A whirlwind of publishing drama, pen pal relationships and society scandal, everything I expedited in this book. It took me a minute to get into it, but I love books about books which is woven throughout the story. Musa and Seb meet in real life despite having been pen pals under fake names. The revealing of this through the story I loved and may have been the first book I’ve read like this? Loved the Victorian era layer and the delicate balance of societal expectations. Overall, enjoyed reading it once I got into it!

THE POETICS OF PASSION (MUSES OF SCANDAL BOOK ONE)

Release Date: 07/25/23
Kindle Unlimited: [ ]YES [X]NO
Stand-alone: [X]YES [ ]NO
Author: Delphine Ross
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
Spiciness rating: 🌶️/5
POV: Dual, third person
Main Characters: Muse & Sebastian
Genre: Historical Romance
Tropes: enemies to lovers; epistolary; secret identity

Review:

I have read my fair share of historical romances and this one I thought very peculiar. In a good way! Delphine has a writing style very distinguished and she caught and kept my attention with her narrative.

Her characters are flawed, they make mistakes, they do things they have to do to support their families, and, at the same time, they are extremely likable. Muse and Seb don’t know they have been sharing letters when they meet. Outside the written lines they dislike each other from the get go and take some time to start to develop feelings for the real people they are, not the idealized version they had pf each other.

Also, in most historical romances I’ve read, the author usually shows the glamour and richness of the high society and here both characters are struggling for money and have to work to support their families, I guess that’s one of the things I liked the most for it was a different approach to most books out there. Another thing that was different here was the fact the MMC was more emotional than the FMC. He wore his feelings in his sleeve while she was more reserved.

Finally, this debut book was a pleasure to read and I definitely recommend it.

*** I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ***

What a delightful debut, The Poetics of Passion was a sweet, fun read.

Since the disappearance of her father, Musa Bartham became an author, it’s she who supports her family by writing steamy poetry, under the pen name Felicity Vita. Her family doesn’t need more scandals, her parents had a fairy tale romance that shocked London and since then they are not included in the noble society. Under her pseudonym she has become famous, her books are selling well and have fans, but there is a special one…

Sebastian read Felicity's poetry when he needed it most, and he felt a connection, which led him to write letters to the author, a year ago now, in that time they became increasingly close friends, and little by little they will falling in love. The romance was so sweet, I love that it’s lover pals, and at the same time, a kind of rival to lovers when they meet in person because they don’t know their true identity.

Both are passionate, headstrong characters and very talented, she is a writer, and he is a painter, both are the head of their family and would do anything for them. They will meet when the publisher will make a change of direction, and Musa could no longer publish her poems, it is when she sees Sebastian's portfolio that she decides to write moralistic poems for children, but it will not be as easy as it is to write steamy poetry, her new poems are boring and strict, something that children would not want to read, even with pretty Sebastian's illustrations.

Not knowing who the other is, at first, there are discussions about how the children's books should be, but little by little they listen to each other and realize how much they have in common, and they begin to feel a connection, which is funny because they don't know who the other is.

Overall, I love it, is a lovely debut, and highly recommended, the last few chapters felt a little more rushed, but I still enjoyed it. I can’t wait for the sister’s story.

Read it if you want:
Sweet Victorian Romance
Pen Pals and hidden identity
Enjoy stories by Tessa Dare, Mimi Matthews, or Evie Dunmore

Thanks to NetGalley and Delphine Ross for the E-ARC.

Since her father’s disappearance, Musa Bartham has been secretly publishing steamy poetry under the alias of Felicity Vita. Whilst she has won legions of gans, she realises that her secret life as Felicity must come to an end, if her sister Angela is to have an advantageous marriage. Yet one of the many fans, has become so much more, where they are corresponding regularly. Little do they realise, that they will meet in person. When Musa begins to write children’s books to replace her writings, she encounters Sebastian Atkinson, an artist who works nights as a printer. When they begin working together with Seb, illustrating for her books, he begins to believe that Musa is in fact, Felicity. 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. Soon, Musa careful plans begin to unravel, with Seb also linked to the scandal.
I so enjoyed this book which was a refreshing change from the books written of the ton. Seb and Musa are both determined to do the best for their families, yet their determination does not hide their vulnerabilities and uncertainties around each other. This is an impressive debut novel, written with such elegance and simplicity. I felt drawn into the lives of both families, with Seb and Musa doing all that they could to keep them together, whilst desperate to hurt each other in the process. A delightful read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

MMCs. <spoiler>Fainting.</spoiler> Is. My. Favorite. Trope.

<img src="https://media.tenor.com/5GOuBoBR0q0AAAAC/attention-megaphone.gif" alt="One of the golden girls speaking into a megaphone"/>

I don't know why. It happens rarely, but when I see it, I go feral??

The Poetics of Passion follows Musa and Seb through a convoluted journey of pen names, hidden identities, creative pursuit, and romance. Musa Bartham has a secret: she's really the famous love poet Felicity Vita. Her poems are widely known and a bit notorious, and Musa carefully guards the secret of her identity to keep any further scandal from befalling her family.

See, Musa's parents are a famous artist and the infamous "Muse of Scandal" who left her husband to marry him instead, and society's never quite forgiven or forgotten that. Musa has no interest in garnering that sort of attention or inflicting the scars it can leave, so she regulates love and passion to her secret, creative work and to her letters with a man named Henry--a man who initially wrote her to express admiration and gratitude for her work, before they developed a deeper connection and companionship.

Musa's satisfied with this. She earns a modest amount with her work--enough to keep a roof over her family's head after her father's disappearance. She doesn't need more, and in fact, she refuses Henry's request to meet after over a year of writing each other. Romance is better regulated to the page, she thinks.

And then her publisher is bought out, and Felicity Vita's dropped as a writer. Musa has to write something else if she wants to provide for her family. On the dawn of this issue, she bumps into a rakish, dishevelled looking man outside Persophone Press, who requests to meet Felicity Vita and offers to do artwork for the poet's work. They clash. They argue. Musa drops his drawings in a puddle.

But then she looks closer, and realizes that his work could be a good fit for a different kind of story. A children's book of wholesome lessons and stories, maybe. Seb and Musa strike up a bargain. He'll illustrate her book if in addition to the regular compensation, she helps him meet Felicity Vita. Musa agrees, having no intention of doing so.

Meanwhile, Seb, who's fallen in love with the poet who writes him, struggles as he finds himself frustrated, then drawn compellingly to his new professional partner on a children's book collaboration. The partnership is one with the highs and lows of mundane life, complete with irritations, disagreements, vulnerability, and the excitement of creative collaboration. As they grow closer, Seb struggles to process his feelings about his pen pal, about Musa, about a suspicion he has about Musa's creative identity, and the nature of a relationship formed after communicating through words alone in comparison to sudden feelings blooming in his interactions with a very complicated woman he works with.

Musa, meanwhile, is going through much of the same.

I quite liked this. The writing is vivid and bright. The complicated feelings are given room to breathe, and I appreciated that this novel didn't pit Felicity and Musa or Seb and Henry against each other in a way that felt like infidelity, which can sometimes be the case with this trope.

Musa's relationship with her parents is fascinating, as is her relationship with Seb and Henry.
She's complicated, full of contradictions, and I found her journey to trying to make peace with both her separate selves really interesting.

But Seb took the cake for me here. He's emotional. He's a little bit melodramatic (especially at the start), but he's not unaware of it. He has a refreshing self-awareness and reflectivity that make him fascinating to watch and not irksome to follow through the ups and downs of the story. He makes mistakes, he acknowledges the difficult situations fueling those mistakes, and he still takes ownership of them. He's quite dynamic--you see him learn, adapt, and grow over the story, as does Musa. They share a lot of commonalities, but some very different pressures and problems. Watching those things unfold was fascinating.

<spoiler> His initial behavior over Felicity (trying to meet her despite her saying no) and his somewhat fannish tint to their relationship is fractured enough by his IRL encounters with Musa and his awareness of his own dysfunction, that their relationship ultimately escaped feeling icky to me. </spoiler>

This was sweet, nuanced, and I appreciated the pining and vulnerability. My favorite part was the artistic collaboration and the partnership that evolves there. I'll definitely keep an eye on this writer's work!!

**CWs: Sexism, loss of a parent, social shaming, content that ranks at about a 6 on the RCRS scale, though it is skippable without confusion.

Love it!!!

Thank you soooooo much netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced review copy if this book💗
"I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Musa Bartham and Sebastian Atkinson had a rough meet-cute however their secret identities are flirtatious with each other in “The Poetics of Passion” by Delphine Ross!

Musa’s parents were the scandal that led her to hide her own scandal as a love poet and sensual person. Sebastian is desperate to meet the writer who gives him an extra dopamine boost for his full-time job and his passion career.

I love the double secret identities in this book and it’s for two different reasons. Plus, they have meet each other in real life and this book has an epistolary storyline which adds to the wildness of their situation!

I appreciate the questioning of loyalties aspect which adds more mystery to the book! You never know what an old friend may do until events present themselves!

This book is heavy on supporting family members which is very heartwarming! Books I’ve read in the past would usually take a certain secret identity reveal route however I love how the reveal happened in this book! The most nerve-racking part was the MMCs betrayal for his “elfling” and how it would be resolved!

If you enjoy betrayals, close proximity, enemies to lovers, epistolary, secret identities, sick bed, and supportive family and friend reads, then I highly recommend this book!!!

Thank you to Net Galley and Muse Publications for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

I'm not normally a romance reader but I was intrigued by this book claiming to be a twist on my favorite movie You've Got Mail. For a debut novel this one packed quite a punch. There were mysterious family backgrounds, secrets, suppressed desires, unbridled passions, and two main characters who exchanged plenty of witty banter. In the comparison to You've Got Mail it checked the boxes for correspondence with a secret admirer, working towards a common goal, and the enemies to lovers trope. There were times where both Seb and Musa fell into long winded monologues and these slowed the overall pacing down. Some of the fun of the book was the setting as the culturally accepted behaviors of the time period dictated Musa's decisions. This story would not have worked at all had the setting been changed to the modern era. Overall it was a delightfully fun read that had some pretty significant twists.

I received a copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley.

Entertaining and well plotted. It made me root for the characters and kept me hooked.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This books was a delightful read! I was invested in the story from the very beginning! It is a perfect summer read, travel read, cozy on the couch in the fall read - basically anytime read!

I try very hard to avoid spoilers but I have to share that the family drama/backstory of the parents love affair was so good! I was hooked into the book right away with that family history!

This is a Historical Romance based in London in the year 1872. The book was promoted as a Historical "You've Got Mail" and so I was sold immediately!

Our main female character, Musa, is trying to keep her family afloat after her fathers disappearance by writing flirtatious and suggestive poetry under another name, Felicity Vita. If anyone found out it was her, it would bring scandal upon their household. Which they can absolutely not handle more of. Also, Musa has been secretly writing letters as Felicity to a man named Henry.

The book opens with a passionate love story of Musa's parents, which had me hooked at the beginning. However, this love story is what sets their family onto the scandalous path they are currently living.

Then we meet Sebastian, a struggling artist who has moved to London for work to support his two sisters. He is trying to make his name as an artist, while also working as a pressman. He also happens to be writing anonymous letters to his favorite author, Felicity Vita, under the pen name Henry.

You can see where this is going... *insert swoony giggles of glee*

This book took us on a journey with lots of twists and turns that had me guessing at what would happen next, and I was wrong every time. I kept rooting for Musa and Seb, but at the same time I was on the edge of my seat worried a scandal would break and ruin everything. I love how it turned out and it was a positively joyful historical romance.

I loved that Musa and Seb's families both played a very important part of the story. They were sweet, lovely and added a lot to the story. Having their families involved in the plot helped build out their characters, we were able to see their hearts and what motivated them.

While I didn't think he story hit the same notes as You've Got Mail, I still appreciated anonymous epistolary storyline.

A quick, spicy, and enjoyable read, “The Poetics of Passion” by Delphine Ross tells the story of Musa Sutton, a young woman in 1872 caught between a society that shuns her family for her parents’ transgressions and a society that leaves most women dependant on a man to marry and support them. Faced with looking after her mother and three siblings after her father’s disappearance six years earlier, Musa turns to writing to make ends meet. And not just any writing: under the nom de plume of Felicity Vita, Musa writes steamy poetry that is scandalous in polite society despite being found throughout London in the homes of legions of fans.

