I loved this book! I can't wait for the next one in the series! I think Paisley Hope will be an auto buy for me from now on!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️


Fuck, Wade Ashby is every book girlies grumpy, cowboy wet dream! And he has a filthy mouth 🥵🥵


His and Ivy’s story is so sweet. The care that he puts into nurturing their relationship is so special. I love that they kept their relationship a secret, not because he didn’t want his family to know, but because he wanted to continue building on that comfort and familiarity they were gaining within one another. It made for a beautiful foundation to their love story.

I usually don’t love the surprise pregnancy trope but I think in this book given ivy’s background, it was necessary and done really well for the character and relationship development. Also love that the third act breakup (if you can even call it that) lasted 3.5 seconds.😂

This book is quite a bit spicier than the first book, we’re talking spicy chapters back to back towards the end. It was bearing on a bit much. But damn, Wade is hot so I still loved it. 🤣🤣

Highly recommend this series to anyone who loves small town romances cause the Ashby family is top tier! I cannot wait for Ginger and Cole’s book💕

*4.5

I had a fun time with this. A little too much sex not enough domestic scenes for me but I liked them. Her ex was so horrible and I'm glad that Wade came into her life. I really like the whole family and can't wait for Cole and Ginger's book.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What’s inside:
Cowboy romance
Grumpy x sunshine
Forced proximity
Boss x employee
Found family
Only one bed

I was hooked on this book from the moment I started it and read the dedication page. 🥵

Training the Heart is the second book in the Silver Pines Ranch series. This could stand on its own, but you get the most out of it reading in order.

We met Wade Ashby in Holding the Reins. He is the oldest Ashby sibling and is running the family’s ranch in Kentucky. He is recently divorced and is the grump in this grumpy x sunshine scenario. When the ranch’s horse trainer goes on maternity leave, Wade hires Ivy as a temporary trainer.

Ivy left her last job under bad circumstances, she had been in a toxic, long-term relationship with the son of the ranch owner. She is ready to strike out on her own and start fresh. Wade and Ivy decide to get a horse to train for the derby and end up working very closely together.

Ivy and Wade have instant chemistry and trade tons of fun, witty, and flirty banter. They are surrounded by a great group of side characters who return from book one. We get plenty of Cole, Wade, and Nash ribbing each other and a few moments with the Not Angels.

I liked the pacing and the fact that the book covers several months in time. This allowed for Wade and Ivy’s relationship to develop in a natural way and build up the tension between them. There is a good mix of plot to spice, weighing heavier towards the spice.

I couldn’t stop picturing Rip from Yellowstone whenever Wade was on page, so if that’s your thing lol it is mine, this is the book for you!

Very excited to read the next book with Cole and Ginger!

3.5 stars. I have received an ARC of this book for my honest review so let’s get into it. So I’ve read a lot of cowboy/small town romances when I read the synopsis of this book I knew is right up my alley. I will say I have not read book one yet, so I jumped into this blind and I typically don’t like doing that with interconnected standalone. I feel like book one is always so much more introduction than you get in book too because the author just expects you to know already from book one. My main issue with this book is that the pacing just felt really weird. It took me a couple chapters to get into it and then once I was into it and settled we did a big time jump, which I was really not expecting. I wish that we’d focused more on the horses and the training because that is one reason why I was drawn to this book. But like I said before we kind of skip over a lot of that stuff which saddens me. This was still a good romance book, but because of my expectations, I had to rate this three-point five stars.

✨ Training the Heart by Paisley Hope ✨

Good Lord. If chemistry could jump off a page and slap you in the face...it would be while reading Wade and Ivy. The angst was sizzling until these two finally get together and wowza. There aren't words. I love, love, loveddd being back in Silver Pines and reading Wade and Ivy's story. They both have so much hurt from past relationships and I loved how they worked through it together, even if the "together" part was reluctant at first. I love all the parts of this book where Ivy and Wade were training Angel for the derby- all her races got me so emotional. This book was such a fun, spicy read!

