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Cost of Repairs (Cost of Repairs #1)

by A.M. Arthur (Goodreads Author)

3.86 of 5 stars 3.86 · rating details · 492 ratings · 92 reviews

"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 pr...more

ebook, 342 pages

Published June 5th 2012 by Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

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Best M/M "Angsty" Romance

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Jan 15, 2013 Elspeth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: twenty-twelve, kindle, mm, returned

I liked this book up until the ending which didn't feel like an end at all. The story felt unfinished to me, like there needed to be a few more chapters to tie up the loose ends.

8 likes · like · see review

Apr 30, 2013 Candice rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, m-m

I thought for sure this was going to be a 5 star read from me. It was close, seriously close.

I absolutely LOVED this. 2 tortured souls that find each other and help each other. I laughed, I was in tears, I was angry, I was heartbroken...it was perfect.

I loved how this story was told in 3 parts, Samuel, Rey, and together.

(view spoiler)...more

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Jun 05, 2012 MandyM rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m-romance

3.5 stars. Good story about beat cop Sam, who moves to Stratton after his partner of five years is murdered. There he meets Rey, a short order cook who is struggling with demons of his own. They are immediately attracted.

While this is an enjoyable story, I didn't feel a huge attraction between the characters, especially Rey, whose hot/cold behaviour made it difficult for me to really like him. I had a couple of WTF moments as he again stormed away inexplicably from Sam. I think it's very hard f...more

15 likes · like · see review

Jun 07, 2012 Natalie marked it as dnf

Shelves: cops-agents-detectives, everyone-loved-it-but-me

DNF at 50% (skimmed to the end). I don't hate this, but it feels like I've been reading it forever, and I'm just not getting the chemistry between Samuel and Rey. There's a fine line between making a character intriguingly difficult and making him inaccessible to the reader. It's a shame, because there's definitely some potential here; the writing is smooth and the love scenes were very nicely done.

3 likes · like · see review

Feb 04, 2013 DaisyGirl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: genre-romance, i-own, m-m, other-steamy, romance-contemp, romance-police-fbi

4.0 Stars

Police officer Samuel Briggs fled New Mexico after tragically losing his partner of five years. Looking for a fresh start in small-town Stratton, PA, he buys a fixer-upper and starts to meet people on his beat. Although he’s not looking to get involved, he can’t help his attraction for Reign (“Rey”) King – Dixie’s Cup short-order cook and part-time handyman. Rey, however, has a past and problems of his own. One afternoon of impulsive, no-strings sex grows into a cautious friendship and...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 25, 2012 Top 2 Bottom Reviews Interviews and More rated it 5 of 5 stars

http://top2bottomreviews.wordpress.com/

There is so much I can say about this book. I did a big no-no and actually read this series out of order. When I read and reviewed, Color of Grace, I knew it was a second book in the series. After I read it, I fell in love with the characters and the amazing storytelling ability Ms. Arthur has, and knew I had to go back and read and review this book. I’m very glad I did! Although the second book can definitely be read as a stand-alone in the series, after I...more http://top2bottomreviews.wordpress.com/

There is so much I can say about this book. I did a big no-no and actually read this series out of order. When I read and reviewed, Color of Grace, I knew it was a second book in the series. After I read it, I fell in love with the characters and the amazing storytelling ability Ms. Arthur has, and knew I had to go back and read and review this book. I’m very glad I did! Although the second book can definitely be read as a stand-alone in the series, after I read Cost of Repairs it made the characters become even more lifelike, and soon I became more emotionally involved with them and the interesting lives they lead.

Cost of Repairs is an emotionally driven, well-written book filled with the ups and downs of life. Both heroes, Sam and Ray, have many past hurts and grievances they must deal with before they can become trusting enough to allow the other man into their lives. When they meet, they are immediately drawn to each other, but because of their past issues, they are both leery of the intense attraction they have for one another. One of the things I really liked about this book was…how they took each step of their relationship day by day. They become friends, learn to trust in both themselves and each other and eventually start believing in the love they have between them. As a reader, I appreciated this slow build-up between them. I thoroughly enjoyed watching their relationship grow and nourish as time went by and I found myself really hoping they would find a way to work through their differences and their own demons and try to build a happy life together.

