Sometimes all it takes is Matchbox cars and M&Ms
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance (MMA)
Book Length (Est.): 258 Pages
Book Description/Synopsis:
She bears the scars of the past. He blames himself for things he can’t control. Their defenses are up, but in Cecy Robson’s latest Shattered Past novel—perfect for fans of Monica Murphy and J. Lynn—true love lands a knockout punch.
Sofia Tres Santos remembers a time before her life went sour, before her innocence was ripped away, before she began punishing herself with risky behaviors and unworthy men. Now, at twenty, she just hopes she’s ready to rebuild some of what she lost. One way or another, it always comes back to her childhood friend and longtime crush, Killian O’Brien.
As strong as Killian is, Sofia has always been his one weakness. He knows Sofia has suffered and wants to ensure she’s never hurt again—not like before, and definitely not under his watch. When Sofia agrees to work at his mixed martial arts gym, Killian seizes the opportunity to help and protect the sweet girl he’s always cared for. And yet, as he trains Sofia to defend herself using his hard-hitting MMA techniques, he’s drawn to the vulnerable beauty in ways he never expected.
As Sofia grows stronger, she also grows brave enough to open herself up to love. And along the way, she challenges everything Killian believes to be true, showing him that no matter how much he dominates in the ring, the real battle is fought in the heart.
YAY – Double Review!
Jennifer’s Review:
*I received this book free from NetGalley on behalf of Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept in exchange for an honest review*
If you’ve read the previous two books you understand when I say…now we’ll know why Teo is so angry at Kill and can’t say that I blame him at all.
For the longest time all that’s told is how Sofia is scared of Killian learning about her past and all of her baggage, it’s not until closer to the end that we find out everything Kill has be hiding. Their secrets will tear them apart. Their love will bring them back together.
Sofia will learn how not to be afraid. She’ll learn how to defend herself and when push comes to shove, others. She comes a long way both emotionally and physically throughout the pages.
Killian broke a promise that cost him more than he ever wanted to admit. Now’s his time to make up for that, but is just making up for it enough?
There’s not really much I can say without giving away a lot of the details and I don’t want to ruin the surprises for anyone. Once Pure is an emotional up and down read that’ll keep you tied to the pages because you’ll want to know what happened to cause everything to turn out the way it has. However, I do just have to say that the epilogue was completely weird.
My Favorite Moment: When Finn and Wren setup Sofia in order to help her overcome her fear.
My Favorite Laughable Moments: Wren is hilarious and I kind of hope to see her get her own HEA. When she grabs the kid in her class…OMG the things she says to him are so bad that you can’t help but laugh and then at her brother’s fight the things she says to his fans was perfect.
Mindy’s Review:
*I received this book free from NetGalley on behalf of Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept in exchange for an honest review*
Sofia Tres Santos is the youngest of the Tres Santos siblings. Trying to rebuild her life she returns home after being a rebellious teen and letting guys get away with more than they should. Helping out a childhood crush with his website and accounts brings back all of her feelings for the now MMA star.
Killian O’Brien was raised in the same neighborhood as the Tres Santos siblings. Being best friends with Sofia’s older brother Mateo means he must watch out for her when Mateo is not around.
Killian has always had one weakness….Sofia. He knows she has had a rough past and he feels he is to blame for some of that. Teaching her to defend herself with some MMA techniques proves that she can try to overcome her past. But will she let him in on a deeper level?
Opening yourself up to love proves to be hard when you can’t overcome the past. With Killian by her side and love starting to bloom anything can happen.
This is the third book in the Shattered Past series. I have been a fan of this series since I read Mateo’s story in Once Perfect and this story is no different. The characters are well developed and you really feel Sofia’s pain while reading her story. I did feel the epilogue was rushed but overall this was a very good read. Being known as the poor girl who got raped can make your confidence very low. That is until you have Killian on your side that does not take anything from anyone when it comes to his girl.
My Favorite Character: Besides the main characters I absolutely loved Killian’s sister Wren. I really hope that she has a story of her own that we get to fall in love with.
My Favorite Moment: I have to say my favorite moment was when Killian was talking to his mom on the phone in front of Sofia. Absolutely hilarious!!
*Clicking on the book cover above will take you to the Amazon purchase page.
Categories: 4 Stars, Jennifer's Reviews, Mindy's Reviews, Reviews
Hines and Bigham's Literary Tryst 