Thanks so much to Paisley Hope and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for the eARC of this title. This book is the perfect blend of Grumpy x Sunshine and spicy. I can't wait to read more by Paisley Hope.

Star Rating: ♾️⭐️
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

I was so excited for Wade and Ivy’s story, and Training the Heart did not disappoint. This Grumpy x Sunshine cowboy romance perfectly captures the dynamic between the emotionally guarded Wade and the optimistic, determined Ivy.

Wade Ashby is a man who has spent years building walls around his heart, trusting very few after the hardships and heartaches he’s faced. His life is simple, quiet, and predictable—until Ivy Spencer enters the scene. Recently free from a controlling relationship, Ivy is a woman determined to reclaim her independence and pursue her dreams, particularly one that seems nearly impossible: training a racehorse to compete in the Kentucky Derby. When their paths cross, Ivy doesn’t just break into Wade’s life—she dismantles the walls he’s spent so long erecting. Their undeniable chemistry and emotional connection spark a journey of growth, healing, and mutual support. As they navigate their personal struggles, Ivy and Wade help each other rediscover joy and strength, making their love story truly unforgettable.

This book is a perfect example of what makes small-town, cowboy romances so endearing. The heartfelt connections, personal growth, and tender moments between the characters are what make Training the Heart shine. It’s a must-read for fans of the genre, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a beautiful, emotional, and satisfying romance.

Thank you NetGalley & Paisley Hope for my ARC of Training the Heart ♥️

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Training the Heart by Paisley Hope is the second book in the Silver Pines Ranch series. In this installment, we get the story of Wade Ashby and Ivy Spencer. The author outdid herself with this one!

The spice was spicing in this book, and I mean extra steamy, but one thing Paisley Hope does here that many others cannot is she kept the plot! This is my favorite type of book. I love romance books and this one had me going through a roller coaster of emotions. Please protect your mental health and read the trigger warnings; it was evident that the author was very cognizant of the material she was tackling here involving both main characters as well as their past, present, and future.

One element I really enjoyed in Training the Heart was the connection that Ivy had with the horses and the training philosophy she brought to the table. It showed that "the way we've always done it" isn't always right and as an animal lover who struggles with the concept of horse racing, this made me gain a different perspective.

A couple of things I'd like to mention - Ivy is confident as all get out, I could absolutely never be blasting my smut through the speakers of my car at all times. I strive to be more like her and own this aspect of myself! Wade's new tattoo? I needed to fan myself. There are so many elements of this book that I loved, but I think the best was that Wade is goals. He has total faith and trust in Ivy, he supports her, he is 'partner' personified. And Ivy is someone I'd love to be besties with. Her sass, genuine affection, and support for her people is unmatched.

Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, NetGalley, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read and review Training the Heart with my honest opinions.

I was able to get an ACR to Holding the Reins and loved the book. Receiving the second book of the series, Training the Heart, I was unsure whether it would live up to the expectations I had but it blew them out of the water!

This book is hilarious, heartbreaking, and heartwarming. I love how this book, like the first, starts out with a funny little intro to the characters. It sets the tone for the book.

Love, love, love this book! Excited for the 3rd book!

Wade….. Ashby….. that’s it that might just be the whole review HAHAHA I’m just kidding, I loved this so much! Ivy is such a strong, independent character and her growth throughout this book was incredible. And Wade might be the perfect cowboy book boyfriend 😮‍💨 with each book in this series, I am falling more and more in love with the characters and found family, and I just can’t wait to continue (and to FINALLY get Cole and Ginger’s book 🤭) Wade and Ivy’s love for each other was so pure and raw, I love love loved it and the ending had me in tears 🥹

Wade Ashby!! I was sucked in from the dedication on this one. Grumpy/sunshine, small town, boss/employee. This was such a fun cowboy romance rand and boy was it spicy! The characters and their banter kept me entertained, while the story just gave me all the feelings! I am loving this series so much & this one didn’t let me down either!!

<i>Just another way for me to shake your nerves, boss... don't you know I do it on purpose?</i>

The way Ivy played with this grumpy rancher was great. She's a spicy audiobook girly, so she used that to her advantage to mess with her boss many times. Just like the first one in this series, I related to the female character a lot. It was very spicy (4/5). Cole was also a great book boyfriend, very thoughtful yet posessive.

