This story is told in first person by Sam(wise). This was my second read by this author and I enjoyed it much more than the first. It was filled with British humor that had me laughing hysterically throughout the book from the collective nickname for the boss “His Royal Dickishness” to Jonathan’s large, loud family as they planned their Christmas celebration at his house much to his dismay.

I enjoyed the slow building of the relationship between Sam and Jonathan though it did start to drag for me eventually. I was curious about Sam’s past and wish that it had been addressed with a little more depth before suddenly coming to a quick resolution. The quirky supporting characters were some of my favorite parts of the book from accident prone Brian to giant Christmas tree happy Del.

Recommended for a light, funny holiday read

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for a copy provided for an honest review.

*3.5 STARS*

I liked this book, but I thought I’d like it a lot more. It took me over a week to read, which is usually an indicator for me that I’m not loving a book.

Here are some things that worked:
• Sam’s cat and the comedic relief he provided.

• That it was a Christmas romance, which I did not expect.

• The banter between Sam and Jonathan. They had a good grumpy/sunshine vibe, and them quipping back and forth was probably my favorite part of the book.

And here is what didn’t work for me:
• Unfortunately, the romance was a little lackluster. This is supposed to be a rom-com, but Sam and Jonathan’s romance often felt like a subplot. I needed more chemistry between them, because it felt like they went from enemies to lovers without much evidence to support their feelings.

• All of the technical talk about the bed and bath business. I really could have done without the name of the shower Sam fell into being repeated 15 times. It was a long name and despite how many times it was said, I still don’t remember its precise title. The same thing happened with a few other products, like Jonathan’s toilet. There was also a lot of talk about budgets and other things I just did not care about. I get that this was a workplace romance, but the work talk was just too much most of the time.

• The fake amnesia storyline grew very tiresome very quickly. So much time was spent on Sam pretending to have amnesia, being conflicted about it, but carrying on anyway. And in my opinion, he was forgiven way too easily.

• Jonathan’s family often felt like the main storyline, which is a bummer when you’re expecting a romance. I liked their characters, but there were a lot of them and sometimes it was hard to keep them all straight. I also didn’t love how much time was spent on Jonathan’s dynamic with his family when so little was spent on Sam. We get one paragraph explaining what happened to his family, after hinting at it for the entire book.

• We only get Sam’s perspective, which I know is common in romances, but I really wanted to hear from Jonathan. Again, we get one paragraph where he tells Sam why he likes him. I want to hear his inner thoughts when he starts spending time with Sam, his feelings on Gollum, etc. I think the romance would have felt stronger and more believable if we had gotten a few chapters from his perspective.


It’s always so hard to review a book when you have mixed feelings. I did like reading it and I think others would too, but it’s hard to ignore the issues I had with it.

*I received a free e-ARC from Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

So for whatever reason, I thought this was connected to Boyfriend Material and Husband Material because "material" was literally in the name of this series. Guess not! So if that was what was holding you back from reading this hilarious amnesiac Christmas romance, let it go.

The holiday season is crazy enough, but when you get fired, fall through a shower door, and wake up in the hospital with your boss all in under an hour? Yeah it's a lot. I found myself laughing out loud so many times during this book, especially with the interactions with the bed & bath crew. I'll happily take a grumpy begrudging romance, a cat named Gollum, and one simple lie that keeps on giving.

*Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review, LibroFM for the gifted ALC, and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the gifted physical copy*

Alexis Hall’s 10 Things That Never Happened is a little choppier than the author’s other offerings but still the winning combination of funny-sweet-heartbreaking I’ve come to anticipate. I appreciate that Hall is, once again, determined to show that queer people can be squares too.

Read from October 4th, 2023 to October 17th, 2023. Review written on October 22nd, 2023.

~4.5~

For starters, I do apologize for the delay. Much has happened that did not allow me the time to post this when I should have.

Now, this book was weirdly good! I do have to say I wasn't a fan of the fake amnesia, which is the main thing in the story I know, but apart from that it was so so sweet and I do enjoy a good enemies-to-lovers, though in this case enemies may be to strong a word.

Something I thought was a bit annoying was the names of products from the store where the main characters worked having their full name written, every. single. time. Do we really need it?

Apart from that, the writing is great, the storyline is solid and very engaging, and the ending fits so well with everything that happened in the book; it didn't feel displaced. The characters were very interesting to read and get to know, especially Gollum. Someone feed the cat, please!!

Now, I just took some notes of things I noticed throughout the book that I think maybe need some reviewing?
Notes for the publisher:
Page 23: Who is Bernard? Wasn't it supposed to be Brian?
Page 23: "She's a weird one is Tiff" is that sentence correct? Doesn't sound right to me, but I'm genuinely not sure.
Page 80: Wasn't Brian talking care of his nan? What's this about his mum?
Page 106, line 19: "But I'm, the boss, (...)" There shouldn't be a comma between I'm and the.
Page 165, Line 13: "What's the supposed to mean?" Shouldn't it be "that"?

Really liked this book, Alexis Hall knows how to write gay Brits so well! Enjoy the book now that it is out!

Signing off,
B.

I really enjoyed this book more than Husband Material. I thought I had sworn off Alexis Hall after that but found myself pleasantly surprised by this one.

I enjoyed the premise of Sam trying to save his branch by faking amnesia. What was odd was how it developed into this live in situation with Jonathon. I didn’t hate it but it was just sort of out there that his boss would take him in while he recovered from a head injury.

I digress. The characters felt fresh and new. Not a copy and paste of his previous works. The side characters were great and added to the plot and comedic relief. Albeit there were so many side characters to keep track of.

The story fell apart for me with the romance aspect. The audience didn’t get a lot of “getting to know you” conversation. Jonathan would say “I just know you” when discussing Sam and Sam was convinced Jonathon was a jerk 99% of the time. It felt like the forced proximity created this bond and without exploring their feelings, the two just stuck together. Wish it was more.

Thank you #NetGalley for the advanced copy of #TenThingsthatNeverHappened by Alexis Hall in exchange for an honest review.

I had high expectations going into this book and then I heard a couple of bad reviews and I got nervous. Having read the entire book, I have to say it's not Hall's best work but it does come together in the end in a really good way. The pacing is off and I got bored in the 1st part or 2 when the story was more about their work than the romance blossoming between them. The book also felt longer than it actually is (another indication that the pacing was off).

I got frustrated with Sam for being so judgemental of Jonathan and began to worry about how they would ever get their HEA. But they got there. It was hard earned too in a way that makes me think they will make it In the end, I'm glad I stuck with this book but I do wish Hall had reworked the pacing issues.

Soooooo, this was the first time I read Alexis Hall. I was expecting a “mainstream” RomCom romance, which I DID get. But I was pleasantly surprised with the depth of the characters and the unique plot that uncovered the many layers of both Jonathan and Sam.

The whole fake amnesia plot? Too cute! I was so surprised by how much I enjoyed it! I really felt Jonathan’s guilt and it was sweet watching Sam go back and forth until he couldn’t resist him anymore.

It was a bit cookie cutter, at least the writing, but it wasn’t too bad either.

**I received an ARC from Netgalley with the understanding I would post an unbiased review.**

I have to admit that Hall has gone from one of my top three favorite authors to someone I read with trepidation. As much as I adore his early books the more recent have been very hit or miss for me. By and large this was a hit for me although it was, as is always the case with his books lately, just too long. It definitely feels like his editors are not doing their jobs lately, even allowing for this being an ARC, editors are meant to improve a story, not just point out missed words and it just doesn't feel like that's happening anymore.

I liked Sam although his tendency to ramble about anything and everything got to be a bit overmuch at times (hello, editors). The repetition of the type of shower door that caused his concussion, for example, started out fun and quickly became something I was skipping over. Jokes, even in romcoms, can be overdone. I would also have liked to know more about Sam's backstory a lot sooner than we got it because, for spending so much time in his head, we don't really find out a lot about his history until the end of the story. I never quite understood why he thought Jonathan was such a jerk, because, while Jonathan wasn't nearly as sympathetic as he could have been neither did he ever really come across as a massive jerk either. I get the feeling that the requirements of running a retail business were either overlooked or misunderstood.

Jonathan was really my favorite character in this because it was obvious from the beginning that he wasn't a jerk just for the sake of it, but because he was massively misunderstood, sometimes it felt like he was even misunderstood by his creator. Hall has gotten into a habit of making one of his characters responsible for everything that is wrong in everyone's lives and there's no sympathy or understanding for that character, maybe this is a thing in romcoms, but it just seems like he's doubled down on it, and I end up feeling bad for that character, and not liking the other characters as much because of it.

I'm not a huge consumer of amnesia stories and I liked that it was pointed out that this is not the way amnesia actually works. The concussion seemed to be handled almost as well so that was nice.

I liked the way their relationship grew slowly over time and how Sam finally realized that Jonathan was not who he thought he was. Jonathan's family honestly sounds exhausting, I'd avoid them too, but they did provide background for Jonathan which Sam obviously needed. I liked that although they accepted Sam right away the integration was still happening at the end of the book.

Overall this is the best book I've read from Hall since Boyfriend Material, it's still not to the level of amazing that he used to write before he leaned so heavily into romcoms, but it was an enjoyable, if slightly too long, read.

I was looking forward to this one as I really enjoyed Boyfriend Material, but this one was about a 3.5 star. I think the main character's (Sam) inner monologue was a bit annoying at times, especially with the back-and-forth on whether or not to tell Jonathan his secret. I also would have liked to see more of the book happening after the big reveal as it felt a little rushed. Overall, I thought it was cute! Having a grumpy character fall in love in a romance novel is one of my favorite things to see: how they fall for their partner, what about their partner balances them out. Jonathan's large family had me laughing out loud because of how chaotic they were. I am still really looking forward to more books in this universe and what will come next from Hall!

This is a spin off from Husband Material, where we briefly met Jonathan. That is the only connection, so you are fine reading this without Boyfriend Material or Husband Material, tho I recommend both.

As is his gift, Alexis Hall wrote about two wonderfully imperfect men falling in love without meaning to. Jonathan has built wall upon wall around himself, and Sam is perpetually cheerful to hide his sorrow. At one point, Jonathan says of Sam “You’ve come into my life like a beam of very annoying sunshine.”

I laughed out loud while listening at work, and Will Watt did a great job with Sam’s Liverpudlian accent.

Decent. Just decent. I don’t know if Alexis needs to continue this series. Nothing compares to Husband Material for me, I fear.

I’m really struggling with this book. At first I was enjoying it but quickly this fizzled out for me and now I can’t seem to pick this back up. I just am not able to connect with the characters at all and I don’t care what happens next which is the kiss of death. I guess I’m not British so I just don’t get it?

Anyways I am going to call it good here and mark it as did not finish. Unfortunately for me I just have a very hit or miss with this authors work and lately it’s all miss for me.

Funny, charming, and delightfully festive, within the first 100 pages of 10 Things That Never Happened I'd already texted my friend to insist she buy this book to take on her honeymoon over Christmas. If you like the London Calling series then you'll love this book too.

Thank you to netgalley for the advance copy of this ebook*

Even though it’s been awhile that I’ve read anything by the author, i was glad that I’ve jumped in this book. It had the enemies to lovers trope along with forced proximity mixed along with the chaos that is both Sam and Jonathan when one of them takes amnesia after an accident. Add in co workers and family along with a cat named gollum and you got yourself a good story though it was a bit slow paced at times however, i couldn’t recommend this enough and can’t wait for the next book.

This was a fun read with well-developed characters and a believable enemies-to-lovers story line. Alexis Hall is combining so many different tried and true Romance tropes here (sunshine/grump, enemies to loves, office romance) and manages to do so without bogging the story down! Office romances are not for me, but for someone who likes that trope, they're sure to fall in love with Jonathan and Sam (and their whole extended pet and human families!). I admit I'm not sure how the title relates to the content, and I kept waiting for this book to align somehow with 10 Things I Hate About You (which it never did). Four stars are because I was hoping Hall would bring something fresh to the "fake amnesia" plot, but this mostly hits well-trod ground, making the plot fairly predictable. But absolutely still worth a read!

This is a tough book for me to rate! I admit to starting this book and almost DNFing it, which is rare for me, especially with an Alexis Hall book. I had a hard time with the initial premise here. I actually think the fake amnesia plot unfolds quite naturally and cleverly, so that wasn't my problem. Rather, I really struggled with the characters - not so much with Jonathan, the mean, cold-hearted boss everyone seems to hate, but with our POV character Sam, who is so terribly insubordinate it made it very much not fun to read. I had to put the book down at around the 15% mark, and didn't return to it for over a month, but I am glad I eventually went back to it.

When this book worked for me it REALLY worked, especially in the moments where the romance was allowed to shine. I typically enjoy Hall's expansive casts of characters but I do think between Sam's co-workers and Jonathan's family there were a few too many here and they did pull focus a bit, even if they were largely enjoyable (esp. the family). It also took me reading this book to realize what I don't ultimately love about a lot of holiday romances - they often veer saccharine, whereas I loved how this book really highlighted how exhausting and frustrating family and the holidays can be even if quiet moments of tradition make it all worth it. In this way the book really reminded me of my own family and our own brand of chaos and I enjoyed that very much. I even appreciated the nods to Christmas Vacation, a film I actively dislike, because they worked so well in this setting. And I do think by the end of the book I appreciated the journeys both Jonathan and Sam went on such that I can understand their earlier behavior. (Though the blurb says Jonathan has sentimental reasons for hiring Sam to begin with, which are never explained??)

As always with Hall's books I felt the happy ending was too brief if well-earned but all in all I am glad I stuck with this one.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the e-ARC! All opinions are my own.

I really love Alexis Hall’s writing. The banter in this book is A+ and I enjoyed it all the way through.

10 Things That Never Happened is my first Alexis Hall book and I was so excited to read it when I received it from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was pleasantly surprised at the number of times I found myself laughing out loud and couldn’t help but smile as I read the book. I really liked that this was a book set around the holidays and we had two strong male leads. Was this a “traditional” romance story that you expect to find? No, and I think that was one of the many reasons I enjoyed this book! I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read with humor and just enough sass from the lead characters.

10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall is a unique boss & employee romance set during the holidays with an outlandish premise & delightful results. In the midst of him & his entire team being fired, a heavyweight shower falls on top of San Becker & he stumbles into his grumpy boss, Jonathon Forest, who assumes he has amnesia. During his concussion, Sam kind of accidentally plays into the fake amnesia to try to save him & his friends’ jobs. A whirlwind relationship is formed as they live together to look after Sam’s head & learn & get to know each other all during the holiday season.

10 Things That Never Happened is great for fans of…
❤️MM Romance
❤️Amnesia trope
❤️Boss & Employee
❤️Forced Proximity
❤️Grumpy/Sunshine

Alexis Hall has a trademark writing style with precarious situations, dry humor, fast-paced banter & just lovely love stories throughout. It took me a bit to get into this story, but I enjoyed the way it came together. It’s a bit of an outlandish tale but it’s one of you stick around for, you’ll quite enjoy the ride along the way.

Something I appreciated in this story particularly is the bountiful, realistic & genuine nature that was one of the lead’s perfectly imperfect family. They were messy & bickering, but also relentlessly loyal, always showing up & authentic. Being set at the holidays I couldn’t help but be reminded of the big family from Home Alone.

If you are looking for a MM romance &/or are a fan of Alexis Hall, 10 Things That Never Happened is out now!


Massive thanks to NetGalley & Sourcebooks Casablanca for the gifted copy, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.