Conventionally Yours

By: Annabeth Albert

Narrated by: Kirt Graves, Joel Froomkin

Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2020 Annabeth Albert (P)2020 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Delightful!

I’ve been searching for a book with substance for weeks now and Conventionally Yours was everything and more!

Good story

I really enjoyed this story! It was fun, light-hearted and cute, with just the right amount of emocional drama: just what I was hoping for! I have to agree with other listeners that the voice actor for Alden might not have been the best choice for his character, but the fact that English isn't my first language might have helped in not finding it that off-putting most of the time (as I'm not as familiar with accents and so). I'd say if you're looking for a YA lgbt romance with the characteristics I mentioned before, go for it!

All the light and fluffy cuteness you need

If you're looking for something cute and adorable to pick up this summer, look no further than Conventionally Yours. I enjoyed this book so much!!

I will say, the game play did play a large part in the book, and it mostly all went over my head, but also, I really liked that they actually played the thing they played on the page. So many times I read a "sports" romance, where there's actually no sport on the page. So, like, when do you do the thing you're supposed to be doing all the time? While I understood nothing about the game, I loved that it was included and such a big part of the book.

I am a sucker for a road trip romance and the "only one bed" trope and this one certainly delivers that. In adorable ways. I will say, if you're the kind of person that minds fade-to-black, this is fade to black- so walk in with that knowledge.

I loved watching both Alden and Conrad open up and really start to think about what their future looks like. I loved watching them talk through their struggles and coming to into their own and coming to terms with themselves.

Also, even though they didn't spend a ton of time in Jersey, I do love that their journey begins in a college in New Jersey.

amazing gay romance for geeks

Pro: This book was an amazing LGBT romance read.

Con: Alden’s voice actor was a bit much and I often found myself struggling to understand what he said and having to replay.

Final Thoughts: I would highly recommend.

Good story, bad reading

Loved the story. Narrator was awful for Alden, though. Sounded like Mort from family guy, who I then pictured for the entire story, which made it hard to enjoy the love story/sexy times. Would’ve been better with a different reader.

Geeky Sweet

Card gaming rivals that both need a big win to change their lives. Watching these two feirce card combatants learn more about each other on a long road trip to the big Odyssey Con and grow in their own ways is a fun and sweet journey of discovery.

loved it!

I wasn't sure about it at first because I am not much for table top games like this, but the story was presented in such a way that I could not only understand, but also enjoy those parts. Great story, highly recommend.

Good story. Good narration.

This is a wonderfully adorable story about being part of a counter culture (that is verging on being simply a subculture) that many have viewed as nerdy. The author was pretty careful not to use that terminology which I very much appreciate. I have spent most of my adult life as part of the gaming/cosplay/comic culture. I am usually disappointed when I run across a book about this group. Few authors seem to genuinely understand the culture as a whole, but Annabeth Albert is an exception. She did an excellent job.

Even if you aren't a part of the gaming community, you can appreciate a very sweet story about two people getting to know one another better than they expected they would.

Recommended

Narration spectacular but then I wouldn’t expect less from these seasoned professionals.
Loved the story and it’s message.
Fans of TJ Klune books should enjoy this.

A Sweet, Low Heat Road Trip with a YA Feel

Honestly, it took me several chapters to get into "Conventionally Yours." I'm not a gamer and a lot of the relative "shop talk" didn't really hold my interest (and lost me completely a few times later on), plus I was chomping at the bit for the road trip to get underway - despite the obvious need for some story setup. Once it was wheels up, though, the story kicked into gear for me and it was a fun ride.

What a delightful journey watching Alden and Conrad's relationship evolve from rival gaming frenemies to tolerant travel companions to tentative friends to, ultimately, lovingly committed partners. The low heat approach worked well, too, with lots of kissing but largely off-page sexy times. It was as though we readers were granted full access to Alden and Conrad's inner thoughts, fears and emotions, but their most intimate moments were reserved for just the two of them, which seemed fitting for the story.

Narrators Kirt Graves and Joel Froomkin are such highly capable narrators, and both gave solid performances here. Each has a rather distinct voice, certainly distinctive from one another, and so I think this audio book may have benefited more from a duet narration (still pretty rare, it seems) rather than dual. Still, this was a very enjoyable listen overall.