Ahhhh this book. I have literally just finished and I’m not sure coming straight on to words my review was a sensible idea. I just cannot get over hope much I loved good book. This is my first monster romance so I wasn’t sure what to expect and how I was going to get on with it. But Tusk Love has opened my eyes to a whole new world. From now on if he hasn’t got tusks I’m not interested. I absolutely loved Oskar what a beautifully created character. Guinevere’s innocence just had me howling at times but I loved how the book told us her story and allowed the reader watch her grow into the person that she has alert wanted to be. I really enjoyed that the main focus wasn’t just the romance element but also the adventure. It was so much fun and had me engaged throughout. I did not want Tusk Love to end and I don’t think I’m ready to leave this world and these characters behind. If I had the time I would start again with this book and just devour it. I can’t wait until my exclusive edition comes so it can have pride of place on my shelf. Thank you so much for sending me an early copy.

—5 stars—

To quote Jester (AKA Laura Bailey) herself, Tusk Love is “the most beautiful love story you’ve ever heard in your entire life basically”. And it’s true. I genuinely don’t think i stopped smiling once and giggled more times than i could count. This cozy romantasy was such a sweet read, and i knew it was going to be a favourite from the very first chapter.

Despite Tusk Love’s short length (under 300 pages) not a single part felt rushed, and the pacing was perfect. Though there is fairly high stakes and a quest of sorts, this is entirely a book you can curl up with. Guanzon beautifully maintained the charm and adventure of D&D campaigns while flawlessly weaving tropes into the story with ease. As we all know, sometimes tropes can feel a little forced, but the ones in Tusk Love could not have felt more natural or well-placed!

In addition, the entire cast of characters were completely and utterly endearing. From the protagonists to a goblin musician with a fondness for lusty songs to a pair of dangerous criminals that somehow end up helping Guinevere with her shopping, each character had such vibrant personalities, and added so much to the surroundings and depth of the story. Of course, the main two are the most fleshed out, but the side characters all play their own parts.

Guinevere, merchant’s daughter and FMC, was such a delightful main character to read! She’s far from perfect, particularly at the start of the book, but her character development was incredible, and i loved seeing her prim and properness disappearing (a little) to make way for a hunger for adventure. Despite how she appears spoilt at first, her kind heart and ability to trust and care for everyone she meets made her an easy character to love.

Oskar, half-orc MMC, was the most sweet and grumpily stoic character of all time. How he slowly opened up to Gwen was so beautiful to read, and his own realisations about grief were just as important as hers on privilege. The two of them together was nothing short of adorable, and i loved how gentle and sweet they were with each other! The tension and pining was top tier, and their utter joy and love for each other almost had me tearing up. I don’t often struggle for words to describe how much i love a couple, but these two were just everything to me.

Finally, as a D&D and Critical Role nerd, the existence of this book makes me so happy! However, no knowledge whatsoever of those two topics is needed to read and love this book—though there are very small things that probably won’t be as meaningful without that background. I know i squealed ridiculously at the mentions of Tal’Dorei and the Raven Queen (and even more at the inclusion of a particular bodice-ripping scene).

This book really intrigued me to begin with and I enjoyed the beginning a lot. As the story progressed I feel as though we had a lot more development from Oskar, our MMC than Guinevere, the FMC.
He learned to adapt and compromise in order to make her feel better, comfortable and safe. However she had a large tendency to cry at pretty much everything and that did get a little repetitive.
I really wish I enjoyed it more as I love this author’s other books but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.

A great blend of cozy and steamy, I was living the tusked half-orc dreamboat FANTASY. Loved going on this literal and emotional journey, and you definitely don't need Critical Role knowledge to enjoy this standalone romantasy.

Sweet and spicy
─..★.──────────

A wholesome little D&D romance with lovable characters and good pacing. This was a nice break from denser reads and was very accessible to someone not in the Critical Role fan space. Oskar and Guinevere had great chemistry. Their journey was full of funny side characters, romantic pining, and self discovery. Guanzon's writing was perfect for this tale.

PS: Pudding is the very best horse. Sorry Vindicator.

A quick read which was fun but… iIt felt like reading fan fiction. The plot was predictable and nothing new, and the fmc was, well, annoying. She didn’t feel real at all, one minute she was a shy dutiful ‘good girl’ the next she was stripping off with a man in lake?!
Sorry, but not for me.

