Libertine’s Kiss
Elizabeth Walters has lost much during the English Civil War, including her father, her husband and her lands. But when a handsome stranger knocks on her door one stormy night, weak and wounded, so begins her own personal restoration on the eve of the political restoration of King Charles II.
I have mixed feelings about this novel. From a romance novel standpoint, it had some surprisingly good historical elements, but from a historical novel standpoint, the romance was predictable, and there were a surprising number of errors. First, the latter point: references to novels, cranberry crisp, china plate and tea are anachronistic for mid-17th-century England. Also, General George Monck’s name is spelled incorrectly, and the author suggests that Richard Cromwell was pardoned and had his lands restored by Charles II when, in truth, Cromwell fled England, spending most of the rest of his life in exile. In addition, this novel is stuffed with adjectives and adverbs that serve to distract from rather than illuminate a scene or character. However, the author does an excellent job of capturing the personality of Charles II and his court and has a good understanding of the political difficulties Charles II faced.
