Things We Left Behind
The villain from the first Knockemout book gets his own redemption love story
Things We Left Behind is about Lucian Rollins, the billionaire villain from the first Knockemout book, who's forced back to town and confronted by Sloane Walton, the librarian he dismissed years ago. Lucy Score writes a hero who's been emotionally closed for decades and a heroine who refuses to accept his walls.
What makes the book special is how Score redeems Lucian without erasing his past behavior. He was genuinely terrible before. The growth is hard-won. Sloane doesn't fall for his money or his looks. She falls for the man he becomes when he stops hiding behind cruelty and control.
The small-town Knockemout setting creates accountability. Lucian can't just throw money at his problems or leave when things get hard. He has to face the community he hurt, earn back trust, and prove he's changed. The romance is slow-burn because Sloane knows who he was and won't settle for less than real transformation.
Things We Left Behind by Lucy Score follows Lucian Rollins, the billionaire villain from book one, earning redemption through librarian Sloane Walton. The book explores villain redemption without excusing past behavior, grumpy single-dad transformation, and small-town accountability.
The villain from the first Knockemout book gets his own redemption love story
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What you're really looking for when you search for books like Things We Left Behind
You want villain redemption arcs. You want men who've been terrible learning to be better. You want books that don't excuse past behavior but allow for genuine change.
You're also looking for heroines who hold boundaries. You want women who refuse to fix broken men but will support them if they do the work. You want smart, self-possessed heroines who demand more.
And you want grumpy single-dad energy. You want men who are good fathers even if they're disasters in other areas. You want books where parenting reveals character.
The reader take
Score writes redemption arcs with care. Lucian's growth is earned, not given. Sloane holds boundaries while allowing change. The Knockemout setting creates stakes because Lucian can't run or buy his way out. If you want reformed villains who do the work, or grumpy single dads learning to soften, start here.
Book recommendations
Things We Never Got Over
by Lucy Score
The first Knockemout book where Lucian is the villain. Score's setup makes his redemption more satisfying. Knox's grumpy single-dad arc parallels Lucian's.
Things We Hide from the Light
by Lucy Score
Nash's story, the second Knockemout book. Score writes damaged heroes across the series. Nash and Lucian have different trauma but similar walls.
The Deal
by Elle Kennedy
Not villain redemption, but similar grumpy hero learning to soften. Kennedy writes emotional walls and the women who refuse to accept them with comparable warmth.
The Hating Game
by Sally Thorne
Enemies-to-lovers with a hero who seems terrible but is actually protecting himself. Thorne writes sharp banter and slow reveals similar to Score's Lucian arc.
The Hookup
by Kristen Ashley
Small-town grumpy hero with walls. Ashley writes redemption through community and love with similar found-family warmth to Knockemout.
Common questions
Do I need to read the first two Knockemout books first?
Strongly recommended. Lucian is the villain in Things We Never Got Over. His redemption hits harder when you've seen how terrible he was. The books build on each other.
Does the book excuse his past behavior?
No. Score shows why Lucian became who he was without erasing what he did. He apologizes, changes, and does the work. The romance rewards growth, not past cruelty.
How explicit is the romance?
Very explicit. Score writes detailed sex scenes that serve character development. The physical intimacy tracks Lucian's emotional opening. If you need fade-to-black, this isn't it.
Related tropes
Ready for your story? Imagine living it.
Ember writes you into Knockemout as someone who sees both who Lucian was and who he could become. You're the one deciding whether to give him a second chance, holding him accountable while creating space for change, if you're brave enough to risk your heart on a man who's spent decades proving he doesn't have one.
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