Tusk love is a sweet fantasy romance with plenty of spice.
We join Guinevere and Oskar on their adventure after Oskar saves Guinevere from a fire following an attack from mercenaries.
Romance quickly blossom between our two MCs as they travel together, learn to trust each other and bring out the best in each other.
Throughout the story Guinevere learns to accept her magic and trust in herself with the help of Oscar.
The story has great character development and a satisfying HEA.
3.5 stars

[ARC provided by NetGalley and Del Rey. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review Tusk Love.]

Rating: 4.5/5

I can now confidently say that I like the same books as Jester Lavorre! Ahh, my Critical Role-loving heart is soaring after reading this absolutely delightful romantasy that is as spicy as it is sweet. Tusk Love went completely above and beyond any expectations I had, and reaching the final page was bittersweet as I could have read countless more chapters following the adventures of Guinevere and Oskar.

Tusk Love follows Guinevere, a sheltered merchant’s daughter, who ends up joining forces with Oskar, a stoic half-orc, when her caravan is attacked by bandits. As they travel together, animosity gives way to a deep and very sweet romance that will have them rethinking the paths laid out ahead of them.

There are so many things to love in this book, and I think any lover of romantasy will enjoy the cosy plot packed with witty banter, thrilling adventure, and heartfelt moments. Thea Guanzon masterfully balances spice and sweetness, creating characters who feel authentic and relatable. Whether you’re a fan of Critical Role or simply craving a beautifully told tale of unexpected love and courage, Tusk Love is sure to capture your heart and keep you enchanted until the very last page.

I particularly loved the character development in this story as we see Guinevere go through many realisations while embarking on her very own adventure of self-discovery, as Oskar also battles some inner demons and prejudices. Their romance is impossible to look away from, and I really appreciated that this is a high-interaction, close-proximity kind of book, although this element made me power through it in record time, leaving me gutted when I had to say goodbye to them both!

The overall plot is also very enjoyable, with threads of mystery and action woven throughout. There’s plenty to keep you excited in the narrative, contributing to how hard it is to put the book down. I also loved that we’re thrown right into the action at the start, and everything that followed, from world-building to character introductions felt so natural.

To summarise, read this book immediately! I had the best time and can’t wait to revisit some old Critical Role episodes as this made me miss that wonderful cast of characters. If you love spicy romance set in a classic fantasy world, then this is the one for you!

This is such a cosy romantasy read! I have never played Dungeons and Dragons although I have wanted to try it and whilst it is based in the world of D&D and around Critical Role prior knowledge and experience really isn’t necessary to enjoy the story and the characters. Being familiar with D&D might be useful but I found the world engaging and the development of the story great regardless.

The character development was wonderful, especially how they interact and the romance blossoming before my eyes was well paced. The characters are not perfect, but who is?! And their flaws make them even more lovable.

The tropes are varied including Grumpy x Sunshine and Forbidden love but I particularly liked the One Bed/One Horse in this!

I adored this book and would definitely recommend to anyone who wants a cosy romantasy.

Thank you so much to Del Rey and Netgalley for the E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Tusk Love is one of my most anticipated releases of 2025 so imagine how excited I was when presented with the opportunity to read it early. Safe to say I literally screamed with joy. Critical Role is very special to me so getting to read one of their releases early means everything. Hopefully this is the first of many!

I loved every minute of Tusk Love. anytime anything cute happened between Guinevere and Oskar, I couldn’t help but picture Jester reading it and telling the rest of The Nein about what was happening.

Which leads me to my next point. Firstly, you don’t need to know anything about Critical Role or The Mighty Nein to enjoy this book. There are quite a few Easter eggs related to the campaign throughout (the troll in the Labenda swamp is one of the biggest) but people new to Critical Role won’t have any issue understanding the world and what’s going on. Also, if you’re worried that this will be a bit gimmicky, it’s really not. The references don’t feel forced in the slightest.

Tusk Love was also more action packed than I expected. Based on what you hear about it in the campaign, I was expecting a cliche romance with not a lot going on (in a good way, I love an easy reading romance) but there’s actually a lot of action and solid plotline. The very first page starts with a fight that gives Guinevere and Oskar somewhat of a meet cute. As this is first and foremost a romantasy, the action isn’t constant but the mercenaries and mystery of the trunk’s contents were really fun. I loved how these linked back to the lore of Exandria. Which is pretty funny considering this is technically a book that exists within the world.

