This book was amazing. It’s one of the best books I have read this year. Every single character in this book was lovable, even the really minor ones. The way it was written is so clever and there are some very enjoyable but completely unexpected plot twists. This book covers some heavy topics but in a way that didn’t weigh down the book but also didn’t make light of them. Overall an amazing book.

3.5 stars, rounded up.
Is this a perfect book? No. But it's better than The Road Trip, and it's also surprising in a good way.

This is the story of three women, Siobhan, Jane, and Miranda, all of whom get stood up by the same man on Valentine's Day, and what happens after that.

I kind of suspected where this was going, but honestly it takes forever to get there. I kept putting off listening as it just felt like it was going in circles and I liked all of the women and felt sorry for how they were being treated. It wasn't until 70% into the book that the pieces started clicking into place. Once they do, I liked this book so much more than I did up until that point, I graded the book down a half star due to the poor pacing.

I listened to this as an audiobook and it is phenomenal experienced in that way. In fact, I don't think I would have enjoyed it nearly as much had I just read it on the page. There are narrators for each of the women, and then a male narrator at the end to wrap things up.

I do enjoy Beth O'Leary's books and will continue to read them. They are heartwarming and real, with just the right amount of humor to balance out the deeper, sadder parts.

Going into books blind is something I like to do so after getting into this one a bit and figuring out what was going on (that anyone who read the excerpt would know right away) I thought I knew the exact path this book was headed down and was struggling to get invested in the story. Once I got about 50% into the book however something switched on and I didn't want to put the book down. I was pleasantly surprised by the path the book took us down and by the end really loved the book. I would rate the first half of the book at 3 stars and the second half at 5 so I'll end with 4 star average.

Oh man. This was such a fascinating reading experience and not what I was expecting at all.

THE NO-SHOW story centers around Siobhan, Miranda, and Jane, as they all date Joseph Carter. They each suspect him of cheating or think he's hiding something when he doesn't show up for their Valentines Day plans. The story alternates between their three perspectives, so I expected this to be some kind of John Tucker Must Die story (like Cristina said in her review!) where they all figure out what's happening and go for the jugular with this dude.

Overall... that was kind of masterfully written. I shouldn’t have doubted Beth O’Leary like I initially did. The first 3/4 of the book was honestly a little tough to get into. I mean, this dude is dating three women. Why would I want to read that? Who am I supposed to root for as a couple? Are the girls going to get together and seek revenge? Well, without spoiling anything, things certainly changed in the final act. I got very unexpectedly emotional and it was not a light or girl-power-filled “rom-com” like I thought it would be. I’ll leave it at that!

It's hard to fully review this without majorly spoiling where things go. I think this was definitely worth the read and in the end, I REALLY enjoyed it. I think I could have rated it a bit higher but it was not the most fun to read for the first half or so. I liked the characters but again it was hard to really root for anyone based on the structure of the story.

I have attempted this book time and time again and can not get into it. I even snagged the audio from the library. I don't know if it's me, or if it's the amount of characters and mixed storylines, but it's not keeping my interested. I'm going to throw in the towel now at 40%. I do love this author's whit and writing style so I am eager to see what story she tells next.

Very good book with a surprise twist that I didn't see coming! I honestly don't know if Ive ever seen this in a book before and I really enjoyed it. Speaking of enjoyed - I really enjoyed getting to know Shiv. Miranda and Jane. Each different but still tied to Joseph. Very good! Love each book Ive read from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I want to warn everyone that each chapter is on a different timeline. Once you understand that there is a dual timeline and multiple POV’s, then you can truly enjoy this book. Just keep that in mind when you start reading this book.

No one warned me that there are different timelines in this book. I was a bit confused when I first started this book. And then got more confused when I reached the end until it finally clicked. It was nice that everything came together, but I wished the timeline was clear, so I would have not blasted Joseph Carter so hard. I don’t know why the timeline was never mentioned until we reached the end. It would have still made the story good.

