Rating - 3.5⭐️
Spice - 2.5🌶️

I had quite high hopes for this, and even though they didn’t quite reach my expectations, I still loved it.
This story follows Wade, Cece’s brother, who is a grumpy rancher. He is trying to keep the ranch together since his dad’s passing, and had to hire a new horse trainer as his current one is off on maternity leave. In comes Ivy, a care free horse trainer but with her own baggage. They have to spend a lot of time together, training a derby horse, will Wades grumpy exterior crumble for ivy?

Tropes:
- Grumpy x sunshine🌞
- Forced proximity
- Friends with benefits
- One bed
- Horse trainer x Rancher
- No 3rd act break up (ish)

I did really enjoy this book, but it had a trope in it I don’t particularly enjoy unless done really well and in this book I found it to predictable to guess with the plot. I also found some of the spice scences repetitive, I found myself skim reading them towards the end. I loved our FMC Ivy and her attitude to life. I’m excited for book 3 and I know I’ll love Cade and Gingers story!

Training the Heart is the second book in Paisley Hope’s Silver Pines series, and boy was it good to be back at the ranch.

Training the Heart is Wade and Ivy’s story. Wade is the eldest, and surliest, Ashby sibling who we met in Holding the Reins and Silver Pine’s new recruit, head trainer Ivy. Ivy is hoping for a fresh start at Silver Pines having been dealt some really tough cards in life. When the chance comes to train up a horse for the Kentucky Derby she’s all in. Wade meanwhile continues to feel the weight of his responsibilities in caring for his families ranch. It’s evident early on that there is a mutual attraction between the pair but Wade is determined to keep his heart under lock and key, that is until Ivy’s constant presence soon ignites a passion he thought he’d lost long ago. And once she starts tearing down his walls, there’s no going back. . .

Whilst Wade and Ivy’s story could be read as a standalone it would be enjoyed most as a part of the series. I’ll also add here that I can’t wait for Cole and Ginger’s story in the upcoming Riding the High.

As with the first book there is so much to enjoy, we’ve got:
🐎 the same wonderful small town setting, and most perfect found family unit
💜 more of the wonderful characters from book 1 - it was great to see more of CeCe and Nash
🐎 a brilliant grumpy cowboy MMC to a wonderful sunshine FMC - who is so perfectly resilient, resourceful and sassy
💜 the hidden side of Wade - both the soft/caring and steamy!
🐎 forced proximity/forbidden romance -boss/employee
💜 oops there’s only one bed
🐎 more of the wonderfully hilarious Papa Dean

I will note that there are some serious issues within this one relating to emotional abuse, fertility issues and alcoholism, but each are dealt with sensitively and with care.

I cannot get enough of Hope’s Silver Pines and can’t wait to be back there soon.

Holy moly. What a treat!

Absolutely obsessed with this book, I loved it within a matter of chapters. The slow burn is everything!

I loved the mystery behind Ivy’s past, we get little nuggets throughout before finding out her truth. She’s her own heroine that every girl needs in their lives, even if some of us do have a Wade Ashby to step in so we don’t have to.

I’m so happy they didn’t have a miscommunication in terms of saying ILY or running off, even when Ivy did… it didn’t last long at all.

Brad is a nasty pasty, not a fan at all. Love Wade sticking up for Ivy and then Ivy telling him to truly do one! Yes girl!

Janelle, ick. Thankyou Wade for shutting that down. Bye bye!

Wade, I have no words for you. What a cowboy 🥵🥰

The redemption I didn’t know I needed, Glenda. You have my heart.

