Author Kaylee Beaumont is internally screaming at the chance to finally meet her fandom friends in real life and spend a weekend at GreatCon. She also has a side quest for the weekend:
• Try out they/them pronouns to see how it feels. • Wear more masculine-presenting cosplay. • Kiss a girl for the first time.
It's a lot, and Kay mostly wants to lie face down on the hotel floor. Especially when her hometown bully, Miss North Carolina, shows up in the very same hotel. But there's this con-sponsored publishing contest, and the chance to meet her fandom idols...and then, there's Teagan. Pageant queen Teagan Miller (Miss Virginia) has her eye on the much-needed prize: the $25,000 scholarship awarded to the winner of the Miss Cosmic Teen USA pageant. She also has secrets:
• She loves the dresses but hates the tiaras. • She's a giant nerd for everything GreatCon. • She's gay.
If Teagan can just keep herself wrapped up tight for one more weekend, she can claim the scholarship and go off to college out and proud. If she's caught, she could lose everything she's worked for. If her rival, Miss North Carolina, has anything to do with it, that's exactly how it'll go down.
When Teagan and Kay bump into one another the first night, sparks fly. Their connection is intense, as is their shared enemy. If they're spotted, the safe space of the con will be shattered, and all their secrets will follow them home. The risks are great...but could the reward of embracing their true selves be worth it?
