I can't stress in words how much I loved this book and how painful it is that it isn't published yet to recommend it to my teen patrons, or friends who read YA. Powars is back and stronger than ever with this cozy winter rom-com that'll leave you giggling and kicking your feet. I had to set this down so many times just to squeal. Charlie and Jasper are delightfully complex protagonists, in this second-chance romance with a dash of rivals to lovers. What really makes Powars' work stand out is his ability to wield many tropes (especially those familiar to fanfiction and romance readers) in a skillful, fresh way. It's familiar yet so new and exciting. For two terribly intelligent teens, Charlie and Jasper are also terribly daft when it comes to their own love lives and you'll be rooting for these two idiots to fall in love (again). Trans-positive, cozy, and fun, And They Were Roommates is something to put at the top of your to-read pile.

Everyone say: "Thank you, Page Powars." And They Were Roommates is exactly what I want out of a book. I loved The Borrow a Boyfriend Club and am so glad his streak of excellent books is continuing. And the cover? 10000/10 READ THIS!

And They Were Roommates was everything I wanted it to be and more! I first heard Page mention it at YALLFest in 2023, and I was so here for the total idea. The exicution of the idea was even better than I had hoped however! As a trans person, Charlie is so relatable and seeing his growth throughout the story was so fantastic I cannot recomment this book enough!

i received an e-ARC and am giving my honest review 

This was so good. So, so good. I’ve been savoring it, drawing out my reading of it to last as long as possible. 
Firstly, semi-sharing a name with the MC was sometimes a jumpscare, but it also made the book so much dearer to me. Reading Charlie’s inner monologue and fully understanding where he was coming from, but sometimes feeling as if he needed to see things in a different light, was so enlightening for me in general. It reminded me of how important it is to remember that everyone has shit going on too. Not everything is exactly how it seems at face value. 
I really loved how the characters were always accepting of Charlie’s gender. There was, essentially, 0 transphobia (besides his mother a tad) and although it isn’t entirely realistic, it was nice. It was nice to fall into a world where that would happen.  
The characters were all incredibly written and fleshed out as well. I loved learning about all of them, how they connected. Blaze was such a silly little guy and left me with so many questions, but in a good way! More so ‘what’s up with this guy??’ nothing that feels unanswered in a negative way. 
I really, really loved how Charlie and Jasper’s relationship bloomed. Jasper having a crisis BEFORE finding out was SO important and I’m so glad it was written that way. Jasper was such a fun character to read, every time he was mentioned I was SAT. I particularly loved seeing him grow very quietly. Although it wasn’t entirely on the page, by the end of the book it was very prevalent he had don’t a lot of self-work. And it paid off majorly. Him seeing what he did was wrong but also standing up for himself and his feelings was perfect. 
As a trans-man, this book hit close to home a fair amount. Never went to an all-boy or all-girl school, but I did go to a very private, small, Catholic school. This book healed some part of me that was still wounded by my time there, imagining that a private school could be so accommodating to queer students. 
I loved this book. So much. I can not wait to get a physical copy to reread and re-find all of my favorite parts

3.5 stars. Charlie and Jasper are roommates at a private boys' school called the Valentine Academy, where the students are dedicated to the *love* (get it?) of learning. But what Jasper doesn't realize is that he and Charlie have met, before Charlie transitioned, and he doesn't seem to recognize Charlie from their camp romance a few summers before. Since Charlie is determined to keep his trans identity a secret at his new school, he can't even confront Jasper about how things ended.

Meanwhile, an elite group of students has a secret club where they write love letters on behalf of other students, and smuggle them to the girls' school next door. This is taken extremely seriously by everyone on both sides of the wall separating the schools. Also Charlie has to remain at the top of his class or he loses his scholarship immediately and will be sent home.

I love a boarding school book, but this one was just too wacky. The other students are eccentric to the point of cartoonish. Jasper was super annoying most of the time. The burgeoning relationship at the center of the book doesn't get enough time to develop.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

This is a solid YA romance that I think will appeal to younger teens in particular! I do think that Powars' debut was much stronger, as I particularly felt that the supporting characters here were all fairly one dimensional / exaggerated. I do think Charlie was a fantastic character though!

5 out of 5 stars

Rep: Bi trans MC, bi LI, Vietnamese SC, Black SCs, gay Latino SC, Filipino minor character

Content warnings: I can't really give details without it turning into a spoiler, but there's a situation involving questionable ethics related to privacy/consent -- but it's not actually as bad as it sounds!

I'm pretty certain that nothing will ever be able to top "The Borrow a Boyfriend Club," but "And They Were Roommates" definitely came close. I knew I'd love it based solely on the chapter titles, and am pleased to announce that it delivered all the same humor, engaging atmosphere, fun characters with great development, and skill in writing of Page Powars's debut. Several moments had me laughing out loud, and the overall vibes actually managed to make me miss being in school.

Powars once again gives us a sweet romance and delightful cast that I would watch a sitcom about in a heartbeat. Now that we have two books to compare, I feel confident in declaring him one of the best YA authors currently in the game. I'm already so excited to read what he publishes next!

On the technical side of things, I think calculus and chemistry need to be switched in the schedule listing, based on Charlie later going to chemistry after calculus.

**HUGE thank you to Roaring Brook Press for granting me an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!**

AND THEY WERE ROOMMATES is as fun and chaotic and full of heart as it sounds! Page Powars is truly a refreshing voice in YA, with his absurd jokes and much-needed representation. I can't wait to keep buying his books!

AND THEY WERE ROOMMATES is the follow-up to Powars's debut that we all needed, and one that cements him as a fresh, big-hearted, and FUN voice in YA romance. The tension between Charlie and Jasper is palpable, thanks to the backstory of their summer camp fling + the high stakes Charlie feels about keeping his cover at his boarding school. Valentine Academy feels like a real place, the cast of characters is just as specific and ridiculous as in THE BORROW A BOYFRIEND CLUB (Blaze Alpha Destroyer can do no wrong), and the plot is page-turning enough for even the most reluctant reader. Heists to deliver secret love letters?! Say no more! This sophomore novel will delight loyal and new fans alike.