This one was good but it had way more spice than plot in most parts. I enjoyed it but was looking for a little more depth to the story overall

Training the Heart by Paisley Hope

-cowboy romance
-boss/employee
-banter
-found family
-grumpy/sunshine
-sassy fmc
-he gets a tattoo for her (iykyk)
-SPICY (5🌶️)

𝐖𝐀𝐃𝐄 𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐁𝐘.

That’s it. That’s my review.

I don’t remember anything else, I’m still processing, but I get flashbacks of Wade, scrunchies, and “Netflix & chill” vibes.

Thank you to Random House publishing and NetGalley for this ARC!

3.5 Stars!!

This was a sweet and fun cowboy romance! I was so excited that we were getting a book about Ivy and Wade. From the glimpses we got of them in the first book, I knew I was going to love them. I really love Ivy's character. She has a go with the flow kind of spirit which is something I am striving for. and Wade is the perfect grumpy cowboy with a filthy mouth. They have insane chemistry from the beginning that is palpable. Also, prepare yourself to laugh out loud with this one.

Training the Heart has:
- Grumpy X sunshine
- Broody mmc
- Cowboy romance
- Attraction to love

What didn't work for me is that I found some of the plot to be redundant when compared to the first book. I would've liked Ivy and Wade to have more of an original story, whereas this one was felt very familiar.

If Paisley writes it, then I am definitely going to read it. This is book 2 in the Silver Pines series, and I could not put it down. I devoured this in one sitting and didn't want it to end.

Wade's dirty mouth was 🔥 and that tattoo!!! Ivy is sassy and gives as good as she gets with Wade. I loved their chemistry and how they both overcame past trauma and fell in love. Wade is such a great book boyfriend. It doesn't get much better than him.

I loved the banter between the friends and family, and I can't wait for the next book with Ginger and Cole.

I highly recommend this book and series.

Tropes:

🪻GRUMPY X SUNSHINE
🪻SPICE!! Must love spice!
🪻FORCED PROXIMITY
🪻MAN OBSESSED & IN DENIAL
🪻ROAD TRIP/ONE BED
🪻STRONG FMC
🪻SPICY LESSONS
🪻BOSSY RANCHER WITH A FILTHY MOUTH
🪻NO THIRD ACT BREAK-UP
🪻SURPRISE PREGNANCY /HEA+👶🏼

Thank you to Paisley and her team and Netgalley for the ARC.

I didn't think anything could top Paisley's debut novel (book 1: Holding the Reins), but this one blows all cowboy books out of the water.
I love love love Wade and Ivy's dynamic before, during, and after they're getting together.

This book is full of the funniest banter, great text exchanges, sweltering flirting, HOT spice, and heartfelt moments.

With no third act breakup, you know this couple is meant to be!

This was a cute romance. I enjoyed it. I would definitely read more by Paisley Hope in the future. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for granting access to this book in exchange for my honest review.

I can’t believe how perfect this second book in the series was!!! I loved reading about both Wade and Ivy! Great character growth, story line and spice!

Unfortunately, this follow up wasn’t as good for me as the first book. I didn’t connect to the characters like I did with Nash and CeCe and I feel like the romance took a backseat to the spice in this one. It was hot, of course, I just wanted to feel more of a connection beyond the sex. And I thought the book just went on a little too long with some unnecessary drama thrown in. I definitely am looking forward to book 3 and anything else from Paisley Hope in the future—maybe this was just wrong time wrong book for me.

Well… this is like the Elsie Silver books if every chapter had 80% more smut. I did like this but I wish there was a little more character development and banter in between the smut. If you like a filthy cowboy book this is deff for you, if you need more of a story, you may not care for this.

T R A I N I N G T H E H E A R T
•ARC review 5⭐️•

read if you looove…
✨a grumpy cowboy with a penchant for hand necklaces & praise
✨a sassy fmc that loves ice cream & action movies
✨”I had nowhere else to go”
✨boss//employee
✨road trip & one bed

WADE. ASHBY. I have lost the ability to form words & thoughts, and I need this man to be real so he can do all the thinking for me. I’m an absolute sucker for a good hand necklace moment, and this man one-ups allllll my wildest dreams by tattooing “mine” on the back of his hand… I am SAT🥵 not only does he have the dirtiest mouth known to mankind, he is so sweet and thoughtful and caring that I was literally a puddle on the floor by the end of this book.

and Ivy Spencer, my girl🥹 the clumsiest, horse lovin’, sassiest queen in the whole world. she’s the sunshine you want to be best friends with. she loves her people hard and ugh, I love her for it.

thank you @authorpaisleyhope & @netgalley for an arc!! this was one of those reads I stayed up til 1 am lost in Silver Pines and I already miss this group of friends and family. so ready for Cole and Ginger’s book next🤭

out 12/31 wherever books are sold!!!🫶🏼

I love an interconnected standalone series. I’m notorious for starting with the second book in a series. It’s not intentional, it just happens that way more often than it should LOL. So I had no idea what to expect going into this one, I’ve also never read any Paisley Hope book before this one. But I’m so glad I did! I will be reading her entire back log now.