✨ Enemies to Lovers
✨ Grumpy x Sunshine
✨ Forced Proximity
✨ Boss x Employee
✨ Past Relationship Hurt
✨ Horse Training

📚 Book: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🔥Spice Rating: ❤️‍🔥

Thank you so much to Paisley Hope and Dell Romance for this gifted arc.

Spice Rating
🤍 clean romance
💗 closed door/ fade to black
❤️ spicy content (a few detailed scenes)
❤️‍🔥 explicit, play-by-play (major part of the plot)
🖤 graphic, more than vanilla

✨3.75

Training the Heart by Paisley Hope is the second book in the Silver Pines Ranch series, a sizzling, smalltown, western romance here to satisfy your cowboy cravings.

🧩 Horse trainer FMC x ranch owner MMC
🧩 Family and found family
🧩 Dual FMC and MMC POV
🧩 Learning to trust/open your heart again
🧩 “Let’s keep it a casual fling” yeah sure
🧩 Workplace romance
🧩 Appearances by the couple of Book 1

Ivy Spencer (FMC) is still reeling from a bad relationship and its especially rotten end when she finds herself at Silver Pines Ranch, interviewing for a job with the very unimpressed Wade Ashby (MMC). But it’s not Ivy’s fault, really, aside from being late… Wade Ashby is just a hard shell to crack with most. The responsibilities of the family’s ranch have come down hard on his shoulders, and it’s showing. It showed with the breakup of his marriage, not that he loved or fought for her much, anyway. And it’s showing to his family, who see him closing more into himself day by day.

But something about Ivy Spencer, this intriguing and frustrating woman with hidden dreams so much like his own, a racehorse from Silver Pines at the Kentucky Derby, both calls to and scares him. And once Ivy becomes determined to break down his walls, all bets are off. But Ivy is only staying to fill a temporary job post… can this just be a casual fling? Can Wade let Ivy walk away at the end? Can Ivy let herself?

It was a little bit of a seesaw to get there, but once Wade and Ivy started their romance, that’s when Wade’s walls broke down the most. He let his natural side come out with her in those intimate moments. I think they both worked well together. I loved that their dreams lined up with each other, Ivy training a racehorse for the derby and Wade having a derby horse from Silver Pines Ranch, and how it played into the plot. Wade was also an acts-of-service type of guy, which is always a jam. And he takes his giving nature into the bedroom, that’s for sure.

Wade and Ivy both must contend with outside forces for their ultimate happy ending. I’m glad the author kept them from becoming melodramatic or coming between the main couple. These were problems each character themselves had to deal with, and come to terms with for themselves, to fully move on with their lives and go forward with each other with clean slates.

🚩 Both MCs are dealing with lingering drama and/or trauma from ex-partners. This is a source of personal tension for each character, but is never used as a source of jealousy or an obstacle between the main couple
🚩 Effects and feelings of grief and loss

To end this review, I just wanted to point out two small quibbles I had with the book.

⛔️ More communication between Wade and Ivy
Especially in the back half. Sometimes I wished that they just talked to each other more and admitted the things that were clearly obvious instead of skirting about subjects. There was a chunk of pages that could’ve been cut off that would’ve eliminated some of the repeated miscommunication.

⛔️ After the strength of Book 1, Wade and Ivy had slightly less chemistry than Nash and CeCe
Not much to say here other than Nash and CeCe were just too good, ya’ll. Particularly Nash as an MMC, but them together was pure magic and just felt more weighted.

4 stars! I loved this more than first.

This follows Ivy as she becomes a trainer at the ranch Wade’s family owns and he runs. So a little boss and employee kind of vibes. Grumpy/sunshine. No miscommunication which I loved!! These books give me a REAL cowboy romance feel like nothing I’ve ever read before.

Wade was a different kind of grumpy and I loved it. His acts of service had me so giddy plus let’s not forget the hand tattoo that says ‘mine’ like COME ON!!!

Him and Ivy worked so well together, I loved it. Plus the chemistry and build up was off the charts for them. I finished this in less than a day!

paisley hope did it again
ive come to fall in love with paisleys writing and she did it again with wade and ivy
i LOVE a big burly man who is soft for his special people
ivy deserves the world and wade is going to burn everything to give it to her
I KNOW THATS RIGHT
silver pines will go down as a favorite series of mine
and i say this with confidence before the rest of the books are published
cant wait for my eventual reread

⭐️3.5

Thanks Netgalley and Random House Publishing for sending me this arc! I really enjoyed the beginning of this one more than the first one and the main couple were soooo intriguing. I loved the little plot as her as a horse training but definitely wished we got more of that since it would’ve broken up the repitive scenes of spice.

I will be continuing this series since I am very excited for the next two couples and can see that this series will only get better. I could already see the improvement in the author’s writers from the first book to this one!

Dual POV, Spicy, Rancher MMC, Workplace, Care Taking, Grumpy x Sunshine, Road Trip/One Bed, Spicy Lessons, Toxic Exes

There's something about a man who is down bad but in such obvious denial about it. The grumpy stoic man soft only her vibes are off the charts in this book as he: makes her ice cream sundaes, takes care of her when she's hurt, leaves her post it notes, and I won't spoil everything he does for her but the list goes on. Wade's denial paired with their banter and will they won't they tension make this an enthralling read. Ivy is spunky and headstrong freely speaking her mind and taking none of Wade's shit. Both Wade and Ivy have toxic exes, watching them slowly heal and fall in love feels like the ultimate payoff after all the heartbreak they've endured.

Right from the very beginning Paisley has us cackling! Our girl Ivy likes her spicy audiobooks

Wade Ashby is a low key softy even though he wants to be all macho all the time. We all know he enjoyed listening to the audiobook.

Now, who didn’t love the ice cream and movie nights *sigh*

Also, Blue satin scrunchy, IYKYK

Overall, this book is another 10 star review!

Love where this series is going!

4.5 ⭐️
4 🌶️

WOOOOOW, this book was HOT!!!!! In the second installment of the Silver Pines series, we are treated to the king of grumpy, Wade, and his trainer he recently hired, Ivy. From the beginning of this book, I knew these two would be perfect together. She’s the sunshine to his grumpy and the sass she gives him is a nice breath of fresh air. It was nice to see how their relationship developed and how Wade would do anything for Ivy. Also, Ivy is an angel of a character and she really went through it before coming to the ranch (to not give a lot away) so by the end of this story, I was her biggest fan.

The start of the romance was a slow burn but once these two got together, oh my god 🥵🥵🥵 The mouth on Wade???? I was blushing frequently. These two are perfectly matched and just hot as hell together.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an ARC!!!!! This book was def a hit for me!!

Wade Ashby lives by one rule: “No feelings, no fuss.” Between losing his dad, his marriage going down like a bad rodeo, and the weight of the family business on his shoulders, Wade’s emotional baggage carousel is fully loaded. He’s the rock of Silver Pines Ranch—steady, unshakable, and about as cuddly as a cactus. Then there’s Ivy Spencer, whose life motto is “animals over people, always.” After a childhood that could’ve been a reality show and enough bad luck to fill a country song, Ivy is ready for a fresh start. Her goal? To train a racehorse for the Kentucky Derby and show the world (and herself) that she’s tougher than her leather boots. Wade needs help on the ranch, but hiring Ivy? Big mistake. Huge. She’s a tornado of determination and sass, blowing through his perfectly organized life like she’s auditioning for Chaos: The Musical. They argue about everything—especially how to train his star horse—but somehow, Wade can’t bring himself to send her packing. Maybe it’s her passion. Maybe it’s her grit. Or maybe it’s the way she flips her hair when she’s yelling at him. What starts as a battle of wills quickly spirals into something much steamier. One minute, they’re butting heads, and the next, they’re locking lips like it’s a romance novel. (Oh wait, it is a romance novel.) Turns out, opposites don’t just attract—they combust. And when Wade’s control collides with Ivy’s chaos, the result is a love story hotter than the Silver Pines sun. THIS IS A SPICE SHOW WHOOOO!

