Hoping to start her own business, wedding planner Lucinda approaches Thirio with her proposal for his sister's nuptials. Will her gentle spirit help the scarred and reclusive billionaire out of his guilt over his parents' deaths?

This is a clever mashup of Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. It's steamy with a strong fairy tale feel.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

The h is a wedding planner who needs to win the bid to plan the wedding of the billionaire H’s sister in order to buy her deceased father’s company from her stepmother. A storm strands her at the H’s home. Even though the hero is against falling in love, passion ignites between the two of them.

I would consider this a mashup of Cinderalla and Beauty and the Beast. Former playboy Theo is a recluse after his parents are killed in a fire. He still has scars from that day and has become a recluse. Lucinda's father has died and her stepmother has control of her father's company. She needs the funds to help her get the company back and so she needs Theo to hire her as the wedding planner for Theo's sister's wedding. Theo has not answered any emails from Lucinda so she shows up at his house and worms her way into staying at his residence and not only gets him to hire her but they develop a romantic relationship. Theo doesn't believe that he deserves Lucinda and so he turns her way when she confess her feelings. I am not a fan of the I don't deserve her trope and I feel the development of feelings between the two characters felt a bit flat and it moved a bit slow for such a short novel.

Lucinda is a Cinderella type character complete with the wicked stepmother and evil stepsisters. Determined to save the business started by her father being run into the ground by said stepmother and sisters she makes a desperate bid for a contract to plan the wedding of reclusive billionaire Thirios Skartos. She beards the wolf in his den and pitches her idea while they are both stranded in his castle in the midst of a storm.
Her words resonate with Thirios and he caves in and lets her plan his sister's wedding even as their chemistry forces him to break his vows of abstinence driven by guilt. Lucinda however not only successfully convinces Thirios to give her his sister's wedding contract but also help him deal with his guilt and grief making a place for herself in his heart.
Of course, the story has a happy ending, Thirios is the prince after all and the two live happily ever after. Short, sweet, and all things nice, all the things that draw me to read these harlequin presents.

It’s hard to review this book because if you’ve read one harlequin book, it follows the same formula. That being said, I did enjoy the Cinderella/Beauty & the Beast tropes. This was one of the better Harlequin quick reads I’ve read; it was well-written and different from other ones I’ve read before. That itself is a good thing. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book by Claire Connelly. It was very well done and would definitely recommend this book to anyone.

Thirio was rich and petulant young man. Partying was what he did because he was rich, young and handsome. His mom’s last words to him one day were harsh and sad because they were her last words to him. Now years later he’s no longer the carefree party boy, now he’s turned into a recluse. He only goes out for work. So coming home to find an unwelcome guest at his home had him roaring like a bear. Lucinda needed the job of wedding coordinator and she wasn’t going to back down to this man. Both of these characters are broken in their own way. I love the way they deal with each other. I loved this story and recommend it.

Quick Summary: Fast-paced and intense

My Review: Cinderella in the Billionaire's Castle was a fast-paced HP Romance that went from zero to one hundred in sixty seconds flat. The plot was poignant. The characters were intense (They had incredible chemistry.). The conflict was bilateral, showing that each character had to deal with both an internal and an external struggle. The relationship woes were palpable. The HEA was satisfying.

Rating: 3/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A

Appreciation is expressed to the author, to the publisher, and to NetGalley for providing access to this title in exchange for an honest review. The words I have shared are my own and have not been influenced in any way by the aforementioned.

I enjoyed this tale of tormented Thirio and wedding planner Lucinda. The determined heroine does some heavy emotional lifting to help relief the hero of overwhelming guilt in his past. The fairy tale castle setting lends an appealing Beauty and the Beast feel.