Tusk Love is strongly recommended for romantasy readers and Critical Role fans while cautioned for those who don’t adore insta-love. I absolutely love Guanzon’s writing style and other romantasy series, so I was curious about the new release! I felt a little out of depth with the world building without the Critical Role knowledge, but still very much enjoyed the grumpy/sunshine dynamic, open door spice, and fun road trip adventure plot. I can understand how this will become a cult favorite!

Tusk Love, the newest novel from the world of Critical Role is here and we have many thoughts about it.

Ever since the second campaign of Critical Role introduced the book to their journey, fans have clamored for a “real” version of Tusk Love. It’s an in-universe romance novel greatly loved by many of Critical Role’s characters, particularly Jester Lavorre. At last, fans wishes were heard and the story has now been fleshed out and brought to life by author Thea Guanzon.

As in the campaign, Tusk Love focuses on the budding romance between Guinevere, a merchant’s daughter, and Oskar, a half-orc who ends up escorting her down the Amber Road to Nicodranas on the Menagerie Coast. This much was known to fans who have seen Critical Role’s second campaign. For those not familiar with the actual play series, the inclusion of Tusk Love started as a joke when the players visited a bookstore that specialized in “smut” and the players pressed Matt Mercer for details regarding titles to be found in the store.

One of the selections offered was Tusk Love. The in-universe story quickly took on a life of its own as the various characters took turns reading it, fleshing out story details and emphasizing the heavy “smut” levels to be found in this story. The fictional novel took on such a life of its own it’s already had a cameo in The Legend of Vox Machina on Prime Video and will surely be featured in the upcoming Mighty Nein animated series.

What I was really curious about with this novel was how Thea Guanzon would take the story frame of Tusk Love and fill it out into a proper story. After all, it’s one thing to make up a brief novel synopsis on the fly during gameplay, it’s quite another to turn that into an actual novel with a fully realized plot.

As it turns out, Tusk Love will exceed the expectations of even the most hardcore of Critters.

First, and perhaps most importantly, Tusk Love is exactly the kind of steamy romance novel it was established to be in the original campaign; with a heavy emphasis on the “steamy.” The character descriptions of both Oskar and Guinevere are almost over-the-top in their details, with very little left to the imagination. This only serves, of course, to make the frequent moments of romance that much spicier. It should also be noted that Guinevere’s reactions to Oskar for the first half of the story are quite funny. It’s easy to see why Jester’s ideas of romance and love developed the way they did, when she had this book as a template.

Something I wasn’t expecting was for so many parts of this book to be so funny. If Tusk Love were to be adapted into a film, it would absolutely be a romantic comedy. Guinevere, in way over her head at the start of the story, displays zero situational awareness skills and the author pushes this to its comedic limit to hilarious effect. Equally amusing, by the way, are Oskar’s attempts to keep Guinevere out of trouble, which go about as well as you think.

What really charms me about this story is how it still fits into the world of Critical Role. The story frequently mentions the capital of Rexxentrum and the pair actually visit Zadash, the scene of many exploits from the Mighty Nein campaign. It’s fun to see a familiar world inhabited by completely new-to-us characters. Even better, one doesn’t have to have seen any episodes of Critical Role or The Legend of Vox Machina to enjoy it. Thea Guanzon provides all the exposition readers need to follow the story being told. Of course if the reader happens to be a Critter, they’ll notice Easter Eggs peppered throughout the story, but it doesn’t hurt the experience if you don’t catch them.

While both Oskar and Guinevere go through significant changes over the course of this story, I found myself particularly drawn to Guinevere’s story arc. This young woman starts off like the stereotypical “helpless damsel in distress” but as the story continues, the reader learns that not only is there more to Guinevere than meets the eye, they watch her grow into and accept her power and it is downright cathartic.

In conclusion, Tusk Love is an amazing story. One that longtime fans of Critical Role and fans of fantasy romance in general will love to read. There’s steamy romance in abundance, magic is everywhere (this is Exandria after all), and you’ll find yourself sucked into the lives of Oskar and Guinevere with no trouble at all.

