Things We Never Got Over
Rating: 3.5/5 Pop: 44% Tropes: Grumpy/sunshine, family/found family, neighbors, small town
If you are looking for a sweet or funny read this is not the Lucy Score book for you. It has moments of both but this book is a bit different from her other work. Things We Never Got Over is really about how experiences and circumstances shape our personalities and behaviors.
Naomi is a runaway bride just arriving in Knockemout to help solve her twin sister’s problems. Tina is well known in town for her outrageous behavior and disregard for anyone but herself. Oh, and she has an eleven year old secret, a daughter named Waylay.
Knox is a local business owner that everyone in town knows and respects even if he is not the friendliest. His brother, Nash, is the Knockemout Chief of Police. The two have been at odds for a few years. However, Knox does not hesitate to call Nash to help with Naomi’s situation. Knox is very gruff and short with Naomi but not because he dislikes her, rather because he likes her too much. He finds her a place to live (right next door to him) and later becomes her boss. Meanwhile, Naomi is too busy fixing everyone else’s mistakes and misfortunes to deal with or even acknowledge her own.
Waylay is a great side character that the others try desperately to protect from a repeat of their own lives. And in between the lines, there is the overarching theme that childhood trauma is always going to affect adulthood. These characters are messy and raw, they feel real and relatable. There are many quotable passages in the book that indicate how most of us are trying our best with what we are given and that we cannot let others decide who we are. And likewise we cannot decide who others are or what they chose to do. We have to find the balance between giving love and self love. We have to believe in our own worth.
I think this book contained a lot of great points and had a smidge of suspense/mystery to it. I had to drop it a little in rating because it is a slow start that results in a predictable conflict. The author’s note at the end reflects that life is not a guarantee. It is messy and mostly beyond our control, the HEA ends up looking different than we wished. So hold onto the love you have while you can.
End Note: This is not the last we will see of the folks from Knockemout. I have a feeling Lucian and Sloane will be next or maybe Nash and his heroine. I think the other books will not be as heavy, as this one contained a lot of world and character building, but we shall see. I will certainly continue reading this series.
