Cinderella's Fling With The Billionaire

by Rachael Stewart

FOR ONE NIGHT OR FOREVER?In this Sun, Sea and Swept Away story, single mum Maria has fought to reclaim her world from her controlling ex. Romance is the last thing on her mind—until billionaire widower Tim walks into her bar, igniting a passion she thought she’d buried. A brief fling was meant to be enough, until they find themselves unexpectedly reunited on a luxury superyacht. Working as a stewardess, Maria is mortified to be serving the man she shared a bed with. Worse still, their attraction is stronger than ever…

Perfect for fans

👠 Cinderella

💸 Billionaire

Readers LOVE Cinderella's Fling With The Billionaire!'Gawd, I do love these two and this book, it’s perfect; glorious setting, real and identifiable characters, a simple story of second chance love with lots of genuine emotion and compassion, plus supremely sexy…and that’s just Tim, who in my humble opinion is the sexiest character I’ve met!!' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Oh, my goodness! What a gorgeous read this is! I can always trust Rachael Stewart to make me smile and warm my heart.' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Everything that I love from a second chance emotional romance.' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'An addictive story that draws you into the couple's world, making you totally invested in a happy outcome.' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Genres: Contemporary Romance

208 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 25, 2025

About the author

Rachael Stewart adores conjuring up romance stories for her readers, from the sweet to the sexy, but always with a happy ever after.

She's been writing since she could put pen to paper but believing publication to be a pipe dream, she pursued a sensible career in business and spent many years in the corporate world where she never truly belonged. Eventually, she found her way back to her happy place i.e. her stories. Writing is now her full-time job and passion. A dream come true.

A Welsh lass at heart, she now lives in Yorkshire with her husband and three children, and if she's not glued to her laptop, she's wrapped up in them or enjoying the great outdoors seeking fresh inspiration.

Reviews

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do love a Cinderella troupe and this one did not disappoint, I am a big fan of Rachael Stewart’s stories and the more I read the more I love her style of pulling together a beautiful romance with characters that are so very easy to love, come along for a trip on a super yacht and get to meet Maria and Tim

Maria is a single mum to Fae who is eighteen, Maria’s life has not been a good one but she has finally taken a big step and started a new life with Fae, she works in a bar and loves her job, she has no intentions of ever letting a man rule her life again and then one night a man walks into the bar and for the first time in a long time she feels something and a very passionate night happens but it has got to be one night only.

Tim is a widower with a twenty five year old daughter Sasha, he lost his wife six years ago and has no intention of looking for someone else, he spends a lot of his time working and travelling too busy to enjoy life, he is being pressured by his best friend and daughter to look to the future and when he wanders into a bar late one night he feels like lightning has stuck when he meets the barmaid, it ends in a night of passion but Maria is determined that, that is all it will be.

When Maria takes a job for a few days on a super yacht, Tim is the last person she expects to see, she has not forgotten their night together but they come from two very different worlds there can be no future for them but Tim thinks otherwise he too has kept Maria in his thoughts could this chance meeting be what both of them need and deserve to find love and happiness?

I did love this one, it is a beautiful romance, gorgeous setting (who doesn’t love a super yacht) set in Australia, and I do highly recommend this one to any lover of a good romance.

My thanks to the author for my digital copy to read and review.

[Karen Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another beautifully sexy read from Rachael. Not as steamy as some of her previous books but so romantic and had me thinking of Pretty Woman. I just loved it.

Rachael writes romance so easily and you are part of the story from the first page. I could picture everything from the bar to the boat and I love that in a book.

Instant buy/read author and you won't be disappointed when you pick up one of her books.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Frankie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, what can I say?

I know that I say this a lot, but I truly am lost for words about this book. I don’t feel that whatever waffle I eventually write will be adequate enough. I don’t have the sophisticated words or beautifully grammatical sentences that this book deserves, but I do have what this book made me feel, how this book spoke to me on a completely different level. I was completely and utterly overwhelmed with love and compassion for the story and its characters. I was swept away on the tide of their story, and at the same time, I re-found my belief in the power of true love again, something which had been lost to me for a while.

It’s no secret that I am a massive Rachael Stewart fan; she never fails to bring out every single human emotion which is buried deep within each one of us. She explores some difficult subjects and uses each hurt, trauma, difficulties and loneliness which so many of her characters feel to rewrite their future and allow them to feel that love again. Some books stand out, and they will always have special places in my heart, and this is one of them. I can’t fully explain why this book hit the mark so hard for me, but it did it has now become a firm favourite.

