Extreme Romancing in Idaho

by Bonnie Jo Pierson

A heartfelt romance set in rural Idaho, perfect for fans of Robyn Carr and Jojo Moyes, exploring love’s triumph over material desires.

Angie Johnson wants nothing more than to keep her parents' struggling Idaho farm running, maintain her career as a NICU nurse, and find a man to marry before her father passes away from cancer. Unfortunately, even if she had time to meet someone, the online dating world is full of dead ends. That is, until she meets Daniel Smoot, a man ready to settle down on her timeline. Unfortunately, in order to reel him in, Angie may have told him a little white lie: that she, who is afraid of heights, is very into extreme sports.

Remington James the Third has his own set of problems, and finding a woman is not one. He's in town to convince Angie's parents to sell their land to his family's development company. In order to get on their good side, he takes a job at the farm and volunteers to help Angie snag Smoot by training her in extreme sports and the intricate art of seduction. What he doesn't plan on is falling for the woman whose life he's been ordered to uproot.

A wholesome romance about choosing love over your bank account, Extreme Romancing in Idaho will steal your heart.

Genres: Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Clean Romance

368 pages, Paperback

Published January 21, 2025

Reviews

[mackenzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

if this would've been a little less instalove and didn't have an annoying third act break up, this could've been a much higher rating!!

i really liked both characters - angie, a nurse dealing with the shitty part of reality, and remi, "bad boy billionaire." they felt unrealistic at times and did have their moments where i was kinda like, please shut up??? but overall they were easy to root for and i really loved seeing them grow throughout the story.

the romance was ... there. it wasn't bad by any means but i was left wanting more from them. their dynamic was fun but tense and again, i found them easy to root for, but it was just missing something for me idk. not much spice so if that's not your thing then no worries.

so not bad but not great either, i did read it in less than two days though so that says something about it i think. i'm also just desperately trying to escape reality rn so maybe that had something to do with how fast i read it but anywhooooo ... i did enjoy this! i found out after the fact that it's the second book in a series but i didn't feel like i was missing anything in this so it's def more of an interconnected standalone situation.

thank you to netgalley & rising action publishing for the arc! all opinions are my own <3

[Constance · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately for me, this book fell a little too flat. I will admit I took a wide step out of my comfort zone, so perhaps I wasn’t quite the target audience, but I rarely see Idaho written in any books and got quite excited to see the state I grew up in represented.

The descriptions of Idaho, especially small town Idaho, are quite accurate, as it is a very beautiful state. However, the insta love and the third act breakup were not something I really cared for. Does it really count as a breakup if they weren’t actually together?

I found Angie’s character annoyed me throughout the entire book. Remi’s chapters were easier to read, although he was a lovesick puppy for most of them, but Angie was a brat. She assumed Remi was a playboy from the beginning, didn’t think to ask her dying father if he actually wanted her to keep the farm after all, and dragged Remi into helping her catfish someone so she could get married before her father died.

I will say that Bonnie Jo Pierson does know how to write some funny scenes, however, and there were some moments that made me laugh!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my arc in exchange for my honest review, and to those reading this: just because it wasn’t my cup of tea doesn’t mean it won’t be yours!

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I live in Idaho and when I saw this book at the bookstore I knew I had to read it. The author is new to me, but I really enjoyed this book. And having a town I live in, plus towns I have been to mentioned, was fun. I will definitely read more of her books.

[Kayla Diesslin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A special thank you to Bonnie Jo Pierson for joining our book club and letting us pick your brain on “Extreme Romancing in Idaho”. We had so much fun!

What a special book! Bonnie, you are a delight. Thank you for writing a genuinely funny rom com. I enjoyed reading this book so much. Remy and Angie are the cutest characters, and it was so fun to see their journey. One of my favorite tropes is when ‘he falls first’. This book had that and it did not disappoint!

