The Worst Best Man: an enemies-to-lovers romance

The Worst Best Man by Lucy Score is an enemies-to-lovers romance. They met at a wedding. Franchesca “Frankie” Baranski is best friends with Pru, the bride, who is a doll and her maid of honor. Aiden Kilbourn is best friends with the groom, Chip, who is a perfect gentleman and the best man. The rest of the wedding party are nightmares, rich, vapid, rich and very immature. However, the one who cannot stand the most is Aiden with a big attitude. Frankie takes her maid of honor duties seriously. With every crisis, she jumps into action. Busy ruling the business world where there hasn’t been a challenge he cannot win, Aiden Kilbourn doesn’t do long term relationships as he can’t stand a woman for more than a couple of months at most. However, he meets Frankie and he soon realizes that he may have met his match with this smart-mouthed girl from Brooklyn. 

I am a new fan of Lucy Score as her books are filled with fun banter, steamy romance with plenty of drama scheming. While I have read her book series, I haven’t read any of her standalones. The Worst Best Man is everything I expect from her books. I loved Frankie’s spunk and determination. Aiden is a kindhearted man hiding behind a cold facade and it takes his relationship with Frankie for it to break through. I enjoyed seeing their growth as a couple as well as individuals. Yes, there is a third act break up; however, the grand gesture is great. I also enjoyed the supporting characters which enhanced the banter. I especially loved the sibling interaction between Frankie and her brothers which was fun and so relatable. Overall, I enjoyed this story and I look forward to more of her standalone books. If you enjoy fun banter, steamy romance, I highly recommend The Worst Best Man. 

The Worst Best Man is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Things We Left Behind: a friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romance as the Knockemout trilogy comes to an end

Things We Left Behind is the third and final book in the Knockemout trilogy by Lucy Score. Lucian Rollins is a lean, mean mogul with vengeance on his mind. With a mission to clear the horrible stain his father put on the family name, Lucian has gained the power of an indestructible business empire with the ability to pull strings and end careers with a single word. He is seemingly untouchable. Untouchable except for Sloane Walton, the feisty Knockemout librarian, the one woman who could set him free and the one woman he would rather die than ask for help. Sloane inherited her father’s quest for justice and would do anything for anyone in need. However, she doesn’t trust Lucian as fall as she can throw him. When their fierce bickering turns into foreplay and eventually a steamy one night stand, they find themselves unable to walk away from each other. 

It was sad to say goodbye to the residents of Knockemout; however, Lucian and Sloan’s friends-to-enemies-to-lovers story was a great sendoff. Lucian is determined to avoid the sins of his father and Sloan wants a loving marriage and family just like her parents did. They seem to be on opposing sides and yet they have a connection and a history that no one else understands. Their bickering was fun and their friendship was sweet. It was heartbreaking knowing how their friendship ended. The rebuilding of their friendship was great and their romance was spicy. I loved the interactions between Lucian, Nash and Knox as great as any sibling bickering could be among lifelong friends. Overall, I enjoyed this story and this series. It tied up all loose ends and sets the sun on their amazing love stories. I highly recommend Things We Left Behind and the rest of the Knockemout trilogy. 

Things We Left Behind is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook

Things We Hide from the Light: when the shadows one tries to hide and the one who helps them fight back

Things We Hide from the Light is the second book in the Knockemont trilogy by Lucy Score. Nash Morgan was the good Morgan, always with an easy smile and charm for everyone in town. Now Nash is recovering from being shot and his Southern charm has given way to panic attacks, nightmares and missing pieces in his memory. While he tries to hide it, he is a brooding shell of himself and is desperate to keep his struggles from everyone. That is until his new next door neighbor moves in. Lina Solavita is smart, sexy and sees the shadows behind his forced smile. When she helps him through one of the worst panic attacks yet, he realizes that Lina may be the key to feeling like himself again. However, they both have secrets, secrets that could keep them apart for good; unless they are willing to fight their shadows for the simple chance at love. 

Things We Hide from the Light is a great continuation in the Knockemont series. While it doesn’t have the banter and tension that the first book had, it had its own struggles and sweet moments between Nash and Lina. Their story was definitely more slow burn, emotional and with psychological struggles. I loved to see Nash return stronger and more aware as he discovers issues within the department and moves to deal with them. I also loved the addition to his dog, Piper, and her own anxiety which in turn helped Nash with his. I liked Lina’s job as it was a bit unconventional and yet adds to the drama and adventure of the story. I also learned a lot about panic attacks and methods to calm them. Overall, I enjoyed this story and I am looking forward to the third and final book in this trilogy. I highly recommend Things We Hide from the Light. 

Things We Hide from the Light is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook

Things We Never Got Over: a bearded grump and the runaway bride in a spicy romance with drama and suspense

Things We Never Got Over is the first book in the Knockemout trilogy by Lucy Score. Knox Morgan is the bearded grump of Knockemout who prefers to live his life alone with his basset hound, Waylon, and certainly doesn’t tolerate drama. Naomi Witt left her groom at the altar and rushed to the small town in Virginia to rescue her estranged twin. However, little does she know that her twin sister, Tina, is not well liked in Knockemout and her ways haven’t changed. Naomi is left without her car, no money and suddenly in custody of her 11 year old niece she didn’t know she had. Knox doesn’t like complications or women, especially those with romantic notions; however, when he saw what Tina had done to Naomi, he felt compelled to help her out of the jam. When she was settled, he would leave her alone and go back to his solitary peaceful life. At least that’s the plan. 

From the opening chapter to the closing pages, Things We Never Got Over was filled with drama, suspense and the tension of two people who were fighting the obvious attraction with deep emotional scars and healing. There are also great moments of humor and heartfelt bonds of found family and a small town who protects their own, even the newest residents. I loved the gruff exterior of Knox that hides a deeply wounded heart of gold. Naomi is a woman who strives to be perfect in order to counter the heartless activities of her sister. There is a lot of personal growth for Knox and Naomi and I enjoyed seeing their deep emotional moments together. I also loved the supporting characters and the residents of Knockemout. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I am looking forward to the other two books in the trilogy. I highly recommend Things We Never Got Over. 

Things We Never Got Over is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Mistakes Were Made: he's straight laced, she's fly by the seat of her pants. Their relationship would be a disaster. Or would it?

Mistakes Were Made is the second book in the Story Lake series by Lucy Score. Zoey Moody is a literary agent who doesn’t like small town life. However, after being exiled from Manhattan’s publishing world, Zoey is forced to stay in the tiny Pennsylvania small town with Hazel, her best friend forever and her only remaining client. She needs Hazel’s next book to be a massive hit and she is determined to let nothing stand in her way except her gorgeous six foot two inch landlord. Gage Bishop is smart, serious, and sexy. Their mutual attraction is obvious; however, Gage is looking for a wife and Zoey is simply looking for a fun time. Gage thinks Zoey as the most beautiful woman he has ever met, but they are opposites. Where he is organized and has five year plans, Zoey is disorganized and can’t seem to work a calendar app. However, when a family secret rocks his world, Gage turns to Zoey for one night to forget everything. Will one night be enough? Will Gage and Zoey realize that all they are looking for is right in front of them? 

I read book one, Story of My Life, and fell in love with the quirky small town. So I eagerly awaited Mistakes Were Made. From page one, this story had me laughing out loud. Oh the banter between Gage and Zoey, between Gage and his brothers and between other characters was so great. At times my face hurt with how much I was grinning. The romance between Gage and Zoey was spicy but sweet and tender as well. There is drama and my heart breaks for Zoey as she tries and yet still struggles with ADHD and keeping the aspects of her life up and running. Ms Score lovingly and realistically portrays ADHD and Zoey’s struggles as well as her elation when the changes she makes start to work. I loved all the Bishop family as they fought with each other and for each other. I loved all the animals and their personalities and antics, especially Gage’s dog, Nana. Overall, I love this book and didn’t want it to end. I love this series and I can’t wait for book three and Levi’s story. I highly, highly recommend Mistakes Were Made. 

Mistakes Were Made is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Story of My Life: when you hit rock bottom what can you do but move to a small town and start over

Story of My Life is the first book in the Story Lake series by Lucy Score. Hazel Hart is at rock bottom. She is being forced from her apartment in the Upper East Side by her ex-husband and her publisher gives her a final warning: write and publish or be dropped. When she sees an article about a small town rallying around a neighbor in need and a house up for action, Hazel takes the plunge and buys the house sight unseen. Taking her agent and best friend, Zoey, along, Hazel moves to the rural Pennsylvania small town of Story Lake. She hopes she can rediscover her writing mojo in the small town life. Swoon worthy inspiration hits when she meets hot but grumpy contractor Campbell “Cam” Bishop. In the name of research, she begins to fully live the small town life and a fake relationship with Cam, what possibly could go wrong? 

As a fan of the Gilmore Girls, Story of My Life was recommended to me. And after reading the note from the author, “This series is my love letter to every reader who said they wanted to move to a fictional town . . .,” I had to take a chance on this book. Lucy Score is an author I have seen all over social media and BookTok; however, I have not read any of her books before. I am so glad that I picked up Story of My Life. There was fun banter, sweet emotional scenes and spicy scenes with plenty of angst and grand gestures. At first, l didn’t like Hazel but once she arrived in Story Lake and goes head-to-head with Cam and the town, she grew on me. I loved Cam and the whole Bishop family. Their interactions were so fun. Overall, I loved this story and I am eagerly looking forward to future books in this series. I highly, highly recommend Story of My Life. 

Story of My Life is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook