I was familiar with the author already and figured I’d try out her new book. This story was more difficult to connect with and I just wasn’t a fan. I’ll say it was well written and does a good job fleshing out all the characters. I just had a hard time caring what happened to them. I believe everyone should read it and see if they enjoy it. It just wasn’t for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC

I loved this!
Definitely pick this up if you're a fan of The Phantom of the Opera but wanted The Phantom and Christine to get together.
I thought the role reversal worked. It was so interesting to see how each character reacted to their circumstances. I also think it made a retelling we've been seeing a lot of lately, different and refreshing.
The plot is similar to the musical but also different enough that it wasn't predictable.
The writing kept me engaged and fascinated with the story and its characters.
Would 100% recommend!

This was really more like a 3.5 rounded up. I was excited about the premise, as a retelling of Phantom of the Opera. For one, this book's sense of sexiness was not dialed in with.mine, which is generally fine, but it's really hard to convince me to find the 80s hair metal look sexy as described. And the book favored silliness and rock band drama over focusing in on the romance or leaning more into the gothic, both of which I was looking for. Still, I did get really swept up in the climax, even though it's predictable if you know the Phantom story.

Who knew that a completely unhinged, hot-as-hell contemporary gender-flipped retelling of Phantom of the Opera would be such a great book? I thoroughly enjoyed this romance from its dramatic beginning to its crazy, heart-in-your-throat ending.
The FMC Erika is the biggest diva and we love to see it. She suffers a tragic accident onstage, which scars her face and ends her Broadway career. She flees to small-town Nevada and takes up ownership of an old theatre (and brothel) she inherited (amusingly called the Paris Opera House). The author herself calls Erika "unlikable" but honestly I warmed to her after her downfall - she's a woman who knows what she wants, and isn't afraid to take risks.
Christof is surely one of the most amazing MMCs I've read in recent years. He's larger than life - the front-man of a German hair metal band called Nachtmusik and everything that glam sex-god role entails. Fond of eyeliner and not buttoning his shirts, he's actually complete control freak in real life, especially when it comes to the band's success.
Their chemistry and immediate lust is almost enough to spark fire - something that the local Fire Marshal is already worried about as the old theatre's electrical wiring is not up to code. Can Erika save the Paris Opera House from being bought out from under her by the local casino baron? And can these two crazy kids survive the ups and downs of their unquenchable desire to be together? Of course yes, but the ride is so fun.
The side characters bear mentioning too because they are so great, I'd love to see a book about Christof's sister Sibyelle.
How happy I am to have requested this ARC! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher.

I have so much respect for books that really commit to what they are, and Midnight Duet absolutely does that.
I was intrigued from the moment I heard "Gender-swapped Phantom of the Opera" as the early announcements for this book came across my Twitter. Midnight Duet does a fantastic job translating the classic musical to a modern, unique setting with that extra ounce of absurdity to make this a blast to read. This book is full of delightful easter eggs for musical theater fans and had me eager to pick out the next fun reference drop. It takes such a unique spin on the characters and the roles they play in the story. Erika is characterized with all the anger and misunderstanding of the Phantom, without all of the toxicity and possessiveness, that left me really wanting her to find love and someone who cares for her as she is. It builds exceptional sexual tension between Erika and Christof that truly pays off, as well. The side characters are so bright and colorful, and really add an extra flavor of fun to this book. This is perfect for anyone looking for an off-the-wall, fun retelling.

Jen manages to make the secondary characters pop off the page, they are funny and light. The dynamic between Sergei, Sibylle, and Waldo shines without overshadowing the stars, Christof and Erika. Her writing made me laugh, and then in the same breath the vulnerability of the MCs both melts and breaks your heart.

There is a little bit of spice throughout the story, but only one steamy scene.

I loved this book so much I was fan casting in my head and I’ve never had a story come alive for me in that way! I can’t wait to see what else this author has to offer.

