An oddly compelling five-star read. I didn’t know with this one, I honestly felt like I fell in love with Erika as she feel in love with herself. At first I was struggling to read the story, as it was just so hard to get through, but then the fun started and it just kept coming. I loved the whole premise of the story and loved how the Germans fell into the story and just added a lovely element to it, each one added a whole new aspect to the story. Then the theatre itself felt like its own character, when you added all of these together, it can get a little complex and dramatic so you could get a little lost, but somehow this author keeps them all on track and singing from the same sheet. This is a fun and compelling story, that you need to pick up.

This book made me feel warm and fuzzy! The FMC and MMC where incredibly together, their dynamic was musical ;) and incredible.

Where to event start… I absolutely loved everything about this book. The 80’s references, the outfit descriptions, the outrageous overdramatic characters, the rats!! EVERYTHING! I’ll be honest, I went in this with low expectations and ended up having the best time reading it! Phantom of the Opera meets 80’s hair metal?! Sign me up!!

Our FMC, Erika, has inherited a crumbling, haunted opera house and it’s attached brothel. Our MMC, Christof, is the front man for a German hair metal band who is trying to make it big in America. Christof rents out Erika’s opera house to write the band’s first English album. The two are instantly attracted to each other, but try to stay away since Christof is supposed to be dating a fellow band member. Spoiler alert, they broke up, but the rest of the band doesn’t know!

Christof Daae is an absolute puppy! Such a little sweetheart, but with a bossy, domineering side just begging to be let out. Erika Greene is a messy, melodramatic, attempting-to-be-independent, woman, and I loved her journey from bitter and slightly depressed, to fully accepting of her flaws and learning her worth. The banter… so good. The heat… sooooo good. My only wish, more spice! What we get is good, really good, but please, you can’t build it up that much and then only give us a few scenes! And Ms. Comfort, you mentioned pegging, but where was it?! I want more! I need more.

I also wish Christof’s anxiety had been explored a bit more. I did feel like he was taken advantage of by the band and never really respected by them. Even when he finally has the discussion with the band on responsibilities, it seemed like it was blown off and not really addressed.

This book is over-the-top dramatic, cheesy, and doesn’t take itself too seriously which is why it’s such an amazingly fun read! Take a chance on it!

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for the arc. All opinions are my own.

I was nowhere near prepared to love this book as much as I did--OMG! 😍

Picture this:

Gender-swapped rom-com retelling of Phantom of the Opera

with Moulin Rouge level theatrics and costumes

and a German hair metal band

and you get the masterpiece that is 'Midnight Duet'.

"The way he sang it, German was a beautiful language. But not in a dewdrops-and-flowers sort of way; in a velvet-and-sin, pinned-to-the-wall-and-fucked-hard sort of way."

Erika Greene is a Broadway star who loses it all after a tragic accident, she runs to Paris, Nevada to take over the crumbling brothel opera house she inherited. With her funds running desperately low, she rents the opera house out to Nachtmusik--a German hair metal band that hopes to reach international stardom after success in Europe.

"Thanks to Cristof. Her knight in shining . . . gold pants."

This book had me absolutely laughing out loud and smiling like a total idiot. It's so over the top, and yet still completely self aware. It only made me love this story even more! And the writing is so clever! it really sucked me in... seriously I finished this book in less than 24hrs LOL! I can't wait to read more from this author in the future!

Erika starts off as very, very unlikeable...as in the absolute worst but I still rooted for her redemption arc and ugh what a lovely arc it was! 😍 And the drama? Calling her dramatic doesn't even begin to cover it, but it totally worked for me--she even has the floor length silk robe.

The pining?! And the spice?! 🔥 All I have to say is the organ & the costume closet. 👀 YALL I don't even have words this was so good! 🥵

If you're a fan of: Phantom of the Opera, sexy pirates guyliner & men in leather pants, found families forming from the most wildly chaotic friend group, adorably unconventional pets, the thrill of possibly getting caught in the act, & an unlikable heroine learning to love herself, then this book is totally for you

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

The imaginative and inventive characters kept me engaged while the steamy scenes enhanced the story without overshadowing plot. This author is certainly worth following.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Montlake and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

An interesting premise, characters that you want to know.

The premise for this one sounded great, but at the end of the book I felt myself begging for it to be over. I didn't connect to the story or characters and felt that the pacing lacked severely.

This book is bonkers in the very best ways. It is wildly OTT and at the same time self aware. Basically it doesn't take itself too seriously. This book was our perfect match: we love Phantom of the Opera in all its iterations (the original Leroux, the ALW musical, and angsty retellings like Susan Kay's Phantom). We can 100% recommend the book if the name "Christof Daae" makes you smile or if a Spinal Tap reference worked into the book would make you laugh. It's kind of like the contemporary version of Tessa Dare's historicals: it's not afraid to work in broad (hilarious) strokes, with high drama and high stakes that are also really funny. Jen Comfort's choice to make Christof the front man of a glam rock group is also perfect. How better to convey

Basically, this book lives up to every promise in its synopsis. If anything (literally ANYTHING) about "gender swapped Phantom of the Opera retelling that's also a rock star romance" sounds like you might like it, you NEED to read this book. The only thing we would have changed? More spicy scenes featuring Erika and Christof. What's there is HOT and, like, OK fine, probably just the right amount...but why not give us OTT on top of OTT?

We loved it, pick it up, TTYL off to play our pipe organ by candlelight.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

Actual rating: 4.9/5

Time took to finish: 1 day (did it in 2 sittings)

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 we 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 the sweetest!)

As soon as these two met, a lot of spicy tension has been brewing up in the background, and the chemistry between these two are amazing. Whether together as friends or something more, they're an amazing duo. But I do wish there were more spice scenes though.

The character developments were pretty good as well. It was a slow process, but well worth it in the end. 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 it felt like they were kinda just there.

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. I was not paid at all nor in any way to write this.

Erika is a broadway diva but an accident on stage leaves her face scarred. She retreats to Nevada where she inherits a ramshackle opera house. She leases the space to a rock band fronted by Christof Daae. Christof is trying to hold his band together after their keyboardist and his ex-gf left.... Of course, they can't resist each other.

Love all the characters and how vividly they are written. They are all very unique. I love all the little references to Phantom of the Opera. A fun retelling. Totally enjoyed it.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

Thanks to Net Gallery for the Book.
Long story Short to Avoid Spoilers, Music, Broadway, Glam Rock, Classical, Slow burner, Lovers, Duet with a Difference.

Finding contemporary romance that is both fun, funny and sexy is like discovering a 🦄. I hold close the authors who consistently deliver and Jen Comfort is becoming one of those for me.

Midnight Duet is atmospheric, slightly bonkers, and full of fun, heart, & heat. If you adore musicals and theater, this will deliver in nostalgia and backstage feelings. Also, now I've discovered I definitely do have a thing for a certain German glam rock star, one Christof Daae with his long locks and tight ridiculous pants.

What I appreciated the most was Erika Green though, our former Broadway darling who retreats to Paris, Nevada to recover from both the accident that left her scarred and the embarrassment of being found out to be a "bad girl diva who deserved the karma she wrought." Erika is not nice, but she is definitely honest. I was so glad that we didn't get an ableist take on "losing herself" due to facial scarring. Erika definitely worries about it RE how others will react, especially in potential partners, but it isn't what sent her running to Paris.

The spector of the falling apart theater, both Erika and Christof trying to keep their livelihoods afloat, the seething passion between them as they try to keep away, I ate it up!

I'll do a better review closer to pub date, but readers, I loved it.

**I did deduct a bit because of a checkhov's pegging situation and also I would have loved at least one more sexy times scenes; definitely a slow-burner this one, but so horny!

So I started this book, adored it and had every intention of spacing out my reading a bit...and then it was 3am and I was finished.

I loved the idea of an unlikeable heroine, Erika was so charmingly awful at the beginning of the story and then spends the story trying to be a better person following her accident. Christof was a complete cinnamon roll wrapped up in goth hair metal wrapping - and so relatable in his denial of the issues his band is having.

The author's way with words is incredible. The setting was so perfect, I felt like I was in a dilapidated theatre with a hidden brothel, and I can completely picture each character in my head - Erika with her long silky dressing gowns and Christof's gold trousers. Even the side characters are so vividly written - Sybille is an amazing character, absolutely nuts but in the best way.

The development of Erika and Christof's characters and their relationship was so brilliantly done, and the spicy scenes were absolutely unreal, from the moment with the pipe organ onwards you can feel the lust and frustration viscerally.

Thank you to Jen Comfort and Netgalley for the ARC, I loved it!

Format - E ARC

Rating- ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Spice- 🌶 🌶 ( I want those deleted scenes…)

Series- N/A

Troupes- Grumpy /sunshine, guyliner, unlovable heroine, slow burn, small town, rock star

CW- cheating,

I’m not sure what just happened. I’m not sure how I ended up with is book living rent free in my head, unable to stop thinking about it. But here we are.

With a MFC who is instantly dislikable in a place I would never want to go, centered around a genre of music I have very little knowledge of, and yet here I am, with these characters stuck in my head wanting more.

Erika is not the best of us, she’s a diva, a Broadway one, with a flair for drama and theatrics and after her “accident” the visible scares to back it all up. She’s trying though to be abetter person. Christof is not your typical rock star hero, he looks the part and puts on a good show on stage but behind guy liner and pleather pants, and open silk shirts is a secret nervous nelly cinnamon roll sweetheart. Together they make no scene but somehow make a combustable chemistry so hot you will be steaming up your glasses and fanning yourself.

I love the setting of a dilapidated theatre with a brothel off the back. Jen’s descriptive imagery if this century old secret holding building makes it a character all on its own, with narrow passage ways and antique chandeliers and sconces and hole in the middle of the stage, and a (somehow sexy) pip organ. She really sets the stage for this revers phantom of the opera with a sex dungeon and a murder mystery to solve.

This book is hot, and not just cause its set in the desert in the summer. Christof and Erika, set the damn electronic pages on fire, with this slow burn. But Jen delivers, even if there were a few spicer scenes left out. (Jen I want that pegging scene)

This book is very different and from “The Astronaut and the Star” and yet easily recognizable as a Jen Comfort book, and I loved every weirdo, goth chic, drama filled page of it!