“this book was… not for me,” says the 34-year-old woman after reading about two 16-year-old boarding school students 😅🥴

don’t get me wrong, i LOVE the trans representation, but the weird school traditions and clubs were just… confusing and not it. and i wasn’t a big fan of the narrator…

(Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.)

I found this book to be an enjoyable read. The story kept me engaged from start to finish and had some moments that really stood out. Overall, it offered an entertaining reading experience.

And They Were Roommates had a lot that I genuinely enjoyed. The found family element was probably my favorite part, especially the way this group stuck with each other through everything felt really warm and real. I appreciated that Charlie was given space to just be, to grow into himself, and to be accepted in his new school without the story being totally centered on trauma. It was refreshing to read a book that leaned more into trans joy than transphobia.

That said, I definitely had my frustrations. There were a lot of loose ends that didn’t feel fully resolved or even addressed again, which made parts of the story feel a little incomplete. Some characters, especially Jasper, were hard to connect with, and not always in a “they’re flawed but compelling” kind of way. It was more like I just didn’t really care what happened with them. I also think the book leaned on tropes a little too heavily. Sometimes it felt like the story relied on them instead of developing something more original, which held the plot back in places.

Still, I really enjoyed the narrator. Honestly, that was the main reason I picked this up in the first place, and they didn’t disappoint. Despite the issues, I liked the book overall and think it has some really heartfelt moments worth reading.

The main takeaway I have from this book is that even if I didn't know this beforehand, this book would tell me that Page Powars likes anime. No one in this book talks like a normal person, but they all talk like various anime archetypes. Even though its a lighthearted romcom, you can't zone out for a bit because suddenly a character will start talking about a war they're waging against spiders that will leave you very confused (I learned this the hard way). If you're willing to look past that, there is some heart to the story and I had a great time with it, plus the narrator made the characters feel real, even despite their exaggerated personalities.

Charlie is finally starting boarding school at the prestigious St. Valentine's, and he'll be attending at the boys' side. As excited as he is, there's a lot of stress to consider: as the Excellence Student, his scholarship depends on him making the top five in his class every term, competing with some of the country's best and brightest in challenging classes, and all of this depends on him hiding the fact that he's trans. So when he accidentally gets assigned to a double instead of a single, hiding his identity is going to be harder. Finding out that his roommate is the boy who broke his heart a couple years ago and should be immediately able to rat him out? Much, much worse. However, Jasper doesn't seem to recognize him, and the two strike a deal for Charlie to help the school's secret love letter delivery system (communication with the girls' side is forbidden), and if Charlie holds up his end, Jasper will get them separate rooms. Things get so so messy way too fast.
Some parts of it were a bit silly. Like Jasper being voted the sexiest poet, in particular. Who makes these decisions? Who chooses a sixteen year old?? The gnomes in love was also really very hard to take seriously. Also, the idea of a second-chance romance for 16 year olds is goofy. It was still a good book. Charlie's journey is really satisfying to watch and the stress he's under is palpable. I don't know really how to feel about the love letters plot. It's interesting. I think it added a bit to the book, but also, it felt a little weird.

When Charlie and Jasper first met at an academically themed summer camp, Charlie was still she. Jasper and Charlie had a brief but memorable dalliance until Charlie discovered he was courting three other girls; now, post top-surgery and hormones, Charlie is living as a boy and worked all summer to pay for the cost of a single room, but fate has matched him with none other than Jasper as a roommate. Charlie has enough to adjust with as he matriculates to the boys-only side of St. Valentine’s, the top secondary boarding school in the country, know for it’s academic rigor, high stakes class rankings, small class sizes, expert instructors… and a secret letter delivery ring run by the top of each class. Living with Jasper, who spurned him AND is now Internet famous thanks to a best selling poetry book titled Love is a Sad Clown, is the icing on the cake.

When Jasper’s aunt, the school principal, assigns Charlie to join the Society To R I P (S.T.R.I.P.) to ascertain why STRIP isn’t helping boost more grade point averages, Charlie learns there is an additional competitive element to the rankings: the top five get to spend a week in the horse stables that boarder the sister schools to exchange sweet nothings and pass love letters with their academically ranked female counterparts. St. Valentine’s comes off as a real place, peopled with over-the-top characters and situations conveyed with real emotion. It feels as cozy, ridiculous, and fun as a dramatic anime plot. Each chapter is titled with a classic work of literature, which is a fun Easter Egg for readers, and great fan service for literary fans.

I listened to this one, and I’m not sure if it was the excellent dramatic tone of the narrator, the manga-influence cover, or the creative plot and vivid writing but I could not get the imagery of manga style out of my head. I felt like I was listening to overacted English dubbing for a Japanese series—but in a good way. It really made the actions, expressions, and feelings of the characters come to life.

Overall, the voice acting is great, with distinctive voices that fit each character. I especially enjoyed Blaze’s enthusiasm. It was surprising that some obvious words are mispronounced – people wear bows (long O) in their hair, not bows (short O) – those are more commonly paired with arrows or ships.

This gay boarding school romance about a girl transitioned to a boy is a sweet, anxious, playful read.

I received an advance reader’s review copy of #AndTheyWereRoommates via #NetGalley, courtesy of #MacMillan and #RoaringBrookPress, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This story was campy and fun and the audiobook was compulsively listenable. The crux of the story is that since Charlie is trans, he needs his own room at boarding school, and not only does he have a roommate, but it's Charlie's old crush Jasper who doesn't even recognize him now that he presents as a boy.

I did find it hard to see Jasper's redeeming qualities, but he was so ridiculously full of himself that it was a pretty fun read anyway. There are a lot of crazy characters in this book, so Jasper blended right in.

If you're looking for the kind of realistic fiction that might actually happen, this probably it's the story you're looking for, but if you're looking for something fun and goofy with a reluctant romance, this is a great choice.

One of the things I really loved about this book was that although the basis for Charlie’s challenges is his transition and needing a single room, this never feels like an issue book. It's just a story of a trans kid who deserves his HEA. It’s fun and lighthearted. The ensemble cast is quirky and campy. And the building romance between Charlie and Jasper is a sweet one you can’t help rooting for.

My only struggle with the audiobook is that I felt like the voice of Jasper was too over the top. Sometimes it threw me out of the story. He is a larger-than-life character as written but it was maybe a little too much in the audiobook. Otherwise, this was a delight.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for a free advanced reader’s copy. I received this copy in exchange for my honest review.

What a fun, goofy, yet sweet ride this book was. As much as I giggled at Powars two for two on the ‘secret romance club’ plot in the two books I’ve read, it really does work. The characters are charming and sweet, and Charlie is such a fun and transparently unreliable narrator, especially when it comes to the romance. I’m a sucker for the situations where the love-blind stubborn one is completely blind to the obvious way the romantic one treats them differently from everyone else.

Ben Balmaceda also knocked this narration out of the park, it was full of teen angst and hope and so much character that I couldn’t help seeing myself in Charlie’s over-achieving nature. This performance really sold the emotional highs of this book where stubborn, perfectionist, do it all yourself Capricorn King Charlie gets told he’s not alone (my eyes were definitely misty).

If you like goofy levels of tension, unreliable but relatable narrators, and everything that Tamaki and Haruhi had going on in Ouran Highschool Host club, I fear you’ll devour this book just as much as I did. What a slump killer this was! Thank you, Ben Balmaceda for your enchanting narration, and Page Powars for being reliably amazing!

What a a funny, heartfelt, and refreshingly queer YA romance that balances a few rom-com tropes beautifully! Charlie and Jasper awkwardly reunite when they're paired as boarding school roommates. The catch? Jasper doesn't realize Charlie since he's transitioned. There is a lot of emotional baggage due to an unintentional ghosting situation and the forced-proximity of being roommates makes for a tension filled setting. There are several plot lines highlighting the power of friendship, forgiveness, and second chances. I adored the boarding school setting and the cast of characters were magnificent! And big thumbs up for queer/trans joy!

Sincere thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, & Macmillan Young Listeners for an advanced listener copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Roaring Book Press and Macmillan Audio for the ALC!

I saw another reader call this campy, and that is the correct word for it. This book was extremely entertaining. Jasper is over the top, the humor throughout is on point, and I cannot get over Blaze and his musings. I lived for the revelation that Jasper was not straight, which we could all see from the beginning! A light, cheesy, YA romance that is technically a second chance!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC.

Ben Balmaceda is a new storyteller to me and what a lovely impression he made. Very nice to listen to.

Oh man. There were laughs, cringes, and so much angst. Charlie was giving Hermione vibes at some points. This book was quite enjoyable.

HUGE WIN!! This is absolutely unlike anything I've read before -- follows Charlie to a new school, assigned to room with his crush Jasper who does not know that he's trans or that they've met before. 100% recommend!!!!

So, I never saw the meme or the vine that I’m learning served as the inspiration for Page Powers’ <i>And They Were Rommates</i>. From what I can tell, this had a pretty significant impact on the internet for a minute there. And by all accounts, I completely understand why. These sorts of stories make us feel things rather quickly; I just wish I could say the same about Powars’ story. Unfortunately, despite really enjoying the characters, a part of me just didn’t buy the romance.

There’s something to be said for the fact that I did find each and every one of the characters immensely fun. Overall, their personalities and development were pretty great. I did find that Charlie was somewhat grating at times, but I adored Jasper and all the other characters. In this regard, I think that character is where Powars truly excels. The ability to build out unique personalities that truly feel like people you could potentially meet in real life is such a key facet to good storytelling that it was exciting to see how those personalities existed in the world of this boarding school.

Unfortunately, plot is where everything seems to fall apart.

There are just so many holes in the makeup of the story on its own that, as a reader, I was kind of left scratching my head as to how much we have to suspend our disbelief. From the idea that Jasper has been pining for Charlie as he knew him previously for so long that he would go out of his way to ensure he was able to build a friendship with the first person he was aware of who had the same last name to something as minor as the development of Charlie's friendship with his supposed best friend, despite the fact that they barely had time to speak to one another, readers are left trying to accept the unrealistic realities of this world every step of the way.

