Don't forget to read Boots Optional, the prequel to Betting on Grace, before you dive in!
New York Times bestselling author Nicole Edwards is continuing to heat things up with Betting on Grace, a sexy new ménage novel which is the first book in a hot new series called Dead Heat Ranch.
The tables have turned on Grace Lambert. For a woman familiar with long days and hard work, she just recently discovered just how hot the sultry Texas nights can get. Finding time to spend with her two smoking hot cowboys, Grant and Lane, isn’t exactly easy, but she’s forging ahead with what has turned out to be the hottest relationship she has ever been in. The true test comes in standing up for what she wants.
Grant Kingsley has landed his feisty cowgirl, Gracie, and an equally sexy cowboy, Lane Miller, but everything outside of his romantic life has gone from routine to chaos in a matter of days. Unfortunately, he’s become rather acquainted with Murphy’s Law as he is inundated with a string of bad luck. His mother is missing, his father, a gambling addict, is worried about only one thing these days, and when Grant refuses to give in, all hell breaks loose on the ranch.
Lane Miller will be the first to admit that he falls in love easily. And he’s done so again, with both Gracie and Grant. Only this time around, he’s not giving up or giving in. Cowboys don’t know what it means to back down and Lane will ensure that the two most important people in his life get all of him, no matter what it takes.
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Nicole Edwards spends her days stringing words together to make complete sentences. Sometimes not. Her best friend is coffee, and she has a love/hate relationship with sarcasm. She’s been accused of having a filthy imagination, which she admits is true.
Nicole lives in the suburbs of Austin, Texas. She proudly claims one husband, three grown children, and two bosses (better known as the dogs). When she isn’t writing, watching football or hockey, or keeping her bosses happy, you can probably find her with a book in hand.
I was hoping this full novell was gonna be just as hot as it's little prequel...and it sure as hell was. Then again, this was to be suspected from a Nicole Edwards book.
I really wanted to know more about Gracie, Lane and Grant. I liked all characters in the previous book and thankfully this did not change. Sure Grant was a bit stupid and dare I say, even a bit of a coward at times, but I liked him anyway ;)
Sursprisingly (at least to me) Gracie did not annoy me. She was a very independent woman, who went after what she wanted. She wasn't insecure or needy and she had no problems with letting the boys play without her. Sometimes, she actually preferred to just watch (which is what I would do too) This gave me the very hot mm scenes that I needed ;)
Eventhough I really liked the main characters, they were not my favorite in this book. That title for me, belongs to Gracie's sister Mercy. I really liked that chick and I kept wanting to read more and more about feelings and thoughts. The whole thing between Mercy and her father was left wide open and I want to know what happends next. Hopefully Mercy will get her own book soon :)
Very hot and entertaining read. Now I'm ready to jump into the next one, which is "Jared" from the spinoff series "Coyote Ridge".
Holy Wow! 2 HOT & SEXY cowboys + 1 GORGEOUS cowgirl = a FABULOUS 3-way!
But once again, as hot & kinky as this book is, Nicole Edwards is able to add so much more! This is a heartfelt story. There's grief and longing and family love. And the love shared with the main characters is beautiful, strong and totally believable. The reason why I enjoy this author ... she is able to make the unconventional completely relatable. And she knows how to write really hot sex scenes!!! Like, REALLY, REALLY HOT!!!
I'm excited to get the rest of the series. This peak inside the lives of the Lambert sisters has me excited for more amazing stories of love ♥
If you're going to pick up this book ... & I highly recommend that you do ... Then be sure to start with the novella. It sets this book up really well & I think it's an imperative part of the story.
Before you read Betting on Grace please, please read the short novella Boots Optional. Boots Optional shows the reader how Grace Lambert, Grant Kingsley and Lane Miller come together. Yes, this is a menage, a menage where all three members love each other.
I loved this story, these three were clearly meant to be together and this book truly had me falling in love with the Lambert family and the staff of the ranch which is very much a big extended family.
