jake's character development from player lawyer to devoted family man ATE

4.5 ⭐

4.5 ⭐

Playboy attorney Jake Becker gets the scare of his life when one of his one-night-stands tells him she has Syphilis. Even though his test comes back negative, Jake decides it might be time to get to know women before he sleeps with them. Around that same time, Jake meets Chelsea McQuaid, when his pocket gets picked by her nephew Rory. He quickly sees that Chelsea is in over her head as she tries to provide a good home for her 6 nieces and nephews after the car crash that killed their parents. With each new incident involving one of the kids, Jake gets more and more tangled in their lives, while finding himself extremely attracted to Chelsea.

Sustained is a fast paced, funny romance that also deals with serious issues surrounding a family in crisis. The story is told from Jake's point of view, giving a unique perspective on the playboy turned family man but leaves the character of Chelsea underdeveloped. The children are hilarious and add just the right tone to this entertaining read, while the supporting characters add layers to the plot. Also, the steamy scenes are well written without being overly graphic. Overall Sustained is an engaging story and a quick read.

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance In Sustained, our story begins with our hero who is a defense attorney. Now Jake Becker is one of the best at what he does. But soon he meets a woman and her six nieces and nephews that she has recently become guardian for. Jake lives a uncomplicated life and he likes it that way until he stumbles upon this diverse family and the young woman that he can't keep away from for too long. AT first its the little things that draws him to Chelsea, he admires her courage and strength. Chelsea had to put her life on hold with her brother and his wife were killed and left six children without any parents. It hasn't been an easy adjustment, especially with the ages of the kids so spread about and each child very unique. She doesn't have time for a social life and never thought she would have time for a man until Jake walks into her life. I will say this about Sustained....the best of the series here!!! Man it was so good and definitely lives up to the hype I kept hearing before picking it up. I did have issues with the first book and third book. So it was so fun to read Sustained and love everything about this story. It was definitely different and I LOVED that. The story we have here is so unique and special and the moment I picked it up, I just couldn't put it down. It had charm, its own style of romance and the children were such a nice touch. Emma Chase did a brilliant job with integrating these six children and their "antics" without taking anything away from the actual romance. What I enjoyed the most about the romance, is how well Jake and Chelsea just fit so well with each other. Their story wasn't angst at all which was a relief since I just wasn't in the mood. It was sweet, fun and silly at times and thoroughly satisfying. And even though there was a bit of drama, it was real life type of drama, the kind that you can easily relate to. It wasn't over done at all and I found that very impressive. Click To Buy On Amazon [foogallery id="20261"]

4.5 rounded up to 5!!! OMG this was amazing!! I don't know why it took me forever to pick it up. I fell hard for all of the characters!!

** spoiler alert ** hubiera sido un libro de cinco estrellas sin la autora no hubiese escrito todos esos capítulos de tira y afloja entre Chelsea y Jack para causar “drama” Mi cosa favorita de este libro? Los niños 😩🤍

it was so cute and entertaining my fav kid was definitely rory

2.75*

jake and chelsea are so personal to me

4.5 stars I loved this so much I can’t even begin to explain

There is something about a book written in an all male POV that is just 🤌. I adored this story. Chelsea and Jake have unbeatable chemistry from the beginning. I absolutely loved the personality of all the kids. This is definitely high on my favourites!

I LOVE JAKE SO MUCH!! I enjoyed this book so much more than the first one in the series. The relationship between Chelsea and Jake is so adorable and all the kids melt my heart

