The King's Courtesan by Judith James

I received a galley of this novel from NetGalley for review. This in no way affected my opinions.


Due to his impending marriage, Charles II marries off his mistress Hope Matthews to Captain Robert Nichols, unless the Captain would like to lose his home and land. Neither have a choice and are wed the day they meet.

Robert is your typical hero haunted by events of his past, while Hope has had not such an easy life before becoming mistress to the king. Both are stuck in this limbo relationship: a farce marriage. Legally bound, but not really belonging to each other.

I really like Libertine's Kiss, which comes before The King's Courtesan, which is why I picked this up. I liked it just as much as Libertine's Kiss, and de Veres and Elizabeth even pop up every now and again, and they are delightful.

The relationship between Robert and Hope was intriguing and was a different scenario that I've never encountered before. Their set-up was complicated. At first, all they did was argue, mostly due to Hope being hurt that Charles deceived her into marrying, but they eventually find a common ground and grow to like each other all with the possibility that Hope could be summoned back to court hanging over their heads.

I definitely recommend both this and the Libertine's Kiss if you're tired of regencies and are looking for something different. The unique storyline and time period had my attention from the beginning. It was a fast read that I finished in a day. I look forward to the next book.

Libertine's Kiss by Judith James

I received a galley of this novel from NetGalley for review. This in no way affected my opinions.


I'm pretty regency-ed out when it comes to historical romance. I've been on a break lately from the regencies and have ventured into other time periods. Libertine's Kiss takes place during the Restoration period, which I am not too learned in, so it was welcomed.

Libertine's Kiss tells the story of William de Veres and Elizabeth Walters, childhood friends who come across each other years later under different circumstances. De Veres, a staunch supporter of the Royalist cause, seeks shelter from a young woman one night after being injured. He does not recognize the young Puritan widow as his childhood friend, but Lizzy recognizes him instantly, however giving no indication who she is.

Due to her helping de Veres, Lizzy ends up getting in trouble with Cromwell and loses all of her lands. Once Charles II is restored to the throne a few years later, she decides to try her luck with a meeting with the King to get her lands back. This is where she once again reunites with de Veres, now Lord Rivers.

De Veres takes it upon himself to help Lizzy acquire her goal when he realizes that all she lost was because she had helped him.While at court, Lizzy and de Veres' relationship heats up, but she realizes how broken he is inside. He uses drink and women to drown out the pain of his past and Lizzy sets it upon herself to rescue him.

Libertine's Kiss was not your typical fluffy romance. There is immense complications due to both of their pasts. The two of them are constantly going in different directions when it comes to their goals and future plans and due to this, their relationship hits many snags.

In the midst of this, we get a glimpse of the sparkling court of Charles II, which was most refreshing.

Overall, a solid historical romance. Recommended to anyone looking for a romance set in a less than typical setting.