Hamlet's Ghost

Magic Romance #3

by Jane Tara

It’s a comedy of errors when Rhiannon Dee, a gorgeous witch, moves to a country town to renovate an old theater and finds herself torn between the man who owns it, and his father who haunts it.

Kip Daniels has been haunting the Hamlet Majestic for thirty dull years, ever since the stage roof collapsed on him during his performance of Hamlet. All he really wants is to get to the end of the play, but that won't happen while the theater stands abandoned and boarded up. He's resigned himself to an endless limbo ... until Rhiannon Dee moves to town to bring the theater back to life.Rhiannon has fled New York. She can't find work as an actress. She's overshadowed by her family’s hit TV show about witchcraft. Rhi is sick of being seen as a witch and intends to turn her back on the craft. But she quickly discovers she can't escape her gifts, especially when she needs to use them to help one very sexy but sad ghost to cross over.

Genres: Romance, Paranormal

298 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 24, 2014

About the author

Jane Tara has published over a hundred children's books, several plays and five novels. She's a daily meditator, a sucker for a rescue mutt and, most of all, a front-row cheerleader for her two sons. She spent thirteen years wandering the world and lived in five countries but is now happily at home in Sydney.

For more information, and Jane's musings about meditation, manifestation and more, follow her on Substack.

Reviews

[Sally906 · Rating 4 out of 5]

HAMLET'S GHOST is the third book in the Shakespeare Sisters series, the previous two being Forecast and Trouble Brewing, they each work very well as a standalone story. Rhi makes a fabulous leading lady. Her family, at the behest of her overbearing mother, starred in a TV reality show about life as witches. Rhi and her brothers were all included in the show until the three siblings were of an age that they could refuse to appear, something their mother has never forgiven them for. She still feels she has the right to interfere in their lives. All Rhi wants is to be considered a serious actress however the notoriety of her witchy past is typecasting her to second rate shows and commercials. When she comes home one day after yet another serious acting role rejection she catches her best friend and boyfriend having sex on the coffee table, this gives Rhi the push to get as far away from the city as she can so that no one will know who she is. That place is the small town of Hamlet where she falls in love with an abandoned, rundown theatre. She arranges to take possession so she can restore it and show the world she can act. Rhi also meets some local witches, Ann, Chrystal and Tye, who help her reach her goal and convince her to not give up on her destiny. In the theatre Rhi finds the ghostly Kip who in need of help and falls in love with Kip’s son. She also discovers there are surprising links between her present and the past she is running away from. The romance elements, both major and secondary, are there simmering along nicely but they don’t take over the main story of helping Kip move on, however it is love that helps move the story to the eventual very moving climax.

HAMLET'S GHOST is a wonderful light-hearted paranormal romance with a hint of mystery; there are realistic and likable characters, there is personal growth in some of the characters, lots of laughter, misunderstandings and a feel-good ending. What more can you ask for in a book? If you haven’t read any of these books before I strongly urge you to give them a go, you can read them in any order as they are quite separate stories about different branches of the family. Some of the characters from the other books are mentioned in passing, or even make a cameo appearance, but there is no spoilery.

[Donna Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Romance. The Paranormal. Some things that don’t seem like they should fit go perfectly together.
Yes, paranormal romance is all the rage right now, but some writers know how to do it better than others. For humorous, quirky paranormal romance Jane Tara knows how to deliver.
Ghosts
Witches
Hamlet
Humour
Theatre
Romance
What more could you ask for? Although I had to wonder, if you shouldn’t or wouldn’t have fallen for a guy when he was alive, maybe it’s not a great idea to fall for him when he’s dead.
Is this book going to cure disease, solve world hunger, and bring about world peace? No. Is it going to give you a lovely read and a break from all that? Yes.
Who says your love life can’t get better in the afterlife?

“There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” ~William Shakespeare, Hamlet

http://yadadarcyyada.com

[Ionia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much like Jane Tara's other books, this is filled with magic, outstanding characters that are easily loved and quirky, fun writing. I love Jane's stories for their ability to take you away from daily life and make you feel as if you are somewhere else. I also love her sassy writing full of quips that make you giggle.

What made me love Hamlet's Ghost was not just the cast of unique and varied characters, but the setting. The connections between the name of the town and the goings on inside the theatre were brilliant and kept me turning pages. I loved the way she tied the past and familiar characters into this novel but still managed to make it feel new. This could easily be read as a standalone novel even without the primer of the previous books.

