I received an E-ARC of this book through Quercus Books and Netgalley.

This book reads like Richard Curtis was attached to write the screenplay. It's warm and fuzzy in parts, vulnerable and raw in others and darkened and dampened where it needs to be. The characters feel so real, you could be living in the flat next door to them. I'm sure we all know a Tiffy or a Leon somewhere in our mad circle of friends, and these two quickly become your close compatriots as you read through this remarkable debut.

It's so much more than just a romantic comedy. O'Leary talks openly about the realities of emotional abuse, of how one is affected by it in many different ways and how it's not always visible to the victim. Whilst you might read the first few chapters and think it's diving head-first into Bridget Jones territory, I urge you to hang on and keep going, because there a warmth and brightness to this novel that I have not read in a very long time. Much like its protagonist, it's a little quirky, a little off-kilter, highly emotional but filled with a golden heart and lots of love.

Even the supporting cast is wonderful! You will have moments where you want to punch characters in the face (for good reason- see abuser Justin and certified dickhead Martin), but there are others when you just want to give them a hug. Tiffy is the kind of female protagonist I adore reading about because she's confident, kind and not hung up about her looks or her personality. Even after her break-up, she doesn't spend days wallowing in whether she's fat or stupid enough to drive him away- and it's amazing! These are the kind of 'strong female characters' that we're talking about seeing more of. Complex, flawed, three-dimensional women who don't fall back onto stereotypes to drive plot or character motivation.

In short, I loved this book. I don't know what I'm going to do now it's over.

'The Flatshare' by Beth O'Leary, published by Quercus Books, will be published in the UK on April 18th, 2019.