Reckless Fortune

July 25, 2022
Sparks fly when a commitment-wary man pairs up with a selfless woman to win a homesteading contest in Crane’s refreshing second Fortunes of Lost Lake contemporary romance (after Bold Fortune). To drum up tourism, small-town Lost Lake, Alaska, hosts a “mail-order bride contest,” in which strangers will pretend to be married for the summer while attempting difficult “frontier projects”—all for a $10,000 cash prize. Charter pilot Bowie Fortune only enters on a dare from his sister—and he’s shocked by the instant attraction he feels to his “bride,” Autumn McCall, when he flies to her Montana home to pick her up. As Autumn, whose toughness comes from helping to raise her three sisters after their mother’s death, acclimates to life in Lost Lake’s tight-knit community, she too is unprepared for her attraction to Bowie. They agree on a summer fling for the duration of the contest, but as they face down the dangers of the Alaskan wilderness, their hearts become increasingly involved. Do they risk turning their pretend relationship real after the contest ends? Romantic angst and buried emotions create an ever-present tension that heats up the pages; readers will also appreciate Crane’s imperfect, authentic characters. This modern twist on the mail-order bride trope is sure to please. Agent: Holly Root, Root Literary.

August 1, 2022

Bowie Fortune lives a quiet and secluded existence in his off-grid home in Lost Lake, AK. The reclusive pilot suddenly finds his life turned upside down when his sister enters him in a publicity stunt, mail-order bride contest for the summer. Deciding to help the town with his participation, Bowie flies to Montana to meet his "bride," Autumn McCall. He is definitely not expecting the woman who walks down the front steps at her father's ranch and sends every one of his senses on high alert. Autumn seamlessly settles into life in the small, rural Alaskan town, weaving traps and skinning animals for hides, as she tries to ignore the pull of her sexy, fake mountain husband. When tragedy strikes, Bowie and Autumn are forced to confront the past and join together as a team for survival. Will they win together, or will this battle end in defeat? VERDICT Full of snowy mountains and white hot nights, Crane's latest "Fortunes of Lost Lake" romance (following Bold Fortune) is a welcome second addition to her rough and rugged Alaskan wilderness series.--Judy Garner

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Starred review from September 15, 2022
Autumn McCall, the oldest of four sisters in Montana, who mistakenly considers herself the plainest of the bunch, enters a survivalist contest as a mail-order bride in Alaska, where she is paired with Bowie Fortune, a bush pilot who has vowed never to marry. He knows he's in trouble the minute he lays eyes on her, but it takes living and flying and almost dying together to make it clear to both of them. After they return from their harrowing time in the bush, to the embrace of both overjoyed families, and after Autumn has told him she loves him, Bowie mysteriously disappears for a week. Will he return? Does he love her? Crane creates a terrific happily-ever-after ending in the second installment in her Fortunes of Lost Lake series, following Bold Fortune (2022). The Alaska setting and characters are colorful, Bowie's Lost Lake community endearing, and the romance wonderful. Crane knows how to write great sex scenes and it is clear why and how these two would fall in love without intending to. A lovely read, start to finish.

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