Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and to Nora Roberts for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.
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My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sonya is soon to be married and comes home to find her fiancé cheating on her. After ending this bad engagement she inherits a Victorian mansion from an Uncle she didn’t know she had. She decides to live there and realizes it’s haunted. Also it has been under a family curse for centuries!

I really enjoyed this book. This book was really different from books I’ve read in the past. I loved the paranormal aspects and characters. This is the 1st book of The Lost Bride Trilogy. I can’t wait to read the other books!

#read #netgalley #noraroberts #book #fantasy #romance #scifi #bride #lost #tbr #booksbooksbooks #bookworm #booknerds #fivestar

Inheritance by Nora Roberts
Pub Date: November 21, 2023
Genre: paranormal romance
Pages: 432
Dates read: 11/4 to 11/8
First book in the Lost Bride Trilogy
4.5 ⭐️

Thoughts:
Inheritance was classic Nora Roberts in the best way! It features magical elements, a haunted gothic house, a series of deaths that happen to brides in same family for generations, a strong woman trying to discover the truth surrounded by strong women and a handsome man in her life, and a handsome love interest. I loved it!!

Inheritance begins in 1806 with the first death of Astrid Poole on her wedding day. She is murdered by a jealous woman, and her wedding ring is taken straight off of her finger. She vows to never leave her husband, and she’s done just that.

Fast forward to modern-day Boston, and graphic designer Sonya MacTavish is engaged to a man she finds in bed with her cousin. After learning that an unknown uncle left her a sprawling gothic mansion in Maine, newly-single Sonya embarks on a new adventure. She’s warned that the house is haunted, but takes no stock in the warning until she arrives and benevolent and malevolent forces work in her life.

Trey, the friendly and handsome neighborhood lawyer, grew up in the house and helps Sonya as she adjusts to living in a home where a ghost plays random songs, a piano plays every morning at 3am, and someone puts out her clothes and puts away the dishes for her. More than inheriting the house, Sonya has inherited the legacy of the lost brides and the curse that was placed on her family back in 1806.

Sonya and her friends endeavor to find out exactly what happened and how to reverse the curse.

What I loved:
- the female relationships. Sonya’s best friend Cleo and her mother are great. I loved their personalities and how much they loved each other.
- The ending is a cliffhanger! I need the next book in the series ASAP!
- Trey was so sweet, and I enjoyed seeing his and Sonya’s love story evolve.
- The ghosts-good and bad. I can’t wait to see how the next book shows us more about what happened and connects Sonya’s dad’s past with her uncle’s.
- The found family vibes were great!
- The setting - I love a good gothic house novel, especially one set in beautiful Maine.

Inheritance reminded me of Midnight Bayou in its atmospheric setting, ghosts interacting with the main characters, and scary moments as the characters try to figure out what happened and how to help the ghosts. I definitely recommend this book.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so good. I loved the main character and her friend and also the man who becomes her love interest. Sonja inherits a haunted mansion and after ending a bad engagement decides to move there. The bad witch has cast a spell on the house and all the brides there. If you do not like cliffhangers do not read this until the next one comes out. Turns out this is he first of a trilogy. I can’t wait until the next one comes out.

I have read 4 books by Nora Roberts this year - 2 were under her pseudonym J.D. Robb. I can honestly say that her books just get better and better. This one checked off so many boxes for me: romantic suspense, haunted house, great characters, an amazing story, and quite a few scares that I was not expecting. This is the first book in her "Lost Bride Trilogy," and I cannot wait for the next book!

Sonya MacTavish is a graphic designer planning her wedding, when she catches her fiance cheating on her. Her world is further turned upside-down when she discovers that an uncle she never knew she had leaves her a significant inheritance that includes a large manor house. Sonya quits her job to freelance and moves to Maine.

The backstory of this house is incredible. Multiple brides died as result of a curse, and this house is haunted. Nora Roberts weaves a story that has elements of historical fiction, horror, the paranormal, and of course romance. It is like nothing I have read by her before, and what an ending! The wait is going to be too long for books 2 and 3.

There is, as always, a great cast of characters. The Poole family, Sonya's best friend Cleo, her Mom Winter, Trey, and Oliver. There is also a small village full of great characters too. But make no mistake, the true main character of this story is Lost Bride Manor. It is a true haunted house, and Nora Roberts utilizes its size, corners, and rooms for maximum spookiness. I am not easily scared, and this book is unsettling in all of the best ways. There is so much more that I want to talk about here, but no spoilers allowed. This story is immersive, and you feel every feeling each character describes. This is a start to a wonderful new trilogy. Nora Robert delivers every time.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book. Thank you also to Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version as well - the narrator is incredible. This book releases on November 21st - pick it up!

Inheritance by Nora Roberts is the first book in The Lost Bride Trilogy

I'm an on and off fan of Ms. Roberts and this book is an excellent start to a trilogy. I normally like to wait for the entire series to be out when we know it's going to be a connected trilogy like this because the waiting just sucks. But it's too late now, and the additional books don't even have publishing dates, big sighs.

This is a story of finding your place and connections to the past. Uncovering family secrets and strength from those you love. There is a haunted manor house, a two hundred year old curse, and the determination of one woman to find the answers. It's a very interesting juxtaposition taking the very level-headed Sonya and putting her in the middle of a Gothic novel of the lost brides. Hold onto your suits cause things go bump in the night at the witching hour, and you're going to need to stay sharp for the journey.

Nora Roberts has been one of the authors who either is hit or miss with my reading. I love many of her books. I wasn't sure where this one would fall. Happily this one is a hit. While it didn't grab me at the beginning, I was pleasantly surprised to find the story intriguing enough to continue. Sonya MacTavish is stunned to find she has inherited a Victorian Mansion on a Maine coast from an Uncle she never knew she. It seems her father may not have known he had a brother either. Her life at a cross roads, Sonya decides a fresh start and a delve into her past might just be the ticket. When she arrives there, things are not as they seem. The mansion maybe a wee bit haunted. What is disturbing is that while some ghosts are there to help, one seems to be only there for hurting. Will Sonya be able to find out the truth behind the long ago murders? I love the characters within the story. The story did a great job of giving a solid foundation to the past and what lead us to where we are today. I look forward to the second book. I received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.

Sonya MacTavish inherits an estate from a relative that she never knew existed, but when she arrives, she finds there is much more to Lost Bride Manor than meets the eye…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Inheritance was the first book in The Lost Bride Trilogy which included some light romance and featured an exquisite estate filled with history, heartbreak, and ghosts…

I really wanted to love this book, but was seriously disappointed in just about every aspect of the story. As a former avid Nora Roberts reader, I am not sure where it all went wrong. The mundane details of Sonya’s day-to-day schedule, or the repetitive nature of just about every part of the plot, my high hopes for this trilogy were unfortunately dashed pretty early on. And while the very last chapter of the book finally had some excitement looming, the cliffhanger left me disenchanted as I will not be continuing the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest and unbiased review.

I need the next book and I need it now. Nora Roberts is the Queen of trilogies, and I don’t think this one is going to disappoint based on this first book in the series. Inheritance is everything you could hope for in a book. You have a giant haunted manor with nice ghosts and an evil one. You have Sonya, who inherited this manor, who has moved in and is learning to deal with the ghosts. Trey, Cleo, Owen, and all the other characters are great. I really can’t wait to read the next one. Just hate I have to wait a year.

Highly recommend!!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

What would you do if you unexpectedly inherited a haunted house, complete with vengeful spirit, benevolent ghosts, and a centuries-old curse?

It’s a bit wild to be gaslighted in your own home by ghosts, but Sonya took it all in stride and made peace with her inheritance. The plot with the curse and the ghosts was chilling and utterly captivating. I particularly enjoyed the flashbacks to the past. The ghostly activity got quite scary at one point and if this was a movie, I wouldn’t be watching it. I wouldn’t call this horror, but definitely hair-raising.

Sonya was a bit generic, in that it was difficult to define her personality other than she’s hardworking, resilient, and pleasant. I really liked Trey and especially Chloe, who was a very colourful character. Sonya and Trey fit well together, but between them meeting and becoming involved, I felt like there was some chemistry missing.

I hate cliffhangers and this one left me breathless and a bit bereft. I definitely want to finish this trilogy. Oh, does that mean I will have to survive one more tense non-ending?

This is the book for you if you like ghosts and thrilling suspense.

Many thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’m not at all happy that I have to wait a year for the second book in Nora Roberts’ Lost Bride Trilogy. After reading Inheritance, I just want to find the author, and shake the next book out of her. Yes, it’s that good, especially if you’re a fan of Roberts’ trilogies, as I am. Every series is different. Her main characters are interesting, and the supporting characters are always as delightful as the lead characters.

Sonya MacTavish is preparing for the lavish wedding that her fiance wants, but she doesn’t. She wanted small and intimate. He wants a big, impressive modern house. Sonya wants something older with history. But, time after time she gives in to Brandon. That changes when she skips an appointment with the florist and walks into their shared place to find him in bed with her cousin. She calls off the wedding, but it’s harder to deal with him at work because they both work for the same graphic design firm. Finally, Sonya calls it quits to go off on her own, working freelance.

It’s perfect timing. When Oliver Doyle II, a lawyer, shows up with a shocking story, she no longer has work ties to keep her in Boston. Her father, who died when Sonya as twelve, had a twin brother. No one in the family knew that. Sonya’s father was adopted, and even his parents didn’t know he had a twin. That twin, Collin Poole, died and left his Maine estate to the niece he never met. There are strings attached. Sonya must live in the manor for no less than three years in order in inherit the house and property. The family shipbuilding company goes to cousins, but Collin left a trust to maintain the house.

Sonya hates to leave her best friend, Cleo, and her mother, but she knows she can work from Maine. And, once she sees the manor and the seaside property, she falls in love. The house calls to her, but there are unusual occurrences there. Oliver Doyle III, Trey, assures her the house is haunted, but he has never experienced the true extent of the hauntings. Fortunately, Trey’s father wrote a family genealogy for his best friend, Collin, and it tells the story of the lost brides, the brides of each generation who died on their wedding days. The first lost bride was murdered by a mad woman, a woman who left behind a curse. “Again and again, over and over, year by year, and bride by bride.” Sonya is warned. “Find the seven rings. Break the curse.”

Inheritance provides the background for the house and Sonya and her ancestors. As always, Roberts creates a strong woman who doesn’t hesitate to depend on friends for support. Part of the fascination of the book is in the artistry created in the books as Sonya builds her graphic design business, and Cleo works as a talented illustrator. There are welcome details about the business aspects of their lives. Those details round out their characters, just as the story behind the Doyle law firm does for that family.

Nora Roberts incorporates ghosts and hauntings and stories of the past into the story of Sonya’s life. It works so well that the reader just accepts this version of a haunted manor house in Maine. It’s a wonderful Gothic tale for anyone who enjoys those stories set in isolated houses. Now, if I just had the sequel to Inheritance to read. Nora Roberts’ storytelling skills are a gift to her readers.

This story had me from the beginning. Sonya and Cleo are great. Sonya has a problem; Cleo is right there for her. When Sonya walks in to find her fiancée with her cousin, she has had enough. She was planning a wedding that wasn't what she wanted, she was planning to buy a house that she didn't want, and this was the last straw. Then a man shows up at her door telling her that her father had a twin brother that the family didn't know about, and they she has inherited a house in Maine. It is exactly the kind of house that she has always wanted only much larger than she expected. The only problem with it is that it is haunted. I think it would be great to have a ghost that cleans the house. Most of the entities are nice, but there is one that very malevolent. Sonya, Cleo, Trey and Owen are trying to figure out how to break a curse that an evil woman put on the women of Sonya's family. As they try to find the answers, Sonya gets caught up in some scary situations. Her friends will be there to help her, but can they find those answers? Can't wait to see where this goes.

