Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - 10 Things That Never Happened: Material World, Book 1

My main issue with this book was that I felt like I didn't really get to know either hero very well — even the POV MC, Sam, was a bit of a mystery since he's lying and misdirecting for most of the book. Because of that the romance aspect fell a tiny bit flat for me. I loved the softer moments where the characters connected (like when they were appalled over the price of Fortnum's decorations) and when they would show they cared in small ways, but they weren't enough to carry a whole romance on their back, especially given how much conflict these two characters had. I also found the ending a bit rushed; if there was another chapter or two after

the graveyard scene

I think it would've gone a long way in fleshing out the romance more.

While I enjoyed the antics and craziness from the side characters, there were just a few too many of them to keep straight. And Jonathan's Granddad Del was clearly a carbon copy of Del Boy from Only Fools and Horses, right down to the name and dodgy deals. My favourite character was actually Gollum, Sam's ugly cat who was hilariously adorable and kind of stole the show from the main characters. His scenes with Jonathan were so cute.

There were a couple of inaccuracies about the steel industry in South Yorkshire, although I appreciate that it's a bit of a niche subject. But I can look past that part because it it was so nice to read a queer, working-class northern MC in a romance novel set in the UK. I loved that it was a romcom that was actually funny and lighthearted for once, while still being touching and grounded in real life and somehow pulling off a fake amnesia plot. And I cannot stress enough how good the humour is. Overall a very charming and enjoyable Christmassy romcom!

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fuzzywilson's review against another edition

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emotional funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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just_one_more_paige's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

And so continues my read everything by Alexis Hall quest. This is his most recent publication, and one that I received an ALC of from Libro.fm, though I ended reading this one with my eyes, as it was (as Hall's books have consistently proven to be) fast and fun and sweet and funny and a great choice for travel reading (which are, in fact, the circumstances under which I picked it up).

Sam Becker isn't living a dream life, sure, but he has settled comfortably into his role managing quirky and mildly inept staff at a branch of a bed and bath retailer. The only real problem is that the owner is a git. Said owner, Jonathan Forest, is an unsentimental workaholic, not good with people in the way that Sam is, and definitely doesn't have time for anything other than keeping his businesses running at highest quality. Since Sam's store is underperforming, Jonathan invites him to London to have a tough discussion about next steps, but during the conversation, Sam trips, hitting his head. When Jonathan misinterprets his fuzziness due to concussion as amnesia, Sam takes advantage to try and save his bumbling staff from being fired. But while faking amnesia originally seemed like a great idea, the more time Sam spends with Jonathan (and Jonathan's family...and sees how much his grumpy cat likes Jonathan), the more Sam realizes there is a softer side to him that he keeps deeply hidden away. And maybe Sam is falling for that softer side? So, this "second shot at a first impression" has backed Sam into an uncomfortable corner that he now has to figure out how to get out of without ruining what's turning out to be an actually really great relationship.

As I said in my little intro, this was fast and fun and sweet and funny. Like, for real, I have never come across a writer whose consistency in style reaches this level before. There is something quintessentially Hall that is present in each of his books I've read. It's that writing that is laugh-snort out loud hilarity of the dialogue and narration (he does not miss on that), mixed with a sort of softness of an impending HEA that you know you'll get because that's what Hall does. It's a perfect balance for entertainment and heartwarming-ness, and really no one does it like he does.

Now, that being said, the amnesia situation is not a favorite of mine, as tropes go, so this just was never going to be a favorite of his books, for me. And I knew that going in, so I adjusted expectations accordingly. And after reading, I remember why. There's just a suspension of disbelief that you have to have, in order to buy into a story where a character can remember some things and not others, and yes, I know the brain is complex, but it's just a lot to ask of this reader. Now, some of that (like why Sam's family, or anyone in his life, doesn't reach out about his well-being for weeks, even in Holiday times) does get more well explained in the end. And when it does, it is heartbreaking and it does fit. But that doesn't change the fact that, for the majority of my time reading this book, it was a question sitting in my mind that affected my overall reading experience.

On the other hand, I am not usually a Holiday romance lover either, and in that case...this book was giving. Like, the absolutely adorable hamster ornament interaction/theme had my heart straight up melting. And the giant Christmas tree through all the floors of Jonathan's house was, honestly, spirit-restoring. Related to this, a bit, but also standing on its own, if you have a big loud nosy family, this book will feel familiar in all the good and annoying ways. Those vibes were on point and hit the spot.

Tbh, all in all, I'm coming out of this book with the feeling of vibes that were on point and hit the spot. And, though this isn't a new favorite Alexis Hall for me (of note, I'm hard pressed to believe that anything will ever beat A Lady for a Duke), it delivered what I was hoping for and left me quite satisfied.

“You’ve come into my life like a beam of very annoying sunshine. You talk so much that I miss it when you’re not. You try to fix things I didn’t even realize were broken. You have a dreadful sense of humor to which I’ve somehow become habituated. You care about people so effortlessly it makes me able to put up with them. And then you kissed me and now I…” He lets his head slip further down into his hands. “…I don’t know how I’m supposed to go the rest of my life without being kissed by you again.”

“So I kiss him again. I kiss him the way he’s maybe scared to be kissed and the way I think he deserves to be kissed.”

“And that’s—well it’s jobs, at the end of the day. They’re bigger than you and that’s nice when you’re there. But every connection you make is based on cash and convenience. It’s not a substitute for— For anything.”

“It’s kind of the worst thing someone can say to you. Because you can’t hurt someone unless they care. And you shouldn’t if they do.”

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skudiklier's review against another edition

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funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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.

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redheadorganist's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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kal517's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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goblindad's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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what_karla_reads's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

4.5/5 stars
1/5 spice (fade to black)

Workplace romance with the grumpy boss? Oh yes... this one was a treat.

Tropes:
Boss/Employee
Grumpy/sunshine
Forced proximity
Family dynamics
Holiday shenanigans
Faked amnesia
Single POV

Jonathan really was that boss you love to hate because they are just so logical about everything. But oh my goodness, seeing him thaw out for Sam was swoon worthy. I listened to the audiobook and was laughing on more than one occasion because of their banter. Jonathan really did care in his own grumpy way, and I loved seeing Sam figure out all his quirks and mannerisms. The whole amnesia plot wasn't a huge conflict, and I was glad to see that it didn't create a long, drawn-out 3rd act break up. But you see it coming, and you know that hair brained scheme is going to coming crashing down on Sam eventually. But by that time, the feelings are involved.

Overall, this was a cute rom com with a diverse cast of characters. I could totally see this being turned into a holiday movie. The spice is very low and fades to black after some heavy kissing scenes. I only wish there was a bit more tension leading up to those moments. Otherwise, it was all nicely done.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.

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