That bonus chapter… I think I need to go shower in some holy water. LOVED IT. What a tease for giving it to us right at the end🤭 I was waiting for it at every spicy moment! Speaking of which, here’s most of the spicy chapter I managed to note down😉 19, 28, 29, 30, 31, 38, 39, 44, 48, 53, 64, bonus

What are you still doing here? READ THE BOOK

If you’re looking for small-town, ranch setting, grumpy-sunshine with an entire bucketload of steam, this book delivers in spades. Wade and Ivy are both scarred by past relationships and not looking for anything beyond an employee and a job respectively, but their chemistry is palpable and slowly ramps up to an absolute inferno. Both are strong characters, and I liked the fact that Wade recognises that in Ivy and supports her rather than just trying to fight her battles for her. The setting is vividly detailed, and the surrounding family and friends are well-drawn, with plenty of warmth and banter - not to mention groundwork for at least one future romance, maybe two. Definitely a series that I’ll be continuing with.

I have been missing Silver Pines Ranch since I finished Holding The Reins in January. Everything about this book was perfection. I absolutely loved getting to know more about Wade after HTR, and loved loved loved watching Ivy fit into his life. So much character growth and development. So many great tropes. Soooooo spicy! Whew! The Ashby Family and everyone involved at Silver Pines Ranch has my entire heart. I loved seeing more Nash and Cece, and especially loved seeing Cole and Ginger continue their tension-filled banter. This series has me in a chokehold that I cannot describe, it is amazing, please do yourself a favor and fall in love with Wade and Ivy like I did.

Thank you to the publisher and author for a digital ARC of this book.

I listened to Holding the Reins in pretty much one sitting and I couldn’t wait to be back in the Silver Pines universe. Book 2 does not disappoint and is one of my faves during my cowboy romance era

This book follows the story of Ivy and Wade. Running away from an emotionally abusive ex, Ivy heads for a job at Silver Pines. Wade is the moody rancher who becomes her boss…Need I say more?! All of the tropes in this one:

-Grumpy X Sunshine
-Forced Proximity
-One Bed / Road Trio
-No Third Act Break Up
-SPICY SPICE
-The cutest microtropes too: he takes care of her, cooks for her, acts of service galore, make me… the list is endless

I devoured this book which was a solid 4.5 for all of the romance, feels and spice and I can’t wait for book, Riding the High coming out next year!!

Really enjoyed this read, particularly the growth of both characters as they came to see each other as more than colleagues. One hardened while the other thawed, and they grew together. The extended family and friends group was a lovely addition too, with a very natural and organic, easy relationship between everyone.

I enjoy Paisley’s writing so much, and I fear she may have ruined me for all future cowboy romance books!

Wade Ashby made me blush! I wasn’t sure what to expect from Wade, but he was perfect! He was grumpy, possessive, a little dark and oh so sexy. They’ll never be another like him. The tattoo, the scrunchie?!?!

And Ivy! I knew she was gonna be ‘trouble’ when we met her in Holding the Reins. She came to Silver Pines with some baggage bless her, but she was the perfect sunshine to Wade’s grumpy. And as always with Paisley, Ivy got her boss babe moment that I’ve come to expect from these Silver Pines ladies! 😍

One of my favourite things was the representation of women and female relationships. God, I loved this so much. I’m such a girls’ girl, and I get the vibe that Paisley is too. The female relationships in the book are to-die-for. I want an invite to the next Sangria Sunday so badly!

There is nothing I didn’t enjoy about this book! It was such a good small town, modern romance. Loved, loved LOVED it!

I don’t think this book is for me, I could quite gel with the characters and couldn’t keep my self engaged or wanting to read more. Whilst the writing style was easy to read and follow, it couldn’t quite capture my interest

REVIEW
cw: mentions of bereavement, grief, alcoholism, emotional abuse, gaslighting, fertility issues

Rancher Wade Ashby is the strong but silent type, preferring to keep his thoughts - and heart - under lock and key after his divorce and the death of his father have left him emotionally exhausted, and carrying the weight of ty business on his shoulders. When Wade needs a new equestrian trainer to cover maternity leave, in steps Ivy Spencer. Ivy has her own emotional baggage, but they begin to grow closer while training a horse for the Kentucky Derby, and soon neither can deny their attraction.

