Magic Flutes

Book cover of Magic Flutes

Book description

Spring, 1922

Tessa is a beautiful, tiny, dark-eyed princess - who's given up her duties to follow her heart, working for nothing backstage at the Viennese opera. No one there knows who she really is, or that a fairytale castle is missing its princess, and Tessa is determined to keep…

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Opera

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Why read it?

2 authors picked Magic Flutes as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Christina Dudley

Author

As a romance writer, Eva Ibbotsen is who I want to be when I grow up. Her quirky, hilarious, educated, swoony books are peopled with delightful characters, and Magic Flutes is a perfect example.

Tessa works as the wardrobe mistress and general lackey of a Viennese opera company, but she's really the Princess Theresa-Maria of Pfaffenstein. Millionaire Guy Farne buys Pfaffenstein for his beloved fiancee and hires the opera company to put on—what else?—Mozart's The Magic Flute. Love ensues. Absolutely delightful.

From Christina's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Lark Westerly

Author

Princess Theresa-Maria has wonderful breeding but no money and little future in the crumbling Austrian castle where she lives with ancient relations. Rebranding herself as Tessa, our heroine becomes a wardrobe mistress, working for nothing for an opera company almost as destitute as she is. Tessa is much happier until she falls in love with a wealthy man…a poor-boy-made-good, who hires the company to delight his fiancée. With much melodrama, an unlikely pot of yogurt, a drastic haircut, a metaphorical silk purse, and a button, this story wends its opulent way to a happy ending. The hero’s foster mother, Martha,…

From Lark's list on double identities and other selves.