This is the second installment of the series and it picks up right where the first one left off. I listened to the first one and then listened and read this one. I love Nora Roberts books and her writing style. The stories are always very good and interesting. The characters really come alive on the page.

This is a great series about a haunted manor and the stories of the ghosts and people who live there. I love the descriptions of the manor and the locations that this story takes place. You get the sense that you are really there living it with the characters. There are many suspenseful moments throughout the book. The ending does a great job of leaving you hanging on for the next one.

My only criticism is that this book felt like a "filler" - don't get me wrong - it was still good, but I felt like it lacked its own climax or major event. It seemed to me like this book was more of bridge between the first and third and that there were a lot of little things happening throughout but no overall big event of this book alone. It could very well have been the first 1/2 of the third book and not an independent. I am looking forward to reading the final book of the trilogy!

The Mirror and the ghosts within the manor continue to cause fear, mystery and even happiness for the current occupants. Sonya continues to navigate the mystery she is convinced she is supposed to solve to be rid of the most evil spirit in the house.

I love the ongoing story of past coming back to the present! I can't wait for the final book in this trilogy!

The Mirror picks up where The Inheritance left off. Sonya and Owen go through the mirror to see past events as if they were there when it happened.
Going through the mirror occurs multiple times. Each time fleshes out the history of the Poole family and the curse enacted by Hester Dobbs.
We really get a chance to know Sonya, Cleo, Trey and Owen. I enjoy the life they bring to Poole manor.
I enjoyed the narration.
This book really can’t act as a stand-alone because the events are intertwined and only faintly revisited in The Mirror.
I subtracted one star for more profanity than really seemed warranted. Content warning also includes sex and descriptions of violent deaths.
I am enjoying the Lost Bride stories. The characters have come alive. Note: the book ends on a cliffhanger. Hopefully, they will find a way to end the curse in book 3.
Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and MacMillan Audio for livening up my days with a new Nora Roberts story.

3.5 stars
After completing the second book in Nora Roberts' Lost Bride Trilogy series, I found it to be an engaging read overall, though I would rate it 3.5 stars. The Inheritance, the first book in the Lost Bride Trilogy, captivated me with its suspenseful plot and endearing characters. However, The Mirror, the second installment, seemed to dwell excessively on mundane activities, such as Sonya and Cleo’s daily work schedule and break times, detracting from the story's overall pace.

I appreciated the presence of the charming dogs Yoda, Mookie, and Jones and Cleo’s rescue kitten, Pye. Sonya’s past-generation Poole family members' detailed backstories and the revelation of the curse's origins added depth to the narrative.

However, I was somewhat disappointed by the lack of progression in the main storyline involving the cursed lost brides and the antagonist, Hester Dobbs. Despite her murderous history, the repetitive nature of her behaviour diminished the sense of urgency in the plot.

Despite these criticisms, I plan to continue the series and explore the story further. While the book could have been more concise, I still hold Nora Roberts' work in high regard and look forward to seeing how the series concludes. I paired my e-ARC with the ALC for an immersive reading experience, and I commend Brittany Pressley for her excellent narration.

I want to thank St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for providing the e-ARC and ALC for review purposes. My opinions are entirely my own.

Picking up seamlessly from where Inheritance left off, The Mirror immediately pulls readers back into Sonya’s journey, following her as she steps through the mirror. This second installment offers further exploration of the lost brides and the core characters—Sonya, Trey, Cleo, and Owen. The dual-timeline narrative adds depth and intrigue, skillfully weaving the past and present together in a way that enhances both the mystery and emotional stakes. I was completely immersed in the continuing story and found myself even more attached to the characters. The development of their relationships and individual arcs kept me engaged from start to finish. I can't wait to see how this series will conclude in the final book!

So far this trilogy is different in writing style than I am used to from Nora, but I am here for it. This one dives right in and it took me a minute to remember where the first book had left off. But once I got into it, I liked it a lot. The setting, the house, the characters, I love all of it. And she left us with another cliffhanger. I cannot wait for the third book in this trilogy.

