The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary – A book review

I picked The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary more than six months ago from the airport bookstore and carried it with me during my travels last year. But when I finally started reading it earlier this month, I knew it was a mistake.

It was a mistake to have waited so long to read it. Yes, I loved it. Let’s get on to the book review of The Flatshare, shall we?

About the book

Book Name: The Flatshare

Author: Beth O’Leary

Genre: Fiction – Romance

Characters: Tiffy Moore, Leon and Richie Twomey, Gerty, Mo, Justine, Kay

Setting:  London, England, The UK

The plot

Tiffy Moore has just been dumped (again) and wants to move out of Justin’s house ASAP. Despite what her friends say, she has hope that Justin will ask her to take him back. But at the same time, she knows this has happened far too many times, now. 

Leon Twomey is a nurse who works night shifts. His brother has been wrongly accused of a robbery and is in jail. Leon needs urgent cash flow to get him acquitted.

And a flatshare made sense for both of them. Leon will use the flat during the day, when Tiffy is at work and vice versa. It sounds perfect in paper,right? What could go wrong? 

For starters, emotionally abusive boyfriends, trips in search of a long lost lover, and the work schedule. But how long can they go without meeting forms the rest of The Flatshare. 

My initial thoughts

The Flatshare is a well written romance with great characters and witty humor. But what I loved about this book was how it talked about emotional abuse – keeping it real and without being preachy. 

I loved Tiffy’s arc especially. Initially she would not even stand a criticizing comment about Justin from her friends. But she slowly understood how he was gaslighting her and had been emotionally abusive and manipulating her. ALL BY HERSELF, with a bit of help from her ever supporting friends. And for once, the male protagonist was not her savior.  

Leon was just a perfect sweetheart. He is an introvert who loves helping everyone, even going out of his way to do so. In fact, he spends his free time to help an aged patient to find his family. He is on first name basis with his younger patients who seem to know more about him than himself. 

I loved Gerty, Mo and Rachel. And Richie. They were colorful and well developed, making it a treat to read about them. 

Things that worked for me

• The Flatshare is just more than a romance, even when it has a cute love story in it.
• The characters. From Tiffy to Holly, were well written and adorable. 
• I loved how the emotional abuse was portrayed, without making it all about the guy.

Things that didn’t work for me

I know this is a weak point but the flatshare arrangement without even meeting each other sounds too unrealistic right? Or is it just me? (It was not a deal breaker, though)

Bottom-line

The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary is a fun romance with British humor that deals with heavy subjects like emotional abuse, gaslighting and friendships. Pick it up if you are a newbie reader or someone trying to get off a slump.

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Let us chat

Have you read The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary? What did you think of this one? Can you recommend other British romances that has witty humor Let us talk.