Although there is some angst in this book, it’s not overdone. Yes, there are some very intense and sad moments that each hero shares, but there were also enough lighthearted, fun moments in their story that really balanced the storyline out quite nicely. I found myself crying, laughing and cheering these two amazing men on and relished in the tender, loving and trusting moments they had together. It’s truly a beautifully written love story from start to finish and I hated to see it come to an end.

Another thing I really liked about this book was the importance of the secondary characters in the storyline. Each character really brought something to the story and into the heroes lives and I enjoyed watching all of the relationships play out as the book continued. I’m very glad that this is a series because I want to read more about these people and hope that some of the unanswered questions I had at the end will eventually be answered.

Cost of Repairs is a stunningly written book with passionate love scenes and enough friendship and romance to satisfy even the pickiest of readers. It’s earned a permanent place on my keeper shelf where I know I’ll re-read and revisit these amazing characters again and again. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that there will be many more books in this series and will be actively be looking for more books written by this author. Highly Recommended!

The Cost of Repairs books in series order are:

Cost of Repairs
Color of Grace

Reviewed By: Gabbi(less)

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Aug 16, 2012 Elizabeth H. rated it 5 of 5 stars

One of the best books I've read all year. Absolutely excellent, controlled characterization of a fascinating sort. I was really impressed with that control by the author, as I didn't find all sorts of glitchy, non-characteristic actions or words coming from the main characters, things that would pull me out of the story. Instead I got a consistent, really interesting story about two unusual men. I almost read this book in one sitting, but forced myself to put it down and savor at least a little...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Gaylistbookreviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

by gaylistbookreviews
Title: Cost of Repairs
Author: A.M. Arthur
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, June 2012

Rating: B LIST

Cost of Repairs is the story of Officer Samuel Briggs and Rey King, and from the first moment, it’s filled with wonderful, uncomfortable tension. Officer Briggs has just moved to Stratton, PA from New Mexico for a fresh start, a way to put his demons to rest, and regain a sense of self for which he can be proud. Rey King is a part-time short-order cook, part-time hardware store w...more by gaylistbookreviews
Title: Cost of Repairs
Author: A.M. Arthur
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, June 2012

Rating: B LIST

Cost of Repairs is the story of Officer Samuel Briggs and Rey King, and from the first moment, it’s filled with wonderful, uncomfortable tension. Officer Briggs has just moved to Stratton, PA from New Mexico for a fresh start, a way to put his demons to rest, and regain a sense of self for which he can be proud. Rey King is a part-time short-order cook, part-time hardware store worker, and to fill the gaps, freelance handyman. Why does such a young man need to work so much? Well, Rey has his reasons.

From their first unnerving encounter when Officer Briggs is called to the diner in which Rey works to diffuse a misunderstanding, Samuel and Rey have a chemistry that is palpable. Arthur’s drawing of these two men is built slowly, layer upon layer that gives the reader time to emotionally connect to them while still leaving them shrouded in enough mystery that I wanted to read just one more page, and another page, and oh, but I can’t stop there. Dinner can wait.

With a lot of stories, the secondary characters are sometimes flat, serving their purpose to drive the plot and then disappearing again so the main players can deal with the fallout. Not so in Arthur’s story. The secondary characters are just as rich and layered (if a little less complicated) than the protagonists. While Dixie, the owner of the diner in which Rey works, has probably the smallest part in the novel, she’d have to be my favorite character, reminding me of Debbie in Queer as Folk, the kind of woman who mothers everyone and flamboyantly so. It’s no wonder those who work for her are like family, and thus, all the more believable that Rey would risk himself to save his co-worker Jennie from an assault by her ex-boyfriend. Rey ends up hurt, which sends his precarious living situation spinning wildly out of control, throwing Rey and Samuel together in a way that makes sense. While that plot line was a little predictable, the background built for both Samuel and Rey supported Samuel’s immediate instinct to reach out and help Rey.

For Rey, jaded for one so young, his emotions seesaw between disbelief that a man as good as Samuel could exist and craving Samuel’s attention to shoving the man away before he can get close enough to hurt Rey. Because for Rey, everyone he knows that well will eventually hurt him.

For Samuel, who has suffered one of the greatest losses a human being can endure, Rey’s an enigma, a puzzle to be solved. Amid Rey’s carefully neutral expressions, the controlled way he shares his opinions and thoughts, Samuel sees flashes of a man who needs to hope, needs to find a reason to live instead of coasting through as he’s done for the last several years. And Rey doesn’t expect anything from Samuel, doesn’t push him to share what he’s not ready to share, or feel what he’s not ready to feel after putting his life back together. For Samuel, this room to breathe is essential and while he battles his demons, he finds Rey to be an excellent reason for whom he should try to move on.