🌾Tusk Love 🌾🧡

- Thea Guanzon @theagwrites

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was a massive fan of the Hurricane Wars so of course, as soon as I saw that Thea Guanzon’s new book, Tusk Love, was available to request on NetGalley, I ran! I am not a video game girlie, so forgive me if I say something blunderingly stupid, but this is an adaptation of the video game Critical Role. I have never played it and have absolutely no knowledge of this, so I went into this book very blindly and a bit apprehensively that it would mention a ton of world building I don’t know about because I haven’t played the game!

However, let me set your minds to rest. I loved this, and never once did I feel lost or as though I was on the outside of an inside joke. Instead, it read as a wonderful standalone. We follow Guinevere, a wealthy merchant’s daughter. When her carriage is looted by bandits on her way to marry a man she’s never met, she finds herself with no other choice but to ally herself with Oskar, who rescued her from the bandits (he also happens to be half-orc). This had a strangely vintage feel to it; it was a good old-fashioned quest fantasy, while also having a banging romance plot. It was low stakes, bordering on cosy fantasy which I don’t normally like but, what can I say? This one hit the spot.

The romance is sweet and tender and I loved both Oskar and Guinevere so very much. The world building isn’t extensive, with the romance taking centre-stage but I didn’t mind this one bit. We got enough to carry the story and that was enough for me.

If you’re looking for a delightful, low-stakes, quest-vibes romantasy this summer, let me just gently push this into your open hands.

Tusk Love releases July 1st. Thanks to @penguinukbooks for the digital ARC!

#bookstagram #bookreview #arcreview #tusklove #criticalrole #theaguanzon #thehurricanewars #bookphoto

A standalone spicy romantic fantasy based in the world of Critical Role.
You don't need to have any knowledge of CR to enjoy this novel in its own right. Romantasy is not generally my genre, but I had a fun time with this.
The magic was interesting, the characters were endearing and I rooted for them throughout rather than rolling my eyes which is always a good sign!

I tend to like romantasy that has high stakes and traumatising twists, but Tusk Love is a wonderful cosy romance set in the world of Critical Role’s Exandria.

Whilst inspired by Laura Bailey’s devious mind you don’t have to be a critter to enjoy this grumpy x sunshine romance. Thea Guanzon’s incredible writing means you fall in love with Guinevere and Oskar instantly, as well as the various characters you meet along their journey. It is the perfect level of cosy romance, spicy scenes and loveable characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me access in exchange for an honest review.

𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒊𝒏 𝑬𝒎𝒐𝒋𝒊𝒔: 💪💍🌲🍆🗺️💰📿

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒕: A steamy Half-Orc x Human Romantasy with all the D&D vibes (it even has a free D&D oneshot to go with it!)

𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕:
💖Rapunzel x Flynn Rider Vibes
💖but make it ✨spicy✨
💖 (and he’s a half-orc)
💖Grumpy x Sunshine
💖Magic & Mystery
💖Fantasy Road Trip
💖There’s only one… forest floor? 😂(They get it on outside😂)

𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘: As a huge fan of Critical Role I was THRILLED when it was announced that Tusk Love was becoming a reality, and that the author was going to be none other than Thea Guanzon (aka a critter, fellow Reylo Rat, author of The Hurricane Wars, mother of cats & all round icon).

Thea did a great job of bringing Guinevere and Oskar to life & made their story the classic swoony bodice ripper that Jester Lavorre loves so much! I really like how Thea managed to work within the world of Exandria in a way that felt faithful to Matt Mercer’s creation while also adding little touches & ensuring that there was a good sense of world building for readers who have never watched, listened to or even heard of CR.

The beauty of Tusk Love is that it could absolutely be read, appreciated & enjoyed as a romantasy in its own right which I love & I think would serve as a good introduction to half-orc romantasies for new readers as well as being a fun read for existing fans of the sub-genre.

I particularly enjoyed the spicy scenes in this, as well the character development & journey our loveable heroine goes through. And Oskar? What can I say except “Oh, Oskar” because not only is he pretty swoonworthy, he also has tusks & he isn’t afraid to use them 😏😏

While I was reading this I couldn’t help get Rapunzel & Flynn vibes from Gwen & Oskar🤭 Overall this was a fun fantasy read with a charming cosy feel & steam on the side!

𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.75 rounded up)

Thea Guanzon has outdone herself with Tusk Love—this book is equal parts romantic, feral, and achingly tender.

