This was a little bit ridiculous, a whole lot gorgeous, and I did not want it to end.
I was laughing right from the first page, and shed a few tears on others, and am now gushing about it to anyone who will listen.
As much as some of it is unbelievable, OK a lot of it is unbelievable, it is just so darn relatable and lovely and I just want it to be real. I'd be happy with a small screen version of real, but I've seen there's also an audio so now I want to go back and relive this again, with voices!
All the stars!!!!!!!

“10 Things That Never Happened” is the story of Sam and Jonathan. Sam is the store manager of Splashes and Snuggles - which Jonathan is the owner of - however, his store isn’t quite meeting their goals. When Jonathan schedules a meeting with Sam to discuss the possibility of letting his employees go, Sam tries to come up with a plan to save his work family. However, his plan ends up with him being under the care of Jonathan after an accident leaves Sam with “amnesia.” While Jonathan seems to be a workaholic with no emotions, there’s much to uncover under his cold exterior, and Sam is just the man the break down those walls. But what happens when Jonathan finds out Sam’s been faking his memory lost all along?

This book had me laughing in every chapter. From Sam’s humor to his work family and Jonathan’s family - this book was a lot of fun to read. I will note that it’s written in only Sam’s POV. My only complaint is that it ended too soon. I wish there were more to Sam and Jonathan’s relationship. It took a while for them to get together, and when they did, it was pretty quick and then the book was over. I would’ve liked to have seen more in the epilogue. Overall, this was an enjoyable read and would recommend to those that love rom-com! Thank you NetGalley and Alexis Hall for the ARC copy!

"Because I don’t think he was born a prick. I think he had prickness thrust upon him."
_
FAKE AMNESIA. REAL FEELINGS? REAL PROBLEMS.
_
This was such a fun and busy adventure. The hilarious family type group at the mattress/bath store, the lowest performing store in the lineup.

Loved all their different personalities, always love the one that causes the most mess esp when they are so naive and smiley. I don't know why I do but not everyone is a perfect worker.
In an effort to save his store and his coworkers jobs Sam the manager speaks with their awful boss in London. Though in the process gets injured and in a confused moment they think he has amnesia.

Liked how these two characters who turned out to have a lot in common would not have been able to dig deep and get to know each other had the forced proximity not happened. Sam also helped him bid Jonathan reconnect with his family and himself since he was a bit lost in his success and ambition.

And of course the humor and banter was great! This also had a Christmas holiday party as a big to do so this could be considered a holiday book.

Thank you sourcebookscasa for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

This story left me spellbound, evoking a rollercoaster of emotions. Sam Becker's story, a mix of workplace struggles and unexpected romance, felt remarkably genuine. His witty, flawed boss, Jonathan Forest, made the narrative rich with depth. Despite initial reservations, I found solace in their unconventional love story, appreciating Hall's knack for crafting imperfect yet relatable characters. The novel delved into complex family dynamics, adding layers of authenticity to the plot. Hall's writing was raw and honest, making me laugh, cry, and reflect deeply. While the romance was unconventional, its genuine portrayal of human connection made it an emotionally resonant read, leaving me profoundly moved by the characters' journey.

I confess that it took me a bit to settle into this book, but once I did, I was all in. Such a wonderful read.. It was so much more than a romance between two people. It was also a story of friendship and family as well.

Sam and Jonathan couldn't be a more unlikely pair. Sam works for Jonathan's company and their working relationship isn't very strong. So, when the opportunity presents itself after an accident occurs for Sam to pretend he has amnesia in order to protect not only his own job but also that of his team, he takes it. As you would expect, this will haunt him down the road.

While Jonathan is keeping watch over Sam to be sure he doesn't have a deadly reaction to his concussion, they learn more about one another. Neither person is who the other had believed them to be. Not just that, Jonathan's family becomes attached to Sam as well. Meanwhile, the two of them keep reminding everyone that they are only friends. Yet as time goes on, they each find that they may just want it to be something more.

These two men were both a little broken in different ways. It was heartbreaking and yet also encouraging to see them trying to fight their way through their insecurities to make a go with one another. This book definitely made me sniffle a time or two.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The audio was done quite well with the accents and so forth. It was quite enjoyable all the way around. 4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for both the ebook and audiobook. I chose to read/listen to them both and review them and the opinions contained within are my own.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy and to LibroFM and Dreamscape Media for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

Sam knows he is being fired when he is injured at work. When he wakes with a concussion, his boss Jonathon believes he has amnesia. Sam goes along with faking it to try to save his own job and those of all the employees he manages.

