If you love spicy viral books, this Things We Left Behind review is for you. It explores exactly what makes this Lucy Score book so popular and beloved. You’ll get all the details you need to know (without any spoilers). Let’s spice things up!
Note: Things We Left Behind is book number 3 of 3 in the Things We Never Got Over series (Knockemout). Book number 1 is Things We Never Got Over and book number 2 is Things We Hide From the Light.
Like so many readers, I first heard of the Knockemout series through TikTok. Well, it was a little too spicy for me, but my high school friend (a spicy romance reader) reached out to me as she was reading it, and she had so much to say about this series that she became a writer on this site to write about them! So, what you will read in this Things We Left Behind review are mostly her words, with my edits and a few of my thoughts sprinkled in.
Quick Summary
Since this is the third book in a series, there are necessarily some plot spoilers below, but we have tried to keep them minimal.
Things We Left Behind is the third and final book in Lucy Score’s Knockemout series, which focuses on the story of the Morgan brothers’ brooding and mysterious friend, Lucian Rollins (who has a propensity for wearing suits and keeping tight-lipped about his work), and the petite, yet feisty, local librarian, Sloane Walton.
As hinted at in the previous two books, Lucian and Sloane have a history and are arch-enemies. The two can barely stand to be in a room together without shooting insults and quips in one another’s direction.
Told in the present time with a few flashbacks to show the early aspects of their relationship, Things We Left Behind tells the good, the bad, and the ugly and answers all of the reader’s burning questions that have built up for two books.
We learn that Lucian and Sloane’s tumultuous relationship is riddled with hope, betrayal, anger, and lots of loose ends that were never tied up.
As the two battle an undeniable connection between them, can they fix the errors of their past to move forward into the future?
All of Knockemout’s fan favorites are back to help tell the story of Lucian and Sloan and we watch their personalities and relationships blossom alongside our leading couple.
Lucian is a power seeker, always bent on revenge and erasing the damage his father did to the family name. He’s bonded with the feisty librarian over a dark secret from the past and their current hatred for each other.
These enemies just may turn into lovers. However, their newfound sparks bring them to yet another source of disagreement — her desire to start a family and his refusal to even consider it.
Things We Left Behind Review
WHAT YOU’LL LOVE ABOUT THIS BOOK:
Things We Left Behind was one of the most anticipated releases of the year for me personally. I finally embraced Knockemout and all its cheesiness and, after finishing up the trilogy, I wish I could move there tomorrow.
Score does a beautiful job describing the characters, the setting, and the feelings of those involved. I feel that reading her books is a very immersive experience.
Lucian and Sloane were by far the most anticipated couple to read about, and their story certainly did not disappoint. Some popular tropes used in this book are enemies-to-lovers, small-town romance, and childhood love. (Revealing more tropes may spoil the plot!)
Lucian and Sloane, both minor characters in the first two books, finally receive the spotlight they deserve. We now learn why Lucian is the way he is, how Sloan plays into it from Day 1, and how the two fit into one another’s lives.
Lucy Score’s characteristic steamy scenes are certainly not lacking in this
story. Easily the most sexually graphic book in the trilogy, Score punctuated the intense connection between these two characters with very raw, unfiltered interactions, both sexual and nonsexual, to help the reader get a grasp of all they’re going through and have been through.
All in all, I couldn’t recommend this book highly enough for fans of Lucy Score’s Knockemout series. The trilogy would simply not be complete without telling the much-anticipated story of “Suit Daddy” and his leading lady.
This book was the cherry on top of a small-town romance trilogy sundae, and I highly recommend it.
Age Rating
We recommend Things We Left Behind for mature adults aged 21 and over due to content including alcohol abuse, graphic domestic violence, and graphic sex.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Things We Left Behind by Lucy Score is a spicy romance novel. It is recommended for mature adults aged 21 due to content that includes graphic sex.
No. Things We Left Behind by Lucy Score is recommended for mature adults aged 21 and over due to content including alcohol abuse, graphic domestic violence, and graphic sex.
The major trigger warnings for Things We Left Behind by Lucy Score include alcohol abuse, graphic domestic violence, and graphic sex.
Things We Left Behind by Lucy Score is a steamy, small-town romance novel with enemies-to-lovers and second-chance romance tropes for former childhood loves. It follows the secretive Lucian Rollins and the feisty local librarian, Sloane Walton as they attempt to confront the past to see if they can move forward together in the future.
Conclusion
To recap this Things We Left Behind review, this book is a spicy small-town romance novel that became a viral sensation for its enemies-to-lovers trope and steamy romance scenes. It’s a very graphic novel recommended for adults age 21 and over due to potentially triggering content that includes alcohol abuse, graphic domestic violence, and graphic sex. Lastly, it’s the third of three books in the Knockemout series, which is best read first.
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