Reading for Me

It should come as no shock to any of my regular readers that I picked up the fourth installment of the Bridgerton series last week and thoroughly enjoyed it. Now that Lady Whistledown’s identity has been revealed and she has retired from her writing, I wonder what impact this event will have upon the remainder of the series. Her witty insights and commentary was one of the things that I most enjoyed about these novels.

Romancing Mister Bridgerton continues the exploration of love in a non-traditional way. This time, the differences that must be overcome are a matter of physical appearances. The homely wallflower, Penelope, has been in love with the debonair charmer, Colin, for as long as she can remember. Does Colin even know that she has loved him? Penelope fully thinks that she will spend the rest of her life as a lonely spinster.

A few things to notice right away about this installment in the series. First, the book is a bit longer than the others in the series. The writing, however, is still excellent and worth the investment. Quinn’s commentary on the art of writing and the power of words are not to be missed. Second, this novel has more open-door intimacy; little is left to the imagination. At first, I was shocked by this choice, but I quickly came to understand why the author would make the change. It was important for the reader to see how much Colin ultimately comes to desire Penelope physically. If the audience doesn’t see the level of intimacy, there can be a question if this is a relationship of pity or convenience rather than love.

Bridgerton has been good to me this year and I’ve enjoyed the trips. However, I am going to delay my return to the series until the New Year. Typically, I find myself needing a break from the characters and writing style about halfway through a series. I’m not bored with Quinn’s plot or character development at all; I just want to make sure that I am not lulled into a sense of complacency due to familiarity. There is too much good writing in Bridgerton that I don’t want to miss a single turn of phrase.

Netflix is responsible for my addiction to Bridgerton. After watching the first season of the series, I decided to read the novel for myself. I was immediately hooked and have found that 19th century English romances are fun reads for me. An Offer from a Gentleman is the third of the Bridgerton novels and has been my favorite of the series thus far.

An Offer from a Gentleman focuses on Benedict, the second son of the Bridgerton household. Benedict has avoided marriage for some time and is convinced that he will not meet the perfect woman. His feelings change when he has a wonderful encounter with a woman in a silver dress at his mother’s masquerade ball. As midnight nears, the woman rapidly departs a la Cinderella. Benedict will spend years in search of this mystery woman’s identity to no avail.

Who was the woman? She was Sophie, a bastard daughter of a deceased earl. After her father’s death, Sophie has been “cared” for by her stepmother. Perhaps a better description of Sophie’s treatment is “enslavement.” Like Cinderella, Sophie dreams of going to a grand ball with her stepsisters and stepmother. Since she is nothing more than a chambermaid in society, Sophie decides to keep her identity a secret from Benedict; they are from different worlds and a relationship between the two could never work.

Several years pass and Benedict encounters Sophie at a country estate party. When Benedict sees that the maid is in danger, he steps in as any gentleman would. In the process of rescuing Sophie, Benedict finds himself caught in a nasty rainstorm that leads to a dire illness. Sophie nurses him back to health and the two begin to fall in love. Can it lead to anything? Is it possible for love to overcome social differences and the biases of high society?

Quinn once again offers a compelling story that keeps the reader coming back for more. Mingling humor with romance and social climbing, An Offer from a Gentleman is poignantly written for a modern audience. I found Benedict and Sophie’s story to be the most compelling of the Bridgerton novels thus far. (I must admit that I am currently reading the next book in the series — Romancing Mister Bridgerton — and enjoying it as well. I hope to have a review of the fourth book later this week.)