His By Christmas
O'Riley's fifth 19th-century Hamilton Sisters romance (after To Tempt an Irish Rogue) introduces the youngest sister, Yvette, who lives at the London home of her oldest sister, Colette, and Colette's husband, Lucien. Family friend Lord Jeffrey Eddington, the bastard son of a duke, agrees to watch over Yvette when Lucien and Colette travel to America. Jeffrey is unprepared for his jealousy of William Weatherly, Lord Shelley, Yvette's suitor and the heir to a dukedom; Jeffrey's illegitimacy bars him from inheriting his own father's title, and he harbors deep affection for Yvette. The young woman's willingness to wed for the sake of becoming a duchess hints at her immaturity, but she is forced to grow up quickly when her mother becomes ill, and she begins to wonder whether love might outrank a title. This darling holiday novel, complete with affable characters, sparkles with romance as the protagonists realize that friendship can evolve into everlasting love. Agent: Jane Dystel, Dystel & Goderich Literary Management. (Oct.)