From Melissa Marr's website:
Means "joy."

Leslie is one of three friends Aislinn has at Bishop OC (her school). She's the first female friend introduced in the novel, and it's worth noting when Ash sees Leslie, her friend is in the company of a faery. This one is as powerful as Keenan; like him, he can hold a glamour even near iron. Ash learns his name is Irial, and is very glad when Leslie notes he's not interested in her. Leslie has no idea Irial is fey, and is completely unaware of the danger he poses (unlike Ash, Leslie cannot see fairies). In addition to Irial, Leslie is also in the company of her brother, Ren.

Leslie is described as having too-long bangs which she blows out of her eyes. Her hair is a dark, wood brown; not long enough to tie back or short enough to stay back on its own.


She's average height, and her figure is nice and trim, in part due to her work as a waitress at Verlaine's. Leslie wears silver nail polish and is inclined to rebel against the stereotype associated with a girl going to a Catholic School. The moment school's done, she's outside with her blazer off.

While Leslie gives the impression of being shallow and concerned only with guys in general and good looking guys in particular, much of what she says is rather insightful, although a bit cynical. She and Ash share literature class and the discussions of different texts are featured in the novel several times. One text that's discussed is Shakespeare's Othello, a play primarily about jealousy.

Aislinn dismisses Othello as an ass; Leslie notes all men are. Later, in class, Leslie makes the point that if Othello had trusted his wife, things would have turned out very differently. While Othello doesn't share the same significance as a later discussion of "La Belle Dame Sans Merci," Leslie's comment does go to the central conflict within Othello.

Later, the discussion of "La Belle Dame Sans Merci" is significant to the overall plot and theme of Wicked Lovely. Initially, Leslie has no specific comment on this text, but soon joins in, immediately getting Ash's point of not trusting strangers. On her own, she suggests the poem is a metaphor for trusting the wrong person.

What's interesting about Leslie is, in spite of her tendency to speak of boys in a dismissive way, she reacts most strongly to Aislinn when she feels she's being unfair, or mean, to either Seth or Keenan. In the early chapters of the novel, Leslie and Ash discuss Seth and argue back and forth about whether Ash should date him. Ash seems unaware Seth is interested in anything more than friendship, while Leslie is quite sure he is (and she proves to be correct). She accuses Aislinn of stringing Seth along.

Later, Leslie witnesses an exchange between Ash and Keenan, where Aislinn is rather nasty to Keenan. Leslie intervenes, asking Ash to "give him a little something, Ash."

For someone who so often expresses the opinion that guys are like toys, to be used and discarded, Leslie is very soft-hearted in practice; or at least in her advice to Aislinn. It's never made clear whether or not Leslie follows her own advice or not. Throughout the book, however, there are indications Leslie (unlike Aislinn, Carla and Rianne) really has had experience with boys and probably has lost her virginity. Since she appears to have had a number of boyfriends, it's likely this is why she's cynical. Even so, her dim view of males in general doesn't appear to off-set what may be well-hidden optimistic or romantic streak. After all, her advice to Ash, her opinions of Seth and Keenan, indicate she believes a "good" guy deserves a break.

Leslie is one of the protagonists of Melissa Marr's next book Ink Exchange.