I really wanted to enjoy this one but it just fell flat for me. I didn’t really enjoy the characters or feel the connection between them. I definitely think the author has a lot of potential and am willing to give them another shot in the future!

This was such a good all encompassing read. I felt the emotional depth was central, yet there was humor to lighten things and the romance was woven throughout beautifully! I would definitely recommend, it is pretty spicy, which isn't my preference otherwise I would have rated it higher. Overall I think the vast majority of romance readers would find this enjoyable!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House/Ballantine-Dell, and Ms. Hope for the opportunity to read a re-released ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

This book had way, and I do mean WAY, too many tropes going on.
-Southern romance
-Cowboy romance
-Small Town
-Big tight-knit family
-Brother's [best] friend romance
-Hockey romance

... it added up to too much for me. I did not connect to either of the two main characters. CeCe was judgmental and Nash was.... questionable. The small-town lady drama with the brothers' evil exes was distracting. The small-town everyone-up-in-all-your-business thing, starting on practically page one with the vibrator, was annoying. The hockey-star background was a HUGE stretch. Brother's best friend can be a little squicky but Nash grew up practically as part of the family - that made me uncomfortable. As a non-Southerner, I can't speak to the authenticity of the setting but this seemed almost cartoonishly OTT Southern which took me right out of the story.

I was not into the sex (some of it was actually repellent), I did not enjoy the banter, I did not feel connected to the characters, and I did not love the writing style. CeCe was given a little characterization but Nash felt very underdeveloped. I kept hoping the characters would turn the corner on their immature (CeCe) or cringe (Nash) behavior but they never really did. At first I wished there was more plot and less sex and then I just gave up wishing and skimmed it. Not my cuppa.
YMMV as obviously many readers enjoyed this but I think this series is a pass for me.

This book had potential that it did not meet. The characters were hard to connect with and felt very stereotypical to me. It was easy to skim and still keep up with what was happening because there was little plot line driving the book. The dual narrative could have been amazing but Cece and Nash's voices didn't sound different. Sometimes I forgot whose chapter I was reading. It was a good first book but not something I'd reread or be the first to recommend.

I absolutely loved this former NHL player/part-time cowboy romance who falls in love with the younger sister of his best friend and part of his surrogate family. He's had some tragedy in his life and has sworn he would never let himself be in a position to be hurt again. She's just gotten out of a long-term relationship and escaped back home to her family's horse farm in Kentucky. They both swear it's just for fun but they both fall for each other quickly. There's a lot of steam, a lot of angst, and I can't wait to read more from this author!

I loved this so much. I’m a sucker for cowboys, no matter how cowboy they are! This was the perfect comfort book for me. I love small town, brothers best friend and the secret dating tropes so I already knew I was going to love this before starting.

This is the gold standard for cowboy smut, everything I could have wanted. It’s hot, it’s steamy, it’s sweet, and everybody is wearing boots and hats. Definitely not high-brow literature, but sometimes this is exactly what you want and need.

Since it was an arc, there were a number of typos and such, but I assume those will be fixed before publication.

4.5 stars

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Holding the Reins is perfect for lovers of Elsie Silver's Chestnut Springs series. This was such a fun, fast paced brother's best friend/cowboy romance, and I seriously loved Nash so much. What a dreamboat!

Oh my goodness Paisley Hope. I don’t know what you put into your writing but it’s addictive! I devoured this in one sitting and I am fully obsessed with Nash, the ultimate book boyfriend. The spice was so so so hot! I honestly couldn’t get enough of them together! Cece is so relatable, and seeing her ditch her toxic cheating ex and ending up back around Nash was intoxicating! I loved their dynamic and tension and seeing it evolve into the spiciest but sweetest relationship was perfect. Paisley you killed this one and I’m so excited now to start Wade’s book! Thank you so much for this! It instantly made it to one of my top ten favorite books of the year!

I have a lot of feelings about this book, but I will try to sort them accordingly. This does have spoilers!!!



Okay so, to start off with what I did like!

The small town vibes are always great. This felt really cozy for me.

And speaking to this, the side characters honestly were my fave part of the book. I really enjoyed Sonny, a couple times I laughed out loud at her quips. Or even the small moment Rocco, the bar owner, was in. To make the side characters shine takes a different understanding of details in writing that I appreciate.

Also, I LOVED the tattoo Nash got for Cece. This felt perfect for them in representing their relationship and paying respect to her late father.


Okay, so now in terms of what I didn’t see working!

First, when I started reading this book, pieces of it felt reminiscent of other books I’ve read. I know that tropes exist and there can be crossover between genres, but certain details felt familiar to me, and I wanted them to feel more unique.

Also, I felt that I didn’t connect with many of the characters. For example, I didn’t find myself really connecting with the main character because I felt I didn’t know much about her. I knew she liked being organized and Shania Twain but otherwise I don’t know much about her as person.

As for Nash, the other main character, I feel that towards the end of the book, he was dealt with care and consideration, and I felt I understood the choices he made more so than I understood Cece’s choices. But I didn’t really see his character development until the middle of the book, which made it hard for me to root for the both of them.

And don’t get me started on all the miscommunication they were having!!! I may be biased because I do not love the miscommunication trope, but it felt they were doing it at times that felt unbelievable. Especially when Cece seemed to forget the fact that Nash may not be ready to commit to her, not because he doesn’t love her but because he is scared of losing her (based on his past trauma). I am not saying his decisions are right, but I didn’t believe she wouldn’t have taken that into consideration.

This is not to say that Cece was the only one with flaws!!

Nash following her to Seattle and not telling Cece? I’m sorry what? Like I can see him wanting to be there for her, but this is a prime example of needing to communicate. I know Cece was grateful he was there, which made sense in the situation, but even if you love this guy, it’s a bit odd to be staking a place out and not even letting her know you’re in town?

