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Detained
From one of Australia's hottest new authors comes a story about an international scandal, a billionaire, and a fearless reporter who might just save the day...
Confined in a cold, dull room in the depths of a Shanghai airport, a journalist chasing a career break and a businessman with a shadowy past play a game of truth or dare — deliberately not exchanging names.
They tell each other their most painful secrets and burning desires. One dare leads to a kiss and a wild night of illicit passion, setting off a dangerous sequence of events, bringing exposure and disgrace.
Only the brutal truth can save them. But it will also rip them apart. And it will take more than daring before they can build a new truth together.
Confined in a cold, dull room in the depths of a Shanghai airport, a journalist chasing a career break and a businessman with a shadowy past play a game of truth or dare — deliberately not exchanging names.
They tell each other their most painful secrets and burning desires. One dare leads to a kiss and a wild night of illicit passion, setting off a dangerous sequence of events, bringing exposure and disgrace.
Only the brutal truth can save them. But it will also rip them apart. And it will take more than daring before they can build a new truth together.
250 pages, ebook
First published September 1, 2013
25 people are currently reading
234 people want to read
About the author
Ainslie Paton
40 books144 followersAinslie Paton always wanted to write stories to make people smile, but the need to eat, accumulate books, and have bedclothes to read under was ever present. She sold out, and worked as a flack, a suit, and a creative, ghosting for business leaders, rabble-rousers, and politicians, and making words happen for companies, governments, causes, conditions, high-profile CEOs, low-profile celebs, and the occasional misguided royal. She still does that. She also writes for love and so she can buy shoes, and the good cat food.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
May 23, 2020
OMG - can a book be any better than this one???
I started reading with not very high hopes - I read the blurb and thought - hm yeah well - this book will probably have 150 pages and the whole book will be in that airport-room and they will have sex and then there will be a happy end!
I WAS SOOO WRONG!
Yes - we start out in that cold airport room - well no - we don't actually.
Darcy is on her way from Sydney to Shanghai for an interview that will either make or break her career as a Journalist for the Sydney Herald. She is supposed to get an exclusive - never been there - interview with reclusive Billionaire Businessman Will Parker from Parker Corporation.
But the Shangai immigration people won't let her leave the airport because something is wrong with her Visa. They detain her in a little cold room until the Visa-problem can be cleared.
After she's been freezing her butt off in there for a little while - she gets a visitor - another poor guy with Visa difficulties.
They don't exchange names - but they exchange so much more. They play a game of truth or dare and they end up telling each other their life stories.
Lots of sparks are flying between Darcy and the goodlooking stranger.
Before their released from the room 5 hours later they end up on the little couch doing some erotic things ☺ But I'm not telling you what! ☺
When Darcy arrives at the Peninsula Hotel she finds herself in one of those horribly expensive suites - curtesy of her stranger - who she calls Tara - because that's the town he grew up in.
They then spend a very sexy weekend together ☺
And I don't think I'm spoiling too much when I say that our stranger is - of course - the reason Darcy is in Shanghai in the first place: Will Parker.
She's extremely angry when she finds out - and once she's back in Sydney she writes an article. An article that could destroy Wills life and business.
And it kind of does.
LOTS of horrible and suspensy and heartstopping and moving things happen because of that article!
But I'm not telling you any more! ☺
WILL THERE BE A HAPPY END??? ☺ I'M NOT TELLING! GO AND BUY THE BOOK!
As I said before - I wasn't expecting all that much - and that's the best way to start reading a new book.
I was totally surprised.
I don't even know what kind of genre this book is! It's not a Thriller - not Erotica - not Romance - but it's all those things and so much more!!!
I couldn't put the book down! I was completely hooked from the first pages!
I was even crying!!!
I loved Will and his sad past and the way he made himself into what he is today.
And I felt sooo sad for him when things went horribly wrong.
And Darcy - she's a sweet girl - falling in love with this stranger. And then making this one mistake and then trying to make everything right again.
There are only 2 things that I didn't like - first - the sex scenes felt a bit cut-off at the end... They start out really sexy and romantic and erotic but then it's like the author was too embarrassed to be a bit more sexually explicit! It wouldn't have hurt the book at all to make those scenes a bit longer ☺ Just my opinion ☺
And then the Cover-picture! The models - especially the girl - both look like cold and ruthless KGB Spies!
And that's not what Will and Darcy are!!! Should this book evercome out in print - and I really hope it will - please change the cover!
And that's all I didn't like! Amazing, huh? Normally I have LOTS to complain about - even when it's another 5-star book ☺
Please go and buy this wonderful non-genre book ;)
Let's just call it a
Heartbreaking Erotic Thriller!
💜
💜
November 20, 2013
HOLY. FUCKING. SHITBALLS!!! WOW. JUST WOW...
I don't even know where to begin with this review or what to say. I loved every mind-blowing fucking word of this book!!! It was high energy, intense, suspenseful, incredibly romantic (like bone melting romantic) and it just absolutely blew my fucking mind! My blood is pumping and I'm giddy with admiration for this author! I feel like I do after I finish a Nelson Demille novel! And that's a rare and special feeling for me. Like I just had the most amazing, earth shattering book-gasm!
The gist: Darcy is a journalist. She's just been given a career making assignment - an exclusive interview with the reclusive, enigmatic Australian billionaire, Will Parker. She flies to Shanghai for the interview (Will lives in Shanghai) and finds herself detained at the airport. Then a fellow passenger is brought into the tiny room in the bowels of the airport with her. Without exchanging names, the two detained Australians begin a game of truth or dare that ends up being the start to a turbulent relationship and a very sensational series of events that will leave both Darcy and Will completely gutted and raw and in need of major soul searching and rehabilitation.
I don't want to give anything away about this story! You NEED to read it in order to understand it because there is NO WAY I can write a review that will adequately describe the awesomeness of this story! Ms. Paton is a literary genius and I will be gobbling up the rest of her books like a junkie gobbles Oxycontin. I don't even know what to say, but I'll try...
Darcy is quite possibly my new favorite literary heroine, although it's still pretty close between her and Elizabeth Bennett. She's strong, she isn't going to take shit from anyone. She's headstrong and when she knows what she wants, she goes after it with total abandon. Her dad and brother are both journalists, more hard core than she is, and they pretty much treat her like she's a weak female and she'll never make in the world of the news. They're total chauvinistic pigs and I wanted to ninja kick them in their smug, condescending, pretentious mouths! They didn't deserve her and all she ever wanted in life was her father's approval and for him to say he was proud of her. She's determined to stand on her own two feet and be recognized for who SHE is and not for who her father or brother are. When she meets Will, it's balls to the wall complete freedom and bliss. When Will was recovering from a near fatal beating, it was almost like I felt physical pain for the struggle Darcy was going through feeling helpless and insignificant. While he was recovering, she was trying to find her place and build an amazing career while constantly worrying about Will and dealing with her own PTSD and I wanted to cry for her. Her strength and selflessness was fucking amazing (and it's hard right now NOT to think of her like she's a real, living, breathing person). I can't say enough about her.
Will. Oh, God, Will. What can say about this truly amazing man. (Again, I can't NOT think of him like a real-life person.) To say his childhood was shitty would be a monumental understatement, yet he rose above it to become a billionaire entrepreneur. And it did this with no college, very little money, and in a foreign country where he didn't know the language, let alone the laws. All he had was a desire to succeed and a very basic idea of where to start. He's been in the shadows, allowing his brother to be the face of the company for years, but now he has to come into the public eye in order to succeed in a very important business deal. He has very good reasons for wanting to stay in the shadows. When his photo makes international news, Will's life becomes a living a HELL ON EARTH!!! He's kidnapped, rescued, jailed, and nearly beaten to death. I was emotionally wrung out from Will's struggle to deal with everything that happens to him. And dealing with his feelings for Darcy and the implications those feelings will have on both their lives. I was literally on pins and needles and ofttimes found myself holding my breath in anticipation or shock. I felt turned inside out!
