When graphic designer Sonya MacTavish's engagement comes to an abrupt end, she finds out that her late father had a twin brother that he didn't know about. It turns out that he has just passed away and has left her a big inheritance, including a haunted mansion on the coast. She decides to move to the mansion and start up her own designing business. While she gets to know some of the local people, including a young lawyer, she realizes that the house is indeed haunted.

This is the first book in the Lost Bride Trilogy, and it makes you hungry for more. Ms. Roberts has a wonderful way of weaving you into the story along with the wonderful characters. I can't wait for the next installment of the trilogy.

Nora Roberts has authored a zillion books over the years and she is consistently on point. The romance here is good but sparse. The ghost element is entertaining and builds suspense. It ends on a serious cliff hanger so book two will be a given. The dialogue is a plus as it flows between developing characters. Not my favorite but I'm on board for part 2.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

3.5 rounded up. If you are looking for a good ghost story romance then you will enjoy this start to a new trilogy. For some reason I was expecting more than that and was a bit disappointed. I'm not a huge fan of romance but have read and enjoyed many Nora Roberts' books. Its not a bad read, just too bland for my taste. I'm sure others will really like it. My thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I took my sweet time with this #newrelease and got so much enjoyment. This was my book I’d read after getting home from doing my very early morning caretaking at my dad’s. 3am morning reads by the Christmas tree are the best.

I am looking forward to book two next November.

I was able to read this book from NetGalley. Nora Roberts rites another great book that starts a trilogy. Sonya inherits a manor in Maine from an uncle she didn’t know existed. Making a few life changes she moves in. As she makes herself at home, she hooks up with a local lawyer. Her best friend moon and the house is not what it seems. This was a spell binding read. The ending is a cliffhanger that makes you wish the second book was ready to read.

This was my first book my Nora Roberts.i really enjoyed the spooky romance vibes throughout the book. I can't wait to read the next book in the trilogy.

The book was well written, but I was very disappointed. In Nora Robert's previous romantic trilogies, you received a full romance even in the first book. I'm not sure I would have even called this a romance novel. It was more women's light fantasy fiction. Maybe that is what she is going for, but it just wasn't to my taste. It may be that she's trying to write more modern romantic fiction and slow the relationships down, but I just wasn't engaged enough with the story. I felt like her Blue Dahlia story did all these things much better with the ghost haunting, romantic entanglements, etc. The same for the Inn at Boonesboro.

I loved this book and can’t wait for the next book in the series. It’s been awhile since I’ve read supernatural fiction. Nora Robert’s sure knows how to tell a good story. Thoroughly recommend this book and looking forward to the next one.

I have enjoyed so many of Nora Robert's books. But, I did not enjoy this one. From the other reviews, it looks like I'm in the minority. This is the first book in the Lost Brides Trilogy.. The book ends with a cliffhanger. You may want to wait for the second book to be published so you don't have a long wait to continue the story.
I liked the beginning of the book. Sonya McTavish's life is going through many changes when she finds out that her father had a twin brother that nobody knew about. She is listed as the heir in his will. She inherits a manor in another state. The place is haunted. ~ items are moved, cupboards open, music plays, clothing is laid out, a clock chimes at 3 am, housework is done, etc. The book alternated between these ghostly happenings and going back in time to learn about the brides that died. I found the story creeped along slowly. and I was very disappointed that it ended on a cliffhanger.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Inheritance is the first book in the Lost Bride Trilogy by Nora Roberts and it was a pure delight to read.

This is a mystery romance featuring a gorgeous atmospheric setting which takes place off the coast of Maine in a rambling Victorian that just might be inhabited by ghosts. There’s a reason why it’s called the Lost Bride series.

What I love about Nora Roberts and her writing style is how easily she crafts multiple genres into an easily readable and entertaining story.

Here we have small town vibes, found family, a mystery involving multiple timelines, ghosts and a curse.

