Sustained - Book Review

By Emma Chase

Synopsis

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 and 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.

Review

Jake is a defence attorney and a very good one at that, representing spoiled millionaires and wife-beating politicians. A chance encounter with a thieving young boy leads him straight to Chelsea, a young woman who is the legal guardian to her six nieces and nephews. He’s never been interested in the idea of a wife and kids, but he quickly finds himself stepping up and helping Chelsea and the kids with whatever they need. He becomes their protector and defender, but when things become too familiar, Jake’s past causes him to question whether he should go on or cut ties before it’s too late.

SUSTAINED has something that you don’t see very often in M/F romance stories and that is that the story is told entirely from the male’s perspective. That’s right, SUSTAINED is told in Jake’s, and only Jake’s, POV. And it’s hilarious. The way he thinks and where his mind goes was an absolute blast to read. Yes it’s immature, but I loved it anyway.

Jake: Up my sleeve, down my pants. I’ll show her anything she wants to see.

I liked Jake. I thought he was a very funny, down to earth, tell-it-like-it-is guy. He’s very successful but I didn’t like his job except when he used his powers for good instead of evil. Chelsea was wonderful, so kind, caring and patient. Stepping into the parental role for six children aged between six months and 14 years was very selfless and that one act alone really showed the kind of woman she was.

The only disappointing part of the entire story was the breakup. I just didn’t get it. Without trying to give anything away, I don’t understand why Jake felt he couldn’t be who Chelsea and the kids needed him to be when he’d already been that person for months. But other than that, I thought this was a fun and light-hearted read and I enjoyed it very much. SUSTAINED is part of the Legal Briefs series but it can be read as a standalone.