The last time I saw Declan St. James was at our rehearsal dinner. That was shortly before he jilted me at the altar. To avoid the swarm of whispers and finger pointing every time I dared to show my face in public, I fled two hours south to Atlanta and never looked back. Over the last decade, I’d planned hundreds of scenarios about how our next meeting would go down. The expletives I’d hurl at … him. Which knee I might use to annihilate his balls. Which dimpled cheek on his ridiculously handsome face I would send a stinging slap across.
But being elbow deep in a cow’s ass was not one of them.
Normally, I didn’t get up close and personal to a bovine’s rectum. At least not since veterinarian school. But desperate times found me back home to attend my grandfather’s funeral, who happened to be the town’s large animal vet. Those two facts had left me wading through manure in Roy Wallace’s pasture to care for a distressed heifer.
While time and maturity seemed to have changed him from the boy I knew, I still wasn’t falling for his charm. Or his hard, chiseled body. Or ass you could eat dinner off of.
No, I wasn’t going back down that street again. Unfortunately, Declan didn’t seem to get the message. Instead, he seemed as stubborn as he ever was and ready for a fight. It’ll be the fight of his life for me to let him back in my heart
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Peyton and Declan were to be married until Declan left her standing at the altar. Ten years go by and Peyton is back in town to attend her grandfather’s funeral and take care of his property. Declan is divorced and has a son. Peyton doesn’t want to fall for him again after what he did to her. Declan is determined to get back with Peyton. This was a different second chance story that I found to be interesting and refreshing.
I received a free copy of this book from the author.
I love Katie Ashley book. This one is no exception. Peyton and Declan are hilarious. I mean there’s not many people that can safe face when your face is covered in manure! Especially with someone that left you at the altar. HA!
Yes, you read that right. He left her at the altar. He wasn’t man enough to break up with her in person either. She should have throat punched him just for that the first time she saw him again. 10 years later!
Peyton finds herself moving home to takeover her grandfather’s veterinary practice and that means running in the Declan all the time. He makes it worth her while though. Once they air their differences things start to change.
Time and experiences can change a person. Mold them for better or worse. I think a love like these two have can survive some of the worst things life throws at you. They’ve definitely had their downs but more highs are coming.
I have no problems recommending for you to read Reining Her In.
4.5 stars
Peyton Beasley avoids her hometown at all costs. But when her beloved grandfather passed away, there is no avoiding a return to her hometown. She knows she will run into Declan at some point, though she didn’t imagine she’d be shoulder deep in cow at the time, and the meeting only serves to highlight that she has not put the past behind her as she had previously thought. Ten years prior, Declan left her at the altar. Ten years is a long time to hold a grudge, and it is about time that they have it out so they can move on. But as they sort their past and Peyton decides to forgive his decisions, it becomes clear that neither has truly moved on.
I loved the moments early in their reconnection when Peyton’s anger was flying high. She doesn’t hold back when she feels something, and isn’t afraid of showing or telling Declan exactly how she feels. But I also loved that as she got to know the current him, she let go of the anger that had been fueling her for so long.
Yes, Declan made a mistake, but he also learned from all the mistakes he had made in the 10 years in between. Yes, he married another woman and had a child, but that child is now the center of his world. I loved seeing him living the life he had built, rolling with what life sent his way while also driving Peyton’s direction now that she was back in his life.
This was a light, entertaining read from start to finish. These characters have a history to work through, but despite some childish reactions at their first encounters after 10 years, they work through their past like adults. This is a second chance is the truest sense of the word. Neither character stopped living their lives or stayed in limbo waiting for the other to come around. They tried to form new relationships, they made decisions as individuals, and found themselves in a position to try again as more mature people the second time around. I may not have agreed with Declan’s decisions from 10 years previous (and neither did Peyton) but I quickly fell in love with the man he had grown into. Getting to know him in the present made it easier to forgive his actions at age 20 (because haven’t we all made bone-headed decisions in our early 20s that our later selves questioned?).
I received a copy from the author for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
A one star, not so much because the H ditches the heroine at the altar and then marries someone else, but there is just too much missing for the story to jell and make sense. I feel like 30% of a book was missing.
The premise is a good one, but the following holes derail the story.
The hero never really explains why he ditched the girl he’s loved forever other than they were too young and he feared his life was already planned out. That’s it?
The h is back in town, but the doting and supportive family are never seen or heard from again.
How and why does the H dump the h so brutally only to get married a few years later to a woman he never loved?
The evil ex-wife cheater and Supreme Bad Mother is completely off page the whole story.
After ten years of avoiding the H and the whole town, one conversation and it’s all okey dokey.
The heroine’s boy toy is jettisoned immediately and never makes an appearance.
Second chance romance- she was jilted at the alter and left town 10 years ago not to return. That is until Peyton’s grandfather passes and she is back home for him and wants to save his practice, but she has been avoiding Declan yet planning how their first meeting would go in so many years.
There are some funny moments, and some adorable little boy moments. Very good read. I love a second chance.
Another phenomenal book by this fantastic author. This story about second chance love was full of passion, heart break, laughter and healing. The characters were extremely lovable, and I couldn’t get enough of them. Don’t get me started on how adorable Cameron was and how he talked to Moose and his tractors; I just wanted to snuggle all day long with him.
A Jilted bride and a second chance romance.
This was an ok read, there’s no heavy drama or angst, basically, Peyton is dumped on her wedding day, she’s marrying her high school sweetheart but following a call from Declan her supposed to be groom, she discovers he has flown to Aruba to their honeymoon destination while she is stood in her wedding dress in church.
Declan seems like he’s done a lot of soul searching and says he can’t go through with it, he thinks they are too young, at 19, he doesn’t like the idea of his life is all mapped out and can’t get married.
They loved each other, his actions are a bit odd but it happens.
Peyton is the one left facing a church full of people, she’s heartbroken and embarrassed, it’s a small farming town full of gossips so following her wedding day that never happens she leaves for college/vet school to go through with her plans and follow in her Grandfathers footsteps as a vet.
10 years later and the death of her Grandfather brings her home.
Declan still lives there, he’s married, yep, that’s a kick in the gut for Peyton but he’s also going through a divorce, been cheated on (Karma) and also has a son who he has full custody of.
Peyton can’t escape Declan, it’s a small town, shes harbored hurt for a decade and never settled down, she still loves Declan deep down and tries to move past all the hurt. To move on finally and face her hurts, her fears answers are needed, apologies are needed, there’s healing to process, which all leads to second chances.
This is a heartwarming second chance romance. Peyton and Declan have undeniable chemistry, they never should have lost 10 years without each other. Declan has a whole lot of regret and he’s out to get back the woman he never should have let go.
Told in first person dual pov and leads to a heartwarming hea
This is a sweet and romantic second chance romance. Peyton was jilted at the alter 10 years ago by Declan. Since they lived in a small town, Peyton couldn’t escape the questions and sympathetic looks from everyone so she decided to continuing pursuing her vet degree in Atlanta. Peyton refuses to go back home and her family supported her decision by meeting somewhere else for the holidays every year.
When tragedy strikes, Peyton has to go back home and pay her respects to her grandfather, who was always there for her and her mentor. She finds out that he left his vet practice to her which was a surprise to her and she has to decide what to do. What she didn’t expect was to see Declan again at the most inconvenient place while she is trying to deliver a calf. She can’t seem to forgive Declan for what he did to her 10 years ago. Declan for his part, is remorseful for the past but now he is a changed person with responsibilities that he wouldn’t trade for the world.
The attraction between Peyton and Declan is undeniable but can these two work through their past and then put it behind them to move towards the future. It is hard work for both of them but they realize that they never lost the love they had for each other. There were some funny and romantic moments throughout this story which made me laugh, hurt, and swoon.
3.5 stars
While this started out really good and got some tiny bit of enemies banter, I wanted something a bit more with this second chance romance. The ending seemed a bit rush. I love this cover though, and I do look forward to reading more of Katie’s books.
Beautiful story.
This book was really good I enjoyed the story I luv second chance romance and this author so I knew I would have to read this book. I’m really glad I did Declan and Peyton were great characters. They have a lot of history together some good and some really bad. Peyton has been away from her home for a long time and Declan is the reason why. But know she has no choice but to go home it wasn’t goin to be easy to go back and face her past but she would do it with her head up high. Peyton is strong and will deal with anything that is thrown at her. She just hoped she didn’t have to stay long and deal with her past. But she wasn’t that lucky.
