Hard to Fix: A slow burn small town romance (Halvorsen Brothers #1)

A quiet mechanic. A single mom on the run. A town full of ghosts.
Sometimes the safest place to fall is the one you swore you’d never return to.

Mari
Coming back to Salt Point was never part of the plan.
But when you're fleeing a man who promised to destroy everything, the place you once swore off starts to look like the only safe option—no matter how many memories it holds.
I’ve got a five-year-old to protect, a trailer I can barely afford, and a past I’m still trying to outrun.
The last person I expected to offer help? Dean Halvorsen—the quiet, gruff boy I once crushed on.
Now he’s all grown up, owns a garage, and looks at me like I’m something breakable.
But I can’t afford to break. Not now.

Dean
Salt Point doesn’t change. You keep your head down, fix what’s broken, and don’t ask for more.
I’ve spent years keeping my life small. Safe. Predictable.
Then Mari Hart shows up with a busted car, a kid who looks like her, and eyes full of things she won’t say.
She needs a job. I need help at the shop. But letting her in? That’s a risk I haven’t taken in years.
I don’t do feelings. Don’t do messy.
So why does every part of me want to try?

Hard to Fix is a slow-burn, emotionally charged small-town romance with trauma recovery, found family, and a cinnamon roll mechanic who’s better with engines than words—but would show up for her every single time.

Perfect for readers who

Grumpy/sunshine (but make it soft)
Single moms and emotionally safe men
Trauma recovery that’s tender, not toxic
Found family and quiet devotionActs of service as love language
Small-town romance with emotional depth

Her past isn't finished with her.
But neither is Dean.

And Salt Point might not be far enough to hide.

Each Halvorsen Brothers novel can be read as a standalone, but reading in order brings deeper emotional payoff.