Title: Things we Left behind
Author: Lucy Score
Publisher: Bloom Books
Genre: Romance
Pages: 698
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤
Buy this book on Amazon
Things We Left Behind
Lucian and Sloane were neighbors and good friends when they were teenagers, but now they hate each other. Nobody in their friend group knows why, but everyone knows they can’t leave them alone in a room without them almost killing each other. Despite all the fighting, the chemistry is still there. But even if they weren’t constantly arguing, they would never work out. Sloane is getting older and is ready to start a family, while Lucian is the exact opposite and never wants one. When someone starts threatening Sloane, Lucian does everything he can to protect his friends, including Sloane.
Review
This was the last book in the Knockemout series, and what a great ending. Years ago, I started reading the first book and I was obsessed, I loved it so much. Last year, I read the second book and I liked it. It wasn’t my favorite, but it was still good. I already had a feeling I was going to love this third book, and it definitely delivered.
I loved the dynamic between Sloane and Lucian. They used to be friends, until Sloane did something that made Lucian angry, and that was the end of their friendship. They’re still part of the same friend group and see each other often, but they can’t stand each other. Their friends know to keep them separated, even though they have no idea why they’re fighting.
This book was another great mix of a steamy love story and crime, which is what I loved most about the Knockemout series. There are criminals threatening the women in these books, and of course, the men do everything they can to protect them. That was the case in this book as well. Even though Lucian hated Sloane for what she did when they were younger, he still cared about her and wanted to protect her.
Were the characters always likable? No, maybe not. Lucian can be very mean when things don’t go as planned. When Sloane ignored him, he was especially rude to his staff. That said, I forgive him, because by the end of the book he truly became a better person.
I also loved that this book included a bonus epilogue in addition to the regular one. In the bonus epilogue, we jump years into the future and see their children having children of their own. That was such a nice touch and a perfect way to end the series.
So far, I’ve been very positive about this book, but I still didn’t give it the highest rating. At times, it felt a bit slow in my opinion. That was the only reason I didn’t give it a 5/5, but it came very close. So far in 2026, I’ve already read some great books. I really think 2026 is going to be an amazing reading year for me.
Overall, I would highly recommend this entire book series. Obviously, you should read the books in the right order, because everything will make much more sense that way. This series has romance, lots of chemistry, and criminals trying to hurt people, a great mix of love and crime. If you enjoy both of those genres, definitely put this series on your list. And the good news is that all of the books are out now, so you don’t have to wait for the next one to be released.