Sonya MacTavish is standing in the shambles of her impending wedding and career when she learns of a long lost twin to her late father. The inheritance he leaves her in Maine is an old estate that requires that she live inside for several years. It's the perfect time for a change, it's the worst time for a change! She isn't sure what to do.
When she arrives at the house she learns about it's haunted past but it is not until music plays sporadically and her things are moved before she begins to really wonder what did she inherit?
loved the setting and the overall vibes of this book. It is the perfect balance of spooky and cozy and romantic. The curse and the history of the house is detailed in flashbacks that all tie together by the end. And that ending? Can’t wait for #2!
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

I read anything that Nora Roberts writes, so I was thrilled to receive an early copy of Inheritance (thank you Netgalley!) Inheritance was a classic Nora romance with a little bit of supernatural themes woven throughout. I think Nora fans will be pleased with this new book. I only wish I knew ahead of time that this is going to be a series, it’s not a standalone.

Sonya's story grabs you from the first chapter and doesn't stop through out. Learning her family history and the tragedies that unfold are heartbreaking but also riveting. Dealing with her own emotional rollercoaster with her relationship and suddenly finding out all these hidden secrets, haunted mansion, and meeting sexy Trey makes for a story you can't put down. I don't especially care for cliff hangers and I try to not read books that have them but I will definitely read the next one in this series.

Wow- just wow - this book was incredible. With every chapter the reader is taken on a wild ride back and forth between present and past. The journey takes Sonya on the path of the 7 brides that had lost their lives on their wedding day and those they left behind. Between the bumps in the night, the piano music and the ghost who plays with her dog, the storyline just got better and better. The ending will leave you on the edge of your seat and needing more. Perfectly planned, perfect executed. I cannot wait for book 2.

Release Date: November 21, 2023

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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. 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…

I love these kind of @norarobertsauthor books. This is giving me #innboonsborotrilogy vibes! The book was phenomenal! It was a very quick read and I couldn’t put it down. I enjoyed all the characters and the entire story. Can’t wait for the rest or the trilogy and to see how the story plays out! I highly recommend this book!!

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

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I think I've had my fill of Nora Roberts. I've reached some kind of saturation point with her. I did not find this book engrossing, and it was a struggle to get through. It was much too slow, and I didn't think Sonya and Trey had much chemistry. I didn't feel much urgency with the central mystery of the dead brides either. This may be because it is the starting point of a series, but it needed more oomph. The ending was very abrupt which kind of makes sense, but I didn't get left with a feeling of needing to find out what happens next. I think I'll pass on any more Nora Roberts for a while.

I devour any book by Nora Roberts so to get the chance to review them ahead of time is like Christmas coming early for me.

I love romance but would not normally pick a paranormal story by anyone else. I'm so glad I did. This first installment in a sweeping trilogy is the perfect mix of romance, humor, history and ghost story. I love that it spans so many years and tells the stories of all the brides that have met their fate in different ways.

The characters are well developed and very likable. The adorable dogs in the story really were the icing on the cake in this one.

The descriptions are very well done. I could see the details inside the mansion walls. I could feel the temperature in the rooms change. I could feel the fear in the main character's heart when she saw the stories of the brides unfold and the evil was at play.

I have always loved that Nora Roberts doesn't just write a romance. She always tells such a great story and even when you think you might not be sure about a story outside of your normal read, she delivers such a well woven story that you love it anyway.

Really great effort and I can't wait to read the rest of the series! I also will never look at a high heel quite the same way again. Such a great way to add humor to an otherwise terrible situation. If you haven't read this book yet, you will just have to do so to find out what I'm talking about!

This was sooo good! Love the moody, mysterious feel of this story. Really enjoyed the paranormal addition. What a cliffhanger!!!! Please hurry with the sequel!!!

If y'all know anything about me, you know that I absolutely love Nora Roberts and her alter-ego J.D. Robb. I've read every single book of hers that I could get my hands on and I normally read the new books the day that they're released. So, to get the opportunity to review one of her books prior to its release is HUGE!

Inheritance opens in the year 1806 in Poole's Bay, Maine with Astrid Poole, the first of the 7 lost brides, moments from the end of her life at the hand of Hester Dobbs, a jealous rival for her new husband's affection. We later learn that one bride from every generation dies in some tragic way.

The main character, Sonya MacTavish, a graphic designer in Boston, planning her own over-the-top wedding to her fiancé and coworker, Brandon. However, after a strange series of events and a visit from a lawyer and a family friend of her uncle that she hadn't know existed, Sonya finds herself the owner of a awe-inspiring, albeit haunted, castle on the Maine coast.

I think that the author laid a very good foundation for this trilogy and, unlike Roberts' other trilogies, I feel as if the "real story" that will bring all 3 books together doesn't really begin until the end of this particular book and this isn't a bad thing. The character development is very good and the main dramatis personae are all very likeable. Cleo, Sonya's BFF is the friend that you want to have by your side through thick and thin. Both Sonya and Cleo are very strong women, but they also appreciate a man with muscles to do the heavy lifting. Trey, the son of the lawyer, who came to visit Sonya, is strong, loyal, and an all-around good man. Trey's friend, Owen, is equally likeable. I can relate to each of the main players and it's only near the last quarter of the book when we are really introduced to the person, who, I think, will be the the Book #2 main focus.

It's not just the brides whom we learn about in Inheritance. We learn about other former residents of the manor house, like the housekeeper and a boy who likes to play ball with Sonya's dog, Yoda. While most of the formerly-living residents at Lost Bride Manor are friendly and even helpful, there is one who is dead-set against Sonya staying.

The people of Poole's Bay are welcoming and inviting to the newcomers Sonya and Cleo, which makes the reader yearn for the days that life was easier and people were friendlier.

Inheritance is book #1 of The Lost Bride Trilogy is a paranormal, fantasy, romance. It definitely doesn't stand alone and readers will have to read all three books to get to the resolution. Regular readers of Roberts' books know that she has some really good trilogies in this same vein. I could have easily sat down and read this book in one sitting because it pulled me in from the beginning.

My Thoughts

Prologue started story with the original Lost Bride’s wedding day and murder then from 1806 we leap to Present Day at which point readers meet Sonya MacTavish.

Sonya is personable, a very talented graphic designer living and working in a Boston firm which allows her to experience an active social life outside of work.

When her relationship with fiancé Brandon abruptly ends mere weeks before their wedding her workplace becomes untenable as the former pair are also coworkers.

Finding out about her Uncle Collin and the Inheritance he has bequeathed her gives Sonya not only a refuge but a place to truly come into her own as a solo designer.

They say all good things come to those who wait, well they also say be careful what you wish for because you may get more than expected.

Sonya certainly wished for an older home with character and The Lost Brides/Pooles Manor is that and much more.

Filled with gorgeous antiques and family history the home is also filled with spirits of those who died there over many years.

I enjoyed how this built past to present, present to past and especially enjoyed the cast of characters introduced living and dead to enhance Sonyas life in this Maine setting.

What we all know about this particular author is how she grabs your attention and keeps that momentum going so her books are hard to put down.

Being the first of a trilogy I expected a lot of background and got it, expected a cliffhanger ending and got that too.

Everything from start to finish however still held quite a few welcome surprises, not the least of which were 3 rescue dogs who kept stealing the show from their human owners for me.

A character driven piece that has a creepy side to it but also seamlessly weaves present and past together with characters you can’t help but want more of once this book ends.


[EArc from Netgalley]
On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

This spooky tale from Nora Roberts begins in 1806 with newly married Astrid Poole being murdered on her wedding day by a seriously evil witchy woman who manages not only to take out poor Astrid, but several Poole brides and wives as the generations go forward. Jumping to present day where Sonya MacTavish is astonished to find out that not only did her late father have a heretofore unknown twin brother, but that said twin has also passed and left her a whale of an inheritance. Sonya’s uncle, Collin Poole, lived in his family’s ancestral home outside of a small Maine fishing village and also suffered from what is named to be a curse. The terms of the will state Sonya must live in the haunted and somewhat creepy mansion for three months to claim her legacy.

The local law firm Collin used, who are a sort of extended family, help Sonya navigate her new life. Trey, the youngest in the firm, gives Sonya the low down about some of those who haunt the mansion known locally as the Lost Bride Manor, set atop the rugged and beautiful Maine coast. Sonya recently had other upheavals in her life including a cheating fiancé and going out as a freelance graphic artist because the jerk worked at the same office.

Sonya’s determination to make this house, which would fit right in the pages of a Gothic novel, her home and workspace is met with quite a bit of nasty resistance from the ghostly woman who started and continued all the tragedies. Several of the spiritual inhabitants are “helpful” even doing housework; however; the Big Evil does some serious scary things to try running Sonya screaming out of the house. Sonya’s determination to keep her new home requires quite a bit of courage to fight her mostly unseen enemy. There is a romance element as well as Sonya and Trey find they are interested in more than a business relationship.

First in a new trilogy from Ms. Roberts, this story will appeal to those who enjoy not only Paranormal Romance, but mysteries and dark fantasy. As with some of her other series, this author tends to put in some tedious day-to-day minutia of her protagonist’s work such as Sonya’s graphic design job and the quotidian aspects of life, but for the most part, this story is a good read. As the first book does end on a cliffhanger; clearly it will take all three books for the curse to be broken and any mysteries to be resolved.

Mein Leseerlebnis

Lasst mich die Buchbesprechung damit beginnen, dass ich mit “Inheritance” ein wunderbares Leseerlebnis hatte. Von Anfang bis Ende hat für mich alles gepasst und der Roman gehört zu meinen absoluten Lieblingsbüchern des Jahres.

Die Geschichte ist außergewöhnlich, spannend und sehr einnehmend geschrieben. Beim Lesen konnte ich mir die beschriebenen Orte super vorstellen und auch die Atmosphäre intensiv spüren.

Inhaltlich geht es zum einen um den Neuanfang der Heldin (privat sowie beruflich) und zum anderen um einen dunklen Fluch, der auf ihrer Familie liegt. Ich habe mit der Heldin und allen Charakteren gerne Zeit verbracht. Mehr über sie zu erfahren war spannend und schön.

Die Geschichte um die tragischen Geschehnisse in Sonyas Familie war faszinierend und sie wirkte glücklicherweise auf mich stimmig. Zudem hatte ich überhaupt keine Probleme an die paranormalen Aktivitäten um die Geister und den Fluch zu glauben. Davon war ich positiv überrascht.

Ich kann das nächste Buch in der Trilogie nicht erwarten, die Zeit bis dahin wird schwer zu überstehen sein (das offene Ende von “Inheritance” hat es nicht einfacher gemacht).

Klare Buchempfehlung!

🖤🖤🖤🖤3/4

Für wen?

Wer Lust auf einen vielschichtigen und außergewöhnlichen Roman hat, dem kann ich das Buch ans Herz legen. Als Einstieg in die Welt der Autorin könnte der Roman eine tolle Wahl sein.

Graphic designer Sonya MacTavish knows things are not right with her upcoming wedding and her fiancé who is also her co-worker. Everything comes to a breaking point and she is now unengaged, working from home and not sure where her life will be going next until she gets a mystery inheritance from her father’s twin brother that no one knew existed. Life quickly changes for Sonya has she moves to her new home and quickly learns that she is not the only one occupying the old house.
“Inheritance” is first in Nora Roberts’s new trilogy. It provides just enough creepiness to leave you wanting more but not too much that you are looking under the bed for ghost. The twist at the end is devastating. I was not prepared for it at all. The drawback of not reading paperback books any more you don’t realize how close to the end you are. Now I am waiting very impatiently for the 2nd in the series.
Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Nora Roberts for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much for letting me read this book. I enjoyed it so much.
I loved the ghostly presence and the history behind the Manor. The whole making lemonade out of lemons vibes.
This book has a little bit of everything: romance, spooky vibes, friendships, the list can keep going. I’m sad I have to wait for the next book to come out. What a cliffhanger!
All that being said it could definitely do with some more editing. The amount of times the dogs get taken out to do their business can be lessened. I know the MC is trying to make a business on her own but some of the book is unnecessarily consumed by emails, mood boards, testing sites. The mention of getting a Coke to drink has me wondering if the company sponsored this book.
Overall though great read and I’m looking forward to find out what happens next.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book has all the feels, deception, anger, loss, grief, hope, passion and love. Sonya MacTavish finds herself living in the house of her dreams that she inherited from an uncle she did not even know existed. Too bad the house has a host of undead residents who roam the house and at least one who wants to kill her. This is an epic story unfolding and the mystery will draw you in page by page. This is a hauntingly good read! I cannot wait for the rest of this series.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own." eARC provided NetGalley

