Wanted (Wrong Side of the Tracks Book 5) by K.A. Merikan

On the run, struggling to survive, Knox and Liver have to pretend to be boyfriends or possibly forfeit their lives. But it becomes all to real when they both realize that maybe they were meant to be together all along. Wanted is the 5th in the Wrong Side of the Tracks series.

From the blurb:

“I’m pretty sure he likes d!ck. Now I just need to make him realize it.”

Liver. F*ckboy extraordinaire. Race car driver. Cocky. Horny. Would kill for his best friend.

Knox. Kickboxer with a chip on his shoulder and a heart condition. Crybaby. Would get rid of a body for his best friend.  

Both: Wanted for questioning in connection to a murder.

Both: Possibly-maybe in love with each other and too dumb to see it.

Liv never meant to kill anyone. It was an accident. What was he supposed to do when his best friend’s life was at stake?

As much as Knox appreciates the whole saving his life thing, they’re now wanted by the cops, on the run, homeless, hungry, and miserable. At least they have each other.

They hope to find shelter in a vast junkyard, instead they witness a crime and are about to get dunked in acid.

But they’ve overheard that the owner of the place shelters gay guys.

So Liv does the most logical thing. He pretends to be Knox’s boyfriend to get their lives spared. Knox might not like it, but what choice do they have once they started lying?

Only that touching Knox starts an avalanche of new feelings and desires Liv never anticipated. His dick is on board even before his brain is.

Now, all he needs to do is convince Knox that there’s nothing wrong in exploring this new attraction. Sadly, Knox can be as stubborn as he is pretty, but Liv wasn’t called the trailer park prince for nothing.

He’ll do whatever it takes to make Knox see the light.

And by light, he means his dick.


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Themes: bi-awakening, gay-awakening, best friends to lovers, internalized homophobia, coming out, first times, fake dating, partners in crime, dark humor, jealousy, idiots to lovers, oblivious to love, fake relationship, found family, afraid to commit, illegal racing, poverty

Genre: Scorching hot, gritty M/M romance

Length: ~125,000 words (Standalone)

WARNING: This story contains scenes of violence, offensive language and morally gray characters.

SNik's Review:

Fifth in series (Wrong Side of the Tracks). Best friends to lovers. Fake relationship. Found family. 

Liver and Knox are on the run after an accidental killing and find themselves in the junkyard home of many of the former main characters of this series. Pretending to be gay in hopes of gaining safety, Knox and Liver actually embrace the possibility that since they can’t live without each other becoming intimate is only another part of their relationship. Knox must come to grips with being gay and Liver has to acknowledge that his commitment to Knox is more important than anything. 

Both these boys are immature, and although they have led rough lives, have no idea how to be in a romantic partnership with another man, so this causes all kinds of turmoil between them. Even though this book is lengthy and it centers on Knox and Liver’s relationship, there was not a minute that I got bored as I was very invested in these two realizing their love could be forever. Spicy with a truly deep friendship that morphs into love, there was action, grit, supportive characters and some sweetly sappy moments.

Jacqueleen the Reading Queen's review:

"Christ... What are you doing to me, babe...So tight on my my dick, so fucking pretty, and now sweet talking to me? I'm a fucking goner for you, Knox."

I went into this book not knowing what exactly to expect. I knew it was going to take place in the junkyard based on the blurb, but unlike the previous books, we had never met either of the MCs before. I was definitely intrigued though. I had a pretty good idea how the OG crew was going to react to two random young men showing up in the junkyard in the middle of night witnessing their more sinister exploits. Liver and Knox pretending to be a couple was definitely the right move because I'm pretty sure if they didn't both of them would be taking a bath in one of Frank's barrels.

Knox was easier to like than Liv at first. He may have been brainwashed by his father into thinking being gay made him lesser, but you could tell he had a soft heart. Liv was more the kind of man you'd associate with the word loser. Blowing his rent money on booze and women. Playing with said women's feelings by making them feel special, then turning around and breaking their hearts. The only person he was ever truly loyal to was Knox, which in all honesty, should have been a big clue.

"You know, it's funny. I had so many girlfriends and hookups I couldn't tell you the number, but not a single one made me feel this way. I never wanted to move in with one. Never wanted to plan my life with one. I always knew I wanted to be with Knox, even when I didn't think we could be together...this way."

Most of the little bit of angst in this story came from both Knox and Liver coming to terms with their true selves and feelings. Knox always felt like a burden, even to Liv, due to being perpetually told this as a child from his piece of trash parents. Liv was too busy being oblivious that his intense need to care for Knox and always be by his side may have meant more than friendship. Even when they added intimacy into the mix, Liv spent way too much time convincing himself he was just helping out his best bro. Thank god for Daddy Frank giving Liv one of his talks.

When it came to the junkyard residents, I loved how they slowly started to accept Liv and Knox as one of their own. Even Jag eventually softened to the boys. It was the first time either of them had a family they could count on other than each other. And yeah, becoming part of the family meant they were going to have to get comfortable dealing with Frank's less legal business pursuits, but it was a relatively small price to pay for having a home and family who would do anything for them. This crew may have been made up of a mishmash of misfits, but they were a family you could depend on, and I don't think it could get any better than that.

Wanted is currently available as an e-book and paperback and can be read as part of your Kindle Unlimited Subscription