Reviews with content warning for Violence - An Offer From a Gentleman

I haven't exactly loved any of the Bridgerton books so far, but they're fast-paced reads that are great for whenever I'm in a reading slump, so I keep picking them up. This is my least favorite so far, with all the things I didn't like about the first two books have just been ramped up a thousand levels.

Benedict is awful and terrorizing, and I didn't find any of his actions romantic or justified at all, he just misuses his privileges and emotionally manipulates Sophie. At times he's agressive or almost violent. This book's only saving grace, is Lady Bridgerton's character.

Content Warnings

samchase112's review against another edition

Go to review page

funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Talk about frustrating. There's a reason the original Cinderella folk tale is max 20 pages long — it's a short story. It doesn't need to be dragged out to these ridiculous lengths by making the "prince" more despicable and the "cinderella" more oh-i-can't-tell-anyone-my-situation-because-i'm-so-unlovable. Sure, Sophie was actually a pretty nice character overall, but you can tell even Quinn didn't know how to explain away her inability to just tell Benedict who she was. Honestly, I almost put the book down over the initial magical chapters — Benedict's "oh, i just have a magical ability to know things...like my true love...even though this will never come up again" was oh my goodness so annoying. Just...ridiculous. I don't even know why I'm still reading these books. I guess they are a bit fluffy and easy, which makes them fun to fly through? But they're also largely forgettable, except for the problematic portions. So, in a word, yikes.

Content Warnings

whrohala's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Things I liked:

Spin on the Cinderella-trope.
Strong Female Lead.
Seeing deeper into the family dynamics of the Bridgerton's. Hearing more about some of the younger siblings. Learning more about Violet and seeing how fierce she can be.
They save each other.
Love at First Sight, HEA

Things I didn't like:

Unfortunately, Benedict struck me as a privileged little boy throwing a tantrum for much of the story.
Lack of communication. Went beyond miscommunication.
Felt unnecessarily long at points. The general path of the plot was fairly predictable (it's a Cinderella story and a romance, so you kind of know what to expect), and it took just a bit too long to hit each beat. Often it felt the the dialogue and story was moving in circles getting to the point.
Literally BLACKMAILS HER into going to London with him despite her very vocal protests. Assumes he knows what is best for her without knowing anything about her (something he later whines about his family doing to him).
Consent Issues. Very wear-her-down-til-i-get-what-i-want, and the reader is supposed to read that as romantic. There is a scene where he tells her that she has to say "no" at that moment if she doesn't want him, because he wont accept her no in a minute, or in ten minutes. Ick.

Content Warnings

brandie_abbie19's review

Go to review page

emotional lighthearted sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Content Warnings

ashleybeereads's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

autumnal_aura's review

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Benedict meets Sophie at a masked ball and falls for her. While he is rich her circumstances are difficult and when next they meet she is a maid at a country estate he is visiting. Thus begins their romance.

Content Warnings

gretasbookshelf's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

Content Warnings

julesadventurezone's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

I quite liked Sophie and I understand why Benedict fell in love with her. On the other hand Benedict spends 3/4 of this book being entitled and rude and condescending, so the only explanation must indeed be, as Sophie posits, that she fell in love with him before she even met him. Really didn't like him, even after he finally apologized. Inconsiderate horrible man.
The Cinderella storyline with the cartoonishly evil stepmother really detracted from what was an interesting central conflict.

The titular offer from a gentleman is Benedict asking Sophie to be his mistress, since she is not of high enough class to be a suitable wife for a gentleman. Sophie says no because she doesn't want to risk bringing illegitimate children into the world.

What this arrangement or an 'unsuitable' marriage would mean socially went underexplored in favor of Cinderella-based melodrama, which I thought was kind of a shame.
Julia Quinn also did a good job at the beginning of the novel, when she wrote very nicely about

how much it hurts Sophie that Benedict doesn't recognise her anymore.

It was lovely angst! I was emotionally invested! Unfortunately she quickly discarded that in favour of the sickbed trope.
Out of the side characters only one had any significant development. The Bridgertons, especially Violet were all very nice and reasonably witty, though it seemed odd to me that no one had any objections to Sophie. Very modern sentiments from these period characters.
The sex scenes were unremarkable to bad. The audiobook narration probably didn't help.
The narrator did a nice voice for Sophie and other female characters but made all male characters including the ever so dashing Benedict sound like old men. Genuinely bad.

Content Warnings

More...