I don't want to spend this entire review listing out every moment that I clocked as requiring me to suspend my disbelief because there were far too many of them. By all means, I do believe that for those who are incredibly invested in the premise as a whole, these moments might not matter to them at all. And I can settle back and accept that the realities of this world are simply too farfetched to match the one I live in, but it doesn't make for a well-plotted book.

I think, in the end, if a reader knows what they're in for with <i>And They Were Roommates</i>, they'll probably be very happy with where this story goes. For me, I can't help feeling disappointed. It's not a bad book, but it's not a great one, either.

Ben Balmaceda did an overall wonderful job of narration. I do think he captured Charlie perfectly.

The title. The cover. IT'S EVERYTHING. I had to immediately request when this came across my desk ;)

And They Were Roommates is a romantic ode to writing, second chance romances, and queer joy.

I really loved how the story flowed. We instantly are put into Charlie's conundrum of rooming with his ex Jasper, who is none the wiser. What follows is a story of the pressures of academia, an elite boy's club, love letters, and a slow burn romance that will leave you with a big ol' smile on your face.

The narrator Ben Balmaceda perfectly captures Charlie as well as the rest of the cast. The distinct voice intonation between Charlie and Jasper is superb. I could easily tell who the dialogue was based on character's persona. Balmaceda's cadence also allowed me to listen at 1.5 speed, making this a fast-paced contemporary romance a delight to eat up every single minute!

This was definitely a case of "the cover made me do it." I was interested in the premise, but the cover art is amazing.

And They Were Roommates is about Charlie, a trans boy, who gets the opportunity to go to a prestigious all-boys boarding school. He has a lot of concerns about how it will all work out, but then those worries are exacerbated by ending up with a roommate... a roommate who he knew before his transition. How will it all pan out? Never did I ever think that teenage boys writing love letters for others would be such a big part of the story. It is a sweet second chance YA read.

There is a full cast of quirky characters and interesting social dynamics. Some of the actual logistics didn't feel quite accurate, though. I also would have liked to see more of how things worked out for the others and growth within the school system as a whole.

The audio was a single narrator, which made sense given that the book is a single POV. The narrator spoke very clearly and I was comfortably able to get it up to 2.5x speed. I eye-read pretty quickly, so it's a perk when I can also get through audio at a similar rate.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ALC of this audiobook for an honest review.

I was so excited for this story and it was wonderful! The writing was excellent which I'm always nervous about with YA. The MC was so cute and I was happy to see him thrive. Great narration too!

3/5 stars. This was a cute YA queer second chance romance. However, this book really wasn’t for me. It was a little too YA for me. I did enjoy Charlie as a main character. I’ definitely liked seeing a book with a trans main character.

3.75 stars

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this audiobook ALC!

This was a cute, campy YA romance with trans rep, and characters with varying personalities. Jasper is the most flamboyant guy I’ve met and I liked all the friends Charlie made. I wanted them to succeed in their missions. You do have to suspend your belief a bit in the school setting. It’s fun but exaggerated in areas and not explained enough in others that had me questioning how everything came to be. For a school that is extremely strict access to the outside world (no phones, can only call outside in emergencies, only top tier students of both gendered schools can intermingle at an equestrian stable) I don’t get how all a lot of outside relationships are formed.

I liked Charlie’s journey in discovering himself in this new setting finding himself in different ways. Powers brings a level of introspection that is informative.

Charlie’s and Jasper’s relationship didn’t fully pull at me. I think that’s because a lot of it was developed 2 years ago off screen. It felt like we breezed by them getting to know each other now, didn’t build their past, then we jumped to “I love you.”

Ben Balmaceda’s narration of Charlie’s story was lovely and matched his character.

Overall, I do look forward to seeing what Page Powers comes out next!

(LemonyReads System)
Characters/Depth/Growth - 6
Atmosphere - 7
World Building/Historical Accuracy - 5
Writing Style - 7
Pacing - 8
Plot / Conflict - 7
Dialogue - 7
Intrigue / Creativity - 7
Romance/Relationships - 6
Enjoyment - 7

Charlie has transitioned, and he's off to Valentine Academy for Boys. When he gets there, he's ready to get settled in his single room, only to find out he's been mistakenly roomed with Jasper Grimes, the boy who broke his heart before he transitioned.

This will they or won't they book had me hooked in the beginning. I liked Charlie's character and how dealing with Jasper felt like a massive chore. However, this book lost me at about the 60% mark. When I say I enjoy a slow burn, I didn't mean a sloooooooooooooow burn. Our two lovebirds playing will they or won't they the entire book, don't even kiss until like the 90% mark. That's just too much in this reader's opinion. In the meantime, I lost interest in the story because I was just waiting for what I thought would never happen.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. I enjoyed Ben Balmaceda's narration. He definitely brought the Charlie to life.