3.5 Stars – This was giving cute cozy fantasy meets Dungeons & Dragons meets monster romance.

At first glance, this seemed like it would be completely my thing, and I feel like I should have loved it more than I did. I definitely had fun with it—a 3.5 rating isn’t bad!—but I also wasn’t blown away.

Based on Critical Role, the novel follows Guinevere and Oskar. After Guinevere’s caravan is attacked by bandits, she’s left stranded—though her mysterious magical powers allow her to hold her own. Enter Oskar, a half-orc who saves her during the attack. He agrees to escort her where she needs to go, and along the way, sparks fly. But love isn’t as simple as choosing the path they want. Full of fun tropes like grumpy-sunshine, forbidden romance, opposites attract, forced proximity, and a sprinkle of insta-love, this is an entertaining read.

I wasn’t familiar with Critical Role, but I don’t think you need to be to enjoy the book. The premise is great, and the writing is solid—it’s a cozy fantasy with an adventure and romance subplot, and I had fun reading it.

That said, my main issue (which might be a me problem) is that it lacked spark. Everything about this book is right up my alley, and yet I found myself not dying to pick it back up. There was no urgency, no irresistible pull, no something special that made me fully invested. I think this is just a personal thing with the author’s writing—there’s nothing technically wrong, but I felt similarly about The Hurricane Wars, which is wild considering it’s based on one of my all-time favorite ships (Reylo).

Overall, it’s a fun, cozy fantasy with a solid romance, but it just didn’t leave a lasting impression for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Tusk Love starting off 2025 by being my first SIX STAR read!! While I am a huge Critter (fan of Critical Role), it is not imperative that you need any knowledge of Critical Role or Dungeons & Dragons to enjoy this book. I had an absolute blast reading this book, but it may be me slightly biased by being a fan of both CR and Thea.

Tusk Love is the perfect summer romantasy read! It is quite binge-able at under 400 pages and easy to follow along in the story and world building. It is an outdoor adventure story packed with banter, some VERY steamy romance (and scandalous bodice ripping), and amazing character development with a satisfying ending.

I have so much to say about this book (ended with 35 highlights and I don't even think I ever highlighted that much before). Overall, this book was just so hilarious!! I was constantly in a state of laughing out loud and then swooning over Guinevere and Oskar (particularly Oskar). I loved the banter between Oskar and Guinevere, how naive Guinevere is, and the situations she gets herself into bc of that naiveness.

Oskar is really just a big ol' grump on the outside. Underneath, he is quite thoughtful and very caring (towards Guinevere), and is a man that obviously loves to worship his woman. Guinevere has my whole heart. She was raised with more uppity (formal) mannerisms, but is also kind hearted to everyone she meets. I particularly enjoyed her character development during their adventure to Nicodranas, where she's faced with actual reality outside of her home environment.


Thank you Del Rey and Random House Worlds for the eARC!

I was SO eager to read this one and WOW did it deliver! Guanzon did such a great job bringing this story to life. Guinevere and Oskar are perfect and I loved reading their story. There were so many emotions and moments: funny, sad, heartbreaking, adventurous... The ending was so satisfying with so much being wrapped up and explained I thought it was a very well written ending to a beautiful and fun story.

Thank you so much to Del Rey and NetGalley for the opportunity of a lifetime to read and review an e-arc of Tusk Love! As a long time fan of Critical Role, it has been an honour.

Perfect for fans and non fans of Dungeons and Dragons/Critical Role, Tusk Love is the perfect bodice ripping, swoon-worthy romantasy for a summer read. Actually this can be read year-round, but it just screams summer to me.

Thea’s writing has always been so shading and maybe I’m biased but I just love everything she writes! No matter what genre or fandom, she easily transports you anywhere with her aptitude/skills for writing. This book proves that she can write anything she wants to.

The plot and pacing of the book were so well done, making this an easily bingeable read. The plot is very straightforward, but also focuses heavily on our two main characters, Guinevere and Oskar. there’s no question who we’re rooting for and what we’re doing. However I had 0 clue what the totem and the secret of the trunk held, which was a wonderful surprise for me at the end. The mercenaries and menagerie of characters we meet on the road were also one of my favorite parts of the book.

Now onto Guinevere and Oskar, my absolute idiots in love. Throughout the journey we watch them fall in love and also open their hearts to the possibilities of more. More in life and more in what they both had expected given their very different lives. However, circumstances or fate brings them together and they are like gasoline poured on a fire. These two simply couldn’t get enough of each other and I couldn’t get enough of them. Oskar is completely transfixed by Guinevere and her personality. His POV was wonderfully sweet for a man who single handledly protects Guinevere at every opportunity. Oskar is a big softie, who is incredibly supportive of Gwen and loves her so much. He definitely falls first, but Gwen reminds him that it’s okay to live and laugh and smile. Similarly to what his mother says, she reminds him to be kind.

