Holding the reins was soo good! The character development that both Nash and CeCe had throughout the story was really well done. Both had so much to overcome, but in the end they knew that they would always have each other in the hard times and that they could turn to each other. The found family aspect of this was perfect as well. Mama Jo was the best, and the way she was there for all of her children and Nash was very cute.

Wow wow wow wow wow!!!! I loved this book so much and I will definitely read more of Paisley Hope's books after this.

I really don't even know where to begin other than the obvious: I LOVE THE SOUTH! Being a southern girl myself, I may be biased, but this was so cute and country. While some parts I feel were a little exaggerated (minus 1 star for this), for all intents purposes, this did the trick and built a wonderful scene. Cece and Nash were perfect and I really enjoyed their story. Think enemies to lovers, but forbidden instead. Cece and Nash quite literally grew up together, and with Nash being so close to her brothers...talk about an awkward conversation.

These two had great backstories, and what I loved the most about this is that we actually got to see it! That doesn't really happen often in books with a single timeline, so I was glad that we were able to dig up a little of the past to see what made these characters who they are. For this alone, Nash, baby, I love you 🥰

Aside from the characters and plot itself, the writing was great! There were a few instances where I cringed a little, but I got over it very fast because I had to keep reading. The timeline obviously was well thought out, and the dual POV? THANK YOU! I'm a stan for a good dual pov and this delivered to a T.

Overall, a great book that I would recommend to all my semi-cowboy/hockey player lovers out there. I know, weird combo, but it worked!! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the eARC!

Holding The Reins
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Add this romance to your radar asap if you haven’t already. Here are some key words if you need some convincing…professional hockey player turned cowboy, small town, dual POV, short chapters, tension, sexy, brothers best friend, was giving me Sweet Home Alabama mixed with The Ranch mixed with Things We Never Got Over (this is definitely for my Lucy Score loving babes), spicy….spicy…did I mention the spice? 🌶️🥵….AND a playlist at the end! I didn’t want to put this one down you guys! I loved it right away, I read over half of it in one sitting. It’s one of those romances that gives you all the feelings…we’re blushing, we’re laughing, it’s a fun read, but also delves into harder topics like death, cheating, and starting over. “I have two choices, let it consume me or keep holding the reins. So, I keep holding the reins and wait for the next day to come.” (there is a TW in the beginning that this is meant for adults and lists some topics to be aware of so please look out for those.) I can’t wait for you to meet Nash and CeCe, I loved them! “…I would love her with my whole heart every day until death took me. And even then, I’d move on to the next life and find her there, because a love like ours isn’t limited by space or time. It’s eternal.” I also believe there’s a second book (?) and I need it immediately, please!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Thank you so much @authorpaisleyhope @netgalley and @dellromance for this e-arc. Holding The Reins graces our shelves October 22nd!

This was a solid debut book. You can't go wrong with a cowboy.small town romance with equal parts banter, spice, and family dynamics.

This story starts with CeCe leaving her manipulative cheating ex and moving back home to her families ranch. She ends up getting a job with her Brother's (former playboy) best friend and the rest is history.

This book was a tropey good time and I will definitely be lo0oking out for the next in the series.

Holding The Reins by Paisley Hope mixes cowboy and hockey romance in a fun and creative way that shows that both worlds can collide especially when he's your brothers best friend. This book was absolutely fun and steamy and full of small town charm. They meet again in her hometown and cannot fight their attraction to each other and its fun, steamy and one thing I also loved is that it sets up for more books in the series which I would love to read. Its got brothers best friend, forced proximity, friends to lovers, opposites attract and secret relationships and it was just so much fun!

This was a steamy small town/cowboy romance read that was surprisingly heartfelt. The mmc and fmc have known each other since they were kids and he has always been protective of her. After the fmc’s father passes away she moves back to the ranch and they fight the attraction for a while. I enjoyed how lighthearted it was while also dealing with the grief of both characters. It’s very steamy and i had fun with the romance and world. If you like books with Elsie silver snd lyla sage then you should give this a shot! Thank you Dell for the arc!

Read for:
- Cowboy romance
- Small town romance
- Spicy
- Brothers best friend
- Grief/trauma

i absolutely loved this!!! it was spicy, it was romantic, it was funny, but it was also heartfelt. there were moments of sadness and trauma. i loved all of the characters and will definitely be reading more from this author!!

