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French Letters #1
The Scandalous Letters of V and J
Paris, 1823. Victor Beauchêne has led a stifling existence, unrecognized for both his cleverness and his gender, except in the pages of his meticulous diary. Abruptly cut off from his family’s fortune, he takes the opportunity to start a new life in a shabby boarding house with his beloved spinster aunt Sophie. There, he stumbles upon two kinds of magic: a pen with eerie powers of persuasion and a reserved, alluring art student named Julien.
Brilliant, unconventional Julien is also Julie, a person whose magical paintings can transform their body or enchant viewers. Haunted by a terrible episode in their past, they’ve come to Paris for artistic success—the ordinary, non-magical kind. Victor, too handsome and far too inquisitive, is a dangerous distraction from their ambitions.
Drawn to each other, Victor and Julie strike up a cautious correspondence of notes slid under doors. It soon unfolds into a passionate romance. Outside the bedroom, their desires clash: Julie wants to distance herself from the world of magic and Victor wants to delve deeper. When the ruthless abuser from Julie’s past resurfaces, he aims to take control of her powers and ruin more lives. Victor and Julie are the only ones who can stop him. Do they trust each other enough to survive the threat to their love and their lives?
The Scandalous Letters of V and J is a historical fantasy romance with two nonbinary main characters, told primarily in letters and diary entries. It is approximately 100,000 words long and sexually explicit.
Brilliant, unconventional Julien is also Julie, a person whose magical paintings can transform their body or enchant viewers. Haunted by a terrible episode in their past, they’ve come to Paris for artistic success—the ordinary, non-magical kind. Victor, too handsome and far too inquisitive, is a dangerous distraction from their ambitions.
Drawn to each other, Victor and Julie strike up a cautious correspondence of notes slid under doors. It soon unfolds into a passionate romance. Outside the bedroom, their desires clash: Julie wants to distance herself from the world of magic and Victor wants to delve deeper. When the ruthless abuser from Julie’s past resurfaces, he aims to take control of her powers and ruin more lives. Victor and Julie are the only ones who can stop him. Do they trust each other enough to survive the threat to their love and their lives?
The Scandalous Letters of V and J is a historical fantasy romance with two nonbinary main characters, told primarily in letters and diary entries. It is approximately 100,000 words long and sexually explicit.
544 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 16, 2023
About the author
Felicia Davin
16 books210 followersWhen not writing and reading fiction, Felicia Davin (she/they) can be found teaching or translating French. She loves linguistics, singing, and baking. She is bisexual, but not ambidextrous.
Originally from Kentucky, she currently lives in Massachusetts with her partner and their cat.
Originally from Kentucky, she currently lives in Massachusetts with her partner and their cat.
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August 21, 2023Fun French-set historical epistolary fantasy novel, with two nonbinary leads, one of whom can change their body by magic. Lots of bonking plus a feisty magical subplot and a very tender romance. Highly enjoyable, wittily told and nicely written, with terrific sense of place and time.
May 19, 2023
Started good and the daily emails were kind of fun at first but then the story started to drag and I got bored. The writing is excellent though and I would definitely read a more exciting romance from this author.
February 20, 2023
So, I subscribe to Davin's newsletter and consequently am getting daily installments of this book in my email, and I am here to say that it is absolutely delicious so far and even when I have read the whole thing I will be laying down money for it.
ETA, 3/8/23, 12/8/1823 in book time:
This is sooooo good and soooooooooo hot!
ETA, 5/23/23, having finished the daily installments and you better believe I bought the book: This was a delight from start to finish, I loved V and J, I loved the way magic worked in this universe, I loved the Frenchness -- no, the Parisianness! -- of it all. The sex is meltingly hot. And I am so glad Davin didn't shy away from the ruthlessness needed to destroy the villains: as endearing as V and J are, they're not cinnamon rolls. Cinnamon rolls wouldn't have survived.
For the avoidance of doubt, the MCs' genders are joyously complicated; "trans" and "nonbinary" are the closest I can come to describing them. "Trans" is probably even accurate. As for "nonbinary," read this and see.
(How on earth does this book have less than a 4.5-star rating. Good lord. I see people complaining that it's slow, which in this case I would call "not rushed," or better yet "immersive.")
ETA, 3/8/23, 12/8/1823 in book time:
This is sooooo good and soooooooooo hot!
ETA, 5/23/23, having finished the daily installments and you better believe I bought the book: This was a delight from start to finish, I loved V and J, I loved the way magic worked in this universe, I loved the Frenchness -- no, the Parisianness! -- of it all. The sex is meltingly hot. And I am so glad Davin didn't shy away from the ruthlessness needed to destroy the villains: as endearing as V and J are, they're not cinnamon rolls. Cinnamon rolls wouldn't have survived.
For the avoidance of doubt, the MCs' genders are joyously complicated; "trans" and "nonbinary" are the closest I can come to describing them. "Trans" is probably even accurate. As for "nonbinary," read this and see.
(How on earth does this book have less than a 4.5-star rating. Good lord. I see people complaining that it's slow, which in this case I would call "not rushed," or better yet "immersive.")
May 8, 2023
back in February I subscribed to Felicia Davin's newsletter to get access to this episolary novel, which she sent out in instalments (88 emails) over some three months. little did I know that the late winter/early spring would herald a massive reading slump for me, and that these short daily updates would often be the only thing I'd read for days on end. so even if this book had been very meh, it would've still had that going for it. but it wasn't meh!! far from it!!
granted, I don't think it's *quite* a 10/10 experience - the way Davin utilizes the epistolary form kind of made it difficult for me to initially buy into V and J as a couple (I just cannot do instalove!), and the transition from the letters to more direct, (iirc) non-epistolary storytelling felt a little jarring. there are a few more similar structural niggles that stood out to me while reading, hence the 4-star rating, but overall The Scandalous Letters of V and J was such an enjoyable experience! I think Davin really struck gold with this idea of sending out her epistolary novel in emails - ofc she wasn't the first person to ever think of it, but the incremental unravelling was wonderful, both for building the suspense for the mystery and for the impactfulness of the young lovers' longing (plot reasons demand that they be separated for a period of time, much woe is felt). I will say that I enjoyed the latter half of the story more, especially after we switch to J as the primary POV character - in retrospect, I think I found it a bit hard to relate to/get invested in V's desire for adventure in the beginning of the story, whereas J's #yearningonthemain vibes instantly clicked for me.
speaking of J's immaculate vibes, it would be super remiss of me not to highlight one of the coolest worldbuilding aspects of this novel - the magic gender shenanigans. basically, both of our protagonists have the power to change their appearence though magic to a certain extent. but while V masters their own magical genderfuckery later on in the story and does it for cloak-and-dagger reasons (though strictly identity-wise, they were nonbinary from the get-go), J uses art to alter their appearence at will, and has been painting themself into a slightly different face and body for years. I thought this was just SO imaginative and interesting! the other manifestations and uses of magic in the novel are interesting too, but I think that just conceptually speaking, the gender stuff definitely took the cake.
in a follow-up to the final email, Davin hinted at a future sequel, which would make sense given the handful of loose ends that the novel closes with. I for one would be DELIGHTED if she decided to disseminate it via the newsletter again - not only because getting a free book in your inbox is, as all of us ao3-dwelling gremlins know, an awesome experience, but because the serialized format really works wonders for this kind of story! (i'm really curious as to how people who are reading it all at once will find it??). many thanks to the author for coming up with this idea and sharing her work with us pre-publication. netgalley wishes it was this cool tbh!!
edited to link this awesome essay on gender: https://www.tor.com/2023/04/26/how-to...
granted, I don't think it's *quite* a 10/10 experience - the way Davin utilizes the epistolary form kind of made it difficult for me to initially buy into V and J as a couple (I just cannot do instalove!), and the transition from the letters to more direct, (iirc) non-epistolary storytelling felt a little jarring. there are a few more similar structural niggles that stood out to me while reading, hence the 4-star rating, but overall The Scandalous Letters of V and J was such an enjoyable experience! I think Davin really struck gold with this idea of sending out her epistolary novel in emails - ofc she wasn't the first person to ever think of it, but the incremental unravelling was wonderful, both for building the suspense for the mystery and for the impactfulness of the young lovers' longing (plot reasons demand that they be separated for a period of time, much woe is felt). I will say that I enjoyed the latter half of the story more, especially after we switch to J as the primary POV character - in retrospect, I think I found it a bit hard to relate to/get invested in V's desire for adventure in the beginning of the story, whereas J's #yearningonthemain vibes instantly clicked for me.
speaking of J's immaculate vibes, it would be super remiss of me not to highlight one of the coolest worldbuilding aspects of this novel - the magic gender shenanigans. basically, both of our protagonists have the power to change their appearence though magic to a certain extent. but while V masters their own magical genderfuckery later on in the story and does it for cloak-and-dagger reasons (though strictly identity-wise, they were nonbinary from the get-go), J uses art to alter their appearence at will, and has been painting themself into a slightly different face and body for years. I thought this was just SO imaginative and interesting! the other manifestations and uses of magic in the novel are interesting too, but I think that just conceptually speaking, the gender stuff definitely took the cake.
in a follow-up to the final email, Davin hinted at a future sequel, which would make sense given the handful of loose ends that the novel closes with. I for one would be DELIGHTED if she decided to disseminate it via the newsletter again - not only because getting a free book in your inbox is, as all of us ao3-dwelling gremlins know, an awesome experience, but because the serialized format really works wonders for this kind of story! (i'm really curious as to how people who are reading it all at once will find it??). many thanks to the author for coming up with this idea and sharing her work with us pre-publication. netgalley wishes it was this cool tbh!!
edited to link this awesome essay on gender: https://www.tor.com/2023/04/26/how-to...
October 26, 2023
✰ 2.75 stars ✰
“How is it that you send me the most foolish, bizarre things and yet I clutch my heart in a fit of emotion? I must be in love with you.
I have saved all your letters and all your drawings, you know. It is my nature to keep records. Some day I’ll gift you something of equal worth— you deserve a whole book—but until I write it and for the rest of my life after that, I offer you myself.”
With a title like The Scandalous Letters of V and J I thought that their letters would be somewhat salacious and scandalous enough that would have me looking over my shoulder to see what I was reading. Alas, it was not the case - being rather too tame and polite for my expectations. 😞 😅
“Julien drew me a beautiful, personal study of my face, and here I am waxing poetic about his ass. It deserves poetry, though.”
I held off from reading this for so long, somehow daunted by it's page count, but once I started it, it was surprisingly a very easy read, and with a somewhat unique concept that kept me going. Well-written with a fantastical twist, an artistic talent of a forgery, and the seeking out of one's identity to be who you feel most comfortable as were some of the key highlights of Felicia Davin's novel. There was plenty of murder and mayhem, magic and misunderstandings with mysterious liaisons that while it wasn't a stellar read - it was different, and I have to applaud the author for that. 👏🏻👏🏻
I thought the letter exchanges would get a little tiresome, but their thoughts were so amusing that I found myself chuckling at times at their frank candor. Julian was a bit more reserved, while Victor was more ambitious and daring, something that made her determination to coax him out of hiding to explore their sexual desires and preferences all the more compelling; after all 'like everything else in my life, it will require practice.' 😄
Thankfully, the author did include certain moments where the narrative changed to 3rd point of view; that really felt necessary and I appreciated their intimate moments even more so because of it. I liked how they outlined all the things they would do to each other - 'how many kisses would it take to make them understand how precious they were?' - and that there was still enough plot development happening concurrently that would eventually serve as the conflict to their story. 👍🏻👍🏻
“Victor was twenty-one years old and all of his friendship and curiosity and longing and lust were concentrated in the staggeringly beautiful person sitting next to him on the mattress. That touch was a spark. All he wanted to do was fan it.”
I did find it a bit confusing with how often the two main characters alternated between which identity they chose to adopt at the time - trans or nonbinary, it was somehow infused with their magical abilities that made it difficult for me to discern what was true or not. I get that it was the whole point to all of it - to take these magical twists to their beings and warp it into whosoever they desire to be. It definitely made for some interesting moments! 🥰
I liked how Victor and Julian's relationship unfolded - through the letters and then their actual connection and then finally the catalyst that drove them apart, inevitably drawing them back together. The half-way point of separation felt a bit unnecessary to me; it took away a lot of their development and made the story feel somewhat stagnant in nature. The missing perspectives into that time also served as a misstep, in my opinion, but when they did reunite, the build up towards it was well done - very subtle in their feelings, but still very desirable in their wants. 😉
Sometimes even a less than agreeable book can still be memorable for being something different to the norm that one usually reads. Felicia Davin's first book to her French Letters series definitely lands in that department for me. 😊
“How is it that you send me the most foolish, bizarre things and yet I clutch my heart in a fit of emotion? I must be in love with you.
I have saved all your letters and all your drawings, you know. It is my nature to keep records. Some day I’ll gift you something of equal worth— you deserve a whole book—but until I write it and for the rest of my life after that, I offer you myself.”
With a title like The Scandalous Letters of V and J I thought that their letters would be somewhat salacious and scandalous enough that would have me looking over my shoulder to see what I was reading. Alas, it was not the case - being rather too tame and polite for my expectations. 😞 😅
“Julien drew me a beautiful, personal study of my face, and here I am waxing poetic about his ass. It deserves poetry, though.”
I held off from reading this for so long, somehow daunted by it's page count, but once I started it, it was surprisingly a very easy read, and with a somewhat unique concept that kept me going. Well-written with a fantastical twist, an artistic talent of a forgery, and the seeking out of one's identity to be who you feel most comfortable as were some of the key highlights of Felicia Davin's novel. There was plenty of murder and mayhem, magic and misunderstandings with mysterious liaisons that while it wasn't a stellar read - it was different, and I have to applaud the author for that. 👏🏻👏🏻
I thought the letter exchanges would get a little tiresome, but their thoughts were so amusing that I found myself chuckling at times at their frank candor. Julian was a bit more reserved, while Victor was more ambitious and daring, something that made her determination to coax him out of hiding to explore their sexual desires and preferences all the more compelling; after all 'like everything else in my life, it will require practice.' 😄
Thankfully, the author did include certain moments where the narrative changed to 3rd point of view; that really felt necessary and I appreciated their intimate moments even more so because of it. I liked how they outlined all the things they would do to each other - 'how many kisses would it take to make them understand how precious they were?' - and that there was still enough plot development happening concurrently that would eventually serve as the conflict to their story. 👍🏻👍🏻
“Victor was twenty-one years old and all of his friendship and curiosity and longing and lust were concentrated in the staggeringly beautiful person sitting next to him on the mattress. That touch was a spark. All he wanted to do was fan it.”
I did find it a bit confusing with how often the two main characters alternated between which identity they chose to adopt at the time - trans or nonbinary, it was somehow infused with their magical abilities that made it difficult for me to discern what was true or not. I get that it was the whole point to all of it - to take these magical twists to their beings and warp it into whosoever they desire to be. It definitely made for some interesting moments! 🥰
I liked how Victor and Julian's relationship unfolded - through the letters and then their actual connection and then finally the catalyst that drove them apart, inevitably drawing them back together. The half-way point of separation felt a bit unnecessary to me; it took away a lot of their development and made the story feel somewhat stagnant in nature. The missing perspectives into that time also served as a misstep, in my opinion, but when they did reunite, the build up towards it was well done - very subtle in their feelings, but still very desirable in their wants. 😉
Sometimes even a less than agreeable book can still be memorable for being something different to the norm that one usually reads. Felicia Davin's first book to her French Letters series definitely lands in that department for me. 😊
Currently Reading
February 16, 2023This epistolary historical fantasy romance novel is being first published as a series of daily emails, and I loved the first entry, which arrived today! You can still subscribe right here if you haven't already.
September 20, 2026
The Scandalous Letters of V and J, first book in the French Letters series by Felicia Davin.
Paris, 1823. Victor Beauchêne (Victorine Faucheux) has spent his life unrecognized for both his cleverness and his gender, and only his diary sees who he really is. Cut off from his family's fortune, he moves into a shabby boarding house with his beloved Aunt Sophie and finds two kinds of magic there. One is a pen that makes people believe whatever he writes. The other is Julien Morère, a reserved art student whose paintings can enchant viewers or transform their own body. Julien is also Julie, and they came to Paris hoping for ordinary, non-magical success as an artist, far away from a painful episode in their past. The two begin with careful notes slid under doors, and it grows into a passionate romance. But they want different things. Julie wants to keep away from magic, while Victor wants to understand it better. Then the abuser from Julie's past resurfaces, wanting to take control of their powers, and the two must decide whether they trust each other enough to face him. This is the first book in the French Letters series.
At 544 pages it's a hefty book, and the format is unusual: the story is told entirely through letters, notes and diary entries. I wasn't sure I would like that, but I did. The love story between Victor and Julien is what won me over, and I found it captivating. The magic is unusual too, and I really enjoyed all those magical objects popping up (and don't forget the mysterious - and magical - Isabelle de Tourzin who will star in the last book of the series). What took some getting used to were the changes in gender throughout the book. It made me dizzy, and in the end I simply let it go and followed the story, which worked better for me.
The next book in the series will be about two other characters from this one, the novelist Camille Dupin and Delphine de Tousserat, Marquise de Quinnetière (don't the French have the best names?!).
I recommend this series if you love gender swapping, magic, and historical France.
5 Stars
Paris, 1823. Victor Beauchêne (Victorine Faucheux) has spent his life unrecognized for both his cleverness and his gender, and only his diary sees who he really is. Cut off from his family's fortune, he moves into a shabby boarding house with his beloved Aunt Sophie and finds two kinds of magic there. One is a pen that makes people believe whatever he writes. The other is Julien Morère, a reserved art student whose paintings can enchant viewers or transform their own body. Julien is also Julie, and they came to Paris hoping for ordinary, non-magical success as an artist, far away from a painful episode in their past. The two begin with careful notes slid under doors, and it grows into a passionate romance. But they want different things. Julie wants to keep away from magic, while Victor wants to understand it better. Then the abuser from Julie's past resurfaces, wanting to take control of their powers, and the two must decide whether they trust each other enough to face him. This is the first book in the French Letters series.
At 544 pages it's a hefty book, and the format is unusual: the story is told entirely through letters, notes and diary entries. I wasn't sure I would like that, but I did. The love story between Victor and Julien is what won me over, and I found it captivating. The magic is unusual too, and I really enjoyed all those magical objects popping up (and don't forget the mysterious - and magical - Isabelle de Tourzin who will star in the last book of the series). What took some getting used to were the changes in gender throughout the book. It made me dizzy, and in the end I simply let it go and followed the story, which worked better for me.
The next book in the series will be about two other characters from this one, the novelist Camille Dupin and Delphine de Tousserat, Marquise de Quinnetière (don't the French have the best names?!).
I recommend this series if you love gender swapping, magic, and historical France.
5 Stars
May 8, 2023
It pains me to say that this was only fine because I am always here for gender fuckery and magical alternate historical settings but I was deeply bored a lot of the time. Getting this as daily emails for free was fun at first but the story just seemed to drag in the final third or so.
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December 6, 2023I so enjoyed this queer epistolary histromantasy. I thought the magical elements and world-building were handled deftly, the setting was superb and I really believed in the romance. If I had to nitpick, I’d say it felt a bit long to me in the last third of the book. I imagine this wouldn’t have been an issue if I’d read it via email installments, as it was originally released.
”I chose you. Fuck if I can say why. Everything in the universe is composed of atoms except for you—you’re made of bad decisions. And so am I. Here I am after everything, twitching at every creak in the floorboards, hoping the footsteps belong to you.”
”I chose you. Fuck if I can say why. Everything in the universe is composed of atoms except for you—you’re made of bad decisions. And so am I. Here I am after everything, twitching at every creak in the floorboards, hoping the footsteps belong to you.”
November 9, 2023
this book has single-handedly justified all the past and future times i have/will impulse buy a book even though it’s not on my to-read list and i have no idea what it’s about, and have never heard of the author.
i loved loved LOVED this! i’ll now read everything felicia davin has ever published. i immediately signed up to her email newsletter. gosh, it was so good. i love that epistolary novels like this exist, because it’s hard to do well and seeing it done well is so inspiring.
anyway! i won’t gush! i really do recommend this: it’s queer and beautiful and has MAGIC! and a sexy sword-fight, and drawings of weasels.
(though, just to be clear because i know people added it to their tbrs after i started it: it does have explicit sex scenes in it. they’re well written! but if that’s not your vibe, i don’t want to be the one who leads you astray. v and j are kinda (very) hornyTM)
i loved loved LOVED this! i’ll now read everything felicia davin has ever published. i immediately signed up to her email newsletter. gosh, it was so good. i love that epistolary novels like this exist, because it’s hard to do well and seeing it done well is so inspiring.
anyway! i won’t gush! i really do recommend this: it’s queer and beautiful and has MAGIC! and a sexy sword-fight, and drawings of weasels.
(though, just to be clear because i know people added it to their tbrs after i started it: it does have explicit sex scenes in it. they’re well written! but if that’s not your vibe, i don’t want to be the one who leads you astray. v and j are kinda (very) hornyTM)
October 6, 2023
Self-fashioned lovers
make magic and concessions
in a fragile world.
make magic and concessions
in a fragile world.
May 8, 2023
I've been following Felicia Davin's newsletter for ages and LOVE it, so when she said she'd email a chapter of her new novel every day to subscribers (à la Dracula Daily or Dangerous Liaisons Daily) as a promotion, I was thrilled. It therefore pains me to say that I really didn't like the book; I'd have DNF'ed it except I got the chapters for free and reading each one before deleting was my way of keeping my inbox tidy.
What didn't work for me:
--My main problem was the romance fell completely flat, which made me not care or believe these people's romantic declarations or pining. As far as I remember they were physically attracted to each other, found that they were both non-binary/genderfluid/trans, had a couple of conversations, and bam! they were in love. It was very close to instalove for me and I was left cold.
--I didn't get Victor's motivations for researching dangerous magic artifacts at first. He needs money, sure; he feels cheated. But he experimented with things that could seriously hurt him against all advice. When the other characters say "don't do this or it'll hurt you" and someone keeps doing it without a strong enough reason, it makes me want to shake him a bit, you know? Get some sense in him.
--There's a large part of the second half where one of the characters is off doing dangerous magic stuff but we see none of it. We get many diary entries fr0m the POV of the other character, who's pining and getting on with life, and it made me wonder why I was reading that side of the story. I'd be way more interested in reading what V was doing with his magic investigation.
--There's a few bad guys, but the big bad appears only towards the end and gets dispatched fairly easily. It contributed to the plotting coming across scattered.
What is cool about the story:
--there's lots of queer rep and non-binary rep. If gender issues are important to you, you'll find tons of rep here.
--Interesting magic world set in historical Paris. The artifacts were varied and often menacing in interesting ways. I enjoyed that part.
--Cool side characters like Isabel, Savigny etc. I'd rather have read about them tbh.
I'm sorry to say I didn't love it as much as I wanted to. I'd have said that perhaps it was the epistolary genre or the email-a-day thing, but I read Dangerous Liaisons Daily last year and I loved that, so it's not the method of delivery. Unfortunately, this novel just didn't click for me.
What didn't work for me:
--My main problem was the romance fell completely flat, which made me not care or believe these people's romantic declarations or pining. As far as I remember they were physically attracted to each other, found that they were both non-binary/genderfluid/trans, had a couple of conversations, and bam! they were in love. It was very close to instalove for me and I was left cold.
--I didn't get Victor's motivations for researching dangerous magic artifacts at first. He needs money, sure; he feels cheated. But he experimented with things that could seriously hurt him against all advice. When the other characters say "don't do this or it'll hurt you" and someone keeps doing it without a strong enough reason, it makes me want to shake him a bit, you know? Get some sense in him.
--There's a large part of the second half where one of the characters is off doing dangerous magic stuff but we see none of it. We get many diary entries fr0m the POV of the other character, who's pining and getting on with life, and it made me wonder why I was reading that side of the story. I'd be way more interested in reading what V was doing with his magic investigation.
--There's a few bad guys, but the big bad appears only towards the end and gets dispatched fairly easily. It contributed to the plotting coming across scattered.
What is cool about the story:
--there's lots of queer rep and non-binary rep. If gender issues are important to you, you'll find tons of rep here.
--Interesting magic world set in historical Paris. The artifacts were varied and often menacing in interesting ways. I enjoyed that part.
--Cool side characters like Isabel, Savigny etc. I'd rather have read about them tbh.
I'm sorry to say I didn't love it as much as I wanted to. I'd have said that perhaps it was the epistolary genre or the email-a-day thing, but I read Dangerous Liaisons Daily last year and I loved that, so it's not the method of delivery. Unfortunately, this novel just didn't click for me.
May 8, 2023
I subscribed to the author’s newsletter to have this book emailed to me over a series of months. I’m not sure if it was just this formatting, but I found the book way too slow paced. It was an interesting concept but romance is generally not my genre. Overall, it was fine (probably more like a 2.5 stars) but not something I’d seek out again.
May 8, 2023
The writing was solid, the epistolary form well executed, the story somewhat intriguing but when almost all secondary characters are more interesting than the main couple, something is wrong. Aka I want the story of Isabelle, Beatrix, Savigny and Quang.
May 26, 2023
An excellent, super sexy, compellingly magical, historical t4t epistolary romance.
The setting - and the epistolary style - are both solidly 19th century but the way the author deftly weaves magic in is, well, magical (look, I'm not a writer). I just love books that peel away little shreds and layers of the world they're in until you see a bigger picture and this one does it so well.
The romance is emotionally grounded and highly erotic, with several explicit stories the MCs tell each other in the process of getting each other off. These were delicious interludes but I am embarrassingly into plot and at times I felt they broke up the momentum too much (still hot though).
I did want more when the end came, but I was happy to see there's a sequel!
The setting - and the epistolary style - are both solidly 19th century but the way the author deftly weaves magic in is, well, magical (look, I'm not a writer). I just love books that peel away little shreds and layers of the world they're in until you see a bigger picture and this one does it so well.
The romance is emotionally grounded and highly erotic, with several explicit stories the MCs tell each other in the process of getting each other off. These were delicious interludes but I am embarrassingly into plot and at times I felt they broke up the momentum too much (still hot though).
I did want more when the end came, but I was happy to see there's a sequel!
May 9, 2023
Oh, I so enjoyed this book!
It seems fitting that an epistolary book was sent out in daily emails. I don’t know if it was this delivery method or not, but I really enjoyed it, despite not usually enjoying epistolary books.
I really loved the two MCs, V and J. At the start it seemed that they were really at odds over magic and magical items, but as we get to know them, it is revealed why they have these beliefs about magic (esp J). What I also loved about the MCs is that they are both non-binary, but not at all in the same way. I liked how that was so clearly laid out, because gender is so varied, and just because you share a label with someone, doesn’t mean that the way you experience that is the same. I don’t know if that makes sense! 😅
Overall, I really enjoyed the story, the magic and mystery and everything. Also, there were some incredibly hot sex scenes! Like, 🥵🥵🥵.
Despite having just read the last instalment of the book via email, I am looking forward to rereading in its final book form. I’ve already pre-ordered it from my local indie.
I’m so excited for there to be more books in this series!
It seems fitting that an epistolary book was sent out in daily emails. I don’t know if it was this delivery method or not, but I really enjoyed it, despite not usually enjoying epistolary books.
I really loved the two MCs, V and J. At the start it seemed that they were really at odds over magic and magical items, but as we get to know them, it is revealed why they have these beliefs about magic (esp J). What I also loved about the MCs is that they are both non-binary, but not at all in the same way. I liked how that was so clearly laid out, because gender is so varied, and just because you share a label with someone, doesn’t mean that the way you experience that is the same. I don’t know if that makes sense! 😅
Overall, I really enjoyed the story, the magic and mystery and everything. Also, there were some incredibly hot sex scenes! Like, 🥵🥵🥵.
Despite having just read the last instalment of the book via email, I am looking forward to rereading in its final book form. I’ve already pre-ordered it from my local indie.
I’m so excited for there to be more books in this series!
May 8, 2023
As a big fan of Felicia Davin's newsletter, I was really excited when she announced a serialization of her newest novel via email and signed up right away. An epistolary novel of letters between lovers seemed like an ideal novel to read in daily emailed micro-doses.
Unfortunately while the idea was sound, this novel was a very slow read that I likely would have DNF'd if I weren't getting it in my inbox. I found myself continually hoping that a the pace would pick up and the plot would get more exciting. Part of the problem with the pacing, is that the primary POV character that starts the novel essentially disappears for a third of the novel and the POV switches entirely to the secondary character's POV. While this could have worked to heighten tension, unfortunately the MIA character is the one doing interesting plot relevant things while the other is mostly pining in their diary.
It didn't help that I found the central romance to be lacking. They fall in love very quickly and with little interaction, then spend most of the book apart writing pining diary entries that failed to prove compelling reading.
Unfortunately while the idea was sound, this novel was a very slow read that I likely would have DNF'd if I weren't getting it in my inbox. I found myself continually hoping that a the pace would pick up and the plot would get more exciting. Part of the problem with the pacing, is that the primary POV character that starts the novel essentially disappears for a third of the novel and the POV switches entirely to the secondary character's POV. While this could have worked to heighten tension, unfortunately the MIA character is the one doing interesting plot relevant things while the other is mostly pining in their diary.
It didn't help that I found the central romance to be lacking. They fall in love very quickly and with little interaction, then spend most of the book apart writing pining diary entries that failed to prove compelling reading.
May 8, 2024
1.5* -- If I hadn't been reading this for book club, I wouldn't have cared enough to finish it. (Actually, if my book club hadn't picked the book, I wouldn't have chosen to read it for myself at all.) Considering the massiveness of the book, I didn't spend as much time reading as I feared, partly because the chapters were short, but reading this very much felt like a slog. I pushed myself to keep going, to finish for the book club discussion, and at times only managed those pushes by virtue of leaving my phone and all other alternate entertainment sources in a completely different space from where I was wading through the huge paperback.
The book wasn't awful. But I felt extremely emotionally disconnected from the characters, not helped by the mostly-epistolary format nor by how the main characters' voices seemed virtually indistinguishable from one another. Their personalities were only slightly different in what the book showed us; primarily, V was more rash. When either main character generated any emotional response from me, it was just mild frustration/irritation with V's bad decisions. I couldn't really even discern what kept drawing J back to V besides sexual attraction. The characters told each other(/me as the reader) that they cared as the story progressed, but I didn't buy into or feel any depth of that connection. The characters were horny and sometimes dramatic but generally flat. And I, accordingly, was bored and uninvested.
The book wasn't awful. But I felt extremely emotionally disconnected from the characters, not helped by the mostly-epistolary format nor by how the main characters' voices seemed virtually indistinguishable from one another. Their personalities were only slightly different in what the book showed us; primarily, V was more rash. When either main character generated any emotional response from me, it was just mild frustration/irritation with V's bad decisions. I couldn't really even discern what kept drawing J back to V besides sexual attraction. The characters told each other(/me as the reader) that they cared as the story progressed, but I didn't buy into or feel any depth of that connection. The characters were horny and sometimes dramatic but generally flat. And I, accordingly, was bored and uninvested.
November 19, 2023
Epistolary novels are my catnip, so I was surprised and disappointed that this one left me feeling meh. I didn't buy the Instalove between V and J, the sex scenes were too long and explicit for my taste, and the pacing of the first half was agonizingly slow. I had similar reactions to Davin's sci-fi trilogy, Edge of Nowhere and Out of Nowhere (I never even started the third installment), so I must sadly admit that her writing style doesn't vibe with my reading preferences.
May 8, 2023
I read this through the author’s mailing list, receiving 83 e-mails, one per day from February 15th to May 8th. This was a fun way to read a novel! The daily instalments were short enough that even if I had no energy I would still read the daily chapters. There were days I couldn’t wait until the new chapters would arrive. Overall I think the story feels a bit young for me and I was confused by the choice tho change the main narrator 2/3 into the story. I really enjoyed the interesting magic system, but I wish we had gotten more details about it, magic seemed like an almost random occurrence in the world.
December 15, 2023
Uneven but compelling epistolary queer romance set in early 19th C France, with magic.
I loved the first part, even though there was a misunderstanding / falling out between the MCs that annoyed me. And then the tone shifted pretty abruptly at like 60% from flirting and sexy letter writing to dark suspense. Plus sequel bait.
Despite that, I still recommend it.
I loved the first part, even though there was a misunderstanding / falling out between the MCs that annoyed me. And then the tone shifted pretty abruptly at like 60% from flirting and sexy letter writing to dark suspense. Plus sequel bait.
Despite that, I still recommend it.
February 27, 2024
i looooved this book
faerie smut included
and set in france (obvious plus)
faerie smut included
and set in france (obvious plus)
July 15, 2025
Honestly a good plot and interesting characters but could go without the detailed sex scenes. I feel like the book would be a lot shorter and faster paced if they were reduced.
September 11, 2026
The start was slow, almost dragged. I almost stopped reading. But something kept me coming back. Wow was it worth it - the last 25% of the book was hard to put down.
December 7, 2023
I’ve struggled with leaving a review for this, just because I struggled with the book so much. The premise is excellent. It’s exactly the kind of historical (epistolary!) novel I like to read. And Felicia Davin’s newsletter is one of the genuinely great things that shows up in my inbox.
For me, I think the main disconnect was how identical the voices were in their letters and diaries. There were also pacing issues, and frankly… there was too much info given. The deliciousness of epistolary is filling in the gaps, but with no gaps, I was more bored than intrigued.
Which pains me! I wanted to like it so much. I love queer historical magical gender fuckery. I probably will try book #2 at some point, once I have a little more distance from this one.
For me, I think the main disconnect was how identical the voices were in their letters and diaries. There were also pacing issues, and frankly… there was too much info given. The deliciousness of epistolary is filling in the gaps, but with no gaps, I was more bored than intrigued.
Which pains me! I wanted to like it so much. I love queer historical magical gender fuckery. I probably will try book #2 at some point, once I have a little more distance from this one.
Did Not Finish
November 8, 2024An epistolary novel set in 19th century France with a dash of magic and a romance between two trans characters whose voices are so similar I had to constantly remind myself whose POV I was reading, and then they had sex at 22%, which, good for them (though super sketch that it was in third person and not in epistolary form), but I just didn't care and so back to the library this goes.
Shout out to the author for including extensive content notes at the beginning of the book.
Shout out to the author for including extensive content notes at the beginning of the book.
July 24, 2025
...on the way over Aunt S said, “The people we’re about to meet may tell you shocking things about me.”
“Shocking things like how you’ve aided your niece-nephew in perverting the social order and defying nature itself?” I asked.
“Oh, is that what you’re doing?” Aunt S said. “The social order seems intact to me. And if it’s your goal to defy nature, you might have to put in a bit more work.” [p. 172]
A young person -- 'I'd rather be Victor than Victorine' -- is evicted from the family home, and moves to Paris with their Aunt Sophie. In a run-down boarding house they encounter art student Julien, who is also Julie and who doesn't want to be trapped into being 'one or the other when I've always been both'.
Julie(n)'s transformation is magical, achieved by painting self-portraits: they're very proud of their hands. Victor, it turns out, is also capable of changing the world: when he writes a strongly-felt letter with a particular pen, the recipient believes what's written. (Cue a bloodless heist of ten thousand francs.) But Julie knows more about magic than Victor does, and is keen that Victor destroy the 'cursed artifact'. Victor, though, is intrigued by this new hidden world, and realises that his mother's death -- and perhaps also his father disowning him -- is also due to magic...
Also, they are in love. And in lust.
I'd enjoyed Davin's SF M/M romance trilogy (Edge of Nowhere, Out of Nowhere and Nowhere Else) though I note that I purchased this novel well before I discovered those! The Scandalous Letters of V and J -- first in the 'French Letters' series: I've wishlisted the other two volumes -- is quite different in tone and setting (Paris in the 1820s rather than mysterious space stations), but the prose is as assured and witty as in the Nowhere books. V (transmasc) and J (non-binary) are fascinating characters with very different personalities and beliefs, and with distinctive voices. The magic system, and the abuses perpetrated using magic, are thoughtfully explored and well-integrated with the romance. And I especially liked the stories-within-the-story, told (usually as a prelude to, or a part of, a sexual encounter) by V.
This is a very steamy book and I wasn't really in the mood for the steam, which seems a waste. But even skimming the sex scenes I could appreciate how much they contribute to the plot and the characterisation.
Read
August 21, 2025We read all books in the series and reviewed them together. Find more at The Anonymous Letters of C Forestier and The Mischievous Letters of the Marquise de Q, and our full review can be read at The Smut Report.
Heat Factor: Fairly explicit
Character Chemistry: The attraction may be instant, but I absolutely believed the connection
Plot: We are dealing with dangerous magical objects and writing lots of letters
Overall: I really enjoyed this series; book 3 is an absolute banger
Victor and Julie(n) are neighbors in a crummy tenement building after Victor is disinherited and leaves home. Victor is young and naive and a bit spoiled. Julie(n) is an artist who is becoming celebrated. After Victor makes a magic pen and discovers that his terrible brother has a magic ring (that makes people obey you, yikes on bikes), he gets caught up in the world of cursed artifacts—despite Julie(n)’s warnings to stay far away because these are dangerous people.
This is an excellent series starter in that it’s a great introduction to the world and how the magic works. Victor and Julie(n) are engaging interlocutors, even if slightly annoying in their angsty youthfulness.
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Heat Factor: Fairly explicit
Character Chemistry: The attraction may be instant, but I absolutely believed the connection
Plot: We are dealing with dangerous magical objects and writing lots of letters
Overall: I really enjoyed this series; book 3 is an absolute banger
Victor and Julie(n) are neighbors in a crummy tenement building after Victor is disinherited and leaves home. Victor is young and naive and a bit spoiled. Julie(n) is an artist who is becoming celebrated. After Victor makes a magic pen and discovers that his terrible brother has a magic ring (that makes people obey you, yikes on bikes), he gets caught up in the world of cursed artifacts—despite Julie(n)’s warnings to stay far away because these are dangerous people.
This is an excellent series starter in that it’s a great introduction to the world and how the magic works. Victor and Julie(n) are engaging interlocutors, even if slightly annoying in their angsty youthfulness.
Blog | Bluesky | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Pinterest
August 24, 2024
I have made no effort to create a coherent review, below are only my thoughts while I was reading.
I like the theme of being into someone regardless of how their body is going to change. There's a specific way it's talked about here but it extrapolates well to real situations like ageing and gaining/losing weight. Like once you've fallen for someone, are changes in their body really something that can make you fall out of love with them? And maybe for some people it is, but I like that for these characters it isn't. And I like how gender is explored here because that, too, is very relatable. This won't be everyone's experience of course but it's nice to see because I don't see these things a lot in books or media.
I also love the way the first sex scene is done. The pronouns changing right before it, the words 'her cock'. It changed something in my brain chemistry, it felt very hopeful and just.
The magic stuff and the sleuthing is fun to read about too. I can't stand mysteries as their own genre but weaved into a romance or scifi or fantasy novel they can be captivating.
And I love the playing with gender and bodies and pronouns and all the sex scenes being different from one another, playful and inventive but also using different language, never stale. I'm not an erotica reader so my brain went the oh so this is how you can also write about sex route rather than the oh fuck that's so hot route but I think I appreciate them as much as the next person. So skillfully done.
I only like historical romance when it's queer because these stories feel like a moment of happiness and resistance in a fairly awful time whereas fxm historical romances always feel a little uncomfortable to read about. But you can see how knowledgeable Davin is about this period. So cool, even though my eyes glaze over at the unfamiliar words.
Victor's family truly sucks.
I typically hate breaking up/leaving for your own good storylines but this one worked for me. The stakes felt real.
The ending, hell yeah
I like the theme of being into someone regardless of how their body is going to change. There's a specific way it's talked about here but it extrapolates well to real situations like ageing and gaining/losing weight. Like once you've fallen for someone, are changes in their body really something that can make you fall out of love with them? And maybe for some people it is, but I like that for these characters it isn't. And I like how gender is explored here because that, too, is very relatable. This won't be everyone's experience of course but it's nice to see because I don't see these things a lot in books or media.
I also love the way the first sex scene is done. The pronouns changing right before it, the words 'her cock'. It changed something in my brain chemistry, it felt very hopeful and just.
The magic stuff and the sleuthing is fun to read about too. I can't stand mysteries as their own genre but weaved into a romance or scifi or fantasy novel they can be captivating.
And I love the playing with gender and bodies and pronouns and all the sex scenes being different from one another, playful and inventive but also using different language, never stale. I'm not an erotica reader so my brain went the oh so this is how you can also write about sex route rather than the oh fuck that's so hot route but I think I appreciate them as much as the next person. So skillfully done.
I only like historical romance when it's queer because these stories feel like a moment of happiness and resistance in a fairly awful time whereas fxm historical romances always feel a little uncomfortable to read about. But you can see how knowledgeable Davin is about this period. So cool, even though my eyes glaze over at the unfamiliar words.
Victor's family truly sucks.
I typically hate breaking up/leaving for your own good storylines but this one worked for me. The stakes felt real.
The ending, hell yeah
June 1, 2026
i completely and utterly enjoyed this book at every turn. i bought it back when i was living in western mass over a year ago when i wanted to try to get into reading outside of academia. i found it in a used bookshop with a note and signature from the author, and decided to give it a try. i didn’t actually get around to reading it until this may. now i wish i never had, so i could experience the pleasure of reading it for the first time all over again.
as a nonbinary individual myself, it was deeply comforting to read a book that treats characters like me with so much intentionality and respect. the fluidity of various characters’ gender expressions was either treated as mundane, reassuring, or attractive, which were equally enjoyable and heartwarming to read. i felt vicariously seen by characters in v and j’s lives, as well as v and j themselves.
i also really enjoyed how grounded(?) in reality the magic in this book was. it felt completely believable, while still otherworldly and odd. i liked it much more than i have liked the type of magic that is casting spells and waving wands, although that can also be fun.
i was unsure at first if i would like reading a book almost entirely written through diary entries and letters. i ended up loving this method of storytelling. it added to the experience as a reader in a way i have never encountered before and am struggling to describe, but quite enjoyed. i enjoyed being able to look back at details like dates certain letters/journal entries were made, different names characters addressed themselves and others as, etc. it added a layer to the story that i found fun.
the writing style is very artistic but still easy to read.
this book scratched and itch i didn’t know needed tending. i didn’t realize something that was so personally enjoyable for me was out there, which gives me hope to continue finding books i love just as much! i highly recommend this book, and i am grateful to felicia for putting it into the world.
as a nonbinary individual myself, it was deeply comforting to read a book that treats characters like me with so much intentionality and respect. the fluidity of various characters’ gender expressions was either treated as mundane, reassuring, or attractive, which were equally enjoyable and heartwarming to read. i felt vicariously seen by characters in v and j’s lives, as well as v and j themselves.
i also really enjoyed how grounded(?) in reality the magic in this book was. it felt completely believable, while still otherworldly and odd. i liked it much more than i have liked the type of magic that is casting spells and waving wands, although that can also be fun.
i was unsure at first if i would like reading a book almost entirely written through diary entries and letters. i ended up loving this method of storytelling. it added to the experience as a reader in a way i have never encountered before and am struggling to describe, but quite enjoyed. i enjoyed being able to look back at details like dates certain letters/journal entries were made, different names characters addressed themselves and others as, etc. it added a layer to the story that i found fun.
the writing style is very artistic but still easy to read.
this book scratched and itch i didn’t know needed tending. i didn’t realize something that was so personally enjoyable for me was out there, which gives me hope to continue finding books i love just as much! i highly recommend this book, and i am grateful to felicia for putting it into the world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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