A seductive tale rich in passion and emotion, Clare Connelly’s Cinderella’s Night in Venice is a beguiling contemporary romance that sizzles.

Ares Lykaios might be one of the most attractive men Bea Jones has ever clapped eyes on, but she finds the handsome Greek to be arrogant and infuriating! When he insists that she accompanies him to a gala, Bea wants to refuse him point blank, but as he is her PR firm’s biggest client, she finds herself with no other choice but to acquiesce to his request. Shy and awkward Bea plans to keep things strictly professional with Ares, but thrust together by fate and united by a passion that is absolutely impossible to deny, Bea soon begins to fall under Ares’ spell.

Bea is not like the women Ares normally dates. She might be more reserved and unworldly than the usual women who throw themselves at him on a regular basis, however, when she puts on a beautiful designer ball gown, he finds himself completely bowled over by her! Giving into temptation soon proves inevitable for both Ares and Bea, however, they quickly realize that one kiss was nowhere near enough.

As their feelings for one another intensify, will Ares and Bea find the courage to give their love a try? Or is a future for the two of them simply out of the question?

Cinderella’s Night in Venice is an intense and dramatic tale that delivers everything readers could possibly want from a Harlequin Presents novel: exotic locations, steamy sensuality, breath-taking passion and characters readers will fall head over heels in love with. Gorgeous Greek hero Ares Lykiaios will make readers swoon and Bea is a lovely heroine it is impossible not to warm to.

A captivating and indulgent contemporary romance, Clare Connelly’s Cinderella’s Night in Venice is the perfect escapist fantasy.

Firstly I'd like to thank the publisher for having me on the blog tour for this, but I won't be finishing the book so I will not be taking part in the tour.

The story revolves around Bea, head of legal at a PR firm in the US., and Ares, a wealthy Greek tycoon. There are heavy similarities to Fifty Shades of Grey, particularly how gruff Ares is and how sweet and virginal Bea is - so if you enjoyed that book you may also like this one.

I didn't like this book - the level of control exercised by Ares over Bea was really uncomfortable for me, and I thought it was so unnecessary to have her be a virgin. I just didn't enjoy the story at all and didn't feel like it progressed naturally. I thought Ares was really arrogant and aggressive, neither qualities appeal to me so I abandoned this halfway through as I was fairly sure I could see where it was going.

I will not be reviewing this on any of my social channels as I don't think it's fair to review something I haven't finished, and I will not be participating in the blog tour.

I am however eternally thankful to have the chance to read ARCs like this, and am looking forward to the next round of tours so that hopefully I can contribute more next time. Thank you.

One of my favorite romance tropes is enemies to lovers, and the blurb for this one sounded promising on that front, especially with an arrogant man who gets under the heroine's skin. Cinderella's Night in Venice delivers on the fire and chemistry, and I really liked Bea and Ares together. Clare Connelly does a terrific job with the emotional aspect, including the characters' professions of love and attraction. The story is a quick read, which was perfect for curling up on the couch during a rainy weekend - a great way to chase away the gloomy day blues.

Bea and her two best friends are partners in a public relations firm, and they are determined to make it a success. One of her partners is called away unexpectedly when their most important client flies into London for a meeting which Bea was not aware of. In order to make amends she agrees to attend a social function with him never expecting where it would lead.

Ares is a self-made businessman who is intrigued by Bea and convinces her to attend a social function with him which is interrupted by a family emergency. She has now agreed to spend the next thirty days with him to help him out and although the chemistry was expected the feelings between them were not.

Both Bea and Ares have overcome a difficult and lonely upbringing which has made them cautious when it comes to love and relationships, but they may just find out that not taking the chance could hurt even more.