“Extreme Romancing in Idaho” is a funny, heartwarming rom com that takes place in a small town of Idaho. The story follows Angie, a NICU nurse who’s determined to keep her family’s struggling farm running while also navigating her dad’s illness and her desire to get married. What does she do? She joins an extreme dating site and starts dating a man who’s into extreme sports and activities. The problem is…Angie doesn’t do extreme sports and activities. Along the way, an unexpected twist comes when she meets Remy and he flips her world upside down. Remy shows Angie how to overcome her fears and feelings start to develop. There’s just one problem though…he works for his father’s company whose intentions is to buy Angie’s family’s farm. She has no idea.🙈

If you love a good rom com that will actually make you laugh, then this book is absolutely for you. If you love character growth and development, this is a must read for you!

[Kelsey Kraft · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a closed door/enemies to lovers novel, this book was lacking a lot of witty banter for me. I loved Angie’s character as a NICU nurse and her families story, but as a fan of billionaire MMC’s, Remi fell short. Overall 2.5 ⭐️ even with the third act breakup, the ending is really cute!

Thanks Netgalley and publishers for the ARC.

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book, especially as the match-up of an adrenaline junkie/NICU nurse wasn't one I had read before however I ended up really struggling.

I found the FMC incredibly unlikeable - she is extremely judgmental, often condescending, and childish in her behavior, particularly with the MMC. Most of her issues and problems are her creating and she seems incapable of communicating with people properly., constantly acting on assumptions and delusions her own mind has created. I was also confused by the multiple references to her weight, implying she wasn't thin, but then I mentioned at the start that she had lost weight. There seemed to be inconsistency here. It was almost like the author changed her description of the FMC 1/3 the way through the book. The FMC's development is lacking a lot, with her not really developing personally at all.

I found the MMC interesting in the fact it says he's from a wealth elite family in Dallas and works for the family business but then the author seems to go out of the way to make him sound completely Podunk. I have a lot of trouble believing someone who grew up in extreme wealth and the elite of Dallas would be so full of rural country sayings, and niche ones at that. Also given his job he is clearly smart and capable but made to seem like a complete buffoon with him unable to do the most basic farm tasks - like feed chickens, or shut a gate. This just doesn't seem to be believable at all.

The story itself is fine but the inconsistencies in characters and world building just made the story really difficult to get into and there are some discrepancies in the plot that make the story challenging and the plot development was lacking.. The pacing of the book does seem to be slightly off even for a slow burn. Yes, he clearly likes her romantically but for 90% the book there is absolutely no chemistry between the FMC and MMC in it.

This is a very cleanly written closed door romance - with no spice.

I appreciate being able to read this as an ARC.

[Kass Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extreme Romancing in Idaho by Bonnie Jo Pierson is a delightful, heartwarming read that perfectly captures the realities of small town life and the complexities of love! I always love reading books that take place in Idaho and love how the setting came to life in the book! Plus having visited a few of the locations mentioned, and having spent quite a bit of time in different farming situations, I could easily picture everything Bonnie described, from the breathtaking landscapes to the realities of farm life (the rock picking especially;)!
The story centers on Angie, a NICU nurse juggling work, a terminally ill father, a crumbling farm, the dating world, and the pressure being everything for everyone. I also lost my dad to cancer when I was in my early 20’s, so Angie's emotional journey really hit home for me, especially as she navigates the pain of watching her father slip away. The details were raw and personal, and while it was tough at times, I felt deeply connected to her experience.
But on to happier topics…! The romance between Angie and Remi is a fun, enemies to lovers conflict that kept me hooked, and I couldn't get enough of their playful banter and competitive spirit! If you love stories with lots of outdoorsy vibes, chemistry, and real life experiences, this one is a must read!
Huge thank you to @netgalley and Rising Action for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book!

[Becky of Becky's Bookshelves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extreme Romancing in Idaho by Bonnie Jo Pierson is book number two in the Clear Springs Romance series was a great romantic comedy. Angie Johnson is a NICU nurse who has grown up on a farm in Idaho. She is trying desperately to work her job, marry a man before her father passes, and keep up with their farm. She starts trying to date Daniel Smoot a man who is ready to settle down and is into extreme sports. The only problem is she is not into extreme sports, she needs help to understand them, and she is afraid of heights. Remington James the third has been given the task to buy Angie’s farm, but can he help her on the farm, help her understand extreme sports, and make her like him?

This was a delightful closed-door romance. Angie was trying so hard to keep it all going in her life, and I enjoyed watching her grow, change, and develop as a character. I appreciated the banter, chemistry, and romance in the story. There were so many funny scenes and small-town joy. I valued the deeper themes of family, doing what you love, and self-sacrifice. This was a beautiful inspiring story.

I highly recommend Extreme Romancing in Idaho by Bonnie Jo Pierson. The banter, chemistry, humor and deeper themes will bring you joy. I look forward to more books in this series.

I was given a complimentary copy and not required to write a positive review.

[Catarina Domingos · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book so much. This is a small town, insta attraction, enemies to lovers, slow burn, he falls first, reformed playboy.

I was laughing so much – the comedic scenes were so good and well written.

The tension..oh god, the tension. The attraction. Their connection is magnetic, sexy, explosive.

I was not a fan of the lying part of the story, but then seeing it through Angi's eyes, and her parent's eyes made all the difference and made me appreciate the story even more.

The involvement of her parents is so cute and adorable, because we can see not only Angie falling in love with Remi but also her parents.

The development of their relationship and all the events that happen are very well done and the author manages to tie all loose ends and in the end everything makes sense, this is something that I really appreciate in a book.

This is a book that will make you think and reflect on the passing of time in your life and what do you want to do with it, it's a statement to conquer your fears but at the same time not losing yourself in the process.

Quotes:
"What I will promise is you'll want me to kiss you when i do it again"
" I was a black and white photo, and he injected color back into my life"

I've read this book through netgalley

[Amanda Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extreme Romancing in Idaho is a closed-door, laugh-out-loud, enemies-lovers romance with an engaging, competitive twist.

Angie's overwhelmed. Between working at the hospital as a NICU nurse, running her parents' farm, and dealing with her father's terminal cancer, she's lost. More than anything, she wants to preserve her childhood home and have her dad around long enough to see her get married.

Remi is a land developer eager to acquire Angie's family's land. But when he convinces her parents to hire him as a farmhand, Remi doesn't expect the chemistry he feels with their daughter, nor the hard work he wasn't prepared for.

As Angie searches for a marriable man, she finds Daniel, an extreme sports enthusiast who's looking to settle down. Only one problem, Angie is scared of heights.

Remi, on the other hand, is an experienced BASE jumper, skydiver, and all things adrenaline rush-related.

When Angie asks Remi for extreme sports lessons, Remi is more than happy to comply. But their rivalry compels them to one-up each other and push each other out of their comfort zones.

Watching the sparks fly between these two characters is delightful and kept me turning the pages! It's a romance with all the feels. I highly recommend it!

[Sharlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was just ok. I loved the FMC. She worked so hard and was such a boss! Her work ethic was inspiring. I loved the relationship she had with her father. And all her parents did for each other.

I really did not care for the MMC. The character inconsistencies drove me a little crazy. I just didn't understand how someone who could handle extreme sports, specifically dirt biking on a maintain trail could not drive a tractor. And he constantly sinks the four wheeler ... It's almost cringy how bad he is. As a farmer’s wife, I just can't see a single benefit in keeping him around at all. I just really struggled with him.
I low key hated him in the beginning. And yes I grew to like him in the end but it kind of spoiled the first half of the book for me.

I think I have just outgrown my bad boy billionaire era. If you like a true enemies to lovers/bad boy trope then this one is for you.

