His Delightful Lady Delia (2022)

About the Book

Book: His Delightful Lady Delia

Series: American Royalty #3

Author: Grace Hitchcock

Release Date: November 1, 2022

Delia Vittoria’s mother has lost her voice at last. After five years of being her diva mother’s understudy, it is time for Delia to assume her place as the lead soprano on stage behind the Academy of Music’s faded velvet curtain. And she is all that stands between the Academy and its greatest threat–the nouveaux riche’s lavish new Metropolitan Opera House.

Kit Quincy never misses opening night, but when his sister begs him to help get her husband out of an Italian opera star’s arms, Kit confronts the wrong Lady Vittoria. When he happens upon the stunning young diva again at Mrs. Astor’s dinner the following night, he attempts to make amends and is instead pulled into a plot to win the great opera war. To draw attention to Delia Vittoria as the new soprano star, Kit is convinced to act as both Delia’s patron and the enigmatic phantom who once haunted the Academy years ago. But when a second phantom appears, more than Delia’s rising career is threatened.

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My Thoughts

I have been a fan of Phantom of the Opera since I was a teenager and saw a movie from the 40s on TCM. I don’t remember much about that movie other than Claude Rains (he was a pretty memorable actor no matter what movie he was in), but my appreciation of the Phantom story began then and grew and grew. I have seen Andrew Lloyd Webber’s play three times on stage, and when Gerard Butler’s version came to theaters in 2004 you better believe I saw the film…many, many times, and then owned the DVD and music soundtrack. You could definitely say I am a Phantom fan. So, when I discovered that the final installment in the American Royalty series by Grace Hitchcock was going to be a Phantom story I was even more excited to get my hands on a copy. I have thoroughly enjoyed each novel in this series, but book 3 is my favorite! I loved every single moment spent with these characters, and the Phantom story is told SO well. It’s definitely a nod to the original storyline, but Hitchcock adds her own unique spin and I really enjoyed it. As far as the plot goes, I was hooked from page one and did not want to put this book down — there might have been a couple of nights I stayed up well past my bedtime reading. I was super engaged the whole read. Hitchcock does a fantastic job of perfectly balancing character action, witty and inspirational dialogue, and honest introspection. Speaking of her characters, they are excellently written. Kit is a fantastic hero. I have loved his character since book one and could not wait to get to his story. The wait was well worth it. He is handsome, he is noble, and he is wise. And he is at that age in life where he knows exactly what matters most and who he wants to spend his time with. I love that he is an “older” hero. He brings wisdom and life experience to his relationships whether those relationships are friendships, family, or more of a courting kind. I also really love how he matches so well to Delia. When she starts to spin out of control, Kit is there to be a peaceful, calming influence. He is her stability in a world that often looks and feels chaotic and overwhelming. Delia is and excellent heroine, and she is 24. She is hardworking, incredibly talented, and super strong in her faith and morals. But she is 24. At the start of this story, she is young and isolated. She needs Kit to come into her life to help her character develop and grow up a little. I love their chemistry. I felt it progresses nicely over the course of the story. But what I really like the most about this couple is that they talk. When problems arise, they are quick to discuss their feelings, their insecurities, etc. And, honestly, it’s because of Kit’s age. He is able to anticipate where Delia’s thoughts are going and he confronts the issues as they come up so there is no festering of ugly feelings or emotions. It’s really quite cool. I love how Kit and Delia relate to one another, how they confide in each other, because it shows a couple actually becoming a couple. It is realistic and I enjoyed every minute of their friends-to-more romance.

His Delightful Lady Delia is an excellent read; one I highly recommend. If you are a fan of the Phantom storyline, or of seriously well-written Historical Romances, or of just plain good storytelling then I highly recommend purchasing a copy of this delightful story today. You will not be disappointed you did!

I received a review copy of this novel in eBook form from the publisher, Bethany House Publishers, via NetGalley in order to review. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.