Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Love in Season: A Romance Novella is a romantic fantasy novella written by Ronnda Eileen Henry. Lord Reynard was the Earl of Blencathra, but he really considered Oxenholme House to be his true home. The farmhouse and surrounding countryside were more comfortable and akin to his quiet and unassuming nature. He had been a widower for some years now, after a devastating fever had ravished the dukedom of Crozby and claimed his beloved Amy’s life. His mother, Lady Katherine, was brimming with impatience at his delay in finding another bride and providing the family with an heir, but Reynard was in no hurry and had, as yet, met no woman who could light the fire of his heart as Amy had done. On his latest return to Oxenholme, he was surprised to note an unfamiliar servant working in his study; one who seemed determined not to look his way, save to curtsy briefly and depart. He later noticed that same servant sitting outside on the terrace later that evening. Who was she? Mistress Andrina seemed somewhat circumspect in her responses to his query, but he would soon discover who the mysterious woman was and why she was hiding in Oxenholme.

Ronnda Eileen Henry’s romantic epic fantasy novella, Love in Season: A Romance Novella, is an enthralling sweet romance set in the mythical kingdom of Penruddock. While I sometimes find myself a bit confused or overwhelmed by stories whose characters are part of an intricate weave of family histories, I was pleasantly surprised by the author’s skill in demystifying her characters’ aristocratic lineages and was swiftly and smoothly involved in the story line. Henry’s plot addresses the inequities in the societal expectations placed upon men and women as Poppy must flee her home and all she holds dear to avoid an abusive marriage contract brokered by her relative. Reynard and Poppy are marvelous characters, whose shared interests make them seem perfectly suited for each other, that is, if they can extricate themselves from the web of expectations and societal protocols that seem so insurmountable as the story opens. Love in Season: A Romance Novella is most highly recommended.