This was such a fun, spicy & a cosy read. It had me giggling, kicking my feet & definitely exceeded my expectations.

This book is perfect for anyone who’s looking for a lighthearted cosy fantasy!
I basically devoured this book in one sitting - absolutely adored the humour & the character development.

Thank you Penguin Random House Books & NetGalley for my ARC!

4.5 stars rounded up

Sweet, saucy, and full of adventure, this cozy-ish fantasy is an adorable romance that charmed me through and through.

When Guinevere is beset by bandits, she is terrified and desperate to uphold her duty as a lady. However, when a handsome half orc stranger comes to her rescue, she stumbles into a journey that might just change her life forever...

I enjoyed Gwen's sweetness and comically naive actions, and I loved the stark contrast between her innocence and the blunt nature of Oskar. Their relationship is utterly endearing (and also pretty spicy!), and I felt like the pacing for how it developed was perfect.

This story isn't just romance though - it has some heavier moments as well, like acknowledging grief, recognizing toxic traits in yourself, breaking free from expectations, coming to understand your sexuality, and more. I especially liked the supportive bond between Oskar and Gwen - they are really there for one another and help remind one another of their strengths.

The plot was pretty loose, but the atmosphere more than made up for that. Traveling across the country, meeting boisterous folk along the road, fighting off assassins... There was just so much fun packed into the book that I found it hard to put down.

Tusk Love surprised me with how cute the story is, and I'm desperate for more of their adventures!

God, I've been waiting for this for so long and now I actually got to read it early! It was exactly what I imagined it would be - a fun, sweet (and spicy) adventurous fantasy romp with lovable characters in the beloved Critical Role setting! Absolutely loved it.

This felt like a nice quick cosy read. It was easy to get into, the world building was easy to follow, the characters likeable. A good adventure to follow along with. A little predictable but a really enjoyable romantasy! I really enjoyed reading it and it was very easy to binge!

A charming romance set in the Dungeons and Dragons universe. I read an eARC of this book on Net Galley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

This is a story of two very nice people from different worlds. A wealthy daughter of a merchant travelling to meet her parents is attacked by robbers and is rescued by a dashing warrior. His noble personality means he feels he has to accompany her as she’s pretty helpless, even though he has a destination of his own he needs to get to. She is very naive and sheltered and gets a bit of a shock when exposed to the real one. She does come across as a bit selfish at times, but she does quickly recognise that and try to do better. She’s a nice person, just a bit clueless about how most people live. We do see character growth from her throughout the book, though it takes a while to get her to start questioning certain behaviours from certain characters!

It’s an easy romance to root for as they are both kind and decent people who need love and cherishing to help them overcome the pain inflicted on them in their pasts. This is romance in a fantasy setting rather than feeling like a Romantasy. Which was quite nice as it felt a bit different. There were recognisable aspects from Dungeons and Dragons in the book, but you could easily read this without being familiar with that world. It informs the setting more than the plot so no prior knowledge needed to enjoy the book. Though being familiar with Critical Role will give you another lens through which to appreciate the story. There is a bit of spice in this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this novel.

Unfortunately I did DNF this book @ 20%.
I really wanted to like it but I was so bored and I couldn’t get back into picking it up. I have tried to read from this author before and also gave it a low rating so I think part of it is that I just don’t like her writing style.

The characters personalities were flat, especially Guinevere and I was mentally rolling my eyes at everything she said. The humour from Oskar I just didn’t understand and even though it’s early in the book there just seemed nothing between them. I’m not talking about chemistry or romance but even their conversations were awkward and hard to read.

I’m sorry!

Cosy romantasy, involving a half-orc who steps in to help when he sees bandits robbing a merchants daughter. With her guards dead and no knowledge of navigation, Oskar decides to take on the task of getting her to her destination. Of course with shenanigans and some romance on the way.

I really enjoyed this. These were both good characters. Though I will admit the synopsis made me think that the FMC was going to be some hoity better than thou princess. But she wasn’t. Okay, yes she was spoiled and sometimes didn’t understand the concepts of the “normal man”, but at no point did I think she was cruel or thought herself above the MMC.

