I loved this book and its quirky cast of characters. It’s set at Valentines, an exclusive boarding school which we all know is my favorite. It’s a great way to dispense with inconvenient parents. Charlie arrives at school and discovers his roommate is Jasper, whom he dated from camp before his transition. I thought this ended beautifully and I enjoyed seeing the relationships develop. Not just the romantic one but the friend ones. The other thing that kept it from five stars was the STRIP hijinks. It was too much after a while.

I don't love to give books negative reviews. Often, I feel like I'm the issue, not the book. But this book did not work for me. It didn't hold my attention, it didn't feel particularly unique...it felt like the media presence of the book outshone the book, honestly. Not for me, but I hope it finds its audience.

The main couple were adorable, the tension palpable and the romance coaching scenario worked well within the world of the book. I came away from this story satisfied, overall, with the way everything panned out.

I did have to suspend my disbelief around some of the wilder claims like that there is such a thing as "Sexiest Poet of the Year" award (not a spoiler, it's room decor that shows up in the first handful of pages) and that a single elite boarding school has multiple published social-media famous poets - as far as I'm concerned, Amanda Gorman is perhaps the only living person who can claim the title of "famous poet" in the sense that this book seems to intend.

Charlie is starting a new school, and he’s ready, until, the single room he requested isn’t given to him and he ends up with a roommate. He knows the roommate, Jasper broke his heart 2 summers ago, but jasper doesn’t recognize Charlie.

This was a fun book. Charlie was neurotic and anxious. Jasper was rich and dramatic. Both were very dramatic and it suited them.

The boarding school was wild, lots of weird things I don’t know anything about.

Charlie is learning about who he is, how he fits into the boarding school, and how human connection happens.

The book had so many funny moments and I was rooting for Charlie and Jasper.

I loved Blaze and Xavier and all the other characters. They were so entertaining and such good people even while being chaotic rich boys.

The audiobook was fun and we only get Charlie’s POV but it’s expressive and makes the other characters come to life.


*Thank you macmillan audio for an advanced audiobook and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Roaring Brook Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was super cute! I loved it's take on second chance romance, and found family. The characters were lovable and hilarious, and I was surprised by how dedicated they all were to distributing love letters. Godspeed to Charlie though, I would not have been able to hand being around Jasper nearly as well haha.

I love the potential of this book, the iconic title, the plot being something we can only get by telling diverse stories!! And the humor was pretty funny (although VERY unserious and camp), but the execution fell a bit flat for me.

The timeline just doesn't make sense?? Don't get me wrong, I love a second chance romance, but in a YA book like this the two timelines are when the MC is 13 and 16, and between then he fully transitioned? And this big romance he's struggling to get over happened when he was probably in middle school? Plus, while I really liked Charlie & his inner dialogue, Jasper just didn't quite click? His dialogue just felt a bit off, especially in the first half.

I could see others really liking this, there's STRONG Dead Poet's Society meets Theater Camp vibes, but I don't think it necessarily worked for me.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7600145379

My final rating is a 3.25.

Throughout the book, I can say that the side characters really stood out to me. I liked Luis and Xavier the whole way through, enough to get me through several rushed patches. After the halfway mark, I started to find the book interesting and began to get more invested in the main characters. I also thought there was interesting commentary on academic pressures and the unreasonable standards placed on teenagers, along with the negative side effects. By the end, I was smiling and laughing. I think the ending was the best part of the book, the whole last 25% had me flying through it.

Unfortunately, I did almost dnf the book several times during the first half and that was enough to have the rating be so low. I periodically found it over the top, which isn't particularly to my taste. I didn't particularly like Jasper and found the plot and Charlie's struggles difficult to care about. I think my opinion on Jasper really impacted everything else, because I cared about Charlie and his struggles when Jasper wasn't involved. But I found Jasper insufferable for the first 60-70% of the book. I will say, my opinion did turn around by the end!

I think ultimately, while I enjoyed the last bit of the book and was able to finish it with a smile on my face, this wasn't everything I hoped. However, I wouldn't be opposed to reading something else from the author as I found the writing style interesting.

Charlie is starting at his dream school, Valentine Academy, and his excitement and anxiety are equally high. He is hiding a secret from the students and staff, and the pressure of keeping this secret threatens to mess with this academic progress. Then, there's Charlie's roommate Jasper - the boy who he fell for at camp years earlier, the boy who gave him his first kiss, and the boy who doesn't recognize him because when they kissed, Charlie hadn't yet transitioned.

