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He's a rock star with dark secrets.
She's his new obsession .
Erik Crawford has no illusions. Buried wounds have poisoned his soul and broken him beyond repair. Until her song hushes the chaos inside and her dangerous curves become his new obsession .
Christine Daae believes the sexy front man of Muse of Darkness wears his party-till-dawn attitude as a mask hiding his pain from the world. Determined to meet the rock star, she bribes her way into the production of the band’s biopic.
When Erik's relentless pursuit of Christine unearths ghosts from her past she thought long vanquished, she panics. But she soon finds out escaping her new tutor isn’t an option .
Can he teach her to trust again? Can her love mend his broken soul? Or are their emotional scars too deep to be healed?
Fans of Kylie Scott, Jaine Diamond, and Alexa Padgett will devour this steamy rock star romances. No cheating or cliffhangers .
This reimagining of the classical tale of The Phantom of the Opera deals with sensitive topics such as self-harm, drug abuse, suicide, and sexual assault. Although situations are not depicted in detail, they might trigger some readers.
She's his new obsession .
Erik Crawford has no illusions. Buried wounds have poisoned his soul and broken him beyond repair. Until her song hushes the chaos inside and her dangerous curves become his new obsession .
Christine Daae believes the sexy front man of Muse of Darkness wears his party-till-dawn attitude as a mask hiding his pain from the world. Determined to meet the rock star, she bribes her way into the production of the band’s biopic.
When Erik's relentless pursuit of Christine unearths ghosts from her past she thought long vanquished, she panics. But she soon finds out escaping her new tutor isn’t an option .
Can he teach her to trust again? Can her love mend his broken soul? Or are their emotional scars too deep to be healed?
Fans of Kylie Scott, Jaine Diamond, and Alexa Padgett will devour this steamy rock star romances. No cheating or cliffhangers .
This reimagining of the classical tale of The Phantom of the Opera deals with sensitive topics such as self-harm, drug abuse, suicide, and sexual assault. Although situations are not depicted in detail, they might trigger some readers.
- GenresMusicContemporary
188 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 29, 2021
20 people are currently reading
176 people want to read
About the author
Liz Gavin
89 books755 followersUSA Today best-selling author Liz Gavin, has accomplished much in her short career. Her books have made to #1 and Top Five best-selling ranks in her home country Brazil and others as diverse as Japan, the UK and the US; both in English and Portuguese, collecting 5 and 4-star reviews. Nominated for a Summer Indie Book Award in 2016, and again in 2017, this RWA member constantly seeks new opportunities to improve her craft.
This thirst for knowledge propelled Liz to leave the comforts of family and friends in Brazil and move to California to pursue a Master’s degree in late 2015. She lives in sunny SoCal, where she’s researching the writing process, for her thesis, in hopes to figure out why she creates in English instead of her native Portuguese.
Liz Gavin writes in contemporary, paranormal, and historical genres. In her sexy stories, one finds smart, independent women, who don’t need rescuing by knights in shining armor, but indulge in steamy action with swoony Alpha males with big hearts. She also writes about women discovering their sexuality and finding happiness in unconventional setups.
This thirst for knowledge propelled Liz to leave the comforts of family and friends in Brazil and move to California to pursue a Master’s degree in late 2015. She lives in sunny SoCal, where she’s researching the writing process, for her thesis, in hopes to figure out why she creates in English instead of her native Portuguese.
Liz Gavin writes in contemporary, paranormal, and historical genres. In her sexy stories, one finds smart, independent women, who don’t need rescuing by knights in shining armor, but indulge in steamy action with swoony Alpha males with big hearts. She also writes about women discovering their sexuality and finding happiness in unconventional setups.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
November 29, 2021
Please take note of the authors warnings. The book contains scenes and subject matter that may be difficult to read or even be triggering to some. This book is definitely not for the faint of heart. Christine and Erik have both been through that ‘dark night of the soul’. And while Christine has largely escaped hers, Erik is still wrestling with his demons. These are survivors, and as such, I thought they were perfectly matched. They have a lot of emotional baggage they need to unpack and deal with, but together they’re stronger than anything they might face alone. For as long as I’ve known about the story, I’ve been slightly obsessed with the Phantom. I believe this book was a wonderful spin on the tale.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book through Booksprout.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book through Booksprout.
August 7, 2022
Muse of Darkness: a band Christine adores. She feels inexplicably drawn to the lead singer, Erik. She can hear the tears in his voice. She can see the scars he keeps hidden. Darkness is a mask he hides behind. Isn’t it?
Erik saw Christine in the crowd and used her as his unknown muse for years. He thought she was conjured from the drugs. A hallucination he allowed himself to be obsessed with because she didn’t exist. When the two meet again, nothing will keep them apart. Nothing except maybe the darkness both have in their pasts.
I’m a sucker for a character with scars and in this case, I got two characters with many.
The first date between Christine and Erik was incredibly awkward. Most of their relationship developments felt kind of like they jumped ahead, understanding each other and things in a way I wasn’t privy to.
The story in general was fine. It had moments that felt like scene changes in a tv show, where the scene just ends and the next begins but for the most part, it was a tolerable jump since the characters were interesting on their own.
I really don’t have a lot to say about the story. That’s both a good thing and a bad thing. On the one hand, I wasn’t annoyed by anything enough for it to stick out. On the other hand, I wasn’t impressed by anything to gush about it.
I don’t know about all the copies out there, but my copy of the book was printed oddly. The first page of every chapter is font size 7 or 8. It’s printed as if it were straight-up screenshotted from a digital format and put on a printed out page. Other than the first page of each chapter, the book is normal so I was able to read on.
“I’d rather listen to an hour of nails scratching a blackboard than one minute of Pat Robertson singing.” - Christine, pg 37. Ouch. Personally, I think Rob Pattinson is a good singer. Do I know for sure that that’s who the author was referencing? Of course not. It felt a bit too on the money for me to think otherwise, however, everyone is entitled to an opinion and since there is no proof beyond speculation that’s who the author was referring to, the point is moot anyway. It was just something I noticed.
Do I recommend this book? I mean, probably not. It isn’t a bad book but it wasn’t necessarily memorable. The relationship sort of felt like it just happened. That’s fair in regards to relationships but I didn’t connect with either character. Not a bad book, I just didn’t connect with it.
Erik saw Christine in the crowd and used her as his unknown muse for years. He thought she was conjured from the drugs. A hallucination he allowed himself to be obsessed with because she didn’t exist. When the two meet again, nothing will keep them apart. Nothing except maybe the darkness both have in their pasts.
I’m a sucker for a character with scars and in this case, I got two characters with many.
The first date between Christine and Erik was incredibly awkward. Most of their relationship developments felt kind of like they jumped ahead, understanding each other and things in a way I wasn’t privy to.
The story in general was fine. It had moments that felt like scene changes in a tv show, where the scene just ends and the next begins but for the most part, it was a tolerable jump since the characters were interesting on their own.
I really don’t have a lot to say about the story. That’s both a good thing and a bad thing. On the one hand, I wasn’t annoyed by anything enough for it to stick out. On the other hand, I wasn’t impressed by anything to gush about it.
I don’t know about all the copies out there, but my copy of the book was printed oddly. The first page of every chapter is font size 7 or 8. It’s printed as if it were straight-up screenshotted from a digital format and put on a printed out page. Other than the first page of each chapter, the book is normal so I was able to read on.
“I’d rather listen to an hour of nails scratching a blackboard than one minute of Pat Robertson singing.” - Christine, pg 37. Ouch. Personally, I think Rob Pattinson is a good singer. Do I know for sure that that’s who the author was referencing? Of course not. It felt a bit too on the money for me to think otherwise, however, everyone is entitled to an opinion and since there is no proof beyond speculation that’s who the author was referring to, the point is moot anyway. It was just something I noticed.
Do I recommend this book? I mean, probably not. It isn’t a bad book but it wasn’t necessarily memorable. The relationship sort of felt like it just happened. That’s fair in regards to relationships but I didn’t connect with either character. Not a bad book, I just didn’t connect with it.
June 15, 2022
“Angel, some sinners aren’t worth saving.”
When Erik whispers the line above in Christine’s ear I instantly fell in love with him. How could I not? He’s a devastatingly hot rockstar hiding an inner pain that goes down into his bones. Erik projects himself as a stereotypical rockstar, sex, drugs, groupies, alcohol. His behavior is exactly what people expect and he doesn’t disappoint. But it’s all just an elaborate smoke screen, a wall of iron, something he uses to hide his true self from the world and, in some ways, himself. All I wanted to do throughout the book was hold him in my arms and take away his pain.
Christine is no stranger to sorrow and pain. She’s suffered greatly and lived through true suffering. Unlike Erik, though, she hasn’t hidden it and tried to ignore it. She’s spent years learning to deal with it all and heal. She’s such an incredibly strong woman and I admire her deeply.
Erik and Christine are clearly soulmates, despite everything they have both gone through in the past and go through in the book. But just because you’re meant to be together doesn’t mean it will be easy to find your way to each other nor will the journey to finding your happy life together necessarily be without difficulties. I so very much wanted these two to work things out, figure out what to do and get their HEA.
Liz is such an incredibly gifted writer. I felt like I was right there with them through it all. I felt their pain and sadness along with their joy. When they were hurt, I hurt, too. When they felt hope, I held my breath. I can’t tell you how many times I cried. At the end I had my hand on my chest, filled with happiness and a kind of relief. This book is so satisfying.
I am a huge rockstar romance fan and I very enthusiastically recommend this book and this series to anyone else who loves this genre or anyone who’s never tried one. I already read Logan and it’s also incredibly and am on pins and needles waiting for Wes and Nick, most especially Wes because I have a real thing for drummers! Read this book. You’ll be so happy you did.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
When Erik whispers the line above in Christine’s ear I instantly fell in love with him. How could I not? He’s a devastatingly hot rockstar hiding an inner pain that goes down into his bones. Erik projects himself as a stereotypical rockstar, sex, drugs, groupies, alcohol. His behavior is exactly what people expect and he doesn’t disappoint. But it’s all just an elaborate smoke screen, a wall of iron, something he uses to hide his true self from the world and, in some ways, himself. All I wanted to do throughout the book was hold him in my arms and take away his pain.
Christine is no stranger to sorrow and pain. She’s suffered greatly and lived through true suffering. Unlike Erik, though, she hasn’t hidden it and tried to ignore it. She’s spent years learning to deal with it all and heal. She’s such an incredibly strong woman and I admire her deeply.
Erik and Christine are clearly soulmates, despite everything they have both gone through in the past and go through in the book. But just because you’re meant to be together doesn’t mean it will be easy to find your way to each other nor will the journey to finding your happy life together necessarily be without difficulties. I so very much wanted these two to work things out, figure out what to do and get their HEA.
Liz is such an incredibly gifted writer. I felt like I was right there with them through it all. I felt their pain and sadness along with their joy. When they were hurt, I hurt, too. When they felt hope, I held my breath. I can’t tell you how many times I cried. At the end I had my hand on my chest, filled with happiness and a kind of relief. This book is so satisfying.
I am a huge rockstar romance fan and I very enthusiastically recommend this book and this series to anyone else who loves this genre or anyone who’s never tried one. I already read Logan and it’s also incredibly and am on pins and needles waiting for Wes and Nick, most especially Wes because I have a real thing for drummers! Read this book. You’ll be so happy you did.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 29, 2023
look, I knew this book wasn't gonna be *good* but I thought it would at least be *fun*. it reads like a fanfic, and not an especially good one. characterization is a mess. it truly does not follow the plot of the novel OR the musical. nods to the musical are incredibly cheesy. important relationships (especially Christine's) are removed or minimized. Christine is barely even musical, ffs! the dialogue is terrible. the """ incredible """ lyrics for the songs are so bad. so, so bad. I cannot stress how bad they are.
also, just a few nitpicky things:
-just, like, ONE readthrough for grammar, spelling, etc. would have made a HUGE difference. Daaé was misspelled probably half the times it was used. also no accent on it but that's a bit more forgivable.
-why not just use Carlotta as the villain the whole time? why add this Rita lady at all?
-speaking of Carlotta, if her last name is Driver (because Minnie Driver played her in the movie), why was Erik's last name not Butler? silly
-what did Robert Pattinson do to you? he's fine!!!
-if you want Christine to have war/displacement/refugee trauma but also be white, don't make her mom Syrian? just a thought.
-also, if Christine became a billionaire off of cybersecurity, she did it with defense contracts. probably including some in Syria. which, uh.
-on a serious note, the author warns for a bunch of stuff including self-harm, but says it's not explicit, but it's more explicit than I would have expected given the warning, ESPECIALLY the self-harm. so. be aware.
I realize English is not the author's first language, but very few of these problems stem from that (and those that do could largely be fixed by a copyeditor). mostly disappointed because I couldn't even have fun reading a silly book.
also, just a few nitpicky things:
-just, like, ONE readthrough for grammar, spelling, etc. would have made a HUGE difference. Daaé was misspelled probably half the times it was used. also no accent on it but that's a bit more forgivable.
-why not just use Carlotta as the villain the whole time? why add this Rita lady at all?
-speaking of Carlotta, if her last name is Driver (because Minnie Driver played her in the movie), why was Erik's last name not Butler? silly
-what did Robert Pattinson do to you? he's fine!!!
-if you want Christine to have war/displacement/refugee trauma but also be white, don't make her mom Syrian? just a thought.
-also, if Christine became a billionaire off of cybersecurity, she did it with defense contracts. probably including some in Syria. which, uh.
-on a serious note, the author warns for a bunch of stuff including self-harm, but says it's not explicit, but it's more explicit than I would have expected given the warning, ESPECIALLY the self-harm. so. be aware.
I realize English is not the author's first language, but very few of these problems stem from that (and those that do could largely be fixed by a copyeditor). mostly disappointed because I couldn't even have fun reading a silly book.
November 27, 2021
This is book one in The Muse of Darkness Series and it is Erik and Christine's story and omg what a great start to a new series and it is definitely a must read. Christine was at a concert with her best friend Hadley waiting to see The Muse of Darkness band as she loved there music and it was also one of favourite bands but it was Erik the singer that has always captivated her as his music talked to her soul and she could also see his pain as she carried the same pain inside her but now she was getting help. Erik might be the lead singer in the band and had more money to last a lifetime but now for some reason he can't seem to write the songs that always came easy to him and now all he has is darkness and pain surrounding him. The pain that Erik and Christine had gone through in there lives brought me to tears and I felt it all as if I was there with them going and they are so perfect for each other and I found myself hoping that they could some how sort out there differences and insecurities to get there happy ending that they both really deserve. Omg this story just booked me in right from the start and I couldn't put it down as it kept my attention right until the last page and I can't wait to read the next book in this series. Liz Gavin is an amazing author and writer and she certainly knows how to keep her reader's attention and I definitely recommend you read this book and you will not be disappointed.
I Voluntarily Reviewed an Arc Copy of this book
I Voluntarily Reviewed an Arc Copy of this book
November 27, 2021
This book is a little darker than what I normally read. It was well written, and I had all kinds of feeling running around in me. It’s sad how we can make people believe we are alright on the outside, but have so much turmoil and pain on the inside. I think Christine was drawn to Erik and his music as she could hear the pain in his songs and she related to it. My heart went out to both of them throughout the book. I feel since Christine went through therapy early on in her pain, she was able to recognize when she needed to back away or needed extra help. The attraction between the two was off the hook! Their journey together will have you rooting for them. I encourage you to read the book. I was given a copy and voluntarily wrote a review.
November 29, 2021
This is my absolute favourite genre rockstars, bands etc and I liked at the beginning where it took us back 6 years with Christine and her best friend who were at a rock concert to see Muse of Darkness and her favourite band member who Christine absolutely loved and that’s Eric Crawford lead singer and when their eyes met they were hypnotised by the other then Eric snapped out of it. When they were leaving the concert Christine saw Eric with a woman she had her lipstick on his zipper it broke Christine’s heart but what she saw more was the pain in his eyes. There is so much more going on in this story but I will let you find that out for yourself, I loved this story and I highly recommend this book it’s definitely well worth the read.
December 15, 2022
Phantom of the Opera is one of my favorite movies so I was really excited when I read the premise of this book - only to be continuously disappointed as the book went on. I didn't like Erik, and I couldn't really get a good feel for Christine. The writing was choppy and confusing in parts and there were several grammar/spelling errors. The drama with Carlotta was weird, I figured she was (spoiler) Liam's mom but it was a bit confusing because we were first told she abandoned him as a baby, but then she shows back up and he knows her. Maybe I missed something but it took me out of the story a bit. Also didn't like the back and forth on Erik and Christine's relationship and the way it was very quickly resolved at the end.
November 29, 2021
Painfully Good
Erik was the lead singer for the rock band Muse of Darkness and his songs spoke to Christine. She had seen him years ago at a concert and thought for sure that he was singing right to her until he pulled someone else up on stage that looked just like her.
Now she is a part of the band’s bio and again they connect but this time it’s their past that comes screaming back to the forefront. They are two tortured souls who long for each other. This book was full of darkness and both Erik and Christine wanted to conquer their pasts so that they might have a future.
I will be looking forward for more books to come in this series.
Erik was the lead singer for the rock band Muse of Darkness and his songs spoke to Christine. She had seen him years ago at a concert and thought for sure that he was singing right to her until he pulled someone else up on stage that looked just like her.
Now she is a part of the band’s bio and again they connect but this time it’s their past that comes screaming back to the forefront. They are two tortured souls who long for each other. This book was full of darkness and both Erik and Christine wanted to conquer their pasts so that they might have a future.
I will be looking forward for more books to come in this series.
April 13, 2022
Lots of triggers in this book. Readers please be aware of triggers of sexual abuse, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and suicide, as well as BDSM.
I had high hopes for this book when I got it in my Romance Reveal Box, but it was just kinda meh to me. Both main characters have so much going on from their past, with constant hang-ups in the current state because of it, it got a bit tiring.
The sex scenes threw me because of the overuse of Erik having "sinful" lips etc. Some of the wording used seemed a bit juvenile for the topics as well (such as "sitting his fine butt down" type of things.)
Not the best I've read, but not the worst either.
I had high hopes for this book when I got it in my Romance Reveal Box, but it was just kinda meh to me. Both main characters have so much going on from their past, with constant hang-ups in the current state because of it, it got a bit tiring.
The sex scenes threw me because of the overuse of Erik having "sinful" lips etc. Some of the wording used seemed a bit juvenile for the topics as well (such as "sitting his fine butt down" type of things.)
Not the best I've read, but not the worst either.
May 23, 2022
This first book in the Muse of Darkness series focuses on Erik, the lead singer of the band. His journey to a happy end with Christine is not a light-hearted and easy one. Please take the trigger warnings seriously because this book describes the toughest issues possible - rape, self-harm, drug abuse among them. But like the songs interspersed in the story, there is light at the end of the tunnel and the more Christine and Erik interact, the deeper their connection is, the lighter the burden they each carry becomes. Their story is beautifully written and I loved their well-deserved happy ending!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 25, 2021
I thought this was a really good read. There was a poignant and raw beauty to this story that was quite powerful. The story is engaging and entertaining but there is depth here to as this book touches on some series issues. I liked Erik and Christine. Their imperfections made them relatable and perfect for each other. I felt a lot of sympathy for these wounded characters and was very quickly invested and avidly rooting for them to get the happiness I felt they deserved. I am posting an independent, candid review.
December 14, 2021
Erik and Christine's story took me on an emotional roller coaster ride. Their story pulled me in and had me cheering for these two damaged souls to get their happily ever after. The journey to get there wasn't an easy one but it made the ending that much better. Erik is book one and a great start to the Muse of Darkness series. I look forward to reading the rest of the series. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.
December 29, 2021
Tortured Souls 4 ½ stars. - You can feel the brokenness coming from Erik and you can feel the past that Christine is hiding. Both have tortured souls and have chemistry that comes off the pages. It is a compelling story with characters that has depths. You can’t help but empathize with Erik’s and Christine’s back stories. You just want to cheer them on to get their HEA. I received an advanced copy and voluntarily chose to review it.
November 30, 2021
The first book in the Muse of Darkness series. Erik Crawford the sexy front man of Muse of Darkness and Christine Daae's story of two people with dark pasts that they have to get over in order to move forward. I enjoyed seeing their story come together. I want to read the next book. I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 29, 2022
So damaged.
Erik is broken. He hides his darkness beneath his wild ways and rock star life. Christine is broken too but she’s working towards the light. She hears the pain in his voice and wants to help him find a way forward. Both have pasts that want to bring them down. Their story is heartbreaking and hopeful. It won’t be easy but together they’ll find a way.
Erik is broken. He hides his darkness beneath his wild ways and rock star life. Christine is broken too but she’s working towards the light. She hears the pain in his voice and wants to help him find a way forward. Both have pasts that want to bring them down. Their story is heartbreaking and hopeful. It won’t be easy but together they’ll find a way.
June 6, 2022
Muses of Darkness, Book 1
Lead singer Erik Crawford saw Christine Daee at his concert six years ago. He never forgot her and she never forgot him. Both come from tortured pasts, and both overcome those obstacles to find their HEA.
I can't wait to read more from this author's latest series.
Lead singer Erik Crawford saw Christine Daee at his concert six years ago. He never forgot her and she never forgot him. Both come from tortured pasts, and both overcome those obstacles to find their HEA.
I can't wait to read more from this author's latest series.
June 11, 2022
This was heavy on past trauma and its current effects and the rockstar element was much less featured. Technically it was well written, especially given Portuguese is the authors first language.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 14, 2022
Erik & Christine had an intriguing read. I got a copy of the book. And am voluntarily leaving my review.
October 13, 2022
enjoyed book
Want to read
December 26, 2022🎁 FREE on Amazon & on Apple iBooks today (12/26/2022)! 🎁
December 31, 2022
Fast paced emotional story.
Recommend to all
Recommend to all
December 14, 2024
My first book by Liz Gavin and i really enjoyed it. It is not sweet romance, their past is not easy for some people. But i fell in love with this rockband, so cant wait to start book 2.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews