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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.
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First published April 7, 2026
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About the author
Alexis Hall
61 books15.3k 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 186 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 22, 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.
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.
April 21, 2026
november 2025: initial thoughts: 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
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.
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.
May 11, 2026
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
November 29, 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?)
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.
Read
April 2, 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?
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.
April 4, 2026
It came as a surprise to me that Alexis wrote another gorgeous queer historical romance, as I hadn't seen it promoted anywhere, but then I grabbed the ARC as soon as I learned about it. It is so good! I really liked this one.
It takes place in Victorian England which is a refreshing change to all the regency romances I've been reading lately. Micha is a sex worker and street urchin addicted to Opium and is scooped up and nursed back to health by Thomas, a vicar who finds him beautiful and is drawn to him. (Micha needs to be protected at all costs! 😍) I loved Micha and Thomas's love story, their arcs of self-discovery and what they each teach the other. The dual POV adds to the overall angst and emotional quality. This is also an HFN and I think it's good to know that going in.
My favorite part is the writing itself. The prose is gorgeous and flowery and poignant and romantic and incredibly sad. It reminded me of the atmospheric writing in his Spires series, which remains my favorite of his, but make it historical. Of course there's some humor thrown in for levity. Just beautifully crafted sentences and visceral descriptions which Alexis does so well.
If you like queer historical romance I highly recommend this book!
It takes place in Victorian England which is a refreshing change to all the regency romances I've been reading lately. Micha is a sex worker and street urchin addicted to Opium and is scooped up and nursed back to health by Thomas, a vicar who finds him beautiful and is drawn to him. (Micha needs to be protected at all costs! 😍) I loved Micha and Thomas's love story, their arcs of self-discovery and what they each teach the other. The dual POV adds to the overall angst and emotional quality. This is also an HFN and I think it's good to know that going in.
My favorite part is the writing itself. The prose is gorgeous and flowery and poignant and romantic and incredibly sad. It reminded me of the atmospheric writing in his Spires series, which remains my favorite of his, but make it historical. Of course there's some humor thrown in for levity. Just beautifully crafted sentences and visceral descriptions which Alexis does so well.
If you like queer historical romance I highly recommend this book!
April 15, 2026
Never After follows opium addict Micha as he is rehabilitated from a sudden illness by steadfast Reverend Thomas. Micha is full of heartbreak, shame and secrets and Thomas is held back by his own feelings of duty and draws in different directions - between what he wants and what he feels honor bound to do. This book is dark and gritty but has moments of great hope and love.
I really struggled over how to rate this book. Alexis Hall does an incredible job of creating two complex and real feeling characters who fit together perfectly. I felt their epic love story and appreciated all of the hardship they had to endure to get to where they ended up. However, I found the first half a bit difficult to enjoy, as we mostly follow Micha making poor decisions and being horrible to the people trying to help him because of his addiction. It was great watching him overcome these difficulties but, for me, this took up a bit too much page count. The next about 45% is glorious - we get to be there during Micha and Thomas' beautiful romance where they help each other equally and fit together perfectly. Their love felt earned and their interactions were beautifully written even if it wasn't always clear exactly what Thomas saw in Micha... Then we get to the very end of the last chapter and the epilogue, which, I must admit, I hate with a burning passion. In my opinion, this book does not have an HEA which, as it is advertised as a romance, it should have as a convention of the genre. This opinion is certainly debatable but I just really did not feel like this was a satisfying ending for either of these characters. This, for me, was utterly heartbreaking and took what was a 4 or even 5 star book way down.
Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I really struggled over how to rate this book. Alexis Hall does an incredible job of creating two complex and real feeling characters who fit together perfectly. I felt their epic love story and appreciated all of the hardship they had to endure to get to where they ended up. However, I found the first half a bit difficult to enjoy, as we mostly follow Micha making poor decisions and being horrible to the people trying to help him because of his addiction. It was great watching him overcome these difficulties but, for me, this took up a bit too much page count. The next about 45% is glorious - we get to be there during Micha and Thomas' beautiful romance where they help each other equally and fit together perfectly. Their love felt earned and their interactions were beautifully written even if it wasn't always clear exactly what Thomas saw in Micha... Then we get to the very end of the last chapter and the epilogue, which, I must admit, I hate with a burning passion. In my opinion, this book does not have an HEA which, as it is advertised as a romance, it should have as a convention of the genre. This opinion is certainly debatable but I just really did not feel like this was a satisfying ending for either of these characters. This, for me, was utterly heartbreaking and took what was a 4 or even 5 star book way down.
Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
November 12, 2025
3.5 Stars
An unexpectedly deep story about two very troubled men and their time together
Characters were layered and distinct, I felt certain side characters enhanced the novel more than others: Both of the brothers Edward and George taught us about Thomas, his struggles in relating to them and their troubled home life. Isidore on the other hand was a figure of mystery and I felt that Micha’s obsession with him wasn’t completely justified, in fact because of this I assumed he was going to show up later on if only for some closure. I think Micha’s angst and self hatred were strong and well done but I think if we were shown more of his backstory separate from his trauma I could have connected with him easier.
The writing was lush and flowery which really fit the historical setting, as a personal preference I noticed that it took me longer than usual to connect to the story because of this but it did make for a consistent strong atmosphere which really complemented Thomas’ thoughts and monologues about religion.
Religion really was a strong theme along with addiction and morality, all of which I thought in my uneducated opinion were handled really well.
By the last quarter I was really starting to like this book, however the ending let it down. The whole book has such a dark tone and because of this I completely understand having it end in a classic happy ever after might feel incongruous however in that case I think that that should be on page and clear. Instead we have this vague confusing epilogue that I do think detracts from the story’s whole impact.
Arc received from Netgalley
An unexpectedly deep story about two very troubled men and their time together
Characters were layered and distinct, I felt certain side characters enhanced the novel more than others: Both of the brothers Edward and George taught us about Thomas, his struggles in relating to them and their troubled home life. Isidore on the other hand was a figure of mystery and I felt that Micha’s obsession with him wasn’t completely justified, in fact because of this I assumed he was going to show up later on if only for some closure. I think Micha’s angst and self hatred were strong and well done but I think if we were shown more of his backstory separate from his trauma I could have connected with him easier.
The writing was lush and flowery which really fit the historical setting, as a personal preference I noticed that it took me longer than usual to connect to the story because of this but it did make for a consistent strong atmosphere which really complemented Thomas’ thoughts and monologues about religion.
Religion really was a strong theme along with addiction and morality, all of which I thought in my uneducated opinion were handled really well.
By the last quarter I was really starting to like this book, however the ending let it down. The whole book has such a dark tone and because of this I completely understand having it end in a classic happy ever after might feel incongruous however in that case I think that that should be on page and clear. Instead we have this vague confusing epilogue that I do think detracts from the story’s whole impact.
Arc received from Netgalley
November 4, 2025
Rounded up from a 4.5
Alexis Hall is at his best when writing heartwrenching, queer love set in days past. He always manages to make me laugh out loud despite the heavy topics this story dealt with (death of a family member, drug addiction, questions of faith, etc.). I wish I had a physical copy just so I could highlight the way Thomas spoke of his love of Micha despite traditional religious values telling him it is wrong. The way Thomas was written was such a breath of fresh air because he was never ashamed of his love of another man, just struggling to come to terms with his role in the world, religious or otherwise.
This story is perfect for anyone looking to heal their religious trauma, see queer love in history, or just wants to get in their feels. Be prepared for a very flawed main character but everyone deserves love, right?
Alexis Hall, I will read anything you write. I feel so lucky to exist at the same time as you.
Alexis Hall is at his best when writing heartwrenching, queer love set in days past. He always manages to make me laugh out loud despite the heavy topics this story dealt with (death of a family member, drug addiction, questions of faith, etc.). I wish I had a physical copy just so I could highlight the way Thomas spoke of his love of Micha despite traditional religious values telling him it is wrong. The way Thomas was written was such a breath of fresh air because he was never ashamed of his love of another man, just struggling to come to terms with his role in the world, religious or otherwise.
