Things We Left Behind
Book 3/3 Knockemout Series
🗓️ 09/05/23
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Lucian Rollins is a lean, mean vengeance-seeking mogul. On a quest to erase his abusive father's mark on the family name, he spends every waking minute pulling strings and building his empire. The more money and power he gains, the safer he feels.

Except when it comes to one feisty small-town librarian…

Bonded by an old, dark secret from the past and their current mutual disdain, Sloane Walton trusts Lucian about as far as she can throw his designer-suited body.

When bickering accidentally turns to foreplay, the flames are fanned, and it's impossible to put them out again. But with Sloane more than ready to start a family and Lucian refusing to even consider the idea of marriage and kids, these enemies-to-lovers are stuck at an impasse.

Until Lucian learns the hard way that leaving Sloane is impossible―the very least he can do is to keep her safe.”

Holy 🥵 If you read the first two books in the series then you knew Sloane and Lucian’s story was gonna be a rollercoaster ride! I loved how @scorelucy wrote a past and present day account of Sloane and Lucian’s history. From childhood trauma and deception to undeniable sexual tension and whitty banter. This book was everything that the series needed to end on! You may not have loved Lucian from the start but I promise you, you will by the end of this series! He was a born protector who loves with his whole heart.

Thank you @netgalley @scorelucy and @sourcebooks for this advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review!

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Lucian Rollins, a driven mogul seeking vengeance, crosses paths with the determined small-town librarian, Sloane Walton. Despite their initial dislike for each other, a passionate one-night stand ignites a complicated relationship, but Lucian's fear of endangering Sloane keeps them at an impasse.

Things We Left Behind, the third book in the Knockemout series and it’s a continuation in the series so I recommend reading the other two before you get to this. Lucy’s writing always draws me in and I was thrilled to revisit familiar characters like Naomi, Knox, Lina, Nash, and Stef. My favorite aspect of this book was the flashbacks that provided insights into Lucian and Sloane’s teenage years and how they’ve evolved over the years. One of the highlights was finally getting answers to the mystery surrounding Hugo. Though I loved Sloane in the first two books, I was disappointed in her character in this book. Her character seemed to undergo a drastic transformation and she came across as a somewhat desperate heroine in an unfavorable light. Lina remains my favorite FMC. As for Lucian, he was as grumpy and possessive as I assumed he would be, but I didn’t like his complete switch in character towards the end of this book. There was an additional legal case introduced in the story that I didn’t find as engaging. While the book was fun to read, I couldn’t help but feel that it could have been shorter by about 200 pages. Overall, I had mixed feelings about this one and it was 3 stars for me. Nevertheless, the Knockemout series as a whole is great and I loved the characters.

Well, it would be hard to say very much without spoiling everything, so I’ll just say that if you enjoyed the first two, you will love this one too. Lucian is awesome, and this final installment wraps up everything in the stories thoroughly.

This started a little slowly for me, with the push and more push between Sloane and Lucian dragging a little. The banter was good, but damn it, I just wanted them to get moving. The flashbacks also were slow, in that I knew what was coming (not a mystery there) before the chapters arrived. I was impatient about getting to the good parts, but they were worth the wait. Really worth the wait. The second half of the book had so much going on that I forgot that the first half was slow until I started writing this review.

So, in the end, I know I don’t have to tell you to read it. If you read the first two books, you’ve been waiting for Suit Daddy’s story. If you are one of the twelve people on Earth who didn’t read the first two, go read them first, since there is an arc that goes through the set. Plus Knox and Nash weren’t exactly a chore to read.

Enjoy! Lucy definitely saved the best for last with this one!

I'm so sad to say goodbye to Knockemout! I loved this book maybe even more than TWNGO purely because I was just waiting to read Lucian and Sloane's story. The epilogues made me cry even more than I cried 30 pages into the book.

I'm sad to say goodbye but I can always reread them...it just won't be the same as it is the first time.

