Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Worlds for this arc of Tusk Love.

Unfortunately, this ended up not being the read for me. The setting and the adventure part are what was intriguing to me and some parts of the relationship, but once I hit the %45 mark, something switched and just kind of turned me off from the book.

Overall, I think if you’re into cozy, spice and adventure, this is definitely the read for you! It’s one I may come back to in the future but right now it’s just not sitting well with me.

3/5 ⭐️

Tusk Love by Thea Guanzon is an epic adventure with a spicy twist. I fell in love with the main characters, Guinevere and Oskar, from the start. Guanzon did a wonderful job to give these character flaws, hopes, dreams, backstories, and individual personalities that shined through throughout the entire novel. Dungeons & Dragons lovers will love the tie-ins to the notorious roleplaying game and romance readers will love it for the beautiful love story with great character development.

Guinevere is expected to do her duty: marry a wealthy man that she doesn’t know, listen to her parents, and protect the trunk she was entrusted with even if she doesn’t know what’s in it. However, things don’t exactly go according to plan when her caravan is raided by bandits. Oskar saves her after the attack and she asks to travel with him for safety since the Amber Road is notoriously unsafe for lonely travelers. Along the way, the two quickly realize they will have to choose between their set destinations or their blossoming romance.

So. Tusk Love just happened to be my first Orc romance, and I have to say that I'm not upset about that. Turns out that this book was exactly what I needed. It was sweet. It was fun. It was spicy! I really appreciated the character development of Guinevere. It was a natural progression of learning to love herself and learn her worth. Oskar was the perfect MMC to counterbalance her. Grumpy sunshine at its finest.

This book was everything I’ve been wanting in a romantic fantasy. I was hooked from the first page. The world building is wonderful, especially for any critical roll fans!

It was... alright? I guess?

I've recently read The Hurricane Wars and it surprised me how much I enjoyed it, but in my opinion, Tusk Love just didn't have that *something*.

For starters, I wish there was more develepment when it comes to Guinevere and Oskar's relationship. I know the book isn't even that long, but it felt very insta lovey. I also feel like they lacked the emotional depth I so deeply crave - yes, their dynamic was fun, but there really wasn't anything else to it.

The pacing...well. Again, I think this would've been better if it was even slightly longer. By the time the action picked up, we were already heading near the end. I love an action packed romantasy but I just couldn't find it here.

What I did enjoy about this book was the writing style, Not far-fetched and it read quickly. The traveling part got most of my attention, which honestly surprised me since I usually feel like they're just dragging the plot out with those scenes. Luckily, here it wasn't the case. The goblin they traveled with added a few interesting moments.

To be fair, it wasn't THAT bad. It just felt underdeveloped. The premise was encouraging, and the characters' interactions were fun, that's it. Despite everything, it was pretty enjoyable, and I don't consider having read this a waste of my time. It was cozy so points for that!

This book had me kicking my feet and swooning.

The romance was so sweet and perfect, I loved it so much!

Oskar and Guinevere are so lovable right from the first moment we meet them, the grumpy x sunshine just tops it all off! They both really made this book more enjoyable and had me routing from them right from the start.

The pacing was amazing I flew through this book and couldn’t put it down, there wasn’t a moment when I felt bored.

The worldbuilding was so perfect, I loved the journey to each location and meeting new characters who were all so different.

Whilst being a cute & cosy book, there were moments when the action took over which was perfect because we got to see a different side of Oskar.

Another win for the romantasy girlies! I thought this was a sweet, spicy and cozy fantasy that hit all the marks. It's a short book (under 300 pages I think) so don't expect insane character development or a lot of depth. It's just a nice treat story!

I will preface this by saying that I have not previously followed Critical Role and did not, prior to reading this book, know that Tusk Love was an established thing within the world of Critical Role. I only found out about this after finishing the novel. However, I can attest to it being incredibly enjoyable even with no knowledge of these things.


Tusk Love was a sweet, tender romance with some spice, set in a high fantasy world. (We need more high fantasy publications again!!!) While it was a little insta-love-y for my taste, it was still believable and enjoyable to read. Guinevere's lacking knowledge about the 'real world' made for a humorous side and the cast of side characters made the book truly a joy to read.

I love BG3 and I've played D&D a few times so I especially loved the characters and settings in this book. My D&D lore knowledge isn't great and it's really not necessary to absolutely fall in love with Oskar and Gwen's love story 💚

Oskar is.. ughh just a beautiful MMC, he's probably in my top 5 book BF's because what an absolute sweetheart. I just love him. Gwen's 🔥 spirit? Obsessed. But more conversations between those two would have been amazing!

