Star: 5
Spice: 3.5

Oh!
My!
GOOOODNESSSSS gracious!!

Tropes:
-small town romance
-cowboy romance
-small age gap romance
-found family
-brother's best friend
-friends to lovers
-forced proximity
-protective MMC
-amazing girl gang
-office romance
-dirty talk


This book, which was a debut release, is a MUST read!!!! The magic that was put into this incredible love story was so captivating. I couldn’t help but get sucked in from the start! Who doesn’t love a small town, retired hockey player turned part-time cowboy with friends to lovers vibe? I mean you can’t get better than that mash up! Nash Carter has entered the world of book boyfriends, and he does not disappoint. There was literally nothing I did not like about his character. If only he was real and coming home straight to me. (Did you see what I did there?)
I think what I loved about Nash so much was his protective state, he had millions, but with other millionaires, they are so domineering, demanding, controlling, and cold at times. Where even though Nash loved to be in control, he has a soft, tender side to him. Him braiding her hair…STOP! IT! RIGHT! NOW!!!!

I was absolutely in giggles from page one and didn’t stop throughout the book unless I was cheesing hard, panting, or tearing up. The chemistry between not only Nash and CeCe but the other side characters and their relationships were amazing! Cece and Nash were soooooo good together. Nash is her brother’s best friend, part of the family as Mama Jo considers him one of her sons, but more importantly he’s the childhood friend that’s always had her back. He’s been part of their family since the beginning so watching Cece’s feelings transform as she realized, “Crap, I don’t love him like a brother”, was just so satisfying. The character development between the MCs was so good and their chemistry was SO HOT! Speaking of hot, those spicy scenes were on another level. I mean the bourbon scene? SHEESH. And the tequila scene… I’m dead!

The way I went feral for this book and still am, shows how much this book has a hold on me. Nash and CeCe were the best friends to lovers characters and the best way to start off this series. I’m reeling to get my hands on the second.

A perfect cowboy romance. I loved everything about this book and cannot wait to read the rest of the series.

I want to move to Laurel Creek, Kentucky and make friends with these characters!! Cece and Nash are couple goals but I also really enjoyed the side characters too. I loved all the banter and angst between Cece and Nash! He was smitten by Cece and I just love the way he takes care of her. The way they were able to overcome past obstacles and grief, communicate and fall in love. All the perfect tropes in one book make this such a fun read. And not to mention all the spice- the bourbon scene!! If you love small town romances, brother’s best friend, forced proximity, found family and secret relationship then add this to your TBR!

”We’re not a phase. We’re the exact opposite of a phase. We’re always. I’m going to follow you everywhere you go for the rest of this life. And then, I’m going to follow you into the next.”

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine, and Dell Romance for the digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to love this book, because the premise sounded quite interesting, but I’m giving this a 2.5 stars only because it felt like a mix of done and dusted + powerless by Elsie silver and I felt like it was a little too similar. I think it had the potential to be really unique and different, but the amount of similar tropes and similar scenarios to these other books was off putting to me.

I think if you’re interested in a cute cowboy romance, brother’s best friend you’d like this It was a fun, fast, cute spicy read. I really enjoyed the banter between CeCe and her mom as well as her relationship with her family.

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this opportunity!

This delightful small-town love story is a testament to the charm of its genre. While it embraces the familiar tropes—think brothers’ best friend, age gap, and a mix of cowboy and hockey player dynamics—it does so with a refreshing touch that keeps the reader engaged from start to finish.

The plot unfolds with a perfect blend of romance and spice, delivering plenty of steamy moments that enhance the emotional depth of the characters. The chemistry between the leads is palpable, making their journey feel both authentic and compelling.

Paisley has crafted her characters with great care, infusing them with distinct personalities that resonate. The protagonist’s struggles and triumphs feel real, and the supporting cast adds richness to the narrative, creating a vivid small-town backdrop that is both inviting and familiar.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found myself invested in the characters’ journeys. I can’t wait to dive into the next installment, Training the Heart. If you’re in the mood for a heartwarming, steamy read that captures the magic of small-town romance, look no further! Highly recommended!