In my opinion, one thing that separates a good story from a truly amazing story is the character development. If an author has done a phenomenal job with character development, you can't help but to imagine them as real-life people who walk among us. Someone you could call up on the phone or see on TV. An author can write a great story, but if the characters aren't right, the book isn't going to be amazing. And you don't necessarily have to LIKE the characters, you just have to be able to believe that they are real people and not some one-dimension character in a story. This book had that in spades! I could almost HEAR them breathing, feel the gusts of their breath across my skin when they sighed, whether in frustration or ecstasy.
Of course, the story itself has to have some merit in order for a book to be truly amazing. Simply having truly amazing characters isn't enough. The story needs depth. I want to be able to tell the author did some research or has some personal experience with either the setting or the subject matter. I want the story to be believable. I want a story to make me THINK. I want a story that gets my blood racing through my veins and makes me pant. I want a story that stirs me emotionally. My GOD does this book have ALL of that!!! I wouldn't necessarily say there are twists and curves in the story, because I didn't have one of those oh-shit-I-didn't-see-THAT-coming moments. But SO MUCH happens that you're like, "Uh oh...oh shit...no fucking way...what a bunch of lily-livered assholes!...how much more can these two take???" I was on the edge of my seat in suspense and wished it was a movie so I could get to the next part quicker than it takes me to read it! It's almost 6am and I've been up all night because I couldn't put it down to go to sleep! It was THAT good!
I will re-read this book and re-read it often! TRULY AMAZING!!!
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. (And if you don't believe this is honest, check out some of my other ARC reviews - or any of my reviews for that matter - I'm not, exactly, a nice reviewer and I have NO problem telling you when a story is truly horrendous!...)
I don't even know where to begin with this review or what to say. I loved every mind-blowing fucking word of this book!!! It was high energy, intense, suspenseful, incredibly romantic (like bone melting romantic) and it just absolutely blew my fucking mind! My blood is pumping and I'm giddy with admiration for this author! I feel like I do after I finish a Nelson Demille novel! And that's a rare and special feeling for me. Like I just had the most amazing, earth shattering book-gasm!
The gist: Darcy is a journalist. She's just been given a career making assignment - an exclusive interview with the reclusive, enigmatic Australian billionaire, Will Parker. She flies to Shanghai for the interview (Will lives in Shanghai) and finds herself detained at the airport. Then a fellow passenger is brought into the tiny room in the bowels of the airport with her. Without exchanging names, the two detained Australians begin a game of truth or dare that ends up being the start to a turbulent relationship and a very sensational series of events that will leave both Darcy and Will completely gutted and raw and in need of major soul searching and rehabilitation.
I don't want to give anything away about this story! You NEED to read it in order to understand it because there is NO WAY I can write a review that will adequately describe the awesomeness of this story! Ms. Paton is a literary genius and I will be gobbling up the rest of her books like a junkie gobbles Oxycontin. I don't even know what to say, but I'll try...
Darcy is quite possibly my new favorite literary heroine, although it's still pretty close between her and Elizabeth Bennett. She's strong, she isn't going to take shit from anyone. She's headstrong and when she knows what she wants, she goes after it with total abandon. Her dad and brother are both journalists, more hard core than she is, and they pretty much treat her like she's a weak female and she'll never make in the world of the news. They're total chauvinistic pigs and I wanted to ninja kick them in their smug, condescending, pretentious mouths! They didn't deserve her and all she ever wanted in life was her father's approval and for him to say he was proud of her. She's determined to stand on her own two feet and be recognized for who SHE is and not for who her father or brother are. When she meets Will, it's balls to the wall complete freedom and bliss. When Will was recovering from a near fatal beating, it was almost like I felt physical pain for the struggle Darcy was going through feeling helpless and insignificant. While he was recovering, she was trying to find her place and build an amazing career while constantly worrying about Will and dealing with her own PTSD and I wanted to cry for her. Her strength and selflessness was fucking amazing (and it's hard right now NOT to think of her like she's a real, living, breathing person). I can't say enough about her.
Will. Oh, God, Will. What can say about this truly amazing man. (Again, I can't NOT think of him like a real-life person.) To say his childhood was shitty would be a monumental understatement, yet he rose above it to become a billionaire entrepreneur. And it did this with no college, very little money, and in a foreign country where he didn't know the language, let alone the laws. All he had was a desire to succeed and a very basic idea of where to start. He's been in the shadows, allowing his brother to be the face of the company for years, but now he has to come into the public eye in order to succeed in a very important business deal. He has very good reasons for wanting to stay in the shadows. When his photo makes international news, Will's life becomes a living a HELL ON EARTH!!! He's kidnapped, rescued, jailed, and nearly beaten to death. I was emotionally wrung out from Will's struggle to deal with everything that happens to him. And dealing with his feelings for Darcy and the implications those feelings will have on both their lives. I was literally on pins and needles and ofttimes found myself holding my breath in anticipation or shock. I felt turned inside out!
In my opinion, one thing that separates a good story from a truly amazing story is the character development. If an author has done a phenomenal job with character development, you can't help but to imagine them as real-life people who walk among us. Someone you could call up on the phone or see on TV. An author can write a great story, but if the characters aren't right, the book isn't going to be amazing. And you don't necessarily have to LIKE the characters, you just have to be able to believe that they are real people and not some one-dimension character in a story. This book had that in spades! I could almost HEAR them breathing, feel the gusts of their breath across my skin when they sighed, whether in frustration or ecstasy.
Of course, the story itself has to have some merit in order for a book to be truly amazing. Simply having truly amazing characters isn't enough. The story needs depth. I want to be able to tell the author did some research or has some personal experience with either the setting or the subject matter. I want the story to be believable. I want a story to make me THINK. I want a story that gets my blood racing through my veins and makes me pant. I want a story that stirs me emotionally. My GOD does this book have ALL of that!!! I wouldn't necessarily say there are twists and curves in the story, because I didn't have one of those oh-shit-I-didn't-see-THAT-coming moments. But SO MUCH happens that you're like, "Uh oh...oh shit...no fucking way...what a bunch of lily-livered assholes!...how much more can these two take???" I was on the edge of my seat in suspense and wished it was a movie so I could get to the next part quicker than it takes me to read it! It's almost 6am and I've been up all night because I couldn't put it down to go to sleep! It was THAT good!
I will re-read this book and re-read it often! TRULY AMAZING!!!
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. (And if you don't believe this is honest, check out some of my other ARC reviews - or any of my reviews for that matter - I'm not, exactly, a nice reviewer and I have NO problem telling you when a story is truly horrendous!...)
September 17, 2013
DNF. I bought it by accident, I guess... well, I bought it on purpose, but I didn't realize who the author was.
And I had the same problem with this book that I had with other books by the same author. Her heroes do things that I find virtually unforgivable (in this case..., yet it's somehow silly for the heroine to blame him.
Oh, the hero can blame himself. () But she always has to disagree. In this book the hero gets a little extra punishment heaped on him, I guess (DNF, so I didn't get the whole story), but that doesn't change the fact that he was BEYOND an alpha-hole, and that the heroine gets angry for about ten minutes, does something MINOR compared to what he did, and then feels all guilty about it.
It's incredibly frustrating. I really like the author's writing style, I like the Australian setting, I WANT to like the set-ups, but this INSANE dynamic keeps coming back to ruin it all for me. I can't like the male characters or respect the female characters while all this is going on. It's annoying.
And I had the same problem with this book that I had with other books by the same author. Her heroes do things that I find virtually unforgivable (in this case..., yet it's somehow silly for the heroine to blame him.
Oh, the hero can blame himself. () But she always has to disagree. In this book the hero gets a little extra punishment heaped on him, I guess (DNF, so I didn't get the whole story), but that doesn't change the fact that he was BEYOND an alpha-hole, and that the heroine gets angry for about ten minutes, does something MINOR compared to what he did, and then feels all guilty about it.
It's incredibly frustrating. I really like the author's writing style, I like the Australian setting, I WANT to like the set-ups, but this INSANE dynamic keeps coming back to ruin it all for me. I can't like the male characters or respect the female characters while all this is going on. It's annoying.