This is a fantastic read, with so many twists in the characters’ backgrounds I felt like I’d gotten a yoga workout just from reading. I will say that the ending, while fairly intense, didn’t quite live up to the build-up of the middle. It’s not to say plot-wise it wasn’t strong, because everything about it fit and it brought the entire novel to a logical conclusion. I only wish the main event, the moment of truth, would have been further detailed than it was. I did appreciate the ‘I’m not going to spend time monologue-ing’ business that has become trope, but I believe the climax would have been better served with a bit more depth, more insight into Samuel’s and Rey’s reactions, perhaps a slower build to the final, explosive moment.

Overall, a solid, well-written read, where the characters had depth and flaws and were sympathetic as hell. I’ll be paying attention to this author’s next effort.(less)

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Jul 22, 2012 Sophia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance

I really enjoyed this book. It was interesting how the book was divided into three parts with the first part being from Samuel's point of view, the second part from Rey's point of view and the third, from both.

Samuel has moved to small town Pennsylvania from New Mexico to start his life afresh. He is a police officer who walks a beat. His route takes him past the Dixie Cup Diner and as is his habit, he stops in to get to know the people there. He is struck by the friendly Dixie and Jennie as we...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Guilty Pleasures rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: guiltypleasures-slick, publishersent, guiltypleasures-charnel

Slick and Charnel's Two-fer review posted on Guilty Pleasures

SLick's review
Those of you who read this site regularly know I enjoy a man-love story ever so often. Because of this site, I’ve found a few authors of this genre that I now regularly read and with today’s review, I add yet another one to that list. Cost of Repairs by A.M. Arthur is a story of healing, hope, and finding happiness even when you think you don’t deserve it or don’t want it.

Samuel Briggs is the new beat cop in a small town...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Kaetrin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, ebook, m-m-romance

3.5 stars

Why I read it: Various of my Goodreads friends have read and liked this one and I bought it on impulse. Sometimes when I can't decide what to read from what's on my TBR, I just go and buy something else. (This may explain the size of my TBR *sigh*).

What it's about (from Goodreads): "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-o...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jun 04, 2012 Feliz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: jw, m-m, favourites

Although this story was set in Pennsylvania, it had a somewhat Southern feel to me. Whether it was the name of the Café where Rey works, Dixie’s Cup (Dixie, the owner, was a force to recon, by the way) or the big role Samuel’s back porch plays for the story, whether it was the fact that it’s summer and warm as the story begins or the calm practicality the characters took what life dished out to them, I couldn’t say, but still. Perhaps it was the fact that this story moved slowly and unagitated l...more Although this story was set in Pennsylvania, it had a somewhat Southern feel to me. Whether it was the name of the Café where Rey works, Dixie’s Cup (Dixie, the owner, was a force to recon, by the way) or the big role Samuel’s back porch plays for the story, whether it was the fact that it’s summer and warm as the story begins or the calm practicality the characters took what life dished out to them, I couldn’t say, but still. Perhaps it was the fact that this story moved slowly and unagitated like I’ve always imagined the Mississippi does. I’m not saying the story was dull, not at all, there was some pretty exciting action, especially toward the end, in the actual story as well as in the flashback sections. However, I think the picture fits this story quite well, the broad river with its calm surface and the treacherous undertows and occasional white water rapids. A river of life.

When Rey and Sam meet, they know next to nothing about each other, except for the attraction between them which is there almost from the very first second. Their afternoon hookup was actually meant as some kind of pastime, a way to act out their sexual needs which apparently hadn’t been appeased for both of them for an considerable amount of time. But, although both have their own reasons for wanting to stand back from romantic relationships, neither of them can deny that there was something more than sex even to their first tryst, though what exactly, none could say. Not that they would; neither Rey nor Sam are big on talking anyway. So they settle for mutual sympathy as a common ground to start from. Gradually, almost reluctantly sympathy turns into friendship, and love sneaks up on them as they come to trust each other, sharing bits and pieces of their pasts with each other until they realize they’re sharing a present–and maybe a future, too.