I regret to inform you that I’ve fallen for a half-orc. 💚

In Tusk Love, Thea Guanzon takes us down the Amber Road on a romantasy adventure that is part slow-burn, part smoulder-fest, and all heart.

Guinevere, a merchant’s daughter destined for pearls, propriety, and painfully boring noble husbands, suddenly finds herself stranded in the wilderness after a bandit attack. Cue our brooding hero: Oskar, the half-orc with a tragic past and the emotional range of a Jane Austen love interest… if Darcy had tusks and a battle axe (*swoon*).

This is opposites-attract at its absolute finest. She's sunshine and silk; he's scars and silence. But the spark? Instant. And what starts as a reluctant road trip quickly turns into something rich, tender, and toe curlingly romantic.

I adored the banter, the biting tension, and the way Guanzon laced deeper themes such as freedom, identity, belonging, into every charged glance and late-night fireside chat.

And yes, it’s spicy. Not over-the-top, but enough.

If you loved The Hurricane Wars, you’ll devour this too but Tusk Love is a bit cheekier, a bit wilder, and definitely dusted with Critical Role flavour in the best way.

The tusks are hot. The road is perilous. And the romance? Absolutely worth the detour.

A fun and quick romance! Even having not been familiar with Critical Role, Tusk Love stands as a great comforting and escapist book.

I've been a fan of Critical Role for about 10 years now, so I was so excited to get a chance to read this early. As a lover of fantasy, but a romance reader at heart, this book hit every story beat I needed it to.

It's an adventure story, it's a story about accepting yourself, and it's a fun road trip story where they all get into swordfights and travel from inn to inn and fall in love all while running away from the bad guys.

And the romance is top notch. Sweet and tender and saucy!

Oskar is the perfect reluctant hero and a quiet, softhearted grump who gets surly every time he notices how pretty Gwen is (and on top of all that. he isn't afraid to cry and be emotionally vulnerable).

Guinevere is the kind of sunshine character that I absolutely LOVE. She believes the absolute best of everyone she meets, makes friends everwhere she goes, and all of this despite having been treated terribly by the people who were suppoed to love and cherish her.

And they're PERFECT together. This is such a fun story overall. I highly reccomend it to everyone.

Tusk Love was the most whimsical, cozy, low-stakes romantasy that I’ve ever read in my life. It was lighthearted, tender, achingly sweet, and had the perfect amount of vibrant world building, thrilling adventure, emotional depth, and scorching hot romance.

Guinevere and Oskar perfectly complement each other. Guinevere is sweet, sheltered, always sees the good in everyone and everything, and is sunshine personified. She’s rescued by Oskar, a grumpy, broody half-Orc who’s bound by his code of honor. She drives him crazy, but he also can’t get enough of her. What starts off as an uneasy alliance and Oskar seeing Guinevere as a burden and a spoiled princess quickly changes into a beautiful love story filled with vulnerability, passion, and devotion. Their romance was bursting with tension, angst, and longing, and it made for such a delightful read. I adored this one and highly recommend it!

P.S. I know nothing about Critical Role or Dungeons & Dragons, but I didn’t feel like I was missing any backstory. I thoroughly enjoyed it without being familiar with either of them, but you will probably love it even more if you’re a fan.

Thank you to Random House Worlds, Del Rey Books, Random House, Penguin Random House, Thea Guanzon, and NetGalley for the ARC.

📔Tusk Love
✏️ Thea Guanzon
📆 July 1, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

READ IF YOU LIKE:
🔥 Critical Role
🔥 Dungeons & Dragons
🔥 cozy romantasy
🔥 they’re from different worlds
🔥 grumpy x sunshine
🔥 he’s an Orc
🔥 dual POV

I knew I was going to love this and it did not disappoint at all. Perfect for those who love adventure and romance and of course those who play table top games! Definitely a top read of the year!

Tusk love is the most perfect cosy Romantacy. From the very first chapter Guanzon pulls you in to the lives of the characters and gets you invested in their actions, emotions and murderous thoughts. The story, while heavy with peril and overcoming obstacles is pretty low steaks, but still thrilling and entertaining.

Guinevere and Oskir are so completely different that it’s so fun to see them mashed up together and falling in love, neither what the other expected them to be. Witnessing the softness that Gwen brings out in Oskir, or the confidence that Oskir instills in Gwen was delightful and heartwarming.

Having this book come to life from Critical Role is a dream! I am so glad it got a shot! While you don’t have to know anything about RPG games or Critical Role to get invested in this book, if you do it sweetens the read that much more. Knowing the history of Jester & Ford, I couldn’t help but picturing them in some of the scenes described. And if you know nothing about ROG or CR - I think this world and characters are interesting enough to hopefully draw some people to the hobby and open up some doors they maybe didnt know existed.

Thank you so much for the digital arc. I really enjoyed this story!

A bodice ripping, grumpy/sunshine, novel set in Exandria.

This book is to Critical Role what Miss Butterworth and the Mad Baron is to Bridgerton. This novel exists AS A NOVEL in the world of Critical Role - found in shops and on shelves and read by characters. Of course in the campaigns this book is written by the fictional Matilda Merceria (a play on Matt Mercer) but Thea Guanzon truly brought this book to life in our world and did a heck of job doing it!

This story was everything I wanted for Tusk Love and more. You definitely don't have to be a Mighty Nein or Vox Machina fan to read this book, but if you know a little bit about the world you'll find some fun references here and there. It's almost like when there's a song that exists in a fictional book or movie and then they actually create it to be listened to.

The most important thing to keep in mind here is that Exandria is the normal world for the characters in Critical Role so you won't get standard world-building - it would be like someone introducing Earth and humans to us in a contemporary romance. For all intents and purposes, this is a contemporary romance to the characters in The Mighty Nein and Vox Machina. That being said, I loved getting thrown into this world! Yes, I am a Critical Role fan, but a lot of this particular part of the world was still foreign to me and I enjoyed the way I was introduced to everything as a reader of this book. I think Guanzon did a phenomenal job of immersing us into the world right off the bat but she also utilizes Gwen's lack of knowledge about a lot of things to inform the reader as well.

As far as the D&D or TTRPG vibes go there are all the feelings of a one-shot in this book. While the characters aren't rolling dice, it FEELS like they could be as they run into hurdles from encountering mercenaries, to losing their weapons, to getting stuck with a single bed at the inn, and more. I was fully invested in all the crazy goings on in Guinevere and Oskar's adventure. This is totally an RPG novelization with moderately heavy spice.

I'm obsessed with the concept of this book and the execution did not disappoint! This was simply a really fun, swoony romance. The adventure was entertaining and the characters were super sweet. I'd absolutely recommend this to fans of monster romance and romantasy (who don't mind the minimal worldbuilding). Critical Role fans will, naturally, have a good time as well!


Thank you so much Del Rey for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I was 74% in when I read some reviews and realized I was reading a DND campaign. And I regret nothing. This was perfection, and I loved it.

First off, that cover?? Incredible. That’s the first reason I was drawn to the book, the second one being the adventure romance with an orc and a white haired magical woman.

Both Guinevere and Oskar had me intrigued and wanting to know more. About their personalities, their pasts, their feelings, dreams, desires...I was gripped.

Guinevere was a powerful but sheltered girl who deserved ten times more than what she'd been given throughout her life. Fate intervened, and she was dropped into the world of a surly orc named Oskar, who would make her see the world, find herself, and learn about things she'd never dreamed of. Seeing her grow, change, evolve, and learn to love herself and Oskar was beautiful.

And Oskar? This man had me in love way too early. He was Mr. Darcy, but in fantasy mode. He was a little judgy, in pain, and needed to loosen up. Who better to do that than a lost silver-haired woman who acts like she's seeing color for the first time? He had his work cut out for himself since he first laid eyes on Guinevere and thought she was beautiful. I felt like meeting Guinevere helped and healed Oskar immensely, and it wasn't only the real trip they took that changed both of them, but the road you take with someone you love, you better yourself for them, and that was incredibly meaningful.

Thea did an amazing job with this book, and I couldn't be more thankful for this e-arc!

Quotes:

He scowled at her, and it felt like self-defense.

He couldn't care less about the stupid trunk, but they were taking Guinevere away over his dead body.

