Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score starts with a rugged, bearded barber Knox would rather spend his life alone. Waylon, his basset hound, is not included in this. Drama is unacceptable to Knox, even if it resembles a stranded runaway bride.
Naomi wasn’t merely fleeing her nuptials. She was traveling to Knockemout, Virginia, a rough-and-tumble town where disagreements are resolved the old-fashioned way—with fists and beer—to save her estranged twin.
Unfortunately for Naomi, her evil counterpart hasn’t altered a bit. Tina leaves her with an unexpected gift after taking advantage of Naomi’s automobile and money. Naomi, the niece, was unaware that she had. With an 11-year-old almost thirty to look after, she is stranded in town without a car, a job, a plan, or a place to live.
Knox avoids complicated relationships and high-maintenance women for a reason, especially romantic ones. However, the least he can do is assist Naomi in getting out of her jam, given that her life fell apart before him. And he can leave her alone and return to his quiet, solitary existence as soon as she stops getting into new problems.
That is the strategy until the issue develops into a severe threat.
The “good one” has always been Naomi. Tina, her twin sister, had a troubled upbringing and has carried it into adulthood. Naomi has always tried to be the best version of herself to make up for her parents for how much work Tina was putting in.
Never rebelled in high school, attended college, received a degree, obtained employment, purchased a home, became engaged, and was ready to tie the knot. Then, Tina called and asked for assistance, and Naomi, the kind person, jumped at the chance to help.
Little did she realize that Tina had taken off with all of her possessions, leaving Naomi with a niece she had no idea existed until recently, and she ended up in Knockemout, Virginia, which has a population of about twelve.
It’s a lot to handle. Naomi went partly because when Tina called, she was also sort of running from something. However, she now has a new mission: to care for her niece Waylay, who is 11 years old and has a challenging start in life.
Since Tina has always been on the edge, her departure has left a bitter taste in the mouths of many in the community, which they are glad to project onto Naomi because of Tina’s similarity. When they see that she isn’t like her sister, most people are willing to give her a chance.
I loved that Naomi wants to provide Way, her niece, stability, and security while demonstrating to the young woman that she can be fearlessly herself. They were dependent on one another.
Finally, there is Knox Morgan, who is a 43-year-old manbaby and doesn’t like it when he gets hard around her. He yells in her face when he thinks she’s Tina, manhandles her by dragging her around five minutes after they meet, forces her into his car, and repeatedly ignores her requests for him to leave her alone and go away.
He also talks rudely about her when she’s around and does many other things I can’t remember right now. At times, Knox’s writing in this book was almost unpleasant. He seems juvenile and disgusting; I don’t think it’s adorable or that he’s being tormented.
His behavior toward his brother Nash is almost the worst when he is jealous and self-destructive. Fortunately for me, though, Knox surpasses himself when he makes Naomi do something against her will, threatens to do so, and then follows through by putting her over his shoulder in front of the entire town in the bar—wearing a skirt so short that everyone can see her underwear—and then gives her a smack on the ass for good measure.
She is avoiding him because she doesn’t want to be friends with him after he dumped her and he is upset about it. This is after they had a flirtation, which he terminated because he has father issues, boo hoo. I detested Knox as a character; he grew very little as a person throughout the novel, and I had to constantly remind myself that he was in his forties and a fully realized adult.
Knox is a misogynistic ball of poison. Just the remark about “my leftovers” should put him in the trash for eternity. Forever, he can get double the punishment for saying, “I’m still inside her as I plot to end it all.”
This book is actually very damn good when it’s focusing on basically anything else. I admired Waylay and felt she was a wonderful child, and I loved Naomi and her internal issues with people-pleasing. I had a great time in the town and loved the friends Naomi made. I also enjoyed getting to see glimpses of Nash and Lucien.
To be honest, Naomi ought to have chosen Nash first. Though I’m eager to read Sloane and Lucien’s book, I’m also nervous because I don’t know if I will be able to make the bank. However, I must root for the female lead to win the love interest since this is a romance.
In this instance, I genuinely believed that Waylay and Naomi deserved so much better than what Knox had done to them. I love sunny and grumpy people, but there comes a point where grumpy just turns into a jerk who has to learn social graces and how to be around people. For me, Knox was always on the wrong side of that line.
Even when he does pleasant things, he does them in a haughty and conceited manner, showing no genuine interest in finding out what the other person needs from him. He is indifferent. He has essentially been cut off from Nash for years since he wants to follow his own path and hell with everyone else.
I found it quite readable, even if the text is about 150 pages long. Knox was the most difficult, particularly in the initial fifty percent (but also at other stages). I hope I enjoy their books and that they won’t treat the women they supposedly care about the way they did with Nash and Lucien, who I liked SO much more.
For the same reason that I had trouble with this book—a fortysomething male lead who acted in a way that I found reprehensible—the only other Lucy Score novel I’ve ever read was a DNF. So, hopefully, this isn’t a trend! since the rest was pretty good.
Buying Options Things We Never Got Over
More Books by Lucy Score
- Things We Left Behind
- Pretend You’re Mine: A Small Town Love Story
- By a Thread: A Grumpy Boss Romantic Comedy
- Rock Bottom Girl: A Small Town Romantic Comedy
- Forever Never
Disclaimer: This blog post may contain affiliate links. If you click on these links and make a purchase, The Crimson Books may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
About the Author
Emma Thompson is a passionate bookworm with a deep appreciation for literature across various genres. With a degree in English Literature, she has a keen eye for analyzing and dissecting the intricacies of a book’s themes and writing style.
Emma has been an active reviewer for over five years, sharing her insights and recommendations with fellow readers.
