I very much enjoyed Cece and Nash’s gorgeous story. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. 4🌟🌟🌟🌟

Romance 5/5 steam 4/5
Really nice story that combines cowboy and a little bit of ice hockey. The 2 main characters are strong and their romance flows well.
The book itself has a few annoying editing issues, all fi are replaced by a symbol for some reason!

I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Random House UK and Paisley Hope for giving a small account like mine with an early copy of the book. I am truly grateful for this opportunity.

The blurb alone had me captivated. A cowboy romance entwined with a retired hockey player, brother's best friend, and an age gap? Who could resist? I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read this book.

CeCe Ashby has finally broken free from a toxic relationship and is returning to her family's equestrian ranch in her hometown of Laurel Creek, Kentucky, unsure about what comes next. Meanwhile, Nash Carter, a retired hockey superstar and local hero, has always been like an unofficial sibling to CeCe's brothers. Years after teasing her during their childhood, Nash is now a successful business owner and a notorious bachelor. When CeCe needs a job, Nash feels compelled to help her. Despite lingering resentment from their past, sparks fly between them, and their initial reluctance quickly gives way to undeniable passion.

I got hooked on the book very fast but somehow got lost in the middle, mostly because since this was an early draft, the formatting was a little all over the place, missing letters and some symbols instead, and it was a little difficult to get a grip on it.

I want to give the book a second chance when the paperback is out because I know I could have liked it better if I hadn't had to stop every three seconds trying to figure out what they meant to say with the wrong formatting.

I received this ARC in exchange for honest feedback, which I'm very grateful for!

The ARC had lots of letters missing (mainly 'ff' and 'fl') and it sometimes made it difficult to read.

I feel a wee bit indifferent about this book - i didn't love it but I didn't dislike it... Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but I didn't find myself really connecting with any of the characters.

I like a bit of spice but I found the s*x scenes a bit cringey, especially the dirty talk! I know Nash went through a lot but he was a bit of a control freak when it came to Cece - a wee bit much at times!

Overall, I'd rate it 3 stars. If you're looking for spice, this is for you - buckle up!!

Really enjoyed Cece and Nash’s story. I liked that Cece didn’t let Nash get away with messing her around. She’d learnt from previous errors and realised her worth. It also sets up nicely for the next book in the series. Which I’m looking forward to reading

i received this arc in exchange for an honest review. 🩵

i really wanted/expected to love this but i’m really disappointed. it felt as though there was no real plot and a lot of information was dumped at the beginning with no real natural flow/development.

i understand this is an unedited proof so i expect it will be refined before publication. the beginning just felt all over the place and although it did begin to make sense, there was no main plot keeping me invested.

i love cowboy romances but this felt like an extreme attempt to cater to both hockey romance & cowboy romance tiktok audiences without really making any sense.

overall this definitely had potential but wasn’t for me

If you love Hallmark movies, country themes and saucy scenes then this book is for you.

Set in a little county, which you can picture in your head from the authors description, where everyone knows everyone and them some. Coming back home after 8 years leaving her cheating fiancé was never going to be easy for Cece.

Everywhere she turns Nash is there, her older brothers best friend. Suddenly Cece notices Nash differently does Nash feel the same?

Nash being 8 years older, has always been protective of Cece, but she never realised the lengths he went to when they were younger.

On top of all that, she still has an ex-fiance phoning all day wanting to reconcile

Can Cece fit back in the her old life after living in the city?

A area t HOT read not to be missed!

Holding the Reins is hands down the best book I’ve read so far this year. The fiery, sexy, all consuming story of Nash and Cece had me hooked from start to finish. I only hope we have more books in the series as I need to know what happens to Wade, Ginger and Olivia. If you love a steamy friends to lovers romance with a side of cowboy and hockey player this book is for you!

Four stars for this spicy cowboy romance! I feel like this genre of book has quickly become a favourite of mine over the last year, unexpectedly I might add, so seeing this title I was beyond excited to start reading! And it was so much fun.

