This is a new-to-me author, and I really enjoyed her voice. These characters felt very real and I was always pulling for them!

Conrad Stewart has had a rough year. Far rougher than even his closest friends know. He's hanging on by a thread trying to keep his life from totally falling apart. He's a part of the core 4 players for a vlog called Gamer Grandpa, about a popular tabletop/online game, Odyssey. He lives in a college town in New Jersey, but he's had to drop out of school, due to lack of funds, and he's working odd jobs where he can, but none have really worked out long-term. He gets a free ticket to a huge fan convention in Las Vegas, plus a spot in the Odyssey tournament at the con. But, he has to get there, and he can't afford to fly. So, a road trip it is. Too bad it ends up being a road trip with his least favorite person from the vlog group.

Alden Roth has no clue what to do with his life. His plan for med school isn't panning out, and his moms are getting more urgent in wanting him to make choices about his future. Lately the only joy he gets is from playing Odyssey with the others for Gamer Grandpa's vlog. Even if no one really likes him. And even if Conrad gives him a hard time every chance he gets. But, when the tickets to the fan con in Vegas are offered, he knows he needs to go, and win, and then his future will be sorted for him. But, Alden is scared of flying, so he needs to drive, even if he has to drive two weeks with Conrad.

Conrad and Alden bickered so much, but the connection between them was clear from the start. Once they were on their own, they were so much more open and honest with their feelings, and I liked watching them finally get to know each other, after so long of only assuming things about one another. Alden had certain tendencies, and anxieties, and they held him back from really being open with most people. Conrad gave off the vibe that he was the good time guy, and all the while his life and family were a mess. They both learned a lot about being honest and allowing people to get close to them.

Since this was a road trip story, Conrad and Alden were the main focus, though the other vlog players, Payton and Jasper, and Gamer Grandpa (aka Professor Tuttle) were fun in the periphery too. Since this appears to be the start of a series, I hope we'll be learning more about them in the future.

Watching Alden and Conrad fall in love, and navigate their road trip, and the game tournament was sweet and satisfying. I adored their connection and how much they came to care for and depend on one another. They're both young, and have a lot to learn about life and they learn some of that from each other along the way, which was lovely. I really enjoyed this story, and I will definitely read more in this series!

Heat Factor: Feels like closed door, even though it’s technically not
Character Chemistry: These two felt super wholesome and super young
Plot: New adults road trip to a gaming convention tournament. ONLY ONE CAN WIN.
Overall: These young men made me feel a little old with all their, “What am I going to do with my life!?” crises.

Looking back with a macro lens, I enjoyed Conventionally Yours. Protagonists Conrad and Alden go through quite a bit of personal growth, but when everything becomes tense, and defensive reactions could include avoidance and refusal to communicate, Albert doesn’t opt for that lazy conflict option. Instead, Alden and/or Conrad take time to see the situation from another angle, and decide how they want to go about resolving the conflict with love and understanding. I loved their interactions during the tournament. At the end of the day, it’s a reasonably mature relationship for two new adults with very little relationship experience or life experience under their belts. Also, these two are just syrupy sweet once they open up to each other and quit being all judgy.

Given their age and inexperience, as well as what we see of their relationship at the beginning of the novel, this maturity is both welcome and somewhat unexpected. The story begins with a self-absorbed antagonism based on misplaced assumptions. Conrad is a social butterfly whom everyone loves, but he doesn’t take anything seriously (Alden’s view), and Alden is an uptight know-it-all who likes to be right more than he likes to be nice (Conrad’s view). What they don’t know about each other, but what the reader learns early, is that Conrad was disowned by his family, couldn’t afford school, and was forced to drop out and work multiple jobs just to pay for his housing and asthma medicine. Meanwhile, Conrad might think that Alden’s life with his two supportive moms and stellar GPA is all roses, but Alden struggles with feeling inadequate because he’s somehow neurodiverse but no doctors can figure out in what way exactly, so he just comes across as socially awkward and rude. Furthermore, his moms keep trying to figure out what’s “wrong” with him while also making him feel bad for not getting into med school by pressuring him to figure out a suitably prestigious backup plan.

