*ARC Review*

😮‍💨🔥 let me start by saying, as excited as I was for this book, I wasn’t really that excited about Wade story… Boy did Hope change my mind 😂 This book has it all! Training the Heart follows the Ashby family in their small town in Kentucky with all that small town charm. Wade Ashby is the epitome of grumpy to sunshine cowboy. Ivy Spencer, his new horse trainer, is a spitfire that blows into the ranch like Wade’s personal wrecking ball! We get to see our favorite characters back, (Ginger is my girl) and all their hysterical antics. The witty banter in this book between all the characters is just perfection! The emotions are heavy and real, the spice is explosive💥🤌🏻, and just the overall story is one of hope (no pun intended) and so much love it made my heart melt! Paisley Hope, you changed my mind about Wade, he’s my favorite cowboy now. Also, I’ll never look at a scrunchie the same again 😂👏🏻
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Ok Wade 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

While Holding the Reins felt like a copy paste of Done & Dusted, Training the Heart felt a bit more original, but it still has some elements that are a copy paste of Swift & Saddled. I did really enjoy the spice in this one though.

Thank you Net Galley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion!

Paisley Hope has quickly expedited herself into favorite author territory with her last few releases. I ate up Wolfe, I ate up Holding the Reigns, and Training the Heart was absolutely no different. Wade Ashby?! We love the man you are, because oh my sweet lord was he everything I wanted in an MMC and more. Grumpy ranch owner meets horse trainer is always a recipe for deliciousness and this was no exception. Wade and Ivy were absolutely dynamite together. Chemistry- 10/10. I knew Wade would steal the show from book 1 and he did not disappoint whatsoever. Paisley, girl, you had me from the dedication babes. 5/5 fantastic stars!!

Paisley Hope has quickly expedited herself into favorite author territory with her last few releases. I ate up Wolfe, I ate up Holding the Reigns, and Training the Heart was absolutely no different. Wade Ashby?! We love the man you are, because oh my sweet lord was he everything I wanted in an MMC and more. Grumpy ranch owner meets horse trainer is always a recipe for deliciousness and this was no exception. Wade and Ivy were absolutely dynamite together. Chemistry- 10/10. I knew Wade would steal the show from book 1 and he did not disappoint whatsoever. Paisley, girl, you had me from the dedication babes. 5/5 fantastic stars!!

In *Training the Heart*, the second novel in the Silver Pines Ranch series, author [Author's Name] delivers a captivating and steamy cowboy romance that explores the tumultuous relationship between grumpy ranch owner Wade Ashby and sunny horse trainer Ivy Spencer. This story is a delightful blend of tension, emotional growth, and undeniable chemistry set against the picturesque backdrop of Silver Pines Ranch.

Wade Ashby is a well-developed character who embodies the archetype of the emotionally guarded cowboy. The weight of his family's legacy, compounded by the recent loss of his father and the scars of a failed marriage, has left him reluctant to let anyone in. He thrives on control and stability, striving to be the anchor for his family and the ranch. This internal struggle creates an engaging conflict that drives the narrative forward.

In contrast, Ivy Spencer is a breath of fresh air. With her sunny disposition and resilient spirit, she represents hope and new beginnings. Having faced a turbulent childhood and a string of setbacks, Ivy is determined to start anew at Silver Pines Ranch, aiming to fulfill her dream of training a racehorse for the Kentucky Derby. Her passion for animals and her ability to see the good in every situation make her a relatable and endearing character.

The clash between Wade and Ivy is at the heart of the story. With their opposing views on horse training—Wade's methodical, control-driven approach versus Ivy's more instinctive and chaotic style—the tension between them is palpable. As Ivy’s methods challenge Wade’s long-held beliefs, the friction ignites a spark that leads to unexpected passion. Their chemistry is electric, and the steamy moments between them are beautifully written, capturing the complexity of their emotions.

The setting of Silver Pines Ranch adds to the charm of the narrative, enveloping readers in the beauty of the countryside and the challenges of ranch life. The author’s vivid descriptions create an immersive experience, allowing readers to fully appreciate the stakes of horse training and the intimate bond that develops between the characters.

As the story unfolds, both Wade and Ivy embark on a journey of personal growth. They confront their fears and vulnerabilities, ultimately learning to trust each other and embrace the changes that come with their evolving relationship. The emotional depth of their journey resonates well beyond the pages, making their eventual union all the more satisfying.

*Training the Heart* is a compelling read that expertly balances steamy romance with heartfelt themes of healing and self-discovery. Wade and Ivy's character development is beautifully portrayed, and their undeniable chemistry keeps readers eagerly turning the pages. For fans of cowboy romances and heartwarming love stories, this book is a delightful addition to the genre, leaving readers with a sense of hope and the belief that love can flourish even in the most challenging of circumstances.

Stars: 4.5
Spice: 3.5

This one was even better than book 1! I love a small-town romance, and Paisley did it better than last time. I adore Wade and Ivy's dynamic, and their banter. Wade our grumpy and broody MMC with a dirty mouth makes him a perfect book boyfriend in my world. He needed someone like Ivy to shake things up in his world, and that's exactly what she did. I love that Ivy listens to smutty audio books. A girl after my heart! She came and softened our Wade up, even if it was only for her. Seeing what she came from makes you love her even more. It was so good to see her find her place with this new group; they all fell for Ivy in their own ways. Not to mention the spice is this book is chef's kiss!

X Grumpy/Sunshine
X Boss and Employee
X Forced Proximity/One Bed
X Cowboy Romance

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House, for the chance to ARC read this one.

4+/5 ⭐️, 4/5 🌶️, 1/5 💧

🏇 Small Town Cowboy Romance
🏇 Grumpy vs Sunshine
🏇 Workplace / Forced Proximity
🏇 Grief / Emotional Abuse / Addiction

⚠️ Check content warnings if some of the previous topics are triggers for you.

Paisley Hope has become a favorite small town/ cowboy romance author with these books, up there with Elsie Silver. After reading this book, I think I’ll be tuning in for the next Kentucky Derby because why not? It was described like I was reading a thriller hanging on every word, and I loved it.

The developing romance was so well done, weaving in complex issues seamlessly. The spice I thought also kicked up quite a bit, to the point where I’m not sure some of the scenes moved the story forward as much as just solidifying that yes, they are obsessed with each other and their chemistry is off the charts.

There was great plot and I think if some of those vulnerable and emotional moments were expanded on as thoroughly as the spicy scenes, it would’ve tipped it up a notch. Regardless, it was wonderfully done. The characters independently were wonderful and strong, as well as together as a couple, and I loved seeing both aspects of this. Lovely and would highly recommend!

This book was a fun read. It went relatively quick- I read it in less than 2 days. It was super spicy, which was a surprise but well written. Just what I needed after some heavy fantasy books. Do yourself a favor and snag this book. It will make you smile and swoon!

This book is incredibly spicy and definitely not for the faint of heart. I thought the previous title in the Silver Pines series was sexy, but this one took it to a whole new level. Wade and Ivy perfectly embody the grumpy sunshine trope, which is one of my favorites. Their chemistry is off the charts! I thoroughly enjoyed this read and would recommend it to anyone looking for some serious spice!

Training The Heart
•
BRB, I’M MOVING TO A RANCH ASAP 🐴🤠 This is the second book in the Silver Pines Ranch series and I absolutely loved the first book and was so excited when I got this arc! This series has just been a lot of fun…it’s spicy SPICY 🌶️😮‍💨 but the characters and the story still have depth, there are still real struggles and Ivy and Wade are relatable so I just enjoy the hell out of it all, but my closed door cuties may not love all the spice lol We pretty much pick up right where we left off from the first book and it’s like I never left Kentucky. I am fully invested in this ranch and in this family, just call Danielle Ashby. Dual POV, quick chapters, we’re laughing, smiling, swooning…everything, we’re feeling everything. “That’s good Wade, because I never knew home until I found you.” All I’ll say is that Ivy and Wade deserved EVERYTHING, they truly needed it all 🥹 I feel like Paisley Hope writes amazing banter and amazing men 👸🏼 There is a third book that I need immediately lol ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
•
Thank you @authorpaisleyhope @dellromance and @netgalley for this e-arc! Training The Heart hits the shelves December 31, mark your calendars!
•
I would like to add that there are some trigger warnings written by the author : fertility struggles, alcoholism, and emotional abuse ♥️

4.5⭐️ - This book was so good! It was so fun. I laughed and cried. It dealt with some heavy themes but nothing too crazy.

