Erika Greene is a Juilliard-trained Broadway star about to begin her run as the lead in Les Miserables in New York. She knows her talent is unmatched and has the Tony nomination to prove it. Because of this, she also feels entitled to anything she wants – including her understudy’s boyfriend. When the wronged-woman confronts Erika about the one night stand, she brushes it off and continues to the stage to rehearse. But when Erika is about to begin her number, a stage light comes down and sends Erika to the hospital, ruining her Broadway career indefinitely. Convinced that her ambitions are fruitless, she heads to Paris, Nevada to manage the dilapidated Opera House/former brothel that she inherited from her family. Midnight Duet by Jen Comfort is a gender-swapped Phantom of the Opera retelling in which Erika must pick up the pieces of her life and the Paris Opera House – but soon finds that she is in over her head.

Erika’s accident leaves her permanently scarred. And in the shallow world of Broadway, it is likely that she will never step foot on a production stage again. Her pride drives her to take on the next best thing – the Paris Opera House and attached “residence”. Inexperienced in business and finance, the stubborn diva spends her savings on the building in hopes to bring in new business and revive it to its previous glory. However, a casino developer sets his sights and bank account on the facility. Hence, a determined Erika works to hold onto her family’s inheritance in Midnight Duet – no matter what it takes. 

Predictably, Erika is unsuccessful in her initial endeavors. So she decides to lease the facility to German hair metal band Nachtmusik, headed by lead singer and pseudo-manager Christof. At first, Erika is thrilled for the incoming flow of cash to turn the Opera House around. But when they arrive, she finds herself instantly and overwhelmingly attracted to Christof. Plus, his bandmates think that he is still with his long-term girlfriend and keyboardist. In reality, she dumped him, but has not revealed the truth to the rest of the group. Expectedly, this makes things a bit more complicated than she anticipated. 

Tempted by money, redemption, and lust, Erika must find a way to stave off the greedy developer while somehow turning the Opera House into a profitable venture. This, and sort out her affair with Christof. Afterall, he and the rest of the band are returning to Berlin to record their album at the end of their stay. And time is running out for both of them to be truthful about how they feel. 

Midnight Duet is a different kind of love story – but I’d say lust-story is more accurate (at least for the first half of the book). The sexual tension between Erika and Christof is so strong and detailed that readers will surely blush during some of the steamy scenes. At times it was a bit much, in my opinion. But eventually the heat dies down and our lead couple focuses on the business, the band, and their undeniable growing feelings for each other. The characters help each other grow and face their shortcomings – and come out for the better. 

Comfort paces the story well, and the characters are very likable (Christof’s younger sister, Sybille, is my favorite). Christof’s inner monologues embracing his eccentric style and “badass” personality was entertaining, to say the least. Yet he is also a control freak and believes that disaster would ensue if he let anyone else take over. And being a sucker for character growth, I was happy to see Erika attempt to “be good” while still knowing her worth. Comfort’s talent for writing witty yet authentic dialogue shines through. The book is a very fun read and perfect for lovers of hair metal and former theater geeks. 

 Midnight Duet is available now.