Review, Author Interview & #Giveaway: ★Sustained★ by @EmmaChse

August 25, 2015 by · Leave a Comment

Spotlight Sustained

If you follow me on social media, then you may have already seen me gushing and raving about Jake and this absolutely FABULOUS book. Whenever I need sexy romance and laugh out loud scenes, Emma Chase is my go-to and she hasn’t let me down yet. But this book? Oh I think I may have my favorite one by her yet with Sustained. Drew from Tangled may be my number one still, but Jake Becker is now standing right there alongside with him. If this book isn’t on your TBRs, it NEEDS to be. Trust me on this. You’ll thank me for it after 😉

I’m super excited to have the awesome Emma Chase on the blog today answering all my (intrusive) but still totally fun questions. And don’t forget to scroll down to the bottom of the post to enter the giveaway for a chance to win a paperback copy of Sustained (US/CAN residents)

About The Book SUSTAINED
Series: Legal Briefs #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Emma Chase
Release Date: August 25, 2015add-to-goodreads-button3

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Emma Chase, New York Times bestselling author of the Tangled series, returns with the second installment of the Legal Briefs series!

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 get you off. 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 am knee deep in a damn compost pit.

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, and defend her…and the kids.

And that—that, I know how to do.

Buy LinksAmazon / B&N /iBooks  / BAM  / IndieBound  / Google

Emma Chase interview

DGR: Can we start out with having you introduce yourself?
 
EC:  Hi, I’m Emma Chase, author of the Tangled Series and the Legal Briefs Series. I live in New Jersey with my highly entertaining husband, two brilliant kids and two badly behaving dogs, whom I love to the moon and back (all of them – not just the dogs). 
DGR: You have written some of my favorite male POV books, hands down. How are you able to channel the male perspective as well as you do?
EC: Thank you! Growing up with a rowdy, raunchy group of boys as my best friends probably had a lot to do with it. Their voices, all their opinions and advice are definitely running around in my head. But there’s also a freedom for me, in writing from the male POV. And I think that’s because my guy characters have such confidence – so much swagger – that they believe pretty much no matter what they say or do, readers are going to love them anyway. So in their voices, there’s no self-doubt, very little indecision. That makes for some very fun writing.
DGR: Let’s talk Sustained. I don’t know if you remember, but I met you at a Vegas signing (I was the chatty redhead LOL). And when you talked about Sustained with the passion that you had for it, I swear right then and there that was going to be my next read. Clearly this book holds a special place in your heart, can you tell us about it?
EC:  Yes – I actually do remember you! Sustained is definitely very special to me – for a few reasons. There’s something so heartwarming about Jake and Chelsea, an amazing mix of strength and vulnerability – it’s beautiful to see their journey, to watch them find their place with each other. And the kids are just so fun and entertaining – I knew even before I wrote it that much of the humor would come from the kids (my own children are two of the funniest people I know). 
I think another reason Sustained is so dear to me, if I’m being honest, is, for a long time I never thought I’d be able to write something as special as Tangled. I’ve loved all my stories, but there was something different and so entertaining about that first book. And I was okay with it possibly being the best thing I’d ever write. But then Sustained came along and though they are different stories – it has that same special quality to it – that same feeling of a book that will make readers really happy and characters that will stay with them in the best kind of way long after they finish.
It’s rewarding to read reviews that feel this is my best work – to know that I’m improving in my craft and able to give readers fun, sexy stories that are just as good as the book that made them start reading my work in the first place.  
DGR:  What was your favorite part about writing Sustained? And don’t say everything, because that’s all I loved about it and couldn’t pick. I’ll put you on the spot though LOL
EC: Haha! You took my answer! I really did love every scene, lol! But beyond that, I loved the experience of writing these characters, of watching them grow, change, find themselves and their place with each other. They deserved each other, they deserved that happiness, so much! And because I adored them, writing Sustained was a beautiful journey to take.  
DGR:  If you had to describe Jake Becker in 5 words or less, what would they be?
EC: Honorable, gorgeous, protective, shrewd, loving 
DGR:  I think one of my favorite parts about this book were the kids and then Jake’s relationship with them. I think I actually cried myself laughing at the One Direction concert scene. Did you have any inspiration for the kids when you were writing them?
 