This big Victorian is a character itself and the ghosts who inhabit it. The paranormal subtleties give off a great gothic vibe.

If you like a FMC whose strong and independent, you have one with Sonya. I was completely invested in her story and followed right along as she uncovers clues to this generational curse. The slow burn romance was an added bonus and kept me turning the pages.

This was a great read and start to an exciting new series perfect for those who enjoy suspense with a touch of the supernatural and romance. I’m definitely excited to continue on and can’t wait for the next installment of the Lost Bride series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martins Press and Nora Roberts for the gifted ARC!

Title: Inheritance (The Lost Bride Trilogy Book 1)
Author: Nora Roberts
Source: DRC via NetGalley (St. Martin’s Press) in exchange for an honest review
Publication Date: November 21, 2023
Synopsis: Goodreads
Purchase Link: Amazon

Other books by this author I have reviewed:
The Dragon Heart Legacy Trilogy
The Becoming
The Awakening
The Choice (I own this one but I haven’t read it yet, review forthcoming!)

Solo Books
Hideaway
Risky Business

The Circle Trilogy
Morrigan’s Cross
Dance of the Gods
Valley of Silence (I own this one but I haven’t reviewed it yet!)

Three Sister’s Island Trilogy
Dance Upon the Air
Heaven and Earth
Face the Fire

Why did I choose to read this book?

It has been awhile since I’ve dived into a Nora Roberts romance novel. The last one I read was The Awakening and it wasn’t great? so I kind of just took a Nora Roberts break (which I have written about before in my reviews). This series is set at a spooky manor in Maine though, so I wanted to see if she did justice to the location, even if she sticks very rigidly to her plot formula.

What is this book about?

A woman breaks off a marriage to a man who she doesn’t really like and discovers is cheating on her with her cousin. They work at the same graphic design firm, so after months of harrassment and targeted non-violent attacks, she resigns and decides to go freelance. Suddenly she discovers she is the heir to a huge fortune and has inherited a large manor on the coast of Maine because her dad had a brother he had never heard of who recently died and left it all to her, the final descendant (and so the title Inheritance).

When she gets there and sets up shop for her new business she discovers that the manor is both cursed and haunted, and she’s tasked by the nice ghosts (prior brides of the manor) with breaking the curse to set all of the ghosts free and kick out the witch holding them all captive (also a ghost).

I guess this book is about believing in yourself enough to start over as a millionaire freelancer who also has to be a Ghostbuster?

What is notable about this story?

Nora Roberts gets the idea of a small Maine town exactly right. Everyone knows everyone, most have probably dated each other, and small businesses rely on each other and tourism to survive. The town of Poole’s Bay is described and set up well, and the community feels like a small, coastal community in Maine should feel.

Was anything not so great?

It’s difficult to relate to a main character who has millions of dollars and a Victorian home so big they have to close off unused wings handed to her in the first 100 pages. I know she likes to work but honestly, if this happened to me I would take at least a year off before I started my own business as a hobby. Sonya works at graphic design like she’s stuck in a small studio apartment in Boston (where she’s from at the start of the book) and trying to make ends meet and it’s weird in the situation.

Some of the nicknames chosen for the characters are a little confusing. Sonya’s friend Cleo calls her Son, which for the first half of the book made me think she was using it like an exclamatory i.e. “Yeah son, let’s gooo!” pronounced like sun. But then it dawned on me that she’s using a shortened version of her name, so it’s probably pronounced more like “sewn,” but even that’s kind of weird. Also the three generations of men who run the law firm that manages her inheritance are all named the same (blah blah the first, blah blah the second, blah blah the third) but instead of using middle names or shortened first names, they are Ace, Deuce, and Trey and I’m sorry if I was Deuce I would have something to say about that nickname because I’ll be damned if you’re gonna call me slang for poop my whole life.

Keep your fucking dog on a leash. Just read it and find out. (No dogs die in this book.)

BORING SEX SCENES oof. This was one of the worst lead ups to a hook up I’ve ever read from Nora Roberts. The anticipation doesn’t just not build, it doesn’t exist. Also I’m not wild about the fact that a lawyer (Trey, not Deuce don’t worry) from the firm that is handling her inheritance terms is who she hooks up with. NOT GREAT.

Helpless professional woman syndrome is always a problem for me, and in this book it weasels its way in through food and cooking. Sonya designs websites for a living and she can’t look up a recipe for a pot roast? She can’t make pasta? Or a salad? I hate it when a completely capable character is like “omg I can’t handle this it’s gonna be awful!” and then they are fine at it because they are independent and smart and the internet exists. Didn’t enjoy the forced femininity into Sonya’s character development. She can cook and be a technological wizard, those aren’t mutually exclusive.

What’s the verdict?

3 stars on Goodreads. It’s good but it won’t knock your socks off. Perfectly acceptable paperback romance for when you need something to read and the beach and then forget in the hotel room. If you already like Nora Roberts it will be exactly what you expect, minus the aggressive Ireland locations and rhyming spells.

Inheritance by Nora Roberts is the debut of The Lost Bride Trilogy. Sonya MacTavish is fortunate when she cancels a meeting with the wedding florist. She comes home early and catches her fiancé in a compromising position. Unfortunately, it leads to trouble in the workplace. It turns out to be a blessing for Sonya when she inherits a gorgeous Victorian home on the coast of Maine. It gives Sonya a fresh start. I loved the descriptions of the home. I wanted the gorgeous two-story turret library. Of course, as with any two-century old home, it has a few quirks and maybe a few ghosts. Sonya is a relatable and realistic character. She is a talented graphic designer. I like Sonya’s mother, Winter and her best friend, Cleo. I thought Cleo’s idea of cursing Sonya’s ex-fiancé was a good one (he deserved to have a bad case of jock itch). There is a good cast of secondary characters. The spirited happenings at the manor house Sonya inherited ranged from funny to helpful to scary. It will be interesting to see how the bride tale plays out. I felt that the romance between Sonya and Trey happened too quickly. There is an attraction between the pair. They were friendly and slightly flirty as they got to know each other. All of the sudden, though, they moved from flirty to the pair doing the horizontal mambo. I wanted them to get to each other (more than seeing each other a few times casually) and date before hopping into bed together. Their relationship lacked sizzle. Certain facts are repeated often such as details about Sonya’s ex-fiancé. I felt the particulars of Sonya’s job (what she created for each client, how it looked, the back-and-forth communication) were unnecessary or at least not in such detail. It slowed down the pace of the story and the tempo was already on the slow side (details of Sonya’s daily activities such as what Sonya fixed for each meal, reading her emails, walking the dog, running errands). The story could have benefited from an infusion of action and suspense. There is an overabundance of foul language (fair warning). The long-winded story came to an abrupt end with a sudden cliffhanger (it was so sudden that I got whiplash). I normally enjoy Nora Roberts paranormal novels, but this one was hard for me to finish.

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of this book! I love Nora Roberts, and this was one of my most anticipated books of the fall...and it lived up to all the hype! I cannot wait for the next one in the series.

Thank you again!

Nora Robert's does not miss. I love all of her books, and I'm so ready for the next book in this series. This one definitely felt more like a slow burn. Nora's books are also becoming less spicy as time goes on, but these stories always grab me and I'm definitely here for the plot.

I was expecting to be scared with this one, but I was more intrigued and ready for more. The romance isn't at the forefront of the story and, honestly, was the easiest part of this story.

The ghosts and visions in this book were excellent and made me want to know the reasons behind everything.

This is another Nora Roberts series I will be addicted to. I can't wait for the other books. I loved the family and the connections made in this book.
I would like to know if book two brings others I want to see together.

It's been a while since I last read a Nora Roberts book and after reading book 1 (Lost Bride Trilogy)- Inheritance, I wonder why.

First sentence: He was her man; he done her wrong.

Other than the major cliff-hanger and the waiting time for book 2, Inheritance was a most enjoyable, hard to put down book. Sonya MacTavish is a likeable graphic designer. When she inherits her uncles mansion, shes shocked for a couple reasons - 1. being she didnt know her dad was a twin and 2. she never imagined inheriting a mansion. The timing of the inheritance is perfect since she needs to get out of town after a broken engagement. There is a clause to the inheritance - she must live in the home for a predeterimined amount of time. Soon she learns she's not the only person living in the mansion. It appears several brides reside there after their untimely deaths. Its up to Sonya to figure out the past pf the mansion and its inhabitants.

I didnt have a clue about the creepy haunted mansion or the ghosts that lived within prior to starting reading and I must say it was refreshing to read and try to figure out the past. Thankfully, some of these ghosts leave messages and provide dreams which answer some of those questions. The spirits,each with their own story and defined character make this book unique.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Saint Martins Press / MacMilllan Audio for sharing Robert's haunted mansion, secrets, family curses, and a woman reclaiming her life.

2.5 STARS
I am huge a Nora fan, but this was a miss for me. Based on the synopsis, I was expecting it to be atmospheric and spooky; instead it was silly and unrealistic. Despite that, the ending had me just enough intrigued to possibly read the next book.

Nora Roberts is the queen of romance. I could end my review right there and have it speak for itself!

Sonya MacTavish is stunned to learn that she has inherited a house from a relative no one knew existed. After going through several problems with her ex-fiance, she decides to accept the inheritance and moves into the incredible Victorian manor. Like many plots that Nora Roberts weaves, this story is haunting and filled with ghosts, both literally and figuratively.

Also a given in Nora Roberts books is her immaculate storytelling prowess. I was immediately engaged in the book and interested in the characters... and the ghosts that haunt them.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a difficult review for me to write. On one hand, the concept and setting of this book were incredible. The idea that a woman inherits a mansion full of mysteries and ghosts- sign me up. However, I don’t feel as though we got that story. Sonya moved into the mansion and there were ghosts. We occasionally had hints of them cleaning up messes, throwing a ball, playing music (this ghost was one of my favorite characters). But, the rest of the book was taken up by descriptions of Sonya’s career and culinary trials. It felt as though this cast of characters were passively solving the ghost mystery. How this wouldn’t be their top priority is odd to me. Of course, people need to keep living, but how do you not immediately research and learn everything you can about the haunted manor you’re living in? One of the ghosts communicates through music and they barely ever ask her questions beyond the names of other ghosts. I feel like she would have been my go-to resource, given the amount of song knowledge she has. She could have answered almost any question.
I did like the characters. Cleo and Sonya’s friendship is refreshing as they are endlessly supportive of one another. Sonya and her mother, Winter, get along so well. The romantic relationships that develop are cute, not too deep and I think that’s okay for this book as I expected more of the mystery to take up the plot. Speaking of the characters, besides their lack of desire to solve what is going on in the manor, all of them have it very together. They don’t seem to have flaws other than Sonya’s lack of cooking skills, which she masters very quickly.
The ghosts stole the show for me. They were funny without technically saying a word, helpful and kind (with the exception of one, which I won’t describe in detail due to spoilers). There were some great eerie moments, showcasing where this story could have gone.
I think this trilogy is better suited to a standalone. It was dragged out too much, allowing a lot of space that was filled with descriptions of Sonya’s job, Cleo’s painting, and dinners with friends. Some of this is valuable as it shows relationship development and the world, but a lot of it could have been cut. I don’t think I’ll pick up the other books unless I know that they are not paced the same way. It did end on a great cliffhanger that encourages you to read the next book, but I am wary.
The setting had a great feel to it, I just needed the mystery and ghost portions to take center stage instead of the day to day.

I fell right into this book. It’s my first Nora Roberts and it’s made me want to pick up everything in her wide backlist. I really enjoyed this.