I absolutely loved this book, the first one I've red by Beth O'Leary. I thought I had all the characters and their stories sorted and sussed.... Then BOOM plot twist!

I enjoyed this far more than I thought I would.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

I love The Flatshare so much I was sure nothing would live up to it, but The No-Show is written with just the same amount of warmth and gentle suspense. The characters are so well built it’s impossible to pick a side, which made for a rather nail-biting read! I’ll look forward to the next thing that Beth writes.

This is one of those books that’s very hard to review without spoilers, especially since I ultimately think most people’s ultimate feelings will depend on the last 20% and how well it resonates with them. I loved two of Beth O’Leary’s first three books so I was willing to extend quite a lot of trust, but this book didn’t quite pay off for me.

The No-Show is a book about three twenty-something women who are all - to varying degrees - in love with a man who is perfect on paper but rather unreliable in reality. Each of these women would make a great star of their own romance novel - particularly Miranda, the tree-climber who loves her ‘blokey’ job, and Jane, the cardigan-wearing book lover with a secret history - but when all three of them are competing for page space, along with a cast of secondary characters, it’s a little harder to get to know them. It doesn’t help that all three of them let ‘Joseph Carter’ walk all over them: it’s hard to read about them routinely ignoring the evidence that this dude is potentially cheating on them and letting him get away with being cagey about his feelings.

Of course, this is a romance, so the main dude simply can’t be that much of a cheating ass (can he?). The last third of this book ramps up considerably and we start to get explanations for Joseph/Carter’s behaviour. The twist itself is very well done and I was audibly surprised when I put the pieces together. But for me, it came too late in the story to fully absolve the character of the awful things he *did* do. While I liked the characters I never felt fully satisfied with how their arcs wrapped up, which in turn cheapened the twist that I originally loved.

I became an instant Beth O’Leary fan after reading The Flat Share (I’m excited for the TV adaptation too) due to the unique premise, fun note writing format and quirky characters. It was a quick, page-turning read and I instantly went on to download and devour the free Christmas story on her website that followed the characters after the book ended. Despite my enjoyment of the book, and though I always gaze longingly at O’Leary’s books in Waterstones, I haven’t actually read anything of hers since The Flat Share. So when Netgalley proffered me an advance e-copy of The No Show I leapt at the opportunity.

OK, so firstly, and this is a very momentous announcement, The No Show is now my favourite Beth O’Leary book. Out of the two I’ve read, yes. Obviously I have no idea if the ones in between her debut and her most recent release have shown her writing style developing, but this felt like a much more complicated and clever novel. The premise is on one hand very simple - one man stands up three different women on Valentine’s Day - and has all the potential of another light and fluffy rom com type read. But it absolutely isn’t. There’s certainly an element of romance novel here and it’s again also a pretty easy read but there’s much more depth to it than just that. As the story progresses the premise becomes muddied and gradually more complicated until you realise you’ve totally misjudged the situation. So begins your quest of trying to work on what on earth is going on.

I actually, I’m afraid, can’t say too much more. Although I generally try to refrain from spoilers here, on this occasion I truly can’t say anything else here without ruining the experience for you. It’s definitely one of those books that’s better if you go in blind. As a guideline though I’d say that if you’re into romance with elements of darker storylines and multiple character POVs then this is probably one for you. It’s not super sexy like, for example, a Tessa Bailey novel and it’s not super dark a la Coleen Hoover. The characters are pretty well drawn - Joseph is, for most of the novel, a bit of a confusing character but that’s necessary for the storyline to work and eventually his true colours shine through. Miranda is a cool character, a female arborist in an otherwise exclusively male profession and Siobhan is a successful life coach with underlying anxieties that plague her relationship with Joseph. Jane though is by far the most interesting character for me, with a fully fledged backstory and a lovely community around her. Sometimes she comes across a little bit too quirky which stops her feeling full three dimensional, but I was definitely the most invested in her story.

So yeah, that’s everything you’re going to get from me on this. I really did enjoy this book hugely and absolutely recommend it if you’re looking for something intriguing, page-turning and entertaining. Congrats Beth O’Leary

Rom-coms and women's fiction are genres I personally tend to avoid with the exception of one or two authors. Beth O'Leary is definitely one of these exceptions as I always flock straight to her books on release.

I won't go on too much about this one as it really is best to go in blind and enjoy the bumps along the way which lead to the very clever and perception changing twist

As always with Beth's books the characters are so normal and relatable . This is amplified in TNS as we are presented with 3 very different women each with their own different traits and indeed flaws. It's so easy to become attached to all 3 of these women and also recognise yourself in some ways.

The writing follows O'Leary's usual style and is completely absorbing and a total comfort read. Although she deals with some serious topics she does so with a balance of tenderness and humour so it never feels overly heavy.

A great summer read which will have you laughing, maybe crying but totally invested in the fate of Siobhán, Miranda, Jane and Joseph.

I was so disappointed that I didn't love this book after loving The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary.
I don't think there was anything actually wrong with this book - it was well written and I was constantly wondering where it was going.
However, for me, my enjoyment of a book is so heavily focussed on finding characters within the story that I enjoy reading about and that I relate to, and unfortunately in this book I did not like a single character which meant that by the time we got to significant reveals in the story I just found myself not really caring about it at all.
I definitely still recommend this book to lovers of women's/contemporary fiction as I definitely think this one just didn't work for me but would work for other people.

The no show follows three women, all who get stood up by one man on Valentine's Day.

As normal I found Beth O'Leary's writing engaging and drew me into the story. Around the middle I found myself getting a little bored with three women pining after the same man but was fully on board again by the end of the book and the clever way Beth O'Leary brings it all together.

This is a twisty romantic comedy you‘ll probably devour in one sitting. Quirky likeable characters and a really cleverly braided plot make this a pleasure to read!

Another fabulous book from Beth O'Leary. I love that she can offer a light hearted, yet deep romantic novel. She avoids all the cheesy cliches of some other books in this genre and often deals with very real issues.

This particular book has a lovely twist, that I only started to suspect just before it was revealed, and then a few more lovely little plot points. I initially hated our lead male protagonist but as the novel goes on we come to understand him a lot more.

Right, when is Beth's next book out???

I love Beth O’Leary’s books. They’re so heartwarming and bubbly; perfect for a summer read. And this one is equally as entertaining as her other offerings. I loved the characters in this book; as always, they feel so relatable to readers. Would absolutely recommend!

She’s only gone & done it, definitely bested the last book! A joy to spend time with her fictitious friends & their genuinely “normal” lives. Lovely little intertwining plot here with a small heartbreak in there too.
Move aside Veronica Henry, Ms O’Leary is coming up on your heels!

This is the first book by this author I’ve read but having heard such good things I was excited when I received a copy from NetGallery. Sadly however I found I didn’t fall in love with this story. To give the author credit I thought the time difference twist was very surprising and I honestly never worked it out until the literal second. My biggest issue unfortunately was I spent so much of the book hating Joseph that even when everything was revealed and he was redeemed I couldn’t shake my animosity. The three protagonists Siobhan, Kate & Miranda all felt freshly different from each other and I warmed to all equally. Kate ended up my favourite but I could relate to different nuances of each women that they all became like friends. The subplot of Richard and how he linked to each women really helped to centralise them around something other than just Joseph and I was so revealed at his comeuppance. What a disgusting man!
The colourful cast of side characters helped to brightened the plot as well and I especially loved Aggie & Mortimer. Supportive fun & generous characters I wish I knew in real life.
As a whole it was worth a read and I would probably go back and read other older books by the author but I don’t think this will become a favourite or a reread.

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. When I was first approved for this book I was very excited because I had read another one of of Beth O'Leary's books and really enjoyed it and thought the story was cute. I had a lot of trouble with this book and actually stopped reading it 50% of the way into it because I just really didn't love any of the characters. I also didn't like the idea of one man dating these women at the same time. I might give this book another go some time and see if I actually do end up liking it, but I just really wasn't feeling the whole premise and the characters.

Bittersweet Twists…
Three women, three dates and one man missing. These women need to find out what exactly has happened to this elusive man - the missing Joseph Carter. After all, they’ve all been stood up by him it seems. As the lives of these ladies unfold, the reader may glimpse the truth. Heartwarming, emotional and escapist page turner with bittersweet twists.

This was an enjoyable read, with some very likeable characters. I loved Miranda and her colleagues, particularly AJ. Jane, downtrodden Jane could only be liked. I read on eagerly to learn about her background, about the reason she behaved as she did. I didn’t warm to Siobhán at all. I found her to be self centred and quite unlikeable for the most part, and even more so as the story progressed. Carter started off as someone who was difficult to like too but he grew on me. I found the story dragged a bit in middle. I couldn’t wait for it to hurry along so I could get to the punch line and when I got there it was worth it. Beth O’Leary’s books are very enjoyable reads and this is certainly another I’d recommend.

Meet Joseph Carter, a man who doesn’t show up to three different dates with three separate women. These women want to know where he is, and as the secrets come out, the true Joseph comes out.

I absolutely love Beth O’Leary’s books and this one was another fantastic read!! All the main girl characters in this I felt I really could relate to and really liked them all. Jane was my favourite and I really was rooting for her!
The plot was easy to follow with a good few twists thrown in at the end! I honestly couldn’t have guessed how it would end and how everyone was connected.
Overall this is a fantastic read which has left me wanting more Beth o’Leary already 🤣

I had heard so many good things about this book, so was really happy to be given the opportunity to read an advance copy of this from @netgalley.
Three women who seemingly have nothing in common find that they're involved with the same man.

Siobhan is a quick-tempered life coach with way too much on her plate. Miranda is a tree surgeon used to being treated as just one of the guys on the job. Jane is a soft-spoken volunteer for the local charity shop with zero sense of self-worth.

These three women are strangers who 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. And, unbeknownst to them, they've all been stood up by the same man.

Once they've each forgiven him for standing them up, they let him back into their lives and are in serious danger of falling in love with a man who seems to have not just one or two but three women on the go....

Is there more to him than meets the eye? And will they each untangle the truth before they all get their hearts broken?
This is described as a romcom, but I felt that it was more contemporary than that, yes there is some rom and com woven into the story but, I think it has so much more to it. No spoilers, but my first impressions of the book and what I expected it to be about, were completely blown out of the water and my predictions, were way off the mark! The saying, never judge a book by its cover was true for me with this book. In saying that, I am SO glad that my initial perceptions were changed as I read this multi layered book. It did take me a few days to read this book, but it for me it was an easy book to be able to just pick up time and time again and read on. There are several sensitive topics dealt with within this book, but they are all dealt with compassionately and empathically, it’s just something you may want to think about before picking this book up.
A great read equally for the beach or curled up under a cosy blanket.
Thank you to @netgalley and @quercusbooks for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

⭐The No Show by Beth O'Leary ⭐

Thankfully I was away on holiday and had the time to finish this book in 2 sittings! It was THAT good. It is heading to my favourites for 2022 stack.

I can't fault this latest release by Beth O'Leary. I loved everything about it. I wanted to be friends with each of the 3 female characters, and I also swooned broken-heartedly for Joseph Carter.

The surprises that come as you read this story are so well placed and, well, surprising, it took me in a direction I was not expecting and now feel the need to tell everyone to read it because I really want to talk about it!!

I will be waiting impatiently for Lisa Ireland's Facebook readalong in June to chat with my bookish friends about how I much I loved this book!

Thanks to Netgalley and Hachette for the chance to read and review this brilliant book!

Ever since The Flatshare, Beth O'Leary has been an autobuy author for me. That being said, I remember reading the blurb for this one and cringing slightly. I was wrong to be so judgy; I loved it!

The girls are all such likable characters, making this so readable and addictive but then you also need to keep reading to understand what on earth is going on and how Joseph Carter is juggling all of these girls at the same time. Oh, Beth O'Leary 👏🏻🤩

The narrative flows so well, being divided amongst Siobhan, Miranda and Jane. I think Jane was my favourite but then I did do a quiz before reading the book which confirmed she's who I'm most like (definitely didn't surprise me once I started reading...). There's not a lot to say about this one without giving any spoilers but it's such a clever plot and an easy read. Fans of Beth's previous books definitely won't be disappointed!