The No-Show is a book by Sunday Times bestselling author Beth O’Leary, published in 2022.
I’ve read her previous romance novels, The Flatshare and The Road Trip and really enjoyed them so I was looking forward to reading this one.
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Plot
The No-Show follows the story of three different women who all, on Valentines Day, get stood up by Joseph Carter. Siobhan has a breakfast date with Joseph and is hoping it means their relationship is about to become more serious. But then he doesn’t show up.
Miranda meanwhile is hoping that a Valentine’s Day lunch with Carter will be the perfect way to celebrate her new job… but where is he?
Jane was desperately in need of a date for a dreaded engagement party on Valentine’s Day. Her friend Joseph promises to help and stand in as Jane’s fake boyfriend. But the night comes and he isn’t there.
Who is Joseph Carter and what secrets is he hiding?
The No-Show Book Review
This book was a bit of a rollercoaster. I was initially a bit dubious about the premise. Three women all dating the same man? No thanks. But as the story developed it was obvious there was more to Joseph’s tale than met the eye.
I was anticipating a twist but when the big reveal came towards the end of the book I hadn’t predicted what was really going on. However, once the twist was presented, it felt like the author was in a rush to get to the conclusion and wrap everything up.
I liked all three of the female characters and appreciated their differences. The switches in perspective between them all never became confusing because they were all such well developed characters. I could also see why all three women were in love with Joseph.
I did enjoy this book but I didn’t like it as much as the previous two novels I’ve read by Beth O’Leary. I think because there were three stories running parallel to each other, it was hard to fully invest in any of them. I also wouldn’t class the book as a romantic comedy as there were some quite heavy moments in there and not many humorous ones. It was actually quite a sad and poignant read, especially by the end.
All in all, I did enjoy this book but it wasn’t the light-hearted romcom I was expecting.
Has Beth O’Leary written any other novels?
Beth O’Leary has also written:
What should I read after The No-Show by Beth O’Leary?
If you enjoyed The No-Show, I’d recommend reading The Flatshare, also by Beth O’Leary. I’d also recommend Only Love Can Hurt Like This by Paige Toon.