For starters, I'm always looking forward to see what Alexis Hall does next so when I heard this book was coming out, I knew I had to read it! This book was such a blast!! At first I wasn't sure about the premise given it is a workplace romance and I personally am not for that sort of power dynamic, along with the fake amnesia trope, BUT this is Alexis Hall and I love to see how he takes your usual romance tropes and turns them on their head. And that he did with this! I found myself pleasantly surprised by both Jonathan and Sam, especially after the halfway mark once more of their romance starts to come into play. I may have openly gasped at one or two moments that I genuinely did not see coming. In general, they both felt like real, nuanced people and that made their romance much more believable and it was very exciting to see where this book was going to go next. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a lovely gay romance to read during the holiday season!

a true enemy to lover romcom that I enjoyed! I love the banters between Sam and Jonathan. While the employer x boss trope got me worried for a bit, I appreciated how Hall handles this topic! Such a cute little story!

This was a pretty enjoyable book. The overarching plot doesn't make much sense, and Sam really does deserve to be fired, but the characters and banter are enough to keep the book afloat. Despite it's length, it does read pretty quickly. The romance at the center is a great slow burn, though I wish there was a bit more discussion of actual feelings. The ending doesn't quite hit the note it's aiming for, and the emotional ending reveal ends up leaving a wandering story feeling unfinished. Still, I never considered putting it down because I liked the characters enough to keep reading.

I absolutely loved this book. I should start out by saying that I'm an American, so I was all about the British slang and references. Someone from the UK would definitely be better at identifying if the language corresponded to the characters and where they are from, but I absolutely loved it. Sam Becker is a former plumber from Liverpool who ends up managing a local branch of a bed and bath retailer (Splashes & Snuggles), which he isn't the best suited for. Sam gets called to the main branch by his VERY grumpy boss, Jonathan, and ends up being fired before falling into a display model shower and becoming disoriented long enough for Jonathan to think he has amnesia. Hilarity and "awwwwwwww" moments follow as Sam tries to keep up the lie that he has amnesia while staying with Jonathan due to his head injury. This all takes place in London during Christmastime, which adds a coziness to the story that I loved.
I found little details about this book are what really made it for me. I love the way the characters had to identify the specific make and model of any sort of bed and bath accessory, including the models of toilets, showers, bath tubs, etc. This really added something for me that made me chuckle each time. I also loved the interaction between Jonathan and members of his family, which helped show an entirely different side to his grumpy character. This book was very slow in terms of anything spicy happening, which I actually really liked. It was focused on the relationship between the two main characters, and not so much on anything physical. That being said, I think anyone who enjoys MM romance would really enjoy this book.
Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book!

I'll preface this by saying that I actually haven't read Boyfriend/Husband Material (I know, I need to 😂). I actually first fell in love with Alexis's work through the Spire universe, particularly For Real, which is the closest thing I can compare this to in terms of Hall's bibliography AND while this has totally different vibes than For Real, I still felt very connected to the leads here. With that out of the way, I had a blast with 10 Things That Never Happened. It has quite a few of my favorite tropes, amnesia (even if it's fake here), a forbidden thing going on with the boss/employee, and there's quite an opposites attract dynamic going on here too. There's one major thing that I don't like about the whole setup, which is that obviously Sam is faking the amnesia, but I do think that Alexis handled the lie really well here. Overall, the book really did give me fun early 2000s romcom movie vibes with the shenanigans of the family and the semi-Ebenezer Scrooge vibes from Jonathan and Sam helping him to reconnect with his family all while getting into the Christmas spirit.

My favorite thing about this book is honestly Jonathan. It was really charming to see him from Sam's point of view, and to be honest, I feel that I definitely didn't appreciate Sam more until the end. Probably because so much of this focused on Jonathan in the first place that I had so many questions about Sam, and there were times where I got a little frustrated with Sam pushing so hard despite not knowing Jonathan's full dynamic with his family. But things still tied up really well, and I really liked the contemporary romance vibes here. (And honestly, I'm just so glad that his family truly are a good bunch so there wasn't much drama there.)

