Paisley Hope is quickly becoming one of my new favorite authors! I adored book one in this series, and absolutely loved this book, Training the Heart. This book’s main characters are Wade Ashby and Ivy Spencer. It’s a workplace romance, Ivy is the new horse trainer at Wade’s family ranch. Wade starts out as a dominant grump while Ivy is all sunshine and sass. I loved the nicknames they had for each other and their banter which are just two of the elements of their undeniable chemistry that they share. This book is even spicier than book one, and I ate it up. The steamy scenes are so well written. Wade is such a dirty talker and it was so well done. I also thought the quiet moments that the characters shared together showcased how sweet and tender their romance could be too.

Just like Nash in the first book, Wade is top tier book boyfriend material.

I cannot wait until book three, the Silver Pines Ranch series has my heart!

If you love cowboy romances that are spicy, have a grumpy sunshine vibe, and main characters with off the charts chemistry, then this book is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

5 freaking stars from me



I loved the first book, but this one is top tier. I knew I would love Wade once I dived into his story. Something about a boss/employee romance that just really excites me. This one was smoking hot too 🥵🥵 Bossy Wade is definitely a new favorite book boyfriend for me. His tattoo, the scrunchies, this man deserves all the best in life. Really would love to see his ex get what's coming to her.
I really emphasized with Ivy about her ex. Verbal and mental abuse are not something to take lightly. What he had his doctor do was beyond deplorable.
I loved how we got to be back with the whole Ashby clan. This family is truly amazing. Can't wait to see Cole finally get swept off his feet.

I've read two books by this author and my review is the same for both: mostly smut - which is fine! but plot/characters not well written or captivating enough to carry me through personally. Could be a 3 or 4 star read for someone with different taste. I just wasn't charmed or compelled.

since I've given a bit of a harsh review twice I feel I should mention that I have enjoyed other western-set romance series very much! I'm not categorically the wrong audience.

Paisley DID IT AGAIN!!

Wade Ashby can do no wrong and I will take his grumpy self anytime/any day! I love Wade and Ivy individually and I am obsessed with the together. This grumpy, takes everything on as head of the ranch MMC has BDE and I am for it! Ivy is INDEPENDENT and doing her thing! She is sassy and loves pushing Wade's buttons.

You guys... this book has tension but boy when they get into it! You are not going to want to put it down!

This book was such an enjoyable read. From them trying to break their walls down and realize that they do deserve each other and can have love is perfection. The Not-Angels are there and Ginger is pushing Cole's buttons. (Can't wait for that book) Nash is still a simp for Cece, Mama Jo is still the Boss Lady and Papa Dean... this man and his filter is the best!!

Add this to your TBR as you will want to read it ASAP when released!

If you like:
Small Town
Cowboy
Grumpy x Sunshine
Lessons
No 3rd Act Break Up
Accidental Pregnancy
Workplace
Man Obsessed
Road Trip/One Bed
Strong FMC

i love this series so much!!! the first book still shined so much more than this one i feel, but it was an incredible follow up. can't wait for number three!

If you're a fan of spicy cowboy romances, Training the Heart by Paisley Hope will set your heart racing! This steamy addition to the Silver Pines series pairs a rugged, closed-off cowboy with a tenacious heroine determined to chase her dreams—no matter the obstacles. Wade Ashby is haunted by his past, focused solely on his ranch, and not interested in love…until Ivy Spencer shows up. Ivy’s got her own set of struggles, but she’s determined to succeed in training a racehorse for the Kentucky Derby, and her fierce dedication begins to chip away at Wade’s defenses.

The chemistry between Wade and Ivy is as fiery as it gets, making this a romance where the passion burns as hot as the Texas sun. Ivy’s persistence and resilience make her a perfect match for Wade, and the steamy, heart-thumping scenes between them are sure to keep readers turning pages.

Paisley Hope masterfully balances tender moments with the spice, making Training the Heart an unmissable read for fans of Elsie Silver and those who love Western romance with a serious spark. It’s a love story full of heat, healing, and undeniable attraction that will leave you wanting more!

4.5

Tropes:
- Grumpy / Sunshine
- Cowboy / Rancher Hero with a FILTHY mouth
- Strong Heroine
- Forced Proximity
- Road Trip / One Bed
- Man Obsessed
- SPICE 🔥🌶️🥵

Wowwwww! I absolutely loved this book!!!

Wade hires Ivy temporarily as a horse trainer on his ranch. Things don’t start off the greatest but Ivy is so sassy and keeps Wade on his toes. They were so fun to read!

Soon their control snaps and there is no turning back. The chemistry and steam from these two. I still haven’t recovered!! Wade is a filthy talker with a dominance that is HOTTTTTTT. You think you have seen the hottest with Nash but then Wade comes in and is like challenge accepted. lol

Ivy is such a strong woman that knows her worth and with her history that’s even more admirable. Wade is a man obsessed!! The way he takes care of Ivy, but knows when to step back and let her be the bad ass she is. He takes care of her in every way. The small acts of service from this man had me melting. Seriously they are the perfect pair.

Highly recommend you read this book ASAP!!!!

I love, absolutely love everything about Ivy and Wade. Ivy is such a relatable and likable FMC, and Wade is a classic sexy grump. The smut was top tier, I think every single position, foreplay, all the things were added into this book.

There was a little of something missing for me. I needed a little tension or angst, or any reason this couple shouldn’t be together at the start. But they were just a really sexy couple that got together in a very normal sequence of events.

However, the surprise towards the end almost made up for everything. I’m a fan. Wade is just the sweetest man and I never cry but I almost cried at his tenderness 🥹 These two are just too darn cute.

I love anything that revolves around grumpy x sunshine, cowboy romances and especially some delicious slow burn.

This has all the above and more! When it was a slow burn, it was slow and torturous. But when it turned the corner into smut territory - wow! The dirty talk, that tattoo! Dang girl.

Loved the Dual POV as well. I’ve found I’m preferring dual for whatever I’m reading lately. I also have some idea of who I think the next book will be about and I’m HERE FOR IT!

An incredible follow-up to Holding The Reins. But also, this book shines all on its own!
Wade and Ivy were spectacular.👏🏼 Watching her come away from her abusive relationship and find out what love actually looks like was so sweet. And I loved Wade’s pride in watching Ivy flourish while also falling in love with her and being THE most supportive person ever.
•Grumpy/Sunshine
•He falls first
•Workplace romance
•Forced proximity

Check the trigger warnings provided.💕
Thank you to NetGalley, publisher, and author for the arc in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you NeGalley for my ARC of Training the Heart!

The spice was spice-ing babyyyy. That mouth on Wade Ashby. HELLO SIR.

I really enjoyed this. Love a small town cowboy romance with boss/employee and one bed vibes.

"At the very least, Ivy, you need a man whose hands don't shake when he touches you."
"You got steady hands, Chief?"
"Rock fucking steady"

I can't wait for the next one. I love everyone in the family and the friend groups are fun, too.

This book was fantastic (as the first one was!) I adored every second of it. It just needs some grammar editing :)

Ivy Spencer accepts a job as a temporary horse trainer at Silver Pines Ranch. Let’s just say Ivy and her boss Wade Ashby start off on the wrong foot. They both are dealing with past scars from relationships.

Wade was down bad for his girl and I love how he wasn’t afraid to show her that. Their banter, and chemistry had me breezing through this book.

💜 Small town romance
💜 Grumpy x sunshine
💜 Workplace romance
💜 Forced Proximity
💜 Cowboy romance
💜 Spice

“Before Ivy, I was only existing day to day, going through the motions, I wasn’t living, she’s my missing piece.”

Thank you for netgalley and Paisley the arc

I am so obsessed!

I had to cut out part of my review to avoid spoilers- but my full review is in Goodreads!

A definite 5⭐️ read for me!

Ugh I love a good grumpy X sunshine.

I have to say, I love how Paisley writes when it comes to a sensitive matter- such as accidental pregnancy and alcoholism.

I instantly fell in love with Wade from Cece and Nash’s story because I mean, who doesn’t like a grump?! And Ivy is a strong FMC who is the definition of “expect the unexpected”- in the most positive way possible after what she’s been through!

Wade and Ivy definitely drew my attention, and I adore this book. Fighting the attraction between boss and employee and genuinely demonstrating Wade's transformation from a stern to a compassionate person had me completely enthralled. I experienced a wide range of emotions while reading this book, which is definitely worth it! I adore Paisley's writing, but this series has captured my attention thus far, and I'm eager to see what Silver Pines Ranch will do next.

