I started reading again for the first time since childhood in April 2019, so to mark my 2-year-readiversay I decided to reread the Flatshare, one of my most favourite books from when I started to read again. I found that I had forgotten quite a lot of things that happened it in so it almost didn't feel like a reread

I adore this book so much!!! I love the book itself but I also loved it because it was almost sentimental to me, being one of the first books that I loved once restarted my reading journey.

This book included more depth than a typical contemporary book. It deals with some particularly dark topics but I feel as though it handles them really well. Especially the storyline of Justin, Tiffy's toxic and emotionally ex- I loved seeing Tiffy's development from being almost dependant on Justin and thinking his toxic behaviours were okqy to reaching out for help and knowing her own worth and strength. This is such an important thing for people to read about.

I loved so many characters, particularly Tiffy, Leon and Richie. Both and Tiffy and Leon have their own personalities and have differences too, but I feel like they have the same souls, like who they truly are inside and what makes them them just makes them the perfect match for each other

 Normally in my reviews I tend to include  favourite moments and quotes from the book but I used up an entire pack of sticky note tabs marking my favourite moments, quotes and anything else I wanted to remember, there are just so many special moments in this book!

Beth O'Leary is a wonderful author, the way she crafts stories is just perfect. I enjoyed having the two different perspectives, of Tiffy and Leon. 

To conclude, this is one of my favourite books and I would totally whole-heartedly recommend 

The Flatshare 🛋
🌟🌟🌟🌟
-
I finished this last night after a breathless 24 hours of not wanting to put it down! So glad I decided to pick this one up, it was a real right-time-right-book situation.
-
🏠 The plot: Tiffy and Leon are both in tight spots in their lives - with money, with romance - which pushes them into an unconventional living situation. Living on opposite schedules, they share a flat, and a bed, never meeting but conversing through notes. It’s the perfect solution, until it gets complicated...
-
Ok guys let’s not beat around the bush: this book is FUN. It’s funny, it’s light-hearted, it’s optimistic - all against a backdrop of abusive relationships, soaring London rent prices, and the UK’s shitty criminal justice system. Leon’s a palliative care nurse so it even has my favourite thing in romance: a healthy awareness of mortality! If I had to be picky it is a tiiiiiny bit heavy handed in parts but I don’t even care!! I can’t wait until holidays are a thing again and I can reread this sitting on a towel on a beach somewhere. I have so much affection for this love story.
-
💘 Read it if you want a book you’ll fly through and with characters who feel like individuals. Rom com characters can sometimes seem a little cookie-cutter, but particularly Tiffy is a bit of an oddball, and that makes for a very loveable romance!
-
🚫 Avoid it if you’re not good at suspending disbelief - despite the proportions of Tiffy and Leon’s flat this is a larger than life story, and you need to let yourself be swept along! - or if you’re avoiding stories that recount panic attacks, emotional abuse, or incarceration. 

 

I read The Flatshare over Christmas.

Right off the bat, I wanna say that romance books are very hit or miss with me. Especially if it falls more into chick-lit territory, it’s really not my cup of tea. 

But this book had a lot of hype and the premise of it seemed really fun and lighthearted so I decided to give this one a go.

I should have known from the blurb on the front cover saying “The new Jojo Moyes” (it’s the ableism for me) and the reference of her work in the story that this book was not gonna be my thing.

I personally don’t think this book lived up to the hype. 

Overall, it’s a quick but forgettable read. It just fell flat for me.

The plot didn’t have anything special or unique about it, it was super predictable from the get go. I didn’t like the writing style and I found the main characters annoying.

I did like the fact that it’s a romance that tiptoes around some hard hitting subjects. 

However, everything else didn't really work for me. 

A fun yet emotional read with loveable characters and an important message. 

Some thoughts I had whilst reading: