Training the Heart Summary, Characters and Themes

Training the Heart by Paisley Hope is a contemporary romance that explores the slow and powerful transformation of two broken souls trying to find footing on solid emotional ground.  Set on the lush, horse-dotted terrain of Kentucky’s Silver Pines Ranch, the novel follows Ivy Spencer, a resilient horse trainer with a painful past, and Wade Ashby, a stoic ranch owner weighed down by duty and grief.

Their relationship—tense, tender, and ultimately healing—is built on trust, shared ambition, and emotional vulnerability.  The story is about not only falling in love, but learning to trust in second chances, community, and one’s own worth.

Summary

Ivy Spencer arrives late to a job interview at Silver Pines Ranch and immediately leaves an impression—though not necessarily a favorable one—on its gruff owner, Wade Ashby.  Her chatter about romance novels and her carefree attitude clash with Wade’s reserved and meticulous demeanor.

Yet, when Ivy demonstrates her skill with a nervous colt using a gentle, trust-based method, Wade is taken aback by her intuition and calm authority.  Despite their initial personality clash, Wade offers her the temporary horse trainer position.

As Ivy integrates into life on the ranch, her presence brings energy and charm.  She wins over the staff and Wade’s family while quietly shaking up Wade’s carefully managed world.

Her unique style, sassy humor, and emotional openness contrast Wade’s preference for solitude and control.  Though he initially maintains professional boundaries, Wade finds himself drawn to Ivy’s strength and warmth.

Their banter deepens into flirtation, particularly during shared car rides and moments of vulnerability.

Both carry emotional scars.  Ivy is recovering from a controlling relationship with her ex, Brad, and the trauma of learning she may be infertile.

Wade is still grappling with the grief of his father’s death and the betrayal of his ex-wife, Janelle.  Despite his resistance, Ivy’s light begins to reach the parts of him he’d long kept hidden.

When Ivy injures her ankle during a rainy training session and seeks help at Wade’s home, he quickly rushes her to the hospital and insists she recuperate in his guest room.  In doing so, Wade unconsciously invites Ivy deeper into his life.

Living under the same roof brings them closer.  Wade finds himself thinking of Ivy constantly—her scent, her laugh, the way she leaves a trail of sticky notes to navigate his kitchen.

Ivy, meanwhile, contrasts Wade’s nurturing actions with Brad’s neglect, slowly realizing the depth of care she’s receiving for the first time.  Their chemistry simmers during late-night conversations, teasing text exchanges, and Wade’s increasing need to protect Ivy from both her past and his own walls.

The emotional connection between them reaches a new height when Wade buys a yearling, Angel’s Wings, at an auction simply because Ivy believed in the horse.  He tells her it’s not just about the horse—it’s about his belief in her.

This trust shifts the foundation of their relationship.  Ivy, overwhelmed by someone placing their faith in her, begins to envision a future that includes dreams, healing, and even family.

As Ivy’s confidence in her role at the ranch grows, so too does her bond with Wade’s family.  She’s invited to family dinners, becomes close with the children on the ranch, and even shares holiday traditions.

Wade reveals to her his own suppressed dream of transforming the ranch into a wedding and retreat destination—something he’d pushed aside in the name of responsibility.  Ivy challenges him to prioritize his own happiness and believe in the future he wants.

Their emotional intimacy explodes into physical passion during a heated encounter in the barn, a turning point that erases lingering hesitations.

Wade opens up about his toxic relationship with Janelle and his struggles with vulnerability, while Ivy shares the heartbreak of her infertility diagnosis and Brad’s manipulative hold on her past.  Their connection deepens beyond attraction—rooted in mutual respect, emotional honesty, and shared goals.

As they continue training Angel’s Wings together, they support one another through setbacks, insecurities, and family entanglements.  Ivy begins to understand that Wade’s protection isn’t possessiveness—it’s a new, tender kind of love.

A critical emotional moment arises when Ivy and Wade travel together for an ultrasound and Ivy suspects Brad manipulated her reproductive choices.  This revelation devastates her, but Wade encourages her to choose how she wants to confront the truth.

He offers not anger or vengeance, but calm and loyal support.  Rather than being a hero who takes action for her, he becomes the partner who gives her the agency she was once denied.

The story then shifts to Ivy preparing Angel’s Wings for an important race.  Wade anchors her emotionally, while Ivy channels her nervousness into focus.

