If you are a theatre lover, a drama nerd, and a Phantom of the Opera fan (in all it’s forms), then Jen Comfort’s Midnight Duet will hit you in all the right places. This novel is heavily inspired by the Phantom of the Opera and writing with respect and passion to it’s original material while updating and weaving together a fresh new take on this tale. Comfort’s writing is well paced, sensually romantic and has a delightful understanding of theatre that keep me interested and charmed throughout. Not only am I a lover of the source material, but I am a Freelance Costume Designer and Production Manager in the Seattle Theatre world, and this novel, while fiction, really drew me into the intrigue and struggle of a woman who works in theatre and is trying to keep her families legacy alive.
This retelling is wonderfully reworked and set in an aging theatre in Paris, Nevada where the heroine (Erika) of our story is the “phantom” character who has been scarred after an accident (and “curse”) that has ruined her stage career. In hopes of restoring her family’s theatre that she has inherited, she bring in a German band and is maxing out her credit cards. Jen Comfort works a complexity in our heroine that give her many layers that feel very human, and can at time make the reader not always like her but I different think we grow to respect and understand her. Christof, the lead singer of the German rock band, is the perfect parallel to Christine. He has an innocence and charm to him that make him feel young and bright eyed. He also is attracted to Erika and finds her intriguing. Their midnight music lessons are sexy and sensual and really show how these two have a meeting of minds and hearts. We are also then surrounded by the other band members that add a nice level of humor and light to the novel as the story plays out. In Jen Comfort’s version our bad guy lies in Raoul, who is looking at seizing the theatre from under Erika.
Overall this was a really interesting take on a Phantom story. The characters feel dimensional with things they need to overcome, and are interested in becoming better versions of themselves. Jen Comfort crafts this novel with reverence to the source material, she peppers it with the sensuality that we all hope for and ultimately crafts a fun and interesting story that anyone can enjoy. I am so glad I picked this book up and I am definitely interested in reading Comfort’s first novel and seeing where she goes.
Thank you so much to the PR company for sending me a finished copy of this book, all thoughts and opinions are my own.