August 18, 2013
ARC received from Netgalley for honest review
I didn't know what to expect when I picked up this book - which I think is a good thing anyway.
After reading the blurb, it sounded like everything would happen while being detained in an interview room at an airport. So wrong - the story begins after they leave the airport!
Darcy Campbell is an ambitious reporter for a Sydney newspaper. She gets flown to Shanghai for the career break she needs - an exclusive interview with reclusive Australian billionaire, Will Parker.
Arriving in China, she is stopped at immigration for irregularlities with her visa, and is detained in a freezing room at Pudong Airport.
After a while, she has a fellow detainee. A sexy fellow Aussie. Darcy feels an instant attraction to the handsome stranger, and it seems the attraction is mutual.
To fill in the time, Darcy and the stranger start a game of Truth or Dare.
With no names given, Darcy and handsome stranger realise that they can be more truthful with each other than they have ever been before. Things get quite personal, and their attraction and bond gets stronger.
After finally being released, handsome stranger, whom she has nicknamed Tara after the town he grew up in, drops her off at her hotel and seemingly drives out of her life.
But they can't keep away from each other, and they spend a wonderful weekend together, enjoying the anonymity of the situation.
On Monday, Darcy goes to interview Will Parker - only to find out that the interview is cancelled, and that Tara is Mr Will Parker himself.
Darcy is furious, hurt and humiliated by Will. She also knows that his cancelling the interview has destroyed her career.
On returning to Sydney, Darcy runs a story with information she gathered in Shanghai, something that garners worldwide attention, and could ruin Will personally and professionally.
The article leads to things occurring to Will that he had dreaded all his life. But can things be fixed? For that, you are going to have to go buy Detained and find out!
Ainslie Paton had me run through a whole range of emotions - I laughed, I cried, I was afraid for the characters. This line particularly made me laugh (the Aussies amongst us will laugh with me).
"Darcy didn't do pretty. Pretty took time and consideration and while she was no bush pig Andy's favourite description of an unattractive woman, she'd rather be acknowledged for her thought patterns than her eye make up."
I loved Will - the way he walked away from his traumatic past to make himself into the man he is today -both the good and the bad. His love and the things he has done for his "brother" Pete - the only real family he has ever had - pulls at the heartstrings.
Darcy has a father and a brother who are more like colleagues or acquaintances. I for one think she would be better off without them at all. She has a heart of gold and works hard to correct the mistakes she makes in her life.
The interactions between Darcy and Will are sexy, sweet, funny, heartbreaking... their relationship is the epitome of the emotional rollercoaster.
I could not put this book down once I started reading, and was up till all hours of the morning finishing it!
I thoroughly enjoyed the ride Ainslie Paton took me on, and I am definitely going to read more of her work!
I didn't know what to expect when I picked up this book - which I think is a good thing anyway.
After reading the blurb, it sounded like everything would happen while being detained in an interview room at an airport. So wrong - the story begins after they leave the airport!
Darcy Campbell is an ambitious reporter for a Sydney newspaper. She gets flown to Shanghai for the career break she needs - an exclusive interview with reclusive Australian billionaire, Will Parker.
Arriving in China, she is stopped at immigration for irregularlities with her visa, and is detained in a freezing room at Pudong Airport.
After a while, she has a fellow detainee. A sexy fellow Aussie. Darcy feels an instant attraction to the handsome stranger, and it seems the attraction is mutual.
To fill in the time, Darcy and the stranger start a game of Truth or Dare.
With no names given, Darcy and handsome stranger realise that they can be more truthful with each other than they have ever been before. Things get quite personal, and their attraction and bond gets stronger.
After finally being released, handsome stranger, whom she has nicknamed Tara after the town he grew up in, drops her off at her hotel and seemingly drives out of her life.
But they can't keep away from each other, and they spend a wonderful weekend together, enjoying the anonymity of the situation.
On Monday, Darcy goes to interview Will Parker - only to find out that the interview is cancelled, and that Tara is Mr Will Parker himself.
Darcy is furious, hurt and humiliated by Will. She also knows that his cancelling the interview has destroyed her career.
On returning to Sydney, Darcy runs a story with information she gathered in Shanghai, something that garners worldwide attention, and could ruin Will personally and professionally.
The article leads to things occurring to Will that he had dreaded all his life. But can things be fixed? For that, you are going to have to go buy Detained and find out!
Ainslie Paton had me run through a whole range of emotions - I laughed, I cried, I was afraid for the characters. This line particularly made me laugh (the Aussies amongst us will laugh with me).
"Darcy didn't do pretty. Pretty took time and consideration and while she was no bush pig Andy's favourite description of an unattractive woman, she'd rather be acknowledged for her thought patterns than her eye make up."
I loved Will - the way he walked away from his traumatic past to make himself into the man he is today -both the good and the bad. His love and the things he has done for his "brother" Pete - the only real family he has ever had - pulls at the heartstrings.
Darcy has a father and a brother who are more like colleagues or acquaintances. I for one think she would be better off without them at all. She has a heart of gold and works hard to correct the mistakes she makes in her life.
The interactions between Darcy and Will are sexy, sweet, funny, heartbreaking... their relationship is the epitome of the emotional rollercoaster.
I could not put this book down once I started reading, and was up till all hours of the morning finishing it!
I thoroughly enjoyed the ride Ainslie Paton took me on, and I am definitely going to read more of her work!
July 26, 2013
I really wasn't sure what to make of this book because I had a certain opinion of it based on the blurb, but it veered off into directions I didn't anticipate and became so much more than what I expected. Given the description, I thought the whole book was going to take place in that one room - or at least the bulk of it. As it turns out, that is just a small part of the book and is over quicker than I expected. This is when the book veers off into directions I never expected.
I'm not going to give anything away here because I don't want to spoil it for anyone else, but this book went in directions I never would have guessed at in the beginning. It was a rollicking roller coaster of a ride through the lives of the main characters, sometimes heart-wrenching, other times heart-warming, but always keeping me on my toes wondering how it was all going to end. The ending was well worth the wait. Satisfying without being overdone or sappy. The author struck just the right notes throughout the book, but especially with the ending. In the end, this book was much more than the fluffy romance I thought it was going to be and it was an enjoyable read.
I'm not going to give anything away here because I don't want to spoil it for anyone else, but this book went in directions I never would have guessed at in the beginning. It was a rollicking roller coaster of a ride through the lives of the main characters, sometimes heart-wrenching, other times heart-warming, but always keeping me on my toes wondering how it was all going to end. The ending was well worth the wait. Satisfying without being overdone or sappy. The author struck just the right notes throughout the book, but especially with the ending. In the end, this book was much more than the fluffy romance I thought it was going to be and it was an enjoyable read.
December 20, 2013
From a game of truth or dare to a roller coaster ride of international scandal, this story pulls a fearless investigative reporter and reclusive billionaire on a ride that changes all they believe over and over. At the end of the ride will they be together or further apart than ever?
Having award winning reporters in both her dad and her brother, Darcy Campbell, for once, wanted to do a story that would make they sit up and take notice. Even with her job at the Herald, they had never considered her as a good reporter because what she usually wrote about crime, education, science and public companies was just fluff pieces, not ones that showed in depth investigative reporting. This new assignment investigating William Parker, recluse billionaire was just the type of reporting she needed to claim her place. Only a game of truth or dare with a hot, sexy stranger in a cold, sterile room in the bowels of the Shanghai airport started a ride with so many twists and turns she wasn't sure she could keep up. Just how was she going to present a story without bias when she was falling in love with the main subject? Was she really a good investigating reporter like she wanted to be or was she just fooling herself that he might love her back when the story was told?