Both Sam and Rey are wonderful, impressive characters; I’ve rarely met a pair of so tortured heroes. Rey started his life under poor conditions, coming from a broken home, and being gay didn’t prove overly conductive to him. Some bad decisions he made in his youth and a dire misfortune led to him being up to his ears in debt which he works like a dog to repay while living in abject poverty. He carries a deep grief that makes him slow to open up to strangers, and while he’s too proud to take any help even if it’s offered to him, let alone ask for help, he goes out of his way to help others. In fact, Rey’s pride and deep seated wariness is one of the major obstacles he and Sam have to overcome.

But if there’s one man who can crack Rey’s shell, it’s Sam.

Sam was born into a loving, supportive family, he took up his dream job as a police officer, finding mostly acceptance as an openly gay man with his colleagues, and he had a stable long-term relationship with the man of his dreams. He lost everything in one single stroke of fate, the aftermaths of which he’s still struggling with, more than a year after the fact. And that’s why Sam is such a perfect match for Rey. Sam gets grief and heartbreak and loss, he experienced it firsthand. Sam understands Rey needing space and time, as he feels that need himself, and he understands and forgives when Rey lashes out at him in an excess of irate helplessness, as he knows exactly how this feels. It was so beautiful to watch how those two wounded men helped each other heal; Sam barely recovered enough from his own hardships to provide a shoulder to lean on for Rey; Rey so full of life despite everything that he stirred Sam out of his grief-frozen state and made him want to embrace life and love again. I particularly loved the respect and consideration with which they treated each other, there was no rushing, no pushing on either part, and between them they maintained a heartbreaking honesty that made the development of their relationship harder though all the more precious for that. For me, they came alive on the pages; even after I finished reading they stayed in my head and had me thinking about them, this is how real they were.

The writing itself was as smooth as the story, beautifully rich in imagery at times, matter-of-factly where it fit the story and laced with just the right dash of humor to keep all the drama from becoming melodramatic. The supportive cast was, for the most part, as well-drawn as the main characters. If I had any issues with this story, they occurred right at the end, with a villain who did something that was too far-fetched even for a fictional story; in the end, though, this small niggle couldn’t spoil my overall enjoyment of the story.

This was a beautiful, well thought through story with multi-layered, well drawn characters that lingered in my mind long after I finished reading and which I’ll definitely read again. Highly recommended.

review originally written for reviewsbyjessewave.com(less)

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Jul 12, 2012 Tia Fielding rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved well-developed, deliciously faulty MCs and the fact that even the side characters were real characters instead of paperdolls. The writing was solid and the story, most of it, good. I also have to commend the author for not making me feel like the sex scenes were there just for the sake of having more sex in the book! That seems rare these days...

What I didn't like was the sort-of-conclusion for Rey's part of the story, and the ENDLESS "this and that bad thing happened to me in the past",...more

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Jun 27, 2012 Whitney rated it 3 of 5 stars

This novel is depressing. If you’re looking for light and fun and fluffy, look elsewhere.

Brief synopsis: Officer Samuel Briggs moves to Stratton, PA after a tragic incident back in New Mexico. On his first patrol he encounters Rey King, an aloof man lives paycheck to paycheck trying to pay off debts from his own issues.

(Possible spoilers ahead)

From there, it seems like a one-up competition to see who has the most tragedies in their life.

I feel like the characters only get to know each other thr...more This novel is depressing. If you’re looking for light and fun and fluffy, look elsewhere.

Brief synopsis: Officer Samuel Briggs moves to Stratton, PA after a tragic incident back in New Mexico. On his first patrol he encounters Rey King, an aloof man lives paycheck to paycheck trying to pay off debts from his own issues.

(Possible spoilers ahead)

From there, it seems like a one-up competition to see who has the most tragedies in their life.

I feel like the characters only get to know each other through their tragedies. And thus, we the readers only get to know them that way as well. At no time did I see the two leads genuinely happy; I think the just came together because they were two sad and lonely guys. I guess two people could fall in love under those circumstances, but I don’t see how a relationship like that could last.

Especially since the ghost of Samuel’s dead significant other seems to haunt them wherever they go. Ben was with Samuel until he was killed by a few bigots causing Samuel to whirl in a downward spiral and eventually move to Stratton for a new start. Samuel maybe in a new town, a new house and Ben is buried back in New Mexico, but he’s constantly in Samuel’s thoughts and affects his daily life. How was I supposed to believe Rey and Samuel fell in love, when- even 3 years later- Samuel still loves and mourns Ben. I’m not begrudging Samuel, I’m not saying “Just get over it!” but how can he start something with Rey when he’s still plagued with the thoughts of Ben? He even said he couldn’t love anyone like Ben. To be fair, Rey shouldn’t want to ‘replace’ Ben, but Samuel should make some room for him in his heart and by then end, I just didn’t feel like he did (regardless of the declarations of love).

Another thing that ground my gears is the mentioning of Rey’s daughter. I was mad as hell when that part came up. I was hoping toward the end, things would be set in motion to get her back. So I was unsatisfied with that aspect.

I guess you can say the ending was a “happy for now” one. I think Samuel and Rey’s story isn’t finished, but Arthur probably won’t come back to this couple.

My rating for this is 3.5 out of 5. It was well written, but it was depressing.(less)

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Jul 04, 2012 Podga Podga rated it 3 of 5 stars

Sometimes I just can't put a book down, even though there are plenty of elements I don't like.

In this case, I found the story line way overdone. Short of the Biblical Plagues it seems like everything bad that could have befallen the two MCs at some point did. As if the only way Arthur could think to showcase her characters' virtues is through the suffering they endure and overcome.

And yet,when she describes emotions, Sam and Rey's reactions to one another, the unfolding relationship from first...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Nikyta rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: samhain-publishing, broken-to-bits, closet-cases, chefs-bakers, cruelty-abuse, disability, deception-betrayal-lies-omissions, m-m, want-pbhc, angst, cops-fbi-etc, injury-recovery, kidnapped-hostage-taken, contemporary, published-on-amazon

I really liked this book. It deals heavily in healing two people that have been pretty emotionally damaged and have had a rough life.

The way this story is written is quite intriguing. While the whole book is in third person, it's segregated into three parts. First part is from Samuel's POV, second part is from Rey's POV and third part is from both POVs. I've seen this style before and it's a style I'm very fond of. I liked getting to know each character in their own time from both perspectives...more I really liked this book. It deals heavily in healing two people that have been pretty emotionally damaged and have had a rough life.

The way this story is written is quite intriguing. While the whole book is in third person, it's segregated into three parts. First part is from Samuel's POV, second part is from Rey's POV and third part is from both POVs. I've seen this style before and it's a style I'm very fond of. I liked getting to know each character in their own time from both perspectives without the mistakes of head-hopping.

Both characters are very fragile emotionally with a ton of baggage. Rey's life has been nothing but one bad thing after another while Samuel is still trying to get over something that happened years ago. Both are traumatized in their own way and they end up getting even more so within the story because their lives start to spiral downhill even more when they meet. It was fascinating to see how these two handled the situations they encountered and how they healed each other without really knowing it while still having to deal with Samuel wanting to be semi in the closet.

There were a few things I didn't like about the story, though. Samuel's past is based around his deceased lover, Ben, so there is a lot of detail about him. What I didn't like was how involved he was in the story. Almost everything Samuel did boiled down to Ben, he constantly compared things to Ben, his time with Ben, his love for Ben, how different Rey was from Ben, etc. I grew tiresome of that because I wanted things about Rey and Samuel not about a dead lover and Samuel.

I also thought the sex scenes were too long and too clustered together, at least for my tastes. I think the story could have used a bit more editing as well since there was misspelled names and missing words from sentences on more than one occasion. I was also confused a few times because little sentences that alluded to a mysterious person would be mentioned without explaining who that person was. Like, for instance, a Dan was mentioned once but never elaborated; Sky was mentioned but never elaborated (I finally figured out Sky was Schuyler a while after Sky was first mentioned). I was also hoping to get some answers on what Rey would do about getting custody but it's never brought up.

In the end, this was a wonderfully emotionally charged romance between two damaged men that I gobbled up. It had its faults but the story was very intriguing and what these two men went through and how they dealt with it, as well as the way they developed their relationship, was something I very much enjoyed. (less)

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Mar 10, 2013 Paws rated it 4 of 5 stars

Boy were these two hiding a lot of baggage! And not just one of them and the other is the "savior". Holy crap, I'm surprised they can both walk with the amount they're carrying around. Interesting situations, honest reactions and an ending that was meant for sequels.

