This was a bit of a disappointment. I really wanted to love this, but it didn't quite work out for a number of a reasons: It was slow. It took about 70% to really get going, and by then it was a little late for me. I didn't really root for the main characters either. There were extremely cute and important moments, but overall it felt like it was a little forced. Despite that, I really enjoyed it!

This book is very fluffy, with a great angle on the rivals-to-lover dynamic between the two leads. I did enjoy the representation of neurodiversity as shown through Alden. Overall, would recommend to a fellow lover of fluffy rom-coms.

Unfortunately I could not ge to go this book and put it down after a couple of chapters. I did not like the writing style and I found that I could not get into it. I am so grateful for this opportunity but I cannot offer a review of this book

What a delightful YA story from Annabeth Albert!

A road trip to a gaming convention forces two enemies to work together. Along the way they find that they like each other more than they expected, and that outward appearances are deceiving—it’s an old lesson, but one that bears repeating.

I liked the slow burn Albert gave us. I loved the forced proximity. I loved the unnamed neurodiversity of one MC & I loved the unpredictability of another.

I had problems with the pacing. The story dragged and Albert could have picked up the speed on this road trip.

Although I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, I purchased the audiobook and listened to that—AMAZING!!!

My rec? A sweet surprise that you’ll enjoy!

This book was so adorable! I love how many queer characters there were on page, for starters. I loved the rivals to lovers trope and how it played out over a road trip. I loved our midwestern sweetheart, Conrad, because I love seeing people who grew up like I did. I loved the complicated family relationships and the discussion of perception versus the reality of the person. I felt so wistful once they reached the convention because I didn't get to go to Gencon this year. I appreciated the 3rd act drama being believable and not drawn out - we don't need the suffering, y'all. I look forward to seeing more reviews from mlm and neurodiverse reviewers!

I absolutely loved this book! This book had so many things going for it! First of all, it's been awhile but I was a gamer in my day and I loved the references and the whole atmosphere. The entire story is wrapped up in the game that these guys, Alden and Conrad are immersed in. They start as, not exactly enemies, but definitely "oil & water"! Due to circumstances beyond their control they are forced to drive down to the gaming convention together alone. Both guys are dealing with stuff: Alden is definitely on the spectrum with Anxiety issues, and Conrad is dealing with family trauma. Their situations definitely way heavily on them and helped cause their initial divide. But along the way they realize they don't hate each other and it's such a revelation! And I have to say these two are adorable. They both have so much to get through in their lives, hurdles to get through. They both want to win the tournament, but that will mean going through each other just when they found themselves at a good place together. I was really rooting for them!

I don't usually read contemporary adult novels with lgbt+ representation (what I consume most is YA lgbt+ novels) so this is my very first adult novel with an m/m relationship and I loved it!
It was such a fun and entertaning read!

In Conventionally Yours we follow Conrad and Arden, two guys who play in the same LGBT+ gaming group but they're not friends, they actually hate each other. They so different from one another; Conrad seems to be perfect at everything, egocentric and cocky, while Arden seems to be a control freak. They wouldn't interact with one another unless it's necessary.

That it, until they hear about a Gaming Convention in Las Vegas, and that's how both of this mortal enemies will be stuck in a road trip together for days.

I'm a sucker for enermies-to-lovers but I really enjoy it when it's slow burn and in between they start to know better and maybe becoming friends? And that's exactly what happens in this book! The enemies-to.-lovers aspect is so far from being toxic, it's so well treated and written. It's slow-paced but in a really, really good way.

The trip to Vegas, towards the convention, provides these two characters the chance to actually get to know each other and realize that what they thought of each other, and that what they hated about each other, was absolutely wrong.

I'm really greatfull for the whole representation this book has; same-sex family, a neurodiverse main character, a Jewish main character, the aspect of being kicked out of the house for not being straight... It touches so many great and important issues without minimizing them but also without making this issues the whole plot. I really enojoyed when topics like that are treated with suck naturality.

The only problem I had with this novel was that I'm not a gamer so I wasn't invested in this story a 100% but I was still able to enjoyed this novel as much as I did. I think people who really enjoys gaming would absolutely love this!

