Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Children’s Publishing Group for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Charlie’s plans for his first year at Valentine Academy for Boys are to study as hard as possible in order to keep his scholarship and to fly under the radar so no one finds out that he’s the school’s only trans student. This second plan is jeopardized when, through a mishap, Charlie’s former crush who broke his heart is assigned as his roommate. Miraculously, Jasper doesn’t recognize Charlie post-transition. Charlie, desperate for his own room and to stay as far away from Jasper as possible, makes a pact with him. Jasper, who happens to be the principal’s nephew, will make sure Charlie gets his own room if he agrees to help Jasper write secret love letters for the Academy’s students. Charlie agrees and next thing he knows, Jasper is giving him “love lessons.” Will sparks fly - again?

I love the premise of And They Were Roommates. There’s so much fun and chaotic promise to the concept of writing secret love letters with your former flame and of being tutored in “love lessons” by them. Unfortunately, I liked the premise more than the execution. The “love lessons” never really go anywhere beyond Jasper giving Charlie a list of rules for the letters he writes. We also don’t get to see the two of them writing letters together.

I loved Jasper Grimes as a character - he’s ridiculous and funny and flamboyant with his six hundred dollar fountain pen and engraved bookcase. Unfortunately, Charlie and the other characters paled in comparison. There isn’t much to Charlie as a character besides his motivations and the rest of the cast are pretty one-note.

Despite liking Jasper, I struggled to fully understand his motivations. Why does he want help with the love letters when he’s perfectly capable of writing them himself? I assume it’s because he wants to spend time with Charlie, but he makes Charlie write the letters on his own so ultimately it just didn’t make sense to me.

I was also confused by Charlie being so convinced that Jasper can’t have a crush on him. Surely he knows that people can be bisexual or pansexual. It seemed like he was just blind to this fact in order for there to be even more miscommunication. I was so desperate for Charlie and Jasper to use their words instead of trying to reach each others’ minds. This actually gets addressed by the text - they make a promise to stop trying to mindread which nearly made me punch the air in triumph. But then only a few pages later they do it again. I understand that this novel needs conflict and that Charlie and Jasper need a level of miscommunication before they get together but it was really turned up to eleven and almost entirely avoidable.

While Jasper’s over-the-top personality really worked for me, a lot of the other goofier aspects of the novel didn’t. It’s totally possible they’ll work for other readers but I found most of them cringey rather than funny. Don’t get me wrong - this book has its funny moments. There were lines I loved but they were pretty much buried by things I didn’t like. I think there’s a way to go full on camp and be silly throughout without being cringey but this book just didn’t accomplish that in my opinion.
On a more positive note, I liked the “unspoken guidelines” Charlie keeps throughout and I was excited when Jasper and Charlie finally kissed.
At the end of the day, I was disappointed by this book. It had a lot of promise it just didn’t live up to. I can still see it working for people but it didn’t really work for me.

This was a decently lighthearted RomCom. I was really looking forward to this and thought it was an interesting way to possibly tell a second chance romance. I left a little disappointed.

*Spoliers*
The continuous fear of the main character Charlie being "clocked" due sometimes to his top surgery scars is a wee bit unrealistic. I think a more realistic situation would have been the fear of being seen in a binder or in tape, this character is roughly 14/15/16 I'm not sure who and where he's getting approved for this surgery. At best he'd be on blockers and possibly starting T. Also Jasper walking in on him showering and pulling the curtain back? Maybe a roommate does this? I think a better option could have him walking in on Charlie doing his weekly shot, and it would have progressed the narrative better. Lastly, I think it would have been better had they met at a camp when they were like 10 or so, and then ended up roommates as sophomores. Charlie being on T for at most a year in this story doesn't change your appearance that quickly & If they had met younger, I could see how Jasper wouldn't have known who Charlie was.

I would have loved a chapter or two of Jasper perhaps having a bit of bi panic or just the crisis of falling for the possibly brother of your lost love.

I can appreciate wanting to tell a light hearted story, without the complexness or heaviness that comes with being trans. I think that this story could have been as lighthearted as it is, while also dealing a more realistic 14/15/16 year old experience. I also feel that the character already having surgery sets the bigots to believe the narrative that children are having surgeries when they are just on blockers or starting HRT. And sets other trans youth/teens unrealistic expectations.