The pacing overall worked for me, but like some of Hall's other titles, while the attraction build-up worked really well, I do wish there was a little more build-up in the relationship side of things and that's part of why it's not a full 4 for me. At the same time, maybe that's why I'm happy with the ending here too because while I used to describe Hall's books as HFN, I really did believe in the two of them here, particularly with the chance that there will be a sequel with these two again. So all in all, you don't have to read London Calling before this one (but there are probably some easter eggs that I missed), and Jonathan and Sam were really cute together. I enjoyed the way both of the characters helped bring each other out, and the side characters (for the most part) added great flavor. I can't wait for whatever comes next in this series!

This is Alexis Hall at his best! The concept of faking amnesia seemed a little iffy to me, but the characters feel so genuine, and the side characters, from the employees at the store to Jonathan's family, are so wonderful. There's a bit of grumpy (Jonathan)/sunshine (Sam). I loved all the little references to Lord of the Rings (with a name like Samwise...). And I teared up at the end. Exactly that kind of rom-com that has my heart.

I've never *not* enjoyed a book by Alexis Hall and this one is no different. It's not quite a rivals to lovers story but there's some power dynamics that are well done. It was fun seeing how deep of a hole the main character could dig himself into and the conversation when they finally get honest with each other felt realistic.

Story: 4.5 ⭐️
Steam: 2 🔥 closed door

I absolutely love the fast paced humor this author delivers. These characters were all so lovable and had amazing banter. The story was a perfect mix of plot and romance with SO many of my favorite tropes. It was overall a great time.

3.5/5 stars

Alexis Hall is a hit or miss author for me and this was a hit! I wasn't sure about the premise at first because I'm not a big fan of books that hinge on lying or misdirection but this was done with just enough levity and chaos that is was fun. Sam and Jonathan had a fun chemistry and I found myself laughing out loud at many points during the book.

Alexis Hall never fails to deliver well-written, real-feeling characters in wild circumstances. I do wish certain aspects of the relationship between Jonathon and Sam were explored a little more (and maybe they will be in Material World #2?), but I think the gaps leave just enough room for your imagination to fill in the rest. This book made me laugh out loud several times, to the point it disturbed my grumpy dog who just wanted to sleep in peace and not hear his mom helplessly giggling over a chicken and a lemon.

It took me an embarrassingly long time to realize how 10 Things connects to the London Calling universe, but once it clicked, it was like a delightful little surprise.

10 Things is a nice, fairly quick read with a lot of heart.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this ARC!

This was my first year starting to read M+M LGBTQ and this is going to the top of my list! I adored this book it is such a fun story and the characters are fun and had me laughing out loud!

If you want a cute romance with a fun story and great character development I suggest picking this one up!

5 Stars!

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

Sam Becker likes his job. Managing a bed and bath retailer isn't glamorous, but it's worth it for the band of misfits who keep the store running. If only the owner wasn't the worst. Jonathan Forest should have hired someone other than Sam. Determined to set things right, Jonathan orders Sam down to London for a difficult task, 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. Still, now he has to deal with the reality of Jonathan's guilt and the unsettling fact that his surly boss might have a softer side to him.

This is the third book in the Material World/London Calling Universe and the first one that isn't about Luc & Oliver! They stand on their own, though, because apparently Jonathan only shows up in a brief scene in Husband Material (I don't remember that, but sure!)

I love and appreciate what Alexis Hall is trying to do with these books. Create these very over-the-top, ridiculous, and kind of unglamorous romcoms with some really, really unlikeable main characters. It makes these silly (silly!!) premises feel realistic and more complicated.

Despite all the over-the-top moments and arguments, Alexis manages to include these tender moments between the two characters that make me lose it. This book is about two lonely, stubborn men finding each other due to absurd circumstances and accepting that they may deserve more.

I know it's not everyone's thing, but I'm a sucker for an unlikeable mc. And it doesn't get more unlikeable than Jonathan Forest. Jonathan is the grumpiest of grumps; he's mean, and no one would want him as a boss. But like any grumpy/sunshine story, we get to see him unfold through Sam's eyes, to see his reasons for being the way he is, letting his guard come down, but this time with Sam together with him.

As one of the few people who loves Husband Material, if you're scared to read this bc you didn't vibe with HM, I don't think you need to worry! This has a similar tone/structure to Boyfriend Material, so if you liked that one, read this!!

I had such a good time with this. It wasn't as impactful as Boyfriend Material because I don't see a lot of myself in any of these characters (and also not to be a grinch, but I would have liked it more if it was less Christmassy), but still!! It's definitely a book I see myself returning to!

(especially whenever the audio comes out bc I want to listen to Sam's scouse accent!!

Thank you to the publisher for this ARC, however I feel this is my last Alexis Hall for a while. I coul not bring myself to finish it but I made it far enough for this gem: "This story is already long and very silly. I was seeing how long and silly it could get.”
This captures the book perfectly.

I get where Sam is coming from but it's too much, too naive, too nice, too unrealistic. Whereas, I know nothing about Jonathan. Yes he's a dick (I don't know what is mentioned more: that he is a dick or the Merlin 8mm blah blah shower) but there was no depth or nuance or empathy for him. Like not even an inkling. Sam was unlikable and Jonathan... may as well have been a piece of cardboard.
The banter I once found charming in Hall's writing is now, to quote his own writing "long and silly". It goes in circles and does not move the story forward. I mean seriously, someone who finished the book please tell me if the Merlin 8mm blah blah foor comes back to make a point because if not, this book could have been 5 pages shorter if they just said "shower door" instead of specifying it every. single. time.

Trust me, I wanted to love this! But the last couple of books from Hall have lost nuance, empathy, and their editor apparently.

I've really enjoyed a majority of Alexis Hall's books, but I will say some of his more recent works (Husband Material and Mortal Follies) got lower stared reviews from me. That being said, 10 Things That Never Happened was a delight. You have proper (workplace setting) enemies to lovers, faking amnesia, the special kind of chaos that is expected in any Alexis Hall book, a wonderfully sweet slow burn, and some very specific names of bed and bath units/decor. The thing I enjoyed about this book is when all was revealed and the cards were all on the table, the reactions were kind of reasonable. Considering the situation and how each of the characters are presented I would have been surprised if it became very dramatic to try to get back together, all-in-all I'm happy with the resolution of the story. The narrator of this book also did a lovely job.

thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and Dreamscape Media for the eARC and audiobook ARC!

I received an eARC of this book for review from Dreamscape Media via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
• The Brief: Samwise, a loyal manager but not necessarily a great leader, goes to extreme lengths to keep his staff on the payroll. This primarily consists of accidentally faking amnesia and grudgingly moving in with the owner of the chain of stores he runs. It’s all fine… until Sam starts falling for his distant boss.
• Anyone who enjoyed the good-natured, fast-paced, rumpus romance in Boyfriend Material is bound to enjoy the tone of 10 Things That Never Happened. Good thing too, it isn’t a direct sequel, so you don’t have to read the London Calling series first.
10 Things That Never Happened is a joy to read.

This is a single POV romance featuring forced proximity, caring for injured protagonist, and fake amnesia. I’m don’t particularly like romances featuring lying between the couple or single POV. Still, Hall was able to write a story I loved enough to overlook those preferences. The laugh-out-loud humor provided wonderful reading experience. I did this one as a blended read - listening to the audio book while reading the text. And, almost as important as the prose is the the narrator, Will Watt, who did an impeccable job giving voice to Sam and the entire cast of characters. If you are on the fence, give this one a try! I don’t think you’ll regret it.

