10 Things That Never Happened

Material World, Book 1

By: Alexis Hall

Narrated by: Will Watt

Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

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?

©2023 Alexis Hall (P)2023 Dreamscape Media

Stellar performance by Will Watt

Quirky story and some truly laugh out loud moments, but voice actor Will Watt kills!

Great characters and story

The story did a great job of making you fall in love with all the characters. It was truly a great book. Another winner by Alexis Hall.

Charming

The narrator is absolutely fantastic. The whole story is a fun ride - I laughed aloud and cried a bit, too.

The central pair is well calibrated, and their narrative progress is based on a semi-ridiculous but entertaining screwball conceit. The main protagonist is an ordinary sort of guy, and adorable.

Hall’s family dialogue scenes are brilliant, expressionistic and joyful, making the family itself a character - colorful, dynamic and whole.

I felt parts of myself open up while listening to the inner dialogue of the main protagonist. I responded to his humor, complexity, close observation and general kindness. I remember feeling something similar while listened to Hall’s “Billionaire” trilogy. The protagonist there is younger, more impulsive, and risky, but with both, it was super easy to connect to their inner processes as they wrestled with and commented upon what they encountered, including their own behavior and cognition, in rapid, stream-of-thought, delightful language.

Witty, Funny, Very Alexis Hall

The voice actor deserves an award from whatever organization is the audio book equivalent of an Oscar. This is hilarious. Really. I binged it. The only pick knocking a star is that I felt the ending was rushed. The MC made a tad too many excuses for himself, but just a tad, and I wanted to see more of a struggle for forgiveness seeing it got a bit public. I imagined more fallout. Overall, distinct voice, full of heart, and if Hall went full Boyfriend Material and wrote a sequel, I'd be the new face of "shut up and take my money." 100% recommend

I love this book

This was the best combination of old timey Christmas story and contemporary romance. Character development was very satisfying, and the ending was done very well. Alexis H is a truly gifted writer. Will Watt is an outstanding narrator. I am looking forward to the next installment.

Amazing story with quirky depth

Such a huge fan of the author and her ability to weave together multiple stories from one perspective! Sam is definitely my favorite character of hers so far!

Kinda cute story

The performance of the narrator is the star of this audiobook. The story is okay.

Simply wonderful

I didn't think it was possible to top "Boyfriend Material", but this book did it. When I got to the end, I did something I've never done before: I immediately started listening to it again. The characters are so relatable and the story is utterly heartwarming. And Will Watt - well, I could listen to him read the phone book. He's just great! Can't recommend this enough. My new all time favorite.

Tender love story

I loved the reading of this book and the storyline. Always a fan of lovers hating each other in the beginning then digging deeper into each others core.

Good story.

The book starts off a little slow. The overall story is actually good. Both main characters and they’re storyline really sticks to the holiday theme! Give it a go and enjoy!