Training the Heart by Paisley Hope is a workplace romance between rancher Wade and horse trainer Ivy. This is the second installment of the Silver Pines Ranch series, but you do not need to read the first book to understand the dynamic between the characters. Ivy is making a new life for herself when she gets hired at Silver Pines, but keeping her relationship with boss Wade strictly professional quickly crumbles. Wade can’t resist Ivy, the woman who gives his snarky remarks right back to him. This is a very spicy book. Fans of Elsie Silvers Gold Rush Ranch series will love this book. It’s easy to fall in love with the characters and get immersed in the world of horses. Training the heart releases 12/31.

Horse trainer Ivy Spencer is a ball of sunshine that has finally found the courage to leave her long time narcissistic boyfriend. Wade Ashby is a grumpy ranch owner convinced letting people in can only lead to no good. Neither is looking for love but there's more to each of them than meets the eye and you could set the world on fire with the spark of passion that's between them.

Training the Heart is a small town romance about healing after loss and learning to love again despite fears of the unknown. Ivy is a strong and capable FMC you’ll immediately want to be best friends with. Wade is a loyal dirty talking cowboy you’ll swoon over and the banter between Ivy and Wade is *chefs kiss*. I definitely recommend this to all cowboy romance lovers out there and I cannot wait to read the next book in the Silver Pines Ranch series!

Thank you Random House Publishing Group for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley . All opinions are my own.

LOVED. LOVED. LOVED.

I truly am becoming the biggest fan of Paisley Hope. I loved the first book in this series but this one was even better!!

Ivy and Wade were exactly the kind of characters I LOVE. Ivys take no shit attitude. Wade being a grumpy asshole who's only soft for her. Ugh the dream!!!

Everything about this book, the characters, the side characters(can not WAIT for Ginger and Cole lol), was amazing.

The banter, the sass from from Ivy, the guys all teasing Wade about her. All made for such a good book.

The spice in this book!? Freaking top tier!!!! I was not expecting how freaking good the spice was going to be and my god. I was clutching my pearls multiple times! Ill never be able to see the word "mercy" again without blushing and thinking about this book!

Synopsis: When Wade hires Ivy as a new horse trainer on his family’s ranch, he doesn’t expect to fall for her.

Thoughts: I really loved the first Silver Pines Ranch book, so it was fun to revisit these characters. I like Wade and Ivy as characters individually, but to be honest their relationship progression was just okay for me. I knew this one was going to be spicy, but I think it could have benefitted from a little more conversation, a little less action 😬. I’m totally fine with spice, but it got a little (ok a lot) repetitive. Wade might need to see a doctor, I don’t know if that level of libido is normal for a 35 year old. That plus the creepy scrunchie scene and the most unnecessary epilogue of all time just crossed the “too much spice line” for me. So TL;DR this wasn’t a bad book, but if you’re not prepared for Carolina reaper level spice, might want to sit this one out.

Read this if you like:
🐎 horses
🐎 cowboys
🐎 small town
🐎 grumpy x sunshine
🐎 SPICE

good lord paisley, this book was wild from start to finish!!!!!! i love grumpy x sunshine tropes, and this one did not disappoint. i’m down bad for wade ashby, it’s a little upsetting he’s not a real man that loves me back. incredible spice, and if you’re my boss don’t read this: it’s about time we get some brat appreciation!!!! let’s hear it for bratty women!!!!!! and gruff men who beg!!!!!! paisley was a real one for this book and i am so grateful to Ballentine, Random House Publishing, and NetGalley for this ARC. SAVE A HORSE!!!!

If Paisley Hope writes it, ima read it!!

Love me a cowboy romance and could not get enough of this love story! Wade and ivys love story is worth the read.

If you’re looking for a book that makes you swoon, then look no further. If you love a grumpy x sunshine, boss x employee trope, this is the book for you.

Note: this is the second book in the silver pines series, so make sure to read holding the reins first to avoid spoilers !

Will definitely be rereading once the audio book comes out, because I just couldn’t get enough.

I fell in love with Paisley Hope's writing during Holding the Reins. I was so excited to be able to read this book because of the glimpses we got of the two in that book. It was a perfect blend of of relationship building, banter, and spice.

Wade freaking Ashby.
This man. He is such a caretaker and acts of service person.

