My new favourite holiday read. 

This is Alexis Hall at their best warm & fuzzy: funny, irreverent, deftly subverted tropes, some astute observations of emotional intelligence & a side of social commentary. I definitely did not think I needed to know more about Jonathan Forest when he’s made appearances elsewhere in London Calling but I am so glad I shrugged to myself and got curious about what Alexis Hall had to share about him and Samwise. Though fake amnesia is not a trope I usually go for, don’t think too hard about it or the plausibility of the plot with this one; just get swept up in the people and use of language. It’s a delight to read.

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This was a cute book. There were plenty of funny moments. I'm not really sure what I thought of the characters and their relationship. 

I actually enjoyed this far more than Boyfriend Material, the first in the series this one spins off from, although damn, I had to suspend my disbelief more times than with some fantasy novels. I’m kind of concerned that neither Alexis Hall nor any of the beta readers and editors this book might have had know how muting works on phones. Also, a big part of the plot is the MC getting a concussion as part of the inciting incident, and like… Yeah, sure, the type of accident he has should result in one, except as someone who’s had two concussions, one nastier than the other, I failed to recognize a single symptom. Not that he even displayed any symptoms, short of getting tired more easily, but only when it was convenient for the plot. So that constantly took me out of the story, and I had to struggle to shove myself back in.

Outside of that, this was fun. The premise is that a store manager is trying to convince his boss to please not fire him and his team (that includes characters like a guy who keeps ruining expensive mattresses and stuff, but he’s got a grandmother to take care of, so Sam, the MC, doesn’t have the heart to fire them). The attempt, taking place in one of the chain’s stores, kind of escalates. An accident involving a shower cabin happens. And then the MC ends up concussed, a misunderstanding results in the doctor and his boss both believing he’s got amnesia too, and since there’s no one who can come get him and take care of him, Jonathan, the boss in question, steps in. Probably to avoid getting sued, but also maybe, just maybe, because he’s a semi-decent human being underneath all the grump, although that’s not something Sam considers just yet. And then they end up as roommates at Jonathan’s mansion, and Jonathan’s family keeps showing up assuming they’re boyfriends, and Sam really tries to use the entire weird situation to protect his job and his team, but it just all keeps getting weirder and messier. Oh, and there’s a fair amount of Christmas party planning involved, because while it’s not immediately apparent, this is actually a holiday romance.

There are lots of crazy shenanigans here, intersperse with pretty touching and heartfelt moments as the two characters get to know each other better and start to care far more than they ever wanted to. I did feel a little cheated out of the promised grumpy/sunshine dynamic, because while Jonathan is an exceptional 10/10 grump, I didn’t find Sam particularly sunshiny. He’s mostly kind, yes, and has a strong sense of what’s fair and what’s not, and he’s not bad with people, but also not always pleasant to be around and has a decidedly mean streak. I feel like characters that embody the “sunshine“ part of that trope shouldn’t lash out quite so much at their grump counterpart, no matter the reasons. I did like Sam and relate to certain aspects of his personality a lot, it’s just not really that specific trope. 

I liked a lot of the side characters, especially Agnieszka the housekeeper, and pretty much everyone in Jonathan’s family, and also, the lovely, ugly cat (reminded me of one of mine). There was plenty of super funny banter, even if sometimes it bordered on a tad too mean-spirited for me. Loved how the Christmas tree thing was handled, and all those points where Sam and Jonathan’s clashes resulted in them actually explaining and understanding their conflicting points, and that last chapter before the epilogue (damn that one reveal, so heartbreaking). Also, this is one of those instances where I feel the regional accent was really well handled in writing.

Would recommend to those who like wacky romcoms with lots of bickering and are more skilled than I am at ignoring the glaringly underresearched parts. 

Set in the same world as Alexis Hall's other well-beloved series (Boyfriend Material and its sequel, Husband Material), 10 Things That Never Happened is the endlessly enjoyable story about Sam Becker and his (admittedly) dickish boss, Jonathan Forest. When Sam accidentally implies he has amnesia after an unintentional "workplace incident" (so says corporate speak), he just kind of has to go along with it, because otherwise he has to admit that he remembers Jonathan Forest firing not only him, but his entire team.

Ten Things That Never Happened is the kind of lovely and charming queer holiday romcom every Hallmark movie wishes it could be. Sam is sweet without being saccharine,  sassy without being a stereotype, and the kind of protagonist that, even with all of his struggles (perhaps especially with all of his struggles) you just want to root for and see happy. Jonathan, on the other hand, is a curmudgeon in every sense of the word: a man with a spectacular sense of corporate duty and a desire to do what it takes to succeed, regardless of how unpopular that makes him. In spite of this, there's an endearing, hopeless edge to him that draws sympathy and an urge to understand, rather than dismiss, his continual frustrations and - at times - rudeness to those around him. Jonathan can be an asshole, there's little doubt to that (at one point during the story, when speaking of the strained relationship he has with his father, he comes across as particularly assholic), but there's a complexity to him that really encourages the reader to listen and not be so quick to conclude that he's only an asshole.

While there are a few moments of simple confusion (especially among the scenes with all of the family together and trying to keep it straight who everyone is), there is a delightful sense of chaos that lays itself over the story that makes it feel natural and not at all difficult to handle. Jonathan's family in particular is especially heartwarming, whereas Sam's loneliness and his slow growing affection for Jonathan are so tender that you almost feel annoyed that you can't reach through the pages of the book and give him a massive hug. And, of course, we can't forget the real hero of the story - Sam's cat Gollum (or is it Jonathan's?), who should frankly be the hero of every story for just how perfectly wonderful he is.

10 Things That Never Happened is perhaps a little predictable plot-wise, but doesn't lose that feeling of warmth and love that make it stand out in spite of this. The hysterical quips and well presented humor provide a great balance to the gentle, sometimes aggravating, sometimes intense, occasionally-volatile-because-Jonathan-Fucking-Forest, slow proceeding romance at the center, proving that Alexis Hall knows how to write a good, nicely paced story that makes you neither bored nor in a hurry for more. It's the perfect book for the upcoming holiday season if you want something that makes everything feel warm and fuzzy and emotional and frustrated and happy - or if you just want to buy a Nexa by MERLYN 8mm Sliding Door Shower enclosure.

Alexis Hall’s writing is consistently lovely, engaging, unique, and funny. No notes on the writing whatsoever. 

I didn’t quite get on board with the romance. I literally said “why” out loud the first time they kissed. It felt like absolutely nothing was leading to it. They were becoming friends, sure, but lovers not so much. There were more scenes of bonding and relationship building later, which was good, but I still didn’t feel love or sparks between them, just friendship. 

Alexis Hall sure does love a large group of wacky, chaotic characters. Jury is still out on whether or not I like them as much as he does. The good thing was that each character was distinct and recognizable, which puts it well above some other ensemble casts with characters that all seem the same. Maybe if it was just one group of wacky characters instead of the store staff AND Jonathan’s family it wouldn’t be as noticeable or overwhelming. 

The audiobook narrator was really good with all the accents. 

Good book, fantastic writing,  but not my favorite romance.