I enjoyed the adventure they went on and all the different towns and locations. I really just wanted more and I didn't want it to end. I really hope the series continues.

I purchased an edition from Waterstones at the half way mark because I just knew I was going to love it all the way to the end. Praying for a bonus epilogue 🙏🏻

I've been in a huge Romantasy slump and this book blew me away 💚

An absolute, utter delight that had me squealing! This was honestly SUCH a fun and cozy breath of fresh air.

As someone who is not well versed in the world of DND and Critical Role, I was able to dive right in. Fans will definitely be able to appreciate little Easter eggs and certain settings of the book, but I didn’t find myself missing out as I was reading. This was my first introduction to Thea Guanzon and I can happily say that I adore her writing. I was easily able to immerse myself into the world and fall in love with Oskar and Guinevere!

Oskar and Guinevere are my new obsession. After finishing this book, I YEARNED FOR MORE!! I could honestly read a sequel of them traveling right on back and meeting Oskar's maternal side of the family. The banter between the two was perfectly fitting for the grumpyxsunshine trope, and I caught myself laughing out loud multiple times. The SPICE?! Oh the girls are gonna be eating it UP (just like I did)! It was instant attraction between the two and the scenes delivered. While this was a low-stakes, quick fantasy read, Guanzon still managed to include depth and background to each character. Overall, I am obsessed and will now be thinking about Oskar and Guinevere for the next few weeks.

I absolutely love it when cosy fantasy turns out to be pretty spicy too, so this book ticked all the boxes!

I loved the low-stakes storyline and the development of the main characters, which was made better by the dual POVs. Even with most of the book occuring while they were travelling, enough happened that the pacing was great and there was no lag in the story.

I would happily dive back into this world if a sequel ever came about because I had so much fun, but it also works as a perfect standalone that I'll happily pick up again in the future.

Great vibes and lots of fun.

3.5 Stars
One Liner: Insta-lust, peeps!

Guinevere, the daughter of an ambitious merchant knows she has to marry into a noble house of the Dwendalian Empire and be his obedient wife even if what she wants is a life of adventure and freedom.
However, when her caravan is attacked by bandits, she is left stranded on Amber Road and has to travel with Oskar, a half-orc who saved her during the attack. Grumpy Oskar has a soft side that intrigues Guinevere.
Soon, they have to decide where to go on separate paths or fight for their HEA.
The story comes in Guinevere and Oskar’s third-person POVs.

My Thoughts:
First, let me clarify that I had no idea what Critical Role was supposed to mean. I thought it was some new series or a multi-author series in making a set in the same fantasy world. But… it is a setting from the famous Dungeons and Dragons (DnD) game. If you already know this, good for you. If you are like me, hi-five!
Since the page count was less than 300, I knew the book wouldn’t have a lot of development. Still, I love that cover, so I had to read this.
The beginning is quite good in a way that we start right in the middle of the said bandit attack on the FMC. Starting with action is a great choice, though this won’t work for everyone. Some prefer to have a bit of an intro before launching into fights.
However, we get enough backstory in bits and pieces, which is how I prefer it to pages of info dump. The idea is clear almost right away. The FMC is sheltered, naïve, and pretty much squished under her parents’ thumb. The MMC is poor, hardworking, and Grumpy… yes, with a capital G.
The magic elements were great, and I really wish they were explored in greater detail. For non-DnD peeps like me, a bit more description of the setting and worldbuilding would have helped (a lot). You can go with the flow, though.
Insta-lust starts a bit too instantly, though given the page count, I should have expected it. No probs. This could have worked better if the plot was a little more complex. It’s rather thin and straightforward with no real surprises, so the whole thing loses its charm in the second half. It becomes yet another romantasy with smut.
The ending is as you would expect it from the genre, though it leaves me with some practical questions about livelihood and stuff. Let’s be honest, you can’t survive on air and love for long.
The FMC has violet-colored eyes, and I rather liked the range of comparisons the author came up with to describe her eye color at different times. From lilac to amethyst, we go from flowers to gemstones. (Mind you, this may annoy some readers but I found it cute.)

