Reviews

The No-Show by Beth O'Leary

mollyhyland's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

esterbooks's review against another edition

5.0

5/5★
•
woah, madre mía, no sé ni qué decir después de terminar este libro. estoy emocionadísima y con lágrimas en los ojos después de leer el final y entender toda la historia y a todos los personajes.
simplemente sensacional.

siobhan, miranda, jane, joshep, a.j, aggie, fiona. woah, absolutamente todos los personajes son increíbles, profundos, llenos de valor para la historia, la trama y el resto de personajes. todo está hilado en este libro y me ha gustado mucho cómo la autora ha llevado absolutamente todo.

es un libro que cuando lo empecé a leer no entendía nada. de hecho, más avanzada la lectura, seguía sin entender nada. creía que entendía lo que podría pasar pero nada más lejos de la realidad. no me imaginaba lo que realmente estaba sucediendo y ha sido simplemente increíble.
es un libro que me ha emocionado mucho. he reído, llorado, emocionado y me ha mantenido muy atrapada queriendo saber qué pasaba y quién era cada personaje.
me ha encantado que este libro le dé tanta importancia a la salud mental, a pasar tiempo contigo mismo, sanando, recuperándote y dándote el tiempo y el valor que mereces y necesitas.
el mensaje que transmite este libro es espectacular y súper importante.

ha sido un libro que he disfrutado mucho, que me ha hecho sentir mucho y me ha gustado mucho.

daniaranda's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

This first 75% of this books is soooo boring.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Death, Grief, and Sexual harassment

kcroc27's review against another edition

lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

oranges448's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

felicia_2705's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

ccabush's review against another edition

medium-paced

3.5

kaulhilo's review against another edition

5.0

so i've been, very rudely, told i don't review books enough. which is fine, i love constructive criticism. i love it even more if i have a carrot to fling at your head while you give it to me.

so, the no-show; i honestly don't really know what to say about the book, i know i read it yesterday but well: brain overwhelmed, no thoughts, just awe.
the premise of this book sounds typical enough, if a little enticing; some guy maybe(?) standing up 3(!) of his girlfriends because..? he has a fourth girlfriend? he's rushing from one date to another so he's late? he forgot what time to show up to each date? all the dates are at the same time, and he had a meltdown deciding which one to show up to? there was a lot of guesswork going into starting this book, and i was excited about all of it: i really wanted to know how the author would take a presumably irredeemable situation, and turn it into romance, with again, a presumed happy ending.
i think i've read all of beth o'leary's work; her first, the flatshare was nice enough on its own- yet her others have never quite felt up to the mark for me. her last, the road trip left me hugely disappointed, and honestly a little angry, there's justification for ill humor sometimes in rom-com books, but tasteless and maybe ignorant humor will always fall short. i think it would be safe to say i wasn't expecting much starting the the no-show then, for obvious reasons.

and yet, this book surprised me pleasantly and warmly. it had characters you couldn't help but love and root for, even if sometimes rooting for one felt very much like a betrayal to another; they were real, and so properly fleshed out, and their situations that made me reread several paragraphs and pages at least twice, simply to absorb it all. this was a book that, the second i finished, i wanted to go back and reread; to soak up everything i had "missed" the first time. the plot, while predictable, had that edge when you know something's about to happen, but you're waiting with bated breath for it to happen anyway. i think, if not for the mystery, o'leary definitely deserves something for this book, in terms of an excellent (and excellently executed) plot concept. there were moments where i cried (like really, clutching my pillow, big tears sort of cried) and moments where i was so giddily happy, so unbelievably happy it felt like believing in love all over again. (barring spoilers, the ending for this book.. might be my favorite book ending, purely for sentimental reasons!)

it's emotional, it's invoking, it's about the second chances in life and how to accept them unflinchingly and truly if we're lucky enough to get them. it's about accepting yourself, and what you deserve, and more than anything: trusting yourself before you trust anyone else. this is beth o'leary at her finest (for me), and i'm so glad i got to read this book because of it. i won't be lying if i say i've had some (favorite) books that go poof from my mind in a few months or years; i'll look back on a "read" book sometimes, and i'll have no idea what it's about. but the the no-show in, all its ingenuity and creativity, it's heartbreaking-ness and tenderness, is if nothing else, completely unforgettable.

thank you to berkley for the arc.

ctin2's review against another edition

medium-paced

3.5

goodreadswithgammy's review against another edition

emotional hopeful medium-paced

4.5

4.5 stars rounded up ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5!!

The "No Show" by Beth O'Leary was not a romcom at all in my opinion. It was more of a contemporary fiction with romance and mystery. I absolutely LOVED it!!

The synopsis is about a man who stood up three women on Valentine's Day. Yes, three woman and one man! I will admit that I was nervous about reading this and did not know if I would like it. I started reading and was like YEP this is not good and became SO frustrated and almost DNF it. I decided to not give up and kept reading and I am so happy I did!

The author takes you on a heart felt journey with twist and turns that you would never expect. My advice would to go into it blind. I will say, about 70% into the story my thoughts changed and pieces of the puzzle started coming together.

This is my first read by Beth O'Leary and it will not be my last. I highly recommend this book!