Tusk Love is the book equivalent of being wrapped in a warm blanket, handed a cup of hot cocoa, and gently told, “Here, fall in love with a grumpy orc now.” And I did. Enthusiastically.

This book is so beginner friendly, you could hand it to a fantasy newbie and they’d still be giggling and swooning by the first couple of chapters. And most definitely perfect for lovers of D&D

Let’s break it down:

🔹️Monster romance? Check.
🔹️Grumpy/sunshine dynamic? Oh, absolutely.
🔹️Forbidden love? You know it.
🔹️Only one bed? Yes, please.
🔹️Hair washing and emotional comfort? I actually squealed.
🔹️A mini-quest that’s the perfect mix of tension and tenderness? I was so here for it.


Oskar and Guinevere are a dream pairing. He’s this emotionally constipated softie hiding behind all that gruffness ( HELLO MR. CINNAMON ROLL) and she’s a radiant beam of kindness who melts him like butter. Their chemistry is full of delicious pining and emotional depth, with some of the most natural feeling trope execution I’ve seen in a while.

And y’all the coziness? Off the charts. Medium stakes adventure meets fairytale whimsy. It's the kind of book that makes you feel something while still being easy to binge and impossible to put down.

Also, shoutout to how Tusk Love gently explores breaking down internalized prejudice and class divides it adds so much heart beneath all the swoony moments.

In short: this is peak cozy romantasy. Adorable, charming, and absolutely soul-soothing. I devoured every page like it was my favorite dessert and already want to re-read it just to bask in the warm fuzzies again.

Highly recommend if you want to smile like an idiot and believe in love (and orcs).

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC is was such an enjoyable read !

* will be making social media posts soon *

4.5⭐

Thank you to Thea Guanzon, Del Rey US & NetGalley for the ARC!

This was the perfect cosy romantasy book I've read till now! 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?

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.

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.

There is so much potential that I truly hope to see become utilised into a series, but for now this is an unmissable story for all Romantasy fans alike that I could not recommend any more.

I really enjoyed this. It was lighthearted and it was fun. The writing is also very easy to get into.

Tusk Love


-main character: Oskar (half orc) & Guinevere (magical human)
-She’s scared of her powers hurting people because she’s always pushed them down/covered them up but learns to love/control them through the book
-she’s in an arranged marriage and the whole adventure is getting her delivered to her soon to be husband
-her father & mother don’t really love her at all and have seen her as a tool to get what they want - hence arranged marriage
-Oskars mom just died and he is on the way to visit her homeland when he finds guin in trouble on the road in her carriage
-they both fall in love on their adventure
—only one bed happens TWICE
—spicy scene in the water while bathing
-they continue to get attacked along their journey and everyone wants her dowry that’s in a locked chest (even they don’t know what it is)
-ends with him dropping her off at her hubbys mansion but it turning out that her dowry is stolen magical items so she gets kidnapped by evil guy (not the husband shockingly) but he ends up coming to her rescue only for her to save them both
-they live happily ever after and her parents suck

Alright! This is exactly what I wanted when I first heard about it and listened to it in Critical Role. Also, I love Thea Guanzon's writing style and I will continue to recommending her books anytime. OH you had a bad day at work, read Thea. The train you are on is crashing, read Thea. Oh you have to go explore an undiscovered location, read Thea and also don't do that, it's a horror movie and you will unleash an unspeakable horror. Perfection. OOOOHHHH, Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this copy!

“What the hell happened to all the beds in Wildemount?” he thundered. “Are we in a shortage?”

Saucy, spicy, silly, and oh so sweet - this was a MARVELOUSLY fun read.

Our MCs both have strong arcs, while never losing the core of their character. Guinevere starts out painfully naive and lacking in self worth, Oskar is borderline misanthropic. He stays grumpy, she stays sweet, but they both bring out the best in each other. He teaches her self worth, she teaches him it’s okay to feel.

It’s a wonderfully spicy book, too. They are immediately smitten with each other, despite all the reasons not to be, and don’t do a very good job of talking themselves out of acting on it. It definitely qualifies as insta love, but they’re so adorkable about it that I kinda loved it.

The author is a dungeon master herself and devoted Critical Role fan, so while I only have a tangential knowledge myself I strongly suspect that there are many Easter eggs for mega fans. As only loosely familiar with the world of DnD (but a huge fan of the author’s other work), I was still able to follow the world-building without issue.

Rating: 5/5
Spice: 3/5

Tropes:
- Bodyguard
- DnD world
- Grumpy x sunshine
- One bed
- Touch her and die
- Forbidden romance
- One horse
- Fire magic
- Insta love
- Standalone romantasy

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the chance to read this delightful book early!

