Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
Love, Royal and True: A Romance Novella by Ronnda Eileen Henry tells the tale of Lady Hyacinth and Prince Adelard, who become king and queen in medieval Penruddock through sheer fate, neither of them expecting nor prepared for the difficulties that stand in the way of their marriage. The union is established shortly after the birth of Lady Hyacinth, and the connection between the betrothed is solidified early on, when a three-year-old Hyacinth and a twelve-year-old Adelard attach themselves in a sweet and familial affection, later blossoming into a profound and determined love. War, conspiracies, intrigue, and all the unnatural coercion from those who wish to see the pair separated come into play, and the resolve of Lady Hyacinth and Prince Adelard is put to the test, with both their love for each other and their destiny to rule left hanging by a golden thread.
However compact Love, Royal and True: A Romance Novella by Ronnda Eileen Henry may feel in the hand, it's surprisingly stacked in plot twists and narrative. Henry does an excellent job of making her protagonists easily relatable and humanizes them well in a short number of pages. While most of the story is told in the context of a memoir - with the knowledge that Hyacinth and Adelard do get married from page one - nothing is lost in its unfolding as Hyacinth outlines how she arrived to become their queen. It's a quick read but it is wonderfully told, recommended for any who enjoy an afternoon reprieve with a vibrantly packaged medieval love story.