I understand the gut reaction to dislike a person based on perceived rudeness or unlikeability, but also, given our growing awareness of neurodiversity, it's frustrating to see Alden clearly struggling with what would be considered normal, polite behavior while Conrad (and the other gamers) constantly assume the worst of him. But I'm sure that's what real neurodiverse people deal with in real life regularly, which is just depressing. This was one of those times that reading made me realize that I could be mindful of real life experiences in the future, because Alden’s sadness about never having any friends is really tough to read. He’s the more vulnerable protagonist quite a bit in this book, even though Conrad is the one living with absolutely no safety net.

Alden and Conrad do a bit of sniping at the beginning of the book, but it doesn’t take much time for them to see each other in new ways and then open up to each other on their road trip to Vegas for the gaming convention and tournament. The trajectory of this story isn’t particularly surprising EXCEPT for when we get halfway through the book thinking that these two need to 1) figure each other out and 2) figure out how their relationship can survive the tournament. At that point, all of a sudden, Conrad pops in to let us know he's made too many bad dating choices and Alden is too good for him. So, yay! Worthiness relationship sabotage setup!

If you like all the angst of a new adult (“OMG! I have to adult! That’s so hard! What am I going to doooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo?!”), this is a nice, soothing read with surprising emotional maturity. Plus the gamer culture representation is always fun to see.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

Mana, er scroll...tapping, road tripping, nerd loving awesome coming of age romance story that is so sweet, I swear I got a cavity.

I loved this sweet (read: this book had no graphic sex scenes) m/m romance between a neurodiverse man struggling against family obligations and his total opposite, a fun loving loner struggling to survive after his family disowned him.

This two men captured my heart and I would recommend this book to anyone who loves sweet nerdy romcoms with a dash of angst.

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

I go to New York Comic Con every year, as well as some other conventions, so I was super excited to read this! This book is about two rivals of sorts, Conrad and Alden. Part of the same gaming group, they end up driving cross country to a convention to compete in an “Odyssey” gaming tournament that could change their lives, if one of them won. Cue the long distance drives, close quarters, motel rooms with one bed, and the thawing of a basically baseless rivalry.

I am a sucker for the whole “forced shared space” trope, so this was a lot of fun! The pacing was good, just what I have come to expect from Annabeth Albert!! The story was engaging as well. I am not sure if the game in this story is real, but the atmosphere of the convention was awesome! I hope there are more stories to come from this group of characters!

I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own

A great combination of a road trip adventure, the excitement of conventions and competition, and the sweetness and heart-warming feeling of discovering first love.

I am so bummed that I didn’t love this book. When I read the blurb I was like “enemies to lovers nerdy gay young adults?! I’m IN!!!” That’s my bread and butter. But unfortunately, this felt like something I’d read before. I wish there was more explanation of the game upfront - I felt confused at first and struggled to get into the story. I also had a hard time buying the journey from “enemies” to lovers for Alden and Conrad. It felt like they went from hating each other to listing pretty quickly (and I don’t usually mind that but I felt like they got caught in the lusting for too long so the enemies felt fake). Also I expected and wanted more sexy time - this is my own personal preference and based on Albert’s other books I was let down a bit.

Overall, this could be a lot of people’s cup of tea but the confusing plot, the feeling I’ve read this before, and the lack of true connection, left me feeling frustrated. I’m so bummed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Casablanca books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

*will also be posting to my stories (@literaryintersections) on Pub Day

Conventionally Yours is a wonderfully sweet story, an enemies to lovers tale done well. I adored the evolving, tender and deeply heartfelt relationship between Conrad and Alden. Alden being neurodiverse was such a nice surprise. He was well written, his eccentricities helped define who he was as a person but never felt like it was overwhelming or too much. Conrad was so wonderfully real and his faults and troubles felt authentic. The writing style was perfectly paced and although I doubt I'll ever understand the card game, there wasn't too much of it that you felt bogged down with it as a reader. A wonderful book overall.