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Jun 07, 2012 Sadonna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm, pdf, contemporary, cops

This story was quite a roller-coaster ride. The personal devastation of each of the MCs is slowly revealed in this story which I appreciated. Sam is a cop who has moved to a small city in Pennsylvania to start his life over after an extremely traumatic event in New Mexico. Rey is a guy who for six years has been dealing with one tragedy after another and cannot seem to buy a break. They meet and there is something there, but both are afraid to let their guard down too much - afraid of being hurt...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: disabled-hero, m-m-romance

This book was... OK. These characters had a LOT going on in their backstories... almost too much, and the way the reader learns about some of it could have been handled a lot better, in my opinion...

I really liked Rey, although I'm not sure if his character was consistent throughout... But I did feel like he was more believable than Sam. Maybe it's because I've recently read such incredible books like Sinners & Saints and After The End, but I really never felt Ben's loss...

In general, I fel...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Kaje Harper rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m

A fast-paced story about Samuel, a cop who moves to a new town two thousand miles away from the traumas of his past to start over, and Rey, a fry-cook who has never caught a break in his life and is fighting to keep his head above water. Their attraction is rapid, and they find in each other a reason to move beyond the past. But sometimes their issues come between them, and eventually the past catches up with them. There is a fair bit of drama and excitement in this story, although it doesn't fe...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Crissy Morris rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, joyfully-jay, favorites

5 stars

A Joyfully Jay Review

Officer Samuel Briggs moved to Stratton, Pennsylvania to start over, to get away from a painful past that has haunted him for the past three years. All he wants is some peace and quiet, control of his own life, and to complete the repairs on the fixer house he purchased. As the new beat cop, Samuel makes his way around town casually getting to know the local business owners, employees, and patrons on his regular third-shift. At his first trip into Dixie’s Cup, Samuel...more 5 stars

A Joyfully Jay Review

Officer Samuel Briggs moved to Stratton, Pennsylvania to start over, to get away from a painful past that has haunted him for the past three years. All he wants is some peace and quiet, control of his own life, and to complete the repairs on the fixer house he purchased. As the new beat cop, Samuel makes his way around town casually getting to know the local business owners, employees, and patrons on his regular third-shift. At his first trip into Dixie’s Cup, Samuel immediately notices Rey, the short order cook. Something about Rey draws Samuel in, but he’s not sure if he’s ready to get to know anyone yet. He’s sure he’s not ready to let anyone get to know him. But something about Rey makes a part of Samuel want to open up to another person.

Reign “Rey” King is quite possibly the hardest worker in town. Working as a short order cook, a salesman at the local hardware store, and an all-around handyman keeps him pretty busy, usually too busy for a personal life. But when Sam walks into his life, the sexy patrolman is hard to ignore. Rey’s life is complicated and most people can’t handle it. His past haunts his every waking moment and the hurt never goes away. But something about Samuel gives him hope.

A chance run-in in the grocery store turns into an awkward lunch invitation that leads to a round of no-strings sex. A tentative friends-with-benefits relationship is born, but stands on rocky ground. The more time they spend together, the more difficult it is to not ask the personal questions that both know neither is willing to share.
When Rey ends up in the hospital after rescuing a co-worker from an attack, a head injury makes him unable to use his left hand. With his livelihood in jeopardy, Rey accepts an arrangement with Sam to help him renovate his house. But the already shaky friendship now faces fear, doubt, and guilt as their friends-with-benefits routine grows more permanent and deeper feelings threaten to expose both of their painful pasts.

A.M. Arthur is a new author to me and I’m so happy to have happened upon Cost of Repairs. It’s a story brought to life by two men with their own separate baggage who can’t seem to find happiness on their own and are afraid to find happiness with each other.

I adore the two main characters. They are beautifully written and captivating and heart breaking. Sam and Rey are so highly imperfect that they are perfect. They are both severely broken in such different ways, but what strengths they each have help the other begin healing in ways they never thought possible. Sam is so positive amazingly patient, almost saint-like. Rey is grounded and such a hard worker. Sam is stuck in a healing stage, whereas Rey hasn’t had the opportunity to even begin to heal. Sam and Rey are amazing characters individually, but together they are unbelievably beautiful and too hot for words. They are both so different, yet matched so perfectly.

Arthur not only creates wonderfully layered characters, but the way she characterizes doubt and guilt made me feel like they were corporeal beings actually talking to Rey. It’s such magnificent writing. The entire book is so very well done.

