Ophelia by: Lisa Klein

I really liked this book. I have never read Hamlet, but I definitely love this story. I know enough about the story Hamlet that I know what happened, and this is definitely a good twist on the book. And the fact that it is from the heroine's point-of-view is a plus as well. A great love story and I definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a clean romance and a new twist on an old classic.

How foolish I had been to think I was as free as any peasant girl and as worthy as any king's daughter! I gazed out into the forest.

"This courtship is ill fated. No good can come of it for you or me," I said bitterly.

I heard Hamlet sigh. Or was he blowing air on the stuttering fire? I felt him come up behind me and touch my shoulder. He turned me around to face him and kissed me warmly.

The touch of his lips somewhat banished my fears. I realized that Elsinore was for Hamlet, as it was for me, a gilded cage.

"In these woods and cottages there are no envious eyes, no carping tongues, no gossip or lies," I said. "So let us remain in this place always and speak only simple truth to each other." I rested my cheek against the rough homespun of his jacket, knowing that my wish was a vain one.

He is Hamlet, Prince of Denmark; she is simply Ophelia. If you think you know their story, think again.

In this reimagining of Shakespeare's famous tragedy, it is Ophelia who takes center stage. A rowdy, motherless girl, she grows up at Elsinore Castle to become the queen's most trusted lady-in-waiting. Ambitious for knowledge and witty as well as beautiful, Ophelia learns the ways of power in a court where nothing is as it seems. When she catches the attention of the captivating, dark-haired Prince Hamlet, their love blossoms in secret. But bloody deeds soon turn Denmark into a place of madness, and Ophelia's happiness is shattered. Ultimately she must choose between her love for Hamlet and her own life. In desperation, Ophelia devises a treacherous plan to escape from Elsinore forever...with one very dangerous secret.