I loved this so much. I’m a sucker for cowboys, no matter how cowboy they are! This was the perfect comfort book for me. I love small town, brothers best friend and the secret dating tropes so I already knew I was going to love this before starting.

This is the gold standard for cowboy smut, everything I could have wanted. It’s hot, it’s steamy, it’s sweet, and everybody is wearing boots and hats. Definitely not high-brow literature, but sometimes this is exactly what you want and need.

Since it was an arc, there were a number of typos and such, but I assume those will be fixed before publication.

4.5 stars

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Holding the Reins is perfect for lovers of Elsie Silver's Chestnut Springs series. This was such a fun, fast paced brother's best friend/cowboy romance, and I seriously loved Nash so much. What a dreamboat!

Oh my goodness Paisley Hope. I don’t know what you put into your writing but it’s addictive! I devoured this in one sitting and I am fully obsessed with Nash, the ultimate book boyfriend. The spice was so so so hot! I honestly couldn’t get enough of them together! Cece is so relatable, and seeing her ditch her toxic cheating ex and ending up back around Nash was intoxicating! I loved their dynamic and tension and seeing it evolve into the spiciest but sweetest relationship was perfect. Paisley you killed this one and I’m so excited now to start Wade’s book! Thank you so much for this! It instantly made it to one of my top ten favorite books of the year!

I have a lot of feelings about this book, but I will try to sort them accordingly. This does have spoilers!!!



Okay so, to start off with what I did like!

The small town vibes are always great. This felt really cozy for me.

And speaking to this, the side characters honestly were my fave part of the book. I really enjoyed Sonny, a couple times I laughed out loud at her quips. Or even the small moment Rocco, the bar owner, was in. To make the side characters shine takes a different understanding of details in writing that I appreciate.

Also, I LOVED the tattoo Nash got for Cece. This felt perfect for them in representing their relationship and paying respect to her late father.


Okay, so now in terms of what I didn’t see working!

First, when I started reading this book, pieces of it felt reminiscent of other books I’ve read. I know that tropes exist and there can be crossover between genres, but certain details felt familiar to me, and I wanted them to feel more unique.

Also, I felt that I didn’t connect with many of the characters. For example, I didn’t find myself really connecting with the main character because I felt I didn’t know much about her. I knew she liked being organized and Shania Twain but otherwise I don’t know much about her as person.

As for Nash, the other main character, I feel that towards the end of the book, he was dealt with care and consideration, and I felt I understood the choices he made more so than I understood Cece’s choices. But I didn’t really see his character development until the middle of the book, which made it hard for me to root for the both of them.

And don’t get me started on all the miscommunication they were having!!! I may be biased because I do not love the miscommunication trope, but it felt they were doing it at times that felt unbelievable. Especially when Cece seemed to forget the fact that Nash may not be ready to commit to her, not because he doesn’t love her but because he is scared of losing her (based on his past trauma). I am not saying his decisions are right, but I didn’t believe she wouldn’t have taken that into consideration.

This is not to say that Cece was the only one with flaws!!

Nash following her to Seattle and not telling Cece? I’m sorry what? Like I can see him wanting to be there for her, but this is a prime example of needing to communicate. I know Cece was grateful he was there, which made sense in the situation, but even if you love this guy, it’s a bit odd to be staking a place out and not even letting her know you’re in town?

My last major point of being unsure about this book is some of the lines came across quite cringy for me or just out of pocket. For example, there’s a line where Cece is describing Ginger’s obsession with her brother Cole. She states that she thinks part of Ginger wanting to be her friend is to be close to Cole. Like girl I hope that was a joke because ugh!!!!

Overall though, this was a fairly light read that I think many people will enjoy, it just wasn’t my favorite.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!

I really loved this book. It’s brothers best friend but he was closer to her family than that. He lost his family when he was young and her parents became his. It’s also returning to hometown after a breakup and starting over. It’s one time to get it out of our systems.
I loved the friendships and the set ups for other couples. But the best thing was the dirty talk. He is a grad A filthy talker.
Sexy and fun with complications.

