I forgot I didn't give a review for this one.... The blurb on the back of this book makes it seem like something different than what you actually get, which was well done by the author. There was a little twist in there that had my jaw dropping and made me want to devour the rest of the book in one bite. It was a lovely book about healing and what it means to be a grieving human, while trying to manage the other aspects of one's life. I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Told in multiple perspectives, a man is dating three women but all is not what it seems. A light read perfect for the beach.

We went into this book thinking it was a romcom, it's more like women's fiction to be honest. This hampered our enjoyment slightly. We almost DNF'd a few times along the way but something kept us going.

A very slow read that felt like not much happened until the latter part of the book. The pacing was off and we didn't feel like we were getting anywhere or even where the story was going. The characters were interesting but their stories felt fractious and when in 3rd person that made it hard to form a connection.

Hurahhh for the last 20%...that's when it got good, interesting and compelling. Well worth it, so we're glad we didn't give up.

Thank you to Berkley, NetGalley and PRH Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed this one on audio with the different voices for the different perspectives. There were many twists and turns. I won't say much to avoid spoilers

If you're looking for a light, funny, somewhat steamy romance...this is not your book. The cover and description made it sound like this was going to be a fun, quick, easy read. It was not. The alternating POV was slow and the storyline dragged on for me until about the 70% mark where I kind of figured out what the twist was. I didn't especially like any of the female characters (and you're kind of made to NOT like the male character) so I wasn't really invested in whether or not they actually were with him or not.

Anyway, this was kind of frustrating and kind of sad and not at all what I was thinking when I chose this book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

🏃🏻‍♂️ REVIEW: The No-Show 💨

Q: What book did you almost DNF but you ended up loving?

SUMMARY: The story opens with three heroines: Siobhan, Miranda, and Jane. Despite being very different, they all have one thing in common. They’re all stood up on Valentine’s Day—by what seems to be the same man.

I’m not going to lie: Men having secret second lives gives me the ick. Weirdly specific? I don’t care—I hate it. So much so that I felt compelled to start a poll asking people who had already read this book: Should I finish it?

Luckily you guys talked me off the ledge—and it was SO WORTH IT! I ended up loving this well-written and complex story about love and relationships.

I do think that, to save those like me some heartache, it could have been marketed a little differently. It’s written by Beth O’Leary, known for her thoughtful romances, and has a romcom-inspired illustrated cover, BUT it was definitely more of a women’s fiction novel. It reminded me of Liane Moriarty’s novels: an interesting domestic story with a twist.

If that sounds like something you’re interested in, you should definitely pick up this book. I’m still thinking about the characters weeks later.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

Thank you to @netgalley @berkleyromance and the author for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Net Galley and Berkley Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The book starts out with three women, Siobhan, Miranda and Jane who are all stood up on Valentine's Day. Without revealing too much, we later find out that they have been stood up by the same man. We learn of their three stories in parallel not really knowing how they relate to one another except for the main male character. The book didn't really grab me until things started to be revealed yet it felt like very late in the story. Once that happened, the overall story became more enjoyable. 3.5 stars.

I've been hearing so much about Beth O'Leary, and I regret waiting this long to finally pick up one of her books. This was fun, and funny, and heartbreaking, and soul-crushing, and hopeful all at once. The format of the book instantly intrigued me, and I'm impressed by how easily O'Leary wove together complicated timelines and characters. I'll be going through the rest of this author's catalogue now!

This book has stuck with me because of its memorable format and mysterious undercurrent. With the relationships forming the foundation for this book, the alternating perspectives keep the reader guessing as to what’s really going on. The grand reveal is truly surprising and, well, quite memorable. Go into this one with some patience and open mindedness - the reveal is worth it.

What a fun romance—I love the way the different story lines and characters intersect and pay off by the end of the novel.

Siobhan, Miranda and Jane, these three women are strangers who have only one thing in common: they’ve all been stood up on Valentine’s Day and they’ve all been stood up by the same man.