Annabeth Albert is one of the few authors whose books I’ll pick up without needing to know much about them, and I was keen to jump into Conventionally Yours, book one in her new True Colors series.  I enjoyed it and looked forward to picking it up again after I’d had to pause, but I can’t say that it completely worked for me.  I’m not sure if it’s a case of “it’s me, not you”; it reads more like a Young Adult (maybe New Adult?) book than anything else of Ms. Albert’s I’ve read, so maybe I’m not the target audience.  The fact that I know nothing about the world of gaming, didn’t put me off; I actually enjoyed the parts that dealt with the strategies and game-play, and I liked the central characters, but the pacing drags a bit in the middle, and the leads often felt younger than their stated ages twenty-one and twenty-three.

Conrad Stewart and Alden Roth are part of a small group of gamers who’ve met regularly to play Odyssey for the last few years.  The online vlog they contribute to, Gamer Grandpa, is run by a former maths professor, and is one of the most popular Odyssey vlogs;  as well as analysing their in-person play,  Professor Tuttle comments on the online version of the game and offers general game theory for the masses.  Of the four players, Conrad, Payton and Jasper are friends, but Alden is still something of an outsider, even after three years of playing together, and the adversarial relationship between Conrad and Alden - especially Conrad’s particular brand of cocky trash-talk - is something of a draw for their audience.  The two of them really don’t get on all that well; Conrad thinks Alden is a superior and stand-offish control-freak, while Alden finds Conrad’s casual attitude irritating, seeing him as a party-loving college drop-out who doesn’t really care about anything.

When the book opens, the Professor announces that he’s got them all complimentary tickets for Massive Odyssey Con West, the huge fan convention taking place in Las Vegas the following month.  Gamer Grandpa has impressed someone at Odyssey HQ, and he’s been invited to sit on some panels, and they’ve all been invited to play in the tournament – a huge event with prize money and a seat on the pro tour up for grabs.  Success in the tournament could be life-changing for both Conrad and Alden, but both of them are reluctant to commit at first.  Conrad can’t afford the air-fare, and is surprised when Alden says that he doesn’t fly;  but the Professor has it all worked out.  They’ll make a road-trip of it; they’ll share the driving, make stops and personal appearances at game stores on the way, play a few hands of Odyssey with the locals, see the sights… it’ll be fun.

Of course even the best-laid plans go awry, and an accident and family emergency leave Conrad and Alden on their own, on what looks set to be an uncomfortable journey.  Except that their enforced proximity soon engenders a surprising friendship and affords them the perfect opportunity to start to lower their defences and realise that they’ve completely mis-read each other for three years.

Conrad and Alden are engaging characters who are easy to root for, and their antagonists-to-lovers plotline is fun to read.  Conrad is the sort of guy who uses sarcasm and bravado to hide his inner vulnerabilities, and his story is a heart-breaking one – all the more so perhaps, because it’s not an uncommon one when young people come out to unsympathetic, conservative parents.  He perceives Alden as incredibly lucky on that score; Alden lives with his two moms, and his queerness has never been an issue, but as Conrad learns more about him, he starts to see that just because Alden never had to hide his sexuality from his family, his life is far from perfect.  Alden’s high-achieving moms have pretty much mapped out his life and are trying to force him to make decisions he’s not ready for; he’s socially awkward and has anxiety issues, and reading the part where he talks about his neurodiversity and explains how desperately his moms have tried to find a label to fit him – whether it be Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Personality Disorder or any other disorder – and how he never feels like they see him, was really affecting.  Even more affecting is Conrad’s complete acceptance of him:

“Neurodiverse or not… You’re just you.  Just Alden.  It’s who you are.  Changing any of it isn’t necessary.”

The gradual realisation that they’re actually attracted to one another (and have been for a while) is awkward and sweet, Alden’s inability to refer to sex as anything other than “that” is cute, and I liked the honesty and trust they showed to each other. They talk about things that are difficult for them to talk about, sharing their fears, their hopes and their dreams with someone else for the first time, and I also liked the way Ms. Albert has them incorporating the experiences and lessons learned from the trip into their game strategy.

Conventionally Yours is an easy, absorbing read, and Annabeth Albert clearly knows her stuff when it comes to the gaming portions of the story.  The writing and characterisation are strong, both protagonists are attractive and complex and I enjoyed getting to know them - but even so, something about this book didn’t work quite as well for me as I’d hoped.  The slow pacing in the middle does allow for the relationship to develop and for us to get to know Conrad and Alden as they get to know each other, but on the other hand it is slow, and while the romance is front and centre, and there’s no doubt about their mutual attraction, it all seems a bit low-key.  For anyone wondering about the sensuality rating, the sex scenes are pretty much fade-to-black (which works for the tone of the book) which is one of the reasons I wondered if this is YA (it’s not categorised as such at Amazon).  So I’m on the fence.  There are a lot of good things going on – the representation (Alden is Jewish as well as gay and neurodivergent, Payton is non-binary) is well-done, the gaming sections are interesting and, towards the end, surprisingly exciting! – and the romance is really sweet.  There’s definitely an audience out there for this book and others like it, but I’m just not sure it’s me.  So I’m offering a low-grade recommendation; I suspect it won’t meet the expectations of some of the author’s fans, while others will love the change of pace.  I’m somewhere in the middle.

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This was a wonderful romance story that has everyone's favorite tropes: haters-to-lovers, opposites attract, long road tripping, and being forced to share a bed. I loved the playful banter that Conrad and Alden kept up throughout the book. Before reading this book I had little knowledge of the gaming world, especially how intense and immersive it can be. I enjoyed learning about the game (and different strategies that can be used) as well as the perks of being a professional gamer. Any reader will fall in love with the characters right away as they are sweet, sensitive, and insecure. Both Conrad and Alden are people who I would love to meet in real life! Sometimes I wished I could just give them a hug! Albert does a wonderful job of incorporating real life problems into an otherwise fun story. I really enjoyed this read and stayed up all night to finish it!

Conventionally Yours is an incredibly fun road-trip romance. It follows Conrad and Alden as they make their way to a fan convention for a card game at which they both excel. Conrad's life is falling apart in every realm except the game, Odyssey. He is on the brink of homelessness and is unable to continue his education and is relying on prize money from the competition at the convention to turn his life around. Alden is counting on winning to give his life direction and get the scrutiny of his mom's off him as his life has not taken the path they all had planned for him.

I had so much fun reading this book. I was literally awake until 5 am reading it; clearly, I had a good time. The romance is cute, and the road trip moves the story along quite well, the tension between the characters is well done, both romantic and related to the competition they are about to play each other in.

I can't think of many non-fantasy road trip books I have enjoyed, but this one was pretty great. I particularly think it was great to read during isolation as it takes you on a cross country road trip with tons of fun stops and a decent amount of being allowed to touch other humans.

I did bump against the speed at which the romance went from like to love, thought the rest of the pacing was well done, but that jump seemed jarring even though it was well telegraphed to the reader. It was just hard to believe that a character who keeps himself emotionally separate from other people as a defense would be this quick to say I love you. The other issue I had with the book was that the ultimate culmination of the plot seemed very very convenient. I love a happy ending, and I wanted a happy ending, but this would have been more believable if the book had had mentions of the ultimate outcome being an option earlier on in the book. My vagueness is in an attempt to not spoil beyond "this romance novel ends happily," which itsn't a massive spoiler because it is somewhat expected in the genre.

I liked the nerdy fun aspects of the book. I have never been this kind of nerd, I assume Odyssey is kind of like Magic the Gathering, but I don't know enough about it to be sure, but I loved reading about the excitement the characters had for the game.

The characters were an excellent group of mostly LGBTQ+ people. I liked the inclusion of a nonbinary person in the book and do kind of wish that they had more page time. Obviously, a two-person road-trip taking up most of the book doesn't leave tons of page time for the other characters. But this seems to be a series so maybe I will be seeing these people again! I also really appreciated Alden's character, I related to the social anxiety plus being embarrassingly literal at times, I loved reading about the way he interacted with the group and seeing them come to understand him better.

This was a fun enemies to lovers jaunt across the US full of nerdiness and the pressure of making life decisions (I am currently doing this bit so I related hard). I had a good time reading and will certainly rad more of the series.