• R E V I E W •

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Genre: Romance

If you love a quick cowboy romance, then this is the book for you!! After a failed engagement, CeCe moves back to her family ranch to escape the big city life and in search for a fresh start. But after years away, it is clear that not only CeCe has changed but her brother’s best friend Nash Carter has had a major glow up - no longer is Nash the playboy non committal bachelor CeCe remembers from high school, in fact he is the total opposite.

Such a cute, easygoing, and fun read. Thank you Penguin Randomhouse & NetGalley!


#NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #NetGalleyPartner #holdingthereins #cowboyromance #cecenash #romancereads

This book is perfection! Completely and utterly perfect!!

I need everyone to drop whatever they are reading right this minute and read this book! ! Like right now!

I was only about 10 pages in and knew that this was going to be everything I want/love in romance books! I never wanted it to end! I am dying to read Training The Heart next! I can’t even believe that this is Paisley Hope’s debut novel because it’s so freaking good and I cannot wait to read every single book she ever writes.

The characters and story line were absolutely amazing! You even fall in love with all of the side characters. I cannot wait to see what happens next with them. I loved Nash and CeCe’s relationship so much! Nash has always been protective of CeCe even when she didn’t know he was. I loved the way that Nash loved CeCe’s entire family and especially the relationship that he had with her dad. I loved the friendships and the dynamic between all of the characters.

What to expect:
- Hockey Player
- Part Time Cowboy
- Brother’s Best Friend
- Found Family
- Small Town
- He Falls First
- Banter
- Spicy
- Crawl to me
- Protective MMC

Thank you to Paisley Hope and Dell Romance for the advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review!

a VERY fun cowboy/slightly hockey romance — definitely getting Chestnut Springs vibes from this book and absolutely love the storytelling & characters!

there were times where it felt a little *too* similar to some of the Chestnut Springs vibes, but I do think that's the draw of a book like this! you get the comfort and the vibes of a story you already know but with different characters.

I though Nash was a TOP TEIR book boy & I love the hockey integration. Absolutely cannot wait for Wade's story!

Holding the Reins by Paisley Hope 5⭐️ - courtesy of NetGalley
Small town, cowboy romance? IM THERE LOCKED AND LOADED 🫡 this was my first Paisley book and will not be my last, because I’m already feral for the rest of the Silver Pines Ranch series. Nash Carter, the man that you are. I loved reading his POV, just seeing him crash out over his feelings hahahahha. And our good sis, Cece, holding strong to make a man grovel, you love to see it. This was such a fun and cute read, if you love cowboy romances, this is a must for your TBR. 🤠 Holding the Reins is out everywhere on 10/22 🩷

This was a perfect cowboy romance! If you love Elsie silver then you should definitely read this book! I highly recommend this book!

I’m a sucker for a good cowboy romance and I’ve definitely found one here. I always love good character development and when characters grow together and individually.

Nash Carter is a dream. CeCe reclaims her power. And their whirlwind relationship is a beautiful thing to read. You’ll have to pry cowboy romances out of my cold, dead hands.

Thank you to NetGalley, Paisley Hope, and Dell / Ballantine Books for a review copy.

"No this kind of love feels all encompassing. It's a need I have from the depths of my soul to be near him. It's practice scribbling my name kind of love, or fantasizing about growing old with him, chasing grandkids around the yard kind of love."

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for this eARC!

Y'all this book was so good! This cowboy romance is perfect for fans of the Chestnut Springs series! CeCe returns to her family's farm in Kentucky dealing with the grief of her father's passing and the end of her long-term toxic relationship. Nash Carter is CeCe's brothers' best friend, and the most eligible bachelor in town. When he sees CeCe has returned to town and needs a job, he feels like he has to help her. They can't take their eyes off of each other, and despite their best attempts to avoid it, their feelings end up growing past what they had as childhood friends.

"F*** the stars, there's nothing more beautiful than her."

Elsie Silver and Chestnut Springs ignited my love for cowboy romances this year. Paisley Hope and Holding the Reins caused the fire to burn even brighter. There's something about a man in a cowboy hat that just does it for me every time. I loved this one! It is very very spicy though, just as an fyi!

Closed door modifications: chapter 24, 25, 26, 41, 43, 46, 55, 56, 57, 58, and 59

A quick and easy read but not a standout. This is a small town cowboy romance but did not have much of a plot and seemed pretty similar to another cowboy romance series by another author. The family and side characters were fun, but everything seemed a too over the top and unrealistic. There were many tropes and micro tropes packed into the book that it seemed like it was trying to tick them off a list. As a country music fan, I did love that songs were mentioned in the book and could hear them in my head while reading.

Holding The Reins is book one 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 can’t wait to read book two!

I had very high expectations for this book, but sadly, they were not met. I was expecting this to be a cowboy romance due to the name, but the only cowboy-type things were just mentions of them owning a ranch. I did appreciate the fun banter and the family aspect, but that's about all. Despite having tropes that should have created tension or angst, there was none. The spice felt repetitive. I did enjoy that the MMC had a traumatic past so that gave him some grit, but I wish that had been explored more or tied into the plot more. The ending felt a bit rushed. They're only apart for maybe two chapters and, again, there was no tension with any of it. I'm not sure if I'll continue the series, but I did like the side characters so we'll see!

NASH!!!!!!!!!! 😍😍 I love this book!! Easily slid into one of my top favorite books!! The story of Nash & Cecilia was everything I could have wanted and more. Nash’s dirty mouth was chefs kiss!!!

Holding the Reins is book 1 in the Silver Pines Ranch series by Paisley Hope. It is about Cecilia “CeCe” Ashby who just broke her engagement, ended her toxic relationship, and moved back home to Laurel Creek, KY, and Nash Carter, newly retired hockey star, hometown hero, notorious bachelor and her brother’s best friend. Noah is the unofficial 4th sibling of the Ashby family, so CeCe is definitely off limits. But they work together and see each other every day and sparks begin to fly.

I read this super steamy cowboy romance in 1 day. This one was a lot of fun, had lots of entertaining side characters and hilarious witty banter but also incorporated serious topics, such as, death of family members, cheating, a manipulative ex, trauma and coping with tragedy. Read this one if you love:

-small town romance
-cowboy romance
-brother’s best friend
-age gap
-found family
-funny banter
-dual POV
-super spicy
-HEA

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read an ARC of Holding the Reins in exchange for my honest review.

This book was fantastic! Nash and CeCe’s story was an EPIC love story that I was excited to finish. Paisley Hope is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors and this book is a top read for me this year!
I’m so excited to read the other books!

solid 4.5/5 stars!!!
First off, I'd like to say thank you to Paisley Hope and Random House for letting me read this eARC through NetGalley!
This book combined two of my absolute favorite things ever, hockey and cowboys and wow did it deliver!

Holding the reins begins with CeCe leaving her cheating fiancé and coming home to her family's home in a small town in Kentucky where her world collides again with none other than Nash Carter. Nash has also somewhat recently returned to town after retiring from his NHL career and has been helping CeCe's brothers around the barn. From the moment that Nash first saw CeCe in the town bar that first Sunday night, I could just tell that these two would have such good chemistry, and boy was I right! The banter and longing early on was perfect and it really showed the attraction between these two even though they hadn't seen each other much over the years. I also just loved how Nash came to CeCe's defense when he saw her ex in town and gave him what he deserved! Seeing their relationship develop was just so precious and I loved every single scene we got! Nash and CeCe really truly learned to love and trust each other despite their different past traumas. My ebook was highlighted from beginning to end with sweet moments these two shared, ugh I just love them so much.

The reason for the 4.5 stars was that their romance just seemed very lusty to me at first and that we didn't get to see too much of their romance out and about (granted, they were trying to keep it under wraps from her family, but still). Even though, Nash Carter will live in my head rent free, no doubt!

I absolutely loved The Ashby family and the side characters in this story! I did get to read the added content of Training the Heart and I cannot wait to read it, I have a strong feeling that Wade will become one of my new favorites.

If you are looking for a small town cowboy romance series, this one is definitely for you!