By Lucy Score
Book is rated 5 / 5 stars.
I made the mistake of reading the second book in the series first, and the first book second. Do I regret it? Not at all; it honestly didn't take away from the wonderful story this had. I absolutely adore everything about Naomi and Knox and I love seeing them come together in a way that I knew they had in my first Lucy Score book. Finding a book that is the perfect blend of mystery and romance all rolled into one is hard. Turns out, Lucy Score knows how to do just that. Please read it! There are spoilers ahead, so if you haven't read the book, be prepared. There are also spoilers for book two.
Book Tropes
Grumpy x Sunshine. Fake Dating. Age Gap. Small Town Romance. Slow Burn Romance. Forced Proximity. Found Family.
Dual POV.
I am absolutely obsessed with anything Lucy Score does at this point - but, especially the Knockemount Boys. Knox is incredible and Naomi is wonderful.
Spice Level: 3 / 5
The Characters
I can't begin to describe how much I love this book. I thought the second book was a winner but this one definitely comes close.
Knox is hilarious, grumpy and wonderful - there is nothing better than getting to see first hand a man falling in love. His relationship with Waylay is absolutely sweet from the first moment; it's clear that he's had to deal with a lot before Naomi gets into town. His jealousy over his brother's attention to Naomi was adorable - a few times seemed a little too aggressive, but I did really like him. Knowing that the two brothers finally made up and this book introduced perhaps one of my favorite trios of book boyfriends.
I didn't know what it was about the woman, but Naomi Witt had me tied up in fucking knots.
Naomi had my heart from the first moment, to be honest. I loved that she was calculated, loved her lists and needed order to function. I relate to that so much and I understood her throughout. Her character made sense - coming off of one of the worst days of her life and being thrust into something like this couldn't have been easy. Naomi had spent her entire life cleaning up after her sister, and this was the final straw. Her commitment to staying and fixing things for herself was beautiful.
I was falling for the man I'd sworn I wouldn't. But Knox made it impossible not to. He made it inevitable.
Waylay was awesome. I really dug her entire character, how she grew so much from the first moment we see her to where she was at the end - and how her relationship with Naomi grew into something so beautiful.
The introduction of Lucian and Sloane -- you guys know. We all know. We're waiting for that book to come out.
The Storyline
I will admit, I don't really understand the book title - I hoping that my assumption is correct and that it is about Naomi and her relationship with her sister. If anyone has thoughts, please let me know?
This storyline had me gripped from moment one; whether it was because I knew what would come of Naomi and Knox and I wanted to see it happen, or the mystery behind what really lead to the storyline in book two, I was hooked. There was so much character growth throughout, but most importantly, I loved how Waylay found her family and would now grow up in a loving, wonderful family.
Having a woman like Naomi look at me like I was the hero of her day felt damn good.
I'm such a sucker for a slow burn romance. This book had nearly every trope that I am obsessed with rolled into one addicting plot. I read this book way too quickly and now I just need the third one to come out already. One of my absolute favorite moments is when Nash gets shot. I know that's such a pivotal part of book two, but reading it now in the perspective of Knox had me in such a tailspin. The vulnerability he showed, and the bond that it would create and heal just made that one of my favorite parts of the entire book. Not to mention, it was such a pivotal part for Naomi and Knox.
Her smile put pieces back together inside me that I hadn't even noticed was broken.
The combination of mystery and romance was thrilling in this small town. I wasn't a fan of small town romances until I picked up this series and now I think it's added to my ever-growing list of tropes I adore. Tina was one of the most infuriating characters, because I feel like she had no reason to be the way she was. Do I want to know more about her? A little bit. But, I did appreciate that she made a good call for her kid and tried to do the right thing. Of course, we know this plays a pivotal part in the next book but it was a good, honorable move that makes me really like how this was wrapped up.
"I want daisies in your hair."
I'm not a huge fan of Epilogues that take place years later even though I know the purpose; especially when there's a series of books and now I have to piece together all the epilogues together. But, knowing that Knox and Naomi have a great end makes me so happy. Knox is a fantastic book boyfriend and Naomi is a character I think about a lot. Can you tell I love this series?
I Need More.
I recommend reading the books in the correct order as intended and don't be like me. I think I love this one more than the second, but I cannot wait for the third (and final?) book in the series to come out. You ever have those books where you want to still think about the characters, and obsess over the story that you create headcaonons and fan fiction and google fanart...
Oh, good, me neither. I'm totally not doing that with them...
What did you all think? What was your favorite part? Let me know in the comments!
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