I love books about inheriting haunted estates and this book is no exception. Although the fact that this book does not wrap up anything is a little disappointing. I hate having to wait so long for a resolution. 3 books is a little too long to leave so many things open and unresolved. Wanted to be able to give this more stars.

Thanks to Nora Roberts, St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for allowing me free access to ARCs in exchange for an honest review.

True Title: In Which Meals Are Had

DNF 45%

I'm not reading Nora Roberts anymore. I know I've bitched about her in the past, but for real this time, I'm done. The first half of this book was just a series of meals with the occasional lame haunt thrown in. The premise is intriguing, but the execution is just a ramble of unnecessary and inconsequential details. Who gives a flying rat's ass what color and material the tables and chairs are at the party they're planning? Who cares what the menu is for every goddamn meal they eat? Who cares about work projects that present no conflict and have nothing to do with the plot? The fluff is suffocating. What's that? The MC's love interest is falling in love with her? News to me, because we're not seeing it on the page. I feel no chemistry between Sonya and Trey, and none between Chloe and Owen. The haunts aren't scary, there's no tension, the stakes feel like a shrug, none of the characters are remotely interesting. Sweet jesus, Roberts's writing is in the shitter. They really will pay her to write to-do lists---because people keep reading them! It's so frustrating! It's a fricken scam! You're paying for a name and reputation, not a quality product. Either Roberts has no editor or her editor has no spine. Or skill. I'm so glad I stopped paying for Roberts's books years ago. I'm done. Done, done, done. I feel like ordering an arrangement of white lilies, because I'm grieving this loss.

Normally, I am Nora's biggest fan. Anything she writes, I am your girl, I'll read it in a heartbeat. This one...was boring. I loved the first book in the Lost Bride Trilogy and was so excited for this advanced copy from NetGalley for the second, but this just did not hold the same intrigue as the first. The dialogue felt stiff and forced in sections and it just seemed very wordy for the story progression that was actually made. It was also very low on romance compared to the first. I expected more from Cleo and Owen and was left unsatisfied with how that relationship progressed. I think this is the first trilogy I've read from Nora that didn't have 3+ sets of couples in it, one story for each couple and I'm still trying to get a feel for where this series is going.

Lots of food, gardening etc. and not too much action. Awaiting 3rd book!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Maybe I'm biased since she is my favorite author, but this book was amazing. I can't wait for the last one in the series. LOVE Nora Roberts.

The second book in this series did not disappoint. I always love a good book with ghosts but this one took it to another level and watching the women fight to get their home back is so fun to read. Many brides have been murdered in this house over many generations and after inheriting it, Sonya moves in. This one picks up right after the Inheritance stops. Through dreams and trips through a mirror she starts piecing together her family history. Most of the ghosts that inhabit the house are good and one even does her house work. However there is a horrible ghost who create havoc and was the one the murdered the brides. Sonya and Cleo her room make, are trying to find out what happened. In the process they both have budding relationships with some great men. I appreciate the publisher and #NetGalley for give me an ARC of this book and I look forward to book three when it is released.

Excellent continuation of the story! This book picks up where the first one left off with a smooth start. Sonya and Cleo are living their best life at Sonya’s Maine manor with Trey and Owen still there to help with the Dobbs/brides situation. Here we see more of Hester Dobbs and what happened previously, which is a phenomenal storyline where we are able to get a clearer picture of the brides and what happened with them. There is progression in Trey and Sonya’s relationship and things heat up for Cleo too, which I loved! So much happened here, with the ladies having their open house for the town and their respective families, Cleo gets herself a cat (who somehow fits in immediately with the dogs and I absolutely love it!!!) and Sonya has a run in with her horrible ex-fiancé Brandon while presenting for a prime job opportunity.
Nora Roberts continuously outdoes herself with each book she puts out and this one is no exception. She truly is the queen of her genre and never fails to deliver a top notch book. I can’t wait to see what happens next, and am definitely recommending this book/series to all my book loving friends!

This novel is the second in the Lost Brides trilogy. Sonya has inherited a mansion in Maine, and is piecing together a family history which was previously unknown. The house is haunted by several ghosts, and some of them are good. Who wouldn't want an invisible helper that cleaned up, or one that always played appropriate music? The one no one wants is Horrible Hester, who has murdered all of the woman who were married at the mansion. Sonya and her best friend Cleo must figure out how to break the curse with the help of boat builder Owen and attorney Trey. Thanks to the publisher for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A Nora trilogy without 3 romances! Unheard of. Love the ghosts though. I am so happy I read an ARC and yet so sad that the wait for book three will feel even longer!

I loved the second installment of Ms. Roberts' Lost Brides Trilogy. The story just keeps getting better. I love the vignettes about the lost brides. The vignette about Colin and Joanna days before their wedding was so touching. I can't wait for the last installment of this trilogy.

This is book 2 in the Lost Bride Trilogy and is wonderful continuation of Sonya and her friends trying to break the curse of brides being murdered on their wedding day. She has visions of an antique mirror, she is drawn to it, sensing it holds dark family secrets.
Then one night the mirror appears and Sonya glides through this looking glass, into the past—and sees a bride murdered on her wedding day, the circle of gold torn from her finger. It is a scene that will play out again and again—a centuries-old curse that must be broken—and a puzzle she must solve if there is any hope of breaking the curse. There is a perfect ratio of romance, paranormal and mystery in this series.

3.5 stars ⭐

Thank you Netgalley for providing me an E-ARC! Book two begins immediately where book one left off, and it is very crucial to read this series in order. I am honestly torn on how to rate this book. The main plot of the Poole manor and brides consistently pulled me in; I was constantly enthralled during those sections. But this book also had so many filler parts that were so terribly boring and dull, it left me not wanting to continue at times. I understand to a certain extent it was necessary to establish that love and laughter are being built within the Poole manor but I could not stand long sections just talking about food to make or the characters drinking and talking about nothing in particular. I do think I will finish this series when Roberts comes out with the third, because I want to see the curse lifted; but I'm not sure how quickly I'll be rushing to read it like I was this installment.

The Mirror was, for me, the eagerly anticipated second book in the Lost Bride Trilogy. As a long time Nora Roberts fan, I truly enjoy her trilogies and the wait for each one in the way that some people wait for pumpkin spice season. After reading The Inheritance, I couldn't wait to see what happened after Sonya and Owen stepped into the mirror, which is where book two opens. To be honest, there wasn't a lot to see. WIth an unusual departure from her usual "big bad," I wondered how Nora would pull off three books, when the bad guy didn't seem to take over anyone's body, amass a legion of other "big bads' to do its dirty work, and was basically confined to one space. In truth, she didn't pull it off. For the first time in untold years I felt let down. While there are a few new additions, and we see the romance between Owen and Cleo spark to flame, the story is pretty much just an almost day to day continuation of book one, with very little that furthers the plots of the overall story. Although well written and engaging, there just wasn't enough movement to make this book necessary. Because this trilogy is written in a way so different than most of her other trilogies, I'm eagerly awaiting the third installment so we see how Nora ties this one all together. I'm still hoping for a ghostly third couple to round out the trilogy romances.

I would give this book 3.75 stars if the rating system allowed.

The second installment of the Lost Bride Trilogy finds Sonya, Cleo, Trey, and Owen learning more about the history of Poole Manor and the ghosts that reside within. Mostly those ghosts are good and extremely helpful, but the one big bad ghost, Hester Dobbs, is causing lots of problems in the manor, particularly for Poole ancestor Sonya.

I very much enjoyed Inheritance, the first installment of this trilogy. Though the concept of brides who are married in the manor dying on or very close to their wedding day is sad, the story of Hester Dobbs's curse is interesting and captivating. In the Mirror, the gang learns more about the history of the manor and the people who lived in it, many of whom are now ghosts keeping them company daily. They are frustrated that they cannot find a way to stop Hester's dark hold on the manor, and I have to say I am too. I feel like in most Nora Roberts trilogies, the reader gets some clue of what will stop the "big bad" in the second book. Other than doing positive things, reclaiming space in the manor, and having a fun party, there really doesn't seem to be any hint of a long-term solution. I just hope it isn't thrown in last minute at the end of the next book.

Now for the romance - Sonya and Trey still don't have much chemistry in my opinion. They are just so "meh". Maybe it's because they are rarely alone in the scenes in the book because Cleo lives there and her love interest/Trey's best friend Owen are ALWAYS there. Owen is the ultimate curmudgeon but he still showed more passion for Cleo than Sonya and Trey do for each other most of the time. All I can think is "Are they really all going to end up living there together forever? Like married, with kids, all living in the same house? I know it's a big house and I know they are BFF's but come on.

The story of the last bride is really sad and I sort of think the detail revealed was a bit much. Just really rubbing salt in the wound.

BUT, I have read every Nora Robert's book ever written and will likely continue to do so until there are no more (heaven forbid). I am very interested to see what happens in the last book, especially after the last scene of this book. Creeeeepppy.

‘The Mirror” is the follow up book to “the Inheritance” in the Lost bride trilogy. This story picks right up from the cliffhanger in the last book without missing a beat. This is a book about the supernatural, so if you don’t like that type of book this won’t be one for you. The story continues with more background on the seven brides and the witch Hester Dobbs. Sonya stands her ground and will not be driven out of her new home and life. Cleo, Trey and Owen are also in this second book working together to help break the curse and solve the mystery of Poole Manor.

Nora Roberts did a great job pulling me into this second book and left me eagerly awaiting the third book. I’m enjoying the series and highly recommend.

This is the second book of the Lost Bride Trilogy. I truly loved the first book and this one continues the story of Sonya and Cleo. Sonya inherits the house and continues her quest to end the curse put on the brides. We have learned about most of the brides and the witch Dobbs who has put the curse on the Poole family. The love stories of Sonya and Trey and Cleo and Owen continues. I am anxiously waiting to read the third book in the trilogy to find out how they lift the curse on the Pooles.

Sonya MacTavish’s wildest dreams come true when she moves into the Victorian mansion on the Maine coast that she recently inherited. But things suddenly change for her when, during the early morning hours, she begins to hear footsteps, doors slamming, and music playing. Then she has vivid dreams about the past and the sudden strange appearance of paintings of the brides from the past who were murdered on their wedding day in the mansion. She visualizes an antique mirror that she believes holds the dark secrets of the past surrounding those who occupied the mansion before her.
Late one night, she faces the mirror and glides through its looking glass into the past. She visualizes a bride, one of many who was murdered in the mansion. Each of the brides had their gold wedding rings removed at their death. To break the curse on the mansion, Sonya must solve the puzzle surrounding the death of the brides.

Nora Roberts is on my auto-buy list. Some books I love, some I like. I love this trilogy. Inheritance left us with a cliffhanger and The Mirror starts with the next step into a bride’s history.

All of the characters in the book are wonderful and learning about the ghost's backstories adds another layer to the found family aspects of the book. I enjoyed seeing Sonya get a little revenge, especially by being the better person. I love seeing Sonya and Cleo interact, the progression of Sonya and Trey’s relationship, and the introduction of Cleo and Owen as a couple. We can’t forget the canine menagerie and the introduction of the feline. The book provides more information about the bride's and Hester's background.

The tight-knit community adds additional depth to the story. This book also ends on a cliffhanger and while I was thrilled to get an eARC, I am really sad because I have to wait an extra long time for the conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Nora Roberts for the eARC.

Is it possible I am no longer a Nora Roberts girlie? It certainly doesn’t feel true to my brand, but her last few books have felt pretty stale. A couple of years ago she was doing books that felt like they were trying to *say* things while still fitting solidly into the romance genre. That aspect is gone, leaving us with stories that just feel bloodless.

I do really like how much of the books are about love though - not just romance, Roberts has a skill in showcasing the every day love of family and friends.

The Mirror is the second book in the Lost Bride Trilogy and continues the story at the ending of book one. This book needs to be read as part of the trilogy. The spooky, paranormal story continues as the witch who has cursed the family over the years continues to haunt the family mansion. Sonya finds herself traveling between the past and present as she tries to break the curse. Wonderful characters drive this ghostly paranormal fantasy peppered with a little bit steamy romance. The story is to be continued into the next book so there is no closure in this book but will definitely have the reader looking for book three in the series. My voluntary, unbiased, and non-mandatory review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.