I was incredibly excited to have the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book for @NetGalley because Boyfriend Material, one of Hall's previous books, is one of the most charming, heart-warming, and laugh-out-loud books I've ever read.

Sam is the manager of a branch of a kitchen and bath chain. He isn't a great manager, and his team isn't great either, but they are a madcap little family who all need their jobs for different reasons. They also all hate Jonathan, the super-boring, super-serious, super-dick-ish company owner. Jonathan has called Sam to corporate headquarters in London. During a heated argument about the state of Sam's store, Jonathan accidentally knocks Sam into a shower display, rendering him unconscious with a severe concussion. With doctor's orders to be monitored 24/7, believing he has amnesia, and a looming lawsuit, Jonathan has Sam move in for the duration of his recovery. But, as these two unlikely roommates discover more about each other, hate becomes begrudging appreciation and, ultimately, love.

Damn, I wanted to love this book. Alexis Hall is superb at creating a cast of quirky characters, which she does in spades with Sam's co-workers and Jonathan's family. However, the spark between Sam and Jonathan never materialized for me. If this was a dual POV book, it may have helped, but Jonathan seemed to lack dimension, and the amnesia-reveal third-act breakup was looming from the novel's onset. That being said, I love the way Hall writes with quirky analogies and strange turns of phrase. This one didn't hit the mark for me, but I'll always come back for the next from Alexis Hall.

This was a really cute, holiday-ish romance!

The plot was very original and I liked the wide array of characters. The romance was a little slow-moving for my taste, but when it happened it was very cute!

I think this is an original, run, holiday read!

This book is a classic case of "It’s me, Hi, I am the problem, It’s me." 10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall definitely has sharp wit and charming banter. It also has the entertaining back and forth between a grumpy boss and a smarta&& employee with the holiday cheer. It was very fun a lot of times.

The major obstacle for me was the pure UK language and mannerism used in the book. Since the book is in a first person POV, the whole narration was set in a dialect that I was not comfortable with. It was taking a lot of time for me to understand what the characters are saying. This is a enemies to lovers grumpy Sunshine boss employee romance but I felt I spent most of time with Jonathan's family and Sam's found family in the store. Before I could even feel the love..it was over. It has a very fast hastily executed third act break up that just resolved without much conflict.

So what did I like about book? Sam is a sunshine-y optimistic person with soft heart. He always sees the best in people even at his own perils. I love how openly and freely he loves. He managed to see the real man behind the harda&& boss..beyond the workaholic owner who only cares about the profit and wants to fire the employees Sam consider as his family. Jonathan has a lot of issues. He is emotionally stunted because he just pushes all the difficult emotions somewhere in recess of his heart. And he kind of isolated himself from every person who actually loves him. But the accident in store, followed by Sam's mild concussion and then Sam faking the memory problems and then Sam staying with him and invading his boring life..changed everything. I wish I could see a bit more of their emotional connection. I loved the dry humor. The hilarious interactions among Jonathan's family members. The holiday vibes. But I missed the actual romance part.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for sending me the ARC

4.75

"10 Things That Never Happened" was an absolute pleasure to read.
Alexis Hall's latest work stole my heart, and it has, unexpectedly, become one of my favourite reads of the year; or, at least, one I'll remember with joy, and a full, satisfied heart.

It was unexpected.
Because yes, I'm loath to admit it, especially in an arc review, but Hall's latest release in this literary universe of British wit, messy meet-cutes and chaotic disaster characters, "Husband Material" was not my favourite; actually, despite the fact that I did rate it somewhat favourably, every time I think about those last few chapters I still get angry.
So, obviously, I was a bit worried about this novel. Scratch that, I was VERY scared: the blurb sounded too amazing to be true, the cover was *chef's kiss* gorgeous, and Jonathan, in his brief appearance in HM, had already stolen my interest with his grumpiness. I'd been crossing my fingers and toes since then that I'd be able to love this book.

So yes, I was very surprised and damned pleased about the fact that I managed to absolutely adore "10 Things That Never Happened". I devoured this book: I never wanted to leave Sam and Jonathan, and I never wanted to leave Sam's traitorous cat Gollum, and Jonathan's chaotic family, and their shared lives in Jonathan's mansion-like house, their hilarious, heart-warming banter, their unbelievable, unforgettable chemistry.

Both protagonists were damned lovable, and complex and peculiar and felt so, so real.
Sam, god. He's got a bit of Luc's messy, disastrous tendencies, and his witty humour, but none of Luc's most hateful qualities. Sam's generous and a bit (ehm, more like a lot?) naive, he's kind and funny, and also pretty much a bit of an interfering git. He's physically incapable of staying out of things, and he's also convinced that people aren't physically able to do stuff, and grow and save themselves, without his help/interference. And he's also a tiiiiny bit judgemental.
Yes, I know, those don't sound like good qualities, and they're not (I wanted to kick him quite a few times, I admit), BUT they are realistic traits. Real, complex, contradictory traits that make a character feel like a real person, and make them relatable too.

And Jonathan! He's an absolute dick. He's bossy and angry, grumpy and self-involved; he doesn't think before he speaks, he seemingly cares more about his business than actual people, and yes, his cold, hard façade is an acquired taste. And I loved him too.
Angry grumps are my weakness, I admit, so I would have adored him regardless, but Jonathan goes through an amazing character development that left both clutching my heart and applauding Alexis Hall.

< “What,” asks Jonathan Forest with a layer concern hastily dropped over a deep well of contempt, “are you doing?”
“What’s it look like I’m doing?”
“I dread to think.” >


< “What are your thoughts on parsnips?”
"I thought they went downhill after their third album. What do you mean, what are my thoughts on parsnips? I don’t have thoughts on parsnips. Who has thoughts on parsnips? Who has time to have thoughts on parsnips?” >

And oh god, I loved their relationship.
It's built upon quite a lot of assumptions, and lies, and anger and dislike, but it also slowly morphs into something lovely, and true and heartwarming. Their chemistry was unbelievable, and their banter was so hilarious it left me cackling out loud; and their most quiet, intimate and vulnerable moments left me reeling. I loved them together so, so much, and I'm absolutely crushed that my time with them has come to an end.

The world of vibrant, witty characters around them, from Jonathan's chaotic family to traitorous, adorable Gollum and Sam's quirky colleagues, are also completely unforgettable.
I admit, at times they became a bit too much; and also, while I do love quirky characters, snarky banter and witty humour, Alexis Hall's brand of those things doesn't always work for me because at times the line between funny and mean gets quite a bit blurred (re: Luc and his abominable behaviour in regards to Oliver in "Husband Material") (yes, I'm still bitter about that!)

Despite that, I still loved this book and I had such a great time with it. It left me with a full heart, a huge smile, and it's ending left me for once, fully satisfied (even though it's still a quintessential Hall ending, AKA quite brief, it features an unexpected epilogue!).
I can't wait to re-read this book, and I can't wait to see what my fellow reviewers think of it.

Book Review
10 Thing that Never Happened by Alexis Hall

📚Superstore meets coronation street vibes
📚Predictable
📚Grumpy cat Gollum
📚Tons of LOTR references( the MC is named Samwise)
📚Use of butthurt appropriately in a sentence ( my 21 yr old recently explained this new lingo to his old “mam”)
📚Bubbles and squeak- evoked childhood memories

This book had me kinda feeling “been there, done that”. It reads like a TV show and was entertaining but didnt hit the spot. A solid read but not my favourite from this author.

Thanks to @netgalley and @sourcebookscasa for my digital ARC in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own.

I found this book to be just ok. It had some parts I found funny but I didn’t get much chemistry between the main characters and I felt the ending was rushed.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

2.5 Stars

I was looking forward to a fun amnesiac hate to love romance, but was let down by what I actually read. This starts off fun and sets up the hate to love pretty well with conflict between Johnathan, the boss, and Sam, the employee. Then Sam fakes a case of amnesia which pushes him and Johnathan together and that’s where this starts to fall apart for me. The amnesia isn’t what turned me off, I think it could be fun if done well. What turned me off was the lack of chemistry between Sam and Johnathan. There is no romance in any sense between the two for the first two thirds of this book and then they seem to randomly kiss and get together. Where’s the buildup for this Both Sam and Johnathan are a little dickish in their own ways which isn’t really compatible and didn’t make me like the characters either. Sam is too focused on his guilt of lying about his amnesia and continuing to lie about while also not being the best manager. As for Johnathan all we see of him is from Sam’s perspective and it’s mostly being a grumpy workaholic dick and not much beyond that. And while I am a fan of a grumpy love interest, he was still grump and an asshole to the person he was meant to be getting feelings for.

Overall, this was sadly not it for me

I enjoyed this book! If you are looking for a light hearted christmassy queer romance then this is the book for you.
Samwise is our cheerful protagonist and manager of a bath and bed shop in Sheffield. His store isnt doing so great so his manager the grunpy Jonathan makes him come down to the Croydon branch to see if he can make the Sheffield store do better. Unfortunately Jonathan causes Sam to have an accident and get amnesia. Apart from Sam can remember everything! He tries to get Johnathan to soften to him and his store. I loved the developing relationship between the two of them and Sam makes Jonathan reassess his life.

A slow burn romance between two people who are desperately lonely, each in their own way, who end up being the exact person the other needs. I’ll admit I had a hard time getting into this one initially. Sam seemed both apathetic and too caring, and it was uncomfortable to see all the chaos he couldn't control at his store and how much trouble he was in with his boss. Jonathan was really insufferable, and his inability to understand where anyone else was coming from was frustrating. I didn’t understand or see any romance between them because it made no sense why Sam would start to like Jonathan when he was the same jerky guy he’d always been. I also have an intense dislike of conflict and fighting, and it seemed like that was the only way any of these people communicated.

Eventually, though, we saw Jonathan opening up and proving he was willing to listen, change, and grow. It took a lot of difficult conversations, but change is a process, and Jonathan was willing to take those steps. It helped that he had Sam by his side, not giving up when conflict arose. Sam lied about his amnesia, but about everything else, he was completely himself, including making himself emotionally vulnerable about his feelings for Jonathan.

Of course, Sam has a lot of his own issues to work through. I had a feeling something tragic had happened to his family, based on his insistence that Jonathan not push his own family away. Sam’s depression and sadness are palpable, from his lack of personal relationships to his spartan flat. He treated his staff like family and defended their jobs because they were all he had, not because they had that close of relationships. Living with Jonathan, he was able to revel in being taken care of, and got to experience having a family around again. I felt so sad for him when he left Jonathan’s home the night of the Christmas party because how can you go back to such a small existence once you’ve felt such warmth again?

In general, I find lying a very frustrating trope because you know someone will feel hurt and betrayed in the end, and it’s hard to predict if a relationship can be rebuilt after such a breach of trust. The eventual revelation of The Lie is like a Sword of Damocles hanging over every interaction, just waiting to drop and ruin things. I get why it works, because otherwise these characters wouldn't have been around one another long enough for their opinions about each other to change, but I still find it frustrating. I always wish the Liar would tell the truth of their own accord, instead of waiting for someone else to spill the beans. After the inevitable reveal, Sam and Jonathan’s reunion felt a little fast, but I appreciate they didn’t leave Sam alone for long because I was so sad for him. I also liked that the epilogue made it clear that they took time to work through their trust issues, and those issues weren’t magically resolved just because they decided they loved each other.

A couple of nitpicky notes: I don’t understand how the title fits the book. Also, the book description makes it seem like we are getting Jonathan’s perspective, too, so I was a little disappointed we only got Sam's perspective. I had a hard time understanding Jonathan and why anyone would like him, so being inside his brain for half the story would have made him much more understandable and likable.

Spicy level: 1.5/5

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an advance copy of this book.

When store manager Sam is summoned to London by infuriating owner Jonathan, he fears he'll be fired. After hitting his head, Sam fakes amnesia. What begins as a ruse to keep his job soon uncovers Jonathan's softer side as they grow close. But their future rests on one impulsive lie. Does Sam dare to reveal the truth?

This uplifting rom com is so much fun, with quirky characters and a well-paced enemies-to-lovers storyline. The characters are well-developed and feel real despite the over-the-top premise.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I always like to say one thing about RomComs: „You know it’s a good one, when you can’t tell if the characters are flirting or insulting each other“ & I have to admit, Alexis Halls typical, delightful and sarcastic, british humor and the couple dynamics he creates are getting me everytime! „10 things that never happened“ is a queer, christmassy romcom about an employee which (inadvertently) fakes amnesia to his boss, a cat betraying his owner and a mega grump who falls in love with an, like he says, „annoying ray of sunshine“. You can also look forward to an EXTREMELY chaotic but loving family trying to organise Christmas. I think it’s remarkable, that with all this, Jonathan and Sams story still made me feel all warm and fuzzy. As a Fan, I really enjoyed the geeky Lord of the Rings allusions, the humor in this one was splendid! 🖤 Watching Sam getting more and more entangled in the chaos of his own lies was hilarious at times. I was always wondering if this chapter is the chapter where he gets caught and from chapter to chapter, the idea of him getting caught terrified me even more, because I was liking them and their progress in their relationship so much. They were both lovely and I can proudly add Sam to my Top 3 of „Alexis Halls Male Leads“ 👉🏼👈🏼 (of course, the iconic Mister A. A. Winters from „Glitterland“ is still my number one)

Aw man, Alexis Hall did it again. While I was a bit hesitant to start this as first, it actually got me out of my reading slump. I definitely needed something lighthearted, and this book was exactly that. I loved boyfriend material and was wondering how this book would feel compared to that one, but this book had a completely different feel to it, making it an amusing book to read.

Thank you very much for the opportunity to read this book early! I loved this book so much! The story was so funny and I loved the two main characters. Alexis Hall never disappoints! I believe my students/patrons would also love this book and will be acquiring it for the library!

Thgankyou to Netgalley for the e-arc of this novel!

all i have to say is that this 100% solidified this author as an auto-buy for me. and tbh i dont have many of those

Fake amnesia, enemies to lovers.
I really wanted to like this book as I have absolutely loved previous Alexis Hall books. This one just didn’t do it for me. There was never any chemistry that developed between the leads. Also there were things that were never really explained or fleshed out, character wise. It’s an ok read, just not great

That I forgot to take notes for my review is a testament to how much I enjoyed reading this book.

Having read and enjoyed a few of Hall's titles, I knew I had to get in on this title as well. Expecting a silly goofy slighly miscommunication error turned the start of a sweet romance, I threw myself at this book. Quickly, though, I realized that this had deeper emotions hidden beneath the layer of absolute hilarious humor that's a Hall staple.

Jonathan's conflicted feelings about family, and Sam's grief went hand in had, and added to this funny romance that was truly believable and dynamic. I felt the tension and conflicting growing feelings, and I dreaded the moment I knew was coming, and it all just progressed so naturally that all of a sudden I'd read half the book in a day.

I'd truly recommend this to all lovers of Hall's London Calling series and to romance readers across the palate.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

I really enjoyed this book. I've heard people give Alexis hall books 1 or 5* and this was neither for me, I mean I've only read two of his previous and they were both 5* reads so in that respect I'm a little disappointed but also not really? I love his writing style so much, I love the witty humour and the characters but this one just wasnt the biggest hit for me and that's okay!!! I still really enjoyed this book and found it both sweet and heartwarming!!!

One of my biggest problems lies with our MC, Sam. You could tell Sam was well meaning, he was sweet and clearly wanted to do what was right for his team but the whole faking amnesia thing really was kind of gross. I understand Jonathan is a massive dick a lot of the time but does that really mean what he does is justified?? No. It's not Jonathan's fault Sam wasnt good at his job you know😭 doing that just left a very sour taste in my mouth!!

My favourite character was Jonathan!! I wasnt sure because obviously we only have the smallest scene with him in Husband Materisl but I loved him and nobody who knows me will be surprised the grumpy asshole was my favourite!! But I really loved him, ofc what people need to remember is that in HM we get Jonathan in Luc's POV who already doesnt like him and no Sam doesnt either but we see the changes!! Jonathan is a secret softy who just wants to do what's right, hes had a hard upbringing and wants what's best even if he iant great at showing it I loved him so much.

I really liked Jonathan's family and ofc the cat😭

Where I did enjoy this a lot, the plot is very strange like it's meant to be a romance for a start and there isnt a lot of romance which is fine with me but like I said before the whole faking amnesia thing just felt very gross and farfetched but I love Hall's humour and witty characters!!

Overall, I enjoyed this one. It was my least favourite Alexis Hall so far but I would still read it again and will continue to pick his books up.

A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute and fun read, and I highly recommend. If you like one MC who is reserved and on the dickish side, and the other to be kind of snarky and kind hearted, with the added trope of FAKE amnesia, well, this is a story for you. Oh, and don't forget the hilarity of the side characters of family and co-workers. :D

I am a fan of this author and that along with the blurb spoke to me (who doesn't like a fun rom-com?) and I decided to go for it. I liked it from the start, especially since I knew where it was going (from the blurb) and I was anxiously waiting for the moment when they would hook up! I couldn't see how these two opposites would find each other. It was gradual, and realistic. They didn't just jump in to bed right away, not even close. They actually got to know each other, the real them (despite Sam pretending to have amnesia.).

Sam is a sweet guy who "cares" about the bottom line but cares about his employees keeping their jobs more. The store Sam manages is a cast of, well, characters, lol. They run the gambit from young to mature, to good at their job to totally hopeless and dangerous.

Jonathan is ALL about the bottom line and if it's not done his way, it's wrong. He is a micro-manager to the extreme and believes people should do what he says because he's the boss, and not have to explain why he wants/needs it done a specific way. He says it, thou shall obey. ;)

This story is all about these two figuring out how the other ticks, and why, and finding out things can work out if you just communicate (novel concept I know). Jonathan is tough and strict because he doesn't want to jeopardize his business. His father had been laid off from a job when he was a kid and then went from job to job, not making a lot of money, and it really, really bothered Jonathan that his father didn't do more to support them (which he did a lot!), but Jonthan just couldn't see it. So he built this wall around himself to make sure he didn't fall into that same pattern, and by managing every single minute and second of his company, he felt he was sure to succeed.

Sam has lost all of his family and is alone, except for his cat, the traitor! The cat falls in love with Jonathan. :D When Sam is injured (no deets!) and gets a concussion, hilarity follows with somehow people thinking he has amnesia when he doesn't and goes to live with Jonathan. There are reasons why he can't admit the truth, and there are reasons he goes to live with Jonathan while he recovers, but I'm not going to spoil it. They spend a lot of time together and talk, eventually talking about important things, and fall in love. I left out a lot, I know. Sam has his crew that he manages at the store and they are like his new family, who he wants to protect.

The dramatic ending I was fearing didn't happen. It was so well done, I couldn't believe it. Yes, there was a "thing" at the end but not a "THING" and I am so very pleased with how Jonathan learned the truth about Sam faking amnesia, and how that all got sorted. It just worked in the best possible way, for me, and for that alone I would recommend it. No overly dramatic drama!

I give this 4.5 stars. It wasn't laugh out loud funny, but there were some definite moments. Also, the slang (or how they spoke) was hard to follow at times. I need a translator! :D But it was all still fun.

I love Alexis Hall with everything in me. This was yet another hit for me!

Sam & Jonathan are my new babies who must be protected at all costs. Their grump x sunshine dynamic was delectable. I loved all of the side characters - Alexis just knows how to write loveable, sweet, fun characters, and still weave in some more serious content, which is so relatable!

You don't have to read Boyfriend Material or Husband Material to read this book (But you should, I loved Boyfriend Material especially!) This works as the first in a new spinoff series from that BM & HM series (London Calling).

As a fellow LOTR fan, I shamelessly loved the LOTR references, sue me!!!

cw: cursing, bullying, toxic relationship, medical content, death of parent, injury, car accident, grief, sexual content

As expected, I loved this book so much! It has all you need for a wonderful romantic comedy, and also all the things I love about Alexis Halls writing (all the emotions, you'll cry and laugh; lovable but unperfect main characters; hilarious side characters; a plot that plays with all the tropes, here grumpy x sunshine, forced proximity, hate to love).
Sam's colleagues reminded me so much of Lucs colleagues in Boyfriend Material, a bunch of lovable chaotic people. And Jonathans family was wonderful. The two characters go through a lot of character development through the book and open up to each other. The premise of the story sounded a bit over the top and far fetched when I read the blurb before, but the way it was written and developed it felt very believable and realistic!

I was also so excited about all the Lord of the Rings references! I generally like cultural references in books, but don't see LotR reference in this abundance often enough in books.
The true main character of the story, however, is of course Gollum the cat XD

If you like reading contemporary romance, I definitely recommend to pick up this book!