The Mirror, which is second in the Lost Bride Trilogy, picks up right where The Inheritance left off. I love that this is a 3 book series and each story has left me with unanswered question, that makes me look so forward to the next book! I enjoy that the author is able to blend in details from the prior story to refresh your memory, without making it feel repetitive.
I loved the characters! They were all so creatively written. The pace of this story has worked perfectly for me.
The fantasy aspect of the story is really unique, I also really enjoyed the romance and historical aspects.
I can't wait for the final installment!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the option to read early and review!

This was a great story and a great continuation in the series. I am looking forward to the third and final installment when it comes out. Thank you for allowing me to read and review this ARC

The Inheritance was my first Nora Roberts book, and immediately upon finishing it, I said it wouldn’t be my last. Luckily, the second book in the series is being released soon, and I was able to get access to this. While this is firmly a romance, there are heavy supernatural elements in the story and a mystery at its heart.

This book picks up right after the last one ends, thankfully addressing that major cliffhanger from the end of The Inheritance that had me sitting on the edge of my seat until I could get access to this one. Since about a year has passed between books, I did a quick audiobook reread of the first book to refresh myself on the story, and felt fully prepared to reimmerse myself in the world of Sonya MacTavish.

While the lost bride story is extremely gripping, I loved the characters in the story just as much. They’re characters that I’ve grown to know and love through the first book, but the connections between them deepen and change throughout this story. There’s also a continuation of the romance plot from book 1, and there’s even a new romance slowly developing over the course of this book. But I’d have to say that my favorite character in the series, so far, would have to be Clover. She’s one of those characters who we only visually see in a few scenes, but she has such a huge impact on Sonya and Cleo. I especially enjoyed her much-varied musical taste and how she could find a song to express her feelings about every situation.

The storyline is just as fantastic. While the romance plays a role throughout the series so far, it never overshadows the story and the mystery of how to break the curse. I also loved the developing romance between Cleo and her new love interest, as the two women get settled in the house. Also, the bond between Sonya and Cleo is realistic and wonderful. Their witty banter, and the way that they know each other so well reminds me of my own friendship with my college roommate, adding another layer of believability to their relationship.

I got so caught up in this story that it was the kind that I couldn’t put down, and I didn’t want to put down. However, I was torn between wanting to read fast and find out what happens, and drawing out my enjoyment of the story. Obviously, reading fast won out because I am not great with delayed gratification, and I have no regrets. Aside from the fact that I’m going to have to wait about a year for the final book, but there isn’t much I can do about that. This series would appeal to readers of romantasy, romance, fantasy, and horror-lite, as well as lovers of spooky stories, haunted houses, and spooky season reads all year round.

The Mirror picks up exactly at the point of the cliff hanger in the first book and once gain tells a great story of the house and the ghosts in it. The friendship, romances and the mystery of the ghosts make this story a page turner. I loved it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and especially @macmillan.audio for allowing me advanced copies of the audiobooks by Nora Robert’s #thelostbridetrilogy !!
First came #TheInheritance where we meet Sonia, a Bostonian of middle class who learns that her father had an estranged and very wealthy brother. She inherits a mansion up in Maine, and drives up there to investigate. She learns that every descendant’s bride had died on the day or night of their wedding, as a curse was laid upon the brides of the manor by a very evil and conniving witch who believed she would always be the lady of the manor. She haunts it as well, and Sonya has to suspend her disbelief when she starts seeing and hearing visions of the past.
In book 2 we get more of the backstory of the family tree, as book 1 leaves us with Sonya walking thru a mirror into visions of the past that show the deaths of the prior brides and the witch stealing the wedding rings .. she feels helpless to change the past, but anxious to learn as much as she can to be rid of this evil from the mansion. The best part of this book for me is that Sonya and other relatives and friends come to decide not to fear the hauntings, as they discover that their ancestors who died there also are present and protective. I also love the relationships that Sonya has with her boyfriend, her mother, and especially her best friend Cleo. If you could pick an ideal family (minus all the death) and ideal friends, this group would be it. They are cheerful and sweet to one another and create a wonderful home out of the mansion, and of course have wonderful artsy careers and an inheritance to assist in their new lifestyle. In The Mirror, Sonya cycles through to many visions, each one making her hate the evil ghost, leaving her more determined than ever to find a way to lift the curse and rid the house and the family of this horrible ghost! As things heat up between Sonya and her bf and Cleo and hers, it’s only a matter of time before the house needs to host a new wedding and … they have got to get rid of the evil presence first! I’m super excited to hear the next installment in this trilogy when it comes out, hopefully next summer or fall!! I absolutely loved the narration as well!!!

