At first, I didn't think I was going to enjoy another book in the London Calling Universe (or about faking amnesia) due to loving Boyfriend Material so much. Needless to say, Jonathan and Sam fit right in and I fell in love with their dynamic.

If there's one thing I love in books, it's a classic enemies to lovers trope and this book DID THAT. They really did not like each other, and yet, they found it hot and fell in love. It's everything to me.

The ending was very quickly resolved and I wish they took longer to talk through their issues, because it felt rushed. Either way, I'm happy to have Johnathan and Sam join the chaos of the London Calling books. Can't wait to read more about them!

I went into this not entirely knowing what to think of this. As much as I wanted to love it as much as I loved Boyfriend Material, it didn’t hit the mark for me.

It took longer for me to read than I wanted it to, and as much as I wanted to like it, I just couldn’t.

I sort of liked the main characters, but in the end I was more interested in the side characters. I couldn’t really feel the connection between the Jonathon and Sam; it sort of felt forced.

I loved Jonathon and Gollum’s connection and storyline.

So, while it was an ok book, it wasn’t really anything outstanding for me.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sending me this ARC.

Did not expect this to be a Christmas romance but I'm not mad about it. It's got all the typical Alexis Hall humour.

I love Alexis Hall. He is goofy and earnest and his jokes of repeating hyper-specific detailed titles of things frequently throughout a story never fails to make me laugh. 10 Things That Never Happened might be my favorite of his books that I've read. I loved Sam. I loved Jonathan. I loved Gollum. I didn't expect to cry through the last two chapters of a holiday season rom-com involving a fake amnesia plot and a chain of bed and bath superstores but I did.

Because of the similar covers I originally thought this was part of the London Calling series (Boyfriend Material, Husband Material), but it's actually the first in a new series called 'Material World'.

Sam Becker is probably going to get fired from his job as the manager of a bed and bathware store. His boss is a total @% and he's sure that if he gets fired the rest of his team probably won't be far behind. In order to buy himself more time so he can come up with a plan to stop that from happening he fakes amnesia and ends up staying with his boss.

All this time in forced proximity causes them to get to know each other and begin to...well, not exactly like each other, but dislike each other a little less maybe? Disliking each other less leads them to begrudgingly become friends, and gradually become more than that. It's a bit of a slow burn, with some family drama, and plenty of lies...and what could possibly go wrong with a relationship built on falsehoods?!

I'm not sure that I'd actually call this a Christmas book, but it does take place at the end of the year and there is a bit of decorating, a work holiday party, and some family celebration.

I enjoyed aspects of this book -it was filled with the charm and humor that are characteristic of Alexis Hall's writing. For me, though, none of the other books of Hall's that I've read so far have quite measured up to my favorite (and one of my all-time favorite romances), Boyfriend Material. This is a fun read though and worth your while if you enjoy Hall's books.

I can't say I loved this one. I think there were parts that were maybe ok, but the premise was too absurd to really care about.

Also the whole "insta love" vibes don't flow with me. It was literally a relationship based 100% on proximity and nothing else.

I felt that a lot of potential was lost in this situation. Both characters came out as kind of rude people with little love chemistry, despite the fact that the plot was perfectly set up with entertaining details that might have created the perfect atmosphere for a wonderful romantic relationship.

It takes a while before you realize that the coupledom is supposed to be between Jonathan and Sam, especially if you didn’t read the synopsis beforehand (I rarely do (chuckle)). There wasn’t any chemistry between them for me to even root for them. Nevermind, I never really connected to Jonathan as I just found him to be a disagreeable person.

Now Sam, I love him. Alexis Hall wrote a great character who showcases the dilemma that many face today in the employment and economic world. Hall does an excellent job of shining a light on the decisions that people make to go to work and it is about more than just passing time. There are outside factors that impact every decision and how this can affect a manager’s decision if they are more a people’s person manager than a just a rule follower. Add in the holidays as Hall has and of course it gets it more complicated.

10 Things That Never Happened is actually better for the secondary cast. I love them. I think they add the flavor and heart of the book. They made the holiday shine for me and made Sam a better person.

I have been in a reading slump for a bit, and though it took me some time to get into this book I really loved it in the end.
I enjoyed the England setting as I can't think of many books I have read lately set there and I like a good change.of pace.
I liked the couple in this book, I would say grumpy sunshine but it's more like grumpy and less grumpy. They didn't feel right in the very beginning but the more the book went on the more I loved them.
I also loved the growth of our main characters the softining of John and the coming to terms with his sadness for Sam. Though I wasn't totally expecting his whole family being dead as a part of his sad ness that was sad though made sense for the story.
I can't wait to read more books from this author.

I ended up listening to the audiobook of Ten Things That Never Happened and it was very enjoyable. Alexis Hall writes laugh out loud funny characters and scenes. Sam Becker’s job as manager at a bed and bath retailer and his employees and the things they get up to is hysterical. I thought it was a cute story of how he gets together with his boss. In the end it was enjoyable and am interested to read more from the author.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of 10 Things That Never Happened.

