Hamlet & Juliet

by Clare Edge

The haunted Juliet Capulet and the cunning Prince Hamlet get a love story all their own in this irreverent twist on timeless tales set in a world where all Shakespeare’s characters exist at once…
But fair warning, this is not the Shakespeare from your lit syllabus...
“A gloriously slow-burn romantic fantasy that made me cackle out loud at the joyful, brilliant havoc Clare Edge wreaks on the source material.”
—Bar Fridman-Tell, USA Today bestselling author of Honeysuckle

Since her death and unexplained resurrection, Juliet of House Capulet has been deemed the “Miracle of Verona.” A year after rising from her grave, her mother hopes to find her a suitable husband at the Midsummer Festival at Castle Elsinore. Juliet, however, has other plans—seek out a mystic who might rid her of the ghost of her infamous lover: Romeo Montague.

Meanwhile, Prince Hamlet, plagued by glimpses of the ghost of his late father, seeks someone who might help him communicate with the dead king’s apparition. For he suspects a villain lurks among the royal family, responsible for his father’s death.

When Juliet rescues Lady Ophelia from drowning, she comes face to face with the infuriatingly clever and distractingly handsome Prince Hamlet. Soon, the pair discover that each might hold the key to the other’s ghostly mystery.

But as the two join forces, they unearth not only clues to the malevolent magic taking root across the Continent, but a growing attraction powerful enough to tear a hole between worlds. With the aid of King Lear’s brilliant daughter Cordelia, her quick-witted companions Cesario and Imogen, and the utterly unreliable and maddeningly bumbling Bottom the Weaver, Hamlet and Juliet uncover a conspiracy that threatens the entire Globe.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Retellings, Shakespeare, Adult, Gothic, Fiction

336 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication January 5, 2027

About the author

Clare Edge is an author (and witch) who was raised in the Rocky Mountains. Her books include the middle grade series ACCIDENTAL DEMONS, YA thrillers NATURAL SELECTION & CRUEL INSTINCTS, and the adult gothic fantasy HAMLET & JULIET.

She has too many degrees, too few cats, and often too much or too little blood sugar. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her spouse and their stubborn (and utterly perfect) corgi, Carbs. Clare can be found on most socials as @clarewonders and online at clareedge.com

Reviews

[bri]

HAMLET & JULIET is a lively (or… unalively?) smorgasbord of polyamorous Shakespearean crossover ships and gothic melodrama. Featuring ghostly lovers, otherworldly terrors, and fated romance, this book will be a literary revelry for romantasy fans and freaky nerds alike.

[Marissa C]

The recipe for this book is as follows:
Start with a love Shakespeare. Next, mash up Hamlet & Juliet, and sprinkle in some King Lear, Macbeth, and Midsummer Night’s Dream. One mixed together, add in a sprinkle of sexy seduction, coated with a dusting of magic (of fae and ghost) and voila! You have got yourself Hamlet & Juliet.
This book starts with Juliet, picking up from after well known play, post Romeo’s death, and traveling over to Hamlet, picking up mid-play, post his mother’s marriage to Claudius. Both characters are visited by ghosts of which drive the storyline in addition to some inevitable attraction.
I am not usually one for romance and not always drawn towards dark magic. However, both of these tropes were well done and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed
The love story did NOT go how I thought it would, but I also really enjoyed it.
In addition, all the nods to Shakespeare were well done. I enjoyed little snippets of his writings intertwined with modern language.
I really like what Clare Edge did with the characters of Laertes and Ophelia, though I think Juliet was my favorite character.
I am really curious to see how the rest of the series will unfold. Whilst not necessarily a cliffhanger, I am intrigued enough to want to read another book in this series!
This would be a solid 4, approaching 4.5 for me.
A big thanks to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

[Brooke Johnson]

Thank you NetGalley and penguin random house

I’m gonna start by saying I only finished this book to raise my NetGalley score, that’s how bad it is. I basically hate read the book.

I’m gonna say this book concept had potential but failed miserable at the execution. This felt like someone who hasn’t read Shakespeare since they were in high school trying to write a book with Shakespeare characters. It’s a disappointment to anyone who likes Shakespeare. Just take everything you knew about Shakespeare and throw it out the window because none of it is even relevant in this book.

My next problem with this book is how the characters react. Hamlet is someone who needs to think extensively about everything and he just can not find it in himself to take action. Here he only does action it is totally not like Hamlet at all. Then don’t get me started on Juliet she’s aged up by like 6 years just so the sex scene in this book (which shouldn’t be there because 1) a woman would not have sex out of wedlock during those times and 2) this book reads like a YA book) are legal. Also you would think that if Juliet was revived and older she would’ve learned her lesson not to fall in love with someone so quickly but nope. She falls in love at first sight she’s still acting like she’s 14 when she’s supposed to be 20!

Next the sex scenes are a bit insane. What do you mean they are having ghost Romeo pleasure each other?!?!?!???

Also this author was just trying to throw things in this book to have all the rewriting she did of Shakespeare make sense. It also slightly felt like she took more inspiration from the Taylor swift song than Shakespeare at all (I’m also a huge swiftie so). I honestly can’t believe a book like this is going to get traditionally published. Let alone get an entire series!!!!!

If you like Shakespeare just stay far away from this book, everything we know about Shakespeare is just scrapped and called garbage so she could write this god awful book. If you don’t care for Shakespeare then this could be a book for you. But it’s still a bit out there.

[ting]

call me a shakespeare nerd idc

[BookishKB]

🥀👑 Hamlet & Juliet 👑🥀

📖 Bookish Thoughts

My full review will be shared closer to the publication date.

🖤 What to Expect
• Gothic Romantasy
• Shakespeare Retelling
• Ghosts and Curses
• Enemies to Lovers
• Slow Burn Romance
• Dark Magic
_ _ _

📅 Pub Date: January 5, 2027

Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

[Allison]

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for sending me a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

1.5 stars, I guess. I keep waffling between giving this 1 or 2 stars but this book was so incredibly frustrating and badly written that I’m currently leaving it at a 1 (unless I feel bad later and then bump it up lol.)

This book was super frustrating mainly for one reason: because everyone chooses to believe everything Cordelia (daughter of Lear) tells them despite not once having any evidence ever to back up her claims.

Oh, your dad has gone mad and you happen to see Ophelia, someone you’ve never met before, acting in a strange way? Clearly their madnesses are related! Clearly someone has poisoned them!!

Oh, Juliet has been brought back from death so she clearly must’ve been chosen by both Death AND Destiny! Clearly she is one of fate’s Starcrossed Lovers with HAMLET and not the dead Romeo simply because they both happen to be haunted by ghosts and have crushes on each other!!

And every time, Cordelia basically tells them it must be so because what else could it be? She has all these books about magic and random things but 1) we don’t know why she owns them all and 2) we never find out if any particular book is significant. It really just reads like the author needed stuff to be true without trying to figure out how to make ANY of it plausible.

Honestly, you’d think Cordelia would end up being the Big Bad in the sequel if not for the fact that she’s a member of a throuple where one of the other members is a trans man. (Because if she is the Big Bad, she’s either /really/ tricked the other two, or they’re in on it too, but either way, the optics would just be really bad so I’m thinking not.)

Anyway, the other really ridiculous thing is that Juliet kissing Hamlet apparently opens portals (to death? Another dimension?) where ghosts reside. 🧐 She and Hamlet are trying to bring his father’s ghost into their world to speak with him (so far, they’ve only see him in windows and mirrors) and when it looks like the ritual isn’t working, Juliet gets the idea to kiss Hamlet, which suddenly allows his father’s ghost to appear.

It’s such a bizarre plot contrivance and so of course it’s also not explained well. She just “had a feeling” kissing him would do something. 🙄 Which then means, of course, that they can’t kiss for the rest of the book unless they want to accidentally open another portal. Which they do (on purpose) later on.

That’s also when Romeo decides to close the portal from the ghost side and finally disappears from Juliet’s life. It is never once explained why he was haunting Juliet, or why Hamlet could suddenly see him after he and Juliet kissed the first time. Once again, it all reads as if the author wanted stuff to happen without bothering to figure out why it would happen in the first place.

And other people have discussed the scene where Hamlet and Juliet have Romeo pleasure each other since they aren’t allowed to kiss anymore. All I will say is that this scene really glosses over Romeo’s consent in all of this. Like, he must consent or else the scene wouldn’t have happened, but we never seem him agree to it. More lines are spent on the other two agreeing to it than anything else, which just makes the whole thing weird. (Hamlet and Juliet also do end up having sex at the end of the book so it really just feels like the author threw this threesome in here because she wanted one, not because H&J truly can’t even touch each other or anything.)

So again, my biggest issue with this book is that literally nothing is explained. Things happen because they happen, not because they make sense.

My other problem is with the language used in this book. I get that these are Shakespeare characters but the author apparently took that to mean the entire text should sound like Shakespeare. 1) All that does is make it look like the author wrote this book with a thesaurus next to her. 2) Despite aging up Juliet so she and Hamlet can sleep together, it still somehow reads like a YA book instead of an adult book, which apparently this is classified as. And 3) the chapters are alternating first person POVs between Hamlet and Juliet, but because the author uses the same language throughout the entire book, it gets really hard to differentiate between the two POVs as they sound exactly the same.

So yeah, I really disliked this book. :p

[morgan]

Listen, I had a good time!!

There was a lot about this book that I loved as someone who appreciates Shakespeare but doesn’t have like a deep attachment to his works. I think the author did a great job of mentioning the characters’ typical nature vs how they were behaving in these circumstances and how they were struggling with that, especially Hamlet.

Overall, it’s a fun read, it’s entertaining and a little ridiculous so if you’re a Shakespeare purist just don’t pick this one up.

I think the pacing was great, it’s a quick read. I loved all the characters and the little snippets of their dialogue from their own stories, I think there was the perfect amount of that. I really enjoyed the love story here, they are easy to root for. I also loved Romeo in this story and I would have loved more Ophelia as well.

My complaint with this book is that I don’t think it should be a series. I think making it 100-150 pages longer and completing the story would have been the way to go, I don’t know that I’ll commit to continuous books.

At its heart it’s a fantastical, romantic, little bit ridiculous fan fiction of Shakespeare, and I think it’s a fun way to switch up your reading list while staying in familiar genres.

[Miranda]

2.5/5

It’s not that I didn’t enjoy this. It’s that it evoked almost no emotion in me because everything was already set up for me and I had no wondering that I needed to do.

The writer’s voice was great, the plot was just lacking a lot.

Everything felt really convenient and problems resolved themselves almost immediately. “oh there’s a misunderstanding and they think that Hamlet killed the king? They’re after him? Oh jk his mom pardoned him. Apparently she also pardoned Juliet too for no reason, how convenient”

Also, there was a threesome with a ghost that was promised, and it did happen, but it was really lacking. It happened during a chapter written from Juliet’s perspective, who, at that moment, could not actually see the ghost. Why not just write that scene from Hamlet‘s perspective? Or give Juliet the ability to see the ghost for just this chapter? There’s so much other random unexplained stuff happening in this book, and that wouldn’t have been the most outlandish thing that the author explained away.

Also, the author is marketing this as horrormance. The most horror-coded part of the book is…what…a bird being sacrificed?

[Lucia]

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

[emma ☆°｡⋆]

sounds right up my alley

[Jillian]

Review of advance copy received from NetGalley

A traditionally published Shakespearean polyamorous fanfiction. Not what I was expecting, nor what I really wanted to read.
I’m mildly disappointed. While Shakespeare has never been my favorite, his works are vital to the history of the arts. Going into this, I had no expectations, and I’m grateful for that, because if I had, I would’ve been flabbergasted. Well, more than I already am. The only part I liked was the amalgamation of characters from various plays. It’s like Shakespeare’s brain merged into one world. Here is where I am disturbed:
It’s the 14th century. Yes people knew back then that the world was round, but they probably didn’t call it “the Globe” about a half a million times. After the fifth occurrence, I was annoyed.
The language switched from High Valyrian sounding shit to slang from this century. Not amusing.
I was handheld the ENTIRE TIME, even when I didn’t want to be. Everything was told to me.
Juliet and Hamlet calling out the trope they are, and repeatedly saying that they’re Fated/Starcrossed Lovers. Let me go throw up real quick. And they did Romeo DIRTY.
Why was Nurse all-knowing? She just KNEW everything and anything they needed to know, or she experienced something that connected to something else that was important. I understand that she’s basically Juliet’s mother, but she can be clueless. She SHOULD be clueless. And she definitely should have gotten dismissed for continually letting Juliet run off with Hamlet.
I rest my case. 2 stars.

[Andi]

I like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me a chance at reading this.

Shakespeare is an interesting subject, and everyone has their own interpretations. On top of that, we're studying / discussing works that were written so long ago that people can only infer things to a certain extent when it comes to deeper insights. People change, societies change, but there is always the ever constant when it comes to his work.

So throw that out the window. The author has created her own Shakespeare cinematic universe. Kind of like the Marvel universe, but where all of Shakespeare's characters overlap. Forget that Hamlet was just on or around the era of vikings ; forget Romeo & Juliet took place during the Italian renaissance ; forget King Lear was medieval. They all existed at the same time, and you just have to deal.

Okay. I can deal with that.

Next, Juliet is alive. She died and got brought back to life. Why? That's what this book is going to explain... but not quite fully explain since it is a duology and that we'll not get the full answer until book two. Romeo is currently dead and his corpse is chillin' in the ground while his soul is following Juliet around like some mute obedient hound. Juliet and her mom are off to Denmark for a festival and to attend the wedding of Hamlet's uncle to his mother. So we've discovered what story we're gonna rewrite, it's Hamlet.

This is where the book looses me. The only thing I can probably side with is how Hamlet comes across as bisexual. Men during that time period were really touchy feely and softie to one another, so I can accept him liking both guys and girls. But the absolutely lobotomized version of Hamlet I don't quite agree with. Hamlet is a flighty, crafty, clever little son of a bitch, and we can infer that he isn't that great of a person.. However, the way he is written in this is he is total simp for Juliet and is golden-retriever material. Say what? Juliet is also lobotomized and she does indicate at some point in the book that she is a different girl than how she was prior to her dying and coming back to life, but she has become a bit of a detective and is wooed by this now new version of Hamlet. It's frankly so off-putting that it just leaves me going, all right, what about the story.

So, I can't quite knock the story. It's creative and if you're gonna play with the time periods and all that, fine, go for it. In this Hamlet can't see ghosts, Juliet can. Hamlet wants to see his father 24/7 like Juliet sees Romeo. They get some help from Bottom (from Midsummer Night's Dream) and conduct a ritual to bring forth Hamlet's dad, and that's where the story deviates entirely from the plot of Hamlet. Instead of Hamlet killing the king, it's the ghost of the king (Hamlet's dad) killing the uncle.

There is also this side quest / story / history on 'fated ones' and how Juliet's TRUE fated romance is Hamlet. This is brought forth by the children of King Lear. They're kind of there to act as the brains that help this plot all make sense but not really.

The story started loosing me around this time, because you start seeing more characters deviate from the original story and become villains (also lobotomized versions of themselves). There is also this whole relationship the author is trying to make me accept when it comes to Romeo and Juliet that it's clearly not there but if you squeeze your eyes closed tight enough and forget everything you know about Shakespeare you can accept it. You also really don't understand why Romeo is following them around and acting like some sort of mystical guide who clearly knows something is up and about regarding their fated relationship. (You also bear witness to a scene in which Romeo under Hamlet's orders pleasures Juliet and in turn she uses Romeo to pleasure him.)

There is the fact that this is supposed to be an adult book (see the above bit), but this reads as juvenile and stripped of any sort of nuance and depth that one would get when talking about Shakespeare. Especially two tragic characters such as Juliet and Hamlet. I just have too many issues with what I was left to read that I just closed the book on it all.

I think that if you're reading an adult book that it needs to be clear if your writing is suited at a YA angle. Because this certainly read like YA. These are 20 year old characters (Juliet 20, Hamlet 23) but the things they do and how they act come across like newly minted teens. If you're a fan of Shakespeare you're not going to have a fun time putting your bias at the door. If you're not a fan of Shakespeare, you'll probably love this.

