Book Review – Lady Luck by Kristen Ashley

Lady Luck (Colorado Mountain)
I think it’s safe to say that I adored this book (#3 in the series), considering my need to get a few parts off of my chest via two “currently reading” posts (here and here). I would have to say that Ty’s book so far had me the most emotionally invested out of all of Kristen Ashley’s heroes. While he still doesn’t take the #1 spot on that list (I think it will forever be Tate), he ranks at #2 with Joe. Max is #2.5 (only ’cause he seemed to be the most normal, and put together of the bunch). Shouldn’t he rank as #1, then? Sure, in real life maybe. But these are books and I read ’em to be shocked and appalled, and angrified and then I like to swoon. A LOT! And a mostly normal alpha doesn’t do the shock and appalling stuff as well as the real bad-boys in these series! LOL!

So while I would say that Tate was the most love-intense, Ty was the one who angrified me the most! Yes. Angrified. That’s my word and I’m sticking to it.

But before being angrified, I was simply excited! The circumstances of Lexie and Ty’s “meeting” were scary, yet thrilling. The “plan” was just plain crazy, and yet as a reader, you couldn’t help but fall for Ty, despite his non-committal grunts, one word answers and demanding stares.

… his face, though sheer male beauty, was blank. Scary blank. Expressionless. Completely.

Because underneath it all, there was a sense of respect emanating from him. A sense of justice, fairness, protection and absolute spoiling, even under the guise of the “plan”. The plan, if Lexie stuck by it, would work, would fix all things, and she’d come out well paid, and better yet, free.

So what is this crazy “plan” I keep talking about?

Well, Ty just got out of prison after a 5 year stint, and Lexie was sent by “Shift” (a shady pimp/dealer/plain ‘ol bad guy) to pick Ty up from prison and take him wherever he needs to go. Ty assumes she is one of Shift’s prostitutes but she doesn’t quite look or act the part. She beautiful, sweet and a bit goofy. He’s curious.

He discovers that Lexie is simply trying to be free of her now-dead-boyfriend’s shady business associate (Shift). Her boyfriend pretty much went from promising sports star to shady dealings, and to keep Shift at bay, she handles simple odd jobs for him every once in awhile. Key word is simple. She does NOT want to get caught up in his “other” stuff, like her boyfriend did.

…when Ronnie was murdered he’d left me with one thing.

Shift.

I would have preferred a vast estate, a fortune in jewels, or perhaps, nothing.

I got Shift.

And although after Ronnie died  I wanted nothing to do with that part of his life, I wanted to move on, turn my back on it all, Shift wouldn’t allow that. If shift got his talons in you, they went deep,…”

Ty realizes that she is essentially scared of Shift (not working for him willingly), and therefore not one of Shift’s “women”. Ty’s protective instinct kicks in.

He lays out the original plan. It’s a bit of a spoiler, but it’s right in the beginning (first 5% of the book) and once I realized what was going to happen, the “ruse” they were about to start, it made me that much more excited about reading this book. I mean… Can you IMAGINE!!?? How Crazy!! Tee hee!! I was titillated (that word still makes me giggle, but I was totally titillated! No other word for it…)

“He didn’t make it worth your while, I’ll deal with him. So I’ll make it worth your while.”

“What…” my voice sounded choked so I swallowed then started again, “Make what worth my while?”

“You and me are getting married.”

My head jerked again even as the rest of my body froze.

Then I said shrilly, “What?”

“I need a wife, you’re her.”

So here’s the plan: They get married, play husband and wife in domestic bliss at his home in Carnal Colorado while he lays low and investigates and exposes who set him up to take the fall for the prison-stint he just completed. After “it’s over”, they divorce and he pays her quite nicely, but with an added bonus. He handles Shift for her. She will be completely free of them all, forever.

She doesn’t know Ty, but there is just something about him that says to her he is telling the truth and that she can trust him. And off they go to Vegas. In his sort of gruff way, he pampers her. Gives her money to buy a beautiful dress and shoes, while he secretly goes off to buy her gorgeous wedding  jewelery, the wedding ring, the works. And as they become friends, each one let’s the other in, bit by bit. They are strictly platonic, but they seem to really like each other.

I lay in bed and stared at those roses for what had to be five minutes trying to figure out what I thought.

I got out of bed not knowing.

But I also got out of bed with a warm feeling deep in my gut that felt really, really good as well as thinking that this fake marriage business wasn’t going to be that bad.

Little silly notes left in the hotel room when one leaves to go do something… stuff like that. Shopping. Romantic dinners. Site seeing. They are being followed so they act blissfully in love, but the line between the play acting and their growing affection for each other is starting to blur.

“Baby, you wanna have breakfast with your husband, all you gotta do is pick up the phone and dial. I’m covered, you eat, I sit with you and drink coffee. But you want me, anytime you want me, that’s all you gotta do.”

*sigh*

And then we reach Carnal. We’re home!!!

Welcome home.

A shiver slid over my skin, a shiver the likes I’d never felt but I knew instinctively it was not a bad one.

Everyone is there (and they pretty much stay in the picture throughout the book). Tate is a standout in this book too. But I digress. This one is not about Tate, but about Ty, and lemme tell you. You’ll love Ty. And might just hate him, too. Okay… maybe hate is too strong a word, but you’ll get it. Your confusion starts when they arrive in Colorado, when Ty’s abrupt, distant demeanor comes back in full swing. Lexie is surprised and hurt with his back-off “we’re just acting” comportment in private.

And it doesn’t let up from here on out. Loving moments, heartwarming and silly neighborhood scenes, enlightenment, betrayal and heartache like you haven’t faced before. Yeah…. yeah. I cried. Again. They told me I would. I thought I hit that part. But. I didn’t. I wasn’t done. There was more.

Ohhhh anyone who hasn’t read this one yet is so lucky you get to. But then again, maybe a re-read will make this one even better, for me. 😉

I will keep the rest a secret, cause this book has the bad-guys, town secrets, the twists and turns and all of the “whodunits”. But the most important part is this incredibly intense “thing” between Ty and Lexie that is so different from some of Kristen Ashley’s heroes that I’ve fallen for. Ty is determined and has revenge on his mind. He has a job to do and nothing and nobody will get in the way of that.

Not even himself.

5 stars!

Interested in the series! Of COURSE you are!! One of the best I’ve read in awhile!! —> Colorado Mountain Series Reading Order