[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!

Thank you Netgalley for a free ARC!

I really enjoyed this book! Hall is amazing at writing witty characters and they did so once again with Sam and Jonathan.

While the plot in this book may be a little far-fetched, I did end up laughing out loud at some of the things that happened in this book.

It was amazing to see how Jonathan slowly started melting for Sam and how he took care of him. It really made me kick my feet while I was reading it.

The only reason that I didn’t rate this 5 stars, is because I felt like the ending was a little rushed, but I loved the epilogue we got!!

Thank you to the publishers for the opportunity to check out an ARC of this book through NetGalley!

Alexis Hall does it again! Their books are always fun, romantic, dynamic, and keep me engaged! I just love a fun read with characters that have their own unique personalities. This was a quick read for me that I couldn't put down. Love the queer rep and love that I get some england representation!

I liked this one. Alexis Hall books are hit or miss for me. Some of his books are my absolute favorite like a lady for a Duke and Rosaline Palmer takes the cake but others are ones that I would never recommend like Glitterland. Ones like Boyfriend Material fall somewhere in the middle. So moral of my Alexis Hall story is that I never really know what to expect. I think this one falls somewhere in the middle to the higher enjoyment scale for me. I liked the setting and the characters even if they are a bit obnoxious at times but overall it was one that I would recommend.

Sam likes his job well enough and is pretty good at it, even if managing a bed and bath store isn’t the most exciting job in the world. His boss Jonathan is an annoying twit that sees the store floundering (mostly due to Sam’s ragtag group of sort of incompetent employees), and calls Sam’s down to London where he knows he must fire him despite actually kind of liking Sam. Things go a bit awry when Sam is let go, and he hurts himself only to have a misunderstanding take place and Jonathan assume he’s concussed and lost his memory. He reluctantly offers his home and care to Sam temporarily as he recovers. Sam for his part (who has definitely NOT lost his memory) decides to use this time to regroup and convince Jonathan to rehire him. The pretense of temporary amnesia allows Sam and Jonathan to get to know each other all over again under better circumstances and both are continuously drawn to each other. As they grow closer, will Sam reveal his impulsive lie?
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This was a closed door romance that not only lacked spice but also romance and interest. There were entire parts of the book where Jonathan’s family just bickered incessantly with each other that I skipped over. It was mindless and boring. So much of the book could have been trimmed out and had some actual connection and spark between the two mains instead. I had high hopes for this one because the plot was so intriguing but it just fell flat for me. I really wanted to like it but I honestly forgot about most of it as soon as I finished it.


Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca for the advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3 ⭐️
I really enjoyed this book but I wasn’t extremely connected to the characters. Overall, it was a cute romance book with good representation that I would recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. I needed a light hearted fun book to read, and this one was definitely it. From the witty banter to the story line, it was a good pick me up from daily life.

I adored this sweet book. The story follows Sam, a middle manager at a bed and bath superstore, who is struggling to keep his branch on budget and on target. He is called to London to meet with his boss, the grumpy and over serious Jonathan. On the visit, Jonathan gets angry at Sam and fires him and his whole branch, but in the process, Sam trips over a piece of merchandise and falls, getting a concussion. While recovering, Sam jokes that he doesn't know who Jonathan is, and then the confusion starts. Sam is ordered to recover at Jonathan's house, where he starts to meet his enormous family. The two begin to become close, but the lie that started their new relationship hangs over them.

Things I liked: It's actually funny. Most rom coms aren't, but this one truly made me LOL. Jonathan's family is excellent. Sam's cat is fabulous. Their grumpy/sunshine-ish relationship is so charming. Sam's background is so touching. The eau de While You Were Sleeping. The holiday charm.

Things I didn't like: Nothing. 5/5

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another really cute book by Alexis Hall! These guys relationship and the journey leading to it is very cute. I really enjoyed reading about their chemistry.

I really enjoyed this book. It has fake amnesia, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, found family, and more. Jonathan is the boss of a bath and bedding company. Sam is a branch manager who is ok at his job. After a concussion at the main store in London, Sam has to stay with Jonathan and try to save his job and the job of those who work at his branch. Will his fake amnesia hurt the relationship that's starting to form? Will Sam's poorly thought-out plan completely backfire? This is such a cute book!

I loved this! Alexis Hall always manages to make me laugh with his books.

The humor is fantastic and I rooted for the main pairing right from the start. They had great chemistry and I got so nervous and giddy along with them !!

One of my favorite 2023 romances for sure.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Alexis Hall and am currently making my way through his entire back catalogue. Very queer books with very queer characters are very much my jam. That being said, there are two things that lower this book from a perfect score for me. First is the hard left from enemies to lovers. I felt the progression of the relationship was too fast, without enough anticipation and tension. The mutual pining underneath the apparent hatred is my favourite part of an enemies-to-lovers relationship and I felt this dynamic lacked in that department. The second thing is how Jonathan and Sam seemingly had nothing in common aside from loving Gollum. I can’t picture what they will spend a lazy Sunday doing together. Aside from mutual attraction I don’t know why they’re together.
Negatives aside, this is a very fun and bonkers romcom. I love the eccentric supporting cast and the class commentary. I can’t wait for the next London-verse story.

4.5. I was put off by the last Alexis Hall I attempted to read--Mortal Follies--but I thought this looked similar enough to Boyfriend Material (a book I very much enjoyed, even though its sequel wasn't great) that I figured I'd enjoy it. And I did.

I adore Sam's gently self-deprecating sense of humor. He also so clearly cares about not only Jonathan, but also the cast of characters working at the Sheffield shop. (Hall writes such entertaining side characters.) It endeared him to me, and it gives him some depth that I think is lacking in some of Hall's other main characters. The romance is sweet and more subtle than that of Luc and Oliver, which I appreciated, though I would have loved even more banter. Waiting for Sam's family reveal drove me nuts, but the emotional payoff is worth it.

*ARC in exchange for an honest review*
Actual rating: 3⭐️
"10 Things that Never Happened" is almost out for 2 whole weeks now, I'm late to the game.

This book is about Sam Becker almost getting fired by his boss, Jonathan Forest, and having to quickly find a temporary solution to change his boss’s mind. When the opportunity comes to fake amnesia and start over, Sam immediately grabs it. Now Sam and Jonathan have to spend more time together than they would want, and Sam has to realize that Jonathan has more depth to him than he originally thought and might not be that big of a “dickhead” after all.    

Sam Becker is an interesting character, he seems very laid-back but actually has no clue what he wants in life. He doesn't invest a lot of energy in anything; not for his job and employees, nor for his apartment. Except for Gollum maybe, the “not so good looking” cat he adopted a while ago. I have to confess, I really like the idea of him having a cat and adopting one no one else seems to want, I have a weakness for the ‘saving outcasts’ trope (especially if it’s a cat!). His (admittingly) boring life changes for the better when *minor spoiler* he has to move in temporarily with Jonathan, giving him a new purpose: to persuade his boss not to fire him and his team. 

Jonathan Forest seems to be, at first glance, the stereotypical antagonistic boss – heartless, grumpy, strict and not caring for his employees and their wellbeing.  His interactions with Gollum (the cat) remind me of a dad who never wanted a pet, and who is now secretly, but quite obviously, obsessed with his cat. Gollum’s presence, is for me – as you probably guessed by now – a nice touch to the story. By spending time with his boss, Sam has to realize that maybe, just maybe, Jonathan is not so evil as he thought, and actually cares a lot. He may also have to admit to himself that Jonathan is an attractive guy, his charm catching him off guard on several occasions.

I am actually really conflicted about this book, hence the late review. Don't get me wrong, I liked this book, but just not as much as I’d have wanted. I loved ‘boyfriend material’ and on the other hand really disliked ‘husband material’, but this book . . . well, it is okay, but I wish it was more. This is a cute story, but I would have liked more build-up to the love & attraction element in the story. There are a lot of “tolerating each other” and “liking it more than they thought” and "oh well, he isn't that bad”-moments, and not enough genuinely cute and heartfelt moments between those two. Although there was potential and opportunity for so many cute, romantic and sexy moments. They definitely do not miss any chemistry, but their relationship is simply more founded on a friendship than anything else, and they never fully leave that friendzone, making it more of a friends with benefits situation.

That being said, this is a lovely and solid romance, and you should pick it up for a quick & easy read if you already like Alexis Hall's writing.

This book had a lot of side characters that it was hard to kind of keep track of. The overall plot was very good and kept me wanting to read more. It feels different than the rest of the author's books but not in a bad way. It was actually refreshing.

10 Things That Never Happened was a book I held my breath as I requested and I was overjoyed when I was approved. I was so excited for this story - I love a good workplace romance, the amnesia aspect had me hyped as well, and the very clear grumpy-sunshine vibe that started had me ready to read. But this was such an unexpected story as well - from the sheer multitude of Lord of the Rings references which I absolutely stan, to the Christmas plot and family drama that I could immensely relate to, this story became so much more than your run of the mill romance. I was blown away by the characters depth and development, by the vulnerabilities and plot lines that even side characters got, and I felt like everything wrapped up beautifully while simultaneously leaving me wanting for another novel full of them. I adore this story and it will become a Christmas book I return to year after year.

I enjoy Alexis Hall's writing, that's for sure. I listened to the audio, and the narration was fun. I was expecting more steam, but I loved the romance in the story,

I found this book to be an absolute joy to read! The characters were relatably human with all the emotions and intricacies that come with that. From fake amnesia to an unbearable boss, this story is one to put in your TBR.