Published by Quercus

Publication date – 18 April 2019

Source – review copy

Tiffy Moore needs a cheap flat, and fast. Leon Twomey works nights and needs cash. Their friends think they’re crazy, but it’s the perfect solution: Leon occupies the one-bed flat while Tiffy’s at work in the day, and she has the run of the place the rest of the time.

But with obsessive ex-boyfriends, demanding clients at work, wrongly imprisoned brothers and, of course, the fact that they still haven’t met yet, they’re about to discover that if you want the perfect home you need to throw the rulebook out the window…

Tiffy needs to move out of her ex-boyfriend’s flat quickly. When she comes across Leon’s advert she’s quick to snap up the chance to flat share. The only trouble is, there’s only one bedroom. Leon will be there during the day, Tiffy can have evenings and weekends. What can possibly go wrong?

I practically inhaled this book, I only stopped when real life or sleep got in the way. Luckily I picked it up when I was looking for a light, funny read. Light and funny this is but it is also moving, romantic, cosy and warm.

There is a whole cast full of delightful characters. Tiffy is funny, kind and unique, considerate of her friends, even knew ones like Ritchie, Leon’s brother, whom she tries to help almost immediately. She slowly comes to view her previous relationship with Justin, her loathsome ex-boyfriend, in a new light, becoming aware of just how toxic it was. Her friends are wonderful. The acerbic Gerty and quiet Mo are great counter-points to Tiffy’s potentially eccentric ways. Rachel, her work friend, is a lot more mad cap, and encourages Tiffy to be more adventurous.

Then there’s Leon, who seems to have an aversion to speech marks as all of his chapters feature an absence of them. This works though, as the style helps to underline the differing voices of Tiffy, more impulsive and exuberant, with Leon, who is quieter and more introverted. Leon is struggling with his brother’s incarceration, his floundering relationship with his girlfriend Kate and his burgeoning feelings for Tiffy. He puts others first, spending his weekends off searching for the lost love of one of his patients.

It was lovely to read the relationship between the two develop through post it notes and other messages dotted around the flat. The story grew and blossomed as both sides told their tale from their own viewpoint, alternating between Tiffy and Leon.

I loved this from the opening pages to the last post it note. There wasn’t anything I didn’t like about it. A funny, warm, encompassing read. I look forward to reading more from Beth O’Leary in the future. Highly recommended.

About the author

Beth studied English at university before going into children’s publishing. She lives as close to the countryside as she can get while still being in reach of London, and wrote her first novel, The Flatshare, on her train journey to and from work. She is now writing novels full time, and if she’s not at her desk, you’ll usually find her curled up somewhere with a book, a cup of tea, and several woolly jumpers (whatever the weather).