Did someone say DnD? If you're an absolute fan of the infamous role-playing game, you've come to the right place. But also others who are a fan of wonderful worldbuilding, adventurers, treasures and also romantic relationships have found a wonderful book in Tusk Love. And beware, it's a standalone book, so you don't have to eagerly await other volumes, which would definitely have happened if this wasn't the case. The relationship between Oskar and Guinevere is endless and beautiful, their banter adorable. And yet it is actually doomed.
From mercenaries and gang leaders who are bitterly evil but have a soft core, to orcs, humans and stubborn and loving horses.
Join Oskar and Genevieve on an adventure in which they have to find themselves, face their souls and their feelings.

A Bold, Romantic Triumph of Satire and Sincerity

Tusk Love by Thea Guanzon is everything you’d want from a romance set in the Critical Role universe: bold, hilarious, unexpectedly tender, and delightfully unhinged in the best possible way. A satirical in-world bodice-ripper turned genuinely compelling love story, Tusk Love doesn’t just lean into the trope—it stamps it with a tusk-sized wink.

Thea Guanzon’s writing balances camp with care. The romance between the orc protagonist and their human paramour is surprisingly earnest beneath the suggestive title and infamous reputation. Guanzon’s prose manages to both parody and honor classic romantic fantasy, with moments of emotional depth that sneak up on you in between the passionate declarations and shirt-ripping.

As a Critical Role fan, it's a joy to see a fictional book brought to life with such affection and creativity. The nods to the show are clever without being overbearing, making this a fun standalone read even for those unfamiliar with its origins.

If it falls just shy of five stars, it’s only because some of the pacing stumbles under the weight of its dual identity as both parody and sincere love story. But that’s a minor quibble in what is ultimately a wildly entertaining ride.

Tusk Love is exactly what it promises and then some—raunchy, romantic, ridiculous, and full of heart. Whether you're here for the satire, the spice, or the surprisingly sweet moments, you’ll finish this book with a grin on your face.

Ok, so I'm not the target audience for this book, I stay away from anything involving heavy romance, especially if it's labelled as steamy or saucy. So why read Tusk Love?
For those who don't know, Tusk Love is the latest book release from Critical Role and in C.R's second campaign one of the main characters comes across a romance novel in a shop and proceeds to spend the rest of the campaign sporadically bringing up the book and asking the DM (Dungeon Master fyi) to describe a random passage or tidbit from the book to the rest of the gaming table. Basically this is a smutty in-joke in the game that the cast have now turned into an actual novel.

Anyway, that's why I'm here.
Tusk Love was such a fun, easy read. You don't even need any of the Critical Role knowledge to read this one, it's basically a smutty, cute fantasy novel that does not take itself too seriously. This is my first time reading a book by Thea Guanzon and I just loved her writing style -- beautifully descriptive when it needed to be and just full of awesome banter between all of the characters that felt natural and added to the character development. Also loved all of the DnD easter eggs (there's one particular scene where a side character tries to convince the main character of something in a persuasive tone and he calls her out on trying to manipulate him -- DnD players you just know she failed that persuasion roll).

Highly recommend, Guinevere and Oskar's romance is super fun (and funny)!

Have I ever watched Critical Role? No.
Have I ever played Dungeons & Dragons? Never.
Do I know anything about these worlds? Not at all.
However, did I enjoy Tusk Love? ABSOLUTELY 🤭

Yet another amazing book Thea’s written, but who’s surprised??? This was such a delightful read! Guinevere and Oskar’s story is nothing short of sweet, lighthearted, and magical (not just because of the literal magic woven into this book) 🥰 These two pair so well together, they quite literally just make sense 🫶

Thea’s writing style never ceases to amaze me. I love the way she shows and not just tells! The way she describes this world made it easy for me to picture the scenes, even as someone who’s not familiar with Critical Role or D&D! The way she had me giggling and kicking my feet was quite concerning but again, nothing new when it comes to Thea’s writing LOL

Tusk Love releases in exactly a month from today! I highly recommend it for those looking for a fun, cozy romantasy read that’s full of heart :)

Thank you so much to Del Rey for the early review copy in exchange for my honest review! And of course, thank you to Thea for continuing to bless us with her writing <3

Yours in Yellow,
T 💛

Tusk love is everything you expect to read when you see the cover and MORE! I was positively surprised by the banter! This romantasy is romance focused and it is the perfect cozy read standalone. Thea’s writing is flawless which makes that book so enjoyable to read. And, oh, the horses! I loved them!!

Thanks for sharing this ARC with me, I enjoyed the book and I’m very grateful to be able to review it in advance.

THIS WAS SOOO GOOD 🥹💖 I love Thea Guanzon’s stories so much. She writes exactly the kind of romantic fantasies I love with the perfect amount of romantic tension, world building, and comedic relief. And her character dynamics are always grumpy x sunshine, which I love. Oskar and Gwen were so cute together and I could honestly read a thousand more novellas of their domestic life. Highly recommend this for my cozy romantasy lovers! 5 stars of course :)

I admit to not knowing anything about the Critical Role universe, but after reading don't think you need to. This slow burn romantasy focuses on character development and connection. While this is defenitely a cozy fantasy, Guanzon added the perfect amount of spice!

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing this advance reader's copy for an honest review.

This was an absolute perfection of a romantasy book! It had everything from adventure, fighting and magic, to swoonworthy romance and plenty of spice. What a wonderful time I had travelling through the world of Exandria with the lovely and kind Guinevere and our grumpy cinnamon roll Oskar. Also it was so cool to spot actual D&D fighting styles, etc throughout the book - I particularly loved the dragonborn using the ice breath attack, which I have never seen in fantasy books before. But finding out that Thea Guanzon is a dungeon master herself explains a lot and proves that she was a great choice to bring this story to life.
Highly recommend this to anyone who loves D&D, Critical Role, BG3 and/or fantasy romance books. What a ride!

“Fear was a natural state, neither gift nor curse. But everyone possessed the ability to overcome it. It was just a matter of when and how.”

A merchant’s daughter who yearns for adventure gets more than she bargained for when she falls for a broodingly handsome stranger in this saucy romantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Hurricane Wars.

I had such a wonderful time with this book as it delivered on everything I had hoped it would. A grumpy-meets-sunshine dynamic paired with forbidden love and yearning, an atmospheric setting filled with magic and the consistent themes of growth and hope. I was pleasantly surprised by the masterfully written delicate balance between the cosy atmosphere paired with the relatively high-stakes plot that introduces new dangers at every turn.

Guinevere was such a delightful character to get to know as the journey we get to follow her on is one filled with discovery and growth. At the beginning of her journey she comes across as a kind yet spoiled young woman who has only known a life of luxury and wealth, and yet there is no denying that it is Gwen‘s selfless heart and kind nature that makes her such a magnetic and charismatic woman that finds many vying to be around. Oskar was the token grump of this tale with his gruff exterior and often surly mood to match. Grief is an ever-present entity within his life after the sudden and tragic loss of his mother finds him stumbling through his days in pursuit of what comes next. I really loved Oskar’s character and deeply empathised with how the loss of his only parent shaped his often bleak outlook in life. His grumpy and often intimidating demeanour was merely a mask for a deeply loving and lonely man who yearned for connection and companionship. His quiet intimacy and heartfelt actions made him an easy character to relate to and fall in-love with as a reader.

Disney-esque, grumpy-sunshine and tropey in all the animation glory involving a naive human with magical powers and a surly orc, if you ask me. It’s what ‘Tusk Love’ appeared for the first few chapters, so much so that I near expected a melodic, high-pitched voice singing in tandem with a grumpy, growly one about their unfortunate meet-cute.

Thea Guanzon is a new author to me and while reviews reference the previous instalment of this series, I hadn’t that context at all, having jumped straight into ‘Tusk Love’ because of the description. I don’t know anything about Critical Role or the Vox Machine, and it’s odd to be imagining this entire story in pastel paint (and this is really the first time that I’m oddly describing a non-physical book that isn’t meant for children) but it seems to fit. Guanzon’s descriptions strangely flatten the landscape into 2-D shadows, points, lines and blobs, as the characters, sharper in the forefront, take on Studio-Ghibli-like shapes.

