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Never After
From fan-favorite author Alexis Hall comes a story of faith, redemption, and love—a melancholic tale of queer romance set in nineteenth-century England.
On the grim streets of London, a young man succumbs to his demons. Discarded by his lover and left penniless and alone, Michael “Micha” Dashwood uses sex to pay the bills and opium to numb the pain.
When a sudden illness strikes, all seems lost. But hope finds Micha in the shape of the Reverend Thomas Mandeville. Haunted by grief of his own, Thomas cannot bear to ignore another man’s plight. He brings the ailing Micha home to heal in his parish at Nettlefield.
As Micha recovers under Thomas’s care, he begins to realize that some people in this world are worthy of trust. Thomas, in turn, learns the truth of his own needs and desires. Between the secrets of the past and the burdens of the present, their future together seems impossible. Questions of faith and the shadow of opium continue to haunt them both.
Yet possibilities, like miracles, can be found wherever you look for them.
On the grim streets of London, a young man succumbs to his demons. Discarded by his lover and left penniless and alone, Michael “Micha” Dashwood uses sex to pay the bills and opium to numb the pain.
When a sudden illness strikes, all seems lost. But hope finds Micha in the shape of the Reverend Thomas Mandeville. Haunted by grief of his own, Thomas cannot bear to ignore another man’s plight. He brings the ailing Micha home to heal in his parish at Nettlefield.
As Micha recovers under Thomas’s care, he begins to realize that some people in this world are worthy of trust. Thomas, in turn, learns the truth of his own needs and desires. Between the secrets of the past and the burdens of the present, their future together seems impossible. Questions of faith and the shadow of opium continue to haunt them both.
Yet possibilities, like miracles, can be found wherever you look for them.
374 pages, Paperback
First published April 7, 2026
About the author
Alexis Hall
62 books15.8k followersOne of those intricate British queers.
Please note: I don’t read / reply to DMs. If you would like to get in touch, the best way is via email which you can find in the contact section on my website <3
Please note: I don’t read / reply to DMs. If you would like to get in touch, the best way is via email which you can find in the contact section on my website <3
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 331 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
✰ 3.25 stars ✰
The writing never shied away from the possibility that perhaps a Never After was always written in the stars. Even with the foreboding foreshadowing that the title would play into fruition, the hopeless, helpless romantic that I am believed in defies reality. It was heart wrenching to accept the truth that nobody gets everything they want in life, we all pay prices for the choices we make. 💔
And so what if it was a forbidden love - tormented love, unkind love? The sacrifice of desire for duty, love for reality, devotion to God or to the heart. To follow which path is the struggle unspoken. 😢 The title speaks of what to expect, so I cannot fault entirely the ending that left me both desolate, disheartened, but also begrudgingly accepting the unfortunate circumstances.
My real issue was the way it was presented - not wholly fair to either party, justification disappointing, and a totally inconsequential, unfair perspective that paints a certain character as the winner, which did not serve its due diligence of rewarding me with a conclusive, gratifying feeling of closure. That ambivalent nature that leaves it all up for speculation boils my blood like nothing else. 😒
“Was it idealism, or pride, or the simple lunacy of love, which felt too much like invincibility sometimes?”
The writing was a tad too sentimental, overly dramatic at times, also sometimes repetitive - an overabundance of flowery romance with love declarations galore. A lot of growling and shrugging - too noticeable to ignore, and a strange contrast of time with the modernity of its intense spice, carnal rough and relentless, that had a contemporary feel to it. Sometimes it worked, sometimes not so much. 🤷🏻♀️
I understand that the journal entries were needed to explore Micha's shameful, pitiful, sorrowful past as a whore and provide context to his struggles and conflicted relationship with laudanum, but I found it distracting and detracted from the main story. 🙆🏻♀️ At times, his own self-loathing, self-doubt was so very strong that the way in which Thomas was so patient and tender with his reluctance and willful stubbornness in denying himself the simplest of pleasures and belief in happiness got wearisome.
“It's just the same. Just the same as loving anybody. Uncomfortable and terrible, and, you know, wonderful.”
“Yes, that does sound like love.”
Thirty-year-old Reverend Thomas' undying devotion to twenty-three-year old Micha with his false declarations of promises was hard to believe. 🤨 I didn't understand the suddenness in which Thomas devoted himself entirely to Micha - 'thou hast ravished my heart'; which in a way, then does explain the final outcome. But, his infatuation was so swift and blinding that even when he offers him the choice, it feels like he was almost compelled into agreeing.
It's a fine line to toe between melodrama and desperation, and removing my visors I can see how hurtful and tragic this doomed tragedy could have been to those who lived during this time period, who may have even experienced it - all their smiles and touches and little jokes, as countless as the stars. 🥺 I just wanted love to triumph over all the rest. Find a way to really work, rather than the only compromise that he had to offer, which did seem paltry and not all too tempting, when I honestly believe that maybe Micha could have found a way for himself - not give him a chance or choice to find out.
“I'm scared of tomorrow. Tomorrows have never been particularly good to me.”
“Then let's make now last for as long as we can.”
I can learn to live with it - accept it, because reality of the historical context. I just wish the author could have chosen to portray it differently. It was distasteful, almost as if Thomas did get the better end of the deal, much like how it was Micha's sacrifice, that even when it was a chase or a compromise, Thomas still was maybe more content, not necessarily happier, but more content. And that saddened me. 🥀
“I wish I could give you everything I want to give you.”
The writing never shied away from the possibility that perhaps a Never After was always written in the stars. Even with the foreboding foreshadowing that the title would play into fruition, the hopeless, helpless romantic that I am believed in defies reality. It was heart wrenching to accept the truth that nobody gets everything they want in life, we all pay prices for the choices we make. 💔
And so what if it was a forbidden love - tormented love, unkind love? The sacrifice of desire for duty, love for reality, devotion to God or to the heart. To follow which path is the struggle unspoken. 😢 The title speaks of what to expect, so I cannot fault entirely the ending that left me both desolate, disheartened, but also begrudgingly accepting the unfortunate circumstances.
My real issue was the way it was presented - not wholly fair to either party, justification disappointing, and a totally inconsequential, unfair perspective that paints a certain character as the winner, which did not serve its due diligence of rewarding me with a conclusive, gratifying feeling of closure. That ambivalent nature that leaves it all up for speculation boils my blood like nothing else. 😒
“Was it idealism, or pride, or the simple lunacy of love, which felt too much like invincibility sometimes?”
The writing was a tad too sentimental, overly dramatic at times, also sometimes repetitive - an overabundance of flowery romance with love declarations galore. A lot of growling and shrugging - too noticeable to ignore, and a strange contrast of time with the modernity of its intense spice, carnal rough and relentless, that had a contemporary feel to it. Sometimes it worked, sometimes not so much. 🤷🏻♀️
I understand that the journal entries were needed to explore Micha's shameful, pitiful, sorrowful past as a whore and provide context to his struggles and conflicted relationship with laudanum, but I found it distracting and detracted from the main story. 🙆🏻♀️ At times, his own self-loathing, self-doubt was so very strong that the way in which Thomas was so patient and tender with his reluctance and willful stubbornness in denying himself the simplest of pleasures and belief in happiness got wearisome.
“It's just the same. Just the same as loving anybody. Uncomfortable and terrible, and, you know, wonderful.”
“Yes, that does sound like love.”
Thirty-year-old Reverend Thomas' undying devotion to twenty-three-year old Micha with his false declarations of promises was hard to believe. 🤨 I didn't understand the suddenness in which Thomas devoted himself entirely to Micha - 'thou hast ravished my heart'; which in a way, then does explain the final outcome. But, his infatuation was so swift and blinding that even when he offers him the choice, it feels like he was almost compelled into agreeing.
It's a fine line to toe between melodrama and desperation, and removing my visors I can see how hurtful and tragic this doomed tragedy could have been to those who lived during this time period, who may have even experienced it - all their smiles and touches and little jokes, as countless as the stars. 🥺 I just wanted love to triumph over all the rest. Find a way to really work, rather than the only compromise that he had to offer, which did seem paltry and not all too tempting, when I honestly believe that maybe Micha could have found a way for himself - not give him a chance or choice to find out.
“I'm scared of tomorrow. Tomorrows have never been particularly good to me.”
“Then let's make now last for as long as we can.”
I can learn to live with it - accept it, because reality of the historical context. I just wish the author could have chosen to portray it differently. It was distasteful, almost as if Thomas did get the better end of the deal, much like how it was Micha's sacrifice, that even when it was a chase or a compromise, Thomas still was maybe more content, not necessarily happier, but more content. And that saddened me. 🥀
November 11, 2025
4.5 rounded up. This book is beautifully written, as usual Alexis Hall is an extremely skilled creator of prose. It’s a beautiful but tough story- lots of dark themes & ideas, but one that comes clear into hope, & then takes another turn back into the practicality of the nineteenth century. I cried multiple times toward the end, even as I think the end is a little uneven- the epilogue seems to do a bit to undermine the optimism of the actual ending, & I’m not opposed to it, but I wish there were more detail there. However, I really appreciate the serious lush style- very little of the tongue-in-cheek of the recent rom coms, to its credit. Breaks your heart, in a good way.
November 16, 2025
I am a bit at a loss for words. The ending broke my heart, still, I believe it might be the best I have read by this author so far. It's heavier and darker than usually, yet it also has the best of AH's writing, namely, strong voice, emotional depth and a broken, snarky, prickly MC you can't help falling in love with while he picks up himself piece by piece. And Thomas, Thomas... Kudos to all the gentle, patient, kind-hearted giants, carrying the rest of us on their shoulders. Also, may I become a part of Netterfield, too, please? I really need it to be non-fictional right now.
Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for the eARC of this book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for the eARC of this book.
October 3, 2026
Wow ok..this was a lot! Painful. I have absolutely no idea how to review this. I will endeavour to come back and write a review that does this marvellous but rather soul crushing book justice 🙏
CAUTION ⚠️ not a conventional romance! This is a complicated, layered story of life and love in the 1800’s.
CAUTION ⚠️ not a conventional romance! This is a complicated, layered story of life and love in the 1800’s.
Want to Read
March 26, 2026I grabbed this ARC off NetGalley from the Romance category and a friend kindly pointed me towards the author's website for this tidbit: "Never After, while it does have a strong romance at its centre, is not a capital R romance as per genre convention."
I am immensely frustrated that the publisher tagged this as a Romance when the author clearly states that it is not. A head's up to others expecting an HEA Romance.
I am immensely frustrated that the publisher tagged this as a Romance when the author clearly states that it is not. A head's up to others expecting an HEA Romance.
November 3, 2025
november 2025: initial thoughts: Never After is the perfect example of my growing frustration with Hall's work: at times beautiful but always indulgent and not nearly as clever as the author believes it to be; needs extensive editorial support. I'll probably avoid any future releases from Hall for a while. I think Thomas's character was more developed than Micha's? Micha's narration and dialogue was a little uneven and, I don't know, modern? I'll come back with more when I have time.
---
. . . two weeks, one acid trip, and three hours of staring at a painting of Hades and Persephone I have hanging above my fireplace later, the final chapter and the epilogue snapped into place.
*I received this as an ARC
april 2026: I briefly wrote about this on my blog
---
. . . two weeks, one acid trip, and three hours of staring at a painting of Hades and Persephone I have hanging above my fireplace later, the final chapter and the epilogue snapped into place.
*I received this as an ARC
april 2026: I briefly wrote about this on my blog
May 7, 2026
Enormously frustrating.
Micha, down and out, broke, addicted to opium, and despairing, collapses in the street and is scooped up and cared for by Thomas, an Anglican priest. Thomas is the kindest, most generous soul on this or probably any other planet, so he doesn't abandon Micha despite Micha's general horribleness toward him and everyone around him. Eventually, Thomas falls in love with Micha, and Micha slowly lets his defensiveness and suspicion dissolve and comes to love Thomas in return.
N.B. we are in Victorian England.
Thomas simultaneously feels that his relationship with Micha is sacred and their sex sacramental, and that because they're not married they're fornicating, which is a sin. Since he doesn't plan to stop fornicating he decides to leave his parish and go away with Micha, but the trouble is he has a genuine pastoral vocation; cue emotional turmoil and the setup for a bittersweet ending that isn't quite spelled out but that seems to involve Micha drifting in and out of Thomas's life in a dynamic they compare with that of Persephone and Hades.
There are a number of problems here. Working backward:
- The story of Persephone and Hades begins with a kidnapping/rape and ends with a partial rescue; it's not a story of lovers who can be together only some of the time despite their own desires.
- If Thomas believes that a full-time relationship with Micha is incompatible with his vocation, why is a part-time relationship any more compatible? Compatible/incompatible here is an on-off switch, not a dimmer. Also, the whole "It's fornication because we're not married" thing is just stupid, since Thomas and Micha can't marry legally or in the church. Thomas himself acknowledges this problem, someone else directly points it out to him, and Thomas and Micha agree that they're married in their hearts. Um.
- I didn't believe in Thomas's immediate revelation that his relationship with Micha, and their sex, brought him closer to God, but having decided to accept it I then didn't believe in the conflict with his religious vocation. Pick one, Alexis.
- Are we reading a bleak-to-bittersweet Victorian love story, or a charming cozy romance? That is to say, Micha's initial circumstances and the only partial happiness he and Thomas arrive at in the end bracket a central section in which adorable villagers first-name one another even on early acquaintance, hold a book club, and immediately welcome a scruffy, irritable stranger. In a fit of frustration Micha even comes out to an elderly woman, who gets over her initial surprise in minutes and decides his queerness is fine, actually.
- My goodness, the emotional drama is drawn-out and overwritten. I might have -- no, would have -- been happy to wallow had "Never After" been a real Victorian novel, or even a full-out pastiche, but instead the effect is of incompatible aesthetic sensibilities and feeling-worlds sitting uneasily side by side and never quite merging.
And, though I suppose it's unreasonable of me, I hated the ending. As always, it's not fair to criticize a book for not being the book one wants it to have been, but why bother with a resolution that, while no more realistic than a Cat Sebastian-style Regency happy ending, denies its characters a full measure of joy?
Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC.
Micha, down and out, broke, addicted to opium, and despairing, collapses in the street and is scooped up and cared for by Thomas, an Anglican priest. Thomas is the kindest, most generous soul on this or probably any other planet, so he doesn't abandon Micha despite Micha's general horribleness toward him and everyone around him. Eventually, Thomas falls in love with Micha, and Micha slowly lets his defensiveness and suspicion dissolve and comes to love Thomas in return.
N.B. we are in Victorian England.
Thomas simultaneously feels that his relationship with Micha is sacred and their sex sacramental, and that because they're not married they're fornicating, which is a sin. Since he doesn't plan to stop fornicating he decides to leave his parish and go away with Micha, but the trouble is he has a genuine pastoral vocation; cue emotional turmoil and the setup for a bittersweet ending that isn't quite spelled out but that seems to involve Micha drifting in and out of Thomas's life in a dynamic they compare with that of Persephone and Hades.
There are a number of problems here. Working backward:
- The story of Persephone and Hades begins with a kidnapping/rape and ends with a partial rescue; it's not a story of lovers who can be together only some of the time despite their own desires.
- If Thomas believes that a full-time relationship with Micha is incompatible with his vocation, why is a part-time relationship any more compatible? Compatible/incompatible here is an on-off switch, not a dimmer. Also, the whole "It's fornication because we're not married" thing is just stupid, since Thomas and Micha can't marry legally or in the church. Thomas himself acknowledges this problem, someone else directly points it out to him, and Thomas and Micha agree that they're married in their hearts. Um.
- I didn't believe in Thomas's immediate revelation that his relationship with Micha, and their sex, brought him closer to God, but having decided to accept it I then didn't believe in the conflict with his religious vocation. Pick one, Alexis.
- Are we reading a bleak-to-bittersweet Victorian love story, or a charming cozy romance? That is to say, Micha's initial circumstances and the only partial happiness he and Thomas arrive at in the end bracket a central section in which adorable villagers first-name one another even on early acquaintance, hold a book club, and immediately welcome a scruffy, irritable stranger. In a fit of frustration Micha even comes out to an elderly woman, who gets over her initial surprise in minutes and decides his queerness is fine, actually.
- My goodness, the emotional drama is drawn-out and overwritten. I might have -- no, would have -- been happy to wallow had "Never After" been a real Victorian novel, or even a full-out pastiche, but instead the effect is of incompatible aesthetic sensibilities and feeling-worlds sitting uneasily side by side and never quite merging.
And, though I suppose it's unreasonable of me, I hated the ending. As always, it's not fair to criticize a book for not being the book one wants it to have been, but why bother with a resolution that, while no more realistic than a Cat Sebastian-style Regency happy ending, denies its characters a full measure of joy?
Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC.
September 12, 2026
If you’re feeling like something pithy: this book is gay Victorian Fleabag. ;)
I enjoyed it! As usual Hall’s writing is gorgeous; even thought it felt less smooth here than in some of his other work (in other words, a little mixed-metaphor-y at times), it was still a pleasure to read.
I liked the MCs as well - you need a starry-eyed, semi-delusional idealist to balance out a self-loathing cynic, and their dynamic really worked. And it felt a lot more gentle than it might have been.
My one critique is that it felt like there were a few different stories/themes layered in together, and the integration wasn’t quite seamless; as a result, some plot developments felt… like that thing where a driver speeds right on up and then brakes at the verrrry last minute. It’s not that they came out of nowhere, but they’re still a little disconcerting.
One aspect of the book I found interesting—which may be a casualty of the late-braking phenomenon—was this idea that: they’re so happy, they’re so happy, then they’re tragically asunder, then there’s the dramatic trip to win your man back… and then they end up saying “let’s stay together but Micha also has to travel and live a life and not just hang around the rectory or whatever.” And then there’s the epilogue, where Micha is clearly mourning Thomas, and loved him til the end, but is also in a relationship with another man. There did not seem to be a transition between Thomas talking to Micha about marriage (and Micha not contemplating any alternative to monogamy in those conversations), and the way the relationship plot resolves. I believe the characters got from A to B but I would have loved to have that story be on the actual page. That’s not passive-aggressive, I really would have loved it! Frankly I felt like this book could even have easily had a sequel that continued directly on from the (pre-epilogue) ending.
In addition to the Fleabag comparison, I realized at some point while I was reading that this story has the same general concept as An Unnatural Vice by KJ Charles, and they may even have been writing them around the same time (or maybe Hall shortly after). But of course this story is so clearly the Alexis Hall version (emotional, flowery) and AUV is so clearly the KJC version (practical, horny). A fun opportunity for comparison. (For example - Hall takes Thomas’s religious convictions totally seriously, whereas the closest KJC can bear to that is having her journalist character be the atheist son of a church authority figure, iirc. Discuss!)
I enjoyed it! As usual Hall’s writing is gorgeous; even thought it felt less smooth here than in some of his other work (in other words, a little mixed-metaphor-y at times), it was still a pleasure to read.
I liked the MCs as well - you need a starry-eyed, semi-delusional idealist to balance out a self-loathing cynic, and their dynamic really worked. And it felt a lot more gentle than it might have been.
My one critique is that it felt like there were a few different stories/themes layered in together, and the integration wasn’t quite seamless; as a result, some plot developments felt… like that thing where a driver speeds right on up and then brakes at the verrrry last minute. It’s not that they came out of nowhere, but they’re still a little disconcerting.
One aspect of the book I found interesting—which may be a casualty of the late-braking phenomenon—was this idea that: they’re so happy, they’re so happy, then they’re tragically asunder, then there’s the dramatic trip to win your man back… and then they end up saying “let’s stay together but Micha also has to travel and live a life and not just hang around the rectory or whatever.” And then there’s the epilogue, where Micha is clearly mourning Thomas, and loved him til the end, but is also in a relationship with another man. There did not seem to be a transition between Thomas talking to Micha about marriage (and Micha not contemplating any alternative to monogamy in those conversations), and the way the relationship plot resolves. I believe the characters got from A to B but I would have loved to have that story be on the actual page. That’s not passive-aggressive, I really would have loved it! Frankly I felt like this book could even have easily had a sequel that continued directly on from the (pre-epilogue) ending.
In addition to the Fleabag comparison, I realized at some point while I was reading that this story has the same general concept as An Unnatural Vice by KJ Charles, and they may even have been writing them around the same time (or maybe Hall shortly after). But of course this story is so clearly the Alexis Hall version (emotional, flowery) and AUV is so clearly the KJC version (practical, horny). A fun opportunity for comparison. (For example - Hall takes Thomas’s religious convictions totally seriously, whereas the closest KJC can bear to that is having her journalist character be the atheist son of a church authority figure, iirc. Discuss!)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2026
Okay, this is going to sound super arrogant, but I'm going to say it anyway: I'm so proud of Alexis Hall for writing this.
I first fell in love with Alexis' writing when I read Glitterland a few years ago. After that, I decided I wanted to read ALL of his books. Many of them were very good, but some of them I found disappointing, and then one or two (I won't name titles), made me almost angry. It wasn't that they weren't "good" books. The talent was still there, the humor, the wit, the character development, etc.... but they felt... forced (if that makes sense). The characters were very unlikeable, preachy, and bitter, and it felt intentional. The happy endings didn't feel happy. It felt like the author didn't want to write romance anymore but was doing it anyway.
This is just how it FELT to ME... but obv I have no idea what Alexis was going for. However, after reading Never After, I think I maybe understand. But I'll get to that in a second.
In any case, after my disappointment and almost-rage from reading those books that I won't name, I gave up on my commitment to finish his catalog, and not only that, but I felt hesitant to even re-read books that I loved like Glitterland and For Real. Then Never After came out, and it looked intriguing, but again, I was hesitant after being burned.
But this is absolutely perfect (or... nearly perfect, I'll get to that in a minute) and it is the best I think I've ever read of Alexis Hall. It is not a typical romance, but it also doesn't try to fit itself into the romance formula, or any other formula, it just IS. It is unapologetically its own thing.
There is a relationship that is central to the plot, but it's not really ABOUT the relationship. The book delves into themes of grief, loss, addiction, love, faith, religion, and community in a way that is real, honest, poetic, heartbreaking, and beautiful. And it still has all of the humor, superb character development and clever writing that made me fall in love with Alexis Hall in the first place- except even MORE so.
Never After has me thinking that maybe Alexis wasn't actually disenchanted with the romance genre, he was just working out how to talk about relationships, sex, and love outside of the typical romance genre formula.
Anyway, I loved this, but I did say it wasn't quite perfect and that was because of the Still, I am classifying this as a romance in my own bookshelves because it does sort of loosely follow the formula.
ETA: The ending is growing on me and I'm liking it more the more I think about it.
I first fell in love with Alexis' writing when I read Glitterland a few years ago. After that, I decided I wanted to read ALL of his books. Many of them were very good, but some of them I found disappointing, and then one or two (I won't name titles), made me almost angry. It wasn't that they weren't "good" books. The talent was still there, the humor, the wit, the character development, etc.... but they felt... forced (if that makes sense). The characters were very unlikeable, preachy, and bitter, and it felt intentional. The happy endings didn't feel happy. It felt like the author didn't want to write romance anymore but was doing it anyway.
This is just how it FELT to ME... but obv I have no idea what Alexis was going for. However, after reading Never After, I think I maybe understand. But I'll get to that in a second.
In any case, after my disappointment and almost-rage from reading those books that I won't name, I gave up on my commitment to finish his catalog, and not only that, but I felt hesitant to even re-read books that I loved like Glitterland and For Real. Then Never After came out, and it looked intriguing, but again, I was hesitant after being burned.
But this is absolutely perfect (or... nearly perfect, I'll get to that in a minute) and it is the best I think I've ever read of Alexis Hall. It is not a typical romance, but it also doesn't try to fit itself into the romance formula, or any other formula, it just IS. It is unapologetically its own thing.
There is a relationship that is central to the plot, but it's not really ABOUT the relationship. The book delves into themes of grief, loss, addiction, love, faith, religion, and community in a way that is real, honest, poetic, heartbreaking, and beautiful. And it still has all of the humor, superb character development and clever writing that made me fall in love with Alexis Hall in the first place- except even MORE so.
Never After has me thinking that maybe Alexis wasn't actually disenchanted with the romance genre, he was just working out how to talk about relationships, sex, and love outside of the typical romance genre formula.
Anyway, I loved this, but I did say it wasn't quite perfect and that was because of the Still, I am classifying this as a romance in my own bookshelves because it does sort of loosely follow the formula.
ETA: The ending is growing on me and I'm liking it more the more I think about it.
October 6, 2026
• 1860s Historical fiction • m/m • non-trad romance • heavy themes •
Wow ok, this was such a devastatingly good book! Alexis Hall has proven to be a very talented writer in a range of genres, and has absolutely nailed the 19th century historical fiction. Such good writing!!!
✓ Flawed, yet likeable characters.
✓ Feels true to the time period (besides the modern day swears, but ngl I like that!).
✓ Personal struggles with what is right and what just is.
✓ Clever inserts of humour and wit.
✓ Found family vibes.
✓ All the feels ❤️💔💔💔
Micha - he’s just …broken. He works in the sex trade, numbs himself via opium addiction. He has an air of hopelessness but yet has a fire within, which usually comes out in the form of snark and venomous retorts when he’s not on the job. He does not trust kindness.
Thomas - third born son into wealth, so of course he is a minister for the Church of England. Pure of heart, he sees the good in everyone. A more forgiving and tender hearted character I swear has never been written.
Our two MMCs meet when Thomas takes in Micha, a stranger, when he collapses with fever. Thomas basically nurses him back to health with the aid of the hired help of course. And Micha is reluctantly accepting of this while also being suspicious of what Thomas’ true intentions are. No one is this kind without an ulterior motive right?
But there is so much more to their story, and I don’t want to spoil it, but this was a fabulous yet heartbreaking read.
Definitely some triggering subject matter for some (including addiction/withdrawal, suicide of family member). There are lots of things I wish ended differently… but I understand the choices made by the author. Still, hard pills to swallow, but a beautiful read nonetheless.
I picked this up when I didn’t really have time to read for long periods. But I could’ve easily read this in 1 or 2 sittings, it was difficult to put down, and I didn’t want to pick it up unless I could dedicate my full attention to it.
100% worth the read if your heart can take it.
😭😭
4.5 ⭐️
2?🌶️
Wow ok, this was such a devastatingly good book! Alexis Hall has proven to be a very talented writer in a range of genres, and has absolutely nailed the 19th century historical fiction. Such good writing!!!
✓ Flawed, yet likeable characters.
✓ Feels true to the time period (besides the modern day swears, but ngl I like that!).
✓ Personal struggles with what is right and what just is.
✓ Clever inserts of humour and wit.
✓ Found family vibes.
✓ All the feels ❤️💔💔💔
Micha - he’s just …broken. He works in the sex trade, numbs himself via opium addiction. He has an air of hopelessness but yet has a fire within, which usually comes out in the form of snark and venomous retorts when he’s not on the job. He does not trust kindness.
Thomas - third born son into wealth, so of course he is a minister for the Church of England. Pure of heart, he sees the good in everyone. A more forgiving and tender hearted character I swear has never been written.
Our two MMCs meet when Thomas takes in Micha, a stranger, when he collapses with fever. Thomas basically nurses him back to health with the aid of the hired help of course. And Micha is reluctantly accepting of this while also being suspicious of what Thomas’ true intentions are. No one is this kind without an ulterior motive right?
But there is so much more to their story, and I don’t want to spoil it, but this was a fabulous yet heartbreaking read.
The way you use scripture, I sometimes think”—he drew in a slow breath—“that beneath your façade of virtue you might be a very wicked man.”
“I sometimes think,” returned Thomas, “that beneath your façade of wickedness, you are a good one.”
Definitely some triggering subject matter for some (including addiction/withdrawal, suicide of family member). There are lots of things I wish ended differently… but I understand the choices made by the author. Still, hard pills to swallow, but a beautiful read nonetheless.
I picked this up when I didn’t really have time to read for long periods. But I could’ve easily read this in 1 or 2 sittings, it was difficult to put down, and I didn’t want to pick it up unless I could dedicate my full attention to it.
100% worth the read if your heart can take it.
“I wanted . . . to be someone to come home to. That’s all.”
😭😭
4.5 ⭐️
2?🌶️
April 27, 2026
Audio re-read July 2026: This is definitely leveled up by the audio delivery and on re-read and I quite enjoyed the narration. Some of the things that didn't work as well for me were less apparent in audio and it relieved some of the tension knowing how things would work out (in a good way, for me.) And there were a couple of things that still pulled me out of the story now and then (namely, some seemingly anachronistic language at times and a bit of repetition) but I enjoyed it just as much, if not more on re-read. The writing is still beautiful and the narrative voice continues to work for me. I found myself more taken by just how young Micha is and I feel like I understand him better this time around. And I found myself tearing up once again in the epilogue despite some of the unanswered questions it brings about.
I received an audio Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley and Brilliance Audio in exchange for an honest review.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
4.5 stars
Well that was quite the journey! I was distracted by some small plot gaps at times but I thought the prose was gorgeous (even if at times the language felt a bit anachronistic) - I was highlighting left and right! Then I had to put the book down for a week because of life. I read the last 15% this morning and sobbed my way through the epilogue. So now I'm stuck with the recency bias of the strength of my feelings about the end and I reserve the right to come back and round down on re-read (although I suspect I will like it more on re-read.) I will add that I am rating this on a curve that is underpinned by a couple of assumptions about the publishing of this book.
But really, it's a relief to feel like I am once again picking up what AJH is putting down. One of my favourite reading experiences is when I am reading a book that is atypical in some way and I feel like I really get what the author was going for.
I get why the ending didn't work for others and I think also that some folks interpreted it differently than I did. But I for one am often very moved by unconventional relationship structures. They signal a different and generous type of love that warms my heart.
I received a digital Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley and Montlake in exchange for an honest review.
I received an audio Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley and Brilliance Audio in exchange for an honest review.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
4.5 stars
Well that was quite the journey! I was distracted by some small plot gaps at times but I thought the prose was gorgeous (even if at times the language felt a bit anachronistic) - I was highlighting left and right! Then I had to put the book down for a week because of life. I read the last 15% this morning and sobbed my way through the epilogue. So now I'm stuck with the recency bias of the strength of my feelings about the end and I reserve the right to come back and round down on re-read (although I suspect I will like it more on re-read.) I will add that I am rating this on a curve that is underpinned by a couple of assumptions about the publishing of this book.
But really, it's a relief to feel like I am once again picking up what AJH is putting down. One of my favourite reading experiences is when I am reading a book that is atypical in some way and I feel like I really get what the author was going for.
I get why the ending didn't work for others and I think also that some folks interpreted it differently than I did. But I for one am often very moved by unconventional relationship structures. They signal a different and generous type of love that warms my heart.
I received a digital Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley and Montlake in exchange for an honest review.
November 25, 2025
I have a complicated relationship with Hall's writing: often there are elements in their stories that irritate me and make me cringe but the prose is fun and snappy enough that usually I can plow through and come out the other side having had a good time. Unfortunately, that was not the case with this book. Instead of getting through this quickly, I read it in fits and starts; I'd even sit down and tell myself to just get through it but would inevitably have to take a break after only a chapter or two because I just didn't care. If I didn't get this as an arc from NetGalley I'm sure I would have dnfed it.
I can appreciate complicated characters with a complicated relationship, but Thomas and Micha didn't fully work for me. Micha was rather horrible at times but at least realistic and interesting to read; Thomas was seemingly besotted for no reason ("he's so beautiful!" he's a drug addict you found in the street, surely he looks a little rough) and fell in love WAY too fast. I was intrigued by his inner turmoil about being gay and a man of God, but even that was resolved too easily ("God can't hate love, therefore I have no qualms with loving a man :)"). Also Micha was constantly reflecting on his first love, Isidore; I'm really not sure how I feel about that element, as it explained some of his character but also didn't add much too the overall story compared to how often he was remembered.
As for the other characters: honestly don't care. I had hopes for the plot lines with Thomas and his brothers, but—similar to Isidore—it never really went anywhere, and were clearly just invoked when necessary for drama. () The villagers were ok, but the lesbians were random and added nothing to the story; like ok yay queer positivity, but it was soooo unrealistically done and soooo not needed it just irked me.
Oh and the ending? Fucking stupid. If you're going to include an epilogue, don't add weird confusing information that makes the rest of the story seem like it existed for no reason. It's never good to get to the end of a book and go "Ugh!", but that's what I did.
I keep mentioning elements that added nothing to the story: that was basically the structure of this novel. There actually were some good scenes and topics throughout, but scattered moments don't make for a good cohesive story. (Also, once I finished this, I totally forgot about it and almost forgot to write this review. At least it was bad in a way that won't plague me?)
I can appreciate complicated characters with a complicated relationship, but Thomas and Micha didn't fully work for me. Micha was rather horrible at times but at least realistic and interesting to read; Thomas was seemingly besotted for no reason ("he's so beautiful!" he's a drug addict you found in the street, surely he looks a little rough) and fell in love WAY too fast. I was intrigued by his inner turmoil about being gay and a man of God, but even that was resolved too easily ("God can't hate love, therefore I have no qualms with loving a man :)"). Also Micha was constantly reflecting on his first love, Isidore; I'm really not sure how I feel about that element, as it explained some of his character but also didn't add much too the overall story compared to how often he was remembered.
As for the other characters: honestly don't care. I had hopes for the plot lines with Thomas and his brothers, but—similar to Isidore—it never really went anywhere, and were clearly just invoked when necessary for drama. () The villagers were ok, but the lesbians were random and added nothing to the story; like ok yay queer positivity, but it was soooo unrealistically done and soooo not needed it just irked me.
Oh and the ending? Fucking stupid. If you're going to include an epilogue, don't add weird confusing information that makes the rest of the story seem like it existed for no reason. It's never good to get to the end of a book and go "Ugh!", but that's what I did.
I keep mentioning elements that added nothing to the story: that was basically the structure of this novel. There actually were some good scenes and topics throughout, but scattered moments don't make for a good cohesive story. (Also, once I finished this, I totally forgot about it and almost forgot to write this review. At least it was bad in a way that won't plague me?)
November 8, 2025
༒︎༻4.25/5 stars༺༒︎
This was pretty much an emotional rollercoaster in the form of a raw, beautifully worded story. The main characters, Micha and Thomas, deal with dark struggles of their own and find a way to find hope and love within each other.
Characters
I can't help but absolutely adore Micha. He's a character with complicated, compelling flaws and struggles, questionable artistic abilities, and and I enjoyed his development over the course of the story. Thomas is also really interesting, he has conflicting thoughts about his duty versus his true feelings. Pretty sure he's also the human embodiment of goodness.
Romance
What I love the most about their romance is the pacing of it. There's only so much to write in a 380-something-page book, but their developing relationship took its time to be properly fleshed out and feel compelling. It's so subtle and delicate at first, and probably my favorite aspect of the book. I love the mutual devotion, their soft words, the light-hearted jokes/banter and the way they grew closer and got to know each other deeply. I highlighted way too many quotes/dialogue solely because of how beautiful and raw they were.
Plot + writing
The plot progressed rather slowly, and a decent amount of the story was spent on introspection and the handling of emotions. I found part 2 to be much more engaging and fun to read compared to Part 1 and 3. As for the writing itself, it was just beautiful. I loved the descriptions of the weather and the setting, it was like I could picture those scenes vividly in my head. You can expect a generous amount of similes and flowery descriptions.
What I didn't like
Finally, the ending - quite the emotional wreck, but I'm not sure if we needed that epilogue. It kind of distracted me from the flow of the story and didn't do much justice for the developments so far. Plus as much as I adore the side characters and their presence, they're could've been more to them. Especially Sheba, I'm not entirely pleased with how the subplot concerning her was wrapped up and it left me largely unsatisfied.
Thanks to Netgalley and Montlake for access to this ARC. All opinions are my own.
This was pretty much an emotional rollercoaster in the form of a raw, beautifully worded story. The main characters, Micha and Thomas, deal with dark struggles of their own and find a way to find hope and love within each other.
Characters
I can't help but absolutely adore Micha. He's a character with complicated, compelling flaws and struggles, questionable artistic abilities, and and I enjoyed his development over the course of the story. Thomas is also really interesting, he has conflicting thoughts about his duty versus his true feelings. Pretty sure he's also the human embodiment of goodness.
Romance
What I love the most about their romance is the pacing of it. There's only so much to write in a 380-something-page book, but their developing relationship took its time to be properly fleshed out and feel compelling. It's so subtle and delicate at first, and probably my favorite aspect of the book. I love the mutual devotion, their soft words, the light-hearted jokes/banter and the way they grew closer and got to know each other deeply. I highlighted way too many quotes/dialogue solely because of how beautiful and raw they were.
Plot + writing
The plot progressed rather slowly, and a decent amount of the story was spent on introspection and the handling of emotions. I found part 2 to be much more engaging and fun to read compared to Part 1 and 3. As for the writing itself, it was just beautiful. I loved the descriptions of the weather and the setting, it was like I could picture those scenes vividly in my head. You can expect a generous amount of similes and flowery descriptions.
What I didn't like
Finally, the ending - quite the emotional wreck, but I'm not sure if we needed that epilogue. It kind of distracted me from the flow of the story and didn't do much justice for the developments so far. Plus as much as I adore the side characters and their presence, they're could've been more to them. Especially Sheba, I'm not entirely pleased with how the subplot concerning her was wrapped up and it left me largely unsatisfied.
Thanks to Netgalley and Montlake for access to this ARC. All opinions are my own.
August 30, 2026
Beautifully written historical that is full of hurt-comfort and a slow realization by two men of what they can mean to each other, and what they do not dare, in that time and place. The ending is somewhat bittersweet, and although informed by the realities, it leaves an ache rather than warmth. That doesn't take away from the lush storytelling and the excellent contrast of characters, but means I probably won't reread it in these tough times. However I'm delighted to see Hall going back to their excellent serious storytelling from the recent lighter more humorous style.
March 31, 2026
This was slightly heavier and darker than I personally enjoy to read, yet it was still compelling and beautiful. It was an interesting exploration of queerness within faith, love, and abuse in 19th-century London. There were so many standout quotes that really spoke to me and surprised me, that I may go back to. The writing style was really beautiful and very different to the last Alexis Hall book I read, which really cements them as an author capable of writing such a variety of stories. It took me a while to connect with Micha, as his character is so clouded by the hatred and tragedy he's living through, but by the end, I was there. I absolutely loved the bittersweetness of the loving community of Nettlefield, how it's what he yearns for but can never truly, authentically, be a part of. While it's not what I generally prefer (as I read for escapism from the terrors of our world), I do like that it addressed the homophobia of the times and how it affects their reality and the lifestyles available to them. It felt very realistic. However, it has many trigger warnings, which I would advise checking on Hall’s website before reading. I had my doubts about how plotlines would be tied together at the end, but I was happy with how it was done, however much I did cry at the epilogue. It was a good read. I found it to be a nice middle ground between Romance and historical fiction, and hopefully the marketing does not go full romance, as I can see readers being disappointed. I could go into themes further, but I will leave it as this to avoid spoilers. Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for a review.
June 12, 2026
Not warm.
Not soft.
Not fluffy.
So very real and fictional at once.
Beautiful & ugly.
Regrettable & unavoidable.
And sad…it’s never after, after all.
Not soft.
Not fluffy.
So very real and fictional at once.
Beautiful & ugly.
Regrettable & unavoidable.
And sad…it’s never after, after all.
June 22, 2026
This broke my heart. 💔💔💔
May 7, 2026
For Micha, he came apart, everything he was and everything he knew transformed into panting desire and frantic urgency, and, with the shreds of reason he had left to him, he called it paradise.
4.5 stars. I'm wrung out and emotionally devastated, but I loved this so much I can barely breathe. Spent the last couple of chapters literally crying my eyes out, but it was worth it.
Alexis Hall never misses, no matter what genre he writes in, but I think my favourite is still when he does historical. Here, we follow Micha, a young man who falls on hard times after his lover leaves him, turns to prostitution to survive, and ends up an opium addict. Chance puts him in the path of Thomas, a Protestant priest who takes him in and nurses him back to health after he's fallen low. Micha is prickly and mistrustful and full of thorns, while Thomas is gentle and kind hearted and earnest. An unlikely pairing, but their love story completely bowled me over. (Love story, not romance.)
I think I read this at the perfect time. This book doesn't do what a lot of modern queer historical romance does, and shy away from the reality of life for queer people in these times (the 1860s, in this case). I do get a little frustrated when some books (for whatever reason, and I know that sometimes that reason is just preference) don't want to engage with the reality of homophobia. This book doesn't do that. And it's not all doom and shadow either! There's beauty, there's pain, there's joy, there's sacrifice, there's compromise. I really connected with these characters, and after everything that they went through, I came to love them.
He was a pilgrim, on the road to revelation. He found Damascus at Micha’s lips—rough-smooth, almost like a scar, breath-warmed.
I loved seeing Thomas' gay awakening, how he had to grapple with it and his faith. His is an interesting path, because he didn't come to his vocation naturally; he was given to the church as a third son. But as his feelings for Micha deepen, it's like his love for God and his parish become less of a duty, more natural, and it was lovely and agonising. I loved seeing Micha get drawn out of his prickly shell, seeing Thomas tame the feral parts of his personality. But never too much. Micha can be himself around Thomas, and seeing him receive all that love and care and healing made me SO emotional.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Steve West, who's definitely becoming a favourite. He has a super deep voice, which isn't really my favourite to listen to, but he really put his whole chest into this performance, especially the emotional parts. I loved it. I kinda have a book hangover from this, and I feel like I just need to reread something cute and familiar. But on the other hand, I also want to sit with these feelings for a while longer.
(I'm calling this a historical romance because tagging it as 'fiction' seems like blasphemy, but I have to reiterate that it does not adhere to all romance conventions.)
Content warnings:
All he did, was done in love.
July 16, 2026
I read this book ever so carefully because I never wanted it to end. It was beautifully written and so terribly tragic in parts but mostly it was a love story. Complicated love and also unconditional love. A masterpiece of a story.
Thomas had a pure heart and Micha lost that early in life. Love for him was always difficult and cruel. These two were very ying/yang. It was painful sometimes.
Micha finally found love again in Thomas. The kind of love he always wanted but never received from past lovers but there’s always a snag.
“The truth is, love has taken so much from me. I’m just relieved it’s finally given something back. Even if it’s only myself.” Micha 😩😩😩❤️❤️❤️
Knowing the end now, I kinda want to re-read the book again. Many won’t be happy with the ending but honestly, it the only way it could be and stay true to the characters space in time.
Side note: the side characters were really brilliant and added so many layers to the story. Loved Hope.
The journey sometimes is better than the destination.
Thomas had a pure heart and Micha lost that early in life. Love for him was always difficult and cruel. These two were very ying/yang. It was painful sometimes.
Micha finally found love again in Thomas. The kind of love he always wanted but never received from past lovers but there’s always a snag.
“The truth is, love has taken so much from me. I’m just relieved it’s finally given something back. Even if it’s only myself.” Micha 😩😩😩❤️❤️❤️
Knowing the end now, I kinda want to re-read the book again. Many won’t be happy with the ending but honestly, it the only way it could be and stay true to the characters space in time.
Side note: the side characters were really brilliant and added so many layers to the story. Loved Hope.
The journey sometimes is better than the destination.
Read
August 20, 2026Well, no complex reviews or ratings for this one either…
I did the audiobook version because I love Shane East's voice.
Single-style narration: 5/5 🎧
I knew from the get-go that this wasn’t a romance. For me, it was a sad, heavy historical drama with an M/M love story.
It features many triggers and no HEA…
Needless to say, after pushing through it, my day was looking pretty depressing. Even if this isn’t technically a tragedy, I was deeply affected by the story! Therefore my weightlifting workout ended up into an extra 1 h dance class, which was very helpful for “shaking off the blues” 🤷🏻♀️!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to Read
August 16, 2025Can't find an announcement for this book anywhere? Anyway, it's Alexis Hall so preorder has been preordered and I will be counting down the days till release!
Read
December 15, 2025Please note I don't star books because I'm an author and reviewing feels right but starring feels wrong. I only review books I like/love/or am so disturbed or distracted by I need someone to hear me roar.
**************************
Never After is what I wish Pretty Woman had been. Not that Pretty Woman wasn't great and not that that and this are alike in any way more specific than prostitute plus man with good intentions find a place in each other's hearts. And not that they should be compared because they shouldn't so never mind. It's just that if I could watch this or that on a big screen, I'd choose this times a million, even though I'd cry at the end like it was classic k-drama (mind the title of this book).
I should preface this with: I will read every Alexis Hall book. My favorite romance is an Alexis Hall book. My second favorite is also an Alexis Hall book.
And then with: Of these books, I will love many, like some, and appreciate a select few more recent books for just being written by a writer whose voice I enjoy across all protagonists and who does some of the best single-book emotional journeys around, whether or not I'm caught by the story.
This one, I'm relieved to say, caught me. Then it mauled me.
What I loved least: The early tension didn't quite rise to the level of the fantastic character development (but did later) and things hung just on the edge of too light in description (especially of rooms) and I struggled early on for a sense of how much time was passing. I can usually handle light description but I longed for a little more imagery and texture of the spaces these two men occupy to better ground me, especially because of the strong character interiority and the speed and strength of Thomas's feelings, and this wanting extended into wishing for maybe a few more events between the two of them in the first half to add tension to the orbit the two men made around each other, to give more depth of payoff to their romance. But I also loved them already so that it didn't really matter by the middle and definitely not by the end.
What I loved the most: Everything else. Villages that heal are a theme I love. Villagers that draw in the hopeless, self-loathing protagonist, yes. Especially when written by Hall, whose specialty is group dialogue. Stubbornly resilient love interests with their own povs, for sure yes. A fateful redirection of a protagonist's unimaginably harsh life carried out by quirky and ridiculous people who have had their own hard and harsh lives and just didn't quite get to the rock bottom the protagonist did, yes. Hall does such a beautiful job of self-as-antagonist and this is the case here, too, to more of an extreme in Micah than any other of Hall's characters. Micah is not a good man, but he's a real one. This makes a beautiful (literally), sharp contrast to the priest (a very good man) who loves him.
Without exception, my favorite Hall protagonists are the most self-loathing - Ash, Fen (he counts as an epistolory and epilogueory protag), Luc, and now Micah (but also, it's always their contrasts that dig deepest into my heart - Darien, Alfie, Oliver, and very much Thomas).
I started reading with no idea what the book was about. I like to do this when I know the author. I didn't know premise, had no clue what the conflict would be or whether this was romantic comedy Alexis Hall or vice and spice Alexis Hall.
And it was both, at times, but more than those it was the Alexis Hall I love best - bunting into the dark corners of trauma and self-delusion and then batting out of the park with redemption and healing on the next pitch. This time, though, the ending wasn't what I expected. It's absolutely a departure from what I'm used to in a GOOD BAD WAY. Have tissues nearby.
So I'm happy not only for that twist of a surprise but for the unexpected exploration of how God's love, rather than man's dogma, can be channeled through a religious man who does so innately but still lacks faith in himself until he doesn't and how a morally bankrupt sex worker with the worst kind of monkey on his back and whose only experiences of love all ended in rejection could hit rock bottom and be one of the ones who makes it back.
There's a brutality to outside-the-rigid-norms love stories set back in England's merry days of casting ruin on anyone who stuck so much as a toe out of heteronormative or female chastity bounds, and maybe the thing I liked best about this story is that it's made clear that it's not nor ever could be God's work to punish the strayers, but only and ever man's delusions that set strange and arbitrary constraints.
That brutality is starkly here but it churns inside a bigger issue, which is how to find and keep faith when internal conflict makes a person have to turn away from what they want to favor what they need. That's big philosophy right there, and a lesson that only gets learned by having to go through it. Very much team Thomas for how he was broken between duty and desire and team Micah for making the sacrifice he had to for Thomas to get the kind of grip on himself that has to happen when a person's alone enough to really see themselves and has one good voice of reason conveniently placed in their life (Sheba, I like you very much).
What Thomas and Micha go through wouldn't be the same kind of issue now, obvs, but the soul of it, the internal battles between duty and desire that build up or chip away at people's character and life purpose, give beautiful gravity to the story.
So like, that's my simple and not at all overthought take on this melancholy, asks-big-questions love story.
tldr; IT WAS GOOD. RECCOMMEND.
**************************
Never After is what I wish Pretty Woman had been. Not that Pretty Woman wasn't great and not that that and this are alike in any way more specific than prostitute plus man with good intentions find a place in each other's hearts. And not that they should be compared because they shouldn't so never mind. It's just that if I could watch this or that on a big screen, I'd choose this times a million, even though I'd cry at the end like it was classic k-drama (mind the title of this book).
I should preface this with: I will read every Alexis Hall book. My favorite romance is an Alexis Hall book. My second favorite is also an Alexis Hall book.
And then with: Of these books, I will love many, like some, and appreciate a select few more recent books for just being written by a writer whose voice I enjoy across all protagonists and who does some of the best single-book emotional journeys around, whether or not I'm caught by the story.
This one, I'm relieved to say, caught me. Then it mauled me.
What I loved least: The early tension didn't quite rise to the level of the fantastic character development (but did later) and things hung just on the edge of too light in description (especially of rooms) and I struggled early on for a sense of how much time was passing. I can usually handle light description but I longed for a little more imagery and texture of the spaces these two men occupy to better ground me, especially because of the strong character interiority and the speed and strength of Thomas's feelings, and this wanting extended into wishing for maybe a few more events between the two of them in the first half to add tension to the orbit the two men made around each other, to give more depth of payoff to their romance. But I also loved them already so that it didn't really matter by the middle and definitely not by the end.