Read if you like:
-Contemporary romance
-Enemies to lovers
-Bad boy billionaire
-Very original plot
-Woman farmer
-Small town life
-Agreements made
-Multiple POV

Plot: 3 stars
Character Development: 4 stars
Romance: 4.5 stars
Writing Style: 4 stars
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Spoiler alerts:
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Trigger warnings: Cancer. Familial strife. Financial struggles. Swearing. Mild descriptions and steam, just kissing, closed door romance

[Lisa-Marie Potter · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Angie waits at the airport to pick up her parents, she is surprised to see them show up with a tall, dark and very handsome stranger, by the name of Remi.
But this is no coincidental meeting, what Angie and her parents don’t know is that Remi is the land developer that wants to purchase the family farm that Angie so desperately wants to save.
While Angie’s mom would love nothing more than for the two of them to date, Angie’s not so sure. Her life is already chaotic enough, working full-time at the hospital as a NICU nurse, caring for her terminally ill father, and running the farm that is dangerously close to going under.
Besides, their lives are worlds apart. While Angie is a hardworking, small-town sweetheart, Remi is a rich adrenaline junkie and extreme sports enthusiast that needs to show his father that he can take care of business.
This enemies to lovers is a slow burn, with lots of playful banter, a great storyline, and characters you wish you knew in real life.

[Cheyanne Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book early.

Angie Johnson is a nurse struggling to stay afloat. Her father is dying from cancer, and she is trying to save their family farm from being bought and turned into a housing development. Her one goal is to get married before her father dies so he can be there to walk her down the aisle. In a twist of fate, Angie meets Remi at the airport while picking up her parents, and learns he is there to BASE jump and explore the terrain in Idaho. Remi is actually in Idaho to purchase Angie's family farm, but along the way they fall in love.

Extreme Romancing in Idaho was an adorable, fast-paced read. Right off the bat, the plot is laid out and even though Angie and Remi butt heads in the beginning, their romance is something to be admired.

[Lindsay Maple · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bonnie Jo does it again! From her previous novel I knew to expect a sweet romance with lots of laughs and some tears, so I wasn't surprised when I found the same with Extreme Romancing in Idaho.

I think my favourite part of this book was learning about the lifestyle of farmers in the midwest. I've always had a lot of respect for farmers, but reading about all that work on the page really drove it home. And seeing a city boy try to do the farm work and getting shown up by a woman really was fantastic!

I had no idea if these two were going to end up together— I mean, it's a romance novel, I'd assume so— but Bonnie did a great job suspending the romance and drawing the two together as enemies, then layering the plot so that I really didn't think it was going to happen. BUT of course it did, and it was so rewarding to read!

More, Bonnie, More!!!

[Annie K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bad boy billionaire meets small town sweetheart in this adventurous romance. Angie is 35, a NICU nurse and dealing with a dying parent when Remi comes to town. He’s tall, dark, handsome and trouble. Angie knows it’s in her best interest to stay away but she can’t help but be swept up in the adventure.

This one was a little unrealistic for me. I liked Angie but Remi’s character was just trying way too much hard to seem down to earth for a billionaire. I think I’m just not a billionaire romance kind of gal. I did like the idea of the book and the adventure aspects.

Dual POV
Bad Boy meets small town sweetheart
Adventure
Billionaire Romance

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[callistoscalling · Rating 4 out of 5]

📖 Book Review 📖 We’ve all probably told a little white lie when in those early stages of dating. Abby’s feeling overwhelmed by her father’s terminal illness and the pressure to speed up her timeline while he is still alive so her white lie is a little more extreme…extreme sports with a fear of heights to be exact. With the help of Remi, a wealthy entrepreneur hoping to buy her family’s farm, she is quite believable. Woven throughout this allowable rom com is a story of the depths of love and devotion to family and the hopes and ideals we carry from our family of origin. Extreme Romancing in Idaho is a wonderfully moving story full of fun and adventure!

[Abigael Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

This enemies to lovers is a slow burn about Angie, an over worked NICU nurse and Remi, a billionaire working for his family's development company.

Parts of Remi's character are my only dislikes for this book. The billionaire pretending to be a farmhand wasn't an angle I loved and I couldn't get behind the whole him lying thing.

Angie and Garret have some amazing banter going. Their friendship/rivalry is some of the most fun to read about in this book. I love their need to compete and one up eachother (love how he gets her out of her comfort zone)

Angie's parents are such a cute addition to this story.

*thank you netgalle for this arc*

[Inês · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing Co. for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was the my first book by the author, and even though it was the second book I really liked it. Sometimes I would be a bit lost, because of the lack of context, but nevertheless it was not that important.

I really liked the slow burn, the constant tension and comedy scenes.

The relationship development was really well done, specially adding her parents to the mix and the constant thread of cancer. Obviously, the cancer part brought to the book a different aspect, accompanying the loss.

Let’s just say who doesn’t want a Remi in their life’s? C’mon?! I wouldn’t say no!

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book so much!!

First off, I love that the setting is in Idaho, being from here makes it an even better read!

The story line is perfection, I couldn’t get enough of it I wanted to know the ending so bad! Worth not skipping to the end to find out 😉. I shed a tear or two in there…shhh don’t tell anyone. 😜

Angie and Remi’s banter was the cutest. I had quite a few chuckles in there!

Need a cute feel good story? This is it!!

Her first book to this is What Happens in Idaho but they can be read as stand alone’s!

Amazing job Bonnie and I want to give a massive thank you for letting me be a part of your team!

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first one in this series enough that I thought I might like this one, though that one took a while to get into. I love the setting of Idaho as I have never been and enjoyed learning more about the state. This one has some great characters but is ruined by Angie, the FMC, who is so rude to Remi that she’s completely unlikeable; I can’t connect with her and couldn’t get through this book because of her. I found myself not wanting to pick the book up anymore to continue the story so I did not finish this one.

I received a copy from #NetGalley for an honest review.

[☆Laura☆]

Remi es hijo de una familia adinerada que desea independizarse. Para lograrlo, debe convencer a los padres de Angie de que le vendan su granja. Para ello, finge ser otra persona y consigue un trabajo en la granja. Angie es enfermera y, como su padre está enfermo, debe hacerse cargo de la cosecha.

La idea me gustó, pero no la ejecución.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Rhema Thom · Rating 4 out of 5]

absolutely heart felt story and adorable romance. as someone from Texas married to an idahoan, I had so much fun reading this! I live in the area that this book is based in and really appreciated the amount of research and easter eggs Bonnie out into the book about southern Idaho. to be perfectly fair, I don't feel like as much effort was put into the Texan character - but I didn't mind it because it was a fun romance, with some great tension and a heartfelt plot that I actually cared about.

[Tarry DW Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

So so so good!!!
What a sweet and heartbreaking story!!
This book was a 1 day read, I really just didn't want to put it down. It had me from the first chapters as it described the small town farm girl life compared to the life of a rich city boy doing extreme adventuring. Throw in a dying father's last wishes and the stress of trying to balance the feeling of everything weighing on a single person's shoulders, and it has everything you need for a sweet love story!
I would say this does have a little bit of steam, it's definitely meant for adults and not young adolescents, but it's still clean and has no open door, or closed door, scenes that a person would feel embarrassed to be caught reading.
So so so good, ahhh it was all the feels, from cheesy awkward to sobbing heartbreak, to laughing out loud and happy crying with the sweetest ending ever, it was beautiful!! Thank you

[Kaclen Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed it!

-small town idaho
-farming
-NICU nurse
-enemies to lovers

There is book is book 2 in the series but it can be read as a stand alone!

It might be cheesy for some but it was a cute read for me🩷

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A really fun read. And not just because I grew up in Idaho. It made me remember teaching my husband how to farm when we were first dating. This book nails so many of the pains of Idaho farming. Thanks for bringing back those memories! Loved the story and characters!

[Ashley Evensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good!! I had all the emotions with this one! If you love a good enemy to lover book definitely check this one out! Thanks NetGalley for the preview!

[Bookgeekinscrubs · Rating 3 out of 5]

3rd act breakup was a no-no for me & kind of not needed in this but it was an okay read, im more interested in the 1st book of the series actually!

Thanks netgally for the ARC!

[Rachel Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 2 in this great series, the story of Angie and Remi. Each have their own agenda so what will happen when they start to fall for each other. I liked how it was told from both points of view

[Jodie Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars slow beginning, but got a lot better

[Prairie Wildflower]

DNF chapter 2.
i can tell this is going to go down smut lane. I'm not going down that road