Name: Overruled
ISBN: 9781501102035

Emma Chase

A Washington, DC, defence attorney, Stanton Shaw keeps his head cool, his questions sharp, and his arguments irrefutable. They don't call him the Jury Charmer for nothing. 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, the mother of his beloved ten-year-old daughter. Jenny is getting married-to someone who isn't him. Sofia Santos is a city-raised, no-nonsense litigator who plans to become the most revered criminal defence attorney in the country. She doesn't have time for relationships or distractions. But when Stanton, her "friend with mind-blowing benefits," begs her 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 happens when you mix a one-stop-light town, two professional arguers, a homecoming queen, four big brothers, some Jimmy Dean sausage, and a gun-toting Nana?

Overruled

Minahil Fatima 

didn’t totally love that the mmc was in love with someone else for half the book. anyways this book affirmed the puzzle theory for me

Valeria 

Ashley

no doubts giving 5 stars

stanton could've done.. more. all good though

Lover of Romance 

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance
  

 
  
    Summary 
  
 
Stanton Shaw, went to college, and had to tough it out being away from the girl he loved and the child they had together. He keeps busy with his studies and makes some friends. Little by little, he makes compromises with Jenny that he would have never imagined if she hadn't pushed for it despite how much it hurt her in the process. He started living a life in the city, and craved it and loved every moment. Now ten years later, he is a DC defense attorney, trying to make partner. His current partner in the firm, Sofia is also a woman he has been having sex with for almost a year. They have a relationship as friends with benefits. Then Stanton hears about some painful news....Jenny is getting married to another man. Stanton is outraged, and he convinces Sofia to come along with him to keep himself from being an ass and to win Jenny back. But Stanton never imagined how stubborn and willful Jenny would be. Or how much he despises JD yet at the same time respect him. But as he pursues Jenny, attempting to convince her to leave her fiance and be with him again....the feelings between Stanton and Sofia become more realized. Stanton will need to choose over the woman of his past or the woman of his present?
 
  
    The Hero 
  
 
Stanton Shaw, always dreamed of living the small town he grew up in. He had always great plans for the future. But when he was seventeen, he was shocked when his girlfriend and childhood sweetheart, ends up pregnant. At first he knows the right thing is to marry her. But Jenny refuses him, not wanting to hold him back from his dreams. Willing to wait until he has cultivated his career. But as time goes by, Stanton starts to drift away from his loyalties to Jenny, and enjoying the life of college---and the wild girls who crave his attention. Now ten years have passed, and even though he is a respected lawyer, his attitude toward Jenny hasn't changed. He doesn't like change, he likes circumstances as they are. I liked this hero but then I didn't. Quite simply he was a conceited ass!! But quite frankly Jenny kinda helped him get there. At first I admired how noble he was to Jenny. Wanting to stay loyal and not have affairs or anything. But when a woman tells a man she is okay with an open relationship (but really isn't)....especially when you live thousands of miles away from each other....well then he is bound to stray. And boy does Stanton stray. But this isn't what made me dislike him like I did at times. Its the way he lives a double standard. Its okay for him to sleep around while having a relationship with Jenny on the side when he happens to deign them with his presence. But when she gets engaged....ALL bets are off. Boy does he go overboard. But somehow this author won me over with him. He is human...he makes mistakes, especially with Sofia. But he learns even if it takes a while to get it through his thick skull.
 
  
    The Heroine 
  
 
Sofia Stantos, is very career driven but that doesn't mean she doesn't dream of love or having a family. Sofia is very close to her family, her parents came to the states to start anew. She and her brothers were involved in a plane accident when she was young and can't fly. It still haunts her at times. Sofia has worked hard to become successful. Even though she is friends with benefits with Stantos, her heart breaks when learning about his girl Jenny and her engagement and that he wants her to come with him. She feels like she has been kicked when down. But she bears it with grace. Never letting on her true feelings...that she wants more than just his sex partner. Sofia...was a marvelous heroine and I adored her so much. I can't even describe how much better she is from Stanton. She goes through a lot in this story and it just about broke my heart.

  
    “Sex with Stanton is exhilarating, working beside him is a privilege. But loving him…that just hurts."
  

She is spirited though, and is a bit of a city slicker, and has a hard time adjusting to country life which I thought was hilarious. But she handles it pretty well. She handles the situation with Stanton and Jenny even better. I was very impressed, because I am sure I couldn't do what she does. But she stands her ground when its important to her and I liked her personality.
 
  
    Plot and Story Line 
  
 
Overruled is the first book in the series and the first book I have read this author and boy was I drawn into this story. It didn't take me long to listen to it...only two days. Which is pretty quick for an audiobook. Normally I don't always feel comfortable with the "love triangle" trope. But this one definitely swept me away in the emotions of it. And yeah I don't think I really read the blurb very well or not thoroughly before listening to it because I fell in love with Stanton and Jenny together. I really really did. The beginning of the story, shows their beginnings and their sweet love as teenagers. It also shows how Stanton struggles emotionally being away from her and his daughter while at college. This is the moment I wanted to break down in tears. You see how he goes through some revelations for himself and makes changes. Jenny was a unique character. In some ways I liked how she pushed Stanton to fulfill his dreams, but I felt that she was a bit of a drama queen at times. Especially when she practically forced him into an open relationship he didn't want....yet get mad at him for doing what she told him. I guess all of us women can relate with that?? So I could understand why our hero was very confused. But he figures out the best way for himself. Even if I didn't agree with it all the way....I respected him for doing what was right for him.

Now we are introduced to Sofia and damn I liked her...heck of a lot actually. Even if it took some getting used to that she was the real heroine of the story since I wasn't expecting it. I like that she gives control to Stanton and helps him think logically instead of a raving lunatic (which happens OFTEN) They are such a good team and Stanton could be so blind when it came to Sofia. At times I wanted to shake him because he has such a great thing with Sofia.

  
    Because I want him to fight for me. More than anything. For him to want me---not just as a friend or a lover. But as his forever. 
  

I will be honest that this is part where I like Jenny and JD. In fact, I might have liked them more than Stanton and Sofia (and they were the main couple of the story hehe) I know, I am bad...but seriously...those two were just perfect for each other. JD is such the better man, he knows exactly who Stanton is, but is so trusting of Jenny and has faith in their relationship. Love a man who is secure in his feelings and doesn't hold back. He does keep his feelings about Stanton hidden, so when they come out...watch out.

Now one aspect of this story that I really wanted to mention is that the humor is so dang good!! I was laughing my head off all through this story. This author has such superb humor and the narrators really brought that part of the book out so well I just wanted to applaud them for it. It's not always easy to convey humor like they did....but yeah I got hooked really fast into it. Especially the scene with the tractors. SO GOOD!!! The side characters rock.

  
    "Yeah, we're kicking ass and taking names. We're like the Avengers. The good ones, anyway"

"Ooh" I gasp playing along "Can I be Thor? I always liked the hammer"

He pats my head "No, you poor, foolish girl, you're Black Widow, Jake's the Hulk and Stanton's Captain America" 
  

Sofia's brothers, to the friends of Sofia and Stanton in the legal offices, and Stanton and Jenny's family members. Even some of the town folk I really liked quite a bit. They added some fun elements to the story that made it even more engaging and was just the right touch. But what I loved was toward the end, where Stanton really shows his true colors and this is where I was fully satisfied with his character.

  
    There comes a time in every man’s life when he takes a good, long look at himself and admits he’s been an asshole. A self-centered prick.
  

 
  
    The Cover
  
 
I like the cover, it has a sexy feel to it that just makes you want to grab it up. But I don't like that they couldn't make it more realistic to the heroine in the story. She is NOT caucasian....she has more olive skin, so I do wish her skin wasn't so white. But I do love the whole "grabbing the tie" element.
 
  
    Overall View
  
 
Overruled is a sexy read that is Sizzling in the pages...an emotional roller coaster that will give you one hell of a ride!!!

  
    "Jenny will always be my friend, the mother of the little girl who owns my heart, the first girl I loved. " Then my voice goes scratchy, strangled with emotion. "But you, Sofia...I swear if you let me...You will be the last."
  


  


[foogallery id="20261"]

Talia Dominguez 

june

Melissa Unger

Not a big fan of Stanton but I still enjoyed reading it :) 

Becky

3.5 stars

This book filled me with the warm and fuzzies and I loved it. I didn't think I'd like a book with a friend's with benefits situation but this really did work for me. I think it worked because Stanton was so clueless and Sophia was a woman who was working hard to try and stay in denial.

This was just a cute contemporary romance that somehow worked perfectly. It was a good balance of sexy and cute and I didn't want to put it down.

Linda Quintanilla

Oh, Emma Chase definitely knows how to write addicting business suits men character that it melt women hearts off! And it was no surprise when she wrote Overruled with two power hungry lawyers. In Overruled, we get to meet some new and fresh characters that we will read about them again as the series progressed. Stanton is amazing sexy men that he has the country accent that it will melt your panties off! Stanton is a country men that always hungry for arguing with others as a lawyer. However, there was a incident in his life when his sweetheart is marrying to other men. It will be a big problem for him because he is always win no matter what that he will get her back especially with the help of Sofia. Sofia is a gorgeous women that every men will fall in love with her. Sofia has always work hard and play hard that it was no surprise when she becomes involve with Stanton. However, things get more complicated when she develop true feeling for him but he is unemotionally involve since he wants to be with his sweetheart. Things will be messing when they arrive in Stanton hometown that it will takes some time for them to realize their true feeling for each other. Emma Chase has created another fantastic book that every reader will be addicted to her work since it is so sweet yet sexy yet hilarious. *Five Star* 


I'm giving a copy away at my blog. Check it out:
http://lindaabigailbooksreview.blogsp...

Lulu Bonning

2.5 stars this was just ok, the writing was good but Stanton is a prick and icky and Jenny and Sofia can both do better!

Find this review and more at 
  kimberlyfaye reads
.

Soooooooo this book. If I'm honest, I didn't love it at first. I tried to go into it with an open mind, but I had a rough time with Stanton's character and the way he left his home, Jenna and their daughter. I mean, I got it. It's what she wanted for them, too. In fact, she pushed him to go. Regardless, something felt wrong about it. The open relationship? NOT my favorite thing. In time, however, I let it go. I realized there were better people out there for both Jenna and Stanton. That's not to say I didn't get frustrated with this book at times though. 

The one person I was never unsure of was Sofia. I loved her from the start. I liked her backstory and how driven she was. Granted, I thought she was out of her mind messing with Stanton when she knew his heart belonged to someone else, but I also understood. She and Stanton had tons of chemistry and a very real connection, but I still thought she was playing with fire. More than anything, I just didn't want to see her get hurt, but I also knew that was inevitable.

Stanton definitely grew on me in time. While admittedly I didn't appreciate his "have my cake and eat it too" attitude when it came to Jenna and Sofia, he was a good guy. Sure, he was flawed. Who isn't? But his heart was good and that's what mattered most. I liked how his character grew over the course of this book. By the end, I was totally on his side and singing his praises. I just had to stop trying to make him something else and enjoy him for what he was, if that makes sense.

While this book begins in DC, which I love – even if I raised my eyebrows a couple times at the mention of places that don't really exist – the best parts of the books take place back in Stanton's home town of Sunshine, Mississippi. While I personally thought Sofia was out of her mind for agreeing to go with him, I applaud her for being a friend... even if she had to push her feelings aside to try to help him. Watching them grow closer together while in his small town home made me smile. Of course, it wasn't all fun and games. There was some angst, drama and communication issues, but that's life, right?

I read most of this book in print, but did listen to a few chapters of the audiobook. I really liked both of the narrators. If I hadn't been so impatient to finish the story, I would've really enjoyed listening to the rest of it in audio format. Jason Carpenter and Charlotte Penfield did a great job bringing Stanton and Sofia to life. Whether you prefer to read it or have it read to you, Overruled is a great read – even if it did take a little time to grow on me. 

Despite a rocky start, I damn near loved this book by the end. I loved how everything came together. I felt the feels. I even cried a few tears. We were introduced to some wonderful secondary characters and I'm definitely looking forward to them getting their own books. I'm already anxiously awaiting the second book in the series!

Jacelyn

Lisa ✩ @lifeinlit

4.5 stars!

Books that involve any kind of legal aspect always catch my attention. Because of my in the legal field for 14+ years I have a lot of knowledge of the court system and how things go. And let me tell you, it’s nothing like what you see on t.v. So I love legal characters and legal scenes and legalize… I just can’t get enough! So when I read the description of this book, there was no question on whether I would read it. Though I wasn’t a huge fan of Emma Chase’s Tangled (I know, I’m totally in the minority there – it was just too “erotica” for my liking.) I was a big fan of her writing style and her humor. So I was very excited when I saw this audio come my way.

“Young love is strong. First love is powerful. But what you don’t know when you’re young—what you can’t know—is how long life actually is. And the only dependable thing about it, besides death and taxes, is change.”

Stanton was a hot mess. And by “hot mess” I mean he was super hot, successful, and a TOTAL mess! He and his high school sweetheart had an oopsie that resulted in an adorable baby girl. Stanton and his then-girlfriend, and mother of his daughter, decide that it’s best for Stanton to continue with his plans of going to law school, and eventually continue with his incredible career as a successful attorney in Washington D.C, for a prestigious law firm. The two also agree to see other people and see where life takes them.

Everything appears to be going well. Stanton loves his job, and really his entire life. That is until he gets a wedding invitation in the mail. Jenny’s getting married… and it’s not to him. Bring on the jealousy and emotions hardcore for Stanton. He decides he has to race back home to Mississippi and try to convince Jenny not to marry this man. He begs his friend-with-benefits to come with him for moral support and to help him convince Jenny not to get married. Sophia agrees, but not easily. She’s starting to have feelings for Stanton, and she’s not happy about it. Booty calls aren’t supposed to grow feelings, right? WRONG!

I loved this story. I loved everything about it. I hadn’t read a single review before reading this book, so I went into without knowing how anyone else felt about it. Since then I’ve seen a few comments, which I want to quickly address here. View Spoiler »

These characters were so much fun. Stanton and Sophia were adorable. They were so silly and did the funnies things! The secondary characters were a load of laughs as well. Stanton’s daughter was adorable. Jenny’s family was hilarious, especially her grandmother. That old betty had a gun and DID NOT like Stanton. The things she said – laugh out loud funny! I also really loved the relationship between Stanton and Sophia. All kinds of HOTNESS! Those two had an attraction that jumped right off the pages.

“You’re so stubborn – you’re so stuck on what you think is supposed to be there, that you’re missin’ what’s right in front of you.”

There was more to this story than just the romance though. This story was about having your life planned out in your head, and how sometimes life doesn’t go the way you thought it would. The fact that that’s okay, and that life plans change. And the difference between loving people in your life, and being IN LOVE with others. There’s a BIG difference. This was such an entertaining read for me. If you’re a fan of Emma Chase’s Tangled series, I’d like to say you would enjoy this one too. It’s much less erotica though, and much more of a contemporary romance. (Which to me, was a happy surprise!) The legal aspects were kept to a minimum, and the sexy scenes were hot and steamy. It was everything I had hoped it would be, and more! I’m so eager to get my hands on book 2 now!

Audiobook Impressions:
Oh, Jason Carpenter… you are amazing. I just adore him so much. I’ve never listened to an audiobook that he couldn’t pull off. Stanton has an adorable southern accent in this book, and though I know Jason doesn’t normally have one (or at least in the other books he narrated he didn’t) he performed Stanton perfectly and sounded like a natural. I continue to get all kinds of happy when I see Jason Carpenter is narrating a book I’m interested in reading. He remains one of my favorites. Charlotte Penfield is a new narrator to me, but I’m pleased that she did such a great job as Sophia. Her vulnerabilities, her passion, her sweet and caring nature… all was done perfectly. I don’t have any complaints whatsoever about this narrating duo.


(Thanks to Gallery Books for the review copy!)


  Find this review and others like it at Lost in Literature!

 Bruna Acioly Leão

Entertaining, but nothing special or original.
3.5 stars

Jo H

Lacey

Originally posted at Booklovers For Life

I've been a HUGE fan of Emma Chase's ever since I read and loved Tangled – there's no character quite as unique as Drew Evans. So when I heard Emma was coming out with a new series, I HAD to read it! Unfortunately, the romance wasn't as up to par as I expected. While Overruled has the author's fantastic writing and laugh-out-loud humor... what ruined the story for me was the hero of this book, Stanton. Drew may have been a jerk, but at least he was a lovable one – Stanton has no redeeming qualities in my eyes (well, except maybe his love for his daughter, but that's it). I just could not get over how much I disliked Stanton, and that affected my enjoyment for everything else about this book.

Young love is strong. First love is powerful. But what you don't know when you're young–what you can't know–is how long life actually is. And the only dependable thing about it, besides death and taxes, is change.

Stanton Shaw has been in love with the mother of his daughter since, well, forever. When Jenny got pregnant when they were teenagers, Stanton was ready to give up his full ride to law school for her, but she pushed him to leave their small town and follow his dreams. And so he did, with the promise that he would come back for his family one day. Ten years later, Stanton is now a successful defense attorney... but he rarely visits home. Stanton still claims to love Jenny, though those ten years apart were filled with women for him. Granted, both Jenny and Stanton agreed to an open relationship, but if he really loved Jenny, would he have slept with all those women?

At this point, learning about Stanton's supposed 'love' for Jenny juxtaposing his history of women while they were apart, I was already not liking him very much. And the fact that upon receiving Jenny's wedding invitation in the mail, he had the audacity to be angry at her? For marrying another man when he never visited home and slept with countless women? I couldn't tolerate him. He expected Jenny to wait for him while he did whatever-the-fuck he wanted to in D.C. and I had zero respect for him.

Currently, at the time of the wedding invitation, Stanton is in a friends-with-benefits relationship with co-worker Sophia Santos. The fact that they were exclusive didn't make me feel better though. I honestly couldn't feel a connection between Sophia and Stanton – they did extremely well chemistry-wise, but the actual romance between them was lacking. It certainly doesn't help that Stanton still believes he's in love with Jenny for a large portion of the book – which was too long for my taste. I really didn't expect to read a book where the dumb, clueless hero is hung up on another woman for a majority of the book. I had hoped that Stanton would open his eyes early on in the book and see that the woman who was meant for him was right in front of him this whole time. Sadly, Overruled failed in that regard.

Now, Sophia I like more than Stanton, but only just slightly. I liked her in the beginning – she showed promise of being a tough yet likable heroine. But in the end, she became more of a doormat than anything once she agreed to 'help' Stanton win back the love of his life. Sure, Sophia never expected to fall in love with Stanton, but I was expecting this strong woman, once she realized her true feelings, to step up and fight for the man she loves. I also wanted Sophia to get fed up with Stanton sooner than she did when he continued to try to win back Jenny.

I might have hated this book based on Stanton and Sofia's characters alone, buuuut, I have to admit I enjoyed reading Overruled when I wasn't thinking about the romance. Emma Chase writes humor so well that I ended up laughing a lot, despite my dislike for the characters. Still, the romance was a bitter disappointment. I can see that the author tried to do something different, contrasting first loves versus last loves, but this just wasn't a satisfying read.

I still love Emma Chase and her writing, and I actually am very much looking forward to the other two books in the series about Stanton's friends, Jake and Brent. They show a LOT more promise that Stanton and I'm praying they won't disappoint!

Quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change in the final version.

Thanks to the publisher for generously providing me an ARC to review.

Amazon Ebook: http://amzn.to/1oSHBxL
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/1pJF7qH

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Farah Khaled 

Stanton Shaw is officially the worst fictional character ever. Seriously WHAT. THE . HELL. Was that??? He's hot and cold at the same time! One minute, oh Sofia, she's so hot I can't resist kissing her AND then he gets over protective when he finds out Jenny (ex) is getting married! SHE WAITED FOR HIM FOR 10 FUCKING YEARS! WHAT DO YOU MEAN????? Dude, seriously what's wrong with you????

I HATE YOU, YOU SELFISH PRICK!!! 

Sorry about this colorful review, I hate Stanton so much right now..