Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

The Flatshare, by Beth O'Leary

91 reviews

laurajordensharris's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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jennylarue's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I don’t usually like dual perspective but this book did it SO well. It took me a minute but I really enjoyed the difference in writing styles. I read this book as a nice breath of rom com ness and it delivered just that. Main couple was compelling and developed  so naturally!
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noelpans's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Absolutely loved this, read it in one sitting. The beginning felt a lot more drawn out compared to the third act, where it felt very fast-paced. The plot was definitely convenient but I don't really mind cause I enjoyed what it was, a cheesy, feel-good romance.
Spoiler handles dealing with someone who has been emotionally abused really well. really admire how O'Leary wrote Leon to be so understanding of Tiffy's PTSD and panic disorder
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lawsam's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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savvy999's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Cute and romantic without shying away from the more serious aspects of a relationship. With well written conflict and a surprisingly menacing antagonist  the flatshare provides two distinct approaches  to a budding friendship  and romance that blooms in unlikely situations. 
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chalkletters's review

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funny inspiring lighthearted tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

For professional reasons, I’ve read a lot of self-published romance novels, but they’re not usually something I pick up for fun. Despite enjoying romantic comedies, I’ve just never particularly gravitated towards them. I took The Flatshare home from an office book sale because it had a unique premise in two characters who share space, but don’t actually know one another. I then didn’t get around to reading it for ages, because two book clubs makes it tricky to fit other new reads into my schedule. When a space opened up, The Flatshare got picked partly because I’d seen posters for the new Paramount adaptation, and partly because it’s one of the thickest books on my tottering vertical pile…

The Flatshare is very unlike those instalove romance novels where the characters are immediately and overwhelmingly attracted to one another and can’t stop thinking about getting intimate. Tiffy and Leon’s only understanding of the other’s appearance comes from Facebook photos, descriptions and context clues. Needless to say, their attraction builds slowly, and is based on personality rather than physical chemistry. 

The epistolary elements came as a very pleasant surprise. While Tiffy and Leon’s notes aren’t as amusingly eccentric as Jaclyn Moriarty’s use of post-it notes, they are full of character. Beth O’Leary distinguishes between her two characters’ voices excellently, though the switch between Tiffy’s effusiveness and Leon’s spare use of words can be a little jarring. 

As is probably necessary in a story where the two leads can’t meet face-to-face, both Tiffy and Leon have a number of things going on in their lives outside their interest in one another. While Tiffy’s life as an assistant editor is rather more glamorous (and involves rather less actual work) than is realistic, Leon’s relationship with his brother is a foundational element of the novel. All the threads of plot and subplot are woven together expertly, with Tiffy having a place in Leon’s stories, as well as he in hers.

The climatic misunderstanding, necessary in all romance novels, involves a huge heaping of dramatic irony. It’s certainly tense enough to keep readers on the edge of their seat, though whether that’s pleasurable or painful might depend on individual tastes. The ending is predictable, of course, but effective and very sweet. 

This was a fun change of pace for me, and I appreciated how easy to read it was at a time of year which can be pretty hectic.
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kellyung's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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carlaah1984's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Spoiler I liked the plot around her ex- it made it a more complex story as she processed that relationship and helped build tension and fitting since the world of 2022 was Gaslighting. Her PSTD and the way it was triggered were rather relatable. I'm annoyed that in every romance I read lately she's extra quirky in someway, often in the way she dresses and Tiffy might have been the most extreme of that.
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mlovesbooks's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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jennp28's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Interesting variation on the one bed trope. I really liked how the author changed the writing style for Leon’s chapters to match his character description. I didn’t think I’d like it for the first 2 pages or so but then it really fit. Be prepared to really hate the ex. 
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