Debut book you say! This was phenomenal, it blew me away. I have seen so many reviews raving about this debut by Paisley and let me tell you, it lived up to the hype!
Nash Carter is a part time cowboy, retired hockey star, bar owner, and a delicious dirty talking man!
Cecelia Rae comes back home after ending her engagement to her long term boyfriend fiance. And let me tell you, Andrew is the biggest douche bag. So good riddens!
With Nash being close to her family and her new boss, Cece tries to keep it casual. Their relationship quickly becomes anything but casual.
I really loved this book, the story, the characters, all of it! I can't wait to read more by Paisley!

For Paisley’s debut novel, she did absolutely amazing! The way she builds the story and the characters is truly amazing. I loved it. It flowed well. It was a good pace. The smut was exquisite!! ABSOLUTE CHEFS KISS. I fell in love with the characters and even the side characters were amazing! Nash & Cece’s story was a beautiful one, I absolutely loved seeing both of them grow and get to a point where they could no longer fight their love for each other! LOVED IT! Need the next book now please! Also this was COWBOY AND HOCKEY MY TWO FAVORITES! Can’t get much better than that!

Five (Dallas) Stars.

Wow. I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did. Nash Carter is definitely living in my head rent free right now.

I was also not expecting Holding The Reins to be this hot. We’re talking four chili peppers - at least.

Nash Carter and CeCe Ashby have some of the most incredible chemistry I’ve read in a contemporary romance.

Yes, this one is sexy. But there’s also plot and a lot of heart here - overcoming incredible loss and traumatic grief. For Nash, it’s learning to trust the universe that robbed him of those he loves, and trust himself to go after what he wants even when it could all disappear again. For CeCe, it’s learning to trust a (seemingly unavailable) man again, after her recent engagement to a philandering city boy ends in dramatic fashion.

Here’s what readers can expect from Holding The Reins:

- (Childhood) Friends to Lovers
- Cowboy AND ex NHL player (plus a gentlemen AND, well, not - IYKYK)
- Best friends’ little sister
- Forced proximity
- “Just once to get it out of our systems”
- Dual POV
- Small town/ workplace romance
- If he wanted to he would

Lastly, the character work was so well done - this family and town will stick with you long after you close this book. Paisley Hope’s side characters and their backstories were perfectly set up. Not too much to detract from the main plot line and couple, but just enough that I simply can’t wait to read the next two installments in the Silver Pine Ranch series!

Thank you to Dell Romance and NetGalley for this eARC. Easily one of my top contemporary romances of 2024.

Perfect for fans of Lyla Sage and Elsie Silver.

4.75/5 stars

So this was a reread, and full disclosure, I didn’t love it the first time. I think that goes to show how much a mood can affect your experience with a book.

It honestly felt like I was reading something else entirely. The way I perceived things the first time and this time are nothing alike.

The banter between characters was so much fun. The snark they all show each other is hilarious. The dialogue all flows very naturally. I laughed so much. I loved all the references to some of my favorite 90s country songs.

Listen, coffee is my love language. Make it for me, buy it for me, bring it to me, drink it with me. Any of those things in any combination. And y’all, Nash Carter keeps his girl caffeinated.

Nash. Whew. That dirty-talking, hockey-playing, part-time cowboy does it right. He says and does all the right things (except that one time, oops). I love the way he cares for her, and he shows his feelings in so many everyday actions.

CeCe is strength and sass, while also showing a vulnerable side. She’s stubborn and does the whole “I can do this in my own,” but realizes she can still find safety with her man. And that it’s okay to feel that.

Paisley knows how to write a spicy scene. My, oh my. It didn’t ever feel awkward. It didn’t feel like she was forcing moments that shouldn’t be there. It was just all so well-done.

I think I just would’ve liked to see a bit more conflict. More with her crazy ex or a closer look into his trauma and that healing process.

I kept wondering what I missed. How everyone was so obsessed with this book and with Nash Carter. I knew I needed to try again to see if I felt differently now, and also in preparation for Wade’s book. And I’m so glad I did. I had such a good time reading it.

Former NHL star turned part-time cowboy? Iconic. Small town, brother’s best friend….only some of the best tropes to exist. Nash also excelled in dirty talk, what more could you ask for? Cece came home to find Nash looked better than ever, and she could barely keep her eyes off him. This was a super cute, and very spicy read. I enjoyed all of the side characters and Sunday Sangria sounds like the best time.

Thank you to NetGalley for the E-ARC!

I loved this fun and dirty read! Especially the small town, brother's best friend, secret dating, and found family in this book. I loved Nash's development and his love for Cece, he was so desperate for her and willing to do anything to make her life easier. I also loved the found family aspect of it. You could tell how much the family loved Nash after taking him in and that he was really a part of their family.

Can't wait to read Wade's book!

A solid book! I enjoyed my time at Silver Pines Ranch, and am looking forward to continuing the series.

I’d recommend if you’re a fan of the following:
* brother’s best friend trope
* cowboy romance
* hockey romance
* close-knit families (ranch fam)
* super cool female friend group

first, what I loved about this book

lovable fmc
I loved CeCe! She’s whip smart, quippy, and ready to not chase another man. She gave Nash a run for his money, so to speak. Their banter was great!

cowboy + hockey mmc
Making Nash Carter both a hockey player and a (part-time) cowboy? Yep, that did it for me! I am a huge fan of both cowboy and hockey romances, so this was a happy medium.

cool group of gals
I love me a good group of super cool, close-knit, firecracker women! I want to be Ginger’s friend so bad (I also wish I could join them at Sangria Sundays). The Not Angels, you will always be famous to me!

guessing who will be paired up in later books
The best part about starting a romance series for me, is getting glimpses into the pairings we’ll see later on and making my guesses for the next book.

next, a couple of bumps in the road for me with this book…

accents in dialogue
I felt like some of the dialogue wasn’t coming out smoothly. Just a few instances of this. It felt a little like the author was picking and choosing when to use a Kentucky Appalachian accent in the dialogue. Granted, it was there most of the time— but there were times where I was just like…this is not how someone would’ve said that. I don’t think most readers, or a very broad audience, would take issue with this. I think it’s just because I’m very close to the region (yes, I know Appalachia is very large and there are many different dialects, but my point stands) that this kind of thing sticks out to me.

nicknames/pet names
The nicknames Nash uses for CeCe were a little cringey for me…but to each their own!
I could never take a man seriously who called me his “little firefly.” When I read this, I would just mentally skip over it and try to pretend it never happened…internally and externally cringing!

timelines
So much was happening during the course of the book, and I felt a little confused toward the end trying to keep track of where we were in the month. I had to actually go back through the book and start marking down dates and events to make sure I remembered everything correctly.

Overall, I did enjoy this book + I’m looking forward to reading about Wade + Ivy later this year. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Reviews posted 10/1 on Goodreads, StoryGraph, Bookmory, Fable, & Instagram.

This was so so adorable and I adored Nash!! Some parts were a bit slow for me but I still adored this story. It was cute, but nothing really stood out to me. I struggled to connect with the main characters, which is probably why it took me longer than usual to finish. However, if you're looking for an easy read with a bit of some spice this is a great bool for you!!

I was extremely underwhelmed with this book. It has such a cute cover and premise, but just did not deliver.

I have to start first by saying, why were there SO many commas? Like seriously, I felt like I was constantly taking a break in every sentence. Because of the overuse of the commas there were also a lot of run on sentences. The whole thing just annoyed me to no end.

I think my biggest issue with the book was the amount of tropes in it. We had brothers’ best friend, hockey player, small town, and cowboy romance. It was just too much rolled into one. There was so much in it that I found myself bored with each part. Cece as a character was fine I guess, nothing particularly good or bad about her (though I couldn’t remember what her name was until 75% through oddly enough). Nash was also okay, but I felt like we could have had so much more depth from him and all we got were surface level emotions. I would’ve love for there to have been more anecdotes from when the tragedy happened or when he was in the NHL, even a time jump would have been appreciated (and I personally hate those) because it would’ve given so much more to his character.

Another issue I had was that it felt like half the book was setups for the rest of the series. Like yes, Ginger and Cole are flirty - we don’t need to see it every 5 pages! Same with the new girl Ivy and Wade. As soon as she was introduced we all knew she was his love interest - you didn’t have to keep showing us!

Even the epilogue was bland for me - and I LOVE an epilogue.

HELL YES
im ngl some of the later open door scenes gave me the ick but overall this book is iconic
like actually so well written, i am so so invested in this plot, this couple and now this FAMILY WHAT?????
AGHHHHH I LOVED!!

It took me awhile to get into this book but once I got into it I loved it! The spicy scenes were well written, Cece and Nash are just so cute. I can’t wait to read the next one!

