Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score Summary: From Betrayal to Belonging
A Grumpy-Sunshine Romance You Won’t Forget
Imagine driving to a small town to help your sister, only to have her steal your car, your cash, and leave you with a child you never knew existed.
That is the chaotic opening of Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score.
Naomi Witt arrives as a runaway bride, only to be mistaken for her troublesome twin.
The town’s grumpiest resident, Knox Morgan, immediately writes her off.
What follows is a story about instant parenthood, simmering attraction, and the danger that lurks when a criminal past comes knocking.
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TL;DR: The Quick-Take
Naomi’s life implodes in a single afternoon.
Her twin steals everything and abandons an 11-year-old niece.
Stuck in Knockemout, she’s forced to rely on Knox, a man who wants zero emotional entanglements.
Key points:
- Instant Parenthood: A runaway bride becomes a guardian overnight.
- Grumpy vs. Sunshine: A commitment-phobic bar owner clashes with a perpetual people-pleaser.
- Buried Danger: A lost flash drive puts both the child and the town in the crosshairs of a crime lord.
Things We Never Got Over Full Story Summary
SPOILERS AHEAD. This section recounts the entire plot.
Naomi Witt flees her wedding and her controlling fiancé, Warner, to rescue her “evil twin,” Tina, in Knockemout, Virginia.
Tina asks to meet at a local cafe, but it’s a setup. She steals Naomi’s car, laptop, and money, vanishing without a trace. She leaves behind an eleven-year-old girl, Waylay, who Naomi never knew existed.
Knox Morgan, a wealthy, bearded grump who owns the Honky Tonk bar, immediately confronts Naomi. He mistakes her for Tina, the town’s public enemy number one. Once Knox realizes the truth, his hostility turns to gruff sympathy.
Knox puts a roof over their heads via his grandmother’s cottage. He also gives Naomi a job waitressing. Naomi has no money, no transport, and zero parenting experience, but she is determined not to abandon Waylay the way Tina did.
Naomi slowly integrates into Knockemout life. She gets a second job at the library and befriends Sloane, the librarian. Her best friend, Stef, arrives, providing backup and fashion advice.
The physical pull between Naomi and Knox becomes impossible to ignore. Knox, however, draws a hard line at “no strings.” A childhood trauma involving his mother’s death has made him terrified of loving anyone who might leave.
A crisis hits when Knox’s brother, Police Chief Nash Morgan, is shot during a traffic stop. The shooting forces Knox to confront his estrangement from Nash and his growing feelings for Naomi. They start a secret, no-strings-attached physical relationship.
When Naomi’s parents visit, they pretend to be a real couple. The lines between pretending and reality blur completely, scaring Knox. He breaks things off in a cruel, public way to push her away.
The external threat escalates. Tina’s dangerous boyfriend, Duncan Hugo, comes looking for a missing flash drive. The drive contains a list of criminal informants. Unbeknownst to everyone, Waylay took the drive from Tina as a rebellious act and hid it.
Tina and Duncan kidnap both Naomi and Waylay to get the drive back. Naomi and Waylay fight back in a warehouse showdown. Knox, Nash, and their friend Lucian arrive to take down the threat.
Tina is arrested. She eventually signs over her parental rights. Knox, faced with the terror of losing Naomi, completely overhauls his outlook. He proposes to Naomi at Waylay’s twelfth birthday party.
The book ends with Naomi gaining permanent legal guardianship. The new family moves into a large lodge owned by Liza J, with Naomi’s parents settling in a nearby cabin.
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Story Timeline: Key Narrative Beats
SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Setup and The Abandonment
Naomi Witt arrives in Knockemout a runaway bride, aiming to help her twin. Tina steals her identity and possessions, leaving Naomi destitute.
Naomi meets an eleven-year-old niece, Waylay, she never knew existed. Knox Morgan, who despises Tina, initially treats Naomi with public hostility.
The realization of mistaken identity shifts the dynamic. Knox provides emergency housing via his grandmother, Liza J, and a job at the Honky Tonk. Naomi begins the grueling task of winning over a neglected and suspicious Waylay.
Building a Life and Igniting a Spark
Naomi secures a second job at the library, gaining financial footing. She builds a support network with Sloane and her visiting best friend, Stef. The intense physical attraction with Knox turns into a secret affair governed by his strict “no feelings” rule.
