The Flat Share by Beth O’Leary has been one of the biggest books this year, especially on Bookstagram. I read, and adored, the book and so I thought I would write a post recommending some other books to try if you loved it as much as I did.
Also, if you have not read The Flat Share yet, go look it up!
The Switch | Beth O’Leary
I have not read this one yet, but this is O’Leary’s second novel. It is not connected to The Flat Share, but as it is by the same author, chances are if you liked her first novel then you may like this one. I have The Switch sat on my shelf and I can’t wait to dive in!
Leena is too young to feel stuck
Eileen is too old to start over
It’s time for the switch
My understanding of this book is that Leena and her grandmother, Eileen, swap houses and lives, a bit like The Holiday rather than Freaky Friday. It sounds as though the two women are both looking for something in their lives and will hopefully find the solutions.
This sounds like a wholesome read and I’m looking forward to it – it sounds perferct for chill reading on a summer’s day!
Dream a Little Dream | Giovanna Fletcher
I read this book a few years ago and hopefully you have noticed that I have linked my review above. I really like Giovanna Fletcher’s novels and they always revolve around an interesting idea that puts a twist on the typical romance narrative. In this case, Sarah has some fun and sometimes peculiar dreams that end up blurring the line between dreams and reality. Being able to experience a character’s dreams gives us an unusual insight into their mind and can also make them quite vulnerable. In this case, I think seeing Sarah’s dreams really helps Fletcher’s readers to understand her protagnist and overall this is a really great read.
Like The Flat Share, this novel centres around an interesting idea, dreams, and contains lots of flirting, friends and fun as well as some emotional scenes, life drama and a relatable protagonist.
If you enjoyed The Flat Share, why not look this one up.
Billy and Me | Giovanna Fletcher
I read this book a few years ago, before I started this blog, so unfortunately there is not a full review, but I have linked my mini-review above.
This is another Giovanna Fletcher novel, but this was her first novel and whilst it does not have the creative idea of dreams, it does have a plot that I become wholly invested in and characters that I really cared about, much like The Flat Share.
Fletcher’s debut novel centres around Sophie, a young woman who lives in a quaint town and is happy working in a local cafe. However, when famous actor Billy Buskin comes to town and begins a romance with Sophie, the two are faced with the challenge of how to find a meeting place between their two worlds. Billy is a star actor who loves his job and has a certain lifestyle that comes with that, but Sophie is not used to that life at all – how will their relationship work?
Giovanna Fletcher is one of my favourite authors, so if you enjoy a romance or are looking for a relaxing holiday read, look no further.
If you read and enjoy this one, there is a novella, Christmas with Billy and Me, and a sequel, Always with Love.
On The Other Side | Carrie Hope Fletcher
Carrie Hope Fletcher is another of my favourite authors. Her novels are very creative and fall under the genre of ‘magical realism’ so be prepared for some magical elements to these novels.
It was difficult to pick just one of her novels to recommend here, but I decided that On the Other Side has a really beautiful love story that had me hooked and I think it is the one you are most likely to enjoy if you liked The Flat Share (but do check out her other novels too).
‘Your soul is too heavy to pass through this door.
Leave the weight of the world in the world from before.
Once it is lighter your key shall then turn,
And you will be able to have what you yearn.’
On the Other Side follows Evie Snow shortly after she has passed away. Everyone has their own personal heaven, but before Evie can enter hers, she must reveal the three secrets she has been keeping. She is able to choose a living person to reveal each secret to and we follow her journey to do this, but there are also flashbacks to Evie’s past when she left home. All of these elements tie together to give us the story of Evie’s life.
This novel is magical, romantic and emotional and I recommend giving it a look.
The Year I Met You | Cecelia Ahern
What I like about this novel is that the central story is a friendship, although there are other romance storylines in the novel. I love a romance novel, but I really enjoyed this friendship narrative by Ahern.
This novel follows Jasmine and her neighbour Matt as they both find themselves at home rather than at work. By living so close and seeing each other’s lives from their own homes, they begin to be drawn together. Jasmine and Matt may not begin as likely friends, but their relationship develops throughought the novel and as they help each other to grow. Both characters go on their own journey and this combined with their banterous relationship made me really enjoy this novel.
I have rarely heard anyone talking about this one, so it seems to be an underrated read, but I encourage you to give it a read. This one is for those of you who enjoyed the humour and charater growth of The Flat Share.
The Time of My Life | Cecelia Ahern
I wanted to add this Ahern novel to this list as well as The Year I Met You because this one has more of the magical realism element and I think that is a bit different. To be honest, I did struggle with this at the start of this story, but I am so glad I continued with it.
This novel follows Lucy as she is literally called to a meeting by her life so that he can help her sort out her life. This sounds a bit confusing, but basically, imagine that your life was a physical person. Now, by letting herself live in a way that is not the best for herself, Lucy affects the physical embodiment of her life. When she goes to meet her life, he is miserable and uncared for. Together, they aim to help Lucy get sorted.
The premise probably sounds a bit odd to you, but I loved the story of Lucy and her life and their relationship development was great to read about. This is a novel that I would ask people to give a chance.
Me Before You | Jojo Moyes
Would this be one of my book recommendation lists if I didn’t recommend this book?
Me Before You is possibly my favourite book. That is a big statement, but this story made me think, it made me laugh, it moved me and it gave me two brilliant characters whose relationship I adored.
‘I just…want to be a man who has been to a concert with a girl in a red dress. Just for a few minutes more.’
The novel follows Lou, recently unemployed and in desperate need of a job. She is soon employed by the Traynor’s to take care of their son, Will, who was left quadriplegic by a road accident. Will feels that his quality of life has dramatically decreased and he suffers with depression. Lou bursts into his life and decides to help him find enjoyment, but the two characters take some time to warm to each other.
However, what ensues is a funny, heartwarming, moving narrative that centres around difficult choices, questions and a relationship that I loved because it is flirty, sarcastic and funny.
If you have read the book, it was also adapted into a film starring Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin and this is possibly the best book to film adaptation I have seen. Definitely give it a watch if you enjoyed the book.
If you read this post, thank you, and I hope you have come away with one or two (or more!) recommendations. Let me know if you have read any of them, or are going to because of this post. Happy reading!
G x
Georgia Ellen 
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