Lady Luck

Ashley’s gritty third Colorado Mountain contemporary western (after Sweet Dreams) is lengthy but surprisingly fast-paced. Ex-con Ty Walker has vowed vengeance on the people who framed him. Gorgeous clotheshorse Lexie Berry is forced to do a favor for Shift, her deceased boyfriend’s scummy best friend, and picks up Ty after he is released from prison. What Shift didn’t tell Lexie is that he promised to set Ty up with a temporary wife so that he can return to Colorado and embark on his plan for revenge. After Ty explains and offers Lexie $50,000, she agrees to marry him, planning to use the money to start over once Ty’s “business” is concluded and they divorce. They head to Ty’s home in Carnal, Colo., where he resumes his former life and tries to keep his distance from her. Sizzling sex and a healthy dose of mystery will keep readers enthralled, though the heaps of profanity may not sit well with fans of sweeter romances. (July)