What an amazing debut! Original, unique .. and quite enthralling!

Tiffy needs a place to lay her head at the end of the day - quickly, cheaply and in London. Leon needs to raise some extra cash - and fast. Working constant night shift and staying over at his girlfriend's home each weekend, gives him the notion to not only flat-share, but as he has a one-bedroom apartment, it also needs to be a room-share and a bed-share. Not the easiest choice, but needs must and as it suits both of them, so begins home-sharing for Tiffy and Leon who have yet to meet each other.

This is a book which grabbed my attention from the first and kept it til the last. We learn so much about the lives of Tiffy and Leon; their work, their friends,, their relationships and then they need to learn about each other without actually being able to picture their opposite number. I loved the idea of this before I opened my kindle, and I love it even more now I've read it all. The basis of the story is cleverly developed, and expands into an excellent first novel with beautiful writing and a tale which flows smoothly with plenty of ups and downs so the reader is never absolutely exactly sure where it's leading. With several intertwining stories all wrapped up into one, it's a fab read! I really hope that Beth O'Leary is making progress with her second novel, because I want to read it! An absolutely splendid 5* book.

My thanks to publisher Quercus for my copy via NetGalley. All opinions give here are, of course, entirely my own.

There are many, many things I loved about this book, but the outstanding characters are the absolute top best things in this novel. Tiffy is intelligent, creative, kind and very very funny. Leon is introverted, sensitive, loyal and loveable. Their friends and family are equally as amazing; Rachel, Mo, Gerty, Richie, Holly etc. You feel part of their gang and inspired by the bonds they share.

This definitely has a classic, poignant rom-com feel alongside greats such as P.S. I Love You, Me Before You and One Day In December. It tugs at your heartstrings, explores serious issues such as coercive/ abusive relationships, and provides some serious chemistry.

Anyone who has ever house-shared will relate to many of the aspects these two strangers encounter, from passive aggressive notes about mess to how much someone's little actions (coffee cups, cooking, fridge contents etc) can tell you so much about them. Throw in random neighbours who you never know their real names just what number they live it or name them after what car they drive or name them "cat man" because you saw them talking to their cat through the window once, and you get how relatable and funny this book really is.

It did take me a little while to adjust to Leon's chapters because of the clipped, almost listed way his dialogue was written, with words missing almost in an abridged text message. But, I soon realised this quite cleverly portrays how Leon thinks, and speaks, with few words and more guarded and cautious than Tiff's overenthusiastic and chatty style. Leon hates change, he's an introvert and not prone to talking too much to people he doesn't feel open with; those that he does bond with however, such as his brother, and a couple of his patients, get the best of Leon's Irish charm and humour. I actually find myself sometimes reading male perspective dialogues in romance books and wondering if many men at all ever think and speak in such ways, so this tactic in my opinion was a refreshing and effective use of narrative.

Ultimately, The Flatshare is a positively warm, encouraging and feelgood book that is guaranteed to make you smile and feel that little bit better for reading it.

The Flatshare is a quirky love story along the lines of One Day and The Day We Met. It focuses on the separate lives of Tiffy and Leon. People who share the same bed but have never met.

Tiffy works in publishing and is recovering from a break up and Leon works in a hospice and has far too many people demanding his time and care.

As with most good love stories, The Flatshare has plenty of ups and downs and is swoons-worthy in many parts. What was refreshing is that Beth O’Leary has managed to deal with plenty of ‘real-world’ problems that haven’t been overdone or seem tired. She handles her characters and their stories rather masterfully.

The Flatshare was a brilliant story; one that I will be recommending to everyone.

The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary is available now.

For more information regarding Beth O’Leary (@OLearyBeth) please visit her Twitter page.

For more information regarding Quercus Books (@QuercusBooks) please visit their Twitter page.

I'm going to start this review with " I absolutely loved this book" . Beth O' Leary's Flatshare is a massive comforting hug of a book. This is a book about love in its many guises familial, obsessive and romantic. Leon needs money Tiff needs somewhere cheap to live and so begins the flatshare of the title. Tiff and Leon communicate by note and gradually get to know one another. The various plotlines are cleverly entwined and I just had to keep reading to see how events transpired. Thank you ,#Netgalley for the chance to read this lovely novel and thank you #BethOLeary for writing this piece of loveliness #TheFlatshare.

