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When Joey Silver stumbled into the wrong classroom at night school, she never expected to find love. Especially not with a minotaur.

Joey likes things fast. Life, relationships, driving. But when she mixes up the rooms and walks into Cake Decorating 101 instead of the speed correctional course she’d been ordered to do, she finds herself in uncharted territory. He’s there. He’s big, and surly. So surly. And he’s definitely not human. How can Joey save her car and career, and at the same time, grab the bull by the horns?

Taurin might be the only minotaur left in Borderlands. So it’s up to him to dispel the harmful stereotypes and prove that not all minotaurs are savage beasts hell bent on destruction. Unfortunately for Taurin, he’s Seen Red one too many times and smashed up one too many china shops. Now he’s on his last chance. Make amends, go to night school, and show the courts he can control his temper, or face gaol time. And it was all going pretty well, actually. That was until she fell into his life.

By the Horns is a heartwarming steamy fantasy rom com told in first person dual POV. Featuring all your favourite
Fated mates
Only one bed
Found Family
Grumpy Sunshine

CW explicit scenes of an adult nature

Unknown Binding

114 people are currently reading
614 people want to read

About the author

Jemma Croft

8 books225 followers
Jemma is a regular human author living in Bristol, UK, with her husband, daughters and an anxiety-ridden Brussels Griffon.

She writes funny, smutty, very British stories about humans falling in love with non humans.
She loves dick jokes, foods where sugar is the first listed ingredient, and ignoring all her grown up problems.

You can find her on Instagram @jemma_croft
On tiktok (if she can figure it out) @jemma_croft
Or on her newsletter www.jemmacroft.com (cool free stuff)

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5 stars
251 (43%)
4 stars
221 (38%)
3 stars
88 (15%)
2 stars
17 (2%)
1 star
2 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
Profile Image for Ellysa.
78 reviews2 followers
August 23, 2023
Stars: 5/5 [Great characters and banter]
Spice: 2.5/5 [Some explicit scenes, but does not dominate the plot]

Holy crap; this might be the funniest book I’ve read in a long time. I legitimately couldn’t get through even a few sentences at a time without snorting and laughing. My poor husband sitting next to me had to endure the giggles as I read last night, and even he found some of the passages funny when I read them out loud to him (and his normal reaction to my books is “that’s nice, sweetheart”).

For your entertainment:
“‘My Mermish name is’ —he screamed at me, lolling his tongue about in his mouth—’but you humans have difficulty pronouncing that.’” (p. 55)
“Righ. Horus. As in the Horus. As in the ancient Egyptian god of kings. Teaching a speed control class. To a bunch of delinquents. And likes to be called Russ.” (p. 14)

This was labeled as a fantasy rom-com and the story fit the bill perfectly. I felt like I was reading a fantasy version of a Meghan Quinn book—I love her contemporary rom-coms, so this wasn’t a stretch for me to enjoy. If you enjoy rom-coms, low-stakes fantasy, and cake decorating, you’ll love this book.

Joey, or Peaches as Taurin calls her, is a human delivery driver on her last legs with the law in the Borderlands—the mecca for both mythics and humans. She drives a little too fast and has run out of goodwill with the police officers who pull her over. The consequence? The impounding of her little red car and the relinquishment of her license. The problem with that? Joey literally needs her car in order to make money. No car means no deliveries, which means no money; no money means that Joey’s roommate will kick her out of their flat for being late on rent….again. Joey has one last chance—take a safe driving course at the local college and all will be forgiven. Joey, as usual, is late to her driving course and ends up in the wrong class. Taurin is a minotaur, the last minotaur in the Borderlands, and has an anger management issue. Other species, particularly dragons, trigger him to See Red and flatten any building around him. Taurin also is on thin ice with the law; he’s tasked with attending counseling sessions, making friends (other than his three flatmates), and successfully completing his cake decorating class. If he doesn’t, or loses control again, he’ll be facing a really long sentence in the gaol. Unfortunately for Taurin, Joey makes an appearance in his cake decorating class and turns his world upside down—literally. Filled with love and laughter, this is a really sweet tale about two people who, on the outside, society thinks shouldn’t be together, but overcome the odds set against them. Best part of all? There’s a cake decorating contest! Also, the characters are in their 30s!!

