Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary

456 reviews

chaniesgirl's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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? No

5.0

I loved it, the characters are diverse, we are following the main love story along with a few other plots that make the whole very interesting
The trigger warning I include do not relate to the main relationship 

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saiw'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? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

It has some heavy themes, so it's not completely the "turn your brain off" kind of fun read that I usually pick. While that did stress me out a bit, the stress was a sign that I got to care about the characters and their story which is a good thing! As other reviews pointed out, it does take a long time for the relationship to develop, but I was invested in both of their individual storylines enough that I still enjoyed the part before the romance. The epilogue was so cute it had me almost jealous of a fictional character lmao. 

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lala_reads_too's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-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

4.75

A delightful, heart-warming story filled with unexpected twists and character growth, making it a surprisingly engaging read. Could not put down. 

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kat_andherbooks's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

I’ve been wanting to read this book and to say it  has surpassed my expectations is putting it lightly. I can’t find a single flaw. It had everything: slow burn, sharing a bed, opposites and a slight miscommunication tripe that lasted the right amount and had me at the edge of my seat. The chemistry between Tiffy and Leon and their adorable post its and showcasing the true friendship between Tiffy and her friends are only some of the excellent points of the book. 
Just read it. You won’t be disappointed. 
P.S. check trigger warnings before reading 

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leyendoentremontanias's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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

4.5


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ineedsomemoretea's review against another edition

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

4.75


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hjb_128'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

5.0


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mariaandrades97's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful medium-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

5.0


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snark's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective 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? Yes

4.75

I was expecting a much lighter rom-com-style read, and while that's in here, this book also tackles some delicate topics with a lot of grace and thoughtfulness. I had a lot of fun and also big feelings reading this book.

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manola's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful tense fast-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

Really enjoyable read. From the synopsis, I was afraid the story might become long-winded in the waiting of both protagonists getting together (especially since they weren't seeing each other or ever meeting in person), but thankfully the story unfolded and became so much more than what I expected it to be. 
Tiffy is incredible as a protagonist. She does have an air of this stereotypical movie-quirkiness recurrent in romance stories (mismatched clothing, being 'awkward' in social situations, etc.), but she manages to come across as such a lovely human being you're just glad to listen her talk about her life. Sometimes I did find the work-related shenanigans a bit slower to get through, but the author usually managed to pull something in at the last minute to turn the situation around and throw more conflict into the story. 
Leon I also really liked. At first, his POV chapters felt odd and choppy because of his writing style (pretty robot-like, almost), becoming a bit annoying at times. But I eventually warmed up to him and it's interesting to see his writing style evolve as he changes as a character as well. 
The rest of the cast was also enjoyable. Tiffy's best friends are a solid presence in the story and don't feel like background stuffing to give more depth to her personal life. Some characters did feel a bit too cartoonish (thinking of Martin here, specifically), and others slipped out of the plot without much reason to (a sort of fling Tiffy has that felt like a device for her development, and an old man-JW-who's suddenly out of the picture at the half-way point without explanation).

But overall, the characters do reel you into the story and push you into becoming invested. Both protagonists have their own personal drama to manage throughout, and some heavier themes are discussed (check trigger warnings here). The story manages to balance a sweet slow-burn romance with issues that carry a darker tinge. The characters feel real because they deal with shitty things that are uncomfortable to think about and more uncomfortable to read about, and they deal with them with a messiness that simply feels... human.
Truly recommend :)

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