Things We Never Got Over is a romance, a popular fiction genre that has long dominated the publishing field along with murder mysteries and political thrillers. Score, since her debut in 2015, has published more than 30 best-selling titles, all romances. Score is unapologetically committed to the genre and writes in the book’s Author’s Note that she enjoys crafting stories about “heartbreaker heroes and kick-ass heroines.” While Score embraces a genre that is sometimes dismissed as unserious, her novels both use and subvert classic romance tropes, offering a fresh perspective in a genre often focused on lighthearted entertainment.

Score’s signature novels investigate the emotional lives of hypersensitive characters, both male and female, whose hearts have been shattered and who nevertheless yearn for intimacy. Score interrogates classic genre tropes and archetypes, rather than merely repeating them. For example, Naomi’s classic runaway bride isn’t just someone who nearly married the wrong person, but someone who seeks to find herself after experiencing emotional and physical abuse. Likewise, Knox’s fear of commitment isn’t just toxic, masculine bravado, but the result of trauma from watching his family fall apart after his mother’s death. The characters don’t just find a salve or easy happiness in their lovers; they must undergo personal growth and emotional catharsis to become better partners and allow themselves to love.