"I don't think I could leave you if I tried."

And, just like that, Guinevere had her answer to the question of whether his tusks would hurt her. They didn't. She knew now how their mouths would fit together: Perfectly.

"For as long as there is breath in my body, you will not face this world alone, Guinevere. Do you understand?"

Spilling inside Guinevere was a religious experience.
Not to say that every moment prior had been anything short of sacred.

"You were in such a bad mood all day. Picking fights with me when, in fact, all you wanted was my cock inside you."

Their time together was fast running out, and it was with a pang that Oskar realized he would do whatever it took to make the remaining hours last longer. To grab hold of them and never let go, to spin them into years and years until they became a tapestry that encompassed all of forever—

Tears, laughter, joy, sorrow-there would be all of that and more with Guinevere in the years to come.

He grinned up at her. At this woman who had so daintily thrown a wrench into all his plans and made a home of his heart. "I love you."

as a CR and PNR fan, this book was highly anticipated for me, and I can say it lived up to expectations. it’s a sweet adventure-romance set in a fantasy world (no dnd knowledge required), with an excellent self-growth and actualization journey for our MC. some very gentle bodice-ripper vibes but it goes more for sweetness and yearning over titillation.

there were some slow moments, but the pace was generally good. I overall recommend this strongly to those who love a fantasy romance with a central fantasy-adventure plot

I will be the first to admit that this book absolutely exceeded my expectations! "Tusk Love" has been a Critical Role insider for so many years, and its spontaneous fictional creation is always a joy to rewatch within the campaign.

Because of this, however, I expected "Tusk Love" to purely be a very spicy romance set within the DnD/Exandrian universe. I usually don't read romance with a lot of spice, so I was a bit unsure. But it turns out, I didn't need to be! Of course, I won't go into detail to avoid spoilers at this point, but this was way less spice and way more plot and character development than I anticipated!

Oskar and Guinevere both have their struggles, and, of course, their different backgrounds mean their personalities clash quite a bit at the beginning, but it turns out to be quite wonderful and wholesome. I would like to direct some serious expletives towards certain characters that shall not be named here, but let me just say, this was an absolute joy to read, and I am delighted that we can now all hold the actual "Tusk Love" in our hands!

Thank you to Del Rey and Random House Worlds and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

✨ Review: Tusk Love by Thea Guanzon & Critical Role ✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (rounded up from a 3.5) This is perfect for fans of Kemmberly Lemming and CM Nacosta

This book was such a delightful surprise! I went in knowing next to nothing about Critical Role (I’m D&D adjacent at best), and guess what? I had zero trouble keeping up or falling in love with this cozy romantasy gem.

If your ideal cozy fantasy includes:

Swoony romance

Medium-stakes adventure

Laugh-out-loud moments

Fairytale vibes

…then Tusk Love delivers it all—and then some!

What I loved:
🖤 A beginner-friendly monster romance with tons of heart
🔥 THE TENSION and pining had me kicking my feet
🐎 A charming little quest that added just enough adventure
✨ Worldbuilding and magic that feel immersive, not overwhelming
📚 Short and bingeable (under 300 pages!)

Despite packing in so many fan-favorite tropes, it never felt overdone or cliché. The tropes were executed perfectly and felt organic to the story:

Tropes to love:

Grumpy/sunshine

Forbidden romance (class divide)

Only one bed

Only one horse

Hair washing (!!!)

She comforts him

And probably more I was too swoony to track properly

The only tiny bump? The last 20% slows down a bit and leans a little heavy on the description—but by then, I was already in love with the characters and their story, so I didn’t mind lingering a little longer.

Final thoughts:
Tusk Love is cozy romantasy at its finest. It’s equal parts charming, steamy, and heartwarming—and it’s absolutely perfect for readers new to Critical Role or the monster romance genre.

This was so wholesome and adorable and so much fun. The best cozy fantasy I have ever read. There were still some dangers and stakes, but also very cozy and cute.

Oskar was incredible. The hottest grump with the best mouth. Not only in the sexy department, but in the romance department, this man’s MOUTH!!! I highlighted so many lines that he said that we’re just so freaking sweet.

The one bed trope (multiple times), the humor, the adventure, the grumpy sunshine was all done so well. The writing was phenomenal. I just really had a freaking blast with this book.

TUSK LOVE is what cozy Romantasy dreams are made of. An absolute delight from beginning to end this book only further solidifies Thea Guanzon’s incredible skill as a writer to be able to smoothly shift from a high intensity and stakes E2L Romantasy series that will leave your pulse pounding to a cozy and tender Romantasy standalone that will completely melt your heart. She must have sprinkled some kind of magic pixie dust on this book because I devoured this book in a few days (external factors notwithstanding) and for a slow reader, that's the highest praise. Oskar and Guinevere’s story was such an easy and lovely read and I think it’s impossible not to be swept into their journey and fall in love with them.

Truly, a huge part of why TUSK LOVE is so lovable is because of its two main characters, Guinevere and Oskar. They could not be more different (for starters, Oskar is half-orc and Guinevere is human…?) but if there’s something they do have in common, it’s their deep capacity for love and kindness, and most especially, their heart (even if they show it differently). They’re both so inherently good that it’s almost a tangible thing in this book, a third companion on their adventure. A companion that draws people to them and builds rapport and bonds. While Guinevere may be sheltered and privileged, there’s a vulnerability to her that speaks of the quiet strength of a survivor. There’s a longing to throw the cards she had been dealt with and be free, to live her life for herself, but her honor and filial piety overshadows that. In contrast, Oskar’s strength is loud in his physicality, and is life and battle-toughened. This man has seen and been through hard things and though his heart is still bruised and is grieving, there is so much good in him. And seeing their dynamic and how they both touched each other’s life and fundamentally changed each other was so special.

The spice in this book was spicy and pays homage to the level of raunch you might expect from Historical Romances plus a little bit more (I mean, he is half-orc). Thea Guanzon delivered on tastefully spicy love scenes while also perfectly balancing the growing affection between Guinevere and Oskar. He may be doing very dirty things to her (and oh, the mouth on him) but their intimacy goes beyond just the physical and basking in their tentatively growing love was both delightful and just a bit agonizing.

Honestly, I could read a whole trilogy covering Oskar and Guinevere’s adventures. TUSK LOVE ends beautifully and ties loose ends very well while also leaving just enough frayed to leave things open for more. Throughout this less than 300-page book, you will have become attached to them both of them and you will not want to say goodbye at all. And it’s really impressive how Thea Guanzon contains all those events and twists and sequences and manages to create an expansive world without being overwhelming or lacking details in those less than 300 pages. As someone with very minimal knowledge about Critical Role (I only know what I’ve seen from the show, The Legend of Vox Machina), I can say that this book can be read and enjoyed by any Romantasy, Fantasy, Romance or any reader wanting to pick it up. TUSK LOVE is an absolute gem of a book and falling in love with it is as easy as flipping to the very first page.

I ADORED this parody romantasy. Everything was perfect - pacing, action sequences, low stakes heroes’ quest adventuring, the landscapes traversed, the spicy sex scenes (the lake was my fave, but the tree ran a close second), the personal development arcs of both protagonists, the extremely lovely romance that bloomed into genuine love between them, the humour, the tropes, the buried secrets at the heart of the plot… it was just perfect. I loved every minute of this binge read. Guanzon absolutely smashed it. What a delight.

Guinevere is her parents' perfect, precious pearl: carefully trained from birth in the fine arts of nobles, she will raise her family above their station by marrying into a noble house and living a quiet, obedient life - at the simple price of her passions and dreams of adventure. All in a day's work for an oldest daughter! Of course, all of these tidily laid plans go up in flames when Guinevere's armed transport is beset by bandits, leaving Guinevere charred, alone, and in moral danger on the Amber Road. Fate isn't wholly cruel, however - Guinevere is saved by a traveling curmudgeonly half-orc, Oskar, who agrees to see her to her bitter end.

