I’m a sucker for an amnesia plot, but I think 10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall is my first “faking amnesia” romance. This is Alexis Hall in top form: funny, frothy, romantic, and inherently British, with a grumpy/sunshine dynamic that simply sparkles on page.
•
Sam and Jonathan are so funny together. They could not be more different in the way they move through the world, though I found that both were equally endearing as their character arcs progressed. I don’t always love boss-employee dynamics in my romances but Alexis pulls this off deftly, acknowledging the challenges to this setup, but the situation is made even muddier because Sam is pretending to have amnesia so he doesn’t get fired, lol. What you get is forced proximity, opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine tropey goodness that makes you wonder how it’s all going to come together. Add in Sam’s singular first person POV that is so voicey and a tiny bit chaotic and you get a fantastic reading experience with a romance that will charm the heck out of any grump (even if they are as grumpy as Jonathan!!).
•
It’s clear that I love Alexis Hall’s books. One of the things that I admire most about his writing is his ability to write serious, pining, angsty romances (Glitterland, A Lady For a Duke), and then turn around and write a romcom like 10 Things That Never Happened that’s so fun and heartwarming. The range!! Anyway, I love his latest novel. I needed something that would make me giggle while I turned the pages, especially after reading some very dark books. Of course Alexis delivers, and I know romance readers are going to love this one when this one when it releases on October 17th.

Thank you to @sourcebookscasa and #netgalley for the ARC!

I was SO excited for this book— as I keep searching for anything that will let me relive the pure bliss I felt while reading Red, White & Royal Blue. The concept of the book felt fresh and different from other romances out there, but still had the grumpy/sunshine trope that I love.

At its core though, this is a romance book— and that is where the book struggled the most. Jonathan was just too much of a jerk, and I just couldn’t feel any chemistry between him and Sam (who was also quite immature IMO). There weren’t enough scenes where we got to know them better, and see their chemistry and compatibility. There just felt like a major lack of character development.

Overall, I felt like this book had so much potential but it fell flat.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

❤️💙 10 Things That Never Happened ARC Review 💙❤️

Thank you so much to Alexis Hall and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read and review this book!!

10 Things that never happened is a contemporary MM romance and a spin-off in the London Calling universe. Sam feels stuck in his life. He’s a manager at a high pressure sales job, his boss is an ass and pushing him to perform better and the holidays are around the corner. When he trips at work and sustains a head injury, he’s not able to stay alone and the only person who can help him is the one person he can’t stand…his boss, who thinks Sam has memory loss when Sam remembers everything

This book was a fun read! I really likedSam as a character and the relationship he had with his coworkers. Jonathan is a grumpy boss, but throughout the story it’s discovered that he has his reasons. Overall I liked this romance a lot, but felt like the ending was a bit rushed. I would have liked more of the “after” part, but that’s a “me” issue and not a book issue

Overall this was a solid 4 star read for me. Fun characters, engaging story, just would have liked to see more of Sam and Jonathan with no secrets between them. This book did have a cute romance, but no on page spice, so overall one flame for spice

If you’re a fan of forced proximity, grumpy sunshine, holiday romances with fun banter, then absolutely pick this one up!

Please Note: review will be added to Amazon upon publication

📣 fake amnesia, forced proximity between a likable branch manager of a bath & bed shop & his prickly, “unlikable” boss

📖 what was your last 5 star? This was mine!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

My heart 🥹.

Before starting 10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall I saw a few things that kind of set my expectations accordingly: (1) similar-ish in style to Boyfriend Material, (2) really good, (3) & Alexis Hall shared that this is grumpy & the sunshine if the sunshine is reckoning with trauma (or something like that. My apologies if I’ve twisted that in any way!).

That’s all so true.

This book is charming, it’s so funny, & I got Office vibes from the office scenes in the book & While You Were Sleeping vibes from any scenes featuring prickly boss Jonathan Forest’s family.

So it’s very endearing, in short.

As is protagonist Samwise “Sam” who kind of stumbles, kinda dives into a fake amnesia situation with his horrible boss Jonathan Forest in an effort to save his branch from being fired.

But after he’s made to live with Jonathan for a while—he has to, given his presumed injuries—he realizes that Jonathan is grumpy but that’s not all of him & also grumpy is kind of attractive on him.

I adored this book, these characters, this family. Watching Sam & Jonathan engage with others & seeing their very obvious discomfort & yearning & their wrestling with their insecurities is sad & heartwarming.

The deception reconciliation feels a bit skimpy to me—but overall I just wanted these two leads to be together & for them to get back to the family unit they had made.

Ahhhhh! Also I wanted two epilogues instead of one because my heart wanted more 😆.

Such a great book; I loved it; I hope the two of them are living the happiest of lives with their ugly cat in Croydon.

5 ⭐️. Out 10/17.

CW: previous death of family members, including parents.

[ID: Jess, a white woman wearing a white, red, & blue floral dress, holds the ebook in a field of yellow flowers. A gray sky is in the background.]

Classic Alexis Hall. This was funny and I had a great time reading it. Definitely a good silly plot that you can’t take too seriously.

