Sustained (The Legal Briefs #2) 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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This installment of The Legal Briefs Series was even better than the first. Jake and Chelsea's romance is unconventional and full of heat, humor, and heart (and apparently alliteration). Jake Becker is the knight that the McQuaid family needs, even if he almost loses it all because of his own stupidity. I was hooked from the very beginning and couldn't put it down. There's a nice little twist at the end, which ensures a shake up for all the characters in The Legal Briefs universe. This is shaping up to be an excellent series from Emma Chase, on par with her Tangled Series. Totally worth the read.

Overruled (The Legal Briefs #1) by Emma Chase

As a DC defense attorney, Stanton Shaw keeps his head cool, his questions sharp, and his arguments irrefutable. They don’t call him the Jury Charmer for nothing – with his southern drawl, disarming smile and captivating green eyes – he’s a hard man to say no to. Men want to be him and women want to be thoroughly cross examined by him.

Stanton’s a man with a plan. And for a while, life was going according to that plan.

Until the day he receives an invitation to the wedding of his high school sweetheart and mother of his beloved ten-year old daughter. Jenny is getting married — to someone who isn’t him.

That's definitely not part of the plan.

***

Sofia Santos is a city raised, no-nonsense litigator who plans to become the most revered criminal defense attorney in the country. She doesn’t have time for relationships or distractions.

But when Stanton, her "friend with mind-blowing benefits" begs for help, she finds herself out of her element, out of her depth, and obviously out of her mind. Because she agrees to go with him – to The-Middle-Of-Nowhere, Mississippi – to do all she can to help Stanton win back the woman he loves.

Her head tells her she's crazy...and her heart says something else entirely.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What a fantastic start to a great new series! I have loved Emma Chase's writing since being introduced to Drew Evans and the Tangled Series, so I was definitely curious about what she would be releasing after that series came to a close. It was nice to visit briefly with Drew at the beginning of this story, but Stanton and Sofia definitely steal the show in this book. Plus it takes place in D.C.! Right in my backyard! 

Emma had me hook, line, and sinker from page one. This book lacks a little bit of the humor that made the Tangled Series so great, but I wouldn't put that down as a negative...just different. There was definitely a step up in the sexy department, as some of the love scenes left me wanting to turn the AC up from the heat. I love how the book jumped back and forth between Stanton and Sofia, because it allowed the reader a front row seat to both character's thoughts as they realized their causal relationship was anything but. The story line was genius and it wasn't predictable or cliche at all. It was a highly enjoyable read from start to finish. I'm excited to get my hands on the next installment, Sustained, which comes out later this month, and see where this series goes. Highly recommend that you pick this one up!

2015 Reading Challenge: A book with a love triangle

Baby, It's Cold Outside by Jennifer Probst, Emma Chase, Grace Douglas, Melody Anne, and Kate Meader

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling indie authors Jennifer Probst, Emma Chase, Kristen Proby, Melody Anne, and debut author Kate Meader come together to write a sizzling romance anthology.

Outside it may be frosty, so turn the heat way up with these stories of desire!

Can a determined woman executive and a playboy billionaire survive being stranded together in a snowstorm? Jennifer Probst depicts an encounter almost too hot to handle...

Drew and Kate play an encore to Tangled in this sexy take on a "Christmas Carol" by Emma Chase. When a Christmas Eve argument condemns Drew to a troubled night, three dream women teach him that no gift could be more tantalizing than Kate...

With Kristen Proby, ski slopes are quite delightful. Grace Douglas is sure she'll never learn to ski, but instructor Jacob Baxter could teach her lessons of a different kind...

Can a southern California transplant survive Montana's deep snows? Melody Anne, author of the bestselling Andersons series, melts the icy drifts completely away with the heat between sexy Hawk Winchester and brand-new teacher Natalie Duncan...

What could be hotter than a firefighter? Kate Meader shows how, as Beck Rivera and heiress-turned-tattoo-artist Lucy Cochrane discover, nothing ignites holiday flames like rekindling a lost love...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is a fun little collection of sexy holiday tales. Although these stories are connected to varies book series, this book can be read and enjoyed as a stand alone. I enjoyed all the stories and will definitely be checking out some of the authors I haven't read before. My favorite story came from Emma Chase, and involved one of my favorite book boyfriends, Drew Evans, in a fun twist on A Christmas Carol. If you're looking for a fun holiday distraction, this book fits the bill.

Tied (Tangled #4) by Emma Chase

In the fourth sexy romance by the New York Times bestselling author of Tangled and Twisted, Drew and Kate can't wait to tie the knot, if they can survive the pre-wedding festivities.

For most of my life, I never imagined I'd get married. But Kate did the impossible: she changed me. I think we can all agree I was pretty frigging awesome before, but now I'm even better.

The road to this day wasn't all rainbows and boners. There were mistakes and misunderstandings worthy of a Greek tragedy. But Kate and I made it through with our inexhaustible lust, boundless admiration, and everlasting love for one another intact.

That being said, there were some unexpected incidents in Vegas last weekend that could have been a problem. It was kind of my final test.

I know what you're thinking, what the hell did you do this time? Relax. Let's not judge, or call for my castration, until you've heard the whole story.

And hold on tight, because you're in for a wild ride. Did you expect anything less?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Drew Evans is one of my favorite book boyfriends. I love his confidence (or arrogance), his charm, and his sex appeal. I have loved watching him and Kate fall in love and grow as a couple. It was nice to be back inside Drew's head for this final installment, and I can't help but be proud of the man that he has become. What a long way he has come from when we first met him! While I enjoyed that version, I have to say that his final version is so much better. This was the perfect conclusion and happy ending for this couple, and Emma delivers everything you would expect - wit, humor, and plenty of sexy. I once again found myself laughing out loud at some parts, while tearing up at some of the sweeter moments. Fans of the series will not be disappointed.

Tamed (Tangled #3) by Emma Chase

Tamed is the third installment in the Tangled series, and this time we get to see the world through the eyes of Matthew Fisher, Drew's best friend. Matthew is every bit the playboy that Drew is, but maybe not as cynical. Matthew is fine with playing the field, especially after getting his heart ripped out in college. Sure he plans on settling down and getting married someday, but for now he is content to have fun with all the Ms. Wrongs he meets along the way.

When Matthew meets Dee Dee, Kate's best friend, he knows right away that there is something special about her. But Dee Dee has been burned too many times, and despite the connection she has with Matthew, she is hesitant to jump into a full on relationship with him. The more time Matthew spends with Dee Dee, the more he wants to convince her to trust him and let him in. The question is: can she do it?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Emma Chase delivers another great installment in this series with Tamed. I can see why Matthew and Drew are best friends, and by the end of this book, I loved Matthew just as much as Drew. One of my favorite things about this series is the humor. This book is just as laugh out loud funny as Drew's book. I love Emma's leading men - they are sexy, smart, witty, arrogant, and dripping with confidence. I love watching them get knocked on their asses by love. Dee Dee is also a great character. She is vivacious and strong, with just the right amount of vulnerability to make her believable and easy to relate to. 

The humor in this book is probably not for everyone, but I think it is sarcasm at its finest. I'm always impressed when I remember that this book is written by a female, because she so perfectly nails the male POV. I've even read passages to my guy friends to make sure, and they pretty much say she nails the nail on the head when it comes to the male perspective. Tamed is well worth the read, especially if you are looking for a good laugh mixed in with your romance.

The fourth installment in this series, Tied, is due out in October, and I for one can't wait to see what's in store for this group of characters.

Twisted (Tangled #2) by Emma Chase

Drew and Kate are back in the second installment of the Twisted Series. We watched them fall in love in Tangled, but this couple is not riding off into the sunset just yet. An unexpected surprise and a catastrophic misunderstanding, sends Kate running back home. As everything comes crashing down around her, Kate is left facing a life altering decision. A decision that might mean the end of her and Drew.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Drew’s quick wit, arrogance, and charm quickly won me over in Tangled, so naturally I was super excited to hear that Emma was continuing the series. I was slightly disappointed to hear that this book was not going to be from Drew’s POV, but having read it and knowing the plot line, it makes sense that it would be told from Kate’s POV (except for the very end, when Drew takes over). This one was not as laugh out loud funny as the last book (although there are still moments that had me bursting out with laughter). This book was a slight departure from the last one, because this is the point where Drew and Kate’s relationship gets real. There is always a moment when a couple’s relationship crosses over from the honeymoon stage to the “stuff just got real” stage. Twisted represents that shift for Drew and Kate. As a result, this book is a lot more emotional and a lot less funny than the first, but it also had a lot more heart. While I hated watching everything imploded and fall apart, I loved watching it all come back together and I can’t wait for the rest of the books in the series.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Up next in the series...

Book #3: Tamed

Scheduled Release Date: July 2014

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: girl meets player, they fall in love, player changes his ways.

It’s a good story. But it’s not our story. Ours is a lot more colorful.

When I met Dee I knew right away that she was special. When she met me, she thought I was anything but special—I was exactly like every other guy who’d screwed her over and let her down. It took some time to convince her otherwise, but turns out I can make a convincing argument when sex is at stake.

You might know where this story’s headed. But the best part isn't where we ended up. It’s how we got there.

TAMED goes back in time to the Tangled days. But this time around, it’s not Drew dishing out the advice and opinions—it’s his best friend Matthew, who of course is dealing with Dee Dee.

Book #4: Tied

Scheduled Release Date: October 2014

Drew and Kate can’t wait to tie the knot—if they can survive the pre-wedding festivities.

For most of my life, I never imagined I’d get married. But Kate did the impossible: she changed me. I think we can all agree I was pretty frigging awesome before, but now I’m even better.

The road to this day wasn’t all rainbows and boners. There were mistakes and misunderstandings worthy of a Greek tragedy. But Kate and I made it through with our inexhaustible lust, boundless admiration, and everlasting love for one another intact.

That being said, there were some unexpected incidents in Vegas last weekend that could have been a problem. It was kind of... my final test.

I know what you’re thinking—what the hell did you do this time? Relax. Let’s not judge, or call for my castration, until you've heard the whole story.

And hold on tight, because you’re in for a wild ride. Did you expect anything less?

Holy Frigging Matrimony (Tangles #1.5) by Emma Chase

Picking up about a year after Tangled, this delightful short story has Drew and Kate attending the wedding of their friends, Dee Dee and Matthew. Drew is back in all his sexy and sarcastic glory. He is just as devilish and full of fantastic one-liners as ever. This was a fun little read. I always enjoy getting caught up in Drew's head.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm excited for what's next in the series...We can expect Twisted (Tangled #2) in March, 2014. No cover yet, but here is the blurb. Enjoy!

There are two kinds of people in the world. The ones who look first, and the ones who leap. I’ve always been more of a looker. Cautious. A planner. That changed after I met Drew Evans. He was so persistent. So sure of himself – and of me.

But not all love stories end happily ever after. Did you think Drew and I were going to ride off into the sunset? Join the club. Now I have to make a choice, the most important of my life. Drew already made his –in fact, he tried to decide for the both of us. But you know that’s just not my style. So I came back to Greenville. Alone. Well, sort of alone....

What I've come to realize is that old habits die hard and sometimes you have to go back to where you began, before you can move ahead.

TWISTED picks up two years after Tangled’s end, and is told from Kate’s POV.

Tangled (Tangled #1) by Emma Chase

Drew Evans is used to getting what he wants. He is handsome, arrogant, makes multimillion dollar business deals and can have whatever woman he wants. He has loyal friends and as the baby of the family, is spoiled. Drew is the master of his universe, until he meets a brunette bombshell in a bar who refuses to give into his advances. When they part ways, she remains in Drew's thoughts.

When the new associate at Drew's father's investment banking firm turns out to be Katherine "Kate" Brooks, the bombshell from the bar, Drew finds his life turned upside down. Kate is brilliant and ambitious, unavailable, and refuses to be thrown off her game by Drew. Drew and Kate become professional competitors as they both compete to land a huge account and the sexual tension between the two is palpable. When they are forced to work together, they will discover that professionally they make a great team. Drew still wants more. He is desperate to have Kate.

When his chance finally arrives, Drew finds himself feeling things he never thought he would, or could. Spooked by the depth of his feelings for Kate, Drew makes a mistake that causes him to lose his chance at love and happiness. After spending a week holed up in his apartment with "the flu," Drew realizes what an idiot he has been and sets off on a mission to get Kate back. Will Kate give him a second chance?

I loved this book! Once I started, I couldn't put it down. I loved that it was told from Drew's point of view. He is smart, witty, and a total playboy, but it made for an extremely entertaining narrative. I found myself shaking my head at his antics, smiling at his audacity, and laughing out loud. When I finished, I had the urge to go right back to the beginning and read it again. The characters were great, the story was well written, there are plenty of steamy scenes, which all make this a fantastic read. Drew is joining the ranks of my book boyfriends and I'm sure I will be picking this one up again and again.

There is another book which is in the works according to Goodreads. There is no cover or synopsis, so I'm not sure if it will be a continuing story or a spin off. I couldn't find out any further information from Emma's website either. Either way, whatever it is, I will most definitely be picking up the next book in this series.