This story is perfect for anyone looking to heal their religious trauma, see queer love in history, or just wants to get in their feels. Be prepared for a very flawed main character but everyone deserves love, right?
Alexis Hall, I will read anything you write. I feel so lucky to exist at the same time as you.
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 17, 2026
Feels silly to say “maybe 2.5 stars” like that .5 matters lol.
The most interesting part was the two pages near the end where Thomas and Micha reconnect and agree to have…some kind of open relationship? Say more.
I don’t even care about the grave scene, this book was so boring!!! I did not care about any of the characters or the conflict.
Writing tried too hard to be poetic. & I could have done without those miserable little flashbacks to Micha’s sex worker past. Overdone and unnecessarily bleak IMO.
The most interesting part was the two pages near the end where Thomas and Micha reconnect and agree to have…some kind of open relationship? Say more.
I don’t even care about the grave scene, this book was so boring!!! I did not care about any of the characters or the conflict.
Writing tried too hard to be poetic. & I could have done without those miserable little flashbacks to Micha’s sex worker past. Overdone and unnecessarily bleak IMO.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2026
3.5 stars
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 arrives in the form of Reverend Thomas Mandeville. Haunted by grief of his own, Thomas cannot ignore another man’s suffering, and brings the ailing Micha home to recover in his parish at Nettlefield.
The central dynamic sets up an imbalance of power between the characters, which is always going to feel a little iffy in a romance. At times, I did find myself cringing because of it. But I enjoyed the sweetness of their relationship, the sense of second chances, and the way Thomas and Micha balanced each other in different ways. Plus, I loved the element of found family, which included the other characters in the parish.
I understood the progression of how Thomas falls in love with Micha but Micha’s arc didn’t land the same. His feelings shifted quite suddenly from resentment at his dependence on Thomas to love, without enough development in between. When did his feelings change?
The epilogue will probably be divisive. Personally, I could have done without it.
I would also take the historical setting with a pinch of salt. At times, the characters and dialogue came across as quite modern. The writing is beautiful though. I enjoyed its melancholy lyricism. It's impressive how Alexis Hall can write this book and also wacky rom-coms. They definitely have range.
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 arrives in the form of Reverend Thomas Mandeville. Haunted by grief of his own, Thomas cannot ignore another man’s suffering, and brings the ailing Micha home to recover in his parish at Nettlefield.
The central dynamic sets up an imbalance of power between the characters, which is always going to feel a little iffy in a romance. At times, I did find myself cringing because of it. But I enjoyed the sweetness of their relationship, the sense of second chances, and the way Thomas and Micha balanced each other in different ways. Plus, I loved the element of found family, which included the other characters in the parish.
I understood the progression of how Thomas falls in love with Micha but Micha’s arc didn’t land the same. His feelings shifted quite suddenly from resentment at his dependence on Thomas to love, without enough development in between. When did his feelings change?
The epilogue will probably be divisive. Personally, I could have done without it.
I would also take the historical setting with a pinch of salt. At times, the characters and dialogue came across as quite modern. The writing is beautiful though. I enjoyed its melancholy lyricism. It's impressive how Alexis Hall can write this book and also wacky rom-coms. They definitely have range.
April 20, 2026
I enjoyed the overall plot of Never After, but it became increasingly disappointing as it went on. The story starts off strong, but quickly gets muddled and drawn-out.
Main issues:
The narrative was sometimes hard to follow. One character, Mrs. Clarke, goes by several different names which got confusing.
The book felt far too long. Several chapters read like filler—especially the penultimate chapter in Micha’s POV, which didn’t seem to add anything meaningful to the ending. Other extended dialogues and descriptions felt unnecessary.
Micha showed almost no meaningful character development. Aside from overcoming his opium habit with Thomas’s help, he remained bitter and rude to the end. His defensive posture made him hard to sympathise with.
The epilogue fell flat. Without spoiling anything, I’m left unsure whether it delivered a true HEA; it felt muted and unfulfilling.
I’m late posting this ARC review because the pacing and length made it hard to finish. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Overall rating: 2 stars.