Link to Blog: http://laceysloveofliterature.blogspo... OMG! How long to wait? I don't think I'll last. I loved the first book, but am slowly dying in anticipation for this one. Can August come quicker? Please? Somebody help a girl out. UPDATE. REVIEW POSTED. OMG. THIS BOOK. THE FEELS. I adored this book completely. It was amazing - I devoured it in five hours. Literally. I started it at 8 o'clock at night and was finished by 12:30am. The time just flew by it was that amazing. Jake just stole my heart. The way he just stepped in to help the kids, as if they were his own, we're just adorable. I'm not going to lie, I swooned. I think Jake is my Book Boyfriend of the Year for this year. He was perfect. I adored him whole heartedly. I especially liked how the book was from his point of view throughout - I loved how he was with the little ones. I loved all the kids. They were amazing - they all had their own personalities, which were charming, delightful and unique. They just made me laugh - especially when Jake first 'bumped' into Rory. The little troublemaker was hilarious. I loved Chelsea - I loved how down-to-earth she was. How she took on all her brother's kids. She was just so awesome and cool - if I were to meet her in real life, I'd want her to be my best friend. Overall this book is kick-ass. I have such a book hangover from reading it, so I am going to scour Goodreads for more romance's with substitute father's.

I absolutely love this! So much fun and light with a little touch of drama and the magic of Emma Chase’s amazing writing style. I can’t actually believe that I love a book with 6 children and male POV, am I getting old 😂 Highly recommended!

3.5 stars This was a fun romantic read. I think I preferred this to the first book solely for the fact it was just told from one POV. Whilst I enjoyed reading Stanton's and Sofia's perspective in the last book it was annoying to see the same thing from two sides at times. In this one, you just get Jake's perspective and I preferred it. Also, I was a little in love with Jake and his utter adorableness (which he would vehemently deny but him with those kids was so cute). This is a book which probably shouldn't work for me. I mean, a workaholic womaniser who just happens to meet a woman who has taken guardianship of her dead brother's ten million children (or six)? That seems like the most far-fetched concept. Especially the fact he sticks around to help out when it goes against everything you know of him. It worked, though. I believed he cared and didn't know what to do about it. I loved Jake and his interaction with these kids and I loved his romance with Chelsea and I just really enjoyed this book. If you're looking for sexy sweet romances Emma Chase's Legal Briefs series certainly seems to deliver.

This book is an easy 5 star. The kids do it for me. Leads are fantastic and lovable side characters with happy ending too.

I just fell in love with Emma Chase even more! She always know how to deliver the perfect funny yet sexy yet loving romance story. She has created the perfect combination for Sustained that every reader will love her works even more. Sustained can be a stand one but I truly think that it is better to read the first one so you can understand the friend dynamic. Sustained picks up where Jake finds himself in a interesting situation. The funny moments picks up from the beginning that you will enjoy every minute. Jake is sexy men that everyone knows it. He can always find himself some pretty women but he has a set of guidelines when he gets involve with a women. I truly think that Jake does not want to get close with anyone since his main focus is becoming partner. However, he will be changing his ways when he met the gorgeous yet naive Chelsea. Chelsea finds herself in a heap of trouble when she becomes the main parent to her nephew and nieces that she needs some help from Jake profession. I truly became annoyed at Chelsea sometimes because she kinda act immature that I just wanted to shake her so she can overcome it and realize that she has the tools to become responsible for the children. It is a lot of responsible for Chelsea that Jake volunteer himself since he becomes attached to her and the kids. I really fall in love with Jake when he gives great advice to the oldest child! These children does give plenty of funny moments that you will laugh your butt off. But you will also gets some drama too when Jake and Chelsea does not give their true feelings. It's unexpected for them to confess their feeling but it will be worth it at the end when they confess their love to each other! Sustained is a amazing romance read that it will make you laugh as well as make you say, awww! Four Stars!

