And They Were Roommates was such a fun and heartfelt read! It gave me exactly what I was expecting, in the best way. Jasper was a bit frustrating at times, but honestly, that’s something I’ve come to expect in YA romances. He did grow on me by the end, though. Charlie, on the other hand, was an instant favorite. I laughed a lot while reading about these two and I'm so glad I got to read this early, I do think they could have been written a little older and the story would have been better but it still was good.

Page Powers handled second chance with a really nice balance. The romance is definitely important, but it never overshadows Charlie’s personal journey, which I loved. Watching him explore his identity and find his place in the world gave the story a lot of depth.

There are some serious themes throughout, but it’s also full of warmth and overall a good read.

I had a great time reading this book! It was pretty much exactly what I expected, which is a good thing. I did find Jasper to be annoying to read at points, but I generally expect some level of that in any YA romance novels. Jasper grew on me by the end of the book, and I loved Charlie from the beginning. I think that if I read the book again, after getting to know Jasper and Charlie on the first read through, I would love them both even more.
Rating: 4.25/5, rounded to 4

And They Were Roommates was such a fun read. It follows Charlie, a trans boy, as he starts at an all boys academy. He is expecting a single room, only to learn that he was assigned a roommate, and on top of that, he is roomed with Jasper Grimes, a boy who broke his heart before he transitioned. In order to get a room to himself, Charlie must help Jasper write love letters for their fellow students. The novel is a good mix of teen drama, romance, and adapting to a new school and academics. I would recommend this book to fans of YA, stories set in academia, and queer romance.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars.

This was a fun little snack of a read. It’s fun and fast paced, but also increasingly ridiculous, to the point where I think it detracted from the story a bit once the novelty wears off. The characters are very exaggerated (Blaze, for example) and some parts of this are just unrealistic. Our main characters met when they were 13 or 14 - a fling 2 years ago as literal children shouldn’t be this life-altering. Yes, teenagers are dramatic, but this was over the top in my opinion.

That being said, this is a fun romcom to read when you don’t want to take anything too seriously. The characters were fun, the love letter plot line was definitely unique, and I love a good academic setting. The author did an excellent job of writing the academic experience and the pressure to always be perfect. I loved watching Charlie grow as a character and work through his relationship with Jasper. The representation was great. Blaze was probably the most entertaining character of the whole group, and I loved it! I actually wish we had seen more of the love letter plot. I definitely want to see more trans-lead romances!

I do think I would have enjoyed this book a little more if the characters were a bit older, perhaps juniors or seniors, not 2nd years. Not that trans youth don’t exist, but you generally can’t get top surgery under the age of 16, and from what I can tell of the timeline, Charlie was only 14 (maybe 15?) when he got his surgery done. I also don’t think second change romance belongs in YA, especially considering they were barely teenagers when they had their fling. If they had met even as 1st years, I think that would’ve made a difference for me. I do enjoy Powars’ writing style and I’d be interesting in reading more of their work in the future.

This probably isn’t a book I’ll reread or pick up a physical copy of personally, but it is a fun read with good queer rep and an entertaining cast of characters. It just wasn’t the book for me. Thank you to Macmillan and NetGalley for the eARC!

This was a really fun and lighthearted contemporary YA read! I ended up reading this in two sittings and really loved how supportive all of the cast was. My favorite part was how dramatic Jasper was as a true romantic in its purest form as a poet, etc. 😂 I enjoyed the school academy shenanigans that the overarching plot had with the male students wanting to write to the sister school, and also Charlie's struggles as a scholarship student as well as his awkward dynamic with Jasper.

I feel like the romance could've gotten extremely messy considering their past dynamic as exes in a previous life, but Page managed to balance things well. In a way, the romance almost feels like it's not the focal point even though it is a major part of the book, which was nice as Charlie was exploring his sense of belonging. By the time we got to the end of the book, it made me wish that we could see just a glimpse more, but I still was satisfied.

This was soooo good I read it in one sitting, couldn't put it down.
It's a giggly fun time, 1st person POV, YA, and set in an all-boys boarding school. The found family and comradery between these boys had my heart. And the view into the minds of teenage boys is hilarious.

We have Charlie, a trans 16-year-old boy navigating his first year in an all-boys traditional boarding school. All while having the boy who crushed his heart two years before as his new roommate. We also see the struggle of Charlie trying to emulate what he thinks men are supposed to act like and be like so that no one finds out about him, in an environment where every boy is so greatly different.

This book was beautiful. I am beyond happy to have gotten to read it.

Not only was this a quirky, adorable YA read, it was informative. I loved this cast of characters and the friendships they were able to build in the face of rivalry and turbulence. Charlie's struggles were unlike anything I had ever read and I loved getting to see him blossom when met with acceptance and understanding that he didn't even know how to give himself yet. Jasper...was an over the top, dramatic poet with ulterior motives that had me giggling. The ending assessments of him by Robby and Xavier were hysterically accurate.

This book left my heart happy.