The book takes place on Dead Heat Ranch, a dude ranch owned and run by the Lambert family which is Grace, her Dad Jerry and 4 sister’s, Hope, Mercy, Trinity and Faith.
Ok back to the core of the book, Grace, Lane and Grant were characters I was rooting for in Boots Optional but Betting on Grace brought this to a whole new level. Ms. Edwards masterfully crafted the back story for each of these characters, characters that have taken up residence in my heart. I have to pause and say I love Lane, not sure why Ok maybe I know why - he is adorable and lovable and makes me smile with his wit and humor.
Mr. Lambert, the patriarch was so well written, he has unique relationships with each of his girls and his dealings with his ranch staff all build a man that felt real. Oh hint, Mr. Lambert has some heart filled moments of his own so be prepared for those.
The use of secondary characters in this book extended past those at the ranch, the use of Grant’s father truly made this story work. This was not a formula story line, the issues Grant’s father Darrell are not about Grant being bisexual. This was refreshing and what Darrell is and how it plays out in the story line was something I truly enjoyed. It added to Grant’s back story, helped the reader better understand who he was and moved the story line forward with a unique story line idea.
This story is hot, like all kinds of various positions and play on three people connecting kind of hot but for me personally “the no one touches me scene” may have been the hottest, through its flip from sexy to emotionally charged, this scene truly took this book to a new level.
As the story builds, the reader learns more about Grace’s past specifically related to her deceased mom. The use of her mom, her relationship with her mom and the bonding time with her mom grabbed my heart and then spun into a wonderful end for this book, the end of the book is also a cute tie into the name of the book.
Ms. Edwards did an outstanding job transporting the reader to Dead Heat Ranch, her masterful use of words put the reader in the middle of an active ranch; I thoroughly enjoyed all the small details; Budweiser and Dixie were adorable adds and truly helped the reader feel part of ranch life.
More to add.. I love Ben and Maddie and I can’t wait to see more as I truly hope they are woven into one of the sisters books more! Hint hint ;)
Ms. Edwards does an amazing job crafting a personality for all 5 of the Lambert sisters; yes I now want a story and a happy for each sister. Betting on Grace had some wonderful clues and lead-ins for each sister and I know I plan to read the whole series as it releases! This is a new must read series for me.
Thank you to Ms. Edwards for another wonderful family to love! And to adding to my very long to read list.
Betting on Grace is the first full length novel from Nicole Edwards’ new Dead Heat Ranch series which focuses on five sisters living and working on a ranch in Texas with their father. The first book centres around the relationship between Grace Lambert, one of the sisters and two of the ranch hands, Grant and Laine. I recommend reading the prequel novella, Boots Optional, to see how these three got together in the first place.
Get ready for some more explosive hot cowboy action – we join our threesome several weeks into their secret relationship and, as hot as it is, things are not really going that well. They’re struggling to find together and keeping their unconventional relationship a secret is taking it’s toll as Grant appears to be attempting to put some emotional distance between himself and the other two, fearing the wrath of Gracie’s father when and if he eventually finds out that his beautiful daughter is sleeping with two of his men!
Grant is a very conflicted cowboy. He loves it when Laine calls him baby but a wretched childhood has left him unsure about love and commitment but he really comes to value the relationship he has with these two and there’s some fairly emotional scenes in store as he eventually opens up to them, possibly for the first time in his life. Watch out for his no-good father who will slither in to attempt to spoil things for him.
Laine is very different from Grant – he’s very open and very receptive and he knows that this relationship he has with Laine and Gracie is something very special. He knows that he loves them and is pretty sure that they love him too. He has it all clear in his head but Grant’s reticence and Gracie’s fear of her father discovering their relationship puts his his happiness on the line and he begins to despair that the other two will ever open up and admit their feelings.
Gracie is a feisty, kickass heroine who is desperately in need of the love of these two cowboys after she has never really gotten over the death of her Mother. I felt a bit sorry for her as she seems to have thrown away all her hopes and dreams and just settled for what she has now. Grant and Laine are perfect for her – no way she could ever choose between them.
It’s so good to be back in Nicole Edwards’ sexy Texas where the weather is hot and the cowboys are even hotter. She does a fantastic job of depicting a hectic, busy ranch and laying good foundations for the rest of the sister’s stories which are still to come. We have a little insight to all of their possible relationships, not a lot but enough to truly whet the appetite. As always Nic does an amazing job of combining super-hot erotic scenes with real, heartfelt emotion and this is another fine example of a ménage relationship based in true love.
If you love Cowboys/Cowgirls this is the series for you! I would suggest you read the first book Boots Optional by Nicole Edwards before you read this book because it will fill you in on how Grant, Lane and Gracie got together. This is a polyamorous relationship. There is a lot of loving going on with Lane and Grant, Lane and Gracie, Grant and Gracie and of course Grant, Gracie, and Lane. I'm not sure why it's called Dead Heat Ranch, it should be called Scorching Heat Ranch. If you have read any of Nicole Edwards other books you know that they leave you craving for more and this book is no different. I want to see more of these three of course but I an so interested Gracie's sisters especially Mercy, now her story is going to be a good one I can just feel it and you will too after you read this book.
m/m, m/f/m, m/m/f, and solo f. Can it get any hotter on the ranch?
This was a pretty good (almost) start to the new series. There were pieces that I thought didn't really serve the story, such as finding out the love interest for all but one of the other sisters. Setting up the next book, absolutely, but the others didn't really seem to serve a purpose other than to fill space. Beyond that minor complaint, however, I really enjoyed this. Nicole Edwards knows how to write very hot MMF menage! If you enjoy MMF menage, I'd definitely recommend this one. Delicious!
1. A hot cowboy- Grant… Strong and sexy with his troubled past and demons that haunt him. Both brooding and beautiful. He’s had a thing for Gracie since she was old enough for him to have a thing for her, despite the fact that her father—his boss—would probably castrate him for simply the thoughts of her that run through his mind. She’s more than just a conquest, though; she’s everything he wants and everything he thinks he doesn’t deserve. Well, everything he wants if you exclude Lane. Because he sure as hell wants Lane, too. Lane brings out feelings in Grant that he’s never experienced before, and the addition of Gracie to the mix has Grant living in a dream world that he’s praying he never wakes up from.
Each person in this steamy threesome plays a role, and Grant’s is that of the strong one who has to learn to accept the strength of others before he reaches his breaking point, to accept the love of others. He’s never known what real love is until he experiences Lane and Gracie. But when his past comes back and threatens to pop the steamy bubble they’ve been delighting in, will he make the right choices to protect those he loves, or will it all crumble at his feet?
2. Another hot cowboy (because 2 is always better than 1!)- I loved what Lane brought to the party. Strange as it may be, he gave off a sort of hippie vibe to me. Though he’s waaaaay hotter than any hippie could dream of being, his easy-going manner and willingness to express his feelings reminded me of the free spirit/free love philosophy of a hippie. But maybe that’s just me. Irregardless, I loved his alacrity when it came to what he knew was brewing between the three of them and his determination to bring the threesome to fruition. He knows this is a love you don’t walk away from, but how long can he hold on when the other two people in this relationship can’t even reciprocate his endearments?
3. A kick-ass cowgirl- Grace is everything I look for in a strong heroine. She may not be fearless, because most of us aren’t, but she knows when to stand up and when to fight. And when it comes to love and family, she doesn’t back down. And there’s no question that she knows how to handle her two sexy-ass cowboys. She knows when to give and when to take. She’s the glue that holds this threesome together, even if she doesn’t realize it.
4. Ménage, baby!- No one can write ménage quite like Nicole Edwards (in my humble opinion), and you can bet your ass this one didn’t fail to melt both my Kindle and my panties. Not only was the sex complete and total #hotness, but their ease and openness with each other was amazing. I loved how they weren’t jealous or insecure when there was couple sex. In fact, the voyeurism was one of the hottest aspects of the sex. Especially the fact that they enjoyed it almost as much as taking part in the action. The scene where they get interrupted… *fans herself*…is scorching, to put it mildly. You might want to have your significant other or BOB close by when reading this one, ladies!
