Alexis Hall begins a new series – Material World – with 10 Things That Never Happened, an opposites-attract romance between two very lonely people who come together through some rather unlikely circumstances. All the things I enjoy about Mr. Hall’s books are here – the characters are flawed and very real, it’s often laugh-out-loud funny, it’s insightful, poignant and sometimes absurd while also being wonderfully down-to-earth. It’s perhaps a little more mellow in tone than some of his other recent titles, but it’s ultimately a touching story about family, love and loss, about coming to terms with the past and looking forward to the future.

Sam Becker is the manager of a bed and bathroom shop in Sheffield, one of four in the small Splashes & Snuggles chain owned by Jonathan Forest. He’s a good boss to his small team, but isn’t great at actually managing the business side of things and the branch isn’t meeting the current sales and profits targets. It looks like the axe is going to fall when Sam is summoned to head office in Croydon by His Royal Dickishness, Jonathan Forest himself, to explain why the store is over budget and under target, and isn’t all that surprised when his hard-nosed, bottom-line-driven, arsehole of a boss tells him he needs to make some big changes if he’s to keep his job – changes which include letting the underperforming staff go, which Sam absolutely doesn’t want to do. Making the rounds of the showroom in the afternoon, Jonathan and Sam get into a bit of an altercation during which Jonathan fires Sam and his whole team, and which ends with Sam catching his foot on a display shower enclosure, which collapses on top of him.

Sam is taken to hospital to be checked out, and when the doctor mentions temporary memory loss as common effect of severe concussion, Sam doesn’t say his memory is fine. He’s still a little confused, but he remembers the argument and Jonathan firing everyone, and is already thinking that maybe this is a way he can save their jobs – he just needs a bit more time to come up with a proper plan. When the doctor assumes Jonathan is going to be the one looking after Sam while he recovers from the concussion – and as Sam doesn’t actually have anyone who can take care of him – Jonathan somewhat reluctantly does the decent thing and takes Sam home. Sam is sure that Jonathan is only doing it because he’s worried Sam will sue the pants off him – but maybe using amnesia as an excuse to spend a bit of time with Jonathan won’t be a bad thing (if they can manage not to kill each other). If Sam can get Jonathan to like him, then maybe Sam will be able to ensure he and his team keep their jobs.

Thanks to some forced proximity – and some completely unexpected generosity on Jonathan’s part when he spends a day driving Sam to his flat in Sheffield (and back) purely so Sam pick up his cat – Sam starts to realise that while Jonathan might be a high-handed, super-controlling workaholic, there’s a good heart lurking underneath it all, and that his plan to get Jonathan to like him might just be working. He hadn’t, however, banked on the reverse happening, but the more Sam glimpses the Jonathan nobody else gets to see – his rare smiles, the vulnerability deep inside (and his affection for Sam’s slightly ugly cat) – the more he is unable to stop himself liking – and falling for - his grumpy boss. I loved watching these two slowly shedding their misconceptions about one another, and that their growing affection for each other is revealed through small, everyday signs of care and genuine regard such as Sam cooking dinner, making one another tea and sandwiches, watching old TV shows and falling asleep together on the sofa. Jonathan looking after Sam is cute – even when he’s a bit heavy-handed you can tell it comes from a good place – and Sam is secretly pleased to be looked after (although he’d never admit it.) But of course, the longer Sam stays, the bigger hole he’s digging for himself with his fake-amnesia plan, and the more he risks ruining this new and fragile something he and Jonathan are building together. He knows he’s going to have to come clean before he’s rumbled. But how? And will Jonathan ever forgive him?

It’s obvious early on that both men have issues they’re loathe to deal with, and the author shows us why Jonathan is the way he is, where he came from, and that while he undoubtedly can be a bit of a knob, that’s not all he is or who he really wants to be. I didn’t actually realise, until I was over halfway through, that, despite Sam being the PoV character, I knew very little about him because he conceals so much – partly because he’s pretending to have amnesia so has to be careful about what he tells Jonathan, and partly because he’s deliberately locked away some painful things he doesn’t want to think about. Mr. Hall does a great job of scattering little hints throughout the story so that it’s not difficult to guess what Sam is running from, but it still packs a punch when it’s revealed near the end, and we finally slot together the pieces to understand what Sam has been going through and why he is the way he is, especially with regards to his job and the people he works with.