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of The Mirror by Nora Roberts
This was the 2nd book in the Lost Bride Trilogy. Although I enjoyed this novel, I liked the first novel, Inheritance, more.
In this novel, The Mirror, the characters remain the same, we meet new ones, more secrets are uncovered about the house and what happened in the past
I like the description and plot that Nora uses throughout the novel. I'm looking forward to the third novel in this series.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read an early copy of The mirror by Nora Roberts. This is the 2nd book in The lost bride trilogy and I just couldn't put it down! The story begins right where Inheritance ends, and Sonya, with Cleo, Trey and Owen, learn more about the lost brides, and others who are haunting the manor, and the evil entity known as Hester Dobbs. I just loved the interactions between Sonya and Clover, getting to know the back stories of each lost bride, and of course the 3 dogs, and cat that are constantly at the manor! My only disappointment was even though the missing wedding rings were constantly talked about, they have yet to discover where they are hidden. So I am impatiently waiting for the last book in the trilogy.

I should just stop reading Nora Roberts books. I notice the same things that drive me crazy in every single one. She has established such a reputation that ratings for her books don’t feel like an accurate representation of what she’s written. And if she’s an automatic read for people I guess that’s fine. My problem was I read the first book in her Bride trilogy, and realized upon finishing it that it wasn’t like other trilogies she had written in the past that had different, but connected, protagonists. This is a series around the same characters, so, having read the first book, I felt the need to read the second book so I could work my way towards story closure. What I got was hundreds of pages of the same thing over and over again. Way too dialogue heavy, a main character whose work skills and success as a freelance web designer is so easy it’s more frightening than the malevolent ghost in the book. A main character that despite her support network has a meltdown with every said interaction with ghost. Then the group of four has to have a meal and drinks together with their pets and talk about how horrible the ghost is, while another ghost plays DJ with songs to fit the mood. Then occasionally Sonya, the main character goes through a magical mirror to see how the ghost murdered one of her ancestors. And they make very little progress on figuring out how to excommunicate the nasty witch ghost. And repeat. And repeat. And repeat. This is boring and there’s nothing that really propels the book forward. And it’s actually three books of this. Admittedly, a middle book in a trilogy is always the hardest to get through because it’s serving as a bridge between an introduction of a longer story and the final book that concludes it, but this just feels like unnecessary filler to sell an additional book to Roberts devotees. I can’t say I’m that interested in how the story ends at this point. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Mirror by Nora Roberts is a captivating journey into a world where the past and present intertwine with haunting precision. When Sonya MacTavish inherits an eerie Victorian mansion on the Maine coast, she has no idea of the dark secrets buried within its walls. Strange footsteps, slamming doors, and ghostly music lead her to a mysterious mirror that transports her to the past, where she witnesses a bride’s tragic murder. The story is rich with suspense, family secrets, and an age-old curse that Sonya must unravel if there's any hope of breaking it.

This second installment in The Lost Bride Trilogy is packed with heartwarming moments that will make you smile, laugh, and even cry with the characters. Nora Roberts beautifully explores the power of love, sisterhood, and the strength of family bonds. Her portrayal of loyalty—be it through blood, friendships, or longstanding family ties—is truly moving. If you’re a fan of Roberts’ magical blend of romance, mystery, and supernatural elements, The Mirror will enchant you from beginning to end. It’s a must-read for anyone who appreciates strong female characters and richly woven narratives that keep you hooked.

