Friday, 9 July 2021

*** 5 STAR REVIEW *** AN OFFER FROM A GENTLEMAN by Julia Quinn

 


Paperback, 390 pages
Published October 13th 2009 by Avon
  (first published July 1st 2001)
Original Title: An Offer from a Gentleman

 

 


Here I am on book three of the Bridgerton series and still loving the characters, the stories, and the romances. An Offer From a Gentleman is a variation of the Cinderella fairy tale for adults. Sophie Becket loved her father even though he never recognized her officially. When he remarried, she didn’t understand how her father allowed his new wife to treat her so badly. Then when her father dies, Sophie is relegated to the role of servant. Her stepmother and stepsisters use her terribly—see Cinderella.

I love all the characters both good and bad. It goes without saying that the Bridgerton family is a solid rock of support for one another. Benedict is a good guy even if he is a little “dickish” for a while. He is a man of the time and didn’t know how to reconcile his feelings with the need to remember his place in society. Sophie is a strong, feisty, independent woman who I could easily relate to. She tried to please her family even though they treated her badly.

The evil stepmother and stepsisters are nicely developed with the wickedness one would expect. Posy isn’t really a bad person, but her mother insists that she get on board regarding Sophie. The other stepsister is as horrible as her mother. Araminta, the evil stepmother does a lot of vindictive things to Sophie simply because her father loved her.

When I was reading this part of the story, Disney’s Work Song ran through my head.

Cinderella, Cinderella night and day its Cinderella.
Cinderella make that fire, fix the breakfast, do the dishes, do the mopping...
Love it!


Victoria, Mrs. Bridgerton, is the exact opposite of Araminta. She loves her children and wants them happy. We can count on her to take the evil stepmother in hand and deal her a blow that she won’t soon forget. Victoria is my favorite recurring character. What a mom!

I love fairy tales. I always have. I especially love the adult twists on fairy tales. This one is a lot of fun with good humor and not as predictable as it could be. It is a sweet, light read or listen depending on your favorite book format. If you are an audio lover; Rosalyn Landor is a wonderful narrator who puts her all into the performance. Superb!

Finally, the second epilogue is one of the best so far. Its focus is Posy and a great addition to the series. I will read more of this series as soon as I can.

 5 STARS


 

No comments:

Post a Comment