Alexis Hall's books are always quite the conundrum for me. I read and liked Boyfriend Material, but couldn't finish Husband Material, and this one tested my patience for a while before I was able to engage. There is just so much extra filler in the storyline that it makes it hard to enjoy the <i>actual</i> story. And while I'll admit I did make it to the end of the book, I didn't love it. I struggled through it because all I kept thinking was <i>what were the 10 things that never happened</i>? We never actually found out. Why name a book something that doesn't fit the actual book?

I will also say that the forced proximity here did not make sense. If your boss is that big of a dick, he's definitely not bringing you home - he's hiring a nursemaid and sending you somewhere else for 2 weeks. Unless there was previous chemistry, which we know there absolutely was not. This made it all just too unbelievable for me, especially the romance part, because Sam and Johnathan had nothing in common, and weren't (to me) believable as a couple; they didn't actually grow separately or together, IMO. It was kind of a dud.

[RATE: 3.5/5] So first of all, I have one important thing to say: I'm still looking for the "10 things that never happened" in the book. I found no relation between the title and the story. So if you're like me and you're expecting to have 10 "oh /that specific thing/ happened but you have amnesia so you don't remember" lies, beware that there has nothing like that.

Other than that, I had a good time reading it, laughed a few times. I have to be honest, I liked Jonathan (especially with Gollum) way more than Sam, and as we got his POV, I found him really bothering some times. Their relationship is extremely slow burn and surprisingly soft on the description (I could almost say spice free), and while there were some it or miss in how it was done, it was developped in a good and satisfying way. The 3rd act wasn't "ugh" because it was quick, unlike most of the romance books I've read.

Also if you're looking for a romance happening during christmas, without all that magic and the "I love christmas !!" feeling, then that's a good pick!

Laughing out loud is one of my favourite things while reading a book. Those unexpected, spontaneus sounds of lively amusement coming from me (usually in public), golden!

10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall made me make those sounds. I was expecting ridiculous and did I get ridiculous? Yes, yes I did.

Now, I'm too lazy to search all the synonyms for ridiculous (I believe Merriam-Webster has like 158 of them) to be able to write a review that doesn't sound, well ridiculous, so I'm just going to say that I have enjoyed all of the books Alexis Hall has written before and I enjoyed this one too because every aspect of the book from the plot to the characters to the dialogue to the very last page was as ridiculous as in the others.

I love ridiculous (or farcical or uproarious if you will) and I can't wait to listen the audiobook! I think it's going to be even more ridiculous read out loud!

A delightful Grump/Sunshine romance with lots of energy and humor. The wide cast of quirky side characters added tons of fun on both sides, but there's a grief-related backstory that adds a balancing level of gravitas. While the faux-amnesia trope has a predictably typical arc, it worked as an additional method of injecting humor throughout the story.

This is me eating the pie of regret…for not having, till now, read a Hall romance because 10 Things That Never Happened was wonderful. From snort-laughing while reading in bed to stifling cries of hilarity for fear of waking the neighbours to getting misty-eyed over Hall’s moments of pathos, I really really enjoyed this romance novel. There’s more to it than chuckles and the publisher’s blurb will help us focus on its other strength, characterization:

Sam Becker loves—or, okay, likes—his job. Sure, managing a bed and bath retailer isn’t exactly glamorous, but it’s good work and he gets on well with the band of misfits who keep the store running. He could see himself being content here for the long haul. Too bad, then, that the owner is an infuriating git.

Jonathan Forest should never have hired Sam. It was a sentimental decision, and Jonathan didn’t get where he is by following his heart. Determined to set things right, Jonathan orders Sam down to London for a difficult talk…only for a panicking Sam to trip, bump his head, and maybe accidentally imply he doesn’t remember anything?

Faking amnesia seemed like a good idea when Sam was afraid he was getting sacked, but now he has to deal with the reality of Jonathan’s guilt—as well as the unsettling fact that his surly boss might have a softer side to him. There’s an unexpected freedom in getting a second shot at a first impression…but as Sam and Jonathan grow closer, can Sam really bring himself to tell the truth, or will their future be built entirely on one impulsive lie?

Hall creates his primary characters, the narrator, Sam, and his “infuriating git” boss, Jonathan, with initially one-dimensional romance cut-outs: grump to sunshine, heartless to all-heart, people-lover to misanthrope. He builds the side-splitting humour with their banter and marvelously-sharply-funny secondary characters. Sam’s Splashes & Snuggles (Jonathan’s chain of bed and bath stores) team are a hoot: the sharp-tongued Claire, his assistant manager, the hapless, coffee-spilling Brian, super-new-salesman “New Enthusiastic Chris”, sarcastically mouthy teen Tiffany, and tell-like-it-is-always-right Amjad. I was going along, reading, tum-tum, Sam, yes, store, yes, mildly amused and then, Sam and Claire’s exchange about Brian’s accdent-prone-ness:

“Brian’s one of us.” “He’s the worst Customer Advisor I”ve ever worked with, and I worked with Chel.” That’s harsh words. “Chel punched a child.” “A very annoying child. And she didn’t cost us money.” Technically,” nothing good ever follows technically, “everybody costs us money.” She’s not looking in the mood. “Amjad told me what happened with the Country Living Hamsterley. And it wasn’t the first time.” “Oh come on, he’s spilled a few things on a few mattresses.” “Five since June. And he ripped the seat off a Vitra Sento rimless while he was trying to show a customer how durable it was.”

While the convo saw me guffawing in my night-reading, it’s Sam’s first line that bears emotional fruit. We get to know Sam and his good-hearted, loving, generous care for his Snuggles & Splashes team. At first, Sam is the good guy to Jonathan’s reputation as “His Dickishness”, as Claire dubs him, but things are more complex and interesting than their black-and-white differences. In turn, this makes for a more compelling, complex read than the rom-com label suggests.

Hall’s humour also comes from getting his reader, in this case, me, to nod and chuckle with amusement and bitter truth-acknowledgement with lines like Sam on the working life: “Apart from the Jonathan Forests of the world, most people won’t just tell you to your face that they’re making your life harder to make their life easier.” (Ah, yes, pick an administrator, any school administrator, where I work, and this is it exactly.) Hall also made me guffaw with brilliant little touches of allusion humour. When Sam makes his way to Jonathan in London and his potential firing, Jonathan reprimands Sam for his team’s inability to make sales targets: ” ‘It sounds like you’re saying you want me to treat the staff like crap.” “I want you to prioritise targets.” “I do prioritise targets,” I tell him. “I just don’t priorotise them over people.” “Firstly” — he turns back from the window like Medusa turning to look at him with the sandals –“. I howled. Hall also has his share of teacher-quips, which I love, because, well, I’m a teacher, and he truly understands us: “I’ve never given much thought to where Jonathan Forest lived. He’s like a schoolteacher in that way — you just imagine that he only exists at work and when you go home he stops existing unless he needs to ring you up to be disappointed.” I will stop now, but suffice to say, Hall’s humour is akin to mine and I loved every word of it.

Okay, one more BECAUSE Sam, named allusively “Samwise,” (yay, LotR!) has a hilarious cat named Gollum, of course he does.

More banter, Sam and his not-amnesia and, suddenly, Jonathan’s dourness reveals vulnerability and his connection to a hoot of a loving, outrageous family. Sam and Jonathan’s road to the love-declaration is made of yearning, near-kissing, one lovely night of intimacy, tussling with a ten-foot Christmas tree, and some painful family dynamics. As Jonathan is softened and humanized in our and Sam’s eyes, Sam himself falls deeper into the guilt of his amnesia-secret, the betrayal is set, but Jonathan’s response to it is poignant and heart-breaking for the very reason that he doesn’t revert to type. Hall pulls off a magnificently moving reveal about who Sam is and what brought him to Snuggles & Splashes and his Great Team Saving Mission, to Jonathan and bringing his distanced family into a Christmas celebration. In the end, Sam isn’t as “good” as we first think and Jonathan isn’t as heartless: apart they’re human and weak; together, they’re all heart and for Hall, a triumph of humour and pathos. And a great, great cat. With Miss Austen, we agree, 10 Things That Never Happened offers “a mind lively and at ease,” Emma.

Alexis Hall’s 10 Things That Never Happened is published by Sourcebooks Casablanca. It released on October 17th. I received an e-galley from Sourcebooks Casablanca, via Netgalley, for the purpose of writing this review. This did not impede the free expression of my opinion.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casa for my copy of 10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall.

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. I loved Boyfriend Material, but hated Husband Material and 10 Things unfortunately fell into the Husband Material side for me.

I didn't like any of the characters and found the amnesia storyline too unbelievable. Sam and Jonathan didn't make sense as a couple and I couldn't get into the book.

This was such a sweet, funny story!

📖 10 Things That Never Happened
📝 Alexis Hall
🗓️ 10/17/2023
💜 Contemporary LGBTQIA+ Holiday Romance
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️

It took me a bit of time to get into this one, but once I did I was totally rooting for Sam & Jonathan 🥰

The banter and Sam’s inner ramblings were totally hilarious. I also love how real it felt - not with faking amnesia 😂 - but just the dynamic between Sam & Jonathan and how their relationship developed.

Jonathan’s family was a LOT, and while I know that was the point of their presence, I got confused often by so many characters. As a non-British person there were also many references I didn’t understand.

