An Offer From A Gentleman by Julia Quinn

This review is for An Offer From A Gentleman by Julia Quinn

This is book three of the historical romance Bridgerton series. Book one The Duke and I was reviewed here and book two The Viscount Who Loved Me was reviewed here. This story has a complete conclusion and it is centred around Benedict Bridgerton, the second eldest brother in the siblings and Sophie Beckett, a servant who dreams of a magical night. It is based in Regency London. 

The book description is as follows: 

Sophie Beckett never dreamed she'd be able to sneak into Lady Bridgerton's famed masquerade ball—or that "Prince Charming" would be waiting there for her! Though the daughter of an earl, Sophie has been relegated to the role of servant by her disdainful stepmother. But now, spinning in the strong arms of the debonair and devastatingly handsome Benedict Bridgerton, she feels like royalty. Alas, she knows all enchantments must end when the clock strikes midnight.

Who was that extraordinary woman? Ever since that magical night, a radiant vision in silver has blinded Benedict to the attractions of any other—except, perhaps, this alluring and oddly familiar beauty dressed in housemaid's garb whom he feels compelled to rescue from a most disagreeable situation. He has sworn to find and wed his mystery miss, but this breathtaking maid makes him weak with wanting her. Yet, if he offers her his heart, will Benedict sacrifice his only chance for a fairy tale love?

My summary and thoughts are:

Benedict’s story starts off just like Cinderella with Sophie being regulated to being a servant in the household and having an awful stepmother. One magical night she transforms into a mysterious lady and goes to a Masquerade ball at the Bridgerton House where she meets Benedict, who is instantly captivated by Sophie and they sneak off to have a private dance, where Benedict tries to find out who she is but Sophie doesn’t give anything away. At midnight she runs away and Benedict tries to follow but she gets away. The next day Sophie’s life is changed and she is cast away and disappears. The story starts off again two years later when Benedict tries to escape a house party he does not want to be at and runs into Sophie who is trying to escape the clutches of her employer's son and Benedict rescues her, but he doesn’t recognise her although he is drawn to her and she seems familiar. Sophie remembers him and agrees to go with him to escape the bad situation she is in. It is hard for her as she is drawn to him and hasn’t forgotten the night when she first met him. They spend time together and Benedict starts to fall for her and wants her in his life but she can’t, she knows her place in the world and needs to stay in that place. Benedict helps her find a place in his mother’s household and it gets complicated as Sophie falls for the family as well as Benedict and it looks like it could all be over when her past comes crashing into her present.

I believe Julia Quinn has a brilliant way of writing to grab you straight away and did an excellent job of mixing the Cinderella fairy tale story with her historical story to create a new version of this classic fairy tale. 

Sophie is sweet and tough, she has made it through her childhood being ignored and hated on by her stepmother and stepsister and then made it through working hard as a servant. She survived finding another place to work and trying to get through life. When she sees Benedict again she is conflicted as she is the only one to remember their evening. She likes him and more time she spends with him her feelings grow stronger but her own strong beliefs stop her from succumbing to his demands. I really liked Sophie because she has been through so much and could take the easier route but she keeps to her beliefs and does what she believes is right for her. She doesn’t pander to Benedict and sees him as a man instead of being another Bridgerton. 

Benedict is bored with society when he first meets Sophie mysterious alter ego and is intrigued by her and she is on his mind for years after their encounter. He is almost given up when he finds Sophie, although he doesn’t recognise her as the mysterious lady he had a magical night with but he can’t lose the sense that she is familiar. He falls for her and wants her in his life and is frustrated when she refuses and he helps her find a place with his mother’s household. He can’t forget about her and finds himself trying to be around her whenever he can. I liked Benedict as he is a strong character, he protects those who need it, is playful, demanding and knows how to love. He makes mistakes in his decisions that affect his relationship with Sophie but realises this and changes his life to ensure he can have the love he wants. 

Another engaging and entertaining story in the Bridgerton series. I loved this story because it gives a woman who deserves love a chance to find it and of course the Bridgerton family who always makes me smile as I read the family interactions, as they are loving and teasing. They are also supportive and protect their own and the ones they love. I loved the twist of Cinderella being entwined into the story and how it fitted perfectly and made a delightful read.

My rating for this one is 5 out of 5