Knockemout, Virginia is a small town that settles disputes the old-fashioned way, with fists and beer, usually in that order. Our heroine, Naomi, rolls into town at the request of her twin sister, Tina, who is always up to no good. Naomi is happy to travel to this small town she has never stepped foot into because she is escaping some drama of her own. Naomi is a runaway bride who still has her wedding daisies in her hair.
Unfortunately for Naomi, her twin Tina hasn’t changed at all. Tina steals Naomi’s car and all her cash, but leaves her with something unexpected—an 11-year-old niece Naomi didn’t know existed. These unforeseen events mean Naomi will be staying in Knockemout for a while.
Knox Morgan comes in hot to Cafe Rev where he intends to get rid of good-for-nothing Tina. The meet cute between Naomi and Knox is an amusing one because he initially mistakes her for Tina. After it is explained to Knox that Naomi is Tina’s twin, he doesn’t exactly warm up to Naomi and the sunshine/grump trope immediately begins to form.
Naomi is a consummate people pleaser and begins doing what she does best—cleaning up Tina’s mess. Naomi’s warmth and willingness to become a guardian to her niece Waylay is endearing. The people of Knockemout are immediately won over by her kindness. That is, everyone except for Knox who acts grumpy but can’t seem to stop inserting himself into Naomi’s life.
Readers will enjoy the banter between Naomi and Knox. Their attraction is obvious, even if they won’t admit it to themselves. Theirs is a slow burn romance and it works because the author, Lucy Score, takes her time getting these two together, allowing the reader to see the relationship develop.
In addition to Naomi and Knox, we meet townspeople, family and friends. This book definitely embraces the “it takes a village” mentality. Lucy Score’s writing is strong, so the reader not only gets to meet the people of Knockemout, there is solid groundwork for continuing the series. I would definitely read a spinoff about Sloane, the “hot librarian,” and Knox’s best friend, Lucian. Those two have a lot of tension; I would love to read how their love story (if there is one) and the backstory of each character.
Things We Never Got Over works because of the rom com moments, excellent character development (even within secondary characters) and its heart. The last line of the novel, “I want daisies in your hair,” got me. The bonus epilogue really got me. I would love to see this book turned into a movie (more romantic comedies in theaters, please!) and have my fingers crossed for a Lucian/Sloane sequel.
Things We Never Got Over
4/5 Stars
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Sunshine/Grumpy Trope
Small Town Setting (Perfect for townspeople gossip and forced proximity of the main characters)
Drink Pairing
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