Ladies and Gentlemen, The Phantom of the Opera meets The Greatest Showman in Joanna Davidson Politano’s historical romance novel A Midnight Dance.

Enter Ella Blythe: orphan and dancer at the Craven Street Theater in London during the 1830s. She has formal training from Paris, dreams for a future on the stage, and the dance slippers of her deceased mother, the famous ballerina Delphine Bessette—and nothing more. As Ella pursues her dreams with more and more passion, she becomes more and more tangled in the people and events of Craven’s past and present: the kind principal dancer Philippe Rousseau, the catty female lead Maymie Hayes, the playful choreographer Jack Dorian, and Mama Jo the landlady who knows more than she’ll say about Craven, its mysterious owner Fournier, and the fire that killed Delphine Basset. Tangled in a mystery she’s determined to unravel, Ella comes face to face with secrets that show her more than she ever expected about Craven Street Theater—and herself.

Act 1 of why I loved A Midnight Dance: The Themes
This book spotlights some of the most profound themes of identity and belonging I’ve ever read in Christian fiction. Whether or not you’ve wondered who you really are, searched for a place to call home, or longed for a family to call your own, you will be blessed by these themes as, through the course of the story, Ella embraces the source of her worth and learns to cherish the people who cherish her.

Act 2: The Twist
As if the first 90% of A Midnight Dance didn’t have its own tugs and turns and reveals, just wait for the end. You won’t believe the final twist—and if you’re like me, you won’t see it coming. I was shocked, yet it was perfect and beyond satisfying: a full-circle closure (of all the circles) that’s every reader’s delight and every writer’s dream come true.

Act 3: The Relatability
Every so often you read a book that both delights and embarrasses you with how much of yourself you see in the main character. For me, A Midnight Dance is one of those books. I may not be a theater dancer in 1830s London, but I’m an artist too, and a fellow perfectionist, and also a young woman who has lived in fear. Seeing Ella chase her ideals and put intense pressure on herself—I could relate. And the trapeze scene when Jack pushes her out of her fears—literally—could have been written just for me, a message that my heart needed.

Act 4: The Culture
If there’s one thing I appreciate as much as a story well told, it’s a story well placed: in time, in location, and in culture. Politano’s A Midnight Dance lands all three areas perfectly. Just like in Lady Jayne Disappears, I felt I was there on the streets of nineteenth-century London, in the old church, at the country estate, in the theater greenroom. What I most appreciated, however, was the culture of the time so well represented: the value of the arts, the disdain for professions in theater, the differences between social classes, and the rules of propriety and etiquette. Rather than merely add to the story, these cultural elements fundamentally shaped the story from start to finish.

Act 5: The Romance
I still don’t consider myself a romance reader, yet in the past few years, I’ve found myself reading—and reviewing—some quality historical romances. (Shoutout to fellow reader and writer Lakeisha Heeringa for all her amazing recommendations.) Throughout A Midnight Dance, it’s clear who Ella is in love with and who is in love with Ella. I could tell where and when she felt most comfortable and was her true self, and I could also discern who truly loved her by the way he not only showed kindness to her but also helped her, challenged her, and sacrificed for her. (I think my romance radar is getting better. Do I get points somewhere?) Whether or not you’re a romance reader, if you’re looking for a sweet and wholesome romance story done right, read A Midnight Dance.

To Joanna Davidson Politano’s novel A Midnight Dance, I say “Bravo!” and “Encore!” To the story’s profound themes, satisfying plot, relatable characters, realistic setting, and sweet romance, I give a standing ovation, with a rose tossed to Amy Scanlon for her quality audiobook narration. And to those in the audience who may be settling in their seats for the first time, waiting for the curtain to draw back and the performance to begin, I say, Enjoy the show.