I almost didn't have time to read this book, but I loaded it up on my Kindle in case I had time over our Memorial Day vacation, and it was the perfect vacation book. Sweet, entertaining. Recommend for fans of Rainbow Rowell's "Attachments."

A charming romcom that will have you wanting to stock up on Post-It notes! The Flatshare is a light-hearted story that will captivate your attention and heart. Loved the chemistry between the characters, and it'll leave you with all the warm fuzzies.

I absolutely loved this book. I knew as I was reading it that it was going to become one of my all-time favorite reads.

Tiffy and Leon share a flat, but they’ve never met each other. When Leon needs to make some extra money, he decides to find a roommate to share his one bedroom flat. The roommate will have the flat during the night, while Leon has it during the day as he is a nurse who works nights. Tiffy has hit a rough spot. After ending things for good with her on-again-off-again boyfriend, she’s looking for someplace inexpensive to live. When she sees Leon’s advertisement, she finds it’s the best option out there for her that’s within her very tight budget.

Throughout the book, Leon and Tiffy end up communicating to each other via post-it notes. And it’s lovely. I love this idea so much. Writing to someone lets you get to know them in such a different way than more traditional ways… like in person. ha. Anyways, don’t worry, Tiffy and Leon do eventually meet face to face, and the resulting scene is one of the funniest I’ve ever read. Chapter 28 is my particular favorite in the book. I was laughing so much while reading it. O’Leary has such wonderful natural humor and it helps balance out the more serious parts of the book.

This book has everything. It’s hilarious, it’s touching, it’s deep. It covers the broken prison system, gaslighting in relationships, consent, and so much more. I particularly liked how O’Leary covered the topic of consent in relationships. It’s demonstrated in both a subtle yet clear and most importantly attainable and realistic way.

Both Tiffy and Leon are incredibly likable and I couldn’t help but love them both. Tiffy is a multi-faceted character. She has a lot confidence in regards to who she is as a person, dressing colorfully and boldly, never one to fade into the background. But she’s also let her ex-boyfriend control and change her more than she realizes.

Leon is such a sweet guy. People call him quiet, but he’s able to pack a lot of meaning into the few words he does say. He’s doing everything he can to help his brother as well as be a good son to his mother. You’ll notice quickly that Leon’s POV chapters are different. They’re written in a type of short-hand almost. It really helps to put you in Leon’s mind and view things from his perspective.

Both Tiffy and Leon do so much growing and evolving in the story, but in the end what makes them each unique is still there. They aren’t unrecognizable from where they began but they’ve definitely made strides. These are two characters that are very much fleshed out and realistic. I wish I knew these two in real life.

Highly recommended for anyone who loves a good story. You won’t be able to put this one down.

ALSO! Mark your calendars for June 16th! I had the opportunity to interview Beth about the book, her inspiration, and her writing life and will be sharing it all on my blog on then. I’m so excited to share it with y’all!

Move over, Bridget Jones ... there's another bright and sassy girl on her way to meet the world!

This book gave me Jenny Colgan vibes, and I loved it. I love the cutesy-pie cover, and the sweet and naive way Leon and Tiffy never saw each other in person for about the first third of the book and communicated via Post-It note. I liked Tiffy's friends (mostly gal pals), and Leon's hospice work. I preferred Leon's "voice," but both of their perspectives were good. The last few chapters I couldn't read fast enough. Picture-perfect and stunningly romantic. I'd love a sequel for these two!

Thank you, Netgalley, for this arc.

I loved The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary! I think O'Leary did something that is hard to do. She wrote a fun romantic novel where there was real depth to each of the main characters. I loved that they each had things in their lives to overcome and learn from but that the book was still upbeat, positive, and fun to read. It starts slowly but before too long you are really invested in each character and their lives, both separately and together.

Leon and Tiffy end up in a flatshare arrangement after Tiffy is forced to move out of her ex-boyfriend's apartment and Leon needs extra money to help exonerated his wrongly-imprisoned brother. Leon works nights as a hospice nurse, so Tiffy takes the apartment from 6pm-9am and Leon from 9am-6pm. Its the perfect arrangement until their paths start to cross and it becomes hard to separate their lives from one another.

The story is ok. I am confused. Why are the hero’s chapters written so weirdly? It’s like he is texting people, but then you realize that they are talking in real life. It majorly distracts. After a while I just couldn’t. Is is supposed to be a book or a screenplay? It just feels not done.

I have tried to discuss this book with my friends that have also read it to understand it more. To find out that something that is a part of the story wasn’t researched and done wrong, just doesn’t help it at all. I was so looking forward to this book. Disappointment is the feeling in walking away with. I probably will give this author another try in the future.


