An Offer from a Gentleman: Benedict's Story, The Inspiration for Bridgerton Season Four

Absolutely love these special editions. The details are pretty and fun. Well made. The story is exciting and funny. The characters are relatable and endearing. Family dynamics are superb and loving.

Great story in the Bridgerton series. I mean you either like the books or you don’t. I like comparing what happened in the show versus the books since I saw the show first. The first copy I received was misprinted/had a printing error skipping from chapter 9 to 14, and chapters 15-17 being printed twice. I contacted Amazon customer service, and they were helpful in getting a replacement sent. The second copy is normally printed.

From her earliest childhood memories, Sophie Beckett knew the truth of her parentage, and as a consequence, her place relative to the world of the rarefied English ton -- strictly outside the elite ranks of that social whirl. As the bastard daughter of the Earl of Penwood, Sophie knew she rested behind the thinnest veneer of respectability -- claimed as the earl's ward, but with the truth of her parentage write clear on her features, until her tenth year Sophie enjoyed a life that, although lacking the emotional security of family ties that she craved, provided for the physical needs of food, shelter, and education. But everything changed when her father married a widow with two daughters, and Araminta, the new countess, taught Sophie what it meant to be shamed for possessing antecedents well and truly out of her control. For four years, the girl was further ostracized, hated by the woman she'd hoped to look on as a mother and ridiculed by her daughters Rosamund and Posy. With the earl's sudden passing, Sophie found herself unacknowledged and penniless, thrust into a life of servitude, at the mercy of Araminta's every whim. Six years pass, and her dreams worn thin under the grinding heel of Araminta's shoe, when invitations to the famed Bridgerton masquerade ball arrive, Sophie seizes the chance to, for just one night, be something more than a scorned illegitimate daughter -- to be just her, a woman reborn, a world of possibilities at her feet. It was just one night -- and one night couldn't possibly cause any harm. But sneaking into the masquerade, arrayed in a dazzling silver gown, Sophie underestimated the power of one night to transform her life forever, for she never counted on meeting Benedict Bridgerton... Benedict, the tall, lanky, impossibly handsome second Bridgerton, is heartily sick of society in general and his mother Violet's matchmaking schemes in particular. But when he spies a mysterious woman in silver at his mother's masquerade, he knows his life has changed forever -- for this woman, known to him only by her winsome smile and electrifying presence, this woman, over the course of one brief encounter, captures his heart forever. When she flees the ball, leaving only a monogrammed glove as a clue to her identity, he's devastated, and spends months searching for her among the ton, to no avail. And as the months become years, he becomes convinced his once chance at a love match to rival his parents' has passed -- sure, that is, until he rescues housemaid Sophie Beckett from the unwelcome advances of her employer at a country party. But Sophie is a servant, a wholly unsuitable match for the younger brother of a viscount...isn't she? Be that as it may, she's the only woman to make his heart sing since the long-ago masquerade, and so he proposes an audacious scheme -- Sophie will become his mistress. However, Benedict never reckoned on Sophie's horror of inflicting her illegitimacy on a possible child, or the secrets she's been holding dear. When the truth is finally revealed, will true love conquer all, or will social conventions shatter the promise of a love that flowered one magical night, when a masquerade gave an unlikely pair the courage to reveal their hearts? The more I read Julia Quinn, the more I become convinced that this woman can do no wrong. The Bridgertons have quickly become one of my all-time favorite fictional families, and with this third installment, Quinn blends her trademark warmth, wit, and humor with a fairy tale retelling that is at once both literal and wholly new. The Duke and I and The Viscount Who Loved Me, which showcased the love stories of Benedict's sister Daphne and brother Anthony, respectively, are essential fairy tales in and of themselves -- delightfully romantic, humorous, heartfelt confections that establish Quinn as a gold standard in romance. But with An Offer From a Gentleman, Quinn takes the conceit one step further, weaving the tropes of the Cinderella story -- the evil stepmother and stepsisters, shoes, a ball, secret identities -- into the Bridgerton world and making the classic tale her own. Lest her retelling become too literal, Quinn introduces Sophie and Benedict, sparks fly -- and then circumstances conspire to keep the would-be lovers apart for two years. And this time jump is one of the things that impressed me the most about this retelling of Cinderella, revealing Quinn's determination to thoroughly test the fairy tale trope of love at first sight to the max. Both Sophie and Benedict construct ideals, fantasies that arguably see the best potential in each other but just as arguably fall short of reality. For Sophie's determination to keep her secret, reveals the great irony of the title -- Benedict's offer to make Sophie the maid his mistress means that in perhaps the most important respect -- respect of Sophie as an individual, regardless of social station -- that he is no gentleman. His pressure to get Sophie to acquiesce to his plan is inexcusable and short-sighted, but it's a testament to Quinn's characterization and plotting that he still emerges as a hero worthy of keeping company with Simon and Anthony. This Bridgerton, of the charmed life, loving family, and hidden artistic bent, is desperate to be known and loved as an individual, yet is just as susceptible to the social pressure to marry well until he realizes that in Sophie he has a woman who'd love him if he were a pauper -- and how, therefore, could he do any less in return? Perhaps it is the comfort of familiarity, but with each successive installment that I read of Quinn's Bridgerton series I fall more and more in love with this delightfully quirky, passionate, close-knit family. Even more than the previous two installments, this novel showcases their legendary family bond, and gives their matriarch Violet a chance to shine, far beyond merely urging each of her children in turn towards matrimony. It could be tempting, with Quinn's breezy writing style and irrepressible sense of humor, to gloss over the weightier themes of family and belonging, of seeing, being seen, and being truly accepted as one is, that she explores within the pages of Benedict and Sophie's story, but that is what makes her books such gems. She blends the heady flush of new romance with a refreshingly honest look at what it takes to make a relationship last beyond the thrill of discovery and the first rush of passion. An Offer From a Gentleman is romantic escapism at its finest, yes -- but escapism laced with thought-provoking nuggets shedding light on identity, self-worth, and the respect of one another required to make a relationship work that once again elevates Quinn's storytelling from the realms of the ordinary to the extraordinary.

While I started the Bridgerton books after I watched the Netflix series, I absolutely fell in love with them! An Offer From a Gentleman is one of my favorites, so far. It is definitely one of Julia Quinn's most fairy-tale infused books and it works! It has all the charm of a classic fairytale wrapped up in the chaotic embrace of the Bridgerton family. 💕 What Made My Heart Happy The Cinderella energy is so cute. Masquerade ball, mystery girl, midnight magic — it’s whimsical without feeling cheesy. Sophie is a very lovable character, while also being very quick-witted. Benedict is peak golden retreiver who needs to get it together. He is charming and clueless in a way that is both endearing and annoying. 🌼 Why It’s Not Quite a Five I will say, the way that Benedict figures everything out had me screaming. Still, the vibes are so good that it barely matters. 🎀 Final Thoughts This book is sweet, romantic, and full of that cozy Bridgerton sparkle. If you love a fairy‑tale retelling with heart, humor, and a swoony hero who eventually gets himself together, this one is such a treat. A solid, feel‑good four stars.

Sophie Beckett is the illegitimate child of an earl who was left in his care at the age of 3 and hasn’t known any other life until he remarries to a woman who doesn’t want the child in her household. When her father dies at the age of 14, she’s relegated to the role of lady’s maid and endure years of abuse until one night she’s given a hint of a life she’s only dreamed of when she’s provided with the means to attend a masquerade at Bridgerton House. Benedict Bridgerton is tired of being only “a Bridgerton” or “number two” as many people identify him and, though he knows it’s about time he takes a wife, he hasn’t found the one, but that ends when he meets a mysterious woman at his mother’s masquerade ball. Sophie is an amazing character that reminded me a lot of Daphne due to her disposition even on the face of adversity and her capability to throw a punch if needed. She has a strong and unyielding spirit and is the perfect match for Benedict. He, on the other hand, can be a bit of an a**, but one can’t avoid falling in love with him as he falls in love with her. As with the previous books, I really enjoyed the story line, the telling and the relationship evolution. These characters are both strong and set in their ways, but Sophie’s strong morals were a plus for me. Truly lovable couple and I was more than happy with the road towards their HEA. 5 stars

