A harmonic mix of humor and steam that will pluck your heartstrings and make you laugh out loud. Readers will swoon every time Erika and Christof appear onstage together.

It’s reasonable to expect that a gender swapped contemporary Phantom of the Opera is going to be bonkers. The genius of Jen Comfort is that her bonkers romance is both almost excessively over the top and extremely well thought out. I loved Comfort’s first book, The Astronaut and the Star, though it is not without it’s faults. Midnight Duet is an even better book and I love it even more. The story is tighter without sacrificing the roller coaster about to fly off the rails feel. It’s sweetly sensitive while also being a bonkers gender flipped contemporary Phantom of the Opera retelling. Comfort dedicated the book to the former theater kids, and yes, that is who it’s for – the adults who can surf big waves of emotion and ideas while also remembering to put sunscreen on first. Jen Comfort is not afraid to go big.

Broadway diva Erika Greene is injured in an onstage accident and is left with scars on her face. She leaves New York City for Opera House (former brothel) she inherited from her grandmother in Paris, Nevada. Christof Daae is the lead singer and manager of a German hair metal band looking for a place to write the English language album that’s going to take Nacht Musik from local sensation to international stars. Erika lies about the habitability of the opera house and rents it to the band for 5 weeks. Christof lies about why the band’s guitarist (and his now ex girlfriend) isn’t with them to write music. Erika is convinced she’s a terrible person who must now hide in the shadows of obscurity (drama!), and she’s also ok with herself exactly as she is. Christof is so tightly wound he vibrates. He is also the most glamorous man you’ve ever seen.

Naturally the lust is instantaneous.

There are secret voice lessons, a sex dungeon, attempts to commune with the spirits, real estate shenanigans, pet rats, secret passages, the Eurovision contest, magical mushroom operas, and a love story for the ages. The framing may be Phantom of the Opera, but it is so much more.

Jen Comfort posted this scene (on Twitter) which is not in the book, so I feel free to share it:

Text (on a purple background): Tonight, she was going to fuck Christof so thoroughly that she embedded herself in his soul. She wasn’t a mere entry in his spank bank; she was going to be his whole fucking economy. He was going to jolt awake at midnight three decades from now, covered in his own cum, with her name on his lips. He could sleep with every curvy, dark-haired woman in Europe and beyond to try and satiate the Erika-shaped craving in his psyche and it still wouldn’t be enough. On his deathbed, he’d grasp at the air, desperate for one last taste of her breasts that would never come, and with a final rattle of breath, he’d leave this mortal plane holding nothing…
Nothing but regret that he’d ever, ever dared to leave her.

If you haven’t read The Astronaut and the Star, you don’t need to for this book, but you should. And then get very excited about Midnight Duet and read it when it comes out in January.

CW: alcohol use, description of recovery in hospital, but no graphic description of accident or injury, infidelity (not between the MCs), financial instability, fire.

I received this as an advance reader copy from Montlake and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.

This author's voice is just not for me, I think the writing is very soaps-esque and OTT to the point I cannot get into the books she writes.

4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this! I wasn’t sure I wanted a reimagined Phantom of the Opera, but I needed it.

Erika Greene is a Broadway star. Shellfish, vane, jealous, she’s the worst. An on stage accident leaves her scarred and devastated. Erika takes off to Paris, Nevada to run an old opera house she inherited.

Christof Daae is a German hair metal rock singer about to breakout with his next album. But the band is held together with duct tape and Christof’s will. He brings his band to the Opera house to write their album. He is head over heels for Erika right away, and she is hooooot for him. But they have a lot to work out together and on their own.

There is some plot for romance/musical reasons, but I didn’t mind. Erika has pet rats names Jean and Javert! They all make a trip to Vegas, there’s a bad guy, a mysterious fire, a ramshackle opera house, scarred heroine, rocker hero, quirky band mates, grumpy/serious combo. The sex is hot too.

Great second book from this author.

*Received a copy for review*
I loved the idea of this story. A gender swapped Phantom sounded so good.
This authors writing style does not work for me. I cannot put my finger on exactly why I don’t enjoy it, but there is something that I cannot connect to.
I tried for 2 months to finish this book but I could not get through it.

After an on-stage accident, Broadway star Erika Greene retreats to the struggling opera house she inherited. Trying to keep developers away, she rents the space to a German band who are trying to make it internationally, whose lead singer is harbouring secrets that could tear them apart.

Firstly, I want to start by saying I don't really like reading dual POVs in books which I know is a personal preference but this one made me cringe with how the two different POVs recounted events from the previous character's chapter.

Secondly, this was advertised to me as a modern, gender reversed retelling of Phantom of the Opera which is why I requested it but it really disappointed with the lack of Phantom vibes.

The plot is formulaic and predictable, Erika is a cliche of a diva, Christof is a cliche of a poser rockstar and the other band members are cliches of weird side characters that don't get fleshed out and are interchangeable.