I voluntarily read an early copy.

Reading the description of The Flatshare, I thought it sounded like a perfect, fluffy romantic comedy. Leon needs extra money, so comes up with the unique idea to share his flat. He works nights and stays with his girlfriend on weekends. Tiffy needs a new place after her boyfriend left her for someone else and expects her to pay back rent and answers the ad. Told from both perspectives, the story is NOT what I was expecting. I went into it expecting an updated version of the 80s movie The Night We Never Met, but it's so much more. As the story moves forward, we find that Leon is desperately afraid for his brother, who Is in prison, and Tiffy's ex-boyfriend is not how he appears. Couldn't put it down- this is a fantastic debut. I'll be watching for more from Beth O'Leary.

This is so well written and lovely. While Tiffy is coming out of a relationship that has left her homeless, she realizes it was emotionally abusive. Leon is stuck between a demanding girlfriend and his younger brother being in jail for a crime he didn't commit. Desperate and working opposite hours they end up sharing a flat. They only communicate through post-it notes. Then when Tiffy accidentally receives a call from the incarcerated brother, their lives start intertwining.

Everything about this book is lovely but the one thing I really loved was how Tiffy's issues with her ex is handed. She has to come to terms that just because he never hit her didn't mean that he didn't hurt her. Once she remembers the bad times and how horribly she is affected (kissing make her freeze), she gets professional help. She isn't magically healed. The book even says that this is a slow process. And Leon is patiently by her side the entire time. Beautiful.

Content warning: Emotional abuse

The Flatshare surprised me, in a good way. I don’t usually read books in the contemporary romance genre, because while they’re fun and light and enjoyable, they don’t usually say much. But that was not the case here!

It took a little while for the story to really get started, but around halfway it picked up and I couldn’t put it down. What starts as a light-hearted promise of flirtation and courtship becomes a close, inside look at the journey of recognizing, processing, and beginning to recover from emotional abuse in romantic relationships. It was impactful and insightful and really powerful. I didn’t expect much of a statement from this book, so when I found one, I was pleasantly surprised.

But that brings me to this description from the cover synopsis: “What if your roommate is your soul mate? A joyful, quirky romantic comedy, Beth O’Leary’s The Flatshare is a feel-good novel about finding love in the most unexpected of ways.” This book was very good, but it is absolutely not going to be feel-good for everyone. So, if you’re reading this review and have experienced gaslighting or other forms of emotional abuse, I just wanted to give you that head’s up.

Tiffy and her ex-boyfriend, Jason, have been off and on for years. Every time he leaves her, he eventually comes back. At the start of the novel, she’d still been living in his apartment while he dated someone else, waiting for this inevitability. But then he tells her to move out and that she has to pay him back rent for all the months she’s been living there. So she answers an ad for a flatshare with a person who works the night shift; they’ll share the flat, but never be there at the same time. This will allow her to save enough money to pay Justin back.

Leon is very different from Tiffy, who uses lots of words and loves bright colors and quirky decorations. Leon doesn’t talk much; in fact, his narration chapters hardly even use pronouns, and he describes dialogue more like a script with the person’s name and a colon before their statement rather than using quotation marks. I thought that was a really creative storytelling choice. Anyway, he’s quiet and comfortable with the familiar but has a gigantic heart. It’s pretty clear from the beginning that he and his current girlfriend are just not a good match for each other. Also, his brother is currently in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, and this takes up a lot of Leon’s emotional space.

What ensues is a story of Tiffy slowly realizing the extent of Jason’s abuse and beginning to recover, and Leon finding that a few steps outside his comfort zone is exactly what he needed all along. By 75% of the way through the book I was reading furiously, heart breaking and throbbing for these two characters.

Loved this book. It was the perfect romantic comedy which I would love if it was made into a book. It was fun, flirty & funny. Overall the perfect beach read.

The Flatshare is the debut novel by Beth O'Leary and came highly recommended from some of my book reviewing friends. I was excited to check it out as I was looking for something that was both light-hearted and engaging. The flatshare fit the bill and I was pleasantly surprised how well it balanced being a "romantic comedy" while also having enough depth. I was pleased to see that the author was able to incorporate some tougher issues in such a meaningful and powerful manner...this included both abusive relationships and prioritizing mental health. This book made me laugh and also get teary-eyed which was a great balance as a reader.

The Flatshare is told in a dual point of view, alternating between each chapter. I found the characters endearing and I enjoyed that the relationship grew slowly over time. This felt more realistic and allowed the relationship to come together in a more natural way than a lot of books seem to do in this kind of "accidental love story" situation. I loved the friendships in the Flatshare and this eccentric book is definitely one I would recommend adding to your summer reading list! I look forward to reading more of Beth O'Leary's writing in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Tiffy Moore needs a place to live... fast. She needs to get out of her emotionally abusive ex's apartment as soon as possible. Easier said than done for someone who works for a craft book publisher. She's not exactly swimming in cash and her choices range from moldy to tiny. It's no wonder she ends up picking the option where she shares a flat... and a bed. But not at the same time.
Leo Twomey works nights and spends most of his free time at his girlfriend's so he figures sharing his apartment would be a good way to make some money to pay for his brother's lawyer. He figures having someone else in his flat won't be so hard to deal with.
Told over the course of a year, we get alternating first person views from both Tiffy and Leo. What I appreciated most was O'Leary's approach to Tiffy being in a relationship after her abusive ex. Leo was... awesome. When Tiffy freezes, he backs off immediately, working with her to get to a healthy-for-them sex life. And I also liked that Tiffy got into therapy and wasn't healed by Leo's magical wang. An easy ready but not a quick one because it does deal with some heavier topics.

Four stars
This book comes out May 28th
ARC kindly provided by publisher and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

THE FLATSHARE by Beth O’Leary is worth all the stars if you like romantic comedies and I most certainly do! This book kept me up two nights in a row because I absolutely loved both Tiffy and Leon. I love that they communicated through notes. I love that she is an assistant editor of DIY/Crafting books and embraces her body and mind and personal style from her head to her toes. I love that he is an introverted hospice care nurse who loves his family and takes a few of his patients deep into his heart. Not to mention why he needs someone to share his flat while he’s at work and all those emotions and backstories. There are so many funny moments in this book and tense moments as well. Anyone would be lucky to have a trio of best friends like Rachel, Mo, and Gerty. Overall, I really didn’t even care what happened in this story – I just wanted to keep reading and let the relationships unfold in these unique ways. I absolutely loved this debut book and hope O’Leary writes a whole lot more like it in the future.

Thank you to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

She slept there at night. He slept there during the day. They communicated via a multitude of post-it notes. They lived together, though they had never met.

I was all set for the rom-com, funny parts of this book. I was expecting them, but I was not expecting the depth of emotion O'Leary delivered, and I was more than delighted by it.

Tiffy was a wonderfully quirky heroine. I adored her sense of humor and her flare for fashion. I was appalled by how her ex treated her, and my hatred for him only grew as we dug deeper into the story. However, Tiffy was lucky to have a great support team in Gerty, Mo, Rachel, and to her surprise, Leon.

And, Leon! He was a delightful introvert, who won my heart with his kindness. As a hospice nurse, he spent a lot of time with very ill people, and some of the things he did for them were quite lovely and touching. I especially loved the side plot where he sought out one of his patients past loves and his fight to get his brother a retrial. Both really demonstrated what an amazing person Leon was.

The romance! I could see it all brewing as I read the post-it notes, and I was overjoyed when they finally met. Needless to say, their meet-cute was pure rom-com gold, and I may have snorted.

There are two things I see in books this day, that make me groan. One is the mention of certain book franchise, that I can never escape in YA, and apparently couldn't escape in this adult book too. The other is when authors pull politics into non-political books. It's just permeating every form of media, and I want an escape from it when I read. I really didn't expect politics to have any part or mention in the story, and I especially didn't expect a story based in London to have American politics in it.

Aside from that, I really enjoyed this book, and I know my pet-peeves are not shared by the majority of readers. Except for three small glitches, this book enchanted me from beginning to end. I just couldn't get enough of Leon and Tiffy story, and you know I happy crying at that ending!!

The Flatshare was surprising in all the best ways: depth of character, complexity of storyline and intricacy of storytelling.

An alternating point of view narrative that follows love-able characters growing from difficult histories and current situations.

This story leaves the reader deeply connected to the characters and pleased about the journey.

The Flatshare is a book I picked up expecting to love for one reason but ended up enjoying for another!

This book follows Tiffy who needs to move out of her ex’s apartment but is on a tight budget. The solution comes in the form of a flatshare. Leon is a nurse on the night shift and is renting his place to Tiffy from 5 at night to 9 in the morning. The agreement is that they won’t meet, but there’s nothing to stop them from communicating via post it notes.