We've all heard the horror stories about renting in central London, so while the idea of sharing a flat with a stranger on a rota might be bizarre in real life it does make for a humourous and intriguing premise for a novel.

Tiffy more, a twenty something editor, has recently broken up with her boyfriend and needs to find a flat pronto. Cue Leon, who needs some extra cash and works nights, so advertises his flat to share - quite literally in shifts. This creates a hilarious, even if a bit unrealistic, scenario in which Tiffy and Leon never actually meet but begin an endearing relationship through post it notes.

The novel is light-hearted and funny, yet O'Leary interweaves more serious issues of domestic abuse and the justice system into the character's lives. The characters are complex, with creative sub-narratives, not only the core two, but also the wider cast, who provide depth and variety to the story. Tiffy's different relationships with her friends are well painted, from the in jokes, oversharing and constant messaging with Rachel, to the gentle affection of her relationship with Mo.

However, despite the aspects of the novel which are well done, the novel is predictable and relies on a number of multiple ridiculous coincidences, which push the limits of the imagination. There were moments where the surprise was not due to the events of the narrative, but actually in the realisation that something which was obvious from the beginning was supposed to be a reveal. Moreover, the narrative was sometimes difficult to read, with Leon's sections written in broken and incomplete sentences, and the passages of messages between the two not well distinguished as to who is speaking. This makes the narrative flow less seamlessly. The characters, while well rounded, were also difficult to picture, and at times seemed like an amalgamation of quirky personality points.

This plotline would make a wonderful 'dramedy' romance film with the right cast, and was entertaining. However, at times it was just too over the top and predictable to make the most of a fun and original premise.

Tiffy needs somewhere to live, and Leon needs a flatmate - but not a conventional one - he only has one bedroom, and one bed, and ia offering his flat and bed during evenings and weekends whilst he is at work. For Tiffy this sounds like a perfect plan. Tiffy and Leon haven’t met, but for Tiffy its the perfect opportubity to start afresh after breaking up with her controlling boyfriend Justin. Leon has a girlfriend, Kay, and she is not happy with Leon sharing his flat, but understands that he needs the money to help pay the legal fees for his brother Richie who is in prison. Tiffy and Leon communicate via post it note. Until one day they accidentally meet....... This story was brilliant, Inreally really loved the book, Tiffy and Leon are great characters, ands are best friends Rachel, Gertie and Mo. Highly recommend this book.

I started to read this when I went to bed last night - and stayed awake to 4am to finish it - I wouldn’t have been able to sleep without knowing the ending.
I loved this book!
Tiffy needs somewhere to live to get away from Justin, with whom she has had an on and off relationship for a while, but who has treated her badly, getting engaged to another woman within a few months of their split.
. Leon needs money to pay for his brother’s legal defence for a crime he didn’t commit. Leon works nights so advertises his one bedroom flat to share from 6pm to 8am, an arrangement that suits them both - and also Leon’s girlfriend who doesn’t want them to meet.
They each have their own side of the bed, and get to know each other by leaving messages and occasional food for each other.
Tiffy becomes increasingly aware that her relationship with Justin wasn’t exactly healthy - but he keeps confusing her by turning up unexpectedly when she is working at events.

I loved how the characters developed, how Tiffy became stronger with support from her friends who recognised her abusive relationship, and how their friendship made introvert Leon more open. Supporting characters were all so well written too. Can’t wait to see what Beth O’Leary does next.

Tiffy is desperate to leave her ex’s flat, she can’t afford much on her salary which means its mostly hovels when looking in London. She is so desperate that she actually applies to do a flat share with a mystery person where she gets the nights and they get the days, as he works nights and needs the extra cash. Leon likes a quiet life and ghosting along the corridors of the hospices where he works as a palliative car nurse suits him fine. It is a bit disconcerting when his flat is suddenly filled with multicoloured clutter but he slowly gets used to it. Its difficult to describe how much I loved this book except to say I think it’s the best book I’ve read this year and hope there’s more to come. Highly recommended. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Tiffy, God, I loved Tiffy. She’s kooky (think of, the greatly missed, Emma Chambers portrayal of Honey in Notting Hill but red-haired and taller and you’ll be able to conjure her up). Like Honey she’s unlucky in love and has made some bad choices in the past, choices that find her pretty much homeless and unable to afford anywhere to live in London except sharing a flat with, palliative-care night-nurse, Leon. Leon has his own financial worries, all his money going on lawyers fees in order to secure the release of his wrongly imprisoned brother.

The scene is set. The characters are strong, the writing stronger and the plot….well, I’m not giving away any spoilers but, if this little slice of literary delight doesn’t pretty much clean up the 2019 rom-com/up-lift market I’m in the wrong job!

A million yellow, shiny, pointy thingamajigs.

*Thank you Netgalley for my copy* I did really enjoy this book, very light hearted and easy to read - a great book for the beach (if you don’t mind laughing out loud!!) I didn’t give this 5 stars though, just because it was so predictable in parts - I pretty much knew what was going to happen before I began. However this doesn’t detract completely from the enjoyment, I really felt a lot of love and warmth to the characters :)

If you are a lover of Helen Fielding, Jojo Moyes and the like then this book is for you.

Tiffy Moore needs a cheap flat, and fast to leave her relationship with Justin behind her. Leon Twomey works nights as a paliative care nurse and needs cash to support his family during a difficult time. Their friends think the idea of sharing a flat together with a complete stranger is insane, but it’s the solution they both need: Leon will live in 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 including weekends when Leon will be with his girlfriend Kay.

It transpires that Tiffy's ex-boyfriend is not ready to let her go (despite being engaged), her work life pays very little and she is frequently called upon by a demanding author who wants her at all her events. At times it feels that the only connection she truly has is the one she is building with Leon, yet they have never met....

Leon has problems of his own, Kay wants a comitted relationship, yet is impervious to the pressure he is under trying to support his wrongly imprisoned brother. He also has an elderly gentleman under his care, which will send Leon off on a mission to reconcile him with a long lost love. The sweet treats, meals and post it messages he shares with Tiffy bring him respite from the day to day norm and despite some unusual furnishing options he seems drawn to his unknown flatmate.

What I enjoyed about this story is that it was not just about a developing romance between them, this story was an inspiration for female empowerment despite being involved in a toxic and controlling relationship. The hope new friendships can bring and a reminder than familial loyalty can sometimes lead you to the creation of a perfect home.

Hard to put down, incurably adorable and leaves you with a toasty glow.

It may be just me, though I doubt it. From the synopsis onward, I knew that this novel would be a winning domestic fantasy-romance. And I was not disappointed, in fact I was only more impressed with the issues it also managed to combine together.

A touching story with two hugely empathetic characters is that of Leon and Tiffy. Tiffy responds to Leon's ad seeking a flatmate after her relationship breakdown. It seems perfect - she will never actually meet or technically 'share' the flat, with Leon working in a care home at night and her own job taking her to a publishing office all day they will share a bed but at opposite times.

Tiffy's friends (an individualised, caring group) are dubious, as is Leon's girlfriend. But Tiffy needs to find somewhere quickly and soon moves her quirks along with her beanbags and clothes into the flat. We first know Tiffy through her "porridge-stained Adventure Time pyjamas) and soon start to warm to the unconventional craft book editor. We also get to see the difference between her and introverted care nurse Leon, who shares the narration with a much more sparse and note-like style of talking.

As well as the story of the flatmates who don't meet but who begin to communicate through Post-It notes, there's a lovely sidestory of a patient of Leon's who regrets a wartime romance that he let go of, as well as the gradually darkening backstory of Tiffy's past relationship, both of which tie in nicely to the burgeoning friendship between Leon and Tiffy.

There are oodles of coincidences, as you would expect, when the main plot centres around the two main characters not sharing the same space at the same time. But I wanted this all to work out, I wanted each plot line to take a certain direction. There's lots of gentle tension as each thread builds up, and a great payoff at the end.

Each character is drawn well, psychologically speaking, and one of Tiffy's friend 'talks the talk' as a counsellor, and both Tiffy and Leon must deal with their issues to be able to move forward.

This is one read I may choose to reread at some point, which doesn't occur often. It's a feel-good, charming concoction with a pair of memorable and appealing protagonists that will win a lot of hearts.

With thanks to Netgalley for the sample reading copy.

Imagine sharing a flat with someone you’ve never met. In fact, imagine sharing a bed with them! That’s exactly what Tiffy and Leon do.

After splitting up with her boyfriend, Tiffy needs a place to stay that’s cheap. Leon needs money to help his brother and as he works night shifts during the week and is away every weekend. Communicating through notes left for each other throughout the flat, it seems to be the perfect solution for both of them.

This book is a great read it will draw you in and you’ll soon find yourself hooked.

Thank you to NetGalley, Quercus Books and the author for the chance to review.

I loved this! It's a split narrative and it starts like most light romantic reads, but it's got teeth - there's some real grit to the relationships.
I really loved the characters, Tiffy was brilliant and Leon was perfect (possibly too perfect at times, but I'm probably just jealous) The other characters all had heart and quirks, it was just a wonderful read.
Definitely a pleasure to recommend this.

This is an entertaining rom com with a little more substance to it than your average boy-meets-girl. Tiffy and Leon become flatmates - technically bedmates - without ever meeting, as his night shift pattern means he is never in the flat at the same time as her. She appears colourful and lively, while he is reserved and quiet. They begin to communicate with each other via notes left in the flat, but as the story progresses the notes reveal that each of them is dealing with more than it originally appeared. This is an entertaining novel with likeable characters and an engaging story, and makes a perfect holiday read.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher on NetGalley in exchange for a review. Thank you!
Tiffy and Leon are two working people who happen to be on opposite schedules, making their flatshare agreement seemingly perfect! Told in alternating perspectives, the book is a fun take on what happens when Tiffy and Leon begin to form a relationship.
I LOVED this book, Tiffy was so fun, and I personally related to her. The characters were hilarious! I will be reading this MULTIPLE times! It was funny and heartfelt, with just the right amount of serious bits. Leon's chapters are a little more quirky, almost told like he's in a rush(?), but a great read nonetheless!
Overall: 4.5/5 stars

Sometimes, you need a good book with endearing characters and few crazy and some heartwarming situations to make your day. The story has to come together in just the right way to make you tear up/laugh. This book does a large chunk of that job. 

Tiffy is at her wits end when the story begins. She talks herself into an arrangement to share a flat with a person who she never actually meets but works as a palliative nurse. A man with a job like that cannot be too bad is something of a subtext in this situation. We are then introduced to the extended supporting cast., the friends, the co-workers and the ex. Each of the good smaller characters make their presence felt in the tale itself as well as the soothing effect they have in the daily life of our principal characters. I read an advance e-copy but I hope the final print copy has all the notes (that constitute Tiffy and Leon's primary mode of communication) as actual sticky notes and not blurred with the text for maximum effect.

The entire thing is straightforward with a few surprises but for the most part you know what to expect but enjoy it all the same. Leon does not understand Tiffy with her job as Asst. Editor at a publisher who only publish DIY books (something that I have a personal vested interest in!) or her verbose oversharing. I like the way he sometimes finds her communication tiring but in a 'good way'. Leon's communications are more abrupt but he grows on the reader as does Tiffy's rebuilding of her own confidence. I highly recommend this book to people loving for a reasonably fast paced, good-hearted tale and people who like this genre. I am sure most people will like getting to know these people as much as I did.

This is a delightful story with romance, friendship, family, love - and a great exploration of what relationships look like when they're really good and when they're really bad.

I really enjoyed this from start to finish, particularly the "will they, won't they?" between Leon and Tiffy. A really refreshing romance with lovely characters.

Despite the story being predictable I really enjoyed it. I liked how it was written from Tilly then Leon’s side and I did struggle to put it down as wanted to carry on reading

Oh I loved this book -great characters very likeable and a really enjoyable realistic love story.
Unusual concept and would thoroughly recommend - great light hearted book, ideal for a holiday read.