The Poetics of Passion by Delphine Ross

Tracy’s rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: Muses of Scandal, #1

Release Date: July 25, 2023

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.

*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.*