Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE: Conventionally Yours

AUTHOR: Annabeth Albert

SERIES: True Colors #1

PUBLISHER: Sourcebooks Casablanca

LENGTH: 400 pages

RELEASE DATE: June 2, 2020

BLURB:

When two “big name fans” go head-to-head at a convention, 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 backseat as an unexpected connection is forged. Yet each has a reason why they have to win the upcoming Odyssey 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.

REVIEW:

Road trip! This is one of my favorite plots with its forced proximity trope. Add in the shared hotel room dilemma – sorry sirs, only one bed available – with feet brushing up against each other in the night and furtive glances as they change clothes. What’s not to love? Conrad and Alden, the young men starring in Conventionally Yours, find themselves on a cross-county road trip to the massive fan convention and tournament for the Odyssey card game. Prize money and a seat on the pro-tour are on the line. As they travel from New Jersey to Las Vegas, they find they have embarked on more than just a trip; they’re on eye-opening journeys of self-discovery. Can Alden learn to accept himself as he is and stand up against parental expectations that don’t match his own dreams? Can Conrad learn to love himself so that he can allow others to love him? He needs to understand that having lost the love of his parents doesn’t mean no one will ever find him lovable.

“And I can’t say I know what you’re going through. But I do know what it’s like to believe you’re broken when really all you are is … you.”

Conrad and Alden are enemies from the local game store where one of the professors at the nearby college hosts a YouTube show with the store regulars playing each other. More often than not, the two men compete against each other because their fierce rivalry plays well to their audience. When they score some VIP tickets to the game con in Vegas, Conrad and Alden end up alone for most of the trip when the others must cancel. The forced time together naturally leads to them getting to know each other – and themselves – better and challenging their preconceived biases and ill opinions of the other. The enemies to lovers and opposites attract tropes play out well. Annabeth Albert catches the undercurrent of their derisive and cutting remarks perfectly – how an otherwise normal sounding statement rips at the other’s insecurity or anxiety, or how an actual encouraging word is perceived as pity. But by the time they hit Ohio, both Conrad and Alden are starting to wonder why they hate each other and why they are starting to care about the welfare of the other.

Alden is a neurodiverse character, but the nature of his diversity is left indeterminant. Ms. Albert provides Alden with many of the hallmarks of various neurological disorders without the need to slap a label on it. He has difficulty reading people, awkwardness in social situations, experiences anxiety, and interprets things literally. In fact, these characteristics could imply many different disorders or difficulties, or none at all. His neurodiversity is mentioned to explain some of his quirks, but it’s not dwelt upon or made a focus of the story. I commend Albert for her deft handling of the subject.

Alden is a fantastic character: vulnerable, annoying, unintentionally funny, nerdy, anxious, caring, and thoughtful. He is under intense pressure from his mothers to sort out his future. Conrad is likewise a multilayered, likable character with his own anxieties pertaining to the daily struggle to maintain work and shelter while trying to plan a better life for himself. Both men envision winning the tournament as the answer to their woes. Problem is, of course, only one can win and where does that leave their burgeoning relationship? It seems presumptuous that it is pretty much a foregone conclusion that either Conrad or Alden will win the tournament, beating the pros and all the other players across the country.

As the story begins to wrap up, both men take steps toward healing by listening to the other reveal their internal struggles, fears, pain, and worries of the future. Both show great growth as they learn about each other and their hard edges are smoothed away. Broadening their view outside of their own problems gives them a greater perspective in their own self-examination.

There were a couple of negatives in the book for me. First, I found it to be overly long. I wouldn’t call it boring because I did enjoy the entire book; it was just too much, a bit tedious, and I began to skim just a little near the end. Second, I was disappointed at the low level of steam. It reads more like a young adult novel, but clearly it’s not. I expected much more heat like in Albert’s Out of Uniform series.

As far as the actual game play went, I liked being immersed in the Odyssey lingo. It was just enough to feel part of the action, like a spectator, but not so much that I felt I was reading gibberish.

Overall, I found Conventionally Yours to be a pleasurable read. I felt I was right along on the journey, both in the car and in the minds and hearts of Conrad and Alden. I would recommend this novel for its cozy love story and fun enemies to lovers interplay.

RATING: 

BUY LINKS: 

Sourcebooks Casablanca

Amazon