Paisley hope is now an auto buy author! I was immediately hooked by the first chapter! I was deeply invested in this beautiful love story. Paisley has a way with words and it made this read so enjoyable! Cannot wait to read more of her work!

✨Brother's Best Friend
✨Cowboy/Sports Romance (Retired Hockey Player)
✨Small Town
🌶️ Spicy 🔥

The cover of "Holding the Reins" is what initially caught my eye but the author's story telling kept me flipping pages. The storyline is filled with banter, chemistry and swoon-worthy interactions.

I am a sucker for a small town cowboy romance, the MMC also being a retired Hockey player mashed up two romance genres that I really enjoy! I think Nash is going to be very well received, I'll just leave it at that.

I binged this book in a day and when it was finished I went looking to see if this would hopefully be the start of an interconnected series. I would absolutely recommend this book and look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Thank you Paisley Hope, Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for providing me with an ARC of this book!

3.75 stars- This was a cute, fast read for me! I really liked the found family element in this book. I'm looking forward to reading more books in this world, starting with Wade and Ivy!

Super cute forbidden love hockey/cowboy romance. Nash the older brother(s) best friend and CeCe the girl next door younger sister who just got out of a toxic relationship. Overall I felt like some elements were very similar to another popular hockey/cowboy book I’ve read but it also had some differences that I enjoyed. The chemistry was definitely there between CeCe and Nash. This book also had some humor and definitely made me laugh out loud a couple times.

One thing that did turn me off a little was during a spicy scene he called her ‘little one’. Personally that is a term I associate with children and it just made her seem so young in a place where she should not be thought of as young. This only happened once and didn’t change how I felt about the book in the end.

I would recommend this book to others.

When I first started reading this book it gave me major dejavu from another widely know cowboy romance and I was worried. But once I got through 10% of the book I could not put it down!

First of all.. Ms. Hope, how are you going to make the absolute perfect book boyfriend Mr. Nash Carter. A part-time cowboy, retired hockey star, bar owner, AND TATTED? Like what!? How could a girl not fall for him. It also didn’t help that he had a close relationship with her whole family, especially her deceased father.

This is definitely one of those stories where I fell in love with both characters and no matter how may books she adds to the series I don’t think it be enough.

SOME OF THE PARTS I LOVED MOST

Can we talk about how Cece is an absolute girl boss? Like even though her ex-fiancé was a big time lawyer she still had her own degree and career. You go girl!

I really appreciate that it didn’t take 75% of the book for them to get it on 😉 and that once they did it elevated the emotions and story. I also loved how we didn’t dwell on the face that she was his bestfriends brother. I love the trope and I’m glad it wasn’t drawn out.

The FLOSS?! Come on! 🥹

I do wish we got more of Nash’s story in regards to how he deals with his past trauma. Yes I understand that Cece helps silence his demons but that doesn’t mean he can just ignore them.

Now the most important question is… HOW DO I GET AN ARC TO BOOK 2!?

3 stars

“I love you so much it consumes me. but I want it all. I want you, in every way.”

❦ age gap
❦ small town
❦ found family
❦ ex hockey player
❦ cowboy romance
❦ brother’s best friend

i think this novel would work perfectly as plate cleaner. it was cute but nothing did really grab my attention. i had a hard time trying to connect with the main characters and that’s mostly why it took way longer than usual to finish this book. but if you want an easy read with a good amount of toe-curling scenes this is the perfect read for you!

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

ARC Review: 5 stars / 4 spice (this book was unexpectedly spicy!!!)
I loved this book and read it so quickly and I can't wait for the next in the series to come out!

Tropes include: Cowboys, brother's best friend, sports/hockey (kind of because he is already retired when the book starts).

There are some heavy themes in this book including traumatically deceased parents so please be aware of that, if that is a trigger for you. That said, it is beautifully written and tugs on the heart strings. But along with that pain, I had all the butterflies and giggles throughout. I even loved all the side characters and there were lead-ins about who the next few books will surround.

(Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the ARC) Unfortunately, I have to place this on my DNF shelf. I had such high hopes for this small-town, cowboy romance but could not continue past the 10% mark. The author’s writing style and humor just is not my cup of tea. However, if you wanted a more lighthearted Chestnut Springs-type of book you may enjoy this.

