Overruled (The Legal Briefs)

by 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?

• ISBN10: 1501102036
• ISBN13: 9781501102035
• Publish Date: 7 May 2015 (first published 28 April 2015)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Imprint: Gallery
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 288
• Language: English

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

This was so weird for me, in that I didn't think Stanton was being fair to any of the women in his life, but I also sort of ached for him. He and Jenny had such a long and beautiful history, and I will admit, I cried for them, but I loved Sofia and felt like she was a good match for grown-up Stanton. This book was everything that I have grown to expect from Chase. It was sexy, fun, and had enough drama and emotion to keep me more than interested. The cast of characters was also fantastic and definitely added to my overall enjoyment.

I read Sustained ages ago, and don't remember if we got caught up with this couple in the book, but I sure want to do a re-listen or something after listening to this one to catch up with these two.

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[Rowena]

Ugh, I can't even with this book. So much pissed me off. But I'm glad it's done cause now I can move on to the book I really wanted to read in this series.

[kimbacaffeinate]

Coffee dates with Overruled

• First date: We meet a young Jenny and Stanton who have been friends forever and have fallen in love. She is a high school cheerleader, he the captain of the football team. Cue the song A Little Ditty About Jack and Diane by John Cougar Melloncamp. They end up in trouble and Stanton wants to marry her. Jenny wants him to go to college and then they will begin their lives together. Ten years later while he visits regularly the two have never married. She didn't want to move to DC but in the back of Stanton's mind one day they will. Stanton is now a defense attorney in Washington D.C. and quite good at it. Men want to be him and woman want his green eyes, southern drawl and yummy abs. He and Jenny have an arrangement allowing the other to date. To his credit, he is upfront about his girl and daughter back home. Now I will admit I was convinced Stanton was an ass and Jenny was an idiot. Seriously, who does this? Sofia Santos is a litigator at the same firm as Stanton and shares a friend with benefits relationship with him outside of the courtroom. I liked Sofia immediately. She is level headed, gorgeous and an executive who is confident enough to see the benefits of a friend like Stanton.


• Second date: Wow the chemistry between Stanton and Sofia is off the charts. I think my fingers were burned a little while holding this book. Ooo, and a certain character from Tangled makes an appearance. (Thank you Emma, le sigh) After receiving an invitation in the mail for Jenny’s upcoming nuptials Stanton has a meltdown. This scene made me giggle:snort. I felt bad, but dude how could you not see this coming? Sofia and their friend Brent try to coach him, but oh lord Stanton is losing it. He decides he is going home to stop the wedding. He ends up begging Sofia to go with him and seeing this city girl in the country was fun. Jenny and her family are wonderful. Wait until you meet Nana. (Passes a bottle of whiskey to Nana) She is hilarious, wise and the first time I met her I laughed until tears formed in the corner of my eyes. Things are about to get crazy and while I am one hundred percent sure I know exactly how this is all going to play out I have a feeling the ride there will be a hoot.


• Third date: Where is Leroy Jethro Gibbs, commander from the TV Show NCIS? The man needs to slap a few heads. Stanton needs a few smacks in the head and Sofia needs one too. Interaction between Stanton and Jenny’s new man was hilarious. My final date with Overruled was fantastic. It was filled with humor, stupidity, sweetness, and win-me-over moments.  I couldn't set the book down and laughed so much my sides hurt. Chase also threw in a little turbulence and an ah-ha moment. I loved how Chase wrapped it all up, redeemed our sexy, lunk-head and made me smile like a fool.

Copy provided by publisher. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer

[leelu92]

Emma Chase has a new series! I feel like shouting it from the rooftops, like Maria singing in the Alps.

First, she gave us Drew Evans, who I love with the fire of a thousand suns and now we have Stanton Shaw.  Lawyer and good ole southern man.  Lord have mercy.  He's intelligent and so ridiculously charming and the drawl?  Um yes, please.

I'll admit that this one sat on my Kindle for awhile merely because I didn't want to read it and be done with it.  I always want to savor an Emma Chase novel.  If you're a Drew Evans fan, you'll be satisfied by a few cameo appearances of the man himself.  Drew and Stanton are college buddies and business associates (of sorts).

My mother told me once, "Honey, he's just a man, he can't help it."  Stanton Shaw needs a t-shirt made with this saying because as much as I loved him, I wanted to punch him or shake him or something.  See, Stanton has a lovely high school girlfriend, Jenny who is also the mother of his child.  Stanton believes they are MFEO (made for each other) even though he continues to work and live in DC while his daughter and baby mama live in Mississippi.  They've lived separate lives by design and everyone seems to be okay with that.  Stanton Skypes with his daughter and maintains a great relationship with her.  Stanton indulges in relationships with other women, most notably Sofia Santos, his lawyer buddy with benefits.  The sexy kind of benefits, not the dental plan and 401k.  The chemistry and attraction between the two of them is palpable and undeniable.

Sofia is kind of a badass.  She's smart and funny and she can totally hold her own.  She's not a female character that you want to scream at due to convoluted self-esteem issues.  Her self-esteem is completely and securely intact and she really deals with a lot where Stanton is concerned.

Jenny gets engaged and Stanton completely loses his mind.  Did I mention that I wanted to shake him?  Repeatedly? He had it in his brain that he and Jenny belonged together when he and Sofia clearly had a more intense connection. Jenny was his past and she would always be a part of his life, but I really wanted Stanton to wake the eff up and look at what was right in front of him. Drew Evans did some stupid stuff, but even he may have smacked Stanton around a bit.

Ms. Chase goes all the way back to Jenny and Stanton as teenagers and when Jenny got pregnant and we get to witness Stanton as a daddy and my ovaries were screaming and giving him a standing ovation when he held that baby.

Overruled was chock full of Ms. Chase's perfect mix of humor and romance.  I simply cannot wait for the next books in this series, as we were introduced to Jake Becker and Brent Mason in this book.  I'm already dreading starting and finishing those books.  ;)

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 This review was originally posted on Straight Shootin' Book Reviews

[Cocktails and Books]

The hotness of a southern drawl! Full review to come