I love a retelling of a classic story. I particularly have a soft spot for Cinderella. I mean, let us never underestimate the glories of Gus Gus.
While this retelling did not feature delightful animated mice, the third Bridgerton novel by Julia Quinn tells us the story of second son, Benedict and the woman he falls in love with at a masquerade ball. However, Sophie is the by blow of an earl but following his death has been relegated to the life of lady’s maid at the hands of her vicious step-mother. She leaves the ball at the stroke of midnight, never telling Benedict her identity. Its two years until they see each other again, but Benedict doesn’t recognize Sophie the maid he rescues from rape as the same bedeviling woman he only knows as her.
This novel worked for me on all levels. Sure, there are a lot of convenient plot points (Benedict happens to fall ill immediately after saving Sophie which requires her to stay at his cottage in the country with him, the nasty stepmother lives next door to Benedict’s mother), but I just don’t care. This was a light, easy read that dealt with some tougher points (the life of maids, no upward mobility, etc.) that also featured more great family dynamics within the Bridgerton clan, which I really do think is Quinn’s specialty. We meet some of the younger siblings for the first time in any depth. But this time Colin was largely missing, which is sad, but Anthony was too, and that was not.
I’ll be putting in my request for Colin’s book from my library soon.