DNF this one. The unclear time period makes this one hard to fall into the story. Also, as it's marketed as Young Adult - teens do not act like this in my experience. Took me out of the story. It's also rather flat and the secret society bit while realistic, was silly and didn't really add to the story line.

Its a cute YA in an academic settings between Charlie who is a Trans Boy and has joined an all boys academy & Jasper who is the Dean's nephew, a poet, a model and also the guy who broke Charlie's heart when he was 13.

Twist?? Jasper seems to not have recognized Charlie as they become roommates because of a system messup!!!

As Charlie tries to navigate his identity and also settle in the academy with grades and peers it because a quirky read with poetry, prose, secret letter and silly drama..

This might not be the best I have read this month but this book kept me engaged and I enjoyed it.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Publishing for the advance reader copy!

This was definitely a fun read. If you like feel-good stories with similar vibes to 2000s romcoms this is the book for you!

Each character was well fleshed out and unique and the representation was done quite well. Charlie’s story was so fast-paced and engaging to follow that I even found myself at moments struggling to put the book down. I absolutely adored Jasper and thought he was such a fun character to read and experience, and even found myself kicking my feet at some things he would do. At moments it kind of reminded me of Ouran High School Host Club (if it were canonically queer story like this one.)

My only critiques were that, towards the end the occasional fights felt a little too forced and the resolutions for some of Charlies concerns were a bit too glossed over. Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed this read!

This was very cute, love the lack of transphobia and trans joy. the main character did say I love you wayyy to quick for my taste.

I really tried to like And They Were Roommates, but left it like it was and I was really confused. One of the biggest flaws I saw was the absolute lack of realism in parts of the story. The principal characters as being brought up from relatively poor circumstances, with their own mother clearly struggling financially - yet somehow, they get their way in to a full medical conversion, including what they are told is a reasonably well-paid surgery. That's a pretty huge financial commitment, in real life, and the book never even really explains how it's possibly possible. It just seemed like a major miss, and after I finished reading the book I was never quite so bored again.

Representation is pretty important, absolutely — but the reality of representing something as subtle and emotional (and intimate) as transitioning without representation can be shallow or careless. These are things that are deeply personal to people and not covering the barriers many trans people have in real life to get the plot rolling just felt like some sort of lame duck.

Beyond that, I just couldn’t get into the characters. They were interesting, they were fully developed, but their emotional arcs were sorushed and undeveloped. There were moments that could have been really moving and powerful, but didn’t because the emotional foundation wasn’t there. The relationships were more plot devices than relationships, and the dialogue couldn’t hold up because it was just canned stuff.

Overall I think there was some potential in the story, but it really did need to weigh things more heavily especially when dealing with very real life issues. It had that sense of wanting to say something and not quite reaching an understanding as to how to do it that felt grounded and honest.

Thank you, Macmillan, NetGalley, and Page Powars for the Arc! Y’all know that one vine that says, “and they were roommates.” Well, that is one of the reasons I wanted to read this book because I needed to know more about Charlie and Jasper’s roommate shenanigans. They knew each other once, but after Charlie’s transition Jasper no longer recognizes him? So what is Charlie to do now? Read all about it when the book comes out 2025/05/27!

In the meantime, I really enjoyed it, and it was such a cute YA romance with so many funny moments and some pretty heartfelt moments that made you glad a book like this exists for younger generations to read.

The amount of friends that Charlie ended up finding, even though he tried to desperately push away. You can succeed all you want in academics or life, but without a solid support group it can and will overwhelm you. That was part of the story that I loved so much and made the book worth reading.

Jasper’s growth was also great because at first glance we just see him as a snob, but as we go further into the story we see more of him and his vulnerabilities. Yeah, he may seem popular and well liked, but even with all that there is some loneliness. Charlie’s growth was the best, in my opinion. To be honest, I liked him less than I did Jasper. He complained so much that Jasper was a snob and had an inflated ego, but how the whole “Excellence Scholar” thing that was brought up by him made him sound way more snobbish and like he had a bigger ego. However, seeing him struggle to feel like he belonged at Valentine Academy gave more perspective on how and why he acted snobbier. I get, we’ve all been there at one point or another.

I’m glad I was able to read this book before it published. I had fun reading it and I think others would too.

First thing, that cover! From reading the description and the fun cover, I was excited to dive deeper into the relationship of these two characters. I knew this book would be giddy and happy; I was not disappointed!

