Held Close to My Heart

I haven't read a lot of romances taking place during King Charles II's reign so I was interested in seeing how important the era is to the story. Things were slightly more liberal because of the party atmosphere after Cromwell's rule and Jem, the son of a rich landowner, takes full advantage. However, Luke is his childhood friend who has held a torch for Jem since they were young and this story is mostly about his longing for a more exclusive relationship with his friend. Luke is much more conservative and has saved himself for Jem alone, something Jem seems completely unaware of and less interested in.
We do get glimpses into historical roles of the two men - one a minor member of the court and a bit of a toff and the other is a hardworking farmer's son with a more common life. The romance is a bit too quick and it doesn't seem like something that will last, despite Jem's promises to Luke.
The story is very short so there's only so much Thomas could give but I would like to see more development and background to really get into the characters and plot.