To summarize, Tusk Love is a lighthearted romantic fantasy set in the world of DnD. Despite the uneven pacing, I didn’t find it boring at any point. It could have been better, yes. But it wasn’t bad.
Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Worlds, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

The most beautiful love story, indeed. I literally paused my BG3 playthrough and dropped everything just to devour this book - and honestly, no wonder it’s Jester’s favorite.
This was both steamy and sweet, so much fun and such an adventure! Thea Guanzon’s writing is very immersive and easy to get lost in, I loved her humour and felt like her writing style really fit with the world. I enjoyed how seamlessly bits of D&D and the world of Exandria were woven into the story, yet Tusk Love can still stand on its own as a fantasy romance even if you’re unfamiliar with Critical Role.
Guinevere is a little naive but sincere, with a huge heart, and I loved watching her grow - learning about herself and what she wants, embracing her magic, and breaking free from others’ expectations. I loved the way Oskar absolutely adored her! He’s the kind of man who doesn’t think he deserves softness, but he lets her bring it out in him. I was smiling like a mad woman and kicking my feet at how he allowed himself to be vulnerable with Guinevere, and how she brought out a soft, affectionate side of him.
Thea Guanzon really did an amazing job writing Tusk Love. After being an inside joke on Critical Role for so long, it was so surreal and exciting to finally read Oskar and Guinevere’s story. This was my first time reading Thea Guanzon and I already can’t wait to read her other books!
～Thank you to Del Rey, Critical Role and NetGalley for the ARC!

"Oh Oskar!"

A damsel in distress. A brooding hero who wants to be left alone. A romance novel taken directly from Dungeons and Dragons campaign? It's more likely than you think!

When Genevieve's caravan is attacked, she is forced to rely on the gruff yet handsome Oskar to escort her to the coast where her future awaits. Of course, no quest is as simple as it seems. Genevieve is remarkably sheltered to Oskar's dismay which lands the pair in all sorts of shenanigans.
Fans of Critical Role's second campaign, The Mighty Nein, will recognize key locations as Oskar and Genevieve travel down the Amber Road. It's a sweet, sexy romp of a quest novel with a guaranteed happy ending despite all the peril.

I was impressed with how the author managed to balance the tone between the two characters. Oskar's POV chapters are far more reminisce of today's modern romance novels, while Genevieve's invoke the nostalgic, earnest, and often campy aspects of classic bodice rippers. Each of their emotional arcs, while small, were layered with much needed depth to an otherwise sexy roadtrip.

I would rate the spice level a 4.5 / 5. Multiple sex scenes with explicit detail but with lower language levels.

Reading the blurb, I though it was so clever to actually flesh out and publish a book that is featured in a role playing game. And even though I had no idea what Critical Role was, I was intrigued.

Tusk Love is a very sweet, fun and rather spicy read. But I wouldn't call it groundbreaking romantasy. I don't know if fans of the RPG will get more out of it in terms of background though.

Oskar and Guinevere are likable characters, with a grumpy/sunshine romance. There is action and adventure, but more cozy fantasy than anything else. Definitely entertaining though and perfect for lighthearted mood reading.

SUCH a fun romantic fantasy. Honestly, this is what so many more cozy romantasy books need to be. Less focus on the fantasy plot--and listen, I enjoy fantasy! I am a fantasy reader, primarily! But when you are forcing romance writers to write fantasy also, or to balance both plot lines, so often it feels like the fantasy aspect really gets pushed to the wayside. Here, the focus is on the romance in an unapologetic way, and that works so much better. There is no half-baked scheme to save the world, just a plot line that would fit perfectly in a histrom novel except one of the characters can do magic and the other is only half human. Light, funny, delightful. Just a fresh breathe of air to read. I will say, given the lore of the book, I really thought this would be spicier than the end result?? But that's okay.

No need to have any kind of background with critical role or related to enjoy this. You may not get every possible reference to locations or non-human species, but you really don't need them at all. You can jump right into this one.

This was so much fun! I knew this was a Crit Role tie-in, so I really wasn't expecting much. But it really was delightful. It was clearly written by someone who loved bodice rippers and who had read a ton of them. It did an excellent job of celebrating all the tropes and archetypes. I couldn't put it down, and I squealed and giggled and kicked my feet the whole time. For fans of critical role, you're sure to find much to love - but regular romance readers will also enjoy this fun and rollicking fantasy romance filled with excitement, adventure and delicious, steamy romance.

Tusk Love by Thea Guanzon follows Guinevere, a sheltered merchant’s daughter, and Oskar, the brooding half-orc who seems to have adventure written across his forehead. Guinevere is traveling to deliver goods for her family when her caravan is set upon by bandits, and delivering her goods seems impossible until Oskar happens upon her. Traveling with Oskar seems to be the only way to complete her quest safely, so the two set off on a journey rife with adventure. As they get further on their journey, leaving each other at the end seems harder and harder to manage. Soon they realize they’ll have to decide between fulfilling their quests or giving in to their newfound romance.

My personal thoughts: Even at 6 pages in I’m loving this. I love the magic, I love the orcs, I love all of this (especially the bodice ripping). I read a lot of romance books, but the romance in this particular book had me blushing and my heart racing. I absolutely love Oskar and Guinevere, both characters are delightfully different but perfect for each other. The adventure of the book so far is also enticing, I can’t wait for the contents of the chest to be revealed. The contents were revealed! Man I absolutely loved this book. This really was a fantastic read and scratched all the right itches for me. I loved the book, I loved the ending, man this was good.

Thank you so very much to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this delightful e-arc!

I must confess that the first thing that drew me in was the beautiful cover, which reminded me of Monstrous Matches by Lillian Lark, and I don't regret it.
The stormy journey of Guinevere (the daughter of a merchant who hides a dark power) and Oskar (a half-orc) to marry an old man of her parents' choosing, will give them the opportunity to get to know each other and establish a relationship that goes against social conventions and class differences.
A light read that can be read in one sitting and that fans of the dynamics of the grump and the sunbeam will enjoy.

-------------

He de confesar que lo primero que me atrajo es la preciosa portada, que me recordó a Monstrous Matches de Lillian Lark, y no me arrepiento
El tempestuoso viaje de Guinevere (la hija de un comerciante que oculta un oscuro poder) y Oskar (semi-orco) para casarse ella por conveniencia con un viejo elegido por sus padres, les dará la oportunidad de conocerse y dar la oportunidad a establecer una relación en contra de los convencionalismos sociales y la diferencia de clases.
Lectura ligera que se lee de una sola sentada y que disfrutaran los amantes de la dinámica del gruñón y el rayito se sol.

A sweet and steamy fantasy Romance that takes you on the trip of a lifetime with unbelievable consequences!

Book Stats:
📖: 288
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Random House Worlds
Format: Dual POV
Series: Part of the Critical Role series written by numerous authors

Themes:
🎤 :Rising above difficult parents
🎤: Finding what makes you happy
🎤: Dealing with grief

Representation:
🎵 :D&D Fantasy

Tropes:
💗: Fish out of water FMC
💗: Grumpy/Sunshine
💗: He fell first
💗: She's a virgin
💗: Arranged Marriage

🥵: Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Potential Triggers: **check authors page/socials for full list.

Short Synopsis:
Guinevere is trying to get to her family several townships away in order to meet her new betrothed and enter an arranged marriage that will elevate her family status. Along the way she's attacked by bandits and a grumpy, but lovable Orc saves her life. Oskar is reeling from a recent loss and dealing with immense grief. When he runs across sweet and innocent Guinevere, he realizes that the trip that she's on may not be on the up and up regarding her parents motivations and decides to accompany her. Will they make it to Guinevere's wedding or will they run away together first?

General Thoughts:
This book was super sweet and yet super steamy. You cannot help but absolutely love the insufferable innocent little vixen that Gwen ends up being. Oscar himself is a grumpy but teddy bear like MMC that becomes nothing but a gummy bear when it comes to Gwen. I really enjoyed the character development throughout this novel. Well Gwen is just a kept up little princess. She definitely goes to that development on a road trip through the woods for several weeks. It was really interesting to watch her. Want to change and then do the changing in the work. I really loved Oskar as a main character. He was fun, sweet and lovably gruff.

The chemistry and banter between Gwen and Oskar was absolutely wonderful. It felt realistic to their personalities the way they played off of each other and the way that they eventually started to come together.

I enjoyed the dual POV format of the novel. I felt like they both did an excellent job and I was never upset to read either one. I really liked being inside both characters heads and reading their motivations and seeing that growth firsthand.

Despite this being a really capable and competent romance, that did everything it was supposed to do, it also had fantastic fantasy elements. The magic was extremely interesting although I wish we had gotten a little bit more world building surrounding that particular aspect. I also thought that the action sequences were really well done and really fit the tempo of the book. They were not overly gorey or bloody, but sufficiently action packed to hold your attention and capitalize on that fantasy element.

Overall, I really enjoyed the novel and I definitely will read anything else that comes out by this author. I have already looked into this authors backlog and I can't wait to dive in.

Disclaimer: I read this e-book as a free gift from NetGalley and Random House Worlds. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.