10 Things That Never Happened

In this enemies-to-lovers romance between a grinning nihilist sunshine and a deeply withdrawn sensitive grump, Sam ends up with a concussion as his boss is confronting him, so he decides to fake amnesia as well. Sam doesn’t see the harm, since workaholic CEO Jonathan called him to London just to dress him down. But Sam has no one to help him after the accident, making Jonathan his reluctant caregiver. Jonathan’s just as much of a jerk as Sam thought—at first. But caring for Sam changes him, reducing his addiction to work and allergy to family. Now Sam’s caught up in his lie, Jonathan’s attention, and Christmas-party planning. Can he come clean while keeping this fragile new relationship alive? Hall (Something Spectacular) avoids worn tropes: changes occur because of active character choices; self-awareness is hard-won; side characters are distinctive and layered; the concussion realistically impacts Sam’s abilities; and boss/employee ethics are handled before the relationship goes deeper.