Overruled

Ok read, I prefer the other 2 books in the series...For adults only

I am heartbroken... For the 1st time after reading a romance novel. It hurts to see Jenny and staton could have been so much... But no, the novel is about Sofia and staton...so they end up together!!! I mean why it had to be like that... :( :(

There were parts of this book that I loved. The comedy, the wit, the dialogue and the importance of the friendships. It's laugh out loud funny in places. Stanton and Sofia are work colleagues who are also friend's with benefits and they will never be more than that because Stanton is still in love with Jenny who was his first and only love since he was twelve and they have an 11 year old daughter together. Trouble is, Sofia has fallen very much in love with Stanton. They return to his hometown because Jenny is getting married and Stanton wants to wreck the wedding. Things happen and he realises that he does love Sofia after all. But what if it's all too late?

I came across this book on Amazon and downloaded and started this book straight away. I have been a fan of Emma’s ever since I read the Tangled series. Drew and Kate totally pulled me into their story and Emma’s writing captivated me. I was rather keen to get stuck into this.The story is about two main characters Stanton and Sofia but it is definitely more weighted to Stanton’s side of the story. It’s Stanton who we meet first back in his high school and college days where we even get a short visit from Drew (cue lots of fangirling). Stanton’s situation is quite unique. He became a father at a young age but was encouraged to pursue his dreams basically earning himself a relationship hall pass until he’s ready to settle down. As I said – unique.I loved Stanton right from the start; I will not dance around that fact. He is such a cheeky, arrogant, sexy guy with a tonne of swagger to go with it. I love all of those attributes but also on the other hand he’s caring and loving and that’s apparent in his relationship with his daughter. All round he seems like a genuinely great guy. He’s just a little out of touch with how women really work compared to his perception of how they work. This little flaw is pretty apparent in the way he thinks before he speaks or acts – especially when it comes to Sofia and Jenny’s feelings. He is completely and utterly oblivious to everything other than the 10 year old plan that he has in his head. That, I would say, is his only failing. The two sides of his character – manwhore v good family man – made Stanton an interesting character to read about and one who I was easily drawn to.Sofia is a go getter just like Stanton and I admired this quality in her. I also couldn’t fault her for giving as good as she got when it came to her relationship with Stanton. I liked that she was in this relationship for herself, for her own benefit but couldn’t help thinking that she was fooling herself slightly because let’s face it when does life ever work out like that?The story is dual POV and I think it worked well here because Stanton is really, really absorbed in his family dilemma that he is blind to what’s happening beyond that in his friendship with Sofia. Sofia fills that gap with her side of the story and that’s where you can see the story between the characters progressing. I thought it was pretty obvious where the story was heading and to be fair most of the secondary characters seemed to know more than Stanton too but that could be down to the fact that he just didn’t want to let go of something he thought he wanted.I cannot wait to read the rest of this series starting with Sustained which is out later this year. I would definitely recommend this for fans of Samantha Young, Christina Lauren and Sawyer Bennett.

Overruled (The Legal Briefs #1) by Emma Chase4 stars!!“Sex with Stanton is exhilarating; working beside him is a privilege. But loving him…that just hurts.”I love a legal book and this one was a great one, not only did I have the courtroom scenes that I crave but this book was also full of Emma Chase’s amazing sense of humour and of course some smoking hot sex scenes. Emma Chase never fails to deliver a fantastic male of POV and she certainly mastered Stanton and brought our cocky lawyer to life.This story starts out in the past with Stanton Shaw and his childhood sweetheart Jenny. They are both approaching graduation and have made plans, but sometimes even the best laid plans go awry. Stanton Shaw was getting out of Mississippi to go to law school; he was going to become a hot shot lawyer so that he could give Jenny and himself the life they deserved. They had planned it down to the last detail however, Jenny falls pregnant and Stanton is caught in a catch 22 situation. Jenny wants him to continue with their plans but Stanton has trouble ruling between his heart and his head. Jenny however is adamant and packs him off to law school, Stanton goes begrudgingly.Long distance relationships hardly ever work and I must admit I was shocked about Jenny’s stipulations with Stanton. She wanted the open relationship, she knew that it was going to be difficult for both of them but despite Stanton’s reluctance she was adamant. However, fast forward ten years later and Stanton and Jenny are still in the same situation, miles and miles apart but Stanton still sees Jenny as his. I have to admit that this was one bizarre situation and I did have trouble getting my head around it, but when you are reading about it, it kind of made sense for them.“Of course I’m right. Now dry your eyes, take some Midol and stop with the premenstrual pity party.”Stanton Shaw is one man that you are going to fawn over, it just cannot be helped, he has this cocky demeanour, a prerequisite for any successful lawyer, but inside he had a heart of gold. Stanton was a fantastic dad, despite the distance and his relationship with his daughter just melts your heart. Despite everything his daughter always came first, he always made time for her whether it be in Mississippi or for her visits to him.Stanton has his fair share of women but most recently he has been friends with benefits with a lawyer who also works at the same firm, Sofia Santos. They both know the situation, Stanton making it perfectly clear that he belongs to Jenny and his daughter, so when a bolt from the blue comes pertaining to Jenny, Stanton is thrown off kilter and heads to Mississippi to sort it out, taking Sofia with him for guidance and the female point of view.“There are no minivans or white picket fences in her future, just corner offices and billable hours. She’s frank, direct but also fun. A woman I consider a friend - someone I enjoy going out with as much as I enjoy going down on.”I loved Stanton with a passion; he was adorable, but somewhat blinkered when it came to Jenny. I personally felt that he was constantly living in the past, remembering him and Jenny as they were as teenagers without actually looking at what was happening in the present. As far as he was concerned, he loved her and she was it for him, but really was it love? After ten years apart, with infrequent visits could he really expect Jenny to be living all those years just waiting for him and his sporadic visits? It was only matter of time before Jenny wanted more.I loved Sofia too, she was a feisty Latino in both the courtroom and the bedroom and she too had a heart of gold and I felt was the perfect match for Stanton. Not only did they have their careers in common but their chemistry between the sheets was off the charts. Sofia always knew where she stood as far as Stanton was concerned and had done really well keeping an emotional attachment away from the physical, but Stanton was just so lovable it was only a matter of time before the lines started to get blurred.“I know it now. I can’t stand by and pretend to help him fight for her. Because I want him to fight for me. More than anything. For him to want me - not just as a friend or lover. But as his forever.”I am a fan of the slow burn and this was just that, as I said above, Stanton was blinkered as far as his heart was concerned but will the feisty Brazilian be able to show him what we the reader have seen unfurling between the pages? Stanton has to do a lot of soul searching and he definitely has to wake up and smell the coffee. I loved the relationships in this story whether it be family or friends and it was great to see a totally different side to Stanton too.“Yes, Stanton! I want him to push me, pull me - effing use me - as long as it’s only me he’s thinking of. Me he wants.”This was a really enjoyable read, with plenty of laugh out loud moments. My only niggle was that I wished that Stanton had his eureka moment a lot sooner, as I would have liked to have seen a lot more of him and Sofia together. I know some will say that the situation is rather unbelievable but for me it worked on the pages. Personally I felt that Jenny had already had that emotional detachment and she was just waiting for Stanton to catch up. Perhaps she underestimated just how Stanton had been leading his life due to their relationship, but none the less, I thoroughly enjoyed this read.“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.”I cannot wait to read the rest of this series, there are some great characters throughout this book whose stories will be told in the coming books. I can see plenty of shenanigans to come.

This book is another testament to why I love Emma Chase so very much. Like her previous series, she once again created a cast of characters who are truly memorable and well-drawn. She remains to be one of the very few authors in the genre who could write the male POV very well, spot on into the male psyche. Her hero in this book, Stanton Shaw, is pretty much like her other hero, Evans. They are both confident, egotistical alpha male who had their egos bruised and their self- centered universe altered by the women in their lives. Like in her previous series, I find the hero's POV very insightful, clever and entertaining, with a dash of the Southern charm. I was truly entertained by this book and I cannot wait for the rest of the books in the series.

I loved this book. Had me totally wound up, I didn't know who to root for, who to boo, it just kept changing as the book progressed. it did however make me keep reading.Love the cameo by a certain Mr Drew Evans, although at the beginning you could have given him a good slap. Although knowing Drew he would have just grinned a considered it a challenge.I do hope we get to visit Sunshine again in the later books becase I just fell in love with the Shaw family.Can't wait for the next book.