Things to expect from this book:
💕 Brother’s best friend
💕 Found family
💕 Small town setting
💕 Spicy scenes

If you love the Chestnut Spring series you’re going to want to pay a visit to Silver Pines Ranch!

Not a bad story, especially considering the fact that this is the author's debut. In general, I liked it: nice characters, cozy atmosphere (a small town, a ranch, a big family) and not a boring plot. However, the sex scenes are (in my opinion) a little bit cringe.

Well, it was really funny how many titles Nash (the main character/love interest) has: friend of the older brothers, former hockey player, billionaire, cowboy, owner of a bar and ice rink, ice coach for children. Can you give even more titles to one person?

I will definitely read the sequel because I will repeat that in general I liked it and enjoyed both the plot and the characters and the writing.

CeCe leaves her toxic fiancé and moves back home to her family’s ranch where she re-meets Nash Carter, her brothers’s best friend and unofficial third older brother. Except neither CeCe or Nash see themselves as family and what starts out as a one night stand with rules quickly turns into something more but a lot of trauma stands in the way of a relationship.

This (almost) perfectly mixed the workplace romance, sports romance, and the cowboy romance genres. I would have liked a little more of the workplace romance as this trope kind of disappeared after their first night together. I absolutely adored this book and it got better as it went on and I became so invested. I am so excited for Wade and Ivy’s book and I loved that it was being gently set up in this novel. I really hope the other stories centre around the same time as CeCe and Nash’s and you get to read the other characters POVs and their stories from that time. The book has complex topics talked in a relatively lighthearted way which I enjoyed and it gave the characters some depth without being heavy or emotionally draining which is exactly what I wanted from this. This book is open door and the spice was definitely spicing 🌶️, I could not for the life of me read the last s*x scene with a straight face. Nash for sure has a filthy mouth and I can’t say I was mad about it 👀.

Knocking off a star for over repetition of things like CeCe smelling like strawberries, her v*gina being abused, his massive p*nis but this was mostly confined to the first half of the book. I didn’t really like Ginger and Liv at the beginning, I didn’t feel like there was any depth there and basically all they talked about was s*x. From the way it’s written I’m assuming they get their own books in the series and I’ll definitely read them as they do grow on you. I also found CeCe a little immature at times and there were a couple of instances where I was almost screaming just talk to each other at the book but I’m trying to have more grace with characters so this definitely didn’t bother me too much. It was a little lust based for me and I would have preferred more soft moments like when Nash is taking care of a hungover CeCe but again I’m only knocking one star off because the shear enjoyment of reading this book is worth 4 alone.

Overall this was a great start to a series and I’m so invested I will definitely read the rest of the books as they are written. I will for sure purchase my own copy of Holding the Reins and reread. Honestly to say this is a debut it was great. Reminded me of a Tessa Bailey x Elsie Silver novel.

Tropes
💗 Forced Proximity
💗 ‘Forbidden’ Love
💗 Small Town Romance
💗 Alpha Hero
💗 Age Gap (8 years)

MINOR SPOILERS:
There were also some really cute lines in this and although I did find the very ending a bit cringey I was so here for it.
I appreciated Nash ‘manning up’ and telling the family but I can’t lie I did gag a little at the cringe.
I absolutely loved how much of the book was left after the third act (sort of) breakup. I hate third act break ups but I especially hate it when they resolve things and there’s only like 5 pages left. This book had multiple chapters after and I was delighted.

🌟 4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

Book comes with a pre trope/trigger warning.

Super, Summer, Spicy Read! If you like Cowboy/Rocky Player/Rugged Bar owner, slow burn, this is for you.
It's a story to fall in love with. All of the characters have their own vibrant personalities. Mamma Jo is a Power House with her nurturing, CeCe is a pocket Rocket, Nash is just gorgeous but is fighting his own deamonds and Andrew.....just Yuk!
I'll leave you to work out the others, but I loved this small town, Community, ranch life.

There's a sneaky peak of book two which I can't wait for!

I am grateful to the author for the content warning and dedication at the start of the book, which I have copied below. Because of her honesty, I realised this book was not for me!
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for the review copy.