Set in Victorian times, the well-developed characters reflect the times with just enough impropriety and tension to keep things interesting. Told with dual points of view, the reader quickly becomes acquainted with both Musa and Sebastian who are engaging, realistically flawed, witty, and charming. Musa is practical and determined whereas Sebastian is artistic and open-hearted. Enchanted by the works of Felicity Vita, Sebastian has been exchanging letters with her under his own pseudonym which of course results in miscommunication and uncertainty.

I really enjoyed this story line and am eagerly awaiting Ross’ follow-up novel, “The Dance of Desire,” the second in the “Muses of Scandal” series to see what else will happen to Musa, Seb, and their families.

Thanks to NetGalley and Muse Publications for the advanced DRC (Digital Review Copy). I am so glad I was able to read this debut romance novel.

Famed artist Neil Bartham and Cilo Sutton, the wife of Neil’s patron and art critic Ethan Sutton, cause a scandal when they meet and elope while the Suttons are on their honeymoon, leading to an annulment, followed by their marriage. The Barthams are blissfully in love but shunned from polite society, something that never bothered them until it was clear that it would affect their children’s futures. In an attempt to improve their image, Neil sets out for a two-year pilgrimage to the Holy Land, to paint inspirational pictures, but six years later, he has not returned and no one knows what has become of him. To save her family, Musa Bartham their eldest daughter secretly pens “love poetry” under the non de plume of Felicity Vita. Her books are scandalous and wildly popular, enabling her to support her family and even gains her an admirer, too bad nothing will come of it. But when her publisher lets her know that they can no longer publish her books, she is forced to find another way to support her family. And the answer comes in the form of Sebastian “Seb” Atkinson, a passionate, yet unknown artist.

After the unexpected death of his parents, Seb is thrust into the role of provider for his sisters, one of whom is only seven and has medical issues. Seb tries to pursue his art but earns a living working as a printing press operator, so when Musa offers him the commission of illustrating her upcoming children’s book, he agrees and asks that Musa introduces him to Felicity Vita, the poet he has been exchanging letters for over a year. Musa can’t promise that, as it would mean complete ruin for her family, especially her sister Angela who has been given a chance to make her come out. These two butt heads as soon as they meet, and their partnership is almost over before it even starts. But to save their families, they will work together, and it doesn’t take long for Seb to figure out that Musa is Felicity – but it isn’t until their letters are stolen that things get interesting.

For a debut, this was a pretty good book, and I am sure this author will improve with each new book. However, I struggled with this book, miscommunication is one of my least favorite tropes and the pace of the story was slow – very, very slow. I tried to stay interested, but I was getting bored with the slow progress and by the end, I felt exhausted. To be clear, I didn’t dislike the actual story, even with the secrets and miscommunications, I found both Musa and Seb very likable and admirable people who cared deeply about their families and who took their responsibilities very seriously, I also liked their connection and their families. The ending was not what I expected and the epilogue was quite tantalizing. Overall it was a decent read and I will definitely be reading the next book.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

This was such a fun read - The Poetics of Passion is a historical romance fraught with scandal and secrets and redemption and family.

Musa is a secret spicy poet turned moral children’s book writer; Seb is an artist/printshop worker who is providing the illustrations. Both characters are desperate to support their families and NEED this book to succeed in order to survive.

There are so many intricacies that the author wove into this book; it’s a web that feels like it will be impossible to untangle with everyones’ hearts left intact. And I loved being along for the ride!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Delphine Ross for the ARC of this book. And happy almost release day!!

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.

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.

Genre: historical romance
London, 1872

Musa Bartham’s parents have the dramatic love story of the ages, so scandalous that Musa and her siblings haven’t been able to socialize in Polite Society ever. When Musa’s father, an infamous but talented artist, leaves to go in search of work that can restore his reputation, the Bartham family falls on hard times. They would have been harder times, except that Musa has become somewhat of a poetic genius, publishing volumes of scandalous love poetry as Felicity Vita. She learns that her livelihood is in peril, though, when her publisher wants to go in a different, more moral direction.

When Musa meets Sebastian Atkinson and his brilliant drawings, she’s inspired to collaborate on a children’s book. Little do either of them know that they are each other’s secret penpals as well! Musa-as-Felicity has been corresponding with Seb-as-Henry Whitney! They each have something incredible to gain by the success of this book… and also something big to lose if it fails.