I absolutely loved this book! I’ve been intending to read Jen Comfort’s first book, The Astronaut and the Star, for ages… I own it! But all the arcs keep getting in the way. Getting the arc of her sophomore novel ensured I finally read her book, and this was utter perfection! I’m so excited to read her first one now, even though I realize she says they’re very different in style and voice.

A rockstar romance is always a beloved trope, but this has so much more going in - international relationship, writing music together, former broadway star facing a recovery and huge struggles. The rockstar trying to move on and hide a breakup from his band mates, and write a new album while being so intrigued by the owner of the strange building they’re renting to practice, write in and stay in for the new album.

Fascinating and completely unique, and 1000% recommend everyone gives this book and author a try. Nobody will be disappointed! Completely worthy of a 5-star rating. Looking forward to a future re-read, in audio!

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley and Montlake, and this is my honest feedback.

As someone who saw Phantom of the Opera once around the age of 10 years old, I was a bit apprehensive about the premise of this book. But I'd heard great things, so I gave it a shot, and I am so glad I did. While this book certainly pays homage to the musical with tons of references, it's not necessary to be a theatre superfan to enjoy. The immediate chemistry between Erika and Christoph was electric and the cast of secondary characters was so entertaining.

The music group, Nachtmusik (fronted and managed by Christoph) comes to stay at Erika's failing Paris Opera House. Their first language is German, and watching them try to communicate in English to varying degrees of success was laugh out loud funny at times. Particularly Waldo's interpretation of Americana. These characters are larger than life and over the top, but still felt grounded in their emotions and motivations.

Watching Erika and Cristoph reconcile their pasts with their future was beautiful to follow. I pulled out one particular quote that I felt summed up the book best:

Christoph: Must there be a scene at all?
Erika: Yes! My heart is breaking as we speak, and a dramatic exit is my goddamn right as a practitioner of theater!

This book knocked it out of the park for me and I can't wait to read more from this author.

Honestly I love the story this book tells and I love the character (how fun would it be to have a German hair metal band show up in the middle of small town America) the thing I didn’t enjoy was the pacing there were some parts of the story where I wish we could have gotten more and then others that drug on a bit to much but overall all an enjoyable read

Midnight Duet was absolutely bonkers in the best kind of way -- this book knew exactly what it wanted to be, and executed it with perfection. The Paris, NV setting was so unique but visceral, and I loved imagining a disgraced Broadway star landing in the middle of nowhere USA with a chip on her shoulder and something to prove. Erika is my favorite kind of heroine: mean and knows it, but watching her open up to Christof and the rest of the band while learning to forgive herself was a real treat.

I don't usually go for instalove or instalust but I loved the way it was executed here -- I 100% understood why they were attracted to each other off the bat and why they held back on acting on that attraction. When they did come together, their chemistry was explosive and I was rooting for them to find a way to make it work.

The glamour! The music! The DRAMA!

I absolutely loved Jen Comfort’s debut The Astronaut and The Star earlier this year. I read it through Amazon First Reads and loved it so much I had to buy my own physical copy. I was so excited for her next book to come out and I was lucky enough to snag an arc for Midnight Duet and I couldn’t wait to dig in!

Midnight Duet follows fallen Broadway star Erika, now managing a struggling opera house in Paris….Nevada. And Christof, lead singer/guitarist/manager/accountant/problem fixer of Nacht Musik.

Comfort knows how to write a bitch you root for and a golden retriever you drool over. Her MC’s are a refreshing dose of unapologetic smart women who aren’t afraid to hurt feelings to achieve their goals. Is this to their detriment sometimes? Yes! Which makes for great character growth and development, where they don’t learn to become subdued versions of themselves but more emotionally mature, while still strong & independent. And her MMC’s are lovable, loyal, believably flawed and swoon-worthy.

And Comfort knows how to write STEAMY spice! 🥵🔥 My only wish was that there had been more scenes, because I’m greedy like that.

