The No-Show

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Beth O’Leary does it again! I’m a HUGE O’Leary fan but I have to admit, I wasn’t convinced she’d be able to trump her last novel, The Road Trip. Lo and behold I was wrong – This. This is O’Leary at her best! The Flatshare also had less darkness, I think? There were serious elements and the business at the end with the ex-boyfriend but none of it felt heavy like some of the issues in the books that followed.

Because of the unusual plot structure, I find myself having trouble working out how exactly I felt about The No-Show.

Throughout the book you get to know the three leading ladies Siobhan, Miranda and Jane, I really enjoy a book from the different characters’ perspectives, I find it incredibly interesting as it really speeds up the pace of the book for me. I loved every female character in this book, but I must admit my heart really did fall for Jane, the sweetest character with a lot of self-doubt and worry, I was really rooting for Janey and so the ending (if you’ve read the book) made my heart swell! 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. Content warnings: self-harm, alcoholism, obsession, stalking, sexual harassment, miscarriage, dementia.

Jennie on REVIEW: Midnight is the Darkest Hour by Ashley Winstead @LML: To be fair, Ruth is probably less insipid than your av... I’ve read all of O’Leary’s books so far and this is my favorite since The Flatshare. I agree with alot of people that this doesn’t fit the structure (or really the tone) of a Romance novel, but O’Leary has always skirted the edge of that definition IMO. I loved every female character in this book, but I must admit my heart really did fall for Jane! Darcey there’s a half-drunk double-shot oat-milk latte on the table in front of her. If she’d known she was going to be stood up on Valentine’s Day, she’d have got proper milk. Siobhan is only vegan when she’s in a good mood.” Janine: I think the only reason the manipulation didn’t bother me as much is because I was expecting *something.* It was clear that things were not as they seemed.O’Leary writes about women who are healing from abuse, both work and personal, exceptionally well. Each of the women resonated with me in how they exhibited a different common dynamic of the past couple of years—Siobhan’s overwork causes her to burnout, Jane is rebuilding her sense of self after a toxic work situation, and Miranda is learning to trust her strength and beauty, because she isn’t sure if she’s posh enough for Joseph. In each case, the women’s relationships with Joseph help them grow and heal, even if they don’t end up with him at the end. It might have been the mystery of how Joseph was going to get caught that kept me reading, but it was spending time with Siobhan, Miranda and Jane’s journey that made me enjoy the book along the way.