Haunted by K.C. Wells (Salvation Book 2)

Two men haunted by their pasts and reluctant to hope for the future come together at Salvation ranch as part of their expansion into Deliverance in Haunted. 

From the blurb:

Still haunted by his past, the last thing Butch wants is someone from that past intruding into his present.

But what if Sol is exactly what he needs?

Butch Buchanan has spent his life trying to forget the stuff he did when he was an asshole teenager. He’s also spent most of his fifty-two years on this planet convincing himself he’s straight. And the fact that he gets down and dirty with Salvation’s foreman whenever his itch needs scratching?

Guys do that, right? Doesn’t make them gay or bi, right? Besides, Butch is always the top, so he’s definitely not gay. Right? But those nights aren’t about intimacy—they’re about steering him away from the dark chasm of his dreams.

Only, it’s not working. The comfort and safety he’d found has become a rut, and the road ahead goes on and on, no divergence, just a straight run that seemed to be going nowhere.

Middle of the road isn’t enough anymore.

Sol Davenport hasn’t seen Butch since high school, and his handsome face brings back memories of a Sol he’d rather forget—a Sol he left behind. Maybe Butch is avoiding him because he shares those same memories. Which is a pity, because Butch is even hotter now than he was back when Sol was firmly wedged in his closet. But a lot of things have happened since then, like the heartache he yearns to forget. A heartache he will keep far from his door.

So he’s not about to let himself get entangled with a man who’d win the award for Gayest Straight Man.

A man who doesn’t play his kind of games.

Yet.

Change is coming to Salvation.

A different kind of guest, new activities…

Butch craves change, but is he ready for the collision that’s about to rock his world?

There’s change waiting in the wings for Sol too—he just needs to be brave enough to accept it.

Two haunted men who need to exorcise their ghosts if they’re to have a chance of happiness.

Haunted is a slow-burn—and I do mean slow—bi-awakening, hurt-comfort story about discovering kink, found family, redemption, and learning to live again. It’s also about two men finding love—and a lot of firsts for one of them.

Heather's Review:

KC Wells always picks the perfect cover models... I can easily see Kevin Davis as Butch and I love the way his story is told... with his history unfolding for us, but the impacts felt in his present day...

I also love that Sol needs Butch just as much, and watching them learn each other and what they need is beautiful... this book is a bit of a roller coaster - KC calls it a slow burn, but I think that's mostly for the relationship side and between the MC's.  So much loss, so many lived experiences, but so much new territory... so well crafted and well balanced.

One thing I typically have difficulty with is a book that changes timelines, but KC Wells does this masterfully and it truly enhanced the story and my understanding of the character at the beginning of the book.

If you're up for an epic romance with mature characters who reconnect after more than twenty years, sexual awakening, healing, second chance romance and redemption with a dash of kink exploration, you're definitely going to want to add Haunted to your TBR.  While I think this book stands alone well, you'll enjoy it more and know more about Salvation and the other side characters if you read Wrangled first.

Rating: 5 Stars

Haunted is available in e-book and paperback formats and can be read as part of your Kindle Unlimited subscription.