This has all the makings of an emotional read, but sadly it fell short for me on that front. The smut, though? Whooo, that most definitely delivered.

I do wish we got a little more of the non-sex part of their relationship because I just wasn’t emotionally invested. Every time I think they’re finally going to talk about feelings, especially with Ivy fresh out of an abusive relationship, they just go back to doing it. I’m all for a smutty book, but I do like some balance.

Another thing I really, really hoped for was to see Ivy kill it at her job. There was such a huge build up about her being this horse whisperer of sorts, but we didn’t even see them together? I wish we did.

Even with all that, this was still a fun time and I’m looking forward to book 3!

there is no place like silver pines ranch 😩

im so happy that this book lived up to my expectations, i absolutely adored cece and nash’s book and knowing that wade and ivy were to follow i couldnt have been more excited when receiving this!! these two are so perfect for each other in every way and it was so lovely to see wade go from chief no fun to finally living his life to the fullest with ivy around :’)

the banter and chemistry in this book was seriously top tier, i absolutely loved how mouthy these two were with each other 😂

i think if you loved the first book you’ll definitely love this one just as much, if not more!! take everything you found perfect in the first one and magnify it by 1000 🤭

i am now just desperately waiting for cole & gingers time to shine oh my goodness

Im loving all of Paisley Hope's books! I read the first of the series recently and the characters are incredible. Thank you Netgalley and Random House for this ARC

MERCY!!! 4.25 stars for me - I think I loved this book even more than I loved holding the reins! I love the Ashby family so much, I was invested from the very beginning. I absolutely love Ivy and Wade - Ivy is so independent and strong willed but allows Wade to take care of her and that just does it for me!

We definitely know by now that the Ashby boys don’t follow their own “no fraternizing with the employees” rule, and I’m here for it. Now I’m really hoping we get Cole’s story… hopefully with Ginger being his leading lady. ;)

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This book was better than Holding the Reins. The main characters were more engaging. I enjoyed getting to know Wade and Ivy had a personality I enjoyed. The dual narratives sounded distinct and each character had their own voice. I wish the plot had held my attention better but I think that's a personal preference.

WILL I EVER RECOVER?? Sexy af Wade Ashby hires the badass Ivy as a trainer on the farm. Warning: this is NOT a slow burn and all the 🌶️ ahead is well worth it!

Beyond the spiiiiiice - Ivy is probably one of my favorite FMCs as she’s both sassy and unafraid, living her life for herself after tragedy and pain. It’s great to see the relationship she builds with Wade and the other folks in town!

I love Ivy and Wade and I will shout it to everyone who will listen! I have been so intrigued with Wade since Holding The Reins that I was SOOO excited to get my hands on this book. Wade is SUCH a grump and Ivy is your sunshine horse trainer. The chemistry and banter between them is off the charts. I was giddy and swooning throughout the book and I never wanted it to end. I

YALL THE TATTOO HAD ME FANNING MYSELF. He is such a hot man. I cannot get enough of him.

I loved seeing the Not Angels really welcome Ivy into their group with open arms. The girls fell in love with Ivy just as much as Wade did. THIS MAN FELL HARD.

If paisley writes it I will read and devour EVERY SINGLE TIME.

** spoiler alert ** Rating: 3.5 stars/spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
**Review contains spoilers
***Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ebook.

Wowza--Paisley Hope was holding back in the 1st book, and the 2nd book was way better. Wade (our grumpy stoic angel rancher) and Ivy (sunshine incarnate) are such a good pairing, and I loved their relationship. (HE TATTOOS HIS HAND TO SAY MINE, EXCUSE ME, HAVE MERCY???) and I appreciate the clear communication and effort that their relationship had. Also a more concrete plot and character development compared to book 1--it was just easy to care about their story and get into. Banter was excellent, the spice was SPICY, and even though I'm not a fan of the accidental pregnancy trope--this was really beautiful and tender and I just stinkin' enjoyed it.

This was a fun easy read, and I'm glad I stuck it out and read book 2 (book 1 was a dud to me, sorry!). I'm ready for Cole and Ginger's story, even if Wade and Ivy, dare I say, will be impossible to beat?