Ivy unfortunately has a manipulative P.O.S. ex-boyfriend. Wade also has a crappy ex-wife that tries to pry her way back into his life. Just be aware if that is a no go for you.


Pick this one up if you enjoy:
* Ranch owner x horse trainer
* Grumpy x sunshine
* Road trip
* Forced proximity
* Only one bed
* Dirty talk, steam, and possession
* Surprise pregnancy

I absolutely loved this book. The chemistry between Wade and Ivy had me blushing and kicking my feet. I loooove a grumpy but caring and tender MMC with a sunshine FMC that is dealing with some emotional fallout. They were both careful with each other while being up front about what they wanted along the way.

They’re both such raw, genuine characters who show up for each other. I love how adorable but SMOKING HOT they are. Watching them come together, fall in love, and overcome some difficult obstacles was such a pleasure. I encourage you to check this out! You can also look forward to:

💜Forced Proximity
🪻One Bed
💜Grumpy x Sunshine
🪻”Make Me”
💜Acts of Service

Thank you Net Galley and Dell Romance for the ARC!

Training the Heart by Paisley Hope
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As far as cowboy romance goes, this one is up there with some of my favorites. I love the banter and sass between Wade and Ivy. The building tensions between the two was absolutely off the charts. Wade is an amazingly hot, grumpy cowboy with the best tattoo choices👀 he will have you absolutely melting for him. I went through a whole range of emotions reading this one, laughing, crying, giggling, blushing. This one is a 10/10 for anything looking for a gruff cowboy who isn’t afraid of hand necklaces🫠👀🫶🏻 thank you random house, NetGalley, and Paisley for the early copy!

I really enjoy the characters in the series and I was so so excited for Ivy and Wade, but to be completely honest, I didn't love them as much as I loved CeCe and Nash.

I'm a huge fan of found family so I absolutely adored all the moments with CeCe, Nash, Cole, Ginger, Olivia, Mabel, Ivy, and Wade. The banter and the jokes were *chef's kiss* and I'm very excited to read the rest of the series.

What I didn't love so much was the fact that Wade and Ivy's relationship seemed to be mostly physical, with lots and lots (and lots) of sex scenes, which, don't get me wrong, I enjoyed, but at some point I was looking forward to some more emotional moments. When they came, they were in the form of one of my least favorite tropes, and personally, the emotions just didn't hit the right way for me.

Overall, a great read, and I can't wait for Cole and Ginger's story!

Wow, Wade did not disappoint 🥵 I was so excited for his book ever since reading holding the reins! So lucky to have been able to snag it early!

Wade is a top tier book boyfriend!! I lived for all the acts of service! I ate up the banter between Ivy and Wade. It was so fun to see Ivy bring out Wades dimples! I love me a grumpy x sunshine and paisley did not disappoint.

Instantly felt the chemistry between these two and loved how confident Ivy was. Ivy was Wades missing piece.


This one is definitely my favorite of the series so far! Looking forward to Cole’s book!!

Read this steamy romance if you like:

✨dual pov
✨small town, cowboy romance
✨grumpy rancher x sunny horse trainer
✨workplace relationship
✨forced proximity

Possible triggers:

❗️manipulation / emotional abuse
❗️accidental pregnancy

Thank you Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

SPOILER-FREE THOUGHTS 💭

🤠 A HOTTT cowboy romance that's perfect for fans of Lyla Sage and Elsie Silver

🤠 Ladies, you will NEED to be hosed down after this one: it's 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

🤠 Wade Ashby is an acts of service man and that's the real BDE we are looking for 🙌🏼

HYPE UP QUOTES:

"In case it isn't obvious, I'm fucking crazy about you."

"I don't know whatever made you think for one fucking second that it's you against this world, but it isn't; it's you and me. If I haven't made it clear enough for you, Ivy, there's everyone else and then there's us."

WADE AND IVY'S SONG:

🎶 Right Where I Need to Be by Gary Allan

Ivy Spencer, shows up to Silver Pines looking for a fresh start as a horse trainer after leaving a disaster of a relationship. When she meets her new boss, she gets more than she bargained for.

