Cost of Repairs by A.M. Arthur

"Fixing the home can heal the heart-if you can find all the pieces. "

Police officer Samuel Briggs is getting to know the people on his new, third-shift beat, but he'd prefer they not know too much about him-or the painful past that drove him away from New Mexico to start fresh in small-town Stratton, PA.

All he wants is peace, a manageable routine, and time to fix up his project home. There's no room in his broken heart for a new relationship. It's crowded with too many memories. But there's something about the Dixie's Cup short-order cook, who's flirty one minute, distracted the next, that piques Sam's interest.

Part-time cook, part-time hardware salesman and full-time handyman Rey King lives to work-but not because he loves it. Relationships? No time. Until one glance at Sam's haunted eyes sends a plumb line straight to his wary heart.

One afternoon of impulsive, no-strings sex begins to grow into a cautious friendship. But when Rey is seriously injured protecting a friend, the cracks in their already shaky foundation begin to show. Falling in love wasn't in either man's recovery plan...and this time, the risk could be too great.

                                                                     4 STARS 

I liked this story for the most part, I enjoyed the characters and getting to know them, though I have to say the storyline dragged just a little for me, as I'm not a huge fan of so much drama. But it was a emotional love story with a lot of angst, the stress and drama of Rey's life surprised me, he had to be such a strong character to even keep surviving. This guys life just plain sucks and even I couldn't see where it was going and how he would get out from under so much, you know?

Sam on the other hand is such a sweetheart that just wants to help people, he's been through literally hell and back, his character had me crying so many times. I just wanted to wrap him up and hug him. Now the main difference between these two MC's is I got why Sam is the why he is, but I couldn't get into Rey's character at all, he kinda pissed me off to much. And the whole ending I didn't get I mean WTH? is up with the brother HUH? it lost me there. I will still recommend because it was a really good story I'm just not one for major angst, and that tends to turn me off of a story most times.