EC: Yes! So much of my own children’s energy and humor went into the McQuaid’s personalities. And so many hilarious memories (things I can laugh about now, that I didn’t laugh about then) of moments with my kids growing up inspired Jake’s interactions with the kids. The way he talks to them, treats them with respect and honesty but also gentleness was such a joy to write.
DGR: Do you have a favorite scene in Sustained? 
EC: My favorite scene is when Jake and Chelsea are in bed, having a deep, revealing talk. There’s something so moving about that scene for me – and it’s a pivotal moment for Jake and Chelsea. I also love the scene when Jake and the kids are waiting for Chelsea to get home and kind of ambush her when she does.
DGR: Any little teasers you can give us to whet the reader’s appetite for Jake?
EC: Does this work?
Chelsea is drawing. Me. 
“Am I gonna have to pay you a dime, Jack?” My voice is gravelly with sleep and sex.
She smiles. And it’s beautiful. “This one is on the house, Rose.” 
Yeah. Time to remind her I’m definitely not a Rose. I throw back the covers, sit up, swing around to sit on the edge of the bed, feet on the floor. I lower my hand, wrap it around my dick, and bring him back to life with just a few rough strokes. And Chelsea’s drawing suddenly stops short. 
“I’ve never done an X-rated sketch. Are you auditioning to be my first?” she asks lightly. 
“I wasn’t sure what the focus of the piece would be. I wanted to make sure it’s to scale.” 
“That’s so helpful of you.” 
“How about you? You in a helpful mood?”
DGR: Jake’s friend Brent is up next. Any hints about what we can expect for his book? 
EC: What’s great about this series is each of the guys have very distinct personalities. Stanton is the southern charmer, Jake is the more serious protector, and Brent is definitely the carefree playboy. There’s a lot of quick banter, sexy sexual-tension, and clever arguing in Brent’s story – he and Kennedy argue really well. Theirs is a story about first crushes and second chance love that’s light and pure fun! 
DGR:  Anything you’d like to add to leave the readers with?
EC: Just that I’m super excited for everyone to read Jake and Chelsea’s story. It’s very special to me and I hope it will be just as special to all of you!

Review

5 stars
Sustained- Dirty Girl Romance

 

A knight in tarnished armor is still a knight.

No one, and I mean no one gives male POV quite like Emma Chase. The woman is the queen of male POVs and nothing beats her. While Drew from Tangled is still my number one, Jake is now right there alongside with him. I want to tell you that I liked this book, but that’d be an outright lie. Because I didn’t just like it. I fucking loved it. Hard.
Sustained teaser-DirtyGirlRomanceI had the immense pleasure to meet Emma at an author signing earlier last month, and hearing her talk about this book alone let me know that I’m in for a heck of a treat. Why? Because when an author is clearly so passionate about a character and book that her entire face lights up when she talks about it, you just know that it will be transferred to the writing. And you know what? It’s so true. The writing and the characters practically leap off the pages at you. The romance, the MCs, the secondary characters, the story, the kids, EVERYTHING about this book just did it for me. It was absolutely fabulous.

You don’t have to be an asshole.”
I shrug. “I don’t HAVE to be…it’s just easier that way.”

Yep. That’d be Jake and he’s one of those. You know the type I’m talking about. The womanizing, successful types that thinks that relationships are for suckers. But then again you also know what they say about “the bigger they are.” And when Jake falls, he definitely falls hard.
Jake was a character that I fell for hard in just the first chapter. The man is a successful defense attorney but there’s just something so sardonic about him that he endears you to him straightaway.

Criminal defense really isn’t so different from proctology. In both fields, it’s one asshole after another.

He’s the asshole at work and outside of it and he’s just fine with that. But then a chance meeting with a woman tilts his entire world on it’s axis, especially when the woman’s six orphaned nieces and nephews steal his heart right along with her. I have to say that Jake’s “manny” relationship with those kids absolutely melted my heart. It was easily one of my favorite parts of this book. His banter with them never failed to put a goofy smile on my face. I honestly couldn’t get enough of it.

Riley, boys your age….are really not worth your time. They’re selfish and stupid. It’s not their fault; they’re just programmed that way- but they’re still a lost cause. I think you should stay away from all of them until you’re at least…twenty-five. Or…have you considered being a lesbian?”

The romance, while almost secondary to the story, was perfectly balanced with it though. I’m not sure if that makes sense but it does in my head. What I mean is, it wasn’t ALL romance, but there was just the right amount of it to bring this book from good to absolutely fantastic. There’s nothing better for me than to watch the “asshole” fall and fall heard for a woman when he least expects it, and watching Jake fall for Chelsea was perfection.

Now I’m going to make you come. And it’s going to be ever bit as fucking good for me as it is for you. Probably better.”

Don’t get me wrong, both Chelsea and Jake are far from perfect and I wanted to shake them for their stupidity more than a few times. But at the same time it just worked. I adored these two together. It wasn’t instant and I loved the burn of their sexual chemistry until they finally ignited together.
Sustained-DGRSustained was just one of those laugh-out-loud, feel good romances that I never wanted to end. It was funny, and sweet, and oh so sexy. It reminded me exactly why I fell in love with Emma Chase’s writing and heroes to begin with. In a word, it was perfect. It was everything I’ve come to expect from this incredibly talented writer and yet so much more. I loved the absolute hell out of it. I can’t recommend this book enough. You will fall in love with Jake, you will absolutely fall head over heels for the kids, and you’ll adore Jake and Chelsea together. It’s simply impossible not to. Now I’m anxiously awaiting Brent’s book in Appealed.
Giveaway

Enter to win a paperback copy of Sustained HERE

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