I have been so excited to read this book! It’s a boarding school love story full of tween angst and figuring out what it means to love in the best of ways. Set against the backdrop of Valentine Academy, a prestigious boarding school teeming with overachievers and Shakespearean flair.
Powars' writing is infused with a love for literature and writing, making the novel a celebration of sharing our perspective through the written word. The cast of characters is endearing, each contributing to a narrative rich in friendship and self-acceptance. The audiobook, narrated by Ben Balmaceda, brings lovely personality and flair to the audiobook narration of this story.
And They Were Roommates is more than just a boarding school love story; it's a luminous exploration of identity, belonging, and the transformative power of love and literature in accepting your own story.
Perfect for your Valentine's Day display or TBR with the academy being based on St. Valentine and the plot revolving around writing love letters.

Genre: Romance, Academia
Age: Young Adult
Topics: LGBTQ rights, coming out, gender, perfectionism, academic pressure
Spice: none
Representation: Transmasc main character, multiple queer characters
Read For: Netgalley
Obtained From: Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the Advanced Listening Copy
Song Recommendation for the vibe: Clueless by Ellie Williams
Hashtags: #AndTheyWereRoommates #NetGalley

Audiobook Narration: 5⭐️
Prose/Story: 3.5⭐️
Vibes: 4⭐️

What can I say about this? I actually enjoyed it.. however so think I enjoyed the narration. It’s a case where the audiobook completely brought the book to life where so don’t think if I read the ebook or the physical book I would have had the same experience.

The narrator Ben Balmaceda did a fabulous job! Funny enough when he first started his reading I was a bit concerned as I thought it may have been a bit too dramatic for my liking but it quickly settled down. He spoke at a good natural pace for the 1x speed but I was also able to easily speed up the rate to 2x and understand everything easily. Mr Balmaceda did a great job changing up his voice for different characters. So much so that I checked the listing to see if it was only him narrating and it was. The run time is listed at 8 hours and 50 minutes.

I appreciated the perspective of the trans MMC as his experience seemed authentic insofar as his internal feelings. But I will say that the whole story was reminiscent of the old movie “She’s The Man”. The problem is that was a case of a girl trying to pass as her twin brother at a boarding school and not a transgender situations at all. It pains me to compare this book to that movie but it’s the reality of how it felt. Charlie, the MMC’s, internal monologue and anxieties get a bit repetitive which I’m such is like that in real life but in a book it does get a bit boring when the same thing is said over and over. The author was trying to convey the anxiety and fear that the character was experiencing but it wasn’t very effective as the reader was being told rather than shown.

The other challenge was the romantic relationship between the MMC’s. There was no chemistry shown at all nor any reason for them liking each other than the author telling us they did. I kept waiting for something to click and all come together but it never happened.

That being said, you could see some ground work in the way at least as male character Jasper Grimes was trying to stay close to Charlie, the MMC. This was a “second chance romance” as they had met at a camp 2 years previous before Charlie’s transition and had a brief encounter.

So in all the book was entertaining due to the great narration. It kept my interest and I consumed it in one sitting (2x speed so 4.5 hours). I did enjoy the sub plots of how the boys school connected with the girls school and all the male “characters”. I out that in quotes in that “He was such a character” type of way as the book was full of them!

This book comes out May 27, 2025, just in time to read for Pride month in June. I do think it’s worth a read, especially the audiobook.

Lastly, the author is compared to Casey McQuiston in that fans of them will enjoy this author. I disagree. Their writing is completely different in how they approach queer romances. This was a very clean, young YA queer romance. A hallmark movie type which is very different than McQuiston and to me, that’s a good thing!

I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary audio ALC from Macmillan Audio through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

Such a heartfelt story of a trans male looking to fit in at an all boys school. It all goes sideways when his roommate turns out to be his first kiss who broke who heart. What follows is a beautiful story of finding where you belong, finding your people, and fully accepting yourself.
This was such a fun story that was heartfelt and sweet. The diversity in this book was refreshing and beautiful. 4.5⭐️

I wanted to really love this book, but unfortunately I found it kind of boring. I also felt like the romance between the main character terms came out of nowhere. It maybe would have been better for them to just make up and be friends.

This book is pure sunshine! A delightful YA romance featuring a trans MMC and the beautiful blond poet that broke his heart. This novel is filled with some many genuinely funny moments and I loved the entire cast as a whole.

Ben Balmaceda does an outstanding job narrating and the audiobook is a great way to experience this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was a slam dunk for me. The character of Jasper specifically delivered the seemingly Perfect Prince character without being actually insufferable. His sweetness mellowed his perfection, well done. Contrasted with the main character’s inner struggle to feel accepted or good enough, I felt it worked really well.

I also loved the side characters and how they all came together at the end. The pacing of that journey was very subtle as well, and I didn’t realize they were accepting Charlie as their own until Charlie did. Standing ovation, no notes.

Adorable story and excellent narration. Some of the aspects of the school and dialogue feel a bit too over the top to suspend disbelief, but that adds to the charm of the story more than anything else.

This book was HILARIOUS!! I was dying of laughter the entire time. Mostly because of the "and they were roommates" meme that kept popping up in my head. But in all honesty this book was all about self discovery and young love. But in all honesty all the tropes were fantastic: second chance romance, first loves, he falls first, romantic longing, love letters, and forced proximity.

If you are looking for the "She's the Man" humor but at a prep boy's academy with secret love letters this is the story for you!

Rarely do I read a book and wish I could be best friends with EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER. I love them. They are weird and loveable and so real. This book was just a lot of fun! I love that this story was set in a super traditional school and felt that the stakes were truly so high for Charlie.

