Love Happens Anyway

By: RJ Scott

Narrated by: Sean Crisden

Hiring a boyfriend for Christmas, what could possibly go wrong?

Derek is facing yet another Christmas where his life feels out of control. He has a new career that doesn’t feel like his, and parents who would just love to see him settled down. All he needs is a temporary buffer for the parties he has to attend, and for his parents to leave him alone. Enter, Luke.

Luke is 20,000 dollars short for the renovations on Halligans, his family’s bar in New York’s Financial District. A favor for a buddy has him agreeing to play the part of boyfriend to a guy with more money than sense.

But when the spirit of Christmas works its magic on the two men, and they begin to fall for each other, Derek runs scared, and Luke needs space.

It doesn’t matter what obstacles you throw in the way of love, or how much you run in the other direction, because, when you’re least expecting it, whether you want it or not, love happens anyway.

Word Count: 42,500

©2017, 2018 RJ Scott (P)2018 RJ Scott

Awesome Holiday Listen & Read for Anytime of Year

Audiobook Re-Read Review September 2019:
I really don't think there is anything I can add to either my original ebook review or last year's audiobook review. I may have listened to this a few months before the holidays but with RJ Scott's words and Sean Crisden's voice, I kept expecting to look up and see snow and my holiday light display outside my window. Brilliant holiday tale from beginning to end.

Original Audiobook Review December 2018:
There's not a whole lot that I can add to my original review from last year in regards to the excellence of the story so I'll just say that Sean Crisden once again brings voice as only he can to RJ's words. That's not quite true, no, he brings life to the world RJ Scott has created in her holiday tale. RJ wrote Derek and Luke as if they were people you would meet at the store in your hometown but Sean's voice lets you feel like they are right there in the room with you. That you are witnessing firsthand their blossoming romance which is helpful because as I said last year there was more than one occasion that I wanted to whack Derek upside the head and Sean made me feel like if I just stretched out my arm I could do just that😉😉. RJ and Sean are a combo that I hope continues for years to come.

Original ebook review December 2017:
As Derek continues to settle into life at the top and head of the family business he also finds himself trying to fend off his mother's meddling in his personal life. In hopes of easing her off the "Derek settled down" train he's told her about Marcus, the boyfriend. Unfortunately there is no boyfriend. Luke is in need of some cash to help his family restaurant so when his friend offers him a chance to make a few bucks for the holiday season he really doesn't have the choice to turn it down. Will Luke make the perfect Marcus or will Derek find Luke to perfect just as he is? Can business turn to love?

If you follow myy blog and/or reviews then you are familiar with my love for the worlds created by RJ Scott. She is the reason I found the M/M romance genre but its more than that, her love for all things romance is clear when you read her work. As for her holiday romances, well there is just something extra special about them and Love Happens Anyway is no different.

Derek and Luke's story has a little bit of everything, okay maybe there's no sci-fi element and no murder mystery but it has everything else: lust, romance, humor, and plenty of holiday heart. Sure, I wanted to grab Derek by his expensive labels, give him a good shake, and scream things like "Tell your mom the truth", "Open your eyes", and "Luke Is Marcus" but alas, Derek never listened to me. So I just buckled up and went along for the ride. I'll just say this: despite wanting to whack Derek upside the head more than once, I loved every minute of Love Happens Anyway. As for Luke, well you can't help but love him for the way he's accepted what life has thrown in his path and kept going, not everyone would but he did.

I don't have a lot of time to do any re-reading during the holiday season, there's just so many wonderful new stories every year, so I think I'm going to have to do a Re-Read Holiday Style next summer and Love Happens Anyway will definitely be in the running for that list. I have read so many wonderful tales over the past few years that I have long ago learned to never judge a book by its cover but I would be failing in my review if I didn't mention how much I absolutely adore RJ's cover for Derek and Luke's journey. The color is eyecatching but its the snowman's cheeky smirk that really makes it perfect and once you read Love you will understand it's significance. Most of all, I think it speaks volumes to the author's understanding and appreciation for meshing romance, drama, holiday spirit and just the right amount of humor to bring to the reader that extra special fun factor.

A sweet, sexy Holiday Romp!!

Kudos to RJ Scott for this delightful, tender holiday story. A delicious story of an unconventional romance from nowhere! One party needed the cash, the other an excuse for failed relationships & missed opportunities. Both finding what they ultimately needed!

Sean Crisden's sexy, beautiful voice did justice to this tender story! I swear I'd pay generously to hear him read from the Oxford dictionary! Such a seductive, tantalizing voice that brought life to each character the author introduced!

A delicious holiday treat that won't disappoint any M/M romance aficionado! A tender, loving story-thread that draws you in from the beginning. Well done!!❤

Cute Story

Overall::: 4 out of 5 stars
Story::: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars
Narrator::: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

I enjoy these quick stories with unexpected feelings...and make it a holiday story and it's even harder to beat!!! Derek and Luke were destined to fall in love, but they both denied it - almost to the point of too much denial! I was happy with this story and the way it was told.

The narrator did a fair job of distinguishing between characters, but what he did so well was putting the emotions and feelings into the story! I could feel the emotions so clearly as I listened to him tell the story. There isn’t much better in an audio book!

The story was quick, but cute. I think it would have been a little better with a little more of Luke’s story thrown in. I know we met both families, but I just wanted a little more of his background.

Adorable, A Great Holiday Read

As soon as I saw that adorable snowman on the cover of RJ Scott’s Love Happens Anyway I knew I couldn’t resist this one. Doesn’t he look sweet and a little bit naughty? Well that pretty much sums up this book. There’s a lot of heart too, and the kind of feels which left me smiling. What more could anyone need in a holiday story?

This is an extra special audiobook for me as one of my all-time favorite narrators, Sean Crisden, lends his magical vocals. Crisden’s smooth, melodic voice is perfect for Luke, and he infuses just enough anxious uncertainty into Derek to make you feel it. Honestly, he can croon in my ear any time he likes and I won’t complain.

These two men are both dealing with some big changes in their lives. Derek has recently taken over his dad’s advertising company and is struggling to make it his own. Plus, his previous string of boyfriends all treated him so badly that hiring an escort to play his fictional boyfriend (for $30,000!) is the better option.

Luke is a retired firefighter, severely injured in the line of duty, who still feels the pain of 9/11 - when he lost his dad. His priorities are his family, his volunteer work, and getting on his feet again. He relents and agrees to work the escort gig because the money will be enough to reopen the family bar…. Plus, when Luke gets a look at the contradiction that is Derek Henderson, he’s intrigued!

I’m a sucker for the “pretend boyfriend” trope. Both these guys are floundering a bit on their own, and they really just need to find someone to love. Watching them sort out their problems, and then work them out together, left me grinning like that snowman. Granted, these two do fall in love pretty quickly, but that just adds to the magical holiday feel that RJ Scott creates in Love Happens Anyway.

My Thoughts on Love Happens Anyway

This was a highly enjoyable holiday romance. The premise of this story got my attention. However it was the author's solid writing and the narrator having an interesting sounding voice is what kept me listening.

Both main characters in this MM contemporary romance were likeable, although I must admit I was especially fond of Luke. He had great qualities like his family loyalty and he was heroic.

While this was a short story, I really like what was done with it. It was a sweet romance and contained all the important things I look for.

The narrator Sean Crisden was a new to me narrator, but he did a good job. Nice tone distinction with so many characters and his voice was easy to listen to.

Overall this is a story I would recommend and it has me interested in looking for more books by this author and narrator.

Sean Crisden and RJ Scott make magic again.

A sweet and hot Christmas story.

I enjoyed this story a lot when I read it last year but now that I've listened to Sean Crisden's performance of the audiobook I love it even more. He's bumped it up to 5 stars all around for me. I think I must like listening to first-person POV better than just reading it. Below is my original review from December 2017.

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Love Happens Anyway is a sweet story of a man, Derek, who feels pressure from his parents to find the right guy and a man, Luke, who's had to change his life to fit his new circumstances.

The story is told in first person POV, alternating chapters between Derek and Luke. I believe that this is the only first person POV story that I've read by RJ Scott. I have to admit that first person POV isn't my favorite but I've come to realize that the author has a lot to do with my enjoyment of this POV. RJ Scott is on my list of favorite authors and she did a great job telling this story.

I love fake boyfriend (or girlfriend) stories, add in the fact that this is a Christmas story and that makes it all that much better. The fact that Derek is paying for Luke's services as a boyfriend complicates their growing relationship. Once they finally start talking to each other things start to work out.

I usually judge books by how much they engage my emotions. I admit that it took a bit longer for that to happen with this story (Derek was kind of a jerk in the beginning) but once I became fully invested in Derek and Luke's situation the tears came. That's a perfect indication of how much a story touches my heart. There were wonderful and respectful mentions of nine-eleven in the story. Luke's father and uncle were heroes and casualties of that terrible day.

I have to mention how much I love the cover for this book and the great way it ties into the story. I'm also quite fond of the name that RJ has given to one of the kittens. 😊

RJ Scott always delivers an HEA for her characters and I loved the epilogue that gives an insight into how Derek and Luke are doing a year down the road.

An advanced copy of this audiobook was provided to me but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author.

So So So Amazing

I have read and reviewed this ebook in the past. This rendition brings a new dynamic to the story. This is an amazing telling about falling in love and the feelings of not being enough for the other person. This is a M/M story but it could be any sex or any couple going through this. I would highly recommend this to anyone.

Cute holiday story!

Soooo cute! This is adorable! We have a really sweet guy who has hit a rough patch and an adorable but weaker guy who hasn’t really stood up to his folks like he should.

This is pretty much the ideal set up for a “fake boyfriend” and it plays out pretty wonderfully.

I found it easy to fall into and was mostly swept away – the narration helped make this so easy!

There were a couple of things that brought me out of the story. Derek’s life is too easy and I didn’t always understand why his super sweet family was the cause of such angst. I also felt like he was offering a huge sum of money for 4 dates without sex.

But… it was pretty fun and I enjoyed it – especially with Sean Crisden’s narration – his voice is so sexy and easy to listen to!


4 of 5 stars for the story and 5 of 5 for the narration

4.5 of 5 stars overall

Cute Christmas story

Hiring a boyfriend for Christmas; what can go wrong?
- Short version - a lot can and usually will go wrong.

I'm a fan of the whole fake boyfriend trope. It is fun, can lead to more than a few awkward situations which in turns leads to more fun for the reader or listener. Win, win all around.

Being tired of his mother’s constant needling and meddling, Derek has made up a fake boyfriend to get her to back off. A fake boyfriend, with a complete backstory to boot- pets and all. Only problem is; it's Christmas and his mother is insisting on meeting this perfect specimen of a man. So what's a man to do but hire himself a fake boyfriend for a few nights...

Luke is in a bit of a bind and needs to come up with a lot of money, and fast if he wants to be able to keep and open his family's bar. As a last resort re agrees to help his friend out by accepting to play the part of a boyfriend to one of his clients. It's good money and only a few nights - what could possibly go wrong?

The plot in general was okay. It was straight forward, mostly uncomplicated and sweet. Something I’ve found most Christmas stories have in common. They make you feel good. Love Happens Anyway is a book that's enjoyable for the moment but not one that will stay with you after it's finished. Not that there's anything wrong with that - I love books like that. They are relaxing, and don't demand anything from the reader.

Sean Crisden delivered once again. With his accents, voices and emotion he made this listen both effortless and enjoyable. It shows why there's never a question of if I should pick up one of his narrations, only when.

Love Happens Anyway is a perfect Christmas story. It makes you believe that you might just find your wish under that Christmas tree and there’s still magic in the world, all you have to do is open your eyes and take a chance.

A copy of this book was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review for Love Bytes.

Very cute

I must say it was a cute, sweet, tender hearted read. Very real and fun.