Ghost Light

by LeeAnne Hansen

Fiona Corrigan and her troupe of actors are mysteriously summoned to a remote Scottish Highlands village in the dead of winter. Fiona is all too happy to be stranded with Patrick, her brooding co-star in this strange village, until his caddish brother enters the picture and complicates everything. Set in the 1920’s, this chilling romance is entangled with twisted family secrets, murder and one, very persistent ghost

Genres: Mystery

347 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 9, 2011

About the author

LeeAnne Hansen was born in Paris, grew up in Oklahoma and now lives in sunny southern California with her husband and cats. She enjoys writing, acting and playing bass guitar. She can be seen gracing the stage in various theaters or even directing. She is a graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City and has studied art and astronomy. She also thoroughly enjoys long walks on the beach.

Reviews

[Nerdish Mum · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I finished Yonder by LeeAnne Hansen, I definitely wanted to read more of her work and am excited for her next novel, so I was incredibly lucky in that LeeAnne sent me an e-book copy of her debut novel Ghost Light in exchange for an honest review.

Ghost Light starts off with a scene from a play and it really sets the tone for the rest of the book. I really felt it sucked you in and made you want to find out more about what the scene was foreshadowing. I also thought the scenes throughout the book really added to the atmosphere and mirrored the goings on in "real life", it was a story within a story.

The plot follows Fiona and a troupe of stage actors,writers, directors in the 1920's and what happens when they receive a summons to an extremely remote village in Scotland. I really don't want to give away too much about the story as everyone needs to go out and read this book so you can find out yourself what happens.

Ghost Light has to be one of my absolute top books that I read in 2015, I've been thinking about it for days after I finished it as the story has really stuck with me. It is beautifully written and the haunting is subtle but poignant and with purpose. I did guess who the ghost was quite early on, but this took away absolutely nothing from the goings on and I did not know what was going to happen.

There is a love triangle which is done incredibly well as I was really routing against one of the leading men in Fiona's life, but by the end I was hoping against hope that she chose him. This surprised me as I normally choose who I like and then I stick with them through thick and thin, so to have my mind changed was a nice touch.

The atmosphere is thick throughout and you really feel that you are there in both time and space and I needed my blanket to curl up under it while reading it. I can honestly say I loved this book (I may have already said this more than once!) and I stayed up extra late on Christmas day just to finish it as I needed to find out how it ended.

Hopefully you can see the review through my gushing and that it makes you want to pick up Ghost Light so that you can let me know what you think.

This was originally posted on my blog http://lifeofanerdishmum.blogspot.co.uk/

[Luccia Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes it takes a few pages to get into a novel, but this is another novel I knew I’d love from the first line. ‘Devon slammed his glass down onto the wooden desk, sloshing whiskey onto his hand.’ Then a very theatrical exchange between two lovers takes place. A few pages on, the passage ends with ‘Then the lights fell to black. And the curtain dropped.’ Fabulous! I knew the novel would mix reality and fiction, real life and stage life, and it did not disappoint.
There are two unusual and impossible love stories, which are linked to form a complex love triangle. The brooding and moody Patrick, and his fiery and impulsive brother, Sean.
The love story in the novel is Fiona’s journey of self-discovery. What does she want from life? What is love? Who does she love? The decision seems easy, at first, but soon their relationships become more intense, and Fiona realizes she desires real love and passion, instead of a romantic idealization of love. The outcome is traumatic, as she continues to deny her need for real love. There are moments she seems to prefer to experience an ideal yet imaginary love on stage, because she is afraid of unleashing her real passion.
It is an intense novel because the characters are a group of actors who travel to an isolated Scottish village, Loglinmooth, just as winter is falling. Most of the action takes place in a spooky castle and a haunted old family theatre, which has been opened for the purpose of their visit, to put on a play. All the characters are well developed; merry Abby, enigmatic, dark Gavin, enthusiastic and encouraging Nicolas, their director, and inspiring and learned Andrew the playwright, to name a few.
There’s a cryptic letter, a mysterious train journey, a disappearing coffin carrying the brothers’ cruel, dead father. A vampire-like butler, a vanished mother, whom many believe to be a ghost, a ghost, a murderous plot, a murderer, a play which mirrors the characters lives, and lots of chilling moments along dark passages and rickety backstage.
It has all the ingredients of an entertaining and chilling ghost story, with engaging characters, a sound plot, and a passionate love story. A wonderful winter read!

[Patricia Romero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ghosts, mysteries, intrigue and romance. Fiona has found a little family in her acting troupe. Each one has a distinct personality. And all of them have their own agendas. Celebrating their latest success on the stage at the local pub, they are approached by an odd man with an even odder request. They are asked to leave on a train headed to a desolate part of Scotland. Fiona's crush, Patrick, gets his own letter and is none too happy about it. He knows this place and hasn't been back in years. And he does not want to go now. However, they do go and Fiona is hoping this will be her opportunity to seduce Patrick. Something about this place, this theater, has all of them acting oddly. I thought I wanted it to end one way and ending up loving how it didn't!

You know you have a winner when you keep repeating WHAT? in every chapter! Ms. Hansen definitely knows how to write ghost stories.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won "Ghostlight" by Leeanne Hanson from goodreads. I was an absolutely amazingly good book. This is a story of a theater troop in the mid 1920's that is invited to put on a play in a strange little town in Scotland. It has it all a dilapidated castle, the handsome rogue, beautiful leading lady, funny best friend and of course the ever present leading man. I could feel the emotions that the leading lady was going through. The whole story just drew you in hook line and sinker. Ms Hanson did a great job of developing the characters and making sure there were a lot of twists and turns in the story plot.

It was a book well done and I look forward to reading more from Ms Hanson.

Keep up the good work

[Lacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was glad to be done with this one. Not scary and not a good love story. The end twist was also just gross.

[Lois Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ghost light by LeeAnne Hansen

Fiona Corrigan and her troupe of actors are mysteriously summoned to a remote Scottish Highlands village in the dead of winter. Fiona is all too happy to be stranded with Patrick, her brooding co-star in this strange village, until his caddish brother enters the picture and complicates everything. Set in the 1920’s, this chilling romance is entangled with twisted family secrets, murder and one, very persistent ghost.

I received this book from twitter on a exchange for the book I was to write a honest review. I was put in contact with the author LeeAnne Hansen ( who is lovely by the way :) )and received the book as a PDF file on December 24th. I started reading Christmas day, I know i’m terrible, and finished on the 29th.

The book mainly follows Fiona and the Berenger brothers (Sean and Patrick) romance wise with a lovely little side romance of Fiona's other co stars Abigail and Andrew.

I loved it straight away. I had never really read anything to do with the theatre and after reading this I will definitely consider more books set around one. Now anyone who knows me knows I'm not one for love stories but the paranormal twist is what drew me to the story. The characters were truly amazing! The main character Fiona won my heart in moments she was so well written she seemed so real. The Berenger brothers are the two characters that made the story for me, the conflict between them and the feelings for Fiona they both have! I loved to see how while the two are brothers they both had very unique personalities but they still have moments when you can feel the tender love of brothers.
The book is set in 1920’s Scotland, for me it really could have been set at any time, it was not written in a way that the language from the time is unreadable but it still keeps true to the Scottish setting.

Now before this book i had never heard of a ghost light (t’is a light that is put on in an unoccupied theatre to appease ghosts, or for safety reasons depending on how superstitious you are) but the idea of it I love, I'm a sucker for superstitions and this one was brought to life wonderfully.


Sean Berenger is a man after my own heart! I loved the scene where Sean and Fiona meet it was brilliantly funny for me. Now throughout the book I expected Patrick and Fiona to get together and for Sean to be left heartbroken, But no I was so pleased to see them happily together! that ending with the surprise wedding and the house made me smile for hours, it was not only adorable but so in character for Sean. The fact that they all end up staying was lovely!
Now on to the juicy parts - the mother's disappearance the story that is told is that the mother was poisoned on stage but then disappeared later, apparently to an hospital/help centre but is never heard from again. Most assume that she ran away from the drunk abuse of a husband. Now years later when their ‘father’ is dead they reunite to solve the mystery they find so much more about their past and they almost lose Fiona in the same fashion as their mother only this time the truth comes out.

when you finally think the plot twists end there is one final one that is the biggest twist of them all! There is deceit anger and death. what more could you want for a big finally?