Sonya MacTavish inherited the Poole family mansion when an uncle she only recently found out about passed away. The mansion has a tragic history involving the deaths of seven brides. One night as Sonya walks in a trance as if pulled by an invisible force, she finds a mysterious mirror in one of the rooms. Along with her newfound cousin Owen, she walks through the mirror into a time in the past. They are forced to watch one of the brides as she is murdered that night. Together with her best friend Cleo and her boyfriend Trey, Sonya and Owen must find a way to find the rings and save the lost brides.

I can not even tell you how much it shocks me to give a Nora Roberts book a 3 star review. If you have read ANY of my previous reviews, you would know that I absolutely ADORE her and her writing. (and this is from a reader that has read and reviewed EVERY single one of her 59 books in the In Death series) So....yeah...it shocked me too.

Why the rating? Well, first of all, I absolutely loved the first book in this series. It had an interesting premise, it had moments of suspense, and it had characters that were easy to like. Unfortunately, this second book felt like almost 500 pages of complete filler. Seriously, we continued to read things like, "she woke up, got dressed, went down to the kitchen, let the dogs out, started her coffee, then let the dogs back in to feed them...... " and this was non-stop. EVERY SINGLE DAY. Or, "she went back and forth trying to decide between the red pants or the blue pants" (I'm paraphrasing of course, but seriously..... come on....really?) It went into GREAT detail in the every day minutia of life.

Yes, that would be okay in the beginning to maybe set the stage, but to repeat all of this detail every single day? We were told ad nauseum about the dogs' bathroom habits. So many words spent on the dogs going out, the dogs coming in, the dogs being fed....it became almost satire.

This book was almost 500 pages and there was not really any progression on the actual main story line. There is still the great and evil ghost - Hester Dobbs - and she has killed the brides. Yet somehow, even though we learn that she can and has killed in her ghost form, the FMC's in this story do not seem to be worried about that. That was one thing that really took me out of the story.

So - will I read the third book? Of course. Like I said, I love NR and all of her stories and while this book was a miss, I still am interested enough to want to see how everything resolves itself. Many people speculated that she is so used to writing trilogies that she just wrote all the filler to fill out enough for three books. I hope that is not true because while I adore her trilogies, this book could have easily been a duology.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone. This book will be out for publication on November 19, 2024.

The Mirror is everything I hoped for and more! As the second book in the Lost Bride Trilogy, I was so happy to have it start right where we left off at the end of book one. This really felt like I was reading the next chapter rather than a whole new book - a seamless continuation of Sonya's journey at the manor. I enjoyed the character development and learning more about Sonya and Trey and Cleo and Owen. As Sonya learns more about the past brides through being drawn to the mirror, seeing into the past, and building a connection with those living in the manor with her, the reader is able to start putting the puzzle pieces together. Nora Roberts' writing style is perfect in so many ways. The tell tale signs when Hester Dobbs was near, the chill in the air, and the music that plays on Sonya's iPad. This book was very hard to put down and now I can't wait to read book three!

Nora's trilogies are always good and this one is looking to be one of my favorites. I feel that book one set the scene and laid out the main characters, book two is giving us the details and building character relationships with each other and with the "lost brides", and has left me anxiously awaiting book three to put it all together.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martins Press and Nora Roberts for providing an ARC in exchange for honest thoughts.

I gave this book 5 Stars

While I was completely enthralled in the second book in the Lost Bride Trilogy, I felt myself rolling my eyes a bit during some of the repetitive scenes playing out in the book. How many days were described in detail and how many meals were discussed? I guess that is part of the charm because I definitely did not hate it, but I did have to mention it.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the book #TheMirror by #NoraRoberts. I absolutely love this series and cannot wait for the next book. Sonya is still at the manor that she inherited, the haunted one. Daily, Hester Dobbs, haunts and causes trouble for Sonya and Trey and Cleo and Owen. They all try to break the bride curse and the hold that Hester has on the house. Sonya and her cousin Owen are able to got through “the mirror” and experience the ongoing of the past. Can they break the curse and get rid of Hester?