This was a new to me author. I excluded her writing style and they eat she balanced the romance with the difficulties of real life and the magic of a HEA. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

What Happens in Idaho by Bonnie Jo Pierson? Lowkey a vibe. The writing is sharp, witty, and packed with all the small-town charm that keeps you hooked. The characters are so real, and their struggles feel relatable on a whole new level. It’s giving that perfect mix of humor and heartfelt moments that make you smile, cry, and laugh out loud.

The pacing was a bit slow in some spots, but overall, the story had me engaged. If you’re into books that explore family dynamics, personal growth, and small-town drama, this one’s for you.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I struggled with this book and some of the trope (a potato field, are we serious)? It's a cute novel, but I didn't connect well with the characters. I think that starting off Liliana's story that she's recovering from the death of not only her husband but her daughter too makes it harder to understand many of her choices when it comes to the story, and it's harder to sell the love story in some ways.

Still a good book, but not one I'd reread.

This was such a fun romcom to read, fitting in my favorite tropes and really delivering on the “com” part of the rom. I laughed out loud in a couple of places. I can’t wait to read Bonnie’s next book!

My best friend was born and raised in Idaho, so the title is the first thing that drew me to this book. But I'm also a fan of small towns (since I live in one) and romances (since who couldn't use a bit more romance in their life?). So it seemed like a perfect fit for me.

"What Happens in Idaho" didn't paint enough of a picture of the small town to feel very rooted there, or of Idaho if you'd never been there before. But it did have relatable characters trying to make the best of the difficult things they'd been through in the past.

Lili had lost both her husband and two-year-old in a tragic accident. And Blake was raising his autistic daughter on his own after his ex-wife abandoned them both, taking all their money with her.

As Lili tries to come to terms with her grief and to process the complicated relationship she has with her mother, Renee, it seems like she and Blake keep getting thrown together. The problem is, she's not ready to move on and he has a secret that could pull them apart forever.

While grief is a major theme in this book, it is handled realistically and is not overwhelming (since the loss was many years earlier). For the most part, its role in the story is to highlight how hard it can be to risk being hurt by loss again. And how even seemingly little things can become extremely meaningful when they're connected to someone you've lost.

Thank you to Bonnie Jo Pierson, Rising Action Publishing and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I enjoyed this one. Maybe it's my Idaho blood but it was a good, heartwarming, romance that anyone can enjoy.

An emotional read. Lili is on her way back to her home town to see her mother for the first time in many years when an accident means she is recued by Blake. With her car out of action she is forced to stay in town, which holds bad memories for her since she lost her husband and daughter. She starts spending time with Blake and his daughter, but he is keeping a secret that could change everything, I liked how it was told from both points of view.

Growing up my dad always used to say Idaho had the best sunsets. And they do have some pretty spectacular ones. You know what else they have that’s awesome? AUTHORS! And also, stories set in IDA-HOME!

I could relate to so much of this story because I’m from Idaho. But even if you aren’t, I think you’ll find it very enjoyable. I loved the small town setting, the farms and fields, and the quirky characters! We generally don’t have too many cows running loose though (unless you’re out in the hills where the cows go for the summer).

I liked how Lili ended up back in Idaho and how she started to see things a little differently than before. I also loved Blake!! Single dads who are doing their best and trying to juggle all the things just have the power to melt my heart. Lili is trying to overcome so much and Blake is so so good for (and to) her.

One last thought, I KNEW what was coming toward the end, but it still took my breath away…

If you’re looking for a read that has some depth, real struggles, and the BEST setting, pick up this one for your next read. You’ll be glad you did.

Content:
Makeouts
Some innuendo
Language (but no deity swears or f words)

Cute story about loss and learning to love again. I liked the characters and their relationships to each other, particularly the conflict between Lili and her mother. There was just a lot going on, probably more than needed, and it bogged the story down. This may be why I never really connected with any of the characters – too much drama, not enough development. An enjoyable read.

Dnf @ 20%

There's so much potential with this book, but the pacing is really bugging me. The conversations are stilted and the writing is a bit choppy.

I don't like when novels hint at trauma over and over again. The suspense-building to Renee's parenting, what happened to Lili's husband and child, and Blake's involvement in the accident being mentioned multiple times in every chapter was really distracting. It didn't help me build a connection with the characters and it certainly made any attraction or tension built turn awkward or stilted. Forced. I'm never going to believe someone falls for someone else quickly when it's just awkward for everyone in the lead up to that moment.

Thank you to the published for the earc. There were things I really liked about this story, including:
- the setting in small town Idaho
- the meet-cute
- Maddie as a autistic child
- Single dad
- Found family

This story follows a young surgeon who comes back to her small town and meets a single dad and his daughter. I was really excited to read this book as I’m a huge fan of small town romances with single parent trope. Also it just gave me Virgin River vibes. I have to say that the storyline was pretty decent but there wasn’t much memorabe about it. This book felt very similar to so many others, which usually I don’t mind but the writing style was okay for me. It’s not a bad book at any means but I just didn’t feel the connection with it. This book is told from both Liliana and Blake’s pov.

Liliana is back to her small town and is experiencing the traumas of her past. I enjoyed her character but didn’t really feel connected with her. Then we have Blake who has a little daughter and is a sweatheart but we don’t much about him. He was still an amazing person and I liked him overall. There are many side characters in this book and I loved learning how Lili’s mom changed throughout the years. The romance is friends to lovers and forced proximity with minor romantic scenes.

The ending was well done and overall not a bad book. Not the best but not bad. It’s still a cute read but I have read a lot of better small town romance books. I still recommend checking it out as this book deals with trauma and the author does well developing the characters.

*this e-arc was sent to me by the publihser to give an honest review in return*

Thank you to the author, Rising Action Publishing Co. and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My apologies for the delay in posting this review, I read this a while ago, but am well behind with my reviews and trying to catch up!

This rom-com has its funny moments, but there are also a lot of extremely heavy themes packaged in with it - heed the trigger warnings! The interactions between the two main characters are believable and their characters are well-drawn, but the small-town aw shucks charm was ladled on a bit too freely for me. In addition, the weight of the traumatic themes kind of overtook everything else much of the time, and the neatly packaged ending was a bit too good to be true.

I’m so thankful to NetGalley for the chance to read this early! Bonnie Jo Pierson wrote a wonderful debut, blending humor and heartfelt moments. Trauma surgeon Liliana, still grieving her family's loss, returns home after eight years and gets into an accident. She's helped by Blake, a single-dad mechanic. As she waits for her car to be fixed, she grows close to Blake and his daughter, but a secret might threaten their relationship

The book is set in a charming small town, and it is a feel-good read with relatable characters. While some plot elements are predictable, it's an enjoyable ride from start to finish. I’m giving it 3.5 stars for its engaging story and sweet moments.

Tropes:

Small-town romance
Single parent
Second chance
Emotional healing
Secrets

Lillian's return to her hometown after years of heartache sets the stage for a captivating tale. Enter Blake, the irresistible hotshot with a dirty mind and a past that haunts him. But there's more to Blake than meets the eye—he's a devoted single dad to Maddie, a special needs child who steals every scene with her wit and charm. As Lili and Blake navigate their complicated feelings, grief and guilt swirl around them, threatening to pull them under. I gasped, I laughed, and I prayed for their second chance at love. This book delivers a closed-door romance that tugs at your heartstrings, exploring forgiveness, redemption, and the messy beauty of life. And let's talk about Blake—the way he loves Maddie unconditionally? Cue the tears🥹. Even though it took me a while to finish, that epilogue? Mind-blowing!

Don't let the cute cover of this book fool you into thinking this is going to be a simple, happy romance... while it does certainly end in a happily ever after and has some great moments that made me smile throughout... there were also some really heartbreaking moments too. It was seeing these characters overcome the guilt and heartbreak that really gave their love story so much depth and made me really root for everything to work out for them. Blake and Lili had great chemistry that I absolutely adored, but while I don't want to give too much away, they also had a lot of obstacles standing in their way. It was a sweet romance and I enjoyed seeing them work through everything in the end.

Grief is a huge part of this story, with Lili having lost both her young daughter and her husband. There are also mentions of other tougher topics such as emotional abuse/childhood trauma, alcoholism, abandonment, etc. which could be triggering for some readers.

What Happens in Idaho is a closed-door romance with kisses only on the pages, though it does have a bit of innuendo and a subtle fade to black scene (married couple). There is a good amount of language throughout the story as well.

**Complimentary copy received via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

There were some sweet moments between the two MCs but for me, the multiple tragedies overshadowed the romance. There was just too much going on with her relationship with her mom, her grief & tragic loss, and the situation that happens later in the book.

What Happens in Idaho tugs on all the heartstrings and will make you fall in love with the characters, leaving you with a serious book hangover.

This is such a fantastic romance with so many layers, real life experiences, grief, and hope. This is a must read!

Thank you NetGalley and Rising Action for this advanced readers copy.

Thank you to @risingactionpublishingco and @Netgalley for the ARC of What Happens in Idaho by Bonnie Jo Pierson. This is my honest opinion. I read this as an ebook and realized that I am so used to audiobooks and how the narrator’s voice sets the tone. When I started this book I wondered what is this book? Serious? A romance? A rom-com? I couldn’t sense what was ahead. And does the title make you think it's going to be "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" style fun, yet in Idaho? FYI It was not a rom-com.

Liliana and Blake have a fun (well, to me as an onlooker and not a participant) meet-cute, but look further and this book is DEEP. Our characters have PASTS. They have PRESENTS. Heartbreak is in all of it. We hope they have easy and happy futures. This is not a shiny happy people holding hands type of a book. (Throwback to the band REM.) There was a lot of trauma- check trigger warnings if you prefer to be warned! I would also stay away from reading reviews because I read a pretty huge spoiler!

I never totally vibed with the main characters or them as a couple but it was a promising debut. I can see people who like a more meaningful, heart-wrenching romance liking this book. It isn’t light! I will be curious who the narrator will be for this read and what their voice, tone and affect will be.

Great line: “Crying hangovers are very much comparable to real ones, except without the fun of the night before” Please note that this quote may be subject to change or removal in the final version, although I hope it stays!

This book publishes July 16, 2024.

4/5 stars
Door: fade to black
Location: Southern Idaho

I struggled to like the characters in this book. The story was too predictable and lacking in substance.