3.75 Stars - Once Loved by Cecy Robson is the second book in her Shattered Past series. I haven't read the first book, Once Perfect, and felt as if I was missing some backstory, so I would recommend reading this series in order from the beginning. This book is about Lety and Brody. Lety is Teo's, (the hero from the first book), sister. Her and Brody used to date but broke up about a year ago when her family drama got in the way. She thought her life was too messed up, that she wasn't good for Brody and that they were too different. She broke his heart and her own. 
 Once Loved starts off at the beginning of the school year, approximately one year after they broke up. Brody is determined to get back together with Lety. But Lety isn't so sure it's the right thing to do. She misses Brody and what they had together so she lets Brody convince her to give it another go. Their relationship isn't without difficulties though. Lety still believes they are too different but Brody has his own dark secrets as well. 
 I liked both Lety and Brody. Lety is a strong, hardworking, independent and warmhearted woman. She's going to school to become a nurse and takes a CNA, Certified Nursing Assistant, position to help pay for her schooling. I really enjoyed her moments working as a CNA for a paraplegic man and his special needs son. She was so warm, competent and caring. She really helped to bring the family closer together. 
 Lety's workload between school and work was so full I don't know how she did it. Not to mention the added stress of worrying about the danger from her father. One thing I loved about her was how she took a stand against her father. He was such a monster to her, her mother, and her siblings. The level of abuse was horrific. I wanted to see him pay. 
 I think in many ways Brody helped alleviate her stress. He was sweet, sexy and funny, going out of his way to show he cared. I really liked how he opened up to Lety, sharing his most heart wrenching memories. He wanted to help her but she was so determined to not depend on a man for anything. I understood why she felt that way but I'm glad she eventually gave her trust to Brody. They were good together. It just took Lety awhile to understand that. 
 I really enjoyed Once Loved. It's contains some heavy moments but there is humor as well to help lighten things up. The plot was interesting and the characters were crafted with depth and emotion. The romance was believable and flowed nicely with the story. There is romance, heartache, danger and sex. As well as some heartwarming moments that were quite moving. All in all it's a great read. 
 I would recommend Once Loved to fans of New Adult Romance. 
 *Review copy received from Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept, via NetGalley.