Oh my! This book kept the wow moments coming. From Sonya finding her fiance in bed with her cousin to Sonya pulling an Alice and going through the looking glass, this delivered on the drama, the humor, and the chills. The characters are colorful and much braver than I could dream of being. Inheritance here seems to refer to family, a house, and history. Discovering family members you didn't know you had can be a blessing or a curse. This family comes with a centuries-old curse that refuses to let go. The house and its inhabitants are vital parts of the story and I look forward to learning more about the entire backstory. Please bring on the next installment. I need to know what's next. I'm sure someone is going to come up with a solution for the curse.


Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-arc in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is the first book in The Lost Bride Trilogy. As it ends in a cliffhanger, you will need to read Book 2 as soon as it's available. As this is a very engaging and suspenseful page turner, I can't wait for the next book.

Sonya unexpectedly learns that a previously unknown uncle - her late father's twin brother - has died and left her a sizeable inheritance, featuring a manor on the coast of Maine. In order to claim her legacy, she needs to move and live in the manor for 3 years. When she arrives, she experiences different phenomena, including spirits who play music that fits with what's happening at the moment, turn on fires, clean up dishes, make her bed, etc. She also sees shadows on the widows walk and dreams of events in the house's past. She comes to accept that the manor is haunted and is intrigued by the mystery of the lost brides. The house is somewhat infamous as the site of the death of 7 brides.

In between the spooky events, we get to know the town of Poole's Bay and its residents, see Sonya in action as she builds her business as a graphic artist, and meet Sonya's mother, best friend, and handsome love interest.

Roberts has written a compelling mystery and created a very appealing heroine and cast of supporting characters.

If there is anything that is an "auto buy" for me, it's a Nora Robert book - but especially if it's a Nora Roberts TRILOGY, so I jumped at a chance to read Inheritance.

And now I just might be regretting that, if only because this won't be released until November, and that means I have SUCH a longer wait for the next book in the series.

Seriously, the waiting is the worst part about reading her trilogies, and INHERITANCE does not disappoint. It's a mix of my favorite elements of Nora's supernatural trilogies - a bit of supernatural ghosty stuff, some romance, and family/generational drama.

Where Roberts shines in this book are the characters, as well as the fun introduction of the ghosts that haunt the house that Sonya has inherited. If it weren't for the evil witchy ghost whose terrorizing her, I could appreciate all the other ghosts in the manor - they are delightful, mostly, and it makes it for a very fun read.

Many of Nora's trilogies seem to wrap up part of a storyline with one couple, ending in a small cliffhanger around the main story arc leaving you wanting more, and then the next book would focus on the next couple in the group that has found each other while they all work to resolve the many story arc.

But since this is the story about a ghost who kills a bride on her wedding day, that would be problematic for our MC. This first party of Sonya's story really sets up everything - and then ends on a big cliffhanger. (I saw the percentage left on my kindle and KNEW the book was headed toward something that would make me yell in frustration. It did. In a good way. I'm not a patient reader.)

TLDR: This is a book for romance fans who like their books with a bit of a supernatural twist. It has a fantastic setting, great characters, lots of twists and scares. If you've read a lot of Nora's romance trilogies, this has a wee bit of a different feel to it.

HOWEVER: if you aren't a fan of cliffhangers - be warned that this one ends on a big one.

After a betrayal that changed the course of her love and professional life, Sonya MacTavish receives the news that turns her already shaken life upside down. Learning her father had a twin brother, who left her not only a manor on the coast of Maine but her family's history and more is a game changer. Sonia falls in love with the manor the instant she sees it. It is massive, gorgeous, and haunted. But Sonia is far from alone in this gripping mystery. Trey, the young lawyer, that greets her at the manor soon becomes her rock and more. Known as the lost bride manor, her home is inhabited by many ghosts with tragic pasts. Murder piles on as Sonia dreams of her dead relatives. But as the manor and most of its inhabitants welcome Sonia into their world, she learns of lost love, lost life, and a curse that she is destined to break. With a little help from her friends and more than one friendly ghost, Sonia embarks on a journey across place and time to defeat the one that started it all. I was pressed to stop reading each night about Sonia, the manor, its inhabitants (not all good), the family and friends she never expected to find, and the beautiful coast of Maine, all brewing up to an enchanting tale that I can't wait to unravel. I can't wait for books 2 and 3 to find out what comes next! I definitely recommend this one!

Wow. Just wow. Let me start by saying that 98% of my reading these days is done via audiobook but I jumped at getting my hands on an early ARC of Inheritance, even though the audiobook of same is already pre-ordered. And it did not disappoint. This book totally pulled me out of my normal routine and kept me occupied for hours. I read the entire thing in two sittings. If I had started it earlier on the first day, I probably would have made it through in a single sitting. As always, Dame Nora has crafted a story that’s filled with people you want to know and places you want to go. There’s a haunted manor situated on the cliffs overlooking the sea, an inheritance from an unknown relative, a curse that needs to be broken. All of these are woven together with the story of lost brides and an evil, jealous witch who just won’t leave well enough alone. There are friendships, old and new, the start and promise of relationships to come, there is art and music, love and laughter facing off against the events and evil woven through the past two hundred years. The only downside is that, as is typical of Nora’s November releases, this is only the first book in what is sure to be a trilogy. As such, it’s disgruntling to know that there’s more than a year to wait in order to get the next installment and see what happens next with Sonya, Trey, Cleo, and Owen, not to mention the others in the village of Poole’s Bay. However, that book will be preordered as soon as it’s available to do so.

The first Nora Roberts book I ever read was "The Reef." I was home with the flu in high school, and my mom's best friend bought it for me to read. I didn't become a huge Nora Roberts fan until I graduated college; however, once I did I started to literally mark releases on my calendar. I typically wait until the third trilogy book is released to read the whole series; however, I was still very excited to get a chance to read the first book in the new “Lost Brides” series.

Pros: Although there were some things in the book I could see coming, for the most part I have been completely caught up in the action and storyline of the book. It is a solid first book that introduces characters that I am going to be excited to read about in the next books.

Cons: Not to spoil anything, but this book DEFINITELY ends on a cliff hanger. I hate that I have to wait a year to see what happens next.

All in all, this was an amazing first book of the series, and I wish I had more to read. I will be anxiously anticipating book two!

**A received an advanced reader copy for my honest review**

Nora Roberts! She is such an icon - this is my first of hers in many years and I fell back in love with her writing. She is so inherently talented and this book is no different.

The range she has and the development of a story she shows us time and time again is what brings me back for more.

I’ve been reading Nora Roberts for years. I love her books and I especially love her range. This story is part romance, part family drama, and part creepy scary haunted tale. I don’t want to give too much away, but this ends in the cliffhanger to end all cliffhangers and I can’t wait for the next installment!

Oh, this book has so many great draws to hook a reader: eternal love, ghosts, murder and investigation, and new and developing romance. I really enjoyed the first in Nora Roberts' new series, The Lost Bride Trilogy. But it is a cliff hanger of the highest order!

There are actually seven lost brides and their missing lost wedding rings. An evil woman (now an evil ghost) still hangs around the family mansion, along with a number of other interesting and less-malevolent spirits.

The story of Sonja, newly part of the Poole family, arrives to find she is now the well-to-do owner of the mansion, as well as the newest client of the local attorneys. All kinds of fun -and terror- ensue, and the reader is kept involved on every page.

There is a wonderful pace to author Roberts' books, and this book (to be published Nov 21, 2023 by St. Martin's Press) is a pleasure to read and savor. The only downside to reading it: The ending is abrupt and without resolution of the main plot line. They just walk into the mirror ... and they're gone! Oh well, I guess I'll have to re-read each of the volumes in this trilogy each time a new title is released -- years from now./

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's for the opportunity to read and review this excellent new book.

I absolutely loved this book. The characters are so well developed that I felt I would recognize them if I met them on the street. Cleo has just enough quirks to make her a fascinating individual but realistic at the same time. Ace, Deuce and Trey seem like real-time lawyers that I would definitely hire. My favorite "character" was the Lost Bride House. The way it was described created a vivid picture in my head and all it's inhabitants were exposed in such a calm (well mostly --Hester Dobbs has certainly left a memorable impression) and natural manner that they perfectly fit in the overall story. I am anxious to see what Owen and Sonya find on the other side of the mirror. I typically don't like stories that end without wrapping up the storyline, but in this case, Nora Roberts did a masterful job of concluding this book in a satisfactory way. I think having Owen and Sonya both step into the mirror was a perfect way to end. I admire how Nora Roberts can weave all the backstory of the characters seamlessly into the story without the reader feeling that there was just a "data dump" of information. I will highly recommend this book and can't wait for the next one! It's a perfect mix of suspense and paranormal and a hint of romance.

The ending!!! What a cliffhanger. And one I was not expecting. And to think I have to wait months/years? for the second book, since this one won’t be released until November!

First, a huge thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for the privilege of reading Inheritance.

I recently read Identity by Norah Roberts and thought this might be similar. And while it is Nora Roberts’s writing style with amazing characters and writing, this 400 plus page book has so many more twists and turns. Plus did I mention the surprise conclusion? The characters, the setting, the romance, the ghosts are all woven together in a way that draws the reader into the story immediately. I really want to know more. This one is so good, I can’t believe I can’t just keep reading the second, and third, books in this trilogy. I will return. I just hope Sonja and Owen do as well!

4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.

Fabulous beginning to what seems like a wonderfully romantic and thrilling trilogy. Ghosts and betrayal haunt the atmospheric Maine mansion while great characters and humor make this book a winner.

One of the very best books I've read in a long time! I think I have probably read everything Nora Roberts has ever written -- and I have plenty of favorites that I read over again because they're just so darn good -- but this one is way above and beyond. INHERITANCE is the best opening book in a new trilogy that I have ever read and I sincerely couldn't put it down. From the beautifully executed premise for the story to the compelling characters and richly drawn history of the Poole family, I just couldn't get enough. Nora Roberts can draw the distinctions between good and evil better than anyone in the writing business today. In INHERITANCE, that skill is well used and it sets the tone as the heroine finds herself drawn into a family history she had no knowledge of until she found herself the mistress of an historic mansion set on the stormy coast of Maine. At first thrilled and excited about the tremendous change in her life, she soon becomes aware that her fortune may not all be good. As she begins to learn more and looks for answers to all of her questions about the myths surrounding her new home, she is drawn further into a conflict with its roots in her family's past. The cliffhanger ending had me on the edge of my seat and I don't know how I'm going to wait for the next book. I'll probably be dreaming about it and making up endings until I finally have the real thing on my Kindle. I'm leaving a five star review punctuated with a big "Wow!"

IT IS SO UNFAIR HOW THIS BOOK ENDED AND NOW I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL ??? FOR THE NEXT ONE. UGHHHHHHH!

This reminds me of the Key trilogy, which also properly freaked me out. I love Nora’s spooky books, and this story certainly hits all those notes. One of the things I love about the trilogies and the cadence of how Nora releases books is that you can always guess the tone that you’re going to get. Our narrator, Sonya, is giving Eve Dallas vibes with the way she speaks and I love that. I cannot wait for the next one!

Nora Roberts has a special talent for trilogies and she’s definitely nailed it again. I’m in love with Inheritance and can’t wait for the next two books to follow. My favorite type of story is one that you can connect to the characters and the real world disappears when you’re reading. Inheritance has that power, best of all I know I’m going to see them again. There’s magic, suspense, romance, sisterhood and more. I read this book in two days flat. I’m thankful for the author, her publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Inheritance. It is fantastic!

I’ve always been a Nora Roberts fan. This was a good book overall, but not my favorite of hers. I liked the idea of her inheriting this mansion and finding her ancestry. But the paranormal aspect just wasn’t interesting me much. Although the idea of someone cleaning my house for me did sound great.

Nora Roberts has done it again! It has been a while since I've read a book I couldn't put down and shut down everything else just to focus on the story at hand. I love the feel of this story, it kind of reminded me of Rebecca with a modern twist and the only thing I don't like is that I now have to wait for books two and three to come out.
It started a bit slow for me but quickly picked up the pace. The characters were likeable and relatable and the story flows, but I did hate the cliffhanger ending (one of my pet peeves).
I highly recommend this very entertaining book!
Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Is it November yet because thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book but I'd like to own the hardcover of this book sooner vs later. Nora Roberts wove quite the tale mixing past and present in this beautiful story. As noted in the blurb, current day character Sonya MacTavish inherits a manor. She's shocked to learn of a side of her father's family that her and her mom never knew. This book delves into the paranormal with haunting moments that personally gave me chills throughout the story. Both present characters and those we read about from the past are such an interesting group. We're introduced to Trey, the main H, whose family are all attorneys and knew Sonya's uncle who left her the manor. His dad was also the one who approached Sonya about the will. There's some romance in the story but it's a secondary line. There's also other side characters such as Sonya's BFF, Cleo who you'll enjoy reading about as well.

