Book Review: The No Show
14/06/2022
Book Review | The No Show by Beth O’Leary
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!
Thanks to NetGalley for an advance digital ARC of The No Show.
You can pre-order your own copy at my affiliate link on Bookshop.org or go to your local independent bookstore!