They Were Roommates

Not So Normative #0

by D.C. Emerson

Previously published as They Were Roommates by Cutler-Tran, Dawn (AUTHOR)

Dive into the captivating Not so Normative world with this exciting prequel, featuring Frankie and Diego.

Being the fun-loving, good time not a long time guy was going great for Frankie until he met the ruggedly handsome yet aloof Diego. At first, he thought meeting Diego could be the start to his enemies-to-lovers romance - except he doesn't do romance. After Diego opens up to him about being trans, they become fast friends and eventually decide to open a business together. Frankie is sure he can be a mature business partner, but does that mean that's all they can ever be?

Diego has spent a long time working towards becoming the man he is today, but he still has a long way to go, and a lot of goals he wants to achieve. The last thing he needs is the class flirt distracting him. But when Frankie proves to be a lot more than he seems, kind, intelligent and impossible to shake, Diego wonders if he can settle for starting a business together and just being roommates. What could possibly go wrong?

They Were Roommates is a cute MM romance that celebrates the rich diversity of trans-masculine, gay, demi, and omni characters. Explore the sweet and spicy moments these two roommates share as they open an inclusive cafe and form an affirming queer community together.

Genres: Romance, Transgender, LGBT, M M Romance, Friends To Lovers, Queer, Contemporary

211 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 8, 2024

About the author

D.C. is an avid board gamer and rock climber who lives on the East Coast of the United States but loves to travel to places near and far as often as they can.

D.C. has always identified as queer, but during the pandemic they came out as nonbinary (they/them pronouns) to family and friends. This book was part of that process, and they have loved exploring different genderqueer identities like their own through their writing, reading, research, and countless hours watching reels and videos on social media.

Their biggest hope in writing queer fiction is to provide at least one other person out there with characters and story lines that they can recognize themselves, or their friends and loved ones in.

Reviews

[Dani (Daniiireads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

- queer rep
- omni & transmasc mcs
- friends to roomies to lovers
- found family
- slow slow burn

They Were Roommates follows Frankie and Diego as their relationship shifts over the years from friends to roomies & business partners and finally to more.

Their story is a sweet one, but not without its ups and downs. Frankie and Diego are honestly so cute together, and I loved that they got the happy ending they deserved!

[Jane (whatjanereads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was absolutely lovely!
Academic frenemies to study partners to friends to business partners to lovers. Save to say this was the slowest slowburn and I really loved it.

Frankie helping Diego post top surgery, being the absolute sweetest (and kinda oblivious)? I loved him from the start.
We follow Diego throughout his transition journey and I barely ever read about that in a romance novel. I loved the open communication in this, about gender, sexuality and during the smut scenes too.
These two were the cutest every and I rooted for the so hard. I love their little found family, their café and the ending was perfect!

Rep: trans gay MC, omni MC, queer friend group
TW: trans- and homophobic family, misgendering, recovering from surgery

[Jenny (Nyxie) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 stars rounded up to 5 because this author took a set of tropes I don’t even like usually (slice of life, college, slow burn) and I couldn’t put it down and the happy bits made me cry. Really lovely queer rep. A small nitpick is if anything it’s a bit over-explaining on that front to me - but to others it would be just right.

Tags: trans MC, Omni MC, Demi rep done well, found family, college, classmates, small business restaurant owners

[Ash’s reading corner ✨🌈 · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

RTC maybe

Tropes:
MM
Trans MMC
Demisexual MMC
Omnisexual MMC
Classmates to friends to best friends to lovers
They don’t like each other at first
Found family
Pretty inclusive and queer normative college / world / friend group
Strong mention of homophobia and transphobia on page
Description and discussion of body dysphoria

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has incredible diversity and great trans rep. I love the found family aspect and it was honestly educational.

Unfortunately, the writing style wasn’t my favorite. For a short book, it felt really long with random time jumps in the middle of paragraphs and a long drawn out angsty will they won’t they mutual pining slow burn romance. There was a lot going on that felt rushed and out of the blue.