Thank you, NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group, for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

4 stars – A charming, spicy romantasy with heart, humor, and a half-orc you’ll absolutely fall for.

Tusk Love by Thea Guanzon delivers everything I wanted: a grumpy x sunshine romance full of tension, tenderness, and just the right amount of spice. Guinevere is a spirited merchant’s daughter craving adventure; Oskar is the brooding half-orc with a tragic past and surprisingly gentle hands. Their chemistry is instant, but the slow burn is so worth it.

“If you keep looking at me like that, little flame, I might forget I’m trying to be a gentleman.” Sir??? Be serious. I melted.

Even if you're not a Critical Role fan, the story stands on its own, I had never heard of it before! The pacing is solid, the vibes are cozy-but-swoony, and Clan Bonecrusher deserves a spin-off, frankly.

The only reason it’s not a full 5 stars? The ending felt a little rushed—I wanted more time with these two and their blossoming bond. But overall, this is a fun, heartfelt read that balances spice, softness, and a sprinkle of magic.

Highly recommend for romantasy lovers, especially if you’re craving something warm, tropey, and wildly loveable.

This book made my little Critter heart so happy, it was a real delight to read. After being introduced to Critical Role by my partner and falling in love with Vox Machina and The Mighty Nein, I knew I had to get my hands on Jester’s favourite romance novel and it did not disappoint. ❤️‍🔥

This cosy, medium-stakes fantasy adventure was everything I wanted after my last heavy dystopian read. I haven’t read anything from this particular author before but she is definitely on my radar now and I’m excited to dive into her other works soon! The familiar magical world of Exandria, the pacing, the character development, the grumpy x sunshine romance - everything was done to perfection in my opinion. Whether you are a seasoned Critical Role fan or not, you can enjoy the story all the same, but the Easter eggs had me smiling.

The characters are the shining light of this story and Thea has crafted Guinevere and Oskar into such loveable opposites attract beings that I shipped from the moment Oskar saved her from the bandits and kept her secret to himself. The tension, the yearning, the TROPES, it had everything 😍 This was my first experience with a monster romance book and it was so much fun, I had a ball. Their journey was filled with open adventure, making friends (Clan Bonecrusher were the GOAT) and fighting off foes while finding love in unexpected places. A charming, atmospheric tale of finding oneself that I devoured and am hopelessly praying we get a sequel to where we follow their journey to Oskar’s mother’s homeland.

i adored this book so much! this book follows guinevere and oskar on their long journey to get to her betrotheds home.

this is a grumpy/sunshine, touch her and i’ll cut your hands off.

this book has great pacing, great world building, non cringy execution of the grumpy/sunshine trope (you know what i mean by the cringy type). i think this book was executed so well!

thea was the perfect author for a critical role book! and the cover?! absolutely perfect!

thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Oh, this was just fantastic! In every way! What a joy of a book!

Firstly, I have to say that I'm honoured and ecstatic to have received this ARC! I was over the moon to have received an email that I'd been accepted! As a huge fan of Critical Role and all things DnD thanks to my husband introducing me, I couldn't believe I'd gotten my hands on this.

I loved the start of this novel! We jumped right into the action, and I was instantly hooked. The imagery was perfectly described and phenomenal to imagine, and the fight that ensued was epic! This novel had great world building. I absolutely love a good DnD themed fantastical world. I enjoyed every unique creature and being and small magical detail we came across. The plot was also so engaging and perfectly paced too! I loved this author's writing style so much!

The scene in the beginning with the bandits crowded around Guinevere reminded me of Elisabeth Swan in the first Pirates of the Caribbean, which I loved! I think this moment helped set a good introduction to part of Guinevere's character, showing how posh she was against the roughness of the bandits, as well as how strong willed and brave she could be.

Oskar and Guinevere were amazing characters with lots of backstory and intrique to them, emotional depth, and good character development as the story progressed. They were such perfectly formed characters, and I adored them both equally. They were also simply perfect for each other, and the romance that bloomed between the two of them felt so natural and was beautiful to behold. The yearning was chefs kiss!

Oskar helped Guinevere to see the world in a different light and to understand her privilege. Guinevere lived a sheltered but comfortable life, but with Oskar, she experienced a grand and freeing adventure that forever changed her. Guinevere in all her wonderfulness also gave Oskar something to live for and brought back his light after the passing of his mother.

Oskar was so gentle and tender with Guinevere. She softened his harsh edges. I love the way his judgment towards her melted away as his heart began to warm at the sound of her voice, how sweet she was, and the cute little traits he noticed in her. I love a good soft hearted brute. And god was he s*xy.

The spice in this novel was next level! Guinevere and Oskar were on fire!

I won't spoil anything about the intrigue behind Guinevere's past and the secret she keeps, but it was a super exciting addition to this romance novel, and so unique and bad*ss. I loved every part of her character, both soft and gentle, and her fiery side.

I constantly caught myself smiling while reading this novel and had many laugh out loud moments. It was such a fun and comedic read, and so well written. It felt lighthearted and heartwarming and cosy, while at the same time packing an emotional punch. I cared deeply for the characters, and I felt so enveloped in the world that I was sad to see it end.

Thank you so much to the author Thea Guanzon, Critical Role, NetGalley, and the publisher Del Rey, for giving me the chance to read and review this! I had a wonderful time reading and am so grateful!

*I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) for free in exchange for an honest review*

I went into this not really knowing what to expect from it was was hooked from the start. The front half of the book was absolutely charming and by the end I couldn't put it down. You can tell that Thea Guanzon is a fan of Critical Role and fans will love reading this piece of the show made real. That being said, I think any romance reader could pick this up and enjoy it. I was brought back to the cozy reading experience of Legends and Lates, though this one includes a bit more spice. For D&D players, there's a few species names that got changed (for copyright) but they explain enough that non-players can still follow along.

I'm absolutely thrilled that they made this book real. I felt like I could hear Jester and Ford the entire book and I can't wait to find out who the narrators for the audiobook will be (please be Laura and Travis).

Props to whoever at PRH greenlit the reversable book cover, that's absolutely brilliant and I can't wait to have a physical copy when this comes out!

Huge thank you to Random House Worlds and Netgalley for the early copy. This is one of my most anticipated books this year and I'm thrilled to read it so early.

I’m sorry in advance for being a hater. Tl;dr: not exactly bad, just super, super not for me.

I’ll be the first person to admit I really had no business reading this book. I didn’t read the Hurricane Wars because everything I heard about it indicated it would not be for me, I don’t tend to love either romantasy or cozy fantasy, and I know nothing about Critical Role. But I do like a monster romance from time to time, and I was in the mood for something light and fun, so I hoped this might work for me. It did not.

I’ll start with my most important critique, since this may get long and rant-y: I did not like the characters and their relationship dynamic. Like, at all. In a very real sense this is just the Disney movie Tangled, mashed together with Critical Role, and that is just simply not a dynamic that I tend to enjoy. We’ve got a gruff, worldly, competent man x a spunky but sheltered lady who makes flower crowns and naively befriends criminals. This CAN be an interesting pairing, if it’s thoroughly explored and well considered, but that’s not the case here. It just felt tropey, unoriginal, and pretty infantilizing of Guinevere.

Also, I HATE grumpy men. Free us from the grumpy male love interest. Why are they all grumpy. Let men have other personalities besides grumpy.

The longer, more nitpicky rant: okay, elements of this story are definitely fun. There were moments where I enjoyed myself, almost enough to start thinking that 2 stars is too harsh. The problem is, at the end of the day, I have issues with basically every single facet of this book. The pacing is terrible - it skips somewhat randomly over really important parts with just, like, a brief sentence or paragraph summary, then draaags through some excruciatingly drawn out sequences that I did not care about at all, which means it manages to FEEL long in spite of the fact that it is very short. The “plot” is very thin and predictable and wraps up way too easily, which - fine. It’s a cozy-ish fantasy romance. That’s to be expected. The writing is also… maybe not terrible, but not good. I almost think this book would have been better off keeping to plain, contemporary prose rather than trying to sound high-fantasy.

This was a super cute read. Everything I wanted. It was short, cozy vibes with a good dose of spice. Definitely a grumpy/sunshine dynamic and finding where you belong.

4.5⭐

Thank you Thea Guanzon and Del Rey for the ARC.

Tusk Love by Thea Guanzon is about a merchant’s daughter who yearns for adventure gets more than she bargained for when she falls for a broodingly handsome stranger.

This was a cosy take on romantasy. The cast of characters are endearing and a delight as they go on an impactful journey both physically and mentally.

Guinevere is a well-mannered, kind, compassionate and self-sacrificing charactr who the daughter or merchants to whom she was never a priority unless materialistic rewards could be reaped. Oskar is a grump but cinnamon-roll half-orc who is actually a very kind character and hides everything under his intimidating facade.

The world-building is amazing and the execution of the pacing ane character development was top notch. The overall writing style is flawless and I took my sweet time reading this book.

The initial meeting of the two MCs started with misunderstanding that led to tension brewing between them which slowly evolved to a beautiful talw of love as they discovered new parts of themselves and let go of the broken shards still left inside of them. They realised a lot of this and let go of things towards the end. , I truly believe Guinevere and Oskar found their equal within one another and I had the best time getting to see their love story develop.

𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑨𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝒄𝒐𝒑𝒚 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒚 𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘.

Thank you Thea Guanzon and Del Rey for the ARC!

This was my first book from this author and I was super intrigued by synopsis in the beginning. The cosy romantasy aspect of this book was what made me feel the magic of this book to be alive. Guanzon has done justice to these characters and the story and the way that the ending pulled together all trh strings perfectly made me love this book even more. My only problem was that I wished that the world building was established a bit better because at times I did not know what and where the story was taking place and the lack of a map was a part of it too.

‘Tusk Love’ is an enchanting, adventurous, and cozy fantasy romance that masterfully weaves together passion, destiny, and the freedom to choose one’s own path. Set in the world of the Dwendalian Empire, in the universe of Critical Roles The Mighty Nein, follows Guinevere, a young woman constrained by the expectations of her noble birth, and Oskar, a brooding half-orc with a past full of loss and uncertainty. When bandits attack her caravan, Guinevere is forced into an unexpected alliance with Oskar, and together they embark on a journey that will change both their lives forever.

The romance in this book was chefs kiss and truly Lucious. The world-building as rich and immersive as the campaign of the series, which draws readers into a landscape of danger, beauty, and untapped potential. The dynamic between Guinevere and Oskar is emotionally charged, and beautiful that you’ll think about them for days.

This book is perfect for fans of cozy fantasy romances, along side with some spicy, heartfelt story full of adventure and romance, this is an absolute must-read.

I am completely and utterly in love. This is such a deeply, gently romantic book, about two people who find solace and understanding in each other as they travel the road.

Also, while I respect that everybody has their own opinions, anybody who does not like Guinevere is WRONG and is NOT allowed to talk about her.

This is so fricken cute!! I didn't have much knowledge of Critical Role or D&D prior to requesting this on Netgalley, but was intrigued regardless.

Tusk Love is a cozy romantasy, extremely well written and doesn't need any prior understanding of Critical Role to enjoy it.

Guinevere and Oskar find each other under less-than-ideal circumstances, and end up on a lengthy journey to meet up with Guinevere's parents in another city. Throughout the journey, they encounter enemies, make new friends and learn more about themselves. Guinevere's magic was of real interest to me, I enjoyed reading about her totem and what that means. Oskar seemed like a total badass but also a real sweetheart. I couldn't help but laugh at Guinevere's genuine nativity about everything and everyone, and the very entertaining situations she ended up in.

Fantastic book, and a new favourite. I am really hoping some more artwork for these characters surface!!

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @theaguanzon for the ARC because I SCREAMED at my phone when I got the email that I was approved 😅

It’s no secret that Thea is one of my god-tier authors. If she writes it, I read it-and to this day I’ve never been disappointed 🤩

Tusk Love is such a fun story. I’ve only played D&D once and seen a handful of episodes of Vox Machina. If you take anything away from this rec post, PLEASEEEE let it be that you don’t have to religiously DM your D&D campaign every single weekend in order to follow this story. This book is for ANYONE who likes fantasy, romance, banter, grumpy sunshine, plot twists, and a upper class lady tromping through the woods with a grumpy half-orc 😂

Again a huge thank you to the powers that be for the arc, you made this bookstagrammer incredibly happy!

#tusklove #dungeonsanddragons #fantasyromance #romantasy #istilldontknowthedifference #criticalrole #voxmachina

As a fan of Thea Guanzon and DND this was one of my more highly anticipated reads of 2025. I am newer to Critical Role and found this to be a great beginner fantasy/monster romance. You do not have to have a crazy understanding of the fandom to love this book, but I highly recommend you check their campaign out after!

Tusk Love is a wholesome, cozy, and sexy medium stakes adventure. Oskar is a Half-Orc blacksmith’s apprentice who offers to escort Guinevere, a naïve merchant’s daughter, to her betrothed on the Menagerie Coast after her traveling caravan is attacked by mercenaries. Over the course of their adventure, she begins to see the cracks in her high society life and is uncertain whether it’s the life she wants to live after all.

Oskar is the biggest green flag around. Thea did a wonderful job of addressing his underlying grief over his mother and helping Guinevere realize she deserves to be treated so much better by her parents. Guinevere nature reflects her entitled upbringing at times, but she never comes across as self-centered. She genuinely tries her best to adapt to her circumstances and see the good in everything. I really loved their relationship and would love to see more of them in the Critical Role universe!

Tropes:
Grumpy x Sunshine
Secretly a Cinnamon Roll MMC
Opposites Attract
Forced Proximity

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House publishing group Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for providing a digital review copy in exchange for my honest review.