The No-Show

Starred review from February 28, 2022
Three distinctive women unknowingly fall in love with the same man in this captivating romance from bestseller O’Leary (The Road Trip). Life coach Siobhan Kelly meets charismatic Joseph Carter in London and falls hard after a passionate night together. Miranda Rosso, a free-spirited professional tree surgeon, also feels committed to Joseph despite suspecting that he’s keeping secrets. And shy, bookish Jane Miller is determined to keep her flirtatious relationship with Joseph platonic, though deep down, she wishes they were something more. When Joseph doesn’t show up to his Valentine’s dates with any of the three women, his erratic behavior casts doubt on his relationships, and his partners wonder if there’s more to Joseph than he’s letting on. O’Leary pulls off an impressive balancing act, unraveling each woman’s backstory while meticulously drawing connections between them and celebrating them for their differences. The attention to detail adds depth to each character—even Joseph will win readers over—and the twisty plot keeps readers both guessing what will happen next and rooting for happy endings across the board. This is a knockout. Agent: Tanera Simons, Darley Anderson Literary.

April 1, 2022
After three young women are stood up by the same man on Valentine's Day, they each embark on elucidating journeys of self-discovery. The novel opens on Valentine's Day in London as Siobhan, an attractive and successful life coach, waits at a restaurant for Joseph Carter. Though previously she would have said he was just a fling, a breakfast date on Valentine's Day suggests they might be moving to a new place in their relationship. At least, that's what she thinks until he fails to show up. Next we're introduced to Miranda, an adventurous arborist who climbs trees for a living. She's supposed to meet Joseph for lunch, but again, he fails to appear. Finally, there's Jane, a quiet young bookworm who volunteers at a charity shop and clearly has a secret in her past. Jane has lied and told her co-workers that Joseph is her boyfriend simply to put an end to their constant attempts at matchmaking. Joseph had been game to play along, except that when he's finally supposed to accompany Jane to a social event in his role as pretend boyfriend, he flakes, sending not so much as a text to explain his absence. As the story unfolds, O'Leary provides backstory about the connections between Joseph and each woman as well as revealing what happens to each relationship following the catastrophic Valentine's dates. Readers will try to connect the dots to determine how the three women are related, if at all, and whether any of them really belongs with Joseph. While the story starts off as though it's a romantic comedy, the content gradually shifts, and a clever twist toward the end may leave readers feeling they've read a thriller more than any sort of romance. With thoroughly likable characters--even Joseph becomes appealing--this plot-driven novel is fast-paced and engaging throughout. Full of both humorous and heart-wrenching moments, the novel is packed with the perfect mix of contradictions to keep it engaging. An expertly plotted romantic surprise about self-forgiveness and second chances.

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