This was an entertaining story about a young woman who inherits a Victorian manor situated on the Maine coast. The timing is right and she leaves Boston for a possible new life in Maine. What she didn’t expect is how grand the home is – and that it comes with ghosts! Like I said, an entertaining read. If spooky stories, a Maine setting, and characters who are far more brave than me strike a chord with you I recommend reading this novel. Because of the exciting finish to this first in the series, book two can’t come fast enough.

As usual, Brittany Pressley delivered a fine performance with the audiobook. Her nuanced narration made it easy to distinguish between female and male characters. An added treat was the author’s note read by Nora Roberts.

Inheritance
The Lost Bride Trilogy, Book 1
by Nora Roberts
Narrated by Brittany Pressley; Nora Roberts

Rating: 4.8/5.0
I've always loved Nora Roberts. Inheritance is no exception. Book 1, the Lost Bride, lays the story of the Poole brides and their tragic ends out fantastically. Sonya MacTavish all of the sudden finds herself with a large inheritance from on uncle that she never knew existed. One of the caveats to the inheritance is that she must live in his home for three years. So what does she do? Well, coming hot off the end of her engagement, she decides that she has nothing to lose and everything to gain. Once she moves in, she meets some friendly faces, both living and dead. She also meets a nasty ghost who seems determined to scare her off. I don't want to ruin the story, but it draws you in and doesn't let go. With characters that you fall in love with and root for, this is a trilogy that I'm excited to finish.

Not that this story does end on a cliffhanger, so you will want to continue on to the next book. If you're already a Nora Robert's fan, this won't bother you at all. Also, the narration was great and really brought depth and life to the characters.

Thank you NetGalley, Ms. Roberts and MacMillanAudio for the chance to listen to and review this ARC!

My Review
☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️

This book releases.
November 21st 2023

I have always been a Robert's fan, Just added this book to my collection..

Soyna McTavish,
Finds her soon to be husband in a position she thought she would never find. Then she finds she's inherited something that will change everything. Along with that, a few extras that. Well, most wouldn't like, but sonya gets used to it. Because when things go bump in the night, Well it makes you wonder.

This was a terrific story. As I said, i've always been a robert's fan. Since the 80s

What I loved most about this book. Was every time a Pacific thing was mentioned. Music played that fit the scene. And once a song played Good golly miss molly. Totally loved that part.. Made me chuckle.

I truly love this story. And I'll be honest. I haven't read one for a little while but amazing. I will say this story was absolutely amazing.

Thank you net gallery. For this copy.
All thoughts are my own.
Absolutely loved this Book.

I’ve gone back and forth on how to rate this book. It’s the first book in a trilogy, so naturally there should be some amount of cliffhanger at the end, but this was more like ALL cliffhanger, with no resolution to speak of- which meant what had been a great story up until that point just felt completely unfinished. And now I have to wait an indeterminate amount of time to continue reading.

That said, I did love these well-drawn characters - especially Sonya and Cleo. Their friendship is the real star of the show here. I’m also curious where the ghostly mystery element to the story shall take us. I guess we’ll just have to stay tuned….

Brittany Pressley did an excellent job narrating the audiobook.

Thank you Nora Roberts, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

Inheritance is the first book in The Lost Bride Trilogy series by Nora Roberts. The main character, Sonia McTavish, is a successful graphic designer from Boston who suffered a devastating betrayal which caused her to cancel her wedding. After leaving her job to start her own graphic design business, she receives an unexpected inheritance from her deceased father’s twin brother, a brother he didn’t know existed. The estate is a spectacular cliff side Victorian Manor overlooking the ocean in Maine. Before Sonia can fully claim the inheritance, the will stipulates that she must live in the manor for three years.

This is an engaging modern day gothic story with paranormal elements, a malevolent witch, the legend of murdered brides, and a family curse. The manor was the scene of the murders of seven young brides killed on their wedding day spanning over two centuries. It is obviously haunted, with strange things happening without logical explanation. The main character is a practical woman but eventually accepts that the manor was haunted and sets out to uncover the mystery of the lost brides.

The story goes back and forth between the past and the present giving a glimpse of the events leading to the present day. I love the characters, the friendship between Sonia, Cleo and Trey, the love interest. The antics of the ghost were quite humorous. The books do end in a cliff hanger, and I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
The audio book narration by Brittany Pressley was terrific and was a pleasure to listen to. She did an amazing job of bringing the characters and story to life. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a paranormal mystery with a little romance thrown in.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing an advanced copy of this audio-book in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge Nora Roberts fan and this book did not disappoint. This is a combination romance and paranormal story. I loved the story and the characters. I received an advanced audiobook copy from NetGalley and managed to listen to the book in its entirety in a little over a week. I am excited about the cliffhanger and can’t wait to see where it takes us in the second book!