At the most basic, Guinevere and Oskar rumble their way through their impromptu adventure, meeting a bunch of bandits on their way to her betrothed somewhere across a world that didn’t quite make sense…and if several articles of clothing get torn to pieces in the heat of the moment, does that really matter? ‘Tusk love’ is good fun, even as it definitely takes a well-worn trajectory with much-welcomed spice levels. It’s well-written and done with quite a few fantasy elements that give this budding romance a fairytale sheen, where it must of course, end with a sword-swinging, bellowingly loud climax and a brilliant HEA.

Oh my gooooosh! Tusk Love is such a sweet, fun, swoony, delightful, giggling-inducing read! Can you have a crush on a book?! Because it most certainly feels like I have one on Tusk Love! All of it simply worked, and it worked in such a fabulous fashion. I ended this one with my spirits lifted, my smile wide, and my heart full.

Guinevere is traveling in her guarded caravan to her merchant parents, who have betrothed her to a man she has not met in an effort to elevate their societal station. Along the way bandits hit her caravan, her guards are killed, and she is left alone and unprotected. Until Oskar arrives to help and begrudgingly accompany Guinevere home. This journey will open up Guinevere’s eyes, her mind, and maybe even her heart.

This is sunshine x grumpy galore and I ate it UP! *Puts on Oliver Twist voice* Please sir, can I have some more! I could read like a million books featuring our gorgeous, sweet leads Guinevere and Oskar. Their opposing personalities truly complemented each other so beautifully. And they brought the best out of each other. For as gruff as he was in words, in action Oskar always came through for Gwen. His arms were a protective embrace she found sweet solace in. Just as her voice was a solace for him. Others may see her incessant chatter as a nuisance, but Oskar revelled in the way Gwen spoke. They find comfort in one another, which turns into belonging, and perhaps, just perhaps a home in each other as well. How can you not root for that, for them!? Impossible. They are one of the most rootable couples ever!

This is a feel good read, and sometimes that is exactly, exactly, what we need. I most certainly did!

Love the Tusk! And pick up a copy of Tusk Love as soon as you can, friends!

Thank you so kindly to NetGalley and Random House Worlds for this advanced complimentary copy, I leave this honest review voluntarily.

A merchant heiress with the ability to charm gang leaders and a half Orc on a journey to find out about his heritage meet in the woods that she set on fire.

Mystery, adventure and love. I could literally not ask for more. The journey of Gwen and Oskar falling in love with each other was nothing short of delightful. The characters growing with and around each other, falling into who they truly are in healing and realizations was just beautiful. I can only pray there will be a sequel.

Such a fun and spicy Romantasy! Perfect for fans of Critical Role, Dungeons and Dragons, or Romantasy fans in general!!

This is genuinely the most delightful little romance I’ve ever read - and that’s coming from someone who knows next to nothing about Critical Role!

This little novel is well-written with none of the usual clunkiness or cliche that so many romantasies fall into, it’s cosy without being dull, the plot is compelling enough to keep you interested and the pacing is pretty solid. But it’s the characters that really make this a four-star read.

Guinevere is so much more than your typical “sunshine” FMC and I really appreciated her little character arc, which centred more around her discovering her agency than the typical “prissy high-born girl learns life isn’t all about silver spoons” narrative. And Oskar — oh my god. I’m obsessed, I’m smitten, I’m utterly in love. He’s such a sweetheart and seeing how completely he falls for Gwen is so sweet, I wish I could read it all over again. Their romance felt so earnest and fun, which was a lovely break from the poorly executed enemies-to-lovers that has taken over the genre lately.

The drawbacks were pretty minor, mainly around how Gwen’s magic worked and fit into the overall magic system (this might be Critical Role context I’m missing) and a few corny lines/sections, but those issues are easy to overlook in a short, lighthearted novel like this.

Overall, I loved it and I know I’ll be re-reading in the future when I need a cute little palate cleanser between big high fantasy reads.

