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Dotty James is no stranger to heartbreak. Shedding her life of small towns and a broken heart, Dotty had left home ten years prior to start fresh in Seattle.

But when Dotty returns home to mourn the loss of her grandfather, she discovers she may have left more of herself behind than she ever realized.

Unsettled with her city life and wary of the ongoing threat of her long time stalker, Dotty decides to extend her stay in Woodstone Falls to renovate the cabin her grandfather left her and spend time with her family.

There’s only one lingering Trent Akers.

The infuriatingly hot cowboy has been the source of Dotty’s grief for the last decade. She has no intention of letting him wiggle his way back into her life—even if she does have to sleep under the same roof as him.

But as Dotty warms to her hometown, her stalker closes in, and Trent relentlessly works to earn back her affections, Dotty must decide if she can overcome her past to follow her heart back home.

Unbearable is the first book in an interconnected standalone series about the James family and the love they find in their small ranching town, Woodstone Falls.

330 pages, Hardcover

Published October 24, 2025

220 people are currently reading
2147 people want to read

About the author

Anna Jerr

4 books65 followers
Anna has been in love with love for as long as she can remember. From getting swept up in rom-coms on screen to devouring love stories on page, she’s always found comfort in a happily ever after. In 2024, she decided to chase a new dream: crafting her own love stories. The Woodstone Falls Series is full of swoon worthy romance with just enough suspense to keep readers on their toes—all set in her beloved home state of Oregon.

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5 stars
273 (30%)
4 stars
313 (34%)
3 stars
244 (26%)
2 stars
62 (6%)
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13 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 239 reviews
Profile Image for Sandy (Sandy.Reads).
937 reviews529 followers
September 4, 2024
A solid 4.75 ⭐️ read.

From the very first page of the book I was hooked. Anna had a way of writing that felt like I had stepped right into the page of the book. I was immersed in the small town culture as Dotty traveled back to Woodstone Falls.

Second chance romance with an old friend. 😍 Trent is totally boyfriend worthy with the way that he treats Dotty after everything she has been and is going through.

Add in the suspense of a relentless stalker that follows Dotty from Seattle back to her hometown. Leaving for notes along the way.

I devoured this book in less than 24 hours. The suspense was just enough to keep me on the edge of my seat. The 🌶️ was perfection. The pace of the book made it easy to read. The characters, even side characters, were ones you fell in love with and wanted to cheer on.

Basically, this book is a must read.
Profile Image for Paige.
187 reviews24 followers
July 30, 2024
I just wanted to say, thank you so much for this opportunity to read this ARC. This was my very first one and I am so grateful!

Okay now, debut novel who???
Hello?? Tbh if I was just offered to read this book on any random day, I wouldn’t have guessed it was a debt novel.

I am such a sucker for cowboys and small town romances, it roped me in immediately. I absolutely loved Dotty and Trent. Their banter and burn (and boy was it a slow one) had me feigning for more. Every time they touched or “almost kissed” I was screeching and fist bumping the air. And the suspense of the mystery *no spoilers* had me on the edge of my seat the entire time and I just kept wanting to read to unravel it. I really did not seeing that twist coming.

I’m not reviewing this book based off of anything grammar related. I completely acknowledge that releasing a whole ass book into the world for literally the first time ever is nerve wracking. My review and my stars based solely on the story itself and the story was so so so good. It flowed and kept me wanting more. I’m so excited for Dorian’s story and I hope it involves him & Noah 👀
Profile Image for Andrea.
687 reviews
August 31, 2025
The title really hits the mark: Unbearable.

You might wonder why I didn’t just put it down, but I wanted to give it a fair shot, even though it clearly wasn’t for me.

The main character is incredibly frustrating—she’s immature and whiny. She avoided visiting her family for a decade just to dodge her ex? Who really isn't even an ex! They kissed before he left. Seriously, it’s time to grow up! She skipped one grandparent's funeral but attended another, which is just bizarre. Missing out on ten years of family events, including her niece's birth, because she was too scared is ridiculous. The fact that her niece recognized her at the funeral made no sense; even if they had video calls, it’s not the same as being there in person. Her family’s nonchalant attitude about her absence is baffling. When the reason for her anger towards the male lead is finally revealed, it’s just as silly—he left for the military without saying goodbye? That’s the big issue? Again, grow up!!!

Trent, who supposedly loved Dotty since they were 19 years old and for the last decade with no contact, is not celibate, is a big no for me! I want devotion. It should be there is no one else but the person they love! I want PINING! There is NO ONE ELSE BUT THEM!!!