Another good Bridgerton novel, but there was less Bridgerton in this one as in the first two in the series. Also, it was nice to go away from the plot structure of the first two novels. This novel was an interesting retelling of Cinderella's story, and Julia Quinn made it updated and fresh. Sophia Maria Beckett was the bastard of the Earl of Pembrook, and while he didn't shirk his duty as father, he died young and left Sophia in the care of her stepmother who was probably even more evil than the original stepmother in Cinderella. She's treated worse than a servant, "because servants get paid" and is forced to wait on her Stepmother and 2 step sisters (Rosamund who's a bitch, and Posy who's nice, but can't stand up to her evil mother/sister). It's not a great life at all, but Sophia is grateful for the roof over her head. Sophie accidentally meets Benedict at the Bridgerton's masquerade ball, which she sneaked into with the help of fellow servants. She's the lady in silver, who has to leave at midnight to ensure she's back before her stepmother and step sisters return home. She's taken with Benedict, and he's taken with her, but while she knows who he is, he doesn't know her. As the clock strikes midnight, they kiss and she leaves, but instead of leaving her shoe behind, she leaves her glove. Obviously he can't find her because he doesn't even know her name, and he also assumes she's of his class, not a servant. Two years later they meet, Benedict still thinking about "the lady in silver" and Sophie is not sure if her wildest dreams or most terrible nightmares have come true. She doesn't reveal that she was the masked silver lady at the ball because she's afraid (of what I'm not sure). He asks her to be his mistress (since the aristocracy can't marry beneath them), but she says no, for obvious reasons. (I mean seriously, that is so insulting!). The story is an interesting back and forth between them, but I wasn't as taken in with their "courtship" as I was with Simon and Daphne's and Anthony and Kate's. Those seemed more genuine and I was more vested in their relationship (as a reader). There are a couple of points where the story drags, but I also enjoyed learning more about the younger Bridgerton's - Eloise, Francesca and Hyacinth. Julia Quinn does a nice job of not only getting you interested in the love story at hand, but in the Bridgerton family. The ending is a bit wild, but at the same time, too neat. I can't imagine that there wouldn't be objections to a member of the aristocracy (even if he's just a viscount's brother) marrying beneath him. Still, it's what readers want. I wanted to know if Benedict kept the glove after all these years. Also, whatever came of his drawings?

Born the illegitimate daughter of an Earl, the cards were always stacked against Sophie Beckett. It gets even worse when her father dies, leaving her to the unchecked whims of her angry step-mother. Sophie’s living the life of Cinderella, only instead of a fairy godmother, the fellow servants of the household make her into the mysterious lady in silver for the Bridgerton’s masquerade. Sneaking out and living a life of mystery and wonder is amazing until she falls in love with Benedict Bridgerton, leaving a single glove behind when the clock strikes midnight. It turns out I was only lying to myself when I said I was going to hold off on reading this until the third season of the show dropped because here I am, all ready to get started on the fourth book. We follow Sophie and Benedict in the usual rotating perspectives that we’ve all come to expect when reading this series. One of the things that I liked about this installment, in particular, is that it’s the Bridgertons edition of Cinderella. I absolutely love Cinderella, so I was all in from the start. Sophie is such a likable character that it’s hard not to love following her chapters right away. Orphaned and forced to work as an unpaid servant to her step-mother and step-sisters, Sophie has very low expectations for her life. Love? Marriage? Ha! Everything changes when she becomes the lady in silver, giving her a taste of the life she might’ve had if she wasn’t the illegitimate and unclaimed daughter of a dead Earl. If nothing else, Sophie has her wits about her, which is something that can’t be said for everyone… So far, I’ve liked Benedict much better in the books than in the show, but I will say this book made me look at him differently. While he is seemingly very noble and very much in love with someone he only knew for mere hours once upon a time, the guy does not listen. The amount of times he tries to coerce Sophie into becoming his mistress is rather horrifying. Saying no should’ve been enough, but she also states why she will never be anyone’s mistress, which he blatantly ignores and continues to pester her about it. Granted, they obviously have a fairytale ending just as Cinderella and her prince did, it doesn’t mean I don’t view him a bit differently after this. Noble my foot! As always, I enjoyed seeing the rest of the Bridgerton family and absolutely love that we got to see more of Eloise. The more I read these books, the more I love Violet and wish there was a prequel following her and her own romance back in the day. I also loved Posy, one of Sophie’s step-sisters, and relished the downfall of Sophie’s step-mother. While I wish it was more than it was, I am happy with how things turned out. Like the previous two novels, there is a second epilogue included. However, unlike the previous second epilogues, I absolutely loved this one. It almost felt like I was reading the start of another novel rather than having an update of sorts that felt super out of place. I hope that this is a trend that continues with the other second epilogues!

