Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoy Alexis Hall's books. I've enjoyed the Material world stories and was excited to read this one as well. This was a pretty slowburn and it was hard to get into at first. Eventually, I really got into this found family story and it was so interesting. I definitely reccomend this for any MM romance fans!

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?

Alexis Hall can do no wrong in my eyes, but I miss his older MM romance novels because I feel that he now caters to heterosexual women audiences more than queer readers. That being said, I was really excited to read 10 THINGS THAT NEVER HAPPENED. Note: I will read any Alexis Hall novel that comes my way so thank you @sourcebookscasa for this advanced copy. Releasing this October, 10 THINGS THAT NEVER HAPPENED will be a great holiday read for romance readers, and is very reminiscent of a Hallmark movie vibe.

This enemies to lovers story focuses on Sam Becker, a mattress store manager and his boss Jonathan Forest and the development of their relationship. When Jonathan has Sam report to London for a work conversation, specifically about Sam's store's inefficient work practices, Sam ends up getting hurt and getting a concussion. Sam realizes that if he milks this concussion further and pretends to have amnesia (corny romance alert!), he could bide his store some time and manipulate Jonathan to help with Sam's stores woes. What's the worst that could happen?!

This book is a total cornball fest, but it was so much fun. I did roll my eyes at times, but that's because I'm not typically a mainstream romance reader. This book is MAINSTREAM ROMANCE to a T. I am objectively reviewing this book, because I did find it too gimmicky for my particular taste (see above with audience), but I know this will be a hit for romance readers. This book is heavy on the family drama, which I really appreciated because it opened up a second storyline arc that I wasn't expecting, but overall this is your bingeworthy Alexis Hall MM romance novel that you've come to expect. Very little steam, but definitely more steam than Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble (my last recent read by the author), so gays can rejoice about that. I do hope the author goes back to his old style of MM romance storytelling, but I will also binge this author's books and 10 THINGS THAT NEVER HAPPENED is a total bingeworthy read.

I should start this off by saying that I have not read Boyfriend Material or Husband Material. I have, however, read Halls’ work before and this was really different and enjoyable to read from start to finish. The found family trope is hard to pull off, but when it’s done right it packs a punch. I loved every character in this book, and I’m a picky reader that tends to pick things apart.
I do have to say that the only main con was that the amnesia plot dragged on a little too long for my liking. Essentially it lasted so long that the only way for it to be wrapped up was for it to be overly cliche and predictable. That doesn’t make it bad, but it did take away from the character’s overall bond in some ways. Many opportunities for a resolution arise and they are intercepted without much viable reason. (Imo)

This book had me laughing, which is hard to do. I’m not a romcom kind of person, or someone that likes to read comedy since I don’t find it funny most of the time. 10 Things That Never Happened did it right.

10 Things That Never Happened

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the advanced copy of 10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall. I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review. I got very Red, White, & Royal Blue vibes from the cover, so I had to request.

Sam Becker is a manager of underperforming bed and bath retailer. Jonathan Forest is the owner of said retailer, and he’s growing increasingly more unimpressed with Sam’s managerial prowess. After insisting Sam make some tough staff cuts, Jonathan demands Sam come to London for a reckoning. During an intense confrontation about his potential termination , Sam is backed into a corner figuratively (literally a display shower) and bumps his head. When memory loss is suggested, Sam decides to roll with it and fake amnesia to buy him some time to save his team and their jobs.

Fearing a lawsuit due to his role in the head injury, Jonathan takes Sam to the ER. Since Sam is essentially all alone with no roommates or family members, he must leave the hospital under Jonathan’s care. Slowly, the two start settling into an odd couple domestic situation that includes Sam’s cat. Jonathan’s crazy family is injected into the mix. Sam starts to fall in love with the crazy band of misfits, and quite possibly with Jonathan as well. Fake amnesia, impending firing, vastly conflicting personalities and a potential HR nightmare are all that’s standing in their way.