This book was absolute perfection and everything I was hoping for in anticipation of Lucian and Sloane's story. I was in tears in chapter 1, I laughed throughout the book and swooned more than once. Sloane is such a fantastic heroine, she's feisty and independent. Lucian is a grumpy, billionaire boy next door. He is damaged and broken and definitely goes through the most change in this book. All your favorite Knockemout characters are present and there is a suspense storyline that carries from Books 1 and 2.

I will definitely be doing this in audio because I just need to hear Lucian's chapters done by the very talented Sebastian York.

This is one of my favorite books of the year! I am sad the series is over, but they will all be on my reread list.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily give my review.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book, provided by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I can't believe it's over. I can't believe we've reached Lucian and Sloane's story. We knew from the first two books that their backstory was a doozy - but it even defied my expectations. This grumpy-sunshine enemies to lovers story absolutely did not disappoint.

Unfortunately, this story starts with a death and steamrolls from there. The emotion was thick here, and once Lucian got his head out of his butt, the steam, banter and emotion all snapped into place. I love Knockemout. I love the characters. I especially love how the characters from previous stories make big appearances.

Reading the backstory, pulling into the present and following through with the endgame, Lucian and Sloane were top notch. I cried my way through that epilogue. It wrapped everything up so nicely. I loved it do much. But I'm still sad to leave Knockemout behind.

Loved this book! I think it was my favorite of the three because the tension between Sloane and Lucian is present and builds throughout the first two books. Love how there is always a suspenseful aspect to the plot in addition to the romance. I’m sad to say goodbye to these characters

Lucian was always bound to be my favorite and he really was in the final book of the series. Saying goodbye to these characters and their stories felt bittersweet. The romance between Sloane and Lucian totally worth the wait.

Lucy Score is the queen of the grumpy sunshine trope and never disappoints. I adored Sloane, the quirky librarian. & LOVED Lucian aka Suit Daddy.

Regardless to say if you loved the series - I feel you will love this one. All the cameos of the other characters - just warmed my heart.

Rating: 5

Thank the publisher and author for the ARC!

I’ve loved this entire series but Sloan and Lucian/Lucifer/Suit Daddy might be my favorite of the three! I finished this overnight while feeding my newborn with tears in my eyes. My audiobook preorder is downloaded on my phone and I’m tempted to start an immediate reread of the whole series! ⁣
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Sloan and Lucian were next door neighbors/high school friends, but they’re enemies by the time we’re introduced to them. Lucian’s story and why their friendship ended broke my heart and made me love him more. He sees himself as a villain because of his past while doing so much for those he cares about. ⁣
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The banter between these two was hilarious and their chemistry was off the charts/explosive! I loved seeing everything from this series wrapped up, but I’m also so sad to see it end. I really can’t recommend picking this series up enough!

Ever since reading about Sloane and Lucian in the first book Things We Never Got Over I've been waiting for their book! The second chance romance between once childhood friends turned enemies is literally my favorite tropes in one book!

Bad boy millionaire Lucian Rollins wants nothing to do with spunky librarian Sloane Walton. She brings up buried memories from his past that he'd rather not revisit. But when Sloane's father passes away, Lucian can't hide away forever. Once when he was younger and Lucian and Sloane had a friendship of sorts, Sloane's father was the father figure he needed in his life. He feels this loss just as deeply as Sloane.

Complicating matters is the death threats that Sloane is receiving and the fact that Lucian will do anything to keep her safe - their shared past almost demands it. But the push and pull between these two can only go one way - either they make room for each other in their lives or they make a clean break. Lucian doesn't want a wife and kids and that's all Sloane seems to be fixated on. Will these two find a way to make their relationship work?

I really enjoyed Lucian and Sloane's story! I'm a sucker for flashbacks and I loved the flashbacks between younger Lucian and Sloane. They were so so sweet to one another even though it was obvious that their family's couldn't be any different. Lucian was subjected to abuse while Sloane was a product of a loving family. These sweet interactions made me love Sloane and Lucian even more.

I will say that I was a bit frustrated by the push and pull of Lucian. And parts towards the middle dragged a bit for me. Still I really enjoyed Things We Left Behind.

