Lady Jenny's Christmas Portrait

Grace Burrowes provided many of my comfort reads in 2020 (particularly her “Rogues to Riches” series, and I thought I'd continue that in 2021. I read this book as part of a trilogy packaging Burrowes's “Christmas Ladies,” which included two other Windham books. I had not previously read any of the Windham books, and didn't realize the three here were part of a series until well into the second book; to that end, I will be reading the rest of the Windham books.

But more on this book in particular: to me, it felt heavier than it was. If you are a creatively frustrated woman with a meddling family, it's hard to dismiss Genevieve's concerns (or, for that matter, Elijah's). The pair are both tortured by past actions, and both take extremes in order to correct those actions, or at least, to accept their just deserts.

In light of how I responded to the conflict, I was disappointed at how easily everything was solved. Surprise! Their parents have been hiding important information! Additionally, the characterization here is light: having read Jenny's story so closely behind her sisters Sophie and Louisa, the three are nigh indistinguishable. Swap out poetry for art. (Also, I haven't read about any of her brothers, and I can't tell them apart.) We are told about Elijah's goal, but we don't see what drives him, beyond a desire to prove his father wrong.

If you don't take Genevieve's frustrations too seriously, this was a satisfying, light romance. I enjoyed Elijah's obvious appreciation for Genevieve's talents, as well as the bickering between the two.