Listen, being born in the 80’s and raised on hair metal, this was 100% in my wheelhouse. I did not want this story to end. Comfort’s writing style is so easy to get wrapped up in. I wanted to stay in Erika and Christof’s little world and keep reading about their rock-infused, sexy fun times in the precariously dilapidated opera house/former brothel.

The only thing that took me out of the story was the very, very end. Without spoiling anything, there was a minor direction taken that was a little unbelievable and I think it could’ve been just *slightly* adjusted to make it more realistic. It was a little too “Sandy and Danny ride off into the sunset” for me. BUT overall, I devoured this book and am already clamoring for Comfort’s next one 🙏
Thank you so much to Jen Comfort and her publisher for the eARC!!

I really loved this one, way more than I was expecting to! Midnight Duet is a retelling of phantom of the opera and it really got me interested once the plot started to take off! I am convinced Erika and Cristof are the perfect pairing and you cannot convince me otherwise.

I’ve seen several reviews of this book using the word “bonkers”, and it’s an apt one. This is not a ‘down on her luck heroine retreats to small town and renovates a theatre’ book; Erika even makes wry reference to that trope. No, this is full-on glam rock meets musical theatre meets opera - high opera or soap opera, there’s elements of both. Erika and Christof are larger than life, flawed characters, sometimes teetering on the edge of caricature but saved by their own self-awareness. There’s supporting characters who bring new meaning to ‘eccentric’, there’s themes of fate and control and what it really means to live life, and there’s a delicious slow burn that builds to both figurative and literal heat. So yes, bonkers is apt - but it’s honestly not a bad thing.

Thank you to Montlake as well as NetGalley for a copy of this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Marketed as a modern gender-swapped retelling of The Phantom of the Opera I knew I needed to get my theatre nerd hands on Midnight Duet by Jen Comfort. And, boy, was it worth it!

Disgraced and disfigured former broadway star Erika turns to a generational dilapidated theatre in a small town in Nevada after running away from New York.

Cristof Daee is a German hair-rock musician aiming to find international fame after a long term relationship ends, forcing his eclectic band to turn to Erika for help.

Bonds are formed as the attraction between Erika and Cristof is undeniable, creating a rift between their professional relationship. Both with loads of trauma are hesitant to give in to the growing love for one another.

Great dialogue and with interesting character you can care about and love, Midnight Duet is definitely one to look out for on your shelves.

Self image and worthiness are big themes in this book, both done very well and written with a lot of care.

Overall, I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

How to even start? When I first heard the premise for this book I was like, "a German-hair metal band meets gender-flipped Phantom of the Opera?!?!?!" If that description gives you pause, ignore that feeling and pick up this book. Jen Comfort's second book is even funnier than her debut, The Astronaut and the Star. I enjoyed every bit of it, from the subtle nods to Phantom, to the hilarious banter and one liners (gotta love a well-placed This is Spinal Tap reference), to the hot, sexy scenes. But the real star of the book is the delightful love story between two seemingly hopeless souls that develops on the page like the beautiful duet that it is. If you are looking for a fun, sexy read with a charmingly ridiculous premise, this is one to pick up. Can't wait to see what Comfort comes up with next.

4.25⭐
NC-17 because this book was HOT

A smutty reverse Phantom of the Opera inspired romance?? Say less!! I was sold the moment I heard about this story and it completely delivered. If you are a Phantom lover and enjoy a slightly dark romance and theater and music, you don't need my review--you just need this book!

Erika is a rising Broadway star when a horrific accident leaves her disfigured, so she moves to Nevada to inherit a failing theater and lick her wounds. To save the theater, she rents the theater out to a German metal band who has a lead singer (Christof) who is attractive and in need of singing lessons (and also some light kink lessons?).

This was one of those slightly bonkers plots that just somehow works because of the inspiration from the source material and the heated tension between the two main characters. Jen does a great job developing these characters and creating some substance even if a few of the twists were too convenient. My one major complaint is that the ending felt a bit rushed.

If you loved Neon Gods and the following series, I feel like you'll love this too. And the Broadway Easter eggs were just so fun too. I hope Jen writes about more characters in this world!

I loved The Astronaut and the Star so when I saw Jen Comfort had a new book, I immediately requested it. Midnight Duet is the story of Erika and Christof and the band Nachtmusik. Erika was a Broadway superstar but after an accident, she left fame behind to run her family's opera house/brothel (not active). Christof is looking for a place to record Nachtmusik's next album and deal with a broken heart.

Erika is definitely a diva and Christof is not that far away from diva status himself. The two of them together are definitely both hysterical and hot. I loved the banter in this book as well as the found family vibes. I loved all the references to various Broadway musicals in addition to the rock music shout outs. This book was just zany, wacky, over the top sexy fun.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story and give the book 3.5 stars. If you need a read that's over the top in all the best ways while still being fun and sexy, I recommend giving this one a shot. Midnight Duet comes out on January 10, 2023. Many thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for an early, gifted copy.

Let me start off by saying that I’d like to thank Wunderkind PR for sending me an early copy of this one to read. What really drew me to want to read this one is that it was pitched as a gender-bent Phantom of the Opera retelling and as someone who loves the musical, I was here for it.

This book actually follows Erika, a former broadway starlet turned recluse after a horrible accident left her badly scarred. She ends up inheriting an old theater that’s been in her family for decades and is living there while trying to figure out what she wants to do. It all comes to a head when Christof emails her to ask if his band can use the venue.

Erika quickly agrees despite the theater being in pretty bad shape. From there, things really start to heat up between the two especially after Erika offers to give him voice lessons during one of his midnight sessions. Obviously, that gives you an idea of where the title comes from and honestly, this book was a major surprise for me.

Since this is my first Jen Comfort, I was a bit nervous, but this book was a delight. I really loved all of the characters especially the members of Nacht Musik but the character I enjoyed most was Erika. While the book does focus a lot on the romance, it was nice to see Erika dealing with all the feelings from her accident and how in a lot of ways, she isolated herself before realizing that people aren’t always that bad.

Additionally, I really enjoyed seeing Erika push Christof out of his comfort zone. The two were such a great match because of that and the chemistry between them was delightful. While I don’t pick up many rockstar romances or musical romances in general, this one was solid.

There were a few issues I had with the book which is inevitable. First, I felt like the book was entirely too long. For some reason, the chapters felt incredibly long, and sometimes, it felt like I was reading a single chapter for 20 minutes. Maybe the book was edited down since I read it but that was a pet peeve of mine.

The other issue I had was with Gillian, who is the band’s keyboardist, and Christof’s ex who ran off. While I do think it added some tension, I felt like that storyline was a bit too overdramatic at times. If anything, it felt like that plot was just a little too over-the-top and I either wanted her to tone it down or ramp it up.

Regardless if you enjoy Phantom of the Opera, love rockstar romances, and don’t mind a bit of over-the-top antics, then you’ll like this one. Plus if you’re a Kindle Unlimited subscriber, this one will be available through the service.

This was fun. Good writing, interesting plot, lots of emotions throughout the book.
But, something’s missing. This was good, but not a “wow, I can’t stop reading it” good. It was just, “you know what, I’m enjoying it” good.
Nonetheless, I am here for it. The characters were very interesting and funny, their worries and fears relatable and their growth was incredible to witness to.
I laughed, I had my heart on my hands and I almost (!) cried.
This was good, not incredible, but an enjoyable book with an awesome cover!

Midnight Duet is the steamy romance musical theater geeks have been waiting for. Leads, Erika and Christof, have sizzling chemistry and a cast of outrageous side characters kept me laughing until the last page. So much fun!