A Cinderella tale must end happily-ever-after. Unfortunately, when you are a bastard
daughter of an earl, those rules do
not apply. Sophia Beckett understands this too well. Waiting on stepsisters, Rosamund and Posy, is demanding enough but it’s her stepmother, Araminta that truly makes life hell. The one thing Sophie can cling to is the gossip pages of Lady Whistledown’s
Society Papers. Through them, she yearns for the life of a legitimate
daughter. When the opportunity comes to pretend she is, Sophie sneaks away to attend the masquerade ball at the prominent Bridgerton Estates. There, she catches the eye of Benedict Bridgerton, the second son of eight children. Benedict wants to be an individual in a society intent on treating him as a number. He is entranced by the beautiful and attentive young miss who seems to see him for himself. When she abruptly vanishes, he vows to find her, dreaming of proposing to a debutante of the first water. Her dream date at an end, Sophie returns home, knowing her memories will have to sustain her for years to come. Unfortunately, Araminta discovers her secret and plans a suitable punishment that finally drives the sensible Sophie to her senses and from her childhood home. When Benedict and Sophie meet again, it is unexpected and far from magical. Fairytales must give way to real needs and real emotions. How will Benedict and Sophie come to terms with their difference in station and recapture the spark of first love? As Lady Whistledown might say: The English Ton would much rather entertain a fairytale.