I became a fan of Annabeth Albert a few years ago. I came across one of her self published books and really enjoyed it. I read a few more and then I got sidetracked with other books. So when I saw she was releasing a new books, Conventionally Yours, I knew I had to read it. Usually convention books aren’t my thing but I knew Annabeth could make it work for me and I was so right. Conventionally Yours was a really fun story about finding friendship and love and yourself over one road trip and it made me supremely happy.

Conventionally Yours is the story of Alden and Conrad, two completely different 20 something year olds that one one thing in common, their love for a strategy game called Odyssey. When the two of them find themselves on a road trip to a life changing Odyssey tournament across the country they start to learn what they thought they knew about each other isn’t really all there is. And as they spend more and more time together the both realize there is something else brewing besides friendship, a spark that neither one of them expected. As they get to know themselves and each other better all the two of them can hope is that this tournament doesn’t come between the two of them.

What I loved about Conventionally Yours was the growth of Conrad and Alden. Neither of them had a plan on what they were going to do with their lives. Conrad had a lot going on and Alden only felt pressure from those around him They both had one goal in mind and it was to win the tournament to make something out of their lives. But as they got closer they started to realize that you didn’t have to stick to a plan, that it was okay to make it up as they went and to want new things. I also really loved the chemistry between the two of them. Seemingly two opposites but they just worked together and helped to build one another up even if they had different reactions to things.

In the end I found Conventionally Yours charming. Conrad and Alden really sold the story and made me become invested in their lives. It was entraining but not a light read either. And I surprisingly found myself really loving the card came Odyssey. This wasn’t my first Annabeth Albert book and it won’t be my last. Definitely pick this one up.

A sweet enemies-to-lovers road trip romance that honestly just reminded me of all the best parts of summer, driving with your friends and all the hijinks that ensue, and what happens when you realize you're crushing on someone in a whole new way. This book was just nerdy enough for a reader who is only vaguely familiar with tabletop gaming but has definitely been to more than one convention. Ultimately, I felt lighter after having read it given how wonderfully sincere and adorable it is.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Two rival “gaymers” Alden and Conrad snag complimentary tickets to only the biggest gaming Odyssey convention ever. With their group of course, which includes Jasper and Professor Tuttle. But when Tuttle ends up in a freak accident requiring surgery and Jasper has to return home for a family emergency, Alden and Conrad peddle on and do the road trip to Vegas. Just the two of them. For their professor. Both want to win the tournament. Both have their personal reasons for wanting to win. But, what happens on the road? Will their rivalry turn into friendship? Or more? Or will what happen in Vegas stay in Vegas?

I have to be honest that I didn’t feel invested in the story right away, but as I got to know Alden and Conrad, I liked them. Like I’d totally be friends with them. Being that this involved a nerdy strategy game (that had major Magic the Gathering vibes) and I love strategy board games, all the more this was fun for me. I loved the organic development of Alden’s and Conrad’s relationship—mainly how Alden’s introvert complimented Conrad’s extrovert. What a sweet story about two different guys who had a common bond that eventually brought them together.

It’s got enemies-to-lovers, opposites attract, and forced proximity... so, I recommend to fans of Red, White, & Royal Blue.

I wanted to like this book, I really wanted it, but I've started at least three times and I'm not capable of engaging with the story or the characters. I don't know if it's my state of mind because it's really well written, so I'll keep trying in a few weeks.

A cute gay romance, some nice enemies-to-lovers, a road trip and an abundance of nerdery – that’s pretty much how you could summarize this book!

Meet Aiden and Conor, two prominent players of the (made up) board game the Odyssey and sworn enemies too. They live in the town of Gracehaven on the East coast, they spend their days in a game shop playing cards and secretly (or not so secretly) hating each other’s guts. One day they’re invited to partake in a convention related to the Odyssey out west, and a road trip that will change everything for both of them forever ensues…

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“I am so, so happy that I got my wish granted on Netgalley” was the first thought I had upon finishing this book because honestly, yes, it is definitely *that* good. I was sort of undecided about whether to give this one four or five stars, I decided to eventually round it up though because 1) I haven’t given a book five stars in a really, really long time and 2) I was thoroughly enjoying myself throughout the entire book and if that doesn’t sound like a five star book, I don’t know what does.

