I love Alexis Hall and would gladly pick up anything he writes, but I believe his talent shines most brightly in contemporary stories, like the Boyfriend Material series or the baking contest books. These settings allow him to be funny while also being utterly British and authentic.

This book is the third in his historical fiction series set in the 19th century. The concept has very little to do with historical accuracy and is more of a fantastic variation on the idea of historical romance. I really enjoyed the premise at the beginning of the series, but after reading this third book, I'm not so sure. It felt somewhat repetitive and didn’t offer much beyond what we’ve already seen in the first two books.

*Something Extraordinary* features characters I liked in previous installments, but I struggled to see them as distinct from the main characters earlier in the series (even though they do have different trajectories and personalities). This is mainly because the humor across all the books feels very similar; every character in this series makes the same kind of jokes. It just wasn’t funny for me anymore. The plot isn’t particularly strong either, as it’s meant to be a silly romp.

That said, I still quite enjoyed reading it and don’t regret picking it up. I think some readers will be more than happy to experience the same formula for the third time because, obviously, humor is subjective.

Extraordinarily queer, quite funny and all around good time romp in Regency England!

Rufus (Sir Horley to you!) and Belle (Arabella Tarleton) meet again - this time to save each other from ruin/marriage, eloping/kidnapping each other to much hilarity.

Of course their journey to Gretna Green is interrupted multiple times by various shenanigans in which we meet a few new characters. Could there be additional books in the series? It makes one wonder.

This book is quite lengthy and at times drawn out but still very enjoyable!

4 stars - I feel so conflicted about this rating because the second half of this book is absolutely a 5 star read!! Any romance that can make me cry because of its gentleness has to be at least a 4.

This book really surprised me. I quickly realized that this was the third book of a series and was kind of confused in the first like 30% of the book. Characters were introduced with very obvious connections that extended to past books and I felt like I was trying to put puzzle pieces together to understand what was going on. There was a lot of internal monologue in the beginning so I don't think it really hindered the overall reading experience, but you will definitely feel like you're missing out on some history in the beginning if you did not read the first 2 books.

With that being said, Alexis is clearly an extraordinary writer. The way they can create such vivd characters with depth made for a rich reading experience. I was grateful there was a bit of internal monologue (which I can quickly grow tired of) because it really allowed me to be in each character's head. Both Rufus and Belle are trying to gain the courage to build their own happily ever after that doesn't look like the typical romances they see around them. Although their end goal is similar, they still have their own individual journey that unfolds and is unique to them. Alexis wrote a beautiful story of found family, and the journey to feeling worthy to receive and show up for love in all forms. Although the first 1/3 felt a bit slow to me, I absolutely adored the second half of this book. It was a complete 180 and I almost DNF'd due to slow pacing at the beginning, but I'm so happy I stuck it out. Excited to read more by them!

Alexis Hall's Something Extraordinary is a delightful and whimsical story that captures the magic of romance and self-discovery. Hall’s charming writing style, filled with wit and warmth, brings the characters to life as they navigate the ups and downs of love, friendship, and embracing one’s true self. The narrative is heartfelt and full of humor, exploring the complexities of relationships with both tenderness and honesty. Something Extraordinary is a feel-good read that leaves you with a smile, reminding us all of the beauty in the ordinary moments that make life special.

Huge thanks to Netgalley for the eARC.

This was an enjoyable read for anyone looking to really delve into queer historical romance. It was a quirky and fast paced romp between two friends on their way to put the seal on their lavender marriage. While enjoyable overall, the characters do come across as rather selfish in their motivations and I'm never really sold on their final resolution.

3/5

Something Extraordinary is the third book in the "Something Something" series and should be read in order. I hadn't read book 2 and one had been quite a while so the reminiscing and the characters' dynamic was a bit more difficult to follow. So: if you haven't, starrt with Something Fabulous where both main characters are introduced.
At times I found the story a little slow paced. Especially the beginning where we had loads of dialogue bavk and forth with the MCs altering their standpoint every couple of pages. The point of conflict: should they, a gay man and a bi, aromantic woman, enter a marriage of convenience. For her it would mean not having to become a spinster living with her parents (19th century setting), he would get his aunt off his back and financial stability. On their way eloping to Scotland, they meet some colourful characters (which do not return for the final part of the story which I found a bit sad).
Overall it is a fun story centering around living happily despite not fitting into the mould of a rigid society and finding one's own family and home

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc!

This is a meditation on friendship, in the funnest of Victorian ways. I didn’t read any of the prior books in the series, but I could appreciate that this was a book that wouldn’t be focused on romance - rather, the meaning of a good, deep friendship that made me think about what it means and feel just a little more lonely in the world.

Such a great read! Highly recommend this one.

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book is full of twists and turns that made me excited, it's full of clever, funny moments and ultimately it was an enjoyable read. It was an interesting take on one of my favourite tropes; marriage of convenience.

I have read previous books by Alexis, and although this one wasn't quite as gripping as her London Calling series, I still had a great time with it. I did feel a bit lost during the second half of the book, thigs became a little clunky - hence the three stars. But I would still recommend giving it a go!

Fun chaotic romp with a touch of angst.

If you read the other two you know what to expect. A good wrap up to the series. Not to be missed if you enjoyed the other two books.

The characters in this book are interesting, have fun and engaging dialogue and get into all sorts of hilarious antics. I struggled with the pace of the story line as Arabella spends a lot of time in her head thinking through her decisions over and over, getting a little repetitive. Arabella and Sir Horley go back and forth over their decision to marry and spend a lot of time arguing their points to the point of confusion.

2.5 Stars


I struggled a lot with this book, which is unfortunate because I would say it is well written. I just couldn't stay engaged, I didn't feel a strong pull or care for the characters unfortunately. Perhaps it just wasn't written in my style...

I love a good Regency drama/romance. The manners and silly characters and way they can talk in circles usually is totally my jam. This story didn’t quite hit the mark for me for multiple reasons. One was that I didn’t realize that it was book 3 of a series when I signed up for the arc and felt like I should know a lot of character backstory that I didn’t know. Another impediment was that I didn’t love the characters. They felt selfish and not kind. The concept of saving each other by marrying a beard was definitely an interesting plot twist for this kind of novel, but it fell flat on the execution for me. I do like Hall’s banter writing and humour, but I think they showed this much better in their book “A Lady for a Duke”. I plan to read book one and two before this book releases and then see if I want to circle back for a reread.

This was a bit hard to get into and quite wordy. But once I was a few chapters in I was gripped.

This is a must read for Bridgerton fans. It’s a cutesy period drama mostly about friendship with a little bit of romance thrown in.

Something Extraordinary by Alexis Hall is a fun and heartwarming historical queer romance. The story follows Sir Horley, who is gay, and Arabella Tarleton, who is aromantic, as they try to escape Sir Horley's unwanted marriage. Their journey is filled with hilarious adventures and touching moments, making their unique relationship both believable and endearing. Hall's witty dialogue and engaging characters shine throughout the book, making it a joy to read. The representation of queer and aromantic identities is handled with care and depth, adding an extra layer of authenticity to the story. Overall, it's a hilarious and touching tale that leaves you feeling good and satisfied.

*eARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

this book was really something extraordinary. for a romance reader, it might be hard to imagine how a romcom-style book with an aromantic protagonist would work, but the book retains all the fun tropiness of romcoms and the series generally without compromising on the solidity of either protagonist's identities. it was a really beautiful book that explored the myriad of ways people can connect with each other outside of conventional relationship structures incredibly well. the side characters, both new and old, were really great to read about and enriched the story.

What a trip of a story! It's a rollercoaster between laughing out loud, heartbreaking, twists and turns, cleverness, and lots of love in ways I have not yet come across in any other romance in this way.

Am not quite sure where to start and where to end but this is Alexis Hall at his best with buckets full of humour and heart.

I'm thankful to Montlake and Netgalley to have had the opportunity to read this third installment of the Something Something series ahead of it's publication date.

Very cute story! Cliche but the author puts a very good spin on it! Alexis' writing is unhinged and I love it!

One thing that I have accepted as true about Alexis Hall's writing in general, and the Something Fabulous series in particular, is that it will be at turns thought-provoking, unconventional, hilarious, and moving. And very, very queer. This is an excellent example of that.

I was never sure about Belle when she was a side character in the others' stories, but I loved her here. She is harder and sharper than Bonny and I love how Alexis Hall treated her aromanticism. She has no problem engaging in plenty of enthusiastic sex with all manner of partners, but she has discovered in herself an inability to comprehend romantic love and has come to think of herself as broken because of it.

Sir Horley - Rufus - thinks of himself as just as broken and unloveable after a lifetime of mistreatment.

They don't seem, at first, as if they will work out together, but their marriage works surprisingly well and brings them both contentment. After many, many hijinks, shenanigans, and other misadventures, of course, because this is an Alexis Hall novel.

Their arrangement is rather unconventional, but they are no less happy because of it. In fact, it rather suits them both.

I laughed out loud while reading this, even though I was feeling particularly sick and miserable, which is why I picked it up in the first place. Not my usual snorts and chuckles, but the sort of wheezing helpless laughter that you can't stop. It has been quite I while since I laughed like that. It was a welcome release.

I am not sure if there will be more in this series, as all of the main characters have been granted their various happy-ever-afters, but I hope Alexis Hall will surprise me and write more because I dearly love all three books. Even if not, I know there will be plenty more of his books for me to devour in the future.

*Thanks to Montlake for providing an early copy for review.

*SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD!*

Oh, I really loved this one. I have been impatiently awaiting this book, as I have really loved Sir Horley in the first two books of this series and I was distraught over how we left him in Something Spectacular.

Overall, I don't feel like this book had quite as much of a bonkers feel to it as Something Fabulous did, but it was still very much in that world. After SF I wasn't the biggest fan of Belle's (she shot Valentine!), but I think that AJH has done an incredible job of showing us why Belle acted the way she did in that book; giving us a glimpse of her at the beginning of Something Spectacular, and then further expanding on that in Something Extraordinary. And by corollary, I really like how when we first meet Sir Horley he seems a bit of a flake, though with good intentions, seeming to be living his life the way he wants. Then we see in Something Spectacular that maybe things aren't quite as carefree as he would lead everyone to believe. I think that Something Extraordinary has a more serious tone than the first two have, but still being very funny and anachronistic. I love reading a QPR, which there are very few of out there, and this is by far the best written of the very few that I've read.

I fear that some people may get uppity about this book and if it's a "true genre romance", as the relationship is platonic, but I absolutely would call this a romance. While maybe it's not romantic between the two protagonists, it is still very much a story about a relationship and arguing for why those two people belong together. Basically the entire book is an argument between Sir Horley and Belle and about why they should be together.

I love that this book focuses on platonic love, because it is very clear that Sir Horley and Belle really do love each other and their relationship will be a good one. I also love the discussions Belle has about being aromantic and how being the focus of romantic love is so upsetting and uncomfortable for her. And while this book focuses on platonic love, it also explores what a marriage based on platonic love could look like. Belle has some fun and finds several people who she really connects with in a platonic, but definitely sexy way, and Sir Horley gets to try his hand at menacing a supposed highwayman.

I also love how we get to see both Belle and Sir Horley being vulnerable with each other. Throughout the first two books we don't really see that; Sir Horley is a fairly happy-go-lucky lad and Belle seems mostly confused and unhappy.

This book absolutely lived up to my high expectations, as do most of AJH's books. I love to see Belle and Sir Horley getting the HEA that works for them, even if it's not at all what others might consider to be an HEA.

ALSO: hilarious cameo by Stella.