The Mischievous Letters of the Marquise de Q

(French Letters, Book 2)

 The Scandalous Letters of V and J (Book 1)
The Anonymous Letters of C Forestier (Book 3)

“a funny, joyful, compelling story of magic and love and second chances” — Reactor’s Seven of the Best SFF Romances of 2023

The Mischievous Letters of the Marquise de Q. The cover depicts a white hand resting on a pillow, holding a book, with one thumb between the pages. The title is written on ripped pieces of paper.

Cover design by Felicia Davin. Detail of Portrait of Marie Antoinette (1785) by the workshop of Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun.

Paris, 1825. Losing her husband is the best thing to happen to Delphine in ages. After he used magic to control her, Delphine’s only regret is that she didn’t kill that petty tyrant herself. Widowed, Delphine can pursue her dashing rescuer, the androgynous novelist Camille Dupin—and solve the mystery of her first love, a man called Ari who disappeared before Delphine could tell him she was pregnant with his child.

Ari isn’t dead. Three years ago, he stole a magical weapon from a powerful man and was exiled to a distant prison. When a stroke of luck allows him to escape, he sets out to confront the man who ruined his life and reunite with Delphine. He never expected to find her in bed with Camille, or to find himself falling in love with both of them.

Camille loves Delphine and was almost ready to let her guard down. Ari’s reappearance stirs up old hurts and threatens them all—Ari’s enemy will stop at nothing to get his stolen artifact back. Camille’s conscience won’t let her abandon Delphine and Ari in danger, but she won’t stay to have her heart broken once they’re safe. Before Delphine, Camille, and Ari can imagine a happy future, they’ll have to reckon with the past.

Published November 14, 2023

Content guidance

This series takes place in a violent, unjust world, and there are some abominable villains in it. I wanted to write fantasy that wasn’t about armies or the fate of nations, but with more individual stakes. In practice, that means the villains deal in intimate violence. There is rape and abuse in this book. There is also violent vengeance against the abusers. I can’t promise that I’ve written things in a way that won’t hurt you, but I hope this note helps you make the right choices for yourself.

Here is a more specific list of what you will find in this book. If you don’t need to be forewarned and would rather avoid spoilers, skip it.

  • A main character is in an abusive marriage. It ends fairly early in the book, but is referred to throughout.


    A main character has a pregnancy and gives birth to a child. The birth is not described and the pregnancy is only briefly mentioned.


    Characters have suffered various kinds of magical coercion.


    There are some incidents of sexual harassment and assault (unwanted comments, groping).


    Characters have been raped. There is a description of rape in the second “Ari Lazare to Ari Lazare” letter.


    A character has been abducted and imprisoned and suffers some symptoms of post-traumatic stress afterward.


    Characters have strained or estranged relationships with their families.


    There is physical violence, including murder. There are also some brief references to suicide.


    There is explicitly described consensual sex in this book.