Thank you so much NetGalley and the publisher SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for prividing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was the perfect grumpy and sunshine trope! A road trip and a begrudging relationship yes, please! Annabeth Albert always writes the most realistic characters with so much chemistry. I really loved the nerdy stuff in this book too, I really hope she continues writing books with characters related to this book.

I liked our main characters and their relationship as well as the road trip focus, but the game seemed boring and the plot nonsensical. Overall, it was an ok read.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Anddd say hello to one of my top books of the year! I absolutely adored CONVENTIONALLY YOURS by Annabeth Albert. I had to read it twice before I could even get my heart-feels under control enough to write a more coherent review than “GAH I LOVE, LOVE.” Although, fair warning, this review will still be a total gush fest.

This book follows polar opposites Conrad (tall, charming, hot) and Alden (awkward, intense, super-smart), gaming teammates, and rivals. They attempt a cross-country road trip for a massive tournament that could potentially change both of their lives. If this sounds like a trope-tastic dream, it is! We even have some classic, there-is-only-one-bed fun.

Ms. Albert takes what could have been a trope-crushed plot and turns it into a deft and profoundly endearing coming of age romance for the two college-aged heroes as they tackle difficult life challenges and fall in love. The plot is so excellently paced, I didn’t even know what was going to happen at the end (besides an HEA). I was hanging on the edge of my seat!

Alden was a grumpy nerd, and I loved watching sunshine-y Conrad peel back the layers of his preconceived notions and discover Alden’s funny and awkward heart of gold. As for Alden’s journey, his willingness to be vulnerable and face his feelings for Conrad and deep trepidation made my heart squeeze in empathy and compassion.

Overall, this book was a tour-de-force of inclusion and a beautifully light-hearted and fluffy romance, effortlessly intertwined with intense coming-of-age revelations.

**I received a free copy of this book in order to provide an honest review**

You know, I've been trying on and off to get into this book for months, and it hasn't worked. I never felt any spark and just felt like it's been dragging.

The characters felt very young, and the road trip seemed like it was going on forever.

Needless to say, I never reached the end.

DNF.

P.S. In my original review I didn't rate because I couldn't finish the book.

This is such a cute soothing read, I listened to the audiobook twice in the course of about a week.

It's a road-trip romance between two guys in a gaming group, as they head to a major game con / tournament for the Odyssey card game (which sounds pretty similar to Magic).

Alden and Conrad are notorious rivals on their gaming group's YouTube series. Conrad is a charismatic mess of a person, who is about to be out of a home, out of a job, and out of luck. Alden is precise and seemingly perfect, but this is a veneer that covers his own struggles with pressured achievement. But as the two are stuck in a car together, they start to learn to rely on each other and maybe connect in a meaningful way. The only problem is that they both to win the tournament. They both *need* to win. So they're stuck playing out the old rivalry, even as they outgrow it.

To be honest, I hoped for this to be okay, but hadn't heard enough buzz about it to make me expect much. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed both the gaming culture and the characters and their relationship.

It does fall on the too-convenient front here and there, as the world seems to conspire to get them alone together; but to be honest I was glad to see it happen. This is also a book where basically every character is some shade of queer. Which. Not gonna pretend that doesn't give me glee.

There is solid rep for neurodiversity, with Alden having undergone a litany of hurtful tests to understand "what's wrong with him." I appreciated that the text acknowledged that this very concept is problematic, while also showing that it takes an added understanding for Conrad to see that Alden is not standoffish or rude, and that he's exactly the person he should be.

There's queer Jewish rep, though Jewish identity is not deeply explored. The cast of characters is a little more white than I hope.

It is, bizarrely, a Bechdel-Wallace fail, as the gaming group is entirely men, with the exception of one enby character who seemed to be connected to the gay-boy scene. Conrad's moms are also queer, though the story tends to isolate only one of them on the page. There are a lot of female side characters: all the characters have sisters, and there are a number of talented gamer girls at the con. But I would have liked to see more of a mix within their circle.