The town’s gossip mill and Naomi’s meddling parents force the couple to fake a real relationship. Knox’s brother, Nash, is shot, revealing the deep fractures and trauma within the Morgan family. The shooting forces Knox to lean on Naomi emotionally, blurring the lines he created.
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The Break and The External Danger
Knox’s fear of loss causes him to self-sabotage. He humiliates Naomi in public to end the relationship, claiming he wants no strings. Naomi focuses on her “New Naomi” persona, prioritizing her dignity and Waylay’s stability.
Tina’s criminal world invades Knockemout. Duncan Hugo, a violent crime figure, enters town searching for a flash drive. The missing drive, stolen by Waylay, puts the child directly in Duncan’s sights.
The Climax and The Resolution
Tina lures Naomi and Waylay into a trap, leading to a warehouse abduction. Naomi and Waylay use their wits to physically resist Duncan. The Morgan brothers and Lucian execute a rescue, neutralizing the threat permanently.
Tina officially relinquishes her parental rights. Knox, having worked through his trauma, proposes marriage at Waylay’s birthday party. The story closes with the new family unit moving into a historic lodge, with a legal guardianship finalized for Waylay.
Characters In This Book
| Character | Role |
|---|---|
| Naomi Witt | A runaway bride and recovering people-pleaser who becomes the guardian of her niece. |
| Knox Morgan | A wealthy, grumpy bar owner who avoids romantic commitment due to past trauma. |
| Waylay Witt | Naomi’s eleven-year-old niece, abandoned by her mother and hiding a crucial secret. |
| Tina Witt | Naomi’s criminal identical twin sister whose actions trigger the central conflict. |
| Nash Morgan | Knox’s brother and the town police chief, shot in the line of duty. |
| Liza J Persimmon | Knox’s grandmother who provides Naomi with a home and fierce support. |
| Stef Liao | Naomi’s loyal, stylish best friend who drops everything to help. |
| Sloane | The town librarian who becomes Naomi’s employer and close friend. |
| Lucian Rollins | A powerful, mysterious childhood friend of the Morgans involved in the rescue. |
| Duncan Hugo | The antagonist searching for a flash drive containing an informant list. |
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What Drives the Story
| Theme | How the book presents it |
|---|---|
| Fear of Loss and Abandonment | Knox’s childhood trauma drives his “no strings” policy and fuels the central romantic conflict. |
| The Burden of Being Good | Naomi’s people-pleasing traits are constantly exploited, forcing her to learn how to set hard boundaries. |
| Chosen Family | The citizens of Knockemout, Stef, and the Morgans form a protective unit around Naomi that replaces biological failure. |
| Instant Parenthood | The practical and emotional struggles of raising a traumatized pre-teen are shown without idealization. |
| Small-Town Dynamics | The local gossip grapevine acts as both a judge and a fierce protective shield for residents. |
FAQ
What happens at the end of Things We Never Got Over?
Knox proposes to Naomi at Waylay’s birthday party, and the final chapters show Naomi gaining permanent legal guardianship of Waylay. They all move into Liza J’s large lodge to start their life as an official family.
Is Things We Never Got Over a series?
Yes, Things We Never Got Over is the first book in the Knockemout series by Lucy Score. The second book focuses on Nash Morgan, and the third on Lucian Rollins.
Does the book have a kidnapping scene?
A climactic abduction occurs when Tina and Duncan Hugo take Naomi and Waylay to a warehouse. They are searching for a hidden flash drive that Waylay had stolen from her mother.
Is Knox Morgan a father figure to Waylay?
Knox steps into a protective role early on, but the relationship takes time to build trust. By the conclusion of Things We Never Got Over, he fully commits to being a permanent parental figure alongside Naomi.
Who is the “evil twin” in the Knockemout series?
Tina Witt is Naomi’s identical twin and the antagonist who sets the plot in motion. She steals Naomi’s identity and abandons her daughter, Waylay, at the start of Lucy Score’s novel.
What is the flash drive everyone is looking for?
The flash drive contains a list of criminal informants that Duncan Hugo, a crime lord’s son, needs to recover. Waylay stole the drive from her mother Tina as an act of defiance, unaware of its dangerous contents.
Is Things We Never Got Over a small-town romance?
It is a small-town contemporary romance set in the fictional Knockemout, Virginia. The setting features a heavy mix of gossip, brawls, and a close-knit community that judges fiercely but protects its own.
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