Title: Training the Heart
Author: Paisley Hope
Publisher: Dell
Genre: Romance
Pages: 448
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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Training the Heart

Ivy Spencer is a young horse trainer who gets the chance to prove herself at Silver Pines Ranch. It’s exactly what she needs after everything she’s been through with her last relationship and her mother.

Wade is Ivy’s complete opposite and doesn’t let anyone in. He’s also coming out of a terrible relationship and is now fully focused on the ranch. Wade had to hire Ivy after his previous trainer became a mother, but that doesn’t mean he agrees with the way Ivy wants to train the horses.

Review

This is the second book in the Silver Pines Ranch series. I read the first book, Holding the Reins, at the beginning of the year, and I absolutely loved it. I’m a big fan of cowboy romances. I was already familiar with cowboy romances by Elsie Silver and Lyla Sage, and now I can add Paisley Hope as another instant-buy author.

Ivy and Wade have both been through similar experiences. They were each in toxic relationships with terrible ex-partners. At the same time, they are complete opposites. Ivy is the sunshine character in this story, while Wade is definitely the grumpy one. But slowly, he starts to open up and smile more often. At the beginning, they weren’t the biggest fans of each other. Ivy especially enjoyed getting under Wade’s skin, which was really fun to read.

Their relationship begins to develop into something more when Ivy gets hurt and Wade starts taking care of her. He does all these little things for her, and in my opinion, that was incredibly attractive. Honestly, to win my heart, you just have to be a gentleman and do those small, thoughtful things.

The story itself was interesting. It’s not just about their relationship or life on the ranch; it also explores their pasts and personal struggles. It touches on emotionally abusive relationships, the loss of a parent, and alcoholism. These are pretty heavy topics, but the rest of the story keeps it from feeling too overwhelming. Ivy’s ex, in particular, did some truly awful things to her.

That said, even though the story was good, there was also a lot of spice. Don’t get me wrong—I’m not against spice in books. When it’s well-written, it can be fun. And while it was well-written here, it was also quite a lot. I think the first 50% of the book had no spice, although there was definitely tension and anticipation. The second half, however, was full of it. In my opinion, it could have been toned down a bit. For me, the story is always the most important part of a book, not the spice; that’s not why I read romance. Still, I gave it a 5-star rating because it didn’t bother me too much.

The book was well-written, and I flew through it. The paperback has 448 pages, and I finished it in just one day. Paisley’s writing style is simple and engaging. It never felt boring, and it had the perfect balance between lighthearted moments and heavier themes.

If you’re into cowboy romances, you should definitely check out this series. I would recommend reading it in order, though, since characters from the first book make frequent appearances.

The post Training the Heart – Paisley Hope | Book Review first appeared on A happy life.

Title: Holding the Reins
Author: Paisley Hope
Publisher: Dell
Pages: 416
Genre: Romance
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤

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Holding the Reins

Cece has just left her toxic relationship behind and returned to the small town where she grew up. She left Andrew after finding out he was cheating on her. Now she has to start over and find a new job.

Nash used to be a famous ice hockey player, but he is now retired. He helps out on the ranch, works at the bar, and also owns the ice rink. He barely sleeps because he has nightmares every single night. Something terrible happened when he was a kid, and even 15–20 years later, he is still dealing with it.

Nash is also a playboy and doesn’t want to be in a relationship, but all of that changes when Cece returns to Laurel Creek.

Review

Holding the Reins is officially the first book I read in 2026. At this point, I can safely say that I’m starting the new year with a cowboy romance. Last year it was an Elsie Silver or Lyla Sage book, so I think I may have started a new tradition.

This is the first time I’ve read a book by Paisley Hope, but one of the other women in my book club recommended a book by her. It was a different title, but I did some research and found this book, which was still sitting on my TBR. I wasn’t sure if I should start a new series because I’m already reading so many, and it’s driving me a little insane. It sometimes feels like I’ll never finish my TBR. Still, I’m going to do my best to finish a few of the series I’ve already started.

Holding the Reins was a mix of sports romance and cowboy romance. Nash is a retired ice hockey player, and the story takes place in a small town, where Cece and her family live on a ranch. I love both sports romances and cowboy romances, so this book was the perfect combination for me. I also love a good small-town romance.

The main characters are very likable. Cece just ran away from her toxic fiancé, and he is still trying to win her back, even though he cheated on her. He clearly cares more about his reputation than about her. He is definitely the asshole of the story. I actually celebrated when Nash hit him, that was a great moment.

Nash is one of those romance-book guys who is afraid to be in a relationship because he’s scared of losing her. I’ve read about characters like that many times, but honestly, it never gets boring. He’s a genuinely good guy, and Cece deserves someone like him—someone who treats her right, unlike her ex.

The chemistry between the two was fun and very obvious. Cece’s friends basically knew it from the start, and I liked that Cece wasn’t denying her attraction to Nash. She was honest about her feelings, which I really appreciated. This book has 416 pages, which is quite a lot. In my opinion, a romance novel usually doesn’t need more than 300–350 pages. But with this book, I didn’t mind at all. It never got boring, and I liked that the chapters were short.

As you can tell, I really enjoyed reading this book. However, there is one reason why I gave it 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. I only give a book five stars when it truly touches me, when it makes me laugh out loud or cry. A five-star rating is reserved for books that really make me feel something. Even though I really enjoyed this book, it wasn’t one of those emotional reads for me. Still, a 4 out of 5 is a very good rating.

And of course, I’m excited to read the other books in the series. Cece has two older brothers, and we’ve already gotten a few glimpses of their lives. I already have a feeling who they might end up with, but I’m so ready to read their stories as well.

The post Holding the Reins – Paisley Hope | Book Review first appeared on A happy life.