I’ve been thinking on what exactly I liked about this book and I think my honest feeling is that while nothing in particular stood out to me extra much, I liked the full picture of what this book was. I’ve seen some reviews calling this book not very original and I am inclined to agree, because it isn’t, but who’s to say a book always has to be? I mean, I personally think the reason why I so vastly enjoyed this book was because it was so familiar in so many different ways.

This read almost like a fanfic in a lot of ways, and from me that’s some very serious praise! I LOVED the fact that this was enemies-to-lovers, this is a trope that I’ve only just now begun to realize I love (thank you, heterosexual media, for ruining that trope for me for *years*…!). I LOVED the sheer nerdery of the Odyssey; I was literally biting my nails at some point because yes, it was that exciting! If it were a real game, I’d totally be playing it, not going to lie. Also I LOVED the fact that this book had LGBT characters partake in an arena that usually isn’t that LGBT-dominated.

I also really liked the characters’ back stories, how both of them came with some baggage but that they managed to work through it and/or realize that it was a part of the other person and that they could love each other still, despite whatever baggage they perceived the other person to have. All in all though, the way their relationship progressed from enemies to friends to…more was BEAUTIFUL. I loved the pining and unsureness of their emotions! And the way they grew softer and softer around each other was just heart warming, honestly! They might not be my all time favorite OTP but I really did enjoy them as a couple and found that they completed each other beautifully.

Thumbs up for great LGBT rep throughout the book, like sooo many side characters were some sort of LGBT flavor which was awesome. Also, having one of the main characters be on the spectrum was pretty awesome too. AAAAAAAALSO, can we talk about that road trip?? I think I love books that are set on a road trip just a bit too much.

I honestly have nothing to complain about, I know some people have said that they wish this book would be ~deeper but I personally feel like, this is an NA romance, if you want depth you should look elsewhere. If you, like me, are here for cute boys being cute, adorable romance and a good amount of sheer nerdery, then you’ve definitely found the right place for you!

Now, as for whether I would recommend this book to others? WELL, basically all my friends that are into reading have already put this book on their TBRs because I’ve nagged them about it so much, haha. This book is honestly a perfect read this upcoming summer if you want something lighter and cute to read while out in your backyard, on your balcony or on the beach.

I saw on Goodreads that this book is in fact the first part of a series and I honestly went “HECK YEAH” out loud! I can’t wait to pick that book up!

Overall - 2.5
Heat - 2

Conventionally Yours is the first in a new series from Annabeth Albert, the story is about two rival gamers on a road trip to a fan convention and the unexpected connection that occurs. Annabeth Albert is well known for her steamy Out of Uniform series and I’ve read several books in that series with much delight. That is why I picked up this latest book from her, since I’m also a bit of a gamer/nerd and wanted to read a romance between characters that had similar interests.
The book was well written as I’ve come to expect from Albert, she manages to create characters you feel like you know or can relate to easily. She is also very adept at handling difficult topics around queer life with sympathy and respect. In previous books i’ve read from her she also manages to write some steamy love scenes that practically burn up the pages. However in this book that heat and anticipation was dialed back, to a point where the story was too tame for this reader.
The love story between these two gamer boys was sweet and endearing. I loved the dichotomy of affable outgoing Conrad and introspective and neurodivergent Alden. Their personal struggles made for some very excellent reading because we really got to see the depth of character in both Alden and Conrad. Conrad’s need to act like he always has it together was so relatable to me that I found a lot of his internal dialogue mirrored my own from that age. I usually don’t like a slower burn to the love story, but with these two it made a lot of sense and worked for them as people.
I wanted to like this book a whole lot more than I did, and again it came back around to how tame any intimate moments were with these two. Coming off reading some of this author’s other work it felt like she had pulled her punches and I wasn’t exactly sure why. I wanted the same level of passion I was used to reading but Alden and Conrad just fizzled on the page. This made the book feel almost juvenile in some places, which was bothersome since this book is not a YA novel.
Overall I’d give this read about a 2.5 and suggest you check out the other novels this author has to offer if you like heat with your romance. If you are someone that wants a cleaner sweeter read you may enjoy this a whole lot more than I did. Personally, I hope that other books in this series will not pull the punches so much as this one did.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of “Conventionally Yours” by Annabeth Albert. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was such a unique and standout premise for a story: rival college-aged gamers of a sort of Magic the Gathering card game travel to a convention where they both aim to win a life-changing grand prize. I appreciated the diverse cast of LGBTQ+ characters and their different dynamics in their Gamer Grandpa YouTube channel group. Of the group, Conrad and Alden get along the least so of course circumstances conspire for them to end up on a road trip to the convention together. Along the way they get to know one another, but always in the back of their minds is the reminder that only one of them can win.

