Sustained is a contemporary romance that I’ve heard compared to both a romantic comedy and a modern fairy tale. It honestly had to live up to some pretty big words-of-mouth compliments and recommendations, and I can say that for the most part, it totally did. It as funny. It was sweet. I even teared up. Twice.
Sustained is also told from the hero’s POV. While I tend to avoid those kinds of romances because the hero’s thoughts are often pretty sexist and douchey, I liked getting into Jake’s head and I honestly couldn’t imagine this romance being told with dual, alternating point of views.
Jake Becker is a cocky, big shot defense attorney. As a kid, he was a troublemaker and had some issues with the law. But a meeting with a particular judge who was big on tough love was able to turn him around. I think this opening description sums up Jake rather well:
I’m an organized guy; I like things a certain way—my way. Routine. Discipline. Neat and easy are words to live by. My mother always said I’d make a great military man, if it wasn’t for the authority factor. The only orders I follow are my own.
He’s very particular about things and he does his best to keep romantic entanglements (whether one night stands or friends with benefits) as casual as possible. He frequently gives the women he comes in contact with a good once over, but I appreciated there was so misogynist judgement (i.e. she looks like she puts out or what have you). Just a dude who loves attractive women.
Chelsea McQuaid was dealt a pretty rough hand. The only family she has left—her brother and sister-in-law—were killed recently in a car accident, leaving their six children without parents. Chelsea leaves her graduate program (she’s studying art history) in California and moves to D.C. to take care of her nieces and nephews. I’d definitely classify herself as a people pleaser, saying yes to things instead of carving out time or doing things for herself. Which I know is increasingly difficult once you have six kids varying in ages up to fourteen to take care of all of a sudden.
It took me a minute to get used to the hero POV of the book because I’m so used to the dual POV, where the hero and heroine both having their own issues to overcome. But this was definitely more about Jake’s redemption from bad kid to defense attorney representing some bad people to feeling like he’s a person worthy of some goodness. Chelsea, to me, seemed pretty set in knowing who she is and what she wants. She just was struggling with the sudden responsibilities of raising a lot of children.
And can I say how much I loved the kids?! At first, I was extremely worried that I’d find it too gimmicky or that it would be ridiculously over the top. But I thought it was a good balance and everything seemed plausible. It also is what turned the romance into comedic territory. My stomach hurt from laughing as I read about Jake coming over after everyone is sick with an awful bug. Chelsea and four of the kids are bedridden. Only the infant and Rosaleen (I can never remember the ages, but she’s a middle child) are unscathed.
It was such a disaster, but hilarious. One of my favorite scenes comes from Puke-ageddon, where you can see Jake start to realize he’s starting to care about something and someone outside of work.
“Chelsea, I’m here. Let me help you,” I bark, ready to shake her at this point. I brush her hair back from her stark-white—but still fucking beautiful—face. “I’ll make sure the kids are okay.”
She stares at me for a moment, like I’m an apparition. Or a dream. And then slowly, her eyes well with tears. They trickle silently out of the corners of her eyes and down her cheeks.
And every one fucking destroys me.
“Don’t cry. Why’re you crying?”
She breathes out a shaky breath and wipes her cheeks. “I’m just so…I’m so tired, Jake. I’m so tired.”
For the first time, I think about what it must’ve been like for her…after she got that phone call. How she probably raced around, throwing necessities in a bag, figuring she’d send for the rest of her things later. How she had to withdraw from school, probably break the lease on her apartment—upend her entire fucking existence.
While I generally loved the book, I feel like it jumped the shark a bit on the pacing. Once Chelsea and Jake gave it and started a romantic relationship, most of the conflict came from a few repetitive fights and make ups where Jake would say something dumb or push her away and then apologize. But it was also nice to see them working as a team to take care of the kids. So I’m torn on this because I don’t think the latter could have happened without the former. Regardless, the first half of the “courtship” was more interesting to me than seeing Jake keep second-guessing his feelings and future with Chelsea.
But it’s still such a good read. To me, this was a feel good book and I loved reading about Jake’s own personal road to redemption as he learns that he’s deserving of love and of a good partner and a family. Because as Jake’s colleague and friend Brent likes to remind him, “A knight in tarnished armor is still a knight.”
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Not a fan of hero’s POV generally, mainly for the exact reasons you mentioned, but this sounds right up my street.
This was the first Emma Chase book I read and I loved it because of Jake’s voice, which I was prepared to hate. He was definitely arrogant and cocky, but had an underlying genuineness that even he couldn’t entirely bury. Primarily, though, was the funny, from Jake and the kids. Lots of good book noise from me.
After that, I listened to APPEALED, Brent’s book, narrated by someone who sounded like Ryan Reynolds in my head: dry, snarky and … what’s the word? Hot. Also funny.
Some of the other books didn’t work as well for me, but these two are real keepers. I was glad to see that you liked SUSTAINED.
I agree with your review – this is my favourite feel-good read of the year (so far), and I absolutely loved the kids. I wasn’t bothered by the pacing issues because I loved the characters so much.
This was my first Emma Chase book, and I’ve since read the others in the series. They were all good, but this one is still my favourite.
Would you recommend this for someone who straight-up *hated* the first book in this series (Overruled)? I like the sound of this one but I did not like the hero/heroine in the first book at all.
This sounds so good. I almost spit my coffee reading the spoiler. Take my money please.
One of my favorites last year. It was touching and sweet. The romance itself was a bit lacking (it may be the pacing, as you say, but I don’t know) and left me a bit unimpressed. I honestly wasn’t much of a fan of it as much as I was of Jake’s relationship with the McQuaid kids. Now, that was ridiculously entertaining.
@KF: As someone who’d like to forget Overruled even ever happened—first book? What first book?—I say yes. Two cents.
Romantic comedy is usually my favourite genre, but I DNF’d Sustained on audiobook. I am very picky about audiobooks, and I HATED the way the narrator performed Chelsea’s voice. It was sort of a breathy whine that sounded to me like maybe the way a man would imagine a damsel in distress should sound, but no woman has ever actually sounded. It drove me totally crazy. I didn’t like the kids either, and kids don’t usually bother me! Maybe I would have liked this book better if I had read it myself and given the characters less annoying voices in my head, but my experience was so bad that I don’t think I will ever attempt it.
KF – I didn’t even finish the first book because it was so, so awful. But I did like the this one and Brent’s story. They were MILES better, not nearly as sexist and disgusting.
@KF: If OVERRULED was Stanton’s book, agreed. I like his character in the other books, but could barely stand him in his own. Enthusiastically recommending the two above ^^. YMMV.
I read this when it cam out. I loved this book – and considering that a read a gazillion books a year, it takes a lot to make one stand out. The scenes with the kids are fun, the hero’s growth is nice.
I really enjoyed this book, but I couldn’t finish Tangled because Drew crossed the line into douche territory. Sometimes he would be considerate and the next minute he was a douche. But Holy Friggin Matrimony with him was okay.
Was interested in this book but $8.99 for the kindle version, no way.
This book was everything I tend to not like and somehow managed to be one of my all time favorite contemporaries!
Of the trilogy, I liked “Appealed” the best, although the novella “Sidebar” is pretty sweet (Jake and Chelsea story). In “Sustained” my sense of logic keeps barging in. Money was not an issue, the kids were not demon spawn, but they could not get someone to help out even part time?
@KF
The first book stunk so badly because of Stanton that it remains one of the few books I DNF’d. But Sustained and Appealed were wonderful and worth the money.
I still can’t figure out why Emma Chase made Stanton such an a$$hole in his own book when he’s far sweeter in these?
Thanks all – I’ll add it to my TBR. I’m glad Stanton comes off better in the other books in the series but I honestly despised him (and Sofie – was that her name?) so much in the first one that I don’t know if he can be redeemed effectively for me! I came *so* close to chucking my Kindle across the room on several occasions while trying to slog through it.