This is my first Nora Roberts book and I don’t think it will be my last. Filled with mystery, suspense and intriguing characters, it goes quite quickly. I became invested in the story of Sonya and her inherited haunted mansion. I didn’t know what might happen next but I wouldn’t have wanted to get locked in any of those rooms! And of course the narration by Brittany Pressley was spot on, keeping me engaged throughout. Definitely recommend this audiobook.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and the author for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook for my honest review.

1806: Astrid Poole sits in her bridal clothes, overwhelmed with happiness. But before her marriage can be consummated, she is murdered, and the circle of gold torn from her finger. Her last words are a promise to Collin never to leave him…

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, which the will stipulates she must live in 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…

Thank you Nora Roberts , Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for this ALC in exchange for my honest review!

I will admit, when I first started this audiobook I didn’t know how I was going to feel about it. The pacing was a little slow and I had a harder time getting into it. However, around the 40-50% mark I instantly became hooked. The pace picked up and the mystery of the story really pulled me in. This book is part of a series and there was a good chunk of background info that needed to be set up, so just keep that in mind. The book leaves off on a decent sized cliffhanger and I can’t wait to see what happens next. While I did enjoy the narrator for this audiobook and think they were a great for the FMC, I think this audiobook would have been great with a full cast of narrators.

I enjoyed this story by Nora Roberts. The characters were fun, and I enjoyed the relationships that developed throughout the story. It didn't grab my attention as much as other books by Nora Roberts, but I still think she's a great writer and look forward to reading more of her work. I want to thank the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for giving me a copy of this audiobook, in return for an honest review.

This was quintessential Nora Roberts. It held the perfect blend of romance, suspense, mystery, and in this case paranormal!

I did find that there were some sections in the middle that lagged a bit, but I solved that problem by speeding up the audio a touch.

The cliffhanger at the end left me anxiously awating the next installment!

I love a good ghost story and this was a fun one! Several ghosts reside at Lost Bride Manor in Maine. Most seem ok...there's even one who is sweet and makes Sonya's bed each morning and puts away the dishes. However, there is also one who is not so sweet and can be downright scary!

I always enjoy Nora Robert’s books but I think this is my new favorite! I loved the setting in Maine near the water, the amazing house, Sonya’s friend Cleo and hunky Trey Doyle. The narrator, Brittany Pressley, is one of my favorites and did a wonderful job. I can’t wait for the next one in this new series!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audio book. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 21 November 2023

I could not believe the way this ended! I was ready for more and then suddenly, DONE! I cannot wait for the next book in the series. This is part ghost story, part mystery, part romance, it has everything.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I really loved this! Nora very rarely disappoints me and this book was no exception! It has a little of everything from romance to the paranormal and I was hooked from the prologue. I also enjoyed the narration and that cliffhanger will absolutely have me coming back for the next one!

Absolutely the best of Nora Roberts. She is such a talented writer. This book is the BEST of what she does! Beautiful character development makes you feel like you've known the characters. Besides that, you really liked them. I can absolutely see Lost Bride Manor, and the town. I want to go there for a long weekend. The plot moves at a wonderful pace. But, as much as I wanted to draw out the read to make the book last, I just couldn't put it down! I can't believe that I have to wait a year for the next installment!

Sonya MacTavish has just ended an engagement. Her ex is making her life difficult at work when she finds out her father had a twin he was never aware of who just died. Not only that, but her Uncle Collin left her a huge house on the coast of Maine and everything in it. The only catch, is that she has to live there for at least three years. Once she gets there, she realizes it is haunted. The witch haunting it has been killing brides in the family for generations. Did she inherit a curse as well as a house?



Nora Roberts is on my auto-buy list. While I did receive a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review from the publisher and Netgalley… I also pre-ordered the physical copy. I loved the narrator in this one. She brought Cleo to life with the Creole accent. No one does a better job at making you love, hate, and fear ghostly apparitions than Nora. Clover is now one of my favorite ghostly characters she has ever done. Add in the Creole side of Cleo, and this was one I couldn’t stop listening to. I finished it in just a few days of listening time. The ONLY thing I can fuss about is another thing Nora does best… she left us on the edge of our seat wanting to know what happens after that last page turn. A full five star read for me.



Thanks to St Martin’s Press and Netgalley for providing a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

4.25

Inheritance: The Lost Bride Trilogy: Book 1
Written by Nora Roberts
2023; St. Martin's Press (Macmillan Audio)

Inheritance ended with a cliffhanger that had me checking my audiobook to make sure it had not just cut off. Of course, then I had to check to see when the next book was out (November 2024). Sigh, just as the action started too.

