Synopsis: There are too many secrets in the Paris Opera House and Christine Daaé knows them all, for her lover, Erik, the infamous Phantom of the Opera, is at their center. To protect Erik from the cruel world above, Christine must deceive her childhood friend and first love, Raoul, a man committed to destroying Erik. But will the lies and darkness claim Christine’s soul before she can save anyone?
Faced with the ghosts of the past and the demons of doubt, Erik and Christine must navigate a world intent on tearing them apart. Will their love be enough to overcome their pain? Will those seeking revenge against Erik rip the lovers asunder? Who will live and who will die when all the consequences come crashing down?
The third installment in The Phantom Saga brings this classic tale to a heartbreaking conclusion that turns the story beloved by generations on its head. Filled with lush romance, shocking twists, and haunting prose, Angel’s Fall gives the iconic story of The Phantom of the Opera a new ending that is both satisfying and shattering.
Review: Unconditional Love meets horrible tragedy in this novel. Raoul has fallen under a despicable spell, and one can only hope that he will snap out of it before all is lost. There were some serious moments of worry that there was no happy ending, and that being forced to live a façade was the only future that Christine could look forward to. This trilogy was gripping, striking, and I found it difficult to put down.
Christine Daaé ventures into the underground world of The Phantom of the Opera, a mysterious man named Erik who brought her fame and ecstasy as The Angel of Music. Now she must learn to trust her teacher as a man if she is to survive the cutthroat intrigues of the opera above. Despite the horror of Erik’s face and the darkness of his past, Christine is drawn to the man who awakens her soul with his music…as well as her desire.
As Christine discovers the truth beneath the Opera, danger grows above as her first love, Raoul, remains intent on winning Christine for himself. Can he save Christine from the darkness that seeks to consume her? Or will he find that Christine has already given in to the temptations of her strange angel? For it is Erik that knows Christine’s heart and will do anything to keep her.
The second novel in The Phantom Saga continues the journey that began with Angel’s Mask in a story full of darkness, lust, and hope. Erik’s past is revealed as Christine fights for her career along with her soul. Brimming with romance and twists, Angel’s Kiss tells the iconic love story of Erik and Christine with passion that leaves the reader no choice but surrender.
Review: “We all take whatever advantage we can to get where we want to be.” (Page 223)
While continuing in the lush and inviting descriptive world from the first book, Raoul has much more presence with Christine in this novel. Raoul is, plain and simply, in this reiteration, a hypocrite. As someone who was always a Phantom fan in the Phantom versus Raoul debate, this novel gave even more depth to my dislike of the Vicounte. Furthermore, there is more understanding of Raoul’s family that make it clear that appearances matter more than almost anything else. I absolutely adore the depth and characterization as well as storylines of the “side characters” Mason seamlessly weaved throughout the novel.
Every book in this series leaves you begging for more, and buying the next book to continue, no matter how late you stayed up reading to finish the one before.
Synopsis: The timeless tale of The Phantom of the Opera brought to life as never before…
Christine Daaé arrives penniless and hopeless at the steps of the great Paris Opera House, in search of an angel. What finds her instead is a man in a mask named Erik, a tortured soul masquerading as a ghost. Fascinated by Christine, Erik dons a new mask to be close to her: that of the Angel of Music. This strange patron awakens Christine’s voice and soul…as well as desires she cannot understand. Their adoration growing, Erik and Christine remain separated by deception and darkness, tangled in a web of lust and lies. How far will Erik go to be close to his eager student? And will Christine be able to forgive her angel when she finally sees past his mask to the monster beneath?
The first novel in The Phantom Saga takes readers on a lush, erotic journey from the depths of Paris’s catacombs to the glittering, ruthless world of the Opera’s stage. Full of diverse characters, rich detail, and intoxicating romance, Angel’s Mask reinvents the legend of the Phantom and Christine with passion and twists that will leave readers breathless.
For content/trigger warnings, please visit the author’s website.
Review: “Singing is breathing. And breathing is life, the conscious act of living. Somewhere deep within when you choose to breath, you choose to live. Some un-surrendering part of you chooses to continue.” (Page 73)
Firstly, this book gives more depth to the characters in Phantom of the Opera than I’ve seen in any other retelling. There were always some questions in the Andrew Lloyd Webber version of why someone who had only ever trained vocally was a ballet dancer (especially on pointe!). I loved that Mason’s Christine’s only dream was to sing on the stage of the opera, and that she knew she would have to work her way up to having any sort of job at all since she had missed the opportunity to audition for the chorus. I was truly enamoured with the depth of understanding and knowledge imbued in the vocal training, and was graced enough to hear from Jessica Mason herself that she has a degree in opera. This knowledge can be seen in such easy descriptions as, “Christine’s voice sparkled, pure and dark at the same time, like moonlight on a mountain stream, sweeping away any remaining doubt that she was an artist of the highest caliber.” (Page 184) For a real life reference to someone who has a pure and dark vocal tone at the same time, you can listen to Floor Jansen singing Élan.
Something I quite enjoyed about Mason’s version was the rich descriptions of the behind the scenes of the opera–the twists and turns, the tunnels, the roof. Everything was so well thought out and given intricate details so that the rooms can be thoroughly rendered in the mind, without the overwriting that leads to lack of interest/mind wandering. Other locations were also explained so well that it made layouts and wealth/lack thereof easy to see in the mind’s eye, such as Adele’s apartment, making this read a visual treat.
The romance within these books is so unbelievably well written that I cannot recommend this trilogy enough. There are definitely some trigger warnings, but overall, this book is a masterpiece and I am so glad I found out about it on Jessica Mason’s TikTok, and would highly recommend it to all who love Phantom of the Opera, and specifically Erik.
Synopsis: From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Princess Diaries series, comes the very first adult installment, which follows Princess Mia and her Prince Charming as they plan their fairy tale wedding—but a few poisoned apples could turn this happily-ever-after into a royal nightmare.
For Princess Mia, the past five years since college graduation have been a whirlwind of activity, what with living in New York City, running her new teen community center, being madly in love, and attending royal engagements. And speaking of engagements. Mia’s gorgeous longtime boyfriend Michael managed to clear both their schedules just long enough for an exotic (and very private) Caribbean island interlude where he popped the question! Of course Mia didn’t need to consult her diary to know that her answer was a royal oui.
But now Mia has a scandal of majestic proportions to contend with: Her grandmother’s leaked “fake” wedding plans to the press that could cause even normally calm Michael to become a runaway groom. Worse, a scheming politico is trying to force Mia’s father from the throne, all because of a royal secret that could leave Genovia without a monarch. Can Mia prove to everyone—especially herself—that she’s not only ready to wed, but ready to rule as well?
Review: This book was in many ways vastly different from the original series, mostly because of all of the twists and turns, and most notably that it is NOT a Young Adult novel. Throughout the later books in the series Cabot contended with their being movies made of Mia’s life that were “inaccurate” so it was an interesting twist to bring in oh so many paparazzi for this one. There were some very interesting developments in this book, and I loved how true to herself and her ideals Mia stayed, no matter what the circumstance was.
All in all, this book was alright, and was more of a set up for future books. I was glad there was a happy ending, but there was plenty that left me wanting more/something different.
Synopsis: As a world-renowned chef, single dad Archer never planned on moving to a small town, let alone running a pancake restaurant. But Dream Harbor needs a new chef, and Archer needs a community to help raise his daughter, Olive.
Iris has never managed to hold down a job for more than a few months. So when it’s suggested that Archer is looking for a live-in nanny, she almost runs in the opposite direction.
Now, Iris finds herself in a whole new world. One where her gorgeous new boss lives right across the hall and likes to cook topless… Keeping everything strictly professional should be easy, right?
Review: “I’m pretty sure half of dealing with kids is just tricking them into doing stuff.” (Page 81)
I absolutely loved this book. A quick, simple, fun read I found that this was the first in the series that had the perfect spice as well. There was a great message of what life can be like when you try to be perfect versus when you’re trying to find something sustainable/some balance. Iris and Archer were absolutely perfect together. It’s fun, flirty, and honestly one of the best single dad books I’ve read. Usually single dad isn’t really my style, but this book hit in all the right places: both in finding one’s self, and letting yourself become part of a community.
The only complaint have is the name at the very end… so many options that could have kept with the tradition.
Synopsis: That marriage pact I made with my grumpy, off-limits best friend. That was totally a joke…Right?
It was a heat-of-the-moment agreement scribbled onto the back of a crinkled gas station receipt nine years ago. “If neither of us are married by age 30, we’ll marry each other.”
Haha! So funny!
Cash moved to a city 500 miles away. Building his billion-dollar empire. Making a name for himself. Me? I stayed in our gossipy hometown. Working a simple job. Living a simple life. And we never discussed the marriage pact again.
But I just turned the big three-oh. And Cash showed up at my door, in the middle of a freaking rainstorm. Tall, muscled and soaking wet. With a birthday cake in his hand and a daring smirk that says he means business.
Holy plot twist! Didn’t see that coming!
Now the small town rumor mill is in overdrive. Cash is dissolving my defences with those sexy half-smiles he saves just for me. And my brain is exploding with what ifs…
What if we give this a shot? What if we’re crazy enough to try? What if we’re good together?
We’ve always been ‘just friends’. We’re experts at playing it safe. But his skin on my skin leaves me reeling. His oh-so-fiery kisses melt my excuses. I know our decade-plus friendship is on the line. But I’m aching to see Cash’s wild side.
Review: I wanted to love this book. It sounded good. The characters clearly liked each other. Unfortunately, there were too many times that they kept pulling themselves back from what they had wanted for so long that their desire almost began to seem as if it were unrequited as neither was willing to actually say how they felt. When the slow burn finally seemed like they were on their way to understanding and moving forward, there was another bump. The spice itself had some very odd prose. The other characters, and friend/family connections were great and well done; especially the grandmother! I did love the last few chapters and how the book ended, but honestly, I had stopped part way through this book to read another then came back just to see how it ended.
Synopsis: A dark, atmospheric tale of deadly secrets and forbidden love. Mortui vivos docent. The dead teach the living.
After watching my mother succumb to a mysterious illness, I promised myself two things. I’d find the cure for what ravaged her. And leave the godforsaken city where she abandoned me.
Four years later, I receive an acceptance letter from Dracadia University, one of the oldest, most prestigious schools in the country. Nestled on a secluded island off the coast of Maine, it’s rumored to be haunted by the souls of the mental patients exiled there centuries before. Those whose bones are said to make up the island’s white sandy shores.
And restless ghosts aren’t even its most daunting peculiarity.
Devryck Bramwell, known on campus as Doctor Death, is a brilliant pathologist in charge of the midnight lab. He’s also my devastatingly handsome professor, who seems to loathe tenacious first-years, like me. Except, his dark and enigmatic gaze tells me all the ways he’d devour me if given the chance, and his stolen kisses burn my lips with forbidden jealousy.
I crave his authority. He aches for redemption. Together, we’re toxic. Delicious fodder for the prying eyes hellbent on exhuming the rotted skeletons of our pasts.
For the dead have much to teach, and it’s only a matter of time before Dracadia’s most depraved secret is resurrected.
Nocticadia is a standalone dark academia gothic romance.
Review: “What separates monsters from good men is only a matter of perspective.” (page 80)
This book is one of the absolute best dark romances I’ve read. Diving headfirst into Lilia’s life, there’s drama, there’s the unknown, and there’s a girl who had to grow up too fast. I wish all dark academia books were similar to this one; for this is so much greater than the others I have read, they cannot even be compared. This book is long, but not an epic though I certainly wouldn’t let that deter you because there was always something going on that made it nearly impossible for me to set this book down. I was absolutely enthralled and couldn’t wait to read the “freebie” novella Phobia afterwards (which you can get at the end of the novel).
