I was thrilled to get to review Inheritance, book one in @norarobertsauthor newest trilogy, last year. I was over the moon when I found out I would get to review book two as well.
Sonya inherited the family manor of family she didn’t even know she had. Her late father was adopted at birth and never knew his birth family, but his twin brother found him too late for the brothers to be reunited but with time to will the family home to his long lost niece. The house comes with filled with ghosts who mostly want to help and enjoy having light and laughter in their home again. But it also comes with a curse and Hester Dobbs, a ghostly witch who killed the last seven brides to come to the manor and stole their rings to cement her power. Sonya is determined to break the curse and clear her ancestral home of the darkness that has plagued it for seven generations.
Book two picks up exactly where book one ended which I love. Sonya and her best friend and roommate Cleo are prepared to weather anything Dobbs can throw at them. Trey and Sonya’s cousin Owen are determined to have their backs as they do. As the foursome gather more information about the manor’s past inhabitants and their untimely demises they know they will need to find a way to end Dobbs hold on the family.
I did have assumptions going into this series. I thought it would wind up being a bit of a formulaic treasure hunt for the 7 rings but that is absolutely not the case. This story is unfolding at its own pace, and I can safely say at the end of book two I have absolutely no idea how this trilogy will end, or how they are planning to expel the evil. I love the bond our four protagonists have. They all have amazing families that add brightness to the story. If you are like me and have been waiting for book two to arrive, it is well worth the wait. If you haven’t picked this series up yet I definitely recommend it. The Mirror releases November 19 2024.
Thank you so much to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for letting me review this series.
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I love Nora Roberts from the very depths of my heart - especially her trilogies that have magic as a main character. However, her last trilogy bummed me out a little because I didn't love it so I was more skeptical going in to this one. I was surprised at how much I loved book one and have been anticipating book two eagerly.

I enjoyed the whole book. There were several moments that made me cry and many more that made me snort with laughter. I enjoyed the character and relationship developments.

All of that being said - I'm a little stressed about what book 3 is going to be about. I honestly forgot while reading this that it was a trilogy and was sure it was just a duology. The book could have easily completed the duology. So I'm a little worried that book 3 will drag things out.

4.5 Stars
The Mirror picks up right from where Inheritance (#1) left off so you really need to read the first book before starting this one. Unfortunately though, again we are left with many questions unanswered and with the #3 (the final book of this trilogy) not due out until 2025 we will be waiting for a long time. I am not a fan of this but I love Nora Roberts books so wait I will do and jump for #3 as soon as I see it available!
In The Mirror, I grew tired of Trey. As he became more comfortable in his relationship with Sonya he became too "pushy", questioning too much and a little overbearing in my opinion. It made me cringe a little and I really wanted Sonya to push back a little bit more than she did.
***Slight Spoiler here*** My favourite part of this book was in the later part of the story when Sonya's grandmother was at the manor and was "speaking" to Drew's birth mother. It brought tears to my eyes. I read that section a couple of times. It was so well done.

Slightly creepy but believable, heartwarming, growing and deepening relationships between couples and best friends, with wonderful characters, in this world and otherwise, laced throughout the story.
Yet another great book by Nora Roberts and I am impatiently waiting for the finale!! I'll be keeping an eye out on Netgalley again in hopes of an earlier opportunity.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this early reading. I will be recommending it to everyone!

Sonya is living in the Poole manor along with Cleo and is dealing with the crazy that comes with it.
Trey and Owen are around to help as well. What a story! Nora Roberts writes the mystical so well, she draws you in and keeps you until the end. The writing is lyrical, descriptive and just perfect. After I turned the last page I admit to being sad it was over. I cannot wait for book 3!

This is my favorite Nora trilogy in several years, and I can't wait for the next one! Which is exactly how I felt after the last one. 🙂 Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC. I can't imagine a time when Nora won't be my top recommended author (going strong for 30 years now) - not sure how she continues to write such compelling stories.

I was STOKED being able to get my hands on an advanced copy and MAN. I have no words. I absolutely love the story line. I love how The Mirror flowed seamlessly from Inheritance.
Absolutely loved this book and already waiting for book 3 😅

📖 ARC REVIEW 📖

Thank you @stmartinspress for an early copy of The Mirror by Nora Roberts. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. 🤍

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Release date: November 19th, 2024

Blurb: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

🛑Read on with caution; review may contain spoilers🛑

The second installment of The Lost Bride Trilogy, The Mirror, is almost just as good as its predecessor. We get more insight on the history behind the Poole Brides’ curse (although majority of Sonya’s and the others’ theories are all based on hunches and nothing exactly concrete), as well as the Poole family itself. We also see more of the witch Dobb’s wrath, as she makes her presence in the manor as it’s self-proclaimed “Lady of the Manor” by making chaos all over it by banging doors and controlling the temperature where Sonya, Cleo, and sometimes Trey and Owen are (way original, Dobbs! 🙄).