The plot for this was intriguing. There was mercenaries, magic, a fun insight into DND dynamics that I was surprised to see outside of playing it. And it was interesting, I was just as fascinated by what was happening plot wise than I was with the romance. They both helped push the book along and one didn’t falter when the other took place.

The romance was a lovely story, they are both just so lovely and care deeply. I appreciate being able to see a romance grow throughout the book and I love seeing the insight to each others POV.

I would recommend this to people who want a nice, albeit, small plot behind their romances. With low stakes, horrible parents, and loving characters.

Huge thanks to Thea Guanzon, Critical Role and NetGalley for providing me with an early e-copy of this book! As a Critical Role fan, I went into this book with high hopes, curiosity and maybe a pinch of bias. I am thrilled to say it exceeded my expectations.

The characters absolutely shine. They are vibrant, flawed, funny and deeply lovable. It helps that their chemistry is off the charts. What could have easily been a tongue in cheek nod to an in universe joke turns out to be a heartfelt and well crafted romantic fantasy with genuine emotional beats, excellent pacing and an engaging plot.

I found myself invested far more than I expected, although, I will admit that being a fan of the show likely enhanced my appreciation of some nuances and easter eggs sprinkled throughout.

Whether you are a Critter or just a fan of steamy fantasy romance with a strong narrative core, Tusk Love delivers. It is charming, a little wild and surprisingly moving.

A cute, enjoyable and cozy read. Character driven story and it really makes you root for both Oskar and Guinevere throughout. The spice was spicing.

The only way I can really describe this book is 'fun'! I came into Tusk Love knowing the context within Critical Role, so I knew what I was getting into and it didn't disappoint. The best thing I think was the brilliant balance it struck between comedy, drama, romance and action. The two protagonists also complimented each other excellently. The fact that it didn't take itself too seriously made it much easier for me to laugh and enjoy all of the tropes, banter and other shenanigans and just have fun!
I found the plot engaging and easy to follow, but there was a good amount of complexity in there too. The pacing did feel a little odd sometimes (the end was a bit rushed) and it was definitely larger than life, but this didn't detract from the overall reader experience.
Overall, a fun time with loveable main characters, fun to hate villains and a sweeping comedic romance. Check this out if you like romantasy and want a lighthearted read that plays on the tropes!

A fun and feisty romance here! I had very little knowledge of Critical Role, or D&D in general, outside of the staple character roles that we see in a lot of fantasy books, but I was drawn in by Thea Guanzon, whose Hurricane Wars I loved, and the beautiful cover. Turns out, you don't need to know a lot in order to enjoy this book!

Guinevere and Oskar were a beautiful match - her quiet and fearful, him sturdy and steadfast - they bought out the best of each other repeatedly. A cosy tale, the stakes weren't world-ending, but very much focussed on the character's long term happiness, and it was a lovely way to spend a day reading. While clearly taking place in an established fantasy world, we were never bogged down with too much backstory, but nothing felt lacking for those coming from outside the fandom. Tusk Love feels like an excellent introduction, and will appear to lovers of D&D, as well as those just interested in romantasy.
And for those romantasy lovers - the slow burn was excellent, and the payoff was spicy!

My only complaint? Now I need more from the world of Exandria, and it looks like Critical Role have hundreds of hours of gameplay for me to get through!

As a DnD nerd and fan of Thea Guanzon, author of The Hurricane Wars, I was so excited for this combination!
While on the way to meet her betrothed, merchant's daughter Guinevere is set upon by bandits and brooding half orc Oskar comes to her aid.
Love the emotional journey as they travel together on the road. Its giving Grumpy / Sunshine, with a dash of there's only one bed.
Only thing as a Yorkshire lass I'm sad our regional cheese is being dragged down by a mid Lord Wensleydale 🤣
I preordered this ages ago and was thrilled to get ARC request granted!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5⭐

Thank you Thea Guanzon and Del Rey UK 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. 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.

If you love cozy romances this is for you! So well executed great plot with some lovely world building. I loved the characters and watching them unfold in their adventure! I finished the book in a day! Let’s just say I was not disappointed! Had a nice amount of spice too 🌶️ 🌶️

3.5 Stars ⭐️

A super easy, lighthearted read that had me smiling throughout! The relationship between Oskar and Guinevere felt genuine and well built throughout the story. They were both such loveable characters you couldn’t help but root for them! I really enjoyed the humour in this book- Guinevere was so sincere but so naturally funny, a really well written character. I really wish we got to see more of them at the end- how did she fare without her parents and where did they end up? I also found the beginning a little too slow my liking but other than that I couldn’t fault it! Overall it was an enjoyable read and I would recommend!

I really enjoyed reading this book. I dove in not expecting anything. At first, I was annoyed with the characters – with Guinevere (too sweet and naive for her own good), but she grew on me. I like how Gwen & Oskar relationship unfolded during their journey, the magic and the atmosphere.
I felt like the world building would have needed to be developed a bit more (as for some developments in the story) for the book to have the 5 stars. It felt a bit rushed but overall I'd totally recommend this read.

Tusk Love is a fictional smut book from the Critical Role (DnD) universe turned into a real life book by Thea Guanzon. And it's exactly the kind of ridiculous fun you'd expect it to be!

Guinevere is a sheltered merchant's daughter traveling with her dowry to meet her parents and fiance, when she and her guards get attacked by bandits. Luckily, grumpy halfling Oskar is there to save the day and help her get to where she needs to go. Hijinks ensue. Obviously they fall in love on the way.

This book is a fairly straightforward cosy romantasy, well-written and highly entertaining. I read it in a day and had a lot of fun doing so. It's exactly what it says on the cover, so if you think you'd enjoy it, you probably will!


Many thanks to Random House UK, Cornerstone for letting me read an eARC of this through Netgalley. All opinions are, of course, my own

Tusk Love by Thea Guanzon is a cozy romantic fantasy that’s as sweet as a hot chocolate with marshmallows—if you’re into that sort of thing, but without the emotional depth or complexity. The world-building is cute, the characters are fun, and the romance is adorable, but the plot is nice, though nothing earth-shattering. It’s a sweet, fairy-tale-like story that’s pleasant, but not something that’ll change your life.

The romance between Guinevere and Oskar develops a little too quickly, and while their interactions are fun, the emotional depth is… well, where exactly? Oskar, on the other hand, is chef’s kiss. This grumpy, brooding guy totally won my heart. He’s got that perfect mix of “leave me alone” and “I’ll protect you” that makes him irresistible. Honestly, I’d follow him into a forest, no questions asked.

The plot? Adventurous, sure, but it’s more like a cozy walk in the park than an epic quest. Don’t expect any life-or-death battles or plot twists. It’s low-stakes, stress-free, and perfect for when you just want to kick back and read something cute without needing to invest your soul.

All in all, Tusk Love is a charming, easy read that’s sweet and light, but not exactly deep. If you’re in the mood for a fun escape with a grumpy hero who’ll steal your heart, this book’s got you covered. But if you’re hoping for emotional rollercoasters or life-changing moments, well… keep looking.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I really liked the Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon and when I saw the cover of Tusk Love, I was enchanted! One night I woke up at 4am and said to myself to read just a few pages of this story and I ended up finishing it in one go and going to work sleepless but happy!

Guinevere is a merchant’s daughter who is in grave danger when her caravan is destroyed by thieves and she is left stranded in the middle of nowhere. Oskar is a gruff orc who saves her but the last thing he needs is an innocent girl in his way. He has to postpone his plans though so he can accompany her for her wedding to a wealthy nobleman chosen by her parents.

This book won me over by its characters. Guinevere is kind, trusting and pure-hearted although sheltered by her parents. Oskar is a protective, loyal hero who does everything to just be there for her.

This story has adventure, passion, pining and yearning! I loved their relationship and despite their different upbringings, they complete each other. It is like watching your favorite fairytale movie!

This book is the perfect cozy romantasy about a grumpy half-orc and a sweet fair maiden! I wishThea could write more books like this because it was like a balm to my heart!

4,5 stars!

Thea Guanzon, the woman that you are. I absolutely adored Tusk Love. This cozy paranormal romance/monster romance feels like Legends and Lattes meets Studio Ghibli meets two scenes from LOTR. Plus a ton of spice. It has an epic quest component to it, and that forced proximity brings our two MCs inevitably together. They learn about themselves along the way and realize that the life designed for them by others is not necessarily the one they want to live. Absolute banger.