I loved this book. I am a fan of Page Powars! I loved their first novel, The Borrow a Boyfriend Club. This endearing YA novel is so sweet and will undoubtedly be beloved for so many readers. I loved the two main characters, Charlie and Jaspser, so much. Powars so thoughtfully captures first love and self-love. I smiled from ear to ear, reading this novel.

This really cute. It wasn't quite what I was expecting, but I really loved the friendships Charlie made during his first few months at Valentine Academy.

As much as I enjoyed Powars' debut, I'm sad to say that I thoroughly disliked And They Were Roommates. This is shock; I requested an advanced copy purely because I thought I'd love this book just as much, if not more. Since this is a negative review, you can expect detailed reasoning on what went wrong for me.

First things first, we have to talk about how eerily similar And They Were Roommates is to Powar's previous novel. In this book, there is yet another student-run secret society aimed at creating romantic connections. If that didn't already happen, I would have been impressed by the idea. Instead, I was frustrated with this apparent plot repurposing.

To add on to that, for me, the romance element failed.

Three years prior, Jasper and Charlie met at summer camp. That's the start of their love story. But as a reader, I saw none of that development. By the time And They Were Roommates starts, Jasper only comes across as self-centered. The suite Jasper now shares with Charlie is filled with life-size photos of himself and endless printed copies of his poems. It's just not cute. From my point of view, there's no build-up to this relationship, so I struggled to comprehend why they ended up together. Plus, knowing the ways in which Jasper manipulated this situation to get what he wanted doesn't scream romantic to me.

As a whole, And They Were Roommates left me with more questions than answers. I might be a massive overthinker but some of these plot holes / inconsistencies are bound to bother other readers.

Mainly: Jasper, and later Charlie, write love letters for their fellow students. But if the campuses are strictly separated by gender, that means these two cannot writes responses on behalf of the girls. So what happens when a girl gets an anonymous letter? Of course she can write her own reply, but if the message was unexpected, doesn't it seem creepy that an unknown guy is hitting on her through a third-party service?

Having said all that, I did enjoy the trans representation. Positive stories with transgender main characters are exactly what the world needs right now, so if you're looking for a YA story about acceptance and found family, check out And They Were Roommates!

Bottom line: The trans rep is the best part of this book...

I was excited to read this ever since I saw Page Powars' humorous "hear me out" IG post and knew I must read more of his writing. This book did not disappoint.

1. Reading this felt like I was getting soft pranked, again and again, with the humor dabbled into the margins. This is one of the funniest books I've read in a long time.

2. The book boyfriend that Jasper Grimes is. His sexy poet character was an enchanting, silly, multidimensional enigma that had my heart fluttering from start to finish. The romance is a sloooow burn, and it's worth it.

3. The theme of belonging was so beautifully done amidst all the humor. It's uplifting and hopeful and the sort of thing we need right now.

A spoilery quote below...
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"It all began when I brought that dreadful bookcase in our room. Why ever did I engrave our names like that? Have you noticed it looks like a wedding invitation?"

The way my heart seized when I read that ridiculous line. Chapter 39 had me GAGGED.

Thank you to Fiercereads and Macmillan for a chance to read an arc this book! 🖤

4⭐️ this was such a cute and touching book!! | tropes: trans mmc, forced proximity, second chance | digital

Overall Thoughts 💭:
Charlie is an awkward anxious academic which I related to. I felt bad about all the pressure he was under from his scholarship and having to fit into a new school. Jasper is a lot in the best and worst way. He was so overwhelmingly friendly to Charlie which I liked because I thought this would be a rivalry situation (it made sense later why he was so nice) and I enjoyed his character. I did struggle at times because as an introvert I felt bad for Charlie as he was very irritated with Jasper's behavior at times but as someone who is seen as too much at times I related to him as well. I loved seeing Charlie and Jasper grow closer and begin to understand each other as they dealt with the hijinks and ups and downs of their secret club (albeit unwillingly on Charlie's end). The side characters shined in this book, and I also grew to love them. Especially Blaze! There was a twist that I didn't see coming at all! I liked that the conflict happened sooner than I thought it would.

Oof. I have been highly anticipating this book for a couple years now, so it really hurt to end up not liking it. To start off with the positives, I really loved the academia vibes of this book. It reminded me at times of a classic movie with all the all-boys boarding school vibes. The plot had a lot of fun elements, but perhaps too much fun to the point that the entire plot felt preposterous and too many things happened to get proper closure on all of the subplots by the end.

This story is, at the crux, a romance, and I really struggled with that. I did see some romantic tension between Charlie and Jasper on page, but I needed more of an explanation of what drew Charlie to Jasper in the first place when they first met because, to me, Jasper just seemed like an annoying prick. I also just really detest this trend of second-chance romance in YA. Why did your summer camp fling when you were 13 ruin all romantic love for you? Are you okay? To see these two seemingly reconnecting to their "long lost love" when they're like, at most 16, just felt so unserious. Likewise, you cannot tell me this 16 year old is a best-selling poet when his book is the most basic tumblr poetry out there. Further, why is this 16 year old voted sexiest poet of the year lmao?? I loved the fun & silly vibes, but the entirety of Jasper and Charlie's relationship and Jasper's "career" made absolutely zero sense to me.

I really appreciated the trans representation and Charlie's struggles to see himself as enough. However, once again I was so confused/mind boggled by how this boy realized he was trans and within two years, at age 15-16, has already gotten top surgery (despite the mom being poor af?) and decided to go to this school that maybe is anti-trans because his mom went there and also his one (1) friend attend the sister campus, whom he'll have no contact with for the entirety of the term. And speaking of Delilah, I struggled to understand how she and Charlie were best friends when they only met two years ago, and she attends a school that doesn't allow cell phones during the year. Like how are y'all keeping in touch??

Finally, I do have to touch on the plot that brings out characters together; writing love letters for their classmates. With all of the angst and set backs that happened along the way, I thought this plot would end one of two ways, either with STRIP teaching the students to write their own, personalized love letters, or the campuses combining, rendering the delivery service obsolete, but instead neither thing happened and it just left me wondering, what was the point of it all??

With those issues in mind, I don't know exactly how this book would have worked for me. Perhaps Jasper being less of a prick. Perhaps a better conclusion to the issues between communication on the two campuses. Perhaps side characters (especially the mom and Delilah) that feel more like real people instead of props. It's not that this was a /bad/ book, and I hope it finds its audience. I fully realize I am not the target audience and am highly analytical, so the issues I have with reasons behind character actions may not bother others. I hate to give this a "bad" rating, especially to a trans author and book I was so anticipating, but I do have to be honest about my thoughts. Thanks so much to Macmillan Children's for the chance to read this book early.

Page Powars the man you are. As soon as I learned that Powars’ sophomore novel was on netgalley, I was on there faster than you can say Valentine. Powars has such a way with writing characters that you can laugh at, yell at and giggle and kick your legs at. And They Were Roommates had a cast that was so wonderful and had me cackling so loud that I was scared I was gonna wake someone up. Powars is so talented at writing books about Trans joy and with the state our country is at right now it is so desperately needed.

I’m not really a fan of this particular subgenre, but I have to say that this changed that. This story was so cute and wholesome that I just couldn’t put it down. I was constantly kicking my feet and giggling as I read.

I loved the slow-burn aspect (I’m a sucker for slime-burns) mixed with the second chance. This second chance was so unique I just couldn’t pass it up.

The entire story was executed perfectly, and I couldn’t thinking anything that I truly disliked. While I do wish there were more kisses or a more thorough sit down between Charlie and Jasper, I still love how everything played out.

Five stars for sure!!

Thank you Roaring Brook Press and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. All I can think is “Awww…”! Charlie is beginning his first year at St Valentine as the Excellence Scholar. That means he’ll have to rank in the top five students in order to stay at school. He’s off to a bad start when he finds out he has a roommate when he specifically paid for a single, the school says they have no record of this. But he has to have a single, he didn’t tell them that he’s trans and if anyone finds out he’ll likely be kicked out. St Valentine has all kinds of weird traditions and roles, they even keep the boys and girls from communicating except for at the mixer they have every year. Things get even more complicated when Charlie’s roommate, Jasper turns out to be the person who broke his heart two years ago. This was in Charlie’s before life but Jasper is sure to recognize him. Except he doesn’t but Charlie is still on pins and needles waiting for him to. Jasper it turns out, runs an against school rules love letter ring between the boys and girls school. In order to get his own room he strikes a deal with Jasper, he’ll help him write some love letters and in exchange Jasper will find a new room which should be easy as he is the Principal’s nephew. But as the two spend more time together will their growing feelings complicate things? And if Jasper finds out who Charlie is will that mess up his chances at staying at St Valentine? I loved this group of awkward boys! Blaze has to be my absolute favorite!!! Charlie and Jasper are so cute, I love the progression of their relationship! A charming story full of love that’s completely swoon worthy! A not to be missed second chance romance!