I have been reading Nora Roberts for years and she never disappoints. What can I say about the Inheritance... WOW! WOW! WOW!! OMG!... This sucks you in right from the start. Inheritance, the first book of The Lost Bride trilogy starts in 1806 at Astrid Poole's wedding day. Astrid is sitting down in her wedding dress and looking at her ring and thinking about her new husband when a women in black comes in and murders her and takes her wedding ring.
It then moves to present day to Sonya MacTavish, who is a graphic designer and is about to be married. When she returns home from doing errands for the wedding planning, she walks in on her fiancé in bed with her cousin. She throws them both to the curb with very little clothes on... Sonya and her ex-Fiancé both work a the same graphic design house but Sonya was going to be classy and just tell them that she called off the wedding and can't work with him. They then told her that he told them she was having a break down so she told them the truth. Sonya wanted to stay but he made it difficult because he destroyed her property, even if she couldn't prove it. Sonya decided to go out on her own and leave her current job. Sonya was doing well until a lawyer showed up at her door to tell her she had a long lost uncle that left her in the will and she would inherit a Manor in Maine. The only stipulation is, is that she must live there for 3 years. in order to inherit it completely. If she doesn't last she loses everything. Sonya has decided she had nothing to lose, she could work from anywhere and if it didn't work out she could move back home after 3 months. What could go wrong. Well no one told her it was very haunted. Sonya thought she was losing her mind when things started happening, things moved and strange sounds but nothing there. All 7 brides were murdered in the house and their rings taken. It is up to Sonya to find the rings. This book just draws you in and the very last page... WOW! WOW! WOW! I can't wait until the 2nd book comes out in 2024 to find out what happens next. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Anyone else surprised by the content of this Nora Roberts book?! This is so different than what she usually writes. Romance? Yeah, that's the same. Good writing? That's the same too. A cozy, small town romance equipped with GHOSTS that span over decades with a cliffhanger that makes you want to scream and curse the author?? Yeah that's new for her.
Having said that, I LOVED Inheritance. It's one of my favorite reads this year so far. I listened to the audio and read when I couldn't listen. The foreword by Nora herself made the story all that much more interesting to me. The narrator was really good and enthusiastic. I liked listening to it more than most.
Sonya is ready for her next chapter when a gothic, family owned mansion is dropped in her lap due to an uncle she didn't even know existed leaving it to her as an inheritance. There she finds that she's not alone in the home, or in life when a certain handsome man comes around.

I can't say enough good things about this and have already told so many people they need to scoop this book when it comes out. It's so so so good.
Thank you to Netgalley, Nora Roberts and MacMillen Audio for the chance to read this ARC. This opinion is mine alone and not promised to anyone for an advanced read.
BUY THIS BOOK. You wont regret it.

This is a great read, I definitely had a hard time putting this book down. Nora Roberts reminds us why we love her books with this one. I will be counting down until the next in the series comes out. It has such great characters - the people and the ghosts. It can get spooky at times, but not enough to make me stop reading it at night and I’m a scaredy cat when it comes to haunted things. It has a great friendship with the main character Sonya and her best friend Cleo. I love it when an author gives solid friendships to female characters, so many authors don't realize that we love to read about strong friendships as much as we do a romance. They are really fun to hang out with. It has and equally great slow moving romance with Sonya and Trey. You should definitely pick this one up to read.

Inheritance is the first in Nora Robert’s new The Lost Bride Trilogy. Sonya just got out of a serious relationship and as she is trying to find her footing in her life and her job, her world is flipped upside down when she finds out she has received an inheritance from her fathers twin brother that she never knew existed. Embracing this new path life has thrown at her, Sonya moves into the Victorian mansion on the Maine coast that was left to her. She quickly finds that not everything is as it seems in the house and she is not alone. The ghostly presences in the house leave Sonya with a mystery to figure out.

I was intrigued by the description of this book and it definitely did not disappoint! I loved this book and the characters in it from the very beginning and quickly found myself being pulled into their web. This was such a great story and I couldn’t put it down. Nora Roberts created such a great world in this book and in the house itself. I was very intrigued by the presences in the house and how they were able to interact with Sonya and her friends. My only complaint about this book it the quick cliffhanger at the end! I was so sad when it was over, I just wanted to see what would come next! Now I can’t wait to see where this story takes us in the next book. If you are interested in the otherworldly, a chemistry filled romance and history tied up into one, this book it one you need to check out!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

One-word review: Unputdownable
Emojis: 😡🤨🫨
Rating: 5 🌟s

My thoughts:
Nora Roberts has returned to the fantasy stories I fell in love with long ago - ones full of mystery, generations of family stories, and a setting that makes me drool. I couldn't have put Inheritance down if I tried, but why would I have wanted to do that?

I love the main character, Sonya, who knows what she's good at and isn't afraid to try something new. Even in the face of realizing her inherited house by the sea is full of ghosts, her confidence and determination are so easy to get behind and relate to. Most ghosts are helpful, but at least one is malevolent and quickly makes herself heard and felt. Still, Sonya’s determination keeps her there and makes her want to know more and solve the mystery that will hopefully bring peace to her new home.

I love the setting. I could just see it through the beautiful descriptions and excellent world-building. The romance feels authentic, but I would expect nothing less from Roberts, who I would consider an expert in book romances. Sonya and Trey complement each other so well, and he's the perfect mixture of calm and concern as the ghosts make themselves known.

I hated that Book 1 ended. I could have just kept reading and reading. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to books 2 and 3 in 2024 and 2025!

I'm such a fan of Nora Roberts's trilogies and was delighted to learn that her new Lost Bride book is indeed the first in a trilogy in the fantasy/paranormal genre. Even better, it's the tale of a Victorian mansion haunted by deceased brides who were murdered on their wedding day which is indicative of an intriguing mystery.

INHERITANCE is the story of graphic designer Sonya MacTavish and the subsequent events that occur when she learns that her deceased father had a twin brother she never knew of, and that uncle has left her a haunted mansion on the Maine Coast with the stipulation she live there for at least three years. Sonya is at loose ends having just broken up with her cheating fiancé who's making her life miserable at their mutual place of employment. Making a life altering decision, she travels to Maine where she can work freelance, meets with Trey the young lawyer handling the execution of her uncle's Last Will & Testament, and immediately falls in love with the stunning mansion even with all the strange occurrences. Trey is upfront about the house's history of dead brides and ghosts, but Sonya feels like she's finally found her place in the world and moves in. To say that things go bump in the night is an understatement, but Sonya takes it all in stride until she meets the one malevolent spirit who's tries to drive her away. By this point, she's made new friends, garnished new business and maybe, just maybe, found new love so she sets out to solve the puzzle of the missing brides and hopefully help the bride spirits cross over. Who were the brides? How did they die? Can she break the spell cast over the next bride before it's too late?

Nora Roberts signature style of writing is evident in INHERITANCE with well-developed characters, an intriguing plot line and mystery to be solved. The gothic setting with a haunted mansion harboring spirits and years of secrets takes on a lead role like another character as tension builds with the escalation of the fury of the bad spirit. Sonya is a strong, reliable female lead, and support characters like Trey and best friend Cleo round out a great cast. The tone is eerie, and the pace increases steadily as Sonya draws closer to uncovering the truth of the past murders. While I enjoyed Sonya and Trey as a couple, their mutual attraction falls a bit flat in my opinion, but I'm thinking that will be rectified in books two and three. Being the first book of a trilogy, one can expect that this book ends on a cliffhanger, but I wasn't prepared for how huge a cliffhanger it would be as it literally stops in the middle of a major event leaving readers clamoring for the next book.

INHERITANCE is an intriguing, highly atmospheric fantasy mystery that's impossible to put down. Roberts's creativity in plot lines never ceases to amaze me as does the inclusion of a strong, tenacious female lead interacting with and supporting other females. The author is a master at incorporating past history of characters, their ancestors and setting in rendering a unique, highly entertaining mystery complete with ghosts and spirits and things that go bump in the night. I can't wait to see where the author takes these characters in the next two books of the Lost Brides trilogy. Highly recommended to fans of Roberts and readers who enjoy the fantasy genre.

Reading books by such a cornerstone in the romance genre is always such a delight. This first book in the new Lost Bride Trilogy was a great read for October, or as the days get shorter and darkness falls early.

I really loved how confident Sonya was in herself and her abilities, even if that comes off as really stubborn at times. And she was much braver than I would have been, the first ghostly encounter and I would have been out the door. I’m a bit of a fraidy cat, so I had to only read this book during the day. It wasn't super scary, but it did freak me out on occasion.

I thought Trey was a great cinnamon roll hero too. I liked how supportive he was.

There’s adorable dogs, a great BFF, a small town, and a house haunted by more than 1 ghost!

While these two do find a HFN, the book does end in a bit of a cliffhanger! I cannot wait to see what happens next!

Inheritance by Nora Roberts is the first book in her new trilogy, The Lost Bride. I am a big fan of anything by Nora Roberts/JD Robb, and I was excited to start the first book in her new The Lost Bride trilogy, since I always love her trilogies. Inheritance does not disappoint, as it was a fantastic read.
The story starts in the past, in 1806, taking place in Maine, with Astrid Poole, preparing for her wedding ceremony, when a jealous woman stabs her to death; stealing her wedding ring. We will learn from the present, that this evil woman put a curse on all future brides of the Poole family.

In the present time, we meet our heroine, Graphic designer Sonya MacTavish, who is engaged, and discovers her fiancé and cousin having sex, and breaks up the with her fiancé, and gets her mother to cancel all wedding plans. With her life falling apart, Sonya receives a call from a lawyer, telling her that her uncle (whom she did not know about) has left everything to her, including a Victorian mansion in Maine. Sonya, as well as her mother, are surprised that her late father, who was adopted had a twin, Collin Poole.

Sonya decides to move to Maine and the estate, to start her life over, and knows the stipulation that she must live there for at least three years. She learns quickly from the lawyer, that the history of this house is haunted; with lost brides. Sonya is happy, as she loves the mansion, and in a short time she gets used to some of the ghosts, whom she doesn’t see, but they play fun catching songs, rearrange their clothes, put away dishes and shopping bags, make the beds, etc. But one of them does not want her there, and make sounds such as doors slamming. Sonya begins to learn that the spirit of the lost bride needs her help to stop the curse.

Fortunately, Sonya is not alone, as she has made friends, especially helping some businesses to create and set up their computer sites. Her best friend, Cleo will soon move in with her, and Sonya becomes close to Trey, her lawyer’s son, and they soon become lovers. Owen will join the three of them, in helping solve the mystery. Anna, Bree, and many others are all fantastic and wonderful secondary characters. I enjoyed the friendship, camaraderie, support from all the characters who were all very likable. Besides Sonya, Trey, I loved Cleo, who was such a great friend, and very supportive. I also loved Yoda and Mookie, who were the cutest dogs.
Inheritance was a fantastic addicting start to a fantasy, gothic, historical story that kept my attention from start to finish. Sonya was terrific heroine, as was Cleo, both being strong and courageous; and a wonderful friendship. As we get closer to the end, Sonya dreams of many of the deceased brides and how they died by the hand of the evil witch. Because of the wonderful main characters, the story was a fantastic read. I do not want to say too much more, as it will ruin it for you.

Inheritance was very well written by Nora Roberts, which is no surprise, and I have always loved her trilogies, and can’t wait for the next two books. There is however, a cliffhanger at the end; leaving us hanging and anxiously waiting for the next book. I highly recommend that you read The Lost Bride series, and read the first book, Inheritance.

While it seems like a great thing to suddenly inherit a gothic mansion where you have a ghost cleaning up after you, there is a downside to this as Sonya finds out as she moves in. Trey is one of the lawyers in the group that are friends of the late owner as well as the lawyers for the estate. He is not as freaked out by the ghosts as Sonya is and sticks around to help her adjust. Sonya invites her best friend Cleo, who grew up in Louisiana, to move in with her. Add in Sonya's cousin Owen, who is also Trey's best friend, and you've got the group that is working to find the way to banish the mansion of the curse. This first book sets up the groundwork for the series and there are times when you aren't sure where the story is going. You need to remember this is a trilogy and that it will not wrap up until the third book, which means a cliffhanger. I'm not fond of them, but I can admit this is so well written that I'm definitely ready for the next one. Well written and great characters. The only downside is the wait for the next book.