I seriously loved this book. I, like many other readers, know Ruby Dixon very well through Ice Planet Barbarians, so I was expecting definitely something with a similar tone and feel. But, that's not what Bull Moon Rising is at all. This book reads more like high fantasy mixed with monster romance, but of course with Ruby's fun and at times comedic writing. While the language used can come off as a bit more modern, it's clear that this is a world completely separate from our own. And any of the modern language that was used just made it fun and easy to get into.

I was mostly blown away with the world building in Bull Moon Rising. I've never read a fantasy world like this (though admittedly, I've never claimed to be a huge fantasy reader). The artifactual guild is a such a cool concept, and really opens the door to so many different possibilities on what different artifacts could be found or even what other kinds of characters future stories could be about. The world is unique and intricate, but I had no trouble jumping right into the book. I also really loved hearing about where Ruby got her influences for this story from in the author's note. I'm so glad she shared that because it really shows the reader just how one of a kind this world is.

Though I don't really consider myself to be a fantasy reader, I DO consider myself to be a monster romance reader. And Ruby knocked it out the park with Hawk. He is a perfectly serious and slightly grumpy huuuge minotaur - or taurian, in this case. The spice is exactly what you'd want from a minotaur romance, especially one that leads to particular frenzy by the climax of the book. Aspeth was also very cute and nerdy, and the perfect companion to Hawk.

I can't wait to see what comes next!

Thank you to Berkley for the ARC!! All thoughts are my own :)

In a world where magic is outlawed but magical artifacts aren't, the lords who hoarde all of the artifacts have total control. Then there's the guild responsible for robbing graves to find more artifacts. Not to mention the king who rules over them all. That doesn't leave much room in society for those without artifacts, like servants, or women, or the other sentient species in this world. Like Taurians: minotaurs who are predictably skilled at navigating the tunnels of the artifacts mines but aren't allowed to hold positions of power in the guild.

Lady Aspeth has come to join the guild under false pretenses (for obvious reason, the nobility aren't allowed to become artificers). The guild doesn't want to let her in, or mostly the parts of her that are inside her corset. Somehow that leads to her getting a sponsor in the form of a Taurian husband amed Hawk who needs her to help him through his every-five-years honeymoon period. You know, tie the knot, as it were. The reasoning is flimsy but the sexual tension is real. Add in that Hawk is now her guild instructor, he hates royalty, and he doesn't know who she really is or that she might be trying to steal some artifacts to save her family, and it almost makes sense why they don't just hook up instantly.

For a book that involves so much lying and sneaking, the relationship between Aspeth and Hawk is refreshingly open. They talk through their issues and their feelings. They're considerate of each other's emotions. Look, there <i>can</i> be tension without endless miscommunication. And it's really steamy between them, even if it takes weeks for them to do anything about it. The 200 pages of UST and foreplay is so spicy, but the end game is a bit disappointing. Not bad, but I've read better Pon Farr/Omega heat sex scenes. There's a better scene where they're in an alley watching a Taurian orgy. There is sex in this book.

Complaints: the dialog moves awkwardly from Old Fantasy talk of artifacts and guilds to more modern things like 'make sure to tickle his balls.' Our OTP really should have resolves their relationship doubts in the first half, leaving the second half of the book for the plot and for extra sex. There's also a lot of inner monolog repetition in the early chapters, most of which could have been cut out in favor of more world building.

The fantasy world of Bull Moon Rising is very fun, with a great cast of secondary characters, and could easily be expanded upon. I want to know more about Old Prell. I want to know more about the other non-human races in this world. I want to know about Aspeth's friend/ex-maid who might be ancient Prellian royalty or at least some kind of wizard I want to see the Taurian ring ceremony, dammit. If there's another installment, count me in.

Look, I’m not going to sit here and pretend like I wanted to read this book for any deeper reason that the premise and the cover. We all know I am an Ice Planet Barbarians girlie, and I enjoy a good monster-loving romance with the best of them. What I will say, though, is that Ruby Dixon’s Bull Moon Rising genuinely surprised me.

It’s not that I don’t think Dixon can craft a logical fantasy world - you’re talking to the person who DEVOURED the Aspect & Anchor series - but I really didn’t know how much the actual plot was going to outweigh the smuttier parts of it. Turns out, quite a bit actually.

The story follows Aspeth, the daughter of a nobleman who’s estate has fallen on hard times. In a bid to inject some much needed cash into their coffers without marrying a wealthy man she doesn’t like, and to fulfil a lifelong dream, she runs away to the city to join the Royal Artifactual Guild. Since they frown on women joining the guild without a chaperone, she agrees to marry Hawk, a Taurian (think a Minotaur) who needs a wife for reasons of his own (sexy reasons).

Aspeth joins the guild, in a class made up of the rest of the misfits, and from there the book is mostly an architectural school adventure, with bits of monsterfuckery thrown in. Hawk is the classic Dixon hero, just a gigantic cinammon roll, who likes his lady awkward. I am very much the type who enjoys plot with her porn, so I wasn’t mad about it. I’d also go so far as to say I would definitely read more set in this universe.

Bull Moon Rising hits shelves on October 15, 2024. Special thank you to Berkley for the advance copy for review purposes.

I. Loved. This. Book. Ruby Dixon just does it for me every time. And with such a unique fantasy concept + a minatour hero + a tall, fat FMC with glasses, I devoured this.

I don’t have to have intricate worldbuilding to enjoy a book. If anything, intricacy without purpose hurts my head. But Ruby managed to deliver a unique, interesting fantasy world with gods and ruined cities and power struggles for magical objects AND a feudal political system (which I don’t see enough of!). Digging for magical artifacts in tunnels made my breath hitch a few times because being deep inside the earth horrifies me, but the idea of a guild dedicated to diving for these coveted magical artifacts was so COOL. And I love that we get the realization from our FMC that they’re uh…robbing graves and what all that entails.

Aspeth is the kind of FMC I love. She’s got great intentions but no real clue how to accomplish her goals except to just do it. She’s probably going to struggle (and does with the guild school training) but damned if she doesn’t try her best. Which means marrying Hawk. Which means a complicated relationship with her new husband/teacher. Which means navigating an inconvenient attraction to her convenient husband. Win some, lose some.

But Hawk and Aspeth are so FUN together. Horny, as only Ruby can give us, and emotionally complicated, which I feel is a Ruby specialty. It’s absolutely opposites attract because Aspeth flies by the seat of her pants and hopes for the best and it drives her very careful husband up the WALL. I lived.

Hawk may not be my favorite Ruby MMC because I’m used to a bit more feral dedication from her fellas. But Aspeth and her menagerie of equally oddball friends and schoolmates and the fascinating artifact hunting made up for his suspicious nature. And…y’know a feral moon struck rut can never be wrong in my book.

Thanks to Berkeley for an ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

I've been on a Ruby Dixon binge lately (IPB, anyone?) and was utterly thrilled to be approved for her next book! BULL MOON RISING was delightful from start to finish. Aspeth, the main character, was so fun to read. She was equal parts bossy, determined, and naive, which was a fun combination that made her easy to root for. Because of her privileged upbringing, she didn't have a lot of "real world" experience when it came to...pretty much anything. Other characters thought she was spoiled and bratty, but after spending a few pages in her head, it was easy to see the truth. Despite her life as a rich holder's daughter, she was incredibly lonely and also determined to turn things around for her struggling family and the people relying on them.

Her distinct personality was really fun to read, especially with Hawk, aka minotaur husband of convenience, brought into the picture. Hawk was the grumpy non-human love interest I was waiting for. When Aspeth suggested a marriage of convenience meant to help her achieve her goals and help Hawk through the Conquest Moon (when every minotaur goes through a rut--my fanfiction loving self was screaming) I was HOOKED. Like yes, please marry this dude who literally can't control himself around you. The chemistry between the two of them was there immediately, as much as they both tried to deny it, and I loved watching them tiptoe around each other in some ways (emotional) while totally breaking barriers in others (physically). The romance and the plot blended together seamlessly and I shamelessly stayed up WAY too late to finish because I HAD to know what was going to happen!!

Anyway, Ruby Dixon slayed with this one, as per usual. Highly recommend!!
(Social post about the book to come soon.)

🌙 𝔸ℝℂ ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 🌙

Title: Bull Moon Rising
Author: @author.ruby.dixon
Release Date: October 15, 2024
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶

"𝓓𝓸𝓷'𝓽 𝓱𝓪𝔀𝓴𝓼 𝓱𝓾𝓷𝓽 𝓼𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓻𝓸𝔀𝓼?" "𝓣𝓱𝓮𝔂 𝓭𝓮𝓿𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓶." 🥴

Thank you, @netgalley, @berkleypub, and @author.ruby.dixon for the eARC copy of Bull Moon Rising! This was my first ever Ruby Dixon read and my first archeology read. I loved every minute of it! It was such a fun read.