Tusk Love is unlike anything I’ve read. It sinks its tusks (pun fully intended) into your heart with her intricate world building, deep emotional undertones, and a romance that is both wildly primal and delicately sweet. You will absolutely fall in love with Gwen and Oskar’s tension. Their chemistry is not just sizzling; it crackles with intensity.

This is a story for those who crave fantasy with tusks, romance with a good bite, and writing that will have you swept off your feet.

Guanzon has done it again in this beautiful book. You won’t regret picking it up.

As always thank you so much to DelRey UK for this book after and thank you NetGalley for the eARC.

As a critical Role fan, I obviously went running to request this as soon as I could, and it did not dissapoint; I know why Jester loved this book so much! Short and sweet, it was so much fun to read.

This book had me laughing, swooning and sighing.
Just a few chapters in and I knew it’s going to be a 5🌟 read.

Guinevere, a sheltered and sweet, merchant’s daughter and Oskar, a grumpy half Orc meets when Guinevere is attacked by bandits. They’re world’s apart so you can imagine how hilarious it will be when they are paired together.
I loved their banter, It was everything! The way Oskar treated and protected Guinevere so sweet. I enjoyed their adventures too. I especially enjoyed Guinevere’s adventures in Oskar’s hometown. It was hilarious.

This book is very steamy and fast paced. You can read it as standalone. The world building isn’t complex and fantasy elements are done really well.

Overall if you love a steamy, sweet but emotional and action packed romantasy with lovely characters- this book is for you.

-Opposite attract.
-Grumpy x sunshine.
-Hero from the wrong side.
-Action, suspense, hilarious and adventures.
-Safe, standalone and absolutely recommended.

Tusk Love was a light-hearted, cosy yet spicy romantasy read. In it we follow Guinevere, a merchant’s daughter travelling the Amber Road to meet with her parents at the Menagerie Coast. When she is attacked by bandits she meets Oskar, who steps in to save her. Oskar is a half-orc and making his own journey but ends up travelling with Guinevere for her protection.
Tusk Love is / has:
- Opposites attract
- One bed (there is a great quote from Oskar on this), one horse and many other tropes
- Forbidden romance – he’s an unemployed blacksmith apprentice, she’s a merchant’s daughter
- Dual POV
I liked the characters. Guinevere has been sheltered, so has a naivety to her and a desire for adventure; her character development was excellent, and she never strayed into being frustrating to read. Oskar was wonderfully grumpy and broody, and I loved watching his protectiveness for Guinevere develop. So, I was eager for their happily ever after as a couple.
At under 288, this is a relatively short read, and this is in part reflected in the fast pace of the story. We cover a lot of ground and happenings along Guinevere and Oskar’s way. However, at times I personally wished more time was focused on some of the events instead of moving quickly to another.
This book is also a collaboration with Critical Role, inspired by the Tusk Love in-game book – consequently this would be great for fans of Critical Role and romantasy readers. However, I do not have great knowledge of Critical Role and found this an enjoyable, fun read.

My first ork smut??? Oopsies!

Thank you Random House / Cornerstone and NetGalley for an early copy of Tusk Love.

I was so excited for this book, I even pre-ordered the special edition because the concept and artwork are stunning. I had really high hopes going in, and maybe I'm missing some of the lore, but I’m left feeling a bit sad. I really wanted to love this. It's somewhere between 3/3.5 stars for me.

The first 50% totally had me, and the last 10% was a fun ride too, but the middle of the book felt too long and dragged out. It felt like a lot was happening… but also not much at all? The plot fell a bit flat, and I really struggled with it.

Gwen is an interesting protagonist — she starts off very naïve (sometimes too naïve, to the point of feeling a bit underage), but she does show some growth. She was clearly spoiled, and I hated her parents, but I really appreciated the way she eventually handled things with them. That arc gave her some much-needed depth, but perhaps a bit less than I would have expected.

That said, her magic? I wanted more! It’s mentioned a few times, but mostly brushed off like something she casually learned from her nan, which felt weirdly underdeveloped considering how important it could have been and how it's shaped major events in the story.

I didn’t fully connect with the main romance, it all felt a bit rushed. But Oskar? Major Shrek energy which I LOVE. Shrek is love, Shrek is life, and so is an emotionally intelligent ork who knows how to apologise. His inner monologues were such a highlight, and the banter was pretty solid throughout.

The cosy vibes were definitely on point with the quiet moments on the road and slow bonding gave me Greenteeth by Molly O’Neill vibes, which I adored. The prose is genuinely well-written, and the world has so much potential, despite the story being cosy and low-risk, especially when they arrive in Nicodranas (what a twist!).

It’s a cute story overall, but just didn’t fully grip me. Still excited to get my fancy edition, but this ended up being more of a mixed bag.

Tusk Love was a fun, low stakes fantasy with a long ass journey (too long, some might say).

As someone who is used to reading more *cough* extreme monster books, this was a cute little read, but nothing life-changing.

If you’re a seasoned monster reader looking for a quick palate cleanser or a newbie looking to dip their toes, then this would hit the spot.

Let’s get into it.


Writing & Plot:

Thea’s writing isn’t an effortless read. It’s third person, which isn’t my preferred choice, and she throws in a lot of words that stray above the average reading comprehension. I don’t mind a book that takes more brain power to digest if the trade-off is worth it. In this case, sometimes it worked, and sometimes it was a bit lethargic.

She also leaned towards high fantasy style world building, which may have suited something like the Hurricane Wars, but was far too stodgy for what was meant to be a cute romance, and it didn't quite mesh for me. I’m aware this idea originally came from a D&D campaign, but as someone unknowing of the lore and the origins of the story, it fell a bit flat in places. It was an awful lot of place names dropped all at once in girthy chunks that had my eyes crossing. There were paragraphs full of descriptions of the new cities and places we encountered and honestly I couldn’t have given less of a shit nearer to the end because we never stayed in any of these places long enough to care.

The pacing was a little bit off for me, too. The journey itself was very drawn out, whereas the ending was very rushed. Some things seemed a bit shoehorned in. Like, she tries to cover everything that could be seen as a plot hole, but some things just didn’t work.


Side Characters:

Each side character had a very distinct personality and was always a fun addition to the plot, but they were only ever around for a couple of pages. Blink and they were gone. I wanted more of them and for them to actually mean something to the story, rather than being passing people who happened to be in the right place at the right time to help and further the plot. Because of this, a lot of heavy lifting was left to our two main characters for any sort of depth and growth.


Main Character: Guinevere

I will be honest and say that our female main character annoyed the ever loving fuck out of me at first. She was as bland and amicable as white bread. Sheltered, naive and ditzy, with a side serving of spoilt, as well as being rather snooty in an uneducated-about-the-world kind of way.

She didn’t seem to have any feelings of her own and mostly just described what was happening around her as if she were just a spectator rather than an active participant in her own life. I wanted to give her a little shake a couple of times.

I found myself yearning for character development; otherwise, it was going to be a DNF for me. Luckily, she had some. By the end, she was still a bit ditzy, but she was also brave and kind and very sweet. She also has some clear trauma and people-pleasing tendencies that she worked her way through, with the help of Oskar, and she absolutely grew on me.


Main Character: Oskar

Oh, we love Oskar. Blue collar vibes, rough as the earth. Gruff but kind. Didn’t think twice about putting himself at risk to save a stranger. Especially a stranger who pisses him off at first, but he can’t help but help her anyway because that’s the kind of guy he is. Obsessed with a certain woman’s boobs (no need for the ass or boobs debate here, it was very clear).

I was surprised, but pleased, to see him actually have some emotions throughout. He cried, or nearly cried, multiple times, which you don’t often see with manly MCs who tend to lean towards emotional constipation, but which I think is important rep for male mental health and positive masculinity.

But honestly, I think he may have been a bit *too* perfect overall, in a way that his phrases would sometimes be a bit generic and cliché, and he seemed to lack a little bit of personality and the necessary uniqueness that makes a character truly memorable. While he was written as being 23, I think he would have suited being late 20’s instead, especially with how mature he was (not to mention a top notch shagger, yet his past relations and experiences are never discussed). I feel like a guy in their early twenties would have been a lot more immature, but I’m guessing the author didn’t want to make it an age gap romance.


Their Relationship:

Their initial dynamic was your classic sunshine gal keeps talking until the grumpy guy caves in. He dislikes her on principle for being upper class, at the same time as being ridiculously attracted to her. She keeps putting her foot in her mouth and saying the wrong thing and trying not to be judgmental about their different upbringings.

The conversation between them at first seemed a little forced for the sake of ironing out a rapport and building some back story. This was made even more evident when the author makes a character say repeatedly, ‘oh god, why am I saying this and asking this?’ when it came to Oskar conversing with Guinevere. It shows how out of character he was acting for the sake of kickstarting a connection between them when, in actual fact, he would have been silent the entire time and not asked her questions.

Apart from the iffy beginning, I enjoyed their dynamic, which leaned towards ye olde style teasing and banter. They were a little bit cliche sometimes, with the whole’ I don’t know what I would have done if you’d died’ and ‘I would never have left you, not if it meant leaving you alone’ schtick. They were also both a bit stupid in that they never seemed to vocalise what they actually wanted, with miscommunication playing a huge part and dragging out their eventual HEA. But overall, I liked them as a couple.


Would I read again? No
Would I recommend it? Yes, depending on the person and what they were looking for
My star rating: ★★★★

4.25 stars

I might need to start watching Critical Role.

When Guinevere’s guards are killed by bandits while her caravan is en route to meet her betrothed, she must travel alongside the aloof half-orc Oskar who saved her during the attack. The journey is long and perilous, but as the flames of their passion grow, they realize they’ll soon have to choose between their expected destinations and their blossoming romance.

As someone who doesn’t know the original Critical Role story, you won’t be confused while reading this interpretation. I’m sure having the backstory is helpful, but it isn’t necessary. However, reading Tusk Love has made me very interested in diving into the Critical Role campaign—so I count that as a win!

This book proves that you can write a fully realized romantasy in under 300 pages. There was never a moment when I felt certain plot points needed to be expanded on or that others should have been shortened for better flow. However, I still wish there had been more. I would have loved to see more places, meet more characters, and watch these characters go through even more trials and tribulations.

The romance between Gwen and Oskar was extremely well done. For such a short book, you’d think it might feel like instant love, but it never did. There was a natural flow as they went from strangers to reluctant companions to lovers. The spicy scenes were HOT and didn’t overwhelm the story. Rather, they complemented the development of their romance and the plot as a whole.

There were times when I felt Thea Guanzon overwrote certain parts of the book. With a few more rounds of editing, I think the story would have been top-notch.

Whether you’re a fan of Critical Role and D&D or not, Tusk Love is the kind of romantasy book anyone can enjoy reading!

Thank you so much to Random House UK and Critical Role for gifting me an early copy of this book ahead of its official release!

2 🌶️

- mini adventure
- forbidden romance
- cozy fantasy
- grumpy/sunshine
- one bed , one horse

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, I give this book my honest review!

I chose this book because of "cozy fantasy" tag on it and I can say that this book can categorize into it. We follow the adventure of Gwen and Oskar who accidentally met when Gwen on her journey to her parents and attacked on the street. Oskar is the one who helped her and decided to accompany her in the journey.

The book mostly tell us about their journey and all that happen on this journey, because there are people who want to kidnap Gwen and her trunk. We also following the development of character from Gwen, from timid girl to brave and confidence. And the relationship that develop between Oskar and Gwen is really great. Both of them really care at each other and without realizing heal each other from their pas trauma. Both of them know how this will end but still they honest with what they want. I really love the characters in this book!

10% toward ending we got to see the conflict and everything happen so fast! Not really complaining tho but we learned so much in that 10% remaining.
I really recommend this book to whoever love book about journey and mini adventure!

I enjoyed following Guinevere and Oskar on this dangerous adventure, facing bandits and mercenaries far more often than they’d like, and charming all sorts of people along the way. There’s plenty of different characters introduced throughout, breaking up the long journey with their presence both on the road and in the towns. Guinevere and Oskar are a classic case of opposites attract, paired with grumpy vs sunshine, and considering the forced proximity, they were helpless to resist the romance coming their way. I loved how Oskar became a softer version of himself with Guinevere, but also growly, jealous and protective over this cheery, brave woman, one unused to the world outside her home and fascinated by every inch of it and finally able to live now that she’s out of her parents’ orbit. The tension between Guienevere and Oskar, both before they succumb to their attraction and as they near the inevitable end of their journey, was a great addition to the story. One thing I would have liked to see more of was Guinevere’s magic. Being such a big part of her, and her relationship with her parents, I didn’t feel we got to know much about it and Guinevere didn’t seem to make much progress with developing it either. A little more communication between the two would have also helped give their relationship emotional intimacy alongside the physical - which I have to say was a good bit of spice! All in all, a good dose of fun and adventure that has me looking for my next orc romance!

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

I don’t really know anything about critical role, but the premise of this book sounded like a bit of me.

It’s a fun, short and cozy read. The characters were loveable, but even though it was a short read the pacing did drop a little for me.

Its a cozy fantasy, meets dungeons & dragons with a monster romance.

Thank you NetGalley & Random House for arc in exchange for a review xx