I will start by saying I am not a cowboy romance girly...i've read them and I have enjoyed them but I do not have a favourite and I'm not comparing this one to any other fan favourite!

This is a brothers best friend romance,small town, spicy romance (a trope i adore)


I loved Cece and Nash and their chemistry was through the roof, the banter was top notch and Nash had me giggling and kicking my feet like a teenager.

If you like cowboy romances, this is definitely one to add to your list!

✨Holding The Reins ✨by Paisley Hope

“He’s a dark horse. But can she tame him?”

If you can’t decide between a hockey romance or a small town cowboy romance, get yourself a copy of Holding the Reins because it’s got both!

Holding the Reins is book one of the Silver Pines series (*screams* as I’ve just found out this is going to be five books!) set in the Kentucky town of Laurel Creek when Cecelia ‘CeCe’ Rae Ashby, the feisty beautiful blonde, arrives back in town after a breakup. As she moves back home and reconnects with her family, she also can’t help but connect with Nash Carter, the handsome tattooed NHL legend and part-time cowboy, who can’t keep his hands away from her, or her away from his heart.

Holding the Reins is a solid brother’s (there’s two of them btw) best friend romance that had my toes curling and me laughing throughout. This book is entertaining, sexy and has some truly heart racing spicy scenes that are in abundance and wrapped within a well written story. This book had it all for me a strong knows what she wants MFC, a sexy struggling MMC, a bold ‘gang of lady friends’, unhinged group chats, a rain scene, a bar scene and a fantastic declaration of love!

I always know a book that starts with a playlist is going to be fun! Holding the Reins not only starts with a playlist, but has music weaved throughout and has had me listening to Shania Twain on repeat!

I can’t wait to start reading Training the Heart, the second book in the Silver Pines Series, that I am lucky enough to have an ARC for already 🙌! After reading this I look forward to reading basically anything Paisley writes next!!

⭐️ 4/5
🌶️ 4/5

🩷 Brothers best friend
🩷 Hockey & cowboy romance
🩷 He falls first
🩷 Amazing girl group
🩷 Small town romance
🩷 Obsessed with her
🩷 Dual POV

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

Now I love me a cowboy romance. However I don't know if I just had high hopes for this or what but for me it just flopped a little bit. It felt like every other cowboy romance ive read before. There was nothing unique about it to make it stand out from all the rest. Don't get me wrong the spice was great. But apart from that I wasn't a fan unfortunately.

Overall, it was an easy, enjoyable read. There was some plot outside of the romance, but it was heavily focused on Cece and Nash’s story. I would have liked some more scenes with the rest of the family, and some of it felt a bit predictable / robotic, but it was still enjoyable to read. There were possibly too many sex scenes, it started to feel a bit repetitive with no addition to the story, and there were times that I didn’t like how the characters behaved, but no one is perfect.

The book sounds right up my street but unfortunately there were too many errors in the book, like 'ff' being changed to "#" etc, that it made the book unreadable. Formatting really needs to be looked at on this one, a shame.

Loved it, hot spicy, enjoyable read. An easy read with a story that keeps you turning the page. Holding the Reins has continued the love of cowboy romances.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for this ARC.

Let just say, save a horse and ride a cowboy definitely come to mind - even if he is a part time cowboy/ice hockey player. We definitely got the best of both worlds with this book!
We follow CeCe who has moved back to her hometown after discovering her fiancé is cheating on her, and Nash, a recently retired professional ice hockey player, turned part time cowboy.
What I really loved about this book was that HE FELL FIRST! Which I absolutely love, and due to his playboy history, CeCe takes some major convincing from Nash to prove he’s completely head over heels for her.
Nash is definitely your typical ‘golden retriever’ vibes on the outside… but get him alone and my goodness, FERAL!!!

My love of small town, cowboy romances isn’t going away and this book helped to scratch that itch.

Great characters - Nash is a an absolute sweetheart of a man. CeCe is a great character to read as well. The relationship between them felt authentic and honest and I loved that there was a lot of history which just helped it all to feel so real.

Strong family vibes and all the best tropes. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

This is definitely the book for you if you enjoy spicy fiction and cowboy stories...I was definitely blushing at multiple points whilst reading this🌶🌶🌶🌶

CeCe has returned home to the family ranch in Kentucky after discovering that her controlling, low-life fiance of eight years has been cheating on her.
Planning on making a fresh start, she doesn't see any harm in having a little fun along the way. She just doesn't expect that fun to be with Nash Carter, the part-time cowboy/ex-hockey star she's known for most of her life, and who happens to be best friends with her two very protective older brothers.

Nash has a heartbreaking history of his own. Having lost both of his parents in a tragic accident when he was young, an accident he partly blames himself for. So Nash has a strict rule: he doesn't do relationships, to save his heart from any further pain.
But with CeCe swooping back into his life and affecting him in ways he never expected, he has to tread carefully, fearing that he could lose the only family he's known since losing his parents.

This story plays heavily on the Found Family trope, my absolute favourite, but there were also plenty of laugh out loud moments, thanks mostly to CeCe's friends Ginger & Olivia AKA "The No-Angels"

I also loved all of the song mentions and the playlist at the start of the book.
I've definitely found some new favourites for my Spotify playlist 🎶

I've been wanting to enter my cowboy era for a while, so thank you to Isabella @penguinrandomhouse for getting in touch, and to @netgalley and the @authorpaisleyhope for the #gifted e-arc.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and already have the next book in the series on my tbr.

After discovering her fiancé has been cheating CeCe moves back to her hometown where she starts a journey of healing and self discovery.
This was an easy read with some great tropes weaved in; found family, brothers best friend, former NHL player, he falls first.
The small town aspect was cosy and the tension, angst and chemistry was delicious.

Only marking now as I know it was a proof I read but it was so difficult to read. Symbols in place of some letter etc which just made the whole story lose its flow sometimes.
I will however be reading the next in the series


Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for a review

I knew what to expect from this book from the outset and it did what it said on the tin. The two main characters, CeCe and Nash have known each other for most of their lives and should feel like brother and sister. However, Cupid has other ideas. When CeCe returns home after the breakup of her 8 year relationship she is hoping for some no strings fun. What she gets instead is the best ride of her life, on every sense! The book is spicy and not everyone’s cup of tea but there is also a lot of humour, courtesy of the supporting cast of CeCe’s older brothers (who happen to be Nash’s best friends) and Ginger & Olivia, the other No Angels and CeCe’s best friends. There are some laugh out loud moments and some breathtaking ones. Be aware some of the language used is raw and coarse but fits where it is used

A definite must read cowboy/(ex) hockey player romance from this debut author. The story had it's comedy moments and the two main characters certainly had chemistry. There is a decent amount of spice with our romance.
A small town, so everyone knows your business, brothers best friend, so he's off limits, older MMC, so he should stay away story full of all sorts of romance tropes but they do all come together well. I think there is probably going to be more to this series and with it an evolving and maturing of writing style. Whilst it wasn't bad, there were just small elements that detracted from it being a 5 star

I received this book as an ARC and provide my honest review.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC, unfortunately it wasn’t for me, I liked the leads, and CeCe’s family but, I hoped for more of an emotional connection between the two amongst the spicy banter.

THIS STORY. Oh my god, it has my WHOLE HEART. I am firmly in my cowboy romance era as it is and this has just gone straight to the top of my list. Move out the way Elsie Silver because Paisley Hope is coming in hot!

I find this a difficult book to review as it was not exactly what I was expecting, it had a lot more spice.
The strange characters instead of the letter f detracted from the story, as did the doubling up of certain passages. However, these issues will be corrected on final edit.
The storyline was interesting, I did not mind its predicable course, most romance books have a similar format, I just felt that the spicy scenes went on a little bit too long and often. Although with a character like Nash who can blame CeCe!
The minor characters were a fun distraction; feisty friend Ginger; grumpy brother Wade ( who gets the main role in the next book) and nasty ex Andrew.
A good cowboy, hockey player, small town romance with a spicy coating.

OMG I just finished “Holding the Reins” by Paisley Hope and I am SHOOK! 🤠💘 This book was my intro to cowboy romance and let’s just say, I am now officially a fan for life! Also, my first time reading anything by Paisley, and I’m already lining up her whole back catalogue.

So, let’s dive into the deets! This book has everything: brother’s best friend vibes, small town charm, a little age gap action, ex-hockey player turned part-time cowboy, and the best found family you could ever dream of. We meet CeCe Ashby, who's trying to escape a toxic past and get a fresh start. She heads back to her family's ranch in the quaint town of Laurel Creek.

Enter Nash Carter. Retired hockey superstar, local hero, and all-around hottie. He’s CeCe’s brother’s best friend and totally off-limits...or so they think! The chemistry between these two is 🔥🔥🔥 from the get-go. Nash tries so hard to keep his cool, but when he finally has his "F*ck it" moment, it’s pure perfection.

