Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary

12 reviews

mraddd's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Domestic abuse

Minor: Abandonment and Death

atamano's review against another edition

emotional funny 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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Violence, Sexual content, Alcohol, Body shaming, Cancer, Abandonment, Confinement, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, and Terminal illness

Minor: Homophobia, Racism, and Vomit

wilybooklover's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

5.0

Despite covering some very heavy topics (wrongful imprisonment, emotional abuse and gaslighting, hospice care), this was such a soft and heartwarming story. My heart is so full after reading this. I loved the modern take on an epistolary romance without relying on texts or email. I thought they met at exactly the right moment without dragging it out too much or killing the tension too soon. 

Leon and Tiffy were amazing and I absolutely loved them. They felt real and flawed and were adorable together. Leon is now one of my favourite heroes ever. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Confinement, Mental illness, Violence, and Sexual content

Minor: Abandonment, Cancer, War, Death, Fatphobia, Infidelity, and Racism

theirgracegrace's review

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

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

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 against another edition

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 against another edition

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 

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" 

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