I very much enjoyed this book. It was everything I hoped it would be and so much more. The writing draws you in and welcomes you home to the series. I love the continuation of characters from the last book and the growing information of the characters for the next book. It sets it up nicely for it to be a cohesive series. I did find the book dragged a little for me between 65-68% and at times it felt like these was just too much sex. Less it more sometimes. But I loved this story. I loved this book. I felt like the plot twist moment hit perfectly, it had my stomach in knots and flapping with butterflies. Easily a 5 star book and will definitely be purchasing a copy.

“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.” 🤍

Paisley Hope is such a comfort author for me. I read Holding The Reins in March, and Wolf.e recently, and knew I’d fall in love with anything else Paisley wrote. She creates worlds and characters that you cannot hell but absolutely fall in love with. I knew I’d fall hard and fast for Training the Heart and Wade Ashby when I read the tropes — boss x employee, one bed, forced proximity, grumpy x sunshine, cowboys, and everything a book needs to be a five star in my eyes. I loved the group chat texts between the male characters and female characters, and found them so amusing. We get glimpses into Nash and CeCe’s life since Holding the Reins, family bonds one could only dream of, a sassy female main character, and a soft but only for her male main character. Wade Ashby.. good god. Let’s start with the tattoo?! 🫠 I was feral. I cannot get enough of this man. Goodbye Nash, hello Wade. THE MOUTH ON THIS MAN. It’s fine, I’m fine. 🥵 He’s grumpy, gorgeous, and a force to be reckoned with. Ivy Spencer reads and listens to smutty romance audiobooks, just like the rest of us. I immediately fell in love with her because she’s one of the book girlies. She trusts animals more than people, which is also a trait I share with her. She’s been let down and disappointed one too many times, and has trust issues. I love them both so much. The growth of their relationship felt so organic and natural, paced well, and written well. The spice, banter, and epilogue are all immaculate. I could go on and on about them, and this book, and honestly Paisley too.

Thank you so much, Paisley Hope, and Netgalley for the arc & allowing me to read and review Training the Heart ahead of release day. I cannot wait to pickup a physical copy of this one to set beside Holding the Reins. 🤍You’ve done it yet again, Paisley. I cannot wait for the next Silver Pines book. Training the Heart releases December 31st, and is currently available for preorder on Amazon. 🤍

“I knew you were trouble, yet all I’ve wanted to do since the moment I met you is show you how to behave."
•

grumpy cowboy falls for his horse trainer…need I say more?!

Wade and Ivy’s journey from casual colleagues to serious sweethearts is tantalizingly mouthwatering and everything you could want from the story of two people with sky-high emotional walls.

I adore the Ashby family and Silver Pines Ranch, and I can’t wait to see what’s next!
•

this and that:
♡ action films
♡ boss x employee
♡ cowboys
♡ dimples
♡ dual pov
♡ forced proximity
♡ found family
♡ grumpy x sunshine
♡ he cooks for her
♡ he’s obsessed
♡ horse training
♡ hurt x comfort
♡ karaoke
♡ late night ice cream
♡ men in glasses
♡ open door spice
♡ ranch life
♡ roommates
♡ scrunchies
♡ slow burn
♡ small town
♡ unexpected pregnancy
♡ wear the hat, ride the cowboy
♡ workplace romance
•

triggers:
☞ alcoholism (mentioned)
☞ death of a loved one
☞ emotional abuse
☞ explicit sexual content
☞ grief
☞ infertility
☞ manipulation
☞ physical intimidation

An absolute thank you to the author and NetGalley for the ARC.
My emotions were definitely taken for a ride with this one.
Welp it's official...l need a cowboy....Preferably a hard working loyal, grumpy, dirty talking man like Wade. The chemistry and banter alone between them was amazing but truly their relationship absolute perfection. But his reassurance and support for Ivy has me in an absolute puddle. They compliment each other as much as they rile each other up.
And as always l'm such a sucker for strong found family.
Paisley writes her supporting characters just as strong as her MCs. I LOVED the Not Angels and their acceptance of Ivy without a second thought. Not that she couldn't carry her own weight with her sunshine and sass but she really fit right in with whole crew.

Paisley Hope does it again with the sequel of the silver pines ranch series. Her writing style has become one of my favorites just because it’s so fun and flowy and overall so easy to devour. I hate to say it but I think training the heart is now my #1 in the series and I can’t wait for the others to come out. The communication, the banter, the side characters, the SPICE (literally had me giggling and kicking my feet). Everything was just so on par with the rest of her work and I can’t wait to see what else comes next