5857467
Mary's review
Jul 02, 2024 · edit

liked it

**Rounded down to 2.5/5
In Nora Robert's The Mirror, heroine Sonya McTavish continues the story of the Lost Bride's Manor begun in the first book in the series. Sonya has inherited a haunted mansion in Maine because she is the last in a direct line of Pooles who built the mansion. Her father was a twin separated at birth and Sonya has no clue about her father's real history until a lawyer informs her of her legacy. The mansion is haunted by a she bitch from hell who was kicked to the curb after a one night stand in 1806. She worked a curse on the mansion that has killed all of the brides who have been married at the manor. Sonya and her friends Cleo, Trey and Owen are determined to break the curse and free the manor.
When I received this book from NetGalley, I realized it was the second book in a planned trilogy, so I went and bought the first book (Inheritance) so I would know what preceded the action in the Mirror. It took me a while to get to the Mirror because it took me a while to get through Inheritance. There are good things in both books, but the good gets overlooked by the sheer amount of minutiae. I am reminded of my kids when they would get home from school and I would ask them about their day. My oldest began with..."first I woke up," and preceded to tell me every tiny detail of her day. If you accidentally interrupted her, she would have to start over at the beginning. That is kind of how these books felt to me. It was just WAY TOO MUCH detail. I liked the characters (although they are a bit too perfect and precious), the haunting story was good and the music playlist was cute at first, but then overdone to the point of almost ridiculousness. As in the first book, the Mirror leaves the reader with a cliffhanger and we will have to read book 3 to see what happens. I probably will buy the last book just because I have invested so much time in the story, but this book(s) could have used a liberal amount of red ink from an edit pen. Books 1 & 2 could easily be condensed into one book without losing any of the narrative.
Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC.

I've never read a book that frustrated me as much as The Mirror by Nora Roberts. What happened to the plot? This book focused way too much on the daily lives of the characters with too much dialogue and not enough action moving the story forward. I was disappointed with this sequel considering I really enjoyed the first book in the trilogy. I hope the next book will be more reminiscent of the first book with more supernatural things happening with less of a focus on the characters personal lives.

This second book in the trilogy definitely picked up the pace on the scare fests and ghosts. There was a lot of appearances by the resident bad witch of the poole house. There was a lot of background information given about the ghosts but not enough about the mysteries of the ring. We saw how the ghosts came to be and a lot of day to day for Sonya. It felt like a filler book that was interesting enough. However, it did develop the relationships and showed how important the house is. I just really want to know how they're going to solve the 7 rings mystery and can't wait for the last book.

The Mirror is book two in the trilogy series of The Lost Brides. This is a really fun though sometimes intense series. I’ve really enjoyed it so far. Book two was a bit slow going possibly to provide lots of background, but still a page turner. It has great characters and the setting in Maine is wonderful. I highly recommend this series if you like romance, suspense and ghosts. You do need to read book one first. I’m looking forward to it wrapping up in book three!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for my honest review.

Loved this one! Great and fun read. Highly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for my ARC.

This is the second novel in the lost brides trilogy. In this story, more information about the lost brides, both the scene if their death but also their greatest joys witnessed. More pieces of the puzzle of the family history are revealed. As a side note, Sonya also is competing with her ex for a lucrative deal with Ryder sports company. Who will win?

Good story. A little slow but a necessary gap to get us to the conclusion that will be out with book 3. 4 out of 5 stars. Some very high lifting moments in the story.

The Mirror is the second book in Nora Roberts Lost Bride trilogy. After reading this book I have made myself a promise that I will not read any book that is a trilogy or a sequel. Why? Because I have no patience for the next story in a series! Especially anything written by Nora Roberts. I was so wrapped up in what was happening in the story that the abrupt ending was almost too much to take. The first book sets the stage and the second book tells the story. I'm assuming the third book will be a satisfying ending. At least it better be! Set high on a cliff on the Rocky Coast of Maine The Mirror wraps you up in the surrounding, the characters, and the magic. If you have read the first book then I don't need to go into details about The Mirror. Yes, the title tells the important part of the book. When the mirror makes an appearance you know the story is going to go down a deeper rabbit hole. But it's a rabbit hole that I love! Is The Mirror better than the first book? No. You can't get much better than the first book. It is as good as the first book. And now I'm impatiently waiting for the third book. Having read most of Nora Roberts books, I'm pretty sure I can predict the ending. But the ending isn't the reason why I read Roberts' books. It's getting to that ending. That is the fun! I voluntarily received a copy of this book on netgalley.

I was eagerly looking forward to this second installment of The Lost Brides Trilogy after the cliffhanger of the first book, Inheritance. However, I was disappointed in The Mirror and the snail’s pace of plot movement. Yes, Nora’s M.O. are trilogies, but does every story have to be a three-book series? There was so much filler and fluff in this book, I’m convinced Roberts was stalling just so she could drag the resolution for a third book. This story could’ve been told in two.
There are pages and pages of mundane, daily activities of meals, work projects, furniture moving, event planning and gardening. We are overloaded with the pets’ daily constitutionals and how often they need to be let outside. Clover’s playlist of tunes, which were fun and quirky in the first book, are predictable, repetitive and annoying in The Mirror. The tricks and displays from the witch ghost, Hester, aren’t often enough and when they are, there’s nothing new. If seven bridal rings are required to vanquish her from the Manor, why haven’t we even begun to find one in the second book?
When dealing with a family saga of multiple generations, there are always several names to keep track of. I’m still confused about which bride was married to which Poole heir. Note to author: an illustration of a family tree would be helpful.
I am a big fan of Roberts’ books and she is a compelling author but this one was a slog. Nevertheless, I will read the third book when it’s available because I want to know the resolution of this story. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of The Mirror.

In my opinion, you can never go wrong with a Nora Roberts book. The Mirror keeps you engaged and wanting more until the very last page. I especially liked the enchantment of the spirits within the mansion. The cliffhanger at the end of the book leaves you with a can't wait for the third book feel. Very well done, well written. I am a sucker for ghostly stories with a curse and a mystery. If you enjoyed the first book, you will enjoy the second just as much.

Thanks to NetGallery for the advance reader's copy of The Mirror, the 2nd book in Nora Roberts The Lost Trilogy. As always, Ms. Roberts has written a superb novel with great dialogue (always majorly important for me) fabulous characters and a gripping story line that leaves you at the edge of your seat. Sonya and Cleo are living in the Manor with their friendly ghosts and their evil Witch who cursed their home and Brides. Trey and Owen are there with them the whole way as they get all the portraits and learn all they can of their "tenants" I just love Owen and Cleo. And we can't' forget our cool pets.
Perfect book! Now, must wait for the finale.

The Mirror, by Nora Roberts, is the second of the Lost Bride Trilogy and If you enjoyed the first, you should grab this one. There is a magic mirror, a curse, ghosts, and a mystery to be solved. Nora Roberts pulls you in and keeps things moving so that you won't get bored. This novel is fast-paced and will leave you looking forward to the third book!
Thanks, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with the ARC ebook I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

I loved the second book just as much as the first!!!! The only bad part is now I have to wait for the next book!! The characters are so well written and I can picture what is happening. Thank you Netgalley for giving me a chance to read early!!!! Now if I could only get book 3!!!!

I was anxiously awaiting this title after the cliffhanger at the end of Inheritance and was not disappointed! This started right where Inheritance left off and wasted no time getting into the action. As always, a well written Nora Roberts book with very thoughtfully created characters. While this is not my favorite series from NR, I don’t usually pick up a scary and suspenseful read (and believe me, I definitely had a couple of scary pages where I turned the lights on!) I did enjoy this book and look forward to the next!

This is another great book by Nora Roberts. It is the second book of the lost brides trilogy and starts up where The Inheritance left off. Sonya inherits a haunted mansion from an uncle she never knew about. She invites her friend to come and live with her. There and noises from the third floor with a wicked ghost who wants the manor to herself. There are good ghosts who help with the manor and songs played pertaining to the situation. They find a mirror they can actually go thru and see the life and death caused by the evil ghost. The evil ghost takes all the brides rings and Sonya and her friend and boyfriends are trying to figure out how to break the spell but that apparently might happen in another book.

