[BWF] An Offer from a Gentleman by Julia Quinn - 2.5 stars

[Theresa]

I seem to be reading a lot of Cinderella retellings these days. Here we have Sophie, complete with evil stepmother and 2 stepsisters who turn her into an unpaid servant when her father die. The twist is that Sophie is the illegitimate daughter of a peer, so not perhaps completely unsuitable for marriage above the serving class.

One night with the help of the ther servants, Sophie attends a masquerade ball at the Bridgertons where she meets Bridgerton No.2, Benedict. It is love at first sight but alas Sophie flee s at midnight, leaving Benedict holding a glove and without knowing who she is. Years pass, and Benedict is at a country house party that is little more than excessive debauchery. As he is leaving in disgust, he saves a servant, Sophie, from unwanted attentions as she is trying to run away. Sophie recognizes him but he does not recognize her. Yet there is a similar attraction. And so the scene is set to eventually lead to a HEA.

This is definitely the weakest plot and even characterizations of the 3 I have read so far. I actually found Benedict rather despicable through much of it, and it didn't fit with the initial character. Something just fell apart for me. Veven the Lady Whistledown posts at the beginning of most chapters were dull, forced.

Sadly, there is also no game of pal mal. But we see a lot more of Violet, Lady Bridgerton, the mother of this brood, and she is simply wonderful.

BWF - Letter O no tag