[Tofi · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW
.
Where do I start? This was everything I wanted and needed ❤️. Not only it was extremely cozy story about friendship, super queer found family and coffee shop (I absolutely love everything set in coffee shops - it's my comfort place 🥰) but there was so much important things mentioned!
.
Firstly, communication between Diego and Frankie - they talked about everything, okay sometimes it took them longer to open up, but at the end they always did and it was so refreshing to see that 🥹. Secondly, the queerness of whole story! Loved it! Loved the omnisexual representation. Loved the trans representation and all that comes with coming to terms with one's gender identity. I adored Diego's and Frankie's found family - they were all such sweethearts ❤️. That's the next thing I wanted to mention - sometimes the family you were born to isn't there for you... but you can find your own just like the MCs of They Were Roommates.
.
And the next thing - this story was quite spicy and there's a lot of on screen communications about that. (Also extremely important and I loved to see that. 🥰) As well as Frankie's hookups and zero sl*t shaming 👏✨! Definitely one of the most appreciated qualities of this book was how open it was about these things.
.
So to wrap this up... go read this book, it's worth it ❤️.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC received for honest review
This was so good! There seems to be a real lack of books with good LGBTQIA+ representation being recommended on social media and I really hope this starts to change.

This book was so adorably sweet. I loved Frankie and Diego (and the side characters of Seth and Obie). Frankie's golden retriever energy made me laugh and Diego's struggles made me cry. This book had everything I love in a romance and taught me so much about gender and sexual identity. I definitely recommend this.

[Allan · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
While the smut was good, a lot of the buildup for the relationship was done through telling instead of showing and this is very queer but in a way that really doesn’t fit my version of being very queer. Like the way of being very queer where you start being kind of weird about binary trans people the way a few nonbinary tend to be. Idk how to explain it without sounding like a deranged transmed.

[Em’sBookNook · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the premise for this book and it was very educational. I thought the trans rep was very well researched and considerate and I think this kind of positive rep is really important.

The writing style wasn’t totally for me, the first half of the book felt like a really long summary, being told they had certain interactions rather than getting to experience them with the characters. I enjoyed the second half better and felt like you got to see their interactions more.

I think because we got to see so little first hand of their friendship and relationship development, just being told they have x amount of video calls etc. instead of any of them being on the page, it was hard to get invested in the romance. I didn’t really know what they liked about each other because I wasn’t shown.

I liked Frankie a lot, he was a great MC but I often felt like his feelings were always second to Diego’s. I felt particularly frustrated when Diego sort of demands that Frankie have to find him attractive for very specific reasons when we don’t get to ever control that in someone else.

I actually would have liked to see Frankie stand up for himself a bit more. Although the story was duel pov it felt like the story centred entirely around Diego and his personal journey rather than it being a romance and centred around their relationship development.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so lucky to receive an ARC of They Were Roommates, and I was absolutely blown away by the love Diego + Frankie share.

This book contains such important representation including incredible trans rep. I’ve read numerous books with great trans rep, but this one is number one for me. Diego’s story was developed so well and truly captures the struggles of queer and trans folks while also highlighting their beauty and strength. I also haven’t read any books with explicitly written trans sex and wow, it was written in such a beautiful way.

While Diego + Frankie stole my heart (with the best trope: friends to roommates to lovers), I also adored all the side characters and their relationships with each other. Seth + Obie are the sweetest and most supportive couple ever to Diego + Frankie and Sofia is the greatest cousin Diego could have.

I cannot recommend this book enough!! It’s also a prequel to the Not so Normative series (also available on KU!), but can be read as a standalone.

🩵 Queer Friends
🩷 Friends to Roommates to Lovers
🤍 Found Family
🩵 Omni and Transmasculine Rep
🩷 Coffee shop goodness

TW: Homophobia, transphobia, death of a parent, discussions of surgery, dead naming and intentional pronoun misusage, religious trauma discussed very briefly

[TeeReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

I loved this story so much! I have so many emotions from reading this. The trans rep was so amazing. I absolutely loved the real and honest conversations Frankie and Diego had about gender and gender affirming sex. So many of Diego's thoughts, feelings, and dysphoria match my own, and I felt so seen while reading this. Diego and Frankie's journey happened so organically, and so it felt so genuine and heartfelt. We got to see them start as friends, experience their pining, watch them become roommates, until they finally admitted their feelings for each other. We got to see both the good and the bad. We saw how they didn't give up and supported each other even when things weren't sunshine and rainbows. The positive representation of support groups and therapy was definitely a plus here. All in all, this was a fantastic, heartfelt, and cozy queer romance that I could easily come back to. This is a new favorite of mine, that's for sure.

[Molly Otto · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded to 4

Here's the thing: I loved the representation and inclusion of this book. I feel the author handled harder topics exceptionally , my problem was how Diego treated Frankie. I understand part of it was his insecurities, but he made a Frankie feel small for his life choices while Frankie was always supportive, always trying to make Diego feel loved and wanted even when they were just friends.
Overall a great book just couldn't rate higher because of these issues.

[Mollie - moll.ereads · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book has great trans representation but feels a million miles long due to poor plot pacing and, honestly, writing that is really not great

[REKH · Rating 4 out of 5]

New author: Yes
Format: ARC
Rep: Queer (gay, Omni, trans)
Keywords: long term, college classmates to business partners, transgender man mc, inclusive cafe, death of a parent, frenemies to friends to roommates to lovers

I jumped at the chance to read & review an ARC of this book because of the representation throughout. I do think, that because of how the book started for me, and because I’m an avid romance reader, that I read it with a more critical eye than some others may have.

For that reason, I would highly recommend reading this review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I think Mat captures very much what the author was going for. And the summary piece where they outlined the representation, and the timeline of the main character story is excellent. That is a glowing review that I wouldn’t give for this book, but I very much appreciate because, by far, the strength of this book is the element of literary fiction that covers the growth and development and relationship dynamic of two queer individuals and their personal journeys.

My four star rating is also based almost exclusively on the representation, and the way it is handled, and the spectacular approach to the characters, their identities, the side characters, identities, and the identity development throughout the book.

For me, the first 10 to 20% of the book read not as a novel, but as a fictional narrative set at the beginning of a research paper. It’s a little bit cold, a little bit sterile. by the time I was 40% into the book I couldn’t put it down. I just had to know what was coming next for the main characters. I don’t think the writing ever got much better. Nor do I think the character development was as smooth or thorough or fleshed out as it could have been. At the end of the day it’s a good story, with so much excellent representation and identity development that it deserves its kudos. The prose, the POV third person was an unfortunate choice IMO), the tone, and the pace of the book simply felt a little flat for me.

[Aleksander Petit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this entire book in one sitting and LOVED it. As a trans-masc person, it can be hard for me to find representation in literature that feels respectful, comfortable, and thoughtful. The way Diego was written is all of those things, and the same goes for how he is treated by the other focal characters.

Everything I loved about the author's writing in An Epic Construct shines through in this book as well. Every character has a strong, distinct personality. The representation has a wide range of inclusivity. Sensitive topics are approached in a careful, thoughtful manner. And, my favorite, the sprinkling of comedy throughout that keeps the story from staying too heavy for long.

As much as I would like for Diego to be my favorite character in trans-masc solidarity, I have to love Frankie. He tries so hard for everyone but has a horrible tendency to insert foot in mouth (meaning accidentally saying something that is rude). And he has silly lines like "Tingles? Seriously? How fucking lame." and "You're my best friend, my future business partner, and my cabbage." Iconic.

My favorite scene (no spoilers, don't worry) was the 3am shoes. If you read the book, you'll know what I mean. The vulnerability of the characters really hit me in the chest.

The reason I rated this as a four instead of a five is a handful of little things that added up for me. Early on in their acquaintanceship, Frankie encroached upon Diego's personal space and stayed there despite Diego's obvious discomfort with the unfamiliar touch, and while it didn't become a long-running issue, it didn't sit well with me especially as such an early encounter. There are a few brief momentary things like that but otherwise the book is great.

Even though I rated this book lower than An Epic Construct for the reason listed above, I think I might actually like this book better. Both books are amazing and I highly recommend, but They Were Roommates has representation and characters that I personally relate to and connected with better.

I received an eARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this review are my own and not influenced by that fact.