While the story mainly focuses on the mystery of the bride's in Sonya's family and what happened to them, there's also quite a bit about Sonya's career which I found engaging. She's a Web designer and some things happen at the beginning of the story which impacts her career path. Ms. Roberts includes quite a bit about Sonya's talent in website designing that I thought was a good addition along with the mystery happening at the manor. There's much I could share but feel that reading between the past and present connects you alot more so you'll need to read what happens. As you can see, this is a trilogy so the book does end on a note that will have you picking up book 2 asap!

Lastly I'll share that we're given different POV's throughout the book from some of the characters. I always love when an author shares what's going on from different perspectives. There were a few times I had to reread a part to see who made a comment but this didn't detract from the book.

As mentioned initially I plan to purchase this book too as it's a keeper plus I love this cover.

Reading a Nora Roberts novel is much like running into an old friend. Her skills as an author drag you into the story at its onset and really don’t let go until the end. This is the story of Sonya. She has just come out of a bad engagement and needs some space. She is shocked to learn that she has inherited a manor (and the funds to maintain it) in Maine from an uncle she never knew existed. He and her father had been twins separated at infancy. She agrees to come to Maine and see the manor and determine whether or not she will accept the inheritance and an entire family she knows nothing about. It is the story of a haunted house and a strong woman’s efforts to deal with all these life changes. It is also the introduction to a new trilogy. Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC for an honest review.

Lost loves, tragic deaths, and a seaside family manor haunted by events of the past.

Sonya MacTavish is at a turning point in her life. When she breaks off her engagement to her (cheater) fiancé, her actions also disrupt the graphic design firm where she works (because her ex works there too) until she feels she has no choice but to resign. As she plans how to start up her own business, she receives a shock when she is visited by an out-of-state lawyer with news of an unexpected inheritance. It seems that her late father, who was adopted as a baby by a family who knew nothing of his origins, actually had a twin brother named Collin. Collin was raised by relatives, unlike his twin, and didn’t learn of his existence until after Sonya’s dad had died. Now Collin has passed away as well and has bequeathed his possessions, including a stunning home on the coast of Maine, to Sonya. There is a condition (of course)….Sonya has to live there for three years in order to inherit. Needing a change and feeling a pull to the house, Sonya decides to move in and use it as a base of operation for her new business. The house, when she arrives, is even more beautiful than the pictures of it which she had seen. It is also, quite possibly, haunted. When the very logical Sonya can no longer dismiss as absent mindedness beds being made and fireplaces being cleaned up when she doesn’t remember having done it, she has to admit that there is something going on. As she looks into her newly-discovered family’s history, she discovers that a bride in each generation has died in suspicious circumstances at the house. Soon Sonya is having dreams and getting other ghostly “hints” about what has been behind some of these tragedies, and indicating that it is up to her to resolve the deaths of the Lost Brides. With the help of her best friend Cleo, as well as the calm and good-looking son of the lawyer who had initially contacted her, will Sonya be able to find out what has been causing the deaths of the Poole family brides…and maybe find love herself?
Inheritance is the first in a new Nora Roberts trilogy, and it has many of the elements from her previous works. Of course there is the beautiful, smart, independent heroine and an equally appealing potential love interest to anchor the story. There’s a bit of the supernatural world at play, as well as solid friendships, supportive families, and intriguing family lore. The new twist of love stories that come to a tragic end on wedding nights provides a link to the family’s history. With a mirror that offers a glimpse, and maybe even a pathway, into past events, the stage is set for Sonya and her circle to uncover all of the secrets of Lost Brides Manor, and bring peace to the troubled spirits who have been calling it home. Fans of Nora Roberts will devour this latest entry, and will eagerly await the two remaining stories in the trilogy….be prepared for a cliffhanger at the end of this installment. Fans of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series , Jayne Ann Krentz’s romantic suspense novels, and other romantic suspense with a gothic or magical twist will also want to add this to their “must read” list. Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for allowing me access to an advanced reader’s copy of Inheritance….I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and the story, and will eagerly await Book Two of the Lost Bride Trilogy.