Christmas is barely a week away, and Ruby anxiously awaits her beloved's return; Captain Derek Price, an America sea captain, should have already arrived. Ruby, owner of London's most exclusive bordello Madame Rouge, is thinking of selling her establishment, but she's looking for a buyer who will take care of her girls as well as she does, which is easier said than done. With the inclement weather, Ruby expected it to be a quiet night, but it was not to be: Ruby's two best friends' husbands want to surprise their respective wives, one client is getting too loud, and a pregnant girl shows up at the kitchen door. To Ruby's astonishment, the girl is none other than her half sister, Lady Jasmine Winters, the duke of Scarlett's legitimate daughter! Ruby doesn't know what she will do with Jasmine, but at least Derek's come home.

After Ruby first met Derek in Revealing Ruby , I was looking forward for their next encounter, and I think it was a lovely idea to have them reunite at Christmas. A VERY RUBY CHRISTMAS is a novella, and there are two sizzling chapters that feature Ruby's friends, the Swanstons and the Scanlons, separately, not a foursome; I'm not quite sure if it was only to make the novella longer and/or spicier. There are a few little pleasant surprises: the appearance of Jasmine did not go the way I expected, and I'm very pleased how it turned out. Ruby and Derek make a lovely couple, and the sex scenes are torrid, playful, and their relationship is quite sweet.

The Bound and Determined series is very stylish and realistic historical erotica, and I really hope to see how Ruby and Derek will fare in the future, I wonder if we will see more of Jasmine.