5. Family- Every aspect of this enormous family is great. Jerry is a hoot with the whole shot-gun-up-your-ass approach when it comes to his daughters and the ranch hands who work for him. He’s not serious as long as their intentions are good, but he likes to watch them squirm. Each of the five sisters has her own personality and the family dynamic wouldn’t be the same without each of them. And then there’s the workers on the ranch. They are just as much a part of the family as those who share DNA, and I have a feeling some of them are going to play a huge, steamy role under the covers in the books to come.
Since I had read Boots Optional prior to reading this, I knew this book wasn’t going to disappoint. If love any of the 5 Reasons listed above, then this book is definitely for you. I highly recommend this read (as I do most of Ms. Edwards’ work), and I am definitely looking forward to reading more Lambert Sisters novels in the *nudge, nudge* NEAR future.
I really enjoyed this. Even without reading the prequel, I was still able to follow and didn't feel like I had missed much. This is the 3rd or 4th book I've read by this author, and I have to say that she has a real way with a menage...steamy! My only complaint is that it looks like the series has been left unfinished for a while, and I'd love to find out what happens with the rest of the family!
You can't help but leave Boots Optional knowing that waiting for Betting on Grace is not an option- you need it NOW! Grant, Grace and Lane continue their hot and sexy affair in this full length continuation of the Dead Heat Ranch Series.
Everyone is working so much at the Texas ranch owned by Grace's family (the Lamberts) that what little time the threesome gets together is explosive and the hotness is off the charts! Grant's life outside the relationship with Lane and Grace is equally explosive but not in the way he would have liked. How do Grace and Lane help him deal with all of the outside pressures threatening to ruin what they have?
Lane is a sucker for romance and falling in love. What he did not expect was to do it with two people at once- his love for Grant and Grace is something he will fight to keep and I love his character in this book so much for doing whatever it takes to have what and who he wants.
Grace is a Lambert- a family with a lot of money and influence. Grace's Daddy keeps her and the rest of her sisters on a pretty short leash and the relationship with Grant and Lane is the hottest by far she has ever been in. She struggles to have what she wants after fighting so long to keep it all at arm's length. My favorite part of Grace's personality is her feisty cowgirl nature- she takes shit from neither Grant nor Lane and her fire cracker personality had me chuckling more than once during this read. Definite 5 stars- always a good story to be found in a Nicole Edwards romance. ~ Kellie
Grace, Grant, and Lane are together now, but between work and sneaking around so no one finds out they aren't together as much as they would like to be. When they do find the time...holy hot cowboys! You gotta love men who can get their bossy on in the bedroom and who can naughty talk like nobody's business! Scorching I tell ya!
Grace hasn't told her family because she isn't sure that they would understand, especially her father (who happens to have a secret of his own). She is also wrestling with racing again as she hasn't done it since her mom passed away. Now can I say just how much I love Mercy and what she did to help her sister through this? LOVE! I can't wait to read her story.
Grant is dealing with his father who has a gambling problem and his mother who has gone missing. His biggest issue is not letting Grace and Lane be there to support him. He has to deal with everything on his own and they both call him out on that.
Lane. Oh Lane. How I heart you. He is so open to share how he feels about Grace and Grant. They haven't verbalized it to him yet and it hurts him. I love Lane because he really is the glue in this relationship. It hurt my heart when he finally told him just how hurt he was by their holding back those words.
I also loved all of the stories that are beginning with the sisters in this one. Oh and Dad too. Knowing they are all on the brink of falling in love. I can't wait to read their stories.
I struggled trying to finish this book. It was very slow at times and a few story lines didn't seem necessary and it felt like the same drama was just repeated over and over.
While the sex was extremely hot and very sexy I even got to the point of skimming towards the end.
Lane made this book for me. He was the only one who owned his feelings from the very start and i really felt for him as it seemed he was always being knocked down by Gracie and Grant's lack of communication.
I am more interested in Hope's story and seeing where it goes with Ben. Mercy needs a swift kick in the butt and went from fun and sassy to extremely childish. I'm hoping we find out what's really her problem in future books.
