"A charming and sexy Victorian romance with a vibrant literary heroine and a swooning artist hero who go head to head . . . a novel that will enchant readers!"
— ELIZA KNIGHT, USA Today bestselling author of The Rebel Wears Plaid

In 1872 London, a scandalous love poetess and a passionate children's book illustrator are set at odds in this sparkling enemies-to-lovers debut historical romance.

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. Includes an extended excerpt from The Dance of Desire, the next Muses of Scandal novel.

"Chock full of compelling characters, charm, and heartfelt emotion. I fell in love with Sebastian and Musa and their loyalty to their families above all else, even when their love was on the line."
— HARPER ST. GEORGE, author of The Duchess Takes a Husband

"A story of hidden identities, secret longings, and the conflict of familial duty versus private pleasure, Delphine Ross conjures . . . the era with a master hand. A fascinating read!"
–MIMI MATTHEWS, USA Today bestselling author of The Belle of Belgrave Square

"A passionate debut indeed, The Poetics of Passion combines the delicious elements of epistolary romance, artistic callings, secret identities and infamous scandals in high-stakes situations. An engaging love story with rich historical details and characters you can't help but root for."
–LEANNA RENEE HIEBER, award-winning author of the Strangely Beautiful and Spectral City series.