This was an absolutely fantastic book!

Set at an elite private boarding school where male students are segregated from their female counterparts, Charlie fears his secret being discovered.

Realizing upon arrival that there has been a mix-up and he doesn’t have the private room he paid extra for and finding his new roommate is none other than the boy that broke his heart a couple of years before, Charlie’s excitement turns into distress.

Add to that the stress of being on a scholarship that requires he rank in the top five of his class to stay at school and you’ve set the scene for an overwhelming first semester.

Charlie and Jasper were fantastic characters. This young adult book gives just the right amount of angst to keep you eager for more.

This book contains transgender representation, which is more important now than ever.

Do yourself a favor, and grab a copy of this one when it’s published.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher/author for this copy of the book.

What a fun read! This was such a lighthearted and heartwarming read! Charlie and Jasper felt very realstic, both in their personalities and how teenagers would handle their relationship in this situation. I also loved the supporting cast of characters. They were hilarious and really increased the amount of hijinks in this book. I really enjoyed that this book wasn't just about Charlie finding romance with Jasper and finding out what really happened during that summer, but also about finding a friend group for himself. I also found the pacing and writing of the story to be enjoyable.

Overall, I really enjoyed getting to read And They Were Roomates and I already know which of my friends I will be recommending this book to once its released!

Somehow when I requested this book I missed the fact it was YA. I do not normally read YA, but this one was so cute. The tenderness of young love, the struggle of personal identities, and the banter between the two were all very lovely to read. I probably will not pick up another YA but I am grateful I got the opportunity to read this one.

I absolutely LOVED this book. From the opening pages, the author gives us an engaging, complicated story that kept me turning the page. It's a wonderful book for the YA audience that's interested in reading about the trans experience. The issues are presented delicately and realistically.

I especially loved the way the author brought Charlie and Jasper together. It was creative and fun. The author didn't create a stereotypical characters. Instead, they gave us two young men who blended into the student body, The two of them danced around their relationship like any young LGBTQIA+ people would, and that's what made this lovely.

By the time I got to the end, I didn't want the book to be over. I wanted to learn more about how Charlie and Jasper navigated their complicated relationship. I'd welcome a sequel if the author delivers one. The writing is tight, accessible, and fun. I hope the author keeps writing like this for a generation of YA readers who need exposure to these issues.

I’m not one to read a lot of books about high school but this book was lovely. It’s so nice to see a book about a trans main character that doesn’t focus around transphobia. And the main character wasn’t sexualized. This is just a unique coming of age story.

Solid 4 stars. Good pacing. Nice romance story. Excellent high school lgbtq representation. It felt hopeful at the end.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for giving me this arc!

As Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, I thought it was perfect time to pick up this book and let me tell you it did not disappoint! This book delivered all the puns and laughable moments while still being about to pull on your heartstrings. I loved seeing the character development from our MMC Charlie as he navigates his new school. If you want a fluffy romance novel full of charm I would absolutely recommend this!

Review: And They Were Roommates by Page Powars

Page Powars’ forthcoming novel, And They Were Roommates, is a heartwarming, witty, and deeply resonant story that skillfully balances a delightful romantic comedy with themes of self-discovery, trust, and resilience. At its core is a second-chance romance that will tug at your heartstrings, nestled within a lovable ensemble cast of quirky, flawed, and unforgettable characters. Powars weaves a narrative that is both joyful and tender, reminding readers of the importance of connection—with others and, most importantly, with oneself.

The novel follows a trans protagonist navigating the complexities of love, friendship, and self-acceptance. What stands out is how unapologetically authentic and nuanced the representation is. At a time when trans and queer communities are facing increasing hostility, Powars offers a narrative that reclaims space, providing both a mirror for LGBTQIA+ readers to see themselves and a window for others to gain empathy and understanding. This book is not just a story; it is a lifeline, a celebration, and a statement of resistance against the dehumanization of trans individuals.

Beyond its representation, And They Were Roommates is an exploration of trust—both in others and in oneself. Powars masterfully shows how the protagonist learns to open up to others and rediscover their own sense of worth. The romance is a slow burn, steeped in tension, misunderstandings, and deeply emotional moments, making the resolution all the more satisfying. The ensemble cast of friends and chosen family creates a sense of community that feels real and necessary, adding humor and warmth to the story without ever overshadowing its central themes.

In a literary landscape that still struggles to fully embrace diverse voices, And They Were Roommates is a necessary reminder of why books from the LGBTQIA+ community are essential—not just for queer readers, but for everyone. These stories expand our understanding of humanity, challenge prejudices, and create spaces where love and authenticity can thrive. Powars has given us a gift: a book that entertains, heals, and inspires all at once.

Whether you’re seeking a love story, a laugh, or a poignant exploration of self-discovery, this novel delivers. And They Were Roommates is a triumph that deserves a place on everyone’s bookshelf.

And They Were Roommates by Page Powars

Release Date: May 27

Thank you @roaringbrook and @netgalley for the ARC

Rating:

Review:
Overall, I thought this was cute! I really enjoyed the story and the interactions between all the characters. My main issue with the book itself was the writing style. Anytime I’ve DNF’d a book, it’s because of the writing style or just severely disliking the main character. While I didn’t DNF this (because I did like it), I did have an issue with the writing. For me, it just felt like something was a little off with the cadence of the writing in this one. I loved all the characters, but there was something about the rhythm of the sentences that made me struggle to enjoy the actual reading experience. I actually texted a friend of mine and said “I feel like you can’t smoothly read the sentences.” BUT I did love seeing the character development that Charlie goes through, and even just the way his perception of the other characters shifts as he realizes there’s power in giving people a chance to prove you wrong.

Synopsis:
Romance is the last thing on Charlie’s mind.

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.

Who knows how long until Jasper realizes the truth? Charlie has one shot at freedom and a dorm room all to himself, but only if he helps Jasper write love letters on behalf of their fellow students first. No problem. Charlie can help Jasper with some silly letters.

Long nights spent discussing deep romantic feelings with Jasper? Surely, no unintended consequences will arise…

I had very high expectations for this book and I am happy to say it delivered! For starters, it was so funny and sweet. I loved all the terrible puns throughout the book, especially with Charlie’s confused and aghast reactions. The chapter titles were also a fun touch. And the characters were all so wholesome. I loved Charlie so much, and he had great development learning to make friends and be more open and trusting and in touch with his emotions. I also liked Jasper a lot, as he was so chaotic but also loyal and caring. Of course, I adored the rest of STRIP and the tightknit group they formed. I also liked their mission of love letter writing and delivery, and how that shaped the plot. It was such a fun and cute plot but also sparked a lot of deep emotion for Charlie and Jasper. The one part of the plot I did not really understand the point of was everything with P.M. I also kind of wish there had been some flashbacks to Charlie, Jasper, and Delilah at camp. But overall this book was everything I wanted it to be and I cannot recommend it enough!

i stayed up all night finishing this! i need page powars to keep writing more trans romcom books. i also really loved the chapter titles

And They Were Roomates at its core is about a trans boy who finds his people and love along the way. Charlie has wanted to go to Valentine school for a long time, his mom has told him all about her time as a scholar there. But when he gets there his single room is now a double and he is rooming with the principal's nephew, who also was his former crush. Valentine School is strict, competitive, and Charlie is just trying to get through his classes to keep his scholarship. As the resident scholar, he is expected to help tutor classmates and gets involved in a covert letter writing campaign to get letters to the sister campus next store. As he connects with his classmates to make sure the operation is a success he starts to feel like maybe he can actually be himself here. 

Overall this story is about a boy making friends, and feeling comfortable enough to start letting his walls down and let those friends see him. It was so refreshing to see Charlie's friends accept him for who is, and show him that he is worthy (of lots) but also of being in school with them.  

This was a fun story and it celebrated breaking down old establishment rules and showed how people can come together. This made me smile and laugh. I'd definitely recommend picking it up! Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.