The banter and dialogue are exceptional in this story, and I really loved being in Joey’s head–she has some really interesting thoughts about different mythics and I loved her characterization. I also really enjoyed the societal pieces seamlessly interwoven into the narrative. Police corruption, racism, stereotypes, forced relocation, etc. are all themes that are addressed, discussed, and present challenges for our FMC and MMC. It was a really great take on our modern societal issues, just translated into a fantasy world.
Profile Image for natka_bookish_life.
310 reviews165 followers
October 16, 2023
ahhh… 🫨 <- to ja jak to czytałam
to było tak bardzo chaotyczne. postacie miały wszystkie i nijakie cechy charakteru
tak działo się dosłownie wszystko i nic … troszeczkę rozczarowanie
Profile Image for Have you seen Jen.
59 reviews2 followers
December 4, 2023
I love Joey and Taurin's story so much, and has become a book I come back to for the laughs and the overall good vibes. You will want to read this again and again.

'By the Horns' is a sweet and endearing grumpy/sunshine story about acceptance, embracing yourself, and finding the place where you belong.
We follow Joey and Taurin in a dual point of view storytelling, on their path to find their way through life, love, and cake decorating.
Wholesome, heartfelt, and knee-slappingly funny; this slow burn romance takes fated mates and turns it into something fresh and exciting.
Jemma creates such an intriguing and unique fantasy world, as well as characters that you can't help but love, and want to learn more about. And with this being the first book in the series, there are definitely more flatmates, love interests and found family to be had.

I highly recommend 'By the Horns' and the Fantasy Flatmates series.
I look forward to reading more of Jemma's stories and future work.
Profile Image for Poppy || Monster Lover.
1,701 reviews450 followers
January 2, 2024
Where has this book been hiding?

Ok this was absolutely adorable. I loved that both the main characters had obvious flaws and complex interpersonal relationships. Every character had a background that gave meaning to their actions; even those that hurt the MCs. World building was fantastic. Loved all the redemption arcs that paid homage to people not growing overnight.
Most importantly, Horns and Peaches were PERFECT for each other. Grumpy sunshine goals.

Spice: 5/5

Triggers: cheating (off page, by former lover), bigotry, systemic oppression, violence
Profile Image for for_books'_sake.
34 reviews3 followers
June 3, 2023
A really fun, cute, and funny romcom with a supernatural twist! This book managed to feel both cozy and spicy in places (and when I say spicy I mean it, boy can the author write a hot sex scene🔥🔥🔥) and made me smile from start to finish. If you love grumpy x sunshine tropes, meet cutes, fated mates, and sexy misunderstood monster (sorry, mythic!) men then this is the read for you.
Profile Image for KorenaJo.
70 reviews38 followers
September 1, 2024
Funny, spicy, witty, One bed, plus sized FMC & a sexy Minotaur. Say less. Highly recommend to anyone who loves fantasy and romance.
Profile Image for Tanya Zuñiga.
Author 2 books5 followers
July 12, 2023
got me into a new genre

I heard about this book through a fb group and was drawn to the cover. I’ve never been into fantasy or super smutty books, let alone both together, which is why I’m excited to say that the author managed to get me into a new genre and I will be looking for her future books.
This is a good place to start for anyone in my situation because if you forget for a second that the book deals with fantastic creatures, you’re still left with a funny and cute romance as well as a book that deals with relevant issues such as racism.
Profile Image for Juliana Banerjee.
Author 3 books25 followers
June 17, 2023
Grab it by the horns!

If you're a fan of hulking yet cute monster, this is for you.
If you like to grab life by the horns, this is for you.
If you like quirky British humor, this is definitely for you.
And if you're looking for a sweet, insta-love, fated mate story, look no further.
The author successfully created lovable monsters, a relatable society and enjoyable story. Something that'll not let you put it down.
Profile Image for Kassybetweenpages.
549 reviews60 followers
November 19, 2023
great cozy read

This was such a fluffy read, while also touching on some heavier subjects of speciesism between our mmc and the different species surrounding him.

The cake, baking and cake decorating. adorable!

It was just a fun read with great humor and spice.
Profile Image for Ren.
27 reviews3 followers
April 16, 2024
Fluffy, sweet, and steamy!

This was so adorable!

I started this series at book 3, but this was a great introduction to the cast. I love how Jemma has built this huge world with cities and different realms, but this series still manages to have a small town intimate vibe that I love so much amongst the flatmate crew.

This book is super duper cozy, full of adorable found family moments and lighthearted fun. I absolutely adored the grumpy/sunshine dynamic between Taurin and Joey! I was a bit worried I wasn’t going to like big grump Taurin at first, but he grew on me super fast!

This was a bit of a slow burn with tons of mutual pining. Taurin has ALL the reasons in the world to be a total grump, but the way he melts for Joey is so precious!

I really loved Taurin’s character arc and how this book addressed the systemic oppression of his kind and the double standards he has to live with in his daily life just for being who he is. This was shown super well without being dark or a sadfest, and I appreciated the justice and support he got in the end.

Jemma is such a special author, I adore her books and I can’t wait to read more from her in this series and beyond!

Spice: 3/5
Profile Image for May.
541 reviews
January 5, 2025
My first 5 star read of 2025!

Who knew a cute minotaur romance would be my first 5 star read of 2025?
This was beyond cute. I loved their banter and their relationship. It felt so much more than just a mating pull to each other.
The plot was so fun, the side characters were all brilliant!
I loved Taurin's battles with his self image and I wish we got even more of him accepting himself by the end because it was such a positive journey to see!
And I loved that Joey was plus size, but that it wasn't her character. It was a feature mentioned in passing like hair colour, but it wasn't used as a plot point or as an insecurity and we need more plus size reputation like that!
Honestly this made my heart so happy to read. I didn't want it to end.
Profile Image for Emily.
238 reviews27 followers
September 7, 2023
In my ✨Minotaur Era✨

Honestly, this shoots to the top of the list of cozy monster romances. The world building is excellent, the fated mates + only one bed tropes are my favorite, the cake decorating storyline is immaculate, and the spice is 🥵. AND we get an HEA?? What more could I want. I’m so excited to read the next book in this series.
Profile Image for Flori.reads.
108 reviews3 followers
September 1, 2023
I really liked the book. 😄
Joey is the ideal FMC, strong, confident and I just love plus size heroines. And our lovable minotaur "Horns" won my heart from the very beginning because who wouldn't love a grumpy character with perfect muscles 😁
Also, spice was amazing 😉🔥🔥🔥
Profile Image for Amanda.
407 reviews51 followers
January 11, 2024
This was SO FLIPPING CUTE!!! An absolute joy to read! I laughed out loud multiple times. Cinnamon roll minotaur shifter hero with a fierce little human! And every single side character was a pure delight and I want all their books and back stories.
Profile Image for Abbi Parkin.
18 reviews
August 26, 2023
I saw this all over my TikTok and I was not disappointed! It was funny, witty and a little bit smutty. The love story was just so wholesome and I loved to see the progression from both characters ❤️
208 reviews
August 28, 2023
This was really cute and the spice was excellent 👌🏽
3 reviews
June 18, 2023
Lovely romance, charming characters. A book that made me laugh many times, but also appreciate the power of love in its many forms. Highly recommans it.
943 reviews9 followers
June 15, 2023
Snort of laughter

Some days, you really just need a good funny book to make the world seem right. Turns out it's a fantasy world, but this is the first Fantasy World building I have ever understood! Fun!
72 reviews
August 12, 2023
Fantastic

This book had me hooked from the start. I loved the plot and the character development. I can't wait for the next book
7 reviews
June 8, 2023
I loved it, I’m normally more in to dark romance but this one was sooooooo cute I absolutely loved it! Thank you for you awesome work! Continue doing it please 🥰
Profile Image for Cayla bookishlybrilliant13.
151 reviews14 followers
July 21, 2023
Hands down this was my favorite rom com fantasy I've ever read! Jenna's character creation and storyline is absolutely superb! I had so much fun reading this book I did not want it to end! Horns and Peaches' banter is the best! I literally laughed out loud so many times! And let me tell you...the spice is top notch! Well written, not cringy and she definitely brings the heat! I will say if you're from somewhere that isn't British English, it is written in that, but I believe that's part of its charm and I didn't find it distracting or hard to understand at all. If you're looking for something different, a fun, light, read filled with spice, humor and romance look no further than this fantasy!
Profile Image for warywolf3.
222 reviews4 followers
June 28, 2023
Fun reac

Really enjoyed reading this book. Great world building solid fully fleshed characters. If your looking for a laugh out loud story this is definitely for you!
Profile Image for Emma.
232 reviews15 followers
May 27, 2024
First of all, any book with a map of the fantasyland it inhabits is an instant selling point to me. But I’ll be honest, the last one I read was disappointing, so I was especially excited when I immediately fell in love with this universe.

