This was a lot of ridiculous. I just couldn't get into it. I had trouble connecting to the main character and even more to the Love Interest. I didn't understand the appeal but, also, so much didn't really make sense to me. My suspension of disbelief just doesn't go that far I guess. A lot of it felt wrong to me. It was quite a fast read but maybe that kept me from being attached to any of it? I don't know, this just didn't work for me but it'll probably work for others!

I loved this audiobook! I was drawn in by cover and the story did not disappoint! The narrator was clear, emotional, and great. I was expecting a bit more romance, but the romance was still so good.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Macmillan Young Listeners for this advanced copy! You can pick up And They Were Roommates on May 27, 2025.

This book was exactly what I needed -- an adorable, whirlwind YA romance with incredible characters and a fun plot. Charlie, a trans boy nervous about attending his first all-boys school, didn't expect to get paired up with a roommate when he requested a single room. Let alone that roommate being his first kiss, Jasper Grimes, back before he transitioned.

But it seems Jasper doesn't remember him.

Enter a wonderfully campy story about writing love letters together, befriending the school's other outcasts, and growing into yourself and your surroundings. Valentine's Academy for Boys may not have seemed like the perfect fit at first, but Charlie learns not to shy away from asking for what he wants and taking up space. His growth as a character and his developing relationships with all the side characters was unbelievably sweet, and the perfect dose of serotonin.

Def pick this one up if you love rivals to lovers but make it queer!

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc!

i stumbled upon this book after seeing the author describe it on their insta, and was immediately enamored by the title, which those who spent hours on vine back in 2014-2016 will remember fondly.

i loved this queer YA novel with an academic setting, and am always reminded how grateful i am to no longer have the stress of academics, extra-circulars, and maintaining scholarships looming over my shoulder like our mmc charlie does.

my only disappointment with this book was the miscommunication!! my most hated trope, but overall the rest of the book was such a fun time.

as for the audio, the narrator did a fantastic job!

I enjoyed this book. It's the first I've read from Powars and I'll likely seek out his first novel, too!

This story takes place in a fictional private school for the very wealthy, but Charlie is there on a scholarship. As a newly transitioning trans guy, Charlie has requested a private room, however, due to some sort of clerical error, he's ended up with a roommate, which is none other than the boy who broke his heart pre-transition, Jasper Grimes.

Overall, I did enjoy the story, though I found Charlie to be a bit unlikeable. Jasper doesn't recognize him, which is both a good and bad thing for Charlie. It just felt like Jasper was trying really hard to be his friend and Charlie just kept shutting it down, rather than talking. And I know that this is YA, so maybe I shouldn't expect those communication skills? But miscommunication or lack of communication is one of my least favourite tropes.

A really solid YA book that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

A cute second chance romance between a transgender boy and his roommate. The 16-year-old drama was a little over the top but the characters were great and I loved all of the relationships in this novel. A solid read but I definitely wanted to shake the main character a few times.

3.5/5 stars

Very, very silly and fan-fic-y, I really enjoyed this and listened to it in an afternoon--trans kids deserve lighthearted fun, and that's exactly what this was!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Young Listeners for letting me listen to an ALC of And They Were Roommates by Page Powars!

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH. A sappy, sweet childhood lovers to enemies to lovers with hilarious forced proximity! Seriously, I kicked my feet through this entire book! Charlie’s internal struggles and monologue as more and more secrets pile on his shoulders had me stressed out while his growing friendship (and more!!) with Jasper had me cackling to myself. The breaking point was poignant and the relationship that begins to blossom after the fact is so sweet and tender - I only want the best for these precious, sweet boys.

If you’re looking for a lighthearted young, queer romance, check this one out! And if you’re a fan of audiobooks, I highly recommend this one. Ben Balmaceda as a narrator is phenomenal and he truly brought these characters to life and made them real in my head as I was listening.

I liked the audiobook, the narrator did a good job and I thought was great for the character.

I didn’t really like the book very much though. I get that this is fiction and there’s a certain level of suspending belief that we have to do sometimes, but I had a really hard time with so many aspects of this being even remotely possible of actually happening. Also a second chance romance between 16 year olds is WILD.

Far from the worst book I have read, it wasn’t like BAD, but I didn’t like it like I hoped I would.

A solid 3.5! The humor and pacing did not quite work for me but I love the heart of this novel and the narrator was fantastic! Some plot points moved too quickly, and I never really felt connected to the backstory &connected of our main characters, but the relationships in the novel really started to coalesce by the end which was lovely. I will absolutely be recommending this to my teens!

Absolutely adored And They Were Roommates! Jasper and Charlie's story hooked me from the start, and I absolutely binged this!

What a fantastic fun read! A completely unique premise that had me hooked from the second I first heard about it. This book has a stunning cover and a story to match. The characters were so 3 dimensional and I just want to befriend them all! Another great read with great representation from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC!

This was so good any time I put it on to listen to while doing other tasks I would get so wrapped up in the book I would forget to do what I meant to do.

This was a delight from the first seconds. The cast of characters were unique and deeply lovable, and the friendships throughout were a genuine high point. The main character Charlie was both very relatable and appealing to me, as I have a soft spot for slightly grumpy anxiety driven academic weapons. His love interest Jasper was also so far up my ally its not even funny. Their antics made me laugh out loud consistently and sent me swooning more than once. I love a yearner and both of these boys are grade A yearners, especially because they can't tell the other wants them back just as badly.

I absolutely recommend the audiobook if you have the chance to pick it up. The narrator was the perfect choice. His acting decisions made so many already good lines that much better, and imbibed each character with so much life.

I absolutely loved AND THEY WERE ROOMMATES. this book tells the story of Charlie as he starts classes at his dream school—a religious boys-only school. Charlie is anxious about keeping his identity as a trans student a secret, but gets even more worried when he’s forced to share a room with a guy he knows. A guy he hates. A guy who broke his heart before he transitioned.

this book had so many beautifully human moments between Charlie and his new friends at school and all of them trying to figure out how they can be a part of the school’s traditions in a way that helps fellow students. while Jasper resembled Gaston from beauty and the beast for a bit, we even got to see his depths and humanity as well, which made all of our characters so lovable. and most importantly, queer joy. this book showed Charlie’s insecurities as they are but also gets to see him find a place to belong, to be seen, and to love.

Have you ever wanted Ouran High School Host Club to be a novel where Haruhi is a transgender student and unfortunate enough to have a history with Tamaki-senpai and now they're roommates? Well, do I have a book for you! haha. Thank you Netgalley for the arc. I had a very fun time with this. It has a few expected tropes but I really liked the characters and setting of this. You really feel the pressure that Charlie is under and the second-hand stress was palpable to me. It's a quick read and has the vibes of a story that easily could be a hit teen movie with the shenanigans that happen and just an amazingly quirky cast of characters. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this.

The story is fun and cute. But hands down to the narrator who brings this story alive. I definitely had fun listening to the audio.

And They Were Roommates is the definition of cheesy romantic tropes, and it is SO much fun! A trans boy at a boarding school who ends up rooming with a crush from his past, lots of love letters, and dialogue that is absolutely wild for high schoolers. This book is a delight!

Thanks to NetGalley, Page Powars, and Macmillan for the chance to read and review. My opinions are my own!

This is such a compelling story of a young trans man working through his transition and navigate being a teenager at the same time. To top it all off the first boy he ever loved (before transitioning ) is his new, unexpected roommate at boarding school. Their relationship is struck with many difficulties the top of which being their struggle to communicate and share their truths with each other. In short the angst was angsting but it was a great story.
As for the narrator, I loved how the narrator felt like he was in the character’s head and brought the teenage mentality to life without sounding cartoonish.

I liked the story. The narrator did a good job with delivering the narrative. The setting was interesting and I really liked the titles of each chapter.

4 stars

This is a great YA romance, and it comes with characters who love high drama, which is especially noteworthy in the way the audiobook is narrated.

Charlie is off to boarding school, and he's made some significant changes before arriving, including but not limited to transitioning. He's especially interested in having his own room to maintain his privacy. After all, Charlie is alive in this creepy world, and who can tell how someone might react to, you know, someone being their true selves? (Sighs, rolls eyes, tries not to think about the crumbling of society as we know it...). That's why when Charlie realizes he's going to have to share a room (hence the titular "roommates" note), he's extra panicked. What makes this situation wilder? Well, the roommate is this fella, Jasper, about whom Charlie has been losing his young teen heart ever since a long ago summer camp romance. The big questions here include but are not limited to will Jasper recognize Charlie, who is now presenting very differently? Will Charlie be outed? Will these two somehow find a way back to romance with all of these new details in play and a few more years under their belts?

I really enjoyed the pacing, characterization, and unapologetic nerdiness of these characters, and while they are remarkably dramatic, as noted, this feature is more fun than irritating. I recommend this for folks in the mood for a snappy YA romance.