Watching Guinevere and Oskar’s relationship grow, alongside the actual pretty deep plot for a cost romantasy, is what made me rate this book five stars. When it comes to romance books I have a completely different standard for ratings. If I don’t vibe with the pairing or they don’t make me smile to myself like an idiot, it’s not a five star read. Guinevere and Oskar though? Made me smile to myself like an idiot. I love the opposites attract thing they had going on and even though having them be from different classes is a cliche trope for romances in this type of setting, I loved it. They both learnt a lot from the other person and the people they became at the end of the book were great. They grew a lot during their journey. Guinevere became less of a pushover and Oskar learnt that it’s ok to feel things. Ah, I love them.

Honestly, I was so engrossed in Tusk Love, I couldn’t make any notes while reading. It felt like I flew through the pages and before I knew it, it was over. If you’re a big Critical Role fan, and you love romance books, you will adore this book. It’s a little cliche but that’s the whole point of it. I’d say Jester Lavorre would approve.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to the Publisher, Random House Publishing, the Author and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for review!

Tusk Love follows Guinevere, the daughter of a merchant, who has been raised to be the perfect debutant and future wife to a wealthy man. She has spent her life in lessons that will only aid in her securing her (and her families) future - sewing, household maths, entertaining and household organisation are all subjects she is well-versed in. However, she has always dreamed and yearned for a life of adventure - to travel, see the world and meet new people. When her father arranges an adventageous match with a wealthy Lord on the otherside of the land, she thinks her only taste of adventure will be on her final march to the aisle, accompanied by the sell-swords her father has hired, the two oxen and the caravan of wares her mother and father intend to sell on her arrival; but most curiously a chest which has been in her care since birth, told to hold her dowery.

While on the Amber Road, her party is attacked by a group of mercaneries, forcing <spoiler> the uncontrollable wildfire spirit that has been attached to her since birth to set fire to their attackers after the sell-swords are slain, leaving only their leader and the forest around them ablaze. </spoiler> She is unexpectedly saved by a brave, handsome half-orc, named Oskar; who becomes her companion and unwittingly agrees to escort her to Nicodranas (and her betrothed, who she has been assured has all of his teeth!) after realising she is wholly naive and likely to encounter all kinds of trouble without a reliable and honourable guide.

Oskar, alone in the world after the death of his mother, has plans to fulfill her dying wish of visiting with her home clan in the North - escorting a slightly spoiled, yet kind and beautiful girl in the complete opposite direction was NOT on the agenda. But as he had given up his blacksmith apprenticeship in the run-down mining town of his birth, he was not in a rush and there is something about this small, silver-haired woman that begins to make him wonder whether there is more to life than just living.

Tropes:
🗡️ Only One Bed
🗡️ Only One Horse (kind of)
🗡️ Grumpy/Sunshine
🗡️ He melts for her
🗡️ Size Difference
🗡️ Monster Romance
🗡️ Angst, Pining, Yearning Galore
🗡️ Damsel in Distress
🗡️ Insta-Love/Lust
🗡️Strangers to Lovers
🗡️ Road Trip
Extras:
🗡️ Dual POV
🗡️ Cosy Fantasy
🗡️ EXTRA Spicy 🌶️🌶️🌶️

I cannot begin to explain how much I LOVED this book. I am a HUGE monster romance girlie - not really surprising at this point. While I personally don't play D&D (only a few games thus far) my husband is a massive D&D fan and mentioned Tusk Love in passing as it plays pivitol role in the romance between two characters in Critical Role - this was before the book was planned/announced. I was intrigued and when it was finally announced, it immediately went on my preorder list. Imagine my excitement when I was approved for this ARC!

This book is the PERFECT starter monster romance for people wanting to dip their toe into the sub-genre. I also think it is an amazing way for romantasy and fantasy girlies to segue into D&D, as it is bridging the gap between love of fiction and what can on the surface be viewed as quite a daunting role-play game endeavour.

The characters in this book - are the perfect couple; not in that they dont have flaws, but that their flaws are perfectly complimentary to the other and that their experiences and travels show the depth and growth of their character development. Guinevere (Gwen) is the embodiment of sunshine. She see's the good in everything and everyone, sometimes to her own detriment. She is the product of her upbringing (which the reader and Oskar can appreciate to be vastly abusive); she has the pathological people pleaser gene and has been raised as the dutiful daughter. That being said she is extremely shelted and can be rather obtuse as the struggles of others - once she does realise this she is accordingly mortified, which makes her character all the more charming. She is the type of person to befriend and comfort anyone - wanting to solve problems wherever she sees them, which leads to her make rather daring decisions and objectively terrifying friendships with unlikely people - such as opposing gang lords. However, her time with Oskar, through his support and understanding, sees her growth and confidence bloom. She becomes more aware of the state of the world and her upbringing, as well as her own inner power.

