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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