REVIEWED BY CHERYL K.
TITLE: The Man Who Hated Ned O’Leary
SERIES: Dig Two Graves Book 2
AUTHOR: K.A. Merikan
PUBLISHER: Acerbi & Villani Ltd.
LENGTH: 371 Pages
RELEASE DATE: February 20, 2021
BLURB:
“Because you love me no matter how much you hate me.”
Seven years ago, Cole Flores was betrayed by the man he loved, and his very soul was left charred. He vowed that day that he would find Ned O’Leary and kill him, even if it was the last thing he did.
But Ned disappeared, and life went on.
Despite the flame of hate burning deep inside him, Cole’s hope to find Ned had dimmed. At least it left behind a lesson to never trust, never love, and never attach himself anywhere. That was the only way for a wanted man to stay off the noose in a world filled with liars and cheats.
Just when Cole stops looking for Ned though, he finds the deceptive bastard, and life turns on its head again. Their reunion goes nothing as planned, and unanswered questions rise to the surface, poisoning Cole’s mind with lust and longing that have never gone away.
Ned O’Leary is a traitor.
Ned O’Leary is a scumbag.
Ned O’Leary is everything Cole Flores craves.
Torn between love and revenge, lust and sanity, Cole has to find out if the bruised and battered heart of an outlaw can ever trust again, or if he’s bound to fulfill his promise and be Ned O’Leary’s doom.
*
Dark, dangerous, yet desperately romantic, “The Man Who Hated Ned O’Leary” is a gritty western M/M romance novel and book 2 in the “Dig Two Graves” duology. Prepare for violence, emotional turmoil, and scorching hot, explicit scenes, as well as a Happy Ever After earned with blood, sweat, and tears.
REVIEW:
This is the second book of the duology of the Dig Two Graves series. You must read the first book before tackling this book. The worldbuilding and characterizations in this book are fantastic. The backdrop for this story is 1880’s Colorado. The story depicts life in the wild, wild west and the few and far between towns that dot the landscape, the big city and circus life.
“Revenge maybe wicked, but it’s natural” – William Makepeace Thackery
This book picks up seven years later. Cole’s anger and need for revenge fairly screams off the page at the beginning. Cole and his new bounty hunting partner return to Beaver Springs, Colorado – a homecoming of sorts for Cole, as he is returning to were it all began. Beaver Springs is where Ned O’Leary is from, the man he hates. There is a bounty on Ned’s head and Cole means to claim it. But Ned has not faired as well, as Cole has, over the last seven years. He is a hallucinating drunk. He has taken to terrorizing his neighbors to survive his mediocre existence. The only redeeming qualities Ned seems to posses now, are the love of his horse and dog. But as with most attempts at revenge, this one goes horribly wrong, and the gallows are holding two ropes. One for Ned and one for Cole. As they are rescued from the gallows, murder and mayhem ensue. As this is a cautionary tale about revenge, the ghosts from their pasts rise to great them. Before long, a ghost from their Gotham Boys days, tracks them down to enact his own revenge on Ned and Cole. The twist here is, he is holding the son of the leader of the Gotham Boys son as a pawn. As Ned and Cole reconnect, they make life altering decisions for themselves and the fatherless boy. In a race against time, Ned, Cole and the boy run for what they hope is the safe haven of Denver, Colorado. Along the way they meet up with more friends and enemies from Cole’s and Ned’s past. Will they finally be able to together? Will love and desire for a family conquer all? Will they survive the ghosts of the past? All the answers can be found within the pages of this story.
I found this book to be well thought out, as a story set at the turn of the 20th century, where homophobia is real, and cowboys and outlaws remained larger than life. You should check out this story.
RATING: 
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