Conventionally Yours by Annabeth Albert
Genre: Adult Fiction; Real Life; LGBTQIA+ Fiction
Reviewed by Rebecca C., 9th Grade
Rating: 6/10
Two enemies. One con. A chance of a lifetime to win. The popular and effortless Conrad seems like his life is under control. Only it isn't. It's actually the complete opposite. He needs the money that comes from winning the Odyssey Con gaming tournament more than anything. Little does he know that in the end, something else more special than he could've ever imagined captures his heart. And that matters much more than wanting to win. Clever, stick up his butt, and guarded--Alden looks perfect from the outside but is much more than meets the eye. Both need this win, but all it takes is some forced proximity for things to get a little complicated. And a little messy too. This honestly sounds more interesting than it actually is. This book did not feel fluffy and I feel like my expectations were blown into the water and drowned.
I don't know if it was because it took me 4+ days to read (I was super busy), or the book is just too long, but it took significantly longer to finish than expected. I felt like I was rushing to the end instead of appreciating the story. I was sick of reading the same story for six days and just didn't feel like carrying on. I couldn't get into it. Maybe it's just me, but parts of this book felt exhausting to push through. It’s a really a slow-burn romance. I mean, Alden sort of has feelings for Conrad more toward the beginning, but it was basically just them choosing to ignore the tension.
Anyway. I loved the road trip romance, the fandom, and the artwork, (it was super well drawn and made me get a better sense of the characters), but everything else was…eh. It didn't really feel as special as road trip books usually do and was very cyclic. There was more of a pattern to their stops: stop at a game store or do something touristy, get something cheap to eat, and sleep at a cheap motel. The road trip also felt way longer than six days. 🤷♀️ This book could've been more developed while also having a shorter length.
Even though some parts were pretty slow, that doesn't mean the book was trash. I enjoyed it, for the most part!! The story seemed really unique, creative, and thought-out–but also long, boring, and hard to finish. Overall, it was a combination of things that I’ve never read before in a book and never, ever want to read again. I mean, I like reading about cons and fandoms, but there aren’t many geeky romances these days, especially ones that live up to my expectations. Conventionally Yours has all the geeky feels; what it lacked in bringing enjoyment to some readers, it made up for in the epic fandom between the pages.
Unfortunately, I just can’t bring myself to care. It wasn't terrible, but I'm not too fond of it either. The romance was cute and the build-up between the two characters was well-done, but slow. The enemies-to-lovers trope was much appreciated because that is so my steaming hot cup of tea. And we love forced proximity. It just felt dragged on, you know? Kind of like this review lol.