I was so excited to read the second in the Silver Pines Ranch series, and it did NOT disappoint. Wade only made a few appearances in the first book, so I wasn't sure what to expect from him, other than that he was a bit of a grump. But I very quickly grew to love him. I cackled laughing at the prologue. You could feel Wade's blood pressure increasing as Ivy floundered on. The sexual tension between them as the story unfolded was perfectly drawn out and their chemistry was sublime. Seriously, it's always the quiet, unassuming ones, isn't it? *winks* But I also swooned SO hard at the auction. I loved the duality of Wade. He was so steady and dependable around the ranch, but so uninhibited in private. I said it about the previous book, but Paisley Hope writes excellent Alpha men without falling into the controlling a**hole trap. There's some actual nuance to their characteristics. Sure, Wade would fight (probably kill) for Ivy if needed, but he also listened and allowed her to fight her own battles.
I loved Ivy immediately. Her love of spicy audiobooks was relatable and I loved the domestic routine she got into with Wade, watching action movies. They were so cute together. She also had excellent banter and I loved how she teased Wade about his strictness. My heart broke when she spoke of her past, but I LOVED the horse training aspects of the story, and Ivy's intuition with Angel was beautifully written. The slow-ish burn really drew me in, and while there were plenty of incendiary scenes, my favourite was when they finally gave in to their attraction. I'm definitely going to be buying the audiobook when it comes out because phew! Ivy would definitely listen to this book! The scene in the storeroom was also SO hot and I LOVED Wade's new tattoo *winks*. Cole's joke about it made me CACKLE, but I also loved the camaraderie between the brothers, as well as Nash.
It was fun to catch up with the characters from Holding the Reins, and while you can read this as a standalone, I highly recommend reading in order. Nash and CeCe were so stinking cute together and I loved their celebrations. Mama Jo and Pop/Papa Dean were as hilariously astute as ever. The banter in the group chats was also hilarious, as were the conversations at the family dinners. And yes, Nash, you can be a German Shepard puppy (IYKYK). I am still SO invested in the Ginger/Cole and Olivia/Asher dynamics. Janelle, Wade's ex-wife, was a piece of work, but I loved it when he finally cut her off.
I saw the 'twist' coming a mile away but also didn't care because I was so happy for Ivy. The realisation about just how manipulative Ivy's ex (Brad) had been left me incandescent with rage on her behalf. I liked that there was minimal conflict and the final chapters and epilogue were SO adorable. I can’t wait for Cole's story now! As for the bonus chapter? 🔥🔥
A series that just gets better and better.

Overall Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Heat Rating: 🔥🔥🔥.5

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. Wished is published on 17th October 2024*

This is the second book I’ve read by this author

I loved the first one and I loved the second in the series even more

Great romance

I enjoyed revisiting characters that were already familiar. It was fun to see a different side to Wade rather than the protective older brother we saw in the first book.

Wade and Ivy are meant to be together. It was nice to see how they worked through their issues to find a life together. It was very steamy in places.

I did however think it was mostly predictable and I saw the twist coming before I even got it to it. That being said sometimes a nice easy read it is what you need and this is that.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for my copy✨

4.25 stars
Even though I wasn't sure about the first book in this series, I much preferred this story and would say that it is well worth picking up if you're looking for a good cowboy romance.
This had a nice take on the grumpy x sunshine trope but I also appreciated that it tackled slightly deeper and more difficult topics.
There was such a great connection between Ivy and Wade and I was definitely rooting for them,
And if you want some seriously steamy/spicy scenes, you'll find that here. Did some of them go on a little too long for my liking? Maybe. But that was mainly because I wanted to see where the story would go next.
I also adored the Shania Twain references.
In my opinion, I would just skip straight to Training the Heart and it can be read as a standalone too.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A well written story about the relationship between Ivy and Wade that doesn’t get off to a very good start. Wade is looking for a temporary head horse trainer got his ranch . Ivy arrive late and Wade thinks she doesn’t have suitable experience as she doesn’t look old enough but soon finds out she has a way with horses and all the staff are instantly taken with Ivy but wade always manages to rub Ivy up the wrong way. A good steady read following the relationship between them and the twist and turners for Ivy in a man’s world whilst changing wades preconceived ideas. And instant attraction between them. Good read 4/5