Inheritance reminded me of a bit of Roberts' previous series The Bride Quartet and The Sign of Seven - a mix of paranormal with romance and friends forever. I find it best to go into Roberts' novels expecting a good romance and there will be a plot that keeps you going. I don't even like calling them romantic suspense, as I find them more heavy on the romance than mystery. (I would classify Karen Rose and Allison Brennan more in that genre). In saying that, I am not saying Roberts is inferior in any way, but just to describe how I rate her novels. I am a romance reader. My go-to for romance novels are the small town, cowboys and historical fiction...and some of Nora Roberts books. I am a sucker for her latter standalone novels with a bit of suspense, and some of her latter series. I cannot say I am the usual Nora Roberts fan, in that I haven't read all of her books, and have DNF some of them.

After that ramble, here is what I enjoyed about this one:
-I loved the relationship between Sonya (the main character) and her college roommate and best friend, as well as Sonya's relationship with her mother.
-the endearing friends are family and small town vibe
-dogs are big characters in the book
-that Sonya inherits a haunted house with many ghosts (and most are nice and helpful!)
-that second arc of an evil witch, who is bitter af with brides
-that this book is ultimate fantasy that will take you away from everything realistic (everything works out for Sonya and money is not an object, or much of anything else, other than the witch of course)
-oh and the food they talk about in this book will make you hungry and looking up recipes on Pinterest right after
-while a lot of the book is formulaic NR, so far there are only two characters, and sounds like the second book will take off from the first character's POV. I am interested to see how it plays out...(and will let you know when I get my hands on the second book)

If you are looking for an escape this is a great book for early dark nights and weekend in. Let me know what you think...about any of this...I can take it ;)

***I received a complimentary copy of the audiobook and eBook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

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OMG!!! This book!
Yes, there's a major cliffhanger which can happen with a book in a trilogy. I'm not sure I can wait for the next one.
Highly recommended!
The narrator is one of my favorites and did a fantastic job!

I haven’t read a book by Nora Roberts in a very long while. Inheritance (The Lost Bride Trilogy, #1) was the perfect book for me to reacquaint myself with Nora Roberts’ writing and creative storytelling. I listened to the audiobook that was read by one of my favorite narrators, Brittany Pressley. Her performance was just as I had expected it would be. She really brought the story to life and made me want to listen to it way longer than I should have. The setting was perfect. Most of the story took place in a small quaint town in Maine. The descriptions of the village shops, the people, the opulent mansion and the stunning surrounding property was so easy to visualize even though I had never been to Maine. I enjoyed the characters Nora Roberts developed, the ghostly ones as well as the present day ones. Inheritance grabbed my attention immediately and kept it throughout the entire audiobook.

Sonya MacTavish lived in Boston, Massachusetts and she was a talented graphic artist. It had just been Sonya and her mother for quite a while ever since Sonya’s beloved father had passed away. Sonya and her mother were close but both missed her father’s presence and his influence on their lives. Sonya had recently gotten engaged to another graphic artist who worked at the same company that she worked for. Her days and weeks were busy trying to complete the plans for her wedding. It seemed that Sonya and her fiancé had different ideas about what they wanted, though. Sonya wanted a simple and small wedding but her fiancé wanted a big, lavish one. Their idea of the perfect house differed greatly as well. Sonya gravitated towards historic homes with lots of character and charm and her fiancé desired one that was modern and showy. It seemed like Sonya was always yielding to her fiancé’s desires and not her own. Then one day, Sonya decided to cancel an appointment she had made to check on their wedding invitations and went home to the house they bought together instead. To her surprise and shock, Sonya walked in on her fiancé while he was in their bed with her very own cousin. Was it fate that brought Sonya home early that day? Apparently, Sonya was not as in love with her fiancé as she had thought. When she called off the wedding, Sonya was not as brokenhearted as she would have thought she would have been. The only thing that might have felt awkward was that they both still worked at the same place and would have to see each other every day. Sonya decided to handle that in a mature, rational and professional way. Her fiancé had other ideas. He made it so uncomfortable for Sonya that eventually she left the company and decided to go out on her own.

One day, after giving up her position in the company she loved to work at, a lawyer showed up at her door and relayed the most surprising and shocking information to Sonya. Her deceased father had had a twin brother. They had been separated as infants and grew up apart from one another and never knew that the other existed until very recently. Sonya’s Uncle Collin, her father’s twin brother, had left the family estate to Sonya. It was located in Maine. The only stipulation that the will made was that she had to live there for three years before she could contemplate selling the estate. After Sonya had time to make sense of everything, she decided that she would move to Maine and live in the family home. She would soon discover that she was not alone in the mansion. Sonya soon realized that she shared the mansion with not one but with many ghosts. She soon learned about the Legend of the Lost Brides.