[fanboyriot · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this but honestly didn’t care for it. I like this authors other work and really appreciated seeing all the queer rep in this book. I just couldn’t get into this one, the characters relationship was a great slow burn but I just didn’t really care for them. This story was sweet a friendship shown throughout the years as they become roommates and business partners to them perhaps being something more. There were lots of ups and downs with their lives but in the end they manage to push through.

Read For
✓ Found Family
✓ Queer Diversity
✓ Slow Burn (very slow)
✓ Angst with a Happy Ending
✓ Friends to Roommates to Lovers

⚠️ Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Homophobia, Sexual content, Transphobia, Grief
Moderate: Body shaming, Medical content, Dysphoria
Minor: Deadnaming, Death of parent

𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊

Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Sad Level: 💧

Plot: 4/10
Pace: 5/10
Ending: 8/10
Characters: 6/10
Enjoyability: 4/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Would I Recommend? Maybe
Favorite Character: n/a

Favorite Quote: ❝ "You said it didn't matter what gender or what gender expression your partner had and I get that you're bi or pan or whatever, but for me... being a man is important to me. And being with a man is important to me because I... I fought hard for my right to be who I am, and I don't want you to like me despite my gender, I want you to want me because of it. Because that's definitely a reason I want you. I am demi, and to me, that does mean I want you because you're you, but... you are an incredibly strong, funny, creative, intelligent, and sexy man. I think I... I want you to want me for the same reasons."❞

POV: Duel, First Person
Pages: 232
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Release Date: 02, November 2023
Rep/Extras: Omnisexual (main character 1), Demisexual Transman (main character 2), Queer diversity, Racial diversity

[erm · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing style in this is not for me

Had to read about them messing with other ppl for nearly half the damn book

[aspeccharactersoftheday]

Diego from They Were Roommates is demisexual!

https://www.tumblr.com/aspeccharacter...

[Rin (indefinite hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded up.

I am starving for accurately represented queer/trans romance.

The community isn’t just white cis muscle gays or other stereotypes. The actual community is full of all the identities and sexualities. That is real. I understand some people don’t want “real” in their fiction, but accurately represented queer fiction is like a warm blanket to me. Queer/trans folk are a minority. They are oppressed. They fight battles every day. To not show that is a disservice to the community so many fetishize.

The representation in this is top tier.

But the writing was a bit exhausting. This is only 211 pages but I was so tired of the time jumps and years of pining by 40%. Then when they finally came together, it was a little underwhelming.

There is A LOT going on in this book. It really needed to be condensed, and a focus to be in one spot. The time jumps needed to be handled a little more obviously. One sentence jumped weeks, one page would literally jump months. This happens pretty much constantly throughout and it makes following really difficult.

I understand Diego’s prickly demeanor but his treatment of Frankie throughout rubbed me the wrong way. And both were still pretty insecure with each other by the end, despite YEARS together, that I didn’t feel like their HEA was set in stone. And the whole keeping their relationship secret for as long as they did was just silly.

Those complaints aside, I DID still enjoy their journey. I just wish the writing had been cleaner.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this book gave me all of the emotions! I really really love both Frankie and Diego so so much. They have this truly beautiful and wonderful connection that we get to see unfold over the course of almost six years worth of time. They create a found family that I just ADORE so so much. My heart broke for both of them at certain points throughout, but thankfully was put back together by the true joy and community filling these pages.

[DLB2572 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a super slow burn romance story. I enjoyed reading it quite a bit. It is definitely worth reading.

I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion

[Martina Weiß · Rating 4 out of 5]

CW: Transphobia, Homophobia, Grief, Death Of A Parent,

4 / 5 Stars


Okay look. I've had one major complaint about this book and I'm gonna share that with you first because it's bothering me a lot. So, let's get right into it, because I've got a lot to say about:

The way we handled the asexuality of our character.

Diego is demisexual. Which is not the books main focus. And that's okay. That's fine. But what I didn't feel like was fine, was how it, at times, felt like he had "outgrown" his own sexuality.
When we first switch to Diego's POV, he's kind of already attracted to Frankie, so he gives us a short "This is how it usually goes" speach, which worked for me. All good... until it kind of isn't. Because, you see, we attempt to make his asexuality into a thing, and then we don't actually want our characters to appear acephobic so we forget we did the thing, but that's not... how this works.

So Frankie & Diego have this very long "Mutual Pining" thing going on. It was fine, until we reached 53%, they talked and failed and I had to put the book down, take a deep breath, exhale, and let out a loud "Boy". So. The reason why Frankie isn't going after Diego, ACORDING TO HIMSELF, is because he knew that Diego was demi and he wasn't sure if Diego would even feel anything for him, especially since Diego had had sex with other guys, so maybe he just didn't want him sexually. Which..... okay... a lot of stuff there. Because - and this isn't about slutshaming, this is about being sensible - Frankie is kind of implying that sex would and is a dealbreaker. If Diego hadn't wanted him sexually, then this thing between them hadn't been worth persuing. And no, this isn't just a "one time, heat of the moment" thing. Later on, when they don't have sex for like a few weeks - because they wanna get tested first - Frankie asks Diego if he even wants to sleep with him. You can do this in a supportive, ace-friendly way. But given the tone and the context it's very clear that Frankie is NOT being supportive. He's frustrated and angry and again, kinda pushy. I know we, the readers, know that Diego DOES wanna have sex with Frankie because we've been in his head, but not once - not. even. once. - does Frankie consider that sex could not be on the table. Because if that were truly the case, he'd be out. I know sex can be important to some allos. But the book isn't trying to go that route, nor is it trying to open that conversation. It kind of rubbed me the wrong way, because Frankie is super supportive most of the time and we're clearly supposed to view him that way and like him. But then he says stuff that's almost crossing into acephobic teretorry and I have to fight real hard to not loose my smile.
You know. Allos often take sex for very granted. The second you aren't ace - and even IF you are - you're kind of EXPECTED to have sex. Asap kinda. Noone should be shamed for having a lot of sex. But. Noone should be shamed for having not so much, or no sex, either.

But this isn't were our ace journey ends. Because, eventually those two DO open their inclusive buisness (caffee shop) and the book makes it clear that the inside is filled with the flags the two MC's identify with. Ergo, the LGBT flag, the trans flag, the omnisexual flag and ... : ) oh? There's no ace flag? Haha :) Isn't that nice. Instead we have two different LGBT Community flags and even some none-queer flags. But no aseuxality. And later on, they decide to wear pride pins with all of their flags. And guess who didn't end up wearing an ace pin once more? :)
After that big - Do yoU eVeN wANNa hAvE sEx??? - moment, it's as if Diego's aceness is all but forgotten. It kind of hurt me to read, because the book focuses a lot of it's time and effort into acceptance, of exploration of identidy, of loving all of yourself with all of yourself and then Diego just kicks out his aceness the second it fullfilled its purpose, which was be an obsitcale and a plot device. And it ... rubs me the wrong way, not gonna lie.

Which I hate, because I ADORED the book a lot. The romance, the characters, the message: I liked it all. The fact one of the characters was ace felt like the cherry on top! A cherry that started to taste kind of bitter the more time passed.

I have decided to give this book 4 stars nontheless, because the rest of it was just very strong. Still doesn't change that I'm very bitter about the asexuality of it all.

[Ali's In Literature · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gorgeous, thought-provoking, and ultimately uplifting story of love and self-acceptance. 

REVIEW
cw: Internalised and externalised transphobia and queerphobia, gender dysphoria, anxiety, death 
When good-time guy Frankie meets Diego, he thinks the handsome man is aloof. But when Diego opens up to him about being trans, they become friends and eventually business partners. Somewhere along the way both develop feelings. But will they ever be able to be honest with each other. 
This was such a wonderful read. I absolutely ADORED Frankie immediately. He was hilarious but also SO sweet. I loved his snark, but also how caring he was with Diego when he came out to him. Diego was equally adorable, and I loved how he grew to trust Frankie. And the mutual pining... *swoons* Their pet names for each other were so cute. The intimacy was both hot and beautifully written and felt so well earned. 
I found Diego's journey through both his transition and his sexuality incredibly moving, and, as a linguist, I found his observation about his mother's use of gender-based name-calling, particularly heartbreaking While I consider myself well-educated, I learned SO much from both Diego and Frankie, as well as many of the supporting characters, and I particularly loved Seth, Obie, and Sham Pain. And that epilogue was so stinking cute!
The funeral was hard to read, and I can only imagine how truly awful that experience would be first-hand. 
What I think I loved most about this story was how it didn't shy away from the realities of relationships, instead following all of the ups and downs and insecurities. I personally would have preferred shorter, and consequently more chapters, but as the story was told over several years with quite a few leaps in time, I understand why the author chose to format the book this way.
This was a gorgeous, thought-provoking, and ultimately uplifting story of love and self-acceptance. 

