Title: Sustained (The Legal Briefs, #2)
by Emma Chase
Date of Publication: August 24th 2015
Genre: New Adult | Contemporary Romance
A knight in tarnished armor is still a knight.
When you’re a defense attorney in Washington, DC, you see firsthand how hard life can be, and that sometimes the only way to survive is to be harder. I, Jake Becker, have a reputation for being cold, callous, and intimidating—and that suits me just fine. In fact, it’s necessary when I’m breaking down a witness on the stand.
Complications don’t work for me—I’m a “need-to-know” type of man. If you’re my client, tell me the basic facts. If you’re my date, stick to what will turn you on. I’m not a therapist or Prince Charming—and I don’t pretend to be.
Then Chelsea McQuaid and her six orphaned nieces and nephews came along and complicated the ever-loving hell out of my life. Now I'm going to Mommy & Me classes, One Direction concerts, the emergency room, and arguing cases in the principal's office.
Chelsea’s too sweet, too innocent, and too gorgeous for her own good. She tries to be tough, but she’s not. She needs someone to help her, defend her…and the kids.
And that — that, I know how to do.
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Emma Chase has done with Sustained what she does best—made me laugh and at the same time, shed a tear for her characters.
Sustained, the second book in her The Legal Briefs series is hilarious and heartstrings-tugging at the same time. I read it overnight even though I had to wake up early the next morning because Jake Becker pulled me in with his sass and didn’t want to let me go. Not that I wanted to. *winks*
So, I’ve been pondering this question: what is it with guys, who are big and tough and tattooed and so...manly, that just makes your heart melt when they’re holding a toddler in their arms? Because Jake made me feel that. I don’t understand it at all! All I know is that I had a fun time imagining him in my head with six children ranging from 6 months to 14 years old and giving them tough love all the while slowly falling in love himself.
Anyway, let me tell you the truth: I wasn’t expecting much from this second book because the first one with Stanton and Sofia was so-so for me (you can read my review of that here). I thought back then that Emma set the bar so high with her fabulous first series, Tangled, that it’s hard to like a new series with a whole slew of new characters. But you know what’s good in reading a book that you have low expectations for? The book (and the author) will prove you wrong. And I loved every minute of being proven wrong while reading Sustained.
In my opinion, it has to do with Emma Chase’s knack for writing in a male’s POV. In her Tangled series, 3 out of 4 books were written in the male POV and all of those, I loved. I loved the second book, Twisted, too, don’t get me wrong but it dealt with a more emotional level of storytelling. I’m a woman so I already know how we think and that’s why hearing it from the guy’s side is much more entertaining. As luck would have it, Ms. Chase is so talented in giving voice to men’s thoughts and it wasn’t any different here in the second book.
What I really loved about this though is Jake’s struggle to realize his worth to be a part of the McQuaids’ life. I loved reading psychoanalysis lectures for class so I guess I was psychoanalyzing his thoughts and actions all the while urging him to realize the root of his problem. There were times when I felt my heart being squeezed in my chest because I really felt for him.
I was pleased, too, that other characters were made sure to be characters and not just there to fill some description of the workplace and stuff. Stanton, Sofia and Brent, heck even Tom Caldwell, were part of Jake’s growth as a character. I loved the wee ones most because they’re all so endearing and comical! I was most surprised by Jake’s leading lady, Chelsea McQuaid because I was expecting her to be a meek character and not emotionally strong but I soon realized that she’s a perfect mix of both.
Anyway, those are the reasons why I loved this book—hilarious banter, heart-clenching scenes, and exciting characters. I promise all you Emma Chase fans, old and new, that you are going to absolutely love this latest book from this fun-tastic author.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for providing a review copy. It has not, in any way, influenced my thoughts about this book.
5/5 Fun-tastic Stars
About the Author:
By day, Emma Chase is a devoted wife and mother of two who resides in a small, rural town in New Jersey. By night she is a keyboard crusader, toiling away the hours to bring her colorful characters and their endless antics to life. She has a long standing love/hate relationship with caffeine.Emma is an avid reader. Before her children were born she was known to consume whole books in a single day. Writing has also always been a passion and with the 2013 release of her debut romantic comedy, Tangled, the ability to now call herself an author is nothing less than a dream come true.
Love,
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