I loved this book so much I had to read it twice in a row.

10 Things delivers everything I hope for in an Alexis Hall book—hilarity and reality and humanity all rolled into one package; a delightful cacophony of flesh-and-blood supporting characters; and *feelings* where you’d least expect them, tucked in amongst the witty banter and wry commentary.

Sam and Jonathan are disasters, and I adore them. If their story were a Hallmark Christmas movie, I’d joyfully watch it every year—and I bet it’d make me happy-cry every single time.

Samwise Becker only wants to save his team’s jobs when he is summoned to London by his austere boss, Jonathan Frost. Selling bed and bath sets has never been his dream, but he feels connected to his team and wants to fight for them. A tour of the sales floor goes horribly wrong and Sam ends up with a concussion. When his boss mistakenly assumes he has amnesia, Sam suddenly finds himself living with his boss. Is fake amnesia the best way to save his team from being cut? Is Jonathan Frost as cold as he seems? Sam is about to find out…

Alexis Hall is such a hilarious writer and I find myself highlighting paragraphs of witty banter. Hall’s sense of humor is so detailed and smart, he really incorporates some form of comedy in every line of dialogue. I loved how Hall uses forced proximity to create extremely amusing situations that end up leading to deeper character growth. Sam has the best intentions, which only makes it funnier when things get more and more absurd. I also loved his cat, Gollum! Sam and Jonathan embody the classic grump/sunshine dynamic and I really enjoyed how they got to know each other better. As they learn more about each other, Hall also manages to weave in complicated family dynamics and grief.

Readers who love a grump/sunshine dynamic, LGBTQ+ romance, and hilarious writing will love this book! I can’t wait to read more from Alexis Hall.

Thank you so much to Alexis Hall, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc

2.5/5
This was…fine. The premise to me was just not believable enough and that shadowed the entire book. The amnesia plot line was shaky and I found myself not really caring about Jonathan or Sam’s relationship. Just not for me! Than you to NetGalley & the publisher for the ARC.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would! I absolutely love Jonathon and his grumpiness and I like how that never changed. I love a drives proximity book as well.

Oh, I really liked this book. It’s a bit of an unbelievable premise – main character and bed-and-bath store manager Sam fakes amnesia to save the jobs of his employees and ends up staying with the store owner (Jonathan) to monitor a head injury – but if you roll with it, it’s good fun. I really liked the enemies-to-lovers premise; in this one, you get a loveable guy and an absolute grump. I think that both main characters are good people, so it’s easy to see where each is coming from in their misunderstandings. I loved Jonathan’s family. Remember the family in the movie Love Actually that’s leaving for the school Christmas pageant when the prime minister stops by looking for his former assistant? (The mother who says, “Eight is a lot of legs, David” always cracks me up!) I felt that Jonathan’s family was like that mob of a family and I loved them. They overwhelm you with their love. And there’s a fantastic cat! What more could you want? Delightful book.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy of this book.

Sam just got fired. Scratch that. Sam and his entire team just got fired. So naturally he falls into a shower and ends up with a concussion and “amnesia”
🚿
Enter his grumpy, dickish, boss Jonathan, who reluctantly ends up looking after Sam while he recovers. What ensues is a will they won’t they romance. Will Sam find someone who accepts him for who he is, fake amnesia and all, and will Jonathan start to relax and breakdown the walls he’s built
🎄
This is really, essentially, a fun Christmas romance. I enjoyed both main characters and all their flaws. The minor characters in Sam’s team Jonathan’s family made me laugh probably more so than Sam and Jonathan.
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For a while there I wasn’t sure any conflict would happen in this book, it got so close to the end before it all came to a head, and even then it was very short lived. Overall this was a very enjoyable, quick read. It would definitely be a welcome addition to anyone’s suitcase when headed to the beach

Alexis Hall's newest romance has enemies to lovers, grumpy sunshine, opposites attract, and forced proximity. Oh, and it's a holiday romance, too! Plus, with lots of banter that I love oh so much. 10 Things That Never Happened, an ode to MC Sam's fake amnesia bout, is full of compelling and witty language that draws me into the story. It is kind of a slow burn, but plenty cute in the end.

"10 Things That Never Happened" by Alexis Hall is a delightful romantic comedy that combines humor, emotion, and a dash of mistaken identity. With witty writing and endearing characters, this novel delivers a charming and heartfelt story that will leave readers smiling.

Sam Becker, the protagonist, finds himself in a predicament after a misstep at work leads to a misunderstanding with his boss, Jonathan Forest. Faking amnesia to navigate the situation, Sam inadvertently opens the door to a new dynamic between him and Jonathan. What follows is a series of hilarious and heartwarming moments as Sam tries to navigate the web of lies he spun, all while discovering new sides to Jonathan he never expected.

Hall's writing is a standout feature of the book, capturing the characters' personalities and quirks with precision. The banter between Sam and Jonathan is a highlight, with their interactions filled with both tension and undeniable chemistry. As their relationship deepens, the novel explores themes of vulnerability, second chances, and the complexity of human emotions.

The characters are well-developed and relatable, with flaws that make them feel authentic and endearing. Sam's internal struggles and Jonathan's evolution from a seemingly cold boss to a multi-dimensional character add depth to the story. The secondary characters, including Sam's co-workers, also contribute to the story's charm and humor.

The plot's blend of humor and heart makes for a captivating read. As the layers of deception begin to unravel, the story delves into more serious moments that give the romance emotional weight. The pacing is well-balanced, keeping readers engaged as they root for Sam and Jonathan to find their way to a genuine connection.

"10 Things That Never Happened" is a refreshing take on the romantic comedy genre, offering a mix of laughter, warmth, and genuine emotion. With its clever premise, well-crafted characters, and a satisfying conclusion, the novel is a delightful addition to any romance reader's bookshelf.

This narrative follows Sam, a manager responsible for a bed & bath store, and Jonathan, the owner of the bed & bath chain who also happens to be Sam's boss. The plot unfolds when Jonathan visits Sam's store to investigate the declining profits of that particular location. Their interaction takes an unexpected turn, resulting in a heated exchange and an accident in which Sam sustains a head injury. This incident leads to a mix-up at the hospital, causing Sam to feign memory loss from the fall. Consequently, Jonathan finds himself reluctantly taking care of Sam during his "recovery" period.

Sam sees this situation as an opportunity to potentially salvage his store and support his employees, but Jonathan's attitude remains sour, driven solely by monetary concerns and facts.

The story's intrigue stems from the apparent gaps in understanding the main characters, Sam and Jonathan, and their respective backgrounds. This curiosity was what initially captivated me as a reader. However, the romantic aspect between them left me puzzled. Their personalities had certain unlikable facets, and the narrative didn't convincingly establish many instances where a romantic connection could have blossomed. The first kiss between them took me by surprise due to this lack of buildup.The tale also featured tender and cozy moments between Sam and Jonathan, yet these moments failed to fully endear me to their relationship or compel me to root for their romantic journey.

As a fan of Alexis Hall's books, this one certainly didn't disappoint. It was such a heartwarming read that I just couldn't put down.

10 Things that Never Happened is the perfect Christmas romcom from the chaotic family, to the final confession scene in the perfectly timed snow. It follows Sam, a manager at a bed and bath store, and his dickish boss Jonathan who, after Sam fakes having amnesia, is cornered into taking him in while he recovers. Typical romcom shenanigans ensue and the pair find themselves falling for each other over their Christmas party planning.

I didn't think I would enjoy the fake amnesia plot but Alexis pulled it off so well. The characters felt real but were still fun enough to keep me engaged. I am an absolute sucker for the sunshine x grumpy trope so I loved Sam and Jonathan's dynamics.

The rest of the characters were so loveable too. Sam had his crew at the bed and breakfast store and I just wished we got to see more of them. They would fit perfectly into a sitcom about running the store. And Jonathan's family is annoying but in the best way possible like a family should be. And of course the goblin of a cat, Gollum is the best character of them all.

I will definitely be reading this book again in December to really experience it during the Christmas season. I fell in love with it and honestly couldn't recommend it enough.

Absolutely delightful holiday themed romcom! In 10 Things, Alexis Hall has created a wonderful enemies-to-lovers, fake amnesia, grumpy/sunshine Christmassy romance featuring an uber grump Jonathan Forest and outwardly sunshine Sam Becker. Sam works for Jonathan in the Sheffield branch of Splashes & Snuggles (a bath and bedroom superstore). With his underperforming branch under threat, Sam travels to London for a very awkward meeting with Jonathan. An accident, concussion, and a false but helpful assumption of amnesia might be the rescue plan Sam needs.

Forced to spend time together, Sam uncovers a sliver of a soft side in Jonathan and begins to develop real feelings for him. Hall always writes well crafted secondary characters and in 10 Things we have Jonathan’s loud, hilarious, overbearing family; and Sam’s messy, endearing, and loyal work colleagues. I absolutely love a grump and Jonathan is honestly terrible. He’s extremely prickly, high-handed, controlling, and workaholic. And described as wolfish. A LOT. And Sam’s outwardly positive and easygoing personality protects his own private sadness that is is revealed very slowly and sensitively.

