Five
stars
Book
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:
Author
Annabeth Albert did the research on table-top games and fan conventions, and it
shows! Albert also does representation
of lesbian, gay, non-binary, and neuro-diverse characters very well here. Please note: Trigger warning for homophobia.
Set
in a fictional college town in New Jersey, our two main characters meet at their
campus LGBTQA+ alliance club and end up joining the same comic-book shop table
top gaming group for Albert’s creation, ‘Odyssey.’ Each believes their life issues would be
solved if they could just win the gaming tournament at the Las Vegas Odyssey convention
and are willing to endure the long car ride alone together in order to get
there.
Alternating
points of view between Conrad and Alden was the perfect choice for this tale,
as they both come to realizations and make life-altering decisions along their
journey. I appreciated the slower pacing,
as this was a character-driven story, not action-heavy. These are realistic and relatable characters
whom I enjoyed getting to know.
This
is a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers tale with minimal, PG-13 heat. It’s technically classified as New Adult due
to the main characters being in their early 20’s and having met through their
university, but I am comfortable recommending this to mature YA readers (and
gaming fans) who have seen the trigger warning and want to enjoy Conrad and Alden’s
story.
#NetGalley - I voluntarily read a
Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.
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