This book!!! Oh my gosh, I don’t know where to start. It is about Sonya MacTavish and her journey of a new life, in a new town, with a new job, new friends, and a living arrangement in an inherited manor with some ghosts and a curse….I loved this book so much, I found myself picking it up to read every chance I got. It is captivating and really sucks you in and makes you feel like you are there. I cannot wait until the next two books come out. I need to know what happens next!

Graphic Designer, Sonya MacTavish, comes home early to find her fiancée sleeping with her cousin. Despite trying to remain civil the outcome results in a situation less than ideal at work and home. Things seem pretty bleak until Sonya is contacted about a lost relative, her fathers twin brother, who has left her everything in his will. Sonja leaves her life behind and moves to her new Victorian home on the coast of Maine to start up her own business. Sonya soon discovers that her new dream home has a few skeletons in its closets as well as ghosts and a centuries-old curse.

I started reading Nora Roberts a few years ago and enjoyed the magical elements she incorporates into her work. When I saw the plot synopsis for Inheritance it seemed like a perfect fit. I really wanted to love this novel but sadly I just didn’t. I’m quickly realizing that many of her novels seem to follow a similar outline (tragedy, mysterious relative/inheritance, romance) which isn’t a bad thing but i wanted something fresh. I didn’t care for any of the characters in this novel…especially Sonya, a lot of the chapters felt like reading a how to manual as everything (i.e. web design ideas) felt like it was being described in way too much detail. Honestly…I was a bit bored with this one. What I did like was the back stories of the lost brides which I wish would have been more heavily incorporated into the story. I don’t think I will be continuing this series but that doesn’t mean that other readers won’t enjoy it.

Nora Roberts does it again with a Paranormal Romance that will have you hooked from the first page.

Sonya inherits a home from her long-lost uncle along with a century-long mystery and household guests haunting the halls until the curse is broken. Cleo, her best friend, and lover of all things supernatural moves in to support Sonya in her search for answers to her family history.

The romance story for Sonya and Trey was a little underdeveloped, they danced around the attraction and then just fell into it. This could be something that gets explored more in the rest of the trilogy we will have to wait and see. Trey, however, is All the Golden Retriever energy your little heart could want!

As always Roberts leaves us with a CliffHanger that feels Jarring and has you looking up the publication date for the next book.

This book made me wish I had a secret uncle who would leave me a big beautiful mansion that is haunted!! I loved the vibes in this book, the small town feel and couldn’t put it down!

4,5 stars

This was a really fantastic beginning to a wonderfully spooky romance. A perfect October read if you ask me!!

I've read some of the author's other trilogies in the past, her spooky, witchy, and ghostly ones, but I wasn't sure what to expect, since the author changed the way her trilogies are structured.

Inheritance is the beginning of a trilogy that is one continuous story, at least that's how it looks to me. And I must say it works!! The author gives the romantic relationships time to develop, the overall story to unfold in a timeframe that makes sense, since the backstory covers centuries.

The story grabbed me from the very beginning. Not just because it featured a beautiful old mansion with some very interesting inhabitants, but also because of the just wonderfully likeable characters. And the way friendships are being put in the foreground and celebrated.

Loved the camaraderie, the support, and most of all the group dynamic in this book.

The story has all the signature style and feel good moments I'm used to get from this author. The group getting together to work on problems, brainstorming, enjoying a dinner together and working on projects. It's so relatable. And also a joy to see this group of amazing characters enjoying each others company.

The sequel is going to go to the top of my 2024 reading list - can't wait for its release!

TW/CW: Sex, death, death of a child, childbirth, scary situations

REVIEW: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily writing an honest review.

Inheritance is the story of a young woman named Sonya MacTavish who inherits a haunted estate in Maine from family she didn’t even know she had. When she moves into the house, she discovers that she is far from being alone…

I enjoyed this book, for the most part. I loved the ghost story aspect of it – that was great and had me engaged and wanting more.

I did get a little bored with the emphasis on the dogs and her work – I just wanted to get back to the cool ghost story stuff, not read about the multiple times she takes her dog out each day. XD

I also felt that the ‘romance’ wasn’t as strong as it could have been – I hope that will be better explored in the next books.

Just a warning, this book does end on a cliffhanger with no resolution to…well, basically any of the plots. Frustrating!

Despite the above, I did enjoy this book and would recommend it to fans of slow-burn ghost stories and fans of Nora Roberts.

Name of Book: The Inheritance
Series: Long Lost Bride
Author: Nora Roberts
Genre: Gothic Paranormal, Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Saint Martin’s Press
Pub Date: November 21, 2023
My Rating: 3.6 rounded up
Pages: 458

The blurb starts with
1806: Astrid Poole sits in her bridal clothes, overwhelmed with happiness. But before her marriage can be consummated, she is murdered, and the circle of gold torn from her finger. Her last words are a promise to Collin never to leave him.

Sonya MacTavish is a talented twenty-eight year old Graphic Designer planning her wedding to fiancé Brandon Wise in bed with Tracie who is Sonja’s cousin as well as one of her bridesmaids . She immediately canceled their wedding and then gets another surprise. She learns her father had a twin brother Collin whom neither he nor her mother knew about. This unknown uncle leaves her his Victorian house on the Maine coast. It comes with cost of upkeep covered. However the is one stipulation sand that is she must live there for at least three years in order to receive her full inheritance.
At first she is completely overwhelmed by the inheritance and is a bit scared about managing the estate.
She soon finds things strange things occurring in the house. She discovers that the town believes the house is haunted.
Sonya wonders if perhaps it is the spirit of the lost bride and she is reaching out for help.

As we readers know Ms. Roberts typically writes romance novels and true this is a bit different but~ Yes Sonya soon finds Trey Doyle the lawyer’s son a love interest.

I was rather sure that Book #1 in this trilogy was going to leave me wanting more ~ no surprise that indeed is the case!

Want to thank NetGalley and Saint Martin’s Press for this early eGalley..
Publishing Release Day scheduled for November 21, 2023.

Nora Roberts is the master of romance writing and her newest book doesn’t disappoint. Inheritance, the first book in a new trilogy, tells the story of a haunted manor in Maine that Sonya inherits at the perfect time in her life, when she is met with a challenge about where to turn in a life she thought she knew. Once at the manor, she encounters some really lovely people, both dead and alive. But not everyone is friendly and there is a dark presence for Sonya to navigate. Of course, being a Nora Roberts novel, there is an element of romance with Trey, a local resident and attorney that Sonya meets and comes to care for.

As with any book that is part of a Nora Roberts trilogy, there is a cliffhanger that will leave you reeling! To wait more than a year for the next book is going to be awful, as I want to know what happens right now! This book did not disappoint and I will be waiting (im) patiently for the next in the trilogy. Thank you to the publisher for an advance reader copy of this book. I’ve been sucked in and can’t wait to see what happens next!

Nora Roberts has done it again!
This book has everything, a witch, a curse, family history, romance, and a good old mystery. I could not put this book down, I felt like I was right there with Sonya and was going through everything. I am so hooked and can’t wait for the next book.

Sonya catches her fiancé cheating on her during the planning of her wedding. She soon finds out that she inherited a manor from her dad’s twin brother, that she didn’t know he had.

She was told the manor was haunted by all the brides that had died on their wedding day, because a 200-year-old curse had been put on them. Sonya does discover both good ghosts and, apparently, an evil witch who is connected to the deaths of seven brides. Along with lawyer turned boyfriend Trey, best friend Cleo, and distant cousin Poole, the house gets explored and more mysteries are revealed.

This is a page turner and stay up reading all night book. I was honored to be able to receive an ARC of this book for my honest review.

Nora Roberts is my favorite author and I absolutely love this book! I can't wait for the rest of the trilogy. Sonya is going through a rough time and she finds out her dad had a twin brother. When he passes, he leaves her this majestic Victorian house in Maine. She goes to visit Maine and speak to his lawyer and falls in love with the house. She meets Trey and they instantly have a connection. He grew up with her uncle and knows the history of the house. This book is filled with ghosts that seem stuck in this house. One of the ghosts is trying to run her out and she refuses. This book leaves you craving the rest of the story. I can't wait to purchase this for my library and recommend it to a lot of my readers. I loved this as much as The Awakening Trilogy. Nora's details and descriptions make you feel like you apart of the story.

First book in the Lost Brides Trilogy
Graphic designer Sonya MacTavish is dealing with her canceled wedding - unfortunately, her ex works at the same firm and is spreading lies about her. She is informed that she has inherited a mansion in Maine from Colin Poole who is her late father's twin. Her father had been adopted and never who his birth parents were. In order to inherit, Sonya must live in the mansion for three years.
Sonya decides to head to Maine and start over. Upon arriving, she discovers the mansion is haunted and about the curse that has taken the lives of Poole brides. As she settles in, starts a new business and learns more about her father's family, she is determined not to be driven away by a vengeful ghost.
To be continued.
#Inheritance #NetGalley

Nora Roberts never fails to capture my imagination with her stories. Inheritance is just the latest in the long line of her books that pulled me in and made me never want to leave that world. When an author ventures into writing both the past and the present, it takes a delicate touch. Ms. Roberts definitely has that touch.

After finding her fiance in bed with her cousin, Sonya breaks it off with him. The fiance is vindictive so Sonya ends up resigning from her job. It is then that Sonya MacTavish learns that her father had a twin brother. That twin brother left her a house, but she must live in it. The house is a dream and a nightmare. With the help of her friend and Trey, her uncle's lawyer's son, Sonya learns to live in the house with the ghosts. But will she be able to break the curse?

Y'all, if you like fantasy and ghosts, you will want to read this one. Just know that this one does not have an HEA for Trey and Sonya at the end as their story continues in the next book (this is the first of a trilogy). I'm going to be impatiently waiting for the next installment!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sharing this novel's digital ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the whole book. The hero Tre was perfect for the heroine.
The premise of the whole trilogy is fascinating and I can't wait for more books in this series.
This book is a solid 5 stars.

PSA: I received the ARC from Netgalley and this is my honest review.

Nora Roberts has done it again. I was totally captivated by this tale. The reader is drawn into this story from the beginning. The characters are well formed and three dimensional. A strong female lead, Sonya MacTavish, and her best friend Cleo, along with Sonya's mother, Winter, are a formidable group of women. Sonya takes the high road when her life starts to unravel after an incident that leaves her shaken. Along with the support of Cleo and Winter, she begins to reorganize her life in a way that gives her some much needed freedom both professionally and personally. Then another curve ball comes her way with the potential to flip her new world upside down.

As always, Ms. Roberts has crafted a beautiful story. A story about remaining true to oneself and not getting lost in the quagmire of self doubt and self pity. I enjoyed this story tremendously and look forward to the remaining books in this trilogy.

This book is the start of a classically Nora Roberts trilogy. Romance. Strong leads. Strong friendships. Supernatural. Mystery. When I heard this was by Nora Roberts I knew I wanted to read it. Whatever magic or formula she has works beautifully. This story is no different in that, What makes it special is that the story itself is unique. Sonya, the main character has grit, courage, and brains. She's a likeable character which makes reading her story enjoyable. The haunted mansion and stories of inhabitants of past are intriguing also. My only beef is that I have to wait for the second and third books now
There is a trigger warning. Domestic violence in one chapter, physical and sexual abuse. Not for the main characters so it isn't a theme throughout the book



Description
Inheritance is the first in The Lost Bride Trilogy by #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts—a tale of tragedies, loves found and lost, and a family haunted for generations.

1806: Astrid Poole sits in her bridal clothes, overwhelmed with happiness. But before her marriage can be consummated, she is murdered, and the circle of gold torn from her finger. Her last words are a promise to Collin never to leave him…

Graphic designer Sonya MacTavish is stunned to learn that her late father had a twin he never knew about—and that her newly discovered uncle, Collin Poole, has left her almost everything he owned, including a majestic Victorian house on the Maine coast, which the will stipulates she must live in it for at least three years. Her engagement recently broken, she sets off to find out why the boys were separated at birth—and why it was all kept secret until a genealogy website brought it to light.

Trey, the young lawyer who greets her at the sprawling clifftop manor, notes Sonya’s unease—and acknowledges that yes, the place is haunted…but just a little. Sure enough, Sonya finds objects moved and music playing out of nowhere. She sees a painting by her father inexplicably hanging in her deceased uncle’s office, and a portrait of a woman named Astrid, whom the lawyer refers to as “the first lost bride.” It’s becoming clear that Sonya has inherited far more than a house. She has inherited a centuries-old curse, and a puzzle to be solved if there is any hope of breaking it…

Thank you #netgalley #norarobertsand #StMartinsPress for letting me read this ARC

Let me preface by saying I love Nora Roberts and I have read almost everything she has written and she still gets me hooked every single time. This is the first in a new trilogy The Lost Brides and it is a so good. Just a great mix of fantasy, mystery and romance with ghosts of course. Sonya finds out that her father was a twin and she ends up inheriting the family’s gothic mansion in Maine which is fabulous but full of ghosts of everyone who died in the house. Apparently there is a curse on every generation of Pooles where a bride is killed who gets married or lives in the house since a witch wanted to marry the first Poole after the house was built and murdered his bride to get him but it backfires since the groom kills himself since he can’t live without his bride and since the witch couldn’t have him 7 brides have been lost since then which includes the first that was murdered. Sonya has to figure out how to break the curse with the help of her new beau, best friend and cousin before the witch kills another bride. I can’t wait until next book and this definitely ended leaving you wanting more.

Thanks to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

There is no better way to spend a Saturday than reading and when it is a Nora Roberts book, you have hit the jackpot. I'm not a ghosty person but these specters are written in such a matter of fact manner that I just accepted them. as =part of the story. Pretty sure I wouldn't in real life. The book has many of the elements of a typical haunted house, but do so much more convincingly it just added to the tone of the book. I will anxiously await the sequel.

Highly Recommend!!!

The Lost Bride!!!!

I can say this is a Must Read!

Amazing story with sound Character Development which I love!

Sonya’s story a brilliant and well written! I could not put this book down!

I can’t wait for book two!

I love the way this story was written and this book holds you from page one!

Nora Roberts did an amazing job with this story! I really enjoyed her writing style!

No spoilers with my review!

Overall I give this book 5 golden stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️

This was a 4 star read.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC opportunity! Nora Roberts has been my fav author for many years and it was amazing to be given an arc of hers.

In the span of a couple months Sonya McTavish not only learns her fiance is cheating on her but that her Uncle (whom she didn’t even know existed) left his mansion to her when he passed away. The catch is that she must move in. Did I mention the mansion is haunted by “the lost brides”, her murdered ancestors? Oh, and she has to solve the mystery before she is next?

I really enjoyed Sonya as a character because she isn’t just this badass who handles it all in stride but is actually human and freaked the heck out.

The story moves along nicely and I found myself invested in all of the characters, the different budding relationships, the mystery and everything that is the Lost Bride Manor.

I am curious if we will get to know more about Bree and Manny in the next book, simply because usually these trilogies follow a couple per book.

Troupes: found family, mystery

Spice: 2/5 (there isn’t anything wrong with this, it was just light and fade to black)
Plot 4/5
Pace 4/5
Character Personality 4/5
Character Growth 3/5
Writing Style 4/5
World Building 4/5

I didn't enjoy this as much as I'd hoped. I had trouble finishing it and felt the plot had some holes in it. I couldn't get attached or bond to the characters. I just felt disappointed.