*4.5 stars*

I loved this book as what it is: a cliché-y romance novel. I think it's very lighthearted, cozy, romantic and the characters are relatable, lovable and well written. Of course the plot is not anything crazy, but I personally love it anyway when romance novels do this. The only thing missing for me was a bit MORE YEARNING!!! But I loved it anyway as you can see by my rating.

arc review:
my 3 stars feels a little too harsh but alas. i did enjoy this book by the end but i found the beginning very tiring. at first charlie has an incredibly one track mind to the point of being insufferable and jasper seemed deeply irredeemable. thankfully neither were totally true by the end! Huzzah!
i enjoyed the lack of unnecessary homophobia/transphobia however! it was refreshing since many books i read lately are full of unnecessary moments of mean ness towards queer mc’s. while that can be very realistic to our world unfortunately, i liked being able to step away from that reality
if goodreads were less rigid i would give this book a 3.5
thank you to netgalley, edelweiss and the publishers for the arc!

There's NOTHING we need more right now than this type of rep. I fell head over heels in love with this book! It was funny, adorable, heartbreaking, and 100% relatable. It's the perfect summer read!

i’m going to start by saying, in this day and age (i speak as an american about america but honestly this sentiment can probably be echoed through out the world) having a book with a trans main character face zero instances of transphobia is absolutely a needed (and refreshing) story. there were still struggles charlie faced towards centering his trans-ness but were focused elsewhere (passing as a cis-man mainly). so i truly appreciate page powers for writing a story of a trans teen not experiencing that.

now, for the story its self! i genuinely had a freaking BLAST. charlie is truly grumpy to a tee, yes mostly because he’s trying to keep his head down when getting continually singled out by his roommate (and ex-summer fling). and said roommate is just so adamant™️ about spending time together that he literally lures charlie into a 100 year old tradition (shenanigan). charlie is truly just a relatable teen tying to find his way at a new school while simultaneously being pressured to do extremely well academically. now, i bet charlie could run circles around me in any class but i’m not too far removed from those days. and i truly felt and related to him a ton in his struggles.

i think powars balanced the seriousness and concern we should have for charlie with their academics taking over their world. while also giving us the humor and needed banter for his relationship with jasper to develop. i loved seeing the moments were you can see jasper’s gears were pumping about recognizing his mannerisms without realizing. seeing their relationship develop and evolve was so lovely. and jasper truly is a bit of a saint (valentine… ha!) himself to be putting up with charlie’s reluctance and outright avoidance at times. seeing them discuss their feelings at the end and discuss what they wanted out of a relationship, i always appreciate seeing those “emotionally mature” scenes in books because i know it will impact how a future teen goes about their relationships.

this one was so fun but i beg of you to deal with jasper’s poetic language. the boy will grow on you, i swear!!

Charlie went to summer camp 3 years ago before he transitioned, and Jasper broke his heart. Now, he’s starting at an exclusive all-boys boarding school and his accidental roommate is none other than: Jasper. After getting roped into a secret club writing letters to the all-girls school across the wall in exchange for a room to himself, Charlie has to balance classes, his extracurriculars, and trying not to let anyone too close…

This book was so much fun! It had all the ridiculousness and stupidity of teen boys without being too absurd. I’m sure it doesn’t reflect the exact boarding school experience, but it was so enjoyable and the characters were great. I loved getting to know not only Charlie and Jasper, but the whole STRIP gang.

The way the romance developed was filled with so much miscommunication, but it felt so natural that two teenage boys would struggle that way. I’m also a sucker for the type of unreliable narrator that thinks he isn’t doing much, then finds out that he helped so many people and everyone loves him.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC!

This book is nothing short of a goddamn delight. I admit, I was drawn in by the author’s post comparing Charlie and Jasper to Alhaitham and Kaveh, and this book absolutely lived up to my expectations — and surpassed them.