<i>See, I knew you were trouble, yet all I've wanted to do since the moment I met you is show you how to behave.</i>

eARC Review: Training the Heart by Paisley Hope
Pub Date: December 31, 2024

I am really enjoying this series by Paisley Hope! It hits a lot of highlights of the cowboy romance genre but also have a flavor of their own. I enjoyed this grump/sunshine, boss/employee romance. Wade and Ivy were explosive and I just loved their banter with each other. The spice was also just as explosive - this book is definitely HOT! I loved seeing the found family and characters from the first book.

My two critiques of this book are that I think kink should be discussed and negotiated before engaging in it and I HATE when characters say that they are "clean" in regards to their STI results. In the year of our lord 2024 can we please leave this terminology behind? It takes just a few extra letters to say "I'm negative".

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

this is a lovely, spicy. tender story! Wade and Ivy are ultimate workplace grumpy/sunshine tropes. I loved seeing them find such deep connection and grow to from just coworkers to deeply connected souls, even navigating some very set in stone walls they each sheltered themselves in. they find not just love between each other but with the lovely family. another sowing spicy cowboy romance in the Silver Pines series! thank you for the arc!!!!

3.5 ⭐️ Ok, who doesn’t love a grumpy cowboy? I really enjoyed the differences in the personalities of Ivy and Wade and how well they worked together. Also, the scrunchies everywhere! I liked Training the Heart better than the first book. I would have liked a little bit more of a slow burn because I preferred the time waiting for them to get together.

Overall a fun quick read that fits with your typical cowboy romance.

Thanks for the eARC NetGalley.

4.5!

Training the Heart is the follow-up novel to Paisley Hope’s “Holding the Reins’ and I couldn’t wait to dive into it. I was super excited when I got the notification I had been approved for the ARC!
We caught a glimpse of Wade and Ivy in the first book, so I looked forward to seeing their relationship develop. Let me tell yall… Wade has a nasty mouth and I loved it 😈. I loved how much love and care Wade gave to Ivy, especially after all she’d been through. I think the small-town setting and the characters really make these books so loveable.
I docked half a star for the sheer reason that Ivy and Wade’s relationship felt like it was based on their sexual drive for each other. I wish there would have been even more heartfelt moments between Wade and Ivy because I felt like their entire relationship was based on sex. I honestly felt like there were too many sex scenes, so much so that I began skimming through them because they weren’t leaving an impact on me.
Anyways, I loved it otherwise! I can’t wait for the last book with Cole! 💕

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this free review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

✨ARC Review✨

Has Paisley become my favorite author this year? Abso-freaking-lutely!

I feel like every cowboy romance I've read in the past are just okay - they're good but nothing memorable. And then I pick up a Paisley Hope book and WOW, I LOVE COWBOY ROMANCES!

There's something about the way she writes- it's captivating and enchanting and you are pulled into the story. She makes grumpy cowboys so enticing and I want one.

This story was so much fun. I was entertained from start to finish. Boss and employee but that boss is Mr. Wade Ashby? Yeah, I wouldn't last either. Going to work would be the highlight of my damn day.

Ivy Spener is adorably fiesty and I loved her so much. She's such a beautiful character. I loved her growth. She was always a strong person but the more she does for herself and surrounds herself with the Silver Pines family, the stronger she gets. These people and this town have become her safe haven and I absolutely loved seeing her strive. Her personality, her humor, and her inner thoughts were written beautifully.

MR. WADE ASHBY. THE GRUMPY COWBOY WHO STOLE MY HEART. I love him so much. Nash Carter will always have a piece of my heart but Wade may have started to take over. He's just a big ole softy for his girl and fuck if anyone says shit about it. He's so caring and protective and it's so attractive. He's tough because his walls are so damn high; he's protecting himself. But he has a lot of love to give and ugh, he melts my heart.

The romance is SUPERIOR. THE SPICE IS SPICY. I was getting whisplash from all the intense moments. There's a lot of spice but damn, Paisley writes it SO DAMN WELL it leaves you wanting even MORE.

I loved seeing these two together. I looked forward to them always being in the same room. Their chemistry was out of this world. Their sarcastic banter was nailed every time. Their growth together was solid and beautiful to see. They've created such a beautiful family and it makes my heart so happy. There is so much I don't want to spoil so I won't!!

We get so many characters from this world in here and I LOVED IT. I loved seeing CeCe and Nash. I loved seeing Mama Jo and the Not So Angels. OMG GINGER AND COLE. I already know this will be my favorite of the whole damn series. I just want to be a part of this world so damn badly.

Everything about this book hits- EVERYTHING.

Paisley, you absolutely KILLED IT! (No surprise there!) I'm so excited for the rest of this series!!

Thank you so much to Paisley Hope, NetGalley, Random House and Dell for the arc copy!

I adored this book. A great blend of plot, spice, and characters you can connect with. We’ve got a grumpy rancher and a strong-willed trainer who can break down his walls without even trying.

First of all - Wade fucking Ashby, the man that you are! 🥵 A grumpy rancher who is absolutely and irrevocably in love with his girl. This man falls HARD for Ivy and personifies Acts of Service and is so incredibly selfless, pure, and wonderful to Ivy. Absolutely gives her everything she needs before she even realizes it.

Ivy as a character is incredibly strong and decided. She’s so resilient and doesn’t allow her past trauma to define her. She finds her perfect, found family in the Ashbys and the Not Angels and it’s so lovely to see Ivy flourish and be pure sunshine.

Don’t even get me started on the smut because wow, it was so spectacular! Wade Ashby is truly a filthy god among men and I’m so grateful for every damn second I was able to spend with Wade and Ashby!

My first book by Paisley Hope! If you're looking for a small town romance and a grumpy boss with a soft spot just for her, this is the book for you!!! I will say the dialogue felt a bit cringey at times, but overall this was a great read.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Dell and NetGalley for the ARC!
This one worked for me much better than the first book did. I really liked Ivy. She was a very memorable main character and I loved seeing her grow and overcome things from her past.
I appreciated that the romance took a little longer to develop than book one did. It wasn’t a slow burn by any means but we had longer to get to know the characters and let the tension build which I really loved. I loved Wade and Ivy’s banter in the first half of the book. I loved seeing Wade get a little soft and open up in the second half even more.
This book set up the next ones so well and I’m excited to see where all these characters end up. I know I’m going to LOVE Ginger.

This was a step out of my comfort zone spice wise. There were several elements that definitely weren’t for me but I just skipped/skimmed and that did not affect my review. I’d also recommend checking more in depth trigger warnings than what the author’s note provides if you are sensitive to sexual content, certain relationship dynamics, and (past, off-page) emotional abuse.

Mercy.

I really liked Holding the reins, but omg. Wade fucking Ashby. Good grief! He is truly a grumpy rancher in the streets and a freak in the sheets. Whoo! And Ivy is such a badass. I loved her so much. They were truly perfect for each other.

Thank you to Paisley and NetGalley for the ARC. It was so damn worth the wait for these two. Just wow.

Wade Ashby the man the you are and Ivy Spencer the woman you are 😮‍💨😮‍💨 I didn’t think anyone could top Nash Carter and now here we are. We love a strong independent woman, we love a man who falls hard and we love when he doesn’t try to put that fire in her out. The way this story had me experiencing all kinds of emotions too??? Paisley Hope has done it again folks

I feel like everything i said about holding the reins is true for Ivy and Wade's story. I loved every minute of it, and may have accidentally read it all in one sitting. This workplace, close proximity they both fall first and fall fast spicy romance was the perfect addition to still being in my cowboy era. I loved how Wade and Ivy's story progressed, it felt realistic and had plenty of meltworthy moments that I couldn't get enough of. I loved how they supported each other in working through past hurt and I loved the found family that was with them along the way. And I'm now anxiously awaiting Cole and Ginger's story!


Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for my review!

4.25⭐️ 3🌶️
Wade may be a grumpy cowboy, but he sure loves fiercely 😏I absolutely loved the story of Wade and Ivy. Janelle and Brad are honestly awful people and deserve all the bad things. Ivy is sassy, and so strong! Her background story would be difficult for anyone to navigate, but she came out so strong. She deserved more than Brad, and she gets it! I look forward to book 3!