Ohhh, M Geeeee!!
This was the small town, hockey star, part-time cowboy romance I didn't know I needed in my life! The flirting and dirty talk=🥵🥵 The forbidden best friends little sister trope mixed with spice and giggles. This book left me in a chokehold. The second book of this series is coming but not fast enough!

"You hold the reins, baby. I'm just here for the ride."

When CeCe Ashby returns back to her hometown, she is trying to move on from a recent breakup. Unsure how and where to start over, she finds herself back on her family's ranch.

Nash Carter is now a newly retired superstar hockey player, local business owner, and well known Bachelor. He's also the unofficial 4th Ashby sibling and off-limits. When CeCe unexpectedly returns home and she's looking for a job, Nash knew his business needed her.

There's so many reasons why this relationship should never be, but the sparks ignite a fire inside both of them. They each agreed to one night. One night, to get this out of their system and put out the flames. Except one night turns into two, three, and so many more nights together. Nash is forced to face some pretty deep trauma head on as his heart softens for CeCe. He's terrified to let her in, but he's also terrified to see her go.

This book has everything! Found family, a little western vibe set in Kentucky, brother's best friend, protective/sexy MMC, the best flirty banter, overcoming heavy trauma, and some spice to get your cheeks red! I struggled to put this one down. SOOO GOOD!!

“He's holding tight on to the reins. Only she can help him let go.”

A spicy small-town romance following Cece’s return home after leaving her toxic ex-fiance. Here she’s reunited with former NHL player turned part time cowboy, Nash, who is also her brother’s best friend/unofficial member of her family.

I loved everything about Cece and Nash! Their character development throughout the book, their chemistry, their banter, and their love for those around them (friends & family) made this such an enjoyable read. Oh what I would give for a Sangria Sunday night at The Horse & Barrel with the “Not Angels” girl group! Paisley Hope captures small-town life with a close knit community perfectly. She also laid out all of the supporting characters so well, hinting at who the future books of the series are going to be about, and making you fall in love and root for them already!

This book will be joining my list of go-to cowboy/small town romance recommendations. If "Powerless" by Elsie Silver and "Done & Dusted" by Lyla Sage had a baby, it would be Holding the Reins!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine, and Dell Romance for the digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Themes/Tropes:
*Dual POV
*Strong/Free Spirited FMC
*Former Hockey Player/Part-Time Cowboy
*Brother’s Best Friend
*Spicy Small Town Romance
*Found Family

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️
Pub Date: October 22, 2024

Holding the Reins is the first book of the Silver Pines Ranch series of interconnected standalones. I can already tell that this series is going to be a favorite of mine! Give me a cowboy romance any day but then add in hockey and it is the perfect combination!

Cece has moved back home after leaving her cheating ex. She wants to find herself and is ready for a fresh start. What she isn’t ready for is these new feelings she has for brother’s best friend and the man that annoyed her while growing up. I love her sassiness and her determination to prove to herself and everyone else that she is strong and can stand on her own. I also love her relationships with her brothers and mom. They are close and will do anything for each other and Nash is right in the middle of it all.

Nash is still dealing with losing his parents as a teen and is grateful for Cece’s family for taking him in and being there for him. He doesn’t want to find love just to lose someone close to him again. He might be emotionally closed off but holy heck this man has a mouth and he definitely knows how to use it! I loved how he was always there for Cece and her biggest supporter. These two were perfect for each other. I loved all the side characters and can’t wait for their stories! If you are a fan of Elsie Silver then you are going to want to pick this one up!

4.5⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

✔️small town
✔️age gap
✔️brother’s best friend
✔️cowboy
✔️ex-NHL player
✔️dual POV

This was such a cute small town romance! The story follows Cece & Nash, who have known each other forever & are now both living back in their hometown. Cece, needing a job, starts working for Nash & they both can’t help looking at each other in a different way.

It combines a lot of my favorite things: cowboy romance, sports romance, & small town romance just to name a few. The banter & spice were well written & not too cringey & I love the relationships between Cece & her family/girlfriends. I also like the fact that Cece is in her mid-20s & not late-20s/early-30s like most other romance books . I personally just enjoy seeing characters closer to my age because it makes it feel more relatable.

It seems like this is going to be a series, with the next books following Cece’s brothers & I hope Ginger & Liv get their own books too!

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.