This is the slowest of all slow burns, but sooo good (maybe the anticipation was just killing me). I loved the banter and felt like I was learning a different language with all the slang I picked up. It’s an immensely different dynamic that most storylines, but I think that’s what makes it amazing. Pick this one up on October 17th!

I was lucky to be gifted an ARC of this book to review. I have loved other books by this author and I couldn’t wait to drive back into his writing. This is a beautiful romance for people who want a huge amount of substance to their relationship, but with all the fuzzy feelings. I think my favorite thing about this story is the progression of the romance. It felt like the most realistic and adult relationship I’ve ever read (which is saying a lot).

This story is mainly a character driven story. It has a plot, obviously, that moves quite quickly. But the characters are what make this story so fulfilling. I don’t just mean our main two. The side characters really made this story more well rounded. We have a group at one of the stores that Sam works with that really are quite eclectic. But we also have Jonathan’s family, which is a bit much at times. Yet I found myself really falling for all of them, and their role within our main character’s lives.

And let's just talk about our main characters: I LOVE Jonathan and Sam! And I think what I love the most about their relationship is how realistic it is. When reading most romances, you do have to have this level of disbelief and just accept what is happening. Not here! They are both very open with their situation (boss and employee) and try to work around what that means. But also, they don’t change who they are for the sake of their relationship. Yes, they do have to compromise and learn about each other. But they are not entirely different people by the end of the book, which I LOVED.

Overall I fell head over heels in love with this story and the writing, which is what I expected from this author. I was hooked by these characters, and devoured this book in a matter of days. I have read a good number of books by this author at this point and he has a fan in me!

I do not know if I was in an emotional mood overall, or if this book just knew what buttons to push, but I laughed, I cried, and I was rooting for these two idiots.

Meet Sam, a bed and bath sweetheart of a manager for the most chaotic team of misfits that’s ever graced fictional Earth. When he’s not acting as a firefighter for Brian-induced disasters, he’s trying very hard to keep everyone’s jobs. Meet His Dickishness—pardon, Jonathan—the typical boss with a stick up where the sun don’t shine and a talent for pushing people away (and also into shower enclosures). Micromanaging was just a concept until this man turned it into his whole personality. And meet Gollum, the world’s ugliest cat, second of his name, betrayer of owners, stealer of hearts. Need I say more?

It's the banter potential (and delivery) for me. Alexis Hall does this very well, and if you’ve read Boyfriend Material, these characters will feel familiar to you—messy MC falls for an apparently closed-off, prickish LI. I liked this one better, because of one specific thing BM did constantly that got impossible to ignore and therefore made me remove a star from the rating. (It was the constant dunk on the LI’s food choices, in case you were wondering.) Here we get the sense that even though they do not start as equals (boss/employee), they do end up on pretty even ground, with both sides helping the other grow.

I’ll say, however, that this book requires some suspension of disbelief, which I allowed, because both characters wanted the lie to be true for different, believable reasons. I also wanted the climax and falling action to have more room to breathe. And I wanted Sam to spend more time on the planning itself. We barely see him do it, and I’m not convinced it was that simple. Lastly, I wanted more of Sam’s backstory. I could see it coming, we got hints, some bits and pieces from his interactions with Jonathan’s family. But I needed more. I still cried, don’t get me wrong. But one line in the end saying he too was trying to push things under the rug isn’t enough for me.

This book is for you if you enjoy:
- chaotic enemies-to-lovers queers
- chaotic forced proximity
- chaotic family dynamics
- chaotic lying-for-the-greater-good plot lines
- chaotic side characters
- chaos.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Alexis Hall and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Justice for Jonathan! Like, he gets hated on for the first 50% of the book before Sam finally wakes up to how adorable he is! I would probably say this about almost any book that wasn’t, but this book really should have been dual POV simply so that I could suffer WITH Jonathan as he struggled with his crush on Sam. My heart was absolutely crushed for him towards the end of the book. Honestly, I’d be good if we had cut out the first 30% or so simply because we don’t get to know the real Jonathan until around the 40% mark.

