Kelly Scarborough

As the author, I’m honored to invite you behind the scenes of Butterfly Games. When I set out to bring Countess Jacquette Gyldenstolpe’s story to life, I didn’t want to merely recount history — I wanted to reimagi

As the author, I’m honored to invite you behind the scenes of Butterfly Games. When I set out to bring Countess Jacquette Gyldenstolpe’s story to life, I didn’t want to merely recount history — I wanted to reimagine the silent tension in Stockholm ballrooms, the whispers of palace intrigue, and Jacquette’s quiet resilience as she navigates love and duty.

Feedback from readers and reviewers has been deeply rewarding. Readers’ Favorite praised the novel’s “near cinematic historical detail” and recommended it “very highly.” Literary Titan wrote that the book “leans into the elegance of Bridgerton, the stately tension of The Crown, and the shadowy power plays that recall Game of Thrones," and celebrates its blend of forbidden love, political danger, and tension.

If you’re curious about a historical novel that feels vivid, nuanced, and emotionally raw, Butterfly Games will take you inside the gilded halls of Napoleonic era Sweden—and leave you thinking about Jacquette’s choices long after the last page.

Mark it “Want to Read” and find out. I’ll be sharing excerpts in my blog, but here’s one to start the conversation.

Imagine the first time you meet the person who is going to change your life. After this, there’s no going back.

“At a gap in the tall hedge near the entrance to the aviaries, she found herself looking down at a lanky boy, so typically French, with dark shoulder-length curls. He had fine features—a straight, narrow nose and rounded brown eyes. It was the new prince; there were portraits of him in half the rooms at the palace. His name was Oscar, and he was Crown Prince Charles Jean’s only son. Had she made a list of people to avoid at this moment, his would have been one of the first names she added, right after his father’s.”

Excerpt from Butterfly Games, © 2026, Kelly Scarborough.

Until the next chapter,

Kelly