This story has so many layers – Sam starting over, his past, Rey’s past, life after Rey’s accident, their tentative relationship, and unexpected villain. It’s a painful story, a story of healing, a story of self-forgiveness, a story of unexpected love. What I love about this book is that there are no magical answers. Both Rey and Sam have had especially hard lives, but there is not fix-it-all. They work hard together to overcome. They fight. The have make up sex. They have uncomfortable moments. But nobody walks in and says, “Here’s the solution to all of your problems. Have a happy life.” Okay, there is one magical moment, but it’s not a fix-it-all, more of a relief, and not at all unbelievable.

I should warn you. You will laugh. You will cry. Your heart will break more than once. But in the end, it’s all worth it. The beauty of this story is in the broken heroes and the healing that they create for each other. It’s a story I plan on reading again. I highly, highly recommend Cost of Repairs by A.M. Arthur.(less)

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Aug 01, 2012 thelastaerie rated it 4 of 5 stars

3.75 stars.
It's a book I enjoyed more as the story progressed. At first, we were following Samuel's chains of thought, we know he's been through a lot and he wanted a new start, then he met Rey in a local diner who he was attracted to but unsure if he's ready to face a new relationship. That involved lots of inner monologue that I found slightly repetitive... However, as the story progresses, the traumatic past events of both Sam and Rey revealed, we get a better grasp of the reasons behind the...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Tori smexys_sidekick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, book-worth-reading-again-and-again, m-m, read-in-2012, review-for-smexybooks, romance-contemporary

Favorite Quote: “…that insane need to consume the other person. He didn’t know what it meant, but he held on to the feeling and put it back in the embrace.“

Police officer Samuel Briggs came to the small town of Stratton, PA in order to escape his painful past. All he wants is to fix up his house, work his shifts, and find some peace and quiet. He can’t handle another relationship, but finds himself tempted by the short order cook at the Dixie Cup diner.

Rey King lives to work. Cook, handyman, sal...more Favorite Quote: “…that insane need to consume the other person. He didn’t know what it meant, but he held on to the feeling and put it back in the embrace.“

Police officer Samuel Briggs came to the small town of Stratton, PA in order to escape his painful past. All he wants is to fix up his house, work his shifts, and find some peace and quiet. He can’t handle another relationship, but finds himself tempted by the short order cook at the Dixie Cup diner.

Rey King lives to work. Cook, handyman, salesmen…Rey does it all. Relationships have no place in his busy schedule. Sam’s strength calls to him though and after a no strings attached night of sex, a cautious friendship forms. But Rey and Sam both have scars from the past that could destroy the fragile foundation they have formed unless they can be honest with one another. And themselves.

A.M. Arthur’s debut, Cost Of Repairs, is a emotionally heart tugging male/male romance about pain, loss, and forgiveness. Smoothly written with a viable plot and interesting sub plots that intertwine and pull together to give us a poignant realistic story. Engaging characters and descriptions add to the overall “small town” appeal that the story’s foundation is built upon.

Our protagonists, Sam and Rey, are tortured individuals. Both have suffered a devastating loss that has crippled them emotionally and chained them in their pasts. Officer Sam Briggs left New Mexico after his boyfriend was the victim of a fatal hate crime. When he finds himself unable to go forward, he leaves his family and friends and moves to Stratton, PA with only his possessions and a devastated heart. Rey (Reign) King is a short order cook who is continuously paying for crime he didn’t commit. He finds himself teetering on the brink of ruin each and every day; buried on obligations he feels committed to carrying.

The author does a wonderful job of introducing Sam and Rey in the present, then revealing their individual pasts slowly to coincide with events happening now. Their layers are peeled back, allowing us to understand where they came from and where they are at now. Sam’s an instinctive protector. He feels the need to help Rey in the beginning and offers him friendship and an ear. As their relationship progresses, he realizes that Rey has become more than just a friend; he has become very important to him. The relationship is taken slowly with plenty of emotional and physical tension. These two men are not easy and it stands to reason that their romance would not be either. They are both scared of loss and are reluctant to allow someone into a position that could hurt them again.

The sexual side of the relationship is sweet and emotionally sticky. In it we are offered even more insight into Sam and Rey. I really liked that their relationship isn’t made a sticky point with the town or the residents. While neither is shouting their sexual nature from the rooftops, they also aren’t hiding it.

