The cover on this book is absolutely gorgeous! But the story, the story is so cute and lovely. The characters are sweet and have great chemistry and the spice was nicely written. Can’t wait to see what else the author has in the future.

Tusk Love is a romantasy set in Exandria that follows Guinevere—a noblewoman haunted by grief and bound to a volatile fire spirit—and Oskar, a grumpy orc mercenary. After a brutal attack leaves her stranded, Oskar rescues her, and the two are forced into uneasy proximity. What begins as a wary alliance slowly evolves into something far deeper, as both characters reckon with past wounds, power, and trust. The result is a poignant and intimate love story with high emotional stakes and a touch of elemental magic.

Guanzon’s prose is lush without being overwrought—rich in sensory detail and layered emotion. Guinevere’s voice is immediately compelling: vulnerable, proud, and afraid of her own power. Oskar is her opposite in every way...grounded, measured, and patient. The slow-burn between them is...spicy, and deeply satisfying, built not just on attraction but mutual respect, shared grief, and emotional risk.

The inclusion of Teinidh, the fire spirit bound to Guinevere’s soul, is a brilliant metaphor for trauma and control. As Guinevere wrestles with the danger Teinidh poses, we see a clear reflection of her inner turmoil and path to self-acceptance. This is a story that explores identity, autonomy, and healing, all within a fantasy framework that feels immersive and cinematic.

If there’s a critique to be made, it’s that the second act lingers a bit too long in introspection, briefly slowing the pacing. But the final chapters more than make up for it. The emotional climax is cathartic, the romance lands with full weight, and the ending provides meaningful resolution without feeling too neat or convenient.

I would recommend this book for fans of low stake romantasy adventure, slow-burn tension, and witty humor. If you loved The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy or The Bear and the Nightingale, this belongs on your shelf.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

*4.5/5
Guinevere is a GEM! I loved rooting for her throughout the story. Oskar was such an ideal hero that paired so well with Guinevere. This story was almost perfect. However, the insta-love and somewhat weak fantasy elements made this story feel not too different from a run-of-the-mill contemporary romance. I would have liked to see more of Oskar's orc family, origins, and other things that would have made him stand out from other human romance heroes.

I requested Tusk Love on NetGalley as I recognised the author and wanted some fantasy romance, completely missing the lore on this one. I do think even if you don't know the world of Critical Role, you still have a great chance of enjoying this one like me so praise to Thea Guanzon for pulling this one off as I didn't feel too overwhelmed with the fantasy.
Unusual for me, I actually preferred the MMC Oskar to the FMC, who I did still adore, but I felt like he had a wonderful character arc and his communication skills were stellar. I loved the characters in their own right but I was a sucker for the attraction between them, it was pretty hot and Thea Guanzon certainly knows how to write a spicy scene.
Plot wise, it felt a bit too predictable where it was heading and it didn't feel fresh or exciting but it was still an enjoyable time with these characters and getting to know their backstories.
I would definitely read more from this author as I liked her writing style, and would recommend this widely to fantasy romance readers.
3.5 stars (rounded to 4 on NetGalley)

Thank you to NetGalley, Del Rey and Thea Guanzon for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy.

Review posted to Goodreads and StoryGraph.

5/5 Stars

Thank you to Random House Worlds and Netgalley for providing me with an arc.

I am a massive critical role fan so I have been excited for this one since it was announced and it was everything I wanted it to be. This book is perfectly ridiculous and adorable, Thea wrote this book exactly how I thought it would be and I had an amazing time with it. This book follows Guinevere and Oskar on their journey to get Guinevere to her parents and her future husband. They are from such different worlds and both learn about each other and their friendship grows into more than they ever expected. I absolutely loved this one and I can’t wait to read more by Thea Guanzon soon.

I enjoy reading this cozy fantasy romance. I just had problems with the story pacing. I understand that it was a slow-building romance between Guinevere and Oskar, so it's supposed to be slow between them. I just shouldn't be bored reading about Guinevere's endless naive behavior regarding the world surrounding her as she travels throughout the world. It does not make any sense at all that Guinevere continues to be naive while embracing her powers. Truly, I was bored and confused with Guinevere's character growth, not the romance component. The slow-burning romance between Ginevere and Oskar was the only thing that I enjoyed so much. Their romance was so sweet. Guinevere and Oskar were meant for each other even though they are totally opposite of each other.