Oskar, is her diametrically opposed counterpart. He was raised by a single mother, in a rather disadvantaged position - he has worked hard for everything he has ever had and had to grow up and mature beyond his years far before he ought to have done. His life in conjunction with his mothers recent passing has forced him to become hard and numb. Guinevere, at first a nuisance soon becomes the point of light and positivity - pulling him out of his shell and giving him a reason to LIVE again. He is truly the most cinnamon-roll mmc possible - and the development of his character in line with the development of their relationship makes their story one of my new favourites. He is also the perfect snarky, sarcastic, grumpy mmc - very reminiscent of Luke from Gilmore Girls; but make him a gorgeous ORC with tusks 💕

The romance in this book is STEAMY. There are multiple sex scenes, all unique and SPICY. And the relationship and chemistry between the main characters is palable. I was not expecting the romance to be QUITE so potent. It was excellent.

In addition to the main characters, we see a cast of other unique characters, from her parents (urg...) to a clan of goblins they meet on the road, who teach both that family is more than blood. They are also accompanied by a duo of horses named Pudding and Vindicator, who are truly the best animal companions who help the mcs on a number of occassions.

In regards to the pacing and overall world-building, it is extremely well done. There are some locations and races that will require some researching in order to gain a better picture of the characters (this is particulalry relevant in regards to the band of mercanaries) however, all this information as well as the locations are easily found on the critical role website wikia pages, which is one of the benefits of an established world. It doesn't detract from the overall enjoyment or engagement with the story. The writing is engaging and there are so many points of amusement and hilarity in this book - I found myself laughing out loud on numerous occassions. There are also some truly beautiful and poignant quotes that made me feel emotional.

All in all, this book is PERFECTION. It is the perfect cosy fantasy which segues into the world of Critical Role and D&D, as well as being a good starter book for readers wanting to explore monster romance, which will leave you wanting more; I hope that we see a sequel of Oskar and Guinevere's adventures in the future!

This was the book equivalent of a warm hug - it was so wholesome, so sweet, and I enjoyed every minute of it!

We follow Guinevere, a young woman who has been raised to be a noblewoman by her ambitious merchant parents, and Oskar, a half-orc who saves Gwen when she gets attacked by bandits while on the Amber Road, travelling to meet with her parents and towards the future they have mapped out for her. With her paid guards slain, Oskar offers to accompany Gwen on her journey and, despite their differences, sparks start to fly the more time they spend together.

This was such a quick, easy read with really engaging and likeable characters. Despite his aloof exterior, Oskar was so caring and kind, Gwen was adorable and completely charming. And while their relationship developed relatively quickly, it felt natural and inevitable. Overall, the book definitely has more of a cosy romantasy vibe - heavy on the romance and it’s definitely not high stakes - however, the setting felt so magical and almost fairytale-esque that I found myself swept away in the story. My first read by this author and it definitely won’t be my last!

- Dual POV
- Grumpy/sunshine
- One bed

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC of this book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. - Freya, arc & monthly book box pick reviewer (athenafreyag on Instagram)

Tusk Love is like a balm for the stressed soul. It's unbelievably sweet and deliciously spicy! Thea can do no wrong.

We follow Guinevere, a naive and "sheltered" woman who is on her way to her betrothed she knows nothing about. I say "sheltered" because she is both sheltered from the outside world and caged inside her parents' home. Yeah, she is safe and innocent and doesn't know much about how the world works, but she is also locked in her house isolated from everyone because her family believes she should be far away from people. There is one more reason but I can't say it because it will be a spoiler. I loved that she is genuinely interested in everything! She explores with joy, she learns with excitement, and she is determined to contribute to their journey in any way she can. She knows she doesn't know much but instead of wallowing in self-pity, she gets determined to pull her own way. Doesn't she know how to do something? She learns!

We also follow Oskar, our broody half-orc. He is lonely and still mourning his mother who recently died. She was all he had, and now he is on the way to his mother's settlement so that he isn't alone anymore. He is the most endearing grumpy character ever!! He is protective, but not stifling. He leaves Guinevere space to do and be whoever she wants. He respects her and her boundaries, and I loved that so much. He doesn't push, he is just there for her.

This doesn't really have high stakes. It's about getting Guinevere to safety and surviving the way there, and it was so refreshing!! I do like my suspense and high stakes, but a romantasy without any war is also pretty amazing to me! I adore everything about this book so this is basically me fangirling.

The romance wasn't fast or slow; it just developed naturally and I loved it. 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

Tusk Love is everything my stressed out self needed and so much more.

- grumpy x sunshine romance
- adventurous and perilous journey
- toxic family
- self-esteem

WHERE ARE THE SPECIAL EDITIONS?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! This would also make an amazing movie!

As a gaming and fantasy book reading girlie this ticked all the boxes for. I was big fan of Thea going in but you don’t have to be or know of critical role to enjoy this book.

Grump x sunshine
One bed

Guineveres inner monologue was hilarious and Oskar was the perfect grump to her sunshine.

Loved their dynamic, the pacing of the book was great easy to read and get into and the spice of as spicing.

Would have liked a little more on Guinevere and learning about her fire.

Tusk Love is a cosy, whimsical and a lot of fun to read. Delivering a delightful adventure written around some heart-achingly beautiful character development that left me a puddle on the floor. I loved how the romance at the heart of Tusk Love is refreshingly sweet, a little silly, adorably cute. With a dash of filthy spice. Be prepared for giddy smiles and lots of feet kicking as you read this bingeable book that is easily devoured in one sitting.

Guinevere and Oskar were polar opposite in terms of personality and but they complimented each other in their grumpy x sunshine dynamic. How they were able to be vulnerable and open with each other to have healthy communication after conflict and tension sparked create a wonderful intimacy between them full of pining and swooning as with rich emotional growth on their character journeys that left me weak at the knees. Oskar deserves an amazing happy ending and life full of love. My heart was aching for him as a little curmudgeonly longer who didn’t believe himself worthy. I love that falling for Guinevere, he found the ability to see his self-worth. I was cheering for Guinevere as Oskar tested her and brough out her wild and free side by showed how to accept herself and abilities.

Thea Guanzon is claiming the status ‘if she writes it, I’ll read it.’ Her books never fail to delight, intrigue and give you all the warm fuzzies. Tusk Love proves she can turn her stunning writing abilities to create a magnificent story with any vibe that grabs the heart. She created something fun, imaginative and unique in this Dungeon and Dragons inspired world framed by her gorgeous creative and descriptively beautiful worldbuilding.

Thank you to Del Rey and Thea Guanzon for approving my Netgalley request for Tusk Love. If you’re pinning for the Hurricane Wars realm (like me) and Guanzon gorgeous storytelling, you need to pick up Tusk Love on the 1st July as it’s the perfect standalone cosy fantasy read.

. I had a lot of fun with this! Adored Guinevere and Oskar, their banter was great. The tension was good too I wasn't expecting the explicit scenes and I'm definitely not mad about it. Guinevere's growth in particular was a pleasure to read.
Lots of action and mystery. Lovely descriptions throughout. Great side characters that were instantly well realised.
A good time was had.
Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for the arc, all thoughts are my own and left voluntarily

I am *obsessed* with this book, and with Oskar and Gwen. I would literally read 100 books about them and their adventures.

This book is a saucy, sweet tale of romance, adventure and magic and I couldn't get enough of it. Gwen and Oskar are both incredible characters, well-written and with enough quirks and flaws to make them seem very real.

I can't decide if writing a book using the hugely vast world of D&D would be easier or harder than your own fantasy setting, but either way Guanzon did a wonderful job of it, painting glorious images of well-loved and less trodden paths.

I would literally go to war for Gwen, Oskar and Pudding. Please give me more of this world.

This is THE romance books of 2025.

I came here because this is a critical role book and I was curious, but I stayed because this is an absolutely perfect fantasy romance. No notes, well done Thea

thank you netgalley and del rey for a review copy!

This is a super fun and cosy fantasy book that still has high stakes. It follows Guinevere and Oskar who are unlikely companions as they travel together to reunite Guinevere with her family after her guards are killed in an attack. This book was faced paced and I really enjoyed the world building. I found the plot twists engaging and would highly recommend this book if you are looking for a fun standalone fantasy or if you love Thea Guanzon’s other books!!

I absolutely adore Thea's writing, and I'm a (very) casual Critical Role fan, so this was quite a treat.

The book doesn't waste any time or any pages, it goes directly into action and keeps you hooked with the sheer cozyness and cuteness of the story and characters. There's also spice, which I don't really need, I was just giggling and enjoying the sweetness of the relationship like I hadn't in a long time.

