Holding the Reins is a charming small-town, cowboy romance with a solid emotional core. CeCe and Nash have sizzling chemistry, and their enemies-to-lovers, brother’s best friend dynamic hits all the right beats. I especially enjoyed the Kentucky ranch setting and the themes of grief, healing, and found family.
Some of the tropes felt a bit overstuffed, and the pacing dragged in places but overall, it's a feel good, steamy debut with heart. Great for fans of cowboy romance and emotional slow burns.
I’m looking forward to more stories from Silver Pines Ranch!

CeCe Ashby comes home to her family's ranch in Kentucky and starts working with her brother's bestfriend. Nash Carter is a retired hockey player who hires CeCe to help him with his business. As they work they grow closer together, will they be able to keep their feelings suppressed or will their relationship evolve.

I found the first part of this book very interesting, but as it went on I had a hard time finishing this book. I may read the second book in this series to see if I enjoy it any better.

Holding the Reins was a fun, spicy summer read to throw in your bag for the beach or the pool. Loved the chemistry between Nash and CeCe and can’t wait to read more in the series.

With the amount of hype this book got on social media, I honestly expected… more? Idk. For a debut novel this was fine. It’s about as expected. I just feel like I got my hopes up and was totally duped.

I know Paisley Hope is an incredible author, I recently read Protect from the Sky Ridge Hotshots series and was completely blown away. However, this book just didn’t do it for me.

There was too much of a focus on this book being spicy. I hardly felt any emotional connection between Cece and Nash because every time they started to get close or open up to each other in anyway, it got interrupted by sex. I didn’t realize a book could be so insta-lovey when the MC’s have known each other since they were children…

And Nash was a creep. I didn’t get any sort of real emotion from him until the end. And then he went on to be a possessive stalker right when he finally does get the nerve to open up.

Overall, this book just wasn’t for me. And THATS OK! I’m not here to yuck anyone else’s yum. I just hope that the next book is better.

I absolutely loved everything about this book. The forbidden romance, cowboy mmc, horse racer fmc, small town, and a fun crazy best friend… what more can you ask for.

Holding the Reins was my first Paisley Hope and it didn’t disappoint. It was cute a spicy read and I enjoyed the shorter chapters! I look forward to checking out more of Paisleys books!

This is a good book. The two main characters are CeCe and Nash. They have known each other for all their lives. CeCe returns home after breaking up with her fiance. There is an attraction between CeCe and Nash. They try to fight it. Nash offers CeCe a job and she accepts it. They see each other every day the attraction grows. They start dating. They each have issues but together they work it out and fall in love.

dnf. the characters were just too quirky for me and the story too shallow. i love cowboy romances, but unfortunately this one just wasn't for me. hoping to try more of the author's work in the future though.

Title: Holding the Reins
Author: Paisley Hope
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

I absolutely love getting wrecked by a good cowboy romance, and this book delivered! I can’t help being a little wild for those cowboy book boyfriends, and Nash is definitely right up there on the list. Retired hockey player (check), turned cowboy (check), brother’s best friend (check)… need I say more? But then he crawls to her… on his hands and knees!

Holding the Reins is perfect for anyone who loves getting swept up in a small-town cowboy romance. This is Paisley Hope’s debut novel, and I’m already hooked enough to continue the series. Add it to your TBR list immediately!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine for the ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

This was a cute read! I loved that it was small town and the MMC is a cowboy AND hockey player, all my favorite things in one book! I will say that I thought there was too much spice. Once it happened, it felt like it was constantly happening through the rest of the book and I personally don’t love that. Regardless, I thought this was a fun read!

Oh, this was good. SO, SO GOOD. It felt like sitting on the porch with a glass of sweet tea in the scorching Southern heat. I was truly delighted by this book!

Holding the Reins follows Cecilia (CeCe) Rae as she moves back home to her family ranch in Kentucky after breaking up with her fiancé. Obviously, she's very sad and very over men and looking for the opportunity to rebuild a life by her family. Enter Nash Carter, her brothers' childhood best friend who also lived with her family after his parents tragically passed. Initially, CeCe wants nothing to do with Nash, who she remembers to be a player who teased her endlessly as a child. When the two start to work together, though, it becomes clear to CeCe that Nash is not the same man, and this sparks a hot, intense relationship.

One of the things I enjoyed the most about this book was the romance. It was very hot (more hot than I anticipated, actually) but was also sweet and tender. I really felt the spark between the two and really enjoyed how they came together in the end. The spicy scenes were also pretty spicy, at least for me, someone who skips spice more often than not. I did think they were well written too!

I do wish we had gotten more of CeCe's background. We really got to know Nash and what makes him tick, but we never really see anything about CeCe, other than an asshole ex. I just wanted to understand her a little more.

I am very excited to have found another good cowboy romance series. I am obsessed and cannot wait to continue!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy for review!

🐴❤️ Book Review: Holding the Reins by Paisley Hope ❤️🐴

A sweet, soulful romance that gallops straight into your heart! Holding the Reins is a beautifully tender story about healing, second chances, and the power of trust—both in love and in yourself.

