I fear I will now be attached to every book in this series. Paisley Hope always has me wanting to read the next book as soon as I finish one! This book got me out of a reading slump that I have been in since OCTOBER!

Between the spice, the storyline of the ranch, the found family, the relationship between the couple, the EVERYTHING I am so here for.

I do feel like there was a small amount of insta-love in this book and that there wasn’t much build up in regards to affection or why the two cared for each other, until their relationship started, but otherwise I really loved how the writer depicted their relationship. I also feel like I wanted more depth in regards to Ivy’s training with Angel Wings as it was supposed to be a big part of the book but you don’t see much of it except for the highs or just stating what happens.

I really enjoyed this story and feel like it was fast paced making it enjoyable and quick to read. I will be immediately requesting the next from netgalley and have already recommended this series to multiple friends.

Grumpy man meets sunshiney girl, and only she can bring out the smile in him. Small town. Workplace romance. Cow boys. What more could you want? Oh and…. Plenty, plenty of spice.

Unfortunately, this book didn't mesh with me. To begin with, the overall premise seemed far too similar to Elsie Silver's Off to the Races.

We open the book with a prologue involving the FMC getting hired at the family ranch. Or, hiring herself. At first, there's zero indication that this will be our FMC other than MMC droning on and on about her looks every two seconds. The book just simply opens up with her at the ranch, him disliking her because she was late and rambling about the smutty book she's reading (fair that he didn't like her) but simultaneously drooling over her attractiveness. She "proves him wrong" almost immediately and then we have a time jump of several months where they have this cutesy grumpy/sunshine relationship - she annoys him and leaves scrunchies everywhere, he puts up with it and drones on about how hot she is while trying to keep all of his ranch hands away from her. The time jump takes away our chance to really know the two characters as individuals and see the relationship blossom from the "hatred" he had of her in the prologue to the "fond (but grumpy) appreciation" he has for her in the present.

There is a line in the book that really shows this lack of personality (& empathy) pretty early on. FMC says of MMC: "I get that everything on this ranch rests on his shoulders since his dad's death but aside from that and his recent divorce, I can't imagine what could have happened to make him this morose all the time." And no, she wasn't being sarcastic. This man lost his dad relatively recently, has taken on full responsibility of a ranch and all of its' employees and is going through a divorce and yet she is frustrated that he doesn't smile. I'd be bedridden probably if all of that was happening to me, so I think he's doing pretty dang good, considering.

The smut was decent, but because the characters lacked chemistry - or even personality - it wasn't at all "rewarding" to read them getting to be together like that. This would've been fine in a novella or a book that was specifically written to be smut only but because I'm supposed to be going on a journey with these characters, it just fell flat. It sort of felt like a combination between the book I spoke of above and the first book in this series - where everything was just copied/pasted and changed 'just so' to make a book two.

I found myself reading and not even comprehending because I was zoning out so much. I'd have to reread pages and then by the end, I was mostly skimming. I really wanted to like this one but it just wasn't for me I suppose.

Training the Heart by @authorpaisleyhope

I loved book 1 (Holding the Reins) in this series and absolutely loved this one too!! This one was so fun and spicy — honestly read this in 24 hours. I can’t wait for book 3 to come out!!

If you love:
🐎Cowboy romance
☀️Grumpy vs Sunshine
📌Workplace Romance
💪Protective MMC
📚FMC who loves 🌶️ books too!
🎁Acts of Service
🌶️Spicy
🏡Small Town
🛏️One Bed

READ THIS BOOK!

I’m obsessed with this series! I will now need to order my book trophies haha

#trainingtheheart #paisleyhope #cowboyromance #onebedtrope #grumpyvssunshine #workplaceromancebook #spicy #romancebooks #actsofservice #love

I haven't read the first book in this series, so I went into it blind. I'm not sure this was the book for me. It was very insta-lust from the start with the male lead already talking about how horny the female lead makes him. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but I prefer a bit more letting attraction build. Also the female lead immediately starting her job interview with talking about a romance novel then also listening to a spicy audiobook in chapter 1? It just feels very juvenile like nobody acts like that in real life.

Some parts were just weird to me like the masturbating with her scrunchie was a bit much. I guess with it all though there never felt like anything much more than lust with these two which is fine.

𝟯.𝟱 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗦 𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗗 𝗨𝗣

I did enjoy this one quite a bit, but I did not connect to Wade and Ivy as much as I did to Cece and Nash (from the first book). I think it was the forbidden aspect that really did it for me with Holding the Reins and this one did not have that. I guess a workplace romance could ARGUABLY be seen as forbidden, but when he is the boss...that argument is invalid. Not that I want every book in a series to have the same tropes, I just did not like there were really zero stakes and everyone wanted them to get together from the very beginning.

My biggest complaint about this book, however, is the smut. To me, it wasn't written well and I found it cringey most of the time. The descriptive words used paired with Wade's dirty talk. His words just did not match up to his character at all. It was off-putting.

It may seem like I hated this book but I SWEAR I had an enjoyable time whilst reading. I am looking forward to the next book and I think it will be my favorite in the series!

Training The Heart by Paisley Hope

⭐️⭐️ 2/5

I struggled with this one for some reason … I really enjoy cowboy romances. Like REALLY enjoy them. But I just couldn’t get into this one. I was excited by the premise of the plot. A horse trainer joins a ranch full of hot cowboys to train a horse for a Kentucky Derby run. It was different than what I’m used to, and I was intrigued to see that pan out. However, that became the only thing that enticed me to keep reading.