Guinevere is a ray of sunshine who is amusingly delighted by the unfortunate circumstances of her journey that speaks to the hidden part of her that longs for adventure. While sheltered from the world growing up, her character is extremely open and friendly towards everyone she meets on the road, including two gangsters, a few mercenaries and a clan of goblins. The mercenaries were not treated as kindly, but that’s what they deserve for making her cry. Her character development is subtle and powerful. Similar to her physical journey, her character makes great strides toward becoming someone she wants to be rather than what others want her to be/use her for. I think Oskar and the unexpectedness in their journey were influences to this, but her realization at the end of the story is all her own. Oskar brings out the wild and the free side. She’s free of the burden her parents have placed on her and is able to explore herself and the world around her.

10/10 recommend. I loved so many things about this book!! I’m very excited for it to be released to the masses- I feel that everyone will love Guinevere and Oskar as much as I do.

Thank you Del Rey and Random House Worlds team for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I'm a huge critical role fan and this story is a good edition to the franchise! This book is cosy and romantic with a fun plot. However, for a book that is an adult romance the writing was very juvenile. Especially from the fmc point of view. During spicy scenes it was very jarring to read from the pov of a 20 year old woman who felt much younger due to the author's writing style. Overall, I did enjoy the story, I just wish some dialogue was cut out and the characters were written to match their ages better. This is a light hearted romantasy with a beautiful world.

A really enjoyable mid stakes fantasy adventure with some cute romance. It was spicy, funny and a nice easy going read. There were some mysterious elements and a nice cosy journey with lovable characters. Having enjoyed some of Thea's other books I was excited to read this and it didn't disappoint. I'd love to see more of this sort of book from her.

4.5⭐

I loved this book so much, it was such a fun and quick read. I had a feeling I would love this book as I am such a fan of the authors writing and it didn't disappoint. The perfect mix of a cosy romantasy with a sweet and spicy story that starts straight away with action and keeps you engaged throughout, for a shorter book there is nothing missing the pacing was amazing and the story was so well developed, such an adorable read.

Grumpy/Sunshine is always one of my favourite things to read about so the way I adored the slow burn relationship between Oskar and Guinevere was everything. These two have my whole heart 🥹 Highly recommend!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this book before publication, these are my honest thoughts and opinions.

✨𝓣𝓾𝓼𝓴 𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓫𝔂 𝓣𝓱𝓮𝓪 𝓖𝓾𝓪𝓷𝔃𝓸𝓷 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀✨

Rating: 3.75 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

What drew me to read this book was definitely the cover and the blurb. I didn’t realise or am familiar with Critical Role but I don’t think that impacted on my reading experience of this book.

I really enjoyed it, I thought the story was whimsical and felt more on the cosy fantasy vibes (which I have never read a cosy fantasy before but I enjoyed it). I enjoyed the progression of the story and I liked the fact that the story started straight away.

I enjoyed the chemistry and the relationship development between Guinevere and Oskar, I ship them together and I wish them a happily ever after 💖💫 I felt their joy and chemistry throughout the book and I loved it.

The descriptions of the world were detailed and easy to visualise.

I found the tropes to be: insta love, forbidden romance, damsel in distress, cinnamon roll MMC, cosy fantasy read.

𝓫𝓵𝓾𝓻𝓫
A merchant’s daughter who yearns for adventure gets more than she bargained for when she falls for a broodingly handsome stranger

As the daughter of an ambitious merchant, Guinevere’s path has been predetermined: marry into a noble house of the Dwendalian Empire, raise her family’s station, and live quietly as a lordling’s obedient wife. But Guinevere longs for a life unbounded by expectations, for freedom and passion and adventure.

Those distant dreams become a sudden reality when her caravan is beset by bandits, leaving her guards slain and Guinevere stranded alone on the dangerous Amber Road. Her only chance of survival is to travel alongside Oskar, the aloof half-orc who saved her during the attack.

Unlike Guinevere, Oskar’s path is not so set in stone. With his mother dead and his apprenticeship abandoned, all that’s left is a long, lonely walk to a land he’s never seen to find family he’s never met. The last thing he needs is a spoiled waif like Guinevere slowing him down – even if the spark between them sizzles with promise.

Despite his cold exterior, Oskar is brave and thoughtful and unlike anyone Guinevere has ever met. And while Guinevere may be sheltered, she brings out a softness in him that he has never dared to feel before. As the flames of their passion grow, they realize that soon they’ll need to choose between their expected destinations or their blossoming romance.

