A R C R E V I E W • Training the Heart by Paisley Hope

Rating: 3.75 ⭐️
Spice: 3.5 🌶️

I was so excited to read this book because I love a good cowboy romance and this did not disappoint! Wade Ashby that man that you are omg.

Wade gives everything you can ask for— he is a foul mouthed rancher with a heart of gold. And Ivy is the cutest cinnamon roll fmc ever! I love how she never changed who she was from the moment we meet her. And their banter?! AMAZING

Also the scrunchie scene 😳✋… I will say no more on this matter you’re just going to have to read it for yourself 🤭

TROPES:
🔅 grumpy x sunshine
🔅 strong fmc
🔅 boss x employee
🔅 forced proximity

Thank you to @netgalley , Paisley Hope and random house publishing group — ballentine for gifting me this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

2.5 STARS
⭐️⭐️✨

This felt like a much too long, much more boring rip-off of the Rebel Blue Ranch Series. The characters and circumstances are almost a carbon copy.

Three siblings who live on a ranch with a color in the name who have a widowed parent. One sibling is a single dad who has crazy banter with his sisters crazy best friend, one sibling girl who falls in love with her brother’s (single dad) best friend who owns a bar, and the other misunderstood brother who falls for the girl who comes into town and starts working for him…..

WAY too many coincidences in the characters and circumstances to not have been a direct grab.

Aside from that though, this still had so many problems. It was much too long, and didn’t have a good plot/story arch. I fell deeply bored somewhere around the 50-60% mark, and it never picked up for me. I almost DNF’d this multiple times but pushed through since it was an ARC given to me.

A lot of the writing felt very repetitive and also just dragged and I kept feeling like “get to the point already” type feelings while reading. There was a lot of just unnecessary filler writing in my opinion. The last maybe 20% I skimmed through a lot of it. I also felt that the characters had no real chemistry or connection. I was not convinced that they actually loved each other in the end. I just felt that they listed after the other.

I did enjoy a few things about the story… I liked Ivy’s character and her background/story. I found that to be an enjoyable part of the book. I think representation is important in stories, and I think something I don’t see a lot of is emotional abuse victims. So I really liked how the author wrote about that, and I thought it was written and portrayed well.

I also enjoyed the glimpses we got of them picking out and training their race horse, Angel’s Wings. I would have loved to have seen more of that, and less filler writing or even less sex scenes. They were a bit excessive and repetitive as well.

All in all, I really didn’t enjoy this one, and I feel that the author may have found “inspiration” from a different authors really popular book series. I would not recommend this one to my audience or friends.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted eARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for this digital ARC.

2.5 ⭐️ The story was fine, it was an okay grumpy sunshine with good supporting characters. However, it did include my least favorite trope and as much as I wanted to DNF I pushed trough it.

However, as a horse girl I have so many issues, and I usually let all things slide in “cowboy romances” if I really like the book. The cover kills me - two dressage saddles on a fence at a racing ranch. When they “ride” they are clearly in western saddles and always taking about cowboy boots and hats. The AQA (American Quarter Association) is mentioned so many times in regard to racing, which is clearly a nod to the AQHA that has nothing to do with thoroughbred racing. And I know I’m just nit picking but it just rubbed me the wrong way when they talked about showing as a horse jumping competition and she wears ivory boots.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
I enjoyed this one even more than the first and I’m hyped for the third (I think that will be my favorite). I loved being back with our KY family and really enjoyed getting to know Wade and Ivy. This series is super fun, emotional, and sweet. Any cowboy romance fan would enjoy!

I absolutely LOVE Paisley and I LOVE this series! Holding the Reins was my favorite book of the year... then I read Training the Heart! 😍 Now it's just a tie!

Wade and Ivy are everything I love in a romance. One bed. Forced Proximity. Boss/employee. After the death of his father, Wade Ashby has taken over the running of the family ranch. In need of a horse trainer, Ivy applies for the job. Unapologetically herself, she quickly gets under Wade's skin. In all the best ways! A talented trainer in her own right, she steps in and makes Wade see his ways aren't always the only way. Add in the whole Ashby clan, and this book is the perfect mix of hot cowboy spice and big family love.

Five stars isn't enough to show you just how much I adore this book and this series. Paisley is a master at writing can't put down romance and I'm a fan for life! Now I just need book three! 😍

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

I received an advanced copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to NetGalley, Paisley Hope, and Ballantine Romance. ❤️

I am in love with this series! I think Training the Heart is my favorite though. It had everything I love: grumpy x sunshine, forced proximity, just one bed, boss x employee romance. And the characters were simply fantastic. I adored Ivy and swooned over Wade. I had so much fun reading their dynamic and watching them fall for each other. Wade drying her hair and taking care of her?!? I fell in love immediately.

The spice was somehow steamier than the first book but you don't hear me complaining lol. The shower scene was hot, hot, hot!!!

I am in love with Hope's world and characters. I have so much fun diving into her stories and escaping for a few hours. I cannot wait for the next book. Recommend all day long to anyone who will listen.

This was such a fun cowboy-romance read!
It had nice chemistry, spice and fun big family that is there to support characters through their lives.
One thing that confused me a littlebit was Wade's nickname being "chief" when his brother Cole is the cop in the family...but i think being chief as the main boss in the ranch makes also sense. It just made me rethink his profession for a sec every time he was called "chief"
Ivy, I loved that she was very unapologetically herself and even the way she approached the attraction towards Wade was very in line with who she was as a person.
Also I really enjoyed small details about both main characters that showed more than just what they were to others, like Wade secretly collecting her wayward scrunchies even before he admitted to himself how much he likes Ivy and that he indeed is a big softie compared to his usual demeanor, just for her

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing the e-ARC of Training the Heart by Paisley Hope in exchange for my honest review.

Training the Heart is the second book in the *Silver Pines* series, delivering a seriously spicy cowboy romance with an engaging plot and lovable characters.

The story centers on Wade, the eldest Ashby sibling, who has taken on the responsibility of running the family ranch following the death of his father. When the ranch is in need of a horse trainer while their current one takes some family time off, they hire Ivy Spencer. Ivy is a talented trainer, but she’s also hiding from something, adding an air of mystery to her character. Will her sunshine personality be enough to soften Wade’s hardened heart?

This is a very cute and steamy read. While it follows a familiar romance formula, it's a perfect choice when you're craving a spicy, feel-good, and tried-and-true palette cleanser.

"I swear he's won awards for kissing. Gold medal winner right here on top of me. A f*cking Olympian."

This was a good cowboy romance book. It is the second book in a series that follows a grumpy rancher and a sunshiny horse trainer. Wade Ashby doesn't let anyone in after his marriage fell apart. He thrives on being the one in control, especially when it comes to running his family's ranch, but then enters the tornado-like woman Ivy Spencer. She comes in getting a temporary job as a job trainer, and she tests Wade as often as she's able. Soon though, their passion and chemistry gets to be too much.

"One: I'm wildly in love with Ivy. I not only love her, I need her, the way the moon needs the sun to set every night just so it can rise. Two: There's no me without her anymore, she just doesn't know it yet."

I enjoyed this one, just not as much as the first one in this series. I kinda felt like Wade was meant to be a similar character to Cade from the Chestnut Springs series, and I didn't like either of them as much as people seem to. It was also very spicy and it felt like it took away from the romance to a certain extent.

Closed door modifications: chapters 19, 20, 22, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 38, 40, 44, 48, 53, 58, and 64.

Ahh it was SO good to be back in Silver Pines! I absolutely loved Wade and Ivy’s story. It was the perfect grumpy/sunshine workplace romance. Wade Ashby is the blueprint for broody cowboys everywhere. He cooks, he protects those he loves fiercely, and he has an absolutely filthy mouth..what more can you ask for?? Ivy has been through so much and her strength and ability to overcome was amazing to read. Trust me you will be swooning over this couple!! Can’t wait for the next Ashby brother!

📚✨ Book Review: Training the Heart by Paisley Hope ✨📚

Y’all, I was beyond excited to finally dive into Wade and Ivy’s story after meeting them in Holding the Reins, and let me tell you… it did not disappoint! Wade is everything—the grumpy, filthy-mouthed rancher of my dreams. He’s got an obsession with Ivy’s scrunchies that’ll make you blush, and trust me, you’ll want to read to find out why. 🔥

And Ivy? The most relatable FMC I’ve come across in forever. She’s a mix of boss babe energy, sunshine, and absolute chaos (hello, klutzy moments 😂). She’s a character you can’t help but root for, and together, they’re the couple goals we all need.

📖 While I did miss a bit of that classic angst and tension that really grips me, the love story between these two won me over completely. And that surprise twist at the end? Jaw-dropping. This book had me grinning like a fool!

Tropes I loved:
🌟 Grumpy x Sunshine
🌟 Forced Proximity / One Bed
🌟 Strong FMC
🌟 Surprise Twist
🌟 Bossy Rancher with a Filthy Mouth
🌟 No Third Act Break-Up

A huge thank you to @netgalley and @authorpaisleyhope for the Advanced Reader Copy.

📅 Mark your calendars: Training the Heart releases 12/31/24!

Have you read Holding the Reins or are you excited for this one? Let’s chat in the comments!

#BookReview #TrainingTheHeart #PaisleyHope #GrumpyxSunshine #MustRead #Bookstagram #RomanceReaders #NewRelease #December2024

4.5 ⭐️
4.5 🌶️

Tropes:
👶🏼 Surprise Twist
⛅️ Grumpy x Sunshine
🛏️ Forced Proximity
🏘️ Small Town Romance

ARC Review:

This book releases in the US on December 31!

“I not only love her, I need her, the way the moon needs the sun to set every night just so it can rise” 🥃

“I never knew home until I found you” 🐎

ARC Review:
Y’all… allow me to introduce to your new favorite foul mouth cowboy: Wade Ashby. First and foremost thank you Paisley Hope and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for allowing me to read this book as an ARC. This book really is a grumpy x sunshine down to its core. Wade hates the world until he meets Ivy. Ivy is our smut loving horse training queen and her story of overcoming her past had me crying! This book is SPICY! And at times it was appreciated especially with the twist at the end it set it up, however, there were other times that after they got together I just wanted some more development of their relationship outside of the bedroom. All in all this was a great read and I would recommend it! It’s definitely a long read but it is worth the read! I will definitely be ordering a printed copy when it comes out! 💚🫶🏻

5⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶

If Paisley Hope writes it, I will read it!

It was so fun to go back to Silver Pines and read Wade and Ivy's story.
I love this world and the characters so much. Even the side characters are funny and heartwarming, and you can't help but fall in love with them.

Ivy gets hired on at Silver Pines as a horse trainer and the sexy but grumpy Wade Ashby is her boss. Wade has always been known to be a bit rough around the edges, he's broody and doesn't often have a smile on his face.

Ivy is a sexy little spit fire, and not to mention smart, with achievements a mile long in the horse training world. She has grabbed Wade's attention in more ways than one.

On a rainy night, Wade finds Ivy with a sprained ankle and decides to let her stay in his cabin while she heals up. Can you say forced proximity? This man cooks for her 🤭 and takes care of her!  The chemistry and heat between these two begin to ramp up, and they soon find that they can't keep their hands off of each other.

I love it when a grumpy cowboy becomes so obsessed he can't go a day without wanting his hands all over his woman. Also, this man is so protective because Ivy's ex is just a real piece of work, and Wade wastes no time putting this POS in his place.

If you love witty banter, heartfelt stories with real emotions, and relatable characters, you've gotta read this one!

Also, yall, these 2 be fuc*in. Like... anytime, anywhere, it's going down, and I was EATING IT UP.  NO CRUMBS. 🤪

We all know I'm a sucker for a cowboy, and Paisley delivered once again.

Tropes-
✨️Small Town
💜Forced Proximity
✨️Grumpy/Sunshine
💜Touch Her and Die
✨️One Bed
💜Found Family
✨️Boss/Employee
💜He cooks for her
✨️Unexpected Pregnancy

‼️There are mentions of alcoholism and fertility issues.

✩5

“Find out, Ivy . . . Say mercy.”

✦What to Expect✦
•He’s a grumpy cowboy & her boss
•She’s a horse trainer
•He calls her “Trouble”
•Hand necklaces/collars
•Dirty talk that is *chef’s kiss*
•Cowboy with BDE
•Strong & funny FMC

✦Characters✦
•Ivy Spencer
•Wade Ashby

✦Fav Quotes✦
Yes, sir. Who am I to argue with bossy Wade Ashby?

“You wanna play, Trouble? Let’s play,”

Wade Ashby is, in fact, capable of losing control.

“Wade, we agreed you wouldn’t look at me like that,”

✦Thoughts✦
Omggggg hello Wade Ashby & Ivy Spencer!

The chemistry between these two is off the charts!!!!!!! I am simply obsessed with them.

Wade Ashby is the king of BDE & dirty talk.
I LOVED this grumpy/bossy cowboy so much! The tattoo… I’m deceased. So hot! Also him taking care of her… all the feels. This precious man must be protected at all costs. I loved seeing him open up to her.

Ivy!!!! She had me cracking up so much! What she went through with Brad and her mom… I loved seeing her get her HEA with Wade! She was perfect and I loved how strong she was.

The two of them were so great together, constantly giving it right back to each other. They were absolutely perfect and so dang hot. ATE IT THE F UP!

Love this family and the “Not-
Angels” crew!!!! I am so pumped for Cole & Ginger’s book!!!

the banter, the emotions, the spice, the humor, it was all here!!!! immediately yes!!! also would like to note that i didn't read the first book in this series, but didn't lose any enjoyment because of that. will def be going back to read that one tho!

ivy was such a strong independent #girlboss, literally so badass i loved her sm. she kept wade on his toes which was just perfecttttt. wade was chef's kiss truly. if you like an acts of service man, you'll eat his character up so hard. he was kinda grumpy, kinda possessive, but it never felt overwhelming or ridiculous which was nice.

if you love a good spicy cowboy romance, this is for u! i saw someone say it reminds them of rebel blue ranch and honestly, perfect comparison there. would 100% recommend.

thank you to netgalley & random house publishing group for the arc! all opinions are my own <3

WADE ASHBY!!! SIRRRRR. This book took me by surprise I knew from our glimpse of Ivy in Holding the Reins I was going to love her. But my love for Wade took me by surprise in my mind nothing was gonna beat Mr. Carter for me. BUT DAMNNN was I WRONG!! This grumpy cowboy DADDY was everything I needed. Wade was so down bad for Ivy that this man tattoos MINE on his hand. Ivy is such a force and is a strong woman. She has been through so much in her life that made her who she is and I couldn't be more obsessed with their relationship

I really enjoyed the second book to this series. It was beautifully written and had me hooked. Some points i found it to be a bit much. After some moments where I was struggling to read Paisley Hope hooked me with the cute story line. The ending tugged at my heart strings. I am so glad i continued reading. absolutely great second book. Full review on my goodreads!

I loved Wade and Ivy’s story. I could not put the book down. The banter between Wade and Ivy was the perfect mix. You had the humor, but also the vulnerability between both characters dealing with their past. I also really enjoyed getting to see CeCe and Nash’s love story unfold from the first book in the series. Excited for the next book to hear from Cole and Ginger. I highly recommend this book and series.

It’s been a while since I read a Paisley Cowboy but man did I fall in love with another one. Idk what she sprinkles into her MMCs but wooooooooh I’m addicted. We get a small glances of Wade and Ivy in book 1 and I remember being so excited to see their relationship develop.

I loved Ivy as an FMC. Shes strong but still knew how to had a good time. While she has her past traumas tend to trickle in, she knows her worth. Wade 😮‍💨🫠 God. He was protective, caring, possessive when he needed to be. He just said and did the right things at the right time. I liked seeing two people pleasers and care takers finally have someone please them. They really learned each other inside and out. I liked how they grew together as well. It just really solidified how they were perfect for each other.

This book made me excited for the next characters to get their own books!

“One: I’m wildly in love with Ivy. I not only love her, I need her, like the moon needs the sun to set every night just so it can rise.
Two: there’s no me without her anymore, she just doesn’t know it yet.”

I loved absolutely everything about this book! The dedication, Ms Ma'am! Wade Ashby is perfect, his love language is 100% acts of service, that man is loyal (but not to a fault) and once he decides you're someone to him, he's gunna take care of you! He literally dries her hair y'all (swoon!).
Ivy is also a total badass. Like she's clearly got some shit in her past but she's doing the work to be stronger and better. And yeah, it's hard as shit, but she is committed, which I loved. In her teens she had to become the adult, the responsible one, so her finally meeting someone who wants to take care of her, but also knows she's capable and can take care of herself. Yes please!

☀️Grumpy x Sunshine
💥Boss x Employee
🫦Forced Proximity
☀️ Caregiving
💥Only One Bed
🫦The Mouth on Wade
☀️Strong Female Friendship Group
💥Tight Knit yet Welcoming Family
🫦THE BANTER!

If you enjoyed the Rebel Blue Ranch series, give Silver Pines a try! I've loved this series, and I gotta say, I think it's better!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC!