Definitely one of the better NR books I’ve read in a long time. No fantasy elements, and the only sci-fi is ghosts. At its core, the story is about a young woman taking charge of her life and chasing her dreams, while learning to accept that the house she inherited from a previously unknown uncle is actually haunted by a fair number of ghosts and one crazy witch. You know, a normal everyday story. The book ended with a paranormal twist I should have seen coming, but I didn’t. Narrator Brittany Presley is fabulous at giving each character a nuanced performance - so many subtle touches that really makes an impact. Next book is probably at least a year away, but I’m super looking forward to it.

I received a copy of this audiobook from the publisher through NetGalley.

ADORED THIS!

What a great start to a new trilogy by Queen Nora! Honestly, this woman never lets me down.

Full of lovable characters, spooky adventures, ghosts, portals, a healing and heart-warming romance, great friendships, cute puppies, and set in a coastal Maine town... I mean what else can you ask for?? I was hooked from the beginning and cannot wait to see where book 2 takes us!

What a captivating and enchanting story!!

Rating: 4.5 stars

Inheritance
The Lost Bride Trilogy, #1
Nora Roberts
Sonya MacTavish was shocked when she walked in on her fiancé and cousin in bed. The cheater and Sonya were employed by the same company. She attempted to be the bigger person, but the ex was determined to make her life miserable. When she discovered she had inherited a house, not just any house but a Victorian mansion on the coast of Maine. She decided to quit her job, move to Maine and start her own Graphic Design business. She inherited the house from an uncle she never knew existed. He was her father’s twin brother. The twins had been separated at birth and her father never knew he had a brother.
The house seemed to call to her from the moment she saw it and yet she felt a bit uneasy especially when she discovered the house is haunted. One of the spirits turns the bed down, makes it up, keeps the fire going and generally takes care of Sonya. One of the spirits place music. There is a spirit of a boy around ten years of age. He had died of scarlet fever. One of the spirits is malicious.
Sonya begins to settle into her new life. She and a young lawyer named Trey begin a romance. Her business is growing, and she has a new dog. Trey, Sonya and friends begin to look for a mirror. But what happens when they find it is shocking.
The romance was delectable. The plot is fast moving. I even liked the spirits…all except the nasty one. Nora Roberts is a very special author. I recently read about her life, and it gave me a better understanding of why she writes paranormal books. This is a fantastic beginning to a new trilogy. However, I did not want it to end. MS Roberts left readers with a huge cliff hanger. I wanted more! Now I have to wait until the next book is published.

I recently finished Nora Roberts's The Dragon Heart Legacy, and adored every minute of it. So when I saw Inheritance on NetGalley, a first in a new romantic fantasy series - I knew I had to request it. When I saw that acceptance email come through, I was thrilled! Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an audiobook arc in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I enjoyed every moment of this audiobook, the narration was phenomenal. The pacing was wonderful, a fast start with the upheaval of her current life, and then a slow entry into a new town and a new home. The story starts to pick up, with more history learned and more spooky interactions. And then it peaks at the very end, with a heck of a cliffhanger!

I felt the characters were all very well fleshed out and had distinct voices. One of my biggest frustrations is when the voices of the characters are too similar and you have to actively note who is speaking or whose perspective you are in. This was not the case in Inheritance, I always knew who was speaking or who we were following.

I am SO excited for the rest of the trilogy, and I can't wait to see fellow readers picking this book up come publish date on November 21, 2023. It has cozy winter vibes and will be a perfect December read.

Nora Roberts is back with a new romantasy trilogy about love, tragedy, and a family haunted for generations. "Inheritance," the first book in The Lost Bride Trilogy, begins in 1806 on Astrid Poole's wedding day. As she sits down in her bridal gown, overwhelmed with happiness, she is murdered, and her wedding ring is torn from her finger. In the present day, graphic designer Sonya MacTavish is shocked to learn that her late father had a twin brother that he never knew existed. Sonya's newly discovered uncle, Collin Poole, has died and left her almost everything, including a Victorian manor in Maine. Collin's will stipulates that Sonya must live in the house for at least three years. Newly single after her engagement was broken off, Sonya agrees to move to the quaint coastal town. Sonya wants to find out why her father and uncle were separated at birth and why it was all kept a secret. When Sonya arrives at the sprawling clifftop manor, she meets Trey, a handsome young lawyer. Trey notices Sonya's unease and acknowledges that the house is haunted. Generations of brides have been killed at the manor and now inhabit the home. As Sonya settles into her new life, she finds objects have been moved and hears music playing out of nowhere. It soon becomes clear that Sonya has inherited far more than a house. She has also inherited a centuries-old curse and a puzzle to be solved if there is any hope of breaking it.

"Inheritance" was my first Nora Roberts book, and I can see why she has such a huge following. This book has a little bit of everything (romance, fantasy, mystery, suspense), and the characters were so loveable: Sonya, the fearless heroine; Trey, the handsome love interest; Cleo, the supportive best friend; and Yoda, the perfect pooch sidekick. While I enjoyed most of the book, it was a bit too slow for me personally, and I struggled to finish it. The last 20% or so was much more fast-paced, and I found myself enjoying it more. Right as the story was getting good, though, it ended abruptly with a major cliffhanger. While I would have preferred more closure, it did get me excited for the next book in the series.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Brittany Pressley, featuring an author's note read by Roberts. Pressley is an extremely talented narrator and has performed so many of my favorite audiobooks. This book was no exception, and she made it an enjoyable read. Pressley did an excellent job voicing all of the characters, and it was easy to tell them all apart. I highly recommend listening to the audio of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I would say this is the most captivating story I’ve read in a long time. Filled with friendship, budding relationships, heartbreak, and mystery. Several times I had to stop listening because I was completely spooked by this tale. I am sitting on the edge of my chair in anticipation for the next book in this thrilling story. Don’t start this book at night. It will keep you up reading into the wee hours of the morning…. Night after night.
This story was narrated by the extremely talented Brittany Pressley. She continues to impress me with her wide range of accents. Each one of her characters are perfectly executed. I’m in awe.

Sonya is a graphic designer who just learned that her dead father had a twin brother nobody ever new about. Not only that, but said brother, Collin, just passed and left her a manor. She has to live in it for at least 3 years to officially inherit it. Since she is newly self-employed and single, she decides to jump at the chance. Trey is the young lawyer who greets her when she gets there and helps her out when she needs it. Like when she wants to find out more about the ghost living with her...
This paranormal romance with a touch of mystery is book 1 in The Lost Bride Trilogy, and one like only Nora Roberts can write them. I was immediately drawn in and I couldn't wait to see how the whole story would unfold. Who is the presence in the manor? Why is it there? What do they want? Why did Sonya's grand-parent not adopt Collin along with Sonya's father? The gothic ambiance was also really good. I am not usually a big fan of paranormal/fantasy, but I don't mind when it comes from Nora, she write's it in a "realistic" enough way for me to buy it. Know that this ends on a cliffhanger. The narration of the audio book was great.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I received a NetGalley audio version of this book for review.

“I’m not going to let some dead murderous witch scare me off. It’s MY house…Nothing and no one is making me leave.” This line is repeated often by the central character, the almost supernaturally courageous Sonya MacTavish. Veteran novelist Nora Roberts always tells a good story, which is why I’m always pleased when she starts a new series. Inheritance is the first of the Lost Bride trilogy, and it bodes well for what will follow. The prologue is a Macbeth-like scene that takes place in 1806. A young woman prepares for her wedding, in what is to be her bridal chamber. Except it will be her death chamber instead, as she is brutally attacked by a vicious witch.

Back in the present, Sonya is a very 21st-century woman, a successful graphic designer trying, reluctantly, to participate in her very showy fiancé’s plans for a lavish wedding. With everything booked, an extravagant gown already fitted, and only the florist to deal with, she cancels the florist appointment out of sheer exhaustion. She unexpectedly goes home early and opens the door to see a discarded dress and red high heels. The wedding is off, the charming Brandon is at first pleading and then nasty, and she is obliged to quit her job to save her self-respect and professional reputation.

Sonya’s misfortune nonetheless leads to good fortune of the kind that belongs to anyone’s wildest dreams. She soon discovers that her deceased father had an unknown twin, recently deceased himself, who left her a vast estate: a magnificent, fully-restored Victorian manor and all its furnishings, a fabulous wine collection, a generous allowance to pay for everything the house might need or she might want to do to it (into infinity), among many other things. There must be a condition, of course, or the ‘happily ever after’ would come at the beginning. The house is reputedly haunted; certainly, her deceased uncle, an established painter and a member of the illustrious Poole family of Maine, certainly believed that. His will stipulates that she must agree to leave Boston and live at least part of every year in the "Brides Manor." Initially, she refuses, fearing a hoax more than a haunting. But the charming lawyer who represents the estate, her uncle’s best friend, persuades her to commit for three months. Still unconvinced and a little afraid, she relents, aiming to carry on her web design business in her new abode, at least for three months.

A master at dual timelines, Roberts wends back and forth between the present-day melodrama of Sonya's broken relationship and the gothic mystery of the bride’s early nineteenth century murder. In short order, and with the help of the lawyer’s son, Trey, also a lawyer who--almost too quickly--becomes a soulmate and lover, Owen, one of her Poole cousins, and her best friend Cleo, Sonya begins to unravel what happened to the seven ill-fated brides who once inhabited what came to be known as “Brides’ Manor” in their memory. The most recent of these is her own paternal grandmother, a mother that her father, adopted out in infancy, never knew. Or did he? Although all the Poole family members and Cleo can sense and at times even see the ghostly apparitions, only Sonya can pass through the portal between past and present, life and death, to witness past events and even communicate with the witch. The ending, be forewarned, is shockingly abrupt and concludes nothing of what happens in this installment. We can only hope Book 2 is on its way.

I have loved Nora Robert's romance novels for years now, she has a formula to her romance books. It works for her and every one of them is great. Inheritance is more - the romances, the haunted mansion, long lost family and a mystery, whats not to love. All the characters are likeable or even loveable.

I like that I got to learn about some of the brides and how they died. I also like that Sonya has people to help her, love-interest Trey, friends Chloe and Owen. I am so jealous, I want that mansion.

Brittany Pressly is one of my favorite narrators, she did an amazing job with this audiobook. I can't wait til the next book.

Warning: Nora Robert's ended this book at a very good part, grrrrrr.

Inheritance was definitely a haunted house story with elements of romance which felt like the perfect story to transition into autumn. There was enough description to make the characters and settings come alive without being completely overwhelming, which was very much appreciated considering you not only get to know the main characters but also side characters and ghosts. While it's marketed as a romance it came off a bit more like the romance was a convenient off-shoot of being in a haunted house and wasn't the main plot. Sonya and Trey's relationship was well paced though, and felt fairly realistic considering the events taking place. The narration was overall good and well defined so I never felt totally lost when listening. The only thing I wasn't in love with was the Louisiana accent - it wasn't very realistic and became a bit distracting. I'm looking forward to seeing where this series goes.

I received this audiobook from the publisher for review.

The narration for this Nora Roberts book was excellent. The MC, Sonja MacTavish stepped out of the book and into my living room as the story unfolds. Nora Roberts is well known and loved by her readers for her ability to take the reader into the story and keep them there. This is the first in the Lost Bride trilogy and if this is any example, the next two will be excellent too.
Sonja breaks off her engagement for some excellent reasons, then has to work with her ex-fiance which eventually becomes intolerable. She quits her graphic designer job to freelance. Not long after, she finds she has an INHERITANCE, a home in Maine.....a haunted home. At this point, the story takes off in typical Roberts' style and you'll try hard not to set the book down. Along the way, Sonja meets some very interesting ghosts and is tasked to break the family curse. And that is all the story hints you will get from me. A great story line bu a very great author. Who could ask for more?

If I could give this book 10 stars I would. Nora Roberts is truly one of my favorite authors of all time! Getting to read an advanced readers copy of her upcoming book has been an honor.

I absolutely cannot say enough good things about this novel. I don’t have one bad thing to say! I love the plot in the storyline. And I really really love the characters.

One of my favorite things about Nora Roberts is she does trilogies and series. And I can’t wait to find out what’s next!

Release Date: November 21, 2023

📖📖📖📖📖

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.

#inheritance #noraroberts #lostbridetrilogy
#stmartinspress #mactavishmystery #netgalleyreads #romance #bookreview #bookstagram #booklover #bookstagram #bookworm #booknerd #booktok #bookrecommendations #bibliophile #booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookblogger #igreads #goodreads #bookclub #bookreviews #bookblog

I'm a big Nora Roberts fan, so when I had the opportunity to get an advanced reader copy of this book, I couldn't pass it up and I'm so glad I didn't!

Sonya inherits a house and household expenses from an uncle she didn't know existed with the premise that she must live in it for three years before it could be hers. She didn't know if she should leave her motor and best friend and move away to the town the house is in. She decides to go ahead and give it three months to see if she thinks she can do it. What she didn't know is the house is haunted and cursed and she is in for an adventure in the.

This book, which releases in November, is the first in the List Bride Trilogy, was a great read and I'm looking forward to book two so I can continue on Sonya's adventure with her.

Thank you #NetGalley for the Advanced Reader copy of this book!

