I enjoyed the representation in this book but ultimately found that I didn't really enjoy the voice as much as I wanted to. It read a bit try-hard teenager. The premise is really great and I'm sure there are trans teens out there that will love and appreciate this.

This was perfect for what it is- a delightful little queer ya rom com. Charlie is exactly the perfect amount of frustrating teenager, so hell bent on his own perspective that he fails to see Jasper's obvious feelings towards him. At times it reminded me a little too much of my own self isolating lonely trans teen self. It was cute, it was silly, it was teenagers. The last chapter even made me tear up a little cause it was so cute. An excellent addition to the queer ya catalog- I wish I had books like this when I was Charlie's age.

Two schools, One Academy. Both alike in lovesickness, in fair Valentine halls is where we lay our scene. Boy and Girl students separated by a wall and gate unable to share their love and date. Their only hope? Charlie and Jasper write love letters in a secret organization to help students communicate their love through poetry. But what happens when the two writers have a history of their own?

This book invented Cozy Academia: with its humor, secret passageways, cupid fountains, and heartwarming characters. Jasper is an oblivious flirt that is swoon-worthy and Charlie is precious and hilariously iconic. Page Powars sets the tone of this book with cinnamon candles, academy uniforms, and fall aesthetics–like a halloween themed ball dance.

If you’re a literature lover– you’ll appreciate the meta-literature references about Othello, Poe, and types of poetry. The character Blaze, with his Shakespearean language is a delightful addition that makes you laugh out loud. It’s also wholesome to see the friendships that Charlie makes with Xavier and Luis–male supportive friendships are uplifting.

This book is an Enchanting, Lovely, Cozy Academia. Thank you so much to the publishers at Macmillan and NetGalley for the ARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book because of Netgalley. I loved the plot, the characters, and the overall writing. Thank you, Page Powars, for this book.
I look forward to more of your work! #netgalley #AndTheyWereRoommates #pagepowars #reading #gayromance #lgbtq

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Overall, this book was very wholesome to read. If you're looking for an extremely fluffy, light academia YA book, then look no further. This is not my usual genre, however I love the LGBTQ representation, especially the uniqueness of a main character being trans and navigating life in a brand new setting.

Some of the word choices did feel a little messy at times (reading Gen Z/alpha slang is not my favorite), however I do recognize that this book is targeted towards young adults in Gen Z/Alpha.

Some favorite quotes:

“You’re Bingo A. Dixon. Our second year’s Rank Three. Luis’s roommate.” “I’m Blaze A. Destroyer (of Worlds).”

“'I’m serious,” Jasper says. “I’m not sure what you see when you look in the mirror, Charlie, but I have a hypothesis that it isn’t what others see.'”

"Then my own shirt collar is tugged, and I’m being lightly shoved against the bedpost. Jasper cups my jaw and kisses me with the passion of someone starved for weeks. For two years. Every second thought I’ve had about Jasper melts out of my head, his touch lancing electricity through my core. This is nothing like our first kiss years ago. It’s more. It’s too much."

Charlie enrolls in an elite school for boys, and expects to have a single room. Unfortunately, he winds up stuck in a small space with the last boy he kissed before transitioning. Charlie hadn't disclosed to the school that he was trans, and was worried they wouldn't allow him to stay there on scholarship. Charlie's scholarship also came with some heavy academic expectations, and PE requirements with timed pull-up tests 😳

Jasper, Charlie's roommate, was an insufferable, pretentious little turd at first. Luckily, that does not last too terribly long. He drops the act little by little and opens up to Charlie a bit more over the course of the book. The attraction never really faded for Charlie, but he tries very hard to resist those feelings in the hopes that Jasper will not recognize and out him. Jasper, oblivious to Charlie's anxiety, drags him into a secret tutoring scheme to deliver love letters to the girls at their sister academy that adds more work (and forced proximity) to Charlie's already overloaded schedule. It's very campy.