What it’s about:
When rancher Claire meets Jake, a former rodeo star with his own scars, sparks fly—but so do old wounds. As they navigate past heartbreaks and present challenges, their connection grows stronger, proving that sometimes, love is the ultimate way to take control of your future.

Tropes You’ll Love:
🌾 Small-town romance
🐎 Cowboy hero
💞 Second chance love
✨ Slow burn with emotional depth
💔 Healing & growth

Paisley Hope’s heartfelt writing and authentic characters make Holding the Reins a must-read for fans of grounded, emotional romances with plenty of heart.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#HoldingTheReins #PaisleyHope #SmallTownRomance #CowboyRomance #SecondChanceLove #Bookstagram #SlowBurnRomance #BookReview #FeelGoodReads

I absolutely adored this book, from start to finish. CeCe and Nash had such a great dynamic from the beginning, and I loved watching their story unfold. Don't let the cover mislead you - this book has PLENTY OF SPICE. And spice that is well-placed, that meets the moment. Highly, highly recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for a copy of this book.

Loved this new cowboy romance! The family set up, the way they grew to love each other. This is also definitely going to be a pretty spicy series!

Pffffew…is it hot in here or is it just Nash Carter?? 🔥🔥

If you’re one of those who’s already obsessed with cowboys and thought that your fixation was limited to the world of Yellowstone (yes, I’m talking about Rip Wheeler), let me introduce you to Nash Carter—another man full of brooding and irresistible cowboy heat.

Cecilia "CeCe" Ashby returns to her small hometown of Laurel Creek, Kentucky, after leaving behind a toxic relationship. She’s hoping to restart her life, and she’s ready to reclaim her family’s equestrian ranch. Enter Nash Carter—a former Dallas Stars hockey player who’s not only the town’s most eligible bachelor but also an honorary member of CeCe’s family. There’s a history between them—years of unresolved tension from when they were younger—and when CeCe finds herself needing a job, Nash steps in to help her out. The chemistry between them? Absolutely electric. What starts out as friendly awkwardness slowly turns into undeniable passion, leaving both of them blindsided by what’s blooming between them.

From the first page, I was hooked. The author had me completely invested right from the dedication. The slow burn between CeCe and Nash was perfectly paced, and the tension simmered until it finally exploded into something neither of them was prepared for.

Let me just say, the spice level? 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ (4/5). The romance? Right on par. You’ve got all the perfect tropes wrapped up into one irresistible package:

Brother’s best friend (Hello, forbidden feelings!)
Boss/employee dynamics (Cue the tension!)
Small town vibes (Can’t go wrong with that)
Ex-athlete (Retired but still undeniably hot)
Touch her and die (Nash is protective and possessive—what’s not to love?)
Age gap (8 years, but the chemistry? Worth it)
Overcoming past trauma (Coming atcha from both sides)

I couldn't put this one down, and I am seriously so eager to pick up the rest of the Silver Pines series. This book hits all the right notes for a spicy, heartfelt romance with just the right amount of steam and depth.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5/5 stars) is what I’m giving it—definitely a read I’m recommending to anyone who loves a good small-town romance with a hot ex-athlete turned cowboy who’s full of surprises.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

4/5 stars

Many friends recommended this series sometime last year, prior to that author going traditional publishing. When I saw it on NG, I knew it was time to start the series.

The story follows CeCe, who moves back home after her fiance cheats on her. Upon coming home, she runs into her brothers' friend, Nash. Since retiring from the NHL, Nash has spent time and money investing in the family and community that believed in him. When CeCe Rae goes looking for a job, Nash is there to help her out.

This book was cute and sweet. I liked the main characters and all the other side characters. One of my favorite themes in books is the family aspect. Whether it's blood family or found family, I'm a smiling goof when I read a good family aspect.

Thank you to the author and NG for the ARC!

After initially DNFing this book, I was finally able to come back to it! It was honestly such a cute, easy, fast-paced read! There were some beautiful quotes, and it worked as the perfect palate cleanser read! I was absolutely OBSESSED with Nash... the backwards hat got me I fear. I'm so glad i came back to this one! I feel like the initial DNF was solely based on the fact that it was the dead of winter, but as we enter the spring/summer time, this is the perfect read! 3.5 stars!

Holding the Reins just didn't hook me like I wanted it to. I'm a sucker for cowboy romances, but this one felt like eating a so-so dessert—sweet but forgettable.

The hot scenes are definitely spicy (worth those 3.5 peppers I gave it!), and they're honestly what kept me turning pages. But the characters start out interesting and then grow stale as the story goes on. By the end, I didn't really feel invested in their relationship.

The predictable story beats felt forced—like checking boxes rather than letting the romance unfold naturally. And honestly, Hope throws in so many tropes at once that it gets overwhelming. Nothing gets room to breathe or develop fully.

It's an okay brain-off bedtime read, but not one I'd text my friends about.

Surprisingly tender and satisfyingly spicy, this one hits just the right emotional notes. A quick, feel-good read with enough heat to keep things interesting.

This author is new to me, but I will be keeping an eye out for anything else they publish. I loved the story and the characters. The pacing of the story was great and the characters were relatable.