I did like the first book of the series a little bit more, to be honest, but that was mainly because I personally wasn't that into some of the spicy scenes.
I did really enjoy and like the book though - solid 4 stars!
It was the perfect combination of sweet and spicy, and it did cover some heavier topics.
Wade was the perfect grumpy cowboy and I love when a guy is grumpy to everyone else except her, and Ivy was his sunshine. :)
I loved his nickname for her (trouble <3) and how they became such a great team and how he was just always there for her. That was exactly what Ivy deserved, especially after coming out of her horrible last relationship.

After reading this book I just love the whole Ashby family and the NotAngels even more, and I definitely can't wait for the next book in the series!!!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book I was nervous on how I would feel about Wade being the MMC coming from the first book and obviously not seeing much of his other than his mostly closed off grumpy side but I absolutely love him and Paisley Hope CAN JUST WRITE MEN 😘🤌🏽 He is the embodiment of a gentleman and also if the saying if he wanted to he would.

Ivy was also so fantastic especially with the topics she was dealing with but it was beautifully written and I loved ivy's sassy stubborn remarks.

Thank you Penguin Random House and Paisley Hope for the opportunity to read this early I can not wait for the next one

This is the 2nd book in the Silver Pines Ranch series, and it follows Ivy and Wade. Wade is the oldest Ashby, who is in charge of the ranch where Ivy was hired to help out with the horses. Wade is a typical grumpy cowboy who has a rough exterior but is so lovely when he is around the people he loves. Ivy has had a tough couple of years. However, she is a ball of sunshine who doesn't shy away from Wade and his grumpy ways. I loved every minute of this book, and I love Wade and Ivy. I love how Ivy fits in perfectly with his family and how he is fiercely protective of her throughout. I love how they rile each other up and how they work together so well. This book gets released on the 17th of October, and if you've read the first one and loved it, or you're a fan of Elsie Silver and Lyla Sage, you'll love this series

The sequel I never knew I needed until I read this book.

When Ivy Spencer lands on the ranch, and is huge hit with the horses and the family. Wade is still as hostile as ever, with the world on his shoulders.

Can Ivy be the one to break the hostile persona and what is she hiding from her past.

Just as steamy as Holding the Reins. Can’t wait for the third!

4.25 stars, I absolutely loved this book, Wade and Ivy were just so perfect for each other. It's grumpy/sunshine, small town, cowboy romance, forced proximity, and found family, some of my favourite tropes. Wade has a lot on his shoulders, he's just left a failed marriage and has a ranch to run. He's grumpy and very bossy. In comes Ivy, who's left an abusive relationship (check trigger warnings) and has come to Silver Pines ranch for a fresh start and to have her dream of training a race horse come true. Ivy is so fierce, sassy and strong and has overcome so many difficult situations. Ivy and Wade had such a strong connection and really opened up and helped each other to heal so beautifully. They had such good banter with each other, that had me giggling. Wade does so many sweet things for Ivy as well as being a freak in the sheets. It still had a lot of spice in the book and sometimes it felt very overpowering for the story. Overall, it was a really good read and I couldn't get enough of it and I'm excited now for the rest of the series!
Thank you to Net Galley and Paisley Hope for the ARC read. All opinions are my own!

Wow, what a follow up to Holding the Reins!

I absolutely loved Wade and Ivy’s story, they had such a great dynamic, the banter and connection between them both was so gorgeously written. I absolutely adored their journey together, they both had so much depth as characters, and Paisley handled difficult topics which such raw grace.

Training the Heart is an fab grumpy x sunshine read, with lots of laughter and plenty of spice!

Can’t wait to see where the series goes next.