I am especially grateful for the audiobook, as that helped me get into this book. I found the beginning of the story very slow, and I didn't connect with either character. The plot took a lot of suspension of disbelief as well. But the narrator's amazing accent and warmth kept me going when I switched to the audio format.

Though I came to appreciate the characters more as the story continued, I never fully connected with Sam. I ended up preferring Jonathon, the grumpy miser who clearly did have a warm heart underneath (always trust the cat's judgement). But I didn't really see Sam as a mature adult ready for a relationship, and so I didn't really buy the two of them together.

This one didn't hit for me with the mix of charm and authentic characters that I typically find in an Alexis Hall book. But I think Alexis Hall fans will enjoy the banter and snark, the setting, and more. It all has a Christmas holiday background that makes it especially appropriate if you are looking for a book that is set at the time but breaks the mold of a traditional, sweet, holiday romance.

Sam is a manager at a bed and bath retailer with probably the worst employees ever, but he's faithful to them and will do anything to make sure they keep their jobs. So when there's an accident after the overbearing owner of the company forces him to make the trek to London, Sam sees the opportunity to change his mind by forcing him to spend time with him while pretending to have amnesia. Jonathan Forest sees the world in black and white, with numbers, profits, and key targets being the deciding factors in all his decisions. He's the cause of Sam's accident and finds himself forced to take him into his home while he recuperates. They're opposites in every way but forced closeness makes them see the sides they keep hidden to protect themselves.
Alexis Hall has a way of writing characters that makes them leap off the page and connect with readers. Sam and Jonathan were alive as I read how they opened up and helped each other grow. Their relationship has an unusual beginning based on a lie, but you can tell there are real emotions behind it all. Theirs is a very sweet relationship between two people who are afraid of opening up but do it without realizing it.
The comedy comes mostly from Jonathan's over-the-top family and was a bit hit or miss with me as I understood why Jonathan can love them while still finding them annoying. Not as entertaining as I was hoping it'd be, but an enjoyable read nonetheless because the relationship carries it.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the fun and emotional read!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is an enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine kinda read. However, the two MCs didn’t really click together for me. I liked them as individuals, but their dynamic was kinda…awkward for me. It wasn’t effortless, but more like the author was forcing two incompatible people together. Also, nobody seemed to respect Jonathan's boundaries AT ALL. I spent a lot of the book feeling bad for Jonathan more than anything else. It was worth the read, but it could have definitely been better.

Alexis Hall's newest book might just be my favorite book he's written! 10 Things that Never Happened takes place in the same universe as Boyfriend Material and Husband Material and features a side character from Husband Material.

Sam Becker manages a bed and bath store called Splashes & Snuggles, and he'd enjoy his job more if it weren't for his infuriating, micromanaging boss, Jonathan Forest. Jonathan is frustrated that Sam's Sheffield branch isn't hitting his goals, so he calls Sam down to London--Sam thinks to fire him. After following Jonathan around to learn how to manage correctly, tensions rise, and Sam has a serious accident that gives him a concussion. Some confusion in A&E leaves Jonathan thinking Sam has amnesia, and Sam plays along in hopes of changing Jonathan's mind about Sam and his band of misfit employees.

The pacing of this book was excellent--I binge-read it in one day because I couldn't stop reading. The romance was sweet, though it sometimes took a backseat to the character growth and platonic relationships. This book loosely fits the Grumpy/Sunshine trope, though both characters have their grumpy/sad moments. I really appreciated that the romance had its dramatic moments without the miscommunication trope being used.

Three things I loved about this book:
1. The characters. Jonathan has a large family, and each character is dynamic and loveable. His family is pure chaotic nonsense, and I loved watching them fill the house with anarchy. Their silliness and their connections with each other were amusing and heartwarming.
2. The humor. Jonathan's relatives were quite funny, but so were Sam's employees. Their conversations and tangents were so realistic and nonsensical, too. I laughed-out-loud just about every time Claire, Sam's Assistant Manager, spoke.
3. Sam's past. The mystery of who he was and what happened to him before we meet him lingered throughout most of the book. I liked how that hung in the background and found the unveiling of his past to be quite satisfying. That mystery gave the romance book some depth.

