2022-11-16
This modern, romantic spin on The Phantom of the Opera stars a former Broadway star and a German rock musician.
When a catastrophic accident on a Broadway stage leaves Erika Greene with a scarred face, she rethinks some choices she'd made in the past and uproots her life to Paris, Nevada. She'd inherited an opera house there from her grandmother; it's in massive need of repairs that she can’t afford, but Erika doesn’t want to sell to casino magnate Raoul Decomte. Her solution comes in the form of German hair metal band Nachtmusik, who want to rent the place while they develop their new album. The band’s frontman, Christof Daae, has always been an ambitious, focused planner, but he was blindsided when his girlfriend and band mate left. He hasn’t yet told the rest of the band: his sister, Sibylle, in tune with the macabre and mystical; Americana-obsessed Waldo; and Sergei, who gives off vampire vibes. Christof is immediately enchanted by opera house proprietress Erika, and she’s equally taken with him. But even when they act upon their attraction, Christof reminds himself that the band comes first. Musical theater fans will lap up all the references, but this romance populated by big personalities will appeal to anyone who likes their love stories on the zanier side. For a story with so much lust, there are only a few richly described intimate scenes; it’s more of a slow burn in that department. Sometimes the story loses sight of the tension that propels it and meanders a bit, but the characters are always compelling.
Charmingly bonkers.
Midnight Duet [is] a gender-swapped “Phantom of the Opera”—which means the heroine, delightfully, gets to play the villain’s role. Erika Greene is ambitious, brashly confident, hedonistic, sharp-tongued, and sexually demanding….The electricity between Christof and Erika is instant and explosive.” —New York Times
“Charmingly bonkers.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Comfort delivers a high-heat, high-volume contemporary romance…The spicy sex scenes titillate, and the plot is leavened with humor and unabashed silliness.” —Publishers Weekly
“Scorchingly hot, delightfully snarky, surprisingly sweet…this fun, bonkers, genderbent modern take on Phantom of the Opera is everything I didn’t know I wanted.” —Cathy Yardley, author of Role Playing
“Midnight Duet delivers on its delightfully bonkers premise! Funny, sexy, and heartfelt, it takes the archetypes we think we know—the Broadway diva and the arrogant rock star—and reveals humans who learn, grow, and love.” —Eden Appiah-Kubi, author of The Bennet Women
“The steamy romance novel pipe organists have been craving.” — Jennifer Bardsley, author of Talk of the Town
“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!” —Addie Woolridge, author of The Bounce Back
“Jen Comfort takes two larger-than-life leads, incendiary sexual tension, and a hilarious scene-stealing supporting cast and dials the amp all the way up to eleven in Midnight Duet—a romance that’s dramatic, campy catnip for theater lovers and angst lovers alike. It’s a horny romp that also accomplishes a heartfelt exploration of loneliness, growth, and belonging—ultimately unbreaking two broken people who realize the power of letting go and letting others in.” —Jen Devon, author of Bend Toward the Sun
