Insecure Ainslie Paton

Insecure
Ainslie Paton
Published: Escape Publishing
Date: March 2015
Format: e-ARC
Pages: 288
Genre: Contemporary romance
Source: from the author

The worst thing a man can do is not be with the woman he loves.

She could have him sacked quicker than licking her lips. He could ruin her reputation with an email.

Jacinta was the CEO in waiting. Mace was the geek from IT. She had an office suite on the top floor. He worked in cubicle hell.

She had power, influence, her life mapped out. He had big dreams, and an appetite for risk.

They had one hot night written all over them, except the city conspired to turn that night into a weekend of unexpected passion and deep connection.

Will love be enough when Jacinta’s star falls and Mace’s dream takes flight, or will ambition, expectation and insecurity pull them apart?

Insecure by Ainslie Paton is a deeply satisfying, intense read.  I loved the characters, the pacing of the plot and the way in which I became acutely emotionally engaged in the outcome for the main characters.

Jacinta begins out as a rich business woman, powerful and wanting control.  Yet within, how secure is she really?  Her step-dad holds the power and she is just a chattel.  Her parents died when she was young and when she says "No one ever holds me" to Mace, it pained my heart. When her world disintegrates around her, there are choices to be made.  How will she be as their story closes towards the end?  How will she find balance, security and passion in and for life?

It was very easy to fall for Mace, he had me at 'he didn't do clever banter'.  He's an IT geek, caught up with his desire to bring to birth a special piece of software that could be the next best thing.  He's a bit of a maverick, he'll dance to no one else's tune. Yet he has a soft side, a deep love for his grandmother, Buster who has loved him and taught him what is real in life, and even has him reading romance novels to her.  He has a best mate Dillion, they've grown up together, worked together, dreamed big.  Can their friendship last the distance, weather all the ups and downs as they wend their way through the dangers in the big world of business?

As the themes of success and failure, balance and imbalance, loyalty and blind ambition, hurt and forgiveness played out I was deeply engrossed with what was happening.  I smiled and sighed, despaired and cheered as Jacinta and Mace found out for themselves what really mattered to them.  I was reminded of the parable of the treasure hidden in the field, where the character gives up everything and buys the treasure.  In the end they both have what they treasure.  To find out what that is you'll have to read this book for yourself!

Ainslie Paton is a favourite Australian author for me, I'll eventually read almost all that she writes.