Find this review and more at kimberlyfaye reads . Oh, my heart. It might not ever be the same after this book. I need a new word to describe how much I loved it because "love" simply isn't strong enough. I fell head over heels in love with Jake Becker in this book. I wasn't expecting to either. In Overruled, he was crass and a playboy and those things don't always do it for me. He's still crass and all male in this book, but my god, the transformation he makes. It makes my heart beat faster and reduces me to a pile of mush just thinking about it. He starts off as a man content to do his job as a powerful defense lawyer and sleep his way through the female population of DC, one one-night stand at a time, having no one rely on him. Things begin to change slowly when he first meets Chelsea. So slowly, in fact, that he doesn't even notice at first. I loved Chelsea. It takes a special woman to leave everything behind to raise someone else's children. Granted, they were her brother's kids and the only family she had left, but it's still not easy. She was the perfect combination of strong and vulnerable and I loved her from the very start. I was a little nervous as things progressed between her and Jake because I wasn't sure he was ready for something real with her. The old Jake wasn't. This new one that was emerging? He just has to get out of his own head long enough to believe he's worthy of a woman like her and the things she offers. I can't review this book without mentioning the McQuaid kids. Oh how my heart ached for these kids as they processed the tragic loss of their parents and their new reality. Each of them was so full of personality and, one by one, they melted my heart right along with Jake's. (And, really, I'm not a "kid person.") But these kids? You couldn't NOT love them. THIS BOOK. THE FEELS. I can't even. It wasn't even grand gestures that did it for me. It was the 1,000 small moments throughout the book that got to me. I was all kinds of emotional reading Sustained. I lost track of how many times I teared up and how many times I felt tears trickling down my face. But don't get me wrong, they weren't sad tears. (Ok, maybe a couple times...) They were the sweet tears of happiness as you watch a character come into his own and realize he's more than his past. MY GOD. It was brilliant and beautiful and there aren't enough stars or words to make you understand how much I loved it. I could keep talking about it, but I won't. Just add it to your TBR, pre-order it and, if you're lucky enough to have an ARC, READ IT RIGHT NOW. Sustained is, in my opinion, Emma's best book to date. It's easily one of my favorites of 2015 so far and I expect it'll be on my best of the best list of all of 2015. I wouldn't change one single thing about it. It was absolute perfection. I can't wait for Brent's story in Appealed. Is it January yet? I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars! After completely falling in love with Stanton and his story in Overruled, I thought for sure nothing would compare… but I was wrong. Just like Stanton, Jake was pretty cold, heartless, and overly conceited. Men that are just plain nasty at times are NOT for me. I’m not a fan of bad boys. I really expected to hate Jake, and at first, I really did. But into his life walks Chelsea, and he completed melted, causing my heart to melt as well. The jerk totally won me over. Jake – 1, Me – 0. “You’ve got this whole knight-in-shining-armor vibe going on.” I shake my head. “My armor was tarnished a long time ago, Brent.” “A knight in tarnished armor is still a knight.” I was surprised but how much I enjoyed Chelsea and her chaotic family life. With her brother’s passing, she was awarded custody over her many nieces and nephews. Six, to be exact. Pretty overwhelming, if you ask me. Though she struggled with the discipline and supervision part at times, she really stepped up when her family needed her. Jake was the tough, hardass this family needed to snap them into shape. To see Jake become a part of that stressful picture was pretty shocking to me, and increased my respect for him. A man that steps up, even when it’s not expected of him, earns major points with me. This family gets into quite a few sticky situations. Though Jake helped when he could, (he is a defense attorney after all) he really had no desire whatsoever to become an actual part of this family. They’re not his family, they’re Chelsea’s. He’s interested in her, mostly on a physical level, but not interested in taking on the added burden of these six children. He’s way too self-absorbed for that. The hard part will be explaining that to Chelsea, and hoping she understands his position. Another fantastic addition to this series that is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. I thought I loved Emma Chase before, but my love for her continues to increase as I read more and more of her books. Her writing is so flirty, sexy, and full of fun and laughter. Her characters are always so relateable and real. And it isn’t only the main characters that are so important to each story… the secondary characters play such strong parts in the stories as well. We even get to see the prior characters in the newer stories as well, which is always a plus to me, and the main reason why I love companion novels so very much. If you like your book boyfriends to be of the smartass variety with a soft side, this is one you won’t want to miss. Brent’s story is coming up next in Appealed, which is set to be released in January 2016. These guys are the perfect group of love-to-hate men that seem to win me over. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. (Thanks to Gallery Books for the review copy!) Find this review and others like it at Lost in Literature!