The existence of this book made my life as a fan a little better. This Book is perfect as the book read by Jester as a character of the world of Critical Role. Though I feel a slight pang of disappointment that the author didn’t choose the pen name “Matilda Merceria”.
As someone utterly infatuated with the second campaign, I yearned for the direct quotes from the show—those heartfelt lines Jester reads aloud (“and it was really deep”)—to be included within the pages. Sadly, that wasn’t the case. Still, all the key plot points—bodice ripping, sinking ships, Oskar on a rowing boat—are faithfully present.
Wildmount, as the setting of CR, is vividly depicted and expanded with charming details, even if some nuances remain subtle. I could see why Jester loved this book so much. A figure reminiscent of The Ruby of the Sea appears in the book, named the Opal of the Ocean—clearly a nod to Jester’s love for her mother. At the same time, I appreciate the care to avoid infringing on Dungeons & Dragons’ copyrights, particularly regarding the gods and how magic works. I already find myself eager for the sequels: “Feather Leather” and “Ghost Dick.” As a devoted Critical Role fan, I wholeheartedly give this a passionate 5 out of 5 stars.
However, outside the context of Critical Role, I must admit it’s probably not the best book I’ve ever read. It’s a decent romantasy novel—spicy, trope-heavy, filled with familiar patterns (just one bed, grumpy meets sunshine, virgin heroine, touch her and die)—perhaps exactly what the cast envisioned for the author. The characters of Oskar and Gwen are well-crafted, though other characters lack real depth. The chemistry between the love interests was fantastic, and the story moved along at a captivating pace. I was thoroughly entertained; If you’re unfamiliar with the CR universe, this stands as a fun, spicy, and enjoyable standalone romance for all romantasy lovers. Without the connection to Critical Role’s second season, I would rate it a solid 4 out of 5 as a romantasy, and a 3 out of 5 for my overall personal enjoyment as a novel.

I haven’t read anything quite like this and I absolutely adored it. The two main characters although polar opposites felt right together, making me never question their differences. I loved the slow burn and build up of tension between the two characters and how when they finally gave into their feelings it was romantic and not forced. I enjoyed reading from both of their perspectives, gaining insight into the deepest secrets and feelings for one another. Overall a delightful and fun read - even if some of the side characters were awful.

This was such a fun and entertaining book! There was the perfect blend of adventure, romance and spice. I enjoyed the way the main characters' relationship grew. And not to mention the cute cover!

I made it 40% into this book and tried several times to read it before I could not continue. Maybe I am not in the right place to read it currently. This read really slow for me and felt very YA, even though it’s an adult fantasy romance. I will hopefully pick it back up again one day. What I did enjoy was the MMC and how his broody demeanor was softened by the FMC. And there are some very funny one-liners in this book. It’s just not for me at the moment.

Tusk Love had me laughing, blushing, swooning with hope for a love between Guinevere & Oskar, but also giving an adventure that kept me engaged. It was utterly captivating in the best way possible.

I love how different their backgrounds are, rich and poor, because regardless of their differences, the heart doesn't judge. It frees itself and falls into the hands of a....lets say half-orc 💕

My heart is brimming with happiness. I love this story.

The writing felt forced throughout much of the book, utilizing an excessive amount of advanced vocabulary in random places, which contributed to an overall flat feeling. The writing style straddled the line between young adult and adult fiction. There was minimal character development, and the story contained several cringe-worthy and awkward moments.
I did enjoy the first 25% of the book and was hopeful that I would love it; unfortunately, that was not the case. I struggled with it significantly and, frankly, ended up skimming much of the text. However, I found Oskar’s affection for Guinevere endearing. While it is advertised as a cozy Romantasy and certainly had cozy moments, the world-building was not explored much and needed editing and improvement.
This was my first read by this author, and I've heard mixed reviews about her other series, "The Hurricane Wars," so I may not pursue any additional works by her. On a positive note, I saved myself from purchasing a copy of it, so that's some money saved, haha.
And a little overview of its content; it follows Guinevere, a merchant's daughter who is expected to marry into nobility but dreams of adventure far away from her birth place. When bandits attack her caravan, she is rescued by Oskar, a guarded half-orc in search of his lost family. Although initially reluctant, he allows her to accompany him, and one thing led to another and a slow-burning romance begins to blossom despite their differences. As their feelings deepen, they must choose between their planned futures and the unexpected bond they share.
You might find this book wholesome and better entertaining than I did, so, maybe you should try :)


Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review; the thoughts expressed are my own.


Release Date: July 1st.