Nora Roberts expertly weaves a tale of ghosts, an inherited manor, and romance! I recommend this book for Roberts fans. The setting of the story is particularly beautiful. Why can't one of my relatives leave me a beautiful home in their will? The protagonist isn't the most rounded, but she does have a house that cleans itself--which is on my personal wish list! Will a malevolent spirit prevail? We must continue on to book 2.

II received an ARC but that has not impacted this review. First of all, I love nora roberts and I love her trilogies. They're the ones I reread the most. Traditionally, she used to hand 3 different couples and each book centered on a different one. It looks like this trilogy is continuing her new trend of not having different couples at the center of each book but I like that I can't really tell where it's going to go and how she's going to move it forward. It's not predictable and given how many books she's written over what... four? decades, that's amazing.

As always, I like her characters. I want to know more about the best friends and quirky supporting characters, but the main ones are relatable, happy, well-adjusted, and keep you engaged. The villain herself is nothing new and very reminiscent of the mother in Midnight Bayou but it feels as if her impact is darker and the stakes much higher. The presence of the ghost victims is a light and sometimes sweet, sometimes funny, but always warm presence. I absolutely want a ghost maid now.

If you like nora roberts, you'll like this. If you prefer something grittier, this isn't a horror slasher novel but rather something more character-driven. It's paranormal romance that will leave you feeling happy. And maybe a little annoyed because it ends in a place that while not a cliffhanger, feels a little close to that. I hope we don't need to wait a year between books.

Nora Roberts readers know the make up of her release schedule and anticipate a trilogy episode each winter. This time is also the time when she tends to flex her 'magiks' skills with stories of faeries, witches, ghosts and things that go bump in the night, and this year is no different.

You absolutely know going into a trilogy, at any point, is going to offer a level of frustration as you'll only be served up part of the ongoing story but Nora Roberts is so creative that she always offers a typical 'end of season' cliffhanger that will have readers coming back year after year, or this reader anyway!

Inheritance is the debut novel in The Lost Bride Trilogy and begins the story of Sonya MacTavish and generations of her family who have lived, and died, in Lost Bride Manor Maine.

As Sonya settles into her life at 'the haunted' Lost Bride Manor she becomes part of small town life and begins to establish relationships with unknown relatives, neighbours and family friends, both from the present AND the past.

Sinister events are uncovered and a mystery begins to unfold that Sonya feels duty bound to solve. There are the most delightfully 'good' characters to counterbalance the downright awful 'baddies'.

BUT WE WILL NOT REACH A CONCLUSION!

Despite that, the things I generally love about any NR book is the kick a$$ characters, the dialogue between them, the faithful and lovable pets and of course the precocious children (of all ages, even adult) and we have all of that in spades!

In Inheritance we have a great 'first season' which has ended much as we'd expect. Relationships are well and truly established between the characters and the audience ensuring that they will come back for more to find out what happens next.

This highly readable, intriguing mystery with trials to overcome that Sonya and her side kicks face regularly, produces a compelling start to what looks like becoming an amazing trilogy.

I loved this book! I can’t wait for book 2! I loved this twist on a “ghost story.” Instead of the usual thriller, it had a whole new feel! I was invested from the first page. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

It's been awhile since I've enjoyed a Nora Robert's book that has magic. This is the first in a series and I'll be waiting for rhe next one. Definitely a cliffhanger. Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy. #NetGalley #Inheritance