I did not like any of the characters, not even a single one of the probably 2 dozen side characters. I also did not like the style. I do not mind single pov, but so much of it was long winded stream of consciousness type internal monologue and I found it exhausting. Only stuck around to see how long it would take Sam to come clean about the whole faking amnesia thing and I wish I was capable of quitting books

because it took until someone else spilled the beans at like 90 percent!

Honestly I'm not sure what to say about this book. In general there were a lot of things I liked about it, but there was a huge roadblock for me in the fact that Jonathan just....is actually a horrible boss? Like I know a lot of this was supposed to be showing that he has "hidden depths" and isn't really a terrible person, but he's still a terrible boss? I don't know how Sam can separate that from how he is *towards* Sam. It feels really shitty, like, the moral is that terrible people also have emotions and aren't *always* horrible to *everyone* around them? Like. Duh.

Idk. There were so many things Jonathan did in the very beginning of the book that had me thinking "yeesh they're going to have to do a really good job of convincing me to like this guy for this to work." And....they didn't. It didn't work. Yes I felt for him in a lot of moments, yes I could see what Sam saw in him in some moments. Part of me *was* rooting for the relationship to work. But that same part of me was also desperately hoping for there to be even unconvincing proof that Jonathan was changing as a boss and wouldn't be so controlling and terrible towards his employees. And that just didn't happen.

So while I liked some things about this book, and was engaged, it was far more frustrating than satisfying for me.

One thing I will say for the book's credit is that I appreciated it debunked Stockholm Syndrome (briefly). It infuriates me when people act as if that's a real thing and so I was glad to see pushback on that in the book.

If you're fine with romances where the love interest is genuinely a terrible person to people he has power over, then I'd recommend this to you (genuinely--that's not even sarcastic. I know that wouldn't be a dealbreaker for some people). Otherwise, you might just be frustrated and wish this could have been as good as you wanted it to be.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this ARC. 

Alexis Hall is one of my favourite authors, and this book hits all the right notes of the things I love about his work, including: 
- a side cast of extremely funny and loveable characters. From Jonathan’s madcap family to the chaotic coworkers, every time there was an ensemble scene it was a delight 
- grumpy/sunshine romance 
- main characters who are flawed in realistic ways, and whose bad choices hide deeper, realistic insecurities - there’s never a time where I got annoyed because the choices they made didn’t make sense, which is the danger with pastiches of early 2000s/90s romcoms 
- deeply romantic 
- brilliant banter 

Having said that, I wish the deeply romantic bits had had more time to breathe. I can sort of see how Jonathan and Sam end up endeared to each other to the point that they fall in love, but aside from the extremely cute ‘ornament shopping’ scene, and the wagyu pizza/American diner scene, we didn’t get a ton of them really enjoying each other’s company pre-confession scene without it devolving into an argument eventually, the way that some of his other books did, despite being together almost the whole book (my favourites being Boyfriend/Husband Material, A Lady for a Duke (if there’s a more romantic book that exists, I don’t know it), For Real, and the Billionaire series - Arden, my beloved!). 

There was a lot where it seemed like they were going to have a good time together that then ended in an argument, or Jonathan blowing up, and while that’s necessary for character development in the beginning, it started to feel a bit like you needed to be on eggshells around him even after he admitted he liked Sam, which was a sort of uncomfortable feeling. 

Don’t get me wrong, I still loved him and Sam together, but I wish they’d addressed Jonathan’s terrible communication style a bit more than Sam just calling him a bastard (which he does quite a bit, this isn’t a dynamic where he lies down and takes verbal abuse, which is good). It would have been great to see Jonathan trying to be better to his employees, along with trying with his family and Sam. Then again, I suppose the larger point is that you can only change a heart so much, and have to otherwise accept them as they are. 

Alexis is always laugh out loud funny though with this series, and some of my favourite funny bits he’s ever written are in this book (“ooo eck the badgers!”, cooking a chicken together, and the fact that they both kept repeating the full retail name of every bed and bath item in his house). Despite the minor criticisms above, this is definitely worth the read (or listen, in my case). 

The audiobook is an absolute delight. I adored the way he performed all the characters, even if it took me a few chapters to get used to the very strong Northern accent for Sam - there were a few times I had to skip back and listen more carefully to make sure I understood it - it’s not one I hear much in day to day, being extremely far removed from the UK, but once my ears figured it out, it flowed beautifully. And the contrast in that accent and Jonathan’s ultra crisp, clearly a shield, very proper Southern English accent was fun. Jonathan was the standout performance - the narrator really made you feel when he was amused, laughing or close to tears. Absolutely brilliant casting.  

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for the free copy of this book.

 - 10 THINGS THAT NEVER HAPPENED is an expansion on the world of the BOYFRIEND MATERIAL books, and basically, if you loved those books, you're gonna love this one too.
- The premise is bananas (fake amnesia??!) and I was very into it. Hall is so good at writing bumbling characters, whether that be physical or emotional bumbling. And, as silly as this book is, it also deals with some very real feelings and relationship dynamics.
- The supporting cast of this book is great as well, and I hope we get some of their stories in future books. 

 disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all. Everyone’s reading experiences are subjective, so I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me on Instagram: @bookish.millennial or tiktok: @bookishmillennial

Alexis Hall does it again! I absolutely adored this book - here's a reminder of how these books are connected to BM & HM from Alexis' Instagram post on 4/15/2023 (https://www.instagram.com/p/CrEcGcgrQFl/) for those who are unfamiliar:
💙 Material World is a London Calling spin-off series. 5 books are planned (3 for London Calling & 2 for Material World) & all are set in the same universe.
❤️ London Calling is exclusively about Luc & Oliver (their final book will be called Father Material. Release date: tbc). Material World will feature 2 standalone stories about different couples. 10 Things That Never Happened (Jonathan & Sam) is book 1. Book 2 belongs to Tyler & has the unofficial title of Himbo de Bergerac. (Release date: tbc.) 

Anyway, you will find the following in this book:

I really enjoyed that most of this book took place inside Jonathan's home, and was filled with conversations between Jonathan and Sam. I liked that each conversation led them to unpacking and unraveling something that one of them (usually Jonathan) was struggling with. Jonathan is your typical workaholic who could be compared to Ebenezer Scrooge because of his penny pinching and lack of empathy or desire to build a genuine connection with his employees. Sam, on the other hand, cares deeply about others, especially his quirky group of colleagues, and he is desperately trying to get Jonathan to see them as people, not just workers.

Sam doesn't want this only for his friends, but also for Jonathan's sake! Jonathan seemingly lives a lonely life on purpose, constantly pushing his family away, even though they seem keen to spend time with him. He seems to feel unworthy of being loved or desired unless he is financially providing and ensuring his family avoids poverty. I thought both of these characters were deeply authentic, and I definitely had people from my real life pop into my mind as I read this. I think this is the perfect holiday romcom to read this holiday season, as it will make you giggle, kick your feet into the air when the grumpiness finally falls away a bit, and then make you upset when things inevitably go wrong. It has all the inner workings of a cozy and delightful holiday romcom! 

steam rating: closed-door/fade-to-black

cw: cursing, bullying, toxic relationships (familial, work, friends), injury (concussion after falling), medical content (main character goes to hospital for fall/concussion and follow up appointment), car accident is mentioned, grief

Out Oct. 17 [Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an eARC for review!]

Rating: 4/5 stars

When Sam hits his head moments after being fired from his job, he winds up part of a plot to keep his job—involving fake amnesia and living with his grump but attractive boss.

I love Alexis Hall, and in particular I find the London Calling books to be absolutely *hilarious.* This one is a spin off set in the same world, and it is every bit as funny as I expected and wanted it to be. I laughed multiple times and thoroughly enjoyed the reading experience.

I did think that this one tended to the slightly long side and I wanted a few more hijinks to really round out the plot. It also felt less focused on the romance and more focused on the individual character arcs in parts, which made it take longer to get invested in Sam-and-Jonathan as a couple (though I did eventually get there). But all of that said, these books are just so fun, and I am always excited for a chance to revisit this world Alexis has created.

Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: fake amnesia; forced proximity; cats

CW: Death of loved ones; injury; mentions of car accident (off page)