The Flatshare: A Novel

by Beth O'Leary

Overview

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What if your roommate is your soul mate? A joyful, quirky romantic comedy, Beth O'Leary's The Flatshare is a feel-good novel about finding love in the most unexpected of ways.

Tiffy and Leon share an apartment. Tiffy and Leon have never met.

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250295651
Publisher:	Flatiron Books
Publication date:	01/05/2021
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	30,984
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 5.30(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Beth O’Leary worked in children's publishing before becoming a full time author. The Flatshare is her debut novel. The idea for The Flatshare came to Beth when her doctor boyfriend was doing long night shifts as part of his training and they could go weeks without seeing each other, but she could track his life by how many cups of coffee were left on the counter, by how much he’d eaten and whether the bookmark in his novel had changed locations. It made her wonder – what could you learn about someone if you lived together but never overlapped?

Editorial Reviews

“Add this to your summer reading list (and get out your checkbooks, Hollywood): Beth O'Leary’s debut novel The Flatshare is a 21st century rom-com that will please hopeless romantics...Everyone needs to devour immediately."
—USA Today

“O’Leary’s tender, funny debut is a millennial romantic comedy with an old-fashioned twist: You’ll never look at a Post-it the same way again.”
—People

“A delight from start to finish…A warm, enchanting love story perfect for fans of classic rom-coms.”
—Kirkus, starred review

“The Flatshare is a huge, heartwarming triumph.”
—Josie Silver, #1 NYT bestselling author of One Day in December

“The new Jojo Moyes...This has all the ingredients of Me Before You…Seriously funny.”
—Cosmopolitan (UK)

"This charming debut features lovely characters being nice to one another. It’s easy to root for them to get together and solve the problems in each of their lives. Be prepared to hand-sell this one. It’s a sweet romance that will win over readers once they discover it on the shelves."
—Library Journal, starred review

“The Flatshare is the novel equivalent of a cup of hot tea. It’ll warm you up — and heal you if you’re hurting.”
—Refinery29

“The Flatshare is undeniably a romance between Tiffy and Leon; it will give you butterflies, and make you laugh. But it’s also a deep-dive into the realities of relationships gone wrong, and what it truly takes to dig oneself out of the depths… An empowering look at resilience and healthy love.”
—Bustle

“O’Leary's debut is a sweet, quirky novel about two complete opposites falling for one another under the cutest of circumstances...Perfect for fans of Helen Hoang's The Kiss Quotient and Sally Thorne's The Hating Game.”
—Booklist

“I finished The Flatshare in one sitting – it is, as promised, incredibly uplifting and joyous. I spent the last few hours with a massive smile on my face. I have fallen head over heels in love with Tiffy and Leon, and indeed with this book.”
—Louise O’Neill, #1 international bestselling author of Asking For It

“Such fun...A thought-provoking work of fiction. But fun. Definitely fun.”
—Minneapolis Star-Tribune

“We were genuinely tickled by this book; we loved the concept, the writing, the characters. This is such a great book to take on vacation and read in one go with your toes dug into the warm sand.”
—Christina Lauren, Publishers Weekly’s 11 Essential Summer Romance Novels

“This quirky romantic comedy has surprising depth…Colorful storylines, generous-hearted characters, and British banter make this a refreshing novel.”
—Christian Science Monitor

“Clever debut…O’Leary’s story packs plenty of laughs and gasps; fans of Bridget Jones’s Diary will want to give this a look.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Its breezy prose and fun plot will have you hooked from the first page.”
—RealSimple.com, 5 Best Summer Beach Reads

"The Flatshare starts out as a sweet, funny, beautifully written romance with great dialogue and characters you'd love to share a flat with...and then, once you're hooked, it deepens and becomes so much more. It's a cheering, lovely look at friendship and love and learning to trust after heartbreak. I never wanted it to end." —Maddie Dawson, bestselling author of Matchmaking for Beginners and The Survivor's Guide to Family Happiness

“The Flatshare has a lot of laughable moments, but there’s a great deal of depth, too. It’s also refreshing. …The Flatshare proves [romance is] possible; you just have to get creative. O’Leary’s book is a fun read and a hugely promising debut.”
—Coastal Living

“Feel-good fiction at its best.”
—Independent (UK)

"Tiffy and Leon will stay in your head long after you turn the final page. This is a gorgeously written, highly original love story that will resonate with anyone who has ever experienced the questionable joys of shared living. I absolutely loved it." —Phoebe Morgan, #1 bestselling author of The Doll House

“In the league of Bridget Jones and Marian Keyes’ Walsh sister books … Fresh, funny and feel-good.”
—Claire Allan, bestselling author of The First Time I Said Goodbye

From the Publisher

03/11/2019

Set in the UK, O’Leary’s clever debut follows the unlikely romance between two flatmates. Assistant editor Tiffy Moore, who is trying to get over a breakup, and Leon Twomey, who works night shifts at a hospice clinic, agree to live together, though they never run into one another, as their schedules don’t overlap. Instead of speaking to one another, Tiffy and Leon communicate by leaving notes about menial things—whose food is whose, when trash night is, etc. In parallel plots, Tiffy tries to overcome the traumatic memories of her emotionally abusive ex-boyfriend, Justin, who strung her along for months while cheating on her. Meanwhile, Leon diligently tries to reopen his imprisoned brother’s robbery case. It’s only when Tiffy is running late one morning that the two meet—in the shower. Suddenly more interested in each another, Tiffy and Leon find that they are able to help each other in exactly the way the other needs. Somewhat conveniently, Tiffy has just the friend to help Leon with his brother’s legal troubles, and Leon is just the person to help Tiffy recover from her breakup. O’Leary’s story packs plenty of laughs and gasps; fans of Bridget Jones’s Diary will want to give this a look. (May)

Publishers Weekly

Carrie Hope Fletcher and Kwaku Fortune bring genuine emotion to this London rom-com with their impeccable narration about an unlikely friendship. Tiffy and Leon share a one-bedroom apartment but have never met because of opposite schedules. The notes they exchange about their shared space soon veer into personal territory. Leon’s accent sounds like South London had a fling with Irish, while Tiffy has a milder English accent. The color and excitement in Tiffy’s voice reflect her flashy appearance as compared to the droller Leon’s. Fast, nervous parts of the story, complemented by occasional embarrassed groans, contrast with the steady tones of everyday details. Phone conversations with loved ones are distinct with their echo-y effect. Will an in-person meeting ruin a friendship built on Post-its? A.L.C. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

JUNE 2019 - AudioFile

Carrie Hope Fletcher and Kwaku Fortune bring genuine emotion to this London rom-com with their impeccable narration about an unlikely friendship. Tiffy and Leon share a one-bedroom apartment but have never met because of opposite schedules. The notes they exchange about their shared space soon veer into personal territory. Leon’s accent sounds like South London had a fling with Irish, while Tiffy has a milder English accent. The color and excitement in Tiffy’s voice reflect her flashy appearance as compared to the droller Leon’s. Fast, nervous parts of the story, complemented by occasional embarrassed groans, contrast with the steady tones of everyday details. Phone conversations with loved ones are distinct with their echo-y effect. Will an in-person meeting ruin a friendship built on Post-its? A.L.C. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

JUNE 2019 - AudioFile

★ 2019-02-04

Two London roommates with an unconventional bed-sharing situation get to know—and then fall for—each other via Post-it notes before they ever meet.

When Tiffy Moore finally leaves her emotionally abusive, manipulative boyfriend, she needs a cheap place to live ASAP. Leon Twomey, meanwhile, needs money to help get his brother out of prison after a wrongful conviction, so he's looking for a roommate. The catch? They'll be sharing a bed—just not at the same time. Leon works the night shift as a palliative care nurse, meaning he's only at the apartment during the day, while his roommate can have it during nights and weekends. Tiffy's so desperate that she agrees to this unconventional arrangement even though she and Leon haven't even met in person. They start communicating via Post-its left throughout the apartment, and by the time they finally meet in person (in a hilarious shower scene), they've already started to fall for each other. As they get to know each other better and even become friends, they have to decide if they're willing to risk their perfect living arrangement to take a chance on love. Tiffy and Leon could easily become clichéd characters—Tiffy the quirkily dressed woman with a publishing job, Leon the taciturn night-shift worker who avoids friendships—but debut author O'Leary perfectly captures their unique voices. The story is a delight from start to finish, full of eccentric side characters (including Tiffy's friends and co-workers) and sexual tension. Although the romantic comedy elements are always at the forefront, there are plenty of moving moments, especially concerning Leon's job and Tiffy's quest to overcome the abuse and trauma of her past relationship. With likable main characters, spot-on dialogue, a fun premise, and plenty of drama, there's a lot to like in this sweet story.

A warm, enchanting love story perfect for fans of classic rom-coms.

Kirkus Reviews