Before reading this story there's another book called Boots Optional, which tells you the story of how Grace, Lane, and Grant met. You don't really need it, but Betting on Grace is after they met and not how.
Anyways, the book starts with the three main character going at it in a threesome, that's right a threesome. I've read 50 Shades of Grey, Crossfire series and this was nothing like it. The sex scenes were sometimes hott, but sometimes I ended up skipping the sex scenes all together. I could not feel a real connection between those three. I just did not feel it.
Also, the story was too slow for my liking, I wanted things to happen, but it just did not happen at all. There were too many characters telling there POV's to keep track and I kind of disliked everyone except for Lace.
The second book in the Dead Heat Ranch series was just as hot as the first. As always Nicole knows how to turn up the heat.
We got a little taste of the threesome in Boots Optional. This story continues right where Boots Optional ended. Grant, Lane & Gracie's story was all about how they would basically come to terms with their feelings and make their relationship work.
There were plenty obstacles in their way. Finding time was their biggest one along with just coming to grips with how to handle their emotions. In the end love is love whether you find it in one person or two.
Ok I love Nicole Edwards books but this one did nothing for me... I just didn't feel the connection between Grant/ Lane/ Gracie. Honestly it felt like more of M/M novel with a little sprinkle of F in it. I love M/M novels don't get me wrong but when I read a M/M/F novel I like to feel like it is a relationship between all three of them and not just two of them. To me at least it felt like they left her out a lot. I hate leaving bad reviews but this one just didn't to it for me.
Another steamy read by Nicole Edwards! No one, I repeat, no one can write a sex scene like Nicole. And no one can make a menage relationship work like she does and make it panty dropping hot. I highly recommend reading Boots Optional before this so you can get a little more background on how the relationship started. I'm definitely looking forward to see what the rest of these sisters have to offer in this series!
You knocked this book out of the ballpark Nicole Edwards.... I loved Gracie's, Lane's & Grant's story! And, I can't wait to read more about the rest of her sister's & hopefully her daddy's (Jerry & Jan's) story too!
Wow!! Hot and steamy is putting this book mildly... grant and lane are best friends and both want one girl grace but also each other but it's not as easy as it seems.... at every turn something seems to threaten the threesome!!! Awesome book!!
Let me start with the star rating. 4 stars at the moment but would have been 4.5. Reason, and not to self - Read In Order. Though seperate to Club Destiny & Alluring Indulgence etc., all of Nicoles series, crossover. Recently, completed Jared, wich is a crossover to AI and read about the Lambert girls. for me, I bypassed the foundations on who the Lambert girls were. Ok, all that aside, Betting on Grace - still on par with Nicole’s work. Hot and steamy are a few words I can express - sizzle moments. As per usual, no spoiling. Bases, concrete foundation on all the Lambert girls. WE become more aquainted with who Grant & Lane are. What made them the men they are, where they came from and now what they are fighting for. For me, Nicole’s work is not just words on paper. You become aquainted with the characters, some you like, others you love. You laugh with them, feel emotionally as they do and yes, lets be honest - at times, there are tears. Once you have become aquainted with Nicole, her work stays with you. So for new readers, don’t let Nicole Edwards bypass you. Beautifully written books, that are steamy hot with storylines, you kind of wish all the characters were your neighbours. Simply, enjoy, I know i did.
* Personal Note: Do Read In Order. No good knowing the outcome first. Enjoy
What a pickle these three are in! Gracie, Grant and Lane cannot get enough of each other but it seems living on a ranch leaves little time for them. Especially when it is a secret. But things come to a head soon and now what? Will they be brave and bold enough to declare how they feel? And what is up with Jerry’s secretive smile!!!!
Grace's family owns Dead Heat Ranch, a running ranch that takes visitors. The ranch hands all know to stay away from the daughters as they heard what happened to one of the last guys to date a sister...but it's all rumor and very few know what really happened. Lane and Grant have both had eyes on Gracie but know she can't be with either of them.