This book is spicy! 🌶️🌶️🌶️

I enjoyed the grumpy/sunshine dynamic and the boss/employee dynamic. There was a bit of forced proximity.

The next book has to be about Ginger and Cole right? I am so here for it! I cannot wait.

I highly highly highly recommend this fun series!

____________________________

SPOILERS AHEAD - STOP READING HERE IF YOU WANT TO AVOID SPOILERS!!!

- The vindictive part of me so badly wanted to see Janelle and Brad find out about Wade and Ivy’s happily ever after. I wanted Janelle to have to swallow that tough pill that she lost and failed at her manipulation and I wanted to see Brad when he found out Ivy was pregnant at a derby event or something. I feel cheated that I didn’t get that experience.

- I predicted that it was Wade that paid for mom’s rehab and that he was fixing the cabin for her so that was no surprise for me.

- The surprise pregnancy wasn’t a problem for me. They were already in love and it was there for a reason relating to the plot.

- idk what to say about this other than Wade using her scrunchy was kinda hot… 🥵

Just as I suspected, while I liked Cece and Nash in book one, I loved Ivy and Wade even more! It was so sweet to see their relationship develop from co-workers to friends to more. I can’t wait to read more of this series!

•Grumpy/Sunshine
•Workplace Romance
•Rancher/Horse Trainer
•Forced Proximity
•One Bed
•Lots of Open Door Spice

Thank you NetGalley for giving me access to an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘦: 🔥🔥🔥🔥

I think I set my expectations too high here. Don’t get me wrong, this was a good book but not what I expected.

Let’s start with the good! I loved grumpy Wade and sweet Ivy. Their banter was great. Their physical chemistry was off the charts. I loved that they were both willing to pick up the pieces of themselves after bad past experiences and allow themselves happiness again. And for the readers that love spice, this was well written. It was a very spicy book. Definitely one I’ll recommend to readers who love not only a spicy book but fictional cowboys.

The found family trope always makes me so happy and that didn’t disappoint here. I fell in love with the Ashby family in book 1 and love them even more after this one.

Now for why my rating is a little lower than anticipated. I felt that this was mostly a spice-based romance. There wasn’t much outside of that. The connection between the MCs was purely physical. Or at least that’s how it felt to me.

The conflict resolution left a lot to be desired. Neither of the MCs really had a big moment where things were resolved so that aspect for me just felt very underwhelming.

The premise of the story revolving around Ivy and Wade bonding as they trained a horse for derby racing also just kind of petered out. We had all this lead up to the Kentucky Derby and then weren’t given much in the way of a continuation of that plot.

Altogether an easy read but to me it felt too long for what it was. I ended up skipping over a lot of the spicy scenes because of how many there were. It was more than I needed, personally.

Who do I recommend this for? Readers that love a spicy romance, hot cowboys, strong women, and witty banter.

This is definitely the spiciest cowboy romance I’ve read. I was intrigued by the synopsis of this story on NetGalley, but was not prepared for the amount of spice. I picked up and read Holding the Reins to read before I read this one. It definitely had a lot of heat too, but this one was on fire. I personally don’t need that much spice and would have enjoyed less of that and more story.

The story. That is what I loved. As a woman who has grown up on a home with verbal/emotional abuse and alcoholism I felt all that Ivy felt. Throw in a bit of infertility talk, which hit me dead in the gut as I dealt with years of treatment to bring my own children into this world. The journey to get where Ivy and Wade ended up was beautiful. They both had been hurt deeply by people they trusted and to be able to be there for each other and learn to trust again was amazing.

Tropes:
Grumpy x Sunshine
Forced Proximity
Workplace Romance
Pregnancy
One Bed

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Paisley Hope for allowing me to read an advanced complimentary copy of the book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

4.5⭐️

I was so excited to get to read Wade and Ivy’s story! I just knew it was going to be electric and I was not wrong!