[Maddy Martinelli]

You can read my ARC review of Hamlet & Juliet on my blog, here: https://thepaperworlds.blogspot.com/2....

This is a spoiler-free review! The version I am reading is an ARC - any changes made for the final publication are not reflected in this review. Hamlet & Juliet will be available to purchase on January 5, 2027. Content warnings are available on the author's website.

I would first like to thank NetGalley and Delacorte Press for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review. The concept of this book really drew me in - I loved my fair share of Shakespeare in high school, and while I have not been as great recently in making my way through his works, this was a nice way to revisit his plays in a new and enticing way. The fantasy aspect had certainly been one of the major components that pulled me in - since I have been on a fantasy kick, this immediately caught my eye. The author was able to incorporate a decent amount of Hamlet into her tale, and while not many details from Romeo & Juliet were transferred over into Juliet and Hamlet's story, the essence and background of the play was still there.

The aspect of having Juliet's lips and fingernails be black after she came back to life was a great decision - it allows for a physical and constant reminder to not only Juliet, but to the reader, that she has been through quite an unimaginable ordeal. She continues to carry the loss of Romeo with her throughout this story, both literally and figuratively. Readers have to watch her basically suffer in silence for a duration of this book until she is able to share her sufferings with Hamlet in a most unexpected way.

Hamlet's character has been affected by Death in a different way than Juliet - his father has passed and now his ghost torments Hamlet at every turn. With rumors of the Miracle of Verona surrounding Juliet as she and her mother arrive to his estate, he soon seeks out her in an attempt to put an end to these hauntings once and for all. As Juliet and Hamlet become more entangled in each other's sufferings, more things grow afoot in Denmark and Hamlet's story takes precedence over Juliet's in order to drive the plot forward.

Once you are past the halfway mark, the pacing begins to pick up - and to be quite honest, it was moving a little too fast for my liking at some points. Incorporating aspects from Hamlet is certainly a daunting task, but for readers who have not read the play, I could see this being an issue. Luckily I read it in high school and remembered all of the key players so I was able to keep the momentum going without feeling lost about what to lock in as an important factor. There are more than enough supporting characters in Edge's first installment where they are able to uplift Hamlet and Juliet while having their own storylines that pushed the main one to its climax.

I had fun reading this creative retelling of two influential plays and appreciated the liberties the author took to make it her own while keeping the heart of the plays within the pages. I would have loved to see more character growth from Juliet's side - while growth was present, it was not on the same level as Hamlet's, which made the storytelling a bit uneven in my eyes. If you are looking for a fun new way to experience Shakespeare and enjoy fantasy, this upcoming duology could be right up your alley.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads (maddymartinelli), Instagram (@thepaperworlds), Twitter (@thepaperworlds), and following this blog in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!

[Lilah]

Thank you very much to the author and publisher, and to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hamlet & Juliet is a crossover fantasy romance wherein Juliet miraculously survives the events of her own play and stumbles into those of Hamlet’s. Featuring characters from other Shakespearean works such as King Lear, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Twelfth Night, the story brings together a broad cast on its stage as its events unfold.

I must first commend this book for its dedication to deliberately retelling the source material. Author Clare Edge clearly knows these works intimately, and adjusts and amends their details to suit her story without stripping the characters of their original traits. Perhaps my favourite decision, and one I was curious about, was Edge’s choice to age Juliet up to twenty, thereby making her relationship with twenty-three year-old Hamlet more appropriate for a modern audience. The structure of the novel in five acts is also a nice nod to the source material, and even the lines that knocked on the fourth wall worked impressively well.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the witty and often meta nods to other plays. Hamlet’s indecisiveness, often noted in literary analyses of Hamlet as his hamartia, is alluded to several times. I was also incredibly pleased with this novel’s boldness in acknowledging Shakespeare’s more sexual jokes and taking them a step further; Hamlet himself makes several salacious remarks to Ophelia in the play, and these translate well to his charm in this book. I also liked the queer representation in this book, which was executed quite well and seems to have sown the seeds for further elaboration later in the series.

Unfortunately, my enjoyment of the story was limited by two particular misgivings. The first, while pedantic, is syntax. The novel feels quite overwritten; there were many times when I felt as though sentences were made overlong in an attempt to formalise their tone. I would have much preferred for these lines to be trimmed in favour of leaving room for more character development.

The second issue, for me, was Juliet’s passivity. While she is certainly not demure or meek, there were two opportunities for her stubbornness and determination to shine that went unused, instead given to male characters around her. While I understand that this novel is part of a series, I would also argue that the first book of a series must not rely too heavily on its sequels to show sufficient development in its characters. I had the same feeling about Horatio’s noticeable and lamentable absence from much of the story, particularly because Horatio is often neglected in analyses and examinations of Hamlet (the play).

Overall, readers fond of Shakespeare’s works will likely enjoy the references in this novel. The intrigue, magic, and plot twists are well-executed, and the reinterpretations of the cast are vivid, deliberate, and well-employed.

[Nilufer Ozmekik]

have to admit, the concept alone completely sold me. Combining some of Shakespeare's most iconic tragedies into one gothic romantasy? Say less. Ghosts, cursed lovers, political intrigue, dark castles, haunted royalty... this sounded exactly like the kind of wildly ambitious story I wanted to fall head over heels for.

And while I enjoyed many parts of it, I never quite loved it as much as I hoped.