Overall Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️.5
Heat Rating: 🔥🔥.5
Emotional Rating: 😂🙈💓💔🥰😏💔🥰💓😟😊💓🤦🏻‍♀️😂💓😊🥰😉💓😂💓🥰😉💓🙈😏💓🥰💓😢💔💓😬😊🥰🙈🥰😂💓😍🦄😂🥰😍💓💔💓😍💓💔😡💔👏🏻💔😬💔😢💓🥰😂🥰😊😂🥰

Favourite Quotes:

“It’s not because of him. It’s… seeing you with him… seeing you… just being you. Being yourself but with someone else… I want that, D. I’ve wanted that – wanted you for so f**king long, but I know you’re demi and you had one surgery, and then another, and even though sometimes you seem totally comfortable in your body I’ve seen what a bad gender day looks like for you and I… I just didn’t ever want to put you in a position where you had to be anything but yourself to be with me..."

“You said it didn’t matter what gender or what gender expression your partner had and I get that you’re bi or pan or whatever, but for me… being a man is important to me. And being with a man is important to me because I… I fought hard for my right to be who I am, and I don’t want you to like me despite my gender, I want you to want me because of it. Because that’s definitely a reason I want you. I am demi, and to me, that does mean I want you because you’re you, but… you are an incredibly strong, funny, creative, intelligent, and sexy man. I think I… I want you to want me for the same reasons.”

"You will always be a man to me, Diego, and it is one of the many, many reasons why I want you.”

“Franklin, my love… they understood my gender, and my experience with it, and why everything that happened… why everything that has ever happened to me was so incredibly hard, but you my darling, you understand everything that is me..."

“Para siempre, Frankie.” 
“Pour toujours.”

[Riven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Firstly, I'd like to express my gratitude to Dawn for granting me the opportunity to read and review an advance copy of this book. As someone who is trans, They Were Roommates holds a special place for me. The representation and portrayal of diverse characters, especially trans-masculine individuals like Diego, are truly invaluable in my eyes. This book resonates deeply, highlighting the importance of inclusive storytelling in the book community.


The story centres around Frankie, a carefree and affable individual whose life takes an unexpected turn upon meeting the enigmatic Diego. What begins as a potential enemies-to-lovers romance transforms into a deep bond of friendship after Diego reveals his journey as a trans individual. Their decision to embark on a business venture leads them to explore the complexities of their relationship, blurring the lines between partnership and something more.

Cutler-Tran's narrative skillfully navigates the intricacies of human connection, shining a light on diverse characters that celebrate a spectrum of identities - from trans-masculine to gay, demi, and omni. The author delicately weaves a tale that embraces inclusivity, presenting the nuances and challenges faced by these characters while founding an inclusive cafe and fostering a supportive queer community.

Frankie and Diego's relationship evolution is a highlight, painted with sweet, tender moments that beautifully contrast with the spicier elements of their dynamic. The book captures the essence of personal growth and the struggles encountered in pursuing individual goals while navigating the complexities of a budding relationship.

The strength of this narrative lies not only in the romantic arc but in the broader theme of community building and the celebration of diverse identities. The author deftly portrays the challenges and triumphs of these characters, allowing readers to immerse themselves in their world and empathise with their experiences.

As someone who is transgender, seeing authentic and positive representation in literature means the world to me. The significance of diverse and accurate portrayal of characters, such as Diego, cannot be overstated. This book contributes to the much-needed representation and inclusivity within the literary world.

In terms of rating, I would give They Were Roommates a 3.5-star review. While the book excels in portraying the complexities of relationships and the celebration of diversity, a few areas could benefit from further depth and exploration.

In summary, They Were Roommates is a delightful MM romance that resonates with its rich diversity, heartfelt moments, and the power of forging meaningful connections within a beautifully depicted inclusive community.

I'm thrilled to announce that the book is now available, and I wholeheartedly encourage everyone to pick up a copy. It's a poignant and engaging read that encourages reflection on the essence of love, friendship, and the strength found within a community that celebrates individuality.

Thank you again, Dawn!!

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be entertaining and informative with engaging characters and a steadily growing forever relationship developing over years. As an older woman, not well versed in a lot of the LGBTQ+ terminology (beyond the obvious), and with little to no knowledge of trans people (sorry if not expressed correctly), I decided to read this book to educate myself a bit more in this area, even though it was a work of fiction. The author expressed it was based on personal experience, and I trusted that would come through. It was eye opening with the physical changes and multiple surgeries one goes through to transition partially or fully, the decisions one must make are intensely personal, and even more so the emotional and psychological changes as well. I think a person choosing this path must have an extremely strong sense of self and what is needed to live one’s life to be the person they know is inside, and I think the author did an excellent job getting that across. The connection between Frankie and Diego, the trust and love that developed over time, the understanding of what each needed from the other that changed with time and circumstance, and the emotional turmoil that took over at times when facing parts of the past, were eloquently portrayed with empathy and sensitivity. I gained a much better, tho not total, understanding of what someone transitioning goes through, not just the physical transition itself, but the time after which is impacted for years, good and bad.

As a mostly uninformed reader, I would have appreciated a little section with definitions of the different terms used that specifically relate to the spectrum of identifications (I find myself needing to check other places for meanings of Demi, pan, cis-gender, non-binary,….. the list goes on and on) but I tried to not let that side track me from the story itself. This is a beautiful love story, sensitively told. I am glad I found it and will look for more from this author.

I received a copy of this book and this is my voluntary review.

[Kandyce Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I tell you I ate this up, I mean I devoured this book. This has all the pining and slow burn that will break your heart but still stay light enough to not completely fall apart. There is so much realism here. This isn't just a romance, this is a deep dive into human beings and their real flaws and real feelings that are deep and raw and both beautiful and devastating.

There are deeper looks into 'gay hook-up culture' that is for some reason neglected quite often in romance books, but it gives more realistic lifestyle accounts and how different they can be for different people. These accounts also gives deeper perspective into why certain things were said between the main characters and why other things weren't said. And I loved the demi rep and exploring how not every experience is the same or even wants to be the same.

"Right. I forget sometimes that you haven't really experienced gay hook-up culture," Frankie murmured.
"No, I... I haven't," Diego mumbled. He curled a fist into Frankie's t-shirt. "But, I don't have to worry about that anymore, right?"
"No, mon cheri, you don't."

This is a story of two people who are very different and lack the understanding of each other on so many different planes. They try to be kind, but often times they misspeak and misunderstand each other. But they still love each other enough to teach and to learn and to try and to overcome those obstacles and stand on more level ground.

There are parts of this that are absolutely gorgeous and parts of this that are absolutely devastating. But the realism between the characters, the way they are, the way they think, the way they react and the way they are flawed is so well fleshed out that this is easily a new favorite book for me.

I have no idea how this stayed on my TBR for so long, and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

You should definitely check it out. I can't recommend this enough!

[Hazel Bean · Rating 3 out of 5]

queer representation: 5 ⭐'s

the rest of it: 2-3 ⭐'s

The burn was a slooooooooow burn, and I kind of went into this thinking that it was going to be a light-hearted queer romance. The miscommunication trope was also very strong here in spite of the fact that Diego and Frankie were best friends. They went well over half the book hiding from each other and also spent a lot of time not talking and/or hiding things throughout their relationship. It just felt like a lot of 2 steps forward/3 steps back

Don’t get me wrong, there were some super cute things about it that I loved. The friends-to-lovers storyline was really beautiful, because they truly did establish a good friendship first. I just adored how open and inclusive Frankie was with everything in his life! He was so fucking amazing at making sure everyone in his life felt loved. He showed me how I should be in my real life. The coffee shop sounds like a place I would visit often, and the characters were all so much fun. Obie and Seth were so funny and sweet together.