There are certainly some trigger warnings associated with this book, and this type of taboo isn’t going to be for everyone. There is a lot more drama and behind the scenes politics than one might think at the beginning of the novel. One thing that certainly made this book stand apart in the dark academia genre would be that Lilia is old enough to be in college; older than an average freshman. She also has seen things, and while she might not be overtly experienced romantically, she isn’t some brand new to society hermit looking for connections wherever they find her; she has a particularly goal, and she doesn’t want to let anything stand in her way from understanding and continuing to fight against letting what happened to her mother happen to other people.
Every time I thought, okay, this is it, there were A LOT of hidden secrets and such; BAM, another twist is revealed. This book is perfection, and I am not sure I’ll ever find an equivalent dark academia to this ever again. There’s such tension, so many stakes, and undeniable connections. If you like dark romance, or dark academia, I dare you to take a chance on this book.
Synopsis: When Charlotte Kinder treats herself to a two-week vacation at Austenland, she happily leaves behind her ex-husband and his delightful new wife, her ever-grateful children, and all the rest of her real life in America. She dons a bonnet and stays at a country manor house that provides an immersive Austen experience, complete with gentleman actors who cater to the guests’ Austen fantasies.
Everyone at Pembrook Park is playing a role, but increasingly, Charlotte isn’t sure where roles end and reality begins. And as the parlor games turn a little bit menacing, she finds she needs more than a good corset to keep herself safe. Is the brooding Mr. Mallery as sinister as he seems? What is Miss Gardenside’s mysterious ailment? Was that an actual dead body in the secret attic room? And-perhaps of the most lasting importance-could the stirrings in Charlotte’s heart be a sign of real-life love?
Review: I did not realize just how enthralling I would find this book, and accidentally ended up reading late into the night to read to the end. I wasn’t sure that I would love this book, having started it previously and abandoned it, but I found once I was a few paragraphs in I was easily hooked. This book had all the regency and romance of the original Austenland, but with a huge mystery that left me needing to read to the very end. Warning: this book makes you want to keep reading and do nothing else until you reach the conclusion.
The book shifts between days in Austenland and days in the past in Charlotte’s past, finally catching up in the end to the modern day. I thought it was really unique to tell the backstory in such a manner, so that we were experiencing it with Charlotte as she considered things herself while on her vacation. Her gumption, change, and confidence are inspiring for anyone who finds that they have allowed themselves and their lives to move too far from what they wanted, or have allowed themselves to be too cowed by others that they shouldn’t have.
I loved how Charlotte fell into the mystery and wanted to just focus on that instead of letting the outside world and her real life problems fill her mind. I also adored how well everyone developed the characters are, and getting to see another side to Miss Charming that hadn’t been present in the original Austenland.
I highly recommend this book if you like the regency time period, Jane Austen, mysteries and a hint of romance.
Synopsis: Lucifer meets Practical Magic in this opposites attract witchy rom-com brimming with sass, spice, and small-town charm!
What’s a broke tea witch to do when she’s about to lose her beloved café?
No idea, but chugging magic mojitos and drunk-summoning the Devil was definitely the wrong call.
Now, I’m stuck with the house guest from Hell—literally—and we couldn’t be more opposite: a homebody who brews healing teas and reads romance novels to her cats versus a sexy-as-sin playboy with a pitchfork tattoo on his butt and a fondness for public day-drinking. In the nude. Ergo, the pitchfork discovery.
Infuriating!
I’ve tried to send the Dark Prince packing, but the spell won’t let him leave—not until he unlocks my so-called “heart’s desire.”
Well. My only desire is to clear my debt and save the café, which would be a lot easier if I wasn’t so distracted by his stupidly charming British accent.
Or the smile that keeps incinerating perfectly innocent panties.
Or the spellbinding, toe-curling, never-should’ve-happened kiss at the Wayward Bay Halloween Ball that has me believing in a different kind of magic:
Love.
