I love hockey romances. I love cowboy romances. Mix them together and they're perfection.


Characters: I loved Nash. The part where he CRAWLED to her? Are you joking? I went feral.
I also loved Cece and loved seeing her learn to put up boundaries throughout the book.
The spicy scenes were perfect. I thought they were the perfect amount.


The only thing that made me rate this 3 stars was: It was very slow in the beginning and it reminded me SO MUCH of powerless by elsie silver.

um hi what was in this and can it please be sent to my local CVS? I love a cowboy book and Paisley Hope knows what she's doing!!!

I can't wait for the next book.

Plot: CeCe moves home to Kentucky following a break-up with her long term partner (can't remember if he's a fiancé or boyfriend) when she discovers that he's been cheating on her repeatedly. At home is her brother's best friend, retired professional hockey player, Nash Carter, and he is quite shaken up by how grown up CeCe is now. Anyway, the two of them wind up giving into temptation eventually, but obviously, it's quite the adventure to get there.

What I Loved: l really liked the connection between CeCe and Nash. I felt like it was really well done.

What I Struggled With: Once again, we bring in a toxic/emotionally abusive ex and I just... I want a book with no domestic violence. No violence against women. Also, sometimes I loved Nash's dirty talk and sometimes it felt cringe. Your mileage is definitely going to vary on that one.

Would I Recommend: Absolutely. If you want a cowboy romance with a blend into a sports romance, then this could be the book for you. I liked this one enough to immediately request the ARC of book two, so that is definitely a good sign.

The first 2/3 of this story really shone to me but that last 1/3 was where It lost me a little. I liked CeCe and Nash as a couple but there were definitely some conversations that the two of them needed to have before the end of this book. I think the supporting characters were the stars of the show and do look forward to reading more books in this series.

ok nash carter, i see you and i absolutely adore you. an ex-hockey player part-time cowboy??? SIGN ME TF UP

If you enjoyed done and dusted, then I think you will like this book. I had a great time reading it. Love any cowboy brothers best friends romance.

NASH CARTER!!!!!!!!!!! Ahhhhh
If you love small town, hockey player meets cowboy, brothers best friend, you’re in for a ride because this was an adventure and I loved every second of it. Nash is going in my list of favorite book boyfriends for sure, but let’s also appreciate Miss CeCe because I love an FMC that will stand her ground!

Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and of course Ms Paisley Hope for this ARC in exchange for an honest review, I am off to read the next one!

This is a sweet friends to lovers cowboy romance. I really enjoyed the family dynamic and all the supporting characters need to have their own story. Parts of the time-line didn't match up but that was pretty minor at the end of the book. The main characters had me rooting for them the whole book wanting to see them get their HEA. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.

I liked the idea of this book, it was intriguing and pulled me in right away. However, at about 30% in it just got incredibly boring and I had a hard time getting myself to read it. I ended up not being able to finish it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Hello, Nash Carter! He was so so sweet and protective. I loved all the little things he did for Cece and how protective he was of her. Coffee every morning is one of my weaknesses 💜 I loved Cece and how much love she had to give.

This book was full of fun, banter, and spice. Nash and Cece had known each other most of their lives. They both tried to fit an inevitable relationship, but couldn't continue fighting.

Adorable small town, brother's best friend romance with great spice!

Cece Rae comes back home to her family's ranch in Kentucky after she discovered her ex-fiance has been cheating on her. While at home, she has to rebuild her life, including getting a new job as the accountant at the local ice hockey rink. Little does Cece know is that her new boss is none other than a close family friend, Nash. Nash, the former NHL player and part-time cowboy, has been close with Cece's family since after his parents died in a tragic car accident. With forced proximity, the two of them discover the burning sexual tension between the two of them. What started as a fling, turned into feelings for them both.

This book was cute at times, but the emotional connection that I look for in books was not present. In essence, there was little plot in this book and a whole lot of sex. If explicit erotica is your thing, then this is a good book for you. However, I was hoping for more of a heart-warming romance with an average amount of spice.

Either way, I'm thankful for NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to discover a book outside of my comfort zone.

I loved the premise and the cover a lot for Holding the Reins, however, the execution just wasn't done well. I felt like I was reading a second or third draft and not a finished piece. Some of the dialogue felt juvenile and off, and it seemed random when both characters started thinking sexual thoughts about each other all of the sudden. There were some scenes I would cut because it didn't seem to help progress the story along at all. The other characters for future books seemed promising, but this one just wasn't for me. It has SUCH potential, but I think it could use a few more edits.

Might just be my age, but from the beginning when an elderly lady found her dildo the story went downhill from there. Sorry, if I was in my 20s maybe.

“BAPTIZE ME” because holy hell this was HOT 🔥

This has most definitely made it to my top five favorite Cowboy romances. Nash Carter can crawl to me ANY DAY!

I absolutely loved that this book was such a blend of my favorite things:
-small town
-childhood friends to lovers
-brothers best friend
-hockey but also part-time cowboy

It also does a beautiful job of discussing grief and more intimate personal emotions. This was definitely fun and spicy, but it was far more complex and beautiful and such an enjoyable read.

If you’re looking for a book to make you feel something in your chest and between your thighs, then look no further!

Paisley Hope really created the most iconic part time cowboy with Nash Carter. I was kicking my feet and giggling the entire time. Holding the Reins is spicy and has so many of your favorite troupes. Just to name a few: small town, brothers best friend, hockey romance, guy fall first, found family, touch her you die, washing her hair and all the acts of service. I loved the girlhood with Cece’s best friends and how much of a badass Cece is. This book was so fun from start to finish. Great banter and lots of spice. I can’t wait to follow more of Wade’s story in book 2!! Bring on the grumpy sunshine!!!

Brothers best friend AND it's a small town romance book, SIGN ME UP!! I absolutely loved the dynamic between Nash and CeCe and how their relationship evolved throughout the book. I mean, who wouldn't love a MMC where he is expertly dirty talking one minute and saying things like "We’re not a phase. We’re the exact opposite of a phase. We’re always. I’m going to follow you everywhere you go for the rest of this life. And then, I’m going to follow you into the next" in the next minute!

Y'all go read this book if you haven't!

DNF @ 47%

The tropes for this book had my name written all over them: brother's best friend, retired hockey player, and cowboy yeehaw romance? Yes, please. Sadly, I didn't click with this book in the way I was expecting. The MMC had a ton of red flags and when I skimmed ahead, it just got worse. Sometimes books/writing don't work for us, which was the case for me here.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc 💓

I unfortunately was not able to finish this book :( It really wasn't bad, I just don't think I was feeling it for the season it was released in... I plan to try it again in the spring or summer, but for now, it's a DNF (estimated at a 3 star)

This was such a cute book, and I’m pretty impressed it’s the author’s debut novel!

Small Town
Brother’s best friend
Part-time Cowboy romance
Retired NHL player
Small age gap (8years)
Workplace romance
CW: death of parent(s), off page, but still grieving

This story follows Nash and Cecelia Rae who are both back in their hometown in Kentucky after both leaving for big city life, but are both moving on to their next act in their stories. Neither of them thought of the other romantically when they were younger but now their chemistry is undeniable. Getting to watch them dance around each other, try to resist their attraction, try to convince themselves of all the ways it could never work, and then watch the universe put certain things in place to force them to own up to their feelings, was an enjoyable experience! And the spice was spicin’ throughout. I’d say that the spice was pretty vanilla, but it was written really well and it was plentiful! No complaints here in the spice department.

My only critique is that they were both a little too “in their heads” for the first 30%, it felt a bit repetitive and immature for my liking and I found myself skimming ahead. But once they decided to give in a bit, “just once” turned into “just for now” and the sneaking around and catching feelings, then it really picked up the pace and was a lot more fun.

I have found my new favorite series! I’ve been in a Chestnut Springs hangover and the series has slid into number one.

Tropes:
•Brother’s Best Friend
•Age Gap (less than 10 years)
•Small Town
•Found Family
•Workplace romance

I loved how deep Nash was! I wasn’t expecting to love a cowboy/hockey player, I thought it was going to be too much, but Paisley tied the two together perfectly and did a phenomenal job peeling back the layers of his childhood trauma. Nash and CeCe’s love story is one for the ages and I’m so sad her dad won’t be around to see it!

I’m jumping into book two as we speak!!