
Member Reviews

thank you so much to netgalley & paisley hope for the arc!
ivy & wade>>>> just when I thought cece and nash could not be topped, ivy and wade became everything!! 🥹. i was hooked from the very first interaction.
wades character was amazing and so well thought out. i love that we slowly got to see his personality come out and turns out he is SO different to what you see in the first book. around ivy he is so sweet, funny, goofy as well as the most thoughtful man ever.
ivy, i love her so much!! she is the perfect mixture of sass and sweetness. she has such a pure heart. i love how quick she was to throw wades ways back at him and out sass him from the very beginning. she was never afraid of that man 😭. she’s so whitty and quick to go back at him that it made their first interactions so fun to read.
their story was everything i adore in a ranch story. the tropes made this book so perfect for me and it all felt like such a natural progression. the pacing was immaculate, i love that they built a sort of friendship while toeing around liking each other. this made it feel like i was reading an strong emotional connection as well as a very very very strong physical connection 🤭. the spice was spicing.
i really enjoyed their domestic moments of wade just cooking for her, them chilling & watching movies - it was just so sweet.
the ashby family and friends are one of my favourite ranch families. the brothers (wade, cole & nash) bickering is so fun to read. also, im so so so excited for cole & gingers book!!! in holding the reins we got a little sneak peek to their chemistry but in training the heart, the chemistry is in the room with us, its PRESENT and it is so good 😭🫶. the whole group is written in such a comforting way. i wish i was apart of the ‘not angels’
wade & ivy’s ending was everything any reader could want, they deserved every single bit of happiness.
Again, thank you so much paisley! 🩷

Jumping into book two of the Silver Pines series by Paisley Hope I felt like I already knew a lot about the characters. One of the things I enjoyed about book one, Holding the Reins, was the family dynamic, so it was great to have that continue in Training the Heart.
This time around the story centres on brother Wade, a serious cowboy who is focused on taking care of the family's Silver Pines Ranch. But he finds his life upturned when Ivy enters his world, not only has she inspired him to enter the Kentucky Derby again but she's also re-ignited a passion that he thought was locked away after his tiring divorce.
Once again I enjoyed the family interactions, but as with the first book I found the male dominance by Wade a bit too much for my liking. Also be warned that this cowboy romance does have a lot of spice!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Randomhouse for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest opinion. After reading and reviewing the first book of the series, it was very nice and thoughtful of the publisher to offer me the opportunity to read Training the Heart.
Training the Heart is book 2 of the Silver Pines Ranch series and follows Wade's and Ivy's story, which I was very curious about after the short glimpse of them in book 1. Wade and Ivy were THE definition of grumpy-sunshine. I liked how Wade was a grumpy cowboy on the outside but had a soft spot for Ivy and that she was the only one who really saw him. That he took care of her, cooked for her and watched movies with her was very sweet, but what I liked most was that he trusted her as a professional and realised how good she was at her job. Ivy was a great and sassy sunshine character. I liked how bubbly and positive she was. Even though she had a difficult past, she fought her way out of it and created a better future for herself. And she's a romance girlie who listens to smut in her car 😂
I liked how the relationship between the characters evolved. The tension between them was so intense and so was the spice!!! Holding the Reins was already HOT, but this one…I'm speechless and still recovering 🥵
The only reason I'm not rating it 5 stars like book 1 is that I would've wished for Wade to show more vulnerability. There was an insight into his past marriage but not enough on how his father's death affected him and why he became so grumpy (Did he struggle mentally? Was he fighting depression? Was it Ivy who helped him?).
Still, I'm a huge fan of this series and will continue to read whatever comes next (COLE AND GINGER PLEASE!!!).

This is a hot, hot, hot four-star read. This is number two in the Silver Pines Ranch series, and it could be read as stand-alone, but you do get a deeper story if you read them in order, you just pick up on a couple more minor details, that add something extra to the story. This one is just as spicy as the first in the series, so may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you like your cowboys hot and your story spicy then this is for you. There is a trigger warning with the story, and the storyline is well done, so that was a massive plus for me, this one felt like it missed a little of the heart of number one, but that’s just me being picky, I know so many people will adore this story and I hope you are one of them.