And They Were Roommates explores Charlie's experience as the only transgender student at a conservative and extremely competitive private school while simultaneously showing how sometimes it's the person who you connect with and not their gender.

Thank you to Roaring Brook Press for my gifted eARC.

Synopsis: Charlie has made it into Valentine, the prestigious school, now he just needs to hide his trans state from the roommate he wasn’t supposed to have, who just happened to be his crush from summer camp.

Read this for:
- light academia
- boarding school
- roommates
- love letters
- ridiculous situations

My thoughts: Charlie is an anxiety ridden teen trying his best to achieve, at school, at life, not at love. I totally sympathized with his character, I was a transfer mid year and it was a chore to figure out the new school. Charlie’s trials with Jasper, from love letter tutoring to passing so hard that Jasper didn’t recognize him, is handled with care but also with the irreverent love that only can come from someone who remembers their teens. Also, Page pulls the best curveball in their dedication.

Highly recommend for a lighter look at high school hijinks.

I really wanted to love this book but unfortunately this story has you trying to not think too hard about it - otherwise you'll end up rolling your eyes so much at the unrealism of it all. Powars' characters also come across as rather surface level, I really could not tell you anything about Charlie apart from him being trans, there was no talk of his past, his passions, his ambitions and all in all he came across incredibly flat and the same for the side characters. Which is a shame because when you first meet every character they have so much potential and I really wanted to love them. It takes 90% of the book for any romance to come to fruition at which point I could not care less. Also, I don't understand how Charlie's face could be so completely different in such a short time - even on T, you still ultimately have the same face, eye color and hair color, it doesn't make sense to me that he would be so unrecognisable but oh well! I know this book will be so loved by others.

This was such a fun romp, full of unexpected magic and sincere adolescent angst. The main characters were intriguing and the side characters were excellent. I really appreciated the trans rep and the perfect title - what a great story line! Funny and heartfelt! Thanks for the eARC!

This was such a good book. I tried it a month or so ago but bounced off of it. I tried it again and read it in just a couple of days. I normally prefer adult gay romance books but this young adult book was very compelling. The dilemma the trans character dealt with felt authentic and there were many moments of hilarity among the angst. I will be buying this book to read again in the future.

What a a funny, heartfelt, and refreshingly queer YA romance that balances a few rom-com tropes beautifully! Charlie and Jasper awkwardly reunite when they're paired as boarding school roommates. The catch? Jasper doesn't realize Charlie since he's transitioned. There is a lot of emotional baggage due to an unintentional ghosting situation and the forced-proximity of being roommates makes for a tension filled setting. There are several plot lines highlighting the power of friendship, forgiveness, and second chances. I adored the boarding school setting and the cast of characters were magnificent!

Sincere thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, & Roaring Brook Press for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ngl, if Jasper was my roommate I would’ve avoided him like the plague.

This book includes:
💌 competitive academy
💌 loath to love
💌 trans MMC
💌 🌈
💌 eclectic group of characters
💌 forced proximity
💌 secret society of love letter writers

This was a quick, endearing story. First and foremost, such a cute cover and the audio narrator was a great casting. The book isn’t long but it had quite a few components to it that kept me engaged: from the mysterious former student to the secret group trading love letters.

I’ll say that Jasper was extremely annoying at first and I didn’t know how they were going to make him tolerable. I definitely felt the loathing between them, but wish there were more softer moments for us to really feel like they were falling in love.

The side characters were so fun. However, the female best friend felt like such a throw away character. I understand she was supposed to be an anchor to Charlie, but she had no development other than one convo about their friendship being on the rocks. I think the author could’ve done a bit better developing her and her connection to Charlie.

ARC provided.

i received a copy of this arc for free in exchange for my review. thanks to netgalley and the publisher!

page you’ve done it again T_T

this has been a highly anticipated read for me, and i yet again wish books like this had been around as i was growing up.

charlie’s fear of being outed or clocked comes across so well, but in a way that younger readers can digest. the complicated relationship between jasper and charlie is acceptably complex for a YA novel, and while dramatized, their feeling are very relevant and valid to high school aged kids.

i think it’s so important to read about young trans people just having the same boy/girl issues that cis folks have. we’re all just people with feelings at the end of the day.

ty for writing this adorable, beautiful story, page. can’t wait to see what you cook up next!

This charming and laugh-out-loud second-chance romance is everything readers could want and more. With razor-sharp humor, lovable characters, and a tender emotional core, it surpasses Page’s debut in every way. Charlie is a refreshingly honest and layered protagonist, and his dynamic with Jasper crackles with tension, humor, and unexpected vulnerability. The mistaken identity setup is brilliantly executed, leading to both hilarious and deeply moving moments. Smart, romantic, and full of heart—this book proves Page has truly hit their stride as an author.

While I am fond of fluffy romance stories, including the kind sweet enough to give you cavities, I only managed to read a quarter of this novel before deciding it was making me feel more ill than sweetly satisfied. Please note this might be an ENTIRELY PERSONAL little thing and that this book is still well-written with developed characters and an engaging plot.
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The thing is, this book requires some deep suspension of disbelief. A lot of fluffy romances do (especially for their idyllic settings), but right now, in today’s world, I just could not uphold the illusion with this book. Charlie, our trans main character is worried about getting outed because he thinks he’ll get expelled. Meanwhile, I’m sat here doomscrolling through all the violence and hatred being thrown at the trans community and trans youth in particular. Charlie is worried about his grades; I’m worried about his life.
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I know and love that this book might act instead as a balm to others, hopefully especially the teens it is intended for. It’s escapism. It’s an overload of fluff and sweetness, and I hope it brings others joy.
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But between concerns of safety and the outrageously high standards this private school holds their students to….I was just left feeling anxious. Moreover, the main plot revolves around Charlie’s roommate being a super famous teenage poet (have you read teenage poetry??) and a secret underground love-letter smuggling ring to the girl’s campus next door. Not only do I find it hard to imagine these insanely overworked teens having time and energy to write a love letter….but come one….they’re surely all brilliant and can find a way to smuggle their devices onto the campus. Also what school in this day and age could be considered prestigious without some classes in computers or coding. Their students would be laughed out of Ivy Leagues if they didn’t know JSTOR.
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So, not for me, but I do think it’s well-written and I hope it brings joy to many others

A fun little palate cleanser between heavier reads! Very cute to have each chapter titled after a different piece of classic literature. The romance itself was a little hard to buy into just because the issues between Charlie and Jasper got ironed out a little too easily, but this is a YA romance so I’m probably just being nitpicky.

This was so cute!! I’ve been so excited to finally get to this one and it did not disappoint! I really loved both Charlie & Jasper and it was really easy to root for them! Also the miscommunication trope is prevalent here but this plot was literally perfect for it! The supporting characters were my favorite part of this story, I just really loved them and how much they all loved and protected each other! The only thing I thought was weird was that Charlie was struggling with his classes but he was also tutoring everyone and was able to help them do better in their classes… it was just an odd plot point to me but besides that, it was great!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group|Roaring Book Press and author Page Powars for providing me with the eARC of “and they were roommates”, in exchange for my honest review!
Publication date: May 27th, 2025
Reviewed on Goodreads: June 23rd, 2025

This was a cute story.
“and they were roommates” is a young-adult, trans, mm romance, set in a prestigious all-boys academy.
The story follows Charlie, a trans boy who is juggling hiding his identity and trying to gain a spot at the top of his class to remain enrolled in the academy.
Jasper is an aspiring poet, and Charlie’s roommate.
The problem? They have a romantic history. Jasper doesn’t recognize Charlie, and Charlie hopes to keep it that way.

Both boys end up involved in a student tutoring program, that is actually a secret love-letter delivery service.
Charlie must learn to work alongside his roommate and former lover, while keeping his identity under wraps. However, tensions rise, and secrets are unveiled, leading to outcomes neither of them could have expected.

Overall, I liked this story.
I do not see many stories with Trans characters on the market, so I was pretty excited to read this. Charlie is a sweet character, and I really wanted things to work out for him.
I enjoyed the concept, from Charlie learning to fit in at an all-boys school, to the love-letter delivery service. It was unique.
There were some interesting characters, and I loved seeing the development of their friendships.
The romance aspect is actually quite minimal, and happens towards the end, but I loved it. It is the type of romance that makes you smile and giggle to yourself.

The only critiques I have about it are:
- I felt too many new characters were introduced, I found it difficult to keep up with who was who at first.
- Some of the characters did not feel as developed as I would have liked them to be. For example, I think that Jasper could have been given a much more notable personality. At times things just felt a somewhat shallow.

For the most part, I found it to be enjoyable! I would recommend it if you like young adult stories!