There’s a fairly big secondary cast here, consisting of Sam’s colleagues and Jonathan’s large, loving and somewhat chaotic family, who pretty much adopt Sam from the get-go. Jonathan’s relationship with his family is a complicated one – he obviously loves them, but it’s tied up with a lot of guilt and frustration – and I really liked the thoughtful sub-plot that looks at his relationship with his dad and how it has informed his character. Sam’s colleagues are a colourful bunch who do rally round for him, although some them are pretty awful at their jobs, and I couldn’t entirely blame Jonathan for threatening to sack them!

I didn’t realise when I picked it up that the book is set in December in the run-up to Christmas, so I suppose it could (just about) be categorised as a ‘Christmas Book’. Part of the story revolves around Sam trying to persuade Jonathan to host the family for Christmas that year and part is Sam organising the firm’s Christmas party, but thankfully, it’s the least Christmassy Christmas book I’ve ever read – which is a big plus as far as I’m concerned.

The main problem I have overall is that the final section – from Jonathan finding out the truth to the reconciliation and HEA – happens over two-and-a-half chapters. I liked what we get and where Sam and Jonathan end up, but it feels rushed.

10 Things That Never Happened is one of those books that kinda crept up on me. I read it and enjoyed it – but it was only when I started to really think about it and go back through the highlights on my Kindle that I realised just how much the author has packed in to what seems, at first, to be a light-hearted story full of snarky banter, an ugly cat and a ridiculously oversized Christmas tree. Alongside the romance, there’s a story about connecting and re-connecting, about being true to who you are, and not being afraid to to show that you care. One of the many things Alexis Hall does so well is to have his characters experience personal growth while remaining essentially the same people, and that’s true of Sam and Jonathan here. Sam is still upbeat and prone to wearing his heart on his sleeve and Jonathan is still gruff and aloof and anxious, but they’ve found that special someone who complements them – who understands them, accepts them and loves them for who they are – and together, they’re better.

Yes, the fake-amnesia plot is a bit wobbly, and maybe the deception goes on too long, but neither of those things spoiled the book for me. 10 Things That Never Happened is a lovely mixture of the daft and the meaningful in a tender romance full of humour and feels, and I’m making space for it on my keeper shelf.

I can’t say I have ever read a contemporary book set with Northern English characters so that made for a nice change. The characters feel a little familiar to Boyfriend Material, but the plot is quite different. This one left me feeling sad more than laughing, and I’m not sure I loved either main characters.

Alexis Hall fans will love this book!

I squealed when I was approved for this one! Not only for the book itself but because I find our author so intriguing. If you haven’t pulled up articles on them yet and enjoy their books, get on it! Alexis Hall is a pen name so to speak, but look into it yourself.

This book would make a really cute movie. It would be a fantastic “Holiday/Christmas” read if you can even stand holding off. I know for Alexis Hall fans that will be very hard to do. It had some laugh out loud moments and quite the cast of employees and family that surround our protagonist and his boss.

So what are you signing up for with this read? Well, fake amnesia first and foremost, and our MC getting closer and closer with his BOSS. As the two become closer the truth will be harder and harder to tell, you’ll have to read to find out how this all plays out.

For me the second half of the book moved a little faster and that’s where I became hooked. I really enjoyed it overall and have already recommended it. You will really enjoy this bunch of characters and how they all end up intertwining. Plus if you want a book to get you into the “spirit” this is a good one for that.

Thank you to our author, Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with an advanced eGalley copy of the book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This will be available on October 17th, 2023. I hope if you choose to read it you enjoy it also.

If you grew up watching british romcoms, you can't not love the wildness of this story, the main characters, the over the top situations, the loud family and friends, and the totally movie-like scenario. Faking amnesia to make the evil boss change his mind about firing his friends and himself, Sam really doesn't know what he got himself into. He wings it, and he wings it well. Well enough that Jonathan makes him live with him to look after him, and the forced proximity places its fateful hand in getting them to show parts of themselves they don't show often.
But we know that lies don't say secret for long but everytime the time seemed right to come clean, something was in the way. I loved the comedy in this book. Sam's cat choosing Jonathan and Jonathan getting a new bff. The gigantic Christmas tree! The overpriced tree decorations. The NSFW cooking that's not what you imagine. Everything made this book funny, sweet, and a page turner.

10 Things That Never Happened is another quirky book written by Alexis Hall.

Sam Becker finds peace in his job as manager for a bed and bath superstore. He loves his employees and finds their quirks to be charming. Sadly, the owner of the superstore, Jonathan Forest, cannot be the same sort of charming person. Sam, ordered to travel to London to chat about the store from Jonathan couldn't imagine anything worse. Yet he travels down and accidentally trips into the head honcho, bumping his head and "losing his memory", or so Jonathan thinks.

Faking amensia should be a walk in the park. What Sam doesn't expect is Jonathan's guilt and need to keep a consistent eye on him. As Sam and Jonathan get closer, will he be able to tell the truth once he discovers who Jonathan truly is under the grumpy exterior?

I enjoyed reading 10 Things that Never Happened, especially the side characters featured throughout. I pictured the workers to be from my favorite television show, Superstore and enjoyed the work parts of the story to be the best parts! While I wish this story was dual point of view and had the climax of the novel a little earlier, I found the end satisfying and am curious what will be next for this series.

3.5

Alexis Hall books tend to be very hit or miss for me. With everything I’ve read, the summaries sound great and the stories are full of quirky fun characters but I find that sometimes the humorous tone is too much for me. Here though, I think he strikes a nice balance.

Jonathan and Sam play into the classic grumpy/sunshine trope and there is the usual cast of oddball side characters that hit just the right amount of funny without being too “this one eccentricity is my only character trait” that I sometimes feel with Hall’s side characters. I liked watching the slow burn romance and Jonathan’s character growth. The whole stern businessman learns how to deal with his emotions plot tied in nicely with the Christmas setting of this book. I do think the resolution to the third act breakup felt a little out of character though. Like Sam had been lying about having amnesia the whole time and Jonathan got over it really fast.

Overall, I think this was a really solid book, though not a new favorite. I think that could change if I reread it via audio though because I would have loved to hear all the accents! The sample I listened to had me really excited to listen to the whole thing.

“Well, Samwise Eoin Becker, you’ve made some terrible choices.”

It's no secret that I adore Alexis Hall. I have truly enjoyed all of his books I’ve read and this one was no different. It had the humor and heart that I’ve come to love, and expect, from all of Hall’s books.

Sam is so endearing, even when he fakes amnesia in order to save the employees at the bed and bath retailer he manages. The owner, Jonathan, is prickly and secretly called the Prick of Pricksylvania. After a freak accident for which Jonathan feels responsible, he takes care of Sam and they start to see different sides of each other. They have this subtle, underlying tension that really loved. It isn't quite in your face, but their banter is enough to pull the reader right in.

Throughout, we know that Sam feels awful about lying about the amnesia, but as with most lies he’s in too deep to turn it around. Jonathan’s family provide this outstanding supporting cast that I come to love in Hall’s books. They’re hilarious and continuously see through Sam and Jonathan. I'm always in awe of the way Hall manages all of these characters with such clear personalities that add such great layers to the overall story.I love the journey that Sam goes on particular, as he realizes he doesn’t want to continue on as the manager and wants more. He has this self-reflection that really puts his life into perspective.

“You think there’s a lesson here about making up absurdly convoluted lies?”

This book was so fun and I really enjoyed it. I can’t wait for the next book by Alexis Hall.

Sam Becker is a man who manages a bed and bath retailer in Sheffield, England. He likes his job but isn't passionate about it. He would like it more if the owner of the store wasn't a "giant dick".

Jonathan Forest, a.k.a. "Giant Dick", is the owner of said bed and bath retailer and is stationed in London. He is a workaholic who has a hard time showing any emotion that is caveman anger. He also does not like Sam Becker and orders him to come to the London branch so he can learn how to meet the unattainable quota standards.

Once at the London branch Sam and Forest get into an altercation and Sam trips and cracks his head onto a very heavy shower glass door. He is rushed to the hospital and decides that he is going to have amnesia so Forest will forget about firing him.

Faking amnesia was a great idea at the beginning, but once Sam had to live with Jonathan due to a severe concussion, the plan backfired tremendously.

Sam has to deal with the reality that Jonathan does have other emotions and can express them. Sam also tangles himself into Jonathan's very complicated family matters and gets too involved.

What I Liked:
The only thing I liked about this book was the boss/employee trope and that Sam's real name is Samwise - like the one from Lord of the Rings. Sam also names his very ugly cat, Gollum.

What I Disliked:
Everything. I disliked everything.

The writing was terrible and it rambled about things that didn't really matter to the story. There was A LOT of slang that is common in England, and since I'm from a small town in Iowa, I didn't understand the slang and it took me out of the story. I normally have no problems with slang terms being used in books, but this was overkill.