Training the Heart, much like Ivy’s taste in books, was spice on spice on spice with some plot sprinkled in there for good measure.
I love the Ashbys and Silver Pines and I’m glad that we got a look into Wade’s life but I’m definitely left wanting more. Compared to the vulnerability of Holding the Reins, Training the Heart felt lacklustre.
Wade is fairly recently divorced, running his family’s ranch following his father’s long-term illness and eventual passing. We are given snippets about his married life, but learn very little about his raising or his hopes and dreams, outside of a short scene at the lake. From Holding the Reins, we’ve been taught that Wade is a grump, but nothing really explains why. I assumed something in his past would have been discussed which would have made it obvious, but instead we are given a rather shallow overview of his life. Wade appears to lack substance, from the way that he is described, and I just know that that isn’t at all true.
Ivy is a gorgeous character who truly contains multitudes. We learn a lot more about her past and what makes her Ivy than we do Wade, but I still find myself seeking more information. When did she learn the guitar? Did she always want to be a musician, or was it a hobby? Was it an escape? Ivy’s introduction in Holding the Reins infers that music will be a big part of her life, but it is then hardly mentioned in Training the Heart. As a horsey, musical girl myself, I want more!
Ivy experienced some real hardships and I would love to know more about how this affected her. Some aspects of her life that I felt were not explored deeply enough are her relationships as a teenager (we never hear about friends), how she got into her career (we get a high level overview but not one that seems realistic for somebody with the home life that Ivy has), and also how Ivy came to have the doctor’s appointment in the first place that informed her she likely could not carry a pregnancy to term. At first, I inferred that perhaps she had miscarried and that’s how she found out. Later, it became clear that that was not the case but there was never any explanation as to why she’d had the appointment. Was it an annual check up? Was she concerned because of some symptoms she was having? It didn’t make sense how she got this news and just felt completely random. For something so devastating, I think this plot point deserved a lot more time and explanation dedicated to it.
Ivy and Wade’s relationship is clearly strong, but we get very little in the way of an emotional relationship between the two of them until the end of the book. Most of their relationship is just sex. Don’t get me wrong, it was good, but most of the sex scenes were irrelevant to the plot and I wish they could have either been replaced with scenes that progressed the plot or at least added to in order to make them feel more than just ‘filler’.
Outside of Ivy and Wade, Training the Heart reunites us with some of our other favourite characters. Ginger and Cole remain a truly exciting mystery to me. Ginger is the life and soul of every scene she is in, and I hope she gets her own book so that we can really explore who she is and how she became this strong, feisty, beautiful-inside-and-out character. Papa Dean cropped up more in this book too, which I love as he got very little ‘airtime’ in Holding the Reins which resulted in me wondering why he was a character at all! Dean was so funny, and I’d honestly love to just read a few scenes of him and Mama Jo out and about because I think they’d be hilarious.
We didn’t get much Olivia time in Training the Reins, but hopefully her time is coming. The Not Angels have a big place in my heart, and I need to see them all get their happily ever afters!
There were elements of Training the Heart that filled my heart with joy, mostly actually from Wade’s interactions with Cole & Nash and Ivy’s with Ginger. Mostly, however, I feel like I am left wanting more. I want to experience the conversations between Ivy and Wade, not just hear about them happening. I want to see them falling for each other’s hearts, not just their bodies. Their relationship felt very surface level, not because they aren’t genuinely in love but because there wasn’t enough time dedicated to it.
I want to know everything about their upbringing and their friendships. Maybe I was spoiled by the deep dives we got into CeCe and Nash’s histories. I wanted that level of depth for Ivy and Wade. My heart is still in Silver Pines. I’m just not longing for these characters as much as I was CeCe and Nash.
I note that I read an advanced copy of Training the Heart but there were a significant number of typos and a couple of continuity errors that will need to be picked up before the book goes to print. Hopefully, those are in the works of being rectified.

4.5 STARS. The second in this series and I loved it just as much as book one. Grumpy x sunshine cowboy vibes ticked all the right boxes. I read this in less than a day as I was HOOKED. I'm just disappointed that there's not another book available for me to read straight away.

I need a cold shower. Damn this book had some spicy spice going on! I loved that, hot stuff aside, it had a really engaging plot and absolutely wonderful characters that I couldn’t help but fall in love with! Wade was the perfect grumpy to Ivy’s sassy sunshine! Highly recommend!

I was excited for this series, but sadly it was a DNF for me.
I really liked the idea of the book, but it was very hard for me to get into, and I just had to stop. Maybe I’ll pick it up some other time, but it wasn’t the right book for right now.
I have never complained about the format of an ARC before but the version I downloaded was almost impossible to read. I have zero problems with typos, but this was missing full on chunks of words and replaced with “!” in the middle of the words, and I struggled to guess what some of the sentences even meant. It actually hurt my head.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The trigger warning at the start odbthe book does not disappoint.
This book gallops through life on the ranch and takes you on a hot and steamy whirlwind ride.
Its the sort of book that you're partner will be glad you're reading!
I'm hoping there's more to come - I can see two romances in the background that we absolutely need to read about.

I love romance stories where, although the lead characters are obviously meant to be together, but the female lead still has strong control of her own life. A really fun read!

Enjoyed being back with the Ashby family on the ranch! Love a story with a tight knit family who pull together. This story picks up where book 1 left and follows the second sibling. Two broken hearts find comfort in each other whilst sharing their love of horse training. A lot of spice… probably too much / lost flow of story at times (but maybe that’s just me!). Felt a lot of similar themes to first book too.

Thank you, Netgalley, for this ARC.
The book comes with a pre trope/trigger warning.
Book 2 could be read as a stand-alone, but for better context, ideally read in order.
So this is Wade and Ivy's journey, Cowboy Vs Pocket Rocket Trainer, with, of course, the family shenanigans found in book 1. It was so great to catch up with some of the other characters again. Grandpa is just hilarious, he doesn't miss a trick.
Spice, humour, Non Angels madness, fertility, domestic abuse, alcoholism, racing, loss, love, and family, so much deeper than book 1. I loved it.
Massive dislike for Janelle and Ivy's ex, but now my question is.....Do we get Cole and Gingers story? I do hope so!

Training the Heart follows straight on from Holding the Reins, we are back at the Silver Pines Ranch with manager and family owner Wade. He remains taciturn and humourless with the stress of running the ranch.
Ivy has had many difficulties and her job as a horse trainer is her new start. Determined to do her best she wants to train a horse that will go on to win the Kentucky derby. Strong mutual attraction brings these two spectacularly together gradually bringing joy and light into each other’s lives.
This is a good story with the great cast of characters and strong family ties that added to the depth and humour of this book. Again here there was an overuse of the main characters sexual activities which whilst well written did go on and on. The ending was good showing us some years into the future, unfortunately for me this was ruined by the extra chapter at the end which I didn’t really need or want it could perhaps have been incorporated with some of the other pages…that went on and on. Otherwise this would of been a 5* read.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wade Ashby 😍😍 I went straight into reading this book after reading the first in the series, I thought Nash was hot, but Wade is so much more!!
This is definitely more of a grumpy sunshine type romance, but with more to it!
Wade is your hot, grumpy cowboy who loves control, but as we find out, he's also a bit of a teddy bear underneath.
Then Ivy's the happy go lucky horse trainer, who we find out hasn't had the easiest life but has come through it to be a strong woman.
I loved how their relationship evolved and developed into so much more, and once again, the spice Paisley writes is just 🥵 plus we do love a little one bed drama!!
I must admit there was a trope in this book, which I'm normally not a huge fan of, but I felt that in this, it worked well with other things that had happened in the story.
Another fab book in this series, I'm hoping we'll get Cole's book next ❤️
Thank you once again to netgalley and Random House UK for the arc of this for my honest review.

Having read the first book in the series, I have been counting down the days for this one and it was even better than my expectations. Wade is EVERYTHING (I really appreciate there not being a third act break up).
Ivy is one hell of an amazing character and her story of previous emotional abuse was handled with such care. Absolutely loved that while Wade wanted to be her protector, he knew she could handle everything on her own.

“Training The Heart” by Paisley Hope is an exceptional addition to the cowboy romance genre. This second book in the series surpasses its predecessor with a compelling storyline that keeps readers engaged from start to finish. One of the standout features is the mostly mature communication between characters, avoiding the typical miscommunication trope and third-act breakups often seen in romance novels. This refreshing approach ensures that potential dramas are resolved smoothly, making the narrative even more enjoyable.
Fans of cowboy romance will find “Training The Heart” a delightful read. The novel boasts an easy-to-follow plot and a well-developed cast of characters, capturing the essence of love against all odds. Readers are particularly excited to see Wade find his perfect match, and the anticipation for Ginger and Cole’s story is palpable.
With its beautiful, heartwarming depiction of romance, this book is highly recommended for anyone who loves heartfelt stories of love and resilience.

I enjoyed the first book in this series but this one definitely beats it. The whole storyline is great, there were multiple opportunities for a break up due to miscommunication. But the characters just spoke to each other and any potential dramas smoothed over easily. No 3rd act break up and no miscommunication trope. Absolute winner for me!

Absolutely loved it and so happy Wade has his women now! I love the universe these books are set and just can't stop myself reading chapter after chapter! Ginger and Cole next?

So excited for this beautiful and heartwarming cowboy inspired romance. I absolutely love acquiring novels about people finding love against all odds and this is the perfect representation of that. I look forward to sharing a full review and thoughts soon.