Miss Violet Howard is a young American heiress whose mother is desperate to see her marry English nobility, thus Mrs. Howard managed to get herself and her daughter invited to the Earl of Merlton's castle for the Christmas holidays. Violet wants nothing of this as she fancies her father's man of affairs. The Dowager Countess is delighted as she wants her son Will to marry just about any girl with a suitably large dowry. The problem is Will hasn't liked any woman his mother has previously chosen for him; he might be getting a bit desperate for money, but not that much. Violet and Will agree to disagree with their respective mothers until they realise that, in a pinch, they might have found in each other a suitable mate.

AN HEIRESS FOR ALL SEASONS is the second instalment in the Debutante Files series, but can easily be read as a standalone. Violet thinks of herself as average, and this is not an adjective that can be applied to the ever- so-talented Sophie Jordan! Within the confines of a novella, the author fashions fully rounded characters, even secondary ones such as Aurelia, Will's sister, and the slightly outrageous matchmaking mothers. Although one might presume the plot predictable, it is not because there are quite a few unexpected plot twists that keep the story interesting until the very end. AN HEIRESS FOR ALL SEASONS is brilliantly written, and the banter between the characters is delightful and witty especially between Violet and Will.

I find particularly remarkable how Ms. Jordan does such an admirable job with the setting and the characters in AN HEIRESS FOR ALL SEASONS, how she paints scenes in such vivid colours: I could clearly picture the castle, the holly; those little details that really make a story come alive, and in the context of a novella, it's a feat that is seldom achieved. It's not because the author dwells needlessly on details or lingers on descriptions, but rather how accurate and precise her wording is; everything appears so crystal clear, so real, and I think it's one of the reasons why the holiday feeling is so present and why the characters appear so genuine.

AN HEIRESS FOR ALL SEASONS is a real Christmas story filled with love, romance and boughs of holly.

Book Summary

When a holiday blizzard brings together a pair of reluctant lovers, the result threatens their reputations … and may cost them their hearts.

Feisty and independent American heiress Violet Howard swears she'll never wed a crusty British aristocrat. Will, the Earl of Moreton, is determined to salvage his family's fortune without succumbing to a marriage of convenience.

But when a snowstorm leaves Violet and Will stranded and alone, their sudden chemistry will challenge good intentions. Seized by a desire that burns through the night, they'll toss reservations aside in favor of the heat found in each other's arms.

Will their passion survive the storm? Will they realize they've found a love to last them through all seasons?