The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary | @QuercusBooks | #20BooksofSummer

Author : Beth O’Leary
Title : The Flatshare
Pages : 390
Publisher : Quercus
Publication date : April 10, 2019

| ABOUT THE BOOK |

Tiffy Moore and Leon Twomey each have a problem and need a quick fix.

Tiffy’s been dumped by her cheating boyfriend and urgently needs a new flat. But earning minimum wage at a quirky publishing house means that her choices are limited in London.

Leon, a palliative care nurse, is more concerned with other people’s welfare than his own. Along with working night shifts looking after the terminally ill, his sole focus is on raising money to fight his brother’s unfair imprisonment.

Leon has a flat that he only uses 9 to 5. Tiffy works 9 to 5 and needs a place to sleep. The solution to their problems? To share a bed of course…

As Leon and Tiffy’s unusual arrangement becomes a reality, they start to connect through Post-It notes left for each other around the flat.

Can true love blossom even in the unlikeliest of situations?
Can true love blossom even if you never see one another?
Or does true love blossom when you are least expecting it?

| MY THOUGHTS |

During one of those weeks where numerous books found their way back onto the bookshelf after just a few pages, I thought to myself “Self, why don’t you just pick up something completely different? Why not step away from the crime and the psychological thrillers?”. And so I did, because Self is often wise. This is how I ended up reading up-lit. As you do.

Tiffy needs a new place to live after being dumped by her cheating boyfriend. Leon needs money to pay for his brother’s solicitor and Leon has a flat, which he only uses between 9am and 5pm and never at the weekends. So during the hours when he’s not around, why not let someone else enjoy the flat? This is the start of a most unusual arrangement.

Now, I was prepared for this story to be predictable and in some parts it absolutely was. Yet, there are also some deeper issues running through the storyline that I wasn’t expecting at all. Tiffy’s relationship with the ex-boyfriend isn’t as straightforward as it looks and Leon’s job as a nurse on a palliative ward made me feel rather emotional at times. What won me over more than anything though, were the incredibly delightful characters. Quirky Tiffy is absolutely fabulous and often made me chuckle and her network of friends were a true delight to get to know as well. Both Tiffy and Leon, and also Leon’s brother, are characters you root for from start to finish.

The Flatshare is an uplifting story about love and friendship but also one about letting go, making changes and finding yourself. To my surprise (because this isn’t normally something I’d read), I actually thoroughly enjoyed this one and I read it one sitting. My only niggle was the way Leon’s chapters were written, which I found rather annoying. But ultimately, this book does exactly what it says on the tin. Sometimes moving, often funny; it left me with a huge smile on my face.

The Flatshare is available to buy!

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Book 3 from my 20 Books of Summer list