Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Training the Heart by Paisley Hope is a spicy cowboy romance following the bossy and stoic rancher, Wade, and the lively and sassy trainer, Ivy, who he's hired to train a racehorse for the Kentucky Derby.

I absolutely loved this next installment of the Silver Pines Ranch series! Holding the Reins was so so good, and book two took that momentum and ran with it! I found both characters endearing in their own way, each bringing baggage and trauma to the relationship that only made them stronger together as they found ways to beat the odds instead of letting it tear them apart.

I gave this five stars because it perfectly balanced plot and romance for me and if you haven't jumped into your cowboy romance era, consider this your sign to do so. Paisley Hope has definitely cemented her title as an auto-buy author for me!

This second book is better (and spicier) than the first. 3.5 rounded up.

I would say this book is a romance book (vs romcom), with the relationship and spice being the lead, and the storyline being more secondary. Even within that, Hope pulled the story together better than the first one in the series - both improved writing and not having loose ends forgotten as the story progresses.

Two things I didn’t love:
- Some of the language/conversations feel unrealistic (e.g., Ivy confronting Brad in the hospital)
- The fertility journey - both thinking she can’t get pregnant to spontaneously getting pregnant (feels like diminishing the struggle many woman go through) as well as what the suspect about Brad’s doctor

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

Received as an ARC.

🪻 Grumpy x Sunshine
🪻 Forced proximity
🪻 Man obsessed
🪻 Road trip
🪻 One bed
🪻 Spicy lessons
🪻 Surprise twist ending
🪻 No third act breakup 🙌🏻

I ate this up and left zero crumbs!!! After reading the first book in this season I couldn’t wait to dive into Training The Heart. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint. If you’re a fan of Elsie Silver, Brooke Montgomery and Devney Perry then you are going to absolutely love Paisley’s work. It’s well worth the read and a solid 5 stars from me. Now just to not so patiently wait for book 3.

Paisley Hope, you queen you. Training the Heart, FIVE STARS.

We head back to Silver Pines for book 2 right where our epilogue sort of left off in Holding the Reins. Ivy is the new horse trainer on the ranch and grumpy Wade is her boss. She’s immediately caught his eye but *sigh* he’s her boss. Can’t have that right?

Paisley gives us the best small town, found family vibes. Her humor through these characters is immaculate. You feel like a part of the crew from the beginning. There’s a great balance of plot and character growth. And a trope towards the end I COMPLETELY didn’t know about (I don’t read blurbs, or commit advertised tropes to memory).

I adored Ivy. Her independence and just blatant attitude towards her boss had me cackling. She fits right in with the crew and might be my favorite FMC so far. Paisley has a way with writing some queen female main characters, you just want to be one of the Not So Angels.

Wade had me giggling. He’s grumpy and sticks to his job but can’t help but stray away from his routine when Ivy comes along. Also, the way Paisley slips in a little bit of his ego here and there in his POV was cracking me up.

Another fave. Thank you to the author and publisher the ARC.

I just have to say I was down bad after reading Holding The Reins for Nash Carter. But now?! Wade Ashby is really THAT man. He is so sexy and that mouth should be illegal. Such a grumpy cowboy but when he opens up he has a gooey caramel center for the woman he loves and I couldn’t get enough! I knew from the first book that I would absolutely love Ivy as well. They’re a match made in heaven! Her fire and sass perfectly matches up to Wade and she doesn’t take any shit from him! I love her growth and the strength she has made me want to cry! What a woman! I couldn’t put this book down, once I started reading it I was absolutely hooked. Paisley Hope you’re now officially an automatic buy author. Everything you write is gold! Now I’ll be patiently(very impatiently) waiting for Cole and Ginger. A million stars out of 5.

I was a little wary after reading the first book, but I really enjoyed this! The writing overall was much better in this book and the relationship felt more natural. As an Elsie Silver fan this is the perfect kind of book for me. Was the book predictable? Yes. But was it still fun to read? Absolutely. I think there could have been a bit more development of the characters and definitely of their relationship, but overall an easy read.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC!

I love it so much, Ivy and wade together are perfection and this book made me want more of Cole and ginger.

I looooove this series, Paisley Hope is definitely one to watch. There was SO MUCH SEX in this book but I was here for it! Fantastic chemistry and communication, and talk about a man who is DOWN BAD. Love it!

Paisley Hope has done it again! Her premiere series as an author—Training the Heart takes us back to the beloved Silver Pines Ranch.

Wade Ashby is a handsome, rugged and honest cowboy in charge of his family’s ranch. Ivy Spencer, despite her heavy and traumatic past, is a silly, optimistic horse trainer hired to fill an empty role at the ranch. While nobody can deny her beauty, Ivy is quite the annoyance to her grumpy boss, who may just be in denial of how much he needed her and visa versa.

This story was filled with tension, steam and did not lack any spice. I loved it even more than Holding the Reins, but I’m also partial to a broody MMC.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing—Ballantine for the ARC copy to read and review. I was so excited to receive this after being one of Paisley’s original ARC readers before she became traditionally published.

I absolutely love this book, Wade and Ivy definitely caught my attention. Fighting the attraction, boss and employee, and honestly showing Wade’s gruff personality melt into his caring self truly had me in a grip. This book gave me a whirlwind of emotions it really is worth the read! The spice in this is off the charts, I truly love Paisley’s writing but this series so far has a hold on me I can’t wait to see what’s next for Silver Pines Ranch!

✨ boss x employee
✨ grumpy x sunshine
✨ he falls first
✨ cowboy romance
✨ small town family ranch
✨ no third act break up

An absolute must read to add to your TBR releasing December 6 in the US and Canada but already available in the UK! This grumpy cowboy with too much on his shoulders and a raven haired horse trainer that is there to get under his skin in this new romance by Paisley Hope. Ivy is on Silver Springs Ranch for a short time but in that time Wade realizes he hasn’t been living for years until Ivy comes along and wakes him up.

I knew getting Wades story would take me out and I was so correct. Wade and Ivys story was spicy, sweet, a little heartbreaking but all over full of so much depth and meaning. I love that both of them have experienced shared grief that not many would understand and can get each other in ways they haven’t been seen before. There’s a forced proximity element where the grumpy cowboy but can’t help but to take care of her. I love getting to see under Wades skin and get to see who he truly is.

I loved everything about this book. Paisley Hope never fails to bring the emotion, love and spice. Everything about Wade and Ivy was perfection. I loved their banter and their genuine care for one another. Wade was so swoony and had such a dirty mouth. I highly recommend this book.

Woooo I adored CeCe and Nash, but Wade and Ivy have taken the Silver Pines “best couple” award. I don’t normally gravitate toward grumpy x sunshine, but this was soo well done. Same with the boss x employee trope, which isn’t my fave because I’m never a fan of that sort of power imbalance. But Hope handled these SO WELL. Wade was grumpy but sexy as hell, and Ivy absolutely deserved his worship after everything she’d been through with her horrible ex. Highly recommend, and I can’t wait for Cole and Ginger!

What can I say? Another winning book from Paisley Hope. This is one of the best grumpy x sunshine romance books ever. The story revolves around Ivy, the new horse trainer at the Silver Pines Ranch and Wade, the owner. Both MCs have been through toxic and bad relationships so both have some reservations about dating and love. But of course, they couldnt resist each other. They are just so perfect for each other. The tension is palpable and you can feel it in almost every page before they even got together. The banter in this book is also top notch. There's a couple of scenes where I laughed out loud or some lovey dovey scenes that made me giggle and kick my feet. I thought Holding the Reins was spicy but this one is spicccccccyyyyyy in a good way 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️. When the spice hits, it hits!

I love all the side characters too and cannot wait for their books. This has become one of my favorite cowboy series ever and already want to reread. Highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a swoony and steamy love story. Oh I almost forgot - that twist towards the end? Amazing! Like I almost cried for them. Couldnt have happened to a couple more deserving.

Thank you NetGalley, the publishers and Paisley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. Love this book!

🌶: 2.5 out of 5
⭐️: 3.25 out of 5
🍿*: 5 out of 5

Training the Heart is a cute small town romance novel that touches on abusive past relationships, one bed, forced proximity and grumpy x sunshine. It follows the story of boss Wade Ashby and employee Ivy Carter as they work at Silver Pines Ranch just in time for Derby season. Overall their love story has all of the components I enjoy reading in a contemporary novel and the characters are so easily lovable. As this is the second book in the Silver Pines Series I have to give a shoutout to my favorite side character, Ginger, for saving the day again!

The spice levels in this book is rated a little lower as I was under the impression Wade liked to be a little spicier in the bedroom but the scenes just didn't do it for me. Wade is still very generous and of course knows what he's doing!! Overall, I would rate this at a 3.25 as I had a harder time relating to Ivy with her overarching issues but the popcornability is at a 5! Popcorn scale is referring to how easily consumable the book is overall - I read this book in one sitting lol

*Warning: Possible Spoilers, Read With Caution!*

A big thanks goes to the author, Paisley Hope, the publisher, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Training the Heart, a cowboy boss MMC workplace spicy romance novel revolving around the characters of Wade Ashby and the lovely Ivy. I will share my review to Amazon, Goodreads, and Barnes & Noble upon release. Ivy has come to work on the Ashby's family farm, bringing her talents as a horse trainer and chaos-maker. She's supposed to be helping her boss, Wade, select a new horse to run in the Kentucky Derby in order to bring honor back to the Ashby family name. She chooses an underdog filly and the rest is history!

I loved all the movie references and country music references! If you're a fan of pop culture references in books, this one is going to be right up your alley. She's a bit of a chaotic, clumsy mess, and he's there to help. There's some elements of forced proximity in order to bring them together, and in spending time bonding, they begin to fall. I would say that the book is heavier on spice than story, but I think the story is enough to hold it together. There's lots of spicy scenes and a will they/won't they flirting thing going on, which makes it more satisfying when they do come together. They have to become vulnerable to each other to let each other in, and their shared trauma allows them to feel safe opening up to the other. This part was really sweet and realistic.

Training the Heart also has a lot of text message exchanges which are fun to read in a more modern story like this one. I liked the addition of the groupchats that gave you more insight into their personalities that we may not have had otherwise. Wade and Ivy have to go through several events that force them together, and I liked the idea of falling for each other as they learned more about each other's deepest secrets. The surprise pregnancy at the end felt a bit forced and rushed, but I understand why her character needed to face something to change her perspective. This series would appeal to fans of Elsie Silver. I enjoyed this one overall and would read more by Paisley Hope!

The Ashby family quickly became one of my favorites when I first read Holding the Reins and that proved true again reading Training the Heart! Whewwww Wade Ashby 🔥 he was spicy! And the relationship with Ivy and the not angels- just perfect! I love a strong female and this series is full of them… and all the hot cowboys! Can’t forget grandpa Dean and his fun humor!

From book one holding the reins I knew wade ashby would be my favourite and his book didn't disappoint!!!
I'm loving this series so much and can't wait for Cole's and gingers book
He gets MINE tattooed on his hand scrunchies if you read then you know
and the
I loved their story from the start and there attraction towards eachother and how their relationship developed and how much wade supported ivy through all the tough times
and the spice was spicy trope you will love this book
and if you love a one bed
Thank you NetGalley for approving this arc and thank you @authorpaisleyhope for giving me my new obsession

I read Holding the Reins back in February and was absolutely blown away by Paisley Hope’s talent. After just one book, she became one of my favorite authors, and I’ve been eagerly anticipating this next installment in the Silver Pines Ranch series. Let me tell you, Paisley did not disappoint!

If you thought Nash Carter was swoon-worthy, prepare to make room in your heart for Wade Ashby. This grumpy rancher isn’t just a book boyfriend—he’s a book husband! Wade’s gruff exterior was actually so endearing, but watching him soften for Ivy? Pure magic. He’s the ultimate caretaker: he cooks, he cleans, and in the bedroom... whew, he’s everything. And if you’re after a fierce FMC who knows her worth and doesn’t shy away from a challenge, look no further than Ivy Spencer. She’s a self-aware queen, sassy, and strong, with a love for smutty audiobooks that makes her all the more relatable. I connected with her resilience and strength, especially in the way she bounced back after leaving a toxic relationship.

Beyond the romance, Training the Heart beautifully intertwines themes of self-love, healing, and trust. It’s about opening your heart again, making it so much more than just a love story. If you love a feel-good, emotionally rich read that’ll make you smile, swoon, and maybe even shed a tear, this book is it.

Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin House for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

⭐️ 5/5
🌶3/5

I needed to take a few deep breaths and center myself before this review because WOW OH WOW did Paisley overdeliver. This book is everything you wanted the sequel to "Holding the Reins" to be (another favorite book of 2024) PLUS a little more spice.

I love love love love loved the friendship between Ivy and Wade in this book. If you are a fan of Elsie Silver, Bailey Hannah and generally a fan of cowboys with dirty mouths (hello, husband if you're reading this), then do yourself a favor and pick this bad boy up.

HAPPY READING! And a huge thank you to Paisley and her publishing team for the ARC!