So 5 sisters to remember , 2 lovers , 1 dad and a plus one a ton of animals and family members on top of that . I liked the story but sometime it is confusing going from 3 caractors That Take over chapters to one sister and the next is a bit to much for me personally . Still a good read .
When Betting on Grace begins, Grace, Grant, and Lane are committed to making their relationship work despite the required secrecy and the craziness of life on the ranch. But when the added pressures of family, the inability to admit feelings, and the stress of being outed threaten to tear them apart, all three of them need to decide if what they have together is worth going up against everyone who sees it as wrong and finally stand up for the relationship they can’t live without.
One aspect of Nicole Edwards’ writing that is always done with precision is her character development. Grace, Grant, and Lane definitely have very distinct and separate personalities, which she does a great job of showcasing throughout the course of their story. Grace has always been the straight laced woman, always staying on the right path, but what she feels for both Grant and Lane makes her feel alive and loved, so even though this new journey she’s chosen to take with them is not what is expected of her, she doesn’t want to be anywhere else. Grace is a spirited and spunky woman who fights like hell to protect those she loves; she’s committed to the ranch and her family as well as to the two men who own her heart, so if anyone threatens them, you can bet Gracie’s going to do everything she can to ensure they remain unscathed.
Out of the three of them, Grant has the hardest time admitting that what he has with Grace and Lane is more than just sex. His life hasn’t been easy, but he’s finally found a home on Dead Heat Ranch, and the life he’s always wanted with the two people he loves; he just needs a bit more time to process it all. Grant’s past with his parents and his father’s abuse is a determining factor as to why Grant’s as closed off as he is, but if Lane and Grace have any say in the matter, each loving touch and tender caress will prove to Grant that he’s truly safe with them and they have his back regardless of what life throws at him.
Lane wears his heart on his sleeve, and his emotions dictate his choices. From the very beginning of his relationship with Grace and Grant, he’s been upfront with his feelings. He’s wanted both of them for a really long time, and now that he has them, he’s going to tell them exactly what they mean to him. His passion and commitment is what allows him to talk Grant down on more than one occasion and speak up when Grant pushes him and Gracie away. He’s the glue to their relationship. He’s the one who helps both Grace and Grant see that what they have is a hell of a lot more than just sex.
All three of the main characters are stubborn, fierce, and feisty, so readers can just imagine the type of chemistry they have in and outside of the bedroom. The sex scenes with all three of them as well as just when it’s two of them are scorching, but they’re about so much more than that – Edwards writes the scenes in such a way that readers can feel the passion and love that the threesome has for each other. The times they have sex give them so much more than a release; it allows them to say the things to each other with their bodies that they do not have the guts yet to say with words.
The supporting characters in this book also add an immense amount of depth to the storyline. Grace is extremely close to her sisters and father; they rely on each other and help one another get through many situations. They also are privy to inside information that the others are not. Because readers see the events on more than one occasion through Mercy, Gracie’s sister, and Jerry, Gracie’s father’s, eyes, we are allowed to come at things through different angles. Everything isn’t so black and white because they add a dynamic to the plot that would never have been considered without witnessing it from their perspective.
Betting on Grace is an absolute gem of a read. It is 100% character driven, which allows readers to invest themselves in the characters’ lives. So that when they are struggling, in pain, or ready to blow, we experience those feelings right along with them. Nicole Edwards presents the passion, struggles, and concerns of a ménage relationship extremely well; it’s clear that not everyone is going to agree with it or understand it, but in the end, Gracie, Grant, and Lane are the only three people who matter anyways, so if it’s what they want and need in their lives then that’s what they should have.
Now I have another Nicole Edwards’ series to enthrall myself with and I can’t wait to see who the next Lambert sister is to give into what her heart wants.
A complimentary copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Read in preparation for reading "Jared" a crossover with Dead Heat Ranch series. I always enjoy Nicole's books but this one dragged a bit for me. Might just be me on this one since I loved the first one in the series. Looking forward to reading "Jared" to see if I really needed to read this other series and how it connects.