Nora Roberts is the queen of romance. I could end my review right there and have it speak for itself!

Sonya MacTavish is stunned to learn that she has inherited a house from a relative no one knew existed. After going through several problems with her ex-fiance, she decides to accept the inheritance and moves into the incredible Victorian manor. Like many plots that Nora Roberts weaves, this story is haunting and filled with ghosts, both literally and figuratively.

Also a given in Nora Roberts books is her immaculate storytelling prowess. I was immediately engaged in the book and interested in the characters... and the ghosts that haunt them.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a difficult review for me to write. On one hand, the concept and setting of this book were incredible. The idea that a woman inherits a mansion full of mysteries and ghosts- sign me up. However, I don’t feel as though we got that story. Sonya moved into the mansion and there were ghosts. We occasionally had hints of them cleaning up messes, throwing a ball, playing music (this ghost was one of my favorite characters). But, the rest of the book was taken up by descriptions of Sonya’s career and culinary trials. It felt as though this cast of characters were passively solving the ghost mystery. How this wouldn’t be their top priority is odd to me. Of course, people need to keep living, but how do you not immediately research and learn everything you can about the haunted manor you’re living in? One of the ghosts communicates through music and they barely ever ask her questions beyond the names of other ghosts. I feel like she would have been my go-to resource, given the amount of song knowledge she has. She could have answered almost any question.
I did like the characters. Cleo and Sonya’s friendship is refreshing as they are endlessly supportive of one another. Sonya and her mother, Winter, get along so well. The romantic relationships that develop are cute, not too deep and I think that’s okay for this book as I expected more of the mystery to take up the plot. Speaking of the characters, besides their lack of desire to solve what is going on in the manor, all of them have it very together. They don’t seem to have flaws other than Sonya’s lack of cooking skills, which she masters very quickly.
The ghosts stole the show for me. They were funny without technically saying a word, helpful and kind (with the exception of one, which I won’t describe in detail due to spoilers). There were some great eerie moments, showcasing where this story could have gone.
I think this trilogy is better suited to a standalone. It was dragged out too much, allowing a lot of space that was filled with descriptions of Sonya’s job, Cleo’s painting, and dinners with friends. Some of this is valuable as it shows relationship development and the world, but a lot of it could have been cut. I don’t think I’ll pick up the other books unless I know that they are not paced the same way. It did end on a great cliffhanger that encourages you to read the next book, but I am wary.
The setting had a great feel to it, I just needed the mystery and ghost portions to take center stage instead of the day to day.

I fell right into this book. It’s my first Nora Roberts and it’s made me want to pick up everything in her wide backlist. I really enjoyed this.

Everytime Nora writes a trilogy, I am on pins and needles waiting for each book to come out.

This book left us on one very suspenseful cliffhanger. Sonya not only finds out that her late father had a twin, but left her a manor in Maine. The catch is she has to move in.

What starts off as a new adventure uncovers something sinister that has plagued her father's family for generations. Every first bride has always tragically died on their wedding day.

Seven brides fell prey to Hestor Dobbs, and she stole each ring from each bride.

The manor is not only haunted by those lost brides, but Hestor herself as well as a few others.

Sonya must find the stolen rings, and break Hestor's curse.

When I say Nora Roberts can take you, the reader, on journey, I don't say that lightly. She leaves no detail out, she keeps the reader on the edge of their seat, and her ability to give you the shock and awe factor to keep you wanting more are just small fractions of what makes her books so enjoyable.

Plain and simple, Nora Roberts is just an amazing author.

Now I just have to sit impatiently, and wait for book number 2.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I was so happy to get an opportunity to review this book, even though I’m running a little behind schedule! Nora Roberts never disappoints and I look forward to see what comes next in this trilogy! It’s what I can only describe as a romantic ghost story for the ages. It was very well written, I just hope I get more characters backstories in the upcoming books. I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes creepy stuff mixed with romance.

This was my first Nora book and I loved it so much! I can't wait to read the rest of the trilogy.. I loved the friendships/relationships between the female characters. I appreciated how the male characters let them be the center focus. My only complaint was the hero's use of the word "cutie" but I can let that go considering how much I loved the story.

I have read many Nora Roberts books over the years and love pretty much all of them, but this one is not on my list of favorites. The premise is cool: a woman, Sonya, is gifted a mansion on the coast of Maine from a distant relative she knows nothing about. After a failed engagement and a decision to leave her job to start anew, she realizes she can take on the challenge of moving to a new place. What she finds when she gets there is a haunted house, loveable townsfolk, and possibly a new love in Trey. She is told about how many times a bride has died in the house over the centuries and what her responsibility will be now that she lives there. Fantastic idea! Unfortunately the story didn't deliver in all of the right places.

The haunted house part is great, as Roberts does a outstanding job of introducing us to the good and evil spirits, all connected to the house in different ways, as well as the back stories of each bride. But the story drags in all of the other parts. What I have always loved about Nora's stories is how each couple find and fall for each other as well as how the complications of their situations are solved. With this, each day Sonya spends in the house is repeated over and over, and becomes very repetitive. It is slow and mechanical and I felt a lot of it could have been taken out. Her job is interesting but there is only so much I could take about website building. I wanted action - which I got in bits and pieces. And the love interest wasn't exciting either. They just sort of decided to be together without any spice or feeling. Trey was constant and down to earth - like so many of her male characters - but he was also flat. Cleo, her best friend, is a wonderful addition however, and will no doubt have a lot to do with what happens in the coming sequel.

The point of the story - and the reason for her staying at the house despite the spiritual chaos - has to do with the dead brides. But this also doesn't really get going until close to the end. This ends in a cliff hanger, so if you can't handle that, this won't be for you either. However I am definitely interested in reading the next one as the premise of the story makes you want to keep going. If this story had been written by anyone else, it may not have worked at all. But Roberts still has that magic touch when it comes to story building and character development that will hopefully get really going in the next book.

All I can say is “Really? REALLY?!?! Wow. What a story, what a cliffhanger. How hard is it going to be to wait for the 2nd book? Almost impossible, but I guess we have to. Great story, interesting players, including good ghosts and a terrible, horrible MEAN ghost. LOL! Want a good read? Then get this book. Again, WOW!

I loved this book about family secrets, murdered brides and a haunted cliffside manor. I am very much looking forward to book 2.

4.5 ⭐️

For a minute there, I thought my time with Nora books was coming to an end. I thought maybe my tastes were changing and her style maybe wasn’t for me anymore. I thought maybe no other Nora could pull me in like The Obsession, like The Reef or like Chasing Fire did-

but I am so glad I was wrong.

I don’t know how she does it. I don’t know how Nora Roberts can manage to write characters that mirror my own friendships so perfectly or write characters that become my best friends by the last page. I don’t know how she writes these worlds in such detail that suck me in and it feels like I’m there- on the east coast, in a haunted manor that borders a small town.

Inheritance was maybe the best surprise of the entire year for me. I went into it kind of blind, I’d read the synopsis when I requested the arc and it was Nora so obviously I had to read it but I’d kind of forgotten all of the details of it once I was approved and that’s probably the best, most fun way to read this story.

This is The Obsession mixed with Midnight Bayou. It’s winter on the east coast, it’s getting a glimpse of a whale out to sea and it’s coming home. But it’s also, unexplainable things happening, it’s lots of things going bump in the night. It’s finding your best friend and holding so tightly to them forever, it’s your best friend always being there at the drop of a hat when you need them. This story holds one of my new favorite Nora dogs- because no one writes a dog character like she does.

I cannot wait for the next book in this series after the way the first concluded. If I find Nora’s address, no one be shocked if I end up on the news trying to get the next book early. 😂 (This is a joke)

This was such an unexpected, amazing read! Sonya's experiences in the Lost Bride Manor were captivating and kept me on my toes the entire time. That cliffhanger at the end was so unexpected and has me at the edge of my seat waiting for the next book! Another amazing book from Nora Roberts!

You can never go wrong with a Nora Roberts book. Inheritance was no exception to this. The story is interesting, loaded with great characters, and left me hanging for sure!

Sonya's timely inheritance means she can start her life over just as her existing life is falling apart. Without really understanding why, she's in love with her new home immediately. A family she never knew and potential conflict over the house and business her late grandfather owned may provide unwelcome conflict with her new-to-her cousins, she's leaving her home and mother, she's taking on an enormous home. All this is daunting but the worst part is a well known situation around her new hometown that she never saw coming. Her home is haunted. The curse laid on her family for centuries is real and her daily experiences now include ghosts of her ancestors. Some are helpful or harmless but one is out for Sonya.

The youngest of three generations of lawyers handling the estate, Trey is fully aware of the house's haunting. He's drawn to Sonya, initially to help a new neighbor and quickly as a love interest. He's able to roll with the strange coming and goings at the house which helps him become valuable to Sonya. He's not questioning her sanity at all. He's also strong enough to help Sonya when things get scary. He's so sexy and supportive. Sigh.

Additional characters, including Sonya's best friend and Trey's, are just as interesting and become integral parts of the story. I liked them all. As they all help Sonya deal with the malevolent spirit life takes on new urgency. This curse must be broken but how?

My only frustration with the story was the cliffhanger. I hate waiting. I'm too impatient! But of course, it makes the book even more compelling. All in all, another good Roberts book to enjoy..

