Review: When Love Happens by Darcy Burke

Posted June 14, 2015 by Elizabeth in Elizabeth B, Reviews / 0 Comments

Review:  When Love Happens by Darcy BurkeWhen Love Happens by Darcy Burke
Series: Ribbon Ridge #3
Genres: Contemporary, Contemporary Romance
Published by Avon, Harper Collins Publication Date: May 26, 2015
Also in this series: Only In My Dreams, Yours to Hold
Buy on Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org
Find on: Goodreads
three-half-stars

Tori Archer is married…well, on paper anyway. She hasn’t actually seen her husband since the disastrous morning after their impulsive Vegas wedding. The memories of their intense passion may still make her weak in the knees, but Tori knows their marriage was a mistake.

After six months filming abroad, television producer Sean Hennessy wants nothing more than to track down his sexy, captivating wife and get her into bed… fast. So when his boss sends him to Oregon to persuade the famous Archer sextupletsβ€”the former stars of a reality TV showβ€”to do a reunion special, Sean sees the perfect chance to win Tori back.

Only, Tori wants nothing to do with him and is determined to push him away. But their attraction is as hot as ever and Sean will do anything to prove their relationship was more than just a fling…because he knows that when real love happens, it changes everything.

When Love Happens is the third book in the Ribbon Ridge series focusing on the Archer family. It is written as a stand-alone novel, but I would suggest reading at least on the earlier books in the series before trying this one.

Tori (one of the Archer sextuplets) and Sean are the focus of When Love Happens. They had a whirlwind romance and married quickly. The next day, Tori’s world exploded when her brother committed suicide. Tori kept Sean and their marriage a secret from her family until 8 months later when he showed up in Ribbon Ridge.

Having seen a little bit of Tori in the first two books, I think I was predisposed to not really like her and I did not like her at all in the beginning of this book. I really couldn’t relate to a woman who could care about someone enough to marry them and then complete shut him out of her world during such a trying time. I was definitely on β€œTeam Sean” until Tori’s family finally got her to open up to them.

There is a lot of build up to this story. Tori and Sean going back and forth until they finally have a break through and it looks like they make just make it. Then Sean’s boss shows up and things fall apart all over again. The Tori who showed up at the end of the book and realized what is really important – her I liked. I also loved that Sean decided the right thing was more important that a paycheck. It was wonderful to see him defend Tori and her family even when he didn’t believe they would make it.

Overall, I enjoyed When Love Happens. It is a good continuation to the Archer family story, but I would advise caution to someone who hasn’t read at least one of the prior books in the series. There is a lot of history and back ground information in Only In My Dreams (books 1) and Yours to Hold (Book 2) that helps tell the story here.

About Darcy Burke

I live on the edge of wine country in Oregon’s Willamette Valley with my devoted husband (my own hero), a daughter and son who illuminate my world, and two Bengal cats.

My first completed book was called The Magic Swan. Dedicated to my grandmother (who adored swans), I wrote and illustrated it in sixth grade. My daughter loved to have me read it to her when she was younger. The story is about a guy (swan, of course), Albert, who goes on a magic kick, much to the annoyance of his girlfriend, Gwen, who loves him just the way he is. Seeking to put an end to Albert’s newfound obsession, Gwen (with the help of her awesome pal Phyllis) pretends to need rescuing. Albert rushes to Ponderosa Falls to β€œsave” her from certain doom! Gwen happily points out he saved her without magic…and Albert realizes he has everything he wants and needs in Gwen. Naturally they get married and have many baby cygnets. As you can see, by age 12 I was plotting happy ever afters (and demonstrating my inability to ever be an illustrator).

Fast forward some number of years and I decided to get serious about writing a romance novel. Joining RWA was a huge step in attaining that goal, but understand: finishing a book is hard. And oh so rewarding. I’m thrilled to be represented by the brilliant Jim McCarthy of Dystel and Goderich Literary Management and excited for my books to be read and (hopefully) enjoyed!

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I am a full time mom who works part time. I squeeze reading in wherever I can between work, volunteer stuff, and kid activities. I read a little bit of everything, but really enjoy indie authors and Happy- Ever-Afters. I've been reviewing for Cocktails and Books since January 2015.