4.5 stars

This story somehow manages to be both ridiculous and unbelievable (the crazy boarding school experience) while also really and relatable (the trans rep and teenage behavior). I had a great time while reading this. Charlie is a good character to experience the story through. He is more down to earth and relatable among a cast of wacky characters. But they were all so interesting and super fun. The assumptions and decisions that Charlie makes towards the end without hearing out Jasper, while something that would really annoy me in an Adult Romance, was something that felt very real and on brand for a Young Adult story. We see very real teenage angst and emotions in the mix, and I enjoyed that, honestly. Overall, this was great. I think this is my new favorite book from Page Powars.

Sweet and charming, And They Were Romance is a fun romantic read with plenty of humorous characters and wonderful trans rep. Personally, I didn’t find the plot very gripping though, and there a quite a few plot points that seem like they needed more room for development that keep me from rating this higher.

For me, I didn’t find some of the plot points very gripping, which made it hard to focus. Charlie, upon entering this unique but competitive academy that has a romance theme (which is silly in a way I liked), has multiple points to navigate: self acceptance and outward acceptance as a trans boy who the academy doesn’t know who’s trans, his over eccentric roommate which was his first love but the roommate doesn’t realize, surviving the rigorous course work of the academy and his plot about dealing with being a tutor that is actually a front for a love letter/poetry distributing club. This all makes some sense together, but sort of make it so that they don’t all shine to their full potential.

I didn’t care much at all for the love letter writing plot where Charlie is trying to be a better poet at Jasper’s guidance and learn about romance… it wasn’t that exciting, even though on paper it ties into their relationship as a whole.

I think while the current present of Charlie and Jasper’s relationship is still entertaining, namely due to Jasper and his cohort’s very unique personalities, the backstory between them is half flimsy. Mostly because while, yes teenagers are super dramatic, it seems a bit weird to me that at age 13 you had a crush so bad that it ruined all your perceptions of love / you were still in love with them. I mean 13/14 to 16 is a very different place in your life and I don’t feel the weight of their past relationships to make me understand why they were so attracted to one another initially.

I think a lot of details needed more expansion or focus to make more sense. A lot of plot items on the surface is just fun or to move the plot forward, but looking at it a bit more it makes you question how exactly we got here like with their personal relationships or Jasper’s career. Maybe there were too many hijinks at the same time.

it’s still a cute read with humorous moments, a good balance of humor and seriousness - but just not as pulling as I was expecting.

this. was. so. good.

THANK YOU to netgalley and macmillan for providing me an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

"and they were were roommates..." "OH MY GOD THEY WERE ROOMMATES!"

i was head over heals in love with this idea of a story since i heard about it and when i got approved for the earc i almost screamed.

plot blurb:
charlie is an excellence scholar at valentine academy. that means he has to abide by the strict rules of the academy all while staying within the top five ranks of their second year class. it's an archaic kind of rule -- judging someone based purely off their academic prowress... especially when the number one rank gets a perfect 100 everytime just because he is the principal's nephew. jasper, said nephew, has -seemingly- never had to work for anything in his life. but charlie and jasper already have a history. two summers ago, charlie and jasper had a fling. however, that was when charlie was presenting as a girl still, before transitioning to charlie of today. so when charlie's check for an upgraded single room never gets to valentine's office, he has no other choice but to be jaspers roommate. dun. dun. DUNNNN.

i loved this. charlie was so realistic in terms of his perspective on love. charlie very much does NOT believe in love. kind of same my dude. jasper, meanwhile, is an internet acclaimed poet (i was thinking rupi kaur but as a teenage dude) and lives his life as a stereotypical heartbreaker. they were really dynamic characters while still being cliche and stereotypical in the best way possible. (think romcom vibes).

this is a sloooowwwburn. like 89% of the way through the book slowburn. praise!! i love a good slowburn.

this book is proof that queer romances can feature trans stories which feature transness as a central crux of the story without focusing on the deeply depressing and scary nature that can come with being trans in a world that may not accept you. i read for escapism and this book provided that. but at the same time it was true to life. a very good balance if you ask me.

PLEASE pre-order this book or reserve it at your library. it is so good and i cannot recommend it enough!

2.5⭐️
The book is sold as a rom com and I unfortunately didn’t laugh or grin once. Also. Am I crazy or did the author definitely read Ouran High School Host Club?? Jasper is Tamaki, the love letter writing club is the Host Club, the rich academy etc etc?