3.5 STARS
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC of this book. All thoughts of this book are my own.
First of all, right from the hop the plotline of this story was wild. Our narrator - on page - is chaotic as hell, a little bit crazy, a lot desperate, and for those reasons its kind of hard to keep up with this type of narration because not only is it purely run by the thoughts of our MC, but his thoughts are not always linear - which is normal, and honestly its how I talk to myself and clearly how I write most of my reviews - in my own thoughts, in my own words. But it makes it difficult to stick to the flow of the story when the narrator is constantly breaking up the information with their thoughts, it just gets a little jumbled. Add into that the accent, turns of phrase, personal dialect and slang constantly used by the narrator and it becomes a little hard to focus on the story. I did get used to it, but right from the beginning it was a lot to take it. <BLOCKQUOTE><B>My mam called me Samwise, but I’m beginning to think she should’ve called me Frodo. Because I’m starting to feel invisible. Or like something got stuck in me and didn’t heal right.</B></BLOCKQUOTE> Sometimes our MC is a bit of a try hard in the comedy area, and sometimes he is just naturally funny. The inner dialogue is pretty funny once you get used to it. There were some more serious parts, I wish they had all been explored. It felt like our MC tried to be more emotionally invested at times which was nice. As for our secondary male lead he was a complete ass - the only really emotion our narrator could pin down from him was anger and irritation for most of the book and “uncertain emotions”. This is really why every romance needs dual POV - without it you are at risk for a lot of misinformation and miscommunication which really puts a damper on the story for me. <BLOCKQUOTE><B>Jonathan’s giving me a look that quite hard to describe. It’s sort of about 20% betray, 10% resignation, 30% resentment, and 40% straight up what are you talking about.</b></blockquote>
The plot of the story isn’t one I’m used to reading so I can’t say for sure if I like or dislike amnesia (or fake amnesia) as a trope. However I am a fan of forced proximity and although I thought it was super unnecessary to have the two MC’s be in a forced proximity scenario, there would be no book without it. Despite the ridiculous reasons these two were forced together in the first place, I thought the aspect of our MC bullshiting the extent of his injury just to try and save his ass was ballsy, hilarious and completely ridiculous. I liked his whole thought process of “well if I am around him in a weakened state he will see me as a person and feel bad for me”. <BLOCKQUOTE><b>”You can just be you. Y’know, the you you are when you’re with me.”</b></blockquote> You could see the building blocks of this relationship and although the secondary male lead was an absolute dick for most of the book, I did like seeing our MC try to get under his skin and make him act like an actual human being and learn to be more gentle and come out of his shell (and by shell I do mean brick citadel) . It took a while for the SML to seem interesting to me - he was such a hard ass and he was honestly kind of boring. And though I liked the amount of growth he went through I thought his reasoning was super confusing and he honestly didn’t feel very deep. <BLOCKQUOTE><B>When it’s just you and the nothing it’s easy to feel like you don’t exist, like you might as well have never existed. Like you’re nothing at all</b></blockquote> I did, in the end enjoy the story and the book. But it did remind me a lot of how <i>Boyfriend Material</i> was set up and executed. The characters also felt very similar to Luc and Oliver (whom I love to bits) so I wish author had tried just a little harder to make these characters feel difffernt than characters they have already portrayed.

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

How does Alexis Hall consistently write books that feel like they were written specifically for me?

I didn’t really like either of our main characters at the start, and that is literally the only slightly negative thing I can say about this book. And by the end I adored them, so disliking them a little at a time in the book when you don’t yet know them properly doesn’t feel like much criticism at all.

Sam is that working-class idealistic kind of nice that is great in theory but not entirely practical when it comes to running an expanding business. He’s caring and compassionate and has absolutely no qualms about telling you where to stick it if he thinks you’re out of line. He’s stubborn and impatient and honestly there were so many times I wanted to scream at him to tell the truth. I loved him. I loved this precious idiot so much.

Jonathan is a cold, stern, stiff workaholic who honestly cares more about money than people. Or, like, so it seems. What I love about Jonathan is that his dickishness stems from fear and trauma from his upbringing, and once he realises exactly how much he’s missing out on in not allowing himself to relax just a little, he…well…allows himself to relax a little, and we get to see who he is beneath his need to control everything always.

And gosh, his whole family was incredible. Chaotic, overbearing, loud, annoying, but absolutely brilliant. They were all so warm and welcoming and full of love and I loved that Sam was just instantly accepted as one of them.

Look, I laughed and I cried and I loved this book so much. Definitely one to pick up this coming holiday season.

I want to thank NetGalley for an arc of this book, it didn’t influence my opinion in any way.

Ive read Boyfriend Material from this author, which wasn’t my cup of tea, but this book really took me by surprise.

I was sucked into the plot right away and really liked Sam’s coworkers. Enjoyed the twist on the whole amnesia thing and the ending was quite satisfying.

There was a moment it thought there would be only one bed, but there wasn’t and that was a bit of a let down…

However I really enjoyed this book and would absolutely recommend it.

nope, wasn't feeling this one at all. The character development wasn't there and it took forever to get anywhere. Shame as I love the other books from this author a lot.

An interesting twist on workplace romance. I liked the idea of the fake amnesia trope and I do think it was done well. This book was quite slow to start for me as I wasn’t a fan of the MC and love interest. BUT, my thoughts on the book did change the more I read it.
If you want a cheesy Achillean romance, this one is definitely a recommended read.