In this Season 3 premiere episode with a Post-Show, we review Thea Guanzon's 2025 cozy fantasy romance novel Tusk Love. If you love cozy romance, fantasy romance, or Dungeons & Dragons-inspired stories, this book club discussion is for you!

📚 BOOK DETAILS:

Title: Tusk Love

Author: Thea Guanzon

Genre: Cozy Fantasy Romance (Critical Role tie-in)

Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Our Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Available: Kindle, Audiobook, Hardcover

🎧 WHAT WE COVER:

✅ Spoiler-free review of Tusk Love and its Critical Role origins

✅ D&D easter eggs, the goblin clan, and Oscar and Guinevere's chemistry

✅ Spice level talk, final rating, and our book club questions

✅ Post-Show book recommendations and our next book of the month

🔥 ROMANCE TROPES IN THIS BOOK:

Arranged Marriage

Grumpy Sunshine

Opposites Attract

Forced Proximity

Found Family

Acts of Service

Happily Ever After

💬 OUR HONEST THOUGHTS:

In this book review, we both loved Thea Guanzon's Tusk Love, a cozy fantasy romance that surprised us with its sweetness, its D&D easter eggs, and a slow, organic love story with no insta-love in sight. The spice level is moderate with three described scenes, and we think the light worldbuilding fits a romance-first story. We landed on 4.5 stars and would recommend it for your next book club pick.

📖 MENTIONED BOOKS & AUTHORS:

The Gargoyle and the Maiden by Sarah Ivy Hill

There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm

Wedding the Werepanther by Krista Luna

Dubby Sponor Link

https://www.dubby.gg/discount/TPLD?ref=omyyxglq

In this season finale episode, we review Sierra Simone's dark romance novel Bitterburn, book three of the Lyonesse trilogy. If you love spicy retellings, found family suspense, or morally gray anti-hero romance stories, this book club discussion is for you

📚 BOOK DETAILS:

Title: Bitterburn (Lyonesse Trilogy, Book 3)

Author: Sierra Simone

Genre: Dark Romance / Erotica / Contemporary Arthurian Retelling

Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Our Rating: 2.73/5 Stars

Available: YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts & all major podcast platforms

🎧 WHAT WE COVER:

✅ Our honest reactions to the Lyonesse trilogy finale

✅ Mark, Tristan & Isolde's character arcs (and where they fell apart)

✅ The Scales reveal and the Ys's plot hole

✅ That controversial "we've done this before" ending

✅ Our biggest plot holes, corrections, and what we'd change

✅ Individual ratings, book stats, and reader reviews

✅ Whether you should actually read this trilogy

🔥 ROMANCE TROPES IN THIS BOOK:

Forced proximity

Age gap

Anti-hero romance

Found family

Secret organization/society

Arthurian retelling

Multiple POV

Dub-con elements

Power imbalance

BDSM dynamics

Slow burn reveal

Tragic source material reimagined

💬 OUR HONEST THOUGHTS: We went into Bitterburn excited for the conclusion to the Lyonesse trilogy, but came away divided — the spice and the Scales twist landed well, while Mark's characterization and the happily-ever-after ending undercut the tragedy the source material promised. We all agreed the book needed higher stakes (someone should have died!) and that Isolde remained the weakest-written character across all three books.

📖 MENTIONED BOOKS & AUTHORS:

A Lesson in Thorns by Sierra Simone

Salt Kiss by Sierra Simone

Honeycutt by Sierra Simone

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

Tusk Love

A Bride of Brutal Hearts

The Daedalus Engine by Ash Greer | Book Review & Discussion

In this chaotic, unfiltered episode, we review Ash Greer's self-published sci-fi erotica novel The Daedalus Engine. If you love science fiction, survival romance, or gloriously bad book club discussions, this book club discussion is for you!

📚 BOOK DETAILS: Title: The Daedalus Engine Author: Ash Greer Genre: Sci-Fi Erotica Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Our Rating: 0/5 - 1.5/5 Stars Available: Previously on Kindle Unlimited — currently unavailable

🎧 WHAT WE COVER: ✅ Full spoiler review of The Daedalus Engine ✅ Male gaze vs. female gaze in erotica — and how to spot the difference ✅ Why the Daedalus Engine itself is the biggest plot hole in the book ✅ Craft critique: world-building, pacing, and underdeveloped characters ✅ What this book could have been (and our honest advice for the author) ✅ June Book announcement: Bitter Burn by Sierra Simone

⚡ TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Technical Difficulties & Take Two Intro 3:43 - How We Found This Book & Reddit Origins 6:07 - Plot Summary: Crash, Survive, Sex, Repeat 16:30 - Meet the Characters: Victus, Sarah, Evan & Vayne 19:10 - Male Gaze vs. Female Gaze Breakdown 27:00 - Plot Holes & World-Building Failures 35:48 - The Group Dynamic & Where Things Go 42:25 - Ratings & Honest Feedback for the Author 54:55 - New Shows Announced & Season 3 Preview 58:00 - June Book Announcement: Bitter Burn by Sierra Simone

🔥 ROMANCE TROPES IN THIS BOOK: Alien/new world setting Forced proximity Dom/sub dynamics Size difference Reverse harem/polyamorous group Impregnation Enemies to allies to lovers

💬 OUR HONEST THOUGHTS: The Daedalus Engine had the bones of an interesting sci-fi concept buried under underdeveloped characters, rushed pacing, and smut scenes that read more like a script than a novel. The hosts gave credit where it was due — it's a first book, it was finished, and the author had the guts to put it out there — but agreed that spell check, character outlines, and a clearer narrative focus would go a long way. If Ash Greer is out there listening, the door is open and the feedback is genuine.

📖 MENTIONED BOOKS & AUTHORS: Salt Kiss by Sierra Simone Bitter Burn by Sierra Simone Not Enough (previously reviewed) The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty The Story of O Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien Tusk Love (Critical Role) Butcher and Blackbird