Once
Pure
Shattered Past # 3
By: Cecy Robson
Releasing May 19, 2015
Loveswept
Blurb
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.
Excerpt
The steady pummeling of fists against the speed bag
continued as if the body slams and swears weren’t bouncing off every wall of
the MMA gym. Every strike, every blow, promised pain and demanded respect. I
tried not to react to each loud smack, or cower from supersized bodies dripping
with sweat, but it was hard. Controlled chaos was the best way to describe the
scene unraveling before me. And no one owned it like Killian O’Brien.
I slipped my fingers into the computer bag hooked to my
shoulder, pretending to fumble with the files tucked against my laptop, while
totally checking out Killian behind the safety of my sunglasses.
His broad and muscular back was to me, but that was okay. I
liked the way his Celtic cross tat crawled down the length of his spine and
spread across his shoulder blades. I liked the way his wavy jet-black hair
tickled the base of his skull. I liked the way—okay, who was I kidding? I liked
everything about him. I had since I was seven, when he and his large Catholic
family moved into the row home across from ours.
Killian hadn’t noticed me. He was busy kicking what remained
of a heavy bag, showing the younger MMA brawlers how it was done. At six feet
five, and fighting at super heavyweight status, Killian shouldn’t have been so
flexible. But he was. Dear Lord, he so was.
His foot skimmed the top of the bag with each brutal thump,
causing the chain holding it to rattle and jolt with hard shakes. Killian was
best known for his kicks. If he caught his opponent in the face with his foot,
the poor guy was done, and so was what remained of his face.
“Hey, Sofia!”
I jumped when the youngest O’Brien approached. “Oh. Hi,
Finn.”
The dimple on his right cheek deepened when he grinned. He
motioned to my nylon
computer bag. “You ready to work?”
“Oh, yeah. Ready to go.” I patted the bag like a total
loser, then rather awkwardly let my hand fall to my side. In an attempt to
regain some sense of grace, I slipped my sunglasses to the top of my head, pushing
the strands of my long, bouncy curls behind my ears.
Finn’s grin widened. He likely sensed my nervousness. His
toothy smile made him appear younger than his nineteen years, but it was sweet
enough to soothe the tension my first day back had caused. I liked Finn, I
always had. He was smaller than his brothers, but just as tough, working his
way up the MMA ranks as a welterweight.
He slapped his gloved hands together, full of energy as
usual. God, it seemed, had dumped all the O’Brien muscle onto Killian’s
heavy-duty frame. God was funny that way. That didn’t mean Finn wouldn’t take
on a guy twice his size. Finn was funny that way.
He scratched the top of his curly ginger hair. “Killian know
you’re here?”
“Ah, no, but that’s okay. I can just head to his office and
start on his website—”
“Kill, Kill!” Finn cupped his mouth with his hands,
yelling at the top of his lungs. “Your woman is here!” His attention cut to my
mortified face. “You are his woman, right, Sofia?”
“Ah . . .”
Killian’s head jerked our way, along with most of the
behemoths training. I wasn’t sure if he could see how red my face was from
where he stood, but the easy smile spreading along his strong features told me
he could. He abandoned what remained of the heavy bag and crossed the padded
floor as the rest of the fighters resumed their free-for-alls.
I froze, watching him prowl forward like the mad beast he
was, his hulking and densely tattooed arms swinging loosely against his sides.
It wouldn’t take him long to reach us, despite the large expanse of the
converted warehouse, so I tried to speak fast. “I’m not his woman, Finn.”
“So you’re just banging?”
“No!”
“But you want to.”
“Want to what?”
“Bang my brother like a pair of cymbals,” he said, like I
was the stupid one.
“Yes—no.” Oh, good heavens.
“Why not?”
“Finn!”
“He’s a good guy.”
“Finn, I’m not having this conversation with you.”
“Do you want to have it with Kill instead?”
“Have what with me?” Killian’s deep voice rumbled like
thunder as he stopped just in front of me.
Dear. Lord.
It had been a few weeks since I’d last seen him. Dark
stubble grazed his chin, forming a mini-goatee and emphasizing the angles of
his square jaw. But his face didn’t hold my attention for long. My stare
traveled down his body, taking in his light skin glistening with sweat . . .
before I remembered that my sunglasses now rested on the top of my head and I
was blatantly gawking at him.
“Like what you see?” he asked, playfully.
“I . . .” The urge to bolt had me shifting my weight, hard
enough to slap the hem of my long white skirt against my bare legs. But I
stayed put, trying not to faint from his scorching level of badassness and
working to form a decent response. “I was just admiring your sweat.”
So much for a decent response. He stopped smiling. “My sweat?”
I punched him in the arm, because, yeah, I was just that
lame. “Totally. You must have had quite the workout, huh, asskicker?”
Finn grimaced as if it pained him to watch me go down in
flames. I was good with computers. I couldn’t say the same about men. If the
fate of the world depended on me successfully interacting with the male species
without stuttering, blushing, or recoiling, the world would just end and we’d
all die some sick apocalyptic death.
Killian analyzed me closely like most would a bug they were
debating on squashing, before his chest shook with laughter. God, this is
Sofia. Please strike me dead.
Killian closed the distance between us, the fingertips of
his large hand extending to tickle my chin. “I was just getting started. Nice
to have a pretty girl appreciate my efforts.”
My review
I am a huge fan of Cecy Robson.I love her style and her books are beautifully written with amazing characters that you can't help but love.I am happy to announce that Once Pure, the third book in the series, didn't dissapoint.
This is Sofia and Killian's story.I was really curious about the two of them, considering the other two books kept offering enough information about the two characters to keep the reader on his toes.Even though their story isn't as suspenseful as the other two, it's still heartfelt and it deals with emotional subjects.
Sofia and Killian have known each other since they were kids, but a tragic event pushes them away.This tragic event that happened to Sofia left her with some serious scars and vulnerabilities, but I loved that she got to grow into an amazing woman next to Killian.Her quiet strength and honesty made her a really lovable heroine.Killian, oh my Killian...he is an MMA fighter, a really tough guy, but when it comes to Sofia he is so sweet and gentle that you can't help but fall in love with him too.But he also has secrets, and when they come to light will they fight for their love or will guilt and doubt win?
This is a story of redemption, acceptance and love, filled with emotion, but also with humour thanks to Killian's awesome brothers.
I recommend this book with all my heart.
"I wish I could explain what you mean to me, and how much I need you. I just don't know how."
Author
Info
Cecy Robson is the New Adult author
of Once Perfect, Once Loved, and Once Pure and the award-winning author of the
Weird Girls urban fantasy romance series. A self-proclaimed professional
napper, Cecy counts among her talents a jaw-dropping knowledge of useless
trivia, the ability to make her hair big, and a knack for breaking into song
despite her family’s vehement protests. A full-time writer, registered nurse,
wife, and mother living in the Great Northwest, Cecy enjoys spending time with
her family and silencing the yappy characters in her head by telling their
stories.
Giveaway
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