I did enjoy this story even though I did find it a bit predictable in parts. It flowed well and the connection with the characters were really good. It was hard to be angry with Declan what he did was so wrong but God the guy is very sexy. I know why Peyton found It hard to not be angry with him. There sexual chemistry was so strong even when they were shouting at each other. Well It was more Peyton shouting at Declan for something else he has done. I would recommend this if your looking for a light read this is your book.
Reining Her In is the newest standalone contemporary romance by Katie Ashley that takes place in a small town in Georgia. Peyton was left at the altar by Declan at the tender age of twenty. A decade later, she still hasn’t returned to her small home town until her grandfather passes away, and she finally pulls on her big girl panties and heads home. There’s a thin line between love and hate, and she most definitely hates her ex-fiance. Or does she? Will Peyton finally let go of her hurt and hate and let healing in or will she shut Declan out forever?
I always enjoy reading this author’s books. She has a way of combining angst with humor that doesn’t distract me from the tension in the plot but still manages to lighten the mood enough to give you a bit of a breather. This story totally reminded me of one of my favorite movies, Sweet Home Alabama. There are drama and angst aplenty, but there are also some moments of levity that nearly had me laughing out loud. And since it kept me up reading into the wee hours of the morning, I couldn’t indulge in truly laughing out loud or the hubs would have been pretty ticked at being awakened around 3 am!
NICUnurse’s Rating: Peyton and Declan’s story is one of growth and maturity and how life changes us as we leave young adulthood behind. It’s also a story of different types of grief and how one young lady processes it and moves through the last stages of grieving the life she thought she would have with Declan. And as much as you want to hate Declan in the beginning, he’s really not a bad guy. They were twenty, and while they most assuredly loved each other at the time of their wedding, they both had a lot of growing up to do…on their own. And let’s face it, we all did things at the age of twenty that we’re not proud of, right?! Hopefully, we learned from our mistakes and grew from them, and that’s what this story is all about. With lovable and delightful characters all around, a good deal of angst and tears, and a bit of humor as to not make this story quite so heavy, Reining Her In is definitely a book for fans of second-chance, small-town contemporary romance. I give Reining Her In by Katie Ashley 4 out of 5 stars!
I usually love Katie Ashley’s series but I LOVED this second chance romance!!! Declan runs thru all the emotions-hate, lust, love. Peyton is all of us- and the way she handles Declan will have you laughing out loud!!
The hero and heroine in Katie Ashley’s newest release share a complicated past – one that still burdens both of them, mainly because since the day that Declan St. James jilted Peyton Beasley at the altar over a decade ago, they’ve never spoken, which means that Declan’s never apologized and Peyton’s never dealt with all of the emotions that have festered inside for the past ten years.
Returning to and remaining in Hayesville was something Peyton hadn’t planned to do, especially since Declan never left their hometown, so when her hand is forced, she does her best to steer clear of her ex because her hurt feelings are still so raw due to the man things left unsaid between them.
As a second chance romance lover, the determining factor when it comes to the hero and heroine and my enjoyment of the story is in regards to the characters’ maturation. Despite past mistakes made, regardless of how big or small, I want to be able to see them grow as people and understand that who they were before is no longer who they are now, and this definitely applies to Declan and Peyton, and even though it takes Peyton a bit longer than Declan, which makes sense given the heartache he caused her, by the time their story is complete, the past has been dealt with and the present and perhaps the future are the only things that matter.
Reining Her In is a sweet second chance romance set in a small town. It’s a story about forgiveness, about not being stuck in the past, about understanding that other people’s decisions don’t and shouldn’t control anyone else’s life, and what I appreciated about the story the most was the fact that Ashley didn’t add unnecessary obstacles to keep Declan and Peyton apart – the focus is on letting go of the past and moving forward, which is exactly what both of these characters needed.
4 Poison Apples
Reining her in was a really good story it would be the one of the many amazing books that I’ve read by Katie Ashley and I can’t wait to read more by her . I hope to read more from the characters mentioned I hope to see more of them in the future . My heart hurt for the heroine in the first chapter I couldn’t imagine that kind of pain . This was a page turner that had me go through so many emotions I love a book that could make me laugh and that was what Reining her in did to me. I’m really excited to read what’s to come by this amazing author .
