Inheritance: The Lost Bride Trilogy, Book 1 (The Lost Bride Trilogy, 1)

RATING: 4.5 out of 5 Stars (Rounded up)

INHERITANCE (The Lost Bride Trilogy Book #1) by Nora Roberts is a wonderful ghost story that pulls you in immediately. The problem for my review is defining it. It is not a straight romance because you do not get the HEA in this book, but you do get a contemporary romance subplot and there are plenty of love stories told throughout the discovery of the family’s history. It is a historical suspense/thriller as well as a contemporary suspense/thriller. It also can be considered women’s fiction with the strong friendship between the main female characters and prominent secondary female characters. This story is all of the above.

Like every one of Nora Roberts books I have read, the characters all come to life and are memorable. Her storytelling and pacing are always engaging, and I find I always finish her books in only one or two sittings which is what happened with this book. This book has a lot of character development necessary to bring the lost brides to life and set up the background for the mystery/suspense plot. The only reason I did not give it a full 5-star rating (4.5 gets rounded up on the review sites anyway) is because it ends on a giant cliffhanger…and I do mean giant. This is a personal pet peeve for me and yes, I do realize it is a trilogy, but there is not even a partial wrap-up. And then, the next book in the trilogy does not come out for ten more months. Not one, but ten! AAGH!

The setting is a gothic historical Victorian mansion called Lost Brides Manor in small town Maine which has a ghost maid who cleans everything and one of the brides communicates with a wonderful playlist of songs for every occasion that always left me laughing. The witch ghost is menacing, and I am looking forward to her being banished. Since Sonya is a graphic designer and Cleo is an illustrator, both can work from the mansion, and it is through their jobs that they meet and interact with the town’s business owners and occupants. The dog that Sonya rescues, and the dogs of the male main characters, Trey and Owen are a great addition for a dog lover like me.

I do highly recommend this multi-generational family mystery/suspense/thriller with paranormal/supernatural ghosts, strong female characters, and developing romances even though it is killing me to wait for the next two books in the trilogy.

FINAL DECISION: INHERITANCE by Nora Roberts is a spellbinding start to the Lost Bride Trilogy. It was impossible for me to put down. It is a supernatural romance and mystery centered around a multi-generational tragedy set in a haunted mansion, well-paced and cleverly written.

THE STORY: Graphic designer Sonya MacTavish's life takes an unexpected turn when she learns that her late father had a twin brother she never knew about. Her newly discovered uncle, Collin Poole, has left her almost everything he owned, including a majestic Victorian house on the Maine coast. The catch? She must live in the house for at least three years. As Sonya begins to unravel the secrets of her family's past, she discovers that she has inherited far more than just a house – she has also become the key to solving a centuries-old curse.

OPINION: I was absolutely captivated by this story from beginning to end. Roberts created a rich, atmospheric setting in Lost Bride Manor, and I felt as though I was right there with Sonya, experiencing ghostly happenings and unraveling the mystery alongside her. The characters are well-drawn and relatable, particularly the strong bond of sisterhood between Sonya and her best friend Cleo.

The supernatural elements are woven seamlessly into the plot, adding an extra layer of intrigue and suspense. The ghosts that inhabit Lost Bride Manor are not merely there for scares; they each have distinct personalities and roles to play in the unfolding story. From the helpful spirit who tidies up after Sonya to the malevolent presence on the third floor, these otherworldly characters are just as integral to the tale as their living counterparts.

I also really enjoyed the developing romances in this book -- yes, there are more than one. Roberts, as always, is amazing at her craft and after reading some rather unsatisfying books, it was great having such a well-written book to read. The story never drags, despite its length, and the cliffhanger ending left me desperately eager for the next installment. I can't wait to see what awaits Sonya and her newfound family as they continue to unravel the secrets of the past.

WORTH MENTIONING: The book ends on a cliffhanger, so if you prefer a more conclusive ending, you may want to wait until the following two books in the series are published and read them consecutively.

CONNECTED BOOKS: INHERITANCE is the first book in the Lost Bride Trilogy.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.

Nora Roberts does not write duds. She writes grab-your-heart-and-imagination narratives that capture your interest and take off like a rocket, demanding that you don't stop reading until the words end! She writes lively, realistic dialogue that banters and teases like the people you wish you knew. Descriptive phrases that chill or delight or amuse or melt your heart. I've bought every one of her books, some of them several times, since I first read The Last Honest Woman 35 years ago. The Lost Bride trilogy is shaping up to be another stunning example of her art, her craft. An intriguing premise, solid characterizations, delightful relationships, a fascinating setting...it is very hard to put this book down! I loved Inheritance from start to finish, but I must mention that it has a cliffhanger ending. I am aware of people who won't read a series until the entire thing is published for this very reason but I fully intend to reread this book at least once before book 2 is released. I unreservedly loved this book. I think you will, too.

This is an exciting start to a great trilogy. I wait anxiously for the next book in the series to come out. That is the only problem with a new series. Otherwise, this book is excellent. Sonja MacTavish is planning an elaborate wedding with Brandon. However, it seems that everything she wants, he doesn't. He wants the over-the-top wedding while she wants a small, cozy wedding. The stress gets to her so much that she skips a meeting with the florist and goes home to rest. Instead, she finds Brandon in bed with her own cousin! She immediately calls off the wedding and kicks them both out of the house. Her best friend Cleo comes over and she starts to cancel everything as she consoles Sonja. Monday, she goes to work early to talk to her bosses. Since she and Brandon work at the same agency, she wants to assure her bosses that she still wants to work there; but she would like not to work on the same projects as Brandon. She will ignore him to keep the business office running smoothly. However, Brandon had already called to tell them that Sonja was stressing out and should probably take some time off. When the bosses agreed with Sonja, Brandon began a sneaky war against Sonja by starting rumors, telling customers she wasn't in, letting the air out of her tires, and erasing a completed program off her computer making her have to stay really late to redo it. It is causing problems at work, so Sonja decides to quit rather than cause the company problems. Her bosses are upset at her leaving; but think it is best. However, they do let her take one of the last clients she worked with so she could start her own business. They also highly recommend her when someone calls to check on her references. Sonja decides to start up her own business and work from home. It will be hard work; but she thinks she can do it. The day she starts, she finds out that her father, who had been adopted, had been cruelly separated from his twin while his twin was raised by their biological family. Collins had found out about the separation and had searched diligently for his twin . Unfortunately, Sonja's father had died before his brother found him. When Collins died, he had left the family home and money to care for it to Sonja along with a small percent of the family business. He did stipulate that she must live in the home for three years to inherit it. After talking to her mother, Sonja decided to at least visit the family home and family in Maine before making a decision. So, Sonja finds herself in a huge mansion in Maine to make her decision. The first thing she finds out is that the mansion is haunted! Can she and her friend Cleo learn to live with the ghosts and stay in the mansion? Is there any way to rid the mansion of the ghosts?

"Marriage isn’t a marriage until it is consummated. Only a bride, forever lost. Be damned to you, Astrid Grandville"

The death of Astrid Grandville-Poole begins the curse of death on a Poole Bride in each generation.

Graphic Designer Sonya MacTavish, recently canceled her engagement to her cheating and stalker ex, is stunned to find out her late father is a twin and his real name is Andrew Poole. His twin Collin Poole has left his brother his mansion, stocks, as well as wealth upon his death and know everything belongs to Sonya, if she agrees to live in the haunted Lost Bride Manor. Sonya needing a change of scenery agrees to move there on a 3 months trail bases. She falls in love with the major and the locals and decides to stay with the support of her Uncle Collins lawyer and friends, the Doyles.

As Sophia makes the manor her own there are things that go bump in the night, doors slamming, music playing at all times of the day and ghosts. As Sophia learns more and more about her ancestors she dreams about she realizes that if she marries then she'll be the one to be murder in this generation by the crazed witch ghost Hester Dobbs who even in death denies happiness to the Poole family. Sophia discovers an antique Mirror that holds secrets, and can transport a person to the past, so with the aide of her cousin Owen they step through to the past to solve and hopefully locate the gold rings that Hester has removed from each brides finger when they die and hope they can return to the present to prevent future Pools Brides desth. The story continues in The MIRROR, which is book 2 II the Lost Bide Trilogy. Release date: November 19, 2024

I loved it and realized it couldn’t be over for so many reasons but holy cow what a cliffhanger!! Sonya is pretty bad-ass! I love how she just took charge of her life, how she accepted her responsibility in the things that had happened during her engagement and how she moved on. She’s strong and really amazing. The inheritance is amazing and scary and wonderful! Having her best friend with her was genius and I love how she has people to rely on. Sigh, I really can’t wait for the next book!!

I'll start by saying the ONLY reason this doesn't get 5 stars from me, is that it ends on a cliffhanger that is dramatically unsatisfying.

Now the things that are noteworthy..... First, my favorite trilogies are the supernatural ones, with Three Sisters Island topping the list. I share this so you know where my POV comes from. So yes, there are ghosts and talk of witchcraft, religions, voodoo etc.

Several people have complained about the language and "left leaning in your face gay mentions". To that I completely disagree. I felt for the first time in awhile, that this book was modern and appropriate for today. Language was used that is how we speak, especially at that late 20's early 30's age. Mentions of LGBTQ topics were as they are in modern society today, just part of existence, not a true topic. Things like... "He and his husband share the work load". NOTHING that warrants someone pushing an agenda. It feels more today than many of the books I've read from her in the past decade and at 56, I've been around since she began, and read a good portion of her works as Nora Roberts. High points for the fresh modern realism that is injected into the story. It helps the curse/ghost story feel more plausible, which makes this one that is hard to put down.

So, the story pulls you along, you're in pretty quickly and they set you up well. The characters you can see in your mind with graphic descriptions of styles, gestures, facial expressions, reactions, all letting you see a modern group of people interacting in a way that's common in 21st century America. The base story, being the curse/ghosts, is enriching and intertwining naturally with the progress of the obvious love relationships that are forming. There are strong descriptions of both unnerving behavior from a very pissed off and dangerous source and unnerving descriptions of behavior from more Casperesque sources. It all flows together smoothly and with great interest, without being TOO scary. I don't even mind that it does feel like the last 1/3 of the book could have been either filled out or parts of it left out. But the cliffhanger is so unsatisfying, with no release date even being mentioned yet, that it did make me take away a star. I'm not overly dramatic at my age so that's a tell about just how jarring the cliffhanger is to the true delight that this book really is. I can't wait to read the rest of the trilogy. BUT, my advice is to WAIT, for book 2 and see if you can start it before book 3 is out.