Finally, I guess this book qualifies as New Adult, rather than Young Adult, with the characters in their early 20s. There's more on-page sex than I expected, and it seemed to happen earlier in their relationship than I would have guessed. I did appreciate that they definition of sex was used pretty broadly, which feels nicely inclusive.

All told, not perfect but really cute and sweet and a nice comfort read.

3.5 stars.

'Conventionally Your's by Annabeth Albert was a solid new adult contemporary romance. A very sweet enemies to lovers storyline, Conrad Stewart and Alden Roth seemingly have nothing in common, except for their love of a fictionalised card game. As a reader, the first element of the story that you notice is the start contrast between the two main protagonists. Conrad is popular and funny and seeminly able to charm anyone who is within his vicinity. Alden is ambitious, driven and somewhat of a perfectionist. Put these two together in a room and they can't seem to converse without friction, without snark and heat.

The rivarly between Alden and Conrad seemed natural. One of my pet peeves is when I read an enemies to lovers romance, and the enmity seems fake and incredibly petty. In this case, it seemed realistic. Both Conrad and Alden were rivals, they were trying to be the best competitor in the gaming industry, therefore, the fact that they both felt less than friendly feelings towards each other was an organic development in result of the context of their story.

Not only was this an enemies to lovers romance, but it also included one of my all time favourite tropes, which was a 'forced' cross-country road trip together. This was one of my favourite aspects of the story and was written so well, because of the fact that it was through this road trip where we see both Conrad and Alden break down each other's walls. The growing trust between them, their growing friendship as a result, Alden's opening up about his anxiety as well as his neurodiversity, was so sweet and natural. The development from enemies to friends to lovers was done very well and I thoroughly enjoyed being able to see the characters together.

I, however, didn't feel all that engaged with most of the story. This is a completely personal opinion but I do feel that this book would be better suited to readers who were interested or involved in gaming (esp. card gaming). As it was one of the central aspects of the plot, a signficant amount of time is spent on the intricacies of the game itself, of the fandom of the game, etc. I also found that, for a new adult book, it was pretty tame in terms of describing the 'heat' between the two characters - I think that is why I found the chemistry between the two characters somewhat lacking. Though I enjoyed the two characters being together and I found their relationship development to be adorable and natural feeling, there was a lack of spark between the two. I wanted more heat. They were attracted sexually and romantically with each other, as the reader, we should be able to find this believable.

Overall, though, I did enjoy this book and found it to be a solid new adult book. I would definitely be on the lookout for the author's future foray into new adult/young adult novels.

Conventionally Yours by Annabeth Albert is a heartfelt and emotional new adult gay romance. This story features two young men who are part of a table/card fantasy type gamer group and appear to not get along having to tolerate one another long enough on a cross country road trip to attend a gamer convention.

Conrad and Alden appear to be polar opposites and haven’t really gotten along in the two years Conrad has been part of Grandpa Gamer’s Odyssey group. Conrad appears to have it all; good looking, life of the party, someone everyone wants to be around. Alden is an introvert, brilliant, and needs order in his life. One of my favorite things about this book is Ms. Albert took great pains to show that making assumptions about someone’s life without really knowing what’s going on behind that mask they wear for the world can lead to some great misunderstanding. I loved that these two characters were different, Alden was deemed neurodiverse and he sometimes missed social cues, but he had great insight and had infinite patience for kids they met along the way. I actually loved seeing the way he changed when he was able help a child get through a problem with the game. Conrad had his own issues which no one in the group was privy too and Alden had assumed that Conrad’s partying ways led him to drop out of college which was the furthest thing from the truth. Conrad assumed that Alden had a perfect life living in the guest house behind his two moms’ home and working on a post graduate degree, but he too had secrets that no one knew.

I was excited this was a road trip book, but I felt like a lot of opportunities were missed. The two made appearances at several game stores along the way and while they stopped at a few interesting locations along the way, I would have loved to see them see more of the country. I also felt like the long drive should have given them a lot of time to really talk and get to know one another, but those conversations came in bits and spurts sometimes at odd times. I did appreciate that they opened up to one another and became each other’s sounding board. I loved seeing Alden realize that he could care about someone else’s feelings and realized that offering comfort made him feel good. Conrad really helped keep Alden centered and quickly picked up on what stressed him out and worked to keep him even.

