60/100 or 3.0 stars

This was a cute and sexy romance! There are plenty of cringy moments in here, but that is rather impossible to avoid with modern romances, so that is not really the fault of the author. I would be interested in continuing the series, as it set up the other brothers/potential narrators for a sequel well within this first book. I wan to avoid spoilers, so I will not be able to go into detail on why it is a three star or what the cringy moments are throughout the story.

I found the author because of her second book in this series, Training the Heart”. But I wanted to read the first, this one, and I’m so happy I did!

I absolutely LOVE CeCe and Nash! These characters are perfect! The storyline was really good. Learning about Nash’s past makes me fall harder for this MMC ❤️

Save a horse 😉

Looking forward to read the next in the series!

This book was very enjoyable and a nice fun read a good palate cleanser! Although it took me well into the book to stay connected with the characters but was still a good easy read.

Decent book, enjoyed it for the most part. Cut and dry cowboy romance, very similar to ones i have read in the past.

Paisley is a QUEEN of small town romance. This might just be the best small town romance I have EVER read, and it is DUAL POV!!! Cece and Nash’s story is hilarious and beautiful. Most of all, Nash is utter perfection. If you want to laugh from page one and meet the most wonderful book boyfriend in existence, read this IMMEDIATELY!

Tropes: Brother’s Best Friend, Age Gap, Former Hockey Player, Small Town, Cowboy, Playboy, Work Place, Just One Night, Can Only Sleep When I Am With You, HEA

Thank you Net Galley for my free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Whew! Was this one spicy romance! After having only read 3 chapters I was hooked and knew this book was going to be a new fave and a series I'm going to have to devour. The things Nash Carter said and did had me blushing and giggling. Nash and CeCe could not keep their hands off one another and I loved it. Their chemistry was off the charts. And her squad of girlfriends were hilarious. I'm so looking forward to continuing the series.

I really enjoyed this book! It was an engaging read from start to finish, and I found it incredibly accessible. The writing was easy to follow, and I appreciated how the story kept me hooked without feeling overwhelming. Overall, it was a great experience, and I definitely recommend it!

💗Holding the Reins💗
By Paisley Hope

- Review posted to Amazon, Goodreads, BookBub, and TheStoryGraph on 10/15/24
- Review posted to Instagram on 10/22/24
- Review posted to B&N 2/24/25

~~

Holding the Reins is a charming, emotional, spicy read that landed in my hands at the perfect time! I was in the mood for something sizzling and addictive, with cheesy, playful banter, laugh out loud moments, and a love interest that would undoubtedly leave me all swoony. And just as I’d wished, Paisley Hope gave me exactly that!

The connection between Cece and Nash was fun, intense, and utterly undeniable. I was immediately drawn to them as a pair, so invested in watching them bring their walls down brick by brick. Our MCs aren’t perfect and both carry the weight of their past trauma on their shoulders, but it was rather sweet to watch them learn to accept help and lean on one another.

That said, I do feel the third act conflict was rushed and seemed a bit out of place. Perhaps my dislike for a miscommunication trope is to blame for my feelings, but one simple conversation, one single question really, could have solved the non-issue from the get. If angst was the goal here, I think it fell a little flat, but not enough to really put me off.

I’m super excited for what’s to come in future Silver Pines Ranch books! Nearly each and every side character has sparked my interest and I just know their respective journeys towards a HEA are going to be wild rides. Brb while I pack up my bags to head right back down to Kentucky!

Why you’ll love Holding the Reins
💗 Small Town Romance
💗 Dual POV
💗 Age Gap
💗 Ex Hockey Player/Part-time Cowboy
💗 Brother’s Best Friend
💗 Protective MMC
💗 Found Family

Big thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for sharing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! These thoughts are authentically my own. 🖤

Holding the Reins ✨️
Paisley Hope

"Just don’t settle, baby. Find a man that will move heaven and earth for you. A man that knows your worth. You should be his entire heart, always."

I listened to this in audio yesterday and this book had me blushing and kicking my feet all at the same time. The story, the banter, the spice.. just perfection.

I was invested in the story long before, but when he brought her coffee for the first time.. SWOON. Those small, quiet moments of love are definetly my love language.

I love a book when you finish it and it is so good that you immediately want to reread it again. I love Small Town Romances and Holding the Reins is absolutely now one of my favorites. 🩷

Love everything about this series thus far. Love this small town. I read it when she indie published and I had the opportunity to arc read her traditionally published version of Holding the Reins and the next two books in this series.

Love love love it.

Steamy. Cowboys. Girl gang. Light-hearted moments and found family are in these books if you are interested.

This book had me in an absolute CHOKEHOLD the entire time. The characters, the tropes, the funny parts and especially the tension these two had.

4 ⭐️s
3/5 spice 🌶️

Now I see all the complaints that the author tried to throw “too many” tropes in this one and I have to disagree. Because she literally threw in all my favorites 🤣

We have:
- small town
- cowboy
- hockey player
- forbidden love
- brother’s best friend
- funny banter
- work romance… I think that’s it??

This did feel like an Elise Silver book to me with the family aspects and the big dinners they hold and the funny grandpa who says weird stuff. Not to mention the next books are her brothers finding love (which I’m pumped for)


🚨MINOR SPOILER NEXT PARAGRAPH ONLY🚨

The ONLY thing that had me about to quit the entire damn thing was when they hit us with an uno reverse card on the “crawl to me” trope … and that’s when I discovered that’s an ick for me personally. I can’t imagine a giant hockey player crawling for a woman to be sexy in anyway.

🚨MINOR SPOILER OVER🚨



But I did FLY through this one trying to figure out how Cece and Nash were gonna break it to her brothers and I was just waiting for Andrew to show up and get his ass kicked. Now the scenes between Nash and Andrew did give me ~very slight~ dark romance vibes with how possessive he was. And I LOVED this for her.

I’ll definitely be checking out the next two in the series. I already have the next one on hold on Libby.

Big thanks to Paisley Hope, Dell and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions!

I LOVED this book! I was so excited for Ginger and Cole and nothing about it felt forced! I felt their connection through the first two and I think they set up the relationship perfectly for this book. Usually, I don't think I'd prefer the "oops we drunkenly got married' storyline but it worked out well. The only critique I could possibly offer would be, it doesn't make sense how they couldn't annul their marriage, the reasoning seemed weak. BUT I'm happy that they couldn't, they obviously needed to stay together! I'm so hopeful that Paisley Hope will continue this series, I've loved all of them!

4.5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and Paisley Hope for providing me this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

“She’s just creeping into the crevices of my otherwise closed off should and lighting it up like the fucking fourth of July” Nash Carter, the man that you are !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you’re looking for cute romance read with a good amount of scenes that will have you kicking your feet, Holding the Reins is the one for you! ALL of the characters in this were so lovable and will definitely read more of Paisley Hope’s books!



Tropes:
- Age Gap
- Brother’s Best Friend
- Cowboy Romance
- Found Family

Very cute book, and obviously I loved the MMC Nash. I got annoyed by some of the repetitiveness, but still enjoyed the book as a whole. The love story was cute and I liked the plot as a whole.

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

3.75 stars

"I would love her with my whole heart every day until death took me." NASH CARTER

This was a fun, sweet, and steamy read. A brother's best friend trope is typically a favorite of mine. I love that these two characters had a past in their childhood as well. I loved the premise of the story, but in some instances, I found the plot to fall flat for me or that there was too much going on.

Holding the Reins has:
- Brother's best friend
- Cowboy romance
- Found family
- Small town
- Dual pov

Genuinely enjoyed this book, the characters and storyline. I finished it in a day and a half. And I really really liked Paisleys writing style. I always love the grumpy men who have a little bit of their own issues to work through and I love a good forced proximity situation. Definitely recommend this book

This is a really solid classic cowboy romance. I enjoyed it, but by no means was it life changing. If you love a good small town love story, I think you'll enjoy Hold the Reins and Paisley Hope's writing style.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC opportunity!

This was a quick, fun read. The pace was good, and the vibes were exactly right for this type of book. You found yourself rooting for the couple, and the FMC in the story. The undertone is about moving past the past and letting go. I can appreciate that and felt it was well executed.

Unfortunately, i had to remove some stars because of all of the ick inducing moments. There were quite a few moments that gave me the ick and secondhand embarrassment, and honestly, most of them felt unnecessary to the larger point of the story, so i couldn't look past them. I really had to push through those pieces of the story and get through it.

I think if you expect some of that awkwardness, you will be fine, but the story itself is strong outside of those moments.

This book was a quick read and I had fun while reading it, but there were a lot of things that I didn't love. The vibes were immaculate and you can't really go wrong with a cowboy romance 🤠

I loved this story SO MUCH! Cece returns home to Kentucky after breaking off an engagement with a truly heinous man. She’s reunited with Nash, who lost his parents at a young age and was taken in by Cece’s parents. He was like a brother to her, yet everything is different now that they’re adults.

Cece and Nash’s love story is so hilarious, spicy, and beautiful. Their community and family truly shine through in every scene, and the big feelings that are expressed are so beautifully written. This may be one of my favorite books in 2025, and it’s only February!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballentine for this early copy!