I was one of the ones anxiously awaiting this book, and it is good. I enjoyed the first two books more. It has the small town vibe, with childhood friends that I love to read.

As we get into Sloan and Lucien’s story, their history, and pain, moving forward. Lucien is complicated and layered; I did not always agree with his reasons or excuses for his actions. Did I like him? No, the author did her job. Sloan completely missed the mark for me; I did not feel she was the same character we met previously. This was the beginning of the little things that pulled me out of the story. The length of the book was a very long journey to their HEA.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks, Bloom Books for the advanced copy; this is my voluntary review.

The Knockemout trilogy has my heart! I have been excited for Sloane and Lucian's book since TWNGO and it did not disappoint. I love Lucian and Sloane with all my heart. They, especially Lucian, definitely had some serious baggage to overcome.

The hate in the enemies to lovers trope is def real at the start of this one. This is a "we have so much history that even though its fueled by feelings we truly both can't stand each other" enemies to lovers, They have quite the roller coaster of a relationship as the book goes on. The bathtub scene had my heart sighing it was so sweet. I really felt for Sloane with everything she had to deal with with Lucian and I felt for Lucian that he thought his actions were the only logical choice.

The secondary characters were great too. Loved getting to see Stef and Jeremiah get their happy ending and Emry is the best! I loved him and his old man therapist sass.

AND we finally get to wrap up all the loose ends from the overarching Anthony Hugo drama! I really enjoyed how the suspense in this romantic suspense played out.

“Loving you has been a touchstone for more than half my life. But being loved by you? That’s a fucking miracle. You, Pixie, are my fucking miracle.”

I loved almost everything in this book. The banter alone was 5/5, Lucian and Sloane’s banter really elevated this book especially their enemies banter. The tension and the chemistry hit I even chuckled a couple times lol.

I loved seeing all the other characters from the previous books and the found family connection that they all have. I thought the past pov’s were done well, few and moved the plot well. We find out why Lucian and Sloane ‘hate’ each other and it was understandable. The smut in this was good I was eating up the I hate you but I love sleeping with you sexy time up. There’s also a mystery/suspense plot that maybe wasn’t necessary but was a vibe nonetheless. My only minor issue is that this book is very long but I still ate it up.

This is my favorite book in this series. I think it was well rounded, had great characters, was serious at times but still cute fun and sexy. Great job writing this Lucy Score!

Read for:
- Great banter
- Friend to enemies to lovers
- Found Family
- Rich mmc/librarian fmc
- Small town romance
- Mystery element
- 🌶️🌶️

Thanks to Bloom Books for this arc for an honest review!

My favorite book in the whole series!!! Ugh I just loved Sloane & Lucian. The swoon is real. Theirs is a love story we were promised from the very first story, and the wait was worth it. I am both sad and happy to see the Knockemout series come to a close. Overall I would give the series as a whole a solid 4 stars and would recommend reading it if you’re looking for a lovey love story.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC!

Thank you to Bloom Books and NetGalley for the advance copy of Things We Left Behind in exchange for an honest review.

Neighbours Lucian and Sloan were close as teenagers until a tragic event altered the course of their relationship and now as adults they have spent over twenty years staying away from each other and silently (and sometimes not so silently) hating each other. The death of Sloane’s father brings Lucian back into her orbit more than usual, and as she grieves she discovers that Lucian played a bigger role in her parents lives the last twenty years than she thought. Her father’s death also leaves her yearning for a family that she hasn’t yet pursued, and she vows to finally find herself a happily ever after. Wealthy and powerful Lucian is focused on the still-out-there threat of Anthony Hugo and what harm he may bring to those closest to Lucian, particularly Sloane, now that he can’t seem to stay away from her. What happens when the person you vowed to hate forever is turning into the person you can’t stay away from or stop thinking about?
————————————

Wow. The conclusion to the Knockmeout series DID NOT disappoint. Lucian and Sloane were everything I hoped they would be. The enemies to lovers trope was so well done here with absolute animosity and snarkiness at every corner. It really felt like these two hated each other and the reasons for it were believable. When the tension finally snapped and the spice kicked in, I think my kindle nearly caught on fire. These two were combustible and they just couldn’t stay away from each other once they started. Lucian had such deep pain from his childhood that caused him to keep people at arm’s length but when he finally decides to be all in with Sloane (and it is kind of funny that he is 100% in it and Sloane doesn’t get a choice 🤣), he is ALL in. It’s sweet and funny and just so Lucian. Sloane was fierce, and at first determined not to let Lucian be anything more than a one time thing but it was very clear she thought so much more of him than that. I loved her humor, smarts, and protectiveness. She is probably my favourite of all the Knockmeout ladies.


Possibly spoiler-ish random thoughts:
•Karen Walton and the late Simon are absolute gems. To essentially take in and love Lucien like they did all these years and the way he returned their kindness by helping them at every opportunity brought tears to my eyes. How could he have ever thought he was anything like his father when he so clearly was full of love for all of the Waltons?
•Waylay in charge of the period pain simulator at the dinner table. 😂 Best scene ever.
•The bromance of Lucian and Nolan was delightful. Every time they had a scene together I was giggling. I love that this secondary character continued over into this book.
•Knox and Nash will never change and I’m glad for that. Their presence along with Naomi, Lina, Stef and Jeremiah made the book all the more familiar and lovable. I could read about those brothers kicking the crap out of each other forever.
•The epilogues practically killed me. Tears and more tears in all the good ways. To see Lucian in a house FULL of love, people he loves and love him back was such an amazing ending.
•Waylay’s husband!!?? Omg. Perfection.

Spice was fantastic, plot was a perfect continuation from book 2, character development was phenomenal. I’m sad to see this series end!

This is a great book, great romance. With each of Lucy Score's books in this series, I got attached to the main couple and was then worried I wouldn't enjoy the next book/couple as much, but that turned out not to be a problem.

Lucian and Sloane's childhood story is touching--before Lucian becomes the cold, hard adult he is when the story starts.

Watching Lucian change and open up is very rewarding. Sloane is also a great character, a tough broad even though she's a small-town librarian. And she can stand up to Lucian's hard exterior.

SPOILER ALERT: The bath scene is incredibly touching.

And to see Lucian soften up that tough exterior is also incredibly moving.

The Anthony Hugo crime story has never interested me much, but I see its purpose in putting pressure on the main romantic relationship.

This is definitely a book you won't be able to wait to get back to every day that you read it! I enjoyed it so much, I think I'm going to listen to the audiobook.

Score has created a full town of characters with the Knockemout series, and I will miss them and the town!

I really wanted to like this book, but, unfortunately, I don’t think this was for me.
Sloane and Lucian were the couple I was most excited to read and delve into in the Knockemout series but I feel that their story was not delievered in a way that they deserved.
The entire book felt underwhelming and I think the “hate” aspect of their relationship was too much. The ending was rushed, yet the entire plot was glacial.
Overall, an underwhelming story for a couple that deserved better.

This whole series has been wonderful, but the first one still holds a special place in my heart.

I enjoyed getting to know Lucian and Sloane throughout the series, and getting their story was the cherry on top of the whole series. I enjoyed the banter throughout out and the chemistry along with the push pull of anger mixed in too.

This book is the third in the series, so it is necessary that the first two books be read first. Luckily, I have! This is by far the very best of the series. Lucian and Sloane are childhood friends to enemies to lovers. And it was absolutely deliciously swoony. I laughed and cried and everything in between. This is definitely the best book Lucy Score has written so far.

I started this book crying and I ended this book crying. Warning up front: if you have recently lost a parent, be careful with yourself and where you are in your grief. For anyone grieving, this book might be hard. This entire trilogy is about different kinds of grief and the way we recover from it but this one is the most blunt. It's beautiful, it's relatable, it's heartbreaking, and I want to read it all over again for the first time.

Lucian and Sloane grew up neighbors, became close as teenagers, and then everything blew up in their faces because the way they cared about each other meant they did what was necessary to protect each other even when it hurt. Sloane never let go of her hurt, and Lucian used anger to keep her at a distance and keep a wall up between him and his trauma. He became powerful, and still kept a relationship with her family even if he tried to avoid her. A loss brings them back together, and the threat that still hangs over the Knockemout gang keeps them close.

Tension ensues. Tension boils. Tension EXPLODES.

It was worth every second waiting for Lucian.
The level of hotness. The intensity. The insane, well-hidden desire to take care of the people that matter to him...wow. Wow. He also made me laugh with his internal monologue so much more than I expected.

Sloane is so good. Naomi is good, Lina is morally grey leaning toward good, but Sloane is fierce. They've made jokes in the previous books about her being scary, but we finally get to really see it. Not just her physical defense of her friends, but the emotional defense and the way she thinks about people. About the town. As the only native Knockemout FMC, her love for where she comes from and wanting to serve her home is lovely. She gets things DONE. We spend a lot of this book with her broken and hurting in different ways, but we also get her healing. We get her demanding what she wants and not compromising for a second.

The overall mystery of the series being resolved was also fun - a lot of it I predicted, but there was a twist at the end that I didn't see coming and had me STRESSING for how it would end.

The balance of deep emotions and big laughs in this series is what makes it so memorable, and so special. I will always want to revisit Knockemout, but this one is extra special. Two people who make perfect sense to everyone but each other, and find that if they give a little they're going to gain a lot.

But seriously, spare panties for the hotness and lots of tissues for all the crying you're going to do.

None of us will ever get over Lucian Rollins.

Lucy Score saves the best of Knockemout for last. After flying through the first two books in this series, I’ve been excitedly and patiently (not my speciality) waiting for this release. And it DID NOT disappoint!! I didn’t think it would be able to surpass my love for the first book in the series, but Lucian and Sloan and the whole whole gang in Knockemout swept me away in this page turning, laugh out loud with a little bit of action (Lucy’s specialty in my opinion) spicy romance. All though I am sad to see the series end, The Things We left Behind did not infact leave anything behind and is the icing on the cake of a very delicious series. Highly recommend.

I have been eager for Sloane and Lucian's book since the beginning of Knockemout and this book did not disappoint. Lucian Rollins is everything to me. He was exactly who I thought he'd be, mysterious, possessive, closed off and HOT. Sloane is my favorite sassy librarian and I loved her so much. The tension between these two was so good. The backstory broke my heart and made me hurt for both of them. The back and forth between the two, the banter and everything made them my favorite couple by far and I absolutely adored Knox and Naomi, but Sloane and Lucian are on another level. I am so sad that this was the end of Knockemout because I would read 100 more books about these characters. The epilogue truly had me in tears. This book made me swoon, it made me laugh and it made me cry and that's all I can ask for in a book.

Thank you #netgalley and #sourcebooks for an early read of #thingsweleftbehind in exchange for my honest review. I cannot wait for the world to read the final installment of Knockemout.

Things We Left Behind was one of my most anticipated reads this year and it didn't disappoint!

If you've read the first two books of Knockemout (which you absolutely should), Lucian and Sloane have had this bickering dynamic from the start. And I've been wanting to dive into why that is so badly!! And thankfully the author delivers on exactly that here in their story. With snippets into their pasts, we find out not only what happened, or didn't happen between them, but also more about what made them who they are today and why that connection between them is the way it is today.

The way I hung on to each and every word in the beginning of this story. I just loved these two characters so much and rooted for them. I'm not going to lie-they could be really mean to each other. But it was what was shown, the acts of service behind the words that really cemented them for me. There is this denial of feelings- a tiny bit of miscommunication or lack there of- which I didn't always get, but it does create a tension that did work for me. And it eventually gets very steamy. Lucian! I KNEW Lucian had ALL that in him!! Dang.

Like most of Lucy's stories, this one is long. And I did feel that length here. Especially in the middle. But gosh it was so good to be back in Knockemout, catching up with all the previous characters. The found family vibes are so heart felt, but also will crack you up! These women especially together will make you laugh! Between the one liners, the tension, steam, suspense and swoon- I really loved this story! Sad the series is over, but satisfied with the conclusion!

4.5 Stars ⭐

What You'll Find:
--Smalltown Romance
--Enemies to Lovers
--Touch Her & Die Vibes
--Found Family
--Childhood Friends
--He Falls First
--Dual POV

*Thank you to the author, That's What She Said Publishing, and Sourcebooks Bloom Books (via NetGalley) for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own and given freely.

Thank you to Bloom Books and Lucy Score for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Knockemout series has been straight 5⭐️ for me. However, since I first finished TWNGO I have been WAITING for the chance to read Sloane and Lucian’s story. IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT. This was everything I could’ve asked for and more. I loved every second of it. Sloane and Lucian were witty and angsty and emotional and filled with SO MUCH TENSION. I could not get enough of them. The journey these two went on was amazing. The cameos of all our favorite Knockemout residents made the reading experience even better. The way the overarching mystery tied up was perfect. There couldn’t have been a better conclusion to this story. And that bonus epilogue? PERFECTION. Love, love, love.

Such a great end to the series! A little long (like all of them) and a little cheesy (like all of them) but overall such a great romance.

The Knockemout series could have not ended on a better note. Lucian is daddy and I spent most of the book either wanting to kiss his face off or give him a huge hug. LOVED. LOVED. LOVED.

Oh, my goodness, where do I start? Okay, I'll start with this... I think Lucy Score outdid herself. I loved this book! Lucian and Sloane's story was so good. The banter between them was great, and the spice level was on point. So much fun. Highly recommend. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for the E-ARC

Book Releases September 5, 2023

All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

I love this Knockemout series of books. I enjoy the small town atmosphere. I have enjoyed following this group of six through two books and into the third.

However, this last book fell flat for me. Lucien's story was difficult to read, however his anger was too over the top in my opinion. I felt it went on just too long and too much. I understand that he was angry but I felt it just went on and on and on.

Sloane's story was well written and very emotionally satisfying.

Lucy and Sloane's book! Finally!

I loved that we FINALLY got their backstory. It helped explain why Lucian is Lucian now. Enemies-to-lovers is one of my favorite tropes and Lucy Score did not disappoint with these two. I am not ready to leave Knockemout - the second epilogue had me wanting SO much more (we need Waylay's story, Ms. Score!).

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

This is the book in the series I’ve anticipated the most, but it just fell a little flat for me unfortunately. From the rest of the series you knew that Sloane and Lucian had a super estranged relationship and we all were wondering, “WHAT HAPPENED THEY HATED EACH OTHER SO MUCH?!”

For 20 years they’ve held this grudge/hatred towards each other and honestly, I don’t really know why Sloane hated him. We figured out why Lucian held the grudge though.

Chapter 18 is where I really started getting more emotionally connected which turned me off a little because it took almost half the book to be like okay now we’re getting somewhere. I think the book could’ve been shortened a ton for sure.

I did love the alpha male - touch her and die sentiment and you start to see Lucien crack his hard shell. He opens up a lot to Sloane and it melts my heart he’ll do whatever for her once he realized it’s ok to love her. I also loved the suspense in it with Anthony Hugo (the mob boss) even though it was a little predictable with how everything went down. And how at 80% through of the book everything was so rushed.

Needless to say, this wasn’t my favorite in the series but I did like how everything was neatly wrapped up in a bow to end the series.