4.5/5*s

Super charming, Very trope-y. Surprisingly Christmasy- kinda surprised that isn't clearer on the cover. Sam was super loveable, which made it easy to forgive him for getting caught up in his amnesia story. Jonathan was a dick with Hidden Depths, and I maybe would have liked if there was more character development there.

A good pick if you like: found family, sunshine/grump, and regional accents. Great for a nice cozy read.

The audiobook (read by Will Watt) was excellent. Love the variety of accents and voices he did, including a goofy but not over the top kitty cat voice. Highly recommend.

Very grateful to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for early access.

Hmmm...not my favorite by the author.
I've come to realize that I have a hate/love relationship with Hall's books. Some like Glitterland hit me so viscerally in the feels that I can't escape the effect they have on me. Others, like Husband Material, I want to burn to the ground.
This book, while having Hall's trademark dry sarcasm, lacked for me in the romance department and in the general...feels? The characters felt a bit flat and I didn't really like their interactions all too much, they seemed almost forced at times. Nevertheless, it was a quick read and if you're a fan of the fake amnesia trope, go for it.

First of all, I’d like to thank the publisher for providing me with a advanced copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

This is a highly entertaining and enjoyable, if flawed, book. The things that worked for me worked really well: The ‘grumpy sunshine’ dynamic between the two main characters was pulled off brilliantly, the side characters provided good comic relief, the writing sparkled with the author's characteristic charm and wit, and the book went down as easily as a vanilla milkshake. Honestly, there are few authors out there who can make me smile with their writing as much as Alexis Hall. There is true brilliance here! But, as entertaining as the book was, there were also a lot of things that didn't work for me. The ‘fake amnesia’ storyline was, for lack of a better word, just dumb, not only introducing a whole set of implausible lies at the heart of book, but also preventing Sam from taking up the agency he needed to show Jonathan his value. It also made the dynamic between the two characters very one-sided: Sam learns all about Jonathan’s family, life, and background, but Jonathan learns nothing about what makes Sam tick. To make matters worse, this plot element was also completely unnecessary; if the confrontation between them had been even ten percent less intense, the concussion would have been more than enough to drive the plot forward. Also, while the grumpy sunshine vibe worked well, a lot of Jonathan’s behaviour went beyond grumpy and overworked into the domineering and abusive — something that was certainly addressed, but never adequately resolved. So in all, I’d definitely encourage readers to pick this up, but as nothing more than a fun, silly, highly enjoyable romp.

An edited version of this review (going into less detail about what I didn't enjoy about the book) will be posed to my dedicated Instagram account closer to the release date.

I've enjoyed books by this author, and I feel like this book got off to a great start and had genuinely hilarious moments, but the relationship between Jonathan and Sam never really developed for me and I couldn't see any romantic potential. I also struggled with the boss/employee dynamic, particularly with Jonathan being honestly insufferable the majority of the time.
Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

hmmm... not my favourite Alexis Hall book, but it's good none-the-less. This is the first holiday romance I've seen pop up for the season. It's funny and quirky in keeping with Hall's usual style. Maybe not as much of a "spark" as I've felt from their other projects?

Thank you NetGalley & Sourcebooks for the gifted ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first title I've read by Alexis Hall and based on how popular this author is, I was expecting...more.

The premise is definitely intriguing and not one I've seen in a romance novel before, but the execution fell flat. The characters had, like, no sexual chemistry whatsoever. The first intimate interaction they have is about halfway through the book and it was...well, lackluster. I think too much time was spent on Johnathan's family dynamics, which meant less time on developing the romance between Sam and Johnathan. I also don't think this book needed to be 400+ pages, it truly dragged on in some spots which made me keep putting the book down in order to read something with a faster pace.

Ultimately, the book is fine, but it's not something I'd revisit. I'd be interested to see if the author's backlog of titles are more my speed.

Maybe 2.5 stars... I just don't know about this one. It's a little light on the romance. The romance part felt very forced, just unnatural. And, the premise, the whole fake amnesia thing just didn't work for me. It's a quick read, and it's funny. I just wasn't buying any of it. And, Sam is basically Lucien. I did like Jonathan's family and Gollum. But, the rest just fell a little flat.

So much to like about this book. A slightly unlikely premise, but it is so fun to read, it doesn't matter. I really wondered how the author would turn the grumpy MC into a hero I could root for, but they pulled it off! I just wish it wasn't quite as much of a slow burn. I did have a lot of fun with this one!

