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Book Review By Angel Manners
An Offer from a Gentleman by Julia Quinn

    In this Cinderella story type setting, we see Sophia Beckett, the illegitmate daughter of the Earl of Penwood, battle the wicked wife of her father. Araminta, her "stepmother" and her two daughters, come into Sophia's life when she is eight, and is introduced to the world as the Earl of Penwood's ward, until at the age of fourteen, the Earl suddenly has a heart attack and dies. In his will he stipulates that Araminta must care for Sophia till the age of twenty or she will not get a full inheritance. Then the story is fast forwarded to Sophia at twenty-two, working as an unpaid servant for the Dowager Countess of Penwood and her daughters.
    In one night of fantasy, the servants conspire to send Sophia to a masquerade ball being held by the Bridgerton family. Sophia can stay until midnight, so the carriage can take her home and be back for the others. During her forbidden evening, she and Benedict Bridgerton meet and fall in love, only it is forbidden because she is lowly and he is aristocracic, so dashes off, leaving him no clue to her identity.
    Two years later, Benedict finds himself saving Sophia from the lecherous son of the family she is working for, and promises her a position with his family, not realizing she is his fantasy woman. Sophia decide to keep her past a secret, because she does not want to be a mistress, which she feels would be the only thing such a mismatched love could bring. Benedict and Sophia, find love with each other anyway, despite the circumstances, but it is a troubled avenue due to all the obstacles that fall in their path.


Plot & Themes
Time/era of story
Forbidden/mismatched love? Yes
How mismatched?
If one lover chases another... - he chases after her

Main Male Character
Profession/status:
Age/status: - 20's-30's
Sex makes him
Unusual characteristics?

Main Female Character
Age/status: - 20's-30's
Profession/status:
Effect of sexing
Unusual characteristics:

Setting
City? Yes
City: - London
Misc setting - Fancy Mansion

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death
How explicit is the sex? - vague references only - licking - actual description of sex - Boob talk - Vagia talk - Weiner talk
Focus of story - equally on him and her
How much dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
How much sexing? - 1-2 sex acts
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