“You need a man who can handle your sassy little attitude, not be threatened by it and give it back to you tenfold.”

Wade is everything to me. A grumpy cowboy with a filthy mouth? SIGN ME UP. All of his little (and big) acts of service? I’m convinced he was written for me. I still haven’t recovered from some of the things that left this man’s mouth. I’ll also never look at a scrunchy the same, iykyk.

“As long as she keeps on looking at me the way she is right now for the rest of my life, I could die a happy man.”

Ivy is nothing short of a ray of sunshine, albeit a little clueless, but in the best way. She is the breath of fresh air that Wade needed. He is so head over boots for her and he can’t stand it (I, on the other hand, ate that shit up!!). These two had me blushing, giggling and kicking my feet.

“So greedy, Chief.”
“For you? Always.”

+ grumpy x sunshine
+ forced proximity
+ no third act breakup!!!
+ “good boy”
+ dual pov

A big thank you to Netgalley, Paisley Hope and Random House Publishing Group — Ballantine for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Move over Nash Carter, Wade Ashby’s in town and we’ve got a new favourite Silver Pines man!! I mean maybe. Maybe not? Yes! No? Fuck. Y’all I can’t choose lol.

I am absolutely obsessed with Ivy and Wade. I had been intrigued by Wade when reading Holding the Reins, but I was not prepared for him in the least. He literally transformed in the duration of this book. He was this grump that had the responsibility of the world on his shoulders. He had a failed marriage behind his back. He had his horse trainer going out of maternity leave and then Ivy showed up. The literally clutz that was a ray of sunshine. His complete opposite. Wade and Ivy, talk about the cutest couple ever lol. She is just so adorable with her smutty audio books and clumsy ways lol. She’s feisty and strong and I saw so much of myself in her with what she went through, and her character arc was absolutely beautiful. And Wade, honest to goodness you guys, he is the most perfect man. I do not have a single negative thing to say about him and I might physically fight anyone who does.

THE TATTOO "MINE" ON HIS HAND WOW I LOST IT!!! Paisley Hope can do no wrong in my eyes and I'm excited to read the rest of her back log.

Book 2: Silver Pines Ranch

This book was everything I was expecting and more!!
(Possible trigger: infertility, alcoholism, emotional abusive ex)

Wade Ashby, owner of Silver Pines Ranch, hires Ivy Spencer as the new horse trainer; the sparks start immediately. Ivy doesn’t let her grumpy boss keep her spirits down and Wade loves it.

Wade and Ivy connect on so many levels it’s just adorable and heartwarming.

Plus this book is 🥵🥵🥵🥵 (many kinks)

Yeehaw! This book was way spicier than I was expecting! Wade and Ivy definitely complimented each other insanely well -- a very good ying yang situation. I really wanted to punch both their exes however. Talk about crazy terrible people! I appreciated that this book started right where the first book ended. Anyways I absolutely can't wait for the next book in the series!

This book, well, has a lot of sex in it. Not a little, not some, BUT A LOT!!!

I'm not a prude, at all, but it was almost ridiculous. It was so heavy-handed, and unnecessary, in my opinion. Some of the themes in the many sex scenes weren't my thing either.

I did enjoy Ivy's character the most. She seems like a breath of fresh air, plain & simple.

Unfortunately, I would not recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Paisley Hope - where to start?!? Nash was a top tier winner for me. However, Wade is what wet dreams are made of.

The first book in the Silver Pines series was fantastic so I was thoroughly looking forward to Wade and Ivy’s story and it 100% delivered. Wade is the older brother of the FMC from book 1. He is a grumpy, sexy cowboy who runs the ranch. He is tasked with finding a new horse trainer. Enter Miss Ivy Spencer. She is feisty and spunky. She doesn’t take any of Wade’s crap. They get off to a rocky start, but it doesn’t take them long to realize that they have feelings for each other and take it further. They have some major chemistry.

I adored Wade’s grumpy character because it is so relatable lol I love how Paisley wrote him as an MMC as someone with a hard shell but a super soft interior when it comes to Ivy. I thought Nash had a mouth on him. It’s nothing compared to Wade’s filthy mouth. And boy do I love a man with a mouth on him.

I also loved Ivy’s character. She was strong-willed and confident. She knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to go for it.

The character development of both Wade and Ivy was spot on also. How Wade goes from grumpy to a family man over the course of the story and how Ivy is not only strong and confident, but sexy when she is with Wade. He brings that out in her and she brings out the best in him.

If you Iike:
-Strong FMC
-Forced Proximity
-Small Town Romance
-Sexy Cowboy
-Grumpy/Sunshine
-Obsessed/Possessive MMC
Then you will love this one.

Overall, I would 10/10 recommend this book. If you like sexy cowboy, small town romance books with some serious spice, then you will love this one. I adore Paisley Hope’s writing and her MMC’s and I can’t wait to read book 3 in the series. Thank you Paisley Hope and NetGalley for allowing me to read Training the Heart ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5 ⭐️
5 🌶️

Absolutely amazing! It’s so fast paced and almost natural in the way Ivy and Wade fall for each other. The emotions they take you through from their first meeting, to personal traumas, and finally to their happily ever after is so profound. Not to mention the spice is top tier! Wade’s dirty talk? 🤤💦
The conversations and constant back and forth between everyone is so realistic and hysterical. I’m usually not one who annotates books but I was highlighting like hell throughout the entire journey.
Paisley did such a beautiful job approaching difficult topics like emotional abuse, grief, and fertility struggles. Her writing is very lyrical and relatable. For sure adding her to my must-read authors list! I thoroughly enjoyed reading Training the Heart and cannot wait for Riding the High!

“Every thought in my mind floats into the air like bubbles rising in a freshly poured prosecco…”
“Concussed? No.
Turned on? Check.”
“You behave this morning?”
“…save a horse…”
“You can’t train the heart.”
“BDE? Check.”

eARC

I was so excited to receive this ARC through NetGalley!

Paisley Hope has me in a clutch hold from book one! Wade and Ivey did not disappoint!

RATING: 5 STARS! (I mean, Duh!)

Beyond Wade being a grumpy, hot, tattooed, cowboy....
There’s so much to love about their story!

The best way I can figure to “unpack” all of it, is to just start listing all the things!

1. Okay, so first PAPA DEAN! I have a soft spot for ornery old men, especially farmer/ranchers! I always loveeee them as male supporting characters! Papa Dean no exception, hence the reason he got his own post on my socials! He is not afraid to say what he thinks, nor is he afraid to embarrass anyone on the farm and I love it! I think the reason Dean's character is does it so well and without a care, is that he knows he is right; and those he picks on knows he truly loves them. In my family, if they ain't picking on you, they don't love you. It's a love language, ya know?!

2) Wade is soooo alpha- protective, bossy, controlling. Yet he lets Ivey say and do her thing, when it comes to how she lives and loves and to horse training. He only steps in when she needs him. Otherwise, he’s behind her, supporting her and watching over her. He’s kind of giving Rip (Yellowstone!), and I’m absolutely here for that. Ooof, am I here for that!!!!

3) I have said it, and I’ll say it again- Paisley Hope is so talented!! So proud of her and the work she is putting out!

If you like:
- forced proximity
- boss+employee
- slightly grumpy cowboy (with tattoos!)
- and he cooks for her!
- found family
THIS IS FOR YOU!!

Thank you @netgalley and @authorpaisleyhope for the chance to arc!

#netgalley #trainingtheheart

This was one of my favorite reads of 2024! I am. kicking myself for delaying reading this one! I am a sucker for a grumpy cowboy and Paisley DELIVERED! Wade Ashby was just the right amount of grumpy with a dash or two of a funny, yet dry sense of humor. . Ivy was a firecracker and also the perfect amount of sunshine. I thoroughly enjoyed every interaction Ivy and Wade had since the very beginning. She truly deserves everything good. I enjoyed the character development throughout the story. The banter was FANTASTIC! I loved reading the parts where Ivy would try to explain the books she was listening to Wade. You could just see him rolling his eyes. The steamy scenes did not disappoint. I was kicking my feet with giddiness especially with the "Mine" tattoo is brought up. The found family aspect made me love this story even more. It was nice to also get a glimpe of beloved characters from book 1. Excited for book 3!

A like for me! Very cute and extremely spicy attraction to lovers story between a ranch owner and horse trainer. I actually wish we had gotten more plot and less spice because I really enjoyed the family and friend dynamic we were introduced to in the Holding the Reins. Excited to read the rest of the series!