It’s difficult to tell a story about “geniuses” then fill the pages with poetry to back it up that comes off as trite, and simplistic facts and figures to appear smart. All the characters are unbelievable, broad, alien people - no one would act or speak how any of these people do. When I let go of reality and fell into the fever dream and just pretended I was reading a manga or anime script it was easier to swallow, but that isn’t the same as enjoying myself. Charlie is pined over for apparently no reason, he is literally nothing but short and mean to Jasper, stand offish or awkward with others, and doesn’t take any responsibility or show any honesty for quite some time.

The plot is contrived and unbelievable and the setting is the same, there’s really nothing to latch onto here. I can’t speak to the accuracy of Charlie’s trans experience but I hope this book lands in the hands of those who need it or those who get it. Mine were not the hands.

I love reading YA with wonderful queer rep and this book is exactly that! This is my first book by this author, and it won’t be my last!

Charlie is hiding his trans identity at the all boys boarding school when a mishap has him rooming with his ex WHO DOESN’T RECOGNIZE HIM!! 🤭

This was one of my fave books I have read all year! I am completely enamored with literally every single character— I want a full series of their time at school, plus a prequel, plus a spin off series of their sister school!!! As a former boarding school student, Charlie felt so relatable. I loved seeing his growth throughout the book and the support he received along the way was so tender. I couldn’t put this one down. This book exceeded my expectations! (Grateful to have received an advanced copy to review!!!)

This book was just sweet and wholesome and it made me feel a lot of feelings. I loved the dynamic between Charlie and Jasper and how their relationship changed and grew as they both changed and grew.

The conflicts throughout the story made them work hard for their eventual HEA and I loved every minute of it. There's something special about the cast of characters, they're all little weirdos and I want to be friends with them all.

I'm looking forward to reading what else Page comes up with in the future, this book was straight up good.


Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

Roses are red, violets are blue. This book was, or simply, so cute! I enjoyed (a good majority of) this story a lot. I definitely think one of the highlights is the unexpected friendships Charlie made throughout the story, and how he slowly opened up to them and, in turn, himself. These side characters (especially the eccentric young genius, Blaze) really stood out for me!

The setting of Valentine Academy really helped to make Charlie feel more isolated in his feelings about himself and his situation in the beginning, but I really did love how it became more of an exclusive little club he was a part of. I will admit, there were some interesting tonal quirks with how some characters spoke and acted compared to others that took some getting used to.

The relationship between Charlie and Jasper was very cute. It was definitely a slow build to a sudden admission of feelings that I didn't think fit completely with how the story was going. HOWEVER I'm a sucker for grumpy/sunshine dynamics, so their relationship was still very cute!

Overall, I really enjoyed this story! I've never read a story with a trans main character, and it was admittedly refreshing to read a fish-out-of-water story with this perspective. 3.5✨

This book was somehow even better than I imagined from the premise.

A little bit of a second chance romance, a good amount of forced proximity, and a sprinkle of a secret identity sort of situation and it's really just built to be the best book for me.

The experience of reading this book was a joy, Charlie was an easy character to commiserate with and although Jasper was a tad annoying it was in a charming way that still made him very likeable.

I’ve unfortunately decided to dnf this one at 40% and HEAR ME OUT. I was super excited for this, the premise sounded fun, the cover? Absolutely obsessed with but I just can’t get over that I was 40% in and super annoyed with mainly Jasper. Jasper was lowkey very weird.. not sure if he knew who Charlie was but tbh didn’t care to find out. The fact that Jasper would constantly call Charlie by his full name gave me a headache in itself since Charlie’s last name is LONG. I didn’t see any romance going anywhere, oh and also? The fact that Jasper had a cardboard cut out of himself in their dorm? Very weird. Unfortunately this missed the mark with me :(

This is a sweet YA Romance about a trans boy who happens to "accidentally" get roomed up at boarding school with his first love from before he transitioned. Jasper, his first love, is a total peacock! He makes it weird from day one in the best ways. Jasper doesn't recognize Charlie from before and this causes Charlie to feel ALL SORTS OF THINGS! The last 20% of the book was my favorite, but that's probably because that's when the love story starts to really get going and Charlie starts to get more comfortable sharing his truth with close friends.

❤️ Enemies to Lovers
❤️ Second Chance Romance
❤️ Grump and Sunshine
❤️ Boarding School

First and foremost And They Were Roommates is one of my favorite reads this year! It releases May 26th, 2025 and it is a YA MUST read of the year. It’s an original, witty and earnest coming of age queer YA story about discovering yourself, found family and first loves. It’s a seriously beautiful read from page one until the end. I found myself thinking how much I needed a book like this when I was a teenager but now, as a non-binary person, having grown up wondering and fearing if I’d ever find my place and people who would truly love me, I know that books like these are pivotal for queer people, especially young queer people.
Powars writes in a truly unique voice and it’s full of laugh out loud scenes, wonderfully vivid and compelling side characters and a tender and sweet love story that begins off page and allows the reader to follow as it unfurls. The world building was thorough and detailed; I could tell how much thought and work went into cultivated these beautifully eccentric characters, their desires and pains and the rigid systems and landscape under which they’re trying to live and thrive as young people. It’s a compelling story and it sucks you in and leaves you no choice but to love every single second. You’ll fall for Charlie and Jasper and be completely enamored with their friends and peers. There’s so much to root for, so much to be excited for and so much to make you fall in love with this story.

Thank you to Page Powars and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for access to this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

"A must-read for fans of inclusiveness"
"timely and relevant"

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I truly loved this story. The beginning of knowing ones true self and being comfortable in your own body. Knowing what you want and going after it. Loved how this book opened up the transgender awakening in the young adults. It was great! Highly Recommend!

This was super cute. I'm probably not the intended audience for this considering I am 10+ years older than these two- however I am always here for queer representation. I ended up reading this in one sitting.

I was sucked in for the title, but stayed for the awkward tension between Charlie and Jasper (who was very much so giving me Tamaki Suoh from OHSHC vibes). I was especially a fan of the friendships that blossomed between all of the boys and how the rag tag group of STRIP members supported each other.

I found some characters to be lacking in substance, but this is a YA book so my expectations were a fun, fluffy read. With that said, there were a few solutions that arose that almost felt too easy, but in a world of transphobia, I'm glad it was very limited in this book.

I could totally see there being a sequel to this book with Charlie and Jasper learning how to navigate their relationship at Valentine academy, though it did wrap up fairly nicely.

Definitely check it out if you're a fan of YA romance and want a fun read.

4.25 ⭐️

And They Were Roommates is a queer YA romance that follows the complex relationship of two roommates, Charlie and Jasper, at their elite boarding high school–Valentine Academy for Boys. Charlie had requested and paid extra for a private room, since he is trans, but there was a mix-up and was paired with a roommate. When he reaches his room, he realizes, with horror, that his roommate is the same boy that had broken his heart two years prior during a summer program at Valentine Academy. In a stroke of luck for Charlie, Jasper fails to recognize Charlie, as they had met before Charlie transitioned. Charlie goes out of his way to try and avoid Jasper as much as possible to prevent Jasper from potentially recognizing and outing him. Jasper’s bubbly and outgoing personality makes this increasingly difficult. Despite his efforts, Charlie gets roped into a tutoring gig that is a front for a secret club designed to smuggle love letters to the all-girl sister school on the other side of campus. Charlie strikes up a deal with Jasper wherein if he assists with tutoring and helping Jasper ghost-write love letters for their classmates’ girlfriends, then Jasper will leave their shared room so Charlie can have a room to himself.

I had such a blast reading this book, I finished it within a day. Admittedly I’m not much of a YA romance reader, but the concept of this book caught my eye and I’m so happy I was able to get the ARC as I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading Charlie and Jasper’s story. Given that And They Were Roommates was only a little over 300 pages, it was rather fast paced, but didn’t feel too rushed. The plot and character development felt realistic for the few months at school this novel takes place. I thought there were a couple moments where the time jumps felt a little odd, jumping from week-to-week. There were also a handful of typos and awkwardly-worded phrases, but as this was an uncorrected proof, I expected there would be a few.

The relationship between Charlie and Jasper felt really realistic and believable for their ages and circumstances. Powars perfectly depicted the uncomfort and insecurity of being a teenager at a new school. The exploration of the hurdles that trans teenagers might face through Powars’ relatable storytelling undoubtedly presented a marginalized experience as one that anyone could empathize with, which I believe to be both beautiful and increasingly important. As a whole, all of the characters felt true to the ages they’re intended to be. My one complaint about the cast of side characters would be that there were too many to completely keep track of. I find this to be a common trend in some contemporary novels in a school setting.

Overall, I found And They Were Roommates to be a cute and charming teen romance that anyone would have a fun time reading. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a super sweet story. I enjoyed watching the main character learn to be a little more confident in who he was slowly, and learn to trust his new found friends and roommate as they accepted him for who he was as well. The story I felt had good representation from all sorts of groups and I loved seeing that! The trans rep was something done very well and I don’t see often enough honestly! I love how we got a peak of it being important to Charlie that he learned to trust those around him and tell them about himself and that they were accepting (because we don’t see that often enough either!). That his fears were realistic. I really enjoyed the world they were in as well and his friends.

This was the perfect book to finish my trans rights readathon. 🥹 I knew it was going to be a good read when it’s about Charlie, the only trans student transferring to Valentine Academy, and he thought that he would be fine until he was assigned Jasper Grimes as a roommate. The boy that broke his heart the summer before he transitioned. Jasper doesn’t recognize him now and that’s where this cute story begins. It was so good. Loved loved loved.

“Love is never not scary. It’s a matter of whether you’re enjoying that fear,” (254).

Thank you NetGallery for the EARC!! This novel was so sweet!! I quite enjoyed Charlie’s story, and I would love to see more of their adventures.

I enjoyed Charlie’s character development the most. His growth of being intimidated by his classmates to finding meaningful relationships with various classmates was so sweet. And Jasper and Charlie!!! They were so very cute, and loved Charlie’s poem at the end of the novel.

The plot around STRIP was quite silly, and at times predictable, but overall enjoyable. I appreciated the end of the novel addressing the schools “old” and “traditional” ways, mentioning the possibility of change for the better. Very goofy plot, but all for the better of the narrative.

I definitely recommend this book!! It was such a quick and fun read. The characters were lovable, and all I want is more of them. Perhaps a college adventure??

I rated this book 3 out of 5 stars. Finished it very quickly. It was entertaining and the pacing was fast enough to keep me consistently interested in seeing what would happen next. I will say that I think this book may be better suited for younger readers than myself, probably teenagers still actually in high school. I just felt like I couldn’t relate to how Charlie (the protagonist) was feeling, as the problems he faced throughout the book seemed a little less world-ending than they’re introduced as being. But, then again, I am no longer a sixteen-year-old, so maybe I was also that melodramatic at that age, lol. In any case, I thought the book was an enjoyable enough read and the romance was cute. I just wish there’d been more of it. I think if you like Hallmark-y type stories, this would probably be a good read for you. Or if you enjoy stories that are more reminiscent of Disney channel movies (back when they were actually good). This book has a very wholesome/innocent vibe to it, which can be a refreshing read if you’re used to contemporary romance being more angsty or highly dramatic.

Give me some found family!!! This academy romance is a glorious example of to power of friendship.

Fair warning, if you want the school to make sense...it won't. Why wasn't Charlie given an orientation and thorough tour? How does anyone in this day and age think the competition for ranks will lead to a positive environment? How is an all boys school lacking any openly queer students at the start of the story? The school is problematic. Just go with it.

Charlie has achieved his dream of attending the elite private school, Valentine Academy. He's worked hard over the past few years to not only be eligible to attend, but to finish his transition. He's entered the school knowing they have no official policy regarding trans students. To feel safe, he's requested and paid for a single. Unfortunately, when he arrives he discovers he has a roommate. A roommate he knows. The boy who broke his heart two summers ago, before he transitioned.

Now, Charlie is not only about to enter the most academically rigorous environment he's ever been in, he's got to make sure his roommate doesn't connect the dots. His plan of hiding until graduation is torn to shreds. What will he do?

This book is filled with classic YA tropes. Awkward kids. Uncomfortable peer interactions. Crushes that fuel the soul. Emotions that explode for the tiniest of reasons. If you're not a lover of YA you're going to want to smash this book against your forehead once or twice.

That said, the community Charlie finds is the heart of this book. He's roped into participating in a school club. Another kink in his plan to hide out. The more time he spends with these boys, the more he opens up. He starts to give help, and receive it in return. He becomes part of a whole. For Charlie, he's never felt like he's a part of something. These boys heal parts of him he didn't even know were bruised.

Oh, Jasper. (The love interest.) Look, he's a weirdo. From the beginning. He's an odd roommate, an odd student, and odd friend. Charlie is understandably cold towards him, but Jasper doesn't get the social cues either. It's no wonder the roommate situation is challenging. Their romance blooms under these incredibly oddball circumstances, which is honestly how most high school romances feel.

This book was wonderful. I was rooting for Charlie. I was thrilled by the high school hijinks he got himself into. I cheered for his achievements, and groaned when he was thwarted. This story isn't about Charlie discovering himself. He knows. He's out. He's transitioned. It's about stepping into himself for the first time. He's unencumbered by his past at this school. A chance to just be himself. That's the hope we have for ourselves. I loved getting to watch Charlie take this chance. I hope many teens get to read this, and use it to inspire their own journeys.