A Washington, DC, defense attorney, Stanton Shaw keeps his head cool, his questions sharp, and his arguments irrefutable. They don't call him the Jury Charmer for nothing - with his Southern drawl, disarming smile, and captivating green eyes, he's a hard man to say no to. 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 is 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 10-year-old daughter. Jenny is getting married - to someone who isn't him.
That's definitely not part of the plan.
Sofia Santos is a city-raised, no-nonsense litigator who plans to become the most revered criminal defense 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?
The Bourbon flows, passions rise, and even the best-laid plans get overruled by the desires of the heart.
As a big fan of Emma Chase, I was eager to start her new series. I loved her Tangled series, where she made an unapologetic play boy become a love sick fool.
So, when I began this one I was surprised with whole new feel of the story. The back story was very informative but it didn't leave me liking Stanton very much. When we first meet Stanton, he's Mr.Football and is finding out that his first love, Jenny, is pregnant. You can sense his devotion for Jenny and as most young adults at that age, they have choices to make. After leaving for college, Stanton and Jenny have an arrangement which causes a change in him and makes it hard for me to find any worthy qualities in Stanton. He's self centered and blind to anyone else's wants and needs, well except for his little girl.
He is a good father and his love for his daughter, Presley is endearing. Other than that I couldn't figure out what the allure for this man could be other than a walking dildo.
I liked Sophia right away with her spunky, no holds barred attitude. Being a busy lawyer working her butt off to become partner, she doesn't have time for a relationship. She and Stanton have a "friends with benefits" arrangement. She knows of Stanton's girl waiting for him at home and that their arrangement isn't serious. She's okay with that.
The sex is steamy and he definitely knows his way around a bedroom. His dirty mouth is an extra added bonus. Stanton is happy in denial until one day he recieves some mail that gets his attention and that is when the lines for the three main characters begin to blur. Not able to leave Sophia behind, he asks to her to accompany him to Mississippi to help him get his girl back. And as the good friend she is, she agrees. That's when the story gets really good.
Do I believe he really loves Sophia throughout the story, YES. Do I believe that early in the story that he loved Jenny, YES. But it was so hard for me to understand why two strong and beautiful women would waste their time with someone who could talk a smooth game but never actually follow through. His Yo-Yo like behavior gave me whiplash, so I found it hard to relate.
Stantons family is comical and is a great compliment to the story. The small town antics and the family dynamics are compelling and really help Stanton seem more human. The moments with his daughter help his case, too.
Jason Carpenter read Stantons POV invoking his inner "Mcconaughey" speaking in an inviting southern drawl. Between Jason's southern drawl and Stanton's silver tongue, the words were causing swoon worthy scenes with Sophia where the heat between the two was palpable. There is something about a man with an accent. Charlotte Penfield possess passion in her tone as well as sophistication that's expected from a lawyer.
Overall the story was enjoyable after you spend the first third of the book trying to figure out why they want this man. When the rest of the story pulls together, you find some admirable qualities in him. What it lacked for with the Hero, the rest of the story was very entertaining, heartfelt, and fun! Emma Chase can always make me laugh.
NARRATED BY: JASON CARPENTER AND CHARLOTTE PENFIELD
LENGTH: 8 HRS AND 6 MINS
RELEASE DATE: 4/28/2015
PUBLISHER: SIMON & SCHUSTER AUDIO