Never After by Alexis Hall

Timy reviews Never After, a standalone historical fiction romance novel by Alexis Hall.

An eARC was received from Montlake via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Never After will be published on April 7, 2026.

About the Book
The Sound of Madness
Book Blurb
Quote of the Book
Song of the Book
Review
Our Judgement

Possible fit for The Sound of Madness Reading Challenge 2026 prompts:

Joker prompt that goes with anything: Freefall

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.

“What had just happened? What had he been offered? And what had he accepted? He would leave London? This sprawling, festering harlot of a city, between whose thighs ran a river of filth and upon whose blackened breath was always the reek of death.”

You know I use Breaking Benjamin songs very sparingly, partly because I want to overuse them, and partly because I keep them for the best fits. I couldn’t have found a better pair than Never After and Without You if I tried.

Never After isn’t the first book I’ve read by Alexis Hall, so I had a certain level of expectation when I requested an ARC on NetGalley. I was fairly sure I would like it, maybe even love it, but I wasn’t ready to be blown away by it. Never After made me feel so many things, it’s been a while since I had this kind of emotional reaction to a book. Is it perfect? No, it’s not – nothing ever is, but this is one of those rare times when I can barely find the words to convey my feelings. I will try tho.

But first things first. Never After is a standalone historical fiction romance set in 19th century England. The story is told from two MCs’ POV – Micha and Thomas. Micha had fallen on hard times and works as a whore while he sinks deeper and deeper into opium addiction. Thomas, on the other hand, is the third son of a marquess, and as such was raised to be a reverend in a small village. Their paths cross in London when Micha nearly dies on the street if it wasn’t for Thomas who tries to help him. Which leads to a tentative friendship.

You need to know two things about Never After before you decide to pick it up: it has pretty dark themes – abuse, addiction, suicide (mentioned, not on page) and it has quite a few very explicit sex scenes, a lot of them quite uncomfortable to read, especially in the first half when we get snippets of Micha’s life as a sex worker. At first I wasn’t sure if they were all really needed, but in hindsight, I would have done the same to portray Micha’s journey throughout the book. And I can respect that. Sex is a very integral part of Micha’s life, Thomas’ not so much. Hall uses to that draw the contrast between his two MCs. Sex and intimacy becomes its own language and adds all the layers to their relationship and personalities. It really is exquisitely done.

“A restless tingling gathered in his fingertips. This was unbearable. He was utterly powerless. That was the problem with kindness. Sincere or otherwise, it stripped you of yourself, left you vulnerable and dependent. It was easier to be fucked for money.
Easier, yes, but not preferable.”

Both MCs have their own struggles – Micha’s is addiction self-loathing and Thomas’ is his sense of duty that suffocates him. Not talking about the pressure he has on him, thanks to his father and twin brother. Micha hides behind a wall of indifference, sarcasm and cruel words, while Thomas does his best for the people he is responsible for, even if he himself has doubts. Micha is very aware of himself and his nature, while Thomas suppressed his own for a very long time. When their two worlds collide, it turns both of their lives upside down, forcing them to face their pasts and eventually their future.

I wasn’t a big fan of Micha personally, as he is vindictive, sometimes cruel, possessive, and really tries his hardest to be unlikable. And yet, there is something lying underneath it all that makes it hard to actually hate him, especially once he starts to open up and show his vulnerable side. I was a bit more invested in Thomas’ awakening, so to speak, and the way he experienced the opening of his world. They both have a lot of soul searching and growing up to do, and it’s super satisfying to watch both of them bloom in their own right. And since this is set in the late 19th century, the tension of discovery is ever present, which adds an extra layer to the complexity of their situation.

Even though I focused on Micha and Thomas in my review, there is a big cast of characters playing their parts. I especially loved the villagers, Esther chief among them. I really wish she had more screen time.

What really broke me though, was the ending. And I’m going to leave it at that, because I don’t want to spoil anything. It wasn’t what I expected, and I’m not even sure if I liked it at all, as it was a bit too rushed for my liking, but it was impactful as fuck. Never After is hands down the best book I’ve read by Alexis Hall so far, and there were barely any chapters where I didn’t have to stop reading and go “fuck, I want to be Alexis Hall when I grow up.” His writing left me breathless in some parts and his prose is something I’ll be aspiring for. All I’m saying is, don’t be surprised if it ends up on my top 10 of 2026 list.