The Flatshare

I loved this so much!

I listened to it on audiobook and was so excited to hear Carrie Hope Fletcher's voice when I started it!

I loved both characters in this, which is rare for me in 2 point of view books. Usually I find myself groaning my way through one point of view trying to get the one I enjoy, but with this book I just enjoyed the ride.

Leon was sweet and funny and so good and patient with Tiffy. I also loved his unwavering faith and loyalty to his brother Richie.

Tiffy( Sp? -Audiobook-) was wonderful. Super quirky and fun. I loved her sense of humor. And her love story was one I really related to. The way after her breakup she really came to remember and realize so much about how toxic the relationship was is something I'm sadly able to relate to. (Like Tiffy I also got my happy ending with a great guy!)
The way her coping and her issues with nightmares, and flashbacks was portrayed came through as really realistic with me and my experience.

I loved this book through and through and will definitely read it again.

First contemporary romance in a very long while where all the characters – besides antagonists, of course – were lovely and likeable. Quite heartwarming, and deals with some complex issues in a sensitive way that felt right to me (I've experienced similar things as the main character and reading this book was a trip down memory lane that made me feel uneasy but it also made me feel seen). The story had the right balance of sweetness, light, and seriousness, all wrapped up in a calm, warm hug. I will be checking out Beth O'Leary's other books.

I love the premise of The Flatshare. It's such a weird living situation, that you know feelings are going to develop. That didn't bother me - the amount of predictable plot was just the right amount.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Flatshare and definitely recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my god, this was such a fun book and reading it made me so happy. It's more of a rom-com than a straight-up romance, though I need to qualify that with some content notes that are possible spoilers, so Tiffy's prior relationship was at least emotionally abusive, and her ex shows up several times, occasionally violently (though she's not assaulted). Her recovery/processing of all that is a pretty major plot point, and she has occasional flashbacks. So the book doesn't entirely avoid heavy topics, but there's a general tone of optimism that makes especially Tiffy's chapters really enjoyable to read. The chapters are alternating first-person POV and Leon's style is very different from Tiffy's - short sentences, very few pronouns, no quotation marks. It's a little bit of an adjustment but I didn't find it too hard to get used to after the first couple of chapters. Everything came together in this book in such a satisfying way and I can't recommend it highly enough.

(2020 summer romance bingo: “there was only one bed,” could also work for “I'm on a boat” or “set on island,” defining both of those generously. Would also work for healthcare professional, debut novel, and “protagonist smells uniquely like themselves.”)

Read a 2nd time! This was a fun book to read. The romance and the plot is simple and cute. I liked main characters and how they interacted, however all this “flatsharing” idea is kinda weird and a little unrealistic! BUT it was still a fun read.


1st read
Dnf at 45%
In almost half of the book, nothing has happened. I don't like the main characters and don't understand their interactions. Unfortunately not for me...

I picked this up from the library after seeing it recommended online, and I'm glad I did. I wanted a lighter read after finishing up the last book, and this seemed to fit the bill. Quirky love story, a ‘meet-cute' and a blurb calling this author the new Jojo Moyes all made me want to pick it up. It delivered on all of that and more. There are a few additional storylines running through the book that had a more serious note, but they were handled well and added to the depth of the characters. I particularly loved how friendships were used to prop up and help someone heal on their own time, on their own terms, and by doing that the person healing got stronger.

I love roommates-to-lovers and this book is unusual in that while Tiffy and Leon live in the same flat, they never occupy it at the same time. I was expecting a quick, fun read but instead this book surprised me and ended up being a little deeper than what the description suggests.

Overall I did like the story but the way it was written made it hard to stay focused. There is a big difference in writing styles between Tiffy's POV and Leon's POV and the two styles just didn't work here. 3.5 stars.

“Often think it must be very tiring, being Tiffy. Even in note form, she seems to expend so much energy.”
This was cute. Based on the first half, I would have given it 4 stars. But after that, I lost steam with it and no longer cared very much. The heroine is bubbly and quirky in a bearable way and the hero is kind of stiff but opens up towards the end. They get to know each other slowly, through notes which I find adorable, it's a favorite trope of mine. The part with her ex was done very well, great addition.

However, apart from Leon's brother and the search for Johnny, I didn't care for any of the side characters or events, especially anything related to her work. I'm not into crochet at all, working at a publishing house that focuses on DIY books seems like one of the most boring things in the world to me.

