Nora Roberts has a knack for mixing friendship, family, and romance in such readable ways, occasionally with a bit of the occult thrown in. We start off with a bang, so to speak, with Sonya finding her fiancé in bed with her cousin, and dealing with the outcome of that unfortunate encounter. Fast-forward to inheriting a gothic house from a never-before-known uncle, in a small town filled with friendly (and sexy) strangers, and Sonya's well on her way to a new adventure. Trent is a good man (natch!) with a great family and group of friends, so a perfect match for her in the romance portion of the book. Having her college friend, Cleo, staying in the big-ol' house to experience the hauntings (both friend and foul), is comforting through the supernatural portions of the book. Inheritance is a fun start to a ghost tale, and while I wish it hadn't ended on such a cliffhanger, I'm definitely in for this three-part ride. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book pre-publication.

Captivating Book! Mystery, things that go bump in the night and sometimes broad daylight. A haunted estate inherited from an uncle she never met - her father's twin brother he was separated from at birth. Most people would say No Thank You, but the estate feels like home to Sonia. Can she ignore the strange happenings? There's a ghost that communicates to her via music, a boy that plays ball with her dog, one that cleans and does dishes, and something sinister. Sonia is determined that no dark spirit will run her from her house. With her best friend and the love of a good man, Sonia is not going anywhere. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced review copy. In return, I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Sonja catches her boyfriend with her cousin months before their marriage. Breaking off their engagement and then leaving her dream job has her starting her own business. After receiving a surprise inheritance with a manor house she moves to Maine.
The house and town sounds gorgeous. Add in some ghosts who ramble through the house and keep her company. Except for the one who doesn’t want her there.
I throughly enjoyed the story, the characters and the mystery to solve. The only issue I have is that it ends with a cliffhanger and now I have to wait for the next one.

In true Nora Robert’s fashion, we got a winner! I love this author and call me bias, everything she writes is perfection. We open up with a story of a woman named Astrid who gets killed on her wedding day, a woman comes and takes her ring after, creepy!!! Then it continues to the more present time with Sonya, who is dealing with her own heartache after catching her ex who cheated on her.

This woman needed a change and I love her mom and her best friend Cleo. A lawyer comes to see her and tell her that she has inherited a Manor in Maine by an uncle she never met, and her father who was adopted had family. So now there is a ton of mysteries to solve here, not only does she inherit a haunted house, she is also pulled into this mystery of why her dad was sent off, what happened to these brides who have died in the Manor, and so much more things that I can’t give away because it’s worth reading!!!!

We get the supernatural, romance, a mystery all in one, Nora needs to come out with book 2 TODAY! Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Nora Roberts kicks off the Lost Brides trilogy with Inheritance. Sonya MacTavish is shocked to learn that a late uncle whom she never met or knew existed has left her a huge Victorian manor on the coast of Maine. The terms of the will state that Sonya must live in the house for 3 months, so she packs up her life and moves in. Soon, Sonya is figuring out that the house is more than just a little haunted, and a mystery unfolds as she tries to figure out how to break the curse of the Lost Brides.

I found the premise of this story very promising and I loved Sonya and all her friends and family. Their characters were fun and likeable. I found the characters’ reactions to the events taking place to be a little detached, which was odd. When scary things are happening in a haunted house, you expect more of a reaction. Instead, Sonya is planning dinner parties. The relationship that develops between her and her love interest is no surprise, but felt a little rushed with their limited interactions. I enjoyed the looks into the past, but felt like parts of Sonya’s storyline dragged a little and lacked action.

Regardless, I enjoyed reading this and look forward to seeing what happens. Which brings me to the conclusion of this story…a MAJOR cliffhanger. Like, if I were you, I’d just wait until the entire trilogy is complete before I read because waiting until the next book comes out is going to be a bummer. I definitely plan to finish this one, and I expect they will only get better from here.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for allowing me to read and review this ARC!

It's been several years since I have read a Nora Roberts novel. Oh, I have missed this a lot. Her writing pulls you in from the very beginning and the pacing is simply magnificent. She is able to mix paranormal, romance, and mystery with such a deft hand you find her world totally believable. Sonya, our heroine is a gifted artist (like a lot of Roberts' heroines--I am good with this) who has narrowly escaped a huge life mistake and inherits a manor in Maine from an unknown uncle. Of course, she decides to go. The story from there kept me enchanted and entranced as I spent the day reveling in the goodness of a Nora Roberts novel. I read this in one sitting. I regret nothing other than the fact that it ended on quite the cliffhanger, and now I have to wait and keep an eagle eye out for the next book in the series.

This reminds me of several of her other series in that our heroine is one of several found-family friends who meet up with the hero and his friends as they battle an old evil and break an old curse or evil that has haunted a place for many years. Trust me this is not a criticism, I love this about her books and I devour these stories. I swear this is my catnip. The romance is perfect, the banter is so good, and the song references are spot on. **Note** That moment when you realize you have become the age of the parents or grandparents in the book and the song references are from your teenage years 🫨🫣🥺. ** Side characters are charming and the animals are cute and add much to the book's overall feel and warmth. The mystery of the curse on the family is heartwrenchingly sad. We understand why they have to break the curse but the how is the mystery that will be answered in the next two books in the series. I cannot wait for the next one, until then I guess I am going to have to go back and read any of Nora's books I might have missed in the last couple of years and maybe re-read some others. It is worth it.

Wonderful start to a new trilogy. Sonya MacTavish has just inherited from an unknown uncle a mansion, but that is only the start of the mystery. Her father was a twin and separated at birth from his brother, but why she wonders. Her uncle will left her not only with the mansion but funds for the upkeep, mysteries and a few ghosts, with the stipulation that she needs to live there 3 years.
Trey who was a friend and lawyer of the deceased Collin Poole shows Sonya around the place and admits that it is haunted and the mansion nickname is the Lost Brides. The name was given due to all the brides that died on their wedding day, including her uncle’s bride. As Sonya settles in little unexplained things happen, some good, a few annoying and some scary but she isn’t going to let the ghosts drive her out of her home.
The story has the typical magic that draws in throughout the book. Parts reminded me of the show Ghosts, which I love. And as with the majority of Nora’s trilogy, the story continues with a cliffhanger. I just hope book 2 will release soon. I switched back and forth between book and audiobook and reread or relistened to parts in the audiobook. The narrator was fantastic, but with the book was easier to backtrack when needed. Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #Inheritance #StMartinPress #MacmillanAudio #TheLostBrideTrilogy #NoraRoberts

All I can say is WOW! I really loved this book. It will definitely hold your attention.
Sonya MacTavish lives in Boston is engaged to be married soon. She comes home to her fiancé in bed with someone else. Since they work for the same agency, he makes it impossible to work there any longer.

Sonya is contacted months later by a lawyer stating she has inherited her uncle's home. She didn't know she had an uncle. She has to live there for 3 months to inherit. When she arrives she finds a really large manor house. Just the type of house she has always dreamed of having. The house is called Lost Bride Manor for a reason. It seems the placed is inhabited by ghost.
There is a curse on brides dating back from 1806 and it seems there are a lot of ghosts in the house some friendly and some not so friendly.
Trey is a lawyer with the firm her uncle used and was friends with Deuce another of the lawyers. They know all about the manor and it's history. Trey and Sonya start spending time with each other. Cleo is Sonya's BFF and she comes to live at the manor house.
This is one really great story, and I can't wait for the next book!

Inheritance by Nora Roberts is a fantastic read! It has everything: gutsy main characters, hot strong men, lovable dogs and fascinating and sometimes creepy ghosts from the past. Holy Moly! I stayed up late reading it and got up early the next morning to continue reading. The story line is fabulous!

Sonya inherits a mansion on the coast of Maine with the proviso that she has to live there for three years to get the inheritance. Sounds like a dream,especially when she meets the hot lawyer and starts to find her way. After all this is a new chapter since her good for nothing ex-fiance toasted their dreams.

The mansion is huge with room after room full of antiques and family items. Sonya had no idea she had this family until recently, so each step is new and raw. Some of the ghosts are friendly and help but one is evil and determined to scare her away. There are also messages about seven rings.

The story is masterful and leaves me hanging waiting for the next book. Nora Roberts’ newest masterpiece, Inheritance is awesome!

I always get so excited for a new Nora Roberts' release and Inheritance didn't let me down! This story felt fresh and different from her other books. I loved the flashbacks to the past brides and all the spooky, scary bits. What a fantastic fall read! I'll just be over here, impatiently waiting for book two.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for access to this arc.

Sonya inherits a haunted manor from an uncle she never knew she had. Along with the ghosts comes lots of great antique furniture, a perfect library to make into an office for her new one-woman design firm, and plenty of kind people in town.
The book started out kind of slow for me, and spent a lot of time on Sonya's horrible and vindictive ex-fiance. I kept reading, a little reluctant as spooky things started happening, but now I'm hooked and want to know how this all gets resolved. I loved Cleo, the best friend, Trey, the boyfriend, and Owen, the cousin. And the dogs are adorable, and most of the ghosts are awesome. I enjoyed watching Sonya embrace the house as a new opportunity to put herself first.
I didn't realize until very close to the end that this book was going to end on a cliffhanger, and maybe I should have. Now I have to read the other books to find out where this goes.

Inheritance
Nora Roberts
November 21, 2023

Sonya MacTavish is an experienced graphic designer. Her fiance Brandon works with her company. Recently he has become a bully about the wedding. Consequently their relationship is beginning to deteriorate. She talks with friends and family and makes solid decisions. She breaks up with him then speaks with her boss about ending her career with the firm. She feels that she can work under her own steam, designing freelance. With all this independence brewing, she begins setting up her station at home.
Inheritance will be published by MacMillan Publishing on November 21, 2023. I was able to read and review Nora Roberts latest novel via NetGalley. In the beginning of this journey, it’s written with a wave that Sonya’s life will be upended. The reader just gets a whiff of something coming. It wasn’t long into the narration that her story became so incredible and full of never-ending tales of her new life. I have taken my time reading Inheritance. It is exceptionally well written. The family is brought to life in episodes that explode within the everyday life Sonya brings to light. Fans will read this one but I encourage fiction lovers to open this latest Roberts novel and truly enjoy.

Inheritance can only be described as a "pull-you-in" book that breeds impatience for the other two books in this soon-to-be popular Nora Roberts trilogy!! It begins with Sonya MacTavish getting ready for her wedding to fiancé Brandon....but becoming exhausted with all the pre-wedding hoopla that Brandon has inspired by his wishes for an over-the-top wedding (not her wishes). And so --- she cancels an appointment and goes home.....to find him in an out and out compromising position - causing her to boot his hiney out (lucky she let him put on his clothes) and cancel the wedding. As she begins to change future plans - she gets a knock on the door that truly changes everything for her. Who wouldn't want to surprisingly find out about a long-lost relative who has left a mansion to you IF you will live in it. And so her journey begins.....and she falls in love at first sight of the mansion....knowing that it is what she has been longing for. But will what comes with the house scare her away? After all, not everyone can live with numerous ghosts - one of whom is evil and responsible for the deaths of first-brides going back centuries. As usual, Ms. Roberts takes the time to let the characters and their stories wrap the reader up in what is happening, feeling a part of the anxiety, fear, humor, and love that grows through the pages. The great descriptives of vintage furniture, paintings, landscapes and food are an added feature to the writing that lets the reader picture all that is happening and the surroundings that are involved. I was so wrapped up in the last chapter....that it ended and I was still turning pages to see what was going to happen next!! The only problem now is the wait for book two!! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NetGalley #Inheritance

In true Nora Roberts fashion this is part one of a trilogy. I didn't know that when I requested but nonetheless I would have wanted to read it anyways.

You will be very quickly pulled into this story of found family, mysterious deaths and who is haunting Poole Manor and how many of them are good or evil.

Sonya may have had her life completely turned upside down but she won't let anyone alive or dead scare her out of leaving Poole's Bay and she'll do whatever it takes to figure out how to deal with the so called curse and to put things right again.

Of course it wouldn't be a usual Nora Roberts reas without a huge cliffhanger to set us up for the next installment of The Lost Bride Trilogy.

**Received ARC through NetGalley. Voluntarily reviewed**

Inheritance, the first book in The Lost Bride Trilogy by Nora Roberts, is a novel that offers a unique blend of romance, friendship, and a touch of the paranormal. While the paranormal aspect may not appeal to all readers, it does add an intriguing layer to the narrative that sets it apart from typical romance novels.
I am personally not one to read books like this and quite honestly - if I saw this book on the shelf without Nora Roberts name attached to it - I would probably pass it by. I am a fan of Roberts writing and find that her ability to cross genres is quite impressive.
The characters in Inheritance are one of its strongest aspects. Roberts has a knack for creating characters that are complex, relatable, and engaging. The friendship between Sonya and Cleo is particularly noteworthy. Their bond is genuine and heartwarming, providing a solid emotional anchor throughout the story. Their interactions are filled with warmth, humor, and a deep understanding of each other, making their friendship one of the most enjoyable aspects of the book.
The romance between Sonya and Trey, however, feels somewhat rushed. Their relationship progresses quickly, with little build-up or development. One moment they are strangers, and the next they are a couple. This rapid progression may leave some readers feeling a bit disoriented and wishing for more time to explore their relationship.
Despite this, the romance is still enjoyable. While their relationship may have benefited from a slower pace, their romance is still a key part of the story that many readers will enjoy.
I don't actually feel like a lot of exciting things happened in Inheritance. To me it was more character building and learning to live with the ghosts who haunt the manor Sonya inherits. I wouldn't mind having "Molly" who leaves Sonya's kitchen and bedroom in immaculate condition! I do feel like the book started to get intriguing about the 85% or so mark and then - ugh - it leaves you with such a cliffhanger. I don't know when Book 2 of this trilogy will be released. I also should note that the cover of this novel is quite stunning.
Thank you for the advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest review. I think I'll go with 3 1/2 stars for this one.