Nothing much has been revealed though, but this novel highlights and gives more insight to each character’s thoughts and involvement with the history of the manor. It also dives deeper into the budding romance of Sonya and Trey, and Owen and Cleo starting theirs.

Throughout her experiences in the manor this time around, Sonya has strongly put her foot down as the rightful owner of the manor. She has braved the paranormal events happening around her, as well as established a great and fun relationship with the Lost Brides residing in the manor. I especially loved her relationship with her paternal grandmother, “Clover”, who seems so lovely and a breath of fresh air – so pure and good, making herself known and empathizing with Sonya through her love for music. Additionally, I was ecstatic to witness Sonya and Cleo’s friendship and support for each other’s dreams, with Sonya’s design work and Cleo’s art, as well as their firm claim over the manor from Dobbs.

Most importantly, we also discover just how much of a lunatic Dobbs is. Really. She bothered to be involved with a-hundred-year curse over claim to an estate that’s not even hers and she can’t even fully utilize, being now a ghost that she is.

The Mirror is a little less exciting than Inheritance, but I can’t wait to read the last novel and hopefully Sonya and team finds a way to defeat Dobbs.

Forever my go-to author. I am never disappointed by a Nora Roberts novel and The Mirror is no exception.

The Mirror is book 2 in The Lost Bride Trilogy. It continues to the journey of Sonya, Trey, Cleo and Owen as they discover more about the past 7 lost Brides, the Poole family, as well as themselves. This novel is a typical middle novel where there are many discoveries but no real conclusion to much. It was great to see the forward progression in the story but also lost left to be discovered in how to regain claim over Hester Dobbs.

Overall, a great read. Easy to follow, engaging, and keeps you wanting to know more. I do recommend reading book 1 first as it will set some details up much easier. I recommend this book and series. I cannot wait for the book 3 to come out!

Thank you to Nora Roberts, St. Martins Press as well as NetGalley for an ARC.

I’m loving The Lost Bride series.
We find out more about the Poole family and some of the brides.
I’m loving all the twists and intrigue surrounding Hestor Dobbs and the Poole’s. Finding out more about Sonya’s dad and Collin. Love seeing how close and supportive Try, Owen, Cleo and Sonya are not only of each other but the manor as well. I couldn’t put it down, it’s so good.
The ending has me wanting the next book right now, can’t wait to read it.

Incredible book 2 of the Lost Brides trilogy! As in all of Nora’s books, reading it felt more like I was living in the world she created. The characters were so beautifully developed and the setting so clear that it was nearly a movie in my mind. She has such an amazing way of making paranormal feel so clear and realistic that it’s so easy to put aside any ideas of what is “real” and surrender to her world. The pacing was fast enough to keep my attention but slow enough to feel perfectly fleshed out. The relationship that developed between Sonya, Trey, Cleo, and Owen was a true family. I can’t wait to see what happens next to the inhabitants of the manor, both of the present and of the past. It’s going to be SO hard to wait for the third! Thank you for the ARC!

A special thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the chance to read this uncorrected proof in exchange for my honest review. As a fan of the first book, Inheritance, I was so excited to see the sequel was available. , I went in with high expectations. It was so much fun to pick up on the story of Sonya, Cleo, Trey , Owen and all the ghosts, my favorite being the relationship between Yoda and Jack. The ghosts make this story! I really think we should have a playlist of all of Clovers songs. The storyline felt slower in this book, and sometimes repetitive from book one. I’m not sure it resolved or lent new information (even though it was fun to revisit the characters.) This took away from my interest and I think at the end I could have put it aside.

This is part 2 of the Lost Bride series and is amazing and I still feel like I'm a part of the action! The main characters continue to develop their relationships with all the supernatural events just so matter-of-fact, they come across as realistic and expected, making the plot extra enjoyable. The background characters, especially the ghosts, are so fun. They all continue to work on breaking the curse on the manor and I can't wait for the final book to show how they beat Hester Dobbs. Highly recommended and believe Ms. Roberts maintains her spot at the top of her genre.
#netgalley

***ARC Provided by NetGalley***

A reminder as I write this that 3 stars still means I liked it. More leaning on 3.5 stars as Goodreads doesn't allow for that.

BUT.
After I read it I couldn't recall what actually happened to progress this story. I don't feel like we actually know more than we did at the end of the first book.
Some really cool stuff happened. Some was a little scary for me (I am not a horror girl and some of this book definitely leaned into goth/horror vibes that are not generally my thing). Yes, the story progressed, as I said before, but if I really stand back and think about the book?

There is a lot that needs to fit in to #3.

I loved the first book in this trilogy about a haunted house, an heiress from an adopted-out twin (I'm still raging about what was done to her father and uncle), and the family she begins to make when she breaks off her engagement. (That is all early in book 1.) As more and more of the pieces of this story unfold, I felt even more drawn into the drama AND into the developing romances in the mansion. Nora Roberts' trilogies with their magic and romance are some of my favorite books to read, with their lush descriptions of locations and vocations, tastes and smells, and all the pulse-pounding excitement along the way.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
I loved the first book in this series and this installment was even better. Beautiful writing and well developed characters. Phenomenal setting. This is writing at its finest!

This was a fantastic read! Nora Roberts does it again! I loved the first book in this series and this did not disappoint. The story has everything, hauntings, brides, family and drama! I am looking forward to more of this series.

A classic middle book…

Like many folks who read Nora Roberts’ Inheritance, which is the first in the Lost Brides trilogy, I liked the book a lot, until it ended on what was, to me, a totally unacceptable cliff-hanger. So I’ve been waiting for the next book to come out, in an somewhat annoyed, but also curious, mindset.

And now I’ve been able to read an advance review copy of the The Mirror, which is the second in the series. It’s a “middle book” through and through, filling in some backstory and advancing the story-line a bit, which is exactly what middle books are supposed to do. But I'm far from sure there is going to be enough story for a three-book set, because much of The Mirror felt kind of inessential or routine to me. So, partway through, I found myself wondering if this might be a duology and not a trilogy. Although, of course, all of the background could turn out to be essential in the third book, and then the joke would be on me.

On the other hand, it was fun meeting some new characters, such as Cleo's grand-mère, Imogene Bea LaRue Tamura. And meeting Grand-Mère made it pretty obvious where Cleo came from! The evil presence we met in the first book put on a tantrum, or two, or three, some of which were pretty impressive. And I really liked the found family aspects of The Mirror, and watching Sonya and Cleo grow in their personal and professional lives. So lots of good stuff too, and hopefully I'll be surprised and the third book will be quite a firecracker. Oh yeah, and the end of The Mirror isn't as cliff-hanger-ish as the end of Inheritance, which is also a good thing.

But for now, for me, The Mirror was a bit of a yawn. A pleasant yawn, and even a yawn that moved things forward, but still a yawn. So I’ll be looking forward to the third and final book, hoping that things get a bit more exciting. And finally, my thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the review copy.

I always enjoy a good Nora Roberts novel. I read the first in this series and enjoyed it. This book picks up right where the other left off, which is good. I connected with the main characters and the side characters so much that I teared up a few times. The only issue I had was that there was a lot of repetition in this novel. We spend a lot of time with various characters experiencing the event, then with other characters as they are filled in on what happened.

Once again Roberts pulled me into this series, and I felt that I was walking through the Mirror with Sonya and Owen. The adventure never stopped with the hauntings of the mansions, reliving the deaths of the brides and the relationship between Sonya and Trey and the growing on with Cleo and Owen. In this second installment you are given a more in-depth look at each of the bride’s death and how they are now communicating with Sonya and Owen and so much more. I am really enjoying seeing the characters get stronger and willing to continue to live in the mansion and enjoy the special hauntings that are there. You also have Dobbs showing herself more, causing havoc around the mansion and threatening Sonya. Sonya is trying to figure out a way that she can destroy Dobbs and return the rings to the brides. I highly recommend this series and can’t wait for the last and final book. Another outstanding series from Roberts. She never disappoints. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is an exciting series and I am thoroughly enjoying it and looking forward to the last book. I enjoy reading about the ghosts at the Manor and learning more details about them and their place and/or job at the Manor and their time period. Sonya and Cloe are dealing well with the witch Hester Dobbs and making her life miserable also. They are building a life there and interacting with the locals. Sonya is trying to learn as much about the brides and trying to figure out how they can get the brides rings back from Dobbs and break the curse. I enjoyed reading about Sonya’s ex-financee finally getting what he was due after the way he treated Sonya. The big Event of inviting all of their family, friends and the locals at Pooles Bay was a success. Can’t wait until the last book comes out to see what transpires next with Sonya, Trey, Cloe, Owen, the ghosts of the Manor and Hester Dobbs. Also wondering if the ex-finance of Sonya appears again to cause some trouble.