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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?
An Offer From a Gentleman
Chapter One
This year′s most sought-after invitation must surely be that of the Bridgerton masquerade ball to be held Monday next. Indeed, one cannot take two steps without being forced to listen to some society mama speculating on who will attend, and perhaps more importantly, who will wear what.
Neither of the aforementioned topics, however, are nearly as interesting as that of the two unmarried Bridgerton brothers, Benedict and Colin. (Before anyone points out that there is a third unmarried Bridgerton brother, let This Author assure you that she is fully aware of the existence of Gregory Bridgerton. He is, however, fourteen years of age, and therefore not pertinent to this particular column, which concerns, as This Author′s columns often do, thatmost sacred of sports: husband-hunting.)
Although the Misters Bridgerton are just that -- merely Misters -- they are stiIl considered two of the prime catches of the season. It is a well-known fact that both are possessed of respectable fortunes, and it does not require perfect sight to know that they also possess, as do aIl eight of the Bridgerton offspring, the Bridgerton good looks.
Will some fortunate young lady use the mystery of a masquerade night to snare one of the eligible bachelors?
This Author isn′t even going to attempt to speculate.
Lady Whistledown′s Society Papers,
31 MAY 1815
Sophie! Sophieeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"
As screeches went, it was enough to shatter glass. Or at least an eardrum.
"Coming, Rosamund! I′m coming!" Sophie hitched up the hem of her coarse woolen skirts and hurried up the stairs, slipping on the fourth step and only just barely managing to grab the bannister before landing on her bottom. She should have remembered that the stairs would be slick; she′d helped the downstairs maid wax them just that morning.
Skidding to a halt in the doorway to Rosamund′s bedroom and still catching her breath, Sophie said, "Yes?"
"My tea is cold.
What Sophie wanted to say was, "It was warm when I brought it an hour ago, you lazy fiend."
What she did say was, "I′ll get you another pot."
Rosamund sniffed. "See that you do."
Sophie stretched her lips into what the nearly blind might call a smile and picked up the tea service. "Shall I leave the biscuits?′ she asked.
Rosamund gave her pretty head a shake. "I want fresh ones."
Shoulders slightly stooped from the weight of the overloaded tea service, Sophie exited the room, careful not to start grumbling until she′d safely reached the hall. Rosamund was forever ordering tea, then not bothering to drink it until an hour passed. By then, of course, it was cold, so she had to order a fresh pot.
Which meant Sophie was forever running up and down the stairs, up and down, up and down. Sometimes it seemed that was all she did with her life.
Up and down, up and down.
And of course the mending, the pressing, the hairdressing, the shoe polishing, the darning, the bedmaking...
Sophie!"
Sophie turned around to see Posy heading toward her.
"Sophie, I′ve been meaning to ask you, do you think this color is becoming on me?"
Sophie assessed Posy′s mermaid costume. The cut wasn′t quite right for Posy, who had never lost all of her baby fat, but the color did indeed bring out the best in her complexion. "It is a lovely shade of green," Sophie replied quite honestly. "It makes your cheeks very rosy."
"Oh, good. I′m so glad you like it. You do have such a knack for picking out my clothing." Posy smiled as she reached out and plucked a sugared biscuit from the tray. "Mother has been an absolute bear all week about the masquerade ball, and I know I shall never hear the end of it if I do not look my best. Or" -- Posy′s face twisted into a grimace -- "if she thinks I do not look my best. She is determined that one of us snare one of the remaining Bridgerton brothers, you know."
"I know."
"And to make matters worse, that Whistledown′s woman has been writing about them again. It only" -- Posy finished chewing and paused while she swallowed -- "whets her appetite."
"Was the column very good this morning?" Sophie asked, shifting the tray to rest on her hip. "I haven′t had a chance to read it yet."
"Oh, the usual stuff," Posy said with a wave of her hand. "Really, it can be quite humdrum, you know."
Sophie tried to smile and failed. She′d like nothing more than to live a day of Posy′s humdrum life. Well, perhaps she wouldn′t want Araminta for a mother, but she wouldn′t mind a life of parties, routs, and musicales.
"Let′s see" Posy mused. "There was a review of Lady Worth′s recent ball, a bit about Viscount Guelph, who seems rather smitten with some girl from Scotland, and then a longish piece on the upcoming Bridgerton masquerade."
Sophie sighed. She′d been reading about the upcoming masquerade for weeks, and even though she was nothing but a lady′s maid (and occasionally a housemaid as well, whenever Araminta decided she wasn′t working hard enough) she couldn′t help but wish that she could attend the ball.
"I for one will be thrilled if that Guelph viscount gets himself engaged," Posy remarked, reaching for another biscuit. "It will mean one fewer bachelor for Mother to go on and on about as a potential husband. It′s not as if I have any hope of attracting his attention anyway." She took a bite of the biscuit; it crunched loudly in her mouth. "I do hope Lady Whistledown is right about him."
An Offer From a Gentleman. Copyright © by Julia Quinn. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.This year's most sought-after invitation must surely be that of the Bridgerton masquerade ball to be held Monday next. Indeed, one cannot take two steps without being forced to listen to some society mama speculating on who will attend, and perhaps more importantly, who will wear what.
Neither of the aforementioned topics, however, are nearly as interesting as that of the two unmarried Bridgerton brothers, Benedict and Colin. (Before anyone points out that there is a third unmarried Bridgerton brother, let This Author assure you that she is fully aware of the existence of Gregory Bridgerton. He is, however, fourteen years of age, and therefore not pertinent to this particular column, which concerns, as This Author's columns often do, thatmost sacred of sports: husband-hunting.)
Although the Misters Bridgerton are just that -- merely Misters -- they are stiIl considered two of the prime catches of the season. It is a well-known fact that both are possessed of respectable fortunes, and it does not require perfect sight to know that they also possess, as do aIl eight of the Bridgerton offspring, the Bridgerton good looks.
Will some fortunate young lady use the mystery of a masquerade night to snare one of the eligible bachelors?
This Author isn't even going to attempt to speculate.
Lady Whistledown's Society Papers, 31 MAY 1815
Sophie! Sophieeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"
As screeches went, it was enough to shatter glass. Or at least an eardrum.
"Coming, Rosamund! I'm coming!" Sophie hitched up the hem of her coarse woolen skirts and hurried up the stairs, slipping on the fourth step and only just barely managing to grab the bannister before landing on her bottom. She should have remembered that the stairs would be slick; she'd helped the downstairs maid wax them just that morning.
Skidding to a halt in the doorway to Rosamund's bedroom and still catching her breath, Sophie said, "Yes?"
"My tea is cold.
What Sophie wanted to say was, "It was warm when I brought it an hour ago, you lazy fiend."
What she did say was, "I'll get you another pot."
Rosamund sniffed. "See that you do."
Sophie stretched her lips into what the nearly blind might call a smile and picked up the tea service. "Shall I leave the biscuits?' she asked.
Rosamund gave her pretty head a shake. "I want fresh ones."
Shoulders slightly stooped from the weight of the overloaded tea service, Sophie exited the room, careful not to start grumbling until she'd safely reached the hall. Rosamund was forever ordering tea, then not bothering to drink it until an hour passed. By then, of course, it was cold, so she had to order a fresh pot.
Which meant Sophie was forever running up and down the stairs, up and down, up and down. Sometimes it seemed that was all she did with her life.
Up and down, up and down.
And of course the mending, the pressing, the hairdressing, the shoe polishing, the darning, the bedmaking...
Sophie!"
Sophie turned around to see Posy heading toward her.
"Sophie, I've been meaning to ask you, do you think this color is becoming on me?"
Sophie assessed Posy's mermaid costume. The cut wasn't quite right for Posy, who had never lost all of her baby fat, but the color did indeed bring out the best in her complexion. "It is a lovely shade of green," Sophie replied quite honestly. "It makes your cheeks very rosy."
"Oh, good. I'm so glad you like it. You do have such a knack for picking out my clothing." Posy smiled as she reached out and plucked a sugared biscuit from the tray. "Mother has been an absolute bear all week about the masquerade ball, and I know I shall never hear the end of it if I do not look my best. Or" -- Posy's face twisted into a grimace -- "if she thinks I do not look my best. She is determined that one of us snare one of the remaining Bridgerton brothers, you know."
"I know."
"And to make matters worse, that Whistledown's woman has been writing about them again. It only" -- Posy finished chewing and paused while she swallowed -- "whets her appetite."
"Was the column very good this morning?" Sophie asked, shifting the tray to rest on her hip. "I haven't had a chance to read it yet."
"Oh, the usual stuff," Posy said with a wave of her hand. "Really, it can be quite humdrum, you know."
Sophie tried to smile and failed. She'd like nothing more than to live a day of Posy's humdrum life. Well, perhaps she wouldn't want Araminta for a mother, but she wouldn't mind a life of parties, routs, and musicales.
"Let's see" Posy mused. "There was a review of Lady Worth's recent ball, a bit about Viscount Guelph, who seems rather smitten with some girl from Scotland, and then a longish piece on the upcoming Bridgerton masquerade."
Sophie sighed. She'd been reading about the upcoming masquerade for weeks, and even though she was nothing but a lady's maid (and occasionally a housemaid as well, whenever Araminta decided she wasn't working hard enough) she couldn't help but wish that she could attend the ball.
"I for one will be thrilled if that Guelph viscount gets himself engaged," Posy remarked, reaching for another biscuit. "It will mean one fewer bachelor for Mother to go on and on about as a potential husband. It's not as if I have any hope of attracting his attention anyway." She took a bite of the biscuit; it crunched loudly in her mouth. "I do hope Lady Whistledown is right about him."
Offer From a Gentleman, An. Copyright © by Julia Quinn. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.Anonymous
Posted October 26, 2008
I Also Recommend:
After having read the series out of order, I finally came back to this one, Benedict and Sophie's story. In later novels we see them as the happy couple from the country, raising their children away from Society while Benedict indulges his painting passion.
Of the 6 Bridgerton novels I've read (only Francesca and Gregory's stories to go), this one is the best of the lot. The beginning is a Cinderella story but in the brutal Regency style. Cinderella is a bastard and her
The magical night at the masquerade ball is pure fairy tale, but I admit the twist that follows is frustrating. I was so enthralled with Sophie and her plight, I raged at the sudden jump to the left. It's a miracle she survived as she did.
Yes, the "I'm a Society gentleman so can't possibly marry a servant" was overdone a tad. People frequently did rise above themselves and keep their origins secret. Considering Benedict loved this woman and had a supportive family, I was a little frustrated he kept throwing up Society dictates as a barrier.
But in the end, this was a sweet love story where you felt the characters actually did deserve their happy ending. Much better than Daphne or Anthony's story, and far more satisfying than Colin's or even Eloise. I recommend this on stays on my keeper shelf.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 5, 2012
All Julia Quinn books are so good! I love them!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted November 23, 2011
LOVE the Bridgerton series! And this book is one of my favorites. I recommend reading them in order.
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Posted November 14, 2011
Fantastic twist on a story that has been redone several times-Quinn put her own twist on it, and it still gives me butterflies.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.hopelessromanticLM
Posted November 10, 2011
I read this series in order one right after the other and was sad to see it end! I felt like I was leaving friends and family! I just love Julia Quinn!
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Posted September 29, 2011
Love this series. The family enteraction is great.
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Posted August 1, 2011
This book was a wonderful twist on the classic Cinderella story. From beginning to end I couldn't put the book down.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Kalira18
Posted July 25, 2011
I have read this book so many times and it never gets old. Never.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Probably my favorite out of the Bridgerton Series...that good. I loved it so much. I re-read it too much! Sophie and Benedict are just precious.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.AN OFFER FROM A GENTLEMAN is the third book in Quinn's Bridgerton series, and her own version of the classic, Cinderella. I'm always interested to see new versions of classics, particularly this one (I'm a big Cinderella fan!), but I'm also hesitant. The remake of any great classic can be disastrous.
However, this book was wonderful! What I liked the most about this book was that, even though Quinn does keep with some of the traditional details of the Cinderella tale, you won't find any glass slippers left behind. Rather, you will find subtle, more powerful gestures that Quinn has threaded in throughout the story. I was unaware that gloves could be so romantic.
The characters themselves.
Sophie is not a "sing-to-the-birds" type of Cinderella. In truth, who's really going to be singing after being denied, abandoned, attacked, locked away, and then thrown out in the cold? No one. Sophie held her head high and kept right on playing her cards, but she never sang to the birds. There's a strength and determination in this character that I admired.
Benedict comes from a strong, well-developed family-many of who make a lot of appearances in this book-and is suddenly thrust into a confused state, in which his mind plays games with a moment from the past and the girl in front of him. I always enjoy seeing a confident, attractive male confused. It tugs the heart.
All in all Quinn takes the traditional Cinderella story and twists it into a beautiful story about breaking social standards for love, and never settling for less than what one and one's future deserves. The book is utterly romantic, and Benedict had me continually melting in my seat.
I just can't say enough about Julia Quinn and "The Bridgerton Series" family of books. I fell in love with them all. I truly liked the fairy tale romance of Benedict and Sofie. It was endearing to see that Benedict (a reserved, big hulk of a man) could have such tenderness and love for Sofie. It's what all fairy tales should be. I recommend the whole series to every romantic out there...you will not want to put them down so take a few days to yourself and enjoy these wonderful love stories.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I am liking this Bridgerton Family a lot. Benedict was sweet but a little more reserved. I actually really liked Sophie. At first I was a little bit annoyed by the "Cinderella" story but it grew on me. Violet (the mom) is awesome!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Solstice-Ballad
Posted February 8, 2009
I Also Recommend:
I have to say, I almost didn't read this, because the beginning is almost identical to the movie "Ever After" (1998) and I thought, well great, I know what's going to happen.
But I am so glad I did read Sophie and Benedict's story, because it was absolutely WONDERFUL! and definitely not what I expected.
I got a lot of good laughs picturing Sophie and Benedict in some of the situations they get into and their conversations.
Julia Quinn is an Excellent writer, I've already got Colin's story sitting on the shelf beside me, ready to read!
Maitrakh
Posted January 9, 2009
I Also Recommend:
Benedict and Sophies story was my favorite. I loved J.Q.'s twist on the cinderella story. It made me want a guy like that! This whole series was great. I probably read them all once a year.
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Posted July 3, 2008
I love Julia Quinn she is my favorite author but when i read this i was blown away by far my favorite book of her. I couldn't put this book down. This is a great read. READ IT!!!!!! you will LOVE IT!!!!!!!!
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Posted June 12, 2007
This is the third book in the series and my favorite so far. I loved the first two, but this one I started reading on a Saturday morning and didn't stop until I was finished. I don't think I have ever read a whole book in one sitting before. Anyway, buy it....you WILL LOVE it!
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Posted November 15, 2006
Each of the Bridgertons stories are wonderful. I could not put any of them down, ordered them all in hardback, and will love them forever. My only piece of advice, read them in order...you gain so much more enjoyment and laughter when you do. :)
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Posted October 1, 2006
The story is very good, and this is the fourth Bridgerton stories I read. Love that family. But --- I could not figure out why Sophie wouldn't tell Benedict who she was. She wanted marriage, she was the daughter of an Earl, she knew he cared enough about her to draw her sketch from memory, so why the secret? But then the story would have ended too quickly I guess. Once I thought of this, I found it hard to finish the book.
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Posted August 27, 2006
I loved this story. I previously read `The Duke and I¿, `When He Was Wicked¿, `It¿s in His Kiss¿, `On The Way To the Wedding¿, and `The Viscount Who Loved Me¿ (my personal favorite) in that order. I literally just bought `An Offer from a Gentleman¿ today, after I received enough funds to do so (which unfortunately isn¿t an easy task for me). But I was intending to buy `Romancing Mister Bridgerton¿ and was once again disappointed that no local stores previously have it. So I bought this book, and truthfully I didn¿t really even want to read it (no disrespect to Julia Quinn, intended) I read many books that where similar to Cinderella and didn¿t know if I could stand another. But after reading the book I found that I was wrong, this book kept me interested from beginning to end. I fell in love with both Sophie and Benedict. I¿m usually not one to cry (for anything actually, whether it be books, movies, or life itself) but something in this book caught me and I actually shed a few tears for Sophie (small ones of course, but what else could you expect?). Anyway, I guarantee that if you liked all other Bridgerton novels, this one will not disappoint, and I recommend that you go out and get your own copy!
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Posted April 21, 2006
I'm torn between feeling as though this was my favorite story out of the first 4 I've read so far in this series...they are all just so good!!!....i thought I'd be really put out with the similarities to Cinderella, but i couldn't get enough of Benedict...he was a very interesting character, and the romance was priceless...you must read it!!!
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Overview
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 ...