Charlie is a beautifully written character, with so many expectations and anxieties to work through as he makes a home for himself at Valentine, and becomes friends with people he never thought would accept him. His struggles feel so real to the reader and you can’t help but feel your heart ache just as much as it roots for him. Jasper is hilarious and flamboyant in the best way, a great complement to where Charlie is awkward and unsure. The ending was so sugar sweet I think I developed a cavity just from reading it. And then I was promptly brought crashing back down to earth when I turned the page and found there was nothing more to read. Sequel when?????

Ultimately, this book was just an utter joy to read. I don’t think the smile left my face for more than a few minutes at a time once I started reading. Plus, I devoured the whole thing in a day, which is something I haven’t done in a while!

As a side note, if the author hadn’t said this was written before Alhaitham and Kaveh released, I would have totally thought the book was inspired by them. Haikaveh fans, we’re eating GOOD with this one.

Thank you SO much to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Insanely slow paced. A majority of the plot happened in the last four chapters (30 pages). There was a third act breakup, but lacked the romantic tension in the first two to make it worth it. The characters themselves felt flat, especially Charlie, the main lead. Wasn’t much world building and instead slammed a bunch of tropes together without any real progression.

All and all, I did like this but it wasn’t much of a romance to me. This book follows Charlie, a trans boy, navigating his first year at an all boys school. The school isn’t aware that Charlie is trans, and since it’s old fashioned, he’s determined to fly under the radar and stay focused on getting good grades to rank high enough, academically, to keep his scholarship.

Charlie fears his spot is put as risk though, when he is paired to room with the principal’s nephew, Jasper, instead of getting a single room like he requested. Jasper also happens to be the boy who broke Charlie’s heart at camp the year before he transitioned.

I do understand Charlie’s fear of Jasper realizing who he was and telling his aunt, but this whole story really just did not go the way I thought it would.

To start, Jasper was pretty annoying but i’ll admit he grew on me, so much so that I ended up feeling bad for him almost the entire book. Charlie spent the whole book not even giving him a chance when Jasper actually turned out to be pretty kind and caring. It was so obvious all he wanted to do was hang out with Charlie and then when everything came out about their past, Charlie gave him zero chance to explain.

I did enjoy the side characters and STRIP. And the whole thing with the letters started out fun but then it just went absolutely no where??
The school guidelines were just so odd too, so strict for no reason. They weren’t allowed to have contact with anyone at the sister school and I would’ve thought that maybe in the end the students could at least write letters themselves but nothing came of it when it was basically the entire plot of the book. It left me thinking what was even the point of the letters?

I will admit, the end was cute but I feel wildly dramatic calling this a second chance, considering it was one kiss at 13 and they’re only meeting again at 16. It get that its YA but this was hardly a romance to begin with. I did enjoy the writing though, which is why this is getting three stars but unfortunately, this fell very flat for me.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book gave me all of the heart-warming feels! I loved the premise of two boys becoming roommates but only one of them is aware they know each other. It felt like a 90s teen romcom and I absolutely ate it up!

Charlie and Jasper were frustratingly bad at communication, but who isn’t as a teenager? Especially when they both are unwilling to share their thoughts and secrets. I loved the growth we see in both of them as they begin to trust themselves and each other. As they build their trust, they start to know themselves and each other more thoroughly. Their identities are theirs to claim and share with the world.

I adored all of the side characters and shenanigans that took place in this book. Blaze always came in with a profound revelation - or terror for arachnids - at the perfect time. Xavier is the perfect confidant to help Charlie grow into himself. The entire STRIP gang, and Delilah, brought such a fun element to the book. I absolutely loved it!

Of course, the representation and acceptance in this book cannot go without recognition. Stories like this are so important to young readers who look to books to help them figure out their identities. Page’s storytelling is compelling, relatable, and entertaining in a way that is enticing to readers of all identities. I can’t wait to read more of his books in the future!

Thank you so much to Roaring Book Press for trusting me to review an eARC of this book!