My last major point of being unsure about this book is some of the lines came across quite cringy for me or just out of pocket. For example, there’s a line where Cece is describing Ginger’s obsession with her brother Cole. She states that she thinks part of Ginger wanting to be her friend is to be close to Cole. Like girl I hope that was a joke because ugh!!!!

Overall though, this was a fairly light read that I think many people will enjoy, it just wasn’t my favorite.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!

I really loved this book. It’s brothers best friend but he was closer to her family than that. He lost his family when he was young and her parents became his. It’s also returning to hometown after a breakup and starting over. It’s one time to get it out of our systems.
I loved the friendships and the set ups for other couples. But the best thing was the dirty talk. He is a grad A filthy talker.
Sexy and fun with complications.

• R E V I E W •

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Genre: Romance

If you love a quick cowboy romance, then this is the book for you!! After a failed engagement, CeCe moves back to her family ranch to escape the big city life and in search for a fresh start. But after years away, it is clear that not only CeCe has changed but her brother’s best friend Nash Carter has had a major glow up - no longer is Nash the playboy non committal bachelor CeCe remembers from high school, in fact he is the total opposite.

Such a cute, easygoing, and fun read. Thank you Penguin Randomhouse & NetGalley!


#NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #NetGalleyPartner #holdingthereins #cowboyromance #cecenash #romancereads

This book is perfection! Completely and utterly perfect!!

I need everyone to drop whatever they are reading right this minute and read this book! ! Like right now!

I was only about 10 pages in and knew that this was going to be everything I want/love in romance books! I never wanted it to end! I am dying to read Training The Heart next! I can’t even believe that this is Paisley Hope’s debut novel because it’s so freaking good and I cannot wait to read every single book she ever writes.

The characters and story line were absolutely amazing! You even fall in love with all of the side characters. I cannot wait to see what happens next with them. I loved Nash and CeCe’s relationship so much! Nash has always been protective of CeCe even when she didn’t know he was. I loved the way that Nash loved CeCe’s entire family and especially the relationship that he had with her dad. I loved the friendships and the dynamic between all of the characters.

What to expect:
- Hockey Player
- Part Time Cowboy
- Brother’s Best Friend
- Found Family
- Small Town
- He Falls First
- Banter
- Spicy
- Crawl to me
- Protective MMC

Thank you to Paisley Hope and Dell Romance for the advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review!

a VERY fun cowboy/slightly hockey romance — definitely getting Chestnut Springs vibes from this book and absolutely love the storytelling & characters!

there were times where it felt a little *too* similar to some of the Chestnut Springs vibes, but I do think that's the draw of a book like this! you get the comfort and the vibes of a story you already know but with different characters.

I though Nash was a TOP TEIR book boy & I love the hockey integration. Absolutely cannot wait for Wade's story!

Holding the Reins by Paisley Hope 5⭐️ - courtesy of NetGalley
Small town, cowboy romance? IM THERE LOCKED AND LOADED 🫡 this was my first Paisley book and will not be my last, because I’m already feral for the rest of the Silver Pines Ranch series. Nash Carter, the man that you are. I loved reading his POV, just seeing him crash out over his feelings hahahahha. And our good sis, Cece, holding strong to make a man grovel, you love to see it. This was such a fun and cute read, if you love cowboy romances, this is a must for your TBR. 🤠 Holding the Reins is out everywhere on 10/22 🩷

This was a perfect cowboy romance! If you love Elsie silver then you should definitely read this book! I highly recommend this book!

I’m a sucker for a good cowboy romance and I’ve definitely found one here. I always love good character development and when characters grow together and individually.

Nash Carter is a dream. CeCe reclaims her power. And their whirlwind relationship is a beautiful thing to read. You’ll have to pry cowboy romances out of my cold, dead hands.

Thank you to NetGalley, Paisley Hope, and Dell / Ballantine Books for a review copy.

"No this kind of love feels all encompassing. It's a need I have from the depths of my soul to be near him. It's practice scribbling my name kind of love, or fantasizing about growing old with him, chasing grandkids around the yard kind of love."

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for this eARC!

Y'all this book was so good! This cowboy romance is perfect for fans of the Chestnut Springs series! CeCe returns to her family's farm in Kentucky dealing with the grief of her father's passing and the end of her long-term toxic relationship. Nash Carter is CeCe's brothers' best friend, and the most eligible bachelor in town. When he sees CeCe has returned to town and needs a job, he feels like he has to help her. They can't take their eyes off of each other, and despite their best attempts to avoid it, their feelings end up growing past what they had as childhood friends.

"F*** the stars, there's nothing more beautiful than her."

Elsie Silver and Chestnut Springs ignited my love for cowboy romances this year. Paisley Hope and Holding the Reins caused the fire to burn even brighter. There's something about a man in a cowboy hat that just does it for me every time. I loved this one! It is very very spicy though, just as an fyi!

Closed door modifications: chapter 24, 25, 26, 41, 43, 46, 55, 56, 57, 58, and 59

A quick and easy read but not a standout. This is a small town cowboy romance but did not have much of a plot and seemed pretty similar to another cowboy romance series by another author. The family and side characters were fun, but everything seemed a too over the top and unrealistic. There were many tropes and micro tropes packed into the book that it seemed like it was trying to tick them off a list. As a country music fan, I did love that songs were mentioned in the book and could hear them in my head while reading.

Holding The Reins is book one in the Silver Pines Ranch series by Paisley Hope.
I loved this steamy cowboy romance!
This small town, brother's best friend story was phenomenal!
The characters were amazing and the spice was hot!
I can’t wait to read book two!