The main character, Wade Ashby, is where I struggled most. His grumpiness pestered me endlessly, and his bedroom decorum was not up my alley. I can respect and understand that maybe this book just wasn’t written for me, but it sure was awful kinky. Admittedly, I have read some indecently kinky things in my time, but this was a hard one to get behind. I found myself skipping through the smut scenes as quickly as possible (and there were A LOT) because Wade just made me so uncomfortable. It really wasn’t Ivy, it was Wade. What he did to that scrunchie was just deplorable. I didn’t like his dirty talk at all. I found it demeaning and degrading. Some people are super into that, and that’s awesome, but that person is not me.

This book also had so much cursing in it that it was hard to read at times. I am a leisurely curser myself, but this was just a lot. There was a cuss word almost every other sentence. It just seemed like lazy writing to me. A well-placed curse word here or there can add emphasis, but like my mama says, “cussing every other word shows that you just have nothing better to say.”

All in all, the derby plot is what kept me going. I enjoyed reading about the relationship between Ivy and her horse and her “unconventional” training methods. Ginger was also a bright spot. I haven’t decided yet if I’ll be back to read her story, but we’ll see!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing - Ballantine, and Paisley Hope for the ARC copy!

I am wild about a barely restrained man, and Wade Ashby is primed and ready to break 👏
I was hooked on Paisley’s writing with Holding the Reins and was THRILLED to head back to Silver Pines for my grumpy Wade.
Competence k!nk? If you don’t know where that one is, Wade will help. you. find. it.
Ivy is such a strong character, and the oldest Ashby brother knows just how to care for her in every way and can be the steady man for her where everyone else has fallen short.

You’ll Find —
Grumpy x Sunshine
Forced Proximity
Man Obsessed
Spicy Lessons
Only One Bed
No Third Act Breakup

Thankful for the opportunity to read!

When I tell you that she is my new favorite author. If she writes it, you can best believe I’m going to be buying it and reading it. This book in the series was my absolute favorite out of all of them, super steamy and amazing writing.

Paisley Hope develops chemistry and slow-burn so naturally. Even the banter was so easily done.

Beyond the romance, the book had a healing element to it Ivy’s had depth and was open about her dreams and that is an element that I always love in stories like this.

The pacing is enjoyable and was rushed at all. I’m not a big fan of insta love or unrealistic ideas of how love should look. Paisley found the balance.

Paisley Hope is incredible. Queen of contemporary and cowboy romance.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for the ARC!

Wade and Ivyyyyyyy 🥰🥰🥰 I’m obsessed. Who doesn’t love a grumpy cowboy? 🥵 I loved that while Wade was who he was, Ivy wasn’t going to be a doormat. She could get spicy and throw it back at him. It made for great chemistry and just a fun time witnessing their story unfold. LOVED.

I was hoping wade got a book and this did NOT disappoint

Grumpy x sunshine
Small town
Fertility issues
Abusive exes
"Mine"

I cannnnot wait for book 3 plz let it be about Cole and Ginger


This is a standalone interconnected but I recommend reading the first book Holding the Reins first


Thank you NetGalley for the arc

3.5⭐️

Grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, cowboy romance?? Say less. I’m sold. Overall I enjoyed this, but the ending felt a bit rushed.

This is the first book I have read by Paisley Hope and it won't be the last! I was hooked on Wade and Ivy's story from page one. These two were so much fun! I didn't read the first book in the series, and while I want to read it, it wasn't necessary to love and understand this one! The writing style is great and I loved the characters and setting!

3.5.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy of this book.I'm glad I continued with this series because this one improved on the first one, imo and got even better. A fun quick read.

I loved this - it’s wayyy better than the first one (which I did enjoy but it wasn’t like fabulous imo) so if you’re on the fence about continuing this series PLEASE DO!!!! Wade & ivy 4ever. It’s the whole oldest sibling with the weight of the world on their shoulder mixed with the spunky girly who is tough and not afraid to go for it that makes these two such a good pair.


Spice level = max or ✨nearly✨ there

This was such a fun and sweet cowboy romance! Wade is our grumpy rancher to our sunshine fmc.
I loved seeing him fall for for Ivy. The two just balanced each other out in a way I loved! Ivy also gave as much as she took from Wade so loved seeing her fiesty side show too! Also Wade's spicy talk! Whew!
Can't wait for the next book!

Thank you Random House Publishing Group for giving me an ARC of Training the Heart! Paisley Hope is now one of my favorite authors. I enjoyed reading Ivy's story on Silver Pines Ranch.

Special shot out to Random House Publishing Group for providing me an ARC of this book to read. You rock!

Ivy Spencer arrives at Silver Pines Ranch to cover for the horse trainer while she's on maternity leave. Recently out of an abusive relationship, she's looking to connect with the horses and do her job the best she can--even if her boss doesn't approve of her methods.

Wade Ashby is the grumpiest of grumps, and also the head of the ranch since his father passed away. He holds the weight of the world on his hands and never -- I mean NEVER -- smiles. Ivy brings chaos with her to the ranch, at his utmost annoyance (why are there scrunchies everywhere!?). But he needs her to train his star horses. Only after working closely with her does he realize how attractive he finds her. Sparks fly between the two on a night of forced proximity, but will they be able to keep it professional after that? A trip to Nashville to a horse auction pushes them to their limits.

The reluctant love between Wade and Ivy is sweet as molasses, except in the bedroom. The spice is definitely spicin' in this book! It's a slower burn so the tension between the two builds a lot which leaves for scorching scenes. I found some of the scenes repetitive, but overall I thought the book was good! I would definitely recommend the series to a friend who likes cowboy romance.

While this did keep me entertained, I wasn't overall impressed by it. There was almost too much focus on the MMC's and FMC's pasts and not enough character growth. Also, and this may be an unpopular opinion, but the sm*t was a bit too much for me. I can appreciate a few scenes, but about 40% of the way through, it was almost nothing but sexy scenes for almost another 20% of the book. It just wasn't my favorite but I liked the idea of it!