So maybe the real question is… What’s a broke tea witch to do when she’s about to lose her café and her heart?
Review: I absolutely adored this book from the beginning. It was a bit cheesy, and definitely a “witch and devil could be in a Hallmark movie”, but there was no pretending it was anything but–even the characters joke about how everything is falling together too well, too perfectly and that was exactly what I was in the mood for and needed when I read this book. This is a quick easy cozy romantasy with high stakes but showcasing a wonderful found family and love. There was a great, perfect amount of spice between the two main characters, and their relationship never really felt forced but growing gradually as they got to know each other. There were a few times that I wondered what, exactly, Devlin saw in his “mushroom” girl since she didn’t seem to have any self confidence. I think that, perhaps, a lot of it may have had to do with the fact she wasn’t instantly willing to throw herself at him, but that isn’t necessarily explicitly stated. I definitely hadn’t seen the twist ending of what was going on in the town, and that made this read all the better! This book very much had Lucifer vibes, but I as I haven’t read or watched Practical Magic (I know, a travesty!) I cannot comment on whether or not it was reminiscent of that.
All in all I loved this book, it was a cozy modern romantasy, that made me want to start brewing my own tea instead of just picking one of the dozens of blends in my cupboard. Kudos to my husband for trying my first attempted brew of honeysuckle and jasmine green tea–did you know you’re supposed to brew honeysuckle for 10 minutes?!
Synopsis: Music says things words never can. I love you. I miss you. I’m sorry I killed you.
Every night, Ceridwen Kinsley plays music on her rooftop for the spirit of her dead mother. A peaceful if odd ritual, until she witnesses a murder by something not quite human. The monstrous encounter earns her notoriety within the city and a visit from the reclusive Lord Protector Drystan Winterbourne.
Charged with protecting the backwater city of Teneboure by the king, Drystan is failing at his task, and he can’t afford another slip up. But when fate and the very monster he means to conquer bring Ceridwen to his notice, he seizes the opportunity and presents her with an offer: play music for him at his manor in exchange for the money her impoverished family desperately needs. Music eases the strain of his magic, and who better to hire than the woman whose tunes he secretly listens to at night?
At first, Ceridwen is put off by Drystan’s unkempt appearance and harsh demeanor, not to mention the odd ailment that plagues him. But as he embraces her passion for music and she draws the recluse out of his lonely tower, the two develop an unlikely attachment. Class lines begin to blur as fearful indifference shifts to unexpected desire.
However, the monster prowling the night isn’t their only enemy, and as terrible secrets come to light, even true love may not be enough to save them.
This retelling of Beauty and the Beast incorporates themes and motifs from Phantom of the Opera, and is set in a Bridgerton-esque world but with magic and strong gothic vibes. It should appeal to fans of romantic and atmospheric retellings and fairy tales by authors such as Hannah Whitten, Tessonja Odette, and Stephanie Garber.
Review: “Music is the strongest form of magic.” (Loc 44 in the kindle edition of the book)
I was drawn to this as an avid Beauty and the Beast and Phantom of the Opera fan. I did like that Ceridwen plays the flute, though I am uncertain of whether or not the author has actually played before. There were several instances where it seemed as if the practical application of playing a woodwind instrument wasn’t considered, and there was definitely a missed opportunity for Ceridwen to mess up by going too high or low with notes when upset and needing to settle herself. I loved that this story gave our “beast” a hobby– that’s something I haven’t seen before, whereas usually the “phantom” has a musical hobby. It was quite interesting how music could reach Drystan in ways that nothing else could.
“Though he’d long enjoyed music, he’d never made a study of it himself. Though there, locked in an embrace with the woman he loved, he suddenly understood how two distinct melodies could come together to form something even more magical.” (page 326)
In some ways I thought that the evil was a bit overdone, but overall there were stakes, there’s a sweet love story, and an escape to a slightly gothic gaslamp setting. I didn’t particularly find the romantic scenes that enthralling, but perhaps they could be your cup of tea.
Amy S. Brown 