Unmoored by the death of his mother, Oskar - having abandoned his apprenticeship and possibly his grip on reality in stopping to save a spoiled, silver-haired princess - finds himself increasingly charmed by the reason for his detour from the lands of his mother, despite his best efforts. Though she has not a single speck of self-preservation instinct about her, Guinevere brings out a softer edge to the aloofness and broodiness that hide his brave and thoughtful core. Guinevere can't help but be enraptured by her stalwart savor and the freedom of the road he shows her. As the flames of their initial meeting spark and smolder into something more, the unlikely pair will have to put their heads - and their hearts - on the line before the fire dies out once and for all.

Thea when I get you!!! This had no right being this cute and also this much of a squeeze on my broken little heart. This was everything I could ask for in a smutty romance steeped in Dungeons & Dragons lore: fire spirits; bawdy songs; tough guys who trip over themselves for beautiful ladies; horrendous parenting; being a spoiled brat for the *plot*; grumpy on the outside, simp on the inside; animal companions who definitely aren't an archetype for the MCs; swashbuckling; flower crowns; "firs they're sour, then they're sweet"; one bed/one horse/one sleeping bag; BODICE RIPPING; grumpy X sunshine on steroids; the vibe of "there must be something there that wasn't there before" without the Stockholm syndrome; rolling for initiative (NSFW); "what's in the boooooox"; priceless treasures < "get your hands off of her"; self-doubt being cultivated into self-worth; and all the Fabio-level "carry me off into the sunset" vibes your little girlish hearts (gender-neutral) can stand. And that's just a TASTE of what's between these pages.

Just as importantly to all the squee-level silliness, men on their knees, and sassy FMCs, Thea just has this mage-level talent for crafting beautifully lush, heart-aching, and cinematic worlds, where you feel the crisp leaves crunch underfoot, the stiff autumn breezes carding your hair, and the rush of the wild things through the woods while you're reading, and I (and you too, if you read her books), will be drawn into her faerie circle faster than your bard can pick up their lute if you let her. Her main characters are also some of my favorites (and Guinevere and Oskar, in particular) because they're cracked and flawed, unflinchingly resilient, tender, soft, velveteen, and citrusy-zesty-fresh in ways that a lot of your other romantasy couples tend to fall flat.

If you ever wanted a smoke's breath of what love feels like when written well, it's here. I don't want to spoil anything but even if you've never seen a d20 in your life, if you've ever yearned for the hills or for just a drop of swooning in your life, this is the book that will pick you up in its arms and carry you through fields of golden grain and dramatic sunsets to give it to you (double entendre intended). Thank you so much to Thea and the Critical Role universe, I am unwell and I will be devastated if there aren't more books in this series for me to craft a personality around.

If you were looking for a cozy adventure bodice ripper romance, then look no further! This book follows the story of Guinevere and Oskar, who have stumbled upon each other’s life and embark on a journey together. Throughout this adventure, sparks fly between them but given that Guinevere is a merchant’s daughter, and Oskar is a blacksmith- will their love be enough to overcome all of the obstacles?

This book was everything I expected it to be and more! It had so many of my favorite tropes: grumpy x sunshine, only one bed, and BANTER! This book had me giggling and kicking my feet, while also blushing and grinning from ear to ear. The spice in this book will definitely leave you breathless.

And I am a Critical Role fan, I believe Thea did an absolute masterpiece of a job making this book stand on its own. You do not need to know anything to enjoy this. But if you hold insider knowledge, there’s tons of little easter eggs that (if you’re like me) you’ll squeal about!

Honestly cannot recommend this book enough for anyone looking into getting a adventure romance with Mighty (wink wink) lovable characters and a story that will leave clutching the book to your chest for days.

Thank you Del Rey and Netgalley for the eARC!

This was an entertaining read that I finished in a few hours.
A well written story that kept me hooked from the very beginning.
The characters draw you in and keeps you flipping the pages.
I really enjoyed the writing style. I found myself hooked, turning the pages.

I absolutely loved this book and fell in love with Oscar and Guinevere. The angst and spice were perfect, and the slow burn was 😮‍💨 It was adventurous with an air of mystery and was perfectly paced. Thea Guanzon is one of my favorite authors and I almost didn’t pick this one up but I’m so glad I did! I love the grumpy X sunshine trope and she just hit the nail on the head with these characters. I loved Guinevere’s growth throughout the story as well. Such a fun read!