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Ribbon Ridge #1
Only In My Dreams
From USA Today bestselling author Darcy Burke comes a sexy and emotional family saga about seven siblings who reunite in a small Oregon town to fulfill their brother's dying wish … and find love in unexpected places.
Fed up with her self-imposed single life, successful event planner Sara Archer heads to a bar for a night of dancing … and bumps into Dylan Westcott, a high school crush she hasn't seen in years. Harmless flirting leads to a hot, completely uncharacteristic one-night stand. But when she wakes up alone, Sara knows there won't be a repeat.
Dylan, a divorced, ex-military construction contractor, limits himself to casual flings—his failed marriage proves he's better off alone anyway—but he can't stop dreaming about Sara. And when his firm is hired to oversee the renovation project run by the Archer siblings, the two are unable to resist their explosive chemistry.
But when their secret affair grows beyond "friends with benefits" and neither is willing to admit they want more, family drama and emotional scars may ruin their chance at a love they believed was only in their dreams.
Fed up with her self-imposed single life, successful event planner Sara Archer heads to a bar for a night of dancing … and bumps into Dylan Westcott, a high school crush she hasn't seen in years. Harmless flirting leads to a hot, completely uncharacteristic one-night stand. But when she wakes up alone, Sara knows there won't be a repeat.
Dylan, a divorced, ex-military construction contractor, limits himself to casual flings—his failed marriage proves he's better off alone anyway—but he can't stop dreaming about Sara. And when his firm is hired to oversee the renovation project run by the Archer siblings, the two are unable to resist their explosive chemistry.
But when their secret affair grows beyond "friends with benefits" and neither is willing to admit they want more, family drama and emotional scars may ruin their chance at a love they believed was only in their dreams.
448 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 17, 2015
72 people are currently reading
660 people want to read
About the author
Darcy Burke
206 books2,278 followersDarcy Burke is the USA Today Bestselling Author of sexy, emotional historical and contemporary romance. Darcy wrote her first book at age 11, a happily ever after about a swan addicted to magic and the female swan who loved him, with exceedingly poor illustrations. Join her Reader Club at http://www.darcyburke.com/readerclub.
A native Oregonian, Darcy lives on the edge of wine country with her guitar-strumming husband, their two hilarious kids who seem to have inherited the writing gene, two Bengal cats and a third cat named after a fruit. In her “spare” time Darcy is a serial volunteer enrolled in a 12-step program where one learns to say “no,” but she keeps having to start over. Her happy places are Disneyland and Labor Day weekend at the Gorge.
A native Oregonian, Darcy lives on the edge of wine country with her guitar-strumming husband, their two hilarious kids who seem to have inherited the writing gene, two Bengal cats and a third cat named after a fruit. In her “spare” time Darcy is a serial volunteer enrolled in a 12-step program where one learns to say “no,” but she keeps having to start over. Her happy places are Disneyland and Labor Day weekend at the Gorge.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
November 20, 2015
Only In My Dreams is the first full length novel in Darcy Burke’s Ribbon Ridge Contemporary Romance series, but we’re first introduced to the Archer family in the prequel novella, Where the Heart Is. Each of the seven (+1) Archer siblings seem to have their own unique set of health or emotional problems, but it’s the way they come together to support one another that makes this such a touching, entertaining read.
Blurb…
Fed up with her self-imposed single life, successful event planner Sara Archer heads to a bar for a night of dancing … and bumps into Dylan Wescott, the high school crush she hasn’t seen in years. A little harmless flirting leads to a hot, completely uncharacteristic one-night stand; but when she wakes up alone, Sara knows her life is too complicated for a relationship and there can’t be a repeat.
Dylan, a divorced, ex-military construction contractor, limits himself to casual flings—his failed marriage proves he’s better off alone anyway—but he can’t stop dreaming about Sara. And when his firm is hired to oversee the renovation project run by the Archer siblings, Dylan and Sara are unable to resist their explosive chemistry.
But when their secret affair grows beyond “friends with benefits” and neither is willing to admit they want more, family drama and emotional scars may ruin their chance at a love they believed was only in their dreams.
My thoughts…
I've never read a story quite like this one, and I really enjoyed it. The heroine suffers from Sensory Processing Disorder, which some say is a form of autism. The story is...sad...in some ways, but also very uplifting. It was great to see a heroine who is so grounded, so strong, so able to cope with a disorder that could be debilitating. Fortunately, she has a family who believed in giving her the tools she needed to learn to live with SPD and not let it control her life.
Dylan’s family life was the exact opposite of Sara’s - empty, without love, and he would rather live his life alone than be in a relationship – of any kind. He’s pretty bitter about the way his childhood went, and then his marriage fell apart and though I’m not exactly sure why, I’m pretty sure it was his fault. No cheating or anything like that, but I get the impression he was just as disconnected emotionally from his wife as he was from his family.
Sara and Dylan’s relationship begins with a one-night stand, but as often happens, one night just isn’t enough. I did *snicker* at their attempts to keep things simple, but at some point got tired of it too, because, in my opinion, it caused the story to drag a bit.
Minor spoiler:
The bottom line…
Ribbon Ridge is a small town full of people with big hearts. The Archer family is struggling to move on after their tragic loss, and watching them come to grips with their heartbreak and unanswered questions leaves no doubt that the series will continue to draw me in and become a favorite!
An ARC was provided by Avon Books and in appreciation I’m giving them an honest review.
About Sensory Processing Disorder...
Sensory processing disorder is a condition in which the brain has trouble receiving and responding to information that comes in through the senses.
The condition used to be called sensory integration dysfunction.
Some people with sensory processing disorder are oversensitive to things in their environment. Common sounds may be painful or overwhelming. The light touch of a shirt may chafe the skin.
Others with sensory processing disorder may:
Be uncoordinated
Bump into things
Be unable to tell where their limbs are in space
Be hard to engage in conversation or play
Sensory processing problems are usually identified in children. But they can also affect adults. Sensory processing problems are commonly seen in developmental disorders like autism.
Sensory processing disorder is not recognized as a standalone disorder. But many experts think that should change.
Information taken from WebMd: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/sensor...
March 4, 2015
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.
4 Stars!
I find that strong, interesting characters can really make a book for me and this book was filled with them. I have found that a lot of romance novels take FOREVER before any kind of action or excitement happens between the couple but this book jumped in right away. This is the first time I have read a book by Darcy Burke and I feel like the beginning of this series was the perfect place for me to start.
Sara is part of the large Archer family who are well known in the town of Ribbon Ridge not only for their brewery but also from the former television show that featured the family and their sextuplets. Sara has a Sensory Processing Disorder which I thought was both well done in the book and completely original. Sara leaves her event planning business in the hands of her friend and assistant to work on a project that was her brother's last wish.
Dylan is very focused on his construction career. He has family but has never felt like he belongs since his parents divorced when he was very young. He puts in a proposal to work on the Archer project and soon finds himself around Sara much more than he ever imagined.
The chemistry between Dylan and Sara was off the charts. I loved every scene in the book that focused on Dylan and Sara together. They were both such amazing characters and they really did seem to click on the page. I loved the fact that it actually made sense as to why they wanted to keep their relationship from everyone else.
There was a lot of other characters in this book and just a whole lot going on. Sara's family was huge and every one of them played a role in the story. Dylan's family was pretty large as well and they also played a huge role. Dylan and Sara had their romance to deal with but this book also focused on Sara's family dealing with a tragedy. Dylan and Sara also had their own individual problems that they faced. It all seemed to work together in the end but there really were a lot of subplots to deal with in this book.
I would highly recommend this book to fans of contemporary romance. I feel like they are just starting to process everything that has happened and I can't wait to find out what else is going to happen to Sara's family.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Avon Impulse via Edelweiss for the purpose of providing an honest review.
4 Stars!
I find that strong, interesting characters can really make a book for me and this book was filled with them. I have found that a lot of romance novels take FOREVER before any kind of action or excitement happens between the couple but this book jumped in right away. This is the first time I have read a book by Darcy Burke and I feel like the beginning of this series was the perfect place for me to start.
Sara is part of the large Archer family who are well known in the town of Ribbon Ridge not only for their brewery but also from the former television show that featured the family and their sextuplets. Sara has a Sensory Processing Disorder which I thought was both well done in the book and completely original. Sara leaves her event planning business in the hands of her friend and assistant to work on a project that was her brother's last wish.
Dylan is very focused on his construction career. He has family but has never felt like he belongs since his parents divorced when he was very young. He puts in a proposal to work on the Archer project and soon finds himself around Sara much more than he ever imagined.
The chemistry between Dylan and Sara was off the charts. I loved every scene in the book that focused on Dylan and Sara together. They were both such amazing characters and they really did seem to click on the page. I loved the fact that it actually made sense as to why they wanted to keep their relationship from everyone else.
There was a lot of other characters in this book and just a whole lot going on. Sara's family was huge and every one of them played a role in the story. Dylan's family was pretty large as well and they also played a huge role. Dylan and Sara had their romance to deal with but this book also focused on Sara's family dealing with a tragedy. Dylan and Sara also had their own individual problems that they faced. It all seemed to work together in the end but there really were a lot of subplots to deal with in this book.
I would highly recommend this book to fans of contemporary romance. I feel like they are just starting to process everything that has happened and I can't wait to find out what else is going to happen to Sara's family.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Avon Impulse via Edelweiss for the purpose of providing an honest review.
February 6, 2015
I'm still on the hunt for a Jill Shalvis replacement and while this was cute, it was missing something for me.
There were a lot of secondary characters and I struggled to keep all of them straight. But I liked Sara and Dylan and their overall story. It was a quick read and I'll probably read more in the series at some point.
**Huge thanks to Avon Impulse and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
There were a lot of secondary characters and I struggled to keep all of them straight. But I liked Sara and Dylan and their overall story. It was a quick read and I'll probably read more in the series at some point.
**Huge thanks to Avon Impulse and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
February 19, 2015
Absolutely LOVED this book! A must read for all contemporary romance readers.
December 30, 2015
More like 2.5 - really awkward in some places and ending was too quickly done
July 6, 2015
I truly enjoyed reading Dylan and Sara's story, it was very engaging and also somewhat educational. I had no idea SPD even existed, so for me, this story turned out to be quite informative. I enjoy reading stories where characters have real life issues to overcome, which I think, makes them seem real and in some instances very relatable. I can tell that Ms. Burke put a lot of time and care into developing these characters, and it is refreshing to read about a family who is flawed but still manages to hold it all together. The story line is very engaging and very well written, and very easy to just get lost in, so much so, I stayed up far past my bed time just to finish it!
Discovering this series has been quite the literary treat for me, and I have truly enjoyed my introduction to the Archer family. I cannot wait for future visits to Ribbon Ridge, I'm dying to see what Ms. Burke has in store for the rest of the family!
Highly recommend you acquaint yourself with the Archer family of Ribbon Ridge, you will NOT be disappointed!
Discovering this series has been quite the literary treat for me, and I have truly enjoyed my introduction to the Archer family. I cannot wait for future visits to Ribbon Ridge, I'm dying to see what Ms. Burke has in store for the rest of the family!
Highly recommend you acquaint yourself with the Archer family of Ribbon Ridge, you will NOT be disappointed!
February 8, 2015
This is a new author for me and I have to tell you this won't be the only book I read of hers. I loved this story. There is so much packed within the pages. I really don't want to give anything away it's that good. I really love this family and can't wait for the next book in the series.
January 6, 2020
Wow! Such a great book! Sara and Dylan story was so perfect! I loved how everything worked out between them!
May 17, 2017
Only in My Dreams is the first Darcy Burke book I’ve read and the first in the Ribbon Ridge Series. My only reservation with this book is that it sets the bar impossibly high for any future books by the author I will read. It’s that good. Oh the romantic story of Sarah and Dylan’s relationship while well written is at its core nothing unique to readers of the modern romance genre. Two people whom the gods have made perfect for each other meet and spend most of the book first avoiding their attraction to one another and then trying to reduce it to nothing more than physical. As far as the physical relationship Ms. Burke takes a back seat to none of her peers in the steamy love scene department. It’s amazing how Sarah starts out the story being reluctant to even go out and try to find a hook up after a three year period of self-imposed celibacy and becomes as confident and wanton a vixen as I’ve ever read when she meets Dylan her high school crush. Lemon Drops must be one hell of an aphrodisiac! While Dylan and Sarah’s one step forward hot sex, two steps back we’re just friends with benefits relationship is entertaining what sets this book above many others is all the other relationships in the story. Sarah’s with her parents and her six siblings, their relationships with one another and her relationship with her business assistant. Dylan’s with his parents, step parents and step brothers and sister. Sarah is a sextuplet. She is unique as a heroine because she suffers from SPD (sensory processing disorder) something I’m not sure I’ve ever heard of before but which the author is keenly aware of as her real life daughter suffers from the affliction. One of Sarah’s brothers Evan it appears to me has highly functioning Aspergers and another brother Alex suffered from severe respiratory issues before committing suicide. His suicide, his final request and the effects it has on his siblings and parents is as much the backbone of this story as Sarah and Dylan’s relationship. The other three sextuplets Liam, Kyle and Tori and non sextuplet youngest Hayden have no physical challenges but all carry plenty of emotional baggage which impacts their relationships with each other.
When I think about all of the characters and plot lines that are introduced in this book which was under 300 pages on my Nook I’m amazed at how the author got it all in there without it feeling compressed or unfinished. This is a really, really good story and I’m hoping the rest of the series lives up to my now very high expectations.
When I think about all of the characters and plot lines that are introduced in this book which was under 300 pages on my Nook I’m amazed at how the author got it all in there without it feeling compressed or unfinished. This is a really, really good story and I’m hoping the rest of the series lives up to my now very high expectations.
May 10, 2020
Growing up with siblings is an experience...growing up as part of septuplets takes it to a new level. In spite of her disorder, Sara Archer left her hometown to forge her own path and started her own wedding planning business...and she’s been doing a great job! Now she’s back after the death of one of her brothers and his will is requiring his siblings to renovate an old museum into a hotel. What is Sara to do with her business? Then there’s the added complication of her attraction to the contractor...non other than her hs crush, Dylan Wescott. Life has thrown many curveballs at Dylan...divorced parents, each with new families, an ex wife who never wanted to be far from her family, and the need to belong. His construction company is finally taking off and, even though he is attracted to Sara Archer, he has no intention of jeopardizing his job at the new Archer hotel by making a move on her. Anything happening between the pair is temporary...or is it? Good story, and with this many siblings and the interesting family dynamic, we know that the others will be just as good.
September 9, 2019
I Love reading Books by Darcy Burke, Albeit this Book was lacking something, I am unable to put my finger on it.
It started of kinda slow & ended to abruptly.
Dylan & Sara knew each other since HS run into each other at a bar where Sara lived & out of town where Dylan prefers to find his one night stands.
One thing leads to another & their story goes from there.
Can 2 people who don't want a relationship & one finally is so proud of themselves for making a life for themselves away from their family work things out?
Read the Story of Dylan & Sara & find out what transpires between the two Characters.
Dylan & Sara's Characters were Great. The SPD disorder was interesting. I have never heard about the disorder until I read this Book.
I was glad inserted at the end information in regards to disorder, I believe she should have put it in the beginning.
It started of kinda slow & ended to abruptly.
Dylan & Sara knew each other since HS run into each other at a bar where Sara lived & out of town where Dylan prefers to find his one night stands.
One thing leads to another & their story goes from there.
Can 2 people who don't want a relationship & one finally is so proud of themselves for making a life for themselves away from their family work things out?
Read the Story of Dylan & Sara & find out what transpires between the two Characters.
Dylan & Sara's Characters were Great. The SPD disorder was interesting. I have never heard about the disorder until I read this Book.
I was glad inserted at the end information in regards to disorder, I believe she should have put it in the beginning.
September 9, 2020
Interesting main character with sensory processing disorder and large family dealing with a crisis. They're all grieving and figuring out how to live without their brother Alex who killed himself recently and left his siblings an unexpected project.
Sara knows Dylan as her childhood crush but he becomes a hookup and then her employee and friend with benefits. Eventually, Dylan has to decide if he can overcome his independence and feelings of abandonment from his divorced and remarried and slightly neglectful parents. And Sara has to come clean to her family.
Sara knows Dylan as her childhood crush but he becomes a hookup and then her employee and friend with benefits. Eventually, Dylan has to decide if he can overcome his independence and feelings of abandonment from his divorced and remarried and slightly neglectful parents. And Sara has to come clean to her family.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2017
Really, really liked this book- good start to the series; I am now on Book #3. Took a chance on this and it paid off.
The details given on the main characters, including their life challenges were enough to make me feel for them; root for them. Some books give insufficient details and rush to the HEA and others just drag on but not this one. It's nicely balanced throughout and you won't regret reading it.
Definitely recommend.
The details given on the main characters, including their life challenges were enough to make me feel for them; root for them. Some books give insufficient details and rush to the HEA and others just drag on but not this one. It's nicely balanced throughout and you won't regret reading it.
Definitely recommend.
April 14, 2025
This was a really good audiobook by Darcy Burke. The characters were really relatable, especially the main characters. I do think the heroine's condition was mentioned a bit too much but in any case it was a good learning point in the book. The narration by Tanya Eby was performed quite nicely and made you want to continue to the end. Just a very nice story and I loved the HEA between the MCs.
September 9, 2018
The ending seemed a little rushed. Like the deadline loomed and she needed to finish it quick! That may have also been my impression because of the multiple excerpts at the end...... someone please tell the publisher that it's just cruel to put so many in!!! I thought I had another 50 pages or so but no.
May 7, 2019
A great series
I don’t want this series to end, only one book left! Quirky characters, good portrayal of special needs people trying to be adults. Nice to see happy endings for all kinds of people. I’ll definitely look for other series by this author.
I don’t want this series to end, only one book left! Quirky characters, good portrayal of special needs people trying to be adults. Nice to see happy endings for all kinds of people. I’ll definitely look for other series by this author.
October 29, 2017
I was addicted to this book from late in the first chapter. Beginning seemed slow, but after that I couldn't put it down. My new favorite author!!! Her writing is excellent.
July 2, 2018
Easy summer read
October 15, 2018
Skimmed a bit but solid.
July 30, 2020
2 stars - Contemporary Romance
September 3, 2021
I couldn’t get into it. Characters seem to be lacking realistic emotion.
Read
May 14, 2022I liked the story. I am hoping that their story finishes as side stories in upcoming books in the series.
March 6, 2015
Darcy Burke's first book in the "Ribbon Ridge" series gives us an introductory glimpse into the lives of the Archer family. Only in My Dreams provides an emotional glimpse into a family reeling from tragedy and rising from the ashes, slowly, to reclaim their lives. The healing begins in Only in My Dreams, facilitated in the aftermath of the tragedy but I'm confident we will continue to see the healing through the subsequent books in the series. In this introductory book, the emotions are raw and running high and the family appears on the brink of splintering due to the stresses. The author does a wonderful job of depicting a family in the throes of grief and working to dig themselves out, each manifesting their grief in their own way.
It felt as though the author threw the reader into the deep end of the tragedy. After a first chapter, which felt more like a prologue by setting the stage for the future situation, we are brought together by family tragedy with little to no background on the family members or the background which led them to where they were. I would have liked a bit more background woven into the beginning to help understand this family - I felt the tragedy would have resonated a bit more emotionally if we had felt a bit more invested in the characters first.
Sara is the Archer featured in this story. Sara has a strong personality but lives with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), which causes her to get a bit spun out of control when she is feeling stress or her environment is overwhelming. I could sympathize and relate to Sara's struggles, but felt the author went a bit overboard with the continued references to SPD. Every time there was anything other than "unicorns and rainbows" in Sara's life, we were hearing about another "coping with SPD" moment - so I felt it was a bit overdone. Had those references been introduced early on and then reserved for the especially stressful situations, it wouldn't have been quite as frustrating to always hear about her SPD.
Dylan's character was very easy to relate to and realistic in this story because he was depicted as being the "forgotten child"; the one child of two divorced parents who each went on to remarry and have children with their respective new spouses. Dylan's experiences were insightful and I don't doubt that many children find themselves lost between two families like Dylan did. Dylan felt, because of that, that he was incapable of being loved and lived his life accordingly - until Sara. It was clear that he felt his emotions deeply but that he also had deeply held beliefs that he was not destined for love.
I liked that the Archer's were not depicted as an "All American family." They fought. They yelled. They stormed out on each other. They had plenty of dysfunction to go around, but they also had a lot of love. The tragedy that struck the Archer family shook it to its foundation and we see the repercussions rippling through the family in this book - repercussions that will continue, I'm confident, into the subsequent books in this series.
As Dylan and Sara's relationship develops, Dylan begins to realize that not all families are like his, and Sara comes to realize that she is stronger than she believes; and stronger than her siblings treat her. Through their relationship with each other, the find what they felt was missing in their relationships with their families, and with former loves, and realize that what was intended to be a brief affair was really true love.
All in all I felt this was a powerful introduction to the Ribbon Ridge series and I look forward to subsequent books about the Archer sextuplets and their baby brother!
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
It felt as though the author threw the reader into the deep end of the tragedy. After a first chapter, which felt more like a prologue by setting the stage for the future situation, we are brought together by family tragedy with little to no background on the family members or the background which led them to where they were. I would have liked a bit more background woven into the beginning to help understand this family - I felt the tragedy would have resonated a bit more emotionally if we had felt a bit more invested in the characters first.
Sara is the Archer featured in this story. Sara has a strong personality but lives with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), which causes her to get a bit spun out of control when she is feeling stress or her environment is overwhelming. I could sympathize and relate to Sara's struggles, but felt the author went a bit overboard with the continued references to SPD. Every time there was anything other than "unicorns and rainbows" in Sara's life, we were hearing about another "coping with SPD" moment - so I felt it was a bit overdone. Had those references been introduced early on and then reserved for the especially stressful situations, it wouldn't have been quite as frustrating to always hear about her SPD.
Dylan's character was very easy to relate to and realistic in this story because he was depicted as being the "forgotten child"; the one child of two divorced parents who each went on to remarry and have children with their respective new spouses. Dylan's experiences were insightful and I don't doubt that many children find themselves lost between two families like Dylan did. Dylan felt, because of that, that he was incapable of being loved and lived his life accordingly - until Sara. It was clear that he felt his emotions deeply but that he also had deeply held beliefs that he was not destined for love.
I liked that the Archer's were not depicted as an "All American family." They fought. They yelled. They stormed out on each other. They had plenty of dysfunction to go around, but they also had a lot of love. The tragedy that struck the Archer family shook it to its foundation and we see the repercussions rippling through the family in this book - repercussions that will continue, I'm confident, into the subsequent books in this series.
As Dylan and Sara's relationship develops, Dylan begins to realize that not all families are like his, and Sara comes to realize that she is stronger than she believes; and stronger than her siblings treat her. Through their relationship with each other, the find what they felt was missing in their relationships with their families, and with former loves, and realize that what was intended to be a brief affair was really true love.
All in all I felt this was a powerful introduction to the Ribbon Ridge series and I look forward to subsequent books about the Archer sextuplets and their baby brother!
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 31, 2017
This is the first book i have read by this author. I have been asked to host a blog party for her upcoming book in another series coming out in Feb. So I figured I needed to start from the beginning so I will know the people I am reading about. That is just how I roll.
I have to tell you I loved this book. It made me laugh some and cry a lot. This series is about a set of sextuplets and their brother and a childhood friend whom they took in after his parents passed. It also involves another family whom you will see in the other series as well. (Which is why I decided to start with this series.)
I was still left with a lot of what is going on with some of the characters but I am sure when it comes to their books, I will find my answers. But, I have to say that this one was very sad and I am sure that the sadness will continue over into the other books because of what happened to make it so sad. I will not say what happened to make it so sad that is for you to read and find out. It would spoil things for you if I did.
Sara is one of the sextuplets and has a condition (you will find out what it is when you read the book). She is tired of her single life and decided to go out where she runs into her high school crush Dylan. They have one night together and vow to not talk about it again. Well, that is easier said than done since their chemistry was so off-the-charts-great. But, they do not see each other since she lives in another town, but when circumstances happen to bring her back home and get involved in a project she does run into Dylan because he is one of the contractors bidding for the job.
Dylan can not believe that he is about to bid on a job with Sarah's family, but this is the kind of job that will put him on the map, and he needs this job. He gets the job and it takes everything in his power to keep things professionally since he is working so close to Sara. But that doesn't last long. The attraction from both of them are too powerful to keep at bay.
So Sara decides to make it a friends with benefits type of situation because he grounds her and makes her feel better. Dylan is all for their situation and about them keeping it a secret, then later on he starts realizing that something is changing and it is scaring him. One day something happens at a restaurant and he blows their cover. (If you want to know what pick up the book, I promise it is so worth it.)
After that they decided it is best for them and the project to call it quits because her siblings tell Dylan that if things go south so will his job because family comes first. and they just offered him all of the projects. He can't let that happen and looking back on his past it will go south and he cared too much about Sara to hurt her like that.
Sara is hurt and after she gets a letter she decides that she is in love with Dylan and she is going to fight for him. She goes to his house to wait for him to come home. He tells her that this can't happen, that he is only protecting her. She tells him that her heart can't hurt any worse and she tells him that she is in love with him. He tells her he is not in love with her, even though saying those words hurt his chest.
What happens to the couple? Does anything happen to get them back together?
READ THE BOOK TO FIND THE ANSWERS TO ALL OF THE QUESTIONS I HAVE GIVEN YOU IN YOUR HEAD ABOUT HIS BOOK, I CAN PROMISE YOU IT IS SO WORTH THE READ.
Thanks for reading my review, would love to hear from you.
Until Next Time: Happy Reading.
I have to tell you I loved this book. It made me laugh some and cry a lot. This series is about a set of sextuplets and their brother and a childhood friend whom they took in after his parents passed. It also involves another family whom you will see in the other series as well. (Which is why I decided to start with this series.)
I was still left with a lot of what is going on with some of the characters but I am sure when it comes to their books, I will find my answers. But, I have to say that this one was very sad and I am sure that the sadness will continue over into the other books because of what happened to make it so sad. I will not say what happened to make it so sad that is for you to read and find out. It would spoil things for you if I did.
Sara is one of the sextuplets and has a condition (you will find out what it is when you read the book). She is tired of her single life and decided to go out where she runs into her high school crush Dylan. They have one night together and vow to not talk about it again. Well, that is easier said than done since their chemistry was so off-the-charts-great. But, they do not see each other since she lives in another town, but when circumstances happen to bring her back home and get involved in a project she does run into Dylan because he is one of the contractors bidding for the job.
Dylan can not believe that he is about to bid on a job with Sarah's family, but this is the kind of job that will put him on the map, and he needs this job. He gets the job and it takes everything in his power to keep things professionally since he is working so close to Sara. But that doesn't last long. The attraction from both of them are too powerful to keep at bay.
So Sara decides to make it a friends with benefits type of situation because he grounds her and makes her feel better. Dylan is all for their situation and about them keeping it a secret, then later on he starts realizing that something is changing and it is scaring him. One day something happens at a restaurant and he blows their cover. (If you want to know what pick up the book, I promise it is so worth it.)
After that they decided it is best for them and the project to call it quits because her siblings tell Dylan that if things go south so will his job because family comes first. and they just offered him all of the projects. He can't let that happen and looking back on his past it will go south and he cared too much about Sara to hurt her like that.
Sara is hurt and after she gets a letter she decides that she is in love with Dylan and she is going to fight for him. She goes to his house to wait for him to come home. He tells her that this can't happen, that he is only protecting her. She tells him that her heart can't hurt any worse and she tells him that she is in love with him. He tells her he is not in love with her, even though saying those words hurt his chest.
What happens to the couple? Does anything happen to get them back together?
READ THE BOOK TO FIND THE ANSWERS TO ALL OF THE QUESTIONS I HAVE GIVEN YOU IN YOUR HEAD ABOUT HIS BOOK, I CAN PROMISE YOU IT IS SO WORTH THE READ.
Thanks for reading my review, would love to hear from you.
Until Next Time: Happy Reading.
January 11, 2025
REVIEW: ONLY IN MY DREAMS is the second installment in Darcy Burke’s contemporary, adult Ribbon Ridge romance series focusing on the Archer Sextuplets of Ribbon Ridge. The Archer family owns several successful breweries and pubs, and most of the siblings play a role in the daily business operations. This is event planner Sara Archer and construction contractor Dylan Wescott’s storyline.
Told from alternating third person perspectives the storyline follows the building relationship between Sara and Dylan- a friends with benefits situation-that becomes more secretive when Dylan’s construction company is hired by the Archer clan to renovate a monastery bequeathed to the siblings. Each sibling has been assigned a task, as per the request of the will, and in this the family dynamics begin to crumble when each member has his or her reasons to back out and pull away.
ONLY IN MY DREAMS follows a family struggling with suicide; a death nobody foresaw but one that has affected Sara most of all. Sara is a woman who suffers with SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder) and struggles with the environment around her. The tragic death finds Sara returning home to oversee the coordination of the events program in the newly renovated monastery. From there, Sara’s personal business begins to fail, and the Archer family dynamics spiral out of control. The one constant is her –former one night stand/no strings attached- relationship with Dylan Wescott that soon turns into something more. But when Dylan realizes that sex with the boss may affect his future employment, he stops at nothing to put an end to what they had already started.
ONLY IN MY DREAMS has a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters. We are reintroduced to the entire Archer clan-a set of sextuplets (Evan, Sara, Alex, Tori, Kyle & Liam) and their younger brother Hayden made famous by a television reality show ‘Seven is Enough’ that placed the family front and center on the entertainment pages, along with their ‘foster’ brother Derek (Where The Heart Is .5). There are secrets and misunderstandings shrouding the family happiness; even the parental units are no longer communicating following the death of one of their own.
The storyline ends with a happily ever after, but it was a struggle seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Dylan and Sara continued to push and pull at one another for a majority of the story, while Sara’s siblings fought constantly about control and issues of the past. I can understand why some of the siblings needed to take a break and walk away. A death affects everyone differently; a suicide leaves too many unanswered questions and blame.
ONLY IN MY DREAMS is a well written, emotional and powerful tale; a tragedy that continues to tear apart a family that now struggles with the loss and unanswered questions. Darcy Burke brings drama, passion and heartbreaking pain to a storyline that will captivate your imagination.
Copy supplied by the publisher.
March 17, 2015
Sara Archer has a rather large family which we met in Where The Heart Is, the prequel to this book. The family is large but loving. She has made a life for herself just a half hour drive away, she is an event planner. Sara feels like she is different because she has a disorder known as Sensory Processing Disorder. It makes it hard for her to process things like other people.
Sara decides she has been holed up in her apartment long enough! She needed a night out and her assistant, Craig, agrees! He talks her into going out for some fun and maybe a one night stand. She agrees to go out but not the one night stand. Until she gets to the bar she wanted to go to for the line dancing. She runs into an old friend from her hometown, Ribbon Ridge, he is actually someone she had a crush on even though he was a few years ahead of her in high school.
In comes Dylan Wescott. Very good looking, and at a table with some friends. He recognizes her as well, his brother is one of her brothers best friends, and, of course, there is the tv show. They Archers had sextuplets! So they had a television show for a short time. Sara feels like Dylan is NOT the kind of guy for her "adventure," but he could be fun for a bit. They decide to dance and get reacquainted.
Before Sara realizes it, she is really attracted to Dylan all over again! And they both consent to a one night stand. The night was fantastic! But waking up alone the next day was ok with Sara. She didn't figure she would have to see him again anytime soon.
Unfortunately, Sara was wrong. Her brother Alex, the sickest sextuplet committed suicide and she was devastated. She went home to be with her family and to grieve. But Alex had other ideas! He had set out a task for his brothers and sisters. To do this task, they would need a contractor and so they opened bids for the first part of the job. This would be the perfect job for Dylan Wescott's construction company. This is going to get awkward!
Dylans crew win the bid and things get really tense between him and Sara, she is in charge of the first part of the project. It is going to be an event venue. This is totally in her wheelhouse, so to speak. But the heat she feels every time Dylan is near is almost impossible to resist. So she decides not to. With a grieving family and business problems, he becomes her safe place.
This is going to get messy! I don't do spoilers so I will just say that I like the fact that the author didn't make it easy, at all! The characters are real people with real problems. This book is well written and brought out emotions in me as I read
Highly recommended!
Sara decides she has been holed up in her apartment long enough! She needed a night out and her assistant, Craig, agrees! He talks her into going out for some fun and maybe a one night stand. She agrees to go out but not the one night stand. Until she gets to the bar she wanted to go to for the line dancing. She runs into an old friend from her hometown, Ribbon Ridge, he is actually someone she had a crush on even though he was a few years ahead of her in high school.
In comes Dylan Wescott. Very good looking, and at a table with some friends. He recognizes her as well, his brother is one of her brothers best friends, and, of course, there is the tv show. They Archers had sextuplets! So they had a television show for a short time. Sara feels like Dylan is NOT the kind of guy for her "adventure," but he could be fun for a bit. They decide to dance and get reacquainted.
Before Sara realizes it, she is really attracted to Dylan all over again! And they both consent to a one night stand. The night was fantastic! But waking up alone the next day was ok with Sara. She didn't figure she would have to see him again anytime soon.
Unfortunately, Sara was wrong. Her brother Alex, the sickest sextuplet committed suicide and she was devastated. She went home to be with her family and to grieve. But Alex had other ideas! He had set out a task for his brothers and sisters. To do this task, they would need a contractor and so they opened bids for the first part of the job. This would be the perfect job for Dylan Wescott's construction company. This is going to get awkward!
Dylans crew win the bid and things get really tense between him and Sara, she is in charge of the first part of the project. It is going to be an event venue. This is totally in her wheelhouse, so to speak. But the heat she feels every time Dylan is near is almost impossible to resist. So she decides not to. With a grieving family and business problems, he becomes her safe place.
This is going to get messy! I don't do spoilers so I will just say that I like the fact that the author didn't make it easy, at all! The characters are real people with real problems. This book is well written and brought out emotions in me as I read
Highly recommended!
March 6, 2016
The first in a series of romances about a close-knit family of sextuplets (plus one oops), the Archers that also own multiple pubs and other businesses in the community of Ribbon Ridge.
When the book begins, our heroine Sarah’s friend persuades her go out for a night on the town. She decides to go line dancing, rather than a swank place and spots a former crush from high school, our hero Dylan. A few drinks, they hit it off and later hit the sheets, for one time only.
Fast forward a few months, and the Archer family is gather together for the reading of Alec’s will. The septuplet who’d been in the worst health, Alec killed himself after methodically planning a scheme to draw his scattered family back together. He purchased an old monastary and his family was charged with turning it into a hotel and restaurant. This part of the story is convulated, and designed to sustain the series through multiple siblings.
Sarah is torn on whether to return to Ribbon Ridge to help the project because she’s built up a life and business of her own and values her independence. She grew up with a sensory processing disorder and her protective family had become to stifling. Despite her misgivings, she takes a six month leave of absence to help get the project started.
Meanwhile, Dylan’s a contractor and bids to do the first phase of the project, promising a reunion between the one-night lovers. He’s also battling his own relationship issues. His parents divorced when he was one, remarried and had children. He never felt part of either family. His inability to engage in intimate emotional relationships led to the break-up of his own marriage.
Whew, there’s a lot of layers here – the sensory disorder and the impact on Sarah’s relationship with her family, the lingering impact of the suicide, Dylan’s family challenges and more. The complexity brought some depth to a story line that could have been fairly shallow (how do you work together after a one night stand). The treatment of the suicide and the disorder were sensitive and felt true to life. I also liked the fact that these story lines illustrated that these challenges aren’t a barrier to lasting love.
One subplot involving Sarah’s business did drive me crazy. I won’t get spoilerish – but as someone who’s practiced competition law all I can say is she either had bad legal advice when setting up her business, or received bad advice from her wills and trust attorney.
Bottom line - If you like multilayerd family stories set in small town with characters that face true challenges, this series might be for you.
3.75/5 on romance scale.
When the book begins, our heroine Sarah’s friend persuades her go out for a night on the town. She decides to go line dancing, rather than a swank place and spots a former crush from high school, our hero Dylan. A few drinks, they hit it off and later hit the sheets, for one time only.
Fast forward a few months, and the Archer family is gather together for the reading of Alec’s will. The septuplet who’d been in the worst health, Alec killed himself after methodically planning a scheme to draw his scattered family back together. He purchased an old monastary and his family was charged with turning it into a hotel and restaurant. This part of the story is convulated, and designed to sustain the series through multiple siblings.
Sarah is torn on whether to return to Ribbon Ridge to help the project because she’s built up a life and business of her own and values her independence. She grew up with a sensory processing disorder and her protective family had become to stifling. Despite her misgivings, she takes a six month leave of absence to help get the project started.
Meanwhile, Dylan’s a contractor and bids to do the first phase of the project, promising a reunion between the one-night lovers. He’s also battling his own relationship issues. His parents divorced when he was one, remarried and had children. He never felt part of either family. His inability to engage in intimate emotional relationships led to the break-up of his own marriage.
Whew, there’s a lot of layers here – the sensory disorder and the impact on Sarah’s relationship with her family, the lingering impact of the suicide, Dylan’s family challenges and more. The complexity brought some depth to a story line that could have been fairly shallow (how do you work together after a one night stand). The treatment of the suicide and the disorder were sensitive and felt true to life. I also liked the fact that these story lines illustrated that these challenges aren’t a barrier to lasting love.
One subplot involving Sarah’s business did drive me crazy. I won’t get spoilerish – but as someone who’s practiced competition law all I can say is she either had bad legal advice when setting up her business, or received bad advice from her wills and trust attorney.
Bottom line - If you like multilayerd family stories set in small town with characters that face true challenges, this series might be for you.
3.75/5 on romance scale.
June 25, 2015
Review originally posted at http://kimheniadis.com
This is the first full length book in the Ribbon Ridge series. The novella, Where the Heart Is, introduces the reader to this series. You can find my review for it here.
The book quickly starts out with a bang after Sara sees Dylan at a Western bar, and she decides to do something completely out of her character, have a one night stand. The very steamy sex scene was a great way to start the story.
I’ve read that the best relationships start out when you are friends first. But sometimes you are just so attracted to each other, you just have to go with the flow. And if you become friends after, all the better.
I was a bit confused with the next part, and at first I thought it was a flashback. Sara’s brother , Alex, commits suicide. I thought his part was a bit of back story, which needed to be told. But it wasn’t until the next chapter that I realized that it had been happening while I was reading it, and not a flashback.
At this point two months had passed, and Sara and Dylan meet again when he tries to get the construction contract for the upcoming Archer project. The attraction is still there, and just as hot. But they decide to keep it quiet, so it doesn’t reflect poorly on their working relationship.
Their sexual attraction starts leading to more complicated feelings for both of them. They try to comes to terms with this in various ways. But everything they try ends up causing more problems. You’ll have to read the book to see what Sara and Dylan finally decide.
One of the things I really love about this series is the multidimensional characters. Burke isn’t afraid to write about things that people don’t always talk about. Alex having health problems which leads to depression, and eventually to suicide. Sara has Sensory Processing Disorder, something I have never heard of before. And I believe one of the other Archer siblings has autism.
I would highly recommend this series, and can not wait to read the next book, Yours to Hold.
*I was given a copy of the eBook via the promotional team. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and I was not given any money or material incentives for an honest review of this book.
This is the first full length book in the Ribbon Ridge series. The novella, Where the Heart Is, introduces the reader to this series. You can find my review for it here.
The book quickly starts out with a bang after Sara sees Dylan at a Western bar, and she decides to do something completely out of her character, have a one night stand. The very steamy sex scene was a great way to start the story.
I’ve read that the best relationships start out when you are friends first. But sometimes you are just so attracted to each other, you just have to go with the flow. And if you become friends after, all the better.
I was a bit confused with the next part, and at first I thought it was a flashback. Sara’s brother , Alex, commits suicide. I thought his part was a bit of back story, which needed to be told. But it wasn’t until the next chapter that I realized that it had been happening while I was reading it, and not a flashback.
At this point two months had passed, and Sara and Dylan meet again when he tries to get the construction contract for the upcoming Archer project. The attraction is still there, and just as hot. But they decide to keep it quiet, so it doesn’t reflect poorly on their working relationship.
Their sexual attraction starts leading to more complicated feelings for both of them. They try to comes to terms with this in various ways. But everything they try ends up causing more problems. You’ll have to read the book to see what Sara and Dylan finally decide.
One of the things I really love about this series is the multidimensional characters. Burke isn’t afraid to write about things that people don’t always talk about. Alex having health problems which leads to depression, and eventually to suicide. Sara has Sensory Processing Disorder, something I have never heard of before. And I believe one of the other Archer siblings has autism.
I would highly recommend this series, and can not wait to read the next book, Yours to Hold.
*I was given a copy of the eBook via the promotional team. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and I was not given any money or material incentives for an honest review of this book.
March 12, 2015
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
This is Book 1 in the Ribbon Ridge series and I completely LOVE this book! I absolutely adore the WHOLE Archer family!!! I love that this family deals with real life issues. They are one of my favorite families EVER, as they try to cope after a family tragedy, your heart breaks for all of them. This book is an emotional roller coaster, you don't just read this book, you feel it. It's such a heartfelt novel! A complete page turner as you just never know what is gonna happen next. It's full of surprises. Darcy's beautiful writing has made this family come to life for me. You want to get to know more about each and every family member.
I enjoyed reading Sara and Dylan's story so so much. Sara is such an amazing character, I feel like I know her. I really really want to know her. I love how she is never afraid to stick up for herself. And Dylan, sigh.... is so crush worthy! I'm kinda in love with him. ;) The chemistry between these two is hot and undeniable. I love how they interact together.
This is a MUST READ book!! The kind of book you MUST take with you everywhere, while you devour its pages.
Darcy weaves such an amazing story that you just have to have more. I sincerely hope this series lasts forever, because I never want to let the Archer's go. EVER. With this book, she easily becomes one of my top 3 authors of all time. I can't wait to find out whose story is next! Thanks Darcy for introducing me to the Archer's!!!
This is Book 1 in the Ribbon Ridge series and I completely LOVE this book! I absolutely adore the WHOLE Archer family!!! I love that this family deals with real life issues. They are one of my favorite families EVER, as they try to cope after a family tragedy, your heart breaks for all of them. This book is an emotional roller coaster, you don't just read this book, you feel it. It's such a heartfelt novel! A complete page turner as you just never know what is gonna happen next. It's full of surprises. Darcy's beautiful writing has made this family come to life for me. You want to get to know more about each and every family member.
I enjoyed reading Sara and Dylan's story so so much. Sara is such an amazing character, I feel like I know her. I really really want to know her. I love how she is never afraid to stick up for herself. And Dylan, sigh.... is so crush worthy! I'm kinda in love with him. ;) The chemistry between these two is hot and undeniable. I love how they interact together.
This is a MUST READ book!! The kind of book you MUST take with you everywhere, while you devour its pages.
Darcy weaves such an amazing story that you just have to have more. I sincerely hope this series lasts forever, because I never want to let the Archer's go. EVER. With this book, she easily becomes one of my top 3 authors of all time. I can't wait to find out whose story is next! Thanks Darcy for introducing me to the Archer's!!!
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