Finley Cartwright is the queen of lost causes. That’s why she’s standing on a barstool trying to convince Friday night drinkers to donate money to a failing charity. Hitting on the guy on the next stool wasn’t part of her plan. Still, hot but grumpy venture capitalist Caleb Sherwood might just be her ticket to success.
Professional grifter and modern-day Robin Hood, Cal Sherwood is looking for a partner for a long con. Sexy Fin, doing her best Marilyn Monroe act for her cause, has the necessary qualifications. By the time he cuts her free, her charity would be thriving, and she’d have helped him charm billions out of arrogant, gullible marks to fund his social justice causes.
But just when he thinks he’s about to pull off the best con ever, his feisty new partner gets the upper hand.
The Confidence Game series is best enjoyed in order.
Reading Order:
Book #1 One Night Wife
Book #2 Fool Me Forever
“Can I swear? Please? %#@@^@^%$ it! This was $#@%ing awesome. So awesome I might have read until 4 am, again. Everything about this book was perfect - I wanted it to be longer only because I wanted to read more but really there was nothing left in the story to tell. Everything was spot on - good tone, quality writing, well paced, no loose ends, amusement, heat, a little bit of annoyance at the idiot male. Great work overall.” – 7000 Books and Counting Blog
“The build up of sexual tension was perfect and led in to some deliciously steamy moments. I also really liked the original premise for the story. It's unlike anything I've read lately.” – Courtney H., Goodreads
“One Night Wife is one book that will definitely grab your attention simply because of it’s uniqueness and lovable characters. It’s a sweet, funny, sexy slow burn romance that will have you rooting for the good guys.” –JGB, Goodreads
“This book is a stay-up-all-night-reading kind of story; I couldn’t put it down.” – Tanelle N., NetGalley
“It's witty and smart and I spent most of the book with absolutely no clue what was going to happen next. The characters are so well developed and their chemistry and banter are refreshing and fun.” – Shea T., Goodreads
Finley and her friend Lenny just started a charity for women. But then her friend's dad got arrested for fraud and suddenly they didn't have any money to get started with their Dollars For Daughters thing.
Enter Caleb. He's part of a huge family of Wall Street con-men and women. They swindle mega-... ...more
Any romance story I have read by Ainslie Paton is always slightly different to any other one I have read. Her plots are refreshing and fun.
This is the story of Caleb Sherwood and Finley Cartwright. Both out to help others but Caleb's family do it in a very interesting way, is it above board or n... ...more
I really enjoy MS Paton’s stories she has a fabulous writers voice one that brings out the best in her characters and has always kept me in the story and this one is no exception, a lot of ups and downs to get to a HEA in this one, but I really loved Cal a true Robin Hood and Fin what a heroine,... ...more
One Night Wife by Ainslie Paton is a modern Robin Hood style romance and the first in a sexy and exciting series.
Cal Sherwood and his extended family are con artists. Following in the footsteps of several generations, and with the help of a few other choice family dynasties, they have taken it up... ...more
This was FUN. Doing a Robin Hood story is a good way to make the super rich palatable right now and I applaud the inventiveness. I am also a sucker for a con book, and so when you combine that and the characters themselves, this was a book basically tailor made for me. Can't wait to read the sequ... ...more
Well, damn! Who knew I would ever love a book where the hero is a con artist? I started One Night Wife back in May but I was struggling with my thesis at the time, so I ended up setting it aside as I knew I wasn't in the right state of mind of it. I'm so glad I waited because I have no doubt that... ...more
Ainslie Paton is one of my go-to authors, and it's been a while between my AP drinks. Usually Ainslie's books draw me in and I pretty much get glued to them till I'm finished. This one was a little different. It took me a while to buy into Cal and Fin, but more particularly the Sherwood family 'b... ...more
What an interesting premise and well done slowburn romance
I loved this present day Robin Hood kind of romance about a con artist and a failed actress trying to a run a charity coming together. There were lots of thoughts on redistribution of wealth, on lying and deceiving the others and ourselves... ...more
A modern day Robin Hood style story, this was so fun! The beginning is absolutely fantastic. Finley Cartwright is a struggling actress who has started a charity with her best friend. The only problem is, her best friend’s father has recently been arrested on serious charges involving money and it... ...more
3.5 Stars
Review by Lisa
Late Night Reviewer for Up All Night w/ Books Blog
Ainslie Paton does it again with One Night Wife. What a ride you will be taken on in this story. I absolutely love the story line and the format. Finley, the woman who can't commit to anything and Cal the professional con ma... ...more
This was a book that took me unawares on where the story was actually headed, like Ms. Paton’s previous books, it starts out almost fluffy with a great meet cute, an attractive hero and a not so perfect but delightful heroine. But then it veers off a little bit, to more multilayered and well defi... ...more
#280CharacterReview #AusRomToday
If there's something Ainslie Paton excels at it's smart, witty, sassy. Now apply all three of those things to the characters, plot, and writing and that's how best to describe One Night Wife. As expected from Paton the chemistry and romance sizzles while being an... ...more
Who doesn't love Robin Hood? A man who steals.from the rich and gives to the poor sounds perfect. Such an idealist. And as someone who has spent time struggling to make ends meet while others live lavish lifestyles and live to excess I think we can all say the current world feels like it needs a... ...more
CW: attempted assault
What a ride!
One Night Wife has a different vibe to it than Ainslie's Stubborn Hearts books, and I am here for this. I've always loved con stories (one of my favourite series is Ally Carter's Heist Society), so this one was pretty easy to get into.
I really liked Cal and the... ...more
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. That being said, I've been a huge fan of Paton's books for years. In some ways, this book was more light-hearted than her previous books, not as much of that lovely angst and tension that is present in most of her early works [and I love every a... ...more
My review is 3.7 stars.
First book by the author and mixed emotions, but more on the positive side and I like that when you try one author and you get positive response from the book. This book is not full proof so there are moments that are untouched but which book hasn't, in a mix I would say ni... ...more
Finley's charity is failing and she's desperate enough to stand on a barstool and ask people to donate. That's how she catches the attention of Cal Sherwood. Cal and his family run a 'rob the rich, give to the poor' type enterprise involving elaborate investment scams. He's a rogue, but such a ch... ...more
One night at a bar, Finley stands on a bar trying to get patrons to donate to the charity she is trying to fund. Cal witnesses her fumbling attempt and while he's drawn to her, he is facing his own troubles so he lets it go. When she shows back up and kisses him, he decides to pursue something wi... ...more
I adored this book! Paton strikes the right balance of romance with the con angle of the storyline, and the main characters - Fin and Cal - are excellent! Well-rounded, with flaws and quirks and excellent, excellent banter. There’s a lot of truth in this book regarding things such as global wealt... ...more
This is such a different topic for a romance book. I don't think I have read a book about grifters or con men, but this one was fun and interesting. I loved the way they meet, the wicked banter they had between them, and the extreme sizzle that existed. Cal tried his best to stay out of Fin's bed... ...more
One Night Wife is another gem in a long list of literary treasures by Ainslie Paton. I loved this modern day Robin Hood romance and I was thoroughly enthralled by the unique storyline.
The highlight for me was, as always, is Paton’s clever, intelligent writing; her wonderful, witty dialogue, and... ...more
Well I didn't expect to learn all about the art of the con in a romance novel but I feel like I did. In fact I was pleasantly surprised to find myself pulling for a con artist like Cal. This is definitely a unique twist on the fake romance trope. It's witty and smart and I spent most of the book... ...more
One Night Wife by Ainslie Paton hit the spot!
Ainslie Paton brought her A-game with One Night Wife. Original and interesting storyline that hooked me from the start. This read contained a nicely-built world, endearing characters that had fantab chemistry with a nice slow burn...LURVED it!
An ARC... ...more
I was given an advanced copy through Net gallery in exchange for an honest review.
This book is a stay-up-all-night-reading kind of story; I couldn’t put it down. The plot moves pretty well, it does get a little clunky at times, but overall is flow nicely. The character development is there but l... ...more