The Poetics of Passion

A few months ago, I was thrilled when an author I like invited me to read her new historical romance, written under the pen name of Delphine Ross. Ironically, The Poetics of Passion, the first in her Muses of Scandal series, is about a woman in 1870s England who secretly publishes love poetry under a nom de plume of her own. When she and an emotional artist team up for a children’s book, they don’t realize they’re actually each others’ romantic pen pals. If only they liked each other as much in real life as they do in their furtive letters!

Special thanks to the author and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Summary

Musa Bartham’s family is known for scandals, and with her father missing and money tight, she’s found a modest income in publishing love poetry under the name of Felicity Vita. No one can know her true identity as the author; such scandal would ruin the family, and as her younger sister is aiming to secure a husband, they need to keep their family name as clean as possible. But Musa has another secret: She, as Felicity, has been exchanging love letters with a man named Henry; alas, they can never meet. 

When the book publisher comes into new ownership, Musa is forced to switch gears. She decides to write a wholesome children’s book under her real name, with drawings provided by a chaotic and emotional man named Sebastian. The two don’t get along at all at first. But neither of them realizes that they’ve been writing love letters to each other all this time (Seb having also used a fake name!). How will they react when the truth comes out? Can these two find love and survive another scandal? 

Review

The Poetics of Passion is so much fun from the very first chapter. I love the entire premise of it: Two people in love with their secret pen pals, then disliking the object of their desires in real life, not knowing that’s their one true love!? Perfection! 

Musa and Sebastian are such different characters on the surface. She is rather buttoned-up, careful, and mostly proper. He’s an emotional dreamer who doesn’t seem to have his life together. And yet both are so similar when you get to know them better. Both are trying to keep their families together, earning money however they can to keep their younger siblings protected. They each have to make some tough choices, but always put family first. 

The romance here is top-notch, and I love the buildup of knowing both characters’ real and fake identities and wondering when they’ll figure it out. Much as they desire each other on paper, they don’t get along upon meeting under their real names. And yet as they get to know one another, could there be something there that feels familiar and appealing? I had my theories on how it would all unfold, and I was surprised at some of the unexpected twists and turns here. It kept me on my toes and was continuously delightful. The Poetics of Passion made me laugh and swoon numerous times! Musa and Seb are so wonderful together! 

I appreciate how this novel looks at working class people as opposed to dukes and ladies. So much of historical romance is about those with titles, but it’s interesting to look at other social classes of the time, too. While both Musa and Seb are from somewhat well-off families, both must work and are willing to do so. Another thing I love is the focus of family. Seb’s parents have both passed away, and Musa’s father is missing. Both have younger siblings for whom they care deeply and must provide. There’s also Musa’s complicated relationship with her mother, especially in the aftermath of her father’s disappearance.  

As a fan of the arts in general, I found it fun to read about two people involved in the arts, from the visual to the written. This novel gets its name from Felicity Vita’s latest volume of poetry; bonus points for also having a purple cover as that one does! 

This is a novel I couldn’t stop talking about as I read it. I even had a dream about it the night before I finished it. My husband isn’t a huge reader himself, but he said he’d love to watch a movie of this novel, and I’d call that a win.

Final Thoughts

The Poetics of Passion is such a delightful, smart, and fun romance. I’ve enjoyed many historical romances in the past several years, and Delphine Ross has reinvigorated the genre with originality and charm. I look forward to continuing the Muses of Scandal series, and eagerly away The Dance of Desire, due in January 2024. 

Get the Book

You can buy The Poetics of Passion here – it’s available as a paperback and ebook.

The Poetics of Passion by Author
Series	Muses of Scandal (#1)
Audience	Adult
Genre	Historical Romance
Setting	England; France; Italy
Number of Pages	316
Format I Read	ebook (NetGalley)
Original Publication Date	July 25, 2023

Official Summary

A secret identity means secret desires—and not-so-secret scandals . . .

Musa Bartham has a secret. To support her destitute family after her father’s disappearance, she’s been publishing steamy poetry under the pen name of Felicity Vita. As Felicity Vita, Musa’s scandalous books have won legions of devoted fans—including an anonymous gentleman pen pal whose letters spark unruly desires she would never ever succumb to in her orderly daily life. But when Musa’s cherished younger sister, Angela, is offered sponsorship by their aristocratic great-aunt for an advantageous marriage, Musa realizes her dangerous double life as Felicity must come to an end. Instead, she’ll write books for children.

Sebastian Atkinson is a passionate artist reduced to working nights as a printer. Though Seb is infuriated by the prim yet alluring young woman who corners him into illustrating her insipid children’s book, he can’t turn Musa away: he suspects she may be Felicity Vita, the seductive poetess with whom he’s been exchanging love letters for the past year. Egged on by his best friend, an ambitious journalist desperate for a break, Seb seeks to unmask Musa’s secret identity. But the closer Seb comes to the truth, the more Musa entices him—and the more Musa finds Seb curiously attractive and even more curiously familiar. Could he have anything to do with her anonymous gentleman pen pal?

Unable to resist each other, the two shift from enemies to lovers just as their love letters are stolen, setting Angela’s future at risk. As Seb and Musa frantically come together to contain the damage before it’s too late, it’s uncertain whose hearts and lives will be broken amid the most sensational scandal of all.