Having lived so many years under the radar, William Parker still wasn't sure that he wanted to be in the public eye. Having his partner there had always worked in the past, why wasn't it good enough now? Only now he had purposely gotten detained with the reporter sent from the Herald to find out what kind of questions he would have to answer and been pleasantly surprised to find the reporter was a gorgeous woman. Now his curiosity was piqued, but the questions they shared got real personal in nature. But gorgeous or not, personal or not, there were too many things in the past that could be dangerous to him if she should learn about them. If she did and she wrote about them, the years he had worked so hard to make something of himself would be moot. Could he trust this woman to report a good story and leave the past alone or was he setting himself up for failure in his life and in the love he wanted? Just how far would this ride take them? Would they survive?
An absolutely excellent story. Well developed characters weaved an involved plot full of twists and turns. Desire, ambition, betrayal, hurt and the unexpected seem to jump out from almost every page. With the descriptions of scenery and places, you felt like you were there with them. Scenes were vividly described, and the dialogue was engaging and colorful. Secondary characters provided wonderful support to the main characters. You were pulled into the story from the first page to the last.
I would recommend this to all romance and romantic suspense readers.
I received a copy from Netgalley for an honest review.
5/5 stars Just what had she got herself into?
Having award winning reporters in both her dad and her brother, Darcy Campbell, for once, wanted to do a story that would make they sit up and take notice. Even with her job at the Herald, they had never considered her as a good reporter because what she usually wrote about crime, education, science and public companies was just fluff pieces, not ones that showed in depth investigative reporting. This new assignment investigating William Parker, recluse billionaire was just the type of reporting she needed to claim her place. Only a game of truth or dare with a hot, sexy stranger in a cold, sterile room in the bowels of the Shanghai airport started a ride with so many twists and turns she wasn't sure she could keep up. Just how was she going to present a story without bias when she was falling in love with the main subject? Was she really a good investigating reporter like she wanted to be or was she just fooling herself that he might love her back when the story was told?
Having lived so many years under the radar, William Parker still wasn't sure that he wanted to be in the public eye. Having his partner there had always worked in the past, why wasn't it good enough now? Only now he had purposely gotten detained with the reporter sent from the Herald to find out what kind of questions he would have to answer and been pleasantly surprised to find the reporter was a gorgeous woman. Now his curiosity was piqued, but the questions they shared got real personal in nature. But gorgeous or not, personal or not, there were too many things in the past that could be dangerous to him if she should learn about them. If she did and she wrote about them, the years he had worked so hard to make something of himself would be moot. Could he trust this woman to report a good story and leave the past alone or was he setting himself up for failure in his life and in the love he wanted? Just how far would this ride take them? Would they survive?
An absolutely excellent story. Well developed characters weaved an involved plot full of twists and turns. Desire, ambition, betrayal, hurt and the unexpected seem to jump out from almost every page. With the descriptions of scenery and places, you felt like you were there with them. Scenes were vividly described, and the dialogue was engaging and colorful. Secondary characters provided wonderful support to the main characters. You were pulled into the story from the first page to the last.
I would recommend this to all romance and romantic suspense readers.
I received a copy from Netgalley for an honest review.
5/5 stars Just what had she got herself into?
December 13, 2013
Received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Detained by Ainslie Paton was completely unexpected. I was expecting a witty contemporary romance because I have read other books by this author. What I got was so much more. This book could easily be tagged as contemporary romance, erotic romance and romantic suspense. Add to that some darkness and angst. Then contrast it all with sweetness and redemption. I realise this sounds like a book with an identity crisis but it works, and it works well.
So, a little about the characters.
Darcy is a strong career focused woman fighting within her industry to make a name for herself and in the process impress her father and brother who are established and successful journalists. She has a lot to prove. She is on the verge of a big break when her paper lands an interview with the media shy Will Parker. Her career is poised to hit new heights if she can get the elusive Mr Parker to give her a good story.
Will is an enigma. No one is sure what he looks like because he avoids being photographed and he never gives interviews. He values his privacy and doesn't want to open his life to scrutiny however he needs to raise his media profile to help take his business forward.
What I loved about this book is that both Will and Darcy are strong characters with a lot of depth. They both are in fields where gut instinct is essential and reading people is something they both are able to do. It makes for interesting dialogue. It also leads to some serious sexual tension and gripping tension. Neither Will nor Darcy are keen to back down from a challenge.
Detained takes place in China and Australia and I loved both of these settings. Without giving anything away, a LOT happens in this book. Certainly more than I ever saw coming. It could easily have been spread over two or three books. However, condensing it into one book kept the pages turning. I kid you not, I used every last minute of my lunch break reading and then had to count the minutes until I could pick it up again.
I loved Detained. Who would I recommend it to? Anyone who loves books set in interesting locations, great dialogue, drama, flawed characters, erotic stolen moments, and finally character growth.
4.5 stars
Detained by Ainslie Paton was completely unexpected. I was expecting a witty contemporary romance because I have read other books by this author. What I got was so much more. This book could easily be tagged as contemporary romance, erotic romance and romantic suspense. Add to that some darkness and angst. Then contrast it all with sweetness and redemption. I realise this sounds like a book with an identity crisis but it works, and it works well.
So, a little about the characters.
Darcy is a strong career focused woman fighting within her industry to make a name for herself and in the process impress her father and brother who are established and successful journalists. She has a lot to prove. She is on the verge of a big break when her paper lands an interview with the media shy Will Parker. Her career is poised to hit new heights if she can get the elusive Mr Parker to give her a good story.
Will is an enigma. No one is sure what he looks like because he avoids being photographed and he never gives interviews. He values his privacy and doesn't want to open his life to scrutiny however he needs to raise his media profile to help take his business forward.
What I loved about this book is that both Will and Darcy are strong characters with a lot of depth. They both are in fields where gut instinct is essential and reading people is something they both are able to do. It makes for interesting dialogue. It also leads to some serious sexual tension and gripping tension. Neither Will nor Darcy are keen to back down from a challenge.
Detained takes place in China and Australia and I loved both of these settings. Without giving anything away, a LOT happens in this book. Certainly more than I ever saw coming. It could easily have been spread over two or three books. However, condensing it into one book kept the pages turning. I kid you not, I used every last minute of my lunch break reading and then had to count the minutes until I could pick it up again.
I loved Detained. Who would I recommend it to? Anyone who loves books set in interesting locations, great dialogue, drama, flawed characters, erotic stolen moments, and finally character growth.
4.5 stars
September 1, 2020
Wow, that took some really interesting twists and turns! I thought I knew where this story was going at the start but I underestimated Ainslie's commitment to making this a story to sink your teeth into. Sexy romance and action and lots of strong emotions make this a read not to be missed!
February 17, 2014
Twists and turns, and I loved every page of it. If I had to be honest, I'd say most of what happened later in the book were nothing but padding—and intentionally over the top, maybe?—written to make the book unnecessarily long, but eff me if I didn't think it worked. In the end, I thought, sheesh, if I didn't know better, I'd say all those were essential to the story. They probably were.
Thrown off by the writing style at first. It was, I dunno, a bit too breezy? But once I got past that, well, I could hardly put the book down. The pacing was fast so the story wasn't exactly bogged down, but I still felt the overwhelming length of it. I loved the dialogue, which I think was what truly made this such an enjoyable read. The tension was high, and not only between the main characters. I mentioned this before—the book was written fantastically, but it could've used a more thorough editing. No big deal. The typos weren't enough to deter my attention from what was happening.
Will is not an easy hero for me to like. It goes beyond my usual default dislike for controlling and overbearing alpha males, but he is flawed and damaged, and we all know we're suckers for “fixing” the type. Darcy is a cool and smart heroine who easily becomes a pushover when with her misogynistic family. I won't say she's easy to relate with, but she's definitely a compelling character whom you'd want to either kiss or kill, depending on which part of the book you are. Both characters, along with the plot, are very well-developed and make for a fascinating story. There's a lot of depth and tension. I don't think I can ask for anything more in a suspenseful read.
So! Detained? Definitely a favourite this year. Will be sure to pick up Floored when it releases in a few months.
(Thank you, Sarah Mayberry, for introducing me to this author. If you hadn't tweeted that e-book sale, I wouldn't have thought to try this book at all.)
