Summary:
Rey King is happily settled in the life he shares with his partner Samuel Briggs. They have a close circle of friends, established routines, and Rey is even expanding his fledging catering business by bringing on a new partner. But he’s still haunted by the heartbreaking loss of his daughter six years ago. When Faith's grandmother unexpectedly passes away a month before Christmas, Rey is shocked by an offer he never saw coming.
Samuel Briggs knew loving Rey wouldn't be easy—Samuel’s no walk in the park either—and for eighteen months they've thrived as a couple. He believes their love can overcome anything—until a new obstacle is thrust in their path in the form of a shy, seven-year-old girl. Settling Faith into their chaotic lives won't be easy, but Samuel will do anything for Rey—even put up with Rey's new, handsome, too-attentive business partner and the long hours they spend together.
Misunderstandings, miscommunications, and unresolved tensions lead to one escalating fight after another, straining a relationship Rey always considered unbreakable. Rey knew getting his daughter back would change their lives—but he never imagined the best Christmas gift of his life could cost him the man he loves.
NOTE: This book was previously published under the same title. Cover art has been updated, and the content has been lightly edited, but no significant changes to the story or characters have been made. The story has also not been updated to reflect its pre-Marriage Equality setting.
BONUS CONTENT: “Party Favors,” a short story currently available for free on my website, which is set during the time period between the end of this book and the beginning of book five, Foundation of Trust. The story contains alcohol, a stripper, and bedroom fun.
Summary:
David Weller thought he had it all—a loving partner who gave him a ring, a “stepson” he adored, a steady job he didn't hate, and so much hope for their future. But in the wake of a devastating diagnosis, everything came crashing down. Four years after Owen dumped him, David is still sifting through the rubble of his life. His catering partnership is the only thing keeping him afloat during the day, while his nights are filled with dangerous sexual hookups and very bad decisions. And then the last person he ever expected to see again walks back into his life and changes everything.
Owen Hart's single biggest regret is the way in which he and his son Michael were forced to leave David behind—no explanations, no chance to make it right. Until now. Finally free of eight years of fear and lies, Owen's back for the only man he's ever truly loved. Seeing David again is as joyful as it is heartbreaking, because David is wounded in both body and soul, and it's all Owen's fault.
An incendiary encounter in a club proves their connection hasn't diminished over the years, but David's wounds run deeper than Owen's deception. His inability to forgive Owen is fueled by a decade-old betrayal that David must first forgive if he ever hopes to have a second chance with Owen.
NOTE: This book was previously published under the same title. Cover art has been updated, and the content has been lightly edited, but no significant changes to the story or characters have been made. Updates have not been made to the pre-Marriage Equality time period of original release.
Original Review January 2015:
I really enjoyed getting back to Samuel and Rey in Acts of Faith. The addition of Rey's daughter, Faith was absolutely spectacular. We get a bit of Schylur and Barrett as well as a cameo of Gavin and Jace too from books 2 & 3. I had read the first 3 books in this series over a year ago but I got sidetracked and just recently came back to it. It was like walking into a store and running into an old friend, time may have passed but it feels like only yesterday when you start talking. That's exactly how this book made me feel. Rey is in his element as he's trying to start up his business and in his relationship with Samuel and yet, he's thrown for a loop when he is given a chance at the one thing that has eluded him for the past 6 years. But, with help from the man he loves and the friends that have become his family, Faith just may become the missing piece that puts this puzzle together.
Foundation of Trust #5
Original Review August 2015:
I'm not sure why I waited so long to read this installment of the Cost of Repairs series. David and Owen are equal parts stubborn and loving which make them perfect for each other. Don't get me wrong, the stubborn parts seem to outweigh the loving parts but truth is that without the stubborn there wouldn't be any loving. Yes, I know that statement is a mouthful of repetition and redundancy but it's completely true and because of it, I wanted to reach in the book and give both men a firm shake, and sometimes slap to the back of the head, but I also wanted to dive in and just hug them until the pain of the past was gone. They may not have touched my heart quite as deeply as Rey and Samuel did from Cost of Repairs(Book 1) and Acts of Faith(Book 4) but they definitely burrowed in and found a lasting place with me.
RATING:
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. When not writing, she can be found in her kitchen, pretending she's an amateur chef and trying to not poison herself with her cuisine experiments. A.M. Arthur was born and raised in the same kind of small town that she likes to write about, a stone's throw from both beach resorts and generational farmland. She's been creating stories in her head since she was a child and scribbling them down nearly as long, in a losing battle to make the fictional voices stop. She credits an early fascination with male friendships (bromance hadn't been coined yet back then) and "The Young Riders" with her later discovery of and subsequent love affair with m/m romance stories. When not exorcising the voices in her head, she toils away in a retail job that tests her patience and gives her lots of story fodder. She can also be found in her kitchen, pretending she's an amateur chef and trying to not poison herself or others with her cuisine experiments.
If you were to ask her what gave her the courage to finally publish, she’d tell you it was her amazing family and friends. Support is vital in all things and when you’re afraid of your dreams, it will be your cheering section that will lift you up.
EMAIL: AM_Arthur@yahoo.com
Acts of Faith #4
Foundation of Trust #5