My favourite character was Crystal. She's strong and independent and full of life and it affects the characters around her. I'd love to know even more about her story. This was a book that I was sorry to see go and it will be difficult to find something else to read after this--but this is the price you pay for reading Jane's work.

If you are tired of reading books where the female characters are all perfect down to the last fake nail, then this is for you. This author values differences between her characters and they are not all cookie cutter shapes that have been done before. She uses real women of all shapes, sizes and backgrounds to fill her pages. I love that.

The love story(ies) are charming and the romance scenes mild enough for those who don't want to jump into the deep end too soon. You get a sense of each character's personality and that of their match before they end up together and things don't always go exactly as one would expect. Overall I thought this was one of the most delightful reads of the year.

If you like romantic stories with lots of twists and plenty of magic, you can't go wrong here. Definitely a book that deserves recommendation.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

[Donna Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romance. The Paranormal. Some things that don’t seem like they should fit go perfectly together.
Yes, paranormal romance is all the rage right now, but some writers know how to do it better than others. For humorous, quirky paranormal romance Jane Tara knows how to deliver.
Ghosts
Witches
Hamlet
Humour
Theatre
Romance
What more could you ask for? Although I had to wonder, if you shouldn’t or wouldn’t have fallen for a guy when he was alive, maybe it’s not a great idea to fall for him when he’s dead.
Is this book going to cure disease, solve world hunger, and bring about world peace? No. Is it going to give you a lovely read and a break from all that? Yes.
Who says your love life can’t get better in the afterlife?

“There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” ~William Shakespeare, Hamlet

[Eangrysmith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the romance, the comedy and the magic.

[Stacey Elder · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the idea of the ghost being around. But there were a lot of arguments that were supposed to occur based on what happened and it was just brushed off.

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enchanting romance by Australian author Jane Tara, Hamlet's Ghost, though ostensibly the third book in a series featuring the magical Shakespeare family (the first is Forecast and the second Trouble Brewing), works well as a stand-alone.

Frustrated by an acting career going no where, and heartbroken after finding her boyfriend in bed (well on a coffee table to be more accurate) with her best friend, when Rhiannon Dee discovers an abandoned, rundown theater in the small town of Hamlet she decides to reopen it. The Hamlet Majestic has stood empty for almost thirty years, after a ceiling collapse resulted in the tragic death of the former owner, Kip Daniels, during the opening night performance of Shakespeare's Hamlet. His son, Tad, who inherited the property seems to have mixed feelings about the project but Rhi, despite Tad's weirdness, and the objections of her witch of a mother, is determined to restore the Majestic to its former glory and breathe new life into Hamlet's theater.

Hamlet's Ghost is a lighthearted contemporary romance with a hint of mystery, and a paranormal twist.

Rhi is a witch, and though she is determined to disown her heritage in order to disassociate herself from her teenage role as 'Witchlet' and escape her mother's overbearing influence, she learns there is no escaping who you are. I liked Rhi a lot, she refuses to wallow in self pity despite recent events and is determined to make a success of the theater. To do so she has to figure out how to help the former owner, Kip, who haunts the premises, move on.

But there is more than simply unfinished business keeping Kip earthbound, additional drama stems from the surprising links between Rhi's mother, local cafe owner/tarot card reader Crystal, and the ghost. A major theme of the book is the need to make peace with the past, applicable not only to Kip but also several other of the main characters, including Rhi and Tad.

The misunderstandings that keep Rhi and Tad apart during much of the novel stem from an unusual situation. I don't want to give too much away so lets just say a case of mistaken identity plays havoc with their developing attraction. While secondary love-match plots also play out for two of the characters in this story, Annie is torn between two men and Tye is waiting for the man of her dreams, surprisingly I didn't feel the romance, though an important element, overwhelmed the story.

A bewitching read, Hamlet's Ghost is charming and often funny story with appealing characters and a feel-good ending.

[Shree · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: The Review of this book is up @ Readers' Muse

Having read Jane’s previous books I pretty much know what to expect. Her writing is something that I am extremely comfortable with. Her books will make you think effortlessly and make you feel good about yourself after you finish it.

Rhi, our strong willed protagonist has fled New York to make a living herself on her own. She settles down in a small town of Hamlet and rents the local theater to turn it into a full fledged theater only to find it haunted by an adorable ghost.

Like her previous books, our protagonist and other female characters are the strong at heart yet soft and vulnerable. In fact such characters are inspirational when you are down in dumps.
The writing as could be expected from Jane, was beautiful sans the overdo of the drama element that one can expect in a paranormal romance. Her characters as always speaks volumes. Though I felt with this book ,the female characters completely dominated the whole show. I really couldn’t connect much with the male characters. For instance, our adorable ghost who died mid way during his masterpiece act is the crux of the story whom I couldn’t really connect to. This can possibly because the female characters were rather strong and powerful so much so that they shadowed the male characters.

One seemingly positive attribute in Jane’s story lines is the closure that she gives to all her characters. They all get some closure of sorts. Right from the sidekicks who don’t actually influence the story line to the main characters, they “ ALL” get a closure of sorts. I am not a big fan of closures. Somethings are better off without a closure.
My weeny- tiny complaint would be that the story was majorly predictable with few minor truly surprising twists.

VERDICT: Light breezy feel good supernatural read! Go ahead give it a go!

RATING: 3 on 5

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hamlet's Ghost (3 12 stars for fun)

I haven't read anything else by Jane Tara, but this was a great light summer read complete with witches and the ghost of an actor who was dying to play Hamlet.

I'm not a regular reader of romance, in fact, I generally avoid anything that appears to be a "romance novel." On the other hand, I love mysteries, Shakespeare, witches, and ghosts...and I didn't know Jane Tara was considered a romance writer. Which is all to the good because this is a confection of sugar and spice.

Now that my likes are listed, I'll turn to my dislike. Oh, boy, I nearly put the novel down in the first chapter when Rhi discovers her boyfriend and best friend engaged in a new and unique yoga position.

Once that was out of the way, the book proceeds into a cozy mystery set in the tiny hamlet of Hamlet. I'm not really trying to play on words, but can't seem to avoid it. Witchcraft is brewing in Hamlet, and Rhi finds friends and supporters that she didn't have in New York as she tackles turning an abandoned theater into a showplace and heart-felt dream.

If you are looking for a hard-edged murder mystery, you won't find it here. In fact, although there is a death, it was not a murder. This is more of a ghostly mystery with mysterious relationships thrown in.

NetGalley/Momentum Books

Cozy Mystery. July 24, 2014.
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I'm saving the first in this series, Forecast for Carl's R.I.P. Challenge. Thinking ahead for once.

I think I'd want it based on the cover alone!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book in an ARC e-book format from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. To be honest, after the first chapter, I wasn’t sure I was going to like the book. It started with the heroine walking in on her best friend & boyfriend in a compromising position… and had some language I wasn’t a fan of. However, it was a book I’d agreed to read and review, so I went ahead and kept reading. I was actually quite glad I did. Despite the foul language, which was sparser throughout most of the book than it was in the first chapter, it was a cute, quirky read which I enjoyed. The main character decides to renovate an abandoned theatre and finds that it’s haunted… by a very good-looking ghost whose son, the love interest, looks just like him… so much so, that Rhi (the main character) thinks for a while that she’s talking to the same man at times when in fact she’s speaking to a man and his ghost father at different times… which leads to some interesting conversations. Rhi is also a witch, even though she’s trying to downplay that in her new setting, but it leads to some interesting developments as well. The whole thing ends with a very interesting production of Hamlet, and of course, all the love interest stories end up just as they should at the book’s conclusion. All in all, a fun read.

Would I recommend this to my BFF? Probably not, but I would definitely recommend it to my theatre-mom friends who like to read.
Would I recommend this to my teen daughter? Well, actually, I think she’d like it, but I hesitate to recommend something to her with bad language sprinkled throughout, so I guess no.

[Kae Thomas Hawk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of course I liked this book and not just because my daughter's name is Rhiannon. I like when authors put a touch of classic in a book. Kip dies playing Hamlet in the town Hamlet but, the story is so not Hamlet.

Rhi is a witch running away from an overbearing mother and an ex that she found with her best friend. Some best friend huh? Lets just say she has better luck with the new ones she makes in Hamlet where she ends up. On a whim she decides this is where she will stay and reopen the Majestic theater. She will show the world she is a serious actress not a witch like her mom.

When she meets Kip she doesn't realize he is a ghost and later when she meets his son she thinks they are one in the same. This creates some very funny moments. Eventually she figures it out. With the friends she has made putting the theater back in order they help Kip get through the whole play of Hamlet. Past the part where he originally died in order for him to move on.

There is much more going on in this book. The secondary characters are so well written and I could see this having some type of sequel. Try this book out and I am sure you will be glad you did.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Mad about · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all Jane Tara's books and the world of the Shakespeare Sisters with this being another fabulous branch of it.

Rhi has always down played her childhood fame as being a Dee Witch but it's hard to move on when your trying to establish a career where your parents are a household name and your stuck in a niche market. Fed up of her notoriety and heartbroken from a betrayal she leaves New York in search of something more, little did she know that someones been waiting along time for her.

This book was such a fun step out of reality and had me hooked with it's upbeat feel that makes it hard not to be sucked into the fantasy and romance.
Rhi is a great leading lady in every way, very realistic and easy to connect with.
Tad and Kip are a surprise to come but their tale and connection is tragic but utterly amazing for this story.

As it's part of the Shakepeare Sister's stories there are similarities with characters, Taran is featured in this tale before he has his leading role in Trouble Brewing. I read this after but it really doesn't matter in which order their read.

Overall if you want a fun lighthearted romance with a little magic and whit then this book and all Jane Tara's others are for you. Embrace the Goddess!

[Blushing Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hamlet's Ghost is book #3 in the Shakespeare sisters series, and even though I haven't read Forecast (book #1) yet and I read Trouble Brewing just fine as a stand alone book and I believe you can read Hamlet's Ghost as a standalone just fine!

I really enjoyed Hamlet's Ghost, it was a fun, light-hearted, emotionally charged story, with the perfect touch of magical whimsy. The secondary characters were very engaging and enjoyable to read that at times I wanted the story to expand and tell me more about them. Jane Tara does a wonderful job creating a world where you believe in magic and destiny and all the wonderful (and crazy) things that go along with it.

This is a great book to get lost in for a few hours. This was my second Jane Tara book and I will be anxiously awaiting more from this author. If you like a bit of magic with your love stories then this is the perfect blend for you to 1-click away!

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 4.5 stars

“So ‘fess up…is it Tad you like, or me?”
“Holy shit, you’re arrogant. I’m talking about your son and you’re flirting with me.”
“I was alone for nearly thirty years. Can I help it if I get carried away?” Kip grinned.

Hamlet’s Ghost is a very well written paranormal romance that was quite touching as well as a lot of fun. The journey Rhiannon takes to Hamlet, Massachusetts, ends up filling her life with friendship, a sense of purpose, and of course love.

I thought author Jane Tara did a great job of creating characters that were unique, that interacted naturally, and who were very well defined. The dialogue was eloquent, especially amongst the theater actors, but it didn’t come across as fake.

Read More

[Claudia Blanton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I expected a unique book, and that is exactly what Jane Tara delivered. Well written, in a modern and fun voice, that made this one of the better reads of the year, Jane managed to grab my attention from the beginning, and never let it go. A light-hearted romance that is a part of the Shakespeare Sisters Series, but can be read as a standalone book (but why would you? This book will make you want to read all of them!) Jane Tara is a fresh voice in the sometimes stuffy world of romance. Well done!

[Jenn]

The writing just wasn't for me. I kept waiting for the story to pick up and go, but there was too much of telling and not showing. It didn't read or feel like the characters just got to experience things, right from the beginning. There was a mapped out journey and that's how it's going to be - and it left everything feeling off. It's a shame because there were a lot of elements about this I wanted to like, but it just didn't pick me up and take me along the right ride.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this story about a sad but difficult ghost trapped in an old abandoned theatre. The main characters were great. All the secondary love stories were wonderful. I've read all of Jane Tara's books now and really look forward to the next one. This book made me laugh and cry and I was so sad to finish it. I felt like I was saying goodbye to friends.

[Vicki Jaeger · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun romp in the theatre world, with a bit of the paranormal thrown in. Oh, and a couple people finding their soul mates. I enjoyed it, and realized that there are 2 before and more after this one, can't wait to pick them up!