I really enjoyed that this book was more than a quick romance. In fact, I feel it leans more relationship fiction and the romance is bit more background. I loved the character growth and the depth of the book. I laughed, I cried, and I highly recommend 10 Things that Never Happened by Alexis Hall.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this book. Alexis Hall always draws me back in with the novels he writes. I especially adore this series/world of the Boyfriend Material series. It was nice to explore a different relationship with these two main characters. I fake amnesia plot also was really great and made for fun banter. I will definitely be picking up a copy of this book,

I enjoyed this newest work by Alexis Hall quite a bit. I had read "Glitterland" earlier this year and loved it so I was curious to see what Hall could do with a comedy. As it turns out, quite a lot.

I liked both of the main characters, Sam Becker and Jonathan Forest, even though they started off somewhat as caricatures with the situations they found themselves in, Forest the prickly boss and Becker the young slacker. But Hall did a brilliant job of deconstructing the characters and finding their humanity in the middle of some bizarre situations. Pieces of the characters' past are revealed gradually, explaining why they act the way they do, even as the two men find themselves changing each other for the better. So by the end of the book I found myself rooting for both characters to get together.

And the comedy bits were gold, particularly in the first third of the book with the setup of Sam's "amnesia" and the motley crew of the Sheffield store that Sam manages. It's a rom com with heart, including the supporting character of Gollum, Sam's cat, and Jonathan's family, who welcome Sam into their madcap world. My only quibble with the book was that the family bits dragged on a bit too long, and could have been shortened a bit.

Still, all in all, one of my favorite comedies in quite some time. This is only my second Alexis Hall book but I'm definitely looking forward to now reading some others.

Very enjoyable read, reading this will remind you why you've liked Alexis Hall's books from the start.

This is the story of Sam, a manager of a bath and bedding shop, and his cat Gollum. Sam is doing everything he can to get the owner of his shop to not fire him and/or his staff. This may or may not include faking amnesia so that Jonathan reevaluates his decisions.

Another amnesia plot? Don't worry, that's barely a part of the actual story, and it will be unlike any other amnesia story you've read.

There were times in this book, as Sam and Jonathan fell for each other, that lines were spoken and I actually gasped for the characters.

Definitely a fun read, you won't regret picking it up.

I generally LOVE this authors' stories. While I enjoyed most of it (especially the Scouse because I had a friend in Liverpool and could picture him talking), I didn't see the chemistry between these two at all. The forced proximity might have helped but somehow I just couldn't see Sam falling for Jonathan as hard as he did. It truly felt forced. I absolutely ADORED Jonathan's family because I could actually picture the chaos when they were around. I spent a good amount of time looking things up because of course the vernacular wasn't familiar to me so that slowed the flow as well. 3.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for allowing me to read this book for an honest review.

This is your typical “enemies to lovers” story, but it’s a popular trope for a reason. Throw in a boss-employee dynamic and a ridiculous amnesia story taking place during the Christmas season, and you’ve got the lay of the land of this book. Though this doesn’t sound like a ringing endorsement, I actually really liked this book. Hall has a way of never over-explaining things but giving you just what you need to fully realize the characters and their personalities. It is a truly enjoyable read that I flew through quickly.

My only gripe is the title. I feel like it’s playing off of “10 Things I Hate About You,” but in that movie there is a direct reference to the title. This book doesn’t point out 10 of anything, let a lone 10 things that never happened. Unless I’ve missed the subtle mention of said 10 things, I really don’t get the book title.

Title aside, I highly recommend this book. Especially if you enjoy British M4M romances set during the holidays with a touch of fake-amnesia (too specific?)!

Sam & Jonathan

I'm rounding this up from 3.5. It was very witty and I liked the banter between Sam and Jonathan but there was something missing from the story that kept me from enjoying it completely.

I really enjoyed this one. I enjoy the way this author writes, packed with plenty of wit and sarcasm. This one didn’t feel as emotional as book one for me but I did binge it in one late night session because I so wanted their HEA.

I was so very happy to get more time with Luc and Oliver but the ending just wasn’t my favourite.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5
Spice: Fade to Black


What to Expect:
Slow Burn✔️
Rom/Com FEELS✔️
Grumpy/Sunshine✔️
Workplace Romance✔️


Disclaimer: this reader is a ✨mood reader✨
& I feel like I should & I NEED to disclose this because sometimes it may really just be the mood I'm in, that affects how much I like a book. .
Also.. I’m very much a PROUD smut reader. BUT I have fell HEAD OVER HEELS in love & literally have OBSESSED over books with 'fade to black' or off page sex. This is to say.. that the 'spice' content had no influence over my rating towards this book.

