REVIEW: Harvest Season (The Old Bridge Inn Series) by Annick Trent

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JayneB+ Reviews / Book Reviews / Recommended Readsf/f romance / Historical / LGBTQIA characters / The Old Bridge Inn Series / Womens-Fiction / working class4 Comments

A standalone F/F historical romance

Lowri has spent the past month bringing in the harvest and daydreaming about her one-night stand with Eliza, barmaid at the Blue Boar. When the two women meet again, the spark between them is as strong as ever, but they cannot immediately act upon it: they must race against time to warn a group of weavers who face arrest for organizing a strike.

Dear Ms. Trent, 

Last year I enjoyed “Sixpenny Octavo” and knew I wanted to read some more of your work. “Harvest Season” is a quick novellete which once again features historical working class women in Great Britain – this time a Welsh harvester who travels to England, along with other woman in her village, and an English barmaid. 

Each year during harvest season, Lowri and other women from her small Welsh village earn a bit of money travelling to help with the harvest. It’s hard work after which, if they’re lucky, they’ll have an extra £2. Last year Lowri met Eliza and after exchanged glances and a wink from Eliza, Lowri finally realized that she’s not the only woman who feels as she does. Now, on their way back to Wales, the Welsh women stop in the same village. When she sees Eliza again, Lowri is elated that the young woman remembers her and seems glad to see her. 

But Eliza is skittish and suddenly swears Lowri to secrecy before handing over some papers that she took from the room of a justice of the peace staying at the inn where she works. Lowri confirms that they’re arrest warrants for local weavers who struck for increased wages. Gathering their courage, they must first get the papers back into the man’s room before he notices they’re gone and then try to warn the people before the constables arrest them and throw them in gaol. 

I love that these are working class folk, trying as best they can to eek out a few pennies more for their toil. Lowri is in awe that Eliza had the nerve to steal the papers and feels that if she had the chance to do something to earn just a bit more, she’d want to try it, too. When Eliza asks for help, Lowri knows what they both risk. A few months in gaol would be the lightest punishment for the wage agitators, transportation the worst. Assisting them would bring trouble for the two women as well. 

Eliza and Lowri know what it is to want something others think you’re not supposed to have so both women are sure about their decision to warn the weavers. Along the way, they get to spend more time talking and facing a probable life apart from each other. That’s just the way things are. But when the worst happens, they see another way, a possible means to escape and try something new. 

As this is a much shorter story than “Sixpenny Octavo,” it helps that Lowri and Eliza already have a teensy bit of history and know the other’s inclinations. The tension from the sudden decisions they have to make drives them to be more open and honest with each other and also willing to grab their chance. Just when I thought this would be a bittersweet ending, everything, all the little hints and bits of information, comes together and makes sense. Now I definitely need to read the other books in this series. B+     

~Jayne      

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Jayne

Another long time reader who read romance novels in her teens, then took a long break before started back again about 25 years ago. She enjoys historical romance/fiction best, likes contemporaries, action- adventure and mysteries, will read suspense if there’s no TSTL characters and is currently reading more fantasy and SciFi.

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