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book
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hero=9 heroine=9 secondary characters= 9
Chemistry=10 steam=6 romance=6
humor=6 darkness level=2 action=2 mystery=3
enjoyment=10 angst=3 story line=10 Story ending=10
character development=10 pacing= 10
cover=10 Blurb = 10 Stars = 4
Is this part of a series =
Can it be read as a standalone =
would I recommend this book=yes
would I re read this book= yes
would I read future books by this author= yes
Cute read with lots of funny moments but at first it was hard for me to like Peyton, . I know Declan did her dirty but it seemed like she just couldn’t get out of the past. There were times that she came across as immature. Declan on the other hand was likeable but his excuse for doing what he did to Peyton in the past was pretty stupid, lol, but he was much more mature now and righted his wrongs. When Peyton finally forgave him their banter continued but it was the cutest thing. I liked that they didn’t rush anything this time around and they got their second chance to make things right.
3.5 Stars
I always love a good second chance romance, and while I did enjoy this one for the most part, it was just okay for me. Peyton was jilted at the altar ten years before by her highschool sweetheart and it scarred her enough that it kept her from coming home to her small town for a decade. I think Declan tried to learn from his mistakes, hence why he married a girl he didn’t love when she got pregnant, and was genuinely sorry, but we never are given a reason as to why he left her. Overall, it’s a sweet and low angst story.
Angela – Alphas Do It Better Book Blog
Have you ever loved someone with all of your heart and gotten it crushed? The aftermath is never pretty. This story is about Peyton. She left her small town with a broken heart and pursued her dreams of becoming a vet in the big city. But every time she was in any kind of relationship the ugly past reared its head. Peyton comes home to Hayesville to lay her beloved grandfather to rest. Day one she runs into Declan St. James. Day 1! You can’t escape your past in a small town. Declan is determined to apologize to Peyton and forge some kind of relationship with her. Peyton inherits her grandfather’s veterinary practice. She’s home to stay. This book is about hurt, and love, and family. It’s about how beautiful things can blossom from ashes.
I always LOVE Katie Ashley’s writing because she draws you into the story. She makes you family. Reining Her in is no different. This is a sweet, sweet love story. And there’s some good humor, as well. Definitely worth the read! 4 stars for Reining Her In.
When life throws you an unexpected curve ball who knows what can happen ?? Maybe you can roll with it or you can’t or maybe just maybe this can turn out to be your Second Chance At LOVE !!
When Peyton Beasley has to go home after being away for 10 years for Papa’s funeral she never expects to see her ex fiancé because she didn’t think he would show his face around her .. BUT .. Papa had something up his sleeve even if he wasn’t around anymore to see how he created MAGIC !! Declan St.James is what Papa saw all along for Peyton and everyone knew it BUT them !
This story was not only about Second Chances it also showed you that when you LOVE someone so deeply you would do anything to make there dreams come true even if it means breaking there heart for a little while. Only sometimes when you are stubborn the heart break lasts wayyyyy to long !!
This really is a True Love Story !! It was FANTASTIC !!
***3.5 stars***
Reining Her In was a sweet and emotional small town second chance romance by Katie Ashley. It was about a beautiful couple who went from best friends to lovers to enemies to lovers again. It was an amazing journey and the author pulled out some incredible emotions from me.
Jilted bride in a small town is a curse. So much painful that Peyton ran away from home, from her family and every memory of her first love Declan. When she is forced to take over her beloved grandfather’s Veterinary practice after his sudden death, she has to face her worst nightmare. Someone she really never stopped loving. The man who broke her heart and still owns it. But he is a changed guy. He is more mature, responsible and careful of other people’s feelings. And he is determined to get her back.
I loved Declan. His evolution to a better man was completely believable. And he is so caring, protective, swoonworthy and gorgeous. I wish Peyton’s changes were more consistent. She has bloomed into this confident, smart and sassy woman. The first half where they had this bitter vibes going on was so great. I could feel every angsty, heartbreaking and raw emotions. The chemistry was sizzling hot and definitely something special. But once they decided to give it a go as couple, things became a bit slow and too easy. I expected a bit more drama and tension about the life after they got back together as couple. Peyton didn’t let go of her anger and hatred so long and it seemed a bit rushed and too simple the way the last part ended. I also missed the big nosy loving small town people’s connection.
It was a nice cozy read that will make you happy. The writing was great. Except few points, the storyline was good too. If you love second chance romance, you should definitely give it a try.
Received ARC for Honest review.
I really can’t give this book the justice it deserves. It was so much of everything and more. I absolutely loved it.