Yikes, this one just wasn't for me. I really enjoyed The Switch and liked The Road Trip ok but this one just didn't hit the mark for me. I already didn't really like any of the characters and when a big reveal happened, it was just so absurd to me that I kinda rolled my eyes and carried on to the end. It wasn't even that clever, it was more annoying because you're set up to assume something is happening and it's all very manipulative but not in a fun way. It was a fast read and it was a nice distraction but other than that, I just didn't enjoy it

It took me forever to realize the Beth O'Leary books are just not for me. I want to love them so bad because I know others do, I just couldn't get into this book and had to DNF it

Pro tip: go into this one blind. You’ll thank me later and will LOVE IT.

O’Leary delivers the perfect amount of fluff, romance, and a twist that will keep you guessing.

What are you waiting for?!

5 out of 5 stars. I'll tell you to read it, even if you don't ask.

I loved this book. The three intertwined storylines were not at all what I was expecting.

There's no doubt about it: this book had me glued for the last 100 pages or so. I spent a lot of time all the way through trying to guess what on earth Joseph Carter was up to, why he was deceiving these women, whether he was even alive (I was entertaining possibilities like he was a ghost or part of some sort of hallucination by one of the women.) The twist in this novel was a good one, although I guessed it about 25 pages before the big reveal. That still didn't ruin it for me, because Beth O'Leary managed to keep some surprises until almost the end.

Having read the novel, I can see why the author did what she did with its structure. The story absolutely demanded it. When I finished it, I wanted to go back and re-read it right away with the plot twist in mind.

I wish some of the secondary characters were a little more developed. Siobhan has her best friends, Fiona and Marlena, but I never really felt as close to them as Siobhan does. Miranda's sisters, surprisingly, felt the most developed to me, even though they spent so much time "offscreen." Even then, some things kind of got "twin-zoned" -- like, "they're twins, so they have this bond and are just best friends and, really, a pair of puppies falling all over themselves." Jane's new best friend Aggie was intriguing; I really wish we could have learned more about her. The short paragraphs we get about her late in the book weren't enough! I also wish we could have heard more from Joseph directly, although I understand why we didn't.

Overall, this was a good read, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone on, yes, Valentine's Day.

https://www.tiktok.com/@bettysbooklist/video/7080246072827792686?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&lang=en

Three women who seemingly have nothing in common find that they’re involved with the same man in this smart new rom-com by Beth O’Leary, bestselling author of The Flatshare.

I was completely hooked just from reading that blurb!! I think this story is best described as a romantic whodunit. It’s a romantic puzzle that leaves the readers trying to figure out what is going on and if this man will even end up with any of these amazing women. The book sprinkles clues and misdirections as the readers try to piece together how each of the women met Joseph and how he’s managing this juggling act.

This story revolves around: Siobhan, an ambitious career coach in Dublin. Miranda, a badass tree surgeon in London, happiest when climbing a tree, and most annoyed while fending off compliments from her hot lumberjack coworker. Last, but not least Jane, a fragile young woman with a mysterious past trauma who’s starting over in Winchester. She starts a book club with Joseph, and slowly develops a crush, but she’s not sure if he sees her as more than a friend. Of course, how could I forget about the lying dreamboat named Joseph Carter. He manages to convince these three beautiful women to forgive him for standing them up, but lingering questions remain with our female leads and the missed Valentine’s Day dates plant the seeds in their skeptical minds as Joseph’s lies continue to pile up,


•••A special thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this amazing arc of a book and of course for Beth O'Leary for surprising me with this gem of a romantic twist.

I want to give this three stars for tricking me, but also five stars for absolutely subverting all my expectations. Also, hindsight is 20/20, the cover for this book is so phenomenally done, I am in shock and awe. I just want to take a moment to appreciate that you can't get the nuance of it unless you finish this book.

This book starts off as stated - three women, all stood up on Valentine's day - one for breakfast, one for lunch, and one for dinner. Turns out, they were all stood up by the same man.

This is all a mix of what is happening and I'm here for the ride. I was so curious about the WHY of it all, but I also really loved the women in this book as they grow, heal, and find happiness. I was just as invested in their lives and stories as I was in the mystery of what on earth was happening with Joseph Carter.

While I loved the three MCs' stories, I did find myself getting confused over time with some of the names and characters. Though I appreciated that all these women had strong female friendships and support systems, I also got them a bit jumbled in my brain as we bounced between the MCs. It was a mix of the secondary characters not having their own depth, as well as just the chaos of following three separate lives over the timeline of one year. A small gripe in the grand scheme of things though, as the MCs themselves were very well explored and given full and colourful lives.

I feel like this is a book I might need to read again to tease out all those small details I might've missed. It was a wild ride, but I was so pleasantly surprised and heartbroken at the end. Very much a book about healing, from a multitude of different things. All in all, a book I would recommend (though check TWs first).

TWs: death via a traffic accident (detailed), death of a loved one, dementia, infidelity, dissociation, self-harm, stalking, gaslighting, manipulation, sexual harassment (in and out of the workplace), mentions death of a parent

Plot: 5/5
World Building: 4/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Pacing: 4/5
Overall: 4/5
GoodReads Rating: 3.92/5

eARC gifted via NetGalley by Berkley Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.

Three women, Siobhan, Miranda, and Jane, are all stood up on Valentine’s Day and all by the same man. They all forgive him for standing them up, but are in danger of falling in love with a man who seems to have many women in his life.

I went in to this knowing nothing was as it seemed and I ended up liking the book a lot for the most part, until the reveal. It’s not the reveal itself but what happened to one of the characters that bothers me the most and I can’t say it here because it’s spoiler, but that character deserved more. I’m really glad I read this, it was really well written, and I am definitely willing to read more by this author. But I guess after all the hype this one didn’t quite live up to my expectations and actually let me down a little bit.

The Flatshare is one of my favorite romances so I always get excited for any Beth O’Leary books. I think this book is best enjoyed not knowing much about it except that it can be a heavy book at parts (don’t let the pink cute cover fool you). It’s not my favorite Beth O’Leary book but worth a read.

Words cannot describe how beautiful this book is, you spend the entire first half of the book thinking it is one way when it is not. Beth O'leary made you sympathetic to a type of character on the surface you shouldn't care about. Please take the time to read this cover to cover and tell me you were not impacted! This has moved up my list of favorite Beth O'leary novels and hope that everyone has the chance to encounter these characters.

I absolutely loved this book! O'Leary crafted such a multi-layered love story about dating, expectations and who we think we are vs. who we are to others with such a compelling twist! I was truly blown away by this book!

Beth O'Leary writes cute, fun rom-coms and The No Show was no different. I thought this one was very enjoyable. I loved how everything was revealed by the end of the story. I would highly recommend this one.

Short synopsis: Three women who are complete strangers have only one thing in common, they were all stood up for their Valentines Day date by the same man.

My thoughts: What I assumed was a rom-com turned out to be so much more. I never expected to love this one, let alone cry happy tears at the end.

The character development was so well done as we learn about each of the three women from their own perspective and how they view Joseph (the man who stands them up on Valentines Day). I grew to care about each woman, and genuinely wanted the best for each of them.

This one has so much depth and we can see how each woman is faced with different struggles; miscarriage, heartache, workplace abuse of power, thoughts of self harm, dementia, harassment and more.

I’d suggest going into this one somewhat blind, it makes the story that much better!

Read if you’re a sucker for:
* Strong female protagonist
* Women’s fiction mixed with romance
* Well developed characters
* Real world struggles
* Crying happy tears

Beth O'Leary has definitely become a favorite! Loved how it wasn't at all predictable, at least I couldn't figure out how all the characters were connected. Really enjoyed all the twists and turns and how going from one character to the other kept things interesting. So good!

This book reminds me of the song "All Too Well" by Taylor Swift. I think it is the perfect summary for it. I have never read a book like this before and Beth O'Leary did a magnificent job. The characters were distinct and beautifully written and overall, The No-Show was a fantastic and heartwarming, and tender read. Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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Thank you for the ARC from Berkley via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I couldn't imagine being stood up on valentine's day, but Beth O'Leary helped me better understand what it would be like to! In this novel, Joseph Carter is dating three women that we get to know throughout the story and I promise you will go through a whirlwind of emotions up until the very end.

Based on the synopsis and cover, I was expecting a wacky rom-com about a man juggling 3 different women. I stressed and empathized with Shiv, Miranda and Jane and wanted nothing more than for Joseph to get caught and make amends. Then the twist hit and I did not see it coming! This was not the easy, breezy summer read I was anticipating, but I really enjoyed the characters and how the entire story came together in the end.

I love O'Leary's somewhat outlandish and quirky romance premises! They're always a fun ride. And, I didn't guess the twists to this one until the end!

While some others of her novels rank higher on my favourites list, and I wasn’t as invested in these characters as I have been in some of the others I found this book the perfect “before bed” or summertime light reading.

It's a really amazing thing when you're loving a book, but also hating it because you KNOW there is absolutely no way the author can give you a satisfying ending...then they go right ahead and do just that...O'Leary is back in the game with this one...I felt I couldn't put it down I wanted to see what was going to happen, then 2 minutes later I HAD to put it down because I was so anxious and, yes, a bit upset...

I love you, Beth O'Leary...thank you for this gem of a book...

ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review