Bella, a freelance journalist from London, writes for women's magazines on a range of issues, from relationships and motherhood to body image and sexuality. While researching an article on swinging, she realises that her intense interest in the subject may be more than simply professional. Over the following months, Bella finds herself drawn into a world where the power of fantasy and the strength of the erotic mind are all consuming, where risk and arousal are close companions, and where fear is a dangerous aphrodisiac. Through the eyes of Bella, The Libertine Diaries explores the themes of dominance and submission, control, sexual identity, and the sometimes difficult separation of sex and love, as she is transformed by her sexual awakening.