I’ve really enjoyed Alexis Hall’s work in the past but for me this fell a little flat. As a Scouser, I found some of the dialogue was a little clunky and hard to get past in parts. The enemies to lovers trope is one I’ll always enjoy but here I didn’t feel like I could root for either character and I’m not sure if that’s why I didn’t enjoy the story so much. Despite this not being one of my favourites, I’m looking forward to anything Alexis writes in the future.

If you liked Boyfriend Material you will surely love this book. It has the same kind of humor, an odd couple, and is set in the same universe (Although they are not directly related).
This is the story of Sam who works in a store of beds and baths and due to a series of situations ends up pretending that he has lost his memory and goes to live at the house of his tyrannical boss.
I'm going to be honest, I asked for the book because I really like the stories that Alexis Hall writes, but the plot was seen as something that could go very wrong when applied within the story. However, everything is very well planned and although you know that the protagonist is doing something wrong, you somehow understand it when you meet his boss. Also the book is very self-aware, so it allows you to easily digest everything that happens.
It is a very funny read, it has hilarious situations and at the same time there are several parts in which you want to slap the protagonists. It's a roller coaster of emotions in which you don't know what new idea the author is going to come up with.
The writing is fresh, very witty, I love the talks that the characters have because many of their dialogues are unexpected and in general, although it has a very simple plot, but it is far from the obvious in terms of the way of presenting the situations. .
Something that surprised me is that it is a Christmas book, I would have liked to read it in December to go with the vibe, but even out of season it captures the essence of winter, the trees, the lights and the December holidays very well.
I like that they both have VERY different personalities and when I say that Jonathan is a tyrannical boss I mean it. Both tend to have many disagreements and that keeps you waiting for how their relationship will develop.
The cat was a great detail.
I sincerely hope they bring it to Mexico as well so he can have it in Spanish soon. I'm also sure Alexis Hall is on my list of favorite authors by now.

First to note- this isn’t a sequel to Boyfriend Material / Husband Material—though it is set in the same world. A sweet, slow-burn, enemies to lovers romance, this one is super cute. Also, who doesn't love a grump/sunshine romance? This definitely fits that bill. If you liked Alexis Hall's previous books, especially in this universe, you'll love this one as well!

I loved this book as I do with every Alexis Hall book. Characters, plot, and pace were all amazing. Highly recommend.

FINALLY..........some good fucking food. this was such a good romance!!! i absolutely love alexis hall's quirky tell-tale narration. every other sentence is hilarious, and the characters practically jump off the page with how heartfelt and sincerely real they all feel. the character work is amazing as well, and as i kept reading, i found myself falling more and more in love with sam and jonathan, and even the plethora of charming, eccentric side characters. and the cat named gollum. the whole amensia plotline/trope has been done dozens of times in a dozen different ways, but i feel hall really made it their very own and breathed some much-needed life into this trope. definitely would recommend picking this up during the holidays/christmas! it's a perfect read for around that time!

Thank you to Net Galley for Providing the electronic copy so I may provide my review.

"10 Things That Never Happened" is a story that follows Samwise Becker, a branch manager of Bed and Bath store, as he tries to convince his boss, Jonathan Forrest, to save his store. After various hijinks, and some verbal back and forth, Sam becomes injured on the job and rushed to the hospital. With the doctor, and Jonathan, thinking he's suffering from Amnesia, Sam takes this as his chance to convince Jonathan to save his store. However, along the way, Sam starts to see his boss as not just the jerk next door. Will he be able to pull off this ruse and leave himself, and his heart, unscathed?

Alexis Hall has done a masterful job in creating a narrative full of unrealistic scenarios with realistic characters and conversations. We get a full display of polar opposite characters, with opposing ideals, work and cohabitate together.

The characters, in my opinion, were the best part of the novel! Every single character brought out a distinct personality in each other through interaction. A good example of this is Jonathan and his family. We see Jonathan's personality in the beginning of the story, through Sam's point of view, as pragmatic and condescending. He runs his business in a efficient manner and does not apologize for his decisions. When disciplining Sam, the reader sees a brief moment where he shows gentleness and compassion. But his mask comes on again, and he reverts to his original persona. When Sam is introduced to Jonathan's family, we see a variety of characters that bring out a different side of Jonathan. We have the caring mom, stoic dad, annoying sister, traditional grandparents, and drunk aunt. Although these character tropes are standard in the literary canon, Hall is able to put a twist on all of them to make them unique and relatable. With the family, we see Jonathan, at first, be stand-offish and cold, but he becomes warm and caring as he interact with his family.

I also found that the author did a wonderful job shifting between the story's tone. Most narratives have issues finding a balance between a main plot and the subplot. If plot A is serious and is described dramatically, the shift into the B subplot undermines the seriousness of plot A. However, Hall does a great job connecting the plots and maneuvering between comedic dialogue and situations to serious conversations and eventual consequences. Hall is able to do this because of how she sets-up her point of view character, Sam. At the beginning, we're thrown into a dilemma with Sam and we see how he reacts and problem solves difficult situations. This scene exemplify his character, as he doesn't take things seriously, and how he interacts with the world, as he gives everyone the benefit of the doubt. However, when we're introduced with his dynamic with Jonathan Forres, we get to see how he's able to be serious and confront important issues. Hall is strategic in putting these interactions first as we get a pattern developed and we're able to expect to find comedy in the seriousness and vice verse.

However, the conflicts in the novel are, in my opinion, weak and lack follow-through. The premise of the novel is that Sam fakes his amnesia to save his job and the jobs of his co-workers. We do get a sense that Sam cares about his employees and his assistant manager. This is a character trait that makes Sam likable and makes us root for him. However, as a reader, we don't get a sense that he care about his job, or that he's passionate about it either. And even though Sam care about his employees' jobs, the reader isn't given any motivation to care about them or their livelihood. Sam is fighting against the clock to prove to Jonathan that he's a good manager and he doesn't need to fire anyone at his branch. When we, as the reader, get a sense that Sam doesn't care about his job, and we don't care enough about the employees he's trying to save. In fact, some of the employees don't care about their jobs making Sam's motives, and eventual sacrifice, lack meaning. This gives the plot a lack of tension and make us wonder "Why are we doing this?"

I also found many loose ends in the narrative that needed an answer or a conclusion. Although the story ends with the normal "happily ever after", we don't get to see the aftermath of Sam's platonic relationships. The whole point of his amnesia quest was to save his co-workers/employees. However, we don't get to see a heart to heart with his team. In fact, near the end of the novel, his eventual sacrifice an admission of liking their "jerk boss" is glossed over. This gives the reader the notion that his efforts were unappreciated. Leaving the reader feeling a loss as the perceptive closeness of Sam and his team is diminished. Another loose end that wasn't clarified is the fact that Jonathan was the one who "pushed" Sam into the shower display unit. Well, Sam fell on his own and Jonathan didn't physically touch him; the fact is that it's Jonathan's fault that the situation happened. This idea is continually brought up in Sam's internal monologue and when indirectly brought up, Jonathan is seen feeling guilty and trying to avoid the topic. However, when Sam's secret is revealed, this fact is left unresolved. Although it's not a needed detail to be recognized, the importance placed on this detail merit at least some acknowledgment.

Overall, this was a lovely romantic comedy narrative that features a beautiful Christmas backdrop.

It was a blustery day, the wind creating a chill that blasted through the front doors every time a customer entered the shop. A light snow was starting to fall outside, but he couldn’t stand here distracted when things needed done. He was in charge of this place and the boss was breathing down his neck about the holiday season coming up. The guy was a menacing prick.

10 Things That Never Happened is an entertaining gay romcom following Sam, who is managing a bed and bath store that is in danger of being closed and employees losing their jobs. He sets out to prove to his boss that it’s not necessary.

This book had me laughing out loud! First, Sam is named after Samwise from Lord of the Rings and he has a cat named Gollum… that won me over immediately. Then the banter between Sam and his boss Jonathan was perfection. The sarcasm and wittiness had me smiling. Next the meddling family had me cackling (think the aunties in Dial A for Aunties). The middle of the book did drag a bit and I felt myself wanting things to move along, but overall this book had so much goodness.

Read this if you’re a fan of the show Superstore, want a gay Hallmark holiday romcom, love enemies to lovers/workplace romance, and want a no steam read.

This book was a fun and fantastic read! Here's my breakdown of its awesomeness!
Plot: The plot line was ADORABLE! Its the cutest of meet-cutes and I absolutely loved the slow and angry burn.
Characters: The characters were so well written and came right off the page. The dialogue was hilarious and witty and really made the reading go by faster!
Spice: I loved the spice in this book!
Overall, a great read!

This was a cute MM romance! Sam is the manager of a bed & bath store where he cares more about his employees than meeting his quarterly quotas. His boss, Jonathan (who everyone thinks is a prick), isn't so pleased with this and nearly fires Sam. Having an accident causes Sam to have a very real concussion, and very fake amnesia to try to get out of losing his and his employees' jobs.

I wasn't fully bought into the fake amnesia trope and the ending did feel a bit rushed to me, but Sam and Jonathan's chemistry and banter helped carry this book for me and brings this up to four stars! A special shoutout also to Gollum, who was such a great addition.

Also note that the author writes Sam's dialogue imagining he has a Scouse accent. While there was occasionally some language/words I (as an American) didn't quite understand, I didn't feel like it made too much of an impact as you can figure out the meaning through context clues!

Thanks to Netgalley & Sourcebooks Casablanca for this e-ARC!