Beth O'Leary is such a fantastic writer and after reading The Flatshare and The Road Trip, I was excited for The No-Show. The writing is even more superb than her other two books because this book is doing something really different and she executes it flawlessly. It's hard to talk about the plot too much without giving it all away but there are 3 female protagonists who all have a different relationship with the lone male protagonist. You think the story is going one way and then all of of sudden it's something else entirely. It's a book about love, relationships, grief, and the ripple effects of choices made. Highly recommend.

Beth O'Leary is a must-read for me, and The No Show does not disappoint!

The story starts with three women getting stood up on Valentine's Day. From there, O'Leary weaves a web between these three very different women in her signature funny, quirky, and immersive way. I always love her female characters and the twists and turns that await as pages turn.

If you have not read any Beth O'Leary books yet and you are a fan of Mhairi McFarlane or Jill Mansell, you are in for a treat!

For the majority of this book, you are waiting for the shoe to drop. You know it’s going to. You just don’t know when, or what the shoe is — a boot, a sneaker? (Bear with me.) And then, starting at the 70% mark, come three increasingly brutal plot twists.

I’ve seen this described in some Goodreads reviews as starting off lighthearted like The Flatshare before becoming darker and more Road Trip–like. I don’t think this is like The Road Trip — with its increasingly maniacal chaos and vicious interpersonal dynamics — at all.

There are some happily-ever-afters here, and the book closes on a hopeful and heartwarming note. But those three plot twists make this much sadder than The Flatshare. And while The Flatshare had a (traditional romance) structure that made clear we were meant to root for Tiffy and Leon, the structure of The No-Show leaves you wondering who you should be most invested in and increasingly dubious about (while also increasingly being drawn to) the male lead.

So, as another reviewer has said here: this is a good read. But don’t be misled by the contemporary romance–evocative cover and cutesy marketing copy: this is not a sweet and uplifting romance.

WOW, Beth O'Leary does it again. She weaves together an amazing emotional story that connects Jane, Siobhan, Miranda, and the mysterious Joseph Carter. Some of the twists I saw coming and others blew me away. This book covers heartbreak, grief, love, self-love, growth, mental health, and so much more. Each of the main characters has their own lives and issues and it all gets woven together beautifully. I'm so glad I read this.

Beth O’Leary’s latest novel is an interesting mash-up of romance and mystery novel tropes. I enjoyed it but not quite as much as her more straight forward romantic comedies, The Flatshare and The Switch.

On Valentine’s Day, three different women are stood up: Siobhan at brunch, Miranda at lunch, and Jane in the evening. The real strength of the novel lies in Ms O’Leary’s skill in creating three very different and very relatable women. Siobhan is a hugely successful motivational speaker, very organized and driven, but emotionally fragile after a break-up. She was going to be meeting a man that she hooks up with on her monthly visits to London. Miranda is the most stable of the three. She’s a tree surgeon (fascinating choice of job!) and is part of an otherwise all male crew. Her boyfriend, Carter, didn’t make it to lunch but turns up the next day to apologize. Something Happened to Jane when she lived in London and she fled to a quiet backwater in Winchester. To stop the gossip at work, she’s invented a boyfriend and has rather desperately asked her dishy new friend Joseph to play the role at a work event - but he doesn’t show.

Putting the romances aside, Ms O’Leary has done a great job of fully building these characters, their backstories, and their friend circles. Over the course of the novel, each woman comes to terms with her past and, aided by her personal support group, is able to face her future with more conviction and self-understanding. Siobhan and Jane have much more serious problems with their mental health than Miranda, and their issues are treated respectfully, if a little glibly.

But for the plot, I feel I need to slip behind the spoilers curtain as, if you’re like me, you want to come to the novel fresh. Ms O’Leary dips into the mystery novel chest of twists: and there are two big ones which are even more surprising because I wasn’t expecting them in a romance. Firstly it turns out that all three women were expecting to spend some of their Valentine’s Day with the same man: Joseph Carter! (Grrr - this is given away in the book’s blurb - don’t do that publisher!) Secondly, and this really was taking a leaf from thrillers like The Wife Between Us, we make the assumption that it is the same Valentine’s Day but it turns out that it’s in different years!

Unfortunately this isn’t made clear until about two-thirds of the way through the book - when we get to New Year’s Eve - and here’s my biggest problem with the book: Joseph Carter. As a character he never quite meshes for me. I understand that people can show different faces in different relationships but, because we think this is all concurrent, he comes over as an untrustworthy cad and one that none of these women should give the time of day to. Of course, once the big revelations are made, it becomes clear that he, like Siobhan and Jane, is struggling to overcome challenges from his past. But I’d invested so much in him being a rotter that I never quite got to grips with him being a good guy after all and he never really came into focus for me.

I really appreciate that Ms O’Leary is trying new ideas in the romance genre and I think this was successful in many ways. For me, the biggest success is the creation of vivid, wholly realized women who, though emotionally damaged, are strong enough and have strong enough relationships to be able to take control of their lives.

Thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

This book was not at all what I was expecting.

I went into it completely blind (I didn’t even read the premise and only checked it halfway through), and what I thought was a cute, fun rom-com read, was not at all that.

The triple POV was interesting, though I did find it quite hard to jump into each character’s lives, before you find out how they connect. For instance, I found myself skimming Siobhan’s perspectives, and even sometimes Miranda’s or Jane’s, though once it came together, I appreciated it.

The pacing seemed slightly off, but that’s because of the plot twists/how the book is set up, so I grew to appreciate that. The one thing I will say, though, is that I felt Miranda’s storyline was drawn out. I don’t think there was a way around that to fit within the book’s timeline constraints, but her character seemed stagnant while the other two were growing.

And, this was in present tense, which we all know is a pet peeve of mine.

BUT…I wasn’t expecting such a clever, well-connected book. The characters were each wildly different and nuanced, which I liked.

I think this is a solid 3.5 star read for me, rounded up because I suspect this will hold up better on a reread.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow, what a book. This is a story of healing and growth. It's written in third-person - we get Siobhan, Miranda, and Jane's stories - and as their stories unfold, we see how they intertwine with other. They are all stood up by one Mr. Joseph Carter, who we don't really get to know except through these women, who see him as a good and perfect man. I won't say much more, to avoid spoilers, but things are certainly not as they seem with Joseph. Beth O'Leary's writing is so genius with "The No-Show". I typically dislike books with multiple POVs but I loved the pacing of this one. As the book unravels, you will absolutely be engrossed.

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me a advanced digital readers copy of this book via NetGalley!

This was poignant and sweet and lovely, and I devoured the whole thing in one evening. 💜 Beth O’Leary is the best!

Wow wow wow. Another amazing novel from Beth O'Leary author of the flat share. For most of the book I had no idea what the heck was going on and wanted to dislike everyone involved, but then WHAM the book and all my preconceived notions were blown apart. Read this book immediately.

📚 𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬: The No-Show by Beth O’Leary 📚

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5

𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚: Romance
𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩: 📱
𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙨 𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: This is an ARC, I’m sure Goodreads reviews are coming soon!

𝙁𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙌𝙪𝙤𝙩𝙚: “It’s one of those feelings, happiness. One of the ones you don’t really notice is gone until it comes back..”

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙:
Multiple POVs
Huge character growth
Interesting timeline
Strong female characters
Addresses mental health for both men and women in a really positive way

𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬:

Wow, what a journey from start to finish! If you think you have this book figured out, I can promise you that you really don’t 😂 Somehow Beth O’Leary took my least favorite characters and made me love them by the end. It’s a very interesting timeline and clearly well thought out since there are many overlaps and complexities.

One of the best things about this book is how it handles mental health in both men and women. Romances with emotional depth (and not just a lot of spice) are definitely my favorite, and this one definitely checks that box. Overall it’s a great read, and if you loved The Flatshare you’re sure to love this one too!

Thank you to @berkleyromance and @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review ❤️

Thank you Netgalley and Berkeley Books for the early copy of The No Show.

Let me start off with I’ve read every book the author has written. The Flatshare and The Switch have been my favorite.

The No Show is a very interesting book. It took me some time to start enjoying it and getting invested in it. I think up to about 60% the author was building the story, and at times during those 60% I was getting annoyed, losing patience with the characters, and becoming uninterested in the story. However, the last 40% put everything into prospective and the author started revealing little by little the unexpected conclusion to the book. I honestly didn’t see the twist coming, I didn’t expect it and it took me totally by surprise.

Well done!

Siobhan, Miranda, and Jane are all stood up by the same man on Valentine's day. He comes groveling with apologies to each of them, without a clear explanation of why he was a no-show. Although each of them have a niggling feeling that there is something going on, they ignore the red flags and forgive him. These three women are interconnected in more ways than one and their connection to this one man will forever change the path of each of their lives.

If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be "unexpected". I thought it was going to be a laugh-out-loud rom-com about this weasel of a man playing these three women. Maybe it would be like the movie, The Other Woman, a story about three women teaming up to get revenge on the man that scorned them. This book was nothing like that. It was a bit more serious than the cover and synopsis would imply. Not necessarily a bad thing, just unexpected.

I found myself constantly wondering where this story was going while reading this novel. What was his motivation or end game in dating all these women? How and when was the other shoe going to drop? How would the puzzle of their lives fit together? The way it panned out was entirely unexpected. It was a very unique way to tell a story and the way it came together in the end was completely and utterly satisfying. That's a great feeling when you finish a book that had you questioning so many things!

My favorite thing about this book was AJ. What a yummy and sexy character! I loved his confidence/borderline cockiness and how fun and flirty he was. I was happy when he became a bigger part of the storyline towards the end.

Steam level: 🔥🔥
⚠️: panic attacks, sexual harassment, stalking, miscarriage, dementia, death of a loved one, grief

“Sometimes you just need to let yourself feel something, even if it’s ugly.”

I love romance novels. I love romance novels that explore the human condition. I love romance novels that have mystery and adventure. Beth O’Learys novel, The No-Show, has all of those qualities and more. It has been months since I have read a book that I could not put down but I finished this novel in less than 24 hours because I had to know how it ended. I loved every single character in this book and found them so real and relatable. I love how this story was told through multiple points of view and the inevitability of the conclusion. Fans of her other novel, The Flatshare, will recognize a similar spirit and fans of literally any other novel will recognize some of the greatest story telling I’ve ever read. I honestly have no notes. 5/5 ⭐️


This book is an ARC and was gifted to me by @berkleypub via @netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It comes out April 12, 2022.

This book was great and full of surprises! Every time I thought I had it figured out I was wrong. I really enjoyed the different points of view and I enjoyed it as much as the Flatshare (which is a lot!).

As an anticipated read, I am sad to say I didn’t mesh with this one. There were moments I did like but it was always overshadowed by everything else.

The book is told from three point-of-views. Each one is a different woman but they all correlate together by one man named Joseph Carter. I thought that it was very interesting to have the focal point be this one man. I don’t think I have ever read a book like that before. It’s one reason that I stayed intrigued. I felt that two of the women were more interesting than the other but, I don’t think there was enough development from any of the characters in this book. They all felt a bit lackluster and this very well may have to do with the format of the book. There just wasn’t enough time to really get to know them.

Out of all of the characters, I liked one of the women, Miranda, the most. I really wish we would have been given more for her and AJ. I seriously would have taken a whole book about them! The banter was nice and they meshed really well together.

As for the plot, it wasn’t what I expected at all and maybe that is why I didn’t like it as much. There were also hints of things going one way and then later down the road we find out that everything isn’t how it appears. It makes you dislike one of the characters more than you should because of it. It also left for a rather confusing read. This could honestly just be a me thing. I’m not entirely sure, lol.

Overall, this just didn’t do much for me. I liked the moments between Miranda and AJ. I liked that it was unique. Sadly, I didn’t love the book as much as I wanted to.

Rating: 2.5 stars

4.6 - oh my wooooooooooooooord. Beth O'Leary, you know how to positively write a novel and kill me at the same time. When the twist finally happened, I gasped like at THAT moment in Gone Girl. How do you manage to blend such serious issues and trauma with love, humor, friendship, & happiness? I JUST DON'T KNOW. I positively fell for everything and had no idea on all those twists and turns. I'm still processing! ANYWAY - great book. My only only caveat, with all of hers really, is that I want more of the ending. It ends so soon when I want MOAR! I can't speak to much without giving much away, but such a clever idea to write a book like this about Valentine's Day and not showing up. Such fantastic writing. I will read everything she writes!

The No-Show is a story about three women who were stood up by the same man on Valentine's Day. I thought it was more drama than romance and I found it hard to really love this book, although I enjoyed The Flat Share and Switch very much. Once I got into the middle of the story, The No-Show caught my attention and I wanted to see how it turned out. I was surprised at the unexpected twist toward the end. If you like Beth O'Leary, I recommend it. If you like drama with a bit of romance and a plot twist, this would fit the bill. I give it three and a half stars.

15,000 stars for this one. My best read of January… Hands. Down.

I am blown away by this book. Are RomCom Thrillers a thing? Because I kinda think we found our first one if not.

Bravo. Bravo. Bravo.

three women are stood up on Valentine's Day by the same man. Why did he do it? They believe he is a good guy so why would he hurt them. How are 3 such different woman connected to the same man? Did he love any of them?

Ah, I went into this book thinking it would follow along the lines of The Other Woman but turns out it was a little more Definitely, Maybe.

In comparison to O’Leary’s previous works, The Switch-Off reads as a mature departure from her usual romance-heavy novels. While the love stories are certainly compelling enough, the narrative structure (and its twists!) are exactly what will keep the readers interested. Joseph’s relationships with all three women are jarringly different and I think it’s important that the ‘strength’ between all the protagonists are presented in distinct ways.

The only letdown, however, is in the choice to have so many characters (I know, it’s only four!). While it was certainly necessary for the plot, I just didn’t feel like I got to spend enough time with the women (and certainly not Joseph!). While O’Leary writes in a way that kept me engaged throughout and maintains a solid pace, I never got the chance to be fully invested in any particular character or the relationships that developed. Either way, this was a great read before Valentine’s Day!