3.5 ⭐️ I'm not really into romance but this was super cute. I saw some of the tv show and was interested in reading the book.

The only thing is I feel like it was too long. Could have taken out the last 20-30 pages and it still would have been good. Also, really hated the Justin storyline. It didn't really make sense and the ending scene kinda ruined it for me.

”It's weird how easily you can get to know someone from the traces they leave behind when they go.”

This book has been on my tbr for the longest time and I am so glad that I have finally picked this up and given it a go.

I felt so connected with Tiffy, especially in the moments where she spoke about her ex and her fears that he had ruined her for any future relationships. As someone who was in an abusive relationship, I related to her on a strong level. I feel like these are characters that I will be missing.

I loved that their first main form of communication was in sticky notes. It was so sweet that they were building a connection without the added pressure of meeting. I haven't read a book where the main female protagonist doesn't meet the love interest until almost halfway through the book. It was super interesting and fun to read.

Richie, I love you.

I really enjoyed this and I am interested to read more by this author in the future.

”Remind myself that there is no saving of people—people can only save themselves. The best you can do is help when they're ready.”

Plezant!
In begin was het wel even wennen aan de schrijfstijl. We volgen twee hoofdpersonages en zitten hierbij letterlijk in hun hoofd, waardoor volzinnen het soms laten afweten. Maar eenmaal ik hieraan gewend was en de twee verschillende stemmen herkende, vloog ik door het boek.
Luchtig met serieuzere ondertonen, de mix met de kattenbelletjes en hoe de opgelegde strikte scheiding stilletjes aan vervaagde, echt heel tof gedaan.
Enige minpuntje vond ik dat het te snel eindigde. Ik had gehoopt nog iets meer van de twee samen te zien, voor we aan de epiloog kwamen.

In the past few years, I've read only a handful of contemporary romance novels. Instead, I've focused upon Fantasy and Thriller books thinking that I'd lost my vibe with the contemporary romance offering on the bookshelves. When I heard about Beth O'Leary's debut novel, The Flatshare, something just spoke to me about the storyline and I decided I'd give it a try.

The Flatshare is the story of Tiffy and Leon, two twenty-somethings who share a flat. The catch is they've never met. Tiffy has the flat at nights and weekends whilst Leon is at work and Leon uses it during the 9-6 weekday whilst Tiffy is at work. It's an arrangement that suits them both. Slowly but surely though they begin to build a relationship via the little notes they leave each other around the flat and that relationship blossoms into friendship and the hint of something more.

Yes, this book is exactly what you would expect, it's a contemporary romance after all. We know we are all meant to be rooting for Tiffy and Leon to get together and we have all the normal trappings of hiccups along the way and well-meaning friends trying to give them advice and it should be quite a run of the mill story but somehow I fell head over heels in love with the characters in this book and gave it what has become a very rare rating of 5 stars.

Firstly I loved how well rounded our characters of Tiffy and Leon are, I liked how Leon had such a complex job in a palliative care home, helping those with a terminal illness, this lent some lovely side characters and stories that gave some really touching emotional moments in this book. Also loved how O'Leary wound in the story of Leon's brother Richie, incarcerated for a crime he swears he didn't commit.

Also, this book was great at looking at the long-lasting impact and dangers of an emotionally abusive relationship and the behaviours of gaslighting and coercive control. It gives a really thought-provoking side to what could have been a light fluffy throwaway romance. It was great to follow Tiffy through her journey and see her growth as a character.

For a debut novel, I thought this was really well written, hugely emotional and really gripping. I couldn't stop reading. It's full of short-snappy chapters flicking between Tiffy and Leon's perspectives and makes it really easy to lose a few hours to this novel without realising it and if you aren't careful you could find yourself reading it all in one sitting. A great summer read and a fantastic first novel from O'Leary.

I bought the hardcover copy and Audible version, but when I saw the Kindle copy for less than $5, and that Whispersync for voice was available, I went for it. The story was good and I liked the main characters, plus there were some good lessons, too. I just had issues with the way Leon's part was written so I struggled with rating it higher.

This book was really quirky and cute. It definitely started out really slow. The couple didn't even meet until pretty far into the book. But the friendships were interesting and the examination of emotional abuse was well written and insightful. The ending was incredibly endearing and heartfelt. However, it wasn't nearly as steamy as I was anticipating. Cute, fun read!

CW: Emotional Abuse, Stalking