Cinderella Fling with the Billionaire is the absolute perfect second chance, later-in-life love story!

Don't you chuffing love an older couple falling in love, finding their second chance in life? I don't know what it is, but the older I become, the more I am leaning towards books with characters who are careering towards middle age and onwards. Twenty-somethings are good fun, but I don't connect with them as much anymore. I do find a lot of characters within that age range to be a wee bit irritating, or in other words, entitled, spoiled, demanding brats. So it's really refreshing to read a love story about characters who are well out of diapers. Plus, and this is another clincher for me, there are no pregnancies, babies or children - hooray!!! (though a couple of dogs would be nice!).

Maria and Tim have histories, they have pasts, they have been around the block, got the t-shirt sort of thing, and I love them!!

These two had me championing them from the start, they havetheir own histories hich needs to be overcome befote they can move forward, Maria has been really hurt by a right old tosser, he didn’t deserve her love and devotion but alas you can’t tell her that, she needs leanr and realsie that for herself in her oqn time and that’s one of the things that I love about Tim, he doesn’t rush her; he seduces her but he still allows her the time needed.

I thought at times there was a child-like quality about her; she has experienced betrayal and heartache in her past, and having to single-handedly raise her daughter, which does mean she has missed out on so much. She is rather sheltered and happy to remain in her safe bubble. She has seen and done so little in her life, and so the simplest of experiences, which others take for granted, she takes so much joy and pleasure in them with wide, innocent eyes.

To be honest, I can relate to aspects of Maria’s personality. You do tend to fall into what you know and what's safe, and that leads to not wanting to step out of your comfort zone when you're able to do so.

Aw, Tim, what a marvel you are. Let me tell you this: every woman needs a Tim in their life, and if you have a Tim, then you’re a lucky bugger. Tim is amazing!! Adorable, seductive, sensual, charismatic, compassionate, deeply passionate, oh so sexy. Phew, how sexy is this guy?! Really, this silver fox will make the ice caps melt with a mere glance. It’s needless to say that I have been completely swept off my feet by him, and when he says something like this….

“I’ve spent the last seven years with my life on hold, and I want to live it again. I want to live it again with you.”

...Well, need I say anything more?!

Tim is smooth, really smooth! He’s not without his own traumatic past. After the death of his wife, Tim withdrew from the world; he was there in body, but his mind, heart and soul had been ripped apart. His best friend and daughter both tried their hardest to bring him back to life again, but he was a broken man, and you feel that anguish. I think he saw his wife’s death as a betrayal; she left him when he was in it for life, and he never thought he would feel that way about another person until his dying day, that is, until he met Maria in her pub as he was drowning his sorrows, attempting to drink himself into the oblivion he so desperately sought.

It’s easy to say that the light was well and truly turned on when they met. Not just sparks, but a full-blown apocalyptic fire burning with him and by Jove did he show what a fiery man he can be...phew, that scene on the bar….well, ladies best go and sit in the freezer it’s hot, hot, hot!!

“She wasn’t looking away. Not this time. The beat of the music, the hum of the people, it all fell away. It was just them and this. The heated thread drawing them together...”

I do love a romance when he falls first, he says those special three words first and it’s all down to the woman when she is ready for the next stage, and Tim definetly fell first, hook, line and sinker, he fell hard and then the rest of the book was all him seducing her and gently taking down the defences she had built around herself, brick by brick until she saw the truth of what he said.

Gawd, I do love these two and this book, it’s perfect; glorious setting, real and identifiable characters, a simple story of second chance love with lots of genuine emotion and compassion, plus supremely sexy...and that’s just Tim, who in my humble opinion is the sexiest character I’ve met!!

We really need more Tim’s in the world!

Finally, I need to mention the new name for the True Love line; ‘Forever’ is absolutely perfect for this line and the new style cover is….squee!!! Super romantic and perfect for Maria and Tim’s story!

[Tiziana Langone · Rating 4 out of 5]

When it just supposed to be one night…

Maria has worked hard to get out of the clutches of her controlling ex. So with her found freedom and being a single mother, romance is absolutely the last thing on her mind. And then one day, or rather evening, a handsome man walks in the bar she is working at. And against all odds, Maria ends up spending the night with Tim. But even if it was out of Maria’s character, she knows that this was a one – off and that she will never see Tim again. Until she accepts a job for helping out on a luxurious superyacht. Maria is more than shocked to learn that one of the owner’s guest is nobody else than Tim! While their night together was amazing, Maria working as a stewardess and serving the man she slept with, shows her how different their worlds are. And while she wants to keep her distance, the attraction between them  thinks otherwise.