Main issues:
The narrative was sometimes hard to follow. One character, Mrs. Clarke, goes by several different names which got confusing.
The book felt far too long. Several chapters read like filler—especially the penultimate chapter in Micha’s POV, which didn’t seem to add anything meaningful to the ending. Other extended dialogues and descriptions felt unnecessary.
Micha showed almost no meaningful character development. Aside from overcoming his opium habit with Thomas’s help, he remained bitter and rude to the end. His defensive posture made him hard to sympathise with.
The epilogue fell flat. Without spoiling anything, I’m left unsure whether it delivered a true HEA; it felt muted and unfulfilling.
I’m late posting this ARC review because the pacing and length made it hard to finish. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Overall rating: 2 stars.
never-ever
March 22, 2026On the one hand, I’m mad I have an ARC of this on NetGalley I will never read. On the other hand, I’m glad I was warned this is not a romance and then looked up spoilers because wdym 🤬 at least now I won’t waste my time.
April 2, 2026
I received an eARC from Montlake via NetGalley. These are my honest thoughts.
Alexis Hall's next book Never After was, of course, really good. Micha is like a wounded animal lashing out at everyone and unable to trust anything good, but Thomas is the most patient angel. These men struggled. They struggled with their trauma, societal expectations, their faith (or lack thereof), family, and duty. This book explores those themes in a way that was a little angsty, but not too heavy, and it made the sweet moments all the sweeter.
Alexis Hall's next book Never After was, of course, really good. Micha is like a wounded animal lashing out at everyone and unable to trust anything good, but Thomas is the most patient angel. These men struggled. They struggled with their trauma, societal expectations, their faith (or lack thereof), family, and duty. This book explores those themes in a way that was a little angsty, but not too heavy, and it made the sweet moments all the sweeter.
April 9, 2026
‘We’ll make our own heaven.’
My eyes are wet with unshed tears.
This book is beautifully written. The writing, almost poetic. And then it ripped my heart out and left me sad. Sad for Thomas and Micha. I wanted them to have Venice and deserts and live forever in the sunshine of their love.
I’m a huge fan of well written, descriptive text and Alexis Hall does it perfectly in this book. The stars, the sunsets, the light playing on the people and the nature, it all sang to me.
‘The rain came down in earnest now, slicing through the fog, coating Micha in the silver of fallen stars. He held his hand so he could watch the way the water streamed over his skin, making him shine, as though he could be cleansed. Miniature rivers spilled down his fingers, mingling and parting, crossing each other sometimes and then breaking away.’
‘He was a tear in a flood of tears, travelling the furrowed landscape of his own hand.’
Micha at the beginning of the book is wasting away in turmoil, with no hope, no love, no future and then Thomas saves him from his misery and I ached with want for their happiness. I still ache.
I loved this book, but it hurt me because it didn’t end how I wanted it to end. I want to end a book feeling uplifted and joyful not sad. And yet, I think the happiness is there, you just have to hunt for it.
‘He unspooled beneath spring’s careless sun in threads of amber and gold, love and loss and an ever restless wanting.’
My eyes are wet with unshed tears.
This book is beautifully written. The writing, almost poetic. And then it ripped my heart out and left me sad. Sad for Thomas and Micha. I wanted them to have Venice and deserts and live forever in the sunshine of their love.
I’m a huge fan of well written, descriptive text and Alexis Hall does it perfectly in this book. The stars, the sunsets, the light playing on the people and the nature, it all sang to me.
‘The rain came down in earnest now, slicing through the fog, coating Micha in the silver of fallen stars. He held his hand so he could watch the way the water streamed over his skin, making him shine, as though he could be cleansed. Miniature rivers spilled down his fingers, mingling and parting, crossing each other sometimes and then breaking away.’
‘He was a tear in a flood of tears, travelling the furrowed landscape of his own hand.’
Micha at the beginning of the book is wasting away in turmoil, with no hope, no love, no future and then Thomas saves him from his misery and I ached with want for their happiness. I still ache.
