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.

Thank you to NetGalley & The Publisher for allowing me this advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

As soon as I saw this authors promotional reel on Instagram I was hooked. I was lucky enough to be picked for the ARC and got to read it!

This book lived up to the hype I had for it, easily. It was adorable and the characters were so different and likeable. The plot, though romancy/trope-y, was well written and kept me turning the pages for more. If you're a fan of Ouran High School Host Club, this book was made for you.

As I said, I loved the characters. Blaze might easily be my favorite and honestly he towed the line between what could have been a disasterably written character or an amazing one. Obviously I thought he was amazing. The fact that a 3rd rate side character might be my favorite says enough about this book in itself. That being said, Charlie's character was great too. You could feel the authors personal experience as a Trans person shining through and every aspect/complication in this story fed right back into Charlie's character arc in the best ways. The emotional ride this story takes us on is what kept me turning page after page.

I don't think I even have any gripes! Usually, even my reviews for novels I like have at least some gripes but honestly this novel delivered on description, expectation, base standards, and then some. I'm giving it 5 stars & will definitely read more from this author in the future!

This was one of my most anticipated reads for this year and it did not disappoint! The concept for the story is super intriguing and while I thought I knew the story that would be told, I was pleasantly surprised with how it was executed. Because I had preconceived notions of what this book would be, it took me a while to get into but around the 20% mark I was hooked.
What was most surprising about this book was the friendships made in the story. I really loved Robbie, Xavier, Blaze and Luis are all fantastic characters facing their own issues in the book. But I think Blaze was my favorite, especially when they finally make it to the mixer.
I am so glad stories like this are being published and read by the next generation. I wish we had more books like this when I was a teen. I think I would have been much more interested in reading if so. Definitely going on my YA recommendation list.

Charlie is staring at a prestigious boys boarding school as a Sophomore. He not only has to worry about ranking in the top 5 of his class to keep his scholarship, but he's also worried about how his very traditional school will react if they find out he's trans. To add to Charlie's stress, a housing mix-up means he doesn't get the single room he was hoping for. And to make things worse? His roommate is a the first guys he ever kissed and doesn't even recognize him.

Powars creates a wonderful cast of characters that brings so much heart and warmth to the story. Strongly recommend for all teen collections, especially those where rom coms are in high demand.

Thank you to NetGalley and Roaring Book Press for this arc!

I loved this book! Everything was so sweet and heartwarming- Charlie’s friendship with the boys, him figuring out his comfort level, Jasper’s eagerness to spend time with Charlie, and the whole love notes services was just so freaking cute!

I loved that Jasper learned about Charlie’s boundaries and grew as a character to be more humble and let his guard down with Charlie so he could be himself a bit more! He was just a sweetie pie who meant well and wanted a bit of love.

I really enjoyed Charlie’s character and his development. He went from trying to isolate himself and refusing to trust anyone to opening to others and learning what true friendship looks like. The anxiety rep here was amazing.

The plot line was wonderful! I mean a secret group of boys who deliver love letters??? It’s so cute!!

Overall this was a super cute and sweet read. I loved every second of it!

This is less second chance romance and more campy humor. Long lost loves that (spoiler alert!) were never officially dating the summer after middle school. A love interest who is so obnoxious and vain that he decorates with posters and a cardboard cutout of himself and has no idea how his actions or privilege affect others. A twelve-year-old sophomore genius who lives in a fantasy world where he’s an arachnid-fighting medieval knight. A plot based mostly on sending love letters to strangers, from strangers, not on the narrator’s own love life. It’s fun if you’re expecting or on board for all that. I was hoping for something a little more realistic, so the enjoyable bits for me were the narrator beginning to come into himself as a gay, trans teen and starting to find true friendships and a support system, as well as the criticism of a system that is rigged for the benefit of some, even if some events and outcomes were more idealistic than realistic.

This book fully embraces its exaggerated, fantastical tone, making it a fun read for anyone who enjoys heightened drama, unreliable narrators, and big emotional stakes. The over-the-top situations feel like something straight out of high school drama, with plenty of wild, fantastical elements that are more about big emotions than realism.

However, the protagonist’s overwhelming focus on his own thoughts causes him to miss key things happening around him, and the plot hinges on an irrational fear that doesn’t quite ring true. Multiple subplots also feel underdeveloped and don’t really go anywhere, leaving parts of the story feeling unfinished.

It wasn’t for me, but younger readers who enjoy big emotions over realism and a more fantastical take on high school drama might have fun with this one.

This was a super cute book! It highlights the struggles that trans youth still face while keeping the story itself lighthearted and sweet. If you’re looking for a quick, charming YA read, this is great one to pick up!

Hilarious, swoony, and absolutely over the top. I found myself completely hooked by this and had so many laugh out loud moments. Charlie is a transgender teen at an all boy's private boarding school just trying to pass, but a mix up with his dorm has him not only rooming with someone but rooming with his EX CRUSH who was his first kiss. Jasper is a poet with an over dramatic and romantic streak who is absolutely determined to befriend Charlie, despite absolutely not recognizing him post-transition. This is all set at a very exclusive private boarding school that is absolutely bonkers. Everything about Valentine Academy seemed extremely fictional and out there, from the fact that no one is allowed to use phones to the insane focus on rankings (and not just top 10% or a GPA, but literally top 5 students.)

This book does require a LOT of suspension of disbelief. It is incredibly over the top. But I absolutely loved it. I stayed up way too late and was an absolutely zombie the next day because I simply couldn't put it down. The chapters are also very short and quick so this book just flies by. It was such a fun time, filled with wit and humor and outrageous scenarios and heartfelt confessions. The friendships Charlie formed with his classmates are incredibly sweet and the secondary characters in this novel all feel like unique and interesting personalities (if a tad unrealistic.) There's also a really fun heist going on in the center of this plot which I'm always here for. Just an incredibly fun time.