Sustained by Emma Chase (The Legal Briefs #2)
Released:
Contemporary Romance
Gallery

Reviewed by Mandi

Long, long ago I tried Tangled by this author, and I didn’t like the hero. I can’t remember exactly why, but he just didn’t work for me. So I never tried her again – but then Jane from Dear Author told me she thought I’d like this one, so I gave it a try. And she was right! I giggle-snorted through this sexy romance.

Jake Becker is a very successful criminal defense attorney. He has cutting verbal skills, imposing height, and an attitude that can bring anyone to their knees. Jake is very confident both in the courthouse and in the bedroom. His philosophy when it comes to dating is – don’t date. Just have sex – usually once with each woman, and move on. No strings. No emotions. And he is darn good at it. But when a former bed-mate tells him she contracted syphilis and she might have gave it to him, he freaks out. His friends say maybe it’s time he get to know a woman before dragging her to the bedroom. He agrees to try to date someone for – gasp – three dates before having sex. It’s much harder than he thought it would be.

No more nameless hookups. No more jilted girlfriends with self-esteem issues looking to lose themselves in a stranger fuck. From here on out, it’s dating only. I’ll get to know them. I’ll become goddamn choosy, no matter how unappetizing it sounds.

[…]

“So…what’s the typical schedule with the whole dating thing? How long before one gets to the actual fucking?”

“Three dates,” they all answer simultaneously.

My eyebrows rise. “Three dates? Seriously? Are you guys, like…more religious than I ever knew?”

 

Chelsea McQuaid’s life has not turned out how she expected. Out west studying art history, she learns her brother and his wife died in a horrific car accident. They leave behind six children aka Chelsea’s nieces and nephews. With no other family, Chelsea picks up her life, and moves to Washington, DC to become their guardian. The six kids ranging from teenage to baby is a lot for Chelsea to deal with. Two months post-accident, some of the kids are acting out. Rory, ten years old pick-pockets Jake on the street coming home from school. Jake, having NONE of that, catches him and drives the kid to his house – which is how he meets Chelsea. Domesticity is not Jake’s thing – so a house full of six unruly kids is shocking – but – Chelsea. She is so sexy, and confident, and full of energy. He is drawn to her – he can’t help it – and they start a very surprising, adorable romance.

Let’s talk about Jake first. This story is all in his point of view which is a fun change. When we first meet Jake, he rides that jerky-asshole edge real close. He is arrogant, and cocky and thinks he has life all figured out. But Chelsea changes him. He still keeps that edge (cusses constantly, huffs and puffs about things, still arrogant) but she softens him. He starts to realize there is more than just getting a woman between the sheets. If he wants a chance with Chelsea, he is forced to deal with her six nieces and nephews. While many funny moments ensue because Jake goes from having no idea how to deal with kids to treating them as adults, he starts to fall in love with them too.

Don’t run away freaking out because this romance book is full of kids. I’m picky with kids in romance books – and I can’t think of a time when they bothered me. They are written well – they represent their ages, they are goofy and sometimes bratty and they all made me giggle.

Chelsea truly loves her new family – she is completely exhausted and at times totally overwhelmed, but she never whines. She is mature and fun. She likes that Jake flirts with her and definitely wants to pursue the relationship. Jake just needs to realize his life may end up not as he planned it.

I felt the ending conflict/drama fight between Chelsea and Jake was a little more – big – than I expected it to be. But overall, this is a really fun and very sexy book. Highly recommend it.

P.S – I talked with several people who didn’t enjoy the first book in this series, Overruled, but did enjoy Sustained.

Grade: B+

Goodreads l Author Website l Series

Kindle l Nook