Review: "Cost of Repairs is an emotional, sometimes painful read, but a rewarding one."
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 27, 2013
Police officer Samuel Briggs is starting over. All he wants to do is fix up the old house he bought, meet new people on his beat, and forget the past. He's not worried about finding anyone. Then he meets the cook at the Dixie Cup diner, and right away he's both attracted and intrigued.Rey King doesn't have time for anything but work. Drowning in debt and hiding his pain over the past, he doesn't want to start a relationship. He's happy to act on his attraction to Samuel, but nothing more.Sex turns into a friendship that could become more. When Rey is hurt and Samuel wants to help, things begin to fall apart. Can Samuel and Rey learn to trust each other, or will their pasts prove to be too much for them?Cost of Repairs is the healing journey of two men who have been broken by life. Samuel is trying to move on after a terrible event that nearly destroyed him. He's moved to a new place and taken a new job. Protective, caring, and kind, he is a great police officer. He makes new friends on his beat, but he's still lonely. He initially succumbs to Rey's offer of no-strings sex because of the loneliness and his desire to move on. Afterward, he wants to be with Rey again. Tentative feelings begin to grow in Samuel's heart, despite his uncertainty. When Rey gets hurt, Samuel wants to help, but Rey pushes him away at every turn.Rey has spent the past few years doing little more than working himself to the bone. His multiple jobs are a necessity if he wants to pay rent and chip away at his massive debt. Time spent with Samuel is a welcome release of stress, but he doesn't want it to be anything more. He tries to keep his distance. After he's hurt, Samuel won't be pushed away, and Rey has to accept help for once, even if he doesn't want to. He'll have to decide how much he's willing to risk when Samuel's past intrudes on their present.Cost of Repairs is told in two parts. The first part is from Samuel's third-person point of view. It's easy to sympathize with Sam. He's been through a terrible loss, and survived it in the only way he knew how. I wanted to see him find happiness. Rey, despite his prickly and standoffish nature, was obviously a good man, so I was rooting for them right away. Both men are cautious, leading to a slow pace I really enjoyed. Their pasts are revealed in bits and pieces rather than in huge, awkward chunks. The second part of the story, from Rey's perspective, fleshes out Rey's character. The reasons for his behavior are understandable, even his constant attempts to push Sam away. The last section of the story is all action and angst, but none of it felt forced.Cost of Repairs is an emotional, sometimes painful read, but a rewarding one. Two good men who were dealt a bad hand by fate finally get something good again, and that's definitely worthwhile.Cassie for Joyfully Reviewed