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hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Pregnancy, Gaslighting
Minor: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Car accident, Death of parent