If you're looking for a second chance, childhood friends to enemies to lovers then I recommend picking up Things We Left Behind.

While this book can be read as a standalone I highly recommend reading the series in order.

Lucien and Sloane. Their story was so compelling and beautifully broken. Lucien comes from a broken and abusive home and found his light in the girl next door. Until a teenage decision caused a rift between them for over 20 years. Now that Lucien is a very successful and powerful man, he's determined to shake his weakness for the woman he loves to hate.

Sloane is a badass librarian who can't stand her former neighbor and childhood crush Lucien. As they are forced together more and more for their best friends wedding, they call a temporary truck to their feud. But the sexual tension proves to be too much.

Oh man. This book. I love love love anything Lucy Score writes but Knockemout has a special place in my heart. Lucien and Sloane have always been a question mark for me. So much animosity, but why? And now I know. And this story is so beautiful and well written and just thoroughly un-put-down- able.

What an ending to such a fun series! When I read Thing We Never Got Over, I was absolutely dying to read Sloane and Lucian’s story because I knew it was going to be FIRE.
Now, is this book the most amazing book I’ve ever read? No, it is not. Is this book a fun read and getting a rating based on vibes alone? Yes, yes it is. There truly is no place like Knockemout and the magic of their small town community. Every character is so rich and fun. Sloane and Lucian were so fun to read and see the world through their eyes. There were some parts of this book that bugged me, but honestly, the two epilogues made up for them. I mean, there is nothing I love more than an epic full series epilogue where every series character gets to appear again and we see they are happy. I’m sad the series is over, but it truly was a joy to read.

The story along with the witty, sometimes sarcastic and often laugh out loud dialog made this an outstanding read. Add in the interaction between all of the characters, especially the main characters Lucian Rollins and Sloan Walton and I didn’t want to miss one word. Lucian was raised in an abusive home, only wanting to protect his mother and survive. Sloan lived next door and was a witness to the abuse that he often suffered. They were friends as teens, but now Lucian’s emotions are incased in steel and he operates his business empire from D.C. He is assisting the feds in an investigation providing information that they can’t always legally obtain. He has made some enemies; enemies that would not hesitate to use Sloan to get to him. Sloan believes that Lucian hates her and she knows why, but doesn’t understand that he can’t let go of the past. Her parents had always supported him and when her father dies, Lucian supports her family, but not her. What will happen when he can no longer control his intense attraction for Sloan? There is no boundary to what he will do to protect the woman he has always wanted…Sloan. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

I knew from the start that Lucian was going to be my favorite in the series, and everything about this book proved me right. While the book was long, the slow burn build up was worth it and the chapters that dove into Lucian and Sloan’s past were heart breaking and added a lot of necessary background to the plot. I loved all the cameos from the previous two books, making it 100% worth it to read all three in order. Plus the epilogue and extended epilogue were the perfect way to say bye tot he Knockemount crew.

Read if you like:
-Grumpy and protective hero
-Enemies to lovers
-Quirky librarians
-Childhood crush
-Suspense side storylines
-Small town romances
-Neighbors

Thank you Bloom for the gifted copy!

A huge thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC of "Things We Left Behind" by Lucy Score. I was so happy to get a copy of this long awaited third installment to the knockabout series. I have been waiting for Lucien and Solan's story since I finished the first novel in this series.

This was my fav. installment and I am just so in love with Lucien. I loved the slow build up in this novel which I think was missing from the second book, while all three were great reads this was by far the best as far as tension and banter.

I loved the flashback chapters as well that gave us a peak into what happened in the past with Solan and Lucien. I just love Lucy's writing, in just a few flashback chapters she is able to tell the whole story of what these two went through without dragging it out. Lucy is the queen of slow burns that don't drag on but they wrap up in the perfect amount of time.

I also loved the side characters who worked with Lucien, am I the only one who needs a story written from his assitance's point of view??? Spin off series coming soon???

FIVE STARS!!

Ahhh finally, the story of Lucian and Sloan.

To say that THIS is the one I've been waiting for is an understatement. But first a little background:
For the past two books, we've watched Lucian Rollins and Sloan Walton who can't stand each other. Like literally, they thrive off of a deep seeded hate and also strangely bonded by a secret in their past.
But as we all know, there is a thin line between love and hate...

This book was worth the wait. We FINALLY get the backstory as to why these two hate each other so much and it was so well done. I say that as someone who reads a lot of series and the sometimes, the one you are waiting for just doesn't go the way we want it. ( looking at the second book in this series) .

The bickering, the history, the attraction between the two , the SMUT,( my goodness!) and the closing up loose ends of a mystery /some danger that started in this first book kept me on the edge of my seat for the whole book.
The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is because i didn't need two epilogues and just sometimes, it was just a tad bit slow.( but only because i wanted to get back to Lucian and Sloan) . But otherwise, Lucy Score, this was the perfect ending to the series!

“”You remembered,” she said softly.
“I remember every second of us.”

Dear Lucy Score, (You Wreck Me by Tom Petty playing in the background), you have officially ruined me for all other romance series. I will forever be comparing them to Knockemout. I have been waiting, ever so patiently, for Lucian and Sloane’s story and you have surpassed even my wildest dreams.

If you’re a fan of this series (WHAT, you haven’t read them?? Start with Things We Never Got Over and come back to this.

If you’re a fan of this series then getting to finally hear the backstory of why Sloane (feisty, unapologetic librarian) and Lucian (billionaire, Suit Daddy) hate each other so much is the ultimate payoff. Their jabs run deep and for an incredibly harsh, violent past they’ve never reconciled. Getting these two to slowly work to a space to heal and trust each other takes time. Things take a turn when enemies from the past surface and start threatening Sloane.

I can’t gush enough about how incredible it was to be back in Knockemout with Knox, Naomi, Nash, Lina, Jeremiah, Stef and especially Waylon. I slowed down the last 100 pages for sheer joy and sadness that this series happened in the first place and that is was ending. Truly thank you, Lucy Score.

This series is everything.

I knew that I would love Lucian and Sloane's story but y'all it was more than I could have even imagined. The tension was delivered, 100%, in true Lucian & Sloane fashion. Their story, their history, their love to hate and hate to love each other.. it's beautiful. Reading about what happened between them all those years ago brought me to tears. Seeing them come full circle also brought me to tears.

This was an AMAZING ending to the Knockemout series.

Now I'm logging off to recover from this one.

Sloan is the small town librarian who just lost her beloved father. Her friends gather around and close ranks to support her, her sister, and her mother. Lucian walks in to the funeral and she isn’t expecting it. He is dark, stormy, and her evil incarnate. Why did he have to show up on this day of all days? Apparently Lucian is tied in much closer to her mom and dad than she ever knew. The past is always haunting them, trust was broken, and they can never go back to the days of innocence and friendship. So, how can they be adults and stop hating each other long enough to grieve, marry their friends off, and figure out who is shooting people and trying to keep crimes covered up.

**Chef's Kiss**

Simply put, there is no doubt that Lucy poured her whole heart and soul into "Things We Left Behind". I can confidently say that Suit Daddy stole. my. heart. Knowing that this is the last book in the trifecta of the Knockemout series, I tried to savor every bit of TWLB. As the book drew to a close, I cried on some pages and smiled on others as Lucy gave our Knockemout family a proper "See ya later".

Following the story of Lucian & Sloane, I laughed, cried, got frustrated and angry as I learned the root of the years-long feud between Lucian & Sloane. While there's utter frustration between these two characters, there's also LOTS of sexual tension. That tension can only be stretched so far before it snaps like a rubber band. Is one night enough for these enemies turned lovers?

If you love romance and you haven't read the Knockemout series, go get it today! This is, by far, my favorite series I've ever read and I have no doubt I'll come back to it in the future to visit with our Knockemout family. TWLB is the cherry on top of this series!

A huge THANK YOU to Lucy Score, Sourcebooks Bloom Books and Netgalley for this ARC of "Things We Left Behind" in exchange for my review.