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the eARC!
I loveddddd this! This was much better than the first book for me! Wade is the sweetest, best cowboy and what he’ll do for Ivy is everythinggg. He would burn the world down for her, and I’m here for it. They had absolutely sizzling chemistry, and a beautiful story. Ivy had such a rough past, and she overcame so much, it’s really beautiful how she got through it all.
The spicy scenes were top notch and THAT BONUS SCENE??? Yes PLEASE.
I loved this, and everything about it.

That was spicy as helllllll. I loved it so much . I knew Wade was gunna be daddy in the sheets but even I was surprised by how bossy that man was. Also some absolutely heart melting swoony scenes and declarations of love . I LOVED it and I’ll be wades brat any day. And that bonus chapter was perfect . I’ve also never been jealous of a scrunchy before . I love this series so much and can’t wait to read the next one. thank you sooooo much for this ARC!

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced reader copy of this book!

I was so excited for this one to hit my kindle. I enjoyed the first book in this series and liked this one even better. The main characters really balanced each other out and although it contained some tropes I typically don’t love I liked the main characters enough that I liked everything that happened to them. This is yet another small town/ cowboy romance to add to your shelf! And Wade Ashby deserves his spot in your book boyfriend list!

Training the Heart : by Paisley Hope
♾️/⭐️ 5 /🌶️

This world she has created is one of the best Wade and Ivy are a force to be reckoned with this is an emotional and steamy story that grabs your heart from the beginning. It follows Ivy, who is escaping an abusive relationship and finds herself on the doorstep of Wade, a grumpy rancher who isn’t looking to hire new help but reluctantly takes her in because he needs her skills. Wade, who has been hardened by the loss of his father and betrayed by his ex-wife, trusts no one. However, as he and Ivy begin working closely together, she starts to melt the walls he’s built around his heart, capturing a part of him he never thought he could give.

The tension between them is electric, and the sexual chemistry is absolutely amazing. Every scene is charged with intensity, and their banter keeps things light while also adding depth to their connection. Ivy pushes Wade to be better, to trust again, and to open himself up to the possibility of love. On the other hand, Wade reassures Ivy of her strength, but also lets her know he is there to protect her when she needs it.

The twist in the story comes when Ivy, after being told by her ex-boyfriend, a doctor, that she might not be able to get pregnant, finds out it could have been a lie. This revelation shakes up their relationship and the future they could have together, adding even more depth to the plot.

This is an incredible story of two people learning to love again after having their hearts tested and broken. I love how Wade, gruff and set in his ways, softens with Ivy’s presence, and how Ivy finds her own strength and healing with Wade by her side. It’s a perfect mix of heartfelt romance, sizzling heat, and the journey of two people finding their way back to love. Stay tune for Cole and Ginger story coming 2025!

Paisley Hope outdid herself with Training the Heart. This addition to the Silver Pines Ranch series was even better than the first.

Wade and Ivy will forever hold a special place in my hear. These two are the standard for a grumpy x sunshine smalltown romance.

The slow burn was so perfect for this book. These two mcs are so close and so gone for eachother before they even change to a romantic relationship. Extra points for a healthy relationship with open communication. Their chemistry is off the charts and the banter from the very beginning has you hooked.

I cannot get enough of the Ashby family scenes. We were given the Nash and CeCe updates that we all needed. The addition of seeing the Cole and Ginger friendship/flirtation will have you wait (impatiently) for their story.

Thank you, Dell Romance, Paisley Hope, and NetGalley for the e-arc.

I love a grumpy cowboy as much as the next girl, but this book fell a bit short for me. Before I get into my critiques, here’s what I did like: I will always love the found family trope, and the Ashby’s welcomed Ivy into their lives with open arms. I also loved how much of a spitfire Ivy wound up being - her spicy side really surprised me and I adored how she knew just the right ways to torment Wade. And chef Wade - the girlies (me) love a man who knows his way around a kitchen!

I think the biggest disappointment to me was the overall lack of character growth and development. Even though Ivy and Wade have struggles that run deep, they were just kind of glanced over and overcome with no real explanation or detail. It could be personal preference, but this is my favorite part of any book, so I missed this aspect quite a bit.

And while I die for some good smut, I do think the spicy scenes overpowered all of the other content in the book. Ivy and Wade’s relationship seemed very insta-lusty, despite both of them having a rocky history with romantic partners. I wanted a lot more pining and tension before the action happened.

I found myself skimming the last 15% or so of this book because one of my least favorite tropes was introduced, but I will readily admit that this is a bias I have and doesn’t have any effect on the quality of the story or writing, but it just didn’t do it for me in this instance.

Overall, I think this is an easy, enjoyable read and a great choice for anyone who is a fan of a good old fashioned grumpy cowboy with a hidden kinky side.

loved this one as well! such a sweet love story with no third act breakup, no big miscommunication, grumpy Cade Eaton-esque character, the one bed trope, "who did this to you?" vibes, and so much more!!! it's the perfect follow up to the first book.

my only complaint is this does seem a little too similar to Heartless; of course it's different, but Cade/Wade and the plot twist at the end felt a little on the nose. I'm sure it's completely unintentional, but it had me comparing the two books the entire time which is never fun.

4.5 stars! Another bingeable read from Paisley Hope! Yet again, I couldn't put this down and finished it in 24 hours. This is the second book in the series, following Wade and Ivy's love story. Wade is our grumpy, oldest brother, responsible, logical, head of the ranch MMC. Wade needs to hire a new horse trainer for the ranch and in comes Ivy. Ivy is an FMC looking to start fresh, doing what she loves-working with horses. Things get off to a bit of a bumpy start between Wade and Ivy. Wade is all no nonsense and hardened by his experience with his ex. Meanwhile Ivy is his opposite. She's full of sunshine, sass, and teasing. The book follows their workplace to friends to lovers journey.

I just really love Paisley's writing style and story lines. This book is fun, sweet, and spicyyy. And even though it is at least 3 chili peppers or more worth of spice, there was a natural progression. I liked that their was instant attraction, but there wasn't insta love. There was great banter between Wade and Ivy. They also got to know each other through both working so closely on the ranch and the way that the rest of the Ashby family had welcomed Ivy into their circle. I loved how Wade wanted to resist at first but then forced proximity changed all that!! Then really from that moment on he was swept away by Ivy. I felt like even though Wade and Ivy were opposites in a lot of ways, they did have some aspects of their pasts and upbringing that was really relatable. I think it made their relationship together feel real. I love that Paisley writes MMC who are down bad for their FMC but in a way where it doesn't seem over the top or too much. It feels natural to the couple.

Another thing I loved about this book and series: the friends group and family dynamic! There's great banter and jokes between the characters but theres also love and understanding. I think the community aspect really shines through in this series.

Highly recommend this book and series!! This was a fantastic small town, workplace to lovers, forced proximity, cowboy/rancher, book. I can't wait for Cole's book!!! I need it ASAP.

Thank you Netgalley & Random House for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review

Gah! I loved it! Watching grumpy wade fall in love was such a fun ride. The spice in this was even better than the first! I also love the new business venture the ranch is taking on. I’m so excited to read Cole and Ginger’s story next!

Paisley, can we meet and talk over wine for how darling this dang book is? I was just so intrigued from chapter one, and could not put it down. It was so charming, so fun, and so entertaining. I loved how honest and real you made the characters, and the story was so relatable. It should be made into a sweet movie! Highly recommend reading friends. You will not be disappointed.

I enjoyed Paisley Hope's first book of this series and even noted that its heavy world building reminded me of the TWNGO series. I do still think the series' could be comparable, however I had a harder time getting into Training the Heart than I did Holding the Reins. I think this book started rather abruptly with basically no back story given, which made me immediately conclude that is probably necessary to read the first book before you read this one.

There were times I felt like it dragged and times I felt like it rushed. I found myself skimming a little bit in the middle. I did find the pregnancy rather predictable and immediately clocked that the ex probably had a part in the lie about her fertility. At the end of the day, I know it is a romance book and with that comes an increased element of predictability, so I can look past that.

Though I struggled through this one more-so than the first, I still think there will be people who really enjoy it and I will certainly recommend to those I think would fit in that category. I will definitely still read the future books of this series.

Thank you to Paisley and Random House - Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Paisley Hope gave us another addicting book with Book 2 of the Solver Pines series . Ivy and Wade are both getting out of emotional abusive relationships and feeling the weight of family responsibilities . They are both trying to find themselves and chase their dreams in both the equestrian and ranching world. Their love story is hard to put down! It delivers on the romance while delivering on both character and plot development. The epilogues are perfection and I can’t wait to go back to Silver Pines!