This was a slow burn romance on the sweeter side; Alden wasn’t ready for hot and heavy and Conrad understood that. I liked that what worked for them fit their situation and made it feel realistic. I can’t say I really felt the heat and need between them, but it was obvious they cared for one another greatly and had an easy, comfortable relationship.

Overall, I enjoyed Conventionally Yours quite a lot; it is a perfect summer read.

Conrad and Aldens story was just “Ok” to me. And I say that from a place of love. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever given AnnaBeth anything other than 5 stars in the many years I’ve read her works. It felt a little bit repeated, like something I’ve read before. Their love story was no doubt “adorable” but just missed the mark slightly for me! Still very excited for this Series!

4.5 stars

Oh my goodness, this was such a good rivals-to-friends/partners type of story, and I was pretty much hooked on it from the beginning. Though, I do admit that at first I wondered if this was YA, because it almost felt that way, but the characters are definitely college-aged, and the older side of the standard college age at that. So this is technically an adult novel, but I think it will definitely have some appeal and crossover for older YA readers.

Conrad and Alden each have so much going on in their lives that they’ve kept to themselves, and for each of them, their refuge and outlet is playing this card game with their friends and their former-professor, who just happens to be a popular game strategy vlogger.

Naturally circumstances have to happen to get these two rivals who seem to not be able to tolerate each other to end up spending a lot of quality time together. So let’s insert the road trip trope into the story. Honestly, I was so excited to follow the two boys on this cross-country trip to get to OdysseyCon. They keep encountering these speed bumps and detours on the trip, some of which threaten to end the trip right then and there, but I loved watching Conrad and Alden buckle down and work together.

Oh, man, the romantic tension between these two was palpable. And I loved the geeky rivalry. I also loved watching them both open up to the other, and to try and process how that changed what they thought of the other, and if that then changed their feelings. It was such an emotional roller coaster, but I enjoyed every moment of it.

I seriously can’t wait to have a finished copy of this book on my shelves. I love that books focused on tabletop games and vloggers and conventions and geek culture are starting to become a more frequent and regular occurrence. It is awesome to see myself and my friends reflected in these stories.

⭐️ [2/5 Stars] ⭐️

I really wanted to like this more than I did. I received an arc before it came out because it sounded right up my alley but ultimately I didn’t actually get around to reading it for a while and when I started reading it, I just could not get through it. It took me well over a month to actually finish this and that never happens with me. I considered DNFing but I’ve done that to a lot of books so far this year and I didn’t want to add another one to the list.

So I thought I’d love this and it had the roots of everything that I typically enjoy. Conventions, gaming, M/M, diversity. All of that was a win. I thought it was a great representation of anxiety on Alden’s behalf, too. However, I just could not connect with these characters at all. I didn’t feel any chemistry between them and reading it was a struggle because I just couldn’t pinpoint who they really were as individuals. I also didn’t fully understand the world that we were in in regards to the game? I got the jist of it and perhaps I missed something because I really have been reading this for so long I’ve forgotten a lot of things already, but still it felt confusing and I didn’t understand what was happening when they were playing. I would have loved some more background information and some more attention to detail.

I don’t really know what it was about this that just didn’t do it for me. I truly loved the non binary rep and the diversity and the idea was really cool, but it just didn’t hold up to my expectations in the end.

I've always loved LGBTQ books to be a very special reads for me. This book follows two gamers lead in finding their love, from a quite enemies to lovers trope. I haven't read annabeth's previous book but this one got me hooked. This diverse book shows how beautiful road trips are. Some scenes are really relatable and I found myself smiling while reading. I'm super happy with the character development and how they ended up. I recommend this book if you love gamer-love type of book. It's compelling and indeed beautiful!
Thank you so much for the advance ecopy.

Conrad Stewart seems to have his life under control and he works hard to keep people from knowing the truth. In fact, he is struggling to make ends meet and to pay for his medication. He is estranged from his family, working multiple jobs, and barely holding it together. The big bright spot in Con’s life is his love of Odyssey gaming. He is part of a group that plays regularly and whose participation in a popular Odyssey vlog has made them semi-celebrities in the gaming world. The only downside to his group is Alden Roth, who drives Conrad crazy with his prickly nature, constant bossiness, and the way he seemingly has the perfect life.