What an absolute delight! Tusk Love totally won me over from the moment I saw the cover—it’s the definition of a cozy romantasy that just wraps you up in a warm hug. I was hooked within a few chapters, and it only got better from there. Think sunshine heroine meets grumpy half-orc hero on a sweet, slightly chaotic, and unexpectedly spicy journey—yes, please!

Guinevere is the kind of character you instantly root for. She’s sweet, kind, a little naïve, and completely lovable. Her optimism in the face of danger (even accidentally recruiting assassins for errands) is hilarious and endearing. And then there’s Oskar—broody, loyal, unexpectedly soft when it comes to her. Their chemistry is off the charts, and their opposites-attract dynamic made the romance feel extra satisfying.

This book flew by with its short chapters, fun banter, and heartfelt moments. There’s adventure, found family, genuine emotion, and yes—plenty of spice. If you’re into cozy fantasy romance with a dash of steam and a whole lot of heart, Tusk Love should absolutely be on your TBR. I already miss these characters!

If you're looking for a cute romance perfect for this summer, look no further. THIS IS IT !

I was so Invested in that story. The vibes were immaculate.

I absolutely loved how sunshiny and naive our heroine was. She felt like a Rapunzel with deathly magic.

And Oskar ! His grumpiness, the way he cares ! Total Swoon !

And of course, there was only one bed ! Not one time but TWO Times ! Is it perfection ? YES it is !

Read this if you love :

✨ Grumpy x Sunshine ;
✨ Monster Romance ;
✨ Magic ;
✨ Spicy 🥵 ;
✨ Only One Bed ;
✨ Same horse ;
✨ Travel and adventures.

If I could give Tusk Love all the stars in our solar system I would. This book was delightful, whimsical, and magical. I couldn’t put it down! I’m so ready to pick up Oskar and Guinevere’s story again and journey down the Ember Road with them.

This book is not only charming and heartwarming, but it also dives deep into what I like to call “big feelings.” Oskar isn’t grumpy just for the sake of it; he’s carrying the weight of a significant loss, and that grief shapes how he interacts with Guinevere and others along their journey. As she unknowingly brings light back into his life—offering smiles, clarity, and a fresh perspective on the world around him—she’s quietly fighting her own battle: struggling to discover her true identity while dealing with the fear of letting her family down, again. Along their trek both begin to see beyond each other’s walls and, little by little, allow themselves to feel, open up, understand, and heal together. And the most beautiful part? They come to realize that life simply isn’t whole without each other.

What I loved most about this book is how Oskar & Guinevere’s story unfolds like a movie in your mind. Thea writes in a way that pulls you right into the moment, allowing you to truly feel what the characters are experiencing. She did this brilliantly with the Hurricane Wars and she absolutely delivered again with Tusk Love; there was no holding back.

A huge thanks to Thea Guanzon, Critical Role, the team at Del Rey, & Netgalley for allowing me to venture through this wonderful world ahead of release day!

I don’t know much about D&D or Critical Role, but I know good romantasy when I read it--and this was it! It was pretty low stakes and cozy. I enjoyed how our characters got to know one another on their journey, the progression of their relationship, and how cuuuute they were together! I do wish the magic had been more flushed out, but also that wasn’t the point of this book, so it’s alright. 10/10.

I really enjoyed this book! I am not someone who is familiar with Critical Role or Dungeons and Dragons, so I was a little worried that that would leave me confused. It absolutely did not and I found the setting and characters very easy to understand from the get-go! I found the main characters to be quite charming and a few moments to be swoon-worthy!
Overall, I would recommend this to anyone looking for a sweet fantasy romance :)

(thank you del rey, random house worlds, inklore and netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review)

When Guinevere, a merchant’s daughter, is attacked while transporting her parents’ goods, she must rely on the one who saved her - Oskar, a half-orc whose journey has him traveling to find his distant family. What follows is a cozy, adventurous road trip with grumpy-sunshine characters who are easy to love.

This was a fun time. I don’t usually pick up romantasy but I’ve been following Thea since before her publishing career and as I wait for her fantasy series to be completed, I thought I’d read this and I had a lovely time!

Tusk Love is an Amazing story of self discovery, acceptance of one's self and romance ! I loved everything about this story and the charaters Guinevere and Oskar, the grumpy/sunshine trope fits them so well and while I know nothing of the critical Role series Thea Guanzon's descriptive writing makes me want to learn more about this world! 10 out of 10 stars for Me!

This was such a fun cosy romantasy, I loved it! I’m a big fan of Critical Role and Vox Machina, but you don’t have to be aware of any of the lore to enjoy this. A great palette cleanser

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

OBSESSED with this book! And I had the pleasure of meeting Thea at imaginarium this year! 😻😻

If you love cozy fantasy romances with some adventure, then you’re going to love this! It is packed full of magic, orcs, adventure, mystery, sparks and laughs!

I don’t want to spoil the book too much so I won’t go into tropes, but it has some of my favorites!

The audio narration was great as well!
Thank you for the ARC!

Publishing date: 01.07.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

TLDR: A Swoony steamy Orc/Human romance set in the D&D universe. Good chemistry, good overall relationship, definitely got tingles. 5 stars

While I prefer an actual monster in this kind of romance, Oskar is alternative enough to really get me going. This man is tall, tusked, strong, and a total sweetheart. Gwen/Guinevere was also a sweetheart, but her naivetè held the spotlight for a large portion of the book so you ended up questioning her for the most part.

When I say these two have chemistry I mean it. The usuaøl grumpy/sunshine trope, but with a little more depth than that. They have their reasons, and both are masking something with these personalities. Naturally, we get to find out what eventually during the book. And when these two started "getting to know each other", if you will, the sparks kept flying. I was blushing, giggling, kicking my feet at a majority of these scenes.

The story beneath the romance is alright. I saw the resolution, the villain, and the perpetrator if you will from a long distance away. It is a bit predictable, but engaging enough. My curiosity peaked for a while, but when I started looking through the cracks I saw what was coming.

I would recommend this to most romantasy fans, but specifically those who also have dipped their toes into D&D. Baldur's Gate 3 dipping also counts.

Giving this 5 stars. The exact pick me up I needed, and it ticked all my boxes for an enjoyable romance. Highly recommend, will be buying a physical copy soon

Now I don’t want to overhype this, & speaking as someone who is often a romantasy hater, this was so fun.

I think an important thing to note is the lore around the creation of this book; this is not just a random fantasy romance that takes place in the world of Dungeons and Dragons. This is a story that was bred from the second campaign of Critical Role and was often referenced as a deeply silly, smutty romance book that one of the characters loved & this is the irl version of that story.

While it is silly and unserious at times, I actually thought the story in itself was really strong & I was invested in the characters and their romance. I thought it was very romantic and tender while also having high-stakes plots and storytelling & really well-written smut that did have me kicking my feet and twirling my hair and the like.

Think Anna x Kristoff meets Fiona x Shrek meets Snow White x The Huntsman meets Rapunzel x Flynn Ryder, and I’m dead serious (this archetype of trope hits different almost every time)

This is definitely not the most unique story ever to be really real, but it just worked for me & it’s been genuinely so long since I’ve read & sincerely enjoyed a romantasy so I’m :)))

I absolutely adored this book and think it will be a big hit in the hands of enough people. Will definitely spread the word! It is the perfect standalone feel good romantasy palate cleanser!

Tusk love is a quick lighthearted read, it’s soo very different from the writing in the hurricane wars and I can see a lot of people enjoying this one.
The fmc annoyed me a lot I understand her character is ment to be naive but I just couldn’t stand her ! it took away from my enjoyment of the story but I did however enjoy the mmc he was so grumpy & lovable !
This is a grumpy/sunshine
Only one bed / forced proximity cosy fantasy.
It’s low stakes and the kind of book you can pick up when you just need to escape reality
Thank you del Ray & netgalley for the arc !

This story was just what I needed.
It was such a good, fun and lovely adventure.
You don't need to be fan of TTRPGs and Critical Role to enjoy the book. But if you're it's like a present for you. The world building was that good.
The 🌶 scenes was so very well written.

So just goooo read it NOW!

Only one bed
Grumpy x sunshine
Romantasy
cozy fantasy
Monster romance

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for the ARC