I also hated that she named every piece in the stores by their full name. If I had to read one more time that Sam fell on a Nexa by MERLYN 8mm Sliding Door Enclosure I was going to DNF the book. It felt like I was watching Finding Nemo for the millionth time due to school and having to hear Dory say the P. Scherman bit. IT. GOT. OLD. And once again, the type of product didn't matter to the story.

I also just didn't care for the amnesia trope, I've read better. It might have worked for me if I cared about the characters - which I didn't.

Final Thoughts:
This was my first book by Alexis Hall and I was really disappointed. My librarian friends LOVE his books and have been trying to get me to read them, but sadly this was the one I started with.

I don't know if I'll read his other published work.

Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book!

I think I laughed for a good 80% of this book. I mean, I LAUGHED. I snorted and giggled because the amnesia plot line? Some of the banter? Hilarious. This was one of the funniest amnesia plot lines I've ever read and Hall does it well. They also had such a way of having Sam use turns of phrases or say things that were just hilarious. Also, Jonathon's entire family. It was almost a bit like National Lampoon, which is one of my favorite movies.

Things I liked, but wasn't expecting:

⭐ it takes place at Christmas, it doesn't look like a Christmas book, but it absolutely is.
⭐ the amnesia plot line - I was REALLY worried about this, but honestly it ended up being one of my favorite parts
⭐ the humor -- sometimes books try to be funny, but they're not. This one was funny.
⭐ the relationships - I LOVED how Hall tackled the family relationships in this book, it was one of my favorite aspects of the entire thing.

Jonathon and Sam were hilarious -- and so was Gollum. I adored every moment that they spent together, and I loved how their romantic relationship developed.

This whole book gave me warm fuzzy feelings, and it was so enjoyable.

This was an absolutely enjoyable read and I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who loves queer romcoms, because this is at the top of my list at the moment.

All things considered, this was a pretty good book, though not one of my favourite romances. I think Alexis Hall is very comfortable in contemporary romance and is able to write a story that while it’s not necessarily realistic, is at least somewhat naturalistic. While I was never able to fully immerse myself in this book due to some weird pacing of plotlines, I think that the big moments were well-done even if the build-up was a little off. Overall the book was very readable and I found myself really endeared to all of the side characters, Gollum the cat especially, of course. I think if you’re a fan of Alexis Hall’s books then I would definitely recommend this book!

I can’t say that I’ve ever read a fake amnesia plot before, but this book certainly takes a shot at it. It’s certainly an interesting way to have two characters fall for one another, though I think some information and plot points was too delayed within the storyline for me to be fully behind Sam and Jonathan. It’s like, I’m in favour of them getting together and I think that they have some really good and even romantic moments together but their foundation isn’t stable enough to be head over heels. Maybe I’m cynical or maybe the fake amnesia plot goes on for way too long, but it ends up feeling like they like each other, but I’m not totally sure they’ll ever fall in love with each other.

Fortunately, I think the overall plot, especially with the Christmas party and Jonathan’s relationships with his family members were very interesting and made me consistently want to keep reading. I also think that, as a whole, Sam and Jonathan are both very good and interesting characters we just don’t find out important elements about them as characters until it’s too late for it to really play into my overall feelings. All in all, the good parts outnumber the less-than-good, but I don’t think this will rank in my favourite Alexis Hall books anytime soon.

Jonathon and Sam were cute, but I could not get on board with the whole fake amnesia plot. It rubbed me the wrong way from the very beginning and I just couldn’t really get past that while reading.

I read Alexis Hall because I can always count on him to deliver those unexpected laughs, over-the-top characters and hijinks that make the pages fly by.

10 Things That Never Happened has all of that! It centers around a grumpy/sunshine workplace romance between Sam and Jonathan. Jonathan, more affectionately referred to by the Sheffield branch of his bed and bath stores as His Royal Dickishness, fires Sam—who then falls into a (very specific) shower stall, gets a concussion and is assumed to have amnesia. Sam rolls with it, as part of an odd plan to convince Jonathan to save his team. They live together, while Sam plans the company Christmas party and tries to keep up the amnesia charade. It’s far-fetched yet enjoyable ride.

This isn’t technically a holiday romance, but there is a heavy Christmas storyline and vibes which I adored. This is also filled with British humor and slang, with the author even specifying the Liverpool, UK dialect of the narrator. Most of this may have gone over my head, but I bet this is fantastic on audio, which is how I fell in love with Alexis Hall in the first place (via Boyfriend Material).