Sometimes you read stories about characters that couldn’t be further away from your own life. Of course, me being happily single, not being a mother or ever having been in an abusive relationship, you would think it would be a little bit more difficult to understand Maria’s reasoning and actions.

But the truth couldn’t be further away, because no matter the differences, I felt her pain, her struggles, but also her determination, her strength and her independency. And even if I haven’t have been through what she has been through, her character was so recognizable, so real.

Even if at the start it isn’t clear what Maria ahs been through, it is obvious that she has fought hard to get where she is now, that she has fought hard for her and her daughter’s freedom. And no matter who enters the scene, nobody or nothing will ever make her give that up ever again.

It takes a while before we know Maria’s past and just like Tim, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that what happened to her, the fault is not hers at all, but that she has been taking advantage of by someone who kicks on power.

I could also understand how Maria acts out of character after meeting that stranger in the bar. Sometimes you need to break free, break out of character, and just go with the flow. And acting like that once in a while, what is wrong with that if you don’t hurt someone else?

I am also a fierce believer that Maria wouldn’t have that night with just anyone. The fact that she has it with Tim, shows us already early on in the book, that there is something between them simmering, no matter how different their  lives and lifestyle are.

Tim… what a haunted and scarred character that he is… I cannot even try to understand how much he is still in pain and grieving over his loss. Time may heal all the wounds, but it can take a loooong time. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, especially if you have lost like Tim did…

Even for Tim it is an act out of character when he has this thrilling night with Maria, but again, what is wrong with that? Especially with their chemistry!

Obviously, we know that between Maria and Tim it won’t remain with just one night. We know beforehand that they will see each other again on the superyacht, and I was having a bit an evil moment, waiting for them meeting again and wanting to see their shock! 😊

And did I get rewarded for it! 😊

The difference in status couldn’t be more obvious, and Maria’s discomfort is palpable from each page. And while I was cheering for Maria and Tim getting closer and have those sparks flying again, I could very much appreciate Maria’s desire for professionalism, and even if against better judgement, pretend that one night never happened.

Of course, being on a yacht together, it means that avoiding each other is just impossible. Yet it is also the perfect opportunity to truly get to know each other. And seeing them getting there, was just great.

Slowly, with even some ups and downs, and between extravagant behaviour of guests and saving lives, Maria and Tim get to know the person behind the money, the person behind the strong façade.

I truly enjoyed this story about hurt yet strong people, trying to find a way to truly live and enjoy life again. We see that differences can pull people apart from each other, but more important how likenesses can bring them closer together, allowing them to open up again to that strange feeling that love is.

Rachael Stewart for sure wrote a beautiful story about two people that have been through hell and back, yet deserve the world filled with happiness, joy and love. I absolutely loved getting to know Maria and Tim better, and cheering for them from the very first moment they set eyes on each other!  

[Happily Ever After Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed at Happily Ever After Romance

Cinderella’s Fling with the Billionaire is the second title in the Sun, Sea, and Swept Away series. This time, we’ll meet Fae’s mother, Maria, and her future stepfather, Tim, and their very passionate, at times, very rocky romance.

At the bar where both Maria and Fae worked, a chance meeting with a man obviously not from the neighborhood will spark a thunderbolt for both Tim and Maria, in an insta-lust, almost insta-love feeling or recognition. The attraction was strong between them; they both made choices outside of their normal comfort zones, no regrets and no intended follow-up, at least on Maria’s side. Shortly after that encounter, Maria agrees to do a short temporary crew position on a chartered yacht… never thinking that she was about to run into her one-night, intense connection again.

I enjoyed Cinderella’s Fling with the Billionaire by Rachael Stewart very much. We’ll get a good look inside Maria’s head as important information surfaces about the relationship she’d had with Fae’s biological father (the piece of pond scum that he is). Much of her history is heartbreaking and might have broken a woman who hadn’t learned the hard way to be strong not only for herself but for her daughter. I adored Tim. He’s been through a lot, and watching him finally shed his need to hold onto the past to look forward to a new future was an emotional rollercoaster, but it also had me admiring this man even more. Together, they fit perfectly.

Maria and Tim were mentioned in What Happens at the Beach… yet, they were already an established couple then, visiting all the places on her mother’s bucket list. I almost feel that the title’s release or number within the series should have been reversed, mainly because of the timeline. It left me a bit off-kilter as the timelines are several years apart, in reverse. So, normally, I’d say try to read this series in order, but… meeting Fae first, then getting a bit of a back story with Maria felt natural.

Release date: September 30, 2025

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley, and I sincerely thank the author or publishing house for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review, giving my personal opinion about this book.*

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

What’s not to love about fate playing Cinderella for all the good reasons!
It’s easy to fall in love with Maria who along with her daughter, Fae scrap by working at a bar that they live above in an apartment after escaping an abusive ex. Then there is Tim a single dad to Gigi who still feels the pain of losing his wife years before. So when Tim leaves his work event and walks to clear his head, he ends up at Maria’s bar where it’s clear it’s a local hangout for which he is grossly out of place. Yet the spark of electricity between Maria and Tim pulls you in and won’t let go until the next morning when Maria makes it clear it was just one night. Yet Cinderella’s fairy godmother can’t let that stand, so when Maria signs on to help her friend with a yacht sailing, who should walk on board but Tim. What follows is a determined Tim who will stop at nothing to break through Maria’s armor who bought him back to life! How will it all end? You have to read to find out and will be rooting for their happily ever after!

[Jane Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this emotional, spicy romance featuring Maria and Tim, who meet serendipitously in a bar where she is working and form an unexpected bond. Maria is protective of her new life with her daughter, Fae, after escaping a coercive relationship. Tim is trying to live again after the death of his wife, so neither is expecting the attraction or the emotional attachment they feel from their first encounter. I like the believable characters, and I want them to find happiness. I also appreciate the immersive emotional journey the couple experiences in their passionate romance. It's an addictive story that draws you into the couple's world, making you totally invested in a happy outcome.
I received a copy of this book from the author.

[Silke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cinderella's Fling with the Billionaire is a sexy standalone novel about getting a second a chance in life for a 'meant-to-be' love. Both Maria and Tim are very likeable and relatable charcters with a lot in common but a marked difference in their income. So the insta-lust is immediately challenged by caution and the past rearing its head. But when it's right, it's right and I enjoyed them coming to that conclusion during their enforced holiday. A lovely emotional read with a wonderful HEA. I was fortunate to have received an early copy and am leaving this review voluntarily and honestly.

[mrsljgibbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really do love books from this author and this one was definitely no exception, i loved it, it was so well written and super easy to read too. I was instantly pulled in to its pages right from the very beginning and it did not let me go again until i had turned every last page and devoured it all.

I loved the setting on a super yacht and through her writing i could honestly feel as though i was there immersed in all the stories goodness.

I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful, sexy romance and it had everything that i love from a second chance emotional romance.

[Danielle Amor · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story in emojis: 🛥️ 🥃 🤍

3 things about this book:
•Forced Proximity Trope
•Luxurious Yacht setting
•Older Characters

ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Cinderella’s Fling with the Billionaire is the second book in the Sun, Sea, and Swept Away series - I loved “What Happens at the Beach” so I was eagerly awaiting the next one!

I absolutely loved the forced proximity trope on the luxurious yacht and on the island - add to this the sexual tension dripping off of the page - it was everything I look for in a romance.

I also really appreciated how Maria and Tim were older characters, they brought a lot of depth from life experiences to the story and I think that also showed a vulnerability that you don’t always get with younger characters.

[Harlequin Books]

Fairy Tales, Folklore & Mythology, Contemporary Romance, Romance Collections & Anthologies, Women's Fiction
Miniseries
Sun, Sea and Swept Away (Book #2)

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, my goodness! What a gorgeous read this is! I can always trust Rachael Stewart to make me smile and warm my heart. She writes such beautiful characters, often with difficult pasts, who manage to find happiness with each other despite the odds. I love it!
Maria is a single mother of an eighteen-year-old daughter. It has been just the two of them for a long time after Maria’s painful split from her daughter’s father. She is determined not to be answerable to any man again.
Then in walks Tim. Obviously easy on the eye, Maria can’t resist a night of fun. One night only. No strings attached.
Fate has other ideas though and I loved how their story unfolds.
Tim is just gorgeous. I think in Maria’s situation I might snatch him up without a second thought, but I understand her reluctance. Having good looks and being a billionaire is not enough to convince her to surrender her heart again in a hurry. Her daughter will always be her priority. Tim’s daughter is his priority too, but after devastating loss he isn’t ready to give up on the first woman who has made him feel the way he hasn’t for a long time.
I loved it! The characters, the yacht, the sunsets, the angst, the romance, the happy ending. I loved it all!

** Many thanks to Rachael Stewart for my review copy **

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