Sam and Jonathan had great chemistry! If you want some true enemies-to-lovers (meaning they’re actually mean to each other unlike a lot of books marketed that way), this is a great choice! The banter continues throughout the entire book, with each of them basically on a mission to make the other laugh. The LGBTQ+ representation was perfect! Also, have I talked enough about how clearly in love Jonathan was?! It was so adorably sad, how he felt like he didn’t deserve Sam.

I loved Jonathan’s family! They felt like a real and believable family, with the crazy grandparents and the uncle no one likes but gets invited anyway because, hey, “he’s family!” I also loved how Sam, Jonathan, and Gollum made the perfect little family. Jonathan officially became a favorite book boyfriend when he said that Gollum was their fourteenth person for Christmas dinner.

I do still have a question that wasn’t answered though, what’s up with the title? Like I get the whole amnesia thing and that Sam lied a lot, but I still feel like it made no sense.

Anyway, despite a slow beginning, I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.

I’m a huge fan of Alexis Hall; his writing is always smart, witty, humorous and full of both heart and a great array of representation.

This book is a continuation of the Boyfriend Material series but with completely different characters. One is VERY grumpy (bordering on unlikable) and the other is sunshine.

After an accident at work where Sam has just been fired by Jonathan, Sam fakes amnesia and ends up as a long term houseguest at Jonathan’s place (along with Sams cat, Gollum). The two slowly begin opening up to each other and peeling back layers that show who they both truly are at heart (both to the reader and each other).

I wish there would’ve been a bit more of a callback to the previous books and slightly more redeeming moments for Jonathan (or just less abrasiveness earlier).

4 stars

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and SourceBooks Casablanca for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love every single one of Alexis Hall's books! Her characters are perfectly flawed and it just makes you feel good knowing there is someone out there who will love you for who you are!

This book gave me butterflies! I loved watching Sam and Jonathan fall for each other over the course of this book. This was like a Hallmark Christmas movie in book form, complete with an extended, meddling family, oddball coworkers, some Christmas party planning, and an adorable romance. The LGBTQIA+ representation was just like icing on the cake.

The plot of the book is super unique. A guy accidentally faking amnesia leading to him having to live with his rude boss is far from your average romcom. As you can imagine, hilarity ensued. Watching how bad of a liar Sam is was almost as great as watching Jonathan be so enthralled by Sam that he didn’t even notice the bad lying! I think the only thing that could have made this book better would have been seeing Jonathan’s descent into madness as he tried to keep his feelings for Sam to himself. They gave me a lot of “JUST KISS ALREADY” moments. This book was really forced proximity at its finest. My only question is, how did Sam not fall for Jonathan as soon as his cat claimed him?

Also, I rarely say this, but I loved the third act conflict. It was relatively short and their reunion was weirdly sweet in spite of its location (iykyk). My heart broke for them while it was happening, but the payoff was worth it to see them come out the other side as a stronger couple.

I also loved Jonathan’s family. They reminded me a lot of my own family, especially at the holidays. His mom made a great addition as the wisdom giver for Sam, who really could have benefitted from her wisdom during the entire book instead of just at the end. I really hope we get to see them again in another book.

Overall, this was a really fun read that I would highly recommend!

Thank you to Alexis Hall, SourceBooks Casablanca, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. 10 Things That Never Happened comes out October 17, 20223!

Sam has to find a way to not only save his job but also the jobs of his team in this workplace, enemies-to-lovers romcom. After an underwhelming fiscal year, Sam is summoned by his boss, Jonathan, to try and find a solution. While tour a sister location Sam is first fired and second falls and sustains a severe concussion. In a scheme to save his job he pretends that he had amnesia, and pretends he doesn’t know he was fired. His idea is to try and convince Jonathan that his team and store are worth saving. When deeper feelings start to develop between the two, and Sam’s guilt grows he must find a way to fix not only his store but also the big lie he is caught in. 10 Things That Never Happened is such an enjoyable holiday read. Especially people looking for a LGBTQ+ book full of humor, romance and heart. Both man characters go through emotional growth to get to their happy ending. The side characters were warm and funny. Also loved from the very beginning you know how geeky it’s going to be. I hope everyone looking for a holiday book give this one a try.

[Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the ebook. This review is my honest opinion but just another opinion, you should read this book and judge it by yourself]

REVIEW IN ENGLISH SOON

De Alexis Hall me leeré hasta el prospecto del paracetamol si lo escribe él porque me encanta cómo lo hace pero... Ay, no todo lo que leo de él me gusta. Este libro tenía todo para gustarme y no ha sido así. No quiero spoilear porque el libro sale el mes que viene pero, si bien se nota que es de Alexis Hall, tiene demasiado de la locura que este hombre se inventa. Me ha parecido demasiado y con demasiados personajes que robaban la atención de la pareja, creo que trama amorosa habrá sobre un 25% y tal vez esto es demasiado. Además, ya sabéis (y, si no lo sabéis, ya os lo digo yo) que la amnesia juega un papel importante en la trama y a mí estas cosas, los malentendidos y los engaños sostenidos me ponen de los nervios.
Además, no he sido capaz de congeniar con la pareja protagonista. Una mezcla estupendísima, vamos. Eso sí, es un libro bien escrito y con un lenguaje estupendo como no se espera menos de este escritor.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC! 10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall is a hilarious fake amnesia story following Sam Becker as he attempts to save his job (and the jobs of his staff) by pretending to have amnesia after a fight with his boss, Jonathan Forest, leads to a bad fall and concussion. Betting on his ability to change Jonathan by becoming closer to him, leads to deeper feelings and more guilt. Can Sam find a way to fix everything? 10 Things That Never Happened is a sweet rom com with a Christmastime setting which will make it a perfect comfy, sweet read this holiday season.

Man, was this book a blast! I found myself crying, laughing, and spilling tears of joy throughout it. I am always someone who jumps at the opportunity to read LGBTQIA+ books, and this one just sealed the deal for me. It was filled with hilarious banter, and wonderful character development. Speaking of characters, I couldn’t help but fall in love with Jonathon’s family. They were such a crazy, hectic group of lunatics that all devoured Jonathon in love. Something all families should do. This book was definitely one of my favourite reads of 2023 and it will be on our book club’s list of books to read.

"10 Things That Never Happened" fun LGBTQ+ rom-com that blends humor, heart, and genuine emotion. With its witty dialogue and endearing characters (especially Gollum the cat), it's a delightful romance that will entertain all readers. Jonathan is a true grouch, but over the course of the book finds a wonderful match in Sam, who learns to see the gooey center beneath Jonathan's crusty exterior. Both Sam and Jonathan grow together over the course of the book, and find their own unique happily ever after.

[2.5] this book was an odd one for me. given that it's marketed as a romance, i would have liked more romance in it - meaning more than a couple of scenes where the mcs were romantically (or even platonically) involved with each other, but what readers got instead was a far-fetched plotline and characters that had boring interactions. i appreciated the author's efforts to make sam appear charming through the use of his northern accent / northern-isms, but in some places it sounded 'clunky' or unnatural and ruined some of the dialogue.

thank you to netgalley and sourcebooks casablanca for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a work place romance that brought a smile to my first from the very first pages. It’s like reading a sitcom and having the prerecorded laughs in my head. The main characters are opposites and therefore their chemistry is palpable and they interactions are amazing.
I truly enjoyed reading it!

I went into this book with pretty high expectations because I absolutely adored Boyfriend Material and Husband Material but I was also pretty nervous for the same reason because that was an incredibly high bar. Despite the bar basically being in heaven with this book, this book managed to surpass it and I guess it lives with the angels now.

10 Things That Never Happened is a grumpy x sunshine romance where the grumpy owner of a chain of bath and bed stores (Johnathan) takes pity (one maybe is just worried about being sued) on one of his employees after the sunshine character (Sam) suffers a concussion and, through a series of misunderstandings, he thinks Sam has amnesia.