This slow burn YA romance encompasses the typical teenage angst with the added layer of anxiety regarding Charlie's ability to feel comfortable and stay enrolled at Valentine Academy. Luckily, everyone he confided in was accepting, and he did not face any transphobia or bullying.

3.5 ⭐️

Charlie isn’t thinking about romance when he starts at his new prestigious all-boys school, he’s more focused on concealing the fact that he is a transmac. Part of his plan was to pay extra for a single room, but after an administrative mishap, he gets stuck with a roommate. Imagine his surprise when he discovers his roommate is is Jasper Grimes, the boy who broke Charlie’s heart a year before he transitioned! While this may be the worst case scenario, maybe it won’t turn out so bad; after all, Jasper doesn’t recognize him. Charlie somehow winds up having to write romantic letters for his classmates alongside Jasper (it’s a long story!). Surely that won’t backfire?

#AndTheyWereRoommates is such a cute concept for a rom-com YA novel, especially with a transmasc twist on a #secondchanceromance trope. There were a few times where I had to suspend disbelief to get on board with the plot, but only insomuch as I would for other rom-coms. It’s a cozy, whimsical read that transported me back to the stresses of surviving high school, but compounded by the main character concealing his trans identity and an endearing blossoming romance between the roommates. (I guess this also counts as #ForcedProximity!) I’d recommend this for those who love #Heartstopper and want a relatively quick, school-based rom-com read featuring a trans main character.

Reviewed as part of #ARC from #NetGalley. Many thanks to Roaring Book Press/Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review.

This review will be posted on Instagram @AutobiographiCole on or around the publication date!

Yes, absolutely, loved this book immediately! A quick read, a great YA, a phenomenal story of found family and queer growth that I loved every minute of. Will recommend to everyone I know who may have a queer teen, especially those who aren't 100% sure where they fall in their gender-identity or sexual-orientation journey.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The first 50% was such a fun time but went downhill from there. First of all there was zero chemistry between Charlie and Jasper. I can’t believe that Jasper has been in love with Charlie for THREE YEARS after having knowing each other for a week when they were 13. I liked Jaspers character but the only thing we know about him is that he’s the principals nephew and he’s a renowned poet so he basically has no depth. This book had so much potential with a very interesting and unique plot but was not executed very well.

This read took me a bit of a minute to finish. It started off a bit slow for me, but it ended up rising to the occasion! I enjoyed this book and the character development. It’s always so refreshing to see Trans Youth be supported by their parents and peers. I’m so grateful I got to experience this book and I definitely will be recommended to all my friends! 10/10 & 5 stars!

AND THEY WERE ROOMMATES by Page Powars is a very charming YA romance with a trans main character.

Charlie has won a scholarship to an incredibly prestigious boys-only boarding school. Unfortunately it's also very "traditional" and he's not so sure they'd react well to him being trans. So he paid extra for a single room, only to show up on his first day and find out he has a roommate. Jasper. The boy who broke Charlie's heart two years ago, before he transitioned. But he doesn't even recognize him!!

They make a deal so Charlie can get his own room, involving writing love letters together for the other students. Despite trying to stay under the radar to keep his secret safe, he ends up making friends, finding people he can trust, that will have his back.

I'll admit that sometimes when I read I get caught up on logistics, like "they couldn't have opened their tour in Glendale 30 years ago, they didn't have the stadium then" or whatever. In this case I feel like it is implied that Charlie is on T (his appearance has changed! He had top surgery!) but it's not like he has a sharps container. Are subcutaneous pellets an option? Is he actually not on T?? I don't think we're supposed to worry about it, but sometimes I get distracted by questions! Still, it's both silly/funny and poignant/emotional and overall just a good time.

had a good time reading it, wasn't my general style but enjoyed the representation on page! would still recommend to others!