Siobhan is a life coach who is involved with a man initially on a superficial basis. Miranda works with an all male crew cutting down trees. Jane is quiet and unassuming, volunteering in a charity shop. All three are stood up on Valentines Day, by the same man. Joseph Carter is an unlikely main character, unlikable at first. There are twists and turns, but I felt the book moved a little slowly, belaboring some of the main points. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I am not the sort of person who likes multiple narrators in a book. I have a hard time keeping track of which character is which and who's done what. That said, I never felt that way during my read of The No Show. Each of the three narrators were so different from each other, even in the ways that they were similar. I thought the timeline was brilliantly done, and even though I knew exactly where the happy endings would lie, I enjoyed the twist and I loved how each of the main characters got to work through some of their trauma. I laughed, and I teared up, and I couldn't put it down. Excellent read all in all.

This was my first Beth O’Leary book and while I enjoyed it, it was not at all what I was expecting.

This book is told through the eyes of Miranda, Jane, and Siobhan. All three were deserted by the same man, Joseph, on Valentine’s Day. The story follows them on their different journeys of love and growth after heartbreak.

I did not see the plot twist of this book coming, so I was very pleased with that. Although I wouldn’t classify this as a romance book, I still enjoyed their stories of love!

Wow! This was excellent, I think Beth O'Leary just keeps getting better and better.

'The No-Show' was full of surprises. I loved all of the different characters, each of which was fully developed and brought so much to the story.

Siobhan, Miranda, and Jane are each stood up by their boyfriend on Valentine's Day, but it turns out that it was the same man--Joseph Carter. We get to know each of the women, and Joseph, through their eyes. Each of the three women are smart, independent women on their own journeys of love and self-acceptance. Joseph is on his own journey as well.

This was such a sweet story, with a twist that I never saw coming. Highly recommended!

THE NO-SHOW • Beth O’Leary • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 {rounded up}

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have never read a romance book quite like this.

Tackling real life issues in romance novels no longer makes a new book standout to me — instead, I believe it has become the new standard, for which I am thankful. Now which real life issues that make an appearance, how they are presented, in what depth, in what focus, etc; that’s now what makes the difference for me.

The No-Show excelled in addressing topics of mental health and how ones mental health can affect relationships, both romantically and platonically. For that, I applaud the author and heavily recommend this book.

But do you want to know what really made this book standout for me? THE TWISTS. When’s the last time you’ve read a romance book with some real f*cking twists? SJM books don’t count — I’m talking pure ~romance~ books. O’Leary had me going! And the way everything came together? 🤌🏼

I love a book that makes me think. I also love a book that makes me smile and feel good. This book did both of those things. And when an author can take me on a journey that makes me form an opinion on a character and then change that opinion all in one book!? I’m yours.

**The only reason this was not a five star read for me? My all time favorite books require me to deeply resonate with one of its characters. That didn’t happen for me here (yet — we’ll see what happens with a reread). But this is a personal-to-me thing and not a reflection on the author or story whatsoever.

TL;DR: This book was fun, real, and all around impressive. I will absolutely be recommending it to all my friends.

Go into this one blind!

I stepped into this story knowing absolutely nothing! I knew I loved Beth O’Learys books and that’s all I needed! I was pleasantly surprised when I couldn’t guess the big twist at the end and it completely changed the way I views the events of this book! I LOVE when that happens!

We have three distinct, wonderful, and well developed FMC’s that are all extremely different and have all been stood up by the same man on Valentine’s Day, Joseph Carter!

As the story progresses through the MPOVs of the women you get to know Joseph. He’s just my kind of character- charming, nerdy, a little awkward, handsome (but not too much), and just mysterious enough I was hooked! Why does he space out, have trouble with being on time, and never really share all the much with the girls? Something was up!