Obviously, I expected a romance from this book, so I may as well start there. The romance was actually not one of my favorite parts of the story! I didn’t feel the chemistry between Leon and Tiffy, although I appreciated their relationship and how their friendship grew. I loved their interactions and shipped them as friends, but whenever they interacted romantically I wasn’t convinced. Since I was excited about the romance, this was definitely a bummer.

But! The book ended up gripping me for another reason! Tiffy is dealing with her ex-boyfriend throughout the book. At first I just thought that Justin, her ex, was a loser, but as the book went on it became more and more obvious how emotionally abusive he was. It was very well done, as the reader starts making this realization at about the same time as Tiffy does. Or maybe a bit sooner because of Tiffy’s wonderful friends.

Mo and Gertie are Tiffy’s two best friends and I honestly loved their friendship so, so much! They were always there for Tiffy, but also knew when to give her space and let her work things out on her own. I especially appreciated Gertie, because she was such an outwardly gruff person, but had the biggest heart!

This is also a very British book, which I did not know before reading it, although I probably should have been clued in by the title, since it’s not called The Apartmentshare. This is neither a good or bad thing, it just meant that there were some terms that took a moment to translate to American English. This book is also told in dual perspective, and the two characters have very distinct voices that represent their personalities very well. Tiffy’s is overflowing with adjectives and exuberance, while Leon’s is more clipped and to the point. At first this made me dislike Leon’s chapters because his voice was so different than what I’m used to reading, but it really grew on me as I read! I ended up really enjoying the difference by the time I had finished!

Even though Leon was a more closed off character, you got to see his warm and fuzzy side through his interactions with some lovely side characters. Leon would do anything for those he cares about and this is especially true for his brother Richie, who has been wrongfully imprisoned. I really loved Richie and I was so glad that he was such a big part of this book! In addition to Richie, some of Leon’s patients were also his friends, as much as Leon would deny it, and it was wonderful to see his interactions with them as well.

The biggest factor that detracted from my enjoyment was the drama! I know that this is a more personal issue, but over the top dramatics sometimes get to be too much for me. Lots happened in this book, most of which was predictable, but also incredibly angsty, and the combination of the two just made me frustrated.

To sum it all up, I had some issues with the writing and plot, but I very much enjoyed all the characters! I’d recommend this book to Sophie Kinsella and Christina Lauren fans who appreciate lots of angst and drama!

Tiffy Moore is going through a tough break up. Justin, her verbally abusive ex, is bringing his new girlfriend around to their apartment.
Short on money, the places she can afford are dumps.
She answers an ad for a flat share.
Leon Twomey is a night shift worker at a hospice clinic. He's in need of extra cash, trying to get his wrongfully convicted brother out of prison.
Tiff and Leon would share the same bed, but at different times! She would be there nights and weekends, while he would occupy it during the day. They don't even need to meet.
The arrangement works out well for both of them. They communicate via post it notes left for each other around the flat.
A friendship evolves between them as Tiffy heals from the trauma of her last relationship and Leon works on his brother's case.
When they finally meet in person, they are already falling for each other.
This was a sweet, quirky romantic comedy, with some dramatic elements that made it more substantial.
I give this one all the stars for making me laugh, cry and fall in love with these charming characters!
A perfect, captivating read for the summer!
Thank you to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a delightful book, but The Flatshare is so much more than just a cute romance. Some really tough topics are tackled in an unexpected and amazing way, this story surprised me in the best ways possible. ⁣
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I love forced proximity in romance, and this is forced proximity with a twist. Tiffy and Leon share an apartment, but have never met. After a bad breakup, Tiffy is desperate for a new place to live and responds to a classified ad for a flatshare. Leon works the night shift and will only be at the apartment when Tiffy is working. Their friendship is formed through cheeky little notes left throughout the apartment, and it doesn’t take long before the two start questioning if they could be more. Even if they haven’t met yet. ⁣
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The concept of this story is wild, sharing a bed with a stranger that you’ve never met sounds like my idea of a nightmare #germaphobe. But I loved everything about this book! The story progresses through dual perspectives, it took a minute to get into the voice used for Leon’s chapters but once I did I loved his chapters so much. Tiffy is quirky and delightful, but also dealing with the emotional trauma caused from her last relationship. I was not expecting how heavy her experience would get, but this book brings awareness to how isolating and controlling emotional abuse can be. I thought O’Leary handled that aspect of the story so well. ⁣
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It is impossible not to completely adore Tiffy and Leon and root for them as their relationship progresses. There are so many fantastic side characters that make this book come alive. Even if you think you don’t like romance, I highly recommend reading The Flatshare. It is SO much more than a sweet romance book! This was hands down a 5 star read for me! ⁣

After reading a few books with serious tones/subjects I wanted a lighter and brighter book. I very much enjoyed those previous books but I was ready for a chick-lit kinda thing to break it up.

The Flatshare is Beth O’Leary’s first novel. I knew the term flat share meant to have a roommate, sharing an apartment – each with their own bedroom. But in this novel they share a bed, not at the same time. One works nights and the other days.
The deal is that for a mere $350 a month she will have the flat from 6pm - 8am Monday through Friday and on weekends. The remaining times belong to Leon, who could use the extra cash that this arrangement will bring and never the two shall meet.

I’ve never heard of sleeping in the same bed as your room-mate and I can say it would never have been something I would have done.
They speak to each other via notes and letters left tacked to the fridge or on a table. When one is out at work and the other person at home, they find a note. And usually food! Sometimes they forget they haven’t had conversation in person. They are getting to know one another slowly as pen-pals who live together, but have not met. Weird and quirky.

The beginning was a bit confusing for me as Leon pondered about Kay and Ritchie, people who were not introduced to the story. Who are these people, I wondered. It all fell together shortly and I knew the character’s places.

Tiffy’s job is assistant editor at a DIY publishing house. She sums it up: “I love working here. This is the only possible explanation for the fact that I have been assistant editor for three and a half years, earning below the London living wage, and have made no attempt to rectify the situation…….”
As for the supporting characters a good deal of the book focuses on Tiffy’s favorite author, Katherin, who writes about knitting and crocheting. Also a treacherous coworker named Martin which you will just slightly loathe in the beginning and yes, this will deepen as you get to know him more.

Leon is such a good person. He’s a night nurse at a hospice, taking tender care of a little girl named Holly who has leukemia and senior patients who need constant care. Can’t be easy being a nurse. His supporting character is his brother Richie who resides in prison for a crime he says he didn’t commit. All the characters’ stories merge and overlap at different parts of the book.

I was looking for something light with a bit of humor and I found it in this book. What I wasn’t expecting was subject of emotional abuse and how well this author handled it. It wasn’t a constant but when it needed to be addressed in the story it was deftly woven in. Overall a funny, romantic lighthearted book but it certainly did touch on serious subjects at times.  Happy endings for most :-)

There was a bit of food in this novel! Tiffy is a baker and Leon likes to cook so we had a variety of tempting treats. Homemade oat bars, mushroom stroganoff, risotto, Victoria Sandwich with Homemade jam, carob date brownies, banana bread, ales and cocktails.

Much thanks to Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book.  Publication date is May 28, 2019.  I will look for more by this author.  All opinions are mine and I was not compensated for this review.

Sharing with:
Joy's Book Blog for British Isles Friday
Heather for the May Foodie's Read

4.5 stars

What a wonderful debut novel! The Flatshare was such a sweet and emotional story that surprised me in the best way. I absolutely fell in love with the idea behind this book and was instantly intrigued by the tagline "What if your roommate was your soul mate?"

Tiffy and Leon were such interesting characters and complemented each other so well, even though they seem to be opposites in every way. Tiffy is eccentric and has a tendency to overshare, while Leon is quieter and much more reticent. Their meet cute and intimate living situation are atypical, but all the awkwardness only endeared me more to the characters. I loved how a simple note exchange set in motion such huge changes for both of them. It had me asking myself if you really can get to know someone through the traces they leave behind? The author allowed Tiffy and Leon's friendship and relationship to develop naturally and I loved the slow burn between them.

The story is told in dual POV, and I will admit that Leon's chapters took a bit of getting used to. I ended up loving his abbreviated speaking/writing style, however, and I really feel like it fit his character perfectly. Some of the Britishisms went over my head, but the author's sense of humor and witty banter had me gasping for air because I was laughing so hard. With all the laughs, there are some serious issues as well, and I felt that they were addressed very honestly. For example, Tiffy struggles for a large portion of the book with her past relationship. I appreciated that the author didn't rush through her healing or downplay the effect that emotional abuse can have on an individual as well as their friends and loved ones. I really loved how patient and supportive Leon and all of Tiffy's friends were. They stood by her and lifted her when she needed them, but what I loved best, is that ultimately, it was Tiffy who had (and did) save herself.

The secondary characters really were amazing (please tell me a Richie book is in the works!) and added some wonderful comic relief at just the right moments. I was smiling ear to ear as I turned the last page, and Leon and Tiffy's story couldn't have ended in a cuter way. Definitely recommend this one and can't wait for more from Beth O'Leary.

*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book*