Thanks to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own opinions.

I'm not normally a fan of Nora Roberts, but I liked Inheritance from the get-go. The story is addictive and it contains a dog, which is always a plus for me. Can't wait for book 2.

Sonya MacTavish is shocked when she learns her father had a twin brother that he never new about. Even more shocking her Uncle Collin left her everything in his will. She soon learns there are some stipulations but needs some changes in her life so she heads off to the coast of Maine. She wants to learn why her father and his brother were separated. She moves into the home her Uncle left her and begins to believe the place is haunted. As she investigates Sonya begins to learn that there is more to this inheritance than she truly realized. Follow along as she tries to break a curse that is centuries old, will she be able to make things right?

Sandy M’s review of Inheritance (Lost Brides, Book 1) by Nora Roberts
Paranormal Romance published by St. Martin’s Press 21 Nov 23

We all know the old saying, when it comes to our favorites in life, so-and-so could write or sing the phonebook and we would love it. Nora Roberts is one of those for me. I received the advanced copy of this book months and months ago, and I could not wait to get started on it, even though it didn’t release until this month. Because I wanted more details fresh in my mind for writing my review, I decided to re-read Inheritance, even though I have tons of books waiting in the wings to be read. Oh, poor me, but, then again, the phonebook has never pulled me in to a story so completely, even on the second time around.


You’d think finding your fiancé in bed with your cousin wouldn’t be a good thing in your life. Sonya MacTavish thinks that at first too, even to the point of leaving a job she loves because her jerk of an ex works for the same company. But when she becomes successful on her own and then learns the shocking news her father had a twin brother he never knew about, her life changes once again, and she’s on her way to Maine and the haunted Victorian she’s inherited from the uncle just learned about.

Aside from the ghostly entities who make themselves known when Sonya moves in, she also meets Trey Doyle, the handsome lawyer who guides her through her new home, and who is always there for her when the malevolence of one particularly evil ghost tries and fails to scare Sonya enough to leave the house she now loves.

I thoroughly enjoyed the way we meet all of these ghosts through Sonya and how they interact with her, her best friend who moves in despite the hauntings, Yoda the new pup, and of course Trey. From appropriately random music to enhance daily situations to 3 AM eerie otherworldly happenings, this book is filled with tension; humor; family; love, even for those Sonya never knew; and the mystery of the seven lost brides who, over the years, have paid the ultimate price for their loving happiness.

Once again, Nora Roberts has given readers a story that will pull them in immediately and never let them go until the very end. It’s unfortunate we have to wait a year for the next book in the trilogy, but that wait will be worth it. Especially because of the cliffhanger at the end. I can guarantee you will be like me, “That’s how it’s ending???“ Yep, sure is.

You have been warned.

Grade: A+

Trilogy part 1 cliffhanger.
I really liked this book. It was such an interesting and entertaining premise.
I was so bummed at the cliffhanger ending because I forgot this is a trilogy. I will most likely read on.

Nora Roberts has always been able to weave an interesting story, and she does it again with The Inheritance. She is best when writing about love through family, friends, and generation. The creative way Roberts blends in mystery, family history, and an eerie ghost story with wit, humor and romance, creates an interesting saga that is entertains and engages until that major cliffhanger comes at the end. Can't wait to get my hands on book 2 of this trilogy.

This gothic romance was the perfect fall read for me. I loved how the ghosts were definitive, developed characters in this and it gave me some slight "Corpse Bride" vibes here and there. There were still plenty of suspenseful/creepy elements to keep me hooked though. I definitely want to read more of this trilogy!

It's been a while since I've read a Nora Roberts book, but wow, what a way to dive back in! Inheritance is a brilliant blend of historical romance and fantasy. The premise is smart and hooked me immediately. I don't want to give anything away as The Lost Bride trilogy is just getting started, however I am anxiously awaiting the next installment!

Days before Sonya about to get married she learns her soon to be husband is sleeping with her cousin and calls of the wedding.
Next an unexpected person informs her, her uncle died, and she has inherited a mansion on Maine’s coast line. She never knew her uncle nor knew her father had a brother but she needs a fresh start so she excepts the mansion and sets out to make it a B&B.
However she soon learns the mansion she inherited has a big secret a century old curse and a secret only she can uncover.
Inheritance is a must read whether your a Nora Roberts fan or just getting to know her. This is an incredibly well written book that has a suspenseful ghostly mystery that makes this book hard to put down.
Roberts is great at creating the past history’s of the characters and setting up this erie suspenseful feeling.
A tale of tragedies, loves lost and found, and a family haunted for generations.
I highly recommend this book but be aware it has a big cliffhanger and book two is not out yet so I am sitting and waiting till the day it’s for sale hope that soon.