I am so glad I got to read this ARC from Page Powars and NetGalley, perfection!

DNF at 59%. I wanted to like this, but this book was deeply cringe and weird. I did Iike elements of Charlie’s character, with him coming into his own as a trans person and whatnot, but I just did not vibe with the weird self-seriousness of him and Jasper (especially Jasper, ugh). Not to mention that they have basically no chemistry, and there’s barely a romance to speak of anyway.

I've been so excited to read this book since I first heard about it (a few months before pub date) and I was so excited when I saw I had been approved for an ARC through NetGalley. When I tell you this book did NOT disappoint!

Charlie is our main character and he is an anxious ball of a human. He has to live with his ex at an elite boarding school while trying to keep his past a secret. Jasper, said ex, doesn't recognize him because Charlie has transitioned from the time they past new each other. At the same time, Charlie is trying (and somewhat failing) to fly under the radar at the school while keeping his grades nearly perfect in order to stay at the school.

Jasper is such an over the top character. He's a poet- like a legit published poet (which I had to suspend a bit of disbelief over). The yearning that we experienced from him was top tier!

All of our other side characters had so much depth to them. I've read too many books where the side characters are very two dimensional but Powars did such a great job at writing an ensemble cast. They're all a bit eccentric and fit so well together as a friend group. Even the teachers had depth to them.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I was fortunate enough to read the ebook and listen to the audiobook, and I enjoyed both so much I didn't want it to end!

Rarely do I read a book and wish I could be best friends with EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER. I love them. They are weird and loveable and so real. This book was just a lot of fun! I love that this story was set in a super traditional school and felt that the stakes were truly so high for Charlie.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher!

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this e-arc! 3.5/5 stars rounded up, a campy, silly, and touching teen romance that's convinced me that vine's impact will live with us forever

charlie is the exact kind of character that I adore and that irritates me in equal measure. he's so hopeful that starting at valentine will be the final perfect step to transitioning, and seeing how he's trying to do so much - fit in, stay on top of all his schoolwork, become a top five student, solve his rooming problems, make friends - makes me want to root for him in all the best ways. powars also does such a wonderful job at evoking such raw, real emotion when charlie talks about his insecurities and hopes, and that gives this novel real soul that some teen romances fall short on. that being said, charlie does fall into that trope of thinking he's different from other people in such a way that it affects how he treats them, and while I hesitate to call him snobby, he was definitely acting just as bad as his opinion of jasper at some points, though I would argue this just makes him feel more like a real person than a two dimensional character.

speaking of, jasper was an entire HOOT but definitely didn't feel as fleshed out until towards the very end of the book. he's so over the top and dramatic and I was definitely getting some laughs from him, but I think the lack of depth in his character until the end does make their romantic relationship fall flat, in combination with the way the plot is rushed towards the end. it's fine enough at the beginning, when they're first starting to develop their relationship, but as charlie and jasper get more entangled, it would have been better for the development of their emotional relationship to get a deeper understanding of jasper as a character, something I don't think we really get until the end. again, I think the plot feels more rushed towards the end - things happen all at once, very quickly, which left me feeling a bit unsatisfied - and my major gripe is that I felt that charlie and jasper didn't actually spend enough time together to actually get to where they ended up, despite the title. it was lovely to see charlie's friendships with the other boys develop, but I felt like his friendship with delilah suffered for it. overall though, what really carried this book for me into rounding up is the emotional impact of it, which stayed with me much longer than the actual plot of the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was SO CUTE. I had a grin on my face for the majority of this story and I loved the characters and all of their quirkiness. And the trans representation is not something I've read about a lot before admittedly but I enjoyed every second of it. This was done so well.

Everyone needs to get their grabby little hands on this gem of a book when it's released because I highly recommend it.

Such a cute ya novel!
This book has all the vibes. A lovable main character, wonderful found family, and an interesting setting.
It was so nice to read a trans YA where the main character isn’t dealing with transphobia at every turn. It’s such a hopeful and full of joy book, that I think we need more of in YA.

Roses are red, violets are blue, the idiots are in love, shenanigans ensue.

Allegedly, I yelled and jumped around a little before staying up until 3 am to finish reading the ARC after I received it. No comment from my side (except it was worth it). I think this might be one of my favourite books this year, and it is only April, so that's definitely saying something!
Though some people may criticise the book for its trope-y-ness, I have to disagree. I immensely enjoyed Page Powars' take on the “and they were roommates” trope. Is it realistic? Nope. Do I want it to be? Also nope. It is exactly the right amount of hilarious and whimsical and I was invested in the story from the first page. From horse-aficionados to obnoxious poets, this book really has it all.

But let’s start from the beginning. The book follows Charlie, a trans guy about to start his new school year at the renowned Valentine Academy for Boys. Everything seems to be going smoothly until he finds out that he is rooming with the guy who broke his heart the summer before Charlie’s transition. Horrified of being found out as the only trans guy at his school, he agrees to help his roommate, Jasper, with his love letter writing scheme in exchange for a room all to himself. Between trying to stay on top of his coursework, sneaking about in secret rooms to deliver love letters and dealing with an arachnid invasion, Charlie finds himself falling for Jasper all over again. But what about his secret?

Page Powars is truly gifted in writing silly romance novels with the perfect balance of sweet, funny and sincere. I wish books like this existed when I was younger, but I am very grateful that they do now and that trans kids get to grow up and see themselves represented in books like this one. So, thank you again, Page Powars, for bringing some trans joy into this world!

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is May 27th, 2025.

And one more, because these are very fun to write:
Roses are red, violets are blue,
You’ll love this book.
End of review.

This was so cute! I loved the last book I read by this author and this one definitely lived up to it. I adored Charlie and the entire Strip team. The relationship between the two MCs progressed in a believable way and was fun to watch as they both struggle with relationships. The writing was beautiful and led the story perfectly. This book was a joy to read.

This is my first Page Powars book and it will not be my last! I'm not going to lie I gravitated toward this book because of the cover - c'mon it is giving tension. The tension was delivered in the most absurd giggling way possible. Charlie is attending boarding school after transitioning and plans to keep a low profile... fool proof plan... until he is paired with the only individual in the school who knew him previously and completely shattered his heart.

There are serious themes throughout the story but it is also full of friendship, romance, believing in yourself, and personal growth. Charlie and Jasper were the main characters but I became so invested in all of the friendships and side plots that I could not put this book down and finished it within a day. I will be recommending this book until I am out of breath.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book for a free review!

I could not put this book down - I just wanted to dive in and live in it.

This is a YA book about teenagers, but in the most realistic way. They feel like teenagers. We're able to experience the variety of personalities of them all, but also how flawed they are, partially due to life experiences and their ages. Throw them into an all-boys boarding school and you get a different environment than most kids grow up in, especially when involving the cost of their education.

I loved being in Charlie's mind and getting to experience Valentine through him. He didn't have the typical experience. Not only is he an Excellence Scholar, earning a scholarship to Valentine, but he's hiding the fact that he's transgender. His mom graduated from Valentine and he attended camp a couple years prior, but he knows how traditional the school is. But this is what he wants, so he just needs to stay to himself so no one will find out.

It was refreshing to be in Charlie's POV, and get to experience the world through his eyes. Seeing how the pressure of Valentine got to him, how living with the guy who broke his heart years ago is going, and how he can build friendships when he's hiding a part of himself.

I was hooked from the start and I will highly recommend this to others. Everything about it was amazing and kept me interested! I loved the plot and the emotions and overall, the entire story.

Thank you to the Publisher + NetGalley for an early copy.

Oh my god, they were roommates!

This was such an enjoyable read! Definitely recommend if you’re looking for trans representation, academia vibes, second chance romance, and sassy inner monologues.
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Charlie is a new student at his dream school and is facing a massive amount of pressure to maintain his scholarship, and hide his trans identity from his peers and the school. He is tested on the very first day, when it’s revealed that his roommate will be Jasper - the boy who broke his heart. But, Jasper doesn’t recognize Charlie.
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The characters in this are the best part. Charlie is an excellent main character and I’m glad the story is told from his POV. He has the perfect amount of sass and delusion. Every side character is well developed and serves as an enjoyable addition to the world of this book. I think the romance is well done - especially if you’re a fan of tension and youthful nervousness. I found it very sweet. The setting is charming. It has the confined setting charm that shows like Gilmore Girls have. (And I love an academia setting what can I say)
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Some of the character growth feels a bit rushed towards the end - I would have liked to see some more time with these characters as they near their conclusions. It’s also SUCH a 2025 book. Hearing a character say they’re “locking in” or that they’re “an empathy” really brings me back to reality but I didn’t hate that as much as I thought I would when I first saw the modern slang.
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All in all this is a great read. It brings a lot to the romance genre - not just in terms of representation - It also uses familiar tropes and common settings in a unique and engaging way. I want more. Thank you so much to Macmillan Publishers for the eARC!!

A wholesome MM romance academia. I did like school, they set it up in the book as an all-boys school academy, and the main character of Charlie being transman. He ends up being roommates with Jasper, a boy in his past who broke his heart before he transitioned. I like the idea of the club's STRIP and how they send love letters to the school next door, which is an all-girls school. Jasper is known for writing specifically in poetry and can write these great love letters, but Charlie just struggles heavily comes to that because of being heartbroken. I also just loved the side characters, specifically Blaze, whose dialogue is funny with his fantasy statement. I would say this book is like watching a shojo anime like Ouran High School Host Club. I would recommend this book for someone who wants a fun, lighthearted read.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, for the ARC!

And They Were Roommates was TOO CUTE! Not only is the name hilarious and the cover stunning, this book is truly a delight from beginning to end. I loved following Charlie on his journey, starting a new school and figuring out he fit in there on top of reuniting with Jasper and building their new connection together. Such a sweet read!