Paisley Hope truly never misses!! I loved this so much. Anything she writes is an auto buy for me from now on!

🔎 ARC Review

Riding The High

@authorpaisleyhope
@dellromance
@netgalley

Publication Date: May 6th, 2025

My Rating:
🌟 5/5 👩‍🍳 💋

👀Read if you like
Friends to Lovers
Best Friends Brother 😉
Single Dad

When Cole Ashby is appointed Laurel Creek’s interim sheriff, he is determined to prove himself as the best man for the job. A devoted single dad, his goal is to lay steady roots for his young daughter.

As the daughter of a Kentucky congressman, Ginger Danforth’s life has always been about neat appearances. But inside, she’s dying to break free and embrace the sense of adventure that runs through her veins.

During a wild weekend in Las Vegas, Ginger and Cole play a game of truth or dare and, after a few too many drinks, find themselves hitched in a neon-lit chapel. With no quick way out, they strike a deal: stay secretly married until Ginger’s father is reelected and Cole lands the sheriff job permanently.

But as the pair are forced to spend an increasing amount of time in each other’s company, sparks continue to fly and their accidental marriage starts to feel dangerously real.

Until they forget they were ever pretending at all.

🔎 My review
This series is so good!! I have been hooked since book one and love the Ashby clan. At the end of Training My Heart I knew that Ginger and Cole were meant to be and needed their own story to be told. I love seeing them both grow and Ginger getting her Law Daddy 😜 extra spicy 🥵. This book is the perfect mix of sweet and spicy. The sweetness comes from sweet Mabel and seeing her bond with Ginger 🥺❤️. I can't wait for Freeing The Wild

Thank you @authorpaisleyhope, @dellromance, @netgalley for the ARC!

#books #bookreviews #bookstagrammer #bookworm #bookstagram #bookobsessed #romance #paisleyhope #dell #dellromance #NetGalley #RidingTheHigh #friendsbrother #smalltownromance #singledad #friendstolovers #lawdaddy

With each book from the Silver Pines Series by Paisley Hope, I’m more obsessed with this world and it keeps being my number one cowboy series. The most recent release is Ginger and Cole’s story in Riding The High and omg I loved it so much.
 
You already see their amazing chemistry in the other books and one drunken night in Vegas changes everything and they accidentally get married. The married in Vegas trope is one of my favs for a reason and it was just the push Ginger and Cole needed to finally address their relationship and what could be.
 
Ginger has a heart of gold and she’s a teacher and she’s such a warm and caring person. She is a great friend to Cole, and I loved how she bonds with his daughter Mable. I also loved seeing the friend group and what’s going on with them.
 
And Law Daddy Cole is just the cherry on top and I love how he can be very caring and loving while also taking the reins and being more playful. He’s becoming the new sheriff and I liked seeing more of that job. Ginger drives him crazy and it was so funny to watch him trying to be a gentleman and holding back. The longing these two have for each other is just the best.
 
They start off with a great friendship and they just get each other and also know how to push each other’s buttons. Ginger and Cole just belong together and with each page they become the perfect little family and not going to lie I shed a few happy tears in the epilogue. I also loved the waterfall date scene and the scenes at the cabin or just them being at home and working on the garden.
 
If you like small-town romances with lots of heart and spice, you need to check out Riding The High and this whole series in general. 5 stars.
 
(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc.)

[Riding the High]

OMG I love love LOVE Cole and Ginger!! Holding the Reins is one of my all-time favorite books so I was so excited to not only be back in Silver Pines, but to also finally get all the details on Cole and Ginger's "friendship". (yes those are air quotes) We all knew there had to be so much more to it than that and their story couldn't have been more perfect.

Paisley did such an amazing job writing their banter and chemistry. You could feel the way they care about each other in every single chapter. They had a romantic connection from the beginning but they are both fighting it so hard. I loved the slow burn that was built into them resisting and resisting until they finally give in. *chefs kiss*

I loved every second of this book!

Grab this one if you love:
✨ Sheriff
✨ Single Dad
✨ Reformed Playboy
✨ Best Friend's Brother
✨ Friend's to Lovers
✨ Vegas Wedding
✨ Secret Relationship (and friendship)
✨ Small Town
✨ Nanny for the Summer
✨ He has a Tattoo for Her

📚 Book: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧 Audio: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥Spice Rating: ❤️

Thank you so much to Paisley Hope and Dell Publishing for the ARC.

Spice Rating
🤍 clean romance
💗 closed door/ fade to black
❤️ spicy content (a few detailed scenes)
❤️‍🔥 explicit, play-by-play (major part of the plot)
🖤 graphic, more than vanilla

3.5 ⭐️

I was really excited for this book, but this one fell a bit flat for me as far as character development and plot. I think there was a lot of missed potential with the friends to lovers trope, though the single dad trope was well done. I would have liked to see a more engaging plot, as it seems the story was a bit fluffed up. It took me a bit longer to read this than other books in the past.

Tropes include: Single dad, best friend’s brother, friends-to-lovers, accidental marriage, forced proximity.

Cole and Ginger are long time friends, largely due to the fact Cole is Ginger’s best friend, CeCe’s, brother. There was always tension in their friendship, but neither of them ever committed to taking it any further than friendship. This all changed during a wild trip to Vegas, when drinking mixed with the tension lead to some bad (or not so bad) decisions. Ginger and Cole end up married and were advised they should not resolve the marriage for 90 days to protect Cole’s newly appointed position as sheriff and to protect Ginger’s public image as her dad is a prominent political figure. Ultimately, Ginger takes a position as a nanny for Cole’s daughter Mabel, for the summer, and this is where the forced proximity trope begins…

I will say I didn’t hate this book, I just felt as though it could’ve been executed better. There was a lot of smut scenes that seemed to be thrown in for reader engagement but that did nothing to better develop the relationship between the MMC and FMC.

Thanks to NetGalley and for the ARC to read and review.

I am truly loving this series so much. There's just something about the writing and the characters that feels so easy to read and love. I was so excited about Cole and Ginger based on the previous books and their banter and I am so happy to report that their story did not disappoint!

First, I was not expecting them to be secret friends but oh my gosh it worked so well!! I adored their friendship and how they were always there for each other. The bets were so fun and I loved all their banter. So it made perfect sense in a way that they would end up married in Vegas but also have to keep it a secret! It just would happen to them lol.

Cole was truly was the best single dad, but also was a bit of a manwhore haha. All he needed was to finally get Ginger and he was a goner. And Ginger was such a fun FMC!! I loved her and her friendships with the "not angels". And then as her relationship developed further with Cole's daughter!?? So sweet. They worked so well as their little fam and I loved them all so much.

Once again, Paisley Hope brings it with the spice. Like him being a Sherriff and using some work items? Hot. And I loved all the side plotlines with Cole's job. There really wasn't anything I disliked in this book. Had the best time listening!

Also that epilogue??!? Seeing all my faves together had my heart so full. I am so excited to see what the next book brings us. New favorite series for sure. All my small town, spicy romance lovers must read!!

Thank you so much to the author and Dell Romance for an eARC! I did also listen on audio because I'm an audio girlie and the combo was perfect!

Once I started this book, I couldn’t put it down, Ginger and Cole’s secret friendship is one of my favorites where they aren’t rival families, cause why is there friendship a secret, that’s just how they want it and I love it. I also loved the truth or dare game at the beginning of the book, reminds me of one of my favorite books, and so I was addicted to this book from the start. Cole is a single dad and running for county sheriff so he keeps his life clean well until he gets secretly married in Vegas to Ginger and then they do what they can to put on a show that Ginger is helping with Mabel during her summer off, and so she lives with them as well.

Ginger has been in love with Cole for as long as she can remember but she does so well with making sure her feelings aren’t obvious and it’s so much so that until she hears Cole say his feelings a million times that she finally starts to believe they can become something more. They have such a good friendship, they understand each other, don’t expect more than the other can give, and I don’t see any disrespect between them so this was a great friends to lovers that’s so believable that these two really do love each other, and took the long way to get there.

I can’t wait to see what comes next from Paisley Hope because I’ve loved all three books I’ve read from her so far!

Holding The Reins is book three in the Silver Pines Ranch series by Paisley Hope.
I loved this steamy cowboy romance!
This small town, brother's best friend story was phenomenal!
The characters were amazing and the spice was hot!
I've had the best time reading this outstanding series!

5 juicy stars!!! This is Paisley Hope’s BEST yet!!!! I love a single dad romance and this ticks so many favorites. Reformed playboy, former hockey player and cowboy. Grumpy x sunshine. Controlled x Chaos. I have been intrigued by these two from book 1 and it did NOT disappoint. I am so in love with the family dynamic and Cole’s daughter. I love this sloppy night of a Vegas wedding ALL SO SHE WOULD SLEEP WITH HIM!!!!! The man is down bad, props to him for that. I loved the slight drama with his job as well and her father. All in love, great amount of tension and drama wasn’t too distracting from the plot of the story.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARc opportunity! This was an amazing cowboy romance that made me want to reindulge in the series! The men in these books are just pure swoon!!!