Love an Alexis Hall book and this one was no exception. The writing, building and realness of characters was top notch. It was a slow one but was definitely needed for their relationship to grow and for them to fit together. Sam, Johnathan and especially Gollum you were wonderful.

This has everything I've come to expect from an Alexis Hall book but in a good way. It was a little light on the old spice but other than that, I really enjoyed the relationship development between Jonathan and Sam, the crazy cast of side characters and of course, the cat Gollum stole the show!

The chicken fisting part was absolutely freaking hilarious - I couldn't stop laughing. Trust me it was funny.

I received an advanced copy and because we found a second snake in our backyard in 2 weeks, I have left an honest review.

This was cute! I really enjoyed the slow burn of this romance. I know everyone doesn’t love a closed door/fade to black, but I do, and I think it worked well here. My favorite thing was probably the parts with Jonathan’s family and the slight christmassy vibes. The biggest drawback for me was the fake amnesia plot. The suspension of disbelief was difficult to maintain at points. Mostly it was just annoying and silly. But bonus points for the cat!!

If you like holiday romance, Enemies to lovers, slow burn, sweet romance, this is your jam. It was an easy read, funny in parts, sometimes a little slow. I enjoyed it, though there is no spice in this book. The side characters were a great, there's even a matching making cat so to speak. It was a good book.

I really enjoyed 10 Things That Never Happened, so much so that I found myself wanting to reread it soon after my first read (and I did).

The story is told from the point of view of Sam Becker, the manager of a bed and bath store in Sheffield, who is about to get fired (and possibly have the store shut down) right before Christmas by his boss Jonathan Forrest. Sam travels to London to meet with Jonathan and… it doesn’t go well. Just as Jonathan is firing Sam, an accident happens and Sam gets a concussion. Through a misunderstanding that Sam does not correct, Sam decides to fake amnesia hoping that Jonathan will change his mind about firing him and shutting down the Sheffield store. Since Sam can’t be left alone with a concussion for at least 2 weeks he moves in with Jonathan.

I think from that plot summary it goes without saying that you’ll need a healthy dose of suspension of disbelief with this book. I’ve never read a book utilizing the amnesia trope before, let alone fake amnesia, so I didn’t know what to expect. On my first read through, I was a bit slow to get invested in this book because it took me a minute to suspend my disbelief. But once I got there, it really paid off. Because even though on the surface the plot is very unrealistic, it’s just the vehicle for exploring deeper themes about work and trust and forgiveness. Also, I was pleasantly surprised by how much tension there was with the story, which I don’t normally expect with a romcom. When one character lying to the other is the basis of the plot, it creates a lot of tension and keeps you guessing about how, exactly, shit will hit the fan. That tension kept me turning the page. I had my theory of what was going to happen. Turns out, I was totally and completely wrong.

What makes this book really shine is the character work. In that regard, 10TTNH reminded me of Boyfriend Material in that I really liked the POV character (flaws and all) but fell in love with the love interest. Sam is a fully formed person who I sympathized with, got frustrated with, cared for, and more. He feels real and I reacted to him accordingly. But Jonathan stole my heart. Jonathan is the grumpiest grump to ever grump. At first I was like, I know this guy is the love interest but boy is he a jerk and I don’t know that I’m ever going to like him. And then he bonds with a cat, and I understood him. Watching Jonathan slowly open up to Sam (and grow attached to Gollum the cat) made my heart melt. I don’t cry easily when it comes to books, and I teared up at the end of this one.

This is my first read by Alexis Hall and I kinda liked it.

The story was cool and funny, banter just fine but I wished it was dual pov. Just so we could understand Johnny more.

I didn’t know it was closed door romance and I kinda got disappointed. It would be like a cherry on the ice cream with this story.

📍 one pov
📍 faking amnesia
📍 grumpy / sunshine
📍 hea

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Alexis Hall's Boyfriend Material is one of my all time favorite books, so when his newest, 10 Things That Never Happened, became available on Netgalley, I hit "Request" so fast.

Sam is the manager of one of three branches of a bed-and-bath retailer. His co-workers are a bunch of misfits, and to be honest, his store is a bit of a disaster. Jonathan is the owner and Sam's boss, and he realizes that hiring Sam, who is too sentimental for his own good, was probably a mistake. He asks Sam to come down to London for a chat, intending to fire him, but Sam trips and hits his head, and then accidentally implies he can't remember anything. When Jonathan assumes Sam has amnesia, Sam just...doesn't correct him. Since Sam requires supervision, Jonathan takes him home with him, and the plot just gets more ridiculous from there.

Unfortunately, for me, this book just didn't have the same joie de vivre as Boyfriend Material. The amnesia plot was farcical. Sam struggles to keep up the ruse while simultaneously planning both the company holiday party and Jonathan's family celebration. Like all of Hall's books, the absurd is front and center, and the supporting cast steals the show. My favorite part of the entire story was his grumpy cat who falls in love with grumpy Jonathan.

When Sam and Jonathan kind of fall into a romantic relationship, Sam knows he needs to fess up, but the timing is just never right., and then loose lips sink their ship. Of COURSE Jonathan reacts badly when Sam finally confesses he was faking it the entire time. Although--to be honest--the third act breakup was a lot shorter and less dramatic than I expected it to be.

If you're a fan of While You Were Sleeping (the old Sandra Bullock movie) and Hall's other books, you'll probably really enjoy 10 Things That Never Happened.

✨ Review ✨ 10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall; Narrated by Will Watt

This is book 1 in the Material World series -- and while the cover looks just like the Boyfriend Material Series, it's only peripherally connected (apparently one of the MC's appears briefly in the prior series).

Sam works as the manager of a bed and bath super store, and we quickly find out how much he loves his seemingly mediocre employees. When he's called to the main store in reprimand by his boss Jonathan, things go off the rails quickly when Jonathan fires him, Sam trips, gets a concussion, and sort of accidentally feigns amnesia. Jonathan brings him home to watch over him to ensure he doesn't get sued, and the two cohabitate while Jonathan ensures Sam doesn't die and Sam tries to work out a way to save the jobs of him and his staff.

This is the ultimate slow burn grumpy/sunshine and I loved it for all that. And when I say slow burn, I mean SLOWWW BURN. Lying/miscommunication are not my jam and so that soured this a little, as well as that sometimes Jonathan erred toward just straight up MEANness which went beyond typical grump vibes. Overall, however, I really enjoyed the coziness of this. It just was really satisfying and enjoyable.

I also loved the role that Sam's store family and Jonathan's actual family played in this, and I was seriously giggling at points. The Christmas Tree! The tilted bed! Clumsy Brian! So many funny funny things. The POV of Sam was really delightful, and I'd read a whole book just about Sam, Jonathan, and Jonathan's family cooped up together I think!

The audio was delightful - I loved the narrator, and would listen to more books he narrates!

It might not be my favorite of Hall's books, but it was solidly enjoyable and full of holiday spirit! A perfect read for the December cozies!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: contemporary m/m romance
Setting: London / Sheffield
Reminds me of: Boyfriend Material
Pub Date: 17 Oct 2023

Read this if you like:
⭕️ holiday romances that don't overdo the holiday part
⭕️ sunshine/grumpiness
⭕️ over-the-top families

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca, Dreamscape Media, and #netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book!

4/5. Releases 10/17/2023.

Vibes: Hallmark Christmas movies with a twist, boss/employee, grumpy meets snarky, uptight meets defiant

Sam can't stand his controlling, uptight boss, Jonathan. When they get into a conflict (at the workplace!) right before Christmas, enough is enough, and Jonathan fires Sam... Right before accidentally causing an accident that gives Sam a concussion. Befuddlement and confusion at the hospital leads Jonathan to believe Sam has amnesia... And why not go with it...?

Another charming, funny romcom from Alexis Hall, full of chemistry. It's a little tame, but it's also Christmasy and offers me the same feeling a sugar cookie would. If you're a fan of Alexis--or want a seasonal good time--go for this.

Quick Takes:

--One thing I loved off the bat was that Jonathan was SO. VERY. STARCHED. And he hired Sam despite his lack of managerial experience because he "saw something in him" (or maybe he envisioned Sam inside him idk idk). So of course, he's so, so mad and so, so stuffy about his would-be protegee... kinda sucking at his job (more on that later).

Sam, meanwhile, is like--I wouldn't call this grumpy/sunshine. Sam is too snarky, too snappy, and too confrontational with Jonathan to be a sunshine. They're immediately combative, and you get this great tension, and then like... boom. Jonathan is trying to keep himself from getting sued to hell and Sam is pretending to be an amnesiac in order to keep his job. MESS.

As a sidebar... This is not a true amnesia romance, but if you like amnesia romance, I think you'll enjoy it. Jonathan fully thinks his employee! is an amnesiac and spends this whole time babysitting him, and having him meet his family... You know. Boss stuff.

--One thing I expected going into this book was like, this typical scenario where the millionaire asshole Jonathan was wrong, and Sam's soft managerial approach was entirely right. To me, Sam immediately had some noticeable issues as a manager that I've seen in real life, and they're often brushed off because it's nice and kind of passive.

I should've trusted in Alexis Hall more, because he really handles this well and humanizes both Jonathan and Sam. Neither one of them is perfect. Sam has a lot of growing to do. Romance arc aside (which was obviously good), I seriously appreciated where Sam ended up in this story. It was a very evolved take, and refreshingly realistic in a way I think Alexis handles better than almost any other author.

--The Christmas isn't OVERMUCH, but it's just enough to have that charming, snowflakes in the air over kisses vibe. And it has enough wit and chemistry to really overpower the schmaltzy Hallmark movie sensibility. Although it's nothing like this movie in terms of plot, in terms of romanticism this book reminded me more of Dashing in December, than a Hallmark movie.

The Sex:

This is a closed door romance, and I won't lie, that didn't feel completely right to me. I'm biased, and if anyone is going to sell me on closed door, it's Alexis Hall. And this couple did still feel very sexy--like I said, the chemistry is great. I would recommend this book as a closed door novel that will probably work for people like me (who don't really read closed door ever).

But... they do have sex. It's just not on the page. And I couldn't help but wonder why? It's probably just an artistic choice, and I respect that. Like I said, it works. I just think it would have been a little bit better if we'd seen that sex scene. Or really, those sex scenes. I also just love the way Alexis writes sex. Peggy and Orfeo's first time in Something Spectacular is one of my favorite sex scenes ever. Something on the love of Mortal Follies, a book which was pretty tame in terms of sex but still said a lot with a little, handled this a bit better to me.

With that being said, if you want a cute and witty Christmas romcom with a wacky twist, this will absolutely work for you. It's light, it's fun, it's satisfying. Can't complain about that!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Overall this was a fun read. I'm trying hard to separate my expectations (based on not having read any of this author's books but from having seen them lauded all over bookstagram) from what I experienced in reading this book. I could have used a bit more spice but overall I really enjoyed this forced proximity, kind of fake-dating, workplace (ish?), care-taking romance. Whew that's a lot of tropes!

Sam is on the cusp of being fired when his boss, Jonathan, inadvertently causes him to fall through a shower door and become concussed....and lose some of his memories?

Except that he doesn't....but Jonathan thinks he has and takes him under his wing to care for him (in case Sam decides to sue) and chaos, Christmas - themed, ensues. It's a lovely read and I really enjoyed it. I liked the epilogue too which is rare so yay!

10 Things That Never Happened
Rating: loved/4⭐️
Genre: Contemporary Fiction/ Rom Com

Thanks @netgalley for the advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review. Review to come on bookstagram closer to publication.

Quick synopsis: During a fall during a disciplinary meeting, Sam fakes amnesia, in an attempt to avoid himself and his coworkers getting fired. His boss, Jonathan, takes him under his wing and cares for Sam during his (fake) recovery. Hilarity ensues.

This plot was so far fetched but it WORKED. Only Alexis Hall could pull that off, and I laughed out loud so many times while reading. The author is a master of banter and quips and will forever be an auto read writer for me. This was an opposites attract rom com, that gave me similar vibes to Boyfriend Material (one of my all-time favorites). Overall, this was a fun story, with an equally great cast of supporting characters, that I can’t recommend enough.

Boyfriend Material & Husband Material are a couple of my all time favorite rom-coms. They made me instant fans of Alexis Hall, and seeing that there would be a companion story, even one completely separate from Luc and Oliver, made me ridiculously happy.

Lucky for me, what I really adored about the initial two stories was the contemporary UK setting, the dry British humor, and the ensemble friend group. All of that was well done in this book too. Of course, I could never replace Boyfriend Material in my heart. Still, it was so lovely to have all of that again in a brand new story.

This is a workplace romance with some forced proximity and fake amnesia. In my opinion amnesia is a trope I’m ready to see make a comeback. Sam and Jonathan are very different characters from Oliver and Luc, but the tension in the ‘not-quite-enemies-but-definitely-not-friends to lovers’ setup had just as much tension to it. Few books really capture to movie-esque slice of life comedy style of British romcoms. This definitely does though. I for one am not disappointed in this story, as a companion or as a complete standalone. I’ll be rereading this one with out a doubt, and I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if this grows on me even more on the reread!