This book is ideal for readers who enjoy humorous and heartfelt LGBTQ+ romances with a mix of emotional depth, witty banter, and the tension of hidden identities in close-quarters settings.

My best descriptor for this book is that it's a warm hug on beautiful fall day! It has strong cozy vibes, but still delivers a lot of positive messages along with a sweet storyline. There's zero smut, and only sweet kisses. There are multiple lgbtq relationships in the storyline.

While the focus of the story is on a trans teen trying to figure out how they fit in the world, it's also about learning to be a good friend, and learning how to be part of something bigger than 1 person.

I think this book should be read by anyone who is lgbtq, a teen, someone who feels out of sync with the world, or just needs a good book to lift their mood.

I look forward to reading more by Page Powars. Thank you Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Roaring Book Press for allowing me to read this book before it's release date!

no quote because arc
2.5💫
Look, this wasn’t for me. I got 60% in and the cringe of dialogue was so bad I got a migraine. That said, I think this is a good read for people that were not like Jasper in high school. Unfortunately, I was and I had so much secondhand embarrassment because of that.

**thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free digital arc in exchange for an honest review!!**

This book is described as hilarious and unputdownable, but I found it angsty and slow-paced. It’s well-written but not for me. DNF ~15%.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Delightful story of a young man connecting with his past love before he transitioned. Highly recommend.

thank you to macmillan/roaring brook press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

from the moment the title and cover art for this book was announced, i knew that i was going to love this story. charlie attends the valentine school for boys, a prestigious academy in new york that focuses on success and higher learning, as an excellence scholar. told that he must rank in the top five of his class to maintain his scholarship, charlie strives to stand out in his studies but blend in with his peers, afraid to share with others that he is transgender. things come to a head when he learns that he has been assigned a roommate: jasper, the boy he fell in love with two years ago at camp who broke his heart, who doesn’t know that he has transitioned. to make matters worse, charlie makes a deal with Jasper to join strip - a secret organization that writes and sends love letters to their sister academy - in order to secure a single room. will charlie be able to thrive at valentine while also hiding his true, authentic self?

a its heart, “and they were roommates” is a story about acceptance, found family, and finding your people. i loved living through charlie’s experiences at valentine and the friends he makes along the way in strip (blaze, you will always have my heart). the relationship that develops and evolves between charlie and jasper is beautiful, and i loved their dynamic and different personalities (i mean, who else keeps a cardboard cutout and poster of themselves in their dorm room?) i only just left the world of valentine school for boys, but I’m desperate to go back and spend more time with charlie, jasper, xavier, robby, and blaze. these boys have my heart forever.

4 stars

This was a really fun coming of age queer romance with a very interesting found family of characters. The stress of keeping such a large secret while also fighting to be so high in rankings at an incredibly competitive school was well written. I could feel those emotions coming through the narrator well.

A couple issues I had were 1. why would a 16 year old be considered "sexiest poet" in a publication? That is so concerning. and 2. the cast of characters were very odd. I get that this school was full of incredibly intelligent children and also many rich kids but I just can't imagine there were that many people who talked and acted the way some of them did. Had this been maybe aged up to early college, I think both of my concerns may have not been as much of a problem.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

If you don’t know, I’m an anime girlie. I grew up with ridiculous shoujo anime and would eat it up as much as I could. This plays out like the queer shoujo anime I would have wanted to watch then I was that age. It’s ridiculous, funny, sweet, heartwarming, and just everything that makes me smile.

Charlie is someone you sympathize with from the beginning and I was rooting for him. He and Jasper have an annoyance to lovers plot line going on that got cuter and cuter as time went on. The members of STRIP were also just awesome friends. And Luis was really cool too. I loved seeing Charlie realize he had a place with them.

Page does such a great job of mixing humor with anime inspired shenanigans and trans experiences. I loved seeing reading his books and as always look forward to more of them!

I was drawn to this book initially because of the title. Those there for the Vine era, IYKYK. This story was quirky, silly, and nostalgic. It reminded me of high school crushes and the anxiety of being cool enough for said crush to like me back. But, in Charlie’s case, this anxiety is compounded by his recent transition and gender dysphoria.

There are several times throughout this story where Charlie is second guessing if he will be seen as a one of the guys. From his PE class to the STRIP meetings, he feels the pressure of being a teen in a high-achieving academy along with experiencing a boys locker room for the first time.

While his transition affirmed how he’d always felt, his acclimation to his new life presented an extra stressor. I found all of his friends (which he thought he would never have) are supportive of Charlie and like him just as he is. His found family only wished for him to be happy and no longer lovesick for Jasper Grimes.

I loved the parts with Blaze/Bingo; it brought an innocence to this pressure cooker of a high school. A part I was not fond of was Delilah’s comment about how Charlie's life “should be easier now” since he transitioned. While I understand she was upset about Charlie neglecting to ask about her life, it felt odd for the best friend of a trans person to say. But, I am happy their friendship survived in the end.

Overall, I enjoyed this story and would recommend it. I’d like to thank Macmillan’s Children’s Publishing Group for this ARC!

The beginning of this book really seemed like it was trying very hard to present itself as the happier, more queer, more trans-celebratory version of that one story with the awkward self-conscious boy with glasses and curly dark hair who falls for is rivals with the skinny blonde stuck-up full of himself guy who likes to throw his name around while they are forced to deal with each other in a castle-like boarding school that has quirky traditions and is run by unusual adults and uses ridiculous acronyms for any club, department or organization... you know the one in talking about. Or maybe I just read too much fanfiction as a young person who couldn't find queerness like I wanted to in traditional media.

Regardless if the similarities were intentional or not, the story definitely ended up taking on a life of its own. Though I do hope a little bit of parody was intentional here because it had me laughing from chapter one. Eventually though, I came to really enjoy the characters, the setting, the story, the queer experience at the heart of it all. And the exaggerated and ridiculous details that kept it all fun and light-hearted even while address the shame, fear, and trauma that can come with being a queer person or a person that's trying to pass in a cis-hetero-normative world.

So full points for fun, full points for characters and full points for still having a deep and meaningful theme.

Despite the humor and silliness of this story, the writing while still exceptional. It's not high literary or anything but it's also clearly not trying to be and to try to put "purple prose" into a story like this would ruin it. So I think Page Powars nailed the stylistic choices here. Thanks for giving something to binge and make me smile and never falter on anything awkward annoying or unnecessary in the writing.

And lastly, if there is some intentional parody here, kudos for shoving a little trans joy into the universe of she-who-must-not-be-named. I will always give extra bonus points out for that.

This was super cute and funny! A quick read chock full of so many feelings, fun and lovable characters, and a compelling story. This is the perfect kind of YA book that makes diverse reading accessible to so many people.

First, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. I thought this one had an original plot and was excited to read about Charlie's adventures at Valentine and the shenanigans with Jasper.

Unfortunately, I am stopping at the 15% mark. For some reason, I am not vibing with Charlie at all. I don't understand how he could be the Excellence Scholar and (practically) a legacy - what with his mom going to the sister school - and still not know simple things like the fact that the school required first time students to take P.E. or that the students were ranked on a scale of 100. I just thought he'd know more about the school he spent so much time and effort trying to get into. This lack of research annoyed me.

Also, I understand that Charlie is getting used to his transition and finding the ways that he believes he should behave as a boy amongst all boys for the first time but that doesn't mean he gets to be a snob about the . He constantly points out the "rich-kid" behaviors when, as far as I read none of them were flaunting that supposed wealth. Bruh, you knew this was an elite, private academic establishment...what did you expect?

Sidenote: Maybe I didn't read far enough to understand the hate for Jasper but I was LOVING his energy for the bit that I read.

Two stars for a couple lines that made me chuckle and for Jasper's fun personality.

4 stars and my thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC!

Publishers, stop comparing every MLM romance to RWRB: Impossible Mode.

Summary: On his first day at Valentine Academy for Boys, Charlie’s carefully crafted plan to hide his identity as the school’s only trans student is set in motion. Only to be immediately destroyed. Charlie has been assigned the worst roommate in the world (possibly the universe): Jasper Grimes, the boy who broke Charlie’s heart the year before he transitioned.

Except, Jasper doesn’t recognize Charlie.

What I loved: Charlie! I loved Charlie. I loved how much he tried to make everyone happy but forgot that he was a person who needed things as well. He was so afraid to open up to people, only to find that if he cracked open the door, he had friends who would barge right through and love him. Xavier, my beloved.

What I didn't like: Honestly? Jasper. I feel like first-half-Jasper is so vastly different than second-half-Jasper that it's hard to remember they are the same person. One could make the argument that he was starting to realize OOPS I LIKE HIM and it made him confused and lashing out, but god he was insufferable. I could not imagine the two of them actually liking each other, even maybe 3/4 of the way through. I was honestly rooting more for Charlie and Xavier lol.

But all in all, I liked this book.

Thank you so much to Roaring Brook Press and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book!

This book is such a silly and campy little love story and that’s really something I feel like we need more of. Originally, I was apprehensive with how silly the story it was. It felt like it wasn’t taking itself seriously, but after letting go of that weird idea that every queer book <i>has</i> to take itself seriously, I was actually able to enjoy this book for what it is.

Charlie is already nervous enough for the start of school. He’s a transfer student at The Valentine School for Boys. With his mother having gone to the sister school, he feels a building pressure to do well and, hiding the fact that he’s trans in order to protect himself from the school’s traditional values. This didn’t seem too difficult before arriving, but now he has a roommate. And not just any roommate. The only boy he’s ever kissed, before his transition of course, and also the boy who broke his heart. His saving grace? Jasper doesn’t even recognize him.

