This was a cute, easy read. I think it would make a great plate cleaner - it was cute but nothing really grabbed my attention. The romance felt more lust driven than anything else, and the FMC gets drunk an awful lot, but I did love the family moments.

What you get:
🤠 age gap
🤠 small town
🤠 found family
🤠 ex hockey player
🤠 cowboy romance
🤠 brother’s best friend

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

⭐️3.75

I enjoyed this book, I liked it but didn’t love it.

I feel like I was waiting for something to happen throughout the book, it wasn’t necessarily low drama but I did feel like something was missing.

I did really like the two MCs, actually I like all the characters we’ve been introduced to, I love found family and feel like this book did that really well.

As much as this book didn’t quite hit the mark for me, it definitely wasn’t a bad read and I will be sticking around and reading the rest of the series.

This book was super cute!

Tropes:

*Hockey Player / Cowboy (this is a full blown trope at this point, right!?
*Found Family
*Forbidden Love
*Small Town
*Brother's best friend

I loved the setting and the chemistry between Cecilia and Nash.

This was definitely giving me Elsie Silver Chestnut Springs vibes. It was a little bit of a slow starter, but it was definitely cute and fun and lots of spice.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.

Let me say I have read A LOT of cowboy romance books and this has been one of my absolute favorite! I laughed, I cried, I smiled A LOT and it was hot as all hell.

Paisley did such an amazing job writing such complete characters that you really felt and rooted for, with a family and friends that you just wanted to hang out with.

Nash, part-time cowboy, part time hockey player and philanthropist is a retired NHL player who moved back to his small town to revamp the sports center and coach hockey to kids. Cece moves back to town after a bad break up with an absolute douche canoe and starts working for Nash. They’ve known each other their whole life and Nash is practically family, in a not creepy way, but more an older brother’s best friend way. They both have their own baggage to deal with and it’s truly heart melting to see the way they help each other. This is also one of the spicier cowboy books and guys, Nash can GET IT 🙌🏻🥵

-Older brothers friend
-Small town
-Alpha Cowboy who crawls for her 🥵
-Grief over death of parents (in past)
-Hidden relationship
-Top tier dirty talk

I cannot wait for the rest of this series!!! So grateful for the arc 🙌🏻

Story-5⭐️
Spice-4🌶️

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this book! At times it did feel similar to other cowboy romances I have read but I think that has more to do with the genre itself than it does this authors writing!

I enjoyed this story and how devoted the mmc is, despite past things in his life that would make anyone break down. I do wish that his internal issues were dealt with a little more on the page but overall I enjoyed his growth alongside the fmc!

Overall this was a very sweet (and spicy) read! I am very excited to read the next installment in this series!

3 ⭐️
3 🌶️
0 💧

This was an easy, fun read, perfect for a palate cleanser between the more emotional reads I've been doing lately. A lot of spicy scenes (felt like they were banging everywhere), but nothing too attention grabbing from the book, and seems quite similar to a lot of cowboy romances. I did feel sometimes the MMCs behaviour was a bit questionable, especially out of a dark romance context.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Holding The Reins by Paisley Hope
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
💗💗💗💗💗

I absolutely loved this book. It’s cute, funny and spice all wrapped in 1.

CeCe Ashby has returned to town after breaking up with her fiancé.

Nash grew up close with CeCes parents and siblings. CeCe is his best friends little sister but Nash can’t keep his eyes of her.

The small town setting and swooney characters were great. I cannot wait to read more of the Ashby brothers

This just became one of my favorite reads of 2024. My first book from Paisley, and I am already so eagerly anticipating the rest of this series.

If you love: brothers best friend, reformed playboy, grumpy sunshine, forced proximity do not look at another book until you’ve finished this one - trust me.

This book has the best small town family x found family vibes, and I absolutely adored the way it came to life with Paisley’s writing. Such an excellent book!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Paisley’s team for the ARC!

I couldn’t put this book down! CeCe and Nash had amazing chemistry and I loved the tension leading up to them getting together. The side characters were great as well and I knew early on I’d want to continue this series! It was a solid brother’s best friend, cowboy/hockey player romance.

This story is a second chance, brother’s best friend romance. I enjoyed the small town, family ranch setting but wished for more from the female friend group and the relationships in general. I was rooting for the happily ever after and for the main female character to get through the challenges she’s facing with her ex throughout the story. However, the poor decision making of the characters made it tough for me to feel invested entirely in this story. I’m glad that I could give it a try and visit this small country town in Kentucky throughout the course of the story. Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Read if you enjoy:
🩷 brother’s best friend
🩷 small town
🩷 family ranch
🩷 former NHL player MMC
🩷 healing from grief
🩷 nights out at the bar

Romance: open door scenes
Language: frequent adult language

This book has everything I love. We have Nash who is a cowboy AND a hockey player. Like are you kidding!!! Cece is the girl from the country who moves from her home town to the big city, gets engaged to an asshole rich guy, then leaves him and goes back home. Nash is both of her brothers’ best friends. Nash is very protective of Cece which I eat up every time! When I started the book and read the dedication, I was hooked. Cece’s friends, Ginger and Olivia, are the bffs we all want. Their text threads were so funny, I was laughing out loud. The dirty talk from Nash had me sweating🥵 The sneak peaks of the other couples for future books made me so excited to read them. The conflict between Nash and Cece wasn’t dragged on longer than necessary which I always appreciate. I wish the couple would have taken longer to “get together” personally, but it still wasn’t too soon. I love the tension and the longer it is the better for me. Overall, I really enjoyed this read and gave a rating of 4/5 stars!

This was my first cowboy romance and it did not disappoint ! The book was written as if I was being told a story from a childhood best friend. The entire family is full of personality. The FMC is likable and relatable as she is coming into her own. I want to be one of the Not Angels ! They are a hilarious group of friends. The MMC has many talents, part time cowboy, retired hockey player, bar owner, and a hot my/mine talker. Mental Health played a surprisingly beautiful role in this story. It reminds you how to just be there and present for someone you love when things get hard. It was enjoyable. Id love to read more from Paisley Hope.

I was pleasantly surprised with how much I loved this book. This takes place in a small town where you immediately want to visit. Imagine one of the cute towns you see on hallmark and that is where you’re at. The MMC grew up as a family friend to our FMC. Nash was a professional hockey player who moved back home after he retired. He is the definition of can’t sit still! He helps out on the ranch, owns his own hockey center, and also helps out at the local bar since the owner is elderly. Then we have Cece who is strong willed, loves her family, and she just moved home after a break up. The two jump right back into their banter with each other just like when they were kids. Their relationship grows from there. I recommend this book to anyone who loves small town romances, brothers best friend, and secret relationship.

As someone fully in her cowboy romance era, I really enjoyed this one! I really liked Nash and Cece and their relationship. Nash used to be more of a playboy and that's how Cece still sees him since she hasn't been home much. I loved how she comes to the realization that he's changed and how much he cares and supports his community. It does take a while for their relationship to move into the physical but I think that makes a lot of sense given that they've known each other for years and Nash is kind of part of the family.

Once their relationship gets going - whoooooo boy is it steamy! Definitely delivered on the level of heat I was hoping for. Dirty talk abounds!

The book is just a touch too long and the beginning is a little bit slow - but that was really my only complaint!

Thank you to Dell and Netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

this was AMAZING - done and dusted by lyla sage meets powerless by elsie silver but make it kentucky south instead of western.

Thank you to Dell for the ARC! This one was so fun and I flew through it and can't wait for the next in the series! This is a book for you if you like any kind of cowboy romance and enjoy authors like Elsie Silver, Lyla Sage etc. It's a fun and happy read with a brothers best friend trope which I always enjoy! See below for a synopsis but definitely pick this one up!
CeCe comes home to her small Kentucky hometown after a failed engagement and a toxic relationship. When she gets there she has no idea what life holds for her now. She applies for jobs and ends up working for her brother's Best friend, Nash, a newly retired hockey star. She's always just been the little sister to him, but now he is seeing her in a different light and they find themselves drawn to each other.

I just found my new favorite western romance series! Holding the Reins is a fun & witty romance with plenty of passion as well as hilarious one-liners from side characters that I'm anxiously waiting for Paisley Hope to write their story so I can fall in love with the characters all over again.
Thank you, #NetGalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book, with all thoughts and opinions that are my own. This is my first Paisely Hope book it won't be the last. If you're looking for spunky characters, a little drama, a whole lot of passion, & some swoon, then I recommend adding this wonderful romance story to your TBR list.

Thank you netgalley for the ARC! I loved this, easily a 4.5 star for me! I read it in 24 hours. The FMC, Cece, is returning home to Kentucky after her engagement went wrong. She's ready to be back with her family and friends on the ranch she grew up on. She's looking to return to her roots and start again. When she gets back Cece runs into our MMC, Nash Carter. Cece grew up with Nash always around and hanging out with her brothers. Nash is a retired NHL player, part-time cowboy, bartender, and all around positive influence on their community. Cece remembers Nash as the boy who grew up with her brothers, always ready to tease her. Nash remembers Cece as the younger sister of his friends, and someone who they all kept an eye on growing up. Yet when they see each other again-they can't deny that they've both grown up and changed. They also can't deny their attraction to one another.

What I loved about the book: the story was easy to follow, the plot made sense. The closeness of the small town community and the cowboy/ranch elements. The way that the author covered Cece's dad passing and how they found ways to remember him/feel like he was still there. The jokes and banter between the MMC and the FMC, as well as with the side characters. I loved how we got Nash's point of view and really he was DOWN BAD for Cece from the moment she returned. I think we can all identify with Cece, being interested in Nash but cautious with her heart after her past. It was funny, it was cute, it was SPICY. Highly recommend for a fun and relatable cowboy, small town, friends to lovers romance!

Can't wait to read the rest of the series!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

I received this as an arc from NetGalley and was eager to start this. I had been recommended this book by other readers and it did not disappoint! I love a man who knows how to talk dirty and take care of his FMC and boy does Nash Carter do just that! Cece and Nash have instant chemistry and they just make sense. I appreciated that the conflict level wasn't high in this book - just straight chemistry and the love of family. I love the way Paisley Hope set up the rest of her world and stories to come and I can't wait to return to these characters. On a more personal note; my middle names is Rae and I didn't know anyone else growing up who had that as a middle name so it was exciting for me to read about a character who no only has that same middle name, but is often called Rae. Just a little thing that I really enjoyed! Definitely worth they hype.

Easily a 4.25⭐️ read for me!

I’m definitely in my cowboy romance era because I ate this book up! CeCe and Nash (can you get any more cowboy than that?) are chef’s kiss 💋🤠

Also not to mention, the fact that Nash was a retired professional hockey player?! HELLO! Please sign me up.