Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book!!

What a good book!! This one had me hooked from page one! I could t put it down. I loved the writing style of this book. I lived the characters and they had great chemistry.

If you love Phantom of the Opera but wished Erik and Christine had a happier ending, this book is for you.

I think Morton did a wonderful job retelling this story. The tragic characters with their struggles are still there but they are actually worked on and acknowledged. I really liked how well developed the characters were and the attention to detail. I thought the romance was well paced and built up to nicely.

I also liked that the hero's disfigurement was not fleeting. The author is very direct about it. He is who he is and the heroine accepts him which is beautiful to read. I appreciated that the heroine also had issues of her own that she was struggling with. These two had personal journeys to go through while also finding love with each other.

I do think this was a bit lengthy at times and some of the transitions could have been smoother, but otherwise I liked the writing.

If you like the musical, definitely give this book a try!

This was such a great book! Loved the plot and the execution. This is definitely first of it's kind, I haven't seen a book this plot ever.

Where do I start? I’m not much of a romance reader, but I feel I ought to be because I can’t not read stories like this. I am a huge POTO enthusiast, I’ve seen the musical many times, I listen to the cast recordings daily, I’ve read the original book thousands of times, so I am knowledgeable when it comes to Gastón Leroux’s novel.

I was a bit skeptic when I requested this ARC, fearing it would be another The Phantom of Manhattan/Love Never Dies fiasco. And boy, was I wrong!!

This book is exactly what it promises to be, a magnificent retelling of a tragic story now turned romance. I have always been torn between The Phantom and Raoul, and it was very interesting to read a novel with a different outcome than the original.

I love how the idea was developed and executed, the characters were very interesting to read, overall I believe this was a very good book. I do find myself reading it again sometime soon. If you like POTO, I am sure you will enjoy this book.

A modern retelling of the Beauty and the Beast trope, “Phantoms, Ghosts & Other Heartbreaks”, by Beth Morton, features a hero with a serious disfigurement and a heroine with some issues but a gentle, nurturing personality.
The classic meeting in the broken elevator was potent, promising mystery and emotional intensity between Erik and Christine. I loved the suspense anticipated in this initial scene.
The hero’s disfigurement is severe. I appreciated the author’s directness about it. The external physical and psychological effects are obvious. Erik is a tortured, temperamental hero and is still hiding and trying to avoid the “new normal”.
Christine is dealing with her own issues. I liked how she dealt with them, with Erik’s help.
Notoriety, fame, success, financial struggles, loss and grief are explored in the story.
I felt this story could have been shorter. There was a lot of melodrama. The transitions to sex were a bit abrupt and I find the leads’ often crude verbiage didn’t match their personalities.
Because it was so radical, I was left wondering what would be the functional impact of the amputation.

Christine met the reclusive Erik during a blackout. He lashes out after the lights come on and his injuries are showed to her. He apologizes to her by helping her with her fears of public speaking... She goes viral at her first public speaking....

Love the reference to Phantom of the Opera. Love Erik and Christine together. Amazing dialogue. Really enjoy both characters.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

If you know POTO, if you don't, you'll enjoy this book. I greatly appreciated each and every character in this book. I understood going into this that it was based loosely off POTO, so I didn't go in with expectations that this would be a perfect romance. POTO is a very tragic romance that doesn't exactly end the way Eristine lovers would've hoped, of course, but I'm happy to report this book doesn't disappoint. Erik's temper is very reminiscent of the Phantoms, and I liked how over the course of things he learned how to let Christine and others into his life more. I also was overjoyed to see such wonderful disability rep, from Erik's anxiety, depression and his journey with disability aids via his prosthesis, but Christine's anxiety that she learns coping strategies for with the help of the people who care for her. It was so lovely seeing the characters develop the way they did, and I liked that 'The Persian' in POTO had a much bigger role as that's a character you don't really see much of in the film/Broadway adaptation or original novel. This book is perfect for Broadway, music, and theatre lovers in general. I do think that possibly the way Christine and Erik are may be a bit lost on those who aren't as familiar with the POTO world, so I would implore those who read and check out reviews to remember that this is heavily inspired off that before they get upset about the characterization and everything like that.

3.0 / 5.0

Phantoms, Ghosts, and Other Herat reads by Beth Morton is a Phantom of the Opera retelling. Christine is an orphan and Erik, 10 years her senior, is her billionaire guardian angel.

The story, characters, and stakes follow the musical beat for beat, but is set recently circa late 2023 into 24. There is references to modern events and societal offerings, such as the players on sport team rosters and TikTok, but the dialogue and setting is contrived and at times unbelievable. There are pages of text about people or places that’s grammatically correct, but it’s weighed down by incorrect details and superfluous, obviously forced drama. The characters build slow chemistry until half way through and suddenly, wham/bam they are hot and heavy. The FMC’s struggle with anxiety and stage fright completely belies her chosen profession and apparent competence. The switchbacks of forced emotion with these characters is messy and, though the themes of growth are important, the execution is novice.

Overall, I did enjoy this book but it needs significant development and editing. I was not motivated to keep reading and only ended up finishing it because I am such a fan of Phantom of the Opera.

Until Next Time,
MC

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

I’d like to extend my sincere thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I promised myself I’d keep this succinct, but I have so many thoughts. One of my undergraduate degrees is in theatre performance, and I’m one semester away from finishing my graduate degree in Theatre. Needless to say, I kinda geek out about all things POTO—which heavily inspired this beautiful story. The cover got my attention, but the story kept me locked in from page one. But I’m going to put the theatrical part of this aside and focus on all of the other things I loved.

Erik—his character is so beautifully redeemed in this story. He has his shortcomings, and his temperament is off-putting, but he truly has a wounded heart. I wanted to scoop him up and hug him. I love that his friends are willing to be honest with him even at the risk of suffering his wrath. He has a beautiful tribe of supporters. His willingness to open up, to grow, to put aside his fears and anxiety… sigh He just… he has such a beautiful arc.

I loved everything about Christine. She is wickedly smart. She’s not overly emotional, and she stands on her own two feet. She works hard for her dreams, and in the end, she proves that she can do things on her own merit without external influences. She had a truly forgiving heart, and it’s one of my favorite things about her.

EVERY character in this story is distinct and memorable. I love that the author captured such varied personalities in even in the smallest roles.

It’s been a long time since I’ve highlighted so many things in a book, so bear with me as I dive into:

My Favorite Things:
· Line: He seemed unconcerned, if not amused by her response, but small children amused people. She wanted to impress him.
· The mask images as section breaks! Adorable!
· Quote: “I sense you trying to slow-walk me to some realization.” I cackled.
· Line: Impersonal. Short. It gave nothing away. Even his emails wore a mask.
· Quote: “I’m nearly twenty-six years old. I cannot possibly be breathing wrong!” So relatable. ANY person who has been trained in music or theatre understands this line with their whole soul. I remember making the same exclamation in my first ever voice lesson.
· Quote (and words to live by): “When all is said and done, you’re the one who must decide to succeed. If you decide to achieve your goals, you’ll set yourself up for success. Yes, you may fail, but if you prepare yourself to fail, that’s the only possible outcome.”
· Quote: “I’m not really a misanthrope. I’m a shut-in. Very different.” Hilarious.
· Quote: “I don’t want a relationship only on your terms.” YES, GIRL!
· Line: “Money doesn’t buy happiness, but poverty buys a heck of a lot of misery.” This line hits so hard for those of us who were raised in poverty. I felt this in my soul.
· Quote: “I’m thankful for old elevators.”
· Quote: “I’m prettier in the dark.” SOBS.
· Quote: “I was terrified and said I’d fall flat on my face. And he said he’d catch me if I did.” The full-circle moment here nearly took me out. Tears.
· Quote: “You’re so much more than anything I’ve ever done for you, or anything I could ever do for you.”
· Quote: “I want to be happy, but I don’t want to be rudderless. I want my boat to go somewhere…with purpose.”
· Vienna—just… every mention of it. It’s one of my favorite songs, so the whole Vienna tie-in is just lovely.
· The support group. The Zoloft. The light the author is spreading on the reality of mental health and necessary supports, both medical and emotional. All of it. Loved it.
· Omg. Erik called Rafe to come to the hospital… how beautiful.
· “Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo.” TOOK ME OUT.

Honestly, I could rave about this one until I’m blue in the face.

This is one I will always look back on fondly.

A personal note to the author—where in the world have you been hiding? Really, you were perfect.

…okay. Now I’m back in my POTO-obsessed era.