The Flat Share by Beth O'Leary

Read April 2019. Publication 18th April 2019.

Tiffy desperately needs to get out of her ex-boyfriend's place and into a cheap flat - one that she can afford on her limited wage as an assistant book editor, for a publishing house specialising in craft books.
Leon Twomey, a nurse in a hospice, needs a flatmate to help him pay for the cost of getting his wrongly convicted brother out of prison.
Tiffy needs a flatmate. Leon needs a flatmate. The only stumbling block is that this is a one bedroom flat, with one double bed.

No problem! Leon only needs the flat during the day, as he works nights and is away every weekend. Tiffy works during the day, and will enjoy the run of the place during the weekends. Who cares if there is only one bed. They won't be in it at the same time. Right? They will not even need to meet!

Unfortunately, the best laid plans of Tiffy and Leon prove to be a bit less that straightforward, once friends, family, ex-lovers and demanding clients get thrown into the mix. This unconventional Flat Share will change their lives for ever.

Oh, how I love this book! Beth O'Leary, you have become one of my favourite authors, with this wonderful debut.
Tiffy and Leon find themselves in the bizarre situation of sharing a flat without actually meeting. They gradually learn the most intimate details about each other via the notes they each leave and their personal possessions. They are two very different characters - Leon is quiet and thoughtful and Tiffy is loud and brash, with an extraordinary wardrobe to boot. Their unconventional living arrangements force them into a special closeness and they develop a firm friendship, on which each of them relies, without actually ever meeting.

Of course, the inevitable meeting does happen, accidentally, one fateful morning and the rules of their relationship gradually begin to change, until they become more to each other than they ever thought possible. Tiffy and Leon are both damaged in their own ways, but being together will make them whole again.

This book as everything you are looking for: humour; tears; misunderstandings; wonderful supporting characters; and the most beautiful ending I have read for a very long time. Prepare to have the box of tissues handy, as you are going to need them by the end of the book.
A must read for fans of Jojo Moyes and co.