CeCe and Nash’s journey is filled with so many swoon-worthy and laugh-out-loud moments, like, CeCe’s dad dropping wisdom bombs like, "Just don't settle, baby. Find a man that will move heaven and earth for you. A man that knows your worth. You should be his entire heart, always." Cue the tears! 🥹 And then there's Mama Jo, the ultimate gossip queen, cracking me up with lines like, "Ooh...you look like wine and unwise choices." 😂

And can we talk about CeCe’s bestie, Ginger? She’s hilarious and so obviously into CeCe’s older brother, Cole. Her line, "I ran into Cole today and he didn't scowl at me, AND he said hello. I'm breaking through. One step closer to his handcuffs on my bed posts," had me in stitches. The tension between those two is EVERYTHING. I’m dying for their story in “Chasing the Roots.”

One of my absolute favorite moments? Nash seeing CeCe in his old hoodie. “Damn, she looks like mine.” SWOON. 😍 And don’t even get me started on Nash’s romantic side. “We're not a phase. We're the exact opposite of a phase. We're always... Following you across the country is nothing. I'm going to follow you everywhere you go for the rest of this life. And then, I'm going to follow you into the next.” If that isn’t the dreamiest thing ever, I don’t know what is.

The Not-Angels friend group is goals. These girls are the kind of ride-or-die friends everyone needs.

Guys, I’m already screaming about this book to all my bookish friends. “Holding the Reins” hooks you from page one and makes you desperate to read about every other character in the series. I’ve got an ARC of “Training the Heart” and I’m on the edge of my seat for it. And the slow-burn tension between Cole and Ginger? I need “Chasing the Roots” like, yesterday.

Trust me, you do not want to miss out on this one. Five stars, easily. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Happy reading, everyone! 📚✨

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for allowing me to read this in exchange for my honest opinions.

I’m going to start this by saying, wow. This book had me blushing, my goodness Nash Carter 🥵

Holding the Reins is such a fun, easy and spicy read, it you love a small town, brothers best friend, secret dating romance then I am certain you’ll love this book.

We follow CeCe as she moves back home after 8 years living in the city with her fiancé who she’s just discovered has been cheating on her. She very quickly bumps into Nash, her older brother’s best friend, retired hockey player/now part time cowboy. There is an instant connection and the rest is spicy 🌶️😂

This story had depth, both characters were dealing with grief and it was added to the story in such a beautiful way. I loved the family around them and CeCe’s friends were just the best girls, Ginger is just the best.

Overall this was a dirty, fun and very easy read & I can’t wait to read book two ‘Training the Heart’ asap!

- small town romance
- brothers best friend
- retired hockey star/part time cowboy
- he falls first
- spicy 🌶️
- dual pov

Thank you NetGalley, Cornerstone and Paisley Hope for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review 🫶🏻

Okay, what an addictive book. I read it in less than 24 hours. Keep in mind that it was Saturday-Sunday, the Olympic Games were on and I spent a long time in my bed with the TV on and this book.

I really liked what Paisley Hope wrote, it's the first thing I read about her and clearly I'm interested in continuing reading her BUT (and this is something super personal) there came a time when the spicy scenes didn't interest me anymore, I wanted them to end, no They added nothing to me, they hindered me in the plot. But as I said parenthetically, it's something super personal because many people read these books for those scenes. It was not my case. I think the book could have been much better if in those chapters full of spicy scenes it told me more about the characters, or developed other themes. There were more beautiful, interesting and cool things to read.

I liked the characters, I found the plot super addictive, the author's way of writing is totally absorbing and she has a way of narrating the story that makes you want to know EVERYTHING from the first chapter. The story of our two protagonists is interesting and deep on many levels, and I think I would have liked to read a little more about them. The secondary characters win our hearts!

I saw that it is going to be a series of books and I am looking forward to reading the others. The truth is that I really liked this first experience.

Thank you Random House UK, Cornerstone for the ARC I read on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book and had a great time reading it

- brothers best friend
- ex-hockey player turned part time cowboy
- sneaking around
- gosspiy small town setting
- just one nig to get it out our systems

I really enjoyed the story we went on with the two main characters, of them trusting each other despite their fears and falling in love.

I felt like the second half way a lot more spice than plot and I just wished for a little more plot

I really liked all the side characters and can't wait to read their own stories

If you loved the Chestnut Springs series, Rebel Blue Ranch series and the gossipy small towns of Rome (When In Rome series) and Inglewild (Lovelight series) you'll love this book

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin / Cornerstone for the ARC - all opinions are my own

Thanks the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Well what can I say about this book, it is a fun and dirty read so be warned the spice level is high! This story is very much a comfort read as does have a predictable plot but it just makes it easy to curl up and devour in a short space of time.

I'm looking forward to seeing what book 2 has in store.