As Sonya settled into life at the mansion, she delved into the history of her newly acquired family. The daily and nightly activities of her unseen inhabitants became expected and soon Sonya was able to identify or at least suspect who they had been. Slowly, Sonya started to take an interest in the many mysteries that lingered within the walls of the mansion. With the help of Trey (Oliver III), the lawyer’s son, her best friend Chloe and her newly found cousin, Owen the three sleuths tried and slowly peeled back the layers of time and intrigue to discover the answers they so desperately sought to unravel. How could they help break the curse that surrounded the legend of the lost brides?

I can’t wait for the next book in this trilogy to be published. The characters, both ghostly and alive, were perfect and so believable. I loved the descriptions of the quaint town, its shops and colorful and engaging shop owners. With the help and encouragement from Trey, Chloe and Owen will Sonya be able to unravel and discover the secrets that have plagued the mansion for generations? Nora Roberts chose to end Inheritance with a spectacular cliff hanger. It was brilliant but abrupt in that it left me wanting to read the second book immediately which I knew I couldn’t. I will have to wait patiently until it is published. Inheritance was not my usual genre but it worked for me. I found it extremely hard to tear myself away from listening to it. I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of Inheritance by Nora Roberts and highly recommend it.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of Inheritance by Nora Roberts through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I read a lot. And I mean, a LOT... As an editor and publisher, when I'm not working, I look for stories that will sweep me away and where I can just enjoy the craft of storytelling without getting into the weeds about it.

And this story truly swept me away! I listened to the audiobook version of it and found it very hard to put down. When I went to bed last night, I set the timer on the audiobook to stop in 15 minutes, but every time it went off, I had to set it for 15 minutes more. Ultimately, I stayed up until I finished the book last night. And I remember looking at it and seeing that there were only 6 minutes left and wondering how in the heck they could wrap everything up in that amount of time. It didn't even dawn on me that there would be a major cliffhanger because I haven't read a book with a cliffhanger in years!

And wow! What a cliffhanger! Last night as I was still listening to the story, I was rating this story a solid 5. When I woke up this morning, I was going to subtract a star because that cliffhanger is cruel. I mean when is book 2 due out? And if this is a trilogy, will that one leave us on the edge of our seats too?!

But in the light of day, this story is still a solid 5 in my opinion. Great characters. Interesting storyline. Quaint community. As someone who is self-employed, Sonya gets new business a bit too easily, but otherwise, I was right there in the story with them and truly want to know what happens next.

Thank you to Nora Roberts, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an advance review copy. Please let me know when book 2 is ready! Pretty please! :-)

Inheritance is the first book in Nora Roberts’ new Lost Bride Trilogy, and I loved it. It reminded me a lot of her older trilogies. Sonya has inherited a huge old Victorian house in Maine from an uncle she never knew existed. His will (of course!) says she must live in the house for three years to inherit it, and having broken up with her fiance and between jobs, Sonya heads off to Maine.
At first, Sonya tends to think she’s just been overstressed when she walks into the kitchen and finds it already cleaned up when she doesn’t remember doing it … or her bed made in the morning … but eventually has to concede that her new house is indeed haunted. Turns out, a centuries old curse has resulted in the house being haunted by seven ‘lost brides’, all killed by a vengeful witch, as well as the ghosts of anybody who’s died there in that time. The brides need Sonya to find the seven lost wedding rings the witch stole from them, and gradually feed her clues and information.
I loved getting to know the ghosts; from a child who trains Sonya’s new dog to do tricks, to the ghost of a maid who does the bed-making, dishes and keeps the place miraculously free of dust, to the flower child who turns out to be Sonya’s biological grandmother.
Throw in Sonya’s best friend who’s from Louisiana and whose grandmother is quite witchy, and a love interest, and this book is a good deal of fun on many levels. You have a mystery, some suspense, romance, humour, magical realism, and a doozy of a cliff hanger! I can’t wait for book two!

Inheritance
By: Nora Roberts

Genre:
Adult Mystery, Paranormal, Historical Fiction

Red Flags:
Cliffhanger, Suicide, Sexual content, Domestic violence, Death,

So the story begins…1806: Astrid Poole sits in her bridal clothes, overwhelmed with happiness. But before her marriage can be consummated, she is murdered, and the circle of gold torn from her finger. Her last words are a promise to Collin never to leave him…

Summary:
After Sonya Mactavish is engaged to be married, and is excitingly planning her wedding, until Sonya finds her fiance cheating on her, with her cousin in her own home. Since she works with her Fiance, she tries to continue but ultimately needs a change of pace. Sonya receives an answer to her prayers. She receives word that her father had a twin brother, and he left her a sizable inheritance. So Sonya decides to move to Maine where she opens her new graphic design company, and meets the charming Trey, the young lawyer that is handling the execution of her long lost uncle's will.