The two stars are for the ending which I liked and for Sibylle, Misty and the rats, Jean and Javert.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for this arc in return for an honest review.

Midnight Duet is a gender swapped retelling of Phantom of the Opera, with a hero to give a recent Eurovision winner a run for their money...

This book is overly dramatic and completely insane. Every second was a wild ride, and the ending was *chef's kiss*. Definitely one for anybody looking for a fun, totally camp romantic comedy.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

It’s not a bad read, I was drawn in since it’s a story of musicians. I feel a lot of the story is random. Everything is explained in the book but all the events seem a little forced.

This book was everything I was not expecting and I absolutely loved it! I had to get on and do my review as soon as I finished it because I didn't want to forget anything.
This is a Phantom of the Opera gender reversed retelling. I loved Erika Greene as the Phantom, she is deeply flawed and I loved the fact that those flaws weren't glossed over or she didn't automatically stop feeling flawed the moment she fell in love. I feel like for me it's so rare to find a memorable heroine even though she's the main character because I am all about the hero. Erika is struggling to be a better person throughout the book and to make better choices right up until she meets Christof Daae, the front man for a German hair metal band and she immediately wants him. Christof is a leather pants wearing, shirt half-unbuttoned, eyeliner and mascara wearing god. He's an absolute cinnamon roll, but a sexy cinnamon roll.
The chemistry and tension are so good I was hooked from the start. Christof is a control freak who has absolutely no control over anything in his life, especially not his band. He learns from Erika to let go and Erika learns from him that she deserves better and all the things she has always wanted. Together, they created beautiful, chaotic harmony and it's absolute perfection. You want these two to have everything they want. As a reader, I was completely invested in their story.

Plot ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶️.5
Vibes ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dual 3rd person POV

Alright, I'm kind of torn with how I'm feeling about this. On the one hand, I enjoyed the overall plot of the story: former Broadway star flees to small-town where her family has had an opera house for over a century to escape her career-ending accident meets sexy German rockstar trying to find a new sound that will launch his band to international recognition. Their paths meet, they bump heads (and uglies), and they work together towards their mutually beneficial goals: save the opera house and gain international fame. Sounds fun, and for the most part it was.

On the other hand, I found it hard to connect with the characters. Our FMC, Erika, realizes that her so-called Broadway friends and adoring fans only cared about her status and after her accident, she felt isolated and alone. She further isolates herself by staying in the opera house in bumfuck nowhere trying to fix all of its issues and adopting pet rats that she talks to. Erika was described as this selfish, vain, and cruel person as if anything that she did wouldn't be celebrated if she were a man. So her character arc of learning to care for other people and understanding meaningful relationships, both platonic and romantic, just felt childish. In the end when she risks further disfigurement and even death for her pet rats, it's supposed to be this full circle moment where she's caring about someone/something other than herself and her well-being... It just fell flat. Yes, she did grow and change in her time alone and she came to some epic realizations, but it also felt like kind of like an after school special.

Now moving on to our MMC, Cristof... I just didn't like him that much. He's so hellbent on continuing to climb the ladder that he was slowly suffocating his band through his control and determination to keep moving up, up, up. He was so singularly focused that I found myself rolling my eyes every time it was mentioned that the band comes first. However, I can totally see this being a realistic plight. Since Cristof was the only one in the band who was concerned with the management side of things, he defaulted to being the bad cop and it naturally put a strain on their relationships. This totally makes sense to me and is so human so I did come around to appreciate that. But that said, I just didn't really love his character. It's something about a mix of complacency in his 10 year relationship (because yes, he gets out of his 10 year relationship one week before this book starts), to lying to his bandmates for over half the book, to not understanding his ex-gf's need to be free of the band and therefore him, and just neglectful of anything that wasn't the bands current/future success. I wouldn't want him as my partner because he just seemed so oblivious to what it takes to be in a relationship, until of course the very end when he has an epiphany about how much he loves Erika. He's determined to be a martyr when no one but him is asking him to make these sacrifices.

And the way everything was wrapped up just felt super convenient. I won't go into details so I don't spoil anything but it just felt rushed. Some of the inner monologues felt stiff like the language was too formal - I totally get the dialogue being a little strange because Cristof and the band's first language is German (obviously) but even in their thoughts, sentences and sentiments felt too formal. "He seemed to be trying to turn it on, and she decided not to tell him it was out of charge." It's dead, just say the phone is dead 🤦🏼‍♀️

Lastly, there was also some questionable language used.... Erika describes Sergei as a "metrosexual Blade" ... I'm sorry but why is this author using the term metrosexual?? It's outdated and misogynistic. And in Cristof's POV, he described his most precious guitar as "How do Americans call it? Ah, yes- emotional-support pet." Cue my shocked face here. Just completely downplaying the validity of service animals which was frustrating. I don't know, maybe I'm thinking too hard about that and they're just jokes made in poor taste. Overall a cute story, but not my favorite.

*ARC received in exchange for honest review*

My musical theater nerd self loved this gender swapped Phantom of the Opera modern retelling. It's as campy, fun and sexy as you'd want it to be and anyone who loves drama, high heat and divas all over the place will enjoy this one. (And there are just some delightful callbacks to the musical that true fans will enjoy!)

This book was so good, I love the relationships between the characters and the retelling of the phantom of the opera

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

Jen Comfort's sophomore release is as stunning as her debut, The Astronaut and the Star. Midnight Duet is the fresh modern retelling of The Phantom of the Opera I didn't know I needed, but really wanted. The chemistry between the characters is insane, whether it's romantic between Erika and Christof, or fraternal between the siblings( Christof and Sibyelle), or between the band members themselves. Each character has their own well developed, quirky identity and together it makes for a really interesting and unpredictable story. It's sexy, modern, and fresh. Comfort smoothly balances serious topics with on point comedic timing, making for a page turning read.

picked up this book because it was supposed to be a twist of Phantom of the Opera, one of my favorite musical. It does have mentions and similarities with the musical but I really enjoyed the story due to the characters.



The band members were all so quirky. They had their diva moments and made me laugh a little, but even more they were a family. They fought, they bickered, they respected each other, and they loved each other. Erika and Christof had many hot and steamy moments, some of it a little too much for me, but it was easy to skim those sentences and keep reading. The brother/sister relationship rang so true for me. They could fight fiercely but they also loved each other fiercely.



The story of the opera house was interesting and I was waiting for the twist that would save the day or end the day, I was not sure which way the story would go. The way it went was perfect. The final twist was the perfect Phantom moment.

Giving very Phantom of the Opera-esque vibes, this was an enjoyable read that although started slow, really picked up the pace, especially in the second half

Pretty good book overall. If you like music you will love it. Was a little slow to get into at first but once got into moved fast overall. It’s good but I have it four stars as it is not one I feel I will buy to reread.

Midnight Duet is the story of Erika and Christof, two musicians who are thrown together by fate. Erika is a a Broadway diva who has an accident that burns her face and destroys her career. Christof is an up-and-coming German rockstar who is trying to hold together his crazy band while they write their second album. While healing, Erika inherits an opera house in Paris, Nevada but it is falling apart and needs serious money which she no longer has. Christof's band need a space to write and decide upon Paris to get the proper American experience they need to appeal to an international audience. Of course they end up meeting when that space happens to be Erika's ramshackle opera house.

Having read Jen Comfort's previous novel, The Astronaut and the Star, I was looking forward to the same level of wit and geeky backstory. This book is much more of a typical mainstream chick lit book with plenty of sex and "will they or won't they" going on. Don't get me wrong, the characters are well written (Erika is completely unlikeable earlier on in the book and Christof is a poser), the plot develops nicely and is predictably romantic and explicit in places and I enjoyed the story. But the science nerd in me was hoping for more of the previous level of detail behind the character arcs. I don't think it helped that I found Erika intensely irritating for the bulk of the story and she really did deserve what happened to her.

All in all, a decent read with plenty of sexual tension and a predictable "of course they'll end up together" plot. I'll look forward to where Jen Comfort sends us next.

4.5 rounded up
Incredible retelling of Phantom of the Opera. Even though I didn't like Erika, it didn't spoil the book for me. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Midnight Duet

A Midnight Duet

Erika and Chrisof are who we are following in this book.
It's full of drama, but I really enjoyed it. The romance was great, but it was still a fun read. I loved how dramatic both characters were, but it made me love them in their own way. Character development was also good. The romance was also a hit and the pacing was just right!!!
I would love to know more about the supporting characters.

#NetGalley #bookstagram #bookreview #goodreads #MidnightDuet #romance

I have nothing else to say besides I devoured this book. I love romance stories that involve music, and this was no exception.

Right from the start you meet Erika, a stage performer who has fallen from grace and inherited her family's theater and Christof, the head of a German rockstar band trying to be one of the best rock bands ever (he's also just... So adorable!)🥰🥰

As soon as these two met, a lot of spicy tension has been building up in the background, and the chemistry between these two are amazing. Whether together as friends or something more, they're an amazing duo.

Also the spice *chefs kiss*
also I need the deleted scenes pls and thank you!!! 😬😜

The character developments were soo good as well. The romance was a slowburn as well and the pacing was just right!!!

As for the side characters, besides Sibylle, I wish that we got to know more about the other members of the band because I'm just really curious to find out more!!

Tropes included are: Grumpy /sunshine, guyliner, unlovable heroine, slow burn, small town romance.

Overall, I would recommend this book if you love both music and romance mixed together.

Disclaimer: This is an ARC review from NetGalley. I was given this book in exchange for my 100% honest opinion.