For Alden, his life is not all it seems either. His moms put constant pressure on him to achieve goals they have set, and they are driving his decisions about his future. Alden is neuro-diverse and doesn’t always know how to handle social situations. What’s worse is that his moms are determined to find out “what’s wrong” with Alden, rather than accepting him as he is. Alden wishes he fit in better with the Odyssey group, but he doesn’t quite know how to have that calm, casual attitude Conrad seems to radiate.

When the group gets an unexpected set of free tickets to one of the biggest Odyssey conferences, it seems like the perfect opportunity. The con includes a tournament and the winner gets a chance to be on the pro tour. For Con, this could put an end to all his money problems, as well as showing his family he can succeed without them. For Alden, winning would be a chance to pick his own direction for his future. When the group decides to road trip to Vegas for the event, both Alden and Con are wary about spending so much time together, considering they can barely tolerate each other’s presence. But the chance to win the tournament is too important to pass up.

At first things are rocky between the guys as they spend long days in the car together. But slowly, Alden and Con begin to get to know one another and soon realize that the perfect life they imagined for each other is really just a illusion. The pair start to bond and are surprised to find themselves becoming friends. As the days pass, that friendship begins to turn to more. But when the idyllic trip ends, Alden and Con are faced with having to compete against each other in a tournament that means everything to both of them. Now they have to figure out how to fight for the lives they want, while not losing each other.

I really enjoyed this latest release from Annabeth Albert. This story reminded me a lot of some of the author’s older works that I have loved and the set up here pushes all of my buttons, with its enemies to lovers, road trip plot (and only one bed!). Even knowing that Conrad and Alden would eventually make their way from feuding to loving, I really enjoyed the journey.

We know right from the start that both Con and Alden imagine the other lives a perfect life. Both men are dealing with jealousy and irritation, as well as stress about their own circumstances. Neither particularly wants to road trip together, but they both have their eye on the ultimate prize that they think will change their life. It is not a huge surprise that these guys end up learning a lot more about one another and realize that the image they have built up in their mind is far different from reality. But I think Albert does a really nice job developing this connection between the men in a way that keeps the plot device from feeling trite. The road trip they take builds a trust and a friendship between Con and Alden that gives them a chance to really open up about their lives and their frustrations. The progress from enemies, to friends, to lovers feels steady, but also developed with nice depth. I could believe in the strength of their feelings for one another in a short period given the intensity of the time they spend together.

While the main focus of this story is Alden and Con’s journey (both literal and emotional), gaming is a big element to the book overall. I am not a gamer in the least, and I did not find it overwhelming or hard to follow. At times, I’ll admit that I didn’t totally understand the strategies of their gameplay, but it didn’t really matter. Albert does a great job not only making the game accessible to readers, but also using it to showcase the characters. For example, Con’s style of play is very in keeping with the type of person he is, and it is showcased through the gaming scenes. All that said, if you are just totally not into the idea of gaming at all, you may find this less to your liking. But I really don’t think you need to be invested in the gaming world to enjoy this book.

As with many of Alberts’ other works, the author’s research really shows here. There is great detail, both of the Odyssey game itself (which the author created), as well as the various places the guys stop on the way to the conference. It really brings the whole story to life so nicely. I’ll also note that the book has a nice range of diversity, including Alden being a neuro-diverse character with a Jewish background, and having a non-binary side character (who I anticipate will get their own story at some point in the series).

So I really enjoyed this one a lot and found the tone and the story right up my alley. I am very excited about this series and I can’t wait for more.

I enjoyed this book so much! I loved the dynamic between our two protagonists and I thought the romance was SO CUTE. I also loved how diverse and inclusive this book is. Not only does it features two queer main characters, but it also has a diverse cast of side characters.

The only thing that bothered me is how little the whole game the convention is based on is explained. I kept trying to understand the game, but I couldn't fully wrap my head around it. I wished the author had included some explanation since it's such a huge part of the plot!