Dr. Selene Lefevre: Unfortunately Your Type

Bless your heart in advance—writing Selene Lefevre was 100% my fault, but how you react to her is not my responsibility.

Selene didn’t come from a person so much as a vibe. Her look (and honestly, her attitude) came from what has always registered to me as a “powerful woman.” The kind that doesn’t raise her voice because she doesn’t need to.

I’ve always been drawn to women who understand presentation as a tool. Something you use. Women who know exactly how they’re being perceived and don’t rush to correct it—especially if the misunderstanding works in their favor.

That’s Selene.

She’s basically the embodiment of what people now call the “dark hair effect.” Sharp lines. Beautiful features. Calm eye contact that feels like you’re getting an x-ray of your soul. Her femininity is intentional. She’s not trying to soften herself or seem approachable. Her signature lipstick isn’t there to make her “pretty.” It’s a statement.

Speaking of which—we should talk about the red.

The color isn’t accidental, and it’s definitely not romantic. On Selene, red isn’t passion or softness. It’s appetite made visible. She wears it on her lips because that’s where she speaks, persuades, and convinces people she’s safer than she is. Red shows up all over my work for a reason, but on Selene it’s always intentional. Clean lines. Never messy. Just something she puts on before she leaves the house.

Unsurprisingly, she was also one of my favorite characters to write. Strong-presenting women always are. Once you get past the polish and the control, the psychology gets interesting fast. Selene knows exactly who she is—and watching how she thinks, justifies herself, and moves through the world from that place was half the fun of writing this book.

Like Margot, she isn’t built from one person. She’s a composite of various people I’ve met over the years; the good, the bad, and the seductive.

So, quick recap of Selene in case you weren’t taking notes, kids:
Intelligent? Scarily so.
Feminine? Absolutely.
Soft? Fuck no. Not even close.

That’s Dr. Lefevre in a nutshell.

(And yes—there are mock-ups of Selene too. This shouldn’t be a surprise.)

— AMV