Reckless Fortune by M.M. Crane: Bowie Fortune has never backed down from a dare, so he listens 
to his sisters and enters a contest for a mail-order bride. What he doesn’t expect is the beautiful Autumn McCall to make him want more than to win a contest. When he brings her home, he wants to get close to her, but a promise made years ago limits his ability to give in to his emotions.
Autumn McCall has always been there for her family, but now she feels in the way. When the contest comes up, she can give her family some of the space she believes they need while also trying to win the money to buy back her mother’s jewelry that was pawned. Her mind is on the difference that money would make in her family’s life, but Bowie makes her question if that’s all she wants.
As the two of them grow closer, they can’t help but keep each other at arm’s length while thinking of the end goal. The simmering emotions between the two of them come to a head, but when they end up stuck in a ravine together, the truth about each of them comes out. Will they be able to stick around each other for the long haul?
I think both Bowie and Autumn are good main characters. They both have hidden secrets that they help each other overcome in the book. Bowie has experienced loss and doesn’t want to forget that. He also is afraid to really fall for Autumn and what that would mean for him. She and his family truly help him realize his feelings for her and the positive impact she has on his life.
For Autumn, she was always the person who was there for everyone. When her mother passed, she took taking care of the family upon herself. When her father remarried, she questioned her purpose. As she spends time with Bowie, she starts to learn about what she wants ultimately in life and what she wants to do.
Honestly, the book felt like it was missing parts of it. We didn’t really understand the backstories and it also felt like it sped through a lot of time and then would use internal flashbacks to try to make you understand what happened. It made it difficult to follow and really feel like the characters were connecting.
When we finally got to the middle of the story, it seemed like a different book. I feel like the mail order bride storyline was all but forgotten. I liked the other characters but I feel like the book started and ended as two different stories with only the realization that it needed to tie in the contest in the last few minutes.
Book Info:
Publication: September 27, 2022 | Berkley Books | The Fortunes of Lost Lake #2
The heat between them is enough to ward off the chilly Alaska weather conditions in the next Fortunes of Lost Lake novel from USA Today bestselling author M. M. Crane.
Bowie Fortune has always liked a risky proposition. A bush pilot out in the Last Frontier, flying in and out of places that give most pilots nightmares is what he lives for. That and his off-the-grid home out by Lost Lake, where his family has been living up close with the elements for generations. When his sister dares him to participate in the local version of a mail-order bride contest, he’s not interested–but Bowie doesn’t back down from a challenge. Even when the challenge turns out to be a woman who makes him want every last thing he knows he shouldn’t.
Entering a summer-long publicity stunt in far-off Alaska might seem extreme, but Autumn McCall has always had an indomitable spirit. She took care of her sisters and father after her mother died, and this is more of the same–since she intends to win the contest. Immersing herself in the pioneer lifestyle is one thing, but what she isn’t expecting is brooding, sharp-eyed Bowie with his wicked smile. As the sparks fly between them, will they burn each other alive–or learn how to simmer their way to a much bigger prize…together?
