Not all ghosts are meant to scare us—yeah, right! But from classic literature to romantic films, we can find that lovable ghosts linger for love and not a place of terror. Here’s a peek at why some hauntings can feel like a comfort-read, and not one of spine-tingling fear. Welcome to our first in the ‘Ghosts in Books’ series…

 

Ghosts in Books: The Lovable Ones, are there any out there?

I’ll be honest, if I ever saw a ghost in real life, I’d freak.

There would be no calm curiosity like some heroine in a romance novel. No, not me. I’d scream until my throat was raw, roll my eyes back, and let my face hit the floor—probably dying from a heart attack.

But ghosts in books?

That’s a different story.

Sure, we have ghosts written to frighten us. But when we flip that coin, you’ll find some ghosts are written to stay—and they’re the ones lingering not for revenge or fright… but for love.

What Makes a Ghost Lovable?

We can’t classify them as huggable when you can’t touch ghosts. So how can ghosts be lovable when some are known to rattle chains or lurk in corners of some spooky manor in a gothic novel, just waiting to scare the life out of you?

But there is another level of ghost, those that haunt in gentler ways.

They are often:

  • protectors rather than predators
  • tied to memory, not menace
  • driven by love, regret, or unfinished emotion (unfinished business)
  • they’re more of a presence than a threat

These ghosts don’t want to harm the living. They simply don’t know how to leave them behind. (Aww...)

Ghosts We Loved Before We Knew They Were Ghosts

Long before “romantic hauntings” became a category, or ghost-whisperers and that poor kid who sees ‘dead people’ became a thing, some of us knew of other gentle ghosts on the page and screen, like:

  • The Ghost of Christmas Past — this guide (re-written a gazillion times) takes our grumpy hero/heroine through the past to show some fun memories and then regret, without instilling fear (except after that first initial shocking introduction)
  • Casper the Friendly Ghost — come on, tell me you didn’t just tap into your childhood with that one
  • Supernatural’s many ghosts — tragic figures bound by unresolved emotions rather than evil, that then become evil and get their bones burned! True story.
  • Charmed’s ghosts — the meddling grandmother was a great touch to the series, and then there were those other ghosts seeking the Halliwell sisters’ help

Ghosts are everywhere in stories, and yet,  modern romantic ghost novels I’ve encountered lean toward horror or grief-heavy storytelling or gothic tragedy. And that’s just not the kind of ghost I love or what I’m trying to share with you today.

I want to show that there are ghosts that have taught us that hauntings don’t have to be horror—they can be filled with heartfelt compassion.

And so I do have one exceptional ghost that not many romance readers may know of…

The Ghost Who Loved Her Enough to Let Her Go

The ghost that stayed with me the longest is from a romance book I have read, and I also watched the black-and-white film and the TV series. Even though I haven’t watched or read it in years, I still remember it well: The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.

The ghost is Captain Daniel Gregg. Cranky he may be, but as a ghost, he isn’t frightening. He’s proud, sharp-tongued, stubborn, and deeply human—despite being very much dead.

What makes this story unforgettable isn’t the haunting itself, but the restraint of this ghost because…

He falls in love with Mrs. Muir.

And she falls in love with him.

Even though they both know it’s impossible.

(*insert dreamy sigh here)

So the Captain does the most devastatingly romantic thing a ghost can do—he lets her go.

Yeah, I know, it’s a box of Kleenex moment.

But the ending?

It’s that heartfelt smile, while you’re still clutching those tissues.

The television series was a lot lighter and more playful. But the film? The book?

Do bring tissues.

Because the real tragedy isn’t the ghost.

It’s time.

But love’s happily-ever-after, well…

(I can’t and I won’t spoil it for you.)

Why Lovable Ghosts Work So Well in Romance

When written with care, a ghost made into a gothic hero can feel emotionally safer than many living characters.

They can’t trap the heroine, considering they’re not of the flesh, but they can offer connection, guidance, and love without possession. Which may be a much deeper love than that of the physical kind.

In these stories, the haunting isn’t the danger. Losing that loving connection is.

That’s why these ghosts linger with us long after the story ends—not because they scared us, but because they loved quietly in a far stronger way, and then they left because they had to.

(*sniffs, and tugs at another tissue from the box)

Not All Ghost Stories Are Meant to Terrify

Maybe lovable ghosts exist to remind us of something simple: that love doesn’t always disappear just because someone does.

Sometimes it stays and watches over those they care about.

And sometimes, most times, they’ll step aside so the living can keep moving forward with their life.

And honestly?

That kind of ghost doesn’t frighten me at all when their sacrifice for those they love speaks volumes to me. And maybe you, too?

Where to Find Your Lovable Ghost in Books

There is this one haunted Lord who embodies everything we love about romantic ghosts—the longing, the restraint, the sense of being caught between worlds—except he was cursed. And that may change everything… He’s waiting for you here >>

 

Read the rest of the “Ghosts in Books” Series: