Guest Review: Sustained by Emma Chase

Ames’ review of Sustained by Emma Chase.

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.

Sustained is book 2 in The Legal Briefs series and it can be read as a standalone. However, I read and enjoyed Overruled so if you want to read a quirky book, check it out.

I’ve read a couple Emma Chase titles and she definitely has her own fun style. I’m not sure she’s for everyone but if you like romances from the hero’s POV and he has a snarky internal voice, you should give her a shot. And that’s what we get with Sustained. Jake is a top-notch attorney who defends scumbags and kind of only sees women as a good time. He’s actually a jerk about it. But a scare with one-night stand has him rethinking his slam-bam-thank you ma’am MO and his friends talk him into getting to know a lady before he sleeps with her. First of all, Jake hates that idea. He’s more into instant gratification but he figures he’ll give it a shot. While he’s unsuccessfully trying out the dating scene, he meets Chelsea when he doesn’t have her nephew arrested for theft.

Chelsea’s older brother and his wife died in a horrible car accident, leaving her the legal guardian of six children, ages 14 to 10 months. She was working on her graduate degree and she’s put everything on hold for her family. She’s doing the best she can but these young rascals are definitely keeping her on her toes. The latest incident is Rory trying to steal Jake’s wallet. Jake drops Rory off at home but leaves his card for Chelsea because she’s hot. But Jake gets entangled with Rory again when the youngster steals and crashes a car. Jake understands the grief the children are dealing with and he develops a soft spot for them. But there’s nothing soft about him when it comes to Chelsea. (I couldn’t resist! haha)

Ok, right from when Rory and Jake face off in the street after Jake realizes his wallet is missing, I knew this was going to be a fun book. And it was. A few years ago, if you had asked me if I liked children in my romance, I would have made a face and adamantly said no. Well I am singing a new tune! I loved Chelsea’s nieces and nephews. They were quite precocious and I like how they had Jake wrapped around their sticky fingers in no time. I laughed at their antics and I thought the way the romance played out was quite sweet too. Although this family is dealing with their grief, the book didn’t feel too heavy. And Jake grows as a character by the end of the book. He goes from a man who is very career focused and doesn’t want anything holding him back to a great guy. A knight in tarnished armor. I liked his transformation and I really enjoyed the characters. I don’t say much about Chelsea, but she’s strong. A 26 year old taking on six kids? She’s kick ass too.

Overall, I recommend Sustained. It was a touching but funny story. Thoroughly satisfying.

4.25 out of 5.

This book is available from Gallery. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

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