Desiree Hartsock responded to the criticism that she may have "settled" for Chris Siegfried after she was dumped by Brooks Forester on season 9 of The Bachelorette.

In People magazine's article titled "I Didn't Settle", Hartsock said it was easy for her to choose Siegfried because of the way he made her feel.

"I was used to chasing and struggling in relationships. With Chris, I feel like nothing could ever go wrong," Hartsock reportedly told People.

She said Forester leaving her helped her recognize Seigfried's better qualities she had ignored throughout season 9.

"I was blind-sided. Brooks leaving gave me clarity. I had been falling in love with Chris," she said.

She admitted that the devastating blow of being dumped by Forester "accelerated" her feelings for Siegfried.

"Feelings are very accelerated during this process," she explained of her quick-thinking decision to commit to Siegfried. "And that helped me get over the hurt... after [my date with Brooks] in Antigua, my feelings were solidified."

Hartsock may have been responding to brother Nate Hartsock's comment in a previous interview. Nate told Life & Style last month that it's "obvious" his sister settled for Siegfried because she was dumped by Forester.

Nate also said his sister appeared in season 9 of The Bachelorette because she was desperate to get hitched.

"Desiree went on the show because she wanted to get married so badly and she wanted the family and to have kids," Nate told Life & Style. "Obviously Chris wasn't her first choice" he said, referring to Forester.

"I think it's obvious she settled for him, but Desiree is at the point where she's 'all in' with Chris, and I think he is just happy he gets to be with her," he said. "I could see a wedding happening even quicker than next summer."

Forester dumped Desiree in the episode before the show's finale after she told ABC cameras she looked forward to seeing him the most in Antigua. Forester, meanwhile admitted to his family and host Chris Harrison he "wasn't madly in love" with Desiree.

"I don't feel like I'll regret this...I think I've come to a conclusion where I don't think that Des is the love of my life," Brooks told Harrison. "I gave it everything that I had and I love so many things about Desiree, but I'm not in love with her."

Tags
Desiree Hartsock, The Bachelorette season 9, The Bachelorette 2013