Tropes + topics:
❤️ Holiday (Christmas)
💙 MM romance
❤️ Enemies to lovers
💙 Workplace - Boss/employee
❤️ Fake amnesia
💙 Forced proximity/roommates
❤️ Opposites attract
💙 Grumpy sunshine
❤️ Slow burn
💙 Single POV/first person

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an advanced copy to review. All opinions are my own!

Sam is the underperforming store manager of a bed and bath store whose owner is ready to fire him and his staff. But after an accident in which Jonathan (his boss, the company's owner) backs him into a shower door enclosure right after firing him, Sam kind of lets Jonathan believe that he's got amnesia along with his concussion. Over the last run up to Christmas, Sam starts to realize that Jonathan isn't nearly the jerk everyone thinks he is, and now he's got to figure out how to keep everyone's jobs, but also get out of this amnesia lie before things all go terribly wrong.

Alexis Hall does it again with another fabulous modern love story. It's a total grumpy sunshine storyline, which seems to be Hall's MO, but I'm 100% okay with that. The development of feelings is sweet, and really a slow burn for quite a while. It's just fun. And the fact that it's set at Christmas brings a little more fun to the whole thing.

I think I've found that the modern romances from Alexis Hall SING for me, and I dance my way through them happily, but the regency ones just don't hit for me nearly as well. Which is absolutely okay. Everyone likes what they like, right? I know for sure though that I'm going to be going back for more any time Hall puts out something new.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in return for sharing my thoughts on this book. Thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of "10 Things That Never Happened". All thoughts and opinions are my own.
My ratings: 4/5 stars. Spice: 1/5. Time it took me to read it: 6 hours and 22 minutes.
Overall this book was really good. You definitely have to know going in that there are many British things in here that as an American, I had not a clue what was being discussed. The beginning was hard for me. I really wasn't sure if I was going to stick it out. I wanted to binge this book, but I found myself not super into it until the 60% mark. I adored the family dynamic we see. BJ is my spirit animal.

This was my first Alexis Hall book but it certainly won't be the last! I simply adored this. Sam and Jonathan were such wonderful characters, I simply adored them. I am also a sucker for the amnesia trope!!! And it was executed so well.

I did enjoy this book, I just wasn't over the moon about it. My biggest review takeaway is that if you loved Alexis's other duo, Boyfriend Material/Husband Material, you'll love this one too!

In true Alexis fashion, the characters are flawed and somewhat unlikeable. They do grow and improve, but they aren't necessarily redemption stories - more like real life navigation that leads to a satisfying love match.

Alexis's style of writing is very snarky and slightly long-winded. This isn’t always a bad thing, it’s just something that kept me from fully connecting with the story! For example, the amount of bed and bath department chatter was amusing but just a little distracting for me.

That being said, the character development at the end of the book tugged at my heartstrings and I felt satisfied with the overall conclusion!

Going in, I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this book. I've read other books by the author. Boyfriend Material was one of my favorite books in 2022 but Husband Material was disappointing. This one fell in between.

I loved Sam. He was funny, cared about his co-workers, and just seemed to be a good guy. Jonathan started off as a terror of a boss but slowly began to show his softer side. I'm not fully on-board with how their relationship progressed, but they're such great characters together that I can let it slide. I'm back on the Alexis Hall train after this one.

**Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall is a fun, enemies-to-lovers, workplace holiday romance. Sam a manager at a bed and bath store fakes amnesia to stop his grumpy boss, Jonathan, from firing him. Jonathan offers his house to keep an eye on Sam during his "recovery" and what ensues is typical romcom hijinks. That's the big big problem I had with this book. Nothing really stood out and I didn't feel like I was rooting for Sam and Jonathan to get together. But overall it was still a cute and lighthearted read.

Honestly I'm not sure what to say about this book. In general there were a lot of things I liked about it, but there was a huge roadblock for me in the fact that Jonathan just....is actually a horrible boss? Like I know a lot of this was supposed to be showing that he has "hidden depths" and isn't really a terrible person, but he's still a terrible boss? I don't know how Sam can separate that from how he is *towards* Sam. It feels really shitty, like, the moral is that terrible people also have emotions and aren't *always* horrible to *everyone* around them? Like. Duh.

Idk. There were so many things Jonathan did in the very beginning of the book that had me thinking "yeesh they're going to have to do a really good job of convincing me to like this guy for this to work." And....they didn't. It didn't work. Yes I felt for him in a lot of moments, yes I could see what Sam saw in him in some moments. Part of me *was* rooting for the relationship to work. But that same part of me was also desperately hoping for there to be even unconvincing proof that Jonathan was changing as a boss and wouldn't be so controlling and terrible towards his employees. And that just didn't happen.