Unfortunately, this one was a bit of a miss for me. Surprisingly not because of the unrealistic setting and some of the more outlandish characters. Those were actually reminiscent of early 2000s era high school movies or like, Ouran High School Host Club. It was nostalgic and charming. The problem was the pacing was really, really off to me. The way things jumped around didn't work for me and made it a little difficult fully follow along. Plus, I really felt like the development of the romance didn't fully work. It definitely had the potential, but I really think the pacing let it down. It just made romantic and character developments feel really patchy and uneven. I do appreciate, though, seeing more trans-leads in romances. I hope this is a trend that continues, across all genres.

Love! The cover is giving Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, which is what originally drew me in. The plot was cute! We need more queer romances like this!

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 a cute YA about a trans boy who goes to an all boys school and has to be roommates with the boy who broke his heart 2 years prior, before his transition, while also worrying about grades and tutoring his peers. Charlie is so full of secrets and stress for a 16 yr old, but still so authentic in their interactions with other people. I loved all of the characters and found this to be a quick and cozy read. I loved getting to see Charlie make friends and get comfortable with himself and his school!

My friends and I say “And they were roommates 👀” more times than I can count. So I knew I had to read this lol

This book follows Charlie (post transition) and their time at Valentine Academy. He learns he has a new a roommate named Jasper… who also happens to be the same Jasper that broke his heart two years ago at a summer camp before he transitioned. Charlie wants to fit in at his new school with a fresh start. But of course, that’s easier said than done.

This book was a cute, quick read. Some of it was a little unbelievable (this may be partially because I went to a boarding school so some of the academy happenings seem a little out there as someone who has lived it lol). This is a true “young adult” novel with lots of school drama and a small amount of young-love romance. Bonus that it’s got a trans main character! We love to see it!!

A huge thank you to this book’s publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, and Page Powars for this eARC.

4.5 stars. I had a blast reading this. It is a celebration of trans joy. It is so heart warming. This is the romcom, emphasis on com, we deserve.

It is silly, wacky, hilarious, campy, ridiculous, over the top, and an all-around fun time (all positives!!!!!!!!!!!).

Jasper is a lot to take in at first—flirty, beautiful, dramatic, annoying, delightful. You feel exactly what Charlie does, irritation and adoration. And don’t get me started on Charlie—my cutie patootie. He’s my son now.

This book has a lot of strengths but the characters come on top. I adored every single one of them. I love my found family.

My heart is so full after reading this. It makes me so happy that this exists for trans and queer kids navigating life right now.

Fun, silly, and OTT
I was so excited for this book when I first heard about it. I loved the cover, title, and premise. It did not disappoint! I had so much fun with this book and flew through it. While the characters didn’t feel like real people because of how ridiculous they were, I still loved them. I didn’t think I’d like Jasper but he grew on me. I liked seeing Charlie make friends and realize he’s not alone. The romance was cute and sweet. I do wish it didn’t have the second chance aspect. They were so young that it didn’t make much sense.

I liked this book. They felt like they were high school boys, annoying-ness and all.

There were some points where my brain would think, "Well, there's the answer right there. There's the solution for you," but I know that teen boys, regardless of whether they are at the top of their class, will always be stupid.

I liked that the author made them a little naive, a little book-smart, not street-smart. It makes sense for a group of boys whose brains aren't fully developed and surrounded by all things love to have a club dedicated to smuggling love notes to the sister campus.

It also felt a little Oruan High School Host Club-ish if they took the full dive and made Haruhi Trans. Loved it.

Honestly, I almost DNFed. This promised to be a somewhat satirical romp set in a boarding school, and I was here for it. I thought it would be like Mackenzi Lee's _A Gentleman's Guide to Virtue and Vengeance_.

Instead...I think I'm too old to read YA where the teenagers actually act like teenagers. I found the characters, the pacing, the plot to all be... less than ideal.

I'm sure it's for someone but it wasn't for me.

The beautiful trans rep, humor, and internal struggles were slightly overshadowed by some truly ridiculous happenings and scenarios.

A heartwarming ending doesn’t quite make up for the convoluted story. The characters are all good, but none seem to be fully developed and the reader doesn’t really learn much about them until far too late in the story. That being said, it’s a special journey to see through the eyes of the character, who learns about himself right along with the reader