I loved this book, but it hurt me because it didn’t end how I wanted it to end. I want to end a book feeling uplifted and joyful not sad. And yet, I think the happiness is there, you just have to hunt for it.
‘He unspooled beneath spring’s careless sun in threads of amber and gold, love and loss and an ever restless wanting.’
October 31, 2025
I’m not sure where to start this review. There was a lot that I liked. I did not want to put this down. We see Thomas and Micha build a relationship despite having a lot to overcome - illness, addiction, family secrets, questions of faith and loss of self. I found that I enjoyed the side characters. Especially once they’re in Nettlefield.
Even though it hurt, I feel this accurately represented how accepting people were of queer relationships in that time period. I appreciated how Thomas dealt with his love for Micha and his faith. He wasn’t ashamed of their love. Most of his crisis of faith seemed to stem from duty and ideology. This was a heavy read that had me all in my feels. Given the description, I knew going in to it that it was going to be on the darker side but the first bit in London was tough. I was tearing up towards the end.
Not sure how to feel about the ending. I think it’s meant to be hopeful but it just left me sad. I wasn’t expecting some grand happy ending given the time period and the material but I wasn’t expecting that. I think I would’ve actually liked it more without the epilogue.
I do recommend checking the book out on the authors website. It provides a little more information other than just the description.
Even though it hurt, I feel this accurately represented how accepting people were of queer relationships in that time period. I appreciated how Thomas dealt with his love for Micha and his faith. He wasn’t ashamed of their love. Most of his crisis of faith seemed to stem from duty and ideology. This was a heavy read that had me all in my feels. Given the description, I knew going in to it that it was going to be on the darker side but the first bit in London was tough. I was tearing up towards the end.
Not sure how to feel about the ending. I think it’s meant to be hopeful but it just left me sad. I wasn’t expecting some grand happy ending given the time period and the material but I wasn’t expecting that. I think I would’ve actually liked it more without the epilogue.
I do recommend checking the book out on the authors website. It provides a little more information other than just the description.
April 17, 2026
As a character driven story lover this was definitely for me. If you need an intricate or engaging plot, you may want to skip this one.
Characterisation is a stronger point for this one. Both main protagonists feel distinct and their thoughts and actions read as logical manifestations of their past experiences/circumstances, societal structures and pressures and interactions with people around them. For the most part, it didn’t feel like the said or done something just for the sake of the story on the whole. I had some doubts in regard to Thomas and a few lines he said in despair/fury and whether I found it believable such a barb would've even crissed his mind given what we had been shown of him - probably arguable both ways given how constant pressures can break our human psyche sometimes.
Did I find him infuriating more so than Micha because of the mental gymnastics he was trying to do and not distinguishing God's supposed teachings and obviously human made laws/rules? Absolutely, but that’s because I'm so far from religious that I had the urge to kick what felt like sense to me - less kindly than the absolutely great female character of Sheba.
Now that I think about it - this story reads polyphonic, as the author in the end didn’t directly put one belief over the other, whichbgranted, did read realistically, engagingly and made me authentically consider different perspectives.
Note, a multitude of trigger-warnings for this one, so look them up.
Overall it's dealing with addiction [though while not necessarily unrealistic it was not as deeply explored as it could've been, or maybe rather we were spared the actual worst of it with some summaries and 2nd POV perception in the most intense moments], sexual work, homophobia [in no way gratuitious though and less on page than in some historical lit fics for sure], abandonment's repercussions on the psyche, identity crisis [of the religios type - the love of men vs Faith and god's calling, so I reckon some of the things may be seen as blasphemous by some] - that's the main ones that stood out to me.
This is not your typical fun historical romance with elements of adversary only. Not a happy go lucky story, but a rather heavy one tinged with love and healing and hope. The ending felt possible considering the times and the surrounding circumstances and I was in two minds about it. I fully understand the author's choice and applaud for not going the usual type of HEA route. At the same time if you’re used to endings like in most e.g. KJ Charles or Cat Sebastian then you may end up frustrated or disappointed. I was in the end okay with it after having given it a thought, though I think I didn’t need the epilogue. While ending on a hopeful note for the future on the larger scale, it was rather down putting and I reckon it might have not been the best time for me to have read a story with such ending given the harshness of the current times and political climate. Not an inherentbissue of the story itself, just the timing. That’s why it doesn’t bring my rating down.
What I personally didn’t feel was needed all that much for the story to still resonate with me and get its message across where the multiple explicit, and most often unpleasant, inserts from Micha's past as a sexual worker and his past lover. If it was there two or three times in moments that made most sense for flashbacks and that didn’t break the moment and flow of the story, sure. But it happened a little bit too often for my liking and started feeling out of place or even momentarily gratuitious, as if we needed the smallest physical details specifically of those encounters. Especially closer to the end when there was an intimate moment between the main characters and in went the explicit scene with his past lover, breaking up the 'current one'. Maybe if it was in broken flashback and just fleeting words as we tend to rather think that way than in coheren full scenes in moments like this, I could've somehow understand it. But with getting almost a page it felt as if in real life your lover in bed in the middle of things started reciting play for play how they got in on with an ex. It read unnecessarily jarring in that scene to me, while probaly trying to evoke some sense of freedom and feeling cherished again.
You coul also argue about how succesfully the topic of getting clean [addiction wise] was handled. Here in the sense of getting better because you love someone. On one side, you coul argue it’s not sustainable as it’s for the wrong reasons and most often then if there’s a relatinship crisis, lul or end the reason is no longer there and so the sobriety isn't. But then again, if not a demand of your partner for the relationship to keep on going and it’s you recognizing that your sober self can actually feel how you want to feel as part of that relationship, it does give it a slightly more nuianced angle I'd argue.
In the end, I tabbed my coppy like crazy as the character development was engaging. The duality and contradictions we can hold and present as humans were intricately shown.
If you’re not put off by any of the things I've mentioned, I'd recommend you give it a try if historical queer fiction is your thing.
Characterisation is a stronger point for this one. Both main protagonists feel distinct and their thoughts and actions read as logical manifestations of their past experiences/circumstances, societal structures and pressures and interactions with people around them. For the most part, it didn’t feel like the said or done something just for the sake of the story on the whole. I had some doubts in regard to Thomas and a few lines he said in despair/fury and whether I found it believable such a barb would've even crissed his mind given what we had been shown of him - probably arguable both ways given how constant pressures can break our human psyche sometimes.
Did I find him infuriating more so than Micha because of the mental gymnastics he was trying to do and not distinguishing God's supposed teachings and obviously human made laws/rules? Absolutely, but that’s because I'm so far from religious that I had the urge to kick what felt like sense to me - less kindly than the absolutely great female character of Sheba.
Now that I think about it - this story reads polyphonic, as the author in the end didn’t directly put one belief over the other, whichbgranted, did read realistically, engagingly and made me authentically consider different perspectives.
Note, a multitude of trigger-warnings for this one, so look them up.
Overall it's dealing with addiction [though while not necessarily unrealistic it was not as deeply explored as it could've been, or maybe rather we were spared the actual worst of it with some summaries and 2nd POV perception in the most intense moments], sexual work, homophobia [in no way gratuitious though and less on page than in some historical lit fics for sure], abandonment's repercussions on the psyche, identity crisis [of the religios type - the love of men vs Faith and god's calling, so I reckon some of the things may be seen as blasphemous by some] - that's the main ones that stood out to me.
This is not your typical fun historical romance with elements of adversary only. Not a happy go lucky story, but a rather heavy one tinged with love and healing and hope. The ending felt possible considering the times and the surrounding circumstances and I was in two minds about it. I fully understand the author's choice and applaud for not going the usual type of HEA route. At the same time if you’re used to endings like in most e.g. KJ Charles or Cat Sebastian then you may end up frustrated or disappointed. I was in the end okay with it after having given it a thought, though I think I didn’t need the epilogue. While ending on a hopeful note for the future on the larger scale, it was rather down putting and I reckon it might have not been the best time for me to have read a story with such ending given the harshness of the current times and political climate. Not an inherentbissue of the story itself, just the timing. That’s why it doesn’t bring my rating down.
