The Flatshare Review: Would You Share a Bed with a Stranger?

May 7, 2019 by Jenna | 4 stars, Books

The Flatshare Review: Would You Share a Bed with a Stranger?The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary
Published by Quercus on April 18, 2019
Source: Purchased
Genres: Chick Lit, Contemporary, Romance
Amazon | Book Depository | Publisher | Angus & Robertson | Booktopia | Barnes & Noble
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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?

I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump lately due to my busy work and travel schedule so I decided to pick up a cute, fluffy audiobook that could lift my spirits and The Flatshare definitely did the trick. It had depth and explored some hard-hitting themes, but was ultimately cute and romantic.

The premise of the book, I have to say, was a little bit weird. After a hard break up, Tiffy needs a place to live ASAP and the only thing her budget would allow is a flatshare arrangement with a hospice nurse, Leon. Leon works night shifts and is only at his apartment from 9am to 5pm each day, which happens to be exactly when Tiffy works as a book editor. So the two end up sharing a flat and a bed, but never at the same time… which didn’t make sleeping in the same bed as a stranger more okay for me, but let’s move away from that. Tiffy and Leon develop a friendship through post-it notes that they leave around the apartment for each other, and they learn about each other through the little traces that are left in the apartment. An awkward, accidental encounter with each other kicks off their romance and everything just falls into place. Well… except Tiffy’s stalkerish ex-boyfriend constantly showing up everywhere.

I really enjoyed the plot of the book. I thought that it was warm and wholesome, but also tackled some important issues like abusive relationships. Throughout the book, Tiffy goes on a journey of self-discovery and realising that her previous relationship was built on gaslighting and emotional abuse. With the help of her close friends, colleagues and Leon, she is able to come to terms with this and leave behind her ex and previous relationship that was holding her back from experiencing true happiness. At the same time, Leon has just been going through the paces since his brother Richie was wrongly convicted of a crime that he didn’t commit. Getting Richie out of prison has been Leon’s main motivator, especially when he has to do it alone, until he finds solace and comfort in Tiffy’s friendship.

The friendships were what made this book for me. I could kind of give or take the romance between Tiffy and Leon, but I highly enjoyed their friendship together and what this friendship meant for all of the things they were dealing with in their lives. I also enjoyed the friendships that they had with the other characters in the book, particularly Tiffy’s relationship with her best friends, Gerty and Mo, who were there for her every step of the way. I loved that these secondary characters weren’t just there to fill in the gaps but also played crucial roles in the plot and development of the book. These relationships created a really uplifting and heartwarming story that I couldn’t get enough of.

The Flatshare is definitely a feel-good book with some serious themes to get you thinking. If you love beautiful and heartwarming friendships, this is a must-read story.

Rating: 4 out of 5

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Jenna is an Aussie blogger and reader who loves to indulge in great books and great food. She is a doctor (of philosophy) and can usually be found fangirling about something, devouring delicious food, or taking a nap. You can find her on Twitter @readwithjenna and on Instagram @readingwithjenna.

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10 responses to “The Flatshare Review: Would You Share a Bed with a Stranger?

  1. Sounds so cute Jenna! I think I’ll have to put thus on a “fluffy contemporary” list for my TBR. (Although personally I would never share a bed with a stranger like that, yikes)

  2. This sounds like a really light and sweet read! The premise really intrigues me and while it’s pretty obvious that it’s a romance book, upon reading the synopsis for some reason I really root for their friendship, not their romance! 😀 Let’s see whether my feelings change when I read the book. Great review!
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