Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

The Flatshare, by Beth O'Leary

9 reviews

theirgracegrace's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

The Flatshare was my book club's first book of 2023 and I will say that I was not initially thrilled with the idea of a romance novel. That was shattered when I actually started reading it! The characters are loveable and real in a very millennial way, the "arrangement" in the heart of the plot is a bit on the nose, and the subplots are where a lot of the most interesting action happens. The "side" plot of Tiffy's

Spoiler

gaslighting and abuse by Justin

caught me off guard, as it reasonably would, and became the most emotionally charged part of the book for me. All in all, an incredible work and one I will love to reread!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Medical content, Confinement, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Cursing, Sexual content, Alcohol, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Bullying, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Racism, Body shaming, Cancer, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Xenophobia, Physical abuse, Police brutality, and Violence

Minor: Death, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Sexism, Child death, and Dementia

em_davies7019's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic friendship, Terminal illness, Emotional abuse, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Sexual assault, Cancer, Confinement, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, and Injury/injury detail

Minor: Alcohol, Chronic illness, Abandonment, and Medical content

martapsalvado's review against another edition

funny hopeful lighthearted slow-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? No

4.0

A little hard to get into at first, especially Leon's writing style, but it was fun and wholesome and got really good towards the middle-end. I love that the characters have their own background and personality outside the relationship. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Stalking, Sexual content, and Medical content

Minor: Violence, Misogyny, Racism, Abandonment, and Fatphobia

nav26's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful sad 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? Yes

4.25

I LOVED this. I have been trying to get it from the library for a while but the hold kept coming in at an inconvenient time and then I'd have to wait weeks again. Ended up getting a physical copy from the library at the right time and wow. I sped through it. It's a mostly light read, but there are some aspects of trauma that I feel were well addressed. I think Tiffy is absolutely hilarious and wonderful, and Leon is quiet but sweet - they're a perfect match in the most adorable way. It was a slow, sweet build to their romance that made me appreciate it all the more. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Medical content, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Sexual violence

phoebegrace06's review

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

So cute! The emotional development was so well done & the perfect pacing. Such a sweet love story with well developed characters. Sunshine meets sunshine but they both have their own trauma that they’re working with. Sweet love story with an edge.
Well written & developed side plots & characters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Emotional abuse, and Abandonment

logan_readss's review

lighthearted 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? Yes

4.5

Okay so, full disclosure, I never wanted to nor expected to pick up a romance book in my life. I want romance in my fanfictions and adventure in my novels but there I was paying 20p to get this book second hand and this was the best 20p I've spend so far.

The characters are loveable and relatable, the plot was character centred (which, for me, is the best type of plot) and despite some of the heavy themes I never felt weighed down by it. I rooted for Tiffy and Leon from the start and the ending was nothing but satisfying to read. Definitely recommend it.

The only reason it missed out on five stars is because I still felt like I could put it down - for a book to get five I have to be captured wholly and unable to stop reading, even for toilet breaks.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Medical content, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Minor: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, and Vomit

False imprisonment

a_libra_library's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

I want to give an in-depth, thoughtful review. Alas, I cannot. Tiffy and Leon were just two people who were put together through specific life situations. The flatshare agreement was so specific for example, (I dont see this as a spoiler but I'll use the tag 

Spoiler

When leon has days off where would he go? He works 24/7? He and kay split fairly early in the story but he and tiffy aren't  even close to being a couple until weeks after they break up. I doubt he goes to his mom's every day off he has. The weekends are one thing- its every other weekend but the days off are my hang up

  Another thing Justin and Tiffy's relationship sound extremely toxic and her friends actually agreeing to the "rule" 

Spoiler

to never bad mouth him

  should have been a major red flag. 
All and all if you're looking for a slow/medium burn with fluffy wholesome romance with a peaceful happy ending this is for you. The author touches on some deep topics: Abuse, neglect, gaslighting, manipulation ect. Check the warning tags before reading. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

backtodecember's review against another edition

hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Emotional abuse, and Stalking

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Abandonment, War, and Homophobia

the_escapist's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

Fun characters with a very nice dynamic between them and a unique premise. Characters learn lots of things about themselves along the way and grow and develop in very healthy ways. There are lots of specific details that make it seem real and I like what the author did with the characters being able to learn so much about each other while will never having met.

The ending was a tad too much for me though (I have a very low tolerance for fluff/anything overly romantic though).

Spoiler

I’ve never been a fan of proposals or big romantic gestures, even if, as was the case in this book, it fit the characters well (I’m glad it wasn’t a proposal in public with witnesses though, that was a very nice touch if the story had to go down this route).

, but I still enjoyed it overall.

I was a bit surprised about one thing though - Tiffy has something about her past delved into and explored that she learned a lot from, but

Spoiler

Leon doesn’t get the same treatment. Don’t get me wrong, he didn’t seem to be emotionally abused anywhere near the extent that Tiffy was, but he still was in a relationship with someone who tried to control him in so many ways and guilt trip him for not spending more time with her. Also his ex did seem to expect him to choose her over his brother, which... yikes. It was strange that Tiffy learning her previous relationship was emotional abuse was a big part of the story, but the toxic element never really gets brought up with Leon and his previous relationship.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Alcohol, and Cursing

Minor: Abandonment, Panic attacks/disorders, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, and Violence