Unlike the other books in this series, Offer From A Gentleman took me a hot minute to get into. A cinderella retelling of sorts, Benedict’s story had me gritting my teeth and wanting to push characters into oncoming traffic and wishing this was anything but a retelling.

Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: October 13th 2009
Source: Owned
Format: e-book
Will she accept his offer before the clock strikes midnight?
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 his heart, will Benedict sacrifice his only chance for a fairy tale love?
“It was strange, to find a woman who could make him happy just with her mere presence. He didn’t even have to see her, or hear her voice, or even smell her scent. He just had to know that she was there.”
To the world, Sophie Beckett is the great Earl’s ward, but to those close to the Earl’s country estate, Sophie is the unacknowledged bastard child of an Earl and the daughter to a lowly housemaid who died in childbirth. Cared for and given everything a child of status needed, Sophie only lacked in parentage—that is until the Earl re-married and suddenly died, leaving Sophie with two step-siblings and a step mother who prays daily for Sophie to disappear and die instead. Forced out of her home of 18 years, Sophie has seen the harsh realities of life as a lower class female, but holds on to the dream of seeing the man in the mask once again. Little does she know that universe isn’t finished with her story just yet.
Unlike the other books in this series, Offer From A Gentleman took me a hot minute to get into. A cinderella retelling of sorts, Benedict’s story had me gritting my teeth and wanting to yeet characters (ahem, Benedict) into oncoming traffic for several moments throughout the book. This is the first time in the series that we see just how important social status is to the characters in this world and just how different those of different classes are treated—especially of the female sex.
I struggled watching Sophie get treated like she was lower than the dung in the barn simply because she wasn’t apart of high society. And I absolutely hated the request that Benedict makes (and repeatedly makes) to Sophie simply because of the socio-economic differences. However, what makes up most of these issues and quenches some of my hate fire is the fact that through all of this, Sophie kept her head held high and showed that she had more dignity and morals than half the ton put together.
I absolutely loved Mrs. Bridgerton, Violet, in this novel and how she above all else never once treated Sophie any different from anyone else. She made the novel for me as she knocked sense into more than one character.
Previous Book Reviews From This Author:
The Duke and I The Viscount Who Loved Me
Goodreads Twitter Instagram Pinterest Facebook
Love my content?
You can get EVEN MORE content + support my blog by joining my Patreon! If you want to take the magic of storytelling to the next level and connect with me personally, come see what I’ve created for you on Patreon.
What a great review you have here and I related so much to it. I had a hard time with this one as well when I first picked it up, Benedict was a hero for me that I didn’t love right away unlike the other siblings. Sophie was a wonderful heroine, I agree. I definitely enjoyed seeing your thoughts on this one.