I'm going to be completely honest here -- while I appreciated and understood the struggles that Diego went through, my heart broke watching him hurt Frankie, even after Frankie had proven to Diego how open and accepting he was of literally everything. There was nothing about Diego or Diego's past that Frankie didn't support, so I just had a hard time watching him push Frankie away. I fell absolutely in love with Frankie, so it was extremely hard to see him hurting. I was happy to see Diego suggest couples therapy, because I thought they were perfect together once they both settled in. I hope that, in this alternate universe, they are thriving together in their inclusive coffee shop with all of their amazing friends. 🌈

[Kieran Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was exactly what I needed!

I will always love a book that portrays transgender characters in a real, honest, and open way. Unlike many trans stereotypes, Diego did not always know he was a guy or was a tomboy his whole life. It is amazing to see the author break away from the trans story you so often hear to one you may not see as much. The romance itself was fun, light, very sweet (a little spicy), and just so so healthy and validating!


Full Review:
This book was exactly what I needed.

I will always love a book that portrays transgender characters in a real, honest, and open way. It is so validating. Diego is a perfect example of that. His conception of his gender and the way it is unashamedly described is really something I resonate with. Unlike many trans stereotypes, Diego did not always know he was a guy or was a tomboy his whole life. It is amazing to see the author break away from the trans story you so often hear to one you may not see as much.

The romance itself was a fun story that was just so sweet and healthy! At some points, the writing did have a little bit of a fanfiction-y vibe, however not in a bad way. That is just to say it took on the very fluffy and to-the-point qualities often associated with fanfiction.

Through that the author was also able to run down an avenue most authors I think are scared of. Spicy scenes with trans characters! All of which were executed amazingly. Once again back to how healthy the relationships in this book were, something I think every romance (and non-romance) reader could use a bit of.

Perfectly light and happy and so so healthy and validating.

[Brit_ta_ny · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

So I very nearly stopped reading this to leave it for another day. I couldn’t get into the story and I didn’t feel a connection to the characters but I decided to read just one more chapter. I am so glad I did! I ended up both absolutely adoring this story and completely falling in love with Diego and Frankie. Gah!

This story ended up meaning so much to me as a queer gal on the ace spectrum married to another cool queer gal. Seeing healthy, beautiful queer love makes my heart all mushy and happy 🥰 The perfectly imperfect moments between Diego and Frankie and the open conversations they led to were gorgeous. This book was heartwarming, heartbreaking, and a bit of both at the same time; aka ripping my heart out but putting in back in gently afterwards.

I really really really appreciated Frankie’s slut-positive energy, I know not everyone likes it when MCs have relationships outside of the main one but it’s something I find super real. Frankie’s trip-ups regarding Diego sometimes gave me serious secondhand embarrassment but his ownership of those moments and ability to laugh at himself and move forward were so nice to read. And the vulnerability of Diego! Ughhhh, my heart fucking broke for him! The happy ending for these two was so fucking well deserved and brought me so much queer joy to read! I’ll 100% be rereading this book!

Also, my Goodreads app crashed when I first started writing this review so this final product is perhaps a bit less gushy than I’d originally done 😅

[Kit · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF: 77%

I was interested in this because I'm trans and my partner is cis, and I'm pretty starved for romance books between an ftm guy and a cis guy.

Writing was dry and cluttered. The book has a pace I can best describe as "lurching." The book drags on and on and on, then speeds through something seemingly important. I found myself skimming over line after line of a winding, empty conversation, just to somehow miss a 6 month timeskip that happened in maybe two sentences. Many moments of character drama and relationships developing were shafted in lieu of long, drawn out conversations between characters that read like clones of each other. Any interesting plot moments usually are explained retroactively in a character's inner monologue.


The diverse characters were represented by a diverse character showing up, looking into the camera, and announcing their gender/sexuality/disability/etc, less like a person and more like someone reading a page off lgbtwiki. Every character feels flat and one dimensional- "this character is anxious without their cinnamon bun spouse. This is that overprotective cinnamon bun spouse." And that's just who they are, forever.

Smut felt clinical. Romantic moments felt contrived.

2/5 because the first section of the book (the college times) were mildly interesting. Basically if you stop reading once Frankie goes to France then you can walk away thinking "Hey, that was pretty alright!"