10 Things That Never Happened
10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall is $1.99! This is book one in the Material World series. It’s tangentially related to Hall’s other books Boyfriend Material and Husband Material, but works fine as a standalone.
Fake amnesia. Real feelings? Real problems.
Sam Becker loves―or, okay, likes―his job. Sure, managing a bed and bath retailer isn’t exactly glamorous, but it’s good work and he gets on well with the band of misfits who keep the store running. He could see himself being content here for the long haul. Too bad, then, that the owner is an infuriating git.
Jonathan Forest should never have hired Sam. It was a sentimental decision, and Jonathan didn’t get where he is by following his heart. Determined to set things right, Jonathan orders Sam down to London for a difficult talk…only for a panicking Sam to trip, bump his head, and maybe accidentally imply he doesn’t remember anything?
Faking amnesia seemed like a good idea when Sam was afraid he was getting sacked, but now he has to deal with the reality of Jonathan’s guilt―as well as the unsettling fact that his surly boss might have a softer side to him. There’s an unexpected freedom in getting a second shot at a first impression…but as Sam and Jonathan grow closer, can Sam really bring himself to tell the truth, or will their future be built entirely on one impulsive lie?
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Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday is $2.99! This one was released back in January and features a single dad, hockey player hero. This one doesn’t seem as well reviewed as Holiday’s other contemporary romances. Did you read this one?
A charming and heartfelt romance about a woman who comes face to face with the fake Canadian boyfriend she made up as a teenager.
The fake Canadian boyfriend. It’s a thing. The get out of jail free card for all kinds of sticky social situations. “I can’t go to prom; I’m going to be out of town visiting my boyfriend in Canada.” It’s all over pop culture. But Aurora Evans did it first. Once upon a time she met a teenage hockey player at the Mall of America. He was from Canada. He was a boy. She may have fudged the “friend” part a little, but it wasn’t like she was ever going to see him again. It wasn’t like she hurt anyone. Until she did—years later—on both counts.
When pro hockey player and recent widower Mike Martin walks into the dance studio where Aurora Evans teaches, he’s feeling overwhelmed with the fact that his wife may not have been exactly who he thought she was and the logistics of going back to work. As one of the few people his angry, heartbroken daughter connects with, Aurora agrees to be a pseudo nanny to help him navigate the upcoming school year and hockey season. To his surprise, she turns out to be the perfect balm for him as well. Aurora gets him. The real him underneath his pro jersey. And yet, he still finds himself holding back, unable to fully trust again—especially when he finds out the secret Aurora’s been hiding from him.
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Just Like Magic by Sarah Hogle is $1.99! This is a holiday romance with a little magical flair. We also featured it previously on Hide Your Wallet. Any Hogle fans in the Bitchery?
From the author of Twice Shy comes a sprightly Christmas novel, a rollicking romp through the absurdity of family holidays and the hope of new love.
Bettie Hughes once knew the comfort of luxury, flaunting a ridiculous collection of designer shoes and a stealthy addiction to CBD oils. That is, until her parents snipped her purse strings. Long obsessed with her public image, Bettie boasts an extravagant lifestyle on social media. But the reality is: Bettie is broke and squatting in Colorado, and her family has no idea.
Christmas, with its pressure to meet familial expectations, is looming when a drunk Bettie plays a vinyl record of “All I Want for Christmas Is You” backwards and accidentally conjures Hall, an unexpectedly charming Holiday Spirit in the form of a man. Once the shock wears off, Bettie knows she’s stumbled upon the greatest gift: a chance to make all her holiday wishes come true, plus a ready-made fiancé.
But as the wiles of magic lose their charm, Bettie finds herself set off-kilter by Hall’s sweet gestures. Suddenly, Bettie is finding her heart merry and light. But the happier she gets, the shorter Hall’s time on earth grows. Can Bettie channel the Christmas spirit and learn to live with goodwill toward all men? Or will her selfish ways come back as soon as the holidays are over?
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We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks!An Ex for Christmas
An Ex for Christmas by Lauren Layne is $1.99! This is a friends to lovers romance with a hint of some holiday cheer. I will warn that this romance is from the heroine’s POV and other readers wished to know what the hero was thinking at some points.
She’s making a list—and checking it twice. But is there a nice guy among all her naughty exes? The New York Times bestselling author of Blurred Lines returns with a charming friends-to-lovers rom-com.
When a psychic tells spunky, superstitious Kelly Byrne that she’s already met her true love, she becomes obsessed with the idea of tracking him down before Christmas. Kelly immediately writes up an “Ex List” and starts contacting old boyfriends to figure out which one is the one. When her college sweetheart rolls into town, Kelly convinces herself that they’re meant to be. The trouble is, sparks are flying with someone she’s never given a chance: her best friend, Mark.
Mark Blakely has watched the guys on Kelly’s list break her heart, and he’s not looking forward to watching them do it all over again. Mark’s always been there for her, but the timing’s never worked out for their relationship to be something more. Now, just as Mark is ready to move on, the sexual tension between them is suddenly off the charts. With Christmas morning around the corner, he just hopes Kelly will wake up and realize that everything she wants has been right in front of her all along.
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I enjoyed the Alexis Hall, but it’s not my favorite. It’s a loose riff on While You Were Sleeping (which I didn’t know when I read it) – but like the movie, the focus is more on the MC falling for the LI’s family than the actual romance.
Here’s my GR review.
B-? M/M rom-com with more com than rom. The plot requires a huge suspension of disbelief, which is kind of the point of the amnesia trope. The romance wasn’t particularly convincing and the narrator was annoying but I enjoyed the ride.
I did enjoy the emotional growth of both protags. There’s also a lot about grief and family and fathers and sons and what success looks like. And it was laugh out loud funny.
I liked the writing style of CANADIAN BOYFRIEND but was annoyed with the MMC’s reaction to the big reveal (described in the book summary above). The FMC’s reasons for creating a fake boyfriend made sense in context, although it wasn’t always clear why she prolonged the ruse. I think this was my first Jenny Holiday book, and it got me interested in reading more from her.
‘An Ex for Christmas’ cover is like ‘him, a v*gina…that is very interesting’
I LOVE “Just Like Magic.” It’s just so, so very fun. It definitely has an over-the-top-ness but never to the point that it felt silly or dumbed-down, at least to me. The humor is sharp, the romance is fun and has the feels, the FMC’s growth is real, the family secondary characters are terrific, and the MMC is charming. I will never look at a Cracker Barrel the same way again.
Get it if you want a funny and sweet holiday read with a dash of magic and warmth. Be aware that it’s not very steamy IIRC.
I also enjoyed Hogle’s Twice Shy quite a bit (which is a little steamier, I think, FWIW)!
@EditChief: Completely agree. I’ve enjoyed Holiday’s other books as well.
1O THINGS THAT NEVER HAPPENED is one of my favourite Alexis Hall books. It’s almost up there with BOYFRIEND MATERIAL for me. It made me laugh out loud, which I almost never do. I love the voice.
@EditChief: I also agree. I find Holiday mixed, but liked CANADIAN BOYFRIEND and DUKE, ACTUALLY a lot.
Though I liked Hogle’s YOU DESERVE EACH OTHER and TWICE SHY a lot, I just couldn’t go with the premise of JUST LIKE MAGIC, which made me sad. If you’re able to forgive the contrivances there’s a lot to like, but sadly I just couldn’t. I find this really weird, because I’ve spent decades reading SF and Fantasy, but I guess sometimes things don’t work for me. Your mileage will vary!
I adore 10 Things; particularly the audiobook as Will Watt just NAILS the humor and vulnerability. I relisten to this one frequently as it’s become a real comfort read (listen). Frankly I’ll try pretty much anything Alexis Hall writes. Some hit better than other, but I’ve never DNFed any of his work.
Free:
– A Kiss for Midwinter (The Brothers Sinister Book 3) by Courtney Milan
– Only One Bed: MM Christmas Romance (Love on the Ice) by Keira Andrews
– Jingle All The Way To Snowside: A Vermont Christmas Romance (The Murphy Clan Book 13) by Kathy Coatney
– Mr. Big: An Older Brother’s Best Friend Romance (London Billionaires Book 2) by Nana Malone
– A Hot Piece of Sass (Black Paw Wolves Book 1) by Melanie James
$.99:
– Just One Kiss (Whisper Lake Book 4) by Barbara Freethy
– The Proposal Laughbox (Laughbox Boxed Sets Book 2) by Julia Kent
– The Holiday Hat Trick: A why choose, holiday, sports romance (Taking The Shot) by MJ Fields
– The Lost Fiancé Twist (Spencer Brothers Book 1) by Ana Ashley
– Twice the Sass (Black Paw Wolves Book 2) by Melanie James
– You Bet Your Sass (Black Paw Wolves Book 3) by Melanie James
– Watch Your Sass (Black Paw Wolves Book 4) by Melanie James
– Your Sass is Mine (Black Paw Wolves Book 5) by Melanie James
– Tis the Season for Sass (Black Paw Wolves Book 6) by Melanie James
– Holidays with the Dragons (The Dragon Guard) by Julia Mills
– Chasing Castles: A Second Chance Brother’s Bestfriend/Bestfriend’s Little Sister Romance (Finding Focus Series Book 2) by Jiffy Kate
– Fighting Fire: A Fighting For Love Happily Ever After (Finding Focus Series Book 3) by Jiffy Kate
– Taming Trouble: An Enemies to Lovers Single Parent Romance (Finding Focus Book 4) by Jiffy Kate
– Watch and See: A Sexy Slow-Burn Suspenseful Romance by Jiffy Kate
– No Strings Attached: A Strangers to Lovers Slow-Burn Standalone by Jiffy Kate
$1.99:
– The Golem and the Jinni: A Novel (Harper Perennial Olive Editions)
by Helene Wecker
– Do You Want to Start a Scandal (Castles Ever After) by Tessa Dare
– The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle: An Uplifting and Unforgettable Story of Love and Second Chances by Matt Cain
– The Family Next Door: A Novel by Sally Hepworth
I had a take similar to Cleo on the Alexis Hall. I laughed out loud multiple times and EVENTUALLY the main characters got a little less annoying, but if it weren’t for the humor and the solid cast of secondary characters aka the romance had to stand on its own, it would have been a DNF.
(This is actually my consistent complaint about Hall—he’s so funny and has so much potential, but way too high a tolerance for assholes and asshole behavior.)