✨ 𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 ✨

𝗥𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗯𝘆 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗛𝗼𝗽𝗲
𝚁𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝙼𝚊𝚢 𝟼𝚝𝚑, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟻 — 𝙾𝚞𝚝 𝙽𝚘𝚠!

Thank you so much to @authorpaisleyhope @dellromance & @randomhouse for the eARC & physical copy of this book! 🫶🏼

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
💜 small town romance
🌻 single dad
💜 best friend’s brother
🌻 cowboy/sheriff MMC
💜 teacher FMC
🌻 accidental/secret marriage
💜 forced proximity
🌻 secret pining
💜 open door romance
🌻 dual POV

𝗠𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦: It was so nice to be back in Silver Pines again & I loved getting to read all about Cole & Ginger’s love story! Ginger is a freaking hoot & I want to be part of the Not Angels because I love every single one of the female characters in this series. Cole is your overly protective single dad who has rules in place & Ginger comes in breaking allll of them with her fun little self. Ginger & Cole both balance each other out so nicely & truly bring out the best in one another. Mabel (Mabes) was the cutest kid ever & I loved the connection she had with both of them. I absolutely loved getting to experience Cole & Ginger’s journey that encompassed such friendship, love & respect!

✨ARC Review✨

Silver Pines Ranch Series: Book 3
18+ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🌶️🌶️🌶️

This was such a fun and sexy book, I ate it all the way up! I loved both Ginger and Cole so much! I was immediately hooked from the beginning with Ginger and Cole’s flirty banter, undeniable chemistry and tension, and secret pining for one another.

Ginger has always had a thing for her best friend’s brother, Cole, but when Cole rejects her, they remain friends who never dare to cross that line again. That is, until one crazy night in Vegas, that leaves them with memories of a steamy night together and wedding rings on their fingers when they wake up.

When reality hits, Ginger and Cole are forced to spend more time together. Cole has to navigate his new position as the town sheriff, being a single dad, and pretending with the one woman that’s always drove him crazy.

Aside from the sexy spice, I loved the way Cole and Ginger could always count on one another as friends and always knew exactly what the other needed in each moment. They seemed to calm each other like no one else could because of their friendship first. 💕

If you enjoy small town, single dad, best friend’s brother, and dirty talk that will make you blush, go read this book!!! 🔥

Thank you Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for this ARC!

This MMC was plucked straight from my dreams & the FMC is me, I am Ginger. #daddyissues

Going into this book without reading the blurb was the best thing I could have possibly done. I was SHOCKED. I already knew Cole & Ginger’s story was going to be my favorite (the childhood friends to lovers that pick and fight all the time is my favorite).

Cole is SUCH an idyllic MMC. Small town single dad that does everything for everybody in his circle. He was given a shit hand when he got pregnant with his now ex-wife, Gemma. Even thought it was unexpected, he strapped down and became the best man for his daughter despite how awful Gemma was. At the start of this book he is about to be sworn in as sheriff and endure every work day with his deputy sheriff, his ex-wife’s new boyfriend.

Throughout the years he and Ginger have gotten close. Ginger being CeCe’s best friend (Cole’s little sister) they have kept their friendship a secret. Ginger has always had a crush on Cole, but after a late night teenage misunderstanding, they never broach the subject again. That is until they find themselves waking up in a Las Vegas hotel room with wedding bands and precariously ✨sore✨ bodies.

This story follows Ginger and Cole as they navigate their accidental marriage and possible divorce all while pretending nothing is going on in the political public eye. Cole ends up needing a nanny for the summer & Ginger just so happens to be free.

When I tell you Daddy Cade is no competition, I am being genuine. Cole has a filthy mouth and knows how to put Gingers sass in its place. Their relationship journey is tension filled and beautiful. Nothing is more heart wrenching than best friends to lovers and you cannot change my mind. Also, the tender moments between Cole, Ginger, and Mabel (his daughter) are adorable and I may have shed quite a few tears.

I have enjoyed the Silver Pines series and could not wait for Ginger and Cole’s story! I knew from Ginger’s personality in the other books that this one would be entertaining and it definitely was!
Mabel is precious and watching the bond between her and Ginger grow was so sweet.
Over all- I loved the storyline and characters. Where the book fell short for me was the spice- it was just too much and I definitely felt like it took away from what could’ve been a beautiful love story.
Overall it’s a sweet read with great characters and if you like a LOT of explicit scenes in your books, you will love this one!

This whole series has been amazing! I read the first 2 books in the series as ARC’s so I was excited to get this one. Paisley Hope has become one of my favorite authors.
Cole and Ginger’s story was top tier and by far my favorite in the series so far. Paisley you got the friends to lovers on point and did not disappoint with this story. I highly recommend this book! Thank you for the opportunity to have this as an ARC! Can’t wait to see what comes next!

This book was so perfect! I love the plot and the characters had me laughing out loud and in my feelings!

The big secret was great and I didn’t feel anxious about people finding out which helped me enjoy this book even more. I was able to pay attention to the characters and not worry if they were gonna get caught.

Cole was amazing and I love his character! He had a lot of depth! Ginger was one of my favorite characters because I could kind of relate to her! She had me laughing out loud with some of the things she said, and she was genuinely funny. She also seemed very sure of herself, even when she was in doubt.

This friend to lovers novel is so so good and I recommend it so much!

Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley, and the author for this ARC! All thoughts are my own!

Have I ever said how much I love a Drunk Vegas Wedding! So many fun memories (just kidding you don't remember anything). I love love love Ginger and Cole! Love!

The banter, the secret friendship, the secret mutual pining, these 2 had everything going on and I ate it up! I love how whipped he was for her.

There was so much more to Ginger then I thought, and I loved learning more and more about her!

My erk, her refusing to believe the words he is telling her, and her saying I don't know where is head is at. We do honey, your his! It may be in moments of passion but still pretty true!

I loved seeing the whole crew back together! I am so excited to see what comes next for them.

Riding the High reminded me exactly why I’m a sucker for a good friends-to-lovers romance! The relationship between Cole and Ginger was so fun right from the start, but the tension underneath definitely had you on your seat waiting for what was to come!
Ginger is the queen of playful sass, and I loved how she constantly poked at Cole just to get a reaction. Their banter was SO GOOD. Underneath it was years of trust, affection, and feelings they’ve been too scared to admit and watching it all come to the surface… UGH. My HEART.
And then there's sweet little Mabel. Seeing Cole, Ginger, and Mabel form this beautiful little team had me grinning like a goof one second and wiping my eyes the next. I mean, team Daddy’s Girls, COME ON! The bond between Ginger and Mabel felt so pure and real, and the way Ginger talked about loving her was everything. I loved how Ginger knew Cole and Mabel were a package deal and it just made her want to be apart of their team that much more.
And when Cole and Ginger finally admit their feelings, they don’t tiptoe—they JUMP. Their love was deep, honest, and sooo worth the wait. My chest was full the whole time.
Also… I did NOT know I had a thing for small-town sheriff romances, but THANK YOU to Paisley Hope for unlocking my LAW DADDY era. The spice? Top tier. The emotion? Off the charts. The cozy small-town vibes with the feels of a lifetime? Perfection.

4.5 ⭐️ Paisley Hope has done it againnnn! With the glimpses of Cole and Ginger we’ve gotten throughout the series so far, I was SO excited to have their story and it doesn’t disappoint. Their banter, the emotions, the relationship development with not only Ginger and Cole but also with Mabel?! My hearttt 💜 The dynamic and progression of the three of them becoming a family was written beautifully. Bonus: The spice was SPICING (the handcuffs? Come onnnnn now 😮‍💨)! Cole’s dirty talk had me weeeeeak 😩

✨𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄✨

𝐑𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡 by @authorpaisleyhope

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🗓️May 6th - OUT NOW!

📄432

𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕖𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕥:
💜Best Friend’s Brother
👮🏻‍♂️Sheriff x Teacher/Nanny
💍Single Dad
💕Friends to Lovers
💜Accidental Marriage
👮🏻‍♂️It’s Always Been You
💍Truth or Dare
💕Small Town Romance

Ginger and Cole Ashby formed a secret friendship and had each other’s back through the toughest of times. Now, a drunken night in Vegas and a game of truth or dare ends with these friends becoming husband and wife. With so much at stake, Cole and Ginger secretly agree to stay married for 90 days. Between the forced proximity, mutual pining, and Cole’s adorable daughter lines begin to blur.

“𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘰 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨, 𝘎𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳... 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰. 𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘐 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘐 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘢𝘴𝘴, 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦. 𝘈𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴.”

𝓜𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼:
Cole and Ginger’s story was heartwarming, fun, and so damn delicious! Their story is my new favorite – their friendship was so real and authentic and stole my heart from the start. The tension in this book was mouthwatering, I could not put this book down. These two together were explosive. Her nickname for him is so damn good! The spice in this book is exquisite! I’m still riding the high from this book! The last two sentences, my gosh! SO DAMN GOOD!

I loved catching up with the crew of Silver Pines and loved that they played such a huge role in this story. If you are following the series, you are in for such a treat!