A review by prashiie
An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn

adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

“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. If that wasn't love, he didn't know what was.”

Very much like Cinderella, Sophie grows up with her stepmother and stepsisters who treat her very badly. Luckily, she gets the chance to go to a masked ball and takes it. This is where she meets Benedict and they fall in love. While she knew exactly who Benedict was, he didn’t know who the masked lady was who stole his heart. Years fly by and unexpectedly they meet again but under different circumstances. 
Unlike the lords and ladies, servants have no freedom to do as they please. This story shows how badly they get treated by some people. From rape to becoming a gentleman’s mistress. It’s not easy, especially if you’re a woman on your own.

I loved Benedict and Sophie’s story! Even though Sophie experienced many hardships in life, her heart remains pure and I was so happy that she met some good people through Benedict. Again Violet was such a pleasant character. The way she loves her children and supports them is amazing. Also Eloise is a lovely character. She stands up for herself and demands to be treated equally.
“Just because we of the female gender are not allowed to study at places like Eton and Cambridge doesn't mean our educations are any less precious,” Eloise ranted, completely ignoring her brother's weak “I know.”
“I am of the opinion that the reason we are not allowed access is that if we were, we would trounce you men in all subjects!”

Overall, an easy read. There were moments where Julia Quinn’s writing puts me off, for example when she writes: “He seized the moment, tasting her, drinking her, breathing her.” Okay, calm down…
I did enjoy the last part of the story where Benedict and Violet get Sophie out of jail. Violet goes against Araminta and the entire time I was cheering her on! Don’t mess with Violet Bridgerton. Then Sophie and Posy stand united against Araminta, ugh so wholesome. I do think Araminta got off too easy. I could never understand how one can be so cruel towards children. Araminta does explain why she hated Sophie so much, but I didn’t find that a satisfying reason.
 
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