Now.. let's move on to things I ABSOLUTELY LOVED:
- The Sheffield branch (these side characters had me CACKLING! had me wanting to BE in that store with them and see what CHAOS and MAYHEM they would be up to. & if Brian would spill or break anything)
- Jonathan Forest being such an arsehole! gahhh I love my grumpy MEN! & that streak of gray hair that flops over his forehead?! gahhhh 🥵 JUST LOVE HIM!
- Jonathan's family. Were they too much? NOOOOO they were literally ENOUGH. and BJ?! I swear I feel like she would be my bestie lol.

IMO, this book is LOW angst & I'm all for it a LOW angst/ HIGH romance situation.
Unfortunately, that's not how I felt. I couldn't FEEL any type of connection or sense any type of ROMANTIC chemistry between Jonathan & Sam. & that's my reasoning for a 3/5 rating. Because although I laughed, had a good time, it IS a romance book & I didn't feel it for these two.

Sam Becker’s job managing a bed and bath store isn’t exactly glamorous but he likes it well enough and is willing to go to great lengths to save his branch and the rag-tag group of misfits he manages. This is why he finds himself kind of faking amnesia after a minor accident leaves him concussed. His boss, Jonathan Forest, may be an epic grump but when he reluctantly agrees to watch over Sam after his accident, Sam sees this as an opportunity to endear himself to Jonathan in hopes that once he’s miraculously healed Jonathan won’t sack him and his entire staff. What Sam didn’t bank on, however, was discovering that Jonathan actually possessed a softer side, a side that was truly likable. After a few weeks with Jonathan, Sam’s job isn’t the only thing he has to worry about losing when the truth about his amnesia comes out.

This book is a classic Alexis Hall rom-com. It’s a little light on the rom but very heavy on the com and I really enjoyed it. This book is funny, like really funny. I think it might be the funniest of the Alexis Hall books I’ve read. I loved the banter between Sam and Jonathan, particularly because Jonathan was such a grump and Sam loved pushing his buttons. There was also a slew of wacky secondary characters to infuse even more humor into this book. Let’s not forget Gollum, Sam’s cat, who was a fully-rounded character all on his own.

This book also had a lot of heart. A lot of this book was focused on Jonathan’s family. He had a large, quirky family, but their relationship was complicated. Sam was a big part of helping them repair that relationship though and it was really lovely. Especially when you finally understand Sam’s motivations in that regard. As I said, this book was a little light on the romance. There certainly is one and I’m a total Jam shipper, but I would say it was secondary to all the other stuff going on. It was incredibly sweet, though. There’s something really great about seeing the softer side of a character who is typically a bit of a jerk. Jonathan was a complex character but ultimately he had a good heart and I swooned the more and more he let Sam in. Even if I was simultaneously holding my breath waiting for the truth about Sam’s amnesia to come out – I didn’t want to see either character get hurt! But the book had a really lovely ending, including a bit that caught me off guard and left me with tears in my eyes as I finished.

Kept me laughing! I loved watching the MMCs grow and fall together. Perfect light read if you’re looking for accidental MM love.

I wanted to love this one so badly. For me- neither MMC was likeable or endearing, and there wasn’t enough of a redemption arc to make me change my mind. The “villain” was so irritating and crotchety that he needed an entire personality overhaul to make me like him. And it didn’t happen. He was an ass to everyone, including his family. The “hero” also was not all that.

The premise of the story - enemies to lovers/boss/
-employee/forced prox/fake amnesia- was great. I think since I had such a hard time connecting with the characters the plot was a little bit lost on me.

And this is totally on me but I was expecting a bit more romance. Not spice necessarily - but 75% of the book felt more like moderately comedic fiction.

I switched between eyeball reading and listening. I found the narration difficult because of the heavy accent, so I needed to listen at a slower speed than I normally do to make sure I understood and didn’t miss anything (1.4 instead of 1.75-1.8).

All of this being said - I think a lot of readers would enjoy this story. If you can get over detestable and slightly dull characters and enjoy a plot-driven story, give it a shot.

I will read more books by this author- because I am POSITIVE my thoughts on this book were based on just not liking the characters.

Thank you to netgalley and LibroFM for the advanced copies. All opinions are my own.