I have seen The Flatshare around but for some reason never thought it was for me. Thankfully my library had a different idea and included it in my library subscription service for this month.
Synopsis from Goodreads:
After a bad breakup, Tiffy Moore needs a place to live. Fast. And cheap. But the apartments in her budget have her wondering if astonishingly colored mold on the walls counts as art.
Desperation makes her open minded, so she answers an ad for a flatshare. Leon, a night shift worker, will take the apartment during the day, and Tiffy can have it nights and weekends. He’ll only ever be there when she’s at the office. In fact, they’ll never even have to meet.
Tiffy and Leon start writing each other notes – first about what day is garbage day, and politely establishing what leftovers are up for grabs, and the evergreen question of whether the toilet seat should stay up or down. Even though they are opposites, they soon become friends. And then maybe more.
But falling in love with your roommate is probably a terrible idea…especially if you’ve never met.
My Thoughts
I really enjoyed this book! It touched on heavier topics than I expected, but that just made the HEA that much sweeter. The dual narrators added so much – the British and mild Irish brogue accents transported me right into the story and the characters, highlighting their personalities and differences. You could hear Leon’s grumpiness and Tiff’s sunshine loud and clear.
Leon’s chapters were written differently and I think I would’ve had difficulty transitioning and enjoying his chapters if I hadn’t listened. The narrator helped to smooth out that transition and brought out his personality. I noticed the different style of his chapters, but it didn’t pull me out of the story.
Tiff really made the book, with her big personality and grit. She had a lot to work through and she did it. It wasn’t straightforward or easy – which is pretty realistic – but she kept putting in the work and was able to come out the other side.
The epilogue was super sweet and left me smiling.
“It’s weird how easily you can get to know someone from the traces they leave behind when they go.”
― Beth O’Leary
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