To top it off, there’s a random mystery subplot that feels tacked in the last quarter of the book, as if the author suddenly decided to make it a romantic suspense. To ensure her safety, Dotty should have someone accompany her everywhere....then she has to leave suddenly and everyone thinks it's okay for her to travel alone!

I wanted to DNF this book countless times, but I pushed through, hoping it would improve, and it never did.

The number of glowing reviews for this book is completely baffling to me!
Profile Image for Sav .
46 reviews1 follower
August 30, 2024
I have been SO excited to read this book since stumbling onto a tiktok of Anna’s about a month ago and when I tell you I stayed up entirely too late because I couldn’t put it down.

It was the perfect balance of romance, suspense, friendship, family, and the smuttiest scenes from the sweetest cowboy (who also counts out a specific number of ice cubes for his girl every morning. Literally WHAT?)

The real and raw emotions that these characters work through together and the growth from Dotty after going through such intense loss in her life had me weepy and I’m already wanting to reread this book.

What an INCREDIBLE debut novel 🫶🏼
Profile Image for Kate Jerome.
5 reviews3 followers
July 21, 2024
Unbearable is a charming small town book, with all the things you’d wish to find in a small town read. It has great characters, tropes, scenery, and plot. Trent and Dotty have to overcome their past, traumas, guilt, and threats in this thrilling and cozy book. The pining, angst, and banter between these two was so fun to read. Cannot wait until book 2!!!
Profile Image for Marissa.Reads.
345 reviews371 followers
August 29, 2024
Hot ex-military cowboy meets stalker murder mystery. This book had me feeling every emotion possible. There were tears, giggles and me screaming at the FMC. This is a slowwww burn and worth every second. The banter, the tension! I will forever eat up a cowboy romance

Trent and Dotty were best friends for years, secretly always pining for one another. Both come trying to over come the trauma of losing a parent at a young age. The night before Trent is supposed to leave for boot camp Dotty finally makes a move. Trent is so stunned and wanting to just live in the moment he doesn’t tell her he’s leaving…

After not seeing or speaking to each other in over 10 years, Dotty finds herself back in her small childhood town of Woodstone Falls to attend her grandfather’s funeral. Who does she run into, no other than the hot cowboy himself.

Dotty always had a plan for her life but after unexpectedly inheriting her grandfathers cabin she finds herself staying in her hometown far longer than she anticipated. Can she resist her childhood love though?

Did I mention she’s also been stalked for the last 10 years….the plot twists were twisting to say the least

Thank you so much to Anna Jerr for allowing me to read this pre-release in exchange for my honest review
Profile Image for Taylor Frankey.
7 reviews1 follower
August 3, 2024
i am so thankful i was able to get my hands on Unbearable. oh my GOD. Anna has absolutely done it with this one👏🏼
From the very first chapter i was completely hooked. who am i kidding? from the very first tiktok i saw teasing this book i was hooked. and i’m sorry but FIRST BOOK WHO? The writing was absolutely phenomenal and there wasn’t a moment that passed in this book where i wanted to put it down. from the suspense of following Dotty while she navigates he life back in Woodstone after her stalker found her again to the new love of my life cowboy daddy akers. i will forever be chasing the high that this book gave me😍😍
Profile Image for Britny Kemple.
12 reviews5 followers
August 6, 2024
Solid 5 ⭐️ read for me. The minute I received this Arc and read the first page I was hooked! This book sends you through an emotional rollercoaster of emotions. Highly highly recommend this book to anyone. I cannot wait for the next one!
Profile Image for Anna Page.
412 reviews580 followers
July 7, 2025
childhood best friend x second chance x “sunshine”

I impulsively picked this up when I wanted a romantic suspense and I’m so glad that I did! It has everything I want in a romantic suspense with a sweet second chance love, family moments, and trying to figure out where the suspense comes in. It’s so easy to read and I will be recommending for when someone needs to get out of a book slump!

Read this if you’re in the mood for…
- romantic suspense
- childhood best friend
- second chance
- he calls her “sunshine”
- secret tattoo

This was SO sweet. I loved both their povs as they met again after 10 years and struggle to move on from their past. It’s mentioned a couple times in the book but I love the concept of knowing each other so well but still learning new things about each other after it’s been so long. The perfect way to write a second chance romance.

Here are a few of my favorite things…
- we love a grumpy possessive MMC
- the dancing
- there are songs listed at the beginning of every chapter andI love that!
- her brother trusts him

It was so sweet and I’ll definitely be recommending!
Profile Image for Courtney Mullings.
166 reviews2 followers
January 16, 2026
Wow - this book was amazing. My emotions were all over the place. Once I reached about 30% of the book, I could not put it down.

This book was written so beautifully, and I would have never guessed that Anna has never published a book before! The plot twist, the drama, the banter, the love, the everything in this book was perfect! While reading the last 20% of the book, my heart rate went up as well as my reading pace trying to keep up with all the action, I felt like I could not read fast enough. I laughed out loud, I cried, I even got mad - and this book just made me feel all the emotions and I could not have asked for a better written book and story!

Dotty is such a bada$$, independent woman and I felt like I connected with her on such an intense level. I love how I was able to feel the emotion she was feeling while reading.

Trent - ohhhhh Trent I love you too - he is such a cocky man, and he knows it. He knows exactly what he wants and is not afraid to show his emotions either, which I love too!

Dotty's family - I feel like they held the book together, they all played such an enormous role in the book and I loved it, and I loved their relationship with Dotty. Each of them had their own way ov loving Dotty and it warmed my heart!

I can not wait to see more of Woodstone Falls - I need a book for EACH brother and I need them now. I can not get enough!

Anna thank you for allowing me the opportunity to be an ARC reader - I truly feel this book will do GREAT things and go far!
Profile Image for LeeAnne Key.
11 reviews
August 1, 2024
Im rating this book a 4.75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

This was my first ARC copy of any book I have ever read. This was an amazing experience and I am so grateful for the opportunity to read this amazing book before it comes out.

This book was absolutely phenomenal it kept me hooked the entire time. I cannot believe it was the Authors first book because of how amazing it was. I loved the small town romance because I grew up in a bigger city so I never got the small town feeling but reading this and seeing the closeness in the community in the book gave me so much joy.

I've never read anything with cowboys before and this was an amazing book to start off my cowboy journey. It couldnt have been a better start then with Dotty and Trent. I was such a fan of the slow burn between the two because you could just feel the lust and yearning for each other the entire time.

I loved how there was a thriller aspect to the book and while I was reading I was leaving notes during my reading being like this person is the stalker, no this person is the stalker.
(In the end I was wrong 😂)

Just enough 🌶️ and it was just perfect seeing them fall deeper in love my heart couldnt take it.

Believe me when I say this I had every single emotion when I read this book. I cried because of just how well this story was told and the ending was amazing. This book deserves all the love ❤️

I am so excited for the next book with Dorian and I hope we will get all the James siblings stories in future books.
Profile Image for Ashley🩶.
58 reviews1 follower
September 16, 2024
THIS WAS AMAZING DEBUT BOOK FROM ANNA!!!! This book had me hooked from the very beginning, I loved the characters, the small town and of course the MMC was FIRE. I absolutely loved the thriller aspect of this book, it kept me guessing and I DID NOT SEE THE PLOT TWIST COMING!!!! I can’t wait to read what Anna comes out with next and she has a reader and fan for life in me. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK YOU WONT REGRET READING IT
Profile Image for Kaylee Salsbury-Nelson.
667 reviews86 followers
February 11, 2025
4.5 ⭐️ | 1.5 🌶️ | 📚

HOW WAS THIS A DEBUT NOVEL? I am seriously so impressed. I couldn’t put this book down. The tension and pining and banter was sooooo good. The suspense element was so well done, I didn’t see any of the twists coming! I am getting ready to pack up and move myself to Woodstone Falls here soon.

In all honesty, I loved this book. As a romantics suspense lover, good books in this genre are hard to come by but this is one I 10/10 recommend. There were several grammar errors throughout, so just prep yourself if that’s something that bothers you. But knowing this is a self published and debut novel, it was really easy for me to push past. Please read this book.
Profile Image for Hannah.
105 reviews11 followers
September 5, 2024
I read this entire book in one day because I loved it so much! I am a sucker for any small town romance. He fell first which made it even better! I absolutely loved the suspense and additional plot line. It made it impossible to put the book down because you just want to know what is going to happen next! This book made me laugh, smile and *almost* cry. Trent Akers is going to become your new book boyfriend! There is some spice but it doesn’t overpower the plot, it’s just enough! Also, I loved the addition of songs listed with each chapter. I know it’s common for authors to add Spotify playlists but I loved having a specific song to go with each chapter. 100% recommend reading Unbearable!
2 reviews1 follower
July 30, 2024
Okay this book was so GOOD! For this being this authors first book, I’m very impressed! The story line was great. The banter, phenomenal. The bit of action added to the story amazingly! I think the only thing that was lacking was more character description! But honestly what was there was still great! I’m very impressed and can’t wait for this to release so I can get all my book obsessed friends to read it! I think it’s pretty cool that this was my first ever ARC to read and it was the authors first book ever written! I’ll be buying a hard copy to have for the memories! Can’t wait for Dorian’s book!!
Profile Image for Shannon.
28 reviews2 followers
August 30, 2024
5 Stars! 🌟

I read this book in one sitting because I just couldn’t stop myself. Each page left me wanting more and more! A cowboy romance with a major dramatic plot twist, and some spice thrown in there too, what more could you want? I loved every aspect of this book, and cannot wait for Dorian’s story in 2025, bring it on!
Profile Image for Anna Spence.
139 reviews84 followers
August 12, 2024
This was so cute! I loved the setting, the characters, and it will obviously set up for more books. I flew through this in a day and had such a good time. This is Jerr’s debut novel and so I can’t wait to see what else she brings us. Thanks for the advanced copy!
Profile Image for Kimberly .
1 review
August 28, 2024
I truly enjoyed reading this book. I loved the characters and how close they were as a family. And this spice was perfect, lovely slow burn 🔥 😍. Oh, and the suspense. I'm super excited for the next book and seeing more of these characters!!!
Profile Image for 💕📚Cassie📚💕.
236 reviews22 followers
January 16, 2026
ALC Review!

Storyline – 5⭐️ | Narration – 5⭐️ | everything else also 5⭐️ lol yes, it’s that amazing.

This story is seriously close to my heart. I related to the FMC in more ways than I expected. This story took me on a journey of seeing myself and learning it’s okay to feel what you do and learn from it in some way. (I know this already lol the story just reminded me of it)

The narrators truly captured the essence of this, the emotions and the vibe Rachel Dane and E. Montoya brought is top tier! Everyone involved in this truly signed, sealed, and delivered! They left me speechless.

Dottie & Trent became my favorite characters so quickly it’s not even funny. Within the first few pages, I was hooked! Anna knows how to pull your attention and give you what you want as a reader. She’s one heck of a storyteller. She will feed your romance heart and more!

I loved this book from start to finish. You get to explore a journey of coming back to old places, seeing familiar faces. There’s laughter & emotions in between with a lot of funny moments that make you laugh out loud in the best possible way AND kick your feet. The family vibe is amazing! Personally, I grew attached to two of the siblings lol.

Overall, it’s such an amazing story with growth, healing, banter, tension, romance, and more!

This book is worth giving a try. Whether it’s reading or listening to it, you’ll enjoy it! You’ll feel every emotion possible and say, “Wow, that was such a good book,” by the end of it
Profile Image for Ashley Martinez.
164 reviews9 followers
January 9, 2025
I just finished @authorannajerr debut novel and let me just say… Trenton is the PERFECT golden retriever cowboy boyfriend 🤠🥵

Besides that, I loved the family dynamics and how close knit they were, despite the loss they’ve endured. I’ve always wanted brothers 🥹

And there was SUSPENSE?! I’m a thriller girlie to my core so this was such a pleasant surprise. I definitely had some suspicions but didn’t see that twist coming 🙃

THIS is how you execute a slow burn. It was just right 👏🏼😌 Also, I am a huge fan of reverse grumpy/sunshine because that is how my husband and I are 😂

Bravo, Anna! I am kicking myself for sitting on this book for as long as I did because it was an absolute banger! I cannot wait to return to Woodstone Falls 💜

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️
Profile Image for Airinbookreviews.
206 reviews6 followers
February 15, 2025
Anna! I loved this. The romance, the tension, the mystery. So so good. And for a debut novel??? Are you joking ?! Can’t wait to read more of this series.
Profile Image for Ashley Willis.
407 reviews4 followers
Read
March 6, 2025
DNF…i have no interest in going back. Before i started wild side i was forcing my way through but was not connecting with the characters.

Not a bad book or bad writing just wasn’t doing anything for me
Profile Image for Amanda.
71 reviews1 follower
September 9, 2025
4.5/5⭐️ - why is this book not talked about more? It is SO good! The YEARNING? Top tier. I loved this story. I took half a star off just because the ending felt a tiny bit rushed but it was still fantastic. Definitely recommend if you’re into small town cowboy romance with a little bit of mystery…or even if you’re not…give it a try.
Profile Image for Aurora Steinhart.
Author 9 books68 followers
November 23, 2024
what a ride!

Let me preface this by saying; im not a small town cowboy romance girly. Or a thriller girly.
But i loved the way anna executed the twist in this book!
The tension is TENSIONING and the way they melt into eachother when they give way has you really feel how much trent loves his girl.
There were several moments i felt as if i was right there in the book with them and i cant wait for book 2!
Profile Image for Amber McIntire.
5 reviews
August 30, 2024
It looks like my earlier review got deleted somehow but I really enjoyed this book! I think some of the dialogue especially in the beginning was a little clunky and that took me out a bit but that was my only complaint! The characters, setting, plot, and subplot all really kept me engaged! I finished this book about a month ago and I'm still thinking about it, would definitely read the next one!
Profile Image for Marlee Elizabeth.
343 reviews15 followers
March 4, 2025
im between 2.75-3 stars for this

SPOILERS AHEAD 🚨


I really wanted to love it. I was really excited. However it fell a little flat for me.

This is a cute, low stakes romantic suspense set in a small town with lots of side characters to follow for future stories!

I think for someone who is dipping their toes into the sub genre of romantic suspense this is probably perfect. However, for me, this felt a little underdeveloped. This suspense storyline became repetitive when notes just kept popping up with no follow-through each time. I was hoping for more creativity with this. Dottys brother is a cop and yet there was no follow through with any of the notes. There was barely an investigation, even though all of the brothers freaked out whenever she got a note. And I understand that in real life stalking does not usually result in a deep investigation but this storyline felt very sprinkled in with no rhyme or reason. I became more invested in the story of Noah's now ex-boyfriend.

The suspense storyline also needed a little more research put into it. These notes kept showing up and not one single character put on gloves to touch this piece of evidence. When Dotty gets kidnapped, at no point do the detectives assigned to the case canvas the scene at all. They just put her phone in an evidence bag and go to the station. They waste time waiting for a search warrant when they have plenty of probable cause to search the suspects property without one. It all felt very anti-climactic to me.

There was nothing wrong with the romance part of the story. It was a cute second chance romance between childhood friends. There was definitely a lot of back-and-forth in their feelings on both sides.

The writing for me felt a little underdeveloped and definitely needs some revising in the future. There were a lot of timeline issues, especially towards the end of the book describing the time in which Dotty was being held, i could not tell if it a whole day or a few hours had passed. And I would like to see more character development in future books. I don't think there was a lot of personality to either of our main characters. It was a very outwardly narrated story rather than getting to really know the characters.

Overall, I did enjoy parts of this story and I will definitely be reading book 2 in the future because I really loved Daddy Dorian and Noah and I can see so much potential for the next book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
2 reviews1 follower
August 12, 2024
I wanna start this with a thank you to the author of this book! I was able to be an ARC reader for this book and I am so thankful for the opportunity because this is an AMAZING book! I give it a solid 5 starts, 6 if possible!

This book is a small town romance where he falls first which I love! The writing in this book is so detailed and I felt like I was truly transported into the town because of the amazing story building! Along with the writing I felt like I could truly feel the characters emotions and began to understand the characters so well!!

The whole book I was rooting so hard for dotty and Trent and I think their love story plays out perfectly! He is a protective cowboy who would do anything for his first love and shows it to her!

Another part of this story that makes it not like the others is the added suspense with Dottys stalker! The foreshadowing done in this book was PERFECT and the cliffhangers had me hooked! I just kept turning pages and wasn’t able to put the book down! And in the end when I thought I had figured it out and the ending was too predictable she switches it up and you! I was not expecting the twist and turns in this book at all but I think that’s what makes it so amazing!

This book is definitely not like other books and I highly recommend reading it! I am already sat and ready so excited for the second book in the series I cannot wait!! Again thank you to the author for allowing me to be an arc reader im so glad I got to read this amazing book!
Profile Image for Kendra.
36 reviews
July 24, 2025
"For the girl who was once thought the weight of the world was unbearable. You are enough. You will not break."

Unbearable has quickly become one of my top reads of 2024 and was such a fun reading experience. I was hooked to this story and thought about it constantly whenever I was not actively reading it. Anna Jerr has truly written such a phenomenal story that I hope she continues writing. You can feel her passion in the pages and how her heart is invested in this story.

The characters in this story have a depth that is hard to find in standalone romances and I loved getting to know every character that was introduced and learning the ins and outs of their lives. Despite having a large amount of characters, the readers do get a chance to connect with most of them through the main characters.

The plot had me on the edge of my seat. Let me tell you, this book had me giggling, kicking my feet, crying, sitting on the edge of the seat, making theories about future chapters. The romance aspect of this book was top tier but the bits of suspense added in had me locked in. I never expected some of the twists towards the end and I promise you will love! (No spoilers so that is all I will say about it!)

Overall, I highly recommend this book. I could not get enough of the characters and I loved all the side parts going on. I have so many notes about this book that I can't share because of spoilers, but this book will drive you crazy in the best possible way.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 239 reviews

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