Slow burn, low steam, crazy coworkers and a fun family. This one warmed my heart like a good cup of tea!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an advanced copy of this and the opportunity to share my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was able to get an ARC of this book. I am a huge fan of the boss-employee relationship that takes place in this book. The two main characters are very well thought out and help bring out the best in each other. Also, always love a reference to Lord of the Rings 💙
I did think the ending was a little rushed, and would have liked there to be more time that the two main characters were separated.

Yassss queens, Alexis Hall is back, and I couldn't be happier.

I adore a grumpy/sunshine story. Add in the Christmas season and I am hooked.

Sam and Jonathon's story is a cute, cosy one. Fake amnesia in front of your grumpy, yet hot boss? Yes please.

A rag-tag bunch of secondary characters that will have you shaking your head in WTF fashion one moment, and wanting to give them a big hug the next? Absolutely!

And a surly AF cat (I mean, all cats are a-holes but gees this one haha) - why not!

It was a slow burn between our lovelies, and of course you have the drama when things all come out, but I was glad that things were not dragged out unnecesarily, and our lovelies moved on after the fact.

I am looking forward to more of this series - maybe Luc and Oliver could come for a visit for some homewares - but not he Nexa by MERLYN 8mm shower screen - that thing is a menace!

I have a love hate relationship with Alexis Halls work, and while I did enjoy the plot and themes of this, I was left wondering why this is was marketed as part of the Boyfriend Material world with no connections. Also, I found the contrast between pretty likable characters to an overused plot point of failed amnesia to be a bit of centering

What a surprisingly hilarious and sweet story.

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


I mean ::swoon::

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this eArc!

I tried getting excited about this book in numerous formats: digital, audiobook, etc. But every time I sat down to read or listen to 10 Things That Never Happened, it felt like a chore.

While I loved watching the relationship between Jonathan and Sam grow, it was an extremely slow burn that felt more like a side point to the amnesia and family plots. There is also a LOT of UK colloquialisms, which made it harder for me to understand, since I live in North America. I found myself going back and re-listening/rereading moments to try to figure out what was going on.

While it wasn’t for me, I would recommend this to any UK reader that loves this universe by Alexis Hall!

this had some good moments, but overall i didn’t enjoy most of it. the first half felt a bit drawn out and the ending felt rushed. i thought the plot was just okay, and the writing style wasn’t really for me. i didn’t find either of the MCs to be very likeable, and i didn’t find any of the other characters had much development to be invested in them.

Was this book pitched as "While You Were Sleeping" but more grumpy? There are a lot of similar elements, just jumbled up and British. The Sandra Bullock movie is one of my all-time favorite romcoms but I'm also a big fan of a dose of realism and some "issues" in my romance (paradoxical, I know) and this book is a mix of both. I've read a number of other Alexis Hall books and he's in fine form here, the rambling leashed tightly to a narrative structure that allows for goofy/sweet asides such as, "Like Mariah Carey at Christmas, all I want is you." There's a twist that doesn't quite work for me toward the end (it felt like the author kept something secret about the person who's head we were in the whole book, thus keeping me from actually knowing or sympathizing with the main character) but darn it if it wasn't still quite emotionally affecting.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and sales are ramping up, even for the bed and bathroom chain that Sam Becker works at. But as the snowflakes fall, so do the numbers for the Sheffield chain, prompting Sam’s boss, Jonathan Forest, to begin demanding cuts to staff. Feeling some sense of loyalty to the people he’s worked with for a while now, Sam decides to tell Jonathan where to shove it – except that shove lands Sam directly in the hospital with a killer concussion and a massive misunderstanding between him and his boss.

With a plot straight out of a soap opera, readers tag along with Sam as he navigates his bout of fake amnesia and the real feelings of falling for his grump of a boss. Hall’s book was entertaining and enjoyable, if not a small bit predictable at the end. Though I did enjoy this novel, I found myself wishing that I liked it more, almost as much as I did when I read “Boyfriend Material.” Though Sam was a thoughtfully written character whom I connected to when reading, I struggled a bit to even like his love interest, who was less of a grumpy person with a sunshine interior and more of just a grump overall.

That said, if you’re looking for something with a Christmassy feel to it and a few enjoyable tropes thrown in, this might be the book for you! Just make sure that you don’t go in with the expectations that it’ll be as highly rated as “Boyfriend Material.”

Additionally, if you’re looking for a spice level, you won’t find it here. Though there were scenes that alluded to sex, there was nothing overt (which was just fine by me!)

I received a ARC of this in exchange for an honest review. Rounded down from 3.5 stars.