I really enjoyed Hall's Boyfriend Material and was excited to see this new novel. I think for this novel it's important to suspend your disbelief as a fake amnesia plot isn't the most likable plot to happen. So be warned. But I love romcoms and enemies to lovers so I'm used to unrealistic plots.
Hall has a very entertaining writing style and some scenes are really very funny and these elements kept me reading. I enjoyed how the relationship gradually developed and learning more about these characters. The secondary characters are great too which I really appreciated. I would recommend it to anyone who is in the mood for a funny and chaotic romcom.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.

I was hoping that I was going to like this book more than I did. I’ve read Boyfriend Material by this author, and I loved that. But I had to DNF this book at 20%. For me, there were a couple issues just from what I read.

Firstly, there was so much repetitiveness with the writing, the equipment (the Nexa by MERLIN 8mm sliding glass door shower for example) and character descriptions (New Enthusiastic Chris is new and enthusiastic) would be repeated over and over when it did not need to happen. We would also read what a character is going to say/do and then they would say/do it (“I am going to tell him I am going for a walk…”Jonathan, I am going for a walk””).

Then I didn’t find the 2 main characters enjoyable. Sam reads as a 20 something acting like a teenager. He doesn’t understand that if his store is failing, they will have to close it down and no one gets to work there and everything is pretty much a joke. Then there is Jonathan who reads like Scrooge, grumpy and money hungry. And from what I read, there is no chemistry. There is really only 1 show of human emotion from him in this time and it felt forced

I had a blast with this book from start to finish. As someone who only just started the London Calling series (literally just a few pages in), I am just barely familiar with Alexis Hall's previous work. So in a unique sort of way, I very much viewed "10 Things" with a ton of objectivity. With that being said, despite being part of the greater Boyfriend Material and Husband Material universe, it definitely stands on its own two feet.

For those who consider themselves fans of enemies-to-lovers and amnesia fiction (and who doesn't, really?), "10 Things" more than lives up to its tropes and then some. Hall's irreverent writing style and natural wit had me laughing throughout, and despite an extremely convoluted scenario, Hall embellishes the world with amazing side characters and a *very* satisfying slow burn romance in the end.

I give it so many points for originality, even though I can see this book not being everyone's cup of tea. The two leads are polarizing characters in their own unique ways, terrifically flawed but downright unlikable so many times. In the end though, their chemistry is out of this world and I found myself rooting for them.

I do hope to read more in this series as it emerges, to immerse myself more into Jonathan and Sam's (Material) World, as well as the greater world of London Calling. Having finished this book in the better part of a day and a half, I can definitely see what all the fuss is about this author's more commercially popular work, so I look forward to reading on.

4.5/5 stars (rounded up to 5)

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cute M/M rom com with premise of faked amnesia baked in. Enjoyed it but it's a very slow burn. Romance is PG rated.

4.5/5

Alexis Hall books have my heart, and this one is no different!!! It's a grumpy x sunshine trope alongside a fake amnesia trope (which is one I'm...not sure I've ever read before lol) where people ACTUALLY handle workplace relationships in a way that respects the inherent difference in power between those in different positions. Laugh out loud funny, charming, and heart-warming. A book that feels like it's about adults (weird adults who still mess up big time but adults who can learn to communicate nevertheless). If you're looking for a fun read, I strongly recommend "10 Things That Never Happened".

Actual rating: 4.5⭐️

If you're a fan of enemies-to-lovers, boss/employee dynamics, forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine tropes, and a touch of fake amnesia, then this book is an absolute must-read!

The story revolves around Sam, who, after being fired by his boss, decides to fake amnesia to save the day (and his staff’s jobs). Little did he know that this lie would lead to his grumpy boss, Jonathan, taking care of him at home. At first, it took me some time to warm up to Jonathan, but as the story progressed, I found myself falling for him just as Sam did. The author skillfully unravels Jonathan's layers, revealing a complex character who is both an asshole and a good and vulnerable man. And he quickly becomes a cat dad to Sam’s cat, Gollum - adorable!

What I loved most about this book is the gradual development of the relationship between Sam and Jonathan. The chemistry between them is palpable, and their (British) banter is both hilarious and heartwarming. Alexis Hall beautifully captures the emotions and vulnerabilities of both characters, making their journey from enemies to lovers feel authentic and satisfying.

Alexis Hall's writing style is impeccable, with witty dialogue and vivid descriptions that bring the story to life. The pacing is perfect, keeping you engaged from start to finish.

If you're a fan of romance, complex characters, and a well-crafted plot, I highly recommend adding this book to your TBR.

This sadly was not the book for me. The fake amnesia plot felt really creepy to me and the whole, staying with my boss under false pretenses was uncomfortable. I also felt like Jonathan was completely unlikeable.

There was some good writing though! I highlighted couple of quotes that made me actually laugh out loud. Loved the cat, Gollum.

If you can overlook the "building the relationship on lies" thing, you might enjoy this book. It just wasn't right for me.

It only took the first chapter -- the first few pages, really -- for me to get hooked on this book.

