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!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.