“Things We Left Behind” by Lucy Score is a beautifully crafted romance novel that delves into the themes of love, loss, and the power of second chances. Known for her captivating storytelling and deeply relatable characters, Lucy Score delivers a moving narrative that resonates with readers long after the final page is turned.

Things We Left Behind by Lucy Score

Things We Left Behind by Lucy Score is an emotional enemies-to-lovers romance about old secrets, family wounds, trust, ambition, danger, and two people who have spent years pretending they cannot stand each other.

The story returns readers to Knockemout, Virginia.

This time, the focus is on Lucian Rollins and Sloane Walton.

Lucian is powerful, controlled, ambitious, and determined to keep his past buried.

Sloane is a strong-willed small-town librarian who has known him for years.

Their history is complicated.

Their arguments are constant.

And neither of them is prepared for what happens when that tension becomes attraction.

About Things We Left Behind

Things We Left Behind is the third novel in Lucy Score’s Knockemout series.

Lucian Rollins has spent much of his adult life building influence and power.

His difficult childhood has shaped the way he thinks about security.

He wants control.

He wants distance from weakness.

And he has no intention of allowing anyone to become too important to him.

Sloane Walton is one of the few people who can challenge him.

She knows more about his past than most people do.

That makes their relationship especially complicated.

Meet Lucian Rollins

Lucian is successful, wealthy, and highly connected.

He has built a life designed to protect himself from the instability he experienced when he was younger.

His father left a painful mark on his family.

Lucian has spent years trying to erase that legacy.

Power makes him feel safer.

Money gives him control.

But neither can completely protect him from his history.

Especially when Sloane is involved.

Meet Sloane Walton

Sloane is the librarian of Knockemout.

She is intelligent, outspoken, independent, and unwilling to be intimidated by Lucian.

The two have known each other since they were younger.

Something important happened between them in the past.

That shared secret continues to shape their relationship.

Sloane also wants something Lucian refuses to consider.

She wants a future that may include marriage and children.

Lucian has no intention of building that kind of life.

At least, that is what he tells himself.

7 Powerful Reasons to Read Things We Left Behind

1. Lucian and Sloane Have Years of History

The romance does not begin between strangers.

Lucian and Sloane already know each other very well.

Their shared past gives every argument more meaning.

Old emotions are still present.

So are old wounds.

Readers gradually discover why their relationship became so hostile.

2. Strong Enemies-to-Lovers Tension

Things We Left Behind delivers a classic enemies-to-lovers dynamic.

Lucian and Sloane argue constantly.

Neither wants to admit how strongly they are attracted to the other.

Their conversations are sharp.

Their chemistry is obvious.

That tension gradually develops into something much harder for either character to ignore.

3. Lucian Is a Morally Complicated Hero

Lucian is not an easy character.

He likes control.

He keeps secrets.

He uses his influence strategically.

His childhood has taught him to protect himself emotionally.

This makes his relationship with Sloane difficult.

She is one of the few people who refuses to accept his defenses without questioning them.

4. Sloane Has Her Own Goals

Sloane is not simply waiting for Lucian to decide what he wants.

She has her own life.

She has her own ambitions.

She also knows what kind of future she wants.

That becomes especially important because Lucian’s vision of relationships is very different from hers.

Their conflict is therefore about more than attraction.

It is about whether their futures are compatible.

5. Family and Trauma Matter

Lucian’s past plays a major role in Things We Left Behind.

His relationship with his father has influenced the man he became.

The story explores how childhood experiences can continue shaping adult relationships.

Lucian has spent years believing that control can protect him.

Sloane challenges that belief.

6. The Knockemout Characters Return

Fans of the earlier books will recognize familiar faces.

Knox and Naomi return.

Nash and Lina also remain part of the wider Knockemout community.

This gives the novel the feeling of returning to a familiar small town.

Readers who have followed the series from the beginning can see how the earlier couples continue their lives.

7. Romance Is Mixed with Suspense

The novel contains more than romantic tension.

Lucian’s world includes powerful people, old enemies, and serious risks.

As the story develops, danger becomes increasingly important.

Lucian’s instinct is to protect Sloane.

But protection can become complicated when the person being protected values her independence.

The Secret from Their Past

One of the biggest questions in the novel involves Lucian and Sloane’s history.

They have known each other for many years.

Their current hostility did not appear without reason.

Something happened when they were younger.

That event connects them emotionally.

It also explains why neither has ever been completely able to leave the other behind.

The truth is revealed gradually.

This adds mystery to the romance.

Love Versus Control

Control is one of the central themes in Things We Left Behind.

Lucian believes control creates safety.

If he controls the situation, he can reduce risk.

If he keeps emotional distance, he cannot be hurt in the same way again.

Love challenges that strategy.

A relationship requires vulnerability.

That is exactly what Lucian has spent years avoiding.

Sloane’s Need for a Future

Sloane knows she wants a meaningful future.

She is not willing to accept an undefined relationship forever.

Marriage and family matter to her.

Lucian sees those things very differently.

This creates one of the most important conflicts between them.

Attraction alone is not enough.

They need to decide whether they can genuinely build the same kind of life.

Small-Town Romance

Knockemout is an important part of the series.

The town is filled with people who know each other’s business.

Friends become involved.

Families become involved.

Privacy can be difficult.

This creates humour and warmth around the darker parts of Lucian and Sloane’s story.

The community helps balance the emotional intensity.

Friendship and Loyalty

Sloane has strong connections within Knockemout.

Lucian also has people he trusts, even if he does not always express that trust openly.

Friendship becomes important when danger begins affecting the characters.

The series repeatedly shows that family is not only defined by blood.

The people who choose to stand beside you can become equally important.

Healing from the Past

Things We Left Behind explores how people carry old experiences into new relationships.

Lucian has built much of his identity around avoiding the vulnerability of his childhood.

Sloane also carries memories that affect how she sees him.

Neither can move forward without confronting what happened before.

Healing does not mean pretending the past never existed.

It means deciding whether it should continue controlling the future.

Romance and Emotional Vulnerability

Lucian is comfortable handling business and powerful people.

Emotional honesty is harder.

Sloane pushes against the walls he has built.

This creates frustration.

It also creates some of the novel’s strongest emotional scenes.

The relationship becomes meaningful only when both characters begin being more honest about what they fear and want.

The Knockemout Series Reading Order

Readers will get the most context by reading the Knockemout series in order:

1. Things We Never Got Over
2. Things We Hide from the Light
3. Things We Left Behind

Each book focuses on a different couple.

However, the characters and community overlap.

Reading the earlier books first provides more background on Lucian, Sloane, and the other Knockemout characters.

Who Should Read This Book?

Things We Left Behind is ideal for adult readers who enjoy contemporary romance.

It may particularly appeal to fans of enemies-to-lovers stories.

Readers who enjoy small-town romance, childhood history, powerful heroes, independent heroines, emotional tension, and romantic suspense may also enjoy it.

Fans of the first two Knockemout novels will especially appreciate finally getting Lucian and Sloane’s story.

The novel contains mature romantic content and is intended for adult readers.

About Lucy Score

Lucy Score is a bestselling romance author known for emotional contemporary romances, memorable small-town settings, humour, and strong romantic chemistry.

Her books include Things We Never Got Over, Things We Hide from the Light, Forever Never, The Worst Best Man, and the Riley Thorn series.

The Knockemout novels are among her best-known books.

Readers can learn more through the official Lucy Score page for Things We Left Behind.

Product Details

Title: Things We Left Behind

Author: Lucy Score

Series: Knockemout

Series Number: 3

Genre: Contemporary Romance / Enemies to Lovers / Small-Town Romance

Language: English

Publisher: Bloom Books / Sourcebooks

Publication Date: September 5, 2023

Paperback ISBN-13: 9781728276120

Paperback Pages: 592

Paperback Trim Size: 5 × 8 inches

The Collector’s Edition hardcover uses different specifications.

Always check the ISBN printed on your physical copy before entering final WooCommerce details.

Explore More Romance Books

Things We Left Behind completes the central Knockemout trilogy with the long-awaited story of Lucian and Sloane.

They share history.

They share secrets.

They also share an attraction neither has successfully escaped.

But wanting each other is only part of the problem.

Lucian must decide whether protecting himself is worth losing the person who understands him best.

Sloane must decide whether love is enough when two people want different futures.

Readers looking for more emotional contemporary romances can explore Romance Books at Bargain Books.

For readers who enjoy enemies-to-lovers tension, complicated history, small-town romance, emotional healing, and protective heroes, Things We Left Behind is a satisfying conclusion to Lucy Score’s Knockemout series.