Brittany Pressley’s performance of this spooky story was enjoyable. Each of the main characters’ voices were distinct and made it easy to follow the story. This first book gave us a lot of to think about and a lot happened - a surprise inheritance from a long lost uncle, a broken engagement, a family curse, ghosts and the start of new romances and friendships. All the ingredients for an enjoyable listen. Again, Nora Roberts never disappoints.

Thank you Macmillan Audio via NetGalley for this ALC.

Sonya MacTavish comes home one day to find her cousin and fiancé 'enjoying' one another in bed. Since the wedding was only a few weeks off, plans had to change. Because Sonya and her fiancé were both graphic designers working at the same company, she knew she had to move on.

Out of the blue, she learned that not only had her late father had an unknown twin, her newly discovered uncle had also passed away and left her the family home, a huge Victorian mansion near the shore in Maine. But, she had to live there at least three years to inherit. Sonya took the opportunity, meeting Trey, one of the family of attorneys used by her uncle. He did tell her the mansion was haunted, but not really scary.

Sonya is amazed to see a painting of her father's in the house, a painting of the mansion, where he had never been. She became used to music playing randomly, balls bouncing around for her dog to play with, and cupboard doors opening and closing. Sonya learns of the curse of the Lost Brides, which the whole town knows about. Then she begins to sleepwalk and have dreams. Strange and impossible dreams.

The book ends on a cliff hangar when Sonya and her cousin go into danger with Trey and Sonya's best friend left behind to wonder how their friends are faring. Not fair Nora Roberts--how long will we have to wait for Book 2 of the Lost Bride Trilogy to learn what happens next?

Mysterious setting, strong female characters. What more do I need? How about a wonderfully unique plot with great twists to combine for a great new read from a favorite author! Add in a great go to narration and it makes an easy listen that is very interesting.

Only my second Nora Roberts and she’s done it again. I’m instantly becoming a huge fan. I enjoyed the narration of this one but think it could be even better with multiple narrators even though the book is told in third person.

Sonya has recently ended her engagement and also inherited a huge manor in Maine from a long lost relative. It comes as a shock to her that she would inherit such a fortune without having even known they were related. But she inherits more than just the house and property, because with the house comes some uninvited inhabitants of the ghostly kind. She must work to solve the mystery of the Lost Brides and free herself from the hauntings of one wicked witch.

This was the perfect way to end Spooky Season on Halloween. The house and its ghosts are characters themselves and I loved the way she incorporate both friendly and unfriendly spirits into the story. As with most Nora Roberts books, there is also a romance storyline playing out as well.
My only complaint is that the book ended on a cliffhanger!!! And given that this book isn’t released until Nov. 21st, I’m assuming it will be a while until books 2 & 3 of the Lost Brides Trilogy are released.

Thanks to #netgalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Macmillan Audio for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I was obsessed with this book for like the first 60%. The second half of this book just dragged on and I kept waiting for something to happen. I did really like watching the relationships form, but this book ends on a cliffhanger in the first climax. I feel like that's obnoxious considering the audiobook is 14 hours long. Thats literally 14 hours of exposition. I understand it's the first in a series, but generally when there's a series each book has its own conflict and climax. ESPECIALLY when each book is this long.
I'm pretty invested in the characters at this point and I'd really like to know what happens so I'll be listening to the next book, but I can't really give it 5* like I thought I was going to early on. I'll be giving it 4* for now. We'll see how the next book plays out to see if it was worth it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the early access audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I cannot stop thinking about this book. Initially I gave it a four because I have some questions about the way this book is structured because it doesn't really seem to contain a full romantic ARC, so are we having a trilogy where there will be two romances that carry us the whole way through? Or was I meant to be satisfied with where we left this romantic relationship and it will be the side story of the next book? Questions like this aren't necessary for me to have the answers to, but in the initial aftermath, it did affect my rating. And then days and weeks passed and I realized that I've thought about this book basically every single day. All the time. So clearly this book is a five star.

When Nora Roberts wants you to feel the atmosphere of a place, she will absolutely make sure that you do. At first, this book starts out in Boston with Sonya finding out that her fiancé is cheating on her with her cousin. Disrespectful, that one. Anyway, she kicks him out and keeps trucking along at work, despite the fact that they work for the same company, until one day she finds out that she has inherited a house in Maine. A mansion, more specifically. Eventually, turns out the house is haunted. And from there, things just really take off. Roberts builds out a cast of characters that has me so utterly captivated and really, just, didn't ever want to stop listening. This audiobook is really well done, btw. Especially because the beginning is a little slow. But did it stop me from loving it desperately? Nope. And now I need book two. Like immediately.

Oh, and thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC and the audio copy! I am extremely grateful because otherwise I probably would have put off reading this for way too long and instead, I've devoured this book in a day.

I love the concept of this book with the house being haunted and the FMC interacting with the spirits that live there, however, this ain't no American Horror Story. The feel of this book is like a Hallmark movie. It's cheesy and the characters seemed pretty one dimensional. I was really hoping to find some spookiness. I believe there are probably many people out here who would love the way this book gave you all the warm fuzzies but it was just not my cup of tea.

Fabulous strong women vibes....horror mystery thriller...possible time travel....cliffhanger ending.....book 2 awaits! ARC copy from NetGalley.

I got whiplash from almost DNF‘ing this book during the first chapter to absolutely being engrossed in this story!
This is my first Nora Roberts, so I didn’t know what to expect. With this book, I had to get used to some clichés that seem to be borrowed from the rom-com genre but once I got past that, I dove right into the slow pace haunting. It was so refreshing to just BE with the main character Sonya and see her building a beautiful, new life at Poole house. Loved the female bonds, the kindness of new people in her life, characters being great at their jobs and how everyone reacted to the curse.
At first, I wasn’t sure how this can be a trilogy, if everything gets resolved in the first book - but no, we’re taking our sweet time. I liked how this book ended and I need to read the second book!

Cozy, feel-good kind of story (but with a family curse). I just might become a Nora Roberts fan?

Thank you NetGalley for providing me a free audio book against an honest review.

P.S. The narrator Brittany Pressley is amazing!

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced audio book in exchange for an honest review.

Sonya MacTavish is a graphic designer who finds out she inherited a huge house in Maine from an uncle she never knew she had. Post dumping her cheating fiancé, Sonya moves up to Maine to a haunted mansion.

I enjoyed the book but it’s felt like a long set up to solving the centuries old mystery of the haunted mansion and family curse. Looking forward to the next two books.

The synopsis of Inheritance intrigued me. It seemed like it could be a spooky, modern take on gothic romances like Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier or The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë. Unfortunately, it all felt a bit flat to me and missed the mark on spookiness.

The contemporary elements of the story (which was a huge percentage of the book) read more like a light romcom. It bothered me that no one seemed very concerned about all the deaths that happened in the haunted mansion, and that no one made any attempt to deal with the malevolent spirit. Instead, the plot seemed a bit like a Hallmark movie with a bit of paranormal activity on the side. (Big city girl dumps her cheating fiancé, moves into a haunted mansion in a quaint town, starts her own business-and crushes it, and meets a kind, handsome lawyer.) It was all quite predictable and a little too slow for me. Book two might dive deeper into the ghost stories. Sadly, I wasn’t captivated enough by book one to feel the need to read book two when it comes out.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an audio recording of Inheritance in exchange for an honest review.
#Inheritance #NetGalley

I really liked the writing in this novel but I don't like how it abruptly ended. I know it was to make a cliffhanger for the next book, but I feel like it could have been a better cliffhanger. The narrator was great. She made the characters sound distinctive and each one different.

I really enjoyed Inheritance. I loved the idea of a house with that much history and I was dying of jealousy at the library. I really liked that there were multiple ghosts all with their own personalities and that we got to know them slowly over the book. To be honest I wouldn't say no to a ghost that cleans. I also enjoyed Sonya and Trey as a couple. I get the feeling we are only just getting to know them so I will be interested to see how their relationship develops over the trilogy. I'm intrigued to learn more about the lost brides and see if Sonya can break the curse. I'm definitely in for the trilogy. The only thing that didn't work for me about this book was I felt like it ended very abruptly. I understand this is a series but I still like each book to have its own arc with a rising action, a climax and resolution. That may just be a personal preference though so if an abrupt ending doesn't bother you I highly recommend this one. It's incredibly creative and fun. A great spooky season read!

I listened to the audiobook version of Inheritance and thought Brittany Pressley did a fantastic job with the narration! The audiobook was single narrator but that doesn't bother when a book is single POV which this one was for the most part. I will note the first part is read by Nora Roberts not the narrator.

I wasn't sure after a couple chapters if I was going to like this book but I ended up REALLY liking it. This is a trilogy so go into this knowing this book doesn't have a conclusion but that we have to wait for the next book to continue the story.

The gothic haunted house storyline is very interesting and fun. I loved the details of this house and all of the unique characters. I also love how strong these women are and they aren't running scared. This felt like a mystery, gothic paranormal and romance all in one. We not only get the present storyline but glimpses into all the history of the house and the ghosts who live there. I can't wait for the next part of this story and to see what happens next.

Brittany Pressley did a fantastic job narrating this audiobook. She really captured the feel of each characters.

#Inheritance #NetGalley