Over all I loved the book and have put the paperback on my to buy list! I will be definitely reading more by LeeAnne Hansen her writing style for me is amazing.
Overall I’ll give this five stars the characters were well written, the plot was original and held my attention all throughout the story.

[Stephanie Fischer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read!!

Ghost Light by LeeAnne Hansen is a novel about romance, mystery, and drama. An acting troupe is requested to come into the highlands of Scotland in the wintertime. With only a telegram summoning them, they know they will be performing, their trip has been paid in full and are curious as to what they will be performing. Right off the bat, I was definitely intrigued by this story line and the transportation back in time to the twenties. 

I enjoyed reading this story a great deal. I love how LeeAnne developed her characters into friendly people and how her love of theatre and drama was woven into the novel. The acting troupe seemed a lot like a family, a little dysfunctional, but a family and you really felt a part of this troupe as if they were really your own friends.  You definitely get involved in the love triangle between Patrick Berenger and Fiona and Patrick's brother Sean. There are also more romantic relationships that developed with the others characters in the story. The mystery behind this story is really what made me want to drop all daily activities and just sit down and read. The development of it felt a little slow at the beginning but once Hansen started revealing parts of the Berenger boys' past, it really hooked me.

Honestly, Samuel was my favorite character of the book. He is definitely the kind of guy who I would definitely be friends with in real life. His sense of humor and personality were larger than life and it was definitely very prominent throughout the story. Fiona, however, was the one who got on my nerves a bit. In the beginning, her character was a little stiff and desperate for love. I don’t know what it was from the beginning, but she seemed very needy and a little unlikable. However, as the characters dealt with their situation in their new town, LeeAnne definitely developed Fiona into a more personable and likable person. Obviously I didn't want to give away the entire story because I want other readers to form their own opinions.

Ghost Light is enjoyable read. I cannot wait to read the other novels by LeeAnn Hansen has to offer to her readers. 

[Caroline Doab · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was not at all what i was expecting, LeeAnne was kind enough to send me a copy of this for review, as soon as i read the first page i knew i was going to be hooked, The book starts of with the characters acting out the final scene of a play on the finale performance. And from the very first lines of the book i was intrigued.

I don't want to give too much of the story away, but there are some really cool elements to this book that i have enjoyed more than any others, i don't normally like love triangles but..... this one was so different, and i thoroughly enjoyed it. What i really loved was the images of the castle and Scotland that LeeAnne was able to conjure up in my mind, i could see dark night, and mist and shivered often with the characters, not just due to the cold in the book i might add.

I dont want to compare this book to any others that i have read as this one is very different but it put me in mind of Wagner the Ware wolf by George M.W. Reynolds.

If you like Paranormal, Mystery and some love and lust thrown in then Ghost Light is definitely the book for you, i am excited to try get a physical copy of this book and to get a hold of LeeAnne's other books as i truly enjoy her writing style.

i give this book a 5 star rating because usually when i am half way through a book i am already thinking about what i am going to pick up next and i usually read 2 books side by side, i tried to do that in this instance and found i couldn't concentrate on the other book as i really wanted to know what was going on with these characters.

Don't take my word for it pick it up and i guarantee you wont be able to put it down, or if you do it wont be long before the characters are calling you back to them.

[Linda Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story begins with the final scene of a play in a quaint Welsh town. Afterwards, the small troupe is celebrating at a local pub the closing of a successful run of their play and planning the next engagement when they are approached by a stranger with a summons they cannot ignore. Early the next morning, they are boarding a train heading to an isolated village in the Scottish Highlands. They are left stranded just outside the village in the middle of a snow storm. As they all trudge onward towards the village pub, the Broken Piper, the mystery begins to unfold.

There is a castle, a ghost, secrets of long ago, murder, loves lost and hopes of love to be won. Ghost Light has it all. It is mysteriously goose-bumpily and bone chilling in a subtle kind of way. The prose and descriptions are colorful as the author is well adept at painting with words. You can see a very old cemetery, “Overgrown with dead or dying trees, many of the weathered headstones had sunk into the soil, others leaned precariously as if waiting to fall. Tired and longing for rest…” “The crescent moon, half-hidden by clouds, looked like a sinister, winking eye.” “The sky darkened. The moon vanished, and the air took on an electric feel of an imminent storm: the kind of storm that snatches the last of fall and rips it apart introducing the icy grip of winter.”

Ahh, a lot of Shakespeare bantering and a little bit of Poe makes for a very enjoyable read. Ghost Light is spine tingling without the horror scare. The ending will surprise you! Enjoy, I did.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I reviewed this very enjoyable book in return for a Kindle copy courtesy of Book Tips and the fantastic author- LeeAnne Hansen.
I really enjoyed this fabulous saga set in the 1920's following the story of a troupe of theatre actors travelling the UK in the inter-war period. They are sent a mysterious invite to perform a play at the behest of an unknown sponsor in a remote Scottish village and so the real story starts. A love triangle soon forms between the main characters and a play-within-a-play begins to take shape. The star-crossed lovers and the play based upon their family history soon stirs up supernatural occurrences and intrigue. I thought the romance parts of this novels were brilliantly written and completely befitting the plot of the novel.
Ghost Light is beautifully written and the prose is poetical. My beady Librarian eye noticed one or two copy mistakes but I'm sure these could be corrected and all put right. Its a nice long read and is therefore a much more hearty novel to enjoy than a lot of flimsy, quickly read romance/supernatural thrillers available through Kindle. As this book takes place in a wild, wintry Scotland, it would be best read or re-read at that time of year. Maybe it was the Scottish or the supernatural link but it did give me glimmers of Outlander at times.
I'm looking forward to reading more from this great author and am happy to recommend this book to all!

[Niquenya D. Fulbright · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really great read! As a writer myself, I can be very critical of others' writing. I am also one of those infamous grammar Nazis who gets really crazy at every little error within the text. I am delighted to say that there were very few issues with editing within this book - only a handful of missing prepositions. The plot was extremely creative and the characters well-developed. I found myself really caring about each of the characters. I was thoroughly invested in their individual storylines. I also really enjoyed the imaginative way the book followed a traditional script, being that it was separated in Acts. This really brought me in on the theater scene and made me feel as if I were experiencing the same things the characters were. The mysterious and suspenseful details of the paranormal happenings were woven well throughout the story. I found it all to be quite believable. The story also transformed me to Scotland in the early 1900's where the story centered. This story is witty, funny, and incredibly heartwarming. Highly recommended romance novel.

I received an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given a free e-book copy from the author, LeeAnne Hansen, and in return give my honest review.

I would say this is a combination of mystery, romance and paranormal. Three of my favorite genre. Mystery being my #1 choice.

Ghost Light had my attention from the very beginning. It got even better once the troupe got to Scotland and started practicing their part for the play they were to perform. It got better and better as I kept reading and had a hard time putting it down, but I had to because I had cleaning, cooking and kids to take care of, Lol. It kept you wondering what was going to happen next. Just when you thought there wasn't any more mystery-there was more. I loved it! I never suspected it to end like that. I liked all the characters. Some more than others.

This is a book I would recommend to anyone. I'm actually going to start recommending now on my Facebook and Twitter when I'm done with this review. I would definitely read another book from this author. I see Yonder is her most recent book and I'd like to get my hands on it.

[Marichus Real · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given a gifted copy by Story Cartel in exchange for an honest review.
After finishing the play they were performing, Fiona, Patrick and the rest of the troupe directed by Nicholas, received an invitation to go to Loglinmooth, a small town somewhere in Scotland. Little did they know how much their lives were going to change.
A great story full of twists and turns that make impossible to stop reading it. It has all the ingredients a great book needs: love, hate, betrayal, rivalry, jealousy, revenge, forgiveness, etc. You keep guessing throughout the whole book what’s going on, but you never know till the very end. I really enjoy the book, and I recommend it without any doubt.
I just give it 4 stars because it has editing issues that need to be cared of, but apart from that it is a great book.

[Kristie Ennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ghost Light pulls at that part of many women unfortunate enough to know unrequited love deeply. It rings true; Fiona's absolute frustration at Patrick's lack of communication and hideously mixed signals is relatable and makes you hurt for her. You'll find yourself rooting for Fiona to summon her strength and give Patrick an ultimatum, all the while feeling sorry for him for the great losses in his life. Hansen wastes no time picking up the plot and immediately throws you into a mystery that keeps the pages turning. The structure of the text only adds to its theatrical nature; at the end of each act there is always a well-placed moment that will make you laugh, cry, or scratch your head in disbelief. Ghosts, Scottish humor and warmth, and a lovable acting troupe leave you wishing for a part two, beyond the acts.