The strongest aspect of the novel is undoubtedly its imagination. Bringing Juliet and Hamlet together after the endings of their original stories is such an intriguing premise, and I appreciated how the author wasn't afraid to weave characters from several Shakespeare plays into one shared universe. There are plenty of clever nods for readers familiar with the Bard, and the supernatural atmosphere creates an eerie backdrop that perfectly suits these tragic heroes.

I also liked the emotional baggage both protagonists carry. Juliet is trying to escape a past that literally refuses to leave her alone, while Hamlet remains haunted by unfinished business of his own. Watching these two broken souls slowly find common ground made for some genuinely touching moments, and their chemistry was convincing enough that I wanted to keep following their journey.

That said, I struggled with the execution. The worldbuilding occasionally became more complicated than necessary, introducing so many familiar Shakespearean faces and larger magical conflicts that the central relationship sometimes got pushed into the background. I actually found myself wishing the story had stayed smaller and allowed Juliet and Hamlet's personal struggles to take center stage.

The writing also felt somewhat inconsistent. At times it embraced a beautifully gothic tone, while other moments shifted into dialogue and expressions that felt surprisingly modern, making it difficult for me to stay fully immersed. The pacing occasionally wandered as well, especially in the middle, where the mystery lost some momentum before picking up again near the end.

Overall, this is a solid read with an incredibly creative premise that deserves credit for taking such a bold risk. Even though it didn't completely win me over, I can absolutely see Shakespeare lovers and readers who enjoy romantasy with ghosts, curses, and literary retellings finding plenty to appreciate here. For me, it was one of those books where the concept outshined the final execution—but I'm still curious enough to see where this series goes next.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine | Delacorte Press for sharing the digital reviewer copy of this intriguing concept combining epic Shakespeare plays into a romantasy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

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[Ann]

***3 stars***

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is such an interesting premise. A shared Shakespeare universe where characters from different plays coexist and their stories intertwine? I was immediately intrigued, and I genuinely think this book will find the right audience.

Unfortunately....I don't think I am that audience.

My biggest struggle was that it never felt like the reinterpretation came from a real understanding of Shakespeare's original works. I love retellings that take familiar characters, themes, and motivations and twist them into something fresh. Here, it often felt more like the characters were built from the pop culture versions of Hamlet and Juliet (and the Scottish Play, Midsummer Night's Dream, etc.) and not the 3D characters Shakespeare actually wrote. There were moments where minor details were prominantly twisted while the traits that make these characters iconic were lost, making them feel like entirely different people who just happened to share famous names.

I actually think this book has a very specific ideal audience. If your familiarity with Shakespeare comes from having read or seen the plays once years ago—or from the broad cultural understanding of Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and the other classics—you'll probably have a much easier time accepting the reinterpretations and simply enjoying the ride. If, on the other hand, you genuinely love Shakespeare, have studied the plays, or know the characters beyond their pop-culture reputations, your mileage may vary. I found myself constantly comparing these versions of Hamlet, Juliet, Romeo, and the supporting cast to their original counterparts, and those comparisons pulled me out of the story rather than drawing me in.

Ironically, I think I might have enjoyed the book more if it hadn't used Shakespeare's most recognizable characters at all. The overarching story, the mystery, and the interconnected world are creative enough to stand on their own. Instead, the use of these iconic characters along with details from their plays created unmet expectations and frustration.

The writing itself is fast-paced, and I appreciated the ambition of creating a "Shakespeare universe" that blends multiple plays together. It reads a bit more YA but has SPICE so its clearly geared towards adults so be aware. Overall, this was a creative concept that didn't quite come together for me. If you're looking for a loose fantasy romance inspired by Shakespeare rather than a reinterpretation grounded in the original plays, this may be exactly what you're looking for. It just wasn't the right fit for me.

[Jeremy]

My review is probably going to get as weird and absurd as the concept of this story so bare with me.

So you know how all of the Disney Princesses technically live in the same shared world and could visit each other if they wanted to?

Okay now apply that to concept to all of Shakespeare's plays and that is what you're getting here. But now because the worlds can interact, the story changes in this huge "what if" concept that is absurd in the best way possible.

We get our two main characters Hamlet and Juliet from their respective namesake plays "Hamlet" and "Romeo & Juliet." The other half of the latter duo also appears as a ghost and has more of a role than you would initially think. Then we get some King Lear, Macbeth, and Midsummer Night's Dream strewn into the mix.

Clare Edge brings in humor and wit that fits the Shakespearean mold, while also pulling in her own unique brand of writing and representation. Not only are there queer characters in this remaking of Shakespeare, but also a poly relationship and a bit of a paranormal poly situation.

I came into this for the unique mashup of characters and I stayed for the romantic fantasy story that this evolves into. This was such an entertaining story that I read it all in a few hours and now I'm impatiently awaiting book 2.

The only thing I disliked about this was an extreme lack of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. I do hope they show up in book 2!

If you enjoyed Shakespeare's work, but wonder what it would be like if you mashed up his worlds, dropped the iambic pentameter, and watched what would happen if the characters started to interact and magic and ghosts were real, then you'll love this book! This is for the Shakespeare nerds that aren't all about only the most strict of interpretations of his works. Also note that this is very much not a retelling, but more of a reimagining/recreation of characters and plots.

[Ronan]

🎭Title: Hamlet & Juliet
🦴Vibe Check: Shakespeare, Historical Fiction, Retelling
♟️Genre: Fantasy
⭐ Rating: 2.5/5

🎭My Thoughts:
I had such high hopes.

Let me preface with I do not think the story is entirely bad. However I DO think it should have been its own story. Involving shakespeare has done this author a disservice. I found myself increasingly upset as the book went on with how this story was taken. I do not mind retellings, but to throw nearly every single shakespeare story into one book and mash them together. It’s wrong. It ruins their individual stories and the points made to them. The harm Hamlet does to Ophelia is grossly lost within this story, making her madness pointless. Leading to justification being needed for her madness, which let to even worse inclusion. I did not have issue with the original premise, I was even excited about it. But the only way I could see myself enjoying this book is if it was fully separate from Shakespeare. Tell this story with your own characters, it is too far off to be considered a retelling. Another peeve I had, was what was basically a threesome between Juliet, Hamlet, and the ghost of Romeo. That was not at all needed. Finally, and I’m sure this is due to it being an ARC, the content warnings were at the very end. When I had already finished the book. Knowing beforehand that there is animal sacrifice would have been a great help. I believe if the author can, this story should be re-written prior to release as its own story with its own characters.

It is truly a shame.

🦴Standout Elements:

It reads like YA despite being an adult book.

“I find I’m jealous of this fierce love he bears do his mother.”

Genuinely made ruin of Shakespeare’s stories.


♟️Final Thoughts:
I had to genuinely convince myself the characters weren’t those from Shakespeare’s stories to be able to enjoy this major deviation at all.

[Amelia Medeiros]

As always, thank you very much to the author, Clare Edge, Delacorte Publishing, and to NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this one because the premise sounded so fun- a resurrected Juliet, a haunted Hamlet, ghosts, Shakespeare characters from different plays all running around together, AND a romance? The English lover in me was immediately intrigued.

And I definitely had fun with it! I really enjoyed all of the Shakespeare references and little nods to the original plays. There were quite a few moments where I recognized what the author was playing off of, and those were probably some of my favorite parts. I also really liked seeing all these characters interacting when they obviously never would have in the original stories. Such a fun idea!

I thought Hamlet and Juliet were cute together, too. I liked watching them go from being suspicious and annoyed with each other to realizing they might actually understand each other in a way that other people couldn't.

That said, I did struggle with the pacing and some of the plot. There were quite a few moments where things felt a little too convenient, or something happened and I found myself thinking, “Wait...that's it?” I think I just wanted some of the bigger moments to have a little more weight behind them.

I also really wanted more from Juliet. She's been through A LOT, and I thought her resurrection and everything surrounding Romeo had so much potential for her character development. I liked her, but I didn't connect with her quite as much as I wanted to.

Overall, this was a really creative concept and I had a good time reading it. It wasn't a new favorite for me, but I enjoyed putting all these Shakespeare characters thrown together and appreciated all the little references and Easter eggs along the way.

I'm giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[bells]

Rating: 3.75⭐️


This book honestly felt like a fever dream. Not necessarily a bad fever dream, just the kind where you wake up at 3 a.m. staring at the ceiling trying to process what just happened. Because this isn’t really a retelling of Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet, it’s more of a giant Shakespearean what-if scenario, and the concept is honestly so intriguing.

Juliet Capulet mysteriously wakes up five days after her death and is now being haunted by Romeo’s ghost. Meanwhile, Hamlet is dealing with his own ghost problem courtesy of his father. And to make things even worse, a strange madness is spreading throughout the kingdom. Absolutely unhinged setup if you ask me.

Naturally, Hamlet and Juliet end up investigating the mystery behind the hauntings and the madness, and I actually had a lot of fun with that part. The investigation kept me engaged, there were some genuinely fun twists, and it was exciting seeing so many familiar Shakespearean characters woven into the story.

But the romance… I really, really wanted to love it. These are two incredibly complex characters with so much emotional baggage and potential. But for some reason, the chemistry never fully clicked for me. I could see what the book was trying to do, but I never felt that spark. The romance felt a little rushed, and I never quite bought into the emotional connection as much as I wanted to.

Overall, this was an entertaining read with an intricate mystery, witchy prophecies, and ghostly chaos. Shakespearean readers, you’ll probably have a blast. As for me, I’m still trying to recover from the fever dream.


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Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC!

[Emmy]

4.5⭐️
I had so much fun reading this book, I almost finished it in a day.
I'll start by saying I've studied Romeo and Juliet extensively, briefly read through A Midsummer Night's Dream, and that's it. BUT! You don't have to know the plays. This is basically fanfiction (in the best, most fun way).

*All of the characters of all Shakespeare's plays now exist at the same time.*
After the tragic events at the end of R&J, Juliet is back from the dead and she is haunted. She travels to Denmark to celebrate midsummer and the marriage of Hamlet's mother to his uncle (and if her mother has her way, secure a princely hand in marriage).
Hamlet is also haunted. By the ghost of his father. He's convinced there's a plot against him (and increasingly strange things are happening) and his father is trying to warn him, if only he could hear him across the veil. Now, Hamlet is a little emo/goth prince, all indecisive, upset about the things that are happening, but also unsure how to fix things. Until Horatio tells him about the Dream Weaver (it's Bottom).
When Hamlet and Juliet collide, the magic really starts. Through their adventure, they uncover thier destinies and a plot that goes well beyond Castle Elsinore.

Now, this is book one. It did leave off on a HFN, but a lot of unanswered questions.
As a fantasy, fanfic type story, this is REALLY fun. I loved all the little references, the ghosts, the mystery. The romance felt really slow and then all at once, though. Honestly, I wouldn't have complained if the book was longer just to build up the tension and relationship more.

Spice: there's 3 scenes, explicit-ish (very historical romance coded).

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine for an ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

[Kate (k8tsreads)]

Fun concept - but just a little bit too scattered for me.

Juliet comes back to life after killing herself (why?) while Romeo remains dead but continues to haunt Juliet as a ghost (again, why?).

Juliet meet Hamlet, who coincidentally (and canonically) is also trying to track down a ghost (his father). Juliet learns that, well, she sort of has the power to...Do something with ghosts? Actually, I'm not really clear on what she can do. But at some point, she does make a ghost corporeal and it murders a real life person with its suddenly real ghost hands, but it's only real for a little while and Juliet has never been able to make Romeo's ghost do this and yeah....it's just not really very clear in retrospect.

Also Horatio is just very into sleeping around and randomly disappears at some point in this story, supposedly to follow a lover, and I'm just now realizing that this plot never actually got resolved.

ALSO Hamlet and Juliet turn out to be star-crossed lovers, whatever that really means, but it DOES mean that when they kiss they also....can do something with ghosts? Or open a portal to the afterlife or something? Which means they can't really kiss unless they're trying to summon an army of the dead, which means they have some really freaky sex at certain points that may or may not also involve a ghost.

Also, some characters from King Lear make an appearance, and they're trying to figure out why King Lear is going mad because maybe it's connected with Ophelia's madness. So they sort of spill a lot of information about fates and star-crossed lovers but don't really solve anything and also they're in some sort of polyamorous relationship which was sort of random but ok that was fine.

Oh, and also there are witches that fly around in the sky and scare people.

So yeah. That's what this book was about.

Thanks to the publisher for the eARC!

[Ali]

3.5 Stars

Hamlet & Juliet’s premise was a surprisingly refreshing take on a few of Shakespeare’s works. While I cannot speak to the manner in which Clare Edge, the author, incorporated elements of Hamlet, King Lear, and Macbeth, Juliet’s story was intriguing and captivated my attention instantly. Perhaps it is my penchant for the macabre, as well as my affection for modern retellings of classic literature, but I didn’t feel as disappointed by the climax and resolution as some other reviewers did. Yes, the reveal of the true antagonist(s) felt a bit jarring— the scene prior did little to develop such a connection and the novel itself didn’t provide enough of a foundation upon which that part of the story was based. There were too many questions left unanswered as well— the primary one involving the late King and his brother, Claudius. However, the dialogue and the chemistry between Hamlet and Juliet were well done. Hamlet was nuanced enough to not feel wholly obsessed to the point of no return (when he ordinarily would have been) and Juliet’s self-assured manner was unlike her Shakespeare counterpart.

The modernization of the characters probably will put off some of the readers, for they may wish Edge had stayed true to the era. I felt no such discomfort and was impressed by the way in which every change in character and interaction felt authentic to the story.

Hamlet & Juliet will appeal to those who enjoy a bit of camp. I can’t quite explain why, but the novel was genuinely fun to read.

Thank you very much to Delacorte Press, Ballantine, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

[Mariah]

Hamlet & Juliet are the undead musings of a couple who were led astray and the surprising challenges that come from summoning the dead. A tale that truly combines myriad Shakespear lore and stories to create a place where they all connection. A dual point of view that switches between Hamlet and Juliet. Everyone wants to find their ever after but they are currently running from the things that haunt them the most. An interesting conspiracy of horrors that unfolds into one another.
Each point of view abruptly ends so that the other can have their voice. There are cliffhangers at every corner in true Shakespearean style. I took a night to let this narrative marinate before I could think of an honest review. In the moment it felt sudden but in the air of Shakespeare – this abruptness make sense. The characters felt true to their personalities and their interactions were delightful. A productive story of ancient connections and ghosts that just will not die.
This world of terrors is great for any reader who enjoys fan fiction that makes it. This is a deliverance to the fans that wanted to see something more from the characters. Do our stories have to stop at death or is there an alternate universe where we continue? An interesting take with a beautiful cover. Fall in love with the horrors that are bestowed on you. Thank you Clare Edge, Ballantine / Delacorte Press, and Netgalley for this advanced digital copy. All opinions are my own. 4.5 rated up for goodreads.

For tarot readings, recommendations, and reviews, visit my blog https://brujerialibrary.wordpress.com/

[Emily]

Hamlet and Juliet is a beautiful conglomeration of Shakespearean worlds - any fan of his original works will enjoy finding their favorite characters among the cast! You get a true Shakespearean atmosphere with a modern twist in this novel. The characters, the players, the twists and turns and darker aspects of a tragedy all emulate the macabre nature and purpose of each character that are present in the original works, but the story expands far beyond the original plot lines in a new and unique way. Its dark atmosphere, medieval setting, and the characters’ dances with death also make this book perfect for fans of Adalyn Grace’s Belladonna series.

However, I will say that if you’re looking for exact retellings here, you will be disappointed. A lot of creative liberties were taken here (as they should), from the relationships between the characters, to the exact time periods in which each original work takes place, to the amount of supernatural elements and magic weaved throughout the story. This novel is essentially a Romeo & Juliet/Hamlet extension story with a hint of King Lear in an alternate universe.

All in all, I really enjoyed reading this novel - I will say I did sort of separate the original characters from the ones presented here as I was reading, given all of the differences. If you are able to do the same, or if the deviations from Shakespeare’s original works will not bother you, you will have a lot of fun with Hamlet and Juliet!

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of this book! All thoughts written here are my own 🫶

[Erin Leigh]

The concept immediately grabbed me as a classically, trained actress and lover of Shakespeare.

I wrote a TV pilot in a modern setting that was very much in the same vein, but obviously wasn’t the same. I changed names and it was very much an ensemble drama and there was no magic.

Anyway, back to the book. Maybe I’ll do a little pitch a little short synopsis, if you will.

What is more tragic than Romeo and Juliet? Is it Juliet being resurrected, and then being haunted by the mute ghost of her lover?

Well, perhaps she has met her match in the moody and cynical prince of Denmark, Hamlet.

There is a lot of drama, magic, romance, a cast of recognizable character, characters, and forces greater than the arcane bent on pushing them together, and then pulling them apart.

I have been in a reading funk as of late, so this one took me about a week to finish and I refuse to take a break when someone has been nice enough to provide me with a very early copy.

There were a few parts that dragged for me, but I am blaming my mood lately and my fatigue due to an injury.

There is however so much that I love about this book. Juliette is a brilliant FMC. She’s smart, witty, and mature beyond her years. Hamlet is still arriving in his own grief and turmoil. Clare really captures the Danish prince and yet makes him her own.

Their romance and relationship (including a certain ghost at times) is just chef Kiss and there are some really lovely scenes and obstacles for these two.

I cannot wait for the next one and I looked through my highlighted quotes on my Kindle and I saved so many. 😂

[Amanda Koontz]

***Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!***

Without a doubt, this is my favorite read of the year, and I am so glad I was able to get my hands on a copy so soon. This book fulfilled every expectation my Shakespeare-loving, witchy, romance-reading heart ever could have hoped for. The title and premise first caught my attention, but once I started reading, I was completely enthralled page after page. I enjoyed every Shakespearean element woven throughout the story, and each reference I recognized made me genuinely giddy. The ending completely surprised me, and now I need more. Clare Edge, I humbly ask that you continue writing about these two star-crossed lovers, or anything else that comes to mind. I will absolutely be there to read it.

Every character felt well-developed and complex without pulling attention away from the story itself. I loved both Hamlet and Juliet's motivations and the way they complemented one another. Each could easily stand on their own and often did, but together their relationship felt natural and compelling. While this is a romance (and a fantastic one at that), it is also an incredibly well-crafted mystery, which is no small feat given how rooted in Shakespeare the story is. The world (or should I say the globe) built from these various plays was tied together so seamlessly that it felt both original and immersive.

I cannot recommend this book enough!

[Lydia Gordon]

Thanks to Balantine | Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review -

Anyone who is deep in their high-school era "Romeo-and-Juliet-is-the-ultimate-tragic-love-story" era will eat this up. It's cool-alt-girl revisionist Shakespeare, but keep it in the time period in which it was intended. This is not 10 Things or Clueless level adaptation; it's more Broadway's "& Juliet" but make it a little goth instead of pop princess, keep the queer elements, and remix in a few more characters from across the Shakespeare cannon.

For me, personally, a former English major and recovering theater kid (and adult who still loves YA as part of a balanced reading diet), it should have been absolute catnip, but I think it still needs a bit of conceptual tightening. Granted, it's the first in a planned series, so more breadcrumbs of the underlying mythology and magic system may come, but it just felt a bit disorganized. First 50% while we're still meeting characters and setting everything up and uncovering the central mystery, great! Then the last half moves too quickly through an "oh, yeah, and plus this happening - overturning main character's worldview? great. accepted and moving on within a few paragraphs. what's next?" type of plotting for the conclusion to feel truly earned or satisfactory.

[Breanna Hillman]

I really enjoyed this book! It had me hooked from the very beginning, and I didn't expect some of the twists it threw my way. I loved the connection between Hamlet and Juliet, and I'm already excited to see where their story goes in the next book.

One of my favorite things about this book is that it doesn't just borrow characters from Romeo & Juliet and Hamlet. Claire Edge created an entire Shakespearean world. There are references to so many of Shakespeare's other plays, and it was so much fun catching them. I'm definitely not a Shakespeare expert (I only know the basics!), but I still recognized quite a few references, which made the reading experience even more fun.

My only real complaint is that I wish we'd gotten more of Hamlet and Juliet together. I know their romance is just beginning, and given the time period they were in, it made sense that they didn't have more moments together. There were also a few points where I found myself getting a little lost and had to go back and reread sections because I felt like I'd missed something.

Overall, this was a fun and unique read, and I'm looking forward to the next book. I'm definitely a Hamlet girl, and I can't wait to get more of him and Juliet. Their chemistry was my favorite part of the story, and I found their dynamic with Romeo especially interesting to follow.

[Katie Ewell]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! Juliet & Hamlet is a sequel of sorts/retelling of Romeo and Juliet where Juliet has been resurrected and she is constantly haunted by the ghost of Romeo. She and her family travels to Denmark to attend the festival for the marriage between Hamlet’s mother and his uncle. Juliet and Hamlet meet and both discover they are each haunted by ghosts. Juliet agrees to help Hamlet attempt to communicate with his dead father and their plans go seriously awry.

The premise of the book seemed really fun and interesting, but unfortunately the book fell very flat for me. I had to actively force myself to read. The characters felt incredibly one dimensional and lifeless (no pun intended for a book full of ghosts) and the plot became progressively over complicated. I eventually tapped out during the sex scene between ghost Romeo, Juliet and Hamlet. It just totally came out of absolutely nowhere and felt totally out of place and weird. I imagine the publisher was like, hey this book is fine but readers want more smut nowadays. What can you do to amp it up? And the author thought, I know- ghost threesome!! I am sure that is NOT actually what happened. But thats how it felt while reading.