What I loved the most: Everything else. Villages that heal are a theme I love. Villagers that draw in the hopeless, self-loathing protagonist, yes. Especially when written by Hall, whose specialty is group dialogue. Stubbornly resilient love interests with their own povs, for sure yes. A fateful redirection of a protagonist's unimaginably harsh life carried out by quirky and ridiculous people who have had their own hard and harsh lives and just didn't quite get to the rock bottom the protagonist did, yes. Hall does such a beautiful job of self-as-antagonist and this is the case here, too, to more of an extreme in Micah than any other of Hall's characters. Micah is not a good man, but he's a real one. This makes a beautiful (literally), sharp contrast to the priest (a very good man) who loves him.
Without exception, my favorite Hall protagonists are the most self-loathing - Ash, Fen (he counts as an epistolory and epilogueory protag), Luc, and now Micah (but also, it's always their contrasts that dig deepest into my heart - Darien, Alfie, Oliver, and very much Thomas).
I started reading with no idea what the book was about. I like to do this when I know the author. I didn't know premise, had no clue what the conflict would be or whether this was romantic comedy Alexis Hall or vice and spice Alexis Hall.
And it was both, at times, but more than those it was the Alexis Hall I love best - bunting into the dark corners of trauma and self-delusion and then batting out of the park with redemption and healing on the next pitch. This time, though, the ending wasn't what I expected. It's absolutely a departure from what I'm used to in a GOOD BAD WAY. Have tissues nearby.
So I'm happy not only for that twist of a surprise but for the unexpected exploration of how God's love, rather than man's dogma, can be channeled through a religious man who does so innately but still lacks faith in himself until he doesn't and how a morally bankrupt sex worker with the worst kind of monkey on his back and whose only experiences of love all ended in rejection could hit rock bottom and be one of the ones who makes it back.
There's a brutality to outside-the-rigid-norms love stories set back in England's merry days of casting ruin on anyone who stuck so much as a toe out of heteronormative or female chastity bounds, and maybe the thing I liked best about this story is that it's made clear that it's not nor ever could be God's work to punish the strayers, but only and ever man's delusions that set strange and arbitrary constraints.
That brutality is starkly here but it churns inside a bigger issue, which is how to find and keep faith when internal conflict makes a person have to turn away from what they want to favor what they need. That's big philosophy right there, and a lesson that only gets learned by having to go through it. Very much team Thomas for how he was broken between duty and desire and team Micah for making the sacrifice he had to for Thomas to get the kind of grip on himself that has to happen when a person's alone enough to really see themselves and has one good voice of reason conveniently placed in their life (Sheba, I like you very much).
What Thomas and Micha go through wouldn't be the same kind of issue now, obvs, but the soul of it, the internal battles between duty and desire that build up or chip away at people's character and life purpose, give beautiful gravity to the story.
So like, that's my simple and not at all overthought take on this melancholy, asks-big-questions love story.
tldr; IT WAS GOOD. RECCOMMEND.
May 17, 2026
Somehow exactly the bittersweet love story I needed right now.
April 20, 2026
Gorgeous prose, vivid characterisations, lots of angst (a relief in the epidemic of "cozy") and.... an epilogue that I'm not so keen on. I have Thoughts™. I knew it wasn't a typical romance, so that's not what bothered me, but saying more will be spoilery, In any case, I devoured each beautiful sentence and will happily reread to get immersed in that world again.
May 20, 2026
This book was gritty, rough and raw mixed with love, friendship, heartbreak and ….sin. Beautiful story that left my heart aching for these two men who just wanted to love each other.
Read
March 9, 2026Received from the publisher and NetGalley, thanks!
Okay, so I've thought about this book, and mulled it over, and I still don't know what to think about it and I've really struggled with how to rate it and how to review it.
It's a fairly slow-moving story and I'm not sure that it actually qualifies as a genre romance? I don't think that it meets all of the requirements, but I don't want to say too much, because I don't want to spoiler tag this.
This is very much a story of religion versus belief, and how to come to terms with what you want and what you believe and how to reconcile those things. There are also a lot of questions of self-worth and self-love and if you can actually love someone else if you don't love yourself. I don't know that the book entirely answers the questions that it asks, and it does feel like it asks a lot.
Some of what I really liked about this book are once they are in Nettlefield and the wonderful community that is there. The community, or found family, play a huge role in the story and are also a source of some of the book's conflict.
Overall, I don't know what to say. I think I will need to read it again to get a better sense of it? Maybe?
Okay, so I've thought about this book, and mulled it over, and I still don't know what to think about it and I've really struggled with how to rate it and how to review it.
It's a fairly slow-moving story and I'm not sure that it actually qualifies as a genre romance? I don't think that it meets all of the requirements, but I don't want to say too much, because I don't want to spoiler tag this.
This is very much a story of religion versus belief, and how to come to terms with what you want and what you believe and how to reconcile those things. There are also a lot of questions of self-worth and self-love and if you can actually love someone else if you don't love yourself. I don't know that the book entirely answers the questions that it asks, and it does feel like it asks a lot.
Some of what I really liked about this book are once they are in Nettlefield and the wonderful community that is there. The community, or found family, play a huge role in the story and are also a source of some of the book's conflict.
Overall, I don't know what to say. I think I will need to read it again to get a better sense of it? Maybe?
June 18, 2026
3.5 stars. I like and respect what Hall did with this story, but I didn't love it. This is a queer historical romance that goes into some of the grit of the times (Victorian Britain, 1863) and the difficulties of being gay. It has a poetic, sort of melancholy tone throughout which can be lovely or overwrought, depending on your taste (and how deep Hall goes into it). I suspect some people will super love this one, and others will not like it at all. I am strangely in the middle.
Michael (Micha' - and why does it bother me so much that I don't know if that's pronounced "Micah" or "Meesha"?) is an opium addict and sex worker who's reached the edge of what he can handle. Reverend Thomas Mandeville picks him up from off the street and nurses him back to health, without knowing who he is. Thomas struggles with his attraction to Micha, and Micha struggles with his sense of worthiness, of trust and with his addiction. When they leave London for Thomas's countryside parish, a relationship blossoms between them...but can it last?
This is Hall at his most indulgently melodramatic. I can't decide if I like it or not - probably because I could highlight passages in this book where it's both. There are some truly beautiful scenes...and also ones where I was like, okay... Calm down, sir, lol.
I very much appreciate the realistic portrait of someone deeply within an addiction and then struggling to get out of it. I appreciate less that the beginning of Micha's troubles was being abandoned by his lover and family. (Like, could you just have gotten a menial job? Why does Micha specifically choose sex work?) Overall I felt like too much was made of Micha's "first love" - like, dude was just a selfish jerk, move on.
HOWEVER. I do like that this pathos ties into why Micha can't believe an essentially good dude like Thomas would be into him (aside from his looks, ofc). I liked that Thomas was a good guy; after he accepts his love for Micha, he stops struggling so much with his faith. Their problem becomes an everyday sort of problem: how are they supposed to live together in this time without raising suspicion?
Hall kind of makes things a bit easier on his characters because the country parish is more accepting than would probably be true of the time. (There are even two fairly openly out lesbians.) This part I felt was a bit weak of the story: like, are we doing gritty realism, or are we doing "actually queer people were everywhere and mostly people were chill"?
The ending is also not a classic HEA (be forewarned). It's very...open to interpretation. It could very well be a HFN. But the feeling of the end of the book is a bit unsatisfying. A bit sorrowful. Again, I am mixed about how I feel about this. Not every love story is mostly happy, but maybe you give me a happy moment at the end?
Anyway I'm not sure this review will be helpful to anyone, but as a Hall superfan I appreciated seeing this work of his that is quite different than most of what else he's written. And I bought the thing right away, so there's that! Just shows that for a writer who's interesting, it's worth reading their stuff even if you don't love all of it.
Michael (Micha' - and why does it bother me so much that I don't know if that's pronounced "Micah" or "Meesha"?) is an opium addict and sex worker who's reached the edge of what he can handle. Reverend Thomas Mandeville picks him up from off the street and nurses him back to health, without knowing who he is. Thomas struggles with his attraction to Micha, and Micha struggles with his sense of worthiness, of trust and with his addiction. When they leave London for Thomas's countryside parish, a relationship blossoms between them...but can it last?
This is Hall at his most indulgently melodramatic. I can't decide if I like it or not - probably because I could highlight passages in this book where it's both. There are some truly beautiful scenes...and also ones where I was like, okay... Calm down, sir, lol.
I very much appreciate the realistic portrait of someone deeply within an addiction and then struggling to get out of it. I appreciate less that the beginning of Micha's troubles was being abandoned by his lover and family. (Like, could you just have gotten a menial job? Why does Micha specifically choose sex work?) Overall I felt like too much was made of Micha's "first love" - like, dude was just a selfish jerk, move on.
HOWEVER. I do like that this pathos ties into why Micha can't believe an essentially good dude like Thomas would be into him (aside from his looks, ofc). I liked that Thomas was a good guy; after he accepts his love for Micha, he stops struggling so much with his faith. Their problem becomes an everyday sort of problem: how are they supposed to live together in this time without raising suspicion?
Hall kind of makes things a bit easier on his characters because the country parish is more accepting than would probably be true of the time. (There are even two fairly openly out lesbians.) This part I felt was a bit weak of the story: like, are we doing gritty realism, or are we doing "actually queer people were everywhere and mostly people were chill"?
The ending is also not a classic HEA (be forewarned). It's very...open to interpretation. It could very well be a HFN. But the feeling of the end of the book is a bit unsatisfying. A bit sorrowful. Again, I am mixed about how I feel about this. Not every love story is mostly happy, but maybe you give me a happy moment at the end?
Anyway I'm not sure this review will be helpful to anyone, but as a Hall superfan I appreciated seeing this work of his that is quite different than most of what else he's written. And I bought the thing right away, so there's that! Just shows that for a writer who's interesting, it's worth reading their stuff even if you don't love all of it.
September 25, 2026
This book wrecked me. I will never forget Thomas and Micha. So beautifully written.
May 2, 2026
CW: addiction, off-page suicide, grief, death, homophobia
This book is dark and very broody ("a melancholic tale of queer romance") and has an HFN but not an HEA. There is also a lot of beauty and hope, and deep reflection. All of the dark topics are treated with care and respect, and feel accurate for the period.
1864
Michael "Micha" Dashwood was abandoned by a former lover, and left penniless to fend for himself, learning to sell his body, but using much of what he earns to numb himself with opium. Reverend Thomas Mandeville finds Micha deathly ill and takes him in, burdened by a sense of duty and responsibility. Both are haunted by their own demons, not the least of which is desire for one another masked by addiction (Micha) and faith (Thomas), but finding a way to grasp hope and joy is worth every risk.
I was nervous to pick this book up because I had heard that it has an ambiguous ending and a lot of dark things. These are true, but entering the novel with this knowledge prepared me for the anguish and the high angst of the story (this is probably the angstiest book of Hall's I've read...). Take the CWs to heart, especially that of the addiction, because there is significant -- and thoughtful -- discussion about the recovery process. All of this leads to me to say that I loved this book deeply. Amidst the anguish and the pain, there is hope, joy, happiness, and reflection.
We can probably debate about whether this can be classified as romance: the end of the story in 1865 certainly has an HFN. The epilogue set in 1890 reframes the HFN in a bittersweet manner that had me sobbing and touched me in a way I didn't expect. So is it a traditional romance with a promised HEA? Not quite. Is it romantic and filled with yearning? Absolutely. Does it resolve in a way that leaves the reader satisfied? It does for this reader, alongside unexpected tears. The door is also open the right amount for their intimate scenes (it is explicit), which speaks to Hall's expertise as an author because he writes at all levels of heat and knowing how much of Micha and Thomas to share also feels like it took a certain amount of restraint.
The virgin vicar and the sex worker is often a trope that works for me, and opens the path for deep reflection for both Thomas and Micha. They are well-balanced through their level of angst, and able to teach each other things about love despite the baggage they bring. The side characters, too, play critical roles in the way the story unfolds. From the former-whore-now-housekeeper to the angry twin brother, to the gossiping church ladies, the cast feels full enough to round out the story but not so busy that they take over the central romance and character growth.
I ended up primarily listening to the audiobook because it's narrated by Steve West. He's the perfect narrator for the book, bringing a broody tone to the overall experience and giving the book the gritty feel of the "grim streets of London" as the blurb says. I highly recommend listening.
Never After won't be for everyone. If you love high angst, old school romance with complex characters carrying difficult burdens, honest examinations of humanity and religion, or a gritty darker read, it will likely be for you. I loved it; it goes towards the top of my favorite books from Hall, and I will be thinking about it for a very long time.
Thank you to Montlake for an eARC. Never After is out 4/7/2026.
This book is dark and very broody ("a melancholic tale of queer romance") and has an HFN but not an HEA. There is also a lot of beauty and hope, and deep reflection. All of the dark topics are treated with care and respect, and feel accurate for the period.
1864
Michael "Micha" Dashwood was abandoned by a former lover, and left penniless to fend for himself, learning to sell his body, but using much of what he earns to numb himself with opium. Reverend Thomas Mandeville finds Micha deathly ill and takes him in, burdened by a sense of duty and responsibility. Both are haunted by their own demons, not the least of which is desire for one another masked by addiction (Micha) and faith (Thomas), but finding a way to grasp hope and joy is worth every risk.
I was nervous to pick this book up because I had heard that it has an ambiguous ending and a lot of dark things. These are true, but entering the novel with this knowledge prepared me for the anguish and the high angst of the story (this is probably the angstiest book of Hall's I've read...). Take the CWs to heart, especially that of the addiction, because there is significant -- and thoughtful -- discussion about the recovery process. All of this leads to me to say that I loved this book deeply. Amidst the anguish and the pain, there is hope, joy, happiness, and reflection.
We can probably debate about whether this can be classified as romance: the end of the story in 1865 certainly has an HFN. The epilogue set in 1890 reframes the HFN in a bittersweet manner that had me sobbing and touched me in a way I didn't expect. So is it a traditional romance with a promised HEA? Not quite. Is it romantic and filled with yearning? Absolutely. Does it resolve in a way that leaves the reader satisfied? It does for this reader, alongside unexpected tears. The door is also open the right amount for their intimate scenes (it is explicit), which speaks to Hall's expertise as an author because he writes at all levels of heat and knowing how much of Micha and Thomas to share also feels like it took a certain amount of restraint.
The virgin vicar and the sex worker is often a trope that works for me, and opens the path for deep reflection for both Thomas and Micha. They are well-balanced through their level of angst, and able to teach each other things about love despite the baggage they bring. The side characters, too, play critical roles in the way the story unfolds. From the former-whore-now-housekeeper to the angry twin brother, to the gossiping church ladies, the cast feels full enough to round out the story but not so busy that they take over the central romance and character growth.
I ended up primarily listening to the audiobook because it's narrated by Steve West. He's the perfect narrator for the book, bringing a broody tone to the overall experience and giving the book the gritty feel of the "grim streets of London" as the blurb says. I highly recommend listening.
Never After won't be for everyone. If you love high angst, old school romance with complex characters carrying difficult burdens, honest examinations of humanity and religion, or a gritty darker read, it will likely be for you. I loved it; it goes towards the top of my favorite books from Hall, and I will be thinking about it for a very long time.
Thank you to Montlake for an eARC. Never After is out 4/7/2026.
April 13, 2026
This book is really different from most of what Alexis Hall has written. It’s quite a depressing story, with just a few moments of joy to lighten it. I mean, it’s about two gay men in the Victorian era, one a priest and the other a sex worker… So it’s kind of a situation where you can’t really win. There’s also an epilogue that really adds to the emotional impact, so be prepared.
The writing was engaging, maybe a bit too wordy and overdescriptive at times, but I still liked the sad, emotional storyline. I think Hall handled the dynamic between Micha and Tomas well, even though I couldn’t shake the feeling that they were written as if Luc and Oliver from Boyfriend Material were living in the Victorian era.
All in all, another solid book from this author, even if it’s quite different from his usual work. It’s a shame it got basically no promotion.
The writing was engaging, maybe a bit too wordy and overdescriptive at times, but I still liked the sad, emotional storyline. I think Hall handled the dynamic between Micha and Tomas well, even though I couldn’t shake the feeling that they were written as if Luc and Oliver from Boyfriend Material were living in the Victorian era.
All in all, another solid book from this author, even if it’s quite different from his usual work. It’s a shame it got basically no promotion.
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