Reckless Fortune

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. (Sept.)