Really, really enjoyable.

3.5 stars

As a big Critical Role fan, I had to check this out and I was so excited to be approved for the ARC! This was charming. It reminded me a lot of T Kingfisher's paladin books, and fans of those will probably enjoy this as well: lovable characters, good chemistry, snappy dialogue, big strong man with a heart of gold, and enough plot and worldbuilding to keep the fantasy element interesting.

The sex scenes are good overall, but this book still does the thing I hate where PIV sex is treated as some kind of definitive event (never mind all the other sex the characters have been having up to that point!) and so being "a virgin" is enough of a big deal to be worth mentioning. This book isn't especially weird about it, but I could always do without bringing that into it.

There were also some moments where the language took me out of the story - words that felt anachronistic, or at least out of place in a fantasy setting. The version I read is an uncorrected proof, so it's possible some of those will change in the final published version, but it happened often enough that it seemed worth mentioning.

I'm not a huge romance/romantasy fan, so in some ways I'm not the exact target audience, but this was a lot of fun to read and I really enjoyed it.

This book was amazing! It was so cute and whimsical, I totally fell for the characters. Oskar was adorable, a total golden retriever. Guinevere was sweet and naive, but also super brave. Their relationship was great, and the spicy bits were perfect. I devoured it – as a Vox Machina fan, I loved it. Thea Guanzon's world-building and writing are always fantastic, and this book is no exception. If you want a cute, whimsical story with spice, great characters, and amazing world-building, this is for you.

Loved the premise and the beginning— it truly felt like a romance straight out of a fantasy bookshop in a way that felt refreshing. (One might even say it felt like a book pulled straight from a Dungeons and Dragons game)

Halfway through it was just too meandering for me. I wanted a bit more character depth specifically in their conversations or them having to work together and learning more about each other in that way. Idk. The middle felt way too long… I was bored.

It was just strange that they felt like real characters until the second half—where they suddenly fell flat. Which was strange. There were still many fun moments, and yet I still found myself wanting more.

Thanks NetGalley UK and Publishers for an early ecopy.

The book involves Guinevere, a lost merchant’s daughter, and Oskar, half-orc who saves her life. It is setting in a ‘medieval’ fantasy and a mysterious world.. So mysterious that I didn’t fully understand the world building of the story. It lacks description and explication. I was confused because I felt that elements were thrown out of nowhere, between past and present in one paragraph, which was not helpful.

I found myself reading at comments of the book to understand the world building, and I didn’t have my answers. The book is supposed to be a one shot, but the writing and description was not enough to feel completely immersed. Was it a spin-off ? Because maybe that’s one of the reasons why I couldn’t succeed to read this book;

The meeting between the two characters was really fast and I didn’t get how they could have fallen in love. Too bad, because there was chemistry, even small, very small … they were riding horses for the most part of the book, or what I read. I Sorry but I skipped a majority of the book, it was hard for me to read despite the interest.

The book cover was the factor that influenced me to read it, but it ended it with being disappointing.

Okay I am officially obsessed with Thea. This is the third book I have read of hers and I can't describe how much I love her style of writing and story telling. I am a sucker for a romance book and this had it all. You must read this!!

“And what was grief, but a memory of love?”

Tusk Love left me with mixed feelings. I didn’t realize until I finished the book that it was based on a pre-existing universe and that explains probably the feeling I had during the whole reading that a very rich world building existed but that the author didn’t linger on it, as if assuming we already knew. This is, I realize now, the case for many people, but wasn’t my experience, which resulted in a cruel lack of world building on my side.
The rest of the story is pretty classical, built on the old-school historical romance novel patterns: boy meets girl when she’s in danger, he saves her, they travel together and fall in love, as they live their adventures. It was, however, a lot spicier than these classicals historical, and I loved Guinevere’s evolution as she started like a (stereotypical) spoiled damsel in distress but finally grew in the last pages.
I would have loved more of the story with that “grown up” Guinevere, because she was quite more interesting regarding the possibilities the character could offer. Oskar, on the other hand, is a stable character, and all green flags. I loved that about him, and loved to see him opening up. My favorite character, though, remains Vindicator –I won’t talk about him to avoid spoilers, but he owns a part of my heart.
In the end, even though it didn’t have many originalities, Tusk Love was an easy and quick read, and a well written story.

Thanks to the author and Del Rey for the eARC sent via NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

3.5/5