Right from the start, this book laid a really solid foundation for just how downright geeky this book would be but also that it was going to be really funny in a way that will kind of take you by surprise and have you bursting out loud with laughter when you least expect it. The book is told solely from the POV of Sam and it is a genuine joy to be inside of his head; Hall has also well and truly captured on the page the way that Scousers speech as well as it feeling as though you can see the influences of on his dialect living in Sheffield. It was so sweet to be able to see Sam slowly falling for Johnathan as he plan for making his boss see him as a complete person has the effect or making Sam also see Johnathan as a complete person with a lot more nuances that he first believed.

Despite being in Sam's head for the whole of the book, there is a moment at the end of insignificant emotional impact that I was not expecting because the allusions to it that Sam gives throughout the book somewhat lead the reader in a different direction than it is going. It was not until Sam was literally in that moment that I realised the truth and it really surprised me as well as making me quite weepy.

What I really loved about this book is that Alexis Hall has clearly mastered the technique of writing books that are entertaining and the characters will face challenges but the characters don't behave in an exaggerated way, not properly communicating like you would expect adults to do so. When Hall's characters have disagreements, they behave in a way that is completely organic and you could imagine anybody in your real life reacting in the same way. In addition to this mastering of characters who can communicate, in this book it was abundantly clear that Hall had managed to write characters who have a quiet comfort with one another. Whilst it may not have been written on the page as such, I could easily imagine our characters draping a leg over one another as they watch telly on the sofa because they are just so comfortable in each other's presence. There is always an understated magic to the fact that not every move and gesture between the characters needs to be detailed for the reader to completely know exactly what these characters are doing in each interaction.

I really appreciated that this book includes a really funny nod to Johnathan's brief inclusion in Husband Material in a scene that is great in its own right but adds a fun dimension to those who get the reference.

Alexis Hall is just such an incredible writer and I can't wait to read more.

5 Stars!

I never expect anything less from Alexis Hall, but this brought me back to my first book of his I read, Boyfriend Material, and how I genuinely could not put it down. Once I hit 10%, my kindle did not leave my hand and my eyes did not leave the screen.

This books was brilliant. It made me laugh, made me shed a few tears, and gave me massive anxiety because I knew something was going to happen (I mean, you can't fake amnesia and have everything just be perfectly okay, right?).

Sam is over budget and under performance marks, so his boss, Jonathan, has him come shadow. While having a stern talking to turns into a disagreement, Jonathan is ready to fire Sam and his entire branch... until Sam trips and falls and gets a concussion. Next thing he knows, he's in the hospital and after a joke gone wrong, accidentally commits to the bit that he has amnesia and doesn't remember anything, including who is boss of 2 years is...? With nowhere to go and no one to claim Sam, Jonathan is tasked with making sure he's okay after the concussion and subsequent memory loss. Sam realizes this is his time to scheme and make sure no one loses their jobs, but he hasn't thought this through.

I love grumpy x sunshine and this was the perfect dose of it! The slow burn is REAL but it's so worth it! And Gollum absolutely stole the show, because who doesn't love a cat that neglects you for your grumpy boss?

I will not stop talking about this book and I recommend it to anyone who loves romance, but especially the tropes present. This really WOWed me and I was thrilled to spend so much time with Sam & Jonathan as they navigate this mess!

Funny, charming, and over the top -- exactly what you would expect from romantic comedy where one of the main characters is faking amnesia.

Though it's not called a holiday, Christmas' story. I would say it is. From the Scrooge-like, grumpy boss, the heart of gold though slightly in the wrong narrator, and the cast of colourful many, it fits the holiday theme to a T.

It's sort of ridiculous! But in true Alexis Hall form, it's also poignant, and sweet, and lovely, and his way with words is always rich and vivid. And it's a story I think many will turn to again and again as a comfort read because it's nuts but also cuddly and soft.

A fun read! You definitely want to snuggle in your favourite blanket with a hot chocolate (or tea) with this one.