Review: The Flatshare

The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I wasn't sure what to expect from Beth O'Leary's "The Flatshare," but it turned out to be an excellent read that I highly recommend. This book is so much more than just a romance; it also tackles a number of weighty issues including emotional abuse, the importance of self-care, the bonds of friendship, and tricky family dynamics, among others.

When I first started reading, I thought the female main character, Tiffy, would turn out to be nothing more than a sweet, lovable goofball. In some ways she was those things, but as I got to know her character better over the course of the story, I came to realize that she was far more complex than that. She did a good job of hiding it even from herself, but she had quite a bit of emotional trauma to overcome thanks to her ex-boyfriend, Justin. I really appreciated the fact that Tiffy recognized she needed help (even if it took some prodding from her friend Mo) and actually took the time to work on herself before jumping into another relationship. If she hadn't, I don't think she would have been able to make any new relationship work, even if it was with a guy as great as Leon. And after everything Tiffy went through with Justin, she really deserved to find someone like Leon who would support her instead of tearing her down.

Leon, the male lead character, was also a really interesting, complex character with several issues of his own to overcome. The situation with his brother Richie, in particular, was tragic, and I really felt for both of them as they struggled through it. I loved that Leon continued to stand up for his brother no matter what. As for Richie, he was a great secondary character and I wouldn't mind seeing him get a story of his own in the future. It would be interesting to see what happens to him now that his circumstances have changed so dramatically.

*ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

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