Immediately you have a sense of character, place, and the stakes involved. I really appreciate and enjoy this level of skill in any writing. And as with any Hall book, this this story has an incredible voice and masterful writing that perfectly mixes the actual laugh-out-loud banter with moments of tender realness. It has a memorable ensemble cast (maybe my favorite group in Hall's books yet!), character growth, and thought-provoking commentary on life and love.

And a guinea pig ornament in a Santa hat!

And holiday family chaos!

And fake amnesia!

And <s>fisting</s> (stuffing) a chicken!

And: "I don't know how I'm supposed to go the rest of my life without being kissed by you again." !!!

I enjoyed this story a lot.

*(Also, I'm thinking Brian and Alex Twaddle would be friends? Y/N)

Very nice read, it felt like if a hallmark movie was unironically funny. There were a lot of different characters, but I was able to keep most of them apart so the author did a good thing there. Strong beginning, but near the end, things were rushed and suddenly there was another mystery reveal, which was a bit random, hence only four stars.

Sam Becker is okay at his job but when a run in with corporate lead Jonathan Forest leaves him with a concussion, Sam thinks he can save his and his co-worker’s jobs: fake amnesia, only the more he knows Jonathan, the more he sees there’s more to his boss than his strictness. I really liked Boyfriend and Husband Material, and 10 Things I That Never Happened stayed true to Alexis Hall’s wit and banter. The enemies-to-lovers plot did feel kind of similar to Boyfriend Material but it’s still charming. I adored the audiobook narrator, it really made the experience for this one all the better in this slow burn romance. I would’ve loved some of Jonathan’s POV, he is so sweet and uptight and I wanted just more of him. This felt like a little slice of life story and was just really endearing. Sam is a flawed character and I loved his honesty. I didn’t love the fake amenesia story, but I liked the effort Sam put in to try and make it up to Jonathan. This story is charming and heartwarming and witty.

I can’t believe this is the first ever Alexis Hall novel I’m reading! A friend recently recommended and I was like wait I have their new one on my NetGalley shelf and now here we are.

I loved this grumpy/sunshine trope
M/M romance.

Other tropes you might enjoy:
🐈‍⬛Grumpy cat who likes the interest more than the MC.
🌆Small town boy who doesn’t like the big city
🛁Employer/employee taboo relationship
💕Love interest who might be on the spectrum (though never explicitly said)
😶‍🌫️Fake amnesia and must be cared for by grumpy love interest
…and more

This was really such a fun romance. I really wanted to get to know some of Jonathan’s family better, his sister in particular seemed like a hoot. I really wish they gave more of Sam’s backstory as well. It was left until the very end which also felt buttoned up super fast.

That said, loved Sam, Jonathan, and Gollum the cat. It was over too soon. Also the setting at a bed and bath chain store was too funny.

I can’t believe this is also my first M/M romance and it won’t be my last of the subgenre or my last Alexis Hall romance either 😍

This book is out October 17th so mark your calendars because it’s definitely a must read.

Thank you @netgalley and @sourcebookscasa for my advanced copy!

#netgalley #sourcebookscasablanca #alexishall #10ThingsThatNeverHappened

Such a fun read! Was able to get through it fairly quickly as the story was well-paced. I had never read a book by Alexis Hall before but this makes me want to try more! Nothing revolutionary though.

Trigger Warnings: cursing, medical content, injury, blood, alcohol, past death of parents, grief, deceased grandparents, sex, cemetery

Representation: Gay

10 Things That Never Happened is a contemporary romance about fake amnesia and real feelings. Sam Becker loves―or, okay, likes―his job. Sure, managing a bed and bath retailer isn't exactly glamorous, but it's good work and he gets on well with the band of misfits who keep the store running. He could see himself being content here for the long haul. Too bad, then, that the owner is an infuriating git.

Jonathan Forest should never have hired Sam. It was a sentimental decision, and Jonathan didn't get where he is by following his heart. Determined to set things right, Jonathan orders Sam down to London for a difficult talk…only for a panicking Sam to trip, bump his head, and maybe accidentally imply he doesn't remember anything?

Faking amnesia seemed like a good idea when Sam was afraid he was getting sacked, but now he has to deal with the reality of Jonathan's guilt―as well as the unsettling fact that his surly boss might have a softer side to him. There's an unexpected freedom in getting a second shot at a first impression…but as Sam and Jonathan grow closer, can Sam really bring himself to tell the truth, or will their future be built entirely on one impulsive lie?

This author has quickly become one of my auto reads! I really love this universe especially! This book is a total cornball fest and so much fun. The story line contains a lot of family drama but it comes from a very realistic and loving place. I do wish the last chapter was a bit more informative though. I love an epilogue that flashes forward but the resolution to the main plot line seems a bit brief and skipped over. Overall, this is a book about how two very lonely people who find each other due to a set of rather absurd circumstances. It’s also technically a holiday book, but it didn’t really feel like it.

I read this because recommended if you liked Red White and Royal Blue and I cannot help but completely agree. It was fantastic. Not as amazing as Red White and Royal Blue but definitely scratched that itch.

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.