Thrown off by the writing style at first. It was, I dunno, a bit too breezy? But once I got past that, well, I could hardly put the book down. The pacing was fast so the story wasn't exactly bogged down, but I still felt the overwhelming length of it. I loved the dialogue, which I think was what truly made this such an enjoyable read. The tension was high, and not only between the main characters. I mentioned this before—the book was written fantastically, but it could've used a more thorough editing. No big deal. The typos weren't enough to deter my attention from what was happening.
Will is not an easy hero for me to like. It goes beyond my usual default dislike for controlling and overbearing alpha males, but he is flawed and damaged, and we all know we're suckers for “fixing” the type. Darcy is a cool and smart heroine who easily becomes a pushover when with her misogynistic family. I won't say she's easy to relate with, but she's definitely a compelling character whom you'd want to either kiss or kill, depending on which part of the book you are. Both characters, along with the plot, are very well-developed and make for a fascinating story. There's a lot of depth and tension. I don't think I can ask for anything more in a suspenseful read.
So! Detained? Definitely a favourite this year. Will be sure to pick up Floored when it releases in a few months.
(Thank you, Sarah Mayberry, for introducing me to this author. If you hadn't tweeted that e-book sale, I wouldn't have thought to try this book at all.)
November 27, 2013
Darcy. A beautiful journalist who has a mission to interview the richest Australia businessman comes to Shanghai and being detained for five hours with one man. Being together with stranger, Darcy suggested to play Truth or Dare. Without giving their name, they slowly unfold the truth, even the painfully one.
Will. A billionaire who established his business in China and suddenly expands his business in his home country, attracts the media attention because of his privacy. His head of PR decided it's the time to uncover his profile to acquire more attention to his new soon to be takeover company in Australia. Then he meets Darcy. Unknowingly, he starts to open his heart and falls hard for her.
Overall, I liked the story. The premise hooked me up. I don't know, but I am not too comfortable with the author's writing style. Actually, the story line was interesting enough to keep up, but it probably the writing style that bored me and held me long. It felt so loooooong to finish the book. I felt I was reading a book over 300 pages. The characters were okay. It took a lot of me to finish this book under 24 hours. Too much complexity.
Will. A billionaire who established his business in China and suddenly expands his business in his home country, attracts the media attention because of his privacy. His head of PR decided it's the time to uncover his profile to acquire more attention to his new soon to be takeover company in Australia. Then he meets Darcy. Unknowingly, he starts to open his heart and falls hard for her.
Overall, I liked the story. The premise hooked me up. I don't know, but I am not too comfortable with the author's writing style. Actually, the story line was interesting enough to keep up, but it probably the writing style that bored me and held me long. It felt so loooooong to finish the book. I felt I was reading a book over 300 pages. The characters were okay. It took a lot of me to finish this book under 24 hours. Too much complexity.
August 16, 2013
Detained
By Ainslie Paton
Sheesh, I wasn’t sure I would come out of this book alive! I was taken by this book with the first glance of the cover, I don’t even know if I read the synopsis before I started reading it. And I have to say it was a little bit of a slow starter but then it took off like a shot out of a gun. But even during the slow start or should we say ground work for this book, it was hot & seductive. While I’m writing this I don’t want to spoil any part of it. Detained was expertly written and by saying that while you thought you were figuring out the twist that was coming you were hit square in the face with one that you didn’t see coming. This was a book where the hits just kept coming from the beginning to end. It was heart stopping, stunning and totally out of control at some points but it was endearing and loving in another.
✯Jammie
*Review Copy provided by Netgalley for an honest review*
This Review along with others can be found at http://www.2bookaholics.com
By Ainslie Paton
Sheesh, I wasn’t sure I would come out of this book alive! I was taken by this book with the first glance of the cover, I don’t even know if I read the synopsis before I started reading it. And I have to say it was a little bit of a slow starter but then it took off like a shot out of a gun. But even during the slow start or should we say ground work for this book, it was hot & seductive. While I’m writing this I don’t want to spoil any part of it. Detained was expertly written and by saying that while you thought you were figuring out the twist that was coming you were hit square in the face with one that you didn’t see coming. This was a book where the hits just kept coming from the beginning to end. It was heart stopping, stunning and totally out of control at some points but it was endearing and loving in another.
✯Jammie
*Review Copy provided by Netgalley for an honest review*
This Review along with others can be found at http://www.2bookaholics.com
November 23, 2013
This book shined in the dialogue between the two main characters. This is an Australian contemporary romance by an Australian author, so the spelling/grammar took a while to get used to as an American reader not familiar with all the spelling/grammar variants between Australian English & American English; ultimately, I think that just lent to the authentic feeling of the characters and settings for me. The plot was interesting, but man oh man was there a lot of angst rolling off the hero! While I really enjoyed this book, there were parts that lagged for me, particularly toward the middle of the book when there was a lot more description of what was going on than dialogue; once the story got back to being dialogue-driven I couldn't put it down until I finished it. Aside from the dialogue, I also loved all the pop-culture references in this book (Spiderman and Green Day, for example) that made it universally relatable regardless whether it was written with an Austrailian reading audience in mind.
September 9, 2014
I'm blaming Kathryn @ Book Date for this one HA, Ainslie Paton is an Australian author I hadn't read or even heard of until I read Kathryn's review of Detained. This is story that benefits from going in 'blind' so I'm not going to give much away. Let me just say I was expecting one thing and got a whole lot more.
Journalist Darcy Campbell has just snagged a career making interview with the reclusive Will Parker, Australian billionaire entrepreneur living in Shanghai. I loved both characters, far from cookie cutter perfect, fascinating back-stories, believable.
Detained has quite an erotic start, I'm actually surprised I wasn't rolling my eyes muttering *unbelievable* ... far from it. I was sucked in ... hooked on the danger and hotness. And if that isn't enough to get your heart racing, top notch character development is backed up by a story with depth and bucket loads of emotion. Detained has it all ... in spades. It's intense and edgy and sexy as all hell.
I'll definitely be reading more from Ainslie Paton :)
Journalist Darcy Campbell has just snagged a career making interview with the reclusive Will Parker, Australian billionaire entrepreneur living in Shanghai. I loved both characters, far from cookie cutter perfect, fascinating back-stories, believable.
Detained has quite an erotic start, I'm actually surprised I wasn't rolling my eyes muttering *unbelievable* ... far from it. I was sucked in ... hooked on the danger and hotness. And if that isn't enough to get your heart racing, top notch character development is backed up by a story with depth and bucket loads of emotion. Detained has it all ... in spades. It's intense and edgy and sexy as all hell.
I'll definitely be reading more from Ainslie Paton :)
September 13, 2013
loved it! Ainslie Paton can do no wrong!
January 22, 2019
Well written, expertly packed with action while never sacrificing nuance, character growth or love story arc. The hero of this story starts out as (for me) compelling but unlovable. His arrogance and the choices he makes (and have made in the past) do not belong to the kind of man that I find acceptable in real or book life. Things happen though. A lot of things happen, and I don’t just mean between the hero & heroine. We see what has shaped the man and how he begins to become a better man. We see them both make mistakes, large and small, and grow from them. These kinds of stories work for me.
Other things that I enjoyed greatly:
- the book takes place in China and Australia. Hallelujah for that. I get so tired of only seeing
books set in the US and England.
- an intriguing cast of male and female secondary characters that I’d love to learn more about.
- clever dialogue, bickering, and relationship developments
I’m happy to have finally read something by this author and anticipate going through her back catalog.
Other things that I enjoyed greatly:
- the book takes place in China and Australia. Hallelujah for that. I get so tired of only seeing
books set in the US and England.
- an intriguing cast of male and female secondary characters that I’d love to learn more about.
- clever dialogue, bickering, and relationship developments
I’m happy to have finally read something by this author and anticipate going through her back catalog.
December 24, 2021
This was not what I expected. Darcy gets there interview of a lifetime to interview Will Parker who's never been photographed or interviewed. She gets detained before the interview and had a hot encounter with a stranger. They don't exchange names and meet up a few times.
There's so much drama in this book with losing jobs, abductions, incarcerations and loss.
It was a great story and loved all of it. It would makea great movie
There's so much drama in this book with losing jobs, abductions, incarcerations and loss.
It was a great story and loved all of it. It would makea great movie
December 3, 2017
Very well written and starts really well. Interesting plot and characters. The ending is a bit confusing and over complicated, though.
April 1, 2018
I normally like Ainslie Paton's stories but this one had SO MUCH DRAMA! Also, I dislike violent, deceitful heroes.
May 29, 2018
Good plot and story, but the prose and character development was a little odd. However, it may just have been a cultural thing.
December 23, 2013
Aussie journo Darcy is off to Shanghai to score a rare interview with recluse expat steel tycoon Will Parker. But she gets detained by immigration with an attractive fellow countryman. When they get bored and chilly, they play truth or dare. Things get pret-ty interesting.
But their actions blow Darcy’s chance at the interview. They have even worse consequences for the interviewee.
I was intrigued by the premise of Detained: two people trapped together, growing bored, playing truth or dare, and then sexy times result. But this book takes many dark and delightful paths from that promising start. It’s fun and shocking and, to be honest, only mildly smutty. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Just not used to the fade-outs after all the anatomy lessons I’ve been getting in my other reading.
I’m not sure what more to say about this book. I don’t want to give too much away, because it is fun to see where it goes without too many preconceptions. Some of the paths it takes are predictable (in fact, without me giving very much information, I’m sure you can guess one of the plot twists already), and some paths are frustrating, but others are surprising. It gets quite violent, but never too much, I found. Although I just finished a very violent book right before this, with pages and pages of crunching cartilage and bulging hematomas, so I may have been desensitized.
I did find the characters mildly annoying in all the usual ways — they stubbornly uphold their out-of-touch standards, they resolve to spare the other person their “destructive” influence, their mad passion is dubious at best. There is one bizarre scene involving a seduction and an emotional breakthrough that I noted as "weird" on my ereader, I find going back to check my notes. It really didn't work for me. And that wasn't the only scene. The final blow-up at the end had me confused as to why it was such a big deal. (That happens to me often when reading. Guess I'm losing my touch of the drama queen.) Oh, and the chapter titles and Confucius quotes were just beyond, and not in a good way. (Another note I found I'd made: Darcy asks a mother in a village in rural China if her son is her first child. Um, likely last too, right? Even if not, it's an odd question in China.)
Okay, besides all that, this was a fun, quick-paced read that didn’t bore easily. So it’s an okay book. Many will like it; many will go “meh, it’s nothing special.” I’m somewhere between the two.
Neva
Reviewed from ARC. Published by Escape (Harlequin) September 1, 2013.
Full review is at nomdeplumepress.wordpress.com.
But their actions blow Darcy’s chance at the interview. They have even worse consequences for the interviewee.
I was intrigued by the premise of Detained: two people trapped together, growing bored, playing truth or dare, and then sexy times result. But this book takes many dark and delightful paths from that promising start. It’s fun and shocking and, to be honest, only mildly smutty. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Just not used to the fade-outs after all the anatomy lessons I’ve been getting in my other reading.
I’m not sure what more to say about this book. I don’t want to give too much away, because it is fun to see where it goes without too many preconceptions. Some of the paths it takes are predictable (in fact, without me giving very much information, I’m sure you can guess one of the plot twists already), and some paths are frustrating, but others are surprising. It gets quite violent, but never too much, I found. Although I just finished a very violent book right before this, with pages and pages of crunching cartilage and bulging hematomas, so I may have been desensitized.
I did find the characters mildly annoying in all the usual ways — they stubbornly uphold their out-of-touch standards, they resolve to spare the other person their “destructive” influence, their mad passion is dubious at best. There is one bizarre scene involving a seduction and an emotional breakthrough that I noted as "weird" on my ereader, I find going back to check my notes. It really didn't work for me. And that wasn't the only scene. The final blow-up at the end had me confused as to why it was such a big deal. (That happens to me often when reading. Guess I'm losing my touch of the drama queen.) Oh, and the chapter titles and Confucius quotes were just beyond, and not in a good way. (Another note I found I'd made: Darcy asks a mother in a village in rural China if her son is her first child. Um, likely last too, right? Even if not, it's an odd question in China.)
Okay, besides all that, this was a fun, quick-paced read that didn’t bore easily. So it’s an okay book. Many will like it; many will go “meh, it’s nothing special.” I’m somewhere between the two.
Neva
Reviewed from ARC. Published by Escape (Harlequin) September 1, 2013.
Full review is at nomdeplumepress.wordpress.com.
August 15, 2014
ARC was given by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review
This book was an unbelievable reading that led to a 5 lovingly stars.
This was just my second book from this author and received this book last year but got to read it now. What I found both books in common were the writing style how the author put character so real but also so far away.
It took me like a week to finish this book but from 40% to the finish line it was quite fast like less than a day. It wasn't a hard book, I got to love this book from the beginning because the writer jump right to where the life changing begun. From there, I just follow the amazing adventure of two main characters who were shaping their life, going through right and wrong paths.
It was adventurous, open my mind, loving, tearful with quite a lot of dramas. I wanted to untangle the drama and let them live their life but with those it wouldn't give them a chance to learn and to live a full life.
The full life, being true to themselves. It was one thing I give my hat to Will, one one and last thing that made me LOVE and feel amaze by this manipulative reclusive arrogant liar deceitful caring generous right Billionaire man. He was all that and got a not so good background but still want and make a better life. A life for himself with value and also hard working man.
Yes the story contained so kind of power acting man with so great seduction from a billionaire but the money didn't make the story.
It was about the two of them from two different life but got to love and survive with each other because how they make each other home and wondering to have a life to together for forever.
I described Will a lot but it didn't mean I didn't like Darcy. She was a girl chasing for the truth, the headline. Her character was the one who trigger the series of drama. But let her live true to herself.
It was from her that she and I learned about Will deceitful way to let them love each other freely.
The encounter and how they loved each other could seem so fast while the mystery of who they were was still in the end. It was surrealist but they gave themselves freely and with the essence of themselves. It wasn't like they got together because they knew what were the favorite food or color but they got together because of how they were.
So it was a really got story. And I now pretty sure know Ainslie Paton name!
This book was an unbelievable reading that led to a 5 lovingly stars.
This was just my second book from this author and received this book last year but got to read it now. What I found both books in common were the writing style how the author put character so real but also so far away.
It took me like a week to finish this book but from 40% to the finish line it was quite fast like less than a day. It wasn't a hard book, I got to love this book from the beginning because the writer jump right to where the life changing begun. From there, I just follow the amazing adventure of two main characters who were shaping their life, going through right and wrong paths.
It was adventurous, open my mind, loving, tearful with quite a lot of dramas. I wanted to untangle the drama and let them live their life but with those it wouldn't give them a chance to learn and to live a full life.
The full life, being true to themselves. It was one thing I give my hat to Will, one one and last thing that made me LOVE and feel amaze by this manipulative reclusive arrogant liar deceitful caring generous right Billionaire man. He was all that and got a not so good background but still want and make a better life. A life for himself with value and also hard working man.
Yes the story contained so kind of power acting man with so great seduction from a billionaire but the money didn't make the story.
It was about the two of them from two different life but got to love and survive with each other because how they make each other home and wondering to have a life to together for forever.
I described Will a lot but it didn't mean I didn't like Darcy. She was a girl chasing for the truth, the headline. Her character was the one who trigger the series of drama. But let her live true to herself.
It was from her that she and I learned about Will deceitful way to let them love each other freely.
The encounter and how they loved each other could seem so fast while the mystery of who they were was still in the end. It was surrealist but they gave themselves freely and with the essence of themselves. It wasn't like they got together because they knew what were the favorite food or color but they got together because of how they were.
So it was a really got story. And I now pretty sure know Ainslie Paton name!
August 3, 2013
In Detained by Ainslie Paton,Darcy is determined to get an interview from reclusive business man and CEO of Parker Industries,Will Parker.She goes to Shanghai for her big break in journalism only to find herself detained with a business man for five hours in an icy and small room.To pass the time both of them start to play a truth or dare but as the game progresses,secrets tumble out and things start becoming more personal as a dare leads to one hot steamy kiss and a wild illicit night.
Their meeting has set of a chain of events which are gonna change their lives.Caught in the web of disgrace,exposure,lies and deceit,can they face the brutal truth and get the happily ever after?
Detained starts on a very exciting note,takes unexpected turns throughout the journey and ends on a positive note. Ainslie Paton has written an original story which could have gone so many other directions and it was great to read a romance which was so much more than your average feel good romance.The main characters were not conventional and had their own flaws.The best thing about them was their ability to rise after their fall and their independence to take their own choices,whether good or bad.As I said before they had their flaws too,which were responsible for most of the events in the story and therefore I can't say much about that without giving the story away.
Her eyes fixed on his, she held her ground. She was a brawler too. He braced, his own
breath forced out sharp, loud in his ears. She took two strides towards him. “This is madness.”
“It stops the minute you don’t want it.”
“What if I want it?”
“Take it.”
“No apologies. No explanations.”
“Show me who you are.”
Overall,Detained tells an exciting story,keeping you hooked till the last page and whether you love it or hate it-I promise that you won't be bored reading it.
November 25, 2013
Darcy Campbell works as a journalist for the Herald in Sydney, Australia. She gets a career making interview with the recluse, thirty something, bachelor, billionaire, businessman, "Will Parker". Will Parker has never allowed himself to be interviewed until now.
On Darcy's way to the interview she get's detained by the airport security at the Shanghai airport for a invalid passport. They put her in a freezing cold room while they get her passport straightened out. A few hours later they bring in a businessman, that has also been detained. Darcy and this new stranger get familiar over a game of truth or dare. Darcy really likes this man. She feels a connection with him and wanders what a night of letting herself go and being consumed by this stranger would be like.
After being released from being detained Darcy is set up in a costly hotel room. She receives a note from the stranger for a dinner date and since she is curious and her interview isn't until the next day she accepts. Darcy lets herself go with this stranger and finds pleasure like never before. After sharing a magically hot night with this man, the next day both of their lives will be forever changed.
This was a well written book full of ups and downs had me crying and laughing. This story will strip down your defense's and take you on a spectacular journey full of heartbreak and misunderstandings. This is a story about two people falling in love. About making mistakes and paying to ultimate price for them. About learning to overcome barriers to be together.
I loved the characters in this book and felt a immediate connection with them. This wasn't just a hot romantic novel. This was a soul searing never will I forget novel.
On Darcy's way to the interview she get's detained by the airport security at the Shanghai airport for a invalid passport. They put her in a freezing cold room while they get her passport straightened out. A few hours later they bring in a businessman, that has also been detained. Darcy and this new stranger get familiar over a game of truth or dare. Darcy really likes this man. She feels a connection with him and wanders what a night of letting herself go and being consumed by this stranger would be like.
After being released from being detained Darcy is set up in a costly hotel room. She receives a note from the stranger for a dinner date and since she is curious and her interview isn't until the next day she accepts. Darcy lets herself go with this stranger and finds pleasure like never before. After sharing a magically hot night with this man, the next day both of their lives will be forever changed.
This was a well written book full of ups and downs had me crying and laughing. This story will strip down your defense's and take you on a spectacular journey full of heartbreak and misunderstandings. This is a story about two people falling in love. About making mistakes and paying to ultimate price for them. About learning to overcome barriers to be together.
I loved the characters in this book and felt a immediate connection with them. This wasn't just a hot romantic novel. This was a soul searing never will I forget novel.
January 29, 2015
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This isn't a sweet romantic tale but it's a beautifully poignant love story, with a realistic urban edge and an exciting blend of angst and heat. The storyline is not unique but portrayed in an interesting and believable way with strong, flawed but essentially likeable characters. Damaged and shaped by their childhoods Will and Darcy share many characteristics and beliefs, when outwardly they appear to have nothing in common. The emotion is intense, this is not a relaxing read but it is so worth reading.
Vividly action enhanced by the emotionally driven character experiences make this story hard to put down. There are some excellent secondary characters whose stories I would love to read. The setting is also noteworthy and speaks of insider knowledge and experience, which adds to the story's authenticity.
The passion between Darcy and Will underlies the whole story and explodes whenever they are in touching distance. This heat between them is what keeps them moving forward, despite their roller coaster lives. You aren't sure if they will end up together until you read the last word.
I received a copy of this book from Escape Publishing via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Ainslie Paton
May 5, 2016
Detained is a book full of twists and turns, and most you will not see coming. How do you write a book review without giving away everything? This book is full of action and love and just so many happenings and emotions that to try to not give out spoilers would be impossible.
Darcy Campbell is a reporter on a story and Will, a businessman, is out to keep his life private. The two collide in a Shanghai airport and life will never be the same. The story takes off like a roller-coaster and doesn’t stop until the last page. It is well-written, the characters well formed, and the POV switch is done quite smoothly.
This is a great book well worth a five-star rating.
"Darcy Campbell sat on her hands. The posture wasn’t pretty outside primary school but it was effective. A better alternative to violence. It was the bodily equivalent of biting her tongue. She did that too. After the screaming match she’d had with Gerry in the corridor, she knew Mark didn’t need any excuse to regret his decision.
Mark Mason was a study in cool angry. He channelled plugged volcano, but his eyebrows had knitted. A hint the eruption, if it came, would be devastating.
It was business as usual to see Gerry frothing at the mouth. Mostly his lather was theatrical. It was designed to remind everyone he was the paper’s most senior correspondent. But right now it was downright rabid."
“No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.” – Confucius
https://mylifeonestoryatatime.com/201...
Darcy Campbell is a reporter on a story and Will, a businessman, is out to keep his life private. The two collide in a Shanghai airport and life will never be the same. The story takes off like a roller-coaster and doesn’t stop until the last page. It is well-written, the characters well formed, and the POV switch is done quite smoothly.
This is a great book well worth a five-star rating.
"Darcy Campbell sat on her hands. The posture wasn’t pretty outside primary school but it was effective. A better alternative to violence. It was the bodily equivalent of biting her tongue. She did that too. After the screaming match she’d had with Gerry in the corridor, she knew Mark didn’t need any excuse to regret his decision.
Mark Mason was a study in cool angry. He channelled plugged volcano, but his eyebrows had knitted. A hint the eruption, if it came, would be devastating.
It was business as usual to see Gerry frothing at the mouth. Mostly his lather was theatrical. It was designed to remind everyone he was the paper’s most senior correspondent. But right now it was downright rabid."
“No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.” – Confucius
https://mylifeonestoryatatime.com/201...
September 26, 2013
I really enjoyed this page-turner of story by Ainslie Patton! I heard about her book on twitter, read a few blogs about it, it seemed interesting so I snapped it up.
I should say, first off, that I wasn't overly impressed with our hero Will. He's sneaky and standoffish, really underhanded and uses his passion and money to distract Darcy. Time and time again, she is screwed over, thrown under the bus, pushed away. Time and time again, she comes back for more.
She is persistent, I must say that for her. It must be some rule that heroines in romance novels have to dig in their heels and fight for their man, even when he's being an absolute boor and only concerned for himself, his reputation and his money.
I don't want to spoil this story (to which there are so many twists, turns, and levels, including a kidnapping, a prison riot and solving an old murder case) so I won't go to deeply. I will say that this story has a sufficiently satisfying ending (if you like that sort of thing) that really seems kind of pat and 'well isn't that nice?' but it'll do. I find endings particularly difficult and sometimes my opinion of an entire book depends on how it ends.
I typically am annoyingly ethnocentric about novels, in which I like them set in the US, so having part of this story set in Shanghai and Australia was a little uncomfortable, but the story was enough to overcome. An enjoyable read, made for a great way to spend a Saturday evening!
I'd probably pick up another Ainslie Patton novel.
I should say, first off, that I wasn't overly impressed with our hero Will. He's sneaky and standoffish, really underhanded and uses his passion and money to distract Darcy. Time and time again, she is screwed over, thrown under the bus, pushed away. Time and time again, she comes back for more.
She is persistent, I must say that for her. It must be some rule that heroines in romance novels have to dig in their heels and fight for their man, even when he's being an absolute boor and only concerned for himself, his reputation and his money.
I don't want to spoil this story (to which there are so many twists, turns, and levels, including a kidnapping, a prison riot and solving an old murder case) so I won't go to deeply. I will say that this story has a sufficiently satisfying ending (if you like that sort of thing) that really seems kind of pat and 'well isn't that nice?' but it'll do. I find endings particularly difficult and sometimes my opinion of an entire book depends on how it ends.
I typically am annoyingly ethnocentric about novels, in which I like them set in the US, so having part of this story set in Shanghai and Australia was a little uncomfortable, but the story was enough to overcome. An enjoyable read, made for a great way to spend a Saturday evening!
I'd probably pick up another Ainslie Patton novel.
December 5, 2013
Detained by Ainslie Patton
A gritty, knock-you-around romance that keeps you suspended until the very end!
Ainslie Patton had her work cut out for her when she created these two characters and brilliantly it worked. It was filled with unexpected events that kept the reader wondering. Detained, an apt name for the book as it will keep the reader detained in the chair until the end. Then the reader will want to book to continue even after the last page.
The characters are well conceived, and convincingly real, the storyline and plot plausible and entertaining. There was just enough intrigue, just enough romance and just enough suspense to make this a five star story.
When a woman raised only by a hard-core journalist father and brother, tries to prove her journalistic merit, mayhem and fun ensue. When a wealthy businessman recluse finds himself in her crosshairs of journalistic integrity, a match is made that even they both can’t deny. Revenge, destruction, and life re-birth come full circle in this entertaining story that you won’t want to miss.
To see other works by Ainslie Patton visit her website at: http://ainsliepaton.com.au/
see the original review at: http://literarilyillumined.wordpress....
A gritty, knock-you-around romance that keeps you suspended until the very end!
Ainslie Patton had her work cut out for her when she created these two characters and brilliantly it worked. It was filled with unexpected events that kept the reader wondering. Detained, an apt name for the book as it will keep the reader detained in the chair until the end. Then the reader will want to book to continue even after the last page.
The characters are well conceived, and convincingly real, the storyline and plot plausible and entertaining. There was just enough intrigue, just enough romance and just enough suspense to make this a five star story.
When a woman raised only by a hard-core journalist father and brother, tries to prove her journalistic merit, mayhem and fun ensue. When a wealthy businessman recluse finds himself in her crosshairs of journalistic integrity, a match is made that even they both can’t deny. Revenge, destruction, and life re-birth come full circle in this entertaining story that you won’t want to miss.
To see other works by Ainslie Patton visit her website at: http://ainsliepaton.com.au/
see the original review at: http://literarilyillumined.wordpress....
November 27, 2013
**Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
I thought this was an interesting concept. It didn't play out the way I wanted it to though. First of all, why would you have the hero purposefully detain a reporter that you requested to come interview you? Then, get into a game of sex truth or dare (again, knowing this person was there to interview you)?
The hero in this story was over the top controlling in all things in his life. I can understand some part of it due to what you learn about his history, but at the same time, really? I kind of connected with the heroine, but at times she drove me nuts. She did things that I couldn't morally do and how do you get a relationship out of this? I didn't find the relationship overly realistic.
The drama/conflict in this book was over the top. You went from the detainment to the interview to writing a story that causes the hero to look horrible, to beat downs, to prison (yeah, are you following this?). OVER.THE.TOP.
I still found the story to be OK and I was able to finish it. I just think the author could have toned down the drama and made the characters a bit more realistic and not so crazy, the book would have been better.
I thought this was an interesting concept. It didn't play out the way I wanted it to though. First of all, why would you have the hero purposefully detain a reporter that you requested to come interview you? Then, get into a game of sex truth or dare (again, knowing this person was there to interview you)?
The hero in this story was over the top controlling in all things in his life. I can understand some part of it due to what you learn about his history, but at the same time, really? I kind of connected with the heroine, but at times she drove me nuts. She did things that I couldn't morally do and how do you get a relationship out of this? I didn't find the relationship overly realistic.
The drama/conflict in this book was over the top. You went from the detainment to the interview to writing a story that causes the hero to look horrible, to beat downs, to prison (yeah, are you following this?). OVER.THE.TOP.
I still found the story to be OK and I was able to finish it. I just think the author could have toned down the drama and made the characters a bit more realistic and not so crazy, the book would have been better.
January 1, 2014
Detained is a contemporary novel written by Ainslie Paton, who also mixes the erotic and thriller genres.
It is a story easy and quick to read, with an accelerated pacing . Full of action scenes and some erotic scenes well delineated. The best point of this book is that the main characters are strong. Darcy is the typical woman without emotional life and very dedicated to her work, while Will is a rich and arrogant, that only has superficial love affairs.
Although being a book that reads well, it's filled with clichés. And in that sense , although it is easily read until the end, it doesn't mark us in any especial sense. The story starts with insta-love which makes a lot of sense in YA books, but in adult book it makes me uncomfortable. The suspense was terribly predictable. And Will's "dark" secret past made me roll my eyes. A man who was an arrogant, rich, charming and cultured, but had horrible traumas in the past. Really? I do not know how many times I've read the same thing. The twists that appeared were not anything unexpected.
So, it's not bad, but not great either. It is above all a book to relax a bit and enjoy the ride.
#I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review#
It is a story easy and quick to read, with an accelerated pacing . Full of action scenes and some erotic scenes well delineated. The best point of this book is that the main characters are strong. Darcy is the typical woman without emotional life and very dedicated to her work, while Will is a rich and arrogant, that only has superficial love affairs.
Although being a book that reads well, it's filled with clichés. And in that sense , although it is easily read until the end, it doesn't mark us in any especial sense. The story starts with insta-love which makes a lot of sense in YA books, but in adult book it makes me uncomfortable. The suspense was terribly predictable. And Will's "dark" secret past made me roll my eyes. A man who was an arrogant, rich, charming and cultured, but had horrible traumas in the past. Really? I do not know how many times I've read the same thing. The twists that appeared were not anything unexpected.
So, it's not bad, but not great either. It is above all a book to relax a bit and enjoy the ride.
#I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review#
May 23, 2015
Ainslie Paton's Will is a billionaire; driven, complicated - and an engrossing character. This isn't a fairy tale of poor little girl falls in love with a billionaire who sweeps her off her feet and provide everything she needs for the rest of her life. No, it's much, much more than that.
Darcy Campbell has to fight to prove her journalism credentials, and elusive billionaire, Will Parker, is the interview subject that is going to make her career. Unfortunately, Will is nothing like she imagined.
Will has had a childhood even more twisted than Darcy's and has earned every cent of his huge wealth by hard work, a genius for business and sheer, bloody pigheadedness. Then he meets Darcy and soon he will literally go to hell and back for her.
Will and Darcy are strong, intelligent, complicated and wonderful characters. They are two people who must fight for everything they have, even a love neither expected and to keep must also fight their own hang ups and past history. It's a story with enough twists, layers and complexities to keep you enthralled right to the last page - and wish heartily that there was more to come.
A book I thoroughly recommend.
Darcy Campbell has to fight to prove her journalism credentials, and elusive billionaire, Will Parker, is the interview subject that is going to make her career. Unfortunately, Will is nothing like she imagined.
Will has had a childhood even more twisted than Darcy's and has earned every cent of his huge wealth by hard work, a genius for business and sheer, bloody pigheadedness. Then he meets Darcy and soon he will literally go to hell and back for her.
Will and Darcy are strong, intelligent, complicated and wonderful characters. They are two people who must fight for everything they have, even a love neither expected and to keep must also fight their own hang ups and past history. It's a story with enough twists, layers and complexities to keep you enthralled right to the last page - and wish heartily that there was more to come.
A book I thoroughly recommend.
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