This week we are discussing The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary, Ch. 23-48.
Trigger Warning!!! This book contains situations and subjects related to: mental/emotional abuse and stalking.
Spoiler Warning!!! This post is full of spoilers for The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary.
Discussion:
Jacilyn: Hello friends and welcome to our second discussion of The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary. This section was both lovely and heartbreaking to me. I think Leon and Tiffy are so adorable - they can tell moods through sticky note messages.. for god’s sake. Watching them get to know each other in-person and start to notice little physical tendencies…. It’s so sweet. But as this is happening, Tiffy is also beginning to realize how abusive her relationship with Justin was all those years, and not only that…. He’s 100% stalking her.
Michaela: When Justin first showed up at the cruise ship my immediate reaction was “danger” but then Tiffy was all like “he gave me the (sex) look”. Babe, no, still weird even if it was a coincidence. Which we definitely know now that it was not. He is unstable and incredibly manipulative. The way he just started walking Tiffy away from the pub and she didn’t even notice at first, he disgusts me. We know all he wants is to keep manipulating her. I’m wondering if this new “fiance” was just another manipulation or if he found out he couldn’t manipulate this woman as much as he could Tiffy so he went back to Tiffy instead. Then, how he just showed up at the apartment and just kept buzzing the door. I was shaking, I did not know what was going to happen. I could feel how unsafe Tiffy was at that moment. Even before that he had sent flowers to the apartment which she had never told him where it was. We skipped red flags and went straight to flashing red lights and sirens. Justin has also so fully convinced Tiffy into always second guessing herself even when he isn’t around, like with the flowers, she thought she hadn’t told him her address and then promptly moved on from the thought. Justin is a very real representation of incredibly dangerous men.
Jacilyn: I had to remind myself that Tiffy isn’t a real person and that she wasn’t actually in danger when reading the last chapter of this section. The moment the knocking started, I had a feeling it was Justin, and as it got more aggressive I only became more convinced. Not only did he know she had gotten hurt in the first place (apparently through Rachel’s Facebook….. But we’ll come back to that, we both have suspicions), he knew she wasn’t at her parent’s house AND he knew about the “bed sharing” arrangement. When Justin tried to push past Leon physically, it only cemented that he can be a violent person, and I can only imagine what he would have done had he found Tiffy in that bedroom. I’m glad Leon picked up on the cues that something was very, very wrong, and refused to let him in. Justin doesn’t seem to be deterred by Tiffy standing up for herself, at least not yet, but I’m so proud of her for doing it. I’ve never been in a relationship like that before, but I can imagine how difficult that would be, especially when the man is trying to manipulate and gaslight you in front of your very eyes. I’m so anxious to learn what happens next.
Michaela: I have many suspicions about Rachel’s involvement in Justin knowing so much. First of all, she shouldn’t be making posts about other people on social media without their permission. Tiffy might not have cared anyways but if it's not you then you need permission, especially if someone has had a health scare, accident, or what-have-you. It’s a private situation until that person decides it's not. Full stop.
Besides that Rachel has also been on team Justin for a while, without really listening to what Tiffy was saying her experiences were. I feel like Rachel was really skipping over those red flags that others were alerted to. I would not be surprised if Justin had been using Rachel to be informed on Tiffy’s life, which is another way he would be manipulating himself into Tiffy’s life.
Tiffy’s moment with the Nordic man was so nice and even just the memory of Justin ruined it, then he even showed up in person to ruin it further. I’m really glad Tiffy is getting some counseling and that she has Mo and Gerty to help her, they are both so present and forthcoming for her when she needs it. Mo and Gerty are very different in their approaches with Tiffy but I think both are necessary. (I’m definitely a Gerty but I try to be Mo) You have one person who just says it how it is and the other tries to get you to understand from the inside first. Oftentimes you can’t see the abuse from inside the relationship and friends like Mo and Gerty are so beneficial and healthy for Tiffy to have for her healing journey. And Leon as well, he is so patient and understanding with Tiffy’s past. He only wants her to be happy and for her to be comfortable.
Jacilyn: Speaking of Gerty - it was so very like her to just drop the news that she’s going to take Richie’s case by announcing that the appeal was moved up by THREE MONTHS! The hope that Leon was able to give Richie and their mom, the hope he was able to finally feel, that was so incredible. I’m so hoping Richie gets to come home. Gerty doesn’t seem like she’ll go down without fighting tooth and nail for him. Also…. I can’t help but have noticed that Gerty and Mo seem to be having some different kind of interactions lately…. You think something might be happening there?
I find the contrast between Tiffy and Leon to be a fun aspect of this book. The two of them are so different, but seem to balance each other out so well. One of my favorite lines was from Leon when Tiffy was giving him shit for running away from her at the hospice. He said “Have you ever looked forward to reading a book so much you can’t actually start it?” I know the feeling he’s describing exactly, and what a sweet and honest way to describe the way he was feeling. Ugh, the friendship and intimacy growing between them makes my heart want to explode. It’s sweet and caring and gentle while simultaneously absolutely dripping in sexual tension. The “shower incident”? That is a scene straight out of a rom-com, boner and all. Their separate but very different panics afterwards was hilarious, and Richie’s reaction to Leon thinking the display was “obscene” in front of his flatmate made me actually laugh out loud “If it is, then I definitely do belong in here.” So good.
Michaela: I’ve been thinking there's something more between Gerty and Mo since the very beginning. Honestly suspected that moving in together was a secret and/or subconscious incentive to their relationship. Whether it's been from the beginning or more recently they are definitely doing the do with each other now for sure. I’m here for it. Like Leon and Tiffy, it's one of those opposites that complete each other, kind of things. They bring out the good in each other and equalize each other out.
Leon and Tiffy’s new budding relationship is the cutest thing in the whole freaking world. Even their “shower incident” was honestly so cute and their reactions to it gave it that respectful innocence that we don’t often see. They were both so surprised, then turned on, then felt weird about being turned on. Just such a good moment, so funny, so cute. I was smiling the whole time reading it.
The whole seaside trip was such good reading! I loved the whole thing. The awkward train ride, meeting Mr. J. White the sixth, Leon rescuing Tiffy from the waves, the caretaking, the whole little small town main characters running to help Tiffy. So, so good. That is the wholesome yet sexual tension filled romance I neeeeedddddddd! I’m thoroughly enjoying their romance and just Leon and Tiffy as characters as well.
Jacilyn: JW the Sixth is the cutest man, and I really hope he’s the one Leon has been looking for. He definitely seems to be hesitant to talk about the war, understandably, but clearly he likes Leon and Tiffy and I hope that maybe they can bring him to see Mr. Prior or something.
Well friends, that concludes our second discussion for this book! We’re both anxious to keep reading and see if Tiffy is okay after Justin’s arrival… there’s no way she didn’t hear him. Until next time, readers!
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