Lady Jenny’s Christmas Portrait

The eighth and final book in Burrowes’s Windham Regency series (after Lady Eve’s Indiscretion) embraces the spirit of Christmas and the power of love to draw families together. Lady Jenny Windham’s parents and siblings have always smiled indulgently at her little painting hobby, but Jenny takes it seriously, longing to move to Paris and pursue art training. As she’s preparing to leave, she meets Elijah Harrison, Earl of Bernward, a skilled portraitist. He hopes that painting Jenny’s nephews will boost his career and free him to return to his estranged family. The two connect immediately over their shared love of art, but since one is seeking to leave home and the other to return to it, compromises will have to be made. Burrowes describes the journey more than the destination; while not breaking new ground, the well-told story is elevated by warmth and intimacy. (Oct.)