...he tugged at her fingers, pulling her closer - only by an inch, but somehow it seemed she was only a kiss away. "Come," he said. "Dance with me." She took a step forward, and he knew his life had been changed forever. ********** Who knew that the often forgotten Bridgerton, known best as "Number Two", would end up being my favorite of the series so far?! When I first started this book, I honestly just wanted to hurry through it so I could get to book #4, Colin's story. Instead, I found myself completely taken with Sophie and Benedict and their version of Cinderella. Sophie is the bastard child of an Earl who only claims her as his ward and never acknowledges her as his daughter. She lives with him and one day he brings home his new wife and her two daughters. The Cinderella theme is strong with the basic set up of the story, and I loved every second of it. My heart went out to a young Sophie, after her father died, her horrible stepmother was forced to keep her in the house if she wanted to get her full yearly "salary" from the earl's estate. But Sophie's status, which was already low by London standards, was knocked down to the bottom of the barrel, as she became a slave in her own home. One night, the other house servants surprised Sophie and got her ready for the Bridgerton masquerade ball and for the one, and probably only time in her life, she truly lives and attends the ball on her own. Benedict sees her across the room and as is always the case, the rest is history. At least...for the night. They spend every minute together, he teaching her to dance, and she seeing only Benedict in front of her, and not "Number Two" or the "tall" Bridgerton. But the dream ends at midnight, and when her stepmother finds out where she went, she leaves the only home she's ever known and struggles to survive on her own. Cut to two years later, Benedict and Sophie's paths finally cross again, but he doesn't recognize who she is, other than the obvious, that she's now a servant. Their love story starts again and with their different class standings getting in the way, it's a hard path for these two but while they're finding their way together Benedict gives Sophie something she's never had. A family. He gets her a job in the Bridgerton home and Sophie, for the first time ever, feels welcomed and a part of a family. ********** "I think I'm going to kiss you," he whispered. "You think?" "I think I have to kiss you," he said, looking as if he couldn't quite believe his own words. "It's rather like breathing. One doesn't have much choice in the matter." ********** I adored how Benedict fell in love with Sophie, the servant and was ready to make her his when he realized just how much he loved her. The truth of who she was, including being the masked woman he fell for two years ago at the ball, comes out and feelings are hurt - but of course it doesn't take long for Benedict to go after Sophie. I loved the take on a Cinderella story, and it was very similar in theme yet it stood out on its own at the same time. The Bridgerton family continues to make me laugh and fall in love with each of them a little bit more with every book. Each story ends with an epilogue that takes us far into the future and I so enjoy getting to see where the couple is and what they're doing. Another winner in this wonderful series, and I love that the book I just wanted to hurry up and get through ended up being my favorite of the series. At least my favorite to this point! Blog Rating: 4.5/5

ブリジャートン家次男・ベネディクトのお話です。シンデレラのような話ですが、楽しく読めました。ヒロインのソフィーは妾の子であることで、継母にいじめられたり召使扱いされ、義姉妹にも下に見られています。ほんとに継母は嫌な女性です！しかしベネディクトと出会ってから人生が変わります。２年後に再会しますが、同じ立場ではなく、召使という立場で、本当の自分を明かすことができず、苦悩します。ベネディクトが母親に違う階級の人と結婚するとしたらどう思うか相談している親子の会話がジーンときました。１作目、２作目のヒーロー･ヒロインだった兄弟姉妹も家族が増えていたり、その後の様子も見られてよいです。８人兄弟なのであと５冊は読むことになりますが、時間を置かないで読み進めたいと思います。

Bel libro

جاء بدون غلاف بس سليم الحمد لله ، اصلي والحروف واضحه

Très bon livre, mon préféré des Bridgerton !

Hızlı teslim edildi