Because of the similar covers I originally thought this was part of the London Calling series (Boyfriend Material, Husband Material), but it's actually the first in a new series called 'Material World'.

Sam Becker is probably going to get fired from his job as the manager of a bed and bathware store. His boss is a total @% and he's sure that if he gets fired the rest of his team probably won't be far behind. In order to buy himself more time so he can come up with a plan to stop that from happening he fakes amnesia and ends up staying with his boss.

All this time in forced proximity causes them to get to know each other and begin to...well, not exactly like each other, but dislike each other a little less maybe? Disliking each other less leads them to begrudgingly become friends, and gradually become more than that. It's a bit of a slow burn, with some family drama, and plenty of lies...and what could possibly go wrong with a relationship built on falsehoods?!

I'm not sure that I'd actually call this a Christmas book, but it does take place at the end of the year and there is a bit of decorating, a work holiday party, and some family celebration.

The audiobook was really good, and narrated by Will Watt. It comes in at 10 hours and 9 minutes and was pretty bingeable.

10 Things That Never Happened is the first in a new series from Alexis Hall, Material World. It’s kind of a spin-off from London Calling insofar as one of the leads made a brief appearance in Husband Material, but there are no crossover characters or storylines – this story is completely new. Mr Hall’s brand of funny and poignant, down-to-earth and absurd, usually works well for me, and 10 Things is no exception. It’s an opposites-attract/grumpy-sunshine romance that begins in rather unusual circumstances wrapped up in a touching story about grief, love, loss and coming to terms with the past

Liverpudlian Sam Becker is the manager of the Sheffield branch of Splashes & Snuggles, the small chain of bed and bathroom showrooms owned by Jonathan Forest. While Sam gets on well with his small team, he isn’t so great at managing the business side of things, and when the story begins, he’s been summoned to the head office in Croydon (just south of London) to explain whythe branch isn’t meeting its sales targets. He’s not surprised when his hard-nosed, profit-driven arsehole of a boss, tells him he needs to make some big changes if he wants to keep his job – for ‘big changes’ read ‘sack people’ – and later, during a tour of the showroom, the two men get into an altercation which ends with Jonathan firing Sam and his entire staff – and with Sam tripping over and into a shower enclosure which promptly collapses on top of him.

Sam is taken to hospital to get checked out and pronounced to have a fairly severe concussion. He’s definitely feeling a bit out of it, but he remembers the argument and Jonathan firing everyone, but when an offhand comment leads the doctor to mention amnesia as a possible side effect of Sam’s head injury, Sam doesn’t contradict him. Maybe if he pretends not to remember anything, it will buy him the time he needs to come up with a plan to save his – and everyone else’s – jobs.

As Sam doesn’t have anyone in London who can take care of him while he recovers, Jonathan somewhat reluctantly agrees to take him home with him. As the days pass, Sam starts to see a different side to his grumpy, uptight boss, a side capable of unexpected generosity and vulnerability, and possessed of a very dry sense of humour. With some surprise, he realises that his plan to get Jonathan to like him as a way of getting everyone un-sacked has had the unintended consequence of Sam getting to like Jonathan, too.

Listening to these two total opposites gradually shedding their misconceptions about each other is a total delight. I loved the way their growing affection is shown through little, every day things, such as Sam cooking dinner, making each other sandwiches or falling asleep on the sofa together in front of the telly. I liked that Sam slowly helps Jonathan start to appreciate life’s little joys and learn that it’s okay to accept help, and that Jonathan starts to take those things on board and realise that maybe he needs to make some adjustments to his priorities. Their chemistry crackles and their banter is wry, snarky and often laugh-out-loud; Jonathan taking care of Sam and trying to disguise his concern under layers of gruffness is cute, and Sam is secretly pleased to be taken care of, no matter that he’d die before admitting it. But of course, the longer Sam stays and the fonder of Jonathan he becomes, the more his fake amnesia risks ruining this fragile something the two of them are building together. He knows he has to come clean before Jonathan finds out – but time is running out.

Mr. Hall is incredibly clever/sneaky here in that he’s written a story from Sam’s PoV without revealing a great deal about him. When I read the book earlier this year, I was well over half way through before I realised I knew hardly anything about Sam or his life before he moved to Sheffield. Experiencing the story again makes it clear just how skilfully the author has used the amnesia storyline to enable Sam to conceal so much about himself; having to be careful about what he says to Jonathan while he’s pretending to have amnesia makes it easier for him to keep pushing aside the things he doesn’t want to think about because they’re too painful. Mr. Hall does a good job of dropping subtle hints throughout as to what those things might be, but it’s not until the end that we get confirmation, and so much of what makes Sam think and act the way he does slots into place.

The secondary cast includes Jonathan’s large and chaotic family, and it’s quickly clear that his relationship with them is complicated – and is the basis for many of his hang-ups about who and what he is and who and what he thinks he should be. He obviously loves them, but that love is tied up in a lot of guilt and frustration, and it’s easy to understand why he feels that way because they are… well, a lot. I’m not a fan of meddling/intrusive families in romances, and Jonathan’s family are most definitely that, but it’s also easy to understand where they’re coming from; they don’t see much of Jonathan, they love him and are proud of him, but he’s so caught up in the need to keep making money enough to support them that he’s forgotten that it’s not all about money and that they’d like more of him. I can’t deny that I’d have liked to have seen a little less of them and a little more of Jonathan and Sam together, although I really liked what we’re shown of Jonathan’s relationship with his dad and how it’s informed his (Jonathan’s) character. On Sam’s side, we have his colourful bunch of colleagues; once we’ve met them, it’s clear some of them really are pretty awful at their jobs so I honestly couldn’t blame Jonathan for wanting to sack them!

I liked the themes of connecting and reconnecting with the people who are important to you, about not being afraid to be yourself and to show that you care. The moments that highlight how it’s possible to be surrounded by people and yet be alone, the melancholy of being outside and looking in are truly poignant, and amid all the snark and the banter and the family turmoil is a tender and funny romance in which two lonely people discover they have more in common than they’d thought. Sam and Jonathan experience a lot of growth as characters, yet are still recognisably the same people at the end of the book as at the beginning; Sam is still upbeat and outgoing, and Jonathan is still gruff and anxious, but they’re all the better for having found that special someone who understands and accepts them and loves them for who they are.

Will Watt is someone I’ve listened to quite often, although I haven’t reviewed him before (full disclosure, I’ve worked on a number of audio projects he’s narrated, although not this one), so I knew, going into this, that I’d enjoy the performance – and I did, very much. As the story is told from Sam’s PoV, the entire narrative is delivered in an impeccable Scouse (Liverpool) accent, and Mr. Watt switches seamlessly between that and the other accents he employs for the rest of the characters. Jonathan is originally from Sheffield, but has (deliberately, I assume) lost his accent, so speaks with a kind of smooth RP; his mum could have walked off the set of EastEnders (!), his ‘auntie’ Jack has just a touch of the Fenella Fielding, his dad, other family members and some of Sam’s colleagues all have northern accents, and I liked the quasi-Eastern European one adopted for Jonathan’s housekeeper, Agnieszka. The performance is well-paced and expressive – Mr. Watt perfectly captures the personalities of the two leads and absolutely nails their moments of vulnerability and understanding, beautifully conveying the growing connection and depth of emotion between them. (The only criticism I can make is that because Mr. Watt mispronounces “Ilsa” (as in Ilsa Lund) as “eye-lah” instead of “ill-sah” the Casablanca joke doesn’t land.)

10 Things That Never Happened is a wonderful listen, a charming, poignant and very funny romance that benefits from an outstanding performance from Will Watt. The amnesia plot is a bit wobbly and perhaps goes on a bit too long, but all in all, it’s one of my favourite audiobooks of the year and is highly recommended.

Grade - Narration - A; Story - A-

Alexis Hall has brought us another cozy romance novel that makes you feel all the feelings the characters have throughout the story. You find yourself rooting for the characters to stop disliking each other and get together.
I love that this is book #1, which means more books are coming in this series and I am looking forward to reading them.

Will Watt does a great job narrating and I hope to hear his voice again throughout the rest of the series.

I think the cover of this contemporary romance could be better served by adding even a few Christmas lights, as it's very much a holiday romance and this wasn't really depicted at all. It's extremely grumpy/sunshine and features the manager of a Bed, Bath, & Beyond-esque store faking amnesia in an attempt to keep his boss from firing him and his entire store's staff. The conceit is silly, but the emotional development that both the protagonist and his love interest go through is heartfelt, especially with regard to the boss's strained relationships with his family and the protagonist's loneliness. There's also the great humor you expect from Alexis Hall, with absurd moments and witty dialogue. I received an advanced listener copy of the audiobook of 10 Things That Never Happened from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Boss employee
Adversaries to lovers
Closed door
Hilarious
Excellent narration

Seriously Sam is stuck in my mind. I love him. He is my new bestie.

Should I ever find myself faking amnesia I hope it's this entertaining.

Alexis Hall books have become my new go to easy comfort listens. There is enough going on that I have no desire to put them down or for them to end. Her books are now insta buys for me. The narration on this book was excellent, the reader was able to voice the characters individually and made it feel as if there were multiple narrators.

I’m only 3/4 through but I absolutely adore this story. The progression. The chemistry. It all works perfectly.

Alexis Hall really nails this kind of book. If you liked Boyfriend Material and Husband Material then you will love 10 THINGS THAT NEVER HAPPENED. This book has incredible charm, snort-laughs, found family, quirky and lovable side characters, and main characters that are perfectly flawed.

Sam and Jonathan are grumpy+sunshine magic. I absolutely adored them both and was insanely invested in their love story. Both of these characters change and grow during this book and I just fell in love with them.

I listened to the audio version of 10 THINGS THAT NEVER HAPPENED and it was perfect. The narrator added so much humor and feeling to the story. I recommend listening to the audio version of this book even if you are not usually a fan of audiobooks. This narration is so good!

This book is pretty slow-moving. I find that most Brit-Lit books have a slower pace than similar American books. Again, this is on par with Boyfriend Material by the same author.

10 THINGS THAT NEVER HAPPENED is filled with holiday magic, a sweet story, laughs, and romance. It's a must-read (or a must-listen) this year!

This one was so much fun! I really enjoyed the premise even though I don’t typically appreciate the lying plot line, I think it was necessary to get the characters together. I thought they were a really good grumpy/sunshine pairing and I loved most of the quirky coworker side characters. I’ve read several by this author and will keep picking her books up. I almost enjoyed this one as much as Boyfriend Material but not quite. Definitely recommend this lgbtq romance for anyone who enjoys a good romcom! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sam is just trying to get by and pay his bills while also making sure his misfit coworkers don't burn down the shop.
Jonathan is the hard ass boss who wants to get the work done well and right and doesn't care who does it. All he has to do is get Sam out of the way, but as he fires him, Sam hits is head and it all get blurry from there.
Sam is faking amnesia...and also developing real feelings for Jonathan.

This is an adorable love story between two men who are definitely not looking for love, but might have also forgotten what love really is.
Highly recommend this fun romantic story by the amazingly talented Alexis Hall and narrated by the equally talented Will Watt.

Full review on Pages n' Pages Podcast Chapter 120- post date October 17, 2023

When I first started to listen to this book, I thought that it was just another Red, White & Royal Blue wanna be. But as I kept listening, the characters came to life and I began to genuinely care if the Sheffield branch remained open - and if Jonathan Forrest & Sam (don't call him Samwise) get their happily ever after! I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Red White & Royal Blue.

OMG, I absolutely ADORED this book! Johnathan and Sam are both wonderful characters on their own, but together, they are brilliant! And Will Watt just brought them to life! I can’t wait to read more about these two! 😍

Another Alexis Hall rom-com masterpiece! Alexis Hall has such a talent for writing rom-coms with wonderful, witty humor and incredibly lovable characters. “Ten Things that Never Happened” follows Sam as he tries to convince his boss Jonathon not to fire him and his whole team at the bed and bath superstore they work at. Jonathon is the grumpy to Sam’s sunshine attitude. When a work accident leaves Sam concussed and feigning amnesia, it’s the perfect opportunity for him to try and get on Jonathon’s good graces about his store’s productivity so he and his team can keep their jobs. It’s a work place holiday rom-com with that little addition of fake amnesia to tie together the whole mess. Amnesia is one of my least favorite tropes to read. Ever. But it turns out fake amnesia is something I can get behind. 
“Ten Things that Never Happened” is definitely more “com” than “rom”, but it’s hilarious and sweet, and it was really wonderful to see the relationship between Sam and Jonathon grow throughout the story. TTTNH features fake amnesia, massive Christmas trees, grumpyxsunshine trope, family drama, some lovable idiots, and a frumpy cat named Gollum.
The only thing I can say as a potential negative about TTTNH is that I wish we had gotten more of Jonathon and Sam’s relationship after it had developed… more than just the lead up to it. I really enjoy them as a couple, so it would have been nice to see. Who knows, maybe Alexis will give us a Jam (Jonathan and Sam) sequel?
I received an audiobook arc of “Ten Things that Never Happened”, and obviously the story was fantastic, but the narration was just *chef’s kiss* top tier. Will Watt did an INCREDIBLE job narrating all of the characters and gave unique voices to everyone. His voice for Sam was my absolute favorite, and the whole book was a joy to listen to. I would listen to anything narrated by Will Watt again without question.

Alexis Hall is consistently a delight and this latest doesn't disappoint. A recommended purchase for collections where romance is popular.

I’m so sorry but I couldn’t get into this one. I’m not sure if it was my mood or what specifically. I like the cover and have heard great things about this author.

Alexis Hall always delivers a fun, humorous, and heartfelt romcom that ultimately cements him as one of my favorite romance authors, and 10 Things That Never Happened is no exception. I fell head over heals for both characters, who Hall makes deliciously unlikable, yet redeemable and lovable and ultimately human in equal measure. This was such a fun romp--I love books that make me laugh while also having a gripping plot, both of which this book excelled at. I also completely love this narrator, and felt his voice acting added fantastic dimension to the audiobook.

Genre: General Fiction, LGBTQIA+, Romance
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Spicy Meter: 2 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Revolves around a fake amnesia. Describes a head injury and discusses grief, death of parents, and toxic relationships. Contains some sexual content.

Obviously, faking amnesia is never good, yet it made this book truly hilarious. “10 Things That Never Happened” follows Samwise (Sam) Becker, the manager of a bed-and-bath retailer branch, and Jonathan Forest, the owner of said bed-and-bath retailer stores. Sam’s branch is underperforming and that’s got to change—until, well, Sam has a tiny, little accident, bumps his head, and forgets any of their troubles existed? I mean, he didn’t, but he’ll say he did.

This audiobook had me giggling, alright? First off, the narrator, Will Watt, was absolutely amazing. His voice really held my attention and I couldn’t help but binge this audio. All the lying made me anxious, not gonna lie (no pun intended), but watching Sam and Jonathan get to know and accept each other was truly heartwarming.

This book is perfect if you’re looking for a queer romance book for the Holidays! Get it as a stocking stuffer or a full-blown gift (to others or to yourself), you won’t regret it.

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ARC provided by NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: October 17, 2023

My next few reviews are about to be absolute shit because I hardly remember anything and it has been multiple weeks. I do remember that I liked this one. Alexis Hall books are hit or miss for me. Some of his books are my absolute favorite like a lady for a Duke and Rosaline Palmer takes the cake but others are ones that I would never recommend like Glitterland. Ones like Boyfriend Material fall somewhere in the middle. So moral of my Alexis Hall story is that I never really know what to expect. I think this one falls somewhere in the middle to the higher enjoyment scale for me. I liked the setting and the characters even if they are a bit obnoxious at times but overall it was one that I would recommend.

Let me start off by saying that Alexis Hall is one of my favorite writers. In fact, "Boyfriend Material" is my favorite audiobook of all time. The humor and heart of that novel, plus the amazing narration by Joe Jameson, makes it a masterpiece in my mind. Hall is such a talented writer, and I want to love all of the books that he writes, but unfortunately that just didn't happen with "10 Things That Never Happened." All of Hall's humor was there, but I think there were too many side-characters for me to fully immerse myself in Jonathan and Sam's relationship. I also had a hard time with Will Watt's narration. I appreciate the fact that he went all-in on the regional accent, but his female voices were distractingly deep, and there wasn't enough distinction between some of the male characters. As for the story itself, it was a little far-fetched, and I don't understand how the title of the book connects to the story. Still, this is a perfectly fine book, and is hilarious at times, as all Alexis Hall books are. So I'm going to give it 3 stars, and I will recommend it to patrons looking for a fun (and holiday themed!) rom-com.

Thank you to Alexis Hall, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for providing me with an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited going into this one - and the narrator hands down elevated this book to another level. I listened to the entire thing on a road trip at 1.5 speed and I could clearly understand the entire story, down to the minute details.

When I rate audiobooks a huge deciding factor for me is how the narrator differentiates characters, delivers tones, and animates the words. He does such an incredible job - it was so easy to follow along, the line delivery made the story flow so well, and in the more emotional parts the weight of the stories words came through so clearly. I had such a blast listening to this one and I’ll be seeking out others by this narrator in the future.

This book had some very funny parts, but overall was just really ridiculous and honestly just WAY too long. I enjoyed it enough to keep going, but it really was just fine. These characters were all a little over the top and that made it hard for me. 3 stars.