The moment we met Ivy in the 1st book, I knew she would fit right in with the Ashby family. She is tough and sure with her training, and she doesn’t back down from anything or anyone. She had a rough few years, and is ready for a fresh start at the Ashby ranch.

Wade is the broody rancher we all know and love to read about. He cares about his family and his ranch, and not much else. He is divorced and definitely not looking for anything serious.

Getting the 2 of them together was amazing! I love how they cared for each other, even before they truly knew and understood their feelings. They were both so supportive of each other. They both got their happy endings, which they definitely deserved!

I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!

Wade and Ivy, how I love theeeee. This book was long awaited! I was one of the original crew that got approved for the arc, and then during the exciting news that Paisley Hope was going trad realized… no more arc for us. It was a bittersweet moment of being so excited for Paisley, but a little disappointed for us. Before I begin I just wanted to say the biggest thank you to Paisley and Dell. During the shuffle they were both so understanding, and kept the original arc team in mind. I’m so very thankful to have been included for the eARC and it was well worth the added wait.

This book was so much fun. Right off the bat, their first impression goes terribly wrong. Wade immediately hates having Ivy around. Everything she does, irks him. She’s always leaving hair ties around, distracts his employees, and is the embodiment of sunshine. Basically she’s Wade’s exact opposite. And even more annoying, she doesn’t let his grumpiness phase her for a single second.

Wade cannot stop thinking about her no matter how much he tries. Especially when her crappy ex shows up. The more he learns about their relationship, the more he wants to throttle the dude.

I really enjoyed the tension between these two. Ivy is such a fun character, and I was eating up the way she drives Wade insane. She’s so confident, and doesn’t take any of Wade’s crap. Her past relationship was so toxic, and I loved the way she was stronger because of it.

I love the friendships in this book. Between the not angels and the guy gang, there was so much to love. Their playful way of teasing left me in stitches. This group isn’t afraid to call each other out! Especially when our main characters are not being subtle at all. I really loved the ending. It was heartwarming to see Ivy’s dreams come true.

I’m incredibly excited for the next book! Things are definitely heating up! The chemistry between the fiery ginger and the grumpy single dad cop is off the charts. It makes Wade and Ivy’s tension look like child’s play.

Another thank you to Paisley Hope and Dell!!! I love this series so much and can’t wait for my trophy copies to arrive!

Ivy and Wades story is captivating. Both equally wounded and the need and desire for one another was a real page turning. This booking is enticing and hard to put down!

Wade and Ivy’s story is everything I needed it to be. Grumpy boss/sunshine employee, sassy heroine. There is talk of past emotional abuse, but the relationship between Wade and Ivy is binge-worthy, hot and amazing!

“I go by their hearts. I can usually tell just by watching them if they’re serene but also a fighter and that has to come naturally. You can’t train the heart.”

I am in love with Silver Pines Ranch and the Ashby Family. Wade Ashby is the eldest and has taken on all of the responsibility for his family ranch, so the last thing he needs is a distraction in the form of a new horse trainer. Ivy Spencer is ready for a Derby run and knows she can do that for Silver Pines, she just needs to get past the grumpy Wade.
“I’m starting to realize that grumpy is your love language, so I’ll choose to let it flatter me.”

Ivy was just the distraction Wade needed to get his life back after his divorce. She brought fun and sass into his daily life and it was just what he needed. Meanwhile Wade brought Ivy the support and stability she always craved. They were the absolute perfect pair.

I would love nothing more than my own personal Wade Ashby and his brand of love. Nothing like a man to tattoo mine on his hand just for you 🔥
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥: “I want you to come too, and squeeze my throat tighter when you do.”

This is the second book in the Silver Pines Ranch series and it was AMAZING! Great tropes, swoony and spicy and a beautiful love story.

We had been gifted glimpses of Cece’s brother Wade in Holding the Reins (book 1) and now it is his time to shine. Moody, brooding, grumpy - everything you love in a cowboy. He meets his match in Ivy, his temporary horse trainer. She’s sassy and doesn’t take his grumpiness while falling in love with him and his family.

I adored Holding the Reins and it is so great when a series lets you continue to follow the family. Nash and CeCe from book 1 are heavily featured as well as brother Cole who I think is book 3…and it is setting his book up nicely. I can’t wait. 🩷🩷