Joey and Taurin are both sweet, adorable, insanely giant hot messes, and I loved that they didn’t really fix themselves over the course of this book. Like it was okay for them to still be works in progress in other parts of their lives.

It’s also a wonderful introduction to Taurin’s flatmates who will populate the rest of the series and I love them all. And this world of monsters and humans interacting was well-fleshed out and easy to comprehend without bogging us down with backstory. (I love Darren & Todd though.) My one minor complaint is the generalization that all dragons are assholes, just cause meh to generalizations. I hope they all come across a decent dragon later in the series.
Profile Image for spidermse.
276 reviews46 followers
September 6, 2023
Adorable and sexy story about two people finding their perfect match! I love a cinnamon roll mmc that can also be dominant and broody, and Taurin delivers!! Joey was a treat to read even though her chaotic life stressed me out 😆 and I am very jealous of her getting all that minotaur to herself.

I was either stressed out for Joey, wanting to hug Taurin, yelling at those two to get it together already, and then screaming in joy when they finally did. Emotional rollercoaster - something I am learning is what I should expect from Jemma. (and I love every minute of it)

And the spice....it was spicing 🥵 totally worth all the tension and build up!

I hope we get to see more of Ash. I adore that smut loving Fae.
Profile Image for Queerbookdad.
141 reviews1 follower
June 9, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

This book was totally different than I thought it would be based off the cover. I for sure thought it was going to be about rival bakers or something to do with a bakery but I was so pleasantly surprised with the story. Both Peaches and Horns were such fun and interesting characters. Their individual story lines were very interesting and exciting to follow along and their relationship and story together was just fantastic. I really loved their love and the slow burn was more than worth it in the end in my opinion. I will admit some of it was totally predictable 🏆 BUT who cares that’s what can make it fun, knowing something will happen but not knowing exactly how it will happen. The spice in this book was a delicious level of heat and the way Horns was like a devoted follower at the alter of the only god he has ever known (if you catch my drift) was absolutely intoxicating. Now having read this I’m excited to read Goldie and Dimas stories next!
Profile Image for Bella Toric.
631 reviews36 followers
July 24, 2023
When I received By The Horns, I wasn't sure what to expect except cute fantasy romcom. What I did not expect was how much I'd love the main characters and their friends! This book was funny, cute, and spicy all wrapped in one!

Jemma does a terrific job at storytelling and giving us all this lore while still keeping the story modern and fresh. My favourite part of this book is the fact they meet at a baking class, like come on, how cute is that!

This was definitely one of my favourite summer reads! Can't wait to read more from Jemma!
Profile Image for Robyn G.
Author 1 book48 followers
March 21, 2024
I saw this all over my IG and it caught my interest and then i picked it up on a whim while deciding what to read and absolutely loved it.
Joey and Taurin was the unlucky pair but they fit so well.
Joey was the definition of hot mess express, she was all over the place and quite unfortunate with luck but she was funny. Taurin has some deep rooted feelings about himself and a Dragon that lives to see Taurin have a bad day.
Honestly this was so much funnier than i originally thought it was going to be!
I can't wait to read Goldies book next!
Profile Image for Chelsea Hughes.
53 reviews
September 13, 2023
I didn’t know I needed Minotaur smut until now.

If you want a light, fluffy romance this is it.

Taurin is a Minotaur who is on his last chance with the law, taking cake decorating to stay in line. Joey is a speed demon taking a drivers awareness course but finds herself in the wrong classroom.

This world building is interesting and I’d love to read more from this universe.

Taurin and Joey are likeable, relatable, funny characters and I absolutely adore them.

A little bit of spice but what there is is good, I did feel like the ending was a bit rushed but overall I really enjoyed it and will read anymore books in this series.
Profile Image for Caity.
201 reviews6 followers
July 3, 2024
This book had me cackling! Joey is such a mess, but in a good way. Shes got a great heart and shes just really down on her luck. Taurin is the biggest sweetheart, kinda quiet, reserved in public but its just because he's so used to people judging him for what he is. I really loved the MCs and all the roommates! And Russ. The book had plenty of fun flirting and the cutest moments. It was a little bit of a slow burn ish, but ahhhhh it was worth it.
I have no complaints, this was such a fun, sweet, silly read and I'm so looking forward to the 2nd book and watching Goldie fall for a little human.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews

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