The horse’s success on the track mirrors Ivy’s own transformation from someone wounded and cautious to someone strong and self-assured.  In the background, Wade and his brother Nash have quietly used the proceeds from the racehorse foundation to help Ivy’s mother afford treatment and build a new home—Spirit Cabin—where she can recover in peace.

This act cements Wade’s love not just for Ivy, but for her family and the life they’re building together.

Their passion continues, now fully fused with domestic bliss.  Even as parents, they sneak away for moments of intimacy, share private jokes, and relish in the joy of being seen and loved.

They maintain a connection that’s physical and emotional, sustained by playfulness and deep mutual care.  Wade lets Ivy’s light fill the darkest corners of his life, while Ivy embraces the rare, safe intimacy she had long believed was out of reach.

The epilogue, set nine years later, reveals a thriving family: Ivy and Wade’s spirited daughter Billi, twin boys River and Wyatt, and Ivy’s sober and content mother living peacefully on the ranch.  Billi, a competitive young rider, channels both her parents’ passion and tenacity, while Wade and Ivy remain emotionally and physically connected.

Watching their daughter compete from the sidelines, Ivy reflects on how far they’ve come—not just in romance, but in healing, forgiveness, and building a life full of meaning.

Training the Heart concludes not with grand declarations, but with a quiet and powerful reminder: love is not just something you fall into—it’s something you choose, nurture, and protect every day.  Through their trials and triumphs, Ivy and Wade become not only lovers but partners in the truest sense—proof that even wounded hearts can find rhythm again.

Characters

Ivy Spencer

Ivy Spencer is the heart of Training the Heart—a woman forged in pain, determined to reclaim joy and autonomy.  A gifted horse trainer, she’s guided by instinct, empathy, and the Parelli method, favoring gentle communication over force.

From her very first appearance, Ivy’s vibrant personality shines—she is unapologetically herself, even when rambling nervously about romance novels in a professional setting.  This endearing openness belies a deeper emotional resilience.

Ivy is a survivor of a manipulative, emotionally abusive relationship with Brad, and her journey at Silver Pines is as much about self-reclamation as it is about training horses.

Ivy’s arc is driven by rediscovery.  Her love for horses is reawakened through Angel’s Wings, and she gradually finds both family and purpose at the ranch.

Her empathy extends beyond animals; she bonds with Mabel, with Wade’s family, and brings warmth and humor into every room she enters.  Yet Ivy is not naïve.

Her history has taught her caution, and she is deeply affected by her belief in her infertility—a cruel legacy of Brad’s control.  When faced with the possibility that her infertility was a lie, her pain is visceral, but she doesn’t retreat.

Instead, she confronts the truth, supported by Wade, and chooses her own path forward.

Romantically, Ivy is bold and refreshingly open, but she also seeks safety and respect.  With Wade, her attraction is matched by emotional yearning.

She doesn’t just want passion—she wants to be seen, believed in, and cherished.  Over time, she shifts from guarded optimism to trusting love, embracing vulnerability in a way that is both empowering and transformative.

By the end, Ivy isn’t just loved—she’s found a home, a family, and a future she never believed she deserved.

Wade Ashby

Wade Ashby is the brooding, emotionally restrained ranch owner whose controlled world is steadily undone by Ivy’s presence.  A man shaped by duty, grief, and betrayal, Wade initially embodies rigidity—he’s a no-nonsense figure whose aloofness masks a deep reservoir of pain.

His father’s death left him shouldering the weight of Silver Pines, and his failed marriage to the manipulative Janelle left him emotionally guarded.  But beneath the gruff exterior lies a man yearning for connection, even if he’s too wounded to admit it.

Wade’s slow transformation is a central thread of Training the Heart.  His initial discomfort with Ivy’s bubbly demeanor and unconventional training methods evolves into admiration and, eventually, love.

Through Ivy, he confronts his fears—of being hurt, of failing, of wanting more than just responsibility.  Her presence brings out Wade’s tenderness, his humor, and his long-suppressed dreams.

He confides in her about his vision for the ranch, and begins making space for his own desires rather than merely upholding tradition.

Protective to his core, Wade’s love language is action.  He tends to Ivy when she’s injured, blow-dries her hair, and silently reinforces her importance through gestures like renovating a cabin for her mother or supporting her ambitions without hesitation.

His emotional awakening culminates not just in romantic intimacy, but in surrender—allowing himself to need, to hope, and to build a future based on love rather than obligation.  Wade ultimately becomes not just a lover and partner, but a true father, visionary, and anchor for the family he rebuilds with Ivy.

Brad

Brad is the shadow that haunts Ivy’s past—a manipulative, emotionally abusive ex who wielded control through gaslighting and deception.  His cruelty was subtle but devastating.

Rather than outright violence, Brad used emotional withdrawal, invalidation, and coercion to isolate Ivy and strip her of confidence.  His most chilling betrayal—misleading Ivy about her infertility—reveals the depth of his psychological control.

He represents the kind of abuse that leaves no bruises but inflicts lasting scars.

Though Brad never fully reenters Ivy’s physical world, his presence is keenly felt.  He is the foil to Wade—a man who took Ivy for granted, saw her as inferior, and never lifted her up.

The discovery of his manipulations is a pivotal turning point in the novel, spurring Ivy to reclaim her body, her choices, and her future.  Brad’s legacy is one of damage, but Ivy’s response to that damage is strength.

His role is essential in understanding Ivy’s emotional guardedness and the magnitude of her healing.

Janelle

Janelle is Wade’s ex-wife, a character defined by entitlement, manipulation, and a refusal to let go.  Her reappearance—summoning Wade during a storm to fix her leaking roof—shows her ongoing emotional dependence on him, despite their divorce.

Janelle is not evil in a cartoonish sense, but she’s selfish, flirtatious, and deeply manipulative.  She is unwilling to accept boundaries and seems to delight in provoking Wade, particularly as he begins to move on with Ivy.

Janelle’s role serves to underscore Wade’s emotional evolution.  Where once he might have tolerated her out of obligation or unresolved feelings, he now sets firm boundaries.

Her inability to affect him emotionally reinforces how far Wade has come.  Janelle is also a narrative contrast to Ivy.

She represents Wade’s past—complicated, dysfunctional, and rooted in performance—while Ivy offers a future grounded in honesty and mutual respect.

Mabel

Mabel is Cole’s daughter and one of the early emotional anchors for Ivy at Silver Pines.  Her innocent, unfiltered presence provides warmth and joy, and her easy bond with Ivy reveals the latter’s nurturing instincts.

Through Mabel, Ivy experiences early familial affection at the ranch—an emotional tether that precedes and foreshadows her deeper integration into Wade’s world.

Though Mabel is not a primary character, she serves a vital symbolic role: she is trust personified.  When Mabel trusts Ivy, it signals to the rest of the family—and to Wade—that Ivy belongs.

Her presence also allows Ivy to test the waters of caretaking and connection after years of isolation.  In many ways, Mabel helps lay the foundation for Ivy’s later role as a mother and partner.

Mama Jo

Mama Jo is Wade’s mother, the matriarch of the Ashby clan, and a quiet but powerful presence throughout Training the Heart.  Her wisdom, warmth, and deep understanding of her son’s emotional wounds position her as both a stabilizing force and a catalyst for change.

She sees through Wade’s defenses and recognizes Ivy’s significance long before he does.  Mama Jo’s acceptance of Ivy is a key moment of affirmation, subtly pushing the pair closer together.

Beyond her role as a mother, Mama Jo is emblematic of generational wisdom and the healing power of family.  She doesn’t meddle, but she nurtures—offering support in gentle, consistent ways.

Through her, the theme of legacy—both familial and emotional—is subtly reinforced.  She anchors Silver Pines as a place of belonging, not just labor, and her belief in Ivy is part of what helps Ivy believe in herself.

Nash

Nash, Wade’s brother, brings levity and brotherly mischief into the narrative.  His teasing, perceptive nature makes him a foil to Wade’s stoicism, often serving as the voice that says what Wade won’t.

Nash is quick to call out Wade’s feelings for Ivy, providing the necessary nudge (and comedic relief) during emotionally dense moments.

But Nash is more than comic relief—he’s also deeply loyal and quietly supportive.  His partnership with Wade in funding Ivy’s mother’s treatment shows his generosity and understanding of emotional stakes.

Nash represents the possibility of male vulnerability expressed through humor and action, and he plays a key role in reinforcing the ranch’s familial bonds.

Billi, River, and Wyatt

The children—introduced in the epilogue—symbolize legacy, healing, and the joy of a hard-won future.  Billi, Ivy and Wade’s daughter, is headstrong, skilled, and passionate about horses, reflecting the best of both her parents.

Her fiery spirit and talent mark her as Ivy’s emotional heir, while her connection with Wade highlights the unbroken bond between father and daughter.

River and Wyatt add joy, chaos, and completeness to the Ashby family.  Their presence doesn’t dominate the story but enriches it, offering a glimpse into the life Ivy and Wade have built.

The children represent not just the fruits of love but the continuation of a story rooted in redemption, choice, and enduring commitment.  Through them, Training the Heart ends on a note of fullness, legacy, and ever-deepening love.

Themes

Emotional Recovery After Abuse

Ivy’s journey in Training the Heart is a compelling portrayal of the psychological and emotional recovery that follows intimate partner abuse.  Having survived a toxic relationship with Brad—a man who not only belittled her but may have manipulated her reproductive health—Ivy arrives at Silver Pines Ranch seeking more than employment; she is searching for safety, identity, and renewal.

Her trauma manifests subtly at first—through her fierce independence, insistence on professional boundaries, and occasional emotional withdrawal.  As the narrative unfolds, it becomes clear that Ivy is not just reclaiming her confidence in her work but also confronting a deep-rooted mistrust in personal relationships.

The environment at Silver Pines offers her space to reestablish her worth, not through grand, transformative moments, but through consistent, quiet affirmations of her competence and character.  Wade’s presence, though complicated, becomes a mirror to her healing.

Unlike Brad, who withheld emotional support and used control as affection, Wade respects Ivy’s autonomy, listens without judgment, and responds with care that is unforced.  The gradual build-up of their trust illustrates how recovery from abuse is nonlinear and often complicated by fear of recurrence.

Ivy’s ability to articulate her pain, accept love again, and finally believe in her deservingness of happiness marks a powerful arc of resilience.  The emotional weight of her healing is underscored by her role as a horse trainer; just as she uses gentle methods to build trust with skittish animals, she too is retraining her own heart to trust, to open, and to thrive in a world that once wounded her.

The Burden and Beauty of Responsibility

Wade’s character in Training the Heart is framed by an overwhelming sense of duty.  From the death of his father to the day-to-day operations of Silver Pines Ranch, Wade carries the invisible load of being the anchor for everyone around him.

This burden has made him closed-off, risk-averse, and deeply resistant to change or vulnerability.  His relationship with Ivy begins to expose the tension between responsibility and self-denial.

He has long believed that to care for others, he must not want anything for himself.  Ivy challenges this belief not with arguments, but through her very presence—her unapologetic desire, her ability to feel joy even after pain, and her relentless pursuit of her goals.

Wade starts to question whether his vision of responsibility is flawed.  The internal conflict comes to a head when he allows himself to dream again—confessing his wish to turn the ranch into a wedding venue.

This moment is pivotal: it represents not just ambition, but the radical idea that his desires are valid.  The theme becomes especially poignant as Wade learns to express care not as a transaction or a burden, but as an act of mutual trust.

His protection of Ivy is no longer rooted in obligation, but in genuine partnership.  By the end, Wade redefines responsibility—not as self-sacrifice, but as conscious, compassionate engagement with the people he loves.

In letting go of rigid control, he discovers a fuller, more vibrant version of himself.

Trust and Professional Belief

Throughout Training the Heart, the evolution of trust—particularly in professional competency—is a key emotional and thematic throughline.  Ivy’s approach to horse training, rooted in empathy and connection, immediately sets her apart in a field traditionally dominated by rigid methods.

At Silver Pines, she is a woman entering a male-dominated space, and her authority is initially questioned, even if subtly.  However, what shifts the dynamic is not just her skill, but Wade’s recognition of her methods’ success.

His decision to purchase Angel’s Wings on her recommendation is not merely a romantic gesture—it is a profound affirmation of her professional worth.  In a world where Ivy was previously doubted and dismissed, especially by her emotionally negligent ex-partner, this moment signals a seismic shift.

Trust, in this context, is both personal and political—it challenges the hierarchy of expertise, gender dynamics, and the weight of past failures.  Ivy’s growing confidence mirrors this external validation.

It’s not just that Wade believes in her—it’s that she begins to believe in herself again.  The theme is further emphasized by the relationships she forms with the other ranch staff, with Mabel, and with the horses themselves.