I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy road trip stories. I don’t think I am one of those as I find road trip storylines to drag and this book was no exception. But that’s totally a personal preference. As I was reading, I found myself wanting more specifics of the restaurants and gamer stores the characters visited. The author’s note at the end of the book clarified that these places were fictional so I didn’t understand why there weren’t names to go along with the places. I wanted more specifics and more flavor to the story through these names. A lot could be conveyed by the names whether they’re more puns or serious in tone.

I also wished for more of insights into the YouTube side of the gamer channel as I personally find all that really interesting.

A strong element of the story was Conrad’s struggles with money as a result of his parents not accepting him as gay. I found this incredibly heartbreaking and one of the stronger points of the story.

Ultimately, I found this book hard to rate. While there were parts that dragged for me, I would still recommend it especially to readers who enjoy road trips and enemies to lovers stories.

3/5 stars

two guys who seem as opposite as opposite can be share an obsession over a card game and a need to win it all. conventionally yours is an enjoyable road trip story with a nice dose of fan geekery and some real life issues to make this not just an absolute confection. conrad and alden are both working out what they want to do with their life. and how to get there without drowning all the time. whether it's anxiety or how bills, both of them are floundering and taking their uncertainties out on each other. willfully misunderstanding one another because they're too afraid that the other one will see through them.

but when they are forced to drive from pennsylvania to nevada together, and alone with each other after hitting ohio, the barriers between them start to fall away. and when they are more honest with each other, the more they realize that instead of hating this other person who they thought was so different, that maybe they might be a little bit in love.

they've got challenges to face, in particular, the fact that both of them can't win this game. but how everything plays out is an utter delight and i just really enjoyed reading this story.

**conventionally yours will publish on june 2, 2020. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/sourcebooks in exchange for my honest review

I originally thought this book was YA and therefore a possible recommendation for my students, but as a true New Adult book, I feel like my students are too young for it. It was a sweet romance, and touched on a lot of the emotions that were authentic to the situation. I got a little confused by all that the game included, but overall thought it was a great read!

To be one of my 5 Annabeth Albert reads books I have to say I enjoyed this, but I didn't LOVE it.

I think anybody who's previously read her GAYmers series might feel a tad bit identified. I'm not a gamer myself, tho I tend to like Mario Bros and Mortal Kombat from time to time. These dudes were HARD CORE gamers. Like, really there. The dynamics are pretty straight forward, and the fact that Mrs Albert included a Jewish main character made it a lot more interesting for me. I love characters with different backgrounds and to have somebody also in the neuro-diverse spectrum made it just plain phenomenal. I must say tho, this story did fall a bit short of her already signature steam from previous books. I can only think it has all to do with this being a more 'new adult' type of read, but the overall plot is pretty good, tho a bit predictable.

Conrad and Alden took that 'enemies to lovers' trope to a whole new level if you ask me. The roadtrip was fun, but I would've wanted to see them in a different environment (I just read a book recently where two people fall for each other on a road trip) so it kinda felt similar, yet not quite.

In simple words: I loved it, and I'm sure everybody who picks their copy will. There is sooo much to explore and keep digging here, many other potential MC's for the next installment (I kinda have a feeling but I don't want to jinx it ha!)