The Mirror is the spooky and intense continuation of Inheritance, which follows the story of Sonya MacTavish as she moves to Maine to live in a haunted manor she inherited from an unknown relative. The book is quintessential Nora—strong female leads, handsome male love interests, and a strong community of supporting characters to round out the idyllic setting. Where I struggle a bit with this book is that the majority of Nora’s other trilogies usually have different main characters in each of the books to help drive the story forward. In this series, the books center on Sonya and her quest to break the curse and banish the evil spirit who holds the house hostage. The three book story arc tells you that it’s a big story, but there are times I think that it could have been conveyed in one big book rather than drawn out over three separate ones. Regardless, I anxiously await the final book when it comes out.

**Readers will want to read Inheritance first as The Mirror is a continuation of book 1 and would not work as a stand-alone story.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Marten’s Press for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Since this is part two in a series, it kind of took me a few chapters to get back in the groove of the story. Roberts does a great job blending in important details so you can refresh as you go. Better yet, it might be time for a re-read of Inheritance.

This book is a very slow burn in terms of gradually ramping up paranormal issues and activities. But the author doesn’t just focus on that. We’re also developing relationships, becoming a part of the community, and building businesses and professional relationships.

The best part of the story is the characters. I love the interaction between all of the main characters. The guys are sweet and supportive. Where can I find guys like that?

Our female main character, Sonya, and her bestie are also super strong and dedicated women. I love their relationship with each other as roommates and also balance each other and life. Together, the four just have a great energy, and that continues to build through the story.

Throughout, we learn more and more about the seven brides and the interesting stories for each one, as well as more about Dobbs and her interactions with them. The house helpers are awesome and the musical choices throughout the story are humorous and spot on!

While I was looking for a conclusion in the story that is not to be. The Mirror actually contains a cliffhanger so we can look forward to another story which hopefully will wrap up everything since we’ve only met four of the seven of the brides so far.

Roberts delivers an intriguing, magical story rich with friendship, romance, and amazing characters that jump off the page. While there feels to be a lot of repetition in this one, the overall story is exciting. Waiting for book 3 now!!

This is the second book in the Lost Bride Trilogy, it picks up right where The Inheritance finishes. Once again I was captivated into the pages right at the prologue. In the second book the romances that began in book one deepen and the relationships become stronger. What I enjoyed most about this book was being brought into the mirror many times and learning in a greater depth what happened at The Lost Bride Manor. We are able to now understand each of the brides backstories and how their deaths played out. I absolutely love Clover’s character and her witty DJ skills throughout the story. Nora Roberts once again captivates Dobbs as a spooky, unnerving witchy mistress of the manor. There was one chapter in particular as we learn about Arthur Poole that sent chills down my spine. Overall, this book once again does not disappoint, I am left eagerly waiting for the next and final book in the trilogy. Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this ARC in return for an honest review.

4.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of The Mirror by Nora Roberts.

The Mirror is the second book in a trilogy and starts where book 1 left off. Sonya, the FMC, has inherited a haunted manor from an uncle she knew nothing about and has been slowly learning about her family history. If you enjoy books about things that go bump in the night and - in this case - during the day, you might really enjoy reading this trilogy. I do suggest reading the first book, if you haven’t already, to get a feel for why things happen in The Mirror they way they do.
Though I loved the story enough that I immediately got Book 1 “The Inheritance” from the local library, I absolutely do not like some of the writing style. Example - “She paused, drank.” “___ walked toward the bow, sat.”
I thought, “It’s an ARC, maybe it’ll be different once published?”, but the same style is also in book 1. I found it very odd and it continuously pulled me out of the story.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Sonya has lived in this haunted house with her friend for a year. Alot has happened, but the house has one ghost who is not happy. The ghost tries to scare Sonya in the early morning hours when she is alone. I enjoyed this book.

Fantastic!! Loved the flashbacks and new characters introduced!! Nora Roberts has always been a favorite and this series proves why!