*I received this arc from NetGalley & Del Rey in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley & Del Rey for a copy of this book.
**blurb taken from Penguin’s website.

This isn’t always my go-to vibe but I ate this up. I knew from the cover I had to give it a shot and it did not disappoint! The romance was swoon-worthy, the vibe was great, the setting was “cozy” without being totally low stakes. This was perfect for someone newer to monster romance. They ended up being perfect for each-other and I found myself super invested in their budding romance after a rocky start. I definitely want to read more from Thea. My attention was grabbed early on and the pacing kept me invested!

Read if: you love Critical Role and you want to feel like Jester reading this book while giggling to yourself or you've never watched Critical Role and just want a swoonworthy, fun, romance read.

This book was so much fun to read. Oskar and Gwen are so loveable as main characters and their relationship was so sweet and addictive to read about. Both characters were so well developed and I loved watching them grow alongside their relationship. This is the perfect blend of cozy fantasy, medium stakes adventure, and spicy romance.

The writing in this was so good and I think even if you weren't familiar with this setting you would be able to picture Oskar and Gwen's adventure and fall in love with this world. I read this within a day and could easily have read another book again about these characters and this story. I haven't read Thea Guanzon's other books before, but will definitely be putting them on the priority list to read now - so grateful to Critical Role and this book for introducing me to yet another talented writer whose books I'm excited to read!

I fully agree with Jester that "It's the most beautiful love story you've ever heard in your entire life, basically."

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Review posted on Goodreads and Twitter and rating posted on Storygraph

This was such a fun, sweet read and was perfect to get me out of a bit of a reading slump!

Tusk Love is a great low-stakes story that delivers both cozy and romantasy vibes. Both of the main characters were super lovable, despite their initial flaws, and I loved the character development that happened as MCs character development felt realistic and not forced simply for the storyline.

I really enjoyed the humor in the story and it helped make the story fly by (in a good way)! The story is full of tropes that I love starting with the obvious sunshine x grumpy to only one bed. While there were parts of the story that were super soft and sweet, other parts were deliciously spicy. The plot itself, though relatively low-stakes, was interesting and felt well-thought out and was well paced.

I had no experience prior to reading Tusk Love with Critical Role or D&D, but I felt completely immersed in the world from the jump and never felt like any aspects of the story were too niche. I would absolutely read any more books by Thea Guanzon that are similar to Tusk Love!

This was such a fun read! Shrek with some spice and great writing! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more by this author, I have Hurricane Wars on my TBR!

I am such a huge fan of Thea Guanzon. The Hurricane Wars is one of my favorite series, so I was beyond thrilled about Tusk Love. It is so different than her previous books in the best way and goes to show how skilled she is as a writer and the variety she's capable of.

Tusk Love is a quick, fun, and lighthearted read. At a very surface level it gave similar vibes to Radiance, by Grace Draven. The main character Guinevere is human, the daughter of a merchant with strict life and marriage expectations laid out for her. Oskar is half-orc, though the orc genes certainly seem...stronger in places. He is outwardly guarded and hostile, but a complete softie underneath and simply adorable.

The two of them are thrust together when Guinevere is captured and raided by bandits; of course, Oskar steps in to save the day. I just adored their romance - it was tender and warm and downright hilarious. The plot wasn't anything crazy or overly ambitious - it was perfect for a lower-stakes standalone romantasy. Reading this felt like a breath of fresh air.

Guinevere and Oskar were such lovable characters, and I also have to mention the fascinating magic system. From the beginning, we see that Guinevere (both literally and figuratively) has a little spark to her. I don't want to give away too much, so I'll just say that I was so intrigued by her inner fire ... and who exactly that fiery entity living inside her was.

This book is just the epitome of a cozy fantasy romance, which I feel like I need to start reading more of now! The writing itself is beautiful and lush, and there's a perfect blend of romance with a dash of adventure added in.

Thank you so much to Random House and NetGalley for this ARC!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing an e-arc of Tusk Love, in exchange for an honest review!

My partner is a big fan of Critical Role and when he told me a few months ago about this book coming out, I knew I had to get my hands on it. I don't usually read standalones but this book was a breath of fresh air! The pacing was perfect and the plot was easy to follow, while still being exciting. I couldn't put it down! I loved the romance between Guinevere and Oskar. Their banter was everything I wanted and more.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and highly recommend to all lovers of romance, fantasy and Critical Role.

Shrek + Spice = a fantastic time GOD

SHES A PRINCESS, AND YOU’RE AN OGRE. THATS SOMETHING NO AMOUNT OF POTION IS EVER GOING TO CHANGE.
BUT I LOVE HER.
IF YOU REALLY LOVE GER YOU’LL LET HER GO

Thank you Del Rey, Random House Worlds, and NetGalley for the advanced galley! As a huge fan of Critical Role, it was so amazing to see Tusk Love come to life in Thea Guanzon's hands. Part of me always wanted Tusk Love to be a real thing, and now here it is! I love finally getting to experience Oskar and Guinevere's romance for real, but it was also an interesting story with a lot of substance and I loved how their characters changed over the course of the book. Jester would LOVE this book. I recommend it to anyone who doesn't know what Critical Role is - it's such a beautiful story with just enough ~spice~. This book has made its way to my top five favorites of all time.

Guess who loved this with every fibre of my being? Now, I’ll say that this is a goofy time so if you’re expecting the seriousness that is The Hurricane Wars, you’ll be disappointed. Think more Kimberly Lemmings on this one and you’ll be gold.

I love Gwen and Oskar and the entire way they came together to overcome who (and what) they are. Give me more on the road adventures where she learns to be more useful for that lifestyle and he learns to relax because I ate that shit up so fast. It took me about 6 hours to read this, and that included actively spending time with the dogs where a kindle wasn’t feasible to hold and cooking dinner- I was a woman obsessed

Guinevere and Oscar have no idea the danger that awaits them when the savvy half-orc agrees to escort the naïve merchant’s daughter to the Coast, where her parents and betrothed await. Volatile magic, steamy attraction, and dark mysteries make this novel a charming addition to the Critical Role world and an engrossing romance in its own right!

This is way more than a gimmick based on a bit; it’s exploded into a heartfelt tale anchored on well developed characters. Both leads are given a chance to grow and change throughout the story, and it satisfies the promises Critical Role made about it before it was written without being stereotypical or sacrificing plot. The tale feels classic fantasy, with steam peppered throughout the second act. A must for Critical Role fans, and a strong suggest for those new to CR.

This is a really cute, cozy, funny, surprisingly spicy, sweet and short read.

I had to educate myself about Critical Role first (and now love the concept), but would have enjoyed this book without the background just the same.

The writing is right on point, and makes the characters sneak right into your heart, all the way to the finale.

Albeit it being quite short and not overcomplicated, it still gives us a great message about love, class and choices.

I can full-heartedly recommend this.

4,5/5 stars

Thank you @netgalley @randomhouse and @delreybooks for the eARC !

#TuskLove #Netgalley #Bookstagram

Guinevere is the daughter of down-on-their-luck merchants. She yearns for freedom and adventure, not the future her parents planned out. When her caravan is attacked, Guinevere is rescued by a grumpy half-orc. Her journey is fraught with obstacles and enemies. Guinevere never anticipated falling for her sullen travel companion. What path would she choose? A vagabond life with Oskar? Or the privileged life Guinevere’s parents arranged?

Oskar is a blacksmith’s apprentice. He intends to visit his deceased mother’s clan in the north. However, Oskar encounters Guinevere when her caravan is set upon by bandits. The woman is sheltered, helpless, and annoying, yet Oskar agrees to escort her to her destination. Something about Guinevere awakens his soft and protective side. Oskar knows he has nothing to offer her. Can he walk away once they reach their journey’s end?

Guinevere is not the usual heroine type that I enjoy. In the beginning, she comes across as the typical, cliché damsel-in-distress – one who feels the need to please her parents. However, Guin starts to change as the story progresses. Her demeanor and personality remind me of an old role-playing character that I used to play years ago. Perhaps that is why I clicked with her so easily. And I also liked how her naivete and kindness charmed even the most hardened souls.

Orcs are not my favorite fantasy creatures. I have noticed a rise in their popularity in both anime and books (there is even an author who writes orc romances). Oskar grew on me. He behaves sullen and grumpy, but that is all an act to hide his cinnamon roll-y insides. What I adore the most about Oskar is his persistence in protecting Guinevere. He even put his vow of visiting his mother’s people on hold to help Guin on her journey. Oskar even got angry for her sake, especially after learning how her parents treat her.

TUSK LOVE is a standalone, romance fantasy set in the Critical Role world. Fans of Dungeons & Dragon type stories will enjoy this book. I am a fan of Vox Machina – thanks to the animation on Prime. When I noticed TUSK LOVE’s title matched the one Pike read in the show, I just HAD to read it too. It did not disappoint.

Tropes in the story: grumpy/sunshine, opposites attract, forced proximity.

I would be interested to read more stories set in the Critical Role world. High fantasy (like D&D’s Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance) is one of my favorite genres. Romance is another. I have a difficult time finding fantasy-romance stories with this level of fantasy. Most of the ones I find center around The Fey or the commonly, overly used fantasy creatures.