After reading Nora Roberts for almost forty years, once again, I am hooked on a new trilogy: The Lost Brides.
Sonya's world is turned upside down when she inherits a haunted manor in Maine. There is the evil woman in black, some good ghosts, new friends, new work, and a dog.
Get started on this new trilogy and you will be wanting books two and three asap!

After narrowly dodging a toxic marriage, Sonya discovers she has received a sprawling property in Maine. This sudden inheritance was bequeathed to her by an uncle she had not met. No one in her immediate family was aware that her orphaned father even had a sibling. Despite the Victorian property's haunting history, Sonya is filled with intrigue by this acquisition and new lineage to investigate. So many questions!

I’m really late to this party, as this is my first experience with this author. After reading book one of this series, it’s like I fully expect to see this as a film adaptation on the Lifetime network next Halloween season. If there is a such thing as cutesy, feel-good ghost stories . . . this would fit snugly in that genre. I highly recommend this novel for mystery/suspense fans and I need the next installment of the Dead Bride Series as soon as possible!

I'd like to thank NetGalley for an advanced copy of Inheritance for my unbiased evaluation.  4 stars

Nora Roberts is an author that I’ve wanted to try over and over again but never taken the jump to pick up one of her books. Although I own a few of her books currently. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this writer and if our tastes would align but I will say wow…

This book was a perfect blend of gothic cozy mystery - gothic and supernatural elements with all the cozy feelings shown within the environment and relationships of the characters. I was pleasantly surprised by how easy I was able to devour this book and how I spent as much time as I could reading chapter after chapter. Roberts created likable and easily connecting characters that you stand behind and hope for throughout their change of life.

From beginning to end, the story develops dramatically from Sonya - struggling through her wedding planning and relationship to an extreme change of life and plans. Sonya’s connection with the haunted house that belonged to her family generation after generation and the mystery of the seven brides. The ending of this book has me screaming for the next installment and I will be waiting for release date of the next book. Trey, Sonya, Owen, and Cleo will be stuck in my thoughts for a while.

Thank you St. Martins Press and Nora Roberts for the incredible story and the ability to read this e-ARC and to give my review. Can’t wait for the next story!

I've been reading Nora Roberts since middle school and I've even written a research paper on her. I cut my teeth with her romance novels and it's my favorite genre. Her early books gave me great comfort and I've come to prefer her futuristic Eve Dallas procedurals under her pseudonym J.D. Robb. Lately her contemporary books have been missing the sparkle of her previous works. They're either too brutal and I can't finish due to my delicate sensibility or she's trying too hard to keep up with the times. I wanted to keep continuing with an author who means so much to me, but I can't seem to connect with her books anymore. I adore her Eve Dallas books and I've maintained the 50+ books series consistently, but Inheritance was just another casualty in my Nora Roberts abandoned wasteland.

Inheritance had an interesting premise, but it was bogged down by overexposition and oversaturated pages. I understand we had to establish the history of the house and the ghost stories, but the book already felt bloated by 30%. The heroine inherits a big spooky manor in New England and there may or may not be a ghost bride haunting the premises. The hunky local law enforcement helps her move in and he shares the same name with his ancestors. He goes by Trey because he's the third iteration. Ugly name, but cute sentiment. I was so dreadfully bored and found myself skimming constantly. The cop was my favorite character and the only thing I really remembered about the book. The heroine's new digs were filled with all the latest technology and she had a beautiful estate at her disposal. Kinda hard to pity her as a single female counting pennies in my efficiency studio apartment. I get you had a cruddy ex, but you can dry your tears in your state of the art espresso machine and California King bed.

Inheritance was really disappointing and I don't know why I keep reaching for her modern titles. I'll just stick with her Eve Dallas series and be happy with the flying cars, automatic fridges, and drones galore. I'm glad that romance was a bigger feature in this book, but I was inundated with information overload. Nora Roberts will always have a special place in my heart, but I'll focus on her past publications rather than her future ones. If there was one thing to pass along to my fictional children, I would pick my enormous Eve Dallas collection as their Inheritance.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book!

Nora Roberts books are so easy to fall in love with -- her writing is so easy to read. I love the ghostly aspect of this book. I love a good old curse and ghost story and this book gave me that.

I enjoyed Sonya's character very much, it was amusing to see how she was dealing with a haunted house. Much like some of the other books, this is about a generational story and friendship, but romance also plays a huge part in this book. While I did feel that the relationship wasn't full fleshed out, I did think it was nice.

It was all very sweet; there were parts towards the end in which I was like, oh, this isn't a standalone and I realized that there was going to be another book.

If you like a bit of mystery, suspense and horror with your romance then this book will be for you.

This book definitely toes modern gothic horror, ghost story and romance all in one package. I definitely enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!