What I personally didn’t feel was needed all that much for the story to still resonate with me and get its message across where the multiple explicit, and most often unpleasant, inserts from Micha's past as a sexual worker and his past lover. If it was there two or three times in moments that made most sense for flashbacks and that didn’t break the moment and flow of the story, sure. But it happened a little bit too often for my liking and started feeling out of place or even momentarily gratuitious, as if we needed the smallest physical details specifically of those encounters. Especially closer to the end when there was an intimate moment between the main characters and in went the explicit scene with his past lover, breaking up the 'current one'. Maybe if it was in broken flashback and just fleeting words as we tend to rather think that way than in coheren full scenes in moments like this, I could've somehow understand it. But with getting almost a page it felt as if in real life your lover in bed in the middle of things started reciting play for play how they got in on with an ex. It read unnecessarily jarring in that scene to me, while probaly trying to evoke some sense of freedom and feeling cherished again.
You coul also argue about how succesfully the topic of getting clean [addiction wise] was handled. Here in the sense of getting better because you love someone. On one side, you coul argue it’s not sustainable as it’s for the wrong reasons and most often then if there’s a relatinship crisis, lul or end the reason is no longer there and so the sobriety isn't. But then again, if not a demand of your partner for the relationship to keep on going and it’s you recognizing that your sober self can actually feel how you want to feel as part of that relationship, it does give it a slightly more nuianced angle I'd argue.
In the end, I tabbed my coppy like crazy as the character development was engaging. The duality and contradictions we can hold and present as humans were intricately shown.
If you’re not put off by any of the things I've mentioned, I'd recommend you give it a try if historical queer fiction is your thing.
May 9, 2026
Thank you Montlake for the advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
ARC Review: Never After by Alexis Hall
Pub Date: April 7th
This is some of Alexis Hall's best work! It is dark and angsty (definitely read the trigger warnings/blurb) but also full of aching longing. I'd compare it closest to the angst level of A Lady for a Duke but the angst is notched up quite a bit. I was not surprised by the content, especially given the blurb which talks about drug use.
I really thoroughly enjoyed this one - I do think I would have enjoyed it a bit more if I had read it straight through but unfortunately this book suffered from my real life interfering with my reading time! I think the emotional hit would have just been a bit more if I hadn't needed to stop and start the book multiple times.
While I do understand the ending may be controversial for some, I do think it fits with the story and the time. Do I want all my romance books to end that way? Heck no - and certainly not contemporary romances. But here I didn't mind it nor did it particularly surprise me. It *perhaps* alone makes the book lean a little more historical fiction if taken by itself but set amongst the rest of the book I would still consider it a romance.
ARC Review: Never After by Alexis Hall
Pub Date: April 7th
This is some of Alexis Hall's best work! It is dark and angsty (definitely read the trigger warnings/blurb) but also full of aching longing. I'd compare it closest to the angst level of A Lady for a Duke but the angst is notched up quite a bit. I was not surprised by the content, especially given the blurb which talks about drug use.
I really thoroughly enjoyed this one - I do think I would have enjoyed it a bit more if I had read it straight through but unfortunately this book suffered from my real life interfering with my reading time! I think the emotional hit would have just been a bit more if I hadn't needed to stop and start the book multiple times.
While I do understand the ending may be controversial for some, I do think it fits with the story and the time. Do I want all my romance books to end that way? Heck no - and certainly not contemporary romances. But here I didn't mind it nor did it particularly surprise me. It *perhaps* alone makes the book lean a little more historical fiction if taken by itself but set amongst the rest of the book I would still consider it a romance.
December 31, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
This was such a beautiful story. My first by this author but definitely won’t be my last. The story of Thomas and Micah was heartbreaking, and I truly didn’t want to leave them behind, which is why I took almost two weeks to finish this book! A roller coaster of emotions in the best way possible.
This was such a beautiful story. My first by this author but definitely won’t be my last. The story of Thomas and Micah was heartbreaking, and I truly didn’t want to leave them behind, which is why I took almost two weeks to finish this book! A roller coaster of emotions in the best way possible.
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