3.5 stars

Originally posted at Booklovers For Life 4.5 STARS I loved this book. I absolutely adored it. Emma Chase has once again wowed me with her brilliant writing and incredibly endearing characters. I had high hopes for Sustained (despite not liking Overruled), mainly because of the blurb. Manwhore Jake falling for a woman with six kids in tow? Um, yes please! I love when there are children involved because they add so much sweetness to the story, but Emma Chase went above and beyond what I expected. I fell for each character (yes, including each of the six kids!) and this book was so funny that I couldn’t stop laughing. Sustained is a wonderful, heartwarming, delightful read that fans of the author shouldn’t miss! “A knight in tarnished armor is still a knight.” Jake is one of the best defense attorneys in DC, a man who defends criminals. It’s a tough job, so Jake’s not exactly the most friendly guy around. He’s a playboy who’s anti-relationship and doesn’t ever expect to settle down – but a scare leads him to rethink his idea of banging his way through DC. He’s still not ready for a commitment, but one meeting with Chelsea McQuaid and her newly adopted orphan nieces and nephews changes everything for him. Chelsea’s life turned upside down when she gained custody of her brother and his wife’s six children. She gave up everything for them, but has never regretted it. I loved this woman, and I loved how much she loved her nieces and nephews. Everything she does, she does with love and with them in mind, even if they can’t appreciate what she’s done for them just yet. The children are still in mourning, but Chelsea’s too busy to even think about mourning herself, much less dating. Until Jake comes along and sweeps her – and the children – off her feet. The oldest girl–the one who hates her family–lets out a short snort of disbelief. “Did you just ask her out on a date?” I keep my eyes on Chelsea’s face. “Yeah–I did.” … Then it’s blond Shirley Temple’s turn. “But you’re so old!” I tear my eyes from Chelsea’s blush to blast the kid with a grumpy brow. “I’m thirty.” The grumpy brow fails to intimidate. “Thirty!” Her hands go to her hips. “Do you have grandchildren?” I looooooved how Jake was with the McQuaid kids. He’s so baffled by them, but so protective. He grows to care and love them so much, and how can he not? Each child is such a distinct, adorable, wonderful character. I was so impressed with the way Emma Chase portrayed Riley, Rory, Raymond, Rosaleen, Regan, and Ronan. They’re absolutely hilarious and so full of heart. I honestly couldn’t get enough of them! And, of course, I love Jake with Chelsea. Their romance grows so genuinely and sweetly that it’s easy to fall for their story. Chelsea and Jake honestly made the perfect couple. I also love how much Jake has changed because of Chelsea and the children – I have to give props to the author for Jake’s wonderful character development. I want her–this fearless, stunning woman. And I want the kids. Those perfect, awful, amazing children–whom she loves with every inch of her soul. I want them to be mine. Mine to hold, mine to protect and teach. Their joy, their laughter, their love. I want to come home to it, bask in it, be the reason for it. But even more than that, I want to deserve them. To be worthy. Jake is a total idiot sometimes though, when his doubts of being good enough and fears of commitment rise. I got super mad at him at those times, so that’s why I can’t give this book a full 5 stars. Otherwise… Sustained was nearly perfect. Emma Chase only gets better and better at writing, especially the male POV – I grew to almost love Jake as much as I love Drew. If you’re in the mood for something funny, light-hearted, and absolutely heartwarming, then go read Sustained! I was entertained the whole time I was reading – I highly recommend it! 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/1vg7avR Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/15Oj2Rc Audible: http://amzn.to/1USQmvo Liked this review? Subscribe to Booklovers For Life for more!

4.5 rounded up to 5!!! OMG this was amazing!! I don't know why it took me forever to pick it up. I fell hard for all of the characters!!