The Flatshare

A Novel

By: Beth O'Leary

Narrated by: Carrie Hope Fletcher, Kwaku Fortune

Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's Summary

"Carrie Hope Fletcher and Kwaku Fortune bring genuine emotion to this London rom-com with their impeccable narration about an unlikely friendship." (AudioFile magazine)

"Boasting Carrie Hope Fletcher's no-nonsense British accent and Kwaku Fortune's mild Irish brogue...the audio version brings this butterfly-inducing romantic read to life." (Paste)

This program includes a bonus interview with the author. 

What if your roommate is your soul mate? 

A joyful, quirky romantic comedy, Beth O'Leary's The Flatshare is a feel-good audiobook 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.

Praise for The Flatshare:

"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)

"The Flatshare is a huge, heartwarming triumph." (Josie Silver, number one New York Times best-selling author of One Day in December)

©2019 Beth O'Leary Ltd. (P)2019 Hodder & Stoughton Ltd.

Critic Reviews

“The Flatshare is a huge, heartwarming triumph.” (Josie Silver, number-one NYT best-selling author of One Day in December)

so much language!!

I couldn't finish it. It is wholly possible to write full and strong emotions without resorting to a hundred f-words. I liked the story, but it wasn't worth it to me to be slapped in the face with all the profanity to finish.

Sweet, but also serious.

I was expecting a bit of a fluffy romance, based on the blurb. And there is definite fluff involved. But there are serious issues raised in this book as well, and they are very well handled.

Tiffy's boyfriend throws her out, and in desperation she takes a 'bedshare' arrangement with a total stranger. They work opposite shifts, so he gets the bed in the day and she has it nights and weekends. They leave notes for one another and text as well. Over time, they become friends, albeit friends who have never actually met.

Meanwhile, Tiffy's ex is up to no good. And she had been in denial about aspects of his personality and their relationship. If I say much more here, I'll spoil a large part of the story. But the darkness becomes more and more serpentine, and it's up to Tiffy, her friends, and her new flatmate to resolve the situation.

I thought that this story was handled very well, the humor and the drama balanced each other nicely. It's intelligently written, the characters are smart and caring, and the heavy is not turned into a caricature. The narration is quite good.

My only quibble is the ending, as there isn't really a wrap up for the major themes and characters of the book. There is an epilogue, but it focuses only on Tiffy and Leon, the flatmate. I would have like more resolution. Regardless, I give it 5 stars and recommend it if you're in the mood for something slightly different. I look forward to more work from Beth O'Leary in the future!

Awful Audio

Really like this story. It’s super cute. But WHO was in charge of quality control for this audio?? I have never listened to an audiobook with this kind of background noise. I think one of the actors has something in his mouth and you can hear it moving around. Sometimes I hear papers rustling. It is SO DISTRACTING. Awful. This should be re-recorded or fixed in some way.

Great story!

I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this book In short -it is a love story. The characters are so human and likable. The narrator does an excellent job. I really didn't want it to end. I miss Tiffy & Leon already.

sweet story, excellent narration

I loved the story - the characters were engaging and I never wanted to stop listening! the narrator voicing Tiffy was just perfect - she brought to life all of the character's quirkiness, confidence, and spontaneity. Leon's chapters were a lot quieter and more terse, which made it especially enjoyable to hear his narration style change when Tiffy started moving into his life. The secondary characters were well drawn, but I wouldn't say either narrator gave any of them distinctive voices. I definitely got invested in their stories too though! overall, a very enjoyable read.

Just honestly so so so good

Was definitely expecting this to be a classic, kind of shallow romcom, but it FAR exceeded these expectations! Tiffy and Leon are well rounded, multi-dimensional characters who you can’t help but root for. I read the entire book in practically one sitting because I had to know what happened with them!

The conflicts surrounding the two leads were substantial and believable (not like so many romcoms where it seems as though nothing but idiocy is keeping the two main characters apart). I think the author did a fantastic job of showing the reader/listener what it’s like to be in real life healthy vs unhealthy relationships and how sometimes it’s hard to tell which is which.

There’s also a whole host of secondary characters who add their own quirks to the story. You find yourself invested in Tiffy’s friends and Leon’s family just as much as Tiffy and Leon themselves.

Honestly, just a really really great book. It had every single thing you’d want in a romcom, it was cute, light, and funny, but it was so much more than that! It also had deeper moments and painted the characters as real humans with flaws. LOVED IT.

Wonderful right now

Being at home and reading books has been wonderful. I find myself not able to just do my normal chores now without a book in my ear and one in my hand, like my brain is scratching for meaning in an upside down world.

I loved this book about the sweetness of new love, the hope of finding old loves, the triumph over abusive love and familial love. The narration was spot on and even though I “knew” the ending, I had no idea how the author would get us there. Such a colorful, lovely book.

Great story

I loved the story. The voices of each character really brought this to life. I am hoping for a sequel.

Quirky and real

Enjoyed the narration. Characters felt like real people. Thoughtful and quirky story. Funny and adorable moments as well. Will definitely listen to again.

fun loving book

I really enjoyed this book. you can picture the characters, see their reactions and it's fun loving.