Her success becomes proof that empathy and intuition can coexist with authority and professionalism.  Wade’s gradual relinquishing of control also speaks to this transformation—by allowing himself to trust Ivy, he reclaims a more collaborative and expansive approach to leadership.

Ultimately, this theme underscores that belief—when shared authentically—can be the most radical form of support.

Healing Through Community and Chosen Family

The sense of home and belonging that emerges in Training the Heart is not confined to the romantic arc but is rooted in the creation of a chosen family.  Ivy enters Silver Pines as a stranger and outsider, but her inclusion in the ranch’s daily rhythms, its dinners, hospital runs, family celebrations, and teasing camaraderie with Nash and CeCe, signifies the slow building of a supportive, intentional community.

Unlike her biological ties—fraught with instability, addiction, and past trauma—Silver Pines offers her an alternative vision of family, one grounded in mutual care rather than obligation.  Wade’s family, especially Mama Jo, extends warmth to Ivy without reservation, reinforcing that love can be freely given rather than earned through performance.

The emotional landscape shifts dramatically as Ivy is no longer defined by her past but by her present connections and the future she is building.  The revelation that Wade and Nash funded her mother’s rehab and the renovation of Spirit Cabin is particularly moving—it’s an act that affirms her worth through action, not pity.

The generosity is not performative; it is rooted in the belief that healing is a communal process.  As Ivy opens up, the family embraces her not just as Wade’s partner, but as a daughter, a friend, a mother, and a key contributor to their shared legacy.

The concept of chosen family here is powerful—it challenges blood ties and offers a redemptive path to connection, one where love is earned through presence, not history.

The Redefinition of Desire and Consent

Desire in Training the Heart is not merely about lust—it is consistently framed through mutual consent, vulnerability, and communication.  Ivy and Wade’s physical relationship evolves with nuance and tenderness, standing in sharp contrast to Ivy’s past with Brad, who withheld affection and used sex as control.

The novel presents sexuality as a site of healing, not trauma.  Their physical encounters are marked by clarity, affirmation, and mutual fulfillment—whether it’s a flirtatious moment in the truck or a full-blown, passionate scene in the barn or the shower.

What makes these scenes so emotionally rich is the balance between dominance and surrender, always predicated on trust and reciprocity.  Wade never assumes; he invites.

Ivy is not just a recipient of affection—she is an active participant in desire, finally able to ask for what she wants without fear or shame.  These intimate moments become transformative not because of their intensity, but because of their context.

They signify a reclamation of bodily autonomy for Ivy and emotional vulnerability for Wade.  The story normalizes conversations around desire, showing that passion and respect are not mutually exclusive.

Even after they become lovers, their intimacy remains dynamic, alive with humor, trust, and spontaneity—elements often lost in portrayals of long-term relationships.  The way they continue to prioritize each other’s pleasure and needs, even after becoming parents, challenges cultural narratives that associate domesticity with dullness.

Their relationship doesn’t flatten under the weight of time—it deepens, and that ongoing spark is anchored in mutual respect and joy.

Building Legacy Through Love and Purpose

By the epilogue of Training the Heart, the narrative shifts from immediate romantic tension to long-term impact and legacy.  Ivy and Wade’s love story matures into a multigenerational foundation, not just metaphorically, but quite literally through the transformation of Silver Pines into a place that nurtures families, dreams, and futures.

Their children, especially Billi, represent the continuity of values passed down—not only the love of horses and training but resilience, integrity, and joy.  The existence of the Angel’s Wings Foundation stands as a powerful emblem of this legacy.

Born out of a shared commitment to healing, the foundation supports others in ways Ivy once needed support herself.  Wade’s early dream of turning the ranch into a wedding venue expands into something even more purposeful—a space where others can build lives as meaningful as his own.

Ivy’s growth from a woman recovering from trauma to a matriarch and community pillar encapsulates the idea that legacies are not just built on financial success or tradition, but on the courage to love radically and to nurture others.  The final scenes at the Derby, with Ivy and Wade still passionately connected, affirm that their legacy is alive not only in institutions or bloodlines but in the daily, lived expression of love and partnership.

It’s a love that has sustained, transformed, and built something greater than either imagined.  Through intention, support, and shared vision, they’ve created a lasting foundation—one that promises to endure long after the last chapter ends.