educate Aspeth on what she’s in for (it’s a knot y’all, he’s packing a special knot only for this event). There is a voyeurism scene involving some minotaurs and sex workers and a couple of times when Hawk and Aspeth could potentially be overseen, but no mention of anyone actually noticing them. When Hawk goes into rut, it’s made clear that he’ll be out of his mind and when that actually comes, oh boy, it’s just as intense as advertised (and not just because some other stuff is going on). He's still considerate of Aspeth though, even in his madness, which was precious.

Supporting characters are a heavy focus in the book. Some are characters you’ll want to shake and others you’ll want to hug. Aspeth does have a fluffy cat friend that was a delightful addition (and a meaningful one for the author once you read her note at the end). I did wish that the Guild had a shake-up as a result of what happens, maybe some self-reflection on their processes and the awfulness they allow regarding women. Maybe if the series continues. If that’s the case, I would also love a book for Aspeth’s friend getting her own minotaur cause she was feisty and resilient.

One part of this story that did really work for me was the ending. Other than one little bit I wanted to know more about (and could be addressed in a future book), it all comes together and everything gets tied up nicely by the closing. I was left satisfied with our main couple, esp with Aspeth and Hawk’s future looking bright and having opportunities. I would definitely read more in this series too with the world building we get and the potential with the Guild and even the holders. While there were some frustrations at times, overall I enjoyed this. I’m never going to get tired of looking at that cover either, it’s so gorgeous.

[Hannah Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this so much! I went into this expecting Minotaur smut (which I definitely still got), but this book ended up being so much more than that. I loved the elements of archaeology and Aspeth's training to try to join the artifactual guild. The group of five was so sweet, and I'm excited to read the second book for Gwenna's story. I hope we see more from the rest of the group too.

My only critique is that I wish there had been a little more romance in the book and that we could have seen Aspeth and Hawk’s relationship develop more, since the switch from marriage of convenience to wanting to stay together seemed sudden. They were separated for most of the book, and the relationship felt more like it was built on lust than actual love. However, the ending was still very satisfying, and they were in such a good place with their relationship.

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Steamy fantasy romance with a historical type setting, a bookish heroine, and a minotaur hero. I really liked Aspeth as a character and found the setting and world to be really interesting. I just found myself much more invested in the larger plot than in the erotic romance elements and sometimes things were a bit much for my preferences.

If you want something with a similar vibe that's not so sex-forward, I would try The Ornithologists Field Guide to Love by India Holton. Not that I'm against sex-forward novels, but some of the specifics of this setup weren't to my taste. Every 5 years there is a moon under which minotaurs become sex-crazed and lose most of their control. There's also knotting involved. While I think the author tried to prioritize consent as much as possible given everything, it still just wasn't my thing. The rest of the book I really enjoyed though.

[PlotTrysts · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's an erotic romance between a "Taurean" (it's a minotaur, y'all) and a fat, bespectacled, nerdy human lady featuring the following tropes:

Marriage of convenience
Mating season
Teacher/student
Knotting

I liked this one, but honestly it was on the longer side than I prefer for my erotic monster romances IYKWIM.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.