Content Warning & Dedication:
This book is intended for people 18 +. It includes, but is not limited to, open door sexual content, minor breath play, alcohol consumption, talk of a cheating and manipulative ex, death of family members through dream sequence/ flashbacks, talk of therapy, trauma and dealing with tragedy. Please proceed with this knowledge. I trust you know what you’re comfortable with. To all my babes that know they can be a strong, modern woman, yet still shamelessly drop to their knees like the good fucking girl they are the moment their cowboy tells them to.


#HoldingTheReins #NetGalley

This was a fun, spicy read!

CeCe returns to her small town, looking to get her life back on track. Along the way, she finds herself reconnecting with her brothers' best friend, and unofficial extra member of her family, Nash. Their chemistry is INSANE and spice really does spice. Oof!

Really enjoyed this! It was a light, easy read. Classic small town, brother's best friend romance.

I started this book thinking it was a lovely summer romance I could suggest to my nan to pick up. This is not the sort of book most people would reccomend to their relatives, although im sure nan would enjoy it.
Really its a book of two halfs, the first is storyline, blossoming romance and a little emotion, then we move to the more x rated pages that sometimes take over the story a little. Personally I dont need that amount of conent, in that much detail, all the time. Although it didnt stop me loving the story, and the characters.

Holding the Reins has CeCe returning to her family’s horse ranch in Kentucky after a bad break up with her cheating ex. Here she reconnects with Nash her two brothers best friend and now a retired NHL player with his own businesses. She is given a job as financial advisor to Nash so they start working closely together.
Nash has a tragic history that prevents him from wanting to form any lasting relationship with a woman but is totally smitten with CeCe and the feeling is definitely mutual.
A good easy read entertaining romance as they navigate the relationship, and with a cast of characters that add depth and humour.
There are however pages and pages of their sexual activities which are well described but do tend to occur long and frequently, I found myself starting to skip pages as it felt very similar and more like padding out the story than adding to it. That said a very enjoyable read and I would certainly like to catch up with CeCe’s brothers stories in the future.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

"Holding the Reins" by Paisley Hope is an emotional rollercoaster that follows CeCe and Nash's journey. I found their story to be incredibly relatable and life-affirming. The way they slowly tear down their walls and learn to love again is nothing short of beautiful. The supporting characters, including the Ashby family, are equally well-developed and add a sense of community and acceptance that's hard to find. My only criticisms are that I would have liked to see more depth in certain areas, such as Nash's daily life and the backstories of some of the secondary characters. Overall, "Holding the Reins" is for anyone looking for a poignant and uplifting romance.

I loved this book! It was easy and quick to read, the story conpletely sucked me in. The chemistry between CeCe and Nash was insane, the open door scenes were scorching hot. I loved how CeCe found her way back to herself. Nash was just simply a swoonworthy hockey player slash almost cowboy. I really liked all the minor characters as well and how tight-knit the Ashby family was. I can’t wait to read Wade’s story.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of the book.

CeCe moves back to her family home in Kentucky after a horrible break up.
Nash is a long time family friend who has grown up with the family after losing his mum and dad at a young age. He is a retired ice hockey player and now has a couple of local businesses. He also helps CeCes brothers on the ranch with the horses.
Nash and CeCe become close very quickly as she settles back into her life in Kentucky.

The story moves at a fast pace. It’s very spicy for quite a bit of the book.
I’m not quite sure what I made of Nate’s character. At times I really liked him and others he was giving me red flag vibes. He did have a lot of trauma from his past though.
I really loved CeCe’s character she was feisty, smart, sweet & knew what she wanted.

If you like cowboys, ice hockey and a lot of spice this book is for you!

I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone & Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advance copy.

This is a super sweet cowboy romance. Nash and Cece are full of steamy lust for each other.

The writing throughout was good although the plot was very familiar to other cowboy romances. The love between the characters felt pretty shallow too. It went for zero to one hundred with no real depth.

Overall it's a nice little read but I probably won't remember it.