Conventionally Yours
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4.4 • 133 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
When two sworn enemies go head-to-head in this charming LGBTQIA romance, love isn't the only thing at stake.
Charming, charismatic, and effortlessly popular, Conrad Stewart seems to have it all…but in reality, he's scrambling to keep his life from tumbling out of control.
Brilliant, guarded, and endlessly driven, Alden Roth may as well be the poster boy for perfection…but even he can't help but feel a little broken inside.
When these mortal enemies are stuck together on a cross-country road trip to the biggest fan convention of their lives, their infamous rivalry takes a back seat as an unexpected connection is forged. Yet each has a reason why they have to win the upcoming gaming tournament and neither is willing to let emotion get in the way—even if it means giving up their one chance at something truly magical.
Praise for Conventionally Yours:
"Sweet, emotional, and uniquely quirky." —Carrie Ryan, New York Times and USA Today bestelling author
"You will ship this couple well before they figure out how much they need each other." —Sarina Bowen, USA Today bestselling author
"Fast, funny, and fantastic. A quest for the new decade—gamers will love this." —Eoin Colfer, New York Times bestselling author
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
The road to true love isn’t easy in Annabeth Albert’s geeky romance. Alden Roth is abrupt and highly critical, and he can’t seem to help but ruffle feathers. So it’s no surprise that laid-back Conrad Stewart isn’t thrilled to be driving cross-country with him to compete in a gaming tournament. But like a nerdier Pride and Prejudice, the more time the two spend together, the more they realize that they might have been operating under some false assumptions. Albert has a knack for making even the most awkward scenarios play out into something heartwarming and endearing, and we loved watching Alden come out of his shell. Conventionally Yours is a joy to read.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Two trading-card game players find love in the agreeable first True Colors romance from Albert (the #gaymers series). College age Conrad Stewart and Alden Roth are long-standing rivals in the fictional game of Odyssey. They both have dreams of winning big at the national Massive Odyssey Con West tournament in Las Vegas and using the prize money to improve their uncertain futures. When the other Odyssey gamers they share a vlog with back out at the last moment, they wind up being the only two making the cross-country road trip to the convention together. Uptight, virginal, and neurodiverse Alden is secretly attracted to the more confident Conrad, who is privately coping with money troubles and family estrangement after his father kicked him out for being gay. Road trip bonding turns these enemies to lovers, and before they arrive at the tournament Conrad has given Alden his first kiss. After an overlong setup, Albert generates some drama at the competition as both young men weigh their relationship with their desire to win. The descriptions of Odyssey play are inventive and fun, but Albert wisely focuses more on how the game helps build the characters' confidence. This sweet, relatively chaste romance will have crossover YA appeal.
Customer Reviews
So so so good.
This book starts off slowly and takes a little bit to get going, but when it does, it’s a struggle to put the book down and be productive. The book is that good. The coupling is that natural.
Definitely worth the read.
Cute & Sweet Gaymers New Adult Romance
“Conventionally Yours” by Annabeth Albert (Book 1 of the “True Colors” series) is a new adult gay romance about two tabletop card game gaymers who go from enemies/rivals to lovers over the course of a cross-country road-trip & gaming convention. Straight-laced, serious, neurodiverse Alden & popular, easy-going, hard-working Conrad start as rivals who play the tabletop Odyssey card game together along with a few others at a local game store. They win a trip to a giant Odyssey game convention in Las Vegas & end up traveling alone together by car & slowly realize that they have more in common than they believe. Walls fall down & romance sets in.
This was a very cute, sweet romance between two geeky wounded college boys. While I initially found both main characters annoying, this is mostly because the POV switches between the two chapter by chapter & their animosity toward one another was what actually annoyed me. They clearly were just miscommunications & assuming a lot about one another, which of course is realistic. Once they started opening up to one another, I fell for them as they fell for each other. Not a perfect book, but it was cute & sweet & hopeful about love & friendship.
Def recommend for anyone who likes gay or queer romances, nerdy soft boys, gaming, &/or road trips. Also made me nostalgic for college. If you liked “Red, White, & Royal Blue,” “Heartstopper,” or “Check, Please!” you’d probably enjoy this. Though it is new adult, more suggestive scenes left enough to the imagination without ever being explicit.
I look forward to reading the 2nd book in the series, which features a side character from this book, Jasper.
The book also includes very cute comic style art by Lauren Dombrowski & some extra character sketches & info at the end.