The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary

5 Stars Mar 16, 2023

My review

5/5 stars

I know I'm behind the curve on this book, but I got there in the end, and I'm so glad I did.

Tiffy was a brilliant character. I instantly liked her and wanted to see her do well in life. She was funky, spunky and not afraid to be herself, even in the spite of some serious personal challenges. Her confidence and positive outlook in the face of difficulty is inspiring and makes her all the more lovable.

Leon took me a little longer to warm too, not because he was poorly written or character-deficient, but because initially I was only able to judge him through his interactions with others (mainly his patients and girlfriend) rather than as a person in his own right. He quickly developed and became a character that I enjoyed reading, particularly for his charm and warmth.

These characters were the thing that made the book so enjoyable. The plot was attention-grabbing but not exactly the lightest in content. The characters provided the light to counterbalance the shade of the plot, and kept the book from feeling depressing or heavy. The writing was sensitive and understanding, but didn't shy away from the reality of the situations that were handled.

My favourite part of this book was the back and forth nature of the plot. Each chapter was told from an alternating point of view, which was really accentuated in the audiobook with two different narrators playing Tiffy and Leon. It provided a fantastic dynamism to the story and a very immersive listening experience on the audiobook.

Loved it, totally understand why it received the hype that it did.

Book blurb

Tiffy and Leon share a flat
Tiffy and Leon share a bed
Tiffy and Leon have never met...

Tiffy Moore needs a cheap flat, and fast. Leon Twomey works nights and needs cash. Their friends think they're crazy, but it's the perfect solution: Leon occupies the one-bed flat while Tiffy's at work in the day, and she has the run of the place the rest of the time.

But with obsessive ex-boyfriends, demanding clients at work, wrongly imprisoned brothers and, of course, the fact that they still haven't met yet, they're about to discover that if you want the perfect home you need to throw the rulebook out the window...