Wade Ashby, what a man. Dare I say my favorite mmc that paisley has ever written?? He was everything- the acts of service and grumpy attitude had me hooked right from the beginning. The way he showed up for Ivy in every way was absolute perfection. Ivy was a strong FMC & I really enjoyed her character as well. The banter her & Wade had was so great and had me chuckling at times. The way she fit seamlessly into the Not Angels group was perfect. The trust that developed between the two main characters as the story went on was one of my favorite parts of this book. They truly learned to love each other by doing the small, quiet things together which was so genuine and sweet.

This was on track to be 5 stars for me until how some things played out at the end- it’s probably more of a me thing. Still HIGHLY recommend this book and thoroughly enjoyed being back in Silver Pines with all the side characters and found family vibes.

The glimpses we got of Ginger & Cole have me so excited for their book.

Paisley also writes some of the best spice out there 👏🏻

4.5-4.75 ⭐️|| 3 🌶️

Training the Heart was fantastic! I seriously love this series so much! Binged this so fast and I need more asap!!

5⭐️s!

This book!!!!? So Good!!! The story follows Wade, who is the eldest son of the Ashby family and is in charge of running the family ranch, and Ivy, the temporary horse trainer he hires to help his family try and make a derby run. I was lucky enough to be provided an arc for this book, and let me just say I was so in love with the story, the characters, the vibes, and everything! I loved the way both Wade and Ivy helped each other see things about themselves that they maybe couldn’t before. Their mutual but separate healing journey was a joy to watch. I also thought the horse racing/training aspect of the book was at just the right ratio to where I was still proper interested in that storyline, but the vocabulary never became so overwhelming that I couldn’t follow what was happening. Also, the spice in this book…? PERFECTION! Some of my favorite spice I’ve read all year. I definitely think this should be one to add to your tbr list!

*a massive thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an early copy of this book*

This is book two in the Silver Pines Ranch series, and I enjoyed it so much more than the first book.

A boss/employee romance between Wade and Ivy. In the beginning, Wade is a grumpy rancher businessman. He is dealing with everything on the ranch AND a clingy ex-wife. Ivy is his new temporary horse trainer, trying to start over from an abusive ex and an alcoholic mother. She is a really strong woman in spite of all of this. It was so nice to see Wade fall for Ivy little by little. She is so much more than he thought.

It's a little slow burn in the beginning, but when the steam hits, it is HOT. Plus, Wade gets the most special tattoo in an interesting place for Ivy. Swoon. His feelings are definitely not a secret now.

Read this is you like:

Cowboy Romance
Dual POV
Boss/employee
Who hurt you?
Grumpy/Sunshine

Thank you to the Dell Romance and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This series is so good!! I might have enjoyed this more than the first one. I can't wait to read more from Paisley! ❤️

5/5 stars
3.75 peppers
2.5/5 buzz buzz

Listen we all know the grouchy, grumpy Wade from Holding the Reins and we knew that it was going to take a woman that would push all the buttons and make him actually live life. When Cece comes into his life and proves that she is just as the horse magician as everyone said she was and shows him that life can be complete with each other.

I loved the forced proximity that not only on the ranch but he fact that Cece is a klutz and needed someone to help her (even though she protested), and it explored another level of forced proximity and we see the caring, loving side of Wade. Their friendship building was a breath of fresh air and loved that it was cute, it was normal.

But then you add a "one-bed" trope and I'm all in and so was Cece. They were like two addictive souls that couldn't let go. And the way that Cece grew and stood up to the ex had me yelling "that's my girl".

I loved every second of it and gobbled it up. Oh and can we talk about the "oopies" that we all thought was supposed to be an oopies!

Paisley does not disappoint and only makes you want to say "more please" and "okay what's next."

Al the stars. Ivy and Wade are so perfect for one another I loved seeing them evolve from friends to lovers. The grumpy of Wade and sunshine of Ivy is absolutely perfect. These two traversed their battle so effortlessly and together I almost wish I could dive into the story to see more of them.

when i received the notification that i got approved for this arc i RAN. i loved holding the reigns and i was so excited for this one and when i tell you it did NOT disappoint.
i saved this book for a birthday read because i knew this was something that was just gonna hit.
i ATE UP the tension in this book. Wade being possessive and protective and I 👏 LOVED 👏 IT 👏.
Ivy and Wade were missing pieces to each other’s puzzles and Paisley did such a great job bringing them together and helping them heal despite each other’s pasts.
ALSO??? the smut??? i was SWEATING
4.5 ⭐️’s loved every second of it

Published on goodreads!
Published on 12/25/25