Genre 📚: YA Contemporary, Queer Lit, Light Academia, Romance
Tropes 💁‍♀️: Second chance romance, Hidden identity, Forced proximity
Rep ✔️: Trans main character, gay side character
CW ⚠️: Body dysmorphia
Rating ⭐️: 3.5/5

This book is like a fever dream you’d have when you’re feeling especially single. I don’t know how else to describe it. It takes place at the all-boys Valentine Academy, where Charlie goes in as a scholarship student. He’s scared enough as it is being trans, but then he finds out that he’s rooming with the guy who broke his heart at summer camp — the eloquent hopeless romantic Jasper Grimes. To his relief (or disappointment?), Jasper doesn’t recognize him.

Charlie would prefer to keep a low profile and focus on his studies, but Jasper is surprisingly clingy and recruits Charlie to help write love letters meant for girls at the sister school. Because of his secret heartbreak, though, Charlie is extremely passive-aggressive towards his roomie. It was funny, but the hostility went on for so long that it made it hard to believe in their eventual romance. I think they needed more time as friends before moving into romantic territory.

My favorite part of the book was probably the setting and the unique characters inside. Seeing it all through Charlie’s eyes, it was like walking into Wonderland or something. There were castle-like buildings, vibrant red uniforms, and students going around talking like Shakespeare. It was disorienting, but once I found my footing, I found myself having fun with it all.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this book!

And They Were Roommates was the delightful YA rom com that I needed. The number of times I giggled out loud, kicked my feet, or muttered "Charlieeee" at my screen while reading is indication enough that I'm so enamored with this book and Powars' writing.

From the beginning, I loved Charlie as our protagonist. Sure of himself, with a plan, and ready to do whatever it takes to make his dream of attending Valentine Academy. What I loved most about Charlie was that he knew what he wanted, but he wasn't so confident that it was unrealistic. He still had the anxieties that come with being a young person, along side the added pressures at being trans at a traditional school, but nothing felt over the top or played up. Charlie was sure of himself while also being a realistic amount of a mess, which I loved. I often find with YA books, characters are too confident or too anxious, but this felt just right.

I loved getting to see Charlie explore the school and build relationships, not only with Jasper, but all the friends he made as well. The relationship building in this book was truly phenomenal and I love the community that Powars built.

The relationship between Charlie and Jasper is really where this book thrived. It had all the perfect elements of enemies to lovers without feeling too tropey. Jasper's eagerness was endearing, yet I wanted to tell him to chill a bit. Jasper really came off the page. The build up of Jasper finding out who Charlie is through to the end had me on the edge of my seat in the best way.

And They Were Roommates was just so wonderful, and I can't wait to recommend it to all my friends.

Charlies first day at Valentine Academy for boys is spent being a bit of a self conscious mess, and the cherry on top is that the source of his biggest heart break, Jasper Grimes, is his roommate, when he distinctly recalls requesting and paying for a single dorm room. The kicker? Jasper doesn't recognize him, and it could be because they last saw each other a year before Charlie started his gender transition! But they strike a deal. Charlie helps Jasper write love letters on behalf of other students, and Jasper will do what he can to get them separated. The only problem is, Charlie is dog water at writing for love! What follows is a hormonal and academically stressful trek through Charlies first year at Valentine, studying, tutoring, working out, and writing letters, all to hopefully find his place in the student body and place within the top 5 academic leader board so he can keep his scholarship.

I have a hard time with teen fiction, especially teen romance. I'm in my 30s, and my tolerance is generally low when it comes to the tropes bouncing around in that literary bubble. Powars, however, has figured it out! The combination of transgender issues, acceptance, romance, and an all-boys space somehow (almost) devoid of toxic masculinity was extremely refreshing, and I often found myself snickering out loud at just how realistically awkward and dorky Charlie and the rest of the cast could be.

As a trans man, what also felt refreshing was Charlies surety in himself. I find a lot of books dealing with transgender issues, especially in fiction, spend a lot of time in that hesitant phase before taking hormones or getting surgery, or at the very least spend far too much time in the, "I hate myself and my body" stages. It becomes agonizing finding something that doesn't have to do with our self hate and is more so concerned with living, loving, and maybe just trying to hide our pectoral scars. Hope and inspiration takes the place of self criticism during the discovery of the self, and hard work goes in after cleaning up the rough edges of transition.

