Inheritance by Nora Roberts
Inheritance by Nora Roberts — ⭐⭐ 2/5 Stars | Haunted Manor, Endless Repetition & The Cliffhanger That Got Me
Okay. Deep breath.
This was my first-ever Nora Roberts book. I went in thinking I was about to have a life-changing experience because Goodreads is sitting pretty at a 4.27 rating. I’ve always heard she’s legendary. Iconic. Untouchable.
So… is this supposed to be good? 😅
Let’s talk about it.
⚠️ Trigger Warnings
Death (including child death)
Suicide
Graphic violence (stabbing, injuries)
Addiction
Sexual content
Cursing
Cheating
Supernatural/haunting elements
📖 Overview: What Is Inheritance About?
Inheritance (2023) is the first book in the Lost Brides Trilogy, followed by The Mirror and The Seven Rings.
We follow Sonya MacTavish, a graphic designer whose life implodes when she catches her fiancé cheating on her (with her cousin, no less — messy 😬). Shortly after, she inherits an $8 million haunted estate in Maine called Poole Manor — but she must live there for three years to keep it.
And oh yes… it’s cursed.
Seven brides have died under mysterious circumstances over the centuries. There’s a jealous witch. Missing wedding rings. A haunted mirror. Ghosts. Piano music at 3 a.m.
Gothic vibes? Absolutely.
Execution? … we’ll get there.
🚨 MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW 🚨
You’ve been warned.
🕯️ The Curse That Started It All (1806)
In 1806, Astrid Grandville marries shipbuilder Collin Poole.
At their wedding reception, a witch named Hester Dobbs — who is in love with Collin — stabs Astrid out of jealousy. As Astrid dies, Hester places a curse:
Every Poole bride will die.
The only way to break the curse? Collin must choose Hester instead.
He refuses and dies by suicide beside Astrid.
And thus begins the dramatic, generational misery of the Poole brides.
🏚️ Present Day: Sonya Moves Into Chaos
Fast forward to Sonya:
Fiancé cheats ✔️
Career sabotage ✔️
Suddenly inherits haunted mansion ✔️
She learns her late father was secretly the twin brother of her uncle Collin Poole (yes, there are a lot of Collins in this book and it gets confusing 🙃).
The estate is worth millions, but she must live there three years.
She agrees to a trial stay.
Almost immediately:
She wakes at 3 a.m. nightly.
Phantom piano music plays.
A grandfather clock chimes.
Messages appear in mirrors (“7 Lost”).
Ghost brides show up in dreams begging her to find seven missing rings.
It’s giving gothic soap opera.
👻 The Ghost Situation
Some ghosts are nice:
Molly cleans.
Jack plays with her dog (Yoda 🐶).
Her grandmother Clover plays piano.
But Hester? Not nice.
Hester:
Locks Sonya outside in the snow.
Leaves an ice burn on her wrist.
Sends a blackbird to attack.
Writes “Leave or die” in mirrors.
Escalates from spooky to straight-up violent.
Meanwhile, Sonya starts dating Trey Doyle (conveniently attractive and supportive, of course).
And we are taken back. And back. And back. Into the histories of every single dead bride.
And then some.
And then some more.
This is where I started to drift.
😴 The Problem: Repetition, Repetition, Repetition
Here’s my issue:
The premise is strong. Haunted manor. Seven dead brides. Witch curse. Missing rings.
Love it.
But we repeatedly revisit:
Catherine (blizzard death)
Marianne (childbirth death)
Agatha (allergic reaction)
Lisbeth (black widow spider bites)
Johanna
And so on…
After a while, the backstory stops adding tension and just starts… existing.
I found myself thinking:
Okay yes, tragic, but are we progressing?
Not really.
It felt padded.
🪞 The Ending (Yes, Full Spoiler)
One night, Sonya sleepwalks into the ballroom.
There it is: the mirror from her dreams.
Trey and Cleo only see reflections.
But Sonya and cousin Owen see light and movement.
They realize this mirror is the portal tied to the curse.
And then…
Sonya and Owen step through the mirror.
And the book ends.
That’s it.
No resolution.
No curse broken.
No rings recovered.
No witch defeated.
Just: “See you in Book Two.” 🙃
I understand trilogies. I do.
But this didn’t feel like a satisfying pause.
It felt like a marketing decision.
✍️ The One Thing I Did Like
Nora Roberts’ writing is incredibly smooth.
It’s easy to inhale.
Easy to listen to.
Easy to absorb while doing laundry.
Not simple — just fluid.
I completely understand why people devour her books. They’re comfortable. Immersive. Cozy even when ghosts are trying to kill you.
This one just didn’t have enough momentum for me.
🤔 Final Thoughts
⭐ 2 out of 5 stars.
I didn’t hate it.
I wasn’t offended.
I was just… bored.
But will I read the next one?
Probably. 😅
Because it’s easy background listening and now I need to know what’s behind that mirror.
Maybe this just wasn’t the right Nora Roberts for me. I can see how other books of hers might hit better.
📚 If You Want Haunted Manor Done Differently…
Here are a few that worked better for me:
The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas — Gothic atmosphere with tighter pacing.
The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell — Creepy historical house vibes done right.
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia — Slow burn but purposeful.
The Woman in Black by Susan Hill — Classic, efficient haunting.
The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke — Generational curse with real emotional punch.
If you loved this one, tell me what I’m missing.
If you struggled like I did, welcome to the haunted-but-bored club. 👻📖
And if this is your first Nora Roberts too… are we trying another one?
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