This book was honestly so enjoyable. I read it incredibly fast and loved it. There’s so much going on but it all manages to flow together. There are like four different plots going on but it never felt like any of them were being pushed below where they should’ve been on the priority list. The stakes were also never too high which made it a cozier book despite its chaos.

The characters in this book are also really goofy and memorable. There’s a 12 year old who calls himself “Blaze Alpha Destroyer (of Worlds)” and prepares for the day when the arachnids strike back. See what I mean about camp? He’s obviously one of the most notable, but there are so many other characters that help Charlie on this path to self-acceptance both academically and in his identity.

The romance is of course, silly, but it definitely felt real in a lot of ways. Charlie and Jasper are awkward teenagers and that really reflected in their miscommunication and just general awkwardness around each other. It was just super cute.

I will say, I wish this book had taken more of a literary lens. This is entirely personal opinion, but I feel like there was so much “focus”on poetry and literature, but none of those metaphors were continued or expanded upon. I would’ve loved to see more of Jasper’s poetry and honestly, Charlie’s too.

The only plot thing that was a little strange to me was Charlie and Jasper writing love letters for OTHER PEOPLE. Like oh my god go write your own love letters geez. It makes me feel bad for all of those girls that got letters and are suddenly like “why is my boyfriend not as affectionate as he was in his letter?”, but what can you do.

Anyway! I loved this book. It was so silly and helped to remind me that not everything has to be serious all the time. It’s okay to have a little fun.

Book was great! I jasper was quite annoying at first but then I got used to him. Although I loved how jasper just accepted Charlie so quickly.

This book is heavily marketed as a romance, and that was the worst part of this book... I didn't feel the connection whatsoever, and Jasper was kind of the worst.

While that did not work for me, I always love a boarding school story. Thanks, Zoey 101. Charlie's story was cute and relatively light -- there is good representation and depth with him keeping his identity a secret and learning how to open up. I did find the sexual innuendos to feel a little weird, as the story and voice felt very young to me. This isn't one that I would jump to recommend to anyone, but it was fine.

This book is certainly interesting! I adore how the story centers around Charlie who is trans and is trying to learn the norms and typical behaviors of his new boarding school setting. I did, however, feel a bit put off by how exceedingly quirky and obnoxious Jasper was. It isn't necessarily believable to have such a quirky character be popular in this stuffy setting, and the dichotomy between his strangeness and Charlie's relatable struggle was noticeable. I did enjoy the general story arcs and plotline but overall would have preferred a more realistic love interest.

The latter half of this book saves the first half, and it could've been about a hundred pages longer to give more development to Charlie (who is our POV and somehow feels lacking) as well as to what happened between our potential romantic hero Jasper, and his former friend P.M. that shapes how Jasper interacts with Charlie. And honestly maybe a little more about wth happened between Charlie and Jasper in the first place?

Conceptually, I love this, and some of the side characters were absolutely perfect, but in terms of the main plot...this was missing a lot.

It's worth it for Blaze, Robby, Xavier, Luis, and Delilah. These people who help shape Charlie's world and open him up to relying on other people, the value of friendship and being a friend, and give him a reason to do things outside of his educational goals. Charlie has done a lot of work on accepting himself, but this book reminds him to show himself love too. Charlie accepted he needed to change to be happier, but didn't know what happiness looked like.

Jasper is...excessively obnoxious. As he and Charlie mesh together more, he becomes more tolerable, and eventually adorable. I think Jasper is a complicated and very, very oblivious young man who is aware of his emotions but not always the best at expressing them, or understanding how he makes other people feel.

Seriously I wanted to love this, and I think this author has huge potential for telling beautiful stories. I wanted more developed main characters, but I appreciate the whimsy, humor, dedication to love, and dedication to transformation that is in these pages.

Roses are red, violets are blue, I can’t believe I have to live with you! Charlie is a new student at the elite St.Valentine’s Academy, arriving on scholarship, everything is going great until he finds out his single room request was denied and his pre-transition summer camp fling, Jasper, is now his roommate. The stressors of academic success, a conservative school, and navigating gender identity add further complications to this second-chance romcom. The breezy characterization will make it easy for readers to put themselves into Charlie’s shoes, though the slow burn of this romance may lose some along the way. Powars fleshes out the student body with an interesting and LGBTQ-friendly cast of characters, but only gives readers a small chance to get know them. A supplemental read for YA LGBTQ+ Romance fans.

Thank you to Netgalley and Roaring Brook Press for the ARC!

This is a delightful little book. The fantastical setting fairly sparkles off the page and I enjoyed reading Charlie’s POV.
It brought me back to the struggles of high school. I do wish there was a Jasper POV because I think it would have been fun to get his perspective.

Rating: 3.75 rounded up