Stevie‘s review of Conventionally Yours (True Colors, Book 1) by Annabeth Albert
Contemporary Gay Romance published by Sourcebooks Casablanca 02 Jun 20
I’ve been to fan-run conventions of various sizes over the past two-plus decades, and a few small to medium (by UK) commercial ones, but I’ve never been to any of the really big commercial events here, and only heard reports of the much bigger conventions that take place in the US. So I was very intrigued by the way this book’s story centred around fans going to a gaming convention and hoped we would get a feel for their experiences there, as well as for the road trip they had to take to get to the convention in the first place (with UK conventions, I’m rarely more than a day away from wherever the event is taking place, so the idea of needing several days to get there is also alien to me).
Conrad and Alden are enthusiastic players of a long-established fighting fantasy card game and have found a small level of internet fame through their membership of the same gaming group as Professor Tuttle, aka ‘Gamer Grandpa,’ a very popular blogger and gaming analyst. When the Prof receives complementary tickets to a big convention devoted solely to the game, he decides to take his whole group across country to take part. The highlight of the convention is a major gaming tournament, and both Conrad and Alden have very firm ideas of what they will do if they win the grand prize.
Things fail to run to plan from the outset, and the two lads soon find themselves driving the Prof’s car by themselves to the convention, following the route that the Prof has devised for them in order to fulfil his prearranged visits to a number of hobby shops and gamer groups along the way. The lads are intense rivals within their group, both convinced that the other looks down on them, and harbouring feelings of admiration – and more – for each other as well. As the journey continues, with various misadventures occurring at their scheduled and unscheduled stops, they learn much more about each other and are soon embroiled in an affair that might not last beyond the competition, never mind whatever comes next.
This story felt much bigger than a lot of the author’s previous works, but all the side characters were lovingly portrayed, each with their own quirks. Although it was difficult to get a sense of just how big the convention really was, we do get a sense of how diverse the players and other attendees are, and it was good to observe various cliques and couples within the throngs. I also liked that the non-binary member of Alden and Conrad’s group got to play a substantial part, and I’m really hoping that they get their own story at some point.
A great, if not perfect, start to a new series, and I’m keen to see where the author takes us next.
Grade: B
Summary:
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.
Read an excerpt.