The main conflict and subsequent conflicts are used to facilitate Sam and Rey’s relationship. Each problem mirrors a past issue that Sam and Rey are dealing with. The solutions are used to help heal the past. With these problems comes the introductions of the secondary characters who play equally important roles. The staff of the Dixie Cup who love both Rey and Sam to Sam’s buddies on the police force. I loved the easy familiarity of the diner and the support Sam and Rey receive when problems present themselves.

The ending is the dramatic final straw that breaks Sam and Rey and forces them to confront their deepest fears. I admit I didn’t see this particular situation coming but it’s played out with delicious hyper tense awareness that has you wide eyed with shock.

I thoroughly enjoyed A.M. Arthur’s debut romance and look forward to reading more.

Overall Rating: B(less)

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Aug 05, 2012 Aves Raggiana rated it 4 of 5 stars

I came into this book not expecting a whole lot, and came away pleasntly surprised. The writing was smooth, fluient, touching, captivating, and arresting in all the places that it needed to be. The love-making scenes stood out for their burnished, lambent grace, and would have earned five stars on their own, had they not ended with that silly business of tying off the used condom at the end. NO, I mean NO guy does that.

As with all well-written stories, the characters stayed with me long after I...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Mandy*reads obsessively* rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: hurt-comfort-disability, m-m, ebook-owned, cop-pi-law-enforcement

A beautiful story of redemption and love and moving on with life.
I don't think I have read many books where both MC have had so much hardship, grief and just plain bad luck as Sam and Rey have had, but despite that they want to live and love, even if it takes them a while to figure that out.
I am not a big fan of angst, so to be honest I was a bit worried ,but I shouldn't have been, it was just the right amount to keep it interesting without weighing it down in tortured hero syndrome, even if the...more

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Jun 20, 2012 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, mm-romance

I wasn't sure what to rate this book. In the end, I gave it 4 stars, because there were a few things that kept me from that additional star. I love the writing style, and the sex scenes are insanely hot. I easily fell in love with both MCs, and loved the fact their story wasn't filled with misunderstandings because they weren't talking to each other like so many other romance novels. (view spoiler)...more

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Aug 14, 2012 C.L. rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was the first book I've read by this author and I quite enjoyed it. I thought Sam and Rey were good MCs, and the secondary characters were enjoyable as well. This story has a fair amount of angst, with a side of mystery, topped with two emotionally damaged men who find love and healing together. They make you care about them and make you want to cheer them on to their HEA. There was something that wasn't resolved in this story, so I'm hoping the author is planning on a second book. I would...more

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Jan 04, 2013 Felicia (Ferishia) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-non-amz-purchase, ebook, kindle-ebook, fictionwise, 01-mr-candy-pants, contemporary, m-m, lgbt-romance, law-enforcement, romance, m-m-monthly-challenge, 2013-books-read-this-year

Two people, each with their own tragic past, come together and before they know it they are falling for each other.

Sam, a policeman, moves to Stratton to get away from his tragic past life and tries to start over again. Not sure what to expect from this new town, he slowly gets to know the people. The one person who really captures his attention, Rey, works in the local diner. He's not sure what it is about Rey that draws him.

Rey, is trying to keep his head above water. In addition to being a...more

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Feb 25, 2013 Tʀɪsʜᴀ Hᴀʀʀɪɴɢᴛᴏɴ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: it-was-meh, angst

This was a nice book... There were some really great things in the book and some nice banter and sweet scenes thrown in for good measure. I enjoyed the writing. The setting was also nice, I love stories set in small towns, I'm not sure why, but I do.

The main issue for me was although I loved the banter. To me reading this it felt more like Ben would have been a better character for the romance. Rey's wit was great for the story, but Sam and Ben's loved seeped through more in this. This book felt...more

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Oct 21, 2012 Trix rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: action, angst, cops, mm-novels, suspense

This turned out to be a nice read. Granted, not one that sweeped me off my feet, but enough to keep me interested till the end.

(view spoiler)...more

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About A.M. Arthur

No stranger to the writing world, A.M. Arthur has been creating stories in her head since she was a child and scribbling them down nearly as long. She credits an early fascination with male friendships and "bromance" (and "The Young Riders") with her later discovery of and subsequent affair with m/m romance stories. When not writing, she can be found in her kitchen, pretending she's an amateur che...more

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