An Offer From a Gentleman - Julia Quinn

Initial draw: ✰✰✰
Character development: ✰✰
Plot/Writing style: ✰✰
My rating: ⭐⭐

From the cover:

"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.

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 his heart, will Benedict sacrifice his only chance for a fairy tale love?"

Look...it's fine...but Benedict's overtures have distinct Dennis Reynolds vibes. 

I mean, I know it's a romance novel, and I know it's set in the regency era...but yeesh. I was intrigued at first at the idea of a Cinderella-esque pseudo retelling, but the way that Benedict is engineering scenarios to basically force Sophie to be with him - not even to marry him, but to be his mistress, which she has made incredibly clear she does not want to do - is gross. And it made it really hard to like Benedict. And consequently, the book. I don't even want to talk about it more than this, because 🤮. This was my second least favorite book. Do not like.