Review:
This is my first read by Nora Roberts, and it didn’t disappoint! It was long, and lengthy, but it went so quickly. I found myself, sitting in the car, longer than necessary to finish it. Normally, I am not one to pick up a “ghost story” but this plotline of ghost characters was very likable and seemed more realistic. The weakness
of this particular novel for me was the love story. I wanted more depth, and chemistry. The love story between Sonya and Trey fell short, and somehow just kinda happened. AND I DESPISE A CLIFFHANGER! WARNING ALERT: A HUGE CLIFFHANGER…I didn’t like the ending, so I will be anxiously awaiting the next novel in the Bride Triolgy.

Thank you to Nora Roberts, MacMillan Audio, and Netgalley for the Advanced Readers Copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

#reluctantreaderreads
#Noraroberts
#netgalley #audiobooks
#Macmillanaudio #inheritance
#advancedreaderreads

This was a thrilling book that kept me turning pages late into the night. Although the storyline started out as common, it soon became unique and thrilling. I like the character development, the descriptions of the home and am.looking forward to reading the next book.

#Inheritance ⁣
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Thank you @macmillan.audio @stmartinspress for my gifted copy! ⁣
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“You don’t find magic, you make it.”⁣
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Nora Roberts. JD Robb. Household names, right? As a reader, I never thought that I would enjoy Nora Roberts, but I am here to tell you that I am a huge fan. I get that she pumps out book after book. This woman is a masterful storyteller. In the beginning of Inheritance, she talks about her grandmother and just her speaking the those few words, I was already sucked. The part about a tree?! This is why she’s a household name.⁣
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Inheritance gives me June Farrow vibes, but more gothic. Theres a haunted house and spirits, and it’s good y’all. I love that Brittany Pressley is the reader, just like she is for June Farrow. She’s another masterful storyteller, and definitely my favorite audiobook reader. I sometimes forget she’s one person doing multiple characters. Cleo was done right, and I just loved this on audio. Highly recommend if you enjoy an audiobook.⁣
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This is book one, so there was a lot of backstory. I loved it, but I did feel like this book took forever to get through. I know the next book in the series will be a lot less, and I cannot wait. The solid foundation has been lain, and I cannot believe that wild cliffhanger! I can’t wait to see what’s next for the 7 brides and Lost Bride Manor. This book was magically, eerie, and a downright good read. Out now! ⁣
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QOTD: What’s the one (materialistic) thing you could wish for this holiday season?

Wow! This book!!! I was so drawn in from the beginning and literally couldn’t put it down!

I LOVED all of the characters and felt they were all so different and well rounded.

However… that ending… it was a cliffhanger that I can honestly say I did NOT see coming.. nor love to be honest. There was such momentum so to end the way it did leaves me wanting a little more. But maybe that was the point??

was utterly spellbound!! Roberts checked all the boxes: a multi-generational tragedy in a haunted mansion, a supernatural mystery, and well-paced, clever writing; the atmosphere pulled me right in from the start; I felt like I was right there with the main characters in Lost Bride Manor. I could see the characters in my mind's eye; Roberts created well-drawn characters, and I enjoyed the sisterhood bond between Sonya and Cleo. It was refreshing to see two creative, independent, strong women I wanted to be their friend. That’s how to write a cliffhanger! I can’t wait to see what awaits Sonya and Owen on the other side. I paired the book with the audiobook, narrated by Brittney Pressley, who did a fabulous job describing and bringing the characters to life, building the tension and suspense and making it palpable at times. I got chills down my spine.

Also, in the audiobook, Nora Roberts explains her experience with spirits and talks of her grandmother and what inspired her to write Inheritance: The Lost Bride Trilogy.

I want to thank St. Martin’s Press, Nora Roberts and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest opinion..

A woman inherits a haunted mansion, mired by a generational curse she’s intent to break.

Sonya MacTavish cancels her wedding after finding her fiancé in bed with another woman. Reeling from the betrayal, a lawyer makes an unexpected offer at a new beginning in a small coastal town in Maine, where she’s inherited a mansion from family she didn’t know existed.

The mansion, however, is haunted by generations of women in her family. Deemed the lost brides, seven women since 1806 have been killed on their wedding day, succumbed to a powerful curse that claims a bride per generation. While the brides enliven the house for the better, the ghost of the angry witch lurks with vengeance, trying to scare Sonya away.

Memories of how each bride died haunt Sonya’s dreams, plaguing her with an urgency to break the decades-old curse without knowing how. Ferreting clues from her dreams, and with her group of friends, Sonya delves into a world of ghosts, intent to free them all.

INHERITANCE is quintessential Nora Roberts—a story shaped by a strong woman supported by an unflappable community of friends and family. Robert’s quick-paced dialogue pulls you in, as well-drawn characters take shape in an otherworldly narrative that’s engrossing from the start. Humor, friendship, and a budding romance bring levity to the sinister machinations at play in this exciting series starter. I’m already clamoring for the next book!