I tried so hard to guess this ending and just couldn’t! So in an effort for you to have that same *dramatic gasp* moment I’m going to leave this review at that! I really enjoyed this read! I got to it after pub day so I had the pleasure of reading the E-book (thanks Netgalley and the publishers!!) alongside the Audiobook! The audio narration was FANTASTIC!! I immediately bought the book and will be pushing this romance mystery on everyone!!!

Beth O’Leary has done it again with the No-show. The premise is simple. Three women are stood up on Valentine’s Day. As they try to overcome the embarrassment and stay in the relationship with their respective dates, secrets are told, love is tested, and not all is what it seems.

This may seem like a typical romance, but it’s really about each of the women finding themselves and what they need in a relationship. There is also a tragedy woven into the story that had me in tears at the end. The ways their lives interconnect is special and wrapped up beautifully at the end.

This book was a page turner! I knew going into the story that there was a big twist, but it took me about 1/2 way to finally guess what it was. I thought this book was very well thought out and unique. There was quite a few POVs but they were different enough that it wasn't too distracting. Overall, and enjoyable read.

I have been a fan of Beth O’Leary’s work for awhile so I was very excited to read this one. This came out a few weeks ago and I was late posting due to being sick for almost a month. ⁣
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This was a very interesting concept for a romance book. Like O’Leary’s past books, the story is very layered. I found this book to be less funny and lighthearted. I guess I was expecting to see some of the humor from her prior books, like The Switch or The Flatshare. On this one however, it had some heavy topics and barely any humor. ⁣
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While I found the concept interesting, I did not find the characters as compelling. There are three women, all presumably dating the same man. Each of these women are different and we see their POVs. To me, I felt like two of the women were lost on me. While different, they just weren’t expanded on enough. ⁣
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Again, I think my expectations might have affected this read for me. I was not expecting to read some parts that are just very sad. I would still recommend this to readers but just know you are not going into a romcom and to have some tissues handy! I will continue to read all of Beth’s work since she is an excellent writer.

Thank you to Berkley for a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Listen to me and go into this one blind. I was very hesitant going into it because I don't like stories involving infidelity or love triangles but this one took me by surprise! I was hooked because I needed to know how it will all play out. This one was so cleverly done and it's my favorite by Beth O'Leary!

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁 (swipe --> for synopsis)
Three very different women, unbeknownst to each other, have three things in common:
1. They are involved with the same man
2. They were all stood up by him on the most romantic of days, Valentine's Day
3. They all forgave him and let him back in their lives

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
-There is not much Com in this Rom, but unless you really want to LOL, it's a deceptively charming book.
-I found myself angry reading until I decided just to let the story play out.
-Don't judge a book by its cover. Or the synopsis.

I admit I went into this book with a bit of a chip on my shoulder because I felt let down by the author's last book. By the time I read the final page, I was ready to read all her backlist books! This is not a light-hearted, breezy read, and I found some characters more relatable than others. There are broken hearts, hopeful moments, and plenty of tears, and I felt protective of these women.

The No Show is a challenging book to review without spoilers, and a quick peek at other reviews confirms that others felt the same, but if you enjoy contemporary romance with interesting twists, pick this one up!

Wow! Beth O’Leary hit it out of the park with The No-Show. I loved The Flatshare, but this one is truly something special.

I’m going to keep my review short because this is a book you need to go into blind and I don’t want to give anything away. What I loved about it is that it is such a unique contemporary romance. You don’t really see the whole picture until the end which kept me turning the pages to find out how everything fit together. It did start a little slowly because there were so many characters to get to know and I started to lose interest toward the middle which is the only reason I knocked it down a star. On the other hand, the last 50% or so was SO good and it was totally worth the buildup!

This is definitely a book I would recommend, especially if you are looking to read a romance that is very different!

Read if you like:
-Interweaving storylines
-Unique love stories
-Romance with a lot of emotional depth
-Charming, nerdy hero
-UK settings

Thank you so much Berkley Romance and Netgalley for the gifted copy! All opinions are my own.

Wasn't happy with this one. None of the characters really grabbed my attention. The plot was interesting but just didn't keep my interest at all.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC