When I found out this mixed a hockey romance and cowboy romance together, I knew I needed to read it. And let me tell you. Nash Carter is everything you expect out of those two tropes. Throw in some childhood trauma that has turned him into a total softie, yet also emotionally closed off man who only opens up to CeCe and you got yourself a new book boyfriend.

Yet something just didn't grab me with this book. At times I was more invested in Ginger and Cole's bickering (they have to get together in another book) and what's going to happen between Ivy and Wade (because they have to get together too). I don't know if maybe the book was just a tad too long or if I just didn't connect with CeCe, but something just didn't keep my attention like I thought it would. Plus there were times the wording just didn't vibe with me...like her clit being called her berry.

Now, even with that, I'm going to give this author another chance because 1) I've heard so many good things about Wolf.e and 2) I'm invested in these side characters and want to know how their stories go.

Thanks to NetGalley and Paisley Hope for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what a book! I was so excited to start this book, and it truly did not disappoint.

I knew I was gonna love Nash the moment I first read about him. There’s something about a part-time cowboy and a hockey player MMC! I loved how protective he was with CeCe. He let her have her moments, but he was always there to jump in when she needed him. The perfect supportive man.

CeCe was also easy to love! I liked that she didn’t take crap from anyone, and she could stand her ground. She was a perfect match for Nash in every sense of the word.

Their banter together was perfect. They knew when they could be silly and funny together, but also, they could be serious and hold tough conversations.

This book got me excited for the 2nd book in this series! I can’t wait to dive into Wade’s story!

If you like your books spicy, then head on over to Silver Pines Ranch because this small town, ex-NHL/part-time cowboy, brother’s best friend romance packs the heat!!

After a breaking her engagement, Cecilia (CeCe) Ashby moves back home to her family ranch where she hopes to get a new start in life. She hesitantly takes her brothers’ best friend, Nash Carter, up on his offer to work for him. She’s known him all their lives, and while he’s certainly aged well, she also remembers his playboy ways.

Neither is in a place to enter into a relationship but there’s no denying their attraction! But is “only one night” ever only one night? 🤣

As we enter into late Fall and Winter, this story will definitely heat things up and keep that fire burning for days! And it’s full of my fave microtropes that kept me smiling throughout. The secondary characters are a lot of fun, and I can’t wait to keep reading and see how their stories unfold.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dell Romance, and Paisley for the advance copy!

𝚝 𝚛 𝚘 𝚙 𝚎 𝚜:
🐴 small town romance
🏒 retired hockey player/part time cowboy
🐴 brother’s best friend
🏒 boy obsessed
🐴 found family
🏒 spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️

✩5

✦What to Expect✦
•Brother’s best friend
•He’s also her boss
•Hockey player turned part time cowboy
•Sassy/hilarious female friends
•Small town
•Obsessed and protective MMC
•Found family

✦Characters✦
•CeCe Ashby
•Nash Carter

 
✦Fav Quotes✦
“I’m not above begging,” she breathes out. “So f-king beg,”

He doesn’t look at you like you’re a fling.
He looks at you like you’re his endgame.

This man is the pinnacle. The basis for which all other men should be compared.

Nash Carter isn’t just in my heart; he’s taken over my entire being and I’m never, ever letting him go.

✦Thoughts✦
Oh my f’ing god!
YASSSSSSSS
Nash Carter. I’m obsessed.

Absolute perfection!!!!!
Loved these two together so much, they were so hot together and the banter & dirty talk was on another level! These two are officially a fav.

Liv & Ginger, they had me cracking up!
Ginger & Cole 👀

I can’t wait to read Training the Heart!!!

🌶: 3.5 out of 5
⭐️: 3.75 out of 5
🍿*: 5 out of 5

I swear, the way this book made me think that moving to a small town in Kentucky could genuinely save my life... Adding Nash to my pile of dream boyfriends!!

Holding the Reins is a cute small town romance novel that touches on grief, best friend's sister, "who did this to you" and he falls first and harder. It follows the story of Cecelia who leaves her life and cheating ex in Seattle to move home to her family ranch in Kentucky where she reintroduces herself to a close family friend, Nash. I love the banter between Nash and CeCe and the chemistry does build immediately starting at page 1. I'm such a fan of the supporting characters so Ginger was one of my favorite side characters, I wish I had a Ginger in my life.

Overall, I would rate this at a 3.75 as I wasn't a huge fan of some moments of possessiveness but the popcornability is at a 5!

*Popcorn scale is referring to how easily consumable the book is overall

Enjoyed this story! A complete review can be found on my Goodreads account.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/214490423

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for the ARC!
CeCe moves back home after breaking up with her fiancé following her father’s death. Nash, a retired hockey player who has been around her family since childhood is back in town. The two of them clash at first, but quickly develop feelings and sparks fly when they start working together.

I really enjoyed both of these characters. Their shared history definitely added to their connection and I liked seeing them bond over CeCe’s dad. This book went into grief and some traumatic experiences. While it was sad I liked seeing how the characters handled things and communicated about it. The entire family was an amazing addition to this book. The brothers, mom, and even CeCe’s friends really added something and seeing them interact was just as fun as the main relationship.
I love a small town setting and I’m really excited to see more Laurel Creek in future books. I loved that the author teased the setup of several other couples in the series. I’m definitely hooked and can’t wait to see where the other books in the series go!

-small town
-found family
-open door (like very open door. I would say it rivaled the actual plot).

The spice was very heavy handed in this one. Once I hit the 40% mark it seemed like there was a sex scene every couple chapters. This was outside my comfort zone and not my personal preference but it didn’t affect my rating. Just a heads up!

i enjoyed this book so much. the story, the characters, the plot, all of it was super enjoyable and fun. i always love reading small town romances and this hit every mark

Obsessssssssed 10/5 🌟

Give me runaway southern belle and the broody protective hockey player any day of the week. Cannot wait for the rest of this series.

3.5 stars

I love a good cowboy romance but this felt a tad flat to me in comparison to others I’ve read. Did I like it, yes. But it just wasn’t my favorite.

Nash is her brother’s best friends, but more importantly he’s the childhood friend that’s always had her back. He’s been part of their family since the beginning so watching Cece’s feelings transform as she realized, “Crap, I don’t love him like a brother” was so so satisfying.

The connection between Cece and Nash was fun, intense, and utterly undeniable. I was immediately drawn to them as a pair, and just that slow burn and the eyes Nash was constantly giving her was flirty and addictive. I think the spice was even too much in this storyline and I can’t believe I’m sayin that.

It definitely is a great debut and I’m excited to see what’s next! I believe in Cade and Ginger and want those enemies to lover sparks to ignite!

𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬: Brother's best friend/part-time cowboy | Workplace | He falls first | Found family | Small town | Banter & heart | Spiceeeeee

💗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

~~

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. 🖤

I love a hockey romance. I love a cowboy romance. But when he’s an ex hockey player/part time cowboy???
Immediately yes. 🥵 Paisley wrote a man with all my favorite qualities.

This is a release you don’t want to miss. The magic that Paisley put into this story is so captivating. You can’t help but get sucked into the small town she’s created, and I just want to pack on up and move so I can be best friends with CeCe and her friend group, dubbed the Not Angels.

I have said it before, I will keep saying it! Nash Carter supremacy. His life has been so hard, and I experienced so much emotional trauma reading this book. But, to watch how he overcomes so much, and pursues happiness with Cece despite it all, was just healing in the best way.

This book is jam packed with so many fun tropes and microtropes, and here’s some of my favorite moments!
• He only can sleep well with her
• Only one time…. Okay I meant only one night…. And the next morning too…
• He gets her coffee every morning
• Nicknames
Plus so much more.

Immediately add to your TBR!
Thank you @netgalley for the eARC!

I had the absolute pleasure of reading Nash & Cece’s story when this was indie published and i’ll just say…I had just as much fun the second time around!!

I really loved Cece & Nash’s dynamic, watching them work through their own versions of grief, the ways they always were protective of one another and really grew through the relationship from the jump. Nash was all in for Cece from the jump, even when running the risk of being with his best friends sister and the found family he had with their family. Their banter was in from the jump, the chemistry between these two (😮‍💨) and the found family is so well written, sucking you in the moment you catch the faint glimpse. I loved this story both times around, a perfect exploration of common tropes and provided a fresh perspective that keeps you engaged from the start! I cannot wait to see what comes next in the Silver Pines series and get to see more of these characters, as well as their back stories.

This book! I’m so in love with Cece and Nash, I can’t get over it. I love a good cowboy romance, this book was perfection!

After ending her 8 year relationship, Cece is back at her families ranch in Kentucky. She keeps running into Nash, a former pro hockey player who happens to be her brother’s best friend. These two are like magnets, they can’t stay away from each other. But when Nash becomes her boss, can they keep it professional?

The chemistry between these two was insane, the spice was phenomenal. Cece was such a fierce FMC, I adored her. Nash was pure perfection, the playboy turned golden boy. I loved Cece’s friends, Ginger and Olivia, their text messages were hilarious. I also loved the found family, Nash losing his parents so young and finding a family with the Ashby’s. I will be thinking about this book forever!

I can’t wait to read Training the Heart soon 😍

Thank you Paisley Hope and NetGalley for the ARC!

There is quite literally nothing i love more than a brother's best friend romance. I very much enjoyed the character development and appreciate that there was no miscommunication trope. I adore Nash Carter. Cowboys, hockey, AND brother's best friend? SIGN ME UP!

First of all, thank you so much to NetGalley, the Publisher, and Paisley Hope for giving me the opportunity to read this book as an ARC.


This is absolutely at 5 star read. I’ll give it 4/5 spice.

Tropes:

Brothers best friend
Found family
Small town
Former NHL player turned cowboy
90s country music
Mine
Close proximity (boss/employee)

Guys, I’m a total sucker for brother’s best friend. Throw that in with workplace romance and give the MMC a protector complex and I’m absolutely MELTING.

I absolutely devoured this book. I could not get enough of Nash Carter. He is really such a swoon-worthy MMC.

This story kicks off with Cece returning home to her family’s ranch after her fiancé cheats on her. In the time she’s been gone, her family has endured loss and drama in their own love lives. Her “adopted” brother/ brothers’ best friend, Nash has also returned home after retiring from the NHL.

When Cece returns home, Nash suddenly realizes that little Cece has grown up into a woman….. need I say more…

Throw in some Shania Twain, forbidden romance, and sexy cowboys… this story is a great read and I immediately pre-ordered both #1 & #2 as soon as I finished reading the e-ARC because I absolutely needed the book trophies.

Cece and Nash are such a cute couple! Who dosent love a former pro hockey player turned cowboy?! it’s the best of both worlds. I would definitely recommend to any romance reader!

tropes:
Brothers best friend
age gap
small town
found family
cowboy romance

I really enjoyed reading Holding the Reins by Paisley Hope. Hope executed the brother’s best friend and small town romance tropes really well and the steamy scenes were so good. I loved how the author gave breadcrumbs of Nash’s trauma throughout the book as we saw CeCe also dealing with her own sadness from the loss of her father and dealing with the aftermath of a toxic relationship.
Thank you Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC.

Perfect for fans of Lyla Sage, Devney Perry, and Elsie Silver. I loved the cowboy meets hockey meets small town romance this book delivered. The steam, the characters, and setting including small town vs. big city made this a delight to visit. I can’t wait to go back and spend more time with cast of characters

“I love you so much it consumes me. but I want it all. I want you, in every way.”

If you want a quick enjoyable read with an NHL player turned cowboy then this book is for you.

The romance between Cece and Nash was well written and had all of the cute/spicy moments that one’s heart desires.

Tropes:
Brother’s best friend
Age Gap
Small Town
Found Family

Thank You To NetGalley, Paisley Hope, and Random House for the eArc of this book. All opinions are my own.