Reading back through my 150 highlights while writing this review and I’m giggling and kicking my feet. I cannot get enough of CeCe and Nash!

CeCe is a ball of sunshine but a fierce protector of people she loves. We find that out real quick. Nash is a top tier book boyfriend in every way. Just wait until you meet Mr. Carter. I diiiieeeed.

CeCe moves back to Kentucky after a break up and starts working for her brother’s best friend. Nash Carter, retired NHL player and part-time cowboy, can’t stop thinking about her even though he’s scared to let anyone get close in fear of losing them.

The chemistry between these two is next level. There’s tension, witty banter, crawling, touch her and die, mixed with some super sweet moments.

I’m a huge fan of Paisley’s writing style and will read anything she writes. So excited for book two!

I absolutely ate this book up! I loved that it combined hockey and cowboys. This was soooo cute. sweet, spicy and swoony! I just wanted to give poor Nash a hug. Brothers best friend and small town are two of my favorite tropes. the writing was great, the spice was great. I cant wait to finish the series and read the new MC romance by this author too !!!!!

After finally leaving her cheating fiancé, Cecilia “CeCe” Ashby finds herself back in her small Kentucky town, living in a cabin on her family's equestrian ranch. CeCe is unsure of what to do now and is in dire need of direction, so when Nash Carter offers her a job, she can't refuse. As a retired hockey star, Nash has become somewhat notorious around town. Whether it's helping teach kids at the state-of-the-art sports complex he built, slinging sangria over at the only good bar in town, or for the gaggle of women throwing themselves at him. Nash has been best friends with CeCe's brothers for years, so he thinks nothing of offering her a job, but the more time they spend together, the more Nash starts to view CeCe as more than the annoying young girl he used to tease. The pair know getting together would be a bad idea, but neither can deny the spark and maybe love is worth the risk.

I've been in my small-town romance era this year, and this sounded too good to pass up. I thought the characters and setting made the story. CeCe was fun and feisty, and I liked how she stood up for herself. Nash was commanding and vulnerable, and I'm always a fan of an MMC who is gone for the FMC. He had some demons from his past, but he put the work in to become the man CeCe needed, and I liked watching their relationship blossom. As mentioned, I also loved the setting. It felt like your stereotypical small Southern town where everyone is in everyone's business, and gossip spreads like wildfire, but it was so fun. Hope's writing felt similar to Tessa Bailey's in that it was both raunchy and ridiculous in equal measure. Some moments felt a little clunky, but you can tell there's real potential, and I'd recommend checking it out if you're a fan of the brother's best friend trope. While it's not a new favorite, I'm excited to check out the rest of the series.

Closer to a 3.5 - I look forward to more books from Paisley Hope and believe that as she grows as an author, her books will address some of my issues with this one.

But first, what I liked:
- Hope spent time establishing the town and characters (clearly looking to build out future parts of this series) but in doing so helped bring the over all story to life
- The overall plot was easy and enjoyable
- Some of the side characters were delightful (e.g., Mama Jo)
- Nash’s dirty talk was top notch

A few pieces that weren’t my favorite:
- There was a lot going on and, unfortunately, that lead to some loose threads in the story that were never clarified nor completed (e.g., why Cece stayed with Andrew for months after realizing he was cheating on her)
- Some of the exchanges felt at odds with the character that was being portrayed (e.g., Cece being a ‘wild’ child but then getting embarrassed by jokes about sex with her friends)
- In the third act miscommunication, I felt like Cece was really harsh and lacking in empathy to Nash’s trauma (I.e., he acknowledged he is struggling from the trauma of losing his parents and she basically says that’s life)

Thank you to NetGalley, Paisley Hope, and Random House Publishing for providing me with an advanced reader copy.

I ate this up. 👏👏👏

"what even is feminism when i'm naked with Nash Carter?"

The tropes, the romance, everything was everything small town romance but you don’t leave disappointed. It's straightforward in a way that you know will be enjoyable and easy to read. If you want an entertaining, spicy read this one is for you.

Chapter 41 had me 🥵. I'm a goner for Nash Carter.

✅ cowboy
✅ retired hockey player
✅ dirty talking
✅ brother's best friend
✅ so. much. spice.