REVIEW: Training the Heart by Paisley Hope

Training the Heart by Paisley Hope: Ivy needs a break, some place for her to start over and really put the trauma of her recent break up behind her and what better place than Silver Pines. When the job opening for a horse trainer lands in Ivy’s lap she doesn’t think twice about grabbing it with both hands, however it would seem that she is making a bad first impression by arriving slightly late for her interview, oh well her work will speak for itself soon enough, lets just hope her new grumpy boss, Wade, gives her a chance to prove herself first.

After the death of his father and the failure that was his marriage, the only thing that Wade has time for nowadays is making sure the family ranch runs smoothly, so these annoying new feelings that keep popping up every time he is around their new horse trainer are really less than ideal… though try as he might its impossible for Wade to keep his distance from Ivy, especially when she keeps knocking down each of his carefully constructed walls….but with Ivy in town only for a short while is starting something up with her really worth it?

I loved the first book in the Silver Pines series and let me just tell you Ivy and Wade’s story was just as good as the first book. This book was filled with so much heart and hope that it was hard to find fault anywhere. Hope has done a brilliant job in combining the grump meets sunshine, forced proximity and cowboy tropes, there was a bit of everything in this book that made it so easy to get invested in. I really liked the pace of this book and the way their relationship built up.

I love a good grumpy hero and this was Wade, but gosh under all his grump and moaning was a total softie. Our hero had a heart of gold and I just loved getting to see Ivy slowly melt away the ice that Wade had placed around his heart. There really wasn’t a single thing about Wade that I could find fault with, he was honestly one of the easiest to love heroes out there, while he might hide behind his gruff exterior he was actually a total softie that cared for the people important to him deeply. Wade was just protective hero perfection and I’m so glad that we got to see him finally finding a true happily ever after. As for our leading lady, well Ivy was a total hoot, she gave strong independent girl boss vibes while being a bit a silly klutz. I loved her love for steamy audiobooks and the resulting scenes. After going through what she did with her ex, it was really nice to see her find the positives in life and really pick herself up and not allow one pathetic excuse of a man to taint her life.

The connection between Wade and Ivy was just perfection! There was so much steamy banter in this book that I needed a fan to cool myself off at one point. When it comes to crafting a spicy steamy scene Hope really knows what she is doing! Aside from this I loved the way these two opened up to each other as they grew closer through their journey. There was something really natural about their connection and the way their romance progressed. I loved the fact that this book did not have a third act break up, because truly this couple deserved their happily ever after.

One of the things that I really liked in the first book and I am thrilled to see followed through in this book as well, was the colourful bunch of supporting characters! I just loved getting to see Nash and CeCe again and seeing how they were going in their relationship, as well as getting a bit more of drama Jo, truly this woman is a hoot. Another thing that I like about Hopes writing style is that she gives us a taste of the next couple in each book and this time we got a good sense of how steamy and good Ginger and Cole promise to be. If their banter and tension in this book are anything to go by, then their book is possibly going to be the best in the series.

Training The Heart was absolute perfection. This book combines the best of grump meets sunshine and a bit of second chance at love, to create an incredible romcom. If you are like me and a fan of steamy and cute then this is not a book to be missed!

Book Info:

Publication: December 31, 2024 | Dell | Silver Pines Ranch #2

Wade Ashby doesn’t let anyone in. With the death of his father and his failed marriage, plus the weight of the family business on his shoulders, Wade has plenty to deal with. He thrives on being the one constant and steady thing in his family’s life and on their ranch, Silver Pines.

Ivy Spencer knows two things for Animals make better friends than people and she can only count on herself. After a turbulent childhood and a string of bad luck since, Ivy is excited to start fresh at Silver Pines Ranch and live out her dream of training a racehorse en route to the Kentucky Derby.

Wade needs help on the ranch, but with two entirely different views on how to train his star horse, it makes absolutely no sense why he allows her to stay on. She’s chaos and he’s control, but it doesn’t take long for the levee to break and their passion to ignite.