This book is overall delightful. The characters are unique and interesting, sometimes even over the top in their eccentricity, and I adored that. It didn't take itself too seriously, but did just enough to provide context or add depth when needed, and when it came down to literary nerdery, even I was lost as all heck at the vocabulary. This is a definite add to any library shelf.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for this free eARC in exchange for my honest review. I loved Charlie and Jasper, and I'm definitely a new fan of Powars!

And They Were Roommates by Page Powers is a beautifully written exploration of identity, connection, and vulnerability. Charlie and Jasper’s story is equal parts tender and gripping, with characters so fully realized it’s easy to see parts of yourself reflected in them. I found the emotional depth of this story incredibly moving, and the pacing kept me completely absorbed - I finished it in under a day. For readers who crave authentic representation, heartfelt romance, and stories that speak to the process of finding yourself, this book is an absolute must-read.

and they were roommates was such a perfectly sweet & dramatic ya boarding school romance. i LOVED it. jasper is a drama queen!! charlie is an anxious mess!!!
i love these dramatic boys!!

on charlie’s first day at valentine academy he discovers that instead of the single room he requested, he has been assigned a roommate. to his eternal dismay, this roommate is jasper grimes, the boy who broke his heart the year before he transitioned. jasper doesn’t recognize charlie, but charlie isnt leaving his position at this all boys school up to chance. the only way to get his own room is if he helps jasper write love letters on behalf of his fellow classmates. discussing romance and feelings with the boy who made you lose all trust in love won’t come with any unintended consequences right??? of course not.

this was such a fun read full of secret clubs, overdramatic teens, poetry writing, found family, trans representation, and teenage love. and they were roommates had such an utterly ridiculous premise, but in the good way. i found all the characters to be so endearing & funny, i can’t wait to read more from this author.

highly highly recommend if you’re looking for a fun & campy ya romance!

many thanks to macmillian’s children publishing group and NetGalley for the arc!!!

And They Were Roommates by Page Powers was a cute YA rom com set at a strict all-boys boarding school. Charlie, a 16 year old trans boy is attending his first year at the prestigious Valentine Academy on an excellence scholarship. When he arrives on campus, he discovers that due to a mix up, the private single room he had requested for privacy was not available, and instead he has a roommate. Charlie is horrified to learn that his roommate is they boy who broke his heart 2 years ago at summer camp and could be the only person on campus to recognize Charlie & expose his secrets.
There were parts of this book that were very over the top and a little bit cheesy, but I do sometimes expect that with YA romance. I really loved Charlie; he was a well-rounded, believable young character who struggled to keep his grades up while constantly worrying about being kicked out of school if anyone found out he was trans. I did like Jasper too, and the pair's interactions were often humorous.
Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable, quick read, with excellent character development & a cute storyline. Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for an advanced copy of And They Were Roommates in exchange for my honest review.

This was an exceptionally sweet YA story about a trans boy reuniting with the boy who broke his heart while also trying to figure out a new extreme school and keeping his identity a secret. I felt for Charlie right away, and while Jasper was initially a little annoying, I think his reasoning made sense and eventually he stole my heart too. It did take a little too long to reveal what exactly happened between the two, and I think Charlie's reveal to Jasper could have come earlier, but I loved watching Charlie learn and grow and make friends as the boy he is.

What an amazing story!!! I devoured this book so much that I'm now concerned about my job. I loved the emotions and poetry's role in their relationship. The forced proximity, kinda enemies to lovers, and second chance aspects were all beautiful executed. The subplots focused on academics really hit me right in the emotions as well. And the best part is how supportive everyone is of Charlie; it always makes me so happy to read a queer romance where the characters get to be themselves. I can't wait for Powars's next book!

Thank you to the publisher for the e-copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.