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ghost Light is an enchanting inter-genre family intrigue/ ghost/ love story/mystery all woven into one. Seems like an undertaking to incorporate all of these elements, and LeeAnne Hansen does it marvelously. The setting is a remote town in 1920s Scotland where an acting troupe is mysteriously summoned during a holiday break.

The sense of abandonment in the town of Loglinmooth with the run down castle and abandoned theater is reflected in the loneliness of the myriad of characters in the story. From Fiona, whose unrequited love pulls at your heartstrings, to the emotionally damaged Berenger brothers, or even the enigmatic butler Jepsen, you find yourself empathizing with each character in turn, all the while wondering who has incurred the haunting of the ghost in the blue dress...

I highly recommend this character driven mystery.

[Nia Ireland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me completely hooked at the opening scene. It's the perfect blend of traditional ghost story, Agatha Christie-esque drama and slightly risque humour along with a good old fashioned love triangle.

The story itself is original and beautifully written, which I noted particularly as this genre can come across as a little overdone. All of the characters are well developed and play their parts well (off colour theatre pun intended). I would recommend this book to any fans of mystery, ghost stories or romance - it ticks all of the boxes.

[Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love to read so when this book arrived I thought I had better get dinner made & my evening chores done before I began reading. Good thing too! This was a page turner of the can't put it down variety! Ghosts, intrigue, a murder and other exciting mysteries in a historic setting - who could ask for anything more? If you are a fan of this genre, or just looking for a really good read this is a book I can happily recommend. I am really looking forward to my next read by this author.

[Chandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow..What a story! Exciting twists again & again! I was quite surprised to see the ending though. I loved the way the author has described Fiona. But the way Patrick finished was not much excepted. Anyways, the hole story and almost all the parts were nicely detailed, in some places it was too detailed though.... The story is worth reading.:)

[Katy Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This clever little novel is like the Vampire Diaries went for an outing to Mansfield Park but bumped into Northanger Abbey in a dark alley before arriving. An interesting 1920s period love story with a few twists and a wonderful read for those "escapist" readers.

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gothic Goodness! It does not get any better!

By: LeeAnn Hansen
Narrated by: Adam Barr

Overall: 5 of 5 stars Performance: 5 of 5 stars Story: 5 of 5 stars
Reviewed: 10-08-22

Fiona Corrigan loves the stage and she loves her costar, Patrick Berenger. For his part, Patrick’s completely into her on stage, but something holds him back from forging the relationship Fiona so desperately desires in life. When their acting troupe receives a strange summons to Scotland, Fiona hopes perhaps some alone time with Patrick will be the magical solution! Little does she know, ghostly apparitions, nefarious goings on, and the appearance of Patrick’s estranged brother Sean, just might get in the way! “Ghost Light” is a fabulously engaging and engrossingly chilling, gothic romance mystery thriller! Beautifully written, this smooth flowing plot kept me entertained and engaged from the opening words to the stunning reveal! I loved that the story featured numerous delightful plot twists, yet made complete sense and left me with no unanswered questions! I also loved the characters! Sean and Patrick! I want one of each! Fiona and Abigail were pure delight! And Andrew and Nicholas! I adored how they were written! All of the characters were so well defined, so clearly outlined that I could “see”them! I could understand their personalities! It made it so easy to love them, and in a few cases, to despise them! No spoilers! I’ll leave it to the listener to sort them out! The narration was magical, truly breathing life into these characters and this story! It allowed me to see the action as it happened! It was stunning and I loved every moment! Ghost Light is a truly fabulous listen in ALL respects. Five stars!

[Biggs_bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all the narrator deserves some series props for all his voices, accents and ages. He did every character with gusto whether they were man or woman, old or young and hit all his accents well!

I liked the book. This actually surprises me. I’m not much for period writing and books that quote literature a lot but I enjoyed this. The play on real life and the stage kept you on your toes, adding in the murder mystery plot, ghost and a love triangle (maybe a square lol) and there’s alot going on. It’s a long book but amazingly done. Really the only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is I didn’t get the feels and anyone that knows me knows that how to get all the stars. It’s funny, it’s spooky and it’s very different. It’s kind of like clue meets, murder mystery meets ghost story meets the stage. I could see this being a super fun movie or tv series though and I would totally be on board to watch.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free. I am voluntarily posting this review and all opinions expressed herein are my own.

I am between 3 and 4 stars on this book. There is a lot of things that I absolutely enjoyed with this book - it has a great premise; there is a lot of good humor and dialogue; the locale; and several of the characters. Some of what brought the story down for me - it was too long because it got bogged down in a lot of description and inner monologues - which were unnecessary. I felt that at times MC Fiona was very immature - especially when it came to sorting out her relationships.

A great positive here was the narrator, Adam Barr. He did a myriad of accents - Irish, British, Scottish, American - for the various characters. He did a very nice job with pacing and made the story more interesting to me.

[Zena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant!
Wow! Brilliant story, fabulous narration!
The plots - yes, more than one - the heroes, the heroine, the villains, the voices and accents - all just as near to perfect as could possible be in one story, so I am more than happy to recommend this audiobook or book, if you prefer.
I voluntarily listened to a copy of the audiobook supplied by the author and the above is my unbiased review.

[Bev Bridges · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic book, what an amazing job done, well written and very good book.
I listened to this book via audio book, the narrator Adam Barr did a great job.
Very good twist in the end 👌 👏🏾
Thanks LeeAnne 😘 😊 🫂
I would recommend this book.

[Bette · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was one of the worst written books I have read. I kept reading because I need something to distract me from the pandemic. But really, I don’t understand why other goodreaders liked it.

[Bobby J McDaniel Jr · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very Very Bad Just very Very Bad!

[Suzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I was given this book so that I could honestly review it. I was torn between 3 stars and 4 stars but ultimately decided on 3. This story follows a group of actors back to a mysterious castle where they must put on a play in order to inherit a lot of money. There is romance, between Fiona and Patrick (the two leads in the play) and Abigail and Andrew (an actress and the writer) and then sometimes Gavin and Sean attempt a go with Fiona.

Lets get down to the positives and the negatives.

Positives:
The underlying story is actually really really good and is what made me finish this book in about 12 hours. (I cheated a little will explain in the negatives) The mysterious castle, the ghosts, the struggle of Fiona to get the guys she loves to notice her, then realizing that what she felt wasn't love at all. The scenes involving the main characters like Patrick, Fiona, and Sean were very well written and had me hooked. I remember at times I would feel my heart racing wondering if Fiona was going to be ok or not. Poor choice of words there I am just doing my best to not give away spoilers. The sex scenes were very well written. You could feel the passion between the characters. It wasn't at all repetitive and it wasn't raunchy either. Sean's character is honestly what made me want this book to be 4 stars because after what his brother did to him and all that he went through I just want him to have the happily ever after he deserves. The acting scenes that were written into the story line were actually eye opening into the characters because it let you kinda see what conclusions they were jumping to when they would go off script. This was unneeded though... so onto the negatives
Negatives:
I personally do not like being able to see into every characters thoughts. This may be for some people but it just isn't for me. Maybe this was just more of an issue because I read it on a kindle so I often had to back up a bit to figure out what mind I was currently reading. The only indicator was that is was in italics. Fiona was the lamest female lead ever. As a woman I was so angry with how she continually threw herself at a man who didn't want her. She was also kind of a slut and for the time period this was written in I was a little confused. Most historical fictions I have read the women are not as brazen with their sexuality as in this story. Now I am no prude so the sex scenes were a positive. Fiona was also very very annoying. Her poor friend Abigail had to suffer though countless petty conversations about Fiona's obsession with Patrick. Then when Gavin spills the beans that Patrick bangs other girls nightly Fiona is crushed... Like honey he never was yours, he never did anything with you off stage. Maybe it is just me, I never got the impression that he was into Fiona for any reason other than she was readily available. Now my least least least favorite thing about this book. The fillers. I read this book in 12 hours partly because I just skipped past all of this monotonous filler description crap. Their in an old castle, I get it. The town is creepy, I get it. At one point I think I skipped 5 kindle pages until I found people talking again. This was a book about adults who acted like children. I read young adult romance all the time so I am used to it, but Fiona and Sean were painful to read through until she finally got some wits about her.

I hope I wasn't too harsh and you may not feel the same way as me reading this book. This is just my thoughts from when I was reading it. I don't want to discourage anyone because like I wrote, the story line was actually very good. I just think there was too much unnecessary filler around it.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

NOTE: This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
This book is about a group of actors that get a mysterious invitation to a town. Unsure of why, the group goes. They soon find out they are there to put on a play at the request of a man who has recently passed. They also learn that if they do not put on the play that they will lose the inheritance that was offered in exchange for the performance at the particular theater. They spend a lot of time between the spooky theater and a spooky castle. Due to being afraid of giving away too much I will just stop there. There was a great mix of mystery, romance and ghosts. I couldn't seem to put the book down because I always wanted to know what happens next. I don't think you could really call it a love triangle, but the main female character had quite an interesting love life. She came to this place with feelings for one character, only to develop characters for another character, found out that a third character that she never even thought of other than a brother was madly (obsessively) in love with her. It was just a mess... but a great mess! ;) The mystery surrounding the castle, the theater, the town itself, and the ghost had me on edge.
The story flowed really well and although it flip flopped here and there from one character to the other it was very easy to follow and I never found myself confused as to which mind I was in at the moment. The setting was in Scotland. There was just enough descriptions to give you the ability to place yourself there which made it real easy to put myself in the story. The characters were believable and I could easily connect with the main characters. One of the main things I liked about the story was how unpredictable it was. Just when I thought I knew, the author would turn around and surprise me. I can't say I really had any dislikes other than I would have liked a little more ending details of how ALL of the characters' lives ended up.
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars because the story line flowed well, it kept me intrigued, and was a great mix of 3 of my favorite genres. I look forward to more work by this author.

[LeeAnne Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed By Tracy A. Fischer for Readers’ Favorite

Oh. My. Goodness. I just had the extreme pleasure of reading an absolutely wonderful book by author LeeAnne Hansen. Ghost Light is a completely charming, interesting, intriguing and lovely work of historical romance. Follow the story of young actress, Fiona Corrigan, as she travels with an acting troupe from city to city. Fiona sometimes has difficulty in figuring out the difference between acting and reality, especially when it comes to her co-star, the handsome and enigmatic Patrick Berenger, and just what his true feelings might be for her. When the acting troupe takes a detour on their way to their next performances in Edinburgh, and Patrick's difficult older brother Sean makes an appearance, Fiona's plans are certainly changed. And when she finds out the true reason for their mysterious departure from their original travel plans, more than just Fiona's plans have changed.

I loved this book. Loved. It. I am a voracious reader, and one of my favorite genres is historical fiction, especially of the romance variety. I must say, Ghost Light is one of the best books that I have come across in a very, very long time. Author LeeAnne Hansen has done a fabulous job in writing a spooky and romantic story with great characters, interesting settings, and an absolutely page-turning story line. Any reader who likes historical fiction, romance, or just a plain great read will love Ghost Light. I highly recommend this book. I am looking forward to more work from one of my new favorite authors, LeeAnne Hansen. With her talent, I am certain that she will not remain undiscovered for long!

[Maria Rivas-mc · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had just finished the Audible version of the author’s ‘Yonder’, which is also set in the early part of the 20th century and has a ghost character who impacts on the living. Both stories are in the gothic theme with romance and mystery thrown in. Somehow, while I enjoyed the basic storyline and several of the characters, Ghost Light didn’t enthrall me as Yonder had. For one thing, a sense of the time didn’t engage me as much, although there was reference to U-boats, period train and car mechanics, and the song, ‘You made me love you’. The author succeeded, however, in creating the sense of place. There seemed to be an abundance of characters and a lot of frenzied (Shakespearean?) rushing around, physical, mental and emotional. In the midst of all of this, the bad guy’s mental and emotional degeneration goes practically unnoticed. For the most part, it is written as a play (in Acts) and includes scenes from an ‘actual’ play - therefore a dramatization of the story would probably be more effective.