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... Think like a lady. Act like a man.

Banished to the dusty cow town of Misery, Wyoming for an alleged affair, Grace Hendrick is facing the hardest decisions of her life. If she tries to return to Chicago, her husband promises to whisk their four-year-old son off to a boarding school and Grace will never see him again.

She has no choice but to play along, at least temporarily. But in order to survive—and to save her son—she needs money. Misery, however, isn’t brimming over with jobs for respectable women. Stubborn and proud, Grace refuses to consider prostitution. Since she’d rather die than give her husband that kind of victory, she forges an audacious plan.

If she has to live in a man’s world, she'll live as a man.

Thad Walker is the middle son of the oldest, most successful cattle baron in Wyoming and he always puts ranch work first. One chance meeting with Grace Hendrick, though, batters his resolve like a hail storm in July. When Grace’s brother Greg Henderson gets hired by a local widow lady, Thad figures the kid is the straightest path to Grace’s heart. Friendship and love blossom, but so do the lies. Eventually, deceit catches fire and threatens everything Grace and Thad hold dear.

Set against the backdrop of the Johnson County War, 1891 Wyoming will prove more explosive than the mean streets of Chicago.

Rich with historic detail, Blanton, a former journalist, has done her homework. Grace be a Lady is a thrilling, romantic Western woven from the threads of one of the Wild West's darkest chapters. Truth and fiction mingle seamlessly like love and daydreams.

204 pages, ebook

First published June 1, 2015

105 people are currently reading
530 people want to read

About the author

Heather Blanton

76 books300 followers
“Heather Blanton is blessed with a natural storytelling ability, an ‘old soul’ wisdom, and wide expansive heart. Her characters are vividly drawn, and in the western settings where life can be hard, over quickly, and seemingly without meaning, she reveals Larger Hands holding everyone and everything together.”
MARK RICHARD, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, AMC’S HELL ON WHEELS, and PEN/ERNEST HEMINGWAY AWARD WINNER

I write Christian Historical Western Romance. Yes, that often entails the use of firearms in a threatening manner. Sometimes there are fistfights. There may even be politically incorrect but historically accurate language. But also, there is always an inspirational message and strong allusions (at least) to the gospel.

A former journalist, I am an avid researcher and endeavor to skillfully weave truth in among fictional story lines. I love exploring the American West, especially ghost towns and museums. I have walked parts of the Oregon Trail, ridden horses through the Rockies, climbed to the top of Independence Rock, and even held an outlaw's note in my hand.

I grew up in the mountains of Western North Carolina on a steady diet of Bonanza, Gunsmoke, and John Wayne Westerns. My most fond childhood memory is of sitting next to my daddy, munching on popcorn, and watching Lucas McCain unload that Winchester! My daddy also taught me to shoot and, trust me, I can sew buttons on with my rifle.

I can be reached several different ways:

http://ladiesindefiance.com/
https://www.facebook.com/authorheathe...
https://twitter.com/heatherfblanton
https://www.pinterest.com/heatherfbla...

I am a proud member of Western Writers of America.

My novels are all Christian Western Romance because this is the genre that lets me write about strong, pioneer women and men who struggle to find God and then live out their faith in real ways. Like good old fashioned Westerns, there is always justice, a moral message, American values, lots of high adventure, unexpected plot twists, and more than a touch of suspense. Of course, romance is always a strong element in my stories because it is such a beautiful gift from God and a perfect reflection of how he loves us: sacrificially and lavishly. My stories aren’t preachy or cheesy, but I hope they are inspirational, heart-warming, realistic, illuminating, and glorifying to God.

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5 stars
242 (59%)
4 stars
114 (27%)
3 stars
40 (9%)
2 stars
6 (1%)
1 star
7 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
Profile Image for Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽.
1,880 reviews23.3k followers
April 15, 2016
This is a Christian historical romance, set in Wyoming during the range wars era. The main character, Grace, is married to Bull Hendricks, an abusive, philandering mob boss type in Chicago, who banishes her to the old Western town of Misery, Wyoming. Bull is continuing to control Grace by threatening to never let her see their young son again, and is frankly hoping she'll end up as a prostitute, since Misery has no jobs for women. But Grace evades her fate by cutting her hair off, dressing in loose men's clothing and getting a job as a ranch hand. She's fairly weak and inexperienced, but her employer is a widow who was desperate for help.

Before Grace goes into her masquerade as a man, she's briefly chatted up by Thad Walker, the son of one of the most powerful ranchers in the area. He's desperate to see her again, but when she disappears he can only find her "brother" (Grace is now going by the name of Greg).

While this is definitely a Christian romance, it pushes the boundaries of the genre: Grace is tempted by men other than her husband, and the range wars get bitter and deadly. There is discussion of God and his role in our lives, and the main characters feel the influence of the Spirit guiding their lives and giving them inspiration. The spiritual aspects are handled with a fairly light touch, though: they don't take over the story and it isn't overly pushy of religion.

3.5 stars, rounding up because I do think that having Christian romances deal with real-life issues like abusive spouses and temptations is a worthwhile add to the genre. It's a CreateSpace book so it's not what I'd call polished fiction, but the grammar and editing were reasonably good.

I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for a review.
Profile Image for Melissa Ahlersmeyer.
9 reviews
June 4, 2015
That moment when you've read all of the books by this fantastic author and you get to the end of her most recent book and you're like..."Now what am I going to read?" and on top of that you're like "How long do I have to wait for the next book in the series?" That is exactly how this book left me feeling :) not to mention the good feeling knowing that I will definitely read this again. This story is as witty as any woman who survived in the West during the Johnson County War would've needed to be. It's full of pleasant, fairy tale level surprises and rough, gritty twists true to Heather's style. I thoroughly enjoyed learning some real facts about ranchin', cowboyin', and bein' a lady in Wyoming. I really appreciate Heather's knowledge of the Western area of our country and it's history. Weaving actual events into a story like this one just makes everything so real and I think so many times historical fiction can fall flat when it isn't supported by actual facts but that is certainly never the case with Heather's books. Whether she's telling a story about what life might have been like for a woman in what is now a ghost town or what life might have been like for a woman trying to make her own way in a ranching town full of men, nothing seems contrived or far fetched, everything just seems so real and possible. I really think that comes from her knowledge and personal interest in what was real, the actual history. That history and the facts about things that occurred during the Johnson County War were so perfectly intertwined with such a sweet love story between the God fearing cowboy Thad and the strong, determined heroine Grace. Grace's story is inspiring, Heather used it to paint a bigger picture about matters of faith and the importance of forgiveness even in the face of the evils of hate, abuse and greed. And that bigger picture points to yet an even bigger picture in such a subtle and beautiful way, the image of Christ's forgiveness for all, even our own enemies. This is a part of Heather's story telling that I have truly come to love. She is able to put God's truth right there in front of the reader as part of the lives and backgrounds of the characters without making it feel as though the story has turned into a sermon. She weaves faith lessons and Biblical principles into extremely exciting, romantic, humorous and just down right enjoyable Wild West tales in such a perfect way. Grace be a Lady is no exception. Heather's ability to create these characters that I feel like I know and have come to love and her ability to tell a story of not only their sweet, romantic love and their adventures but of God's love and redemption in their faith journeys and the lessons there for all of us sinners is what draws me into every one of Heather's books. I can hardly wait to find out what's next for Grace and Thad and to learn some more about ranching during the Johnson County War. So when does the next book in the series come out? ; ) You better hurry up and read this one first, you're burnin' daylight!
Profile Image for Joleen.
2,667 reviews1,225 followers
September 6, 2019
So, Grace is married, right? But she allows her photographer to flirt with her, touch her, enjoying all the feelings he's evoking in her.

Well, Grace's husband is a brute. He beats her, he's a womanizer and has illegal businesses. I guess this is suppose to justify her actions with another man.

Yeesh, uncomfortable.

Okay, so she's caught and sent away by her husband to a town called Misery where, since she has nothing, he expects she'll have to become a woman of the night just to survive. And if she ever attempts to come back, he will take their son and send him far away. This is the threat she lives with in Misery.

This is all uncomfortable enough, but it gets worse. After trying to get a job as herself, Mrs. Grace Hendrick, she learns the only job available is as a ranch hand for a widow. She cuts her hair off, yes, all of it, and passes herself as a 16 year old boy (presumably Grace's brother) so she can apply for that job. While there, she gets to know some other ranch hands and falls in love with one: Thad, the handsome son of a neighboring rancher. She even goes to a dance as Grace with a wig and a fancy dress, dances all evening with Thad to the point he's so smitten with her he kisses her... knowing she's a married woman.

Yada yada yada, she's caught by her husband, forced to leave with him, then he attempts to have his way with her in such a disgusting way I about threw the book on the floor.

Please! This is a Christian fiction book? UGH!!!

Nope, I cannot give this a decent star-rating.
Profile Image for Beth | Faithfully Bookish.
937 reviews249 followers
February 19, 2016
Grace has spunk and determination and I love that! She's stuck out west for the time being but she literally pulls herself up by her bootstraps and sets out to find honest work. This story is so full of colorful characters and I fell in love with Grace, Raney, and Thad and his brothers. Grace be a Lady has tragedy, humor, grit, and romance. I'm looking forward to reading more of Heather Blanton's titles!
302 reviews2 followers
June 2, 2015
Another Great Book

This was another great Christian romance. Ms Blanton makes the characters come alive and involves you in their lives so you actually feel as though you know them. While this is a clean, Christian book the bible is not crammed down your throat. I have enjoyed this authors books and certainly recommend them.
102 reviews3 followers
June 7, 2015
Entertaining and excitement throughout this book. When Grace is banished to a far off state she uses creative ways to avoid an unsavory profession to make money . Love is alive in this story as well. Looking forward to a sequel
Profile Image for Denise.
87 reviews4 followers
June 13, 2015
Absolutely LOVED this book! Initially whined about it only being 175 pages - but, sooo much was packed in the story of Thad and Grace. I just didn't want their story to end. Can't wait for book two!
Profile Image for Linda.
192 reviews1 follower
June 24, 2016
Great book

Cowboys. Cattle rustling. Murder. Clean romance. All wrapped up in one book. Great author. Plan to read more of her books
353 reviews2 followers
February 20, 2020
review
Robbed of her son, by an abusive ex-husband.
Grace, has to keep herself, until she can return for her son.
Grace, finds herself constantly looking over her shoulder, to keep herself safe.
Dressed as a man, Grace finds employment as a ranch hand, it's not long before love and romance is once again in her life..

Heather is a talented author, who has detailed characters, who fit so well into their environment.

I really enjoyed this book.



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GRACE,is a lady
Profile Image for Lynda.
1,224 reviews34 followers
September 8, 2015
I was reminded of an ole Debbie Reynolds movie when I started reading this book, "The Second Time Around" where the widow with two children from New York ends up as a ranch hand in Arizona. Thelma Ritter wasn't the size of Raney in this book (Raney I view as much bigger) but scrappy women they were.

I honestly (don't know why) wasn't expecting to like this book all the way to 5 stars. But I did. I found myself wanting to get back to the book so I could see what the bad guys were up to. The book is set in the time of the Johnson County Range War and besides being a sweet love story -- it has more than one bad guy. I'm giving nuthin' away saying you will not like Bull one bit.

The book also shows how power and the greed for more power can change a good man if he lets it. It has a good ending. If you like romance 'old west' books, you'll enjoy it. If you like Christian based book, you'll enjoy it.

In closing, this is the story of the author's great-great-grandmother. That makes it really special.
1,324 reviews11 followers
April 7, 2016
I purchased this book because I had heard a lot of good things about Heather and her historical novels so I thought I would give her a try.
I really enjoyed this book. It was well written with interesting characters and a plot full of surprises.
I couldn’t wait to see what would happen between Grace and Thad and I just knew her nasty old husband would show up eventually but when and how?
If you haven’t read anything by Heather and enjoy historical romance I think you will be pleasantly surprised and glad you found a new author. I highly recommend her work and hope to read more in the future.
Profile Image for Betti.
1,381 reviews36 followers
Read
July 28, 2015
Hard to put down!

I knew little about the Johnson County War in 1891. Having visited Wyoming, I remember the wide open spaces, the cattle and the horses. History tells us about the many people who travelled west to find their place in this land. Over time, the smaller ranches became bigger and soon there were no small ones left. I did not realize the bloodshed that brought these changes about.
A wonderful story of being lost and finding your way, of forgiveness and love all set in the wide open spaces of Wyoming.
Profile Image for Susan.
630 reviews31 followers
October 13, 2015
This was a really good book. I liked reading about Grace’s struggle to make it on her own and to get her son back from an abusive husband. Besides Grace and Thad, I really liked the character of Raney Lawson. I imagine she was like a lot of women during that time period who had to take over after the death of her husband. I would definitely recommend this book.
I was gifted a copy of this collection in exchange for my honest opinion.
5 reviews
July 17, 2015
Great story

This book was great, I couldn't put it down. Loved Grace and Greg. My mother-in-law was born in Buffalo, Wyoming. I've never been there but from your description it must be beautiful. Good writing, good story, good editing, and thank you for the biblical truths included without being preachy.
Profile Image for Bhriv.
604 reviews27 followers
January 2, 2016
What a great story! I picked it up because I love historical fiction and was pleasantly surprised! Grace is in a terrible marriage. Her husband beats her and cheats on her....then he decides to send her away to the middle of Wyoming to teach her a lesson. Can she survive without being a soiled dove? Great story line! Thanks for the great read
Profile Image for Robin.
1,289 reviews17 followers
September 26, 2015
What a great story. The characters are strong and the hate driven scenes quite tense. Rooted for Grace through the whole book. Her spunk and gumption to beat Bull were amazing. Posing as a woman??? On a small cattle ranch??? Story line teaches much about hate and what it does to the hater. Loved the writing and looking forward to more. Highly recommend.
250 reviews2 followers
July 12, 2015
Excellent

I chose this rating because I loved this book. The theme was very powerful. How hate can poison a soul but by turning to Jesus it can be overcome. Couldn't put it down once I started reading. The characters were very human and believable. I highly recommend it.
Profile Image for Robin L. Myers.
1 review
July 22, 2015
Enjoyable Read

This was an entertaining quick read. I enjoy books that have strong women and this book did not disappoint. First time reading this author and I will definitely pick up another one of her books.
2 reviews
October 29, 2015
Good for a afternoon read

I liked the way the author developed the characters and showed that even though people have faults, they can still turn to God and he will help them. I enjoy good, clean westerners.
Profile Image for Margaret A Register.
197 reviews3 followers
November 14, 2015
Good story

I was pleasantly surprised to read such a good "rainy-day, day-at-the-beach" book. The plot moves along at a good pace and the characters are people who you "know." Highly recommend it!
Profile Image for Jill.
74 reviews3 followers
January 2, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. This is my first time reading a book from this author, and I was not disappointed. I can't wait for book #2 of Love & War in Johnson County!!
19 reviews
June 29, 2015
Grateful for a decent western romance

This book was interesting all the way through. I would love more of Graces life as a ranch wife and mother. Hint, Hint
3 reviews
July 1, 2015
Great read!!

Kept me reading and not wanting to put it down.
Good, clean, action, mystery, romance, - all rolled into a attention keeping package. Loved it!
48 reviews
July 12, 2015
Very good!

Someone said the sign of a good book is that you hate to see it end, and that is how I feel about Grace be a lady. I will definitely look at more books by this author.
Profile Image for Lucette Nel.
Author 6 books58 followers
April 7, 2016
Another great from Ms. Blanton. If you love inspirational westerns that deals with gritty issues, this is the book!
Profile Image for Brenda Perry.
7 reviews
April 28, 2016
Enjoyed!

I enjoyed reading this book. It kept me wanting to read and had a good message. Great characters in a western setting.
Profile Image for Tammi.
342 reviews
June 27, 2016
I've been on Heather Blanton reading spree! This book is a great historical/western Christian fiction. I've loved everything I've read by this author.
Profile Image for Romancing the Book.
4,420 reviews221 followers
September 10, 2019
Reviewed by Tammy
Book provided by the author

Heather Blanton writes Christian Western Romance. She believes that “Christian Fiction should be messy and gritty, because the human condition is … and God loves us anyway”. Grace be a Lady is the first book in Heather’s Love & War in Johnson County series.

I always like to read Historical Fiction but Westerns typically are not my first pick. I have to tell you that I really enjoyed this Western! In Grace be a Lady , Grace Hendrick is consumed with hate for her husband, Bull, but she is filled with love for her son, Hardy. Grace is stuck in Misery, Wyoming and trying to find a way back to Hardy. The one thing she can’t do is act like a lady if she is going to make home. Thad Walker is taken aback with Grace the second he sees her. He offers her a love that she finds hard to understand. Raney Lawson, Grace's boss, is a fun character that I could not help but like. She is as gritty as they come.

This series is based on the true events in Johnson County, Wyoming with neighbor fighting neighbor to obtain property for cattle ranching. It is hard to believe the measures some took to get what they wanted. I enjoyed the sweet romance and Godly perspectives of some characters. The friendships formed were touching. There is a lot going on in this story and I enjoyed reading every word of it. Book two of the Love & War in Johnson County series is set to release in August 2016. I received a free copy of this book from the author Heather Blanton in exchange for my honest review.
45 reviews2 followers
August 16, 2021
Courage, Truth and Honest Love
This story is based on the legend of a great-great grandma and how she found true love despite some awful mistakes and bad decisions. Grace is married to a brute who beats her and cheats on her. Grace is sent to Misery, Wyoming as a punishment for something she didn’t do. All she can think of is getting back to her two-year old son, Hardy. With not much money and no jobs for women except at the saloon, Grace buys men’s clothing, cuts her hair and becomes a young boy looking for ranch work. An elderly lady hires her and “Greg” is taught about ranching by the son of a neighboring ranch owner. Thad is everything Grace would want in a husband, but she is married and never lets on that she is a woman. She works very hard to earn money to get back to Chicago and somehow get her son back. Thad and his family are involved with cattle wars and the new ranchers coming into the area and trying to start a ranch. Thad is trying to investigate who is behind the churning war, killings of ranch hands, and stealing of cattle. Meanwhile, “Greg” is doing her best, but things are falling apart and one lie leads to another. This is an historical story about some real events in the settling of Wyoming. Heather Blanton weaves an intricate tale with many twists and turns of real life in the 1800’s. Beautiful story that I had difficulty putting down. Had to keep going back to read more and find out what happened next. This book does not disappoint. Highly Recommend!!
Profile Image for Anne Rightler.
1,972 reviews35 followers
June 24, 2022
Grace be a Lady is a captivating Western Romance by an author who does this genre well. Heather Blanton brings to life the struggles of people who lived in Wyoming in the 1800s. Banished by her brutish husband to Misery, Wyoming, readers meet Grace, trying to figure out how to earn money to get back to Chicago and her son. Blanton has a nice style of writing and kept my interest throughout the entire book. I was hooked from the beginning as the action starts right up and continues through the story, always keeping the reader wondering how in the world will things work out now. The characters are realistic, vibrant, and relatable. Lots of action scenes and unexpected twists to the plot kept the pages turning quickly. Grace be a Lady is an entertaining tale of faith, courage, and love. Lovers of Western romance will not want to miss this series.
I listened to a complimentary copy of the book and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own. Talmadge Ragan did a great job narrating Grace's story which made for an engaging listening experience.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews

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