So while I liked some things about this book, and was engaged, it was far more frustrating than satisfying for me.

One thing I will say for the book's credit is that I appreciated it debunked Stockholm Syndrome (briefly). It infuriates me when people act as if that's a real thing and so I was glad to see pushback on that in the book.

If you're fine with romances where the love interest is genuinely a terrible person to people he has power over, then I'd recommend this to you (genuinely--that's not even sarcastic. I know that wouldn't be a dealbreaker for some people). Otherwise, you might just be frustrated and wish this could have been as good as you wanted it to be.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this ARC.

I liked this book so much more than Boyfriend Material! I’m not a big fan of the amnesia trope, but in this book there was a twist on the trope and I really liked that! Sam was an amazing character. A bit stupid sometimes, but he knew he was being stupid so that’s fine. Jonathan was a grumpy boss at first, but melted troughout the book.

“Because when we’re like this, I’m happy.”

Just as with Boyfriend Material, I really adored the humour in this book. I’ve laughed out loud multple times again (which gave some weird looks from my surroundings), but I’ve also shed some tears. This book has been an emotional rollercoaster.

“I think I’d rather be someone who cares too much than someone who cares too little.”

This book is perfect to read during Christmas season, because it takes place during Christmas, but also perfect to read during any other time of the year!

The romance between the characters felt very natural. It wasn’t too fast and not too slow, just perfect. And when they finally admitted it, it was ust soooo cute

“ I don’t know how I’m supposed to go the rest of my life without being kissed by you again. “

Alexis Hall always delivers a fun, humorous, and heartfelt romcom that ultimately cements him as one of my favorite romance authors, and 10 Things That Never Happened is no exception. I fell head over heals for both characters, who Hall makes deliciously unlikable, yet redeemable and lovable and ultimately human in equal measure. This was such a fun romp--I love books that make me laugh while also having a gripping plot, both of which this book excelled at. Thank you for the ARC!

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I found this book very enjoyable and a very fast read. I thought the amnesia plot point was going to be hokey but it was well played in my opinion. Really liked it!

[I received a digital arc for an honest review]

10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall is the first book in the new series set in the author’s Material World. Sam Becker has found himself in the ultimate pickle. He’s been fired and his branch of a bath-n-bed retailer is finding itself at risk of being totally restructured by none other than company owner, Jonathan Forest. Instead of accepting his fate a physical altercation has led Jonathan to believe that Sam has amnesia and Sam has decided to try to change the fate of the store by going along with it. Unfortunately, getting to know Jonathan has made an already insane situation much more complicated because beneath being a jerk and a stickler for only his rules, Jonathan is a sweet man looking for someone to break into his lonely world. Sam never expects himself to end up wanting more than to save his store but Jonathan is so much more than Sam could have ever guessed. But with a situation based on lies how long can Sam keep up the charade?

Sam Becker is a bit of a mess. He’s very complacent in his store manager role and although he doesn’t want to see his employees suffer, he isn’t passionate about bedding/baths. Jonathan Forest is a mess on a good day covered by a nice suit and a shield of indifference and/or dickishness. The two don’t truly know each other and the time spent seeing them get to know each other was nice, although drawn out at times. Seeing Sam expose his uncertainty towards the future and Jonathan open himself up to the idea that Sam could see him and truly want him hurt my heart.

“Jonathan, are you trying to say that you’re into me?”
“How can I not be?” He flops forward with his elbows on his knees and his brow against his fingertips. “You come into my life like a beam of very annoying sunshine.”

Oh single POV stories you sure aren’t my favorite. I just enjoy getting both characters' perspectives because moments feel more powerful when you get everyone’s POV. That doesn’t mean that I feel like I didn’t know Jonathan as well as Sam because Hall did a good job of making me feel for Jonathan throughout. His love for Sam’s cat really made him for me and then when he was vulnerable, oh boy I wasn’t ready. This book was silly in a way that I appreciated but did linger at times when I didn’t think it needed to. Overall, I am looking forward to more in the series and hope to get the occasional cameo of Sam and Jonathan.

4 stars for Sam and Jonathan allowing things to get personal.

While the fake amnesia plot dragged on a bit too long, I really liked the two MCs in this book and their epic grumpy/sunshine dynamic. The secondary characters were all interesting and well-developed. Even Brian, who I wanted to slap multiple times. What a goober. (Sam, there's a difference between being a lenient boss and being a doormat.)

A charming Christmas read with Richard Curtis vibes.

Glorious! What a gorgeous romance. Sexy, smart, and socially aware - Alexis Hall does it again. Well rounded characters, believable romance, and clever plot twists - yes!