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macyboston's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the advanced readers copy of Holding the Reins by Paisley Hope.
This novel was pitched as a cowboy romance. But....I had trouble finding the cowboy part. It's an alpha male who is an ex-hockey player. This book had a slow start for me. But by the 50% mark it's pure spicy for those that enjoy that. However the spice was a bit of a turn off for me. I'm really not into men who repeatedly call their lover a "C U next Tuesday". The male main character raised red flags for me. I also wasn't into the the idea that he's so huge that he barely fits which was referenced constantly during the last half of the book.
So while this book wasn't bad, it's definitely not going to be everyone's cup of tea unless they really like romance novels with alpha males.
This novel was pitched as a cowboy romance. But....I had trouble finding the cowboy part. It's an alpha male who is an ex-hockey player. This book had a slow start for me. But by the 50% mark it's pure spicy for those that enjoy that. However the spice was a bit of a turn off for me. I'm really not into men who repeatedly call their lover a "C U next Tuesday". The male main character raised red flags for me. I also wasn't into the the idea that he's so huge that he barely fits which was referenced constantly during the last half of the book.
So while this book wasn't bad, it's definitely not going to be everyone's cup of tea unless they really like romance novels with alpha males.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
belreadsbooks's review against another edition
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Car accident and Death of parent
Minor: Cursing, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
100_pages_hr's review against another edition
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Infidelity
amateur_bookworm's review against another edition
lighthearted
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? Yes
3.5
My summary:
Cece Ashby returns to her small hometown in Kentucky after calling off her engagement to Andrew, a hotshot lawyer that she’s dated for the last seven years. She started dating him in college but has now realized he’s a cheating scumbag. Moving back from Seattle is bittersweet for Cece since her beloved dad passed away only a few months ago. Although happy to be with her mom, brothers and niece, Cece is not prepared to see Nash Carter. Nash is a retired NHL star and grew up like an annoying brother to Cece and is still best friends with her brothers. The Ashbys took Nash in after he traumatically lost his parents as a teenager. Now, sparks fly when Cece takes a job under Nash at the ice rink he owns in town. And it takes all of Nash’s control to try to keep his hands off his best friend’s little sister.
My thoughts:
Holding the Reins is Paisley Hope’s debut novel and the first book of the Silver Pines series. It is a small town, spicy romance and a lot of my favorite tropes are here! Best friend’s little sister, return to hometown, retired NHL star, found family, secret relationship, and workplace romance.
It is originally self-published and was released in February 2024. And now it’s been picked up by a traditional publisher and is being re-released in August 2024. Paisley has a lot more in the pipeline already and her writing is really promising as a new author!
The characters are really lovable. Everyone, from the main characters to the side characters, are really fun and impossible to dislike. Nash Carter can be so swoony at times and Cece is adorable. There is witty banter, especially in the text messages. And Nash’s backstory is so heartbreaking and tragic, so you can’t help but hope for his happy ending.
I really enjoy the small town aspects of this story! The people, the gossip (literally everyone knew about the vibrator at the beginning), and the sense of community. I love the Sangria Sundays with all the women in town together at the bar and then collectively hungover on Mondays.
The bones of a good story are here but it needs more refinement. I’m really excited to watch the glow up that Paisley is sure to have under a big publisher. There were a lot of typos. The writing style feels fairly amateur and some of the phrases were really repetitive (we get it, your boss is a hard-ass). I also found most of the spice to be pretty cringey.
Overall, the foundation of a great series is here and the carpet is rolled out for Wade and Ivy’s story and Cole and Ginger’s story. I’m excited to see not only what happens at the Silver Pines Ranch, but also to see Paisley Hope’s career take off!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Infidelity
vj_thompson's review against another edition
The book started out great. There were parts that were cheesy and cute. The romance piece fell flat. As a reader, I picked up on things the characters haven’t. I’m not a fan of the miscommunication trope or the lack of communication that is.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Moderate: Cancer, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Terminal illness, and Gaslighting
Minor: Vomit