Forrest for the Trees by Kilby Blades

Librarian Laura’s Review

Sierra Betts is a Park Ranger in the beautiful Great Smokey Mountains National Park. Being a female Park Ranger in a profession mostly of males proves difficult enough, but Sierra also has to deal with the added detail of being a Black female Park Ranger. Though she values her boss, Olivia, and works her butt off on a daily basis, there are some males in the Greenbrier Ranger Station who treat her unkindly, namely Dennis, who is unfortunately aiming to get the very same job promotion that Sierra has had her mind set on for a while. Sierra keeps the other Rangers happy with a steady supply of delicious food, and her bacon bites are the stuff of legend.

Enter one Forrest Rivers, a tall, manly, white, bearded hunk of a man, beloved by all in Green Valley, Tennessee. Forrest is a Federal Fire Marshall, and he spends a good bit of time in and out of the Greenbrier Ranger Station, much to Sierra’s discomfort. She can’t deny that he’s easy on the eyes, sauntering in with his good looks and his fire axe, but he loves to get her riled up and steal the bacon bites meant for the Park Rangers.

After a series of arson fires in Sierra’s designated patrol area of the Park, Sierra has to tamp down her annoyance of Forrest, in order to work alongside him and try to solve the case. Once they begin working together, Sierra realizes that Forrest is more than just a big, beefy, good looking man. As it turns out, Forrest is a bit of a charmer with a gentle nature Sierra finds herself enjoying more and more. After being looked over and not appreciated for all her hard work on the job, Sierra finds the respect and admiration from Forrest to be a breath of fresh air in the Tennessee heat.

Forrest for the Trees is a small town, enemies-to-lovers romance that you won’t want to miss. The chemistry between Forrest and Sierra is sizzling and well-written. Green Valley fans will delight in cameos from both Sheriff Jeffrey and Deputy Jackson James, as well in scenes set in the Donner Bakery and the infamous Green Valley Public Library. This story brought me back fond memories of my undying love for the Park Ranger series by Daisy Prescott (Happy Trail and Stranger Ranger).

Thank you to Smartypants Romance for providing me with an early review copy of this book.

About the Book

Forrest for the Trees, an all new slow burn small town romance from Kilby Blades, is coming September 30th to Kindle Unlimited! Kilby kicks off the brand new Green Valley Heroes series in the Smartypants Romance Universe with her enemies to lovers standalone!

Forrest Winters isn’t just a federal fire marshal; he’s a thorn in Ranger Sierra Betts’s side. The way he swings his big axe, fixes her with his chameleon gray eyes, and talks about his jurisdiction has a way of breaking her concentration. He has a way of showing up everywhere he doesn’t belong, including Greenbrier Ranger Station. And he really needs to quit stealing her bacon bites.

When a series of suspicious fires, an underhanded co-worker, and a cagey Parks Police Chief threaten her job and the park itself, Sierra grudgingly agrees to partner with Forrest. Their side investigation may be her best shot at preventing the framing of an innocent man. But can his firefighting expertise and her detective skills lead them to the real arsonist before Forrest breaks her with his charm?

‘Forrest for the Trees’ is a full-length contemporary romance, can be read as a standalone and is book #1 in the Green Valley Heroes series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe.