An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn

An Offer From a Gentleman (Bridgertons, #3)

by Julia Quinn

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?

Reviewed by pamela on

2.5 of 5 stars

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What is it with straight white women and our tacit forgiveness of abhorrent men? While I will admit that An Offer From a Gentleman had some fun moments, overall, it was still just a huge apologia of a man's really shitty behaviour.

The story starts firmly within the Cinderella trope, which thankfully it left behind about a quarter of the way through. But starting off with it meant that the protagonists Sophia and Benedict suffered from instalust, and then their relationship never really developed from there. Two attractive people wanting to bone is not a great basis for everlasting love, and I'm well and truly sick of the romance genre making it sound like it is!

Rape and abuse sub-plots are glossed over as inconveniences rather than something that should be explored, and Benedict's behaviour is absolutely inexcusable. He doesn't take no for an answer, gives warnings about when consent can be applied, and blackmails Sophie with threats of jail if she doesn't do exactly what she wants. He constantly mansplains her needs to her, and micromanages the direction of her future. And she lets him. Because he's hot. And her character exists only to be the victim to Benedicts "hero".

Alos, three books in, I'm starting to think that JQ might not have ever had anything other than missionary sex, because good lord, the first sex scene was dull, but I've now had the exact same one repeated in three books.

There are three steps to JQ sex:
1) grab breasts
2) a few seconds of fingering that constitutes all the foreplay
3) missionary position
Seriously people, we can do better than that. Hell, we DESERVE better than that.

Am I reading the next book? Yes. Because despite their more problematic elements, the Bridgerton series is proving to be a bit of mindless escapism. But still, I hope the romance genre starts getting the overhaul it deserves, because if this series is considered a great example of the genre, then it's no wonder the genre isn't taken seriously. Abuse is not romance.

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Reading updates

  • 27 January, 2021: Started reading
  • 27 January, 2021: on page 0 out of 386 0%
  • 30 January, 2021: Finished reading
  • 31 January, 2021: Reviewed