I received an e-arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much Sourcebooks Casablanca!

Months ago, I saw this book in an Entertainment Weekly article and I craved for it immediately, because, hello, queer romance plus rivals-to-lovers trope?! Yes please! Now, after reading it, I know this book captured my heart indeed.

Conventionally Yours is a fun, wholesome, nerdy, and romantic novel that will take you on a road trip and a convention you’ll never forget.

You know what I think? I think Conventionally Yours would make a great queer rom-com movie. I just feel it in my bones! It’s a story that will make you laugh and will make you cry. It’s a story that will make you root for the characters, make you feel for their wants and their sorrows. It’s a story filled with tension, self-realizations, and humorous moments. It’s a story you won’t easily forget.

The writing style is great. I loved how the author really managed to capture both Conrad and Alden’s perspectives and highlight their innermost desires, their motivations, their insecurities, their melancholy.

The main characters are relatable, even in the little ways, and I love it. I related to Alden and his doubts about his future and career, the pressure he felt about his next steps. And I related to Conrad with his perfectionist and anxiety-ridden preparations to switch lanes and look for the exits when driving (oddly specific, but I swear we vibed and I felt seen because I thought I was the only one??? anyway). I loved their character arcs! It was amazing to see these two characters try to survive two weeks of road-tripping. In those two weeks, I saw them tolerate each other, be civil with one another, get to know each other, fall in love, build tension, resist temptation, give in to said temptation, face a new kind of conflict, try to resolve said conflict, and go through some self-realizations. I loved this kind of journey, and the rivals-to-lovers trope really showed near the end of the book.

Odyssey, both the game and the convention, is particularly interesting as well. I loved reading about this tabletop game—all the characters, and moves, and cards—and I loved knowing how this one simple game could mean so much to Conrad and Alden. For me, this shows the beauty of a fandom, of being a fangirl or a fanboy, of being passionate about something, of finding meaning or a sense of belonging. It was amazing!

And of course, I also loved the queer representation in this book. There are so many queer characters! Sapphic moms, gay characters, professor husbands, a nonbinary character, and probably more. And some are presented so casually, it was almost too wonderful to see. With that said, it’s not all rainbows. A character is kicked out by his family and we see him struggle and overcome that conflict.

I think the only things I didn’t exactly like are the fact that [redacted] and [redacted] made fun of [redacted] for being a virgin in one scene (that was a little cringe-worthy), and that the minor characters are somehow overshadowed. But apart from that, this book is just too good and there were definitely tears in my eyes when I finished reading.

(This review was first published onEnthralled Bookworm.)