As I was reading, I also felt similar vibes to those of Ouran HighSchool Host Club, and similar anime series such as Special A and Maid-Sama, where there is an academic rivalry between the two main characters and secrets between them.

The execution however leaves something to be desired in the relationship dynamic. I wish there was more tension in the “rivalry”. Charlie knows who Jasper is, and while Jasper hopes this person is linked to a past love, when we get the reveal the click was almost too instant. I also wish we had more insight into Charlie’s life pre-transition, especially his past with his mother and how they navigated his transition amidst financial struggles; we know he felt ready after a year of remote high school, but I was left wanting more details.

Overall the plot was super fun, I loved picking up all the little details about the school. It didn’t feel entirely real, but for a sweet romance that plays with old-school structures and gender roles, it worked. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the Arc!

Jasper F. Grimes I’m kind of obsessed with you.

I had been waiting for an ARC for this book for what felt like eons. And god was the wait worth it. Roommates was a fun, fairly light experience that engaged with the reality of being a trans kid in an all-boys school. The representation was on point, peak even. I got so damn locked in I had a few dreams about Roomates (this only happens when a book really sticks with me.)

As usual, I had some issues. There was a lack of character development, especially from Charlie (he pissed me off sometimes I’m not even going to lie even though I enjoyed his character.) The post-make out fight Charlie and Jasper had was completely out of place and awkward— they had a good relationship progression up until that point.

The ending of Roomates, the last 10%, was flat. It just… ended. I still had questions— no, don’t go!!! There was minimal explanation other than “PM’s not that bad” about the history of PM and Jasper and the resolution was Charlie crashing out over placing 6th and then PM was like “it’s ok” and Charlie was like “aww he’s not so bad.”

I liked this book a lot and I’m going to think about Jasper for a while.

3.8/5 rounded up to 4

This was such a fun read! If you’re looking for a quick and easy, inclusive love story, look no further. Charlie and Jasper were precious. Bonus points for the found family!

4 stars.

The story and Jasper and Charlie was such a fun one! This book was incredibly fun and campy while still having some great serious moments.
Charlie has recently transitioned and was just accepted into the Valentine Academy for Boys. However there's a twist - the fact that he's trans is a secret - no one knows at his school, not even the school itself. Through unfortunate circumstances he doesn't get the single room he worked for, he instead discovers he's rooming with the boy he had a crush on - before Jasper broke his heart anyway.
This mix up leads to shenanigans, as Charlie must finish the semester out as one of the top three students to keep his scholarship and is trying to uphold a bargain with Jasper to finally get the room to himself.
This story was incredibly sweet with a awesome supporting cast that will make you laugh out loud.

I received a free eArc in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own and not the publishers. Thank you to the publisher and net galley for this opportunity!

I selected this because based on the cover I was assuming it had drarry vibes and liked the idea of trans rep. Unfortunately I felt not an ounce of giddiness or emotion from any of the characters and Charlie had no personality besides being stressed about grades. The premise was also so dumb that Jasper and Charlie write all the love letters, what does the rest of the society even do?? And it's not like they take the time to interview each person and personalize them or anything. I was waiting for the suggestion that maybe they would team up to teach everyone to write their own letters or something interesting but no.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Roaring Brook Press for this ARC!

And They Were Roommates is the type of book you pick up for a quick read and then end up getting emotionally attached to every single character.

This story follows Charlie Von Hevringprinz (great name, I know), who is the only trans student at his prestigious new school and wants nothing more than to keep his identity hidden. This plan is immediately destroyed when he learns that his private dorm has been turned into a double, and that his roommate is none other than Jasper Grimes—also known as the boy who broke Charlie's heart before he transitioned. The best part? Jasper doesn't recognize Charlie.

I enjoyed this book SO much! It was so adorable and fluffy, a nice refresher from some of the more angsty books I've read. The slow transition from enemies to maybe friends to lovers was very natural and didn't feel rushed. Charlie was incredibly relatable when it came to all of the responsibilities he was juggling. I also loved Jasper and his hilarious theatrics. At first, I'll admit, I was a bit hesitant after learning that the boy had a cardboard cutout of himself, but I soon began to adore him. I love how each character had a very distinct personality, making each of them memorable. The exchanges between Charlie and his friends were funny and cute, and I found myself wanting to learn more about them.

