About this book (info from Goodreads)
Three women. Three dates. One missing man…
8.52. Siobhan’s been looking forward to her breakfast date with Joseph. She was surprised when he suggested it – she normally sees him late at night in her hotel room. Breakfast with Joseph on Valentine’s Day surely means something … so where is he?
14.43. Miranda’s hoping that a Valentine’s Day lunch with Carter will be the perfect way to celebrate her new job. It’s a fresh start and a sign that her grown-up life is finally falling into place: she’s been dating Carter for five months now and things are getting serious. But why hasn’t he shown up?
18.30. Joseph Carter agreed to be Jane’s fake boyfriend at a colleague’s engagement party. They’ve not known each other long but their friendship is fast becoming the brightest part of her new life in Winchester. Joseph promised to save Jane tonight. But he’s not here…
Meet Joseph Carter. That is, if you can find him.
The No-Show is the brilliantly funny, heart-breaking and joyful new novel from Beth O’Leary about dating, and waiting, and the ways love can find us. An utterly extraordinary tearjerker of a book, this is O’Leary’s most ambitious novel yet.
My thoughts:
Let me start off by noting the five words/themes that grabbed me:
• An unexpected twist
• Heartbreak
• Emotional
• Brilliant story-telling
• Multi-layered
Also, don’t read any reviews that may contain spoilers, the best way to approach “The No-Show” is by going into it blindly, like I did. I basically read the blurb and that was it. To be stood up by someone on Valentine’s day is just terrible, not so? What kind of man will do this?
This is also my first Beth O’Leary book, so I had no idea what to expect. You will get to know Joseph Carter via the POVs of three women – Siobhan, Miranda and Jane. As with all stories with multiple POVs it did take me a while to get into, but once I’ve found my stride I was captured by the depth and individuality of each of these women. The story unfolds more like a puzzle than a romcom. So do expect a read that is intelligent, imaginative and utterly charming.
Thank you to Jonathan Ball Publishers for the opportunity to read this book, in exchange for an honest review.