Thank you to Net Galley, Macmillan Audio and St.Martin's Press for an early audio version of Inheritance. by Nora Roberts

Sonja, Trey and Cleo are the catalysts in this completely engrossing tale of ghosts of the past interacting with them in a haunted house in Maine, Sonja's inheritance from an uncle she never knew she had. Throughout the book, the presence of cheerful and vindictive ghosts rule over the human inhabitants, bond with them, and ultimately overcome them in a riveting prelude to the second installment of The Lost Brides Trilogy..

Sonja has just broken off her engagement to a cheating fiance when she learns she has inherited an old house in Pools Bay, Maine. Because she has resigned from her job as a graphics designer where she worked with her ex-fiance, she agrees to a trial period in Maine. She falls in love with the old house, gets a dog, invites her best friend Cleo for a visit and becomes involved with Trey, the lawyer who handled the transaction.

It won't take long for the ghosts, particularly the young bride who died on her wedding day, to make their presence known. Sonja takes it all in stride and eventually converses with the ghosts, especially when they pick out clothes for her, play appropriate songs and clean up the kitchen.

Underneath this layer is the realization that her father never knew he had a twin brother. Her artist father does depict scenes in his paintings that suggest he may have had some connection with this brother when both were very young.

Nora Roberts offers readers her thoughts on haunted houses and ghosts at the beginning of the recording. She also shares her family background that led to developing this trilogy..

nheritance is my first Nora Roberts novel, though Roberts has written tons of stuff for a looonnnnggg time. It also caught my eye because of its promise of a haunted house and cursed brides and an old Victorian manor off the coast of Maine, which happens to be one of my favorite places (the whole state of Maine, not just the coast). The story starts off strongly with a great hook and impetus, but it really drags after Sonya arrives and, for a book that is 432 pages and 14 hours (7 at my listening speed) long, it needed to have more substance for its promise.

Roberts does a great job here setting up Sonya’s need to get away and paving the way for her to move right into the haunted mansion she mysteriously inherits. Like the Victorian manor to which she moves, Sonya’s circumstances are right out of the Victorian era. It’s cleverly done, I’ll give it that. Once Sonya arrives at her new home, however, things fizzle out and fall very flat. For the middle 60% or so of the book, all readers experience are tiny little poltergeist actions like turning on the music or cleaning the house. We don’t get the spooky factor or the suspense effect that should come with cursed, haunted house stories.

If readers are hoping for a romance in this one, they may be disappointed. This book is first and foremost a haunted house story with a subplot of romance. Trey makes for a great love interest, but I didn’t feel an overwhelming spark between him and Sonya.

Overall, 3/5 for the book and 4/5 for the audio narration. The narration was excellent until the attempt at the South Louisiana accent. I could hardly make it though the dialogue during these parts. Other than that, I found it very enjoyable and easy to listen. The characters, save one, were believable and easy to tell apart, and Pressley enunciated well enough for me to listen at 2x speed with no confusion.

I don’t think this one will have a hard time selling. It’s a great premise from a prolific author; I just wasn’t as impressed with it as my expectations led me to be. I guess I hoped for something more substantial from a #1 NYT author, and I don’t feel like I got it.

My thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin’s Press for the ALC, for which I willingly give my own, honest opinion.

#noraroberts #inheritance #thelostbridetrilogy #paranormal #hauntedhouse #lgbt #macmillan #stmartinspress #audiobook #alc

Another awesome book by Nora! So much action and excitement! Great characters! I'm so bummed that I have to wait on the edge of my seat for book two!!

Thanks to Net Galley and MacMillan Audio for an early copy of this book. It will be published on November 21, 2023.

Inheritance is a wonderful beginning for The Lost Bride Trilogy by Nora Robert's.

I loved the spooky Gothic mansion on the coastline of Maine, the fascinating characters, the ongoing family mystery involving ghosts, and the low-key romance. The ending gave me cold chills and set up the next book in the trilogy perfectly.

Nora Roberts books are my go-to for great writing with a good storyline that will pull you in every time. This book was no exception and I can't recommend it highly enough. Brittany Pressley was excellent as the narrator as well.

I believe this is my first Nora Roberts book -- I was underwhelmed. Sometimes, it is difficult to tell if the problem is a narrator who is just not sticking the landing or if the problem is the text itself.



Review copy provided by publisher.

The only thing I don't like about this book is having to wait at least a year for Book 2.

Pressley is a perfect narrator. Her work never disappoints. Her transitions are flawless.

Why can't I have an unknown uncle who leaves me a haunted manor?

I'm curious to see where this story takes us. I was drawn in from the beginning and never got bored.

Thank you for an advanced copy! Nora is my favorite and NEVER disappoints!