Training the Heart delivers a sizzling, slow-burn romance set against the picturesque backdrop of Silver Pines Ranch. Wade and Ivy are the quintessential grumpy-sunshine pairing, and their chemistry practically crackles from the page.
Wade’s brooding nature and stoic dedication to his family make him the perfect foil for Ivy’s spirited, chaotic energy. Their clashing approaches to training the prized racehorse create plenty of tension, both professional and personal, as they’re forced to confront their own vulnerabilities. Ivy’s passion and resilience make her an endearing heroine, while Wade’s journey from guarded to openhearted is deeply satisfying.
The ranch setting is richly detailed, immersing readers in the world of horses, hard work, and heartfelt connections. While the pacing sometimes lags in the middle, the emotional payoff and fiery moments more than make up for it. Fans of cowboy romances and opposites-attract dynamics will find themselves rooting for Wade and Ivy as they learn to trust each other—and themselves.
Training the Heart is a delightful mix of steam, heart, and healing that will leave readers eager for their next visit to Silver Pines Ranch. A must-read for lovers of rugged cowboys and spirited heroines!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Ivy's applied for the job as head horse trainer in Silver Pines and she's working closely with Wade Ashby, who's the owner/manager of the ranch. Sparks fly and they embarked on a journey towards a relationship.

It was really good that I thought it was a bit better than the first book but oh boy, I was proven wrong because it's so much better and wayy off good compared to the first.

As we go along the story, we saw more emotional side to them. I still love going back to this world though.

I can see why a lot of people love it because it does have that tension that's palpable even off page. The spicy scenes were hot (the mouth of Wade with his dirty talk!), side characters and found family was really incredible to see. We also see a different kind of plot regarding purchasing a race horse so that was fun.

If you read Swift and Saddled, this might be your cup of tea. I will def read the rest of the series and the author announced the book 4 and I just can't wait!!!

💜Small Town
🐎Boss x Employee
💜Grumpy x Sunshine
🐎Bossy Rancher/Cowboy MMC
💜Strong and Sassy FMC
🐎Forced Proximity
💜Man Obsessed
🐎Found Family

TW: fertility issues and past emotional abuse

I was so happy to return to Silver Pines, and to see Wade and Ivy! I loved grumpy/shine and OMG is that Wade and Ivy! Because of this they may seem very different but really they are so similar. They both have immense pressure to provide for their families, have deep seated hurt, and the will to make a successful run in the horse racing world.

Wade is obsessed but totally in denial! He tries to maintain his gruff attitude but really he is no match for Ivy. There a big ways he takes care of her and spoils her but it’s also in the smallest gestures that can be overlooked. Mmhhmmm…he collects her scrunchies not only because he wants a piece of her but because he wants them handy when she will need one!

Ivy is much a strong woman, being authentically herself after escaping past trauma, and the ways she is a sassy spitfire with Wade! I love how she quietly supports Wade and reminds him to live a little for himself

These two were amazing together. The way they learn about each other was sweet and had me melting. And when I say these two were hot, I ain’t lying! The tension was thick with the way they fought against their feelings. I loved their special word/phrase. 😏 The spice was a SPICIN’!!!

Brad and Janelle were the worst! Anyone would have been better than these two but Ivy and Wade are perfect for each other and were destined to find the other! 🥰

Wade and Ivy were perfection. No flaws. I love them separate and I love them together. I will accept zero criticism about them.

Wade was such a grumpy man and let me tell you, I love them grumpy. Now make it a grumpy cowboy and I am on my knees saying please! But let’s not forget that this cowboy has the dirty talk locked down. I mean that mouth had me sweating! He is for sure the king of taking care of his woman.

“𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵, 𝘐𝘷𝘺...𝘚𝘢𝘺 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘺."

Ivy was this strong and fiesty firecracker that Wade calls “Trouble”. She gave him all the snark and never backed down. She was so confident in herself and I love that!

Paisley definitely delivered the banter and chemistry with these two! I can’t wait to be back in Silver Pines with Cole and Ginger!

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

This was so swoony and wholesome ahhhh

The slow-burn and the midnight ice cream + movie dates were >>>>>

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!