Char Reviews ‘Tusk Love’
This last year romance and romantasy have become huge in the reading world. Well, romance has always been popular, but thanks to BookTok, it has exploded. However, one sub- genre that isn’t talked about as much is monster romance. So I decided to dive into this world and try some out. Tusk Love by Thea Guanzon was a good start.
As the daughter of an ambitious merchant, Guinevere’s path has been predetermined: marry into a noble house of the Dwendalian Empire, raise her family’s station, and live quietly as a lordling’s obedient wife. But Guinevere longs for a life unbounded by expectations, for freedom and passion and adventure. Those distant dreams become a sudden reality when her caravan is beset by bandits, leaving her guards slain and Guinevere stranded alone on the dangerous Amber Road. Her only chance of survival is to travel alongside Oskar, the aloof half-orc who saved her during the attack. Unlike Guinevere, Oskar’s path is not so set in stone. With his mother dead and his apprenticeship abandoned, all that’s left is a long, lonely walk to a land he’s never seen to find family he’s never met. The last thing he needs is a spoiled waif like Guinevere slowing him down—even if the spark between them sizzles with promise. Despite his cold exterior, Oskar is brave and thoughtful and unlike anyone Guinevere has ever met. And while Guinevere may be sheltered, she brings out a softness in him that he has never dared to feel before. As the flames of their passion grow, they realize that soon they’ll need to choose between their expected destinations and their blossoming romance.
So I may have fibbed a little. I have always loved werewolf stories and those with romance, but I never really read any about Orcs, Giants, or other creatures. I have read about Fae, though. So I decided to give this area a try, and I couldn’t be happier with this book. I loved Oskar. Oh my gosh, he is one miserable soul being in the wrong place at the wrong time. So when he meets Guinevere after she literally lights the forest on fire, I couldn’t help but giggle. This is very much a grumpy vs. sunshine trope, but the primary love interest is a half-orc. I was hooked within a few chapters, and I loved how Guinevere keeps finding trouble that she has to get bailed out of by Oskar. She is a very trusting girl. I thought this story was super cute, and I really enjoyed it.
