Review: Libertine’s Kiss by Judith James
Libertine’s Kiss
by Judith James
Historical
Harlequin, 2010
Abandoned by his cavalier father at a young age, William de Veres grew up knowing precious little happiness. But William has put the past firmly behind him and as a military hero and noted rake, he rises fast in the ranks of the hedonistic Restoration court. Though not before he is forced to seek shelter from a charming young Puritan woman…
The civil wars have cost the once-high-spirited Elizabeth Walters her best friend and her father, leaving her unprotected and alone. She flees an unwanted marriage, seeking safe haven, but what she finds is something she never expected. When her kindness and her beauty bring her to the attention of William, and then the king, she will have a choice to make. After all, can a notorious libertine really be capable of love?
This is the story of William de Veres, a Cavalier and Libertine. He has attached himself to the Royalist cause during the English Civil War, a time when Parliamentarians wrenched control of England by executing King Charles I and establishing a Protectorate overseeing a new Commonwealth of England. During Charles II’s exile from England, William is attached to his party, slipping into England as a spy and a highwayman to raise funds and facilitate communications with Charles’ supporters.
Elizabeth Walters is the a daughter of a prominent Parliamentarian and Puritan. As a child, she had a close relationship with the neighbor boy, William de Veres. A crush developed, that was cut short when William was sent away to school and Civil War broke out.
The crux of this story takes place after the fall of Cromwell’s England and the re-establishment of Charles II and his court in London. William is now Lord Rivers and is Charles’ favored poet and companion, a regular Cavalier, or Libertine, living a hedonistic life. Elizabeth has been displaced during the intervening years, living in extreme poverty, and is forced to appeal to Charles to reclaim her lost estates.
When she approaches the court, she is also re-introduced to William, who pledges to aid her in her cause. He helps to coach and prepare her so that she can be successful in her appeal, the entire time growing more and more infatuated with her.
One of the first things that appealed to me about this book was the setting –there are very few published romances set in Oliver Cromwell’s England, after all. What an intriguing and refreshing historical era, and one that admittedly I knew very little about before beginning this novel.
Sadly, I found myself dragging through the first number of chapters, slogging through backstory. At one point, I seriously considered setting the book aside but I had heard such good things about this author and the era was so intriguing, that I stuck with it and I’m glad that I did. In retrospect, while the information obtained in these first chapters is important to the story overall, I’m left feeling that the novel began too early –that it really should have begun when Elizabeth decided to appeal to the King. If the story had begun there and the other information been woven in, I would have been engaged immediately and delightedly.
Once Elizabeth did go to court, a number of things happened. The story picked up in pace and the characters began to sparkle, revealing facets of depth and conflict and hope and despair. William himself was an unusual character –an unrepentant womanizer and alcoholic, a true hedonist in every sense. Elizabeth is a pragmatic woman, who is caught between wanting to build a stable life for herself and her household, and her attraction to William –the boy she once knew and loved. She is willing to understand and forgive the man that he is today in order to regain the boy that she once knew.
I’m so glad that I stuck with this story because the author has a real knack for developing characters with sincere and realistic motivations and foibles. There are no TSTL hokey actions and misunderstandings or 2 dimensional characters that behave in uncharacteristic ways. Oh, no. William is a Libertine of the true sense –he thoughts and actions prove this out. Even when Elizabeth tells him that he must change in order to keep her, he struggles with whether or not he actually can –or even wants to.
I’m sure some readers will find this appalling and off-putting, that a romance hero would treat his heroine in this way. However, I found this to be not only true to the characters but also true to the era. People lived and thought differently, and I prefer a historical romance to take that one and own it, rather than to drop in modern sensibilities and pretend like it didn’t exist.
This is a complex and rich tale of loss and redemption, and one that has found a spot on my keeper shelf. Not only do I plan to reread it again in the future, the era has inspired me to learn more (and perhaps write) about it.
Assessment: Recommended
Notice: To comply FTC Guidelines, please be aware that this book was provided by the publisher as an ARC (advance reader’s copy) via NetGalley.

