Growing up, I was a massive Phantom of the Opera fan. In fact as I write this review, I am currently listening to the soundtrack. I love the whole forbidden romance set to music. It’s truly one of my favorite soundtracks and stories of all time. So whenever I see something come up that is a Phantom retelling or something similar I have a hard time passing up on it. That’s how this one landed on my TBR and review pile! I couldn’t resist a retelling though as the weeks passed between review acceptance and time to actually read it, I had sort of forgotten it. I had it on my calendar but I was reading other things that got me 100% sidetracked on my normal review schedule.
Lucky for me, I always try and build in time for things like this on my review calendar. Reviews for publishers are a big part of my blog but I also have books that I just want to read so I always make sure I build in time for things like that. The time came to pick this one up and just in time for my vacation! I needed something that was going to hold my interest on a five hour plane ride so I was looking forward to this one immensely since I knew it was a Phantom retelling!
The other thing that drew me to this one was the author is from Portland. I live about an hour south of Portland and I am always excited to read more local authors. I haven’t read anything by this author before but it looks like she has another contempo romance novel that received good rating last year. It would seem she has a flare for quirky romances and I am totally here for that! It basically didn’t take much convincing to get me to review this one, I couldn’t wait to be entertained on my flight with this book!
Summary
From The Astronaut and the Star author Jen Comfort comes a wildly electric romance about two musicians who collide on the stage of a Nevada opera house.
Self-professed diva Erika Greene has it all: a starring role on Broadway, legions of fans, spectacular natural talent. But after an accident on stage leaves her face scarred and her career in shambles, Erika retreats to Paris, Nevada, where she’s inherited a ramshackle opera house in desperate need of some TLC.
Erika pours her savings into the building, but it’s not enough to stave off casino developer Raoul Decomte’s avaricious gaze. With foreclosure imminent, she leases the space to some unexpected tenants: a German hair metal band, fronted by glam rock god Christof Daae.
Erika is tempted by Christof’s low-slung leather pants—and even more so by his ambitious drive to make Nacht Musik international superstars—but he’s off-limits. The rest of his band thinks he’s still dating their beloved keyboardist, who is conveniently not present on this jaunt to the American Southwest. When Erika finds out Christof’s been unceremoniously dumped and is trying to keep it under wraps, she makes a deal to keep his secret…for a price, of course.
Christof is desperate to hold the rest of the band together after his keyboardist’s departure, but he can’t maintain the charade forever. Nor can he resist the opera house’s mysterious proprietor, who tempts him with midnight singing lessons. It isn’t long before sensuous nighttime interludes turn into smoldering backstage encounters.
But can their newly ignited passion survive the searing light of day? Or will their beautiful duet turn into a brokenhearted power ballad for one? (summary from Goodreads)
Review
I liked that this book took Phantom and gave it a more modern feel. Not just with it being set in a completely different time but taking familiar characters and giving them a complete overhaul while still maintaining the integrity of the original character and then added a gender flop. I still felt like I could see and feel the core of the original characters within this story that was itself unique and new but yet oddly familiar. It’s really hard to describe this but once you read it you will understand what I am trying to say here. I liked that this book didn’t take itself too seriously though. The tricky part with retellings is finding a balance between something familiar and something new. A lot of times authors fall into pit holes and try to adhere closely to the original but not this book. It gives a nod to familiar characters, Phantom cannon, and other retellings but it knows it’s place and what it is and becomes its own story rather than trying to fit into a role it’s not meant for.
I loved the mix of Phantom-esque characters and plot but I loved how the characters came together in this wonderful, steamy, romance that worked so well with the theater and musical elements within the story. Erika and Christof were interesting characters in their own rights. I could appreciate their flaws and personalities. But when they came together—-they worked so well but in this unique and different way that is hard to describe but absolutely worked in this romance. They had spicy chemistry and I was absolutely here for that. There is a lot of drama in this book and not in a bad way just a lot of dramatics by the characters but I didn’t find it annoying or off putting. This is a book that one reviewer described as ‘committed to it’s own weirdness’ and I would absolutely agree with that! It has this distinct and sincere charm that I think readers will enjoy. Is unapologetic and new and full of music and hot romance. I think readers will enjoy the characters and the retelling but also grow to appreciate the uniqueness of this book for it’s own purposes.
So did it keep me entertained for the five hour flight? Absolutely! This was a book that I could have read in one sitting (though it took me two), and I found myself excited to return to the pages and characters. The only thing that made me give this book a four star instead of a five star was the ending. I won’t spoil it for anyone but the ending just didn’t do it for me. Some characters make some interesting choices and I just think that we needed more to really understand and I just think it could have been stronger. But overall this was a good read and I really enjoyed my time with the characters. If you are looking for a steamy off the beaten path quirky book this has got your name all over it oh and music!
Book Info and Rating
Format: 347 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 10, 2023 by Montlake
Free review copy provided by publisher, Montlake in partnership with Wunderkind PR in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.
Rating: 4 stars
Genre: romance
The Lit Bitch 