What a charming debut from Delphine Ross! I really enjoyed this secret penpals romance. At every turn, Ross surprised me with her decisions of what to reveal and what not to reveal through her characters’ inner monologues. A secret identity style romance can get bogged down in miscommunication tropes - and while there’s some miscommunication, the characters are self-aware enough to realize their choices.

The Poetics of Passion was truly a delight from start to finish. Fresh and joyful, while still addressing some of the serious sides of love, family, grief, and the risk it takes to make beautiful art.

Thank you to Muse Publications and Netgalley for an eARC for review. The Poetics of Passion is out 7/25/23!

I really enjoyed this novel! It’s a feel-good story with plenty of little twists and turns along the way. My only wish is that although I enjoyed the way the side story lines wrapped up neatly at the end, there was something to be desired in the ending with Seb’s sisters. I hope that Delphine Ross will write more in this universe in the future as I would love to return to these characters!

𝘋𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨!

What a great debut, I love historical fiction and when it comes with a bit of romance even better. This story was a truly delight to read, it was sweet, it was moving and so much fun.

Thank you Suzy Approved Book Tours for this tour invite.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 by Delphine Ross releases July 25, 2023.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/

Thank you NetGalley and Muse Publications LLC for giving me this ARC. Here I leave my honest review for this book.

When I read this book, I can’t decided how to rate this one. Despite as a historical I think this is so easy to read. Maybe because this is historical romance so the world building not really hard to develop. If you ever watch historical series like Bridgerton or other it could be easier to imagine the world they lived in.
For the characters I really love Musa, but I think she didn’t deserve her family. Her aunt and sister are too selfish. I hate to see Musa's efforts to meet the needs of her family not appreciated. What she did was none of it for her. Now that her sister wants to find a husband, Musa also has to make sacrifices and fight so they can be released from the scandalous label. But Musa didn't mind at all and wasn’t burdened with it. I love her so much!

In my opinion, the conflict mainly focused on the secret identity of Felicity Vita. The conflict is not really big and actually not really amazed me. We focused on Musa and Sebastian relationship more here and their family of course. Their relationship develop so fast. I can’t say they’re enemies actually. They have a rough encounter and with misunderstanding, that’s why they always banter with each other but yeah not really enemy. But I love their relationship after that, they slowly become attracted towards each other.

But, I can’t forgive easily what Seb done to Musa. If I were Musa, I’m going to make Seb grovel more and more. I think Musa forgive him so easy. I know she understand Seb condition and nothing really bad happen because of that. But still, I’m not too satisfied with the way Seb and Musa solve their problem.
It is so hard for me to decided how I feel after read this book. At first I hate what Seb doing to Musa and not satisfied with it. But after thinking about it, this book can make me feel what the characters feel so I satisfied with the book.

The Poetics of Passion is the first book I've read by Delphine Ross and it won't be the last. I happened across this on Netgalley and it sounded interesting so I took a chance and I'm glad I did! I'll admit, this one started off a bit slow for me but once the story picked up, I was all in.

Musa Bartham is our fmc and she 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. Unfortunately she has found out a few things that impact her ability to continue publishing. First, her sister is offered to be sponsored in society by a great aunt and nothing can reflect negatively on her if she is going to make a great match. And second, her publisher is bought by an heiress who doesn't believe in publishing books of what she considers questionable morality. As Musa tries to figure out what to do...she lands on an idea to publish a children's book but she'll need an illustrator to make it all come together.

Enter Sebastian. Sebastian Atkinson is an artist reduced to working as a printer to support his sisters but he also has a secret. He's been corresponding (secretly and anonymously) with Felicity Vita and he is determined to meet her in person. When he shows up at the publishing house, he's faced with Musa who gets him to agree to illustrate her book.

As they work together, he begins to suspect Musa may be Felicity Vita. 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 they are attracted to each other. I loved the banter between them and when push came to shove, they never gave up on what they wanted.

This story was well written, had well developed characters, and a story that kept me engaged. Musa was such a great character who was willing to do whatever it took to save her family and I couldn't help but be angry at her mother for checking out. And Sebastian too!

I'll definitely be checking out the next book in the series as I am curious to see what happens next for this group of characters. Add this to your TBR if you're looking for a new historical romance!