The narrator did a fantastic job with the characters and making each one unique -- truly brought the story to life!

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher!

4.5⭐️
AHHHHHH! SHUT! UP!
This was one of my most anticipated books for 2025, and I'm SO happy I got a chance to read it a few weeks early!! (S/O Netgalley for the Audio Arc)

Camp at its finest.

This was so funny. It's so incredibly unrealistic in every way! But it doesn't matter. Yeah, nobody in the world talks like the kids do in this book..BUT I DONT CARE! I'm having a blast!

I loved everything and everyone, and I am now a die-hard Page Powars fan.

I wish there had been a few more romance centered interactions between the love interests or alternatively if their backstory had been expanded on a bit more. The romantic chemistry was so good that I wanted more *Moments* to pinpoint the romantic progression between them.

I actually can't stop smiling, I need to restart the book immediately.

I can't wait to pick up this authors debut novel now, and I will be impatiently awaiting more books from them in the future.

AND THEY WERE ROOMMATES 💌💘

Love is in the air at Valentine Academy! Our main man, a transgender student named Charlie, has just transferred to a new school and is determined to fly under the radar for as long as possible. His plan quickly starts to unravel when he discovers his new roommate is none other than his long lost lover, Jasper. Chaos ensues as Charlie is coerced into writing love letters with Jasper on behalf of other boys at the school, then helping sneak said letters over to the recipients at the all-girls school on the other side of the wall. The romance between the main characters was more of a side quest rather than the central plot, which was fine with me since it felt a bit bland at times. The side characters were entertaining (shoutout to Blaze, whose dialogue sent me into orbit) and the cheesy Valentine’s elements sprinkled throughout were fun little touches.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!! 🫶🏼

This book is so cute it melted my heart. I’m so in love. With Charlie, with Jasper, with their relationship but also with the writing. It’s so funny and witty and sweet and swoony. Really, my heart was singing while I read this book.
I can’t wait to read more written by Page Powars. He is absolutely in my autobus list now!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

This was such a cute and touching story. Ben Balmaceda was such a good narrator! I loved every minute.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan, and Page Powars for the ALC in exchange for a honest review.

4/5 stars

I liked this YA rom-com. I always appreciate a trans main character because we need that representation. I did not really like either of the main characters very much but I really liked the supporting characters, particularly Xavier and Blade. I thought that Charlie was not self-reflective for someone who has gone through what he went through. He seemed immature for a 17 year old (granted, 17 year olds can be immature; as a former teacher, I can attest to that). I also did not love the prep school setting as it is such a privileged environment. But it was an engaging listen and I loved the narrator. He was excellent.

It was hard for me to really embrace these characters, they came across kind of douchey, especially Jasper. The story felt a little under-developed, I went in expecting to fall in love but just never connected. I read the audiobook and the narrator was pretty good, although his voice for Jasper was obnoxious to me 😅 But that also may just be my personal preference.

This was cute, very camp!! The way I squeal when they mention Trans representation like I didn’t already know- I live for thissss. This had so many funny moments, like I was fr cackling 🤣
Charlie working out is soooo me.
“Is this something boys innately know how to do out of the womb?” While doing a pull up is so real.
Just the whole navigating after transitioning is 🙂‍↕️ Been there, but on the opposite side lol. I wasn’t too big on Jasper, but Xavier though 👀 (I think that’s the guy who was working out, goldfish brain). Although, knowing what I know… It wouldn’t have worked out.
All the acronyms had me wheezing though-
“Strip…” like pardon me? ☠️ Page fr had me lmfaoo.

“Too busy for Dicks?” LIKE PAGE LMFAO.
(Not what you think)

“We got Belldumbs to lift.” 👁️👄👁️ Charlie is just so boy brain sometimes, but so real lmfao.

Overall, this was such a fun read. All the characters were so hilarious & It was just a good time!!
Ben Balmaceda did great voicing everyone, esp Charlie & Jasper!! 🤍🤍🤍

After a few heavy books I needed a palate cleanser. This one is just as saccharine sweet as you'd guess.

Charlie has gotten into his dream high school academy on a full scholarship and has a plan to hide his trans-ness from his classmates and the school administration, however he's greeted on his first day with the unwelcome surprise of a roommate. And not just any roommate, but Jasper, the boy who broke his heart years ago at Shakespeare camp.

We see Charlie struggle to adjust to the new academic demands, navigating friendships while not being honest about himself, and unexpected feelings creeping in with his fury over the past.

There's plenty of teen angst, but the friendships are honestly very sweet and heartwarming.

The 12 year old who acts like a cross between a super hero and anime character is my fav. I too hate spiders.

What a fun read! I think the characters were a bit over the top but who wouldn't be at a special boarding school during their teenage years!? Really loved the pacing and thought the character bonds really shone and felt natural (despite the quick pace) as Charlie went through his time at Valentine.

This book felt quite reminiscent to Mason Deaver and Casey Mcquiston!

This was such a cute story. I love how it showed focus not just on the main romance, but on the friendships as well. And when I say I love the miscommunication trope this is EXACTLY what I mean.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. Charlie has to navigate so many new experiences while attempting to be at the top of his class. There was some suspended disbelief required for the very traditional boarding school setting. But, I think it helped with how, over the top, the poet love interest, Jasper, was in everything he did. Very much Black Cat and Golden Retriever vibes 😄

If you're looking for a book with a trans MC, then I would absolutely suggest starting here. While I was a little surprised a minor had gender affirming surgery (which is extremely rare), it was an important part of the love interest acceptance.

This was a quirky book. If you go into it just looking for some fun and accepting many things won't have full explanations, then you'll have a great time! Rounding up to four stars.