And don't even get me started on that ending. It was so sweet and tender. I totally wasn't softly weeping while acting like I wasn't emotionally damaged. It was just the kind of moment that makes a rom-com stick with you.
Again, thank you so much for this ARC! I enjoyed it from beginning to end.

It was super cute. Man was Charlie just a huge ball of anxiety and I related a little too hard with that. Like boy if you don’t calm down. All the boys were so fun (Blaze the Chunni was def my fav) and I wish we got to see more of the girls but it mostly focuses on the boys school so eh.

A few things seemed to kind of peter off and just be kind of meh with how the storyline progressed like the other gay kid getting a date or the letters in the finale. Like they were tied up but kind of loosely so they def could have been expanded by a bit to really hone it in. It still was all mostly satisfying as it stuck more to being about Charlie and ya boy not Draco Malloy uhhh I mean Jasper.

It was a fun read. Nothing too spicy, disturbing or wild but it was very cute.

If you're someone that's a fan of Ouran High School Host Club, then you'd enjoy this book! The main protagonists, Jasper and Charlie are exactly like Haruhi and Tamaki in my eyes and STRIP is just like the host club, an undercover club meant to help the students of the school.

I really liked how unique the plotline for this book was, it was fun and I found myself falling in love with the side characters a lot! I love that we got a perspective on Charlie's struggles as a transgender student in a all-boys school and how he learns to trust the friends around him as well as challenge the school system which hasn't seen change in years. I also found the Jasper as a character was eccentric and honestly the more I got to know him, the more I fell for him and was sympathising with him. 
The found family here was adorable and I love that even when all was well, Charlie still had those difficult conversations he was trying to escape and grew as a character, it was inspiring!

I got a good laugh, swooned, and I'll honestly miss these characters! I cannot wait to have the published copy in my hands soon (and the audiobook as it's meant to be narrated by Kaveh's VA from Genshin Impact! THANK YOU PAGE POWARS!!)

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan's Children Publishing for the early copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

THANK YOU NETGALLEY FOR MAKING ME UNWELL
UGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG THIS BOOK MADE ME LAUGH
AND TORE ME APART
I WAS SCREAMING
I WAS LAUGHING
I AM IN TEARS
ITS BEEN ROUGH OKAY
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I absolutely adored this! It was incredibly fun and the romance was heartwarming. I throughly enjoyed the main couple, but all of the characters were delightful!

And They Were Roommates is a quippy, smart and light-hearted young-adult romance, set in a traditional boarding school for boys. The story's protagonist is Charlie, a transfer student attending Valentine as an Excellence Scholar who is mistakenly placed in a double-room (he specifically requested a single for privacy!) with none other than the boy who stole his first kiss..... prior to his transition. He always knew he was a boy, and getting into Valentine had always been a dream! And now he will do anything and everything to ensure he stays.

There were a few plot points I was questioning from the beginning, mainly pressures on the main character to achieve certain goals, that were eventually answered by the end of the book. I enjoyed the slow-burn, second-chance, grumpy sunshine romance between our love interests. Blaze A. Dixon was also a TREAT of a comedic relief. The author did well building the main character's world and letting the readers into his mind and though process. Charlie is a bit messy and delusional!

However, this wasn't a five star read for me. Delilah, the female character who attends the girls boarding school across the "cockblockade" plays the role of Charlie's best friend, but there's no depth in their relationship. Also, the relationship between them is immediately strained when she comes in with her own dialogue. Second, I think this story would benefit from "going back in time" and giving readers a preview of what actually happened at camp. Toward the end, I was almost questioning if this part of the story existed as the first book, and this book I was reading was a spin-off, because so much was missing for me.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a light-hearted romance to read this summer, a young adult with a trans mc, or even books that explore the inner-dialogue of someone who is trying to live up to immense social and academic pressure.

(I will review this book on my bookstagram, @brintsbooks, in the coming days and before the publishing date).

Thank you to Macmillan Publishers for this eARC. This was such a relatable read. This poor boy is so stressed out all the time and so afraid to disappoint everyone and his anxiety goes crazy and I related to that so hard it was nearly upsetting. I really liked the concept of a trans boy moving in with his first crush from pre transition and the friends he collects along the way made my heart warm. Just a really good really important read!