After reading and crying my way through The Girl Who Escaped From Auschwitz, I wanted something fun and lighthearted to read. The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary was one of the 99p Kindle Daily Deals on Amazon and it seemed like a story that wasn’t overly heavy.
The Flatshare was Beth O’Leary’s debut novel, published in 2019. It quickly went on to be a bestseller and has now been made into a major tv series.
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Plot
Tiffy is desperate for a cheap place to live (not easy to find in London) and Leon is short on cash. Despite being complete strangers they agree upon an unconventional arrangement. They decide they will share not only a flat but also the same bed. They would never see each other as Leon works nights as a palliative care nurse and stays at his girlfriend’s at the weekends. Therefore Tiffy would have the apartment to herself in the evenings and weekends. When she’s off to work, that’s when Leon comes home. Leon’s no-nonsense girlfriend Kay handles the transaction, thus ensuring Tiffy and Leon don’t ever need to meet.
What starts as a reminder note to leave the toilet seat down, soon turns into a regular correspondence between the two. Friendship blossoms through post-it notes as the flatmates’ lives start to entwine.
The Flatshare Book Review
The Flatshare is a heart-warming story with really likeable characters. Tiffy was relatable and the subject of her emotionally abusive ex is sensitively handled. Leon is patient and kind, as you would expect from a palliative care nurse.
I enjoyed the premise of the book and the post-it notes were lovely to read. I found the narrative for Leon quite hard to enjoy, as much as I loved his character. The lack of pronouns makes it difficult to flow properly, although I understand it’s completely in keeping with his personality. His short, concise notes compared to Tiffy’s long creative prose, perfectly display the pair’s completely different personalities. Despite my dislike of the writing style for his sections, Leon was my favourite character. He was a man of few words (not unlike my own husband) but his actions displayed the depth of his character.
With a cast of vibrant supporting characters, the story was funny and charming and I found myself smiling as I read. It was slightly predictable with a few of the usual cliches that often occur in romances, but you can forgive that when the characters are so likeable.
A fun heart-warming read.
Has Beth O’Leary written any other novels?
Beth O’Leary has also written:
- The Road Trip
- The No-Show
- The Wake Up Call
What should I read after The Flatshare?
If you enjoyed The Flatshare, I’d recommend reading The No-Show, also by Beth O’Leary. I’d also recommend Only Love Can Hurt Like This by Paige Toon and The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella.
Kara Guppy
Wednesday 24th of February 2021
Just what you need whilst still in lockdown. I do love something fun and lighthearted
motherhoodtherealdeal
Wednesday 24th of February 2021
I've found that during lockdown I've completely changed what I want to read. I'm really drawn to light heart reads right now and this sounds like just the ticket.
Sabina Green
Tuesday 23rd of February 2021
This sounds like a good fun, light-hearted read. Just what I am looking for at the moment. Thanks for recommending!
clairelomax2018
Tuesday 23rd of February 2021
I have this book to read and I am looking forward to it after reading this review. I am working my way through as many books as I can before lock down release as I know I won't read as many when we are released x