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A review by katemc7
Training the Heart by Paisley Hope
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
OMG yall- I had been intrigued by Wade when reading Holding the Reins, but I was not prepared for him in the least. He literally transformed in the duration of this book. He was this grump that had the responsibility of the world on his shoulders. He had a failed marriage behind his back. He had his horse trainer going out of maternity leave and then Ivy showed up. The literaly clutz that was a ray of sunshine. His complete opposite. Reading Wade do everything in his power to fight this draw to her was EPIC! I was at the edge of my seat. I found myself wanting to continue reading to finally be able to experience the moment he caved. But it was endearing to watch their relationship bud. Wade is a protector and loyal and once you are in his inner circle it takes A LOT for you to get thrown out. But reading about his family commenting on him smiling more and being like his old self was just so gratifying! And then we have Ivy over here who is literally faking it til she makes it. This woman was on the bad side of an emotionally abusive relationship and showed up at this ranch acting like she knew everything. She knew enough to be dangerous and then getting Wade's trust and his belief behind her made them an incredible team. Watching her attraction to him from the background come full circle was also amazing. I LOVED their chemistry. I LOVED the fact that after they had their night there was no what did we do but more like I want to do this every night. They were both all in without discussing it. I LOVED how they made each the best versions of themselves and helped each other see their full potential. I LOVED Wade getting tatted for Ivy without them having any sort of convo about what they were to each other. These two SHOWED how they felt with how they acted. They showed up for each other time and time again and man was their spice next level. Paisley I am on to you HAHA.
Ivy is hoping and praying that her ex Brad is going to get the hint that they are done now that she is gone. She is going to be the horse trainer at Silver Pines while theirs is on maternity leave. She has her own way of doing things. She is all about connecting with the horses on a deeper level vs just telling them how it is. She doesn't know is this technique is going to work with her new boss Wade Ashby. The literal hottest cowboy/man/being she has ever encountered. And man do they get along like oil and water. He is old school and seems to be set in his ways, but she is here to work alongside him and show him that her ways can work too. What she doesn't expect is for him to show up and help her in the biggest way when she gets hurt. She finds herself sleeping in his cabin. Waking up to post it notes on how to work everything in his place. Waking up in the middle of the night watching action movies and eating ice cream with him. She finds herself connecting with him in a way she hasn't in a long time. She finds herself clicking with his whole family. They keep fighting this push and pull between them. She knows he is her boss and that is the line right?? But then they go to Nashville for a weekend and all bets are off. She can't fight it anymore. She knows it. He knows it. And then what they share is beyond explosive. She is ruined for all other men. She finds herself with no regrets. She finds herself falling for him hard and fast. He makes her feel things she hasn't felt before. He worships her body and mind. He honors her as an employee and respects that line when they are working but he also pushes her and shows her he believes in her. And when he lets his family know that they are thing, she is beyond ecstatic because Wade is nothing if not private. But then her past comes back to haunt her and she freaks out. What if she can't give him what he wants. What if what is happening is all a mistake. But of course Wade steps in and helps her see that they are in fact meant to be and that she is HIS!
Wade wants to say no immediately to Ivy. She was ten minutes late to her interview. She is too beautiful to be on his ranch. She is going to be a distraction to everyone but of course not him. He doesn't have time for distractions but somehow her she is- working for him and bringing all of her non traditional ways to work with the horses. He can't help himself but be drawn to her. She is literal sunshine in his dark cloud of a life right now. He keeps fighting this thing between them though. She is his employee for goodness sake. But then she gets hurt and he offers to help her recoup. Now they are roommates and he doesn't understand why he allowed this torture to happen. They are watching actions movies together and hanging out like an old married couple. If there is silence between them it doesn't feel awkward or forced but natural. Still though there is a line but then they kiss. And even though they get interrupted, he can't stop thinking about it. So when she walks in on him in a compromising position, they are all over each other. They have an unforgettable night together and things just progress from there. He has no regrets. He may not be big on words but he is big on action. So he shows her how he cares with his actions. He gets tatted. He worships her body and mind. He listens to her experience with her ex. He is there for her when she needs it. Who cares what other people think? It's him and her now. But then she freaks and he doesn't know how to help her. He might now know all the answers but he knows one thing- he isn't letting her go because all he sees in the future is her.
I absolutely loved this. As I said, Wade had a big transformation in this but so did Ivy. Our girl was broken but put on a front that all was well. Wade helped her get mended back together. He helped her see her true value. He helped her fix relationships in her life that needed fixing. He was there when she didn't even know she needed him. And then she helped Wade lower his walls. She helped the old Wade come back to surface. I felt so much reading this- I laughed out loud. I was on the edge of my seat. I was swooning with Ivy at the description of Wade in a towel. I was in awe of how Wade treated Ivy. I loved the found family aspect and I legit CAN'T wait to read Ginger and Cole. I have a feeling there is more going on behind the scenes than we know and can't WAIT until things finally happen between these two!! I can't recommend this series enough- I really loved Nash and CeCe but Ivy and Wade took it to a whole other level!
Thank you to NetGalley and Paisley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Ivy is hoping and praying that her ex Brad is going to get the hint that they are done now that she is gone. She is going to be the horse trainer at Silver Pines while theirs is on maternity leave. She has her own way of doing things. She is all about connecting with the horses on a deeper level vs just telling them how it is. She doesn't know is this technique is going to work with her new boss Wade Ashby. The literal hottest cowboy/man/being she has ever encountered. And man do they get along like oil and water. He is old school and seems to be set in his ways, but she is here to work alongside him and show him that her ways can work too. What she doesn't expect is for him to show up and help her in the biggest way when she gets hurt. She finds herself sleeping in his cabin. Waking up to post it notes on how to work everything in his place. Waking up in the middle of the night watching action movies and eating ice cream with him. She finds herself connecting with him in a way she hasn't in a long time. She finds herself clicking with his whole family. They keep fighting this push and pull between them. She knows he is her boss and that is the line right?? But then they go to Nashville for a weekend and all bets are off. She can't fight it anymore. She knows it. He knows it. And then what they share is beyond explosive. She is ruined for all other men. She finds herself with no regrets. She finds herself falling for him hard and fast. He makes her feel things she hasn't felt before. He worships her body and mind. He honors her as an employee and respects that line when they are working but he also pushes her and shows her he believes in her. And when he lets his family know that they are thing, she is beyond ecstatic because Wade is nothing if not private. But then her past comes back to haunt her and she freaks out. What if she can't give him what he wants. What if what is happening is all a mistake. But of course Wade steps in and helps her see that they are in fact meant to be and that she is HIS!
Wade wants to say no immediately to Ivy. She was ten minutes late to her interview. She is too beautiful to be on his ranch. She is going to be a distraction to everyone but of course not him. He doesn't have time for distractions but somehow her she is- working for him and bringing all of her non traditional ways to work with the horses. He can't help himself but be drawn to her. She is literal sunshine in his dark cloud of a life right now. He keeps fighting this thing between them though. She is his employee for goodness sake. But then she gets hurt and he offers to help her recoup. Now they are roommates and he doesn't understand why he allowed this torture to happen. They are watching actions movies together and hanging out like an old married couple. If there is silence between them it doesn't feel awkward or forced but natural. Still though there is a line but then they kiss. And even though they get interrupted, he can't stop thinking about it. So when she walks in on him in a compromising position, they are all over each other. They have an unforgettable night together and things just progress from there. He has no regrets. He may not be big on words but he is big on action. So he shows her how he cares with his actions. He gets tatted. He worships her body and mind. He listens to her experience with her ex. He is there for her when she needs it. Who cares what other people think? It's him and her now. But then she freaks and he doesn't know how to help her. He might now know all the answers but he knows one thing- he isn't letting her go because all he sees in the future is her.
I absolutely loved this. As I said, Wade had a big transformation in this but so did Ivy. Our girl was broken but put on a front that all was well. Wade helped her get mended back together. He helped her see her true value. He helped her fix relationships in her life that needed fixing. He was there when she didn't even know she needed him. And then she helped Wade lower his walls. She helped the old Wade come back to surface. I felt so much reading this- I laughed out loud. I was on the edge of my seat. I was swooning with Ivy at the description of Wade in a towel. I was in awe of how Wade treated Ivy. I loved the found family aspect and I legit CAN'T wait to read Ginger and Cole. I have a feeling there is more going on behind the scenes than we know and can't WAIT until things finally happen between these two!! I can't recommend this series enough- I really loved Nash and CeCe but Ivy and Wade took it to a whole other level!
Thank you to NetGalley and Paisley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!