Appealed by Emma Chase is Now Available & Reviewed

The New York Times bestselling author of the Tangled books returns with the third romance in the Legal Briefs series, a collection of sexy novels about first crushes, second chances, and the final verdict of the heart.

When Brent Mason looks at Kennedy Randolph, he doesn’t see the awkward, sweet girl who grew up next door. He sees a self-assured, stunning woman…who wants to crush the most intimate—and prized—parts of his anatomy beneath the heels of her Louboutins.

When Kennedy looks at Brent, all she sees is the selfish, Abercrombie & Fitch catalogue–worthy teenager who humiliated her in high school in order to join the popular crowd. A crowd that made those years a living hell for her.

But she’s not a lovesick social outcast anymore—she’s a Washington, DC, prosecutor with a long winning streak. Brent is the opposing attorney in her next case, and Kennedy thinks it’s time to put him through a little hell of his own.

But things aren’t exactly working out the way she planned. Brent has his sights set on Kennedy, and every fiery exchange only makes him want her more—and makes her wonder if he’s as passionate in the bedroom as he is in the courtroom. In the end, they may just find themselves in love…or in contempt of court.

Book 3
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
Though the third in a series, this is a strong story which could definitely be read as a standalone – that said, both Jake and Stanton's stories are hot and delicious too.

There are some touches in this book which just make it that much better than a usual romance. Little finesses, stories from their past, things which are so meaningful and draw them back from the bad place they were. Classic side characters who do little but provide a foil for the lead, yet make us step back from their inner view and join them in a wider perspective. It is clever writing, delightful reading, and results in a story which manages to follow convention, yet buck the trend. By turns sweet, infuriating, hot and funny, with twists that work, frailties that we can all envisage...

Thank you Ms. Chase, for another winning story in the series (safely stored in my to-be-reread collection).


Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆
3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4
This a cute, fun read. To me, it brought to mind the world of Ritchie Rich, the cute and whimsical rich kid that had a way of turning lemons into lemonade, just like the hero of this story.

Brent is that Ritchie Rich type kid, funny, sweet, heroic and down to earth. Yes, bad things have happened to him, and yes, he's got money to burn but neither of those define him. He has good days and bad days, and the fortitude to withstand both.

However, his seemingly happy go lucky world comes to a halt when the one that got away comes waltzing back into his life in stilettos, no less, and she's all grown up. Kennedy. His next door neighbor and former best friend.

Can he convince her that he's not the guy she's believed him to be all these years? The careless teen who was more concerned about what the "It" crowd thought of him or the man he always wanted to be – hers.

I devoured this book in one afternoon as it was a delightful and easy read.


Shelby – ☆☆☆
Appealed, the third book in The Legal Briefs series, was an OK but forgettable read for me. I enjoyed the banter between Brent and Kennedy, I liked their back-story, and the current situation, but I didn't enjoy the repetitiveness of the flashbacks.

Brent is a rich playboy, a Defense attorney who is more than confident in his ability in the courtroom. All is well until his current case brings him face-to-face with the woman whom he loved and left in high school, Kennedy Randolph. Kennedy is a self-assured prosecuting attorney, who just happens to be beautiful and angry.

Sometimes time heals all wounds, other times it just exacerbates those bruises. Not often in life are people allowed to right the wrongs from long ago, and in this story specifically, it was a beautiful thing to experience. The romance was sweet, the erotic scenes were hot, and overall this was an enjoyable story.


Angela – ☆☆☆☆☆
I absolutely love Emma Chase’s books. When I’m asked for a recommendation for romantic comedies, she’s at the top of my list. I have read all of her books. My copy of Tangled is the indie published version that she originally released. One of the reasons I enjoy her books so much is that they are almost always written from the lead male character’s point of view. Appealed conforms to Chase’s writing style by giving us Brent and Kennedy’s story from Brent’s point of view and like her previous leads, Brent is unabashedly sexually motivated, loyal to those he loves (both friends and family), hilarious to listen to, scared shitless when it comes to love, and relentless in his pursuit of love once he realizes that Kennedy is who he’s meant to be with.

Now where Brent edges out Chase’s previous leads as my favorite (and this includes giving Drew a run for his money, which is pretty freaking hard to do), is that Brent lost part of his leg as a child and uses a prosthesis. But Brent doesn’t play the “injured hero,” in fact, most of the time I forgot about his prosthesis and this goes a long way in why Brent’s the front runner for me. His injury is not a disability, it’s not a cause for sympathy, it’s simply a part of who he is and its presence only comes into play when it interferes with his ability to work (once in the course of the book) or as a way to lighten the mood (several times over the course of the book, some of which caused me to laugh out loud). The other reason Brent’s injury strengthens his position as THE leading man is that he learned at an early age that bad things happen for no reason and because of this, when he recognizes that Kennedy is “The One” he wastes no time in working his way back into her life and trying to win her over. He understands just how short life can be and knowing that he’s already lost fourteen years of time with her, he refuses to lose anymore. He’s so dedicated to that end that he tracks down Kennedy’s best friend from boarding school and asks her to fill in all the awful details of what happened their senior year. Armed with that knowledge and how it shaped Kennedy into who she is now, he lays siege to her heart and refuses to back down. That tenacity was paramount to winning her heart, to making Kennedy his, and it certainly came in handy when he stared down a mafia boss and made sure that no harm would come to her. THAT people, is why Brent is my favorite of the men of The Legal Briefs series and may very well have bested Drew as my favorite Chase male lead.

Like all of Chase’s novels, I found myself laughing out loud throughout Appealed. I also found myself swooning over Brent’s actions and tearing up a time or two. And make no mistake, Kennedy held her own and was the perfect choice for Brent. Their shared history went a long way in explaining their actions and reactions to one another and their families. Without giving away what happened about the case they were opposing counsel on, I both loved and hated that Kennedy played right into Brent’s hands. I loved it because it not only showed just how well Brent knew and understood her, but it also allowed the case to be decided in the right way for all involved. I hated it because of how hard that scene hit Kennedy. As expected, the chemistry between Brent and Kennedy is intense and this made for some very hot sex scenes. But it was the romance and watching them fight their way back to one another that made the book so enjoyable for me. Catching up with the couples from the previous books in the series was a lovely bonus. Appealed was an excellent addition to The Legal Briefs series and while I don’t know if the author has plans for any more books in the series now that all of the guys have found their matches, I look forward to reading whatever she writes next.

Also Available in The Legal Briefs Series

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca

Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca

For reviews & more info, check out our Sustained post.

By day, Emma Chase is a devoted wife and mother who resides in a small town in New Jersey. By night she is a keyboard crusader, toiling away the hours to bring her colorful characters and their endless antics to life. She has a long standing love/hate relationship with caffeine.

Emma is an avid reader. Before her children were born she was known to consume whole books in a single day. Writing has also always been a passion and with the 2013 release of her debut romantic comedy, Tangled, the ability to now call herself an author is nothing less than a dream come true.

Connect with Emma

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Appealed (Legal Briefs #3) by Emma Chase to read and review.