A really great book overall. The setting was just right for this fun quirky funny romance, the main characters had such great chemistry and the story focused on a small community and everything that is nature. I really liked the mystery part of this story it was fun to read, but the romance between the main characters was what I liked the most and the secondary characters were such fun to get to know, even the not so great ones. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and family and I look forward to what's next from this author.

Aww, this was such a cute story! It really gave me the butterflies, and I kept smiling through the story. I loved the chemistry between the two characters!

I spotted a new book by Jo Hemmingwood and had to pick it up since I enjoyed the author’s debut, Broken Fences, so much.

Max Ward is a forest ranger in Georgia. She loves her life, a cabin overlooking the woods, good friends who are more like family, and a job working and caring for the outdoors. Skylar Austen is a social worker newly based with the local police. They’ve got history but not the romantic kind. Max was the awkward nerd in High School while Skylar was the beautiful, softball player who ran with the popular kids. True to who she was back then, Skyler doesn’t even remember Max but, oh, is she interested now.

What I like best about this book are the surprise choices. Although tropes are tropes, it’s fun when a story takes an unexpected left turn. Both characters are likable and the people in the community are from all walks of life which adds more personality to the story. For people who want their romances steamy, this book checks off that box as well. There is also a small mystery in the story which had me hooked. Overall, I would recommend this book to romance fans who like low angst, some heat, Georgia country setting, and sexy park rangers. Bonus of a cute skunk.

I enjoyed this story of a Park Ranger and a Social Worker, of emotional baggage, and intrigue. There’s a romance undercut with a mystery and I felt it was plotted very well. The ending was full of drama and angst and our hero emerged changed by the experience.

Max is a park warden and part time bar maid who remembers Skylar from school. Sky was one of the cool kids and Max definitely wasn’t. Max has grown up - and grown beautiful - but she struggles to forgive Sky for how she was in school. It takes a few misunderstandings and some friendly intervention before they can have the honest chat they need.

Meanwhile there’s an annoying man with an apparent grudge against a community living on their own land, adjoining his, who live off the grid. They are peaceful and Max respects and loves them. So why does the neighbour have such an issues with them? And does social services really need to get involved?

Overall a nicely written, enjoyable read and I’ll look out for others by Ms Hemmingwood.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley

Park ranger Maxine Ward has a duty to protect the colony of people who live on the Georgia state park in-holding. They call themselves Tree City and treat Max as one of their own. The conservation work they do is important, and Max is more than happy to run interference between Tree City and the city of Blue Falls, Georgia.

Her commitment to protect Tree City is put to the test when social worker Skylar Austen takes a special interest in the commune. Her style of care isn’t exactly endearing herself to the community. Skylar, like Max, is a Blue Falls local and her reputation precedes her. Just not in the way she would like. Max remembers Skylar’s famed exploits from high school and is reluctant to have her anywhere near Tree City. It may have a little something to do with Max’s unresolved feelings for Skylar, but she’s never going to admit it.

Super quick, read! This was light and heartwarming for me. I enjoyed Maxine's character and the chemistry between her and Skyler. The nature setting was perfect. I really enjoyed this and really look forward to more by this author!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

Promises to Protect is the first book I’ve read by Jo Hemmingwood and while there were things I liked about it, overall I felt it lacked emotional depth and the last half of the book was a struggle to get through.

The story starts off strong, with an entertaining run in between park ranger Max and sorta-player Skyler that exacerbates Max’s general dislike of her, or at least who Skyler was in high school. A lot of the pieces were there for a really poignant enemy to lovers romance but it just felt watered down, like the author was just going through the motions of the trope without really fleshing out the characters and their motivations. Because of this it was hard for me to like the two mc’s, especially Skyler, and the chemistry and romantic tension were lacking throughout.

I can’t really recommend this book since it wasn’t my cup of tea but I would give the author another try, as I felt the writing was technically good and showed potential.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC, all opinions expressed are my own.

A great read overall. The setting was good, the main characters had great chemistry and the story is focused on a small community and nature. I loved the mystery of Xenos.

Thank you, Bold Strokes Books, and NetGalley.

small town, nature, community
I loved the setting of this book - the State Park and its magnificent nature, the community of Tree City, the small town vibe. The story is about good people, the community rallying to help and defend its values.
The main characters, ranger Max and social worker Skylar, are both: driven to serve their communities and at the same time relaxed and approachable. There is chemistry, common goals and an unfolding f/f romance. I loved how Skylar discovers the joys of the great outdoors together with Max.
There is an element of danger and protection. Overall it is a lovely book concentrating on community and nature with great main and secondary characters.

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via netgalley. The review is left voluntarily.

"Promises to Protect" by Jo Hemmingwood is a heartfelt romance wrought with misunderstandings, mysteries, and lessons in accepting people as they are. Hemmingwood did an excellent job showing just how much people can change after high school, especially when they desire to. The side characters were really well developed & I especially loved the found family environment of Tree City. Max & Skylar are an adorable couple that I loved to root for.

The only thing keeping me from giving this a full 5 stars is I was slightly disappointed that it all wrapped up so quickly in the final chapter. I loved how the mystery of Mr. Xenos developed throughout the book, but I wanted just a little more fleshing out. So much of the drama/mystery in the story revolved around him, but it was all over in less than a chapter.

Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC.

I enjoyed this quick read, found myself interested more by the mystery of what was going on than the love story. Enjoyed the outdoor focus.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

Max loves nature that she became a park ranger where she protect the state park and even the off grid families of the Tree community. She feels more at home with them when they start getting harassed she takes its personally. Skylar is social worker who a bit of womanizer who works closely to the police when she runs the into Max she can’t believe same girl from school who was shy and awkward but Skylar can see there more to Max then a causal hook up and for once she wants to see where it’s goes. Max doesn’t want anything to do with Skylar because of her former best friend Nikki but when Max needs her help to find a missing teen and learn something else maybe going on they become close and Max starts to realize she may have misjudged Skylar who isn’t that sane girl in high school. Enjoyable read.

The popular girl from high school returns to town, more enticing than ever. Will she notice the shy girl this time?

I received an advance copy from Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Park ranger Max Ward lives for nature. She does everything to protect the state park and its inhabitants. That includes the off grid community Tree City, a group of people that decided to leave society as it is and live in a way that is comfortable to them. Through the years Max found her family with them. Tree City is built in an inholding within the park. The neighbor from the adjacent inholding is making life hard for Sam Nixon and his family, filing complaint after complaint. When social services shows up to investigate their way of living, Max is compelled to keep them out of harms way. The new social worker Skylar Austen she can’t keep away from though. The former high school popular girl has grown into a gorgeous, intriguing woman. Sparks are flying, but can Max see beyond times past and let this new version of Skylar in?

Skylar returns to her home town a different woman. She accepted a position as a social worker to work closely with the local police force. When she crosses paths with the beautiful but reserved Park Ranger Max Ward, she can’t believe this is the same girl as the awkward, shy teen from high school. Skylar wants to get to know this new Max, but can she see something beyond a casual hook up? Skylar knows deep down, Max might be more than that. Max introduces her to the lovely people of Tree City who immediately welcome her with open arms. When a formal case is opened against Sam Nixon and his community, Skylar works closely with Max to uncover the truth. Something just doesn’t line up.

Give me a book set in nature and I’m happy. Add a striking park ranger to the mix and you’ve got me engaged. I liked Max immediately. She is one of a kind, honest, hard working and protective of everything she holds dear. I love her relationship with the community of Tree City and her determination to protect them at all costs. Max is weary of Skylar when she first meets her again under less than favorable circumstances. The more she gets to know the grown up version of Skylar, the more difficult it gets to keep her distance. I thought the way Max holds her previous assumptions about Skylar to the light, shows how much she is willing to adjust her own way of thinking.

Skylar shows up in the story in a way that reminds you of a girl that just lives life unconcerned about the consequences of her actions. It’s easy to see Max might be weary to get involved with her. Skylar keeps showing up though. Through her actions she shows Max exactly who she is now, a woman that is determined to fight for people that don’t have the best opportunities and are living in the shadows of society. A character trait that is so very alluring. Skylar can’t deny her attraction to Max and soon realizes that Max might be the woman she could build a life with. Now she just has to show her that she can be the same for Max. I think the way she does that is very believable. She doesn’t hide her past, but lets Max see the other side of their history. It’s so easy to root for her to succeed!

Tree City is a vital part of the story. We get glimpses into a way of living life that might be foreign to most of us. I found it very intriguing! The inhabitants of the community are the epitome of welcoming and the parties are legendary. I would love to get an invite and dance the night away in the middle of the woods, drinking home brewed mead.

I would have loved to see more of Skylar and Max in their new life together. There is an epilogue but it’s set not too long after the original story and just hints at what their life would look like. I realize I just really like this couple, of course I want more. That’s surely a compliment to the writing!

This was a nice story with some vibes of second chances. This book brings the topic of a marginalized community and I like when authors open my mind a little. I am starting to have a thing for women in uniform so I was definitely all in for a park ranger
The complains directed toward the people of Tree City brought some suspence to the story. This plot took as much place as the romance in the story. The romance was nice to read : Max and Skylar and both likable characters, but I admit I miss that little something else that will make them special to my heart. I wish that we know more about their past and dreams, to give them more layers : these little details that make readers feel like they know the characters and feel their chemistry. I also wished the « second chance » side of the character was more developped.
Overall, it was a sweet and well balanced book, it was easy to read and I had a good time reading it. It might just not be the kind of book that will linger in my heart.

Easy flowing romance between State Park ranger Maxine Ward and social worker Skylar Austen. When the pair first meet Skylar doesn’t recognize Max even though they attended the same school. Skylar was social and popular where Max was bookish and more introverted. Both become involved with a community that lives on the land adjacent to the State park. Max has helped the live on the land community and Skylar who is in a program where she rides along with police, is called out to investigate when complaints are made. There is a bit of a mystery that is not hard to solve, that also draws the pair together.

I liked the characters and the easy, natural flow of the romance. At just over 200 pages the story feels a little light. Max, in addition to her job as a ranger, also works part time as a bartender at a microbrewery. The second job seemed like filler and not necessary other than to stretch out the story. But otherwise I liked the characters and the mystery they help solve. (3.5 Stars)

Grabbed from the start, all the way through! The characters and the setting were well drawn. The mystery and romance kept me equally enthralled.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

this is the second book by this author i have read and it wont be my last..... i love how the outdoors seem to be a theme for this author and makes you want to live that life

max ward is a park ranger and she is good at her job so when she get back from her second job and hears a noise down in the woods by her home she puts her ranger uniform on and goes to investigate and its there that she meet up with Skylar Austen who is a bit busy....

sylar is a social worker and though she doesnt recognise max right away but makes it her mission to find out who the park ranger is...

have to say this is a very quick read but enjoyable cant wait to see what comes next from this author

This one was very enjoyable. I had mixed feelings at first with the way that Skylar and Max met, I thought that maybe there was going to be a lot of drama there or maybe a love triangle, but was pleasantly surprised. It was a sweet romance with two people working together and getting over some preconceived notions. I also really enjoyed reading about the mystery of what was going on with the Tree City investigation. Although the ending was a bit predictable, that's not always a bad thing. It wrapped up nicely and made for an easy weekend read. Overall, 4.2/5 stars.

Enjoyed this immensely. Former school acquaintances meet again. Max realises Skylar is not like the unthinking teenager she used to be. They both become involved with complaints made against Tree City commune. They investigate the mystery arising from this.

Another good book by Hemmingwood. This was written well with great MC's and a wonderful setting, but I may be biased as my wife is from Georgia.

Max Ward is a park ranger and works at a brewery as well. She loves her jobs and especially Tree City where a group who've become her friends live basically off the grid, but it ends up being threatened by a guy who owns the land next to them. Max will do everything in her power to protect them even if it means teaming up with Skyler.

Skyler Austen is a social worker who just moved back to town to help start a program that has her and one other person working with the police department. She meets Max when she's caught with a woman at the falls that's off-limits. Turns out, they went to school together, but Skyler was popular and Max wasn't.

They get off to a rocky start, but the chemistry was written well and their relationship progressed pretty well. It was a slow burn with low angst. I also adored Shy guy.

I would recommend this book. I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Well developed and lovable characters. This was a fast and easy read that left me feeling happy and satisfied.