I haven't read Alexis' other books, but they were on my TBR, so I went into this not knowing much about the world or characters. I didn't have any issues following the story, though I probably missed some hidden references along the way, and enjoyed the experience. I needed a break from the heavier fantasy books and this was an easy read for holiday and found family vibes, though the amnesia plot is not my favorite trope. I enjoyed the banter and writing style, and the characters were fun to read.

Quickly got sucked right into this book and couldn’t put it down/stop listening. Loved the main characters’ snarky banter, the overall sass, and sense of humor in this fun, amnesia/enemies to lovers story. The book is also filled with a collection of ridiculous and memorable side characters that were fun and added to the chaos in the best way possible. Great book to read, especially heading into the Christmas season if you’re looking for some snarky festive fun, including a grump you can’t help but fall for (even when he’s being a jerk), a cat I now want to meet, a family just as crazy as your own, coworkers that remind you why you can both love and dread going to work, and a guy who you want to root for so bad because we’ve probably all been just as much of a mess at some point. And if you’re into audiobooks, I really enjoyed the narrator - he made it a very immersive listening experience.

Thanks to Net Galley for the book!

Fun as always! Alexis always writes his characters with great voices and interactions. If you like a trope-y holiday romance full of wacky hijinks and bad decision-making (and I do), look no further.

3.5 rounded up. I liked this book overall, and it was a fun read. My biggest issue is that, at the end, it feels kind of gross to have Jonathan come out to the cemetery to meet Sam. I understand why it was done, but I was hoping to see Sam... actually apologize for what he'd done. Again, I get it, but it wasn't as satisfying as I expected.

Sam is a manager at a store… for now. He’s been called to London for a confrontation with his boss, Johnathan. In the midst of an awkward conversation where Sam suspects he is losing his job, he falls into a shower and has a head injury. At the hospital where he is being checked out, he accidentally implies that he is having memory problems. The doctor orders that he stay with Johnathan for supervision and before Sam can clarify the situation, he realizes this is a second chance to save his job and the jobs of his coworkers.

What I loved:
-strong sense of found family
-grumpy/sunshine, enemies to lovers, forced proximity
-the storyline with the cat
-believable falling in love/relationship development despite slightly absurd plot

This was such a cute and enjoyable read that I highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reading copy.

3.5 stars

Sam Beckett is a manager at a bed and bath superstore in the north of England, with a rag tag team of employees he can barely control. When persnickety chain owner Jonathan Forest threatens firings to cut costs, he insists that Sam come down to the main showroom in London to see how things should be done. While there, they get into an altercation that ends up with Sam falling into a shower installation and getting knocked out by its heavy glass door. While at the hospital, he says things are fuzzy, and Jonathan assumes this means he has amnesia, and Sam, thinking this is a way to save his job, lets him believe that. Eager to move on to the next patient, the doctors insist that Sam be under someone's care for the next few weeks as he recovers from his concussion, and with no one else to turn to, Jonathan has no choice but to let him stay with him.

I wanted to like this story, but some of the stylistic choices broke up the flow of the story a bit for me. Sam's dialogue is written in Liverpool slang, and his over the top attempt at banter and need to refer to Jonathan by his full first and last name took me out of the story a bit. It was hard to read about Jonathan being so nasty to his loving family, even if he did soften and turn around by the end. There were a lot of different side plots going on that made the story feel a little longer than it needed to be, with the many characters in Jonathan's extended family, the workplace drama, and the living situation drama. I enjoyed The forced proximity and found family elements despite not particularly liking either of the MMCs.

Alexis Hall does banter like no other. Definitely what redeemed this book for me. I couldn't quite get hooked on the amnesia plot line but the witty banter kept me going. Not my favourite of their books but I still think it's worth a read!

Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca & Netgalley for the chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Alexis Hall does witty banter better than most authors whose work I’ve read. There were several laugh out loud moments throughout this book.

I’m never a huge fan of tropes that include lying, which was the basis of the fake amnesia plot, but I do think Hall wrote it in a way that didn’t make either character unlikeable…unless they were supposed to be unlikeable.

This was a slow burn, and a did hit a point where I was ready for some action between our two main characters a bit sooner than it happened, but it was worth the wait.

I enjoyed the elements of family, Christmas and healing. I will definitely be checking out other books by Alexis Hall in the future.

I randomly decided to go look at my Netgalley list and knock a few out. I've been terrible about reading this year. Seeing this Alexis Hall book made me so happy. Sometimes me and their novels don't jell but I always have a good time with their romances. A romcom was just what I needed this week. The weather getting cold and just in time for the holiday season. I flew through it. The book was so much fun to read. I loved it. I could see where this might not work for other people but I loved the mcs. They felt relatable and really resonated with me. I loved the themes of family, and purpose and trauma. I never felt a lag in the reading experience. This may be my favorite Alexis Hall to date. Also the audio book is top notch.

Review given in exchange for a copy of the book.