Once Pure

Robson’s flimsy third Shattered Pasts contemporary (after Once Loved) is full of delightful humor, but the pacing and character development are flawed. Sofia Tres Santos is going through a period of self-reinvention after being sexually assaulted. With the help of Killian O’Brien—her childhood friend, forever crush, and one of the few people who knows the truth about her devastating past—and his boisterous sextet of siblings, she attempts to build a life filled with love, togetherness, and possibilities, despite the concerns of her overprotective big brother and intensely religious mother. As Sofia and Killian grow closer, secrets are revealed that have them doubting each other and themselves. The dialogue is fresh and often profanely hilarious, and Robson has a keen eye for Sofia’s Philadelphia surroundings, but the stop-and-start emotional development of the heroine and the rushed timing will wear readers out. (May)