Aspeth is such a fun, quirky, nerdy, cute character, and Hawk is such a cinnamon roll. He is just the absolute sweetest and gives off alpha-hole vibes but is so caring and gentle. I blushed and may or may not have kicked my feet while reading about these two. The secondary characters are just the cutest and real. Kipp (slitherskin) is absolutely adorable, and I just love him. The character development was so well done. Let's be real, this whole book was done so incredibly well.

The archeology aspect sucked me right in! It was interesting learning about the old prellian and all the different artifacts. Definite Indiana Jones/Lara Croft Tombraider vibes. There is also a chubby orange cat named squeaker 🥹🐈

This is set back in a time when women weren't seen as equals and were heavily discriminated against. However, that didn't stop Aspeth and her friends and our sweet slitherskin, Kipp, from joining the Artifactual Guild. I could go on and on about how much I loved this book.

I will also add that this was my first Minotaur/Human read, and the spice was absolutely hot 🥵

𝕋𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕤:
🌙 Human / Minotaur (Taurian)
⛏️ Marriage of convenience
🌙Jealous/Possessive/Grumpy MMC
⛏️ Hidden Identity / Royalty
🌙 Size difference
⛏️ Knotting
🌙 Voyeurism
⛏️ Strong/Curvy/Virgin FMC
🌙 Teacher/Student *both are adults* no power imbalance
⛏️ High Stakes
🌙 Found Family

There is a slow start to the plot, but once Aspeth meets the guild the plot moves along nicely. Here the cast of characters expands as well. Not to say that Aspeth and Gwenna are dull, but Hawk and the fledglings balance out the cast of characters. Readers may be concerned or uncomfortable with a minotaur male main character, but let me reassure them that once invested in the story (and you will be) it doesn't matter. Eagerly awaiting the next in the series, and wondering will these be standalones or follow Aspeth and Hawk.

This books is cozy with mystery and intrigue. Those looking forward to a spice filled book will not be disappointed, but should keep in mind this is a slower burn than Dixon's past novels.

Recommend to readers who enjoy Dixon, but also books like The Librarian of Crooked Lane by C.J. Archer (just forewarn them about the spice). If someone wanted to be Evie from The Mummy, be an archivist, work in a museum, or enjoyed mining in Stardew Valley this book is for you.

I wasn't sure what was to be expected from a minitour romance (ok, yes I really did) but I honestly loved every second of this book!

What do you get when you add a group of misfits no one is rooting for, a fancy holders daughter in hiding, a marriage of convenience, and very large minitour about to go into the rutting season?! A whole lot of fun. Come for the story, stay for the knotting. I swear Ruby Dixon is a champ at making me fall hard for things I didn't think I needed in life.

Holy Moly! I was a little nervous because the first bit of the book had a lot of, like, world-building, and I was worried that this would not be a good book for me, but all of a sudden, it was 20% in, and I was HOOKED. This was so fun!!!! Aspeth is SO unprepared for the reality of the situation, but I love that she was always like, well, okay, let's figure out a plan! And I feel like we all need a friend like Gwenna. She was one of my favorite characters. I really loved all the 5. It felt like this rag-tag team of misfits, but they all had each other's back, and I grew to really love them. Hawk... Ooo, I loved how grumpy he was. I loved how he was always so exasperated with Aspeth, and he loved her. They were really cute together. This was such a fun adventure. I ended up really loving the world and the whole adventure; I was really hooked and could not put this down!

I shockingly loved this book! I had never read a minotaur romance before, and honestly forgot this was one until Hawk would flick his tail or stomp a hoof. I loved the marriage of convenience between Aspeth and Hawk. Their relationship was cute as it slowly started to develop. Outside of the relationship, this book had a great cast of characters. There was tons of adventure with the guild, which kept me entertained.

Ruby Dixon has once again proven why she’s my go-to comfort read author with Bull Moon Rising. Having devoured her Ice Planet Barbarians series, I was excited to dive into this brand-new book, and it did not disappoint!

In Bull Moon Rising, we meet Aspeth a noblewoman whose father’s reckless gambling has put their family in jeopardy. To save her family and their magical artifacts, Aspeth decides to join the Royal Artifactual Guild, despite the guild’s restrictive policies against women. Hawk is everything you’d want in a romance hero: rough around the edges but incredibly sweet beneath his tough facade. His chemistry with Aspeth is electric, and I adored watching her evolve as she stands up for what she believes in and fights to achieve her dreams. Their relationship, rooted in a marriage of convenience, blossoms into something much deeper, filled with tenderness and genuine connection.

The camaraderie among the misfit group of adventurers in the story adds another layer of charm to the book. The dynamic of the team working together to retrieve magical artifacts is both engaging, inspiring and entertaining. Dixon’s attention to consent and communication within the romance is also noteworthy, adding a layer of authenticity and depth to the relationship.

Bull Moon Rising is a sweet, engaging read that combines adventure, romance, and a touch of magical intrigue. The blend of rough-hewn romance and a marriage of convenience trope made for a captivating read that I could easily re-read again and again!

What a fun ride! This was my second Ruby Dixon, and I really think I'll give more of hers a shot. I'm a big mythology fan, so this was a pretty great one for me to read. Also, THAT COVER!!!!

Bull Moon Rising

I just love Ruby Dixon’s worlds. From Not Hoth to now the seedy town of Vastwarren and the buried civilization of Old Prell. The way I get lost in her writing and think I’m in a tunnel digging for magical artifacts is astounding.

I loved every character from the weird slitherskin(turtle lizard guy) who doesn’t speak but is probably the sweetest to our MMC Hawk the Minotaur.

The story evolves from our little sheltered rich girl Aspeth needing to rebuild her family’s fortune since her father gambled it all away. She does this by trying to enter the all boys club of the Royal Artifactual Guild and has lil success as women often do.

She finagles her way in by trading away her V-card very wantonly to Hawk who agrees to chaperone her and let her on as a trainee. He marries her because he needs a body to ‘rut’ during the every five year “Conquest Moon” where the male Minotaurs basically go in heat for five days and can’t stop dropping loads on the ladies. There’s an eloquent backstory there but you get the gist.

This book is set in a fully developed world that’s begging to be explored more of. I mean Ruby dropped once that there was fae in this world ONCE towards the end and my eyes bugged out.

All in all, it’s such a fun read that I honestly forget that the concept of knotting gives me the ick because of how much I loved all the characters. Even the excessively shedding cat Squeaker.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ace publishing for the chance to read this ARC. It was easily one of my favorite ARCs this year.

I love anything and everything by Ruby Dixon and this book was no different. Plus, THAT COVER! I know they say don't judge a book by it's cover but it's just so PRETTY!

4.5 stars and my thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.

This is my first book by Ruby Dixon and it might not be my last. After MGMF, I knew I was probably going to settle in for some good monster books, but I never would have imagined they would be some of the best romance I've ever read.

Bull Moon Rising follows Aspeth Honori as she tries to hide her true identity in the pursuit of magical artifacts. With a group that comprises of fellow women, a turtle person, and a drunk, they face an uphill battle for respect and acceptance in the guild. Enter a Minotaur teacher who is kind, sweet, and...looking to get a little busy. What's a girl to do? Marry him so she can become his apprentice and then find magical artifacts to save her home, that's what.

Truly, this was such a fun read. I loved Aspeth and her ragtag group of guild hopefuls. They had the odds stacked against them, but by damn they did it. I will say, the constant flouting the rules and being surprised that they got in trouble grew tiring after a while, but I would still love to read whatever Dixon has for us next in the series.

"Bull Moon Rising" by Ruby Dixon is a captivating blend of fantasy and romance, set in a world filled with mythical creatures and unexpected love. The chemistry between the main characters is electric, pulling you into their unique and intense relationship. Dixon’s vivid world-building and engaging storytelling make this book a thrilling escape into a fantastical realm.

I received an eARC of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I love Ruby Dixon's writing but I was not really feeling this one. I would have probably appreciated it more without the Taurian romance aspect or as a Taurian romance without the archeological digging. It truly felt like two disparate stories for more than 50% of the book in my opinion. Every time I would get invested in the archeological aspect I was rudely interrupted by a horny Taurian and student. I still think the writing is well done but it felt like two books forced to merge and it didn't serve either book well. I will continue to read Ruby Dixon's work because I do enjoy her writing, I think this was just a one-off.

This Victorian Era fantasy novel has a little bit of everything. Magic, minotaur's, lizard guys, a patriarchal hellscape that Aspeth tries to navigate in order to save her worthless gambling addict father. In order to join the elite magical artifact guild she must hide who she is and marry a minotaur. However, she is not exactly cut out for hard physical labor and she can't help but fall for her husband.

Loved this book!! Ruby Dixon never fails. I knew the book was going to be great from the cover alone. Can we take just a few more seconds to admire the cover? Holy cow I've never seen a more beautiful book.

As a romance girly I really enjoyed this! Ruby Dixon is just so fun with her writing!
The stakes felt so high but also the marriage of convince made sense!!!
I loved the FMC so much, and loved the romance which was very swoon worthy:)