An Offer From a Gentleman

It's the middle Bridgerton son's turn and he wants to prove he's not just Number Two. In fact he is a big pile of Number Two - and a manipulative stalker to boot!

Sophie is the Cinderella in this retelling of the classic fairytale. She's the child of a mistress rather than a first wife, so the stepmother hatred and bitterness makes a lot more sense in this version. Inheritance law is used to good effect as well. Unfortunately the fairytale segment ends very quickly. I kept hoping to revisit the fairytale theme later but alas.

Devoured this in just over a day and really enjoyed it. Was never in doubt about where it was going, but it's a romance, so that's not unusual. Loved the fairytale retelling aspect and how the book was at least a bit more realistic about the class differences than some other historicals I've read (and enjoyed). Plot takes a little bit too long to wrap up, but I can't complain when the resolution is so satisfying.

Summary:
Cinderella with the Bridgertons

Review:
The only redeeming quality of this book is the Bridgerton family when they get together. Lady Violet Bridgerton is lovely and so so good. I love the way the family loves one another, while still teasing and enjoying each other's company.
The book is fine. It's just Cinderella with a few minor changes. It would be good on its own, but the Cinderella story has been told so many times that it is just boring.

What a disappointment.

Benedict was the biggest one of all. In the series he's this artsy, queer, romantic figure of the family, someone that I really was eager to read more about and yet in his own book I've found nothing of the sort. He's portrayed as someone who has an instant crush, and from since then all kind of revolve around this mysterious girl. If it was only that, it would be ok, but this crush made a jerk out of him? I won't spoil anything but he wasn't a good character in this book and I'm sad about it.

And Sophie... Well, at the end we don't know much about Sophie except the fact that she had a difficult life. Nothing about what drives her in life, her personality... That makes only but a very bland character. At the end she was just the trope of the victim who gets to be saved by the love of a wealthy man. I wish that I could sympathize more with her but she wasn't real enough for me to do that.

And finally, the both of them together felt flat as well. Like, I couldn't even say what brought them together. I struggle a bit with those instant crush tropes because sometimes they seem way too easy, like... It can't get out of nowhere. Instant crush doesn't mean that nothing can explain what drive the characters together, you need at least a basis of connection to make it genuine and believable.

I first started reading this book right after I finished the second book and I had to put it down. I'm not a huge fan of the cinderella plot line, to be honest, I think it is extremely overplayed and cheesy so when I picked up on it in the first chapter I was like hell nah and swore off the rest of the Bridgerton books.

Fast forward a year (or 2, idk anymore) and a second season of Bridgerton...

I decided I would give it another shot.

And I am SO GLAD I DID!!!! I really enjoyed this book, it was hella cute! I wasn't a fan of Benedict asking multiple times for Sophie to be his mistress, that was just giving me too much alpha male dick head energy... but other than that, Benedict is

Alright. So. This book was literally 50% a Cinderella rip-off, 50% a lesson in consent. I'm so disappointed because Benedict is my favorite Bridgerton! Let's be real... drool THUS I am thoroughly disappointed in his judgemental, impatient and blind to consent nature in this book. Honestly though, I'm just reading these so that I have a background for when the show progresses to each season. I really did not have high expectations for this author after reading the first book in terms of writing quality, but I continue to have high expectations for the Netflix series as I LOVED Shonda Rhimes' adaptation. 3 stars because I love Benny, -2 because I like him in the show better (sad face).

It's summer, the weather is fine, the water in my pool has 34°C (roughly 93F) and I'm exhausted from work. Nevertheless, my holidays are nearing (two weeks from now!) and I'm slowly getting into “Summer Reading Mode”.That means that I prefer easy, quick-to-read novels that simply amuse me and, thus, I was only too happy to take up on “An Offer From a Gentleman” in which Sophie Beckett, a late earl's daughter - born out of wedlock, though - captures the heart of Benedict Bridgerton - and vice versa.There's not much to be said about this specific book; it's more or less a Cinderella story. A fluffy fairy tale in which everyone gets what they deserve. You don't read this for philosophical depths or “enlightenment”.If you read this book, you do it purely for entertainment; it's the literary equivalent of candyfloss, a TV romcom or a soap opera.If that's what you're in the mood for, you can hardly go wrong with this book. Although... If you ponder reading this third book in this series, you know perfectly well what to expect anyway: It's more of the same in a good way. Four swooning stars out of five.P.S.: Yes, he blackmails her. Yes, he asks her to become his mistress. Since it's inherently consistent with the fictitious universe of “Bridgertons” I choose to suspend my moral indignation. Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram

I liked it but not as much as Anthony's story

5/25/22:
I'm taking the opportunity to add to my review. I saw that was on Jenny Colvin's shelf of “reading” and felt like I should add to my review since didn't get a chance to finish it.

My original review stands - Anthony is my favorite Bridgerton brother. Benedict the brother for this story is an aspiring artist and happy to leave the responsibility to Anthony (who has found his love). The story follows the earlier Bridgerton stories about finding love, with a Cinderella theme. Fun but not as sexy as the earlier two books. I feel Benedict need to be flush out more in this story and other stories.

Since this review is well after I completed the series, this would end up being my least favorite. Still a fun and quick read. Don't skip it.

#JennyGuyColvin

Definitely some spoilers.

Well, who doesnt love a Cinderella retelling? Especially in the regency era! OK, I dont know, this is the first one in this setting that I have really read. And there is no prince, just a prince charming. OK, well he wasnt always charming, but most of the time he was alright.

Sophie, our girl here, shes interesting. She meets her prince charming, Benedict Bridgerton, who has the most horrible name! I will refer to him as Number 2. They meet at his mothers masked ball. She has 2 hours to have fun, and then she must gtfo! Ya know, because the stepmom and sisters are there and midnight is the unmasking. Anyways, she makes an escape, but she leaves behind a glove that has her grandmothers initials on them, and, a family crest. Should make finding her real easy right? Guess not.

She got leaved the evil step moms house, and she forges her own way. She works hard, puts up with some trash, and oh my, is she rescued by her prince charming again? Why, yes! Then he insists on taking her with him, and he will find her a position in his mothers house. Well... I think you can assume the rest of the story from here. Maybe not.

Mother Bridgerton happens to live next door to.... The evil step mom! Yay! It does take some time before anyone sees Sophie, so she doesnt make her escape right away. And when she does, she runs into her step mom who accuses her of theft, and has Sophie thrown in jail! Or a dungeon jail thing that they had back in the day. Whatever. And, bum bum bum!!! Who comes to her rescue! You guessed it! Number 2, his mother, and one of her step sisters. OK, now you can guess the rest of the story.

A Cinderella retelling that reminded me of the Hilary Duff early 00s movie. Benedict definitely falls into the ‘boys are dumb' category and it took him way too long to get his head out of his ass.
There's also a very clear thread of the women being smarter in these books even though society doesn't allow them to be (which I appreciate).

I don‘t really want to say much about this book (series) except... are the straights okay? Do they really find this kind of behaviour tolerable or even romantic?

The people in this series (especially the men) are written like usually well behaved but hormonal animals.

I like the parts about society and plot twists and turns, the banter and quarrels within the Bridgerton family and some modern views that seep through all the glistening.

But the „sex driven hormonal animal“ parts and the „I am a man, you must do as I say and if not, I‘ll find a way“ behaviour kind of ruin the fun for me.