I wanted to share a new book I will be reading this week which you will find inside our Christmas Gift Guide 2025: Butterfly Games by Author Kelly Scarborough I received a copy of in exchange for this review.
What are you reading this week?
About the book:
In author Kelly Scarborough’s debut historical novel, Butterfly Games [She Writes Press / January 20th, 2026], readers are brought into the romantic and tragic life of a Swedish Countess, Jacquette Gyldenstolpe. Jacquette’s youthful love affair with the heir to her country’s throne has profound personal and political repercussions. Perfect for fans of Bridgerton, Philippa Gregory, and Allison Pataki, Butterfly Games is full of enough romance and suspense to leave readers hooked on Scarborough’s writing.
For fans of Philippa Gregory and Allison Pataki, a debut biographical historical novel about a young Swedish countess whose youthful love affair with the heir to her country’s throne has profound personal and political repercussions.
In some games, winning means losing everything that matters.
In the opulent world of the Swedish royal court, Jacquette Gyldenstolpe walks a dangerous tightrope between romance and political intrigue. Neglected by her parents and ostracized by the people around her, the young countess falls in love with Prince Oscar, heir to the Swedish throne—but their passionate affair has far-reaching consequences for the new Bernadotte dynasty, which is already challenged by threats from inside Sweden and beyond.
By the time Jacquette learns that the Butterfly Game is not for the faint-hearted, it is too late. For she has a secret—one as precious to her as it is potentially devastating to the crown—and she will stop at nothing to protect it.
Beyond your typical historical romance, Butterfly Games takes an in-depth look at love versus duty and women’s agency during the early 1800s. Scarborough illustrates throughout the novel what it was like to be a woman near the seat of power during this time, and how every decision could become someone else’s political gain. Through Jacquette, she also shows how women asserted influence through gossip networks, strategic alliances, and leveraging their relationships while existing in systems designed to silence them.
Based on a true story and set in stormy early-1800s Europe, Butterfly Games is a sweeping historical tale of forbidden love, fierce duty, and the cost of ambition. Scarborough’s carefully researched descriptions of the lavish ballrooms of Stockholm and the elegant manor houses of the Swedish countryside will transport readers to a world where every whisper could lead to triumph or ruin
About the Author: Kelly Scarborough
After more than two decades as an attorney, I wrote my debut novel, a tragic love story about two star-crossed lovers, a countess and a prince. It’s based on real-life characters who lived in Sweden, and is perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory, Outlander, and Bridgerton. I live on the Connecticut Shoreline and in South Carolina’s Lowcountry, where I bang away on my MacBook Pro whenever my Shih Tzu cooperates. At heart, I’ll always be a Jersey Girl.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
