SIDEBARREDby Emma Chase
Series: Legal Briefs #3.5
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Self Published
Publication Date: April 24th 2016
Source: Bought
Rating: ★★★★
Amazon - Barnes & Noble
There was a time when Jake Becker had it all together. He was controlled, driven, ruthless—in and out of the courtroom.
Then, six irresistible orphans and their heartbreakingly beautiful aunt crashed into his perfectly ordered life. They changed everything. They changed him. Now he’s a husband, an upstanding member of society, a father figure—a family man. And he’s pretty damn good at it.
Sure, he has to referee sibling smackdowns, re-learn algebra, ensure his clients stay of jail, and keep his wife happy—but it finally feels like he’s got it together again....
So, of course something has to screw it all up. It’s huge. Life-changing. Kind of terrifying.
And it will be the most amazing, perfect thing he’ll ever do.
I have a strict "I won't read novellas" policy, but when I found out that Emma Chase was releasing a novella to her Legal Briefs series in the POV of my favorite character of the series, Jake Becker, I was over the moon and more than ready to break my policy. With Sidebarred, Emma Chase provided a delightful peek into the lives of the characters and their future and she could not have written it better.
Two years into his marriage with Chelsea and taking care of her 6 nieces and nephews, Jake was very much a tamer version of the ruthless, manwhore we met at the beginning of Sustained. I loved how far Jake has come from his old days. In Sidebarred, he was everything that I loved about Jake in Sustained and even more. His utter devotion to his wife and his thoughtfulness towards the kids pretty much melted me into a puddle of drooly goo! I was already madly in love with him in Sustained, but watching him interact with the kids (he braids 6 year old's hairs and give sex talks, guys!), I was a goner. Of course, he still managed to be inappropriate and ridiculously funny from time to time. He wouldn't be Jake without those qualities.
Though for me Jake was the shining star of this novella, his lady love, Chelsea was a really fantastic character too. She was still the kind-hearted and sweet girl who wasn't afraid to put Jake in his place when the need rose up in Sidebarred. She and Jake make for a very ship-worthy couple and I loved how they shared duties, communicated with each other and were always supportive. There was so much of passion, respect and love between them. I couldn't help but love them! Emma Chase also really brought about the steam with these two that had me fanning myself - it was nice to know that even after 2 years of marriage and even though they had to find creative ways to have sex without being detected by the 6 little monsters, there was no taming Jake's libido. ;)
The kids once again were a fantastic addition. Their antics and talks were hilarious and entirely too adorable for words! They constantly cracked me during the book and had me "awwing" pretty much all the time. These kids were certainly a highlight of the book. It was also really great to see the rest of the Legal Briefs cast and get a glimpse into their own futures and marriages. I loved that they were all still great friends.
If you're a fan of the Legal Briefs series, I highly recommend this novella. It's honestly a treat for fans and I can't thank Emma Chase enough for deciding to write this extended epilogue to Jake and Chelsea's story. I promise, it brings about all the smiles!
Are you a fan of Emma Chase? What are your thoughts on novellas?
Let me know in the comments below!
