Alexis Hall continues to charm and delight me: just adore how he takes classic rom-com tropes, makes them queer, and along the way also makes them feel fresh and fun and new again! Fake amnesia! Boss/employee romance! Goofy side-characters/found family vibes! Just another homerun all around!

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! I just couldn't get in the mood for this one, but I do love this author!

Thanks to Netgalley for sending me an advanced digital copy. It was a nice read, despite the characters being annoying at times. It was still a lot of fun.

3.5 stars

Alexis Hall writes incredibly easy to read contemporary romances. The ones that I've read take very normal situations, insert shenanigans, and voilà: high potential for love.

The ending was a little rushed after a very slow burn buildup but I did find myself enjoying the book more than expected after the fake amnesia. Real amnesia plots are bad enough, fake amnesia is next level terrible.

A little absurd, a little sweet, maybe a little long... 10 Things That Never Happened is exactly what I expected from a Hall romance and I enjoyed the read.

Thank you to @netgalley and @sourcsbookscasa for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. And thank you to @dreamscapemedia for a free download of the audiobook.

A Charming and Witty Rom-Com

Alexis Hall's 10 Things That Never Happened is a delightful romantic comedy that delivers on its promise of witty banter and heartwarming romance. The story follows Jonathan, a grumpy and privileged businessman, and Sam, a charming and resourceful employee.

Hall's signature style is evident throughout the novel, with sharp dialogue, witty observations, and a healthy dose of British humor. The author's ability to create relatable and endearing characters is on full display, as Jonathan and Sam slowly but surely develop a deep connection.

While the plot is predictable at times, the execution is flawless. The author's attention to detail and ability to craft believable and engaging characters elevates the story.

The audiobook narration by Will Watt is excellent. His performance captures the unique voices and accents of the characters, enhancing the listening experience.

Overall, 10 Things That Never Happened is a delightful and heartwarming read that will leave you smiling.

4 stars

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A very light, heartwarming story. I did enjoy the plot but I’d recommend it for those that just want to read a cozy mm romance story with no twists and turns in the story.

Overall predictable, which isn’t a bad thing if you just want to enjoy the tale as comfort food!

Let me just start by saying this book was incredibly funny at times. The sarcasm and dry wit throughout were perfect, especially coming from each character. I thought the lead MC Sam was a bit whiny and weak-willed, but I can appreciate how he compliments Jonathan Forest's grumpy and standoffish-ness. While I thought the premise was pretty silly (faking amnesia to avoid getting fired seems ridiculous), I did like the chemistry between Jonathan and Sam. Well, once that chemistry actually started cooking. It took almost halfway into the book for any sparks to ignite, but once they did I thought Sam and Jonathan were sweet together and good for each other. I would've liked to have gotten to know Sam a bit better considering the entire story was from his POV, but we do get a glimpse into his life and his psyche in the last chapter. We see Jonathan come such a long way, metaphorically, and it would've been nice to see Sam be more vulnerable throughout the story, as well. I also didn't really get the connection to the book's title, but maybe that's just me and I missed something? I thought this was an enjoyable Christmas-y enemies-to-lovers rom com that's light on the "rom" and has just enough "com".

**Thank you, NetGalley and publishers, for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.**

This is my first Alexis Hall book, but I am headed for the backlist after reading 10 Things That Never Happened! This quirky and emotional story centers around Sam Becker, a no-nonsense bed store owner, and Jonathan Forest, his endearingly chaotic employee, whose paths cross under unexpected—and highly entertaining—circumstances.

The novel is brimming with Hall's signature humor, witty banter, and unforgettable side characters. At its core, though, it’s about vulnerability, love, and the beauty of being truly seen by someone else. The fake amnesia plotline might sound like a stretch, but Hall makes it work by grounding it in emotional sincerity and laugh-out-loud moments.

Sam and Jonathan's chemistry is electric, and their slow-burn romance feels authentic and deeply satisfying. The dialogue sparkles, with Hall’s talent for balancing humor and depth shining through. As always, Hall captures complex emotions with nuance, making the heavier themes of self-worth and belonging all the more poignant.

If you’re looking for a rom-com with genuine emotion, fantastic characters, and a touch of chaos, 10 Things That Never Happened is a must-read.

4.5/5

Alexis Hall has an uncanny way of marrying deep introspection with witty, hysterical banter and endearing romance that I eat up every single time. Sam and Jonathan were so sweet and I squealed so many times listening to the audiobook. The side characters are so real and heart warming. I love how you can see both of them grow and affect each other over the course of the book, it just feels natural.

My only slight quivels were the slight absurdity of the amnesia, even though it definitely feels like something Sam would do, and the lack of Sam background. For the POV character, theres a startling lack of background for Sam. I think it works for the story, but I would have liked to see Jonathan and Sam interact more with it.

Overall, loved it. Excellent writing. Hilarious storytelling. Amazing holiday romcom.

I was very excited to finally review this title. However, I am choosing to withhold my review due to Hall’s recent comments regarding JKR and HP references in the Pansies re-release.

Short synopsis: Sam is pretty sure he’s getting fired by his infuriating boss. On his way to their meeting Sam trips and bumps his head, feigning amnesia.

My thoughts: This was such a fun adorable escapist read. If you’ve ever worked in retail before you’ll get lots of fun little anecdotes, the good the bad and the ugly.

I loved the way the characters interacted with each other and the growth both of them went through. It wasn’t easy for their chemistry to work, but eventually it did.

Read if you love:
- Workplace romance
- Fake amnesia
- LGBTQ+ characters
- Grumpy Sunshine

I absolutely love Alexis Hall. I love his writing, his characters, and his plots. Unfortunately, I didn’t love this one. I wasn’t interested, nor was I entertained. I’ll definitely read more from Alexis Hall, but this one wasn’t it.

I really love this story! Two broken and imperfect people, a boss and his subordinate, are comically force-proximity-ed together as Sam gets a concussion and accidently implies he has amnesia right after his entire branch got shut down by the owner, Jonathon. As Sam discovers other sides to Jonathon, he has to navigate keeping up the lie, dealing with Jonathon's family, and planning a Christmas party all while falling hard for his boss.

The narration of the audio was incredible. It made the jokes funnier and highlighted the funniest gimmick of the story, that is giving full product names to what the store sells. That was so absurd it put me in a good mood for the rest of it. The relationship is complicated, and the characters feel real with their flaws and hardheaded-ness. I really enjoyed watching Jonathon open up and how blunt yet communicative they were about their relationship as it unfolded. I do really wish it was open door but I understand not every romance needs to be- I just think it'd fit these characters well.

The cover doesn't match the story at all. I honestly thought this was apart of Hall's other series and avoided it as I prefer picking up stand-alones. A new cover would do the story so much more justice! Maybe making it wintery could help.

I always know that Hall is going to gift me a lighthearted, funny, and emotional romance. Throw in a touch of enemies-to-lovers tension and I am in romance heaven! "10 Things That Never Happened" features a fake amnesia plot that leads to a delicious enemies-to-lovers dynamic between Sam and Jonathan. With its blend of humor, heart, and romance, this is another win from Hall. I found her books to be the perfect blind of love and humor, a dose of real life with serious moment but characters who know that in the end, love conquers all.

Holy misleading cover, Batman. I did not realize this is 100% a Christmas book. Better than a typical Christmas romcom, though! This was Alexis Hall at his best--hilarious, heartwarming, with a colorful cast of characters and an adorable romance for an unlikely pair. It was a little too long in my opinion, so I might not add it to a holiday rotation of re-reads, but it was immensely enjoyable.

I am a huge fan of Alexis Hall and all of their books tend to do well at our library. 10 Things That Never Happened was no exception.

This funny little rom-com follows Sam, who doesn't hate his job but is a so-so worker as he fakes amnesia so his boss, Johnathan won't fire him.

It's a bit of he's a 10 but he's your boss, a bit enemies to lovers, and a lot of fake amnesia love story.

A bit heavy on tropes, but it doesn't have to be a literary work of art to be good, fun and/or entertaining. There are a lot of readers out there that love tropes, myself included. It's why they exist.

I wouldn't say it's the strongest of Hall's works, but its still a good book to spend the afternoon reading. Fluffy and lighthearted.

What happens when you throw together two gay men who can't stand each other? They fall in love, of course. At times, 10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall feels a bit too trope-heavy, but other moments strike the perfect balance. Despite that, I found myself rooting for the couple and really enjoyed the premise. And hey, in an alternate universe, wouldn’t it be fun if this happened to me? (Don’t answer that! LOL) It was the perfect Sunday read—lighthearted and relaxing, with a few moments of levity thanks to the characters' wonderfully complex families. I needed a break from thrillers this weekend, and this book hit the spot. Definitely recommended!

3.5 stars rounded up

Well. This one doesn't quite packs a punch (feelings-wise) as Alexis Hall's other books as far as I'm concerned. It was. Genuinely funny. Hilarious, even, in parts. Which did confuse me a tad, because I'm used to crying my way through his books (and pretending to hate it...). But this one made me laugh out loud. It was. Comforting. And sweet. And although the romance felt a bit underdeveloped for me, I absolutely adored spending time with Sam and Jonathan. And Gollum the cat. And Jonathan' entire family. It was just a really nice, not-angsty (it feels so weird saying this about an Alexis Hall book...), sweet and funny story.

This is a fun British enemies to lovers, fake amnesia, Christmas love story. So cute! I love both of the main characters, even if I hated one of them at the beginning. Love the Lord of the Rings nods.

I really wanted to like this book and there are definitely parts of it that I enjoyed but overall the plot was not well conceived and I desired so much more from it.