My First Beth O’Leary and the audiobook was pretty interesting to listen to but I’m glad I didn’t read the physical book, might have skipped few pages. Not going to spoil anything on my review, for me this was a good rom-com.
⭐️⭐️⭐️

You start out thinking the worst of Joseph Carter - a man standing up 3 different women on Valentine's Day only to realize there is so much more to the story. It's ultimately a feel good book about a man just trying to find love.

I tried reading this book and got lost in the character changes. When I listened to it on audio I got hooked!

The premise of this book is a tricky one: Three women who are strangers have only one thing in common - they’ve all been stood up on the same day, the very worst day to be stood up, Valentine’s Day, by the same man. And what a man this must be, since they all let him back into their lives and become seriously in danger with falling in love with him. But a man dating three women? Doesn’t seem like quite the catch to me…

From the beginning, this book had me hooked. I just had to know how Beth O’Leary was going to end it in a way that didn’t have me flinging it across the room and hating all men, or didn’t feel contrived. But I should have known that I was in good hands. Beth O’Leary wrote the most heartwarming and heart-wrenching story that explores relationships, connection, and the absolute roller-coaster that is falling and being in love. I don’t want to say much more, besides HIGHLY recommending going in blind so that you can experience this lovely story the way that it was meant to be read.

Good Lord.......have you ever entered a story ready to HATE the male main character? And then you fall in love with the various personalities of the female main characters? And you're a little confused about the timeline and the various POVs going on but you're hooked for some unknown reason? And then Beth O'Leary hits you with her saddest plot twist yet? So you want to sob on your way back to work on your lunch break....and you do and you can't help but finish the story ASAP....Oh....is it just me?
It could be you too if you just take the plunge and give Beth O'Leary your heart and reading soul. She is top tier for me alongside Mhairi McFarlane.

I enjoy O'Learys sense of humor and Britishisms. After this third novel, I'm realizing her plotting and creativity also makes her work shine. This was a potentially cringey but ultimately redemptive story of complicated relationships. It almost read like a thriller, I couldn't stop turning pages.

Beth O'Leary's The No Show is a beautiful story of three women seemingly connected by one man who's stood them all up on Valentine's Day. Part rom-com, part heartache, this novel is full of heart. The four main characters are complex and fully-formed. The thread that ties them together is beautifully woven throughout the story. Highly recommended.

This was an unexpected read that felt quite different from O’Leary’s previous books. While fun, it felt a bit long story wise and its unexpected twist felt a little late in the game. This author is a must read for me however, and I look forward to reading anything and everything she writes in the future!

I am a huge fan of Beth O'Leary. I finished this book last night, and let's just say my jaw is still on the floor.

I found the first half a little tedious - there was a slower build that I normally don't care for, but I enjoy O'Leary's writing so much and the characters in this story that I didn't mind. Plus there was this nagging "what the actual heck is going on??" thought that kept me coming back for more. And then.... the 70% mark hit and everything started falling into place in ways I never expected.

This was truly brilliant writing. O'Leary should consider writing thrillers/mysteries, because I genuinely did not see the ending coming (even though I was warned it was sad). The plot was absolutely masterful.

I am so glad I read The No-Show by Beth O'Leary. This book reminded me a lot of one of my favorite authors - Mhairi McFarlane - which is such a high compliment. O'Leary's story is about three women - Siobhan, Miranda, and Jane. All three are very different. Each has been stood up for Valentine's Day by Joseph Connor. The story alternates between the three women - Siobhan is a life coach, Miranda is a tree surgeon and Jane volunteers at a charity shop. As the story unfolds, we see each woman fall in love with Joseph even though she may end up hurt by where exactly he was on Valentine's Day and why the date was stood up.

Okay so this might be the sort of book you DNF if you are not patient. It takes until you are nearly at the end for all the threads to weave together and for what happened to make sense. Normally I am not super patient. However, I am SO glad I was while reading The No-Show. I loved this book. I almost cried at one scene and then absolutely teared up over the ending which made the journey worth it for me. My assumptions were turned on their head. I fell for each character - Siobhan, Miranda, Jane and even Joseph. The writing style kept my attention -- to the point where I did try to flip ahead a little just to prepare myself. I highly recommend this book and just keeping an open mind while you read it. This is an absolute must if you love British Women's Fiction as a genre.