Title: Things we Hide from the light
Author: Lucy Score
Publisher: Bloom Books
Genre: Drama, Romance
Pages: 594
My Rating:

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Things We Hide From The Light

Nash Morgan, the respected chief of police, has always been known as the good guy—especially compared to his brother, Knox. But after being shot, he’s struggling to recover both physically and mentally. He’s in a dark place, unsure of how to move forward.

That all shifts when Lina moves in next door. Seeing her again sparks something in him. Lina, however, isn’t one for physical contact—unless she’s the one initiating it. But with Nash, it feels different. He feels it too.

Despite the undeniable pull between them, a relationship might not be the best idea. For one, Nash is the commitment type, while Lina avoids relationships altogether. More importantly, she’s keeping secrets—hiding the real reason she’s back in Knockemout. Nash doesn’t know if he can trust her, and with the man who tried to kill him still on the loose, letting his guard down could be dangerous in more ways than one.

Review

This is the second book in Lucy Score’s Knockemout series. I read the first book back in June 2023—about a year and a half ago—and, to be honest, I didn’t remember much. I vaguely recalled the abduction, the shooting, and bits of Naomi and Knox’s love story, but it took me a moment to get back into this world. That’s one of the reasons I have a love/hate relationship with book series. When you love the first book, you want more immediately—but often, you’re left waiting at least a year for the next one. I’m currently facing the same dilemma with the Empyrean series. I read Fourth Wing but now feel like I need to reread it before diving into books two and three back-to-back.

Anyway, back to this book. I have mixed feelings about it, and I’m honestly not sure if that’s because of me or the book itself. Let’s start with what I liked.

There were definitely parts that had me hooked, especially toward the end when things got more intense. The fact that Nash’s attempted killer is still out there added a strong suspense element. A lot happens in this book, so it never feels boring. One thing I really appreciate about this series is that it’s not just about romance—there’s a solid crime plot running through it, which keeps things interesting.

The side characters were likable, and I found myself especially curious about Lucian. I don’t really remember him from the first book, but he seems to play a bigger role now. His tension with Sloane was so obvious, and since the third book will focus on their love story, I’m definitely excited about that.

Lucy Score’s writing is easy to read, and despite this book being nearly 600 pages long, I flew through it. She does a great job balancing romance with engaging side plots.

Now, onto what I didn’t love. First, I find it kind of unbelievable that Nash is the chief of police—he acts way too emotionally. Maybe he was different before he got shot (at least, I hope he was), but I feel like someone in his position should be more level-headed instead of jumping into reckless decisions. Also, the men in this series seem to fight a lot—often over nothing. I don’t love it when male characters resort to unnecessary fights just for the sake of drama.

I also wasn’t invested in Nash and Lina’s romance. I just didn’t care. Lina isn’t a relationship person because of her past trauma (she technically died as a teenager), but suddenly, one phone call with her mom changes everything? That felt too rushed. Plus, I didn’t really feel the chemistry between Nash and Lina—I was far more interested in the action and drama than their relationship.

Without giving away too much, I’m curious about where the overarching story will go in book three. The first two books had the abduction and shooting as central plot points, and I wonder if that will continue in the next one. I hope so.

Ultimately, I gave this book three stars. My rating comes down to the things I mentioned above—especially the fact that I just didn’t connect with the romance. I remember enjoying Naomi and Knox’s love story a lot more in book one (I gave that one four stars). This time, I wasn’t as invested.

The post Things We Hide From The Light – Lucy Score | Book Review first appeared on Bettie Toon.

<p>The post Things We Hide From The Light – Lucy Score | Book Review first appeared on Bettie Toon.</p>