As always, Nora Roberts has produced another great book. You can always rely on Nora for an easy to read, interesting story to disappear into and this is what she has done. I can't wait to read the final installment!

An emotional and action pact second book in this magical tale of curses, ghost, 7 dead brides, evil, an enchanting house full of the departed and the two women and two men who will do anything to support each other and defeat the terrifying evil that wants them out. I enjoyed this one as much as the first and really want the final installment right now! It has more emotion, if you can imagine, more loving, the evil ramps up the terrifying, more animals and friends and family, and more trips through the mirror, with glimpses into the life and death of the brides and their loved ones. Beautiful story that had me in tears more than once!

I started this book full of hope and high expectations because it is the continuation of “The Inheritance”, which I read last year and enjoyed inmensely.

However, soon enough into “The Mirror” I had the feeling that I was making too much of an effort reading these pages, pushing myself to keep going as the plot started to drag on and on without any indication of it leading anywhere. Even though I still loved the writing and the characters, their evolution and development, just as much as I did in the first book, the plot of the second one going round and round in circles fell flat for me. It lacked excitement for it was rather lukewarm.

I don’t need a book to be action-packed to enjoy it, it’s rather the opposite for me, actually. But in this case the lack of said action, the impression that many scenes could be taken out and still work alright or better for the lack of feeling to compensate for the lack of action. The pace of the book is too slow and unbalanced in conclusion, that’s why I just liked the book but not overly enjoyed it.

And the series isn’t finished yet. So I guess there will be at least one more book.

I first want to take this opportunity to thank the author Nora Roberts and @netgalley for allowing me to read an arc of this book.

In my haste to broaden my reading experience I somehow missed that this is the 2nd book of a trilogy and I really wish I had read book 1 first. Having not read book 1 first it took my quite a while to get into the swing of this book. It's quite an intense read with a lot of characters to get to grips with.

The crooks of this story are a woman called Sonya has inherited a haunted mansion in Poole's Bay, Maine. She has moved from her home in Boston, into this 'interesting' property with her best friend Cleo. As part of this unexpected, life changing move, she has also connected with her cousin Owen, that she knew nothing about and has a new boyfriend called Trey, a friend of Owens. This wonderful foursome bring with them 3 dogs Yoda, Jones and Mookie and eventually a cat Pye.

Whilst, the affectionately known 'Lost Brides Mansion' has a lot of ghosts, all but 1 are friendly and happy for them to be living there. Unfortunately, as always there is 1 bad apple. A witch when she was alive, Hester Dobbs has put a curse on the mansion and has killed every bride, plus others, that have lived there in the last 200 years.

This novel is very well written and gripping from the start. The only reason it dropped a star is, I was disappointed how it ended. I know it's part of a trilogy but I just thought it could have ended in a more appropriate part of the story. Maybe, the reasoning behind it will become clear in part 3 though, whenever that is released.

#TheMirror #noraroberts #lostbridetrilogy #netgalley #ebook #bookreview #arc

The second book in the Brides trilogy, a fantastic, paranormal series set in a gothic, manor atop a cliff that's haunted by Hester Dobbs, a local witch and based around a curse cast by the evil Hester that has damned the Poole family for over two hundred years whereby one bride in every generation is doomed to die with her wedding band mysteriously vanishing upon her death and a mysterious mirror that can bridge time and act as a portal to past events in the manor, usually the point of someone's death. So far seven brides have been lost, with their ghosts reliving their deaths nightly but Sonya McTavish, the new owner of the manor is determined to cast out the evil within her house and help the restless spirits find peace.

The Mirror picks up the story where the first book left off with Sonya and her Poole cousin Owen about to enter the mirror. Once again, I was immediately absorbed in this story from the opening chapters as more of the family’s tragic history was uncovered. Sonya and her best friend Cleo were determined to thwart the evil that was Hester Dobbs and her attempts to frighten them out of the manor which they did by reclaiming it one room at a time aided by the friendly ghosts trapped within it’s walls. And as Sonya and Trey’s romance continued to evolve, Cleo found love of her own as she paired up with cousin Owen. One of my highlights must be the musical interludes provided by Clover which I loved. As usual from Nora Roberts the world building was fabulous and so full of detail and vividly described it was easy to visualise the town of Poole’s Bay and its inhabitants in my mind’s eye as I read, now I just have to wait a year for what I know will be a fantastic conclusion.

The second book in The Lost Bride Trilogy is every bit as gripping as the first was and it had an ending that like that first book means I need to get my hands on the next book NOW!
This book was so well written that the story just flowed around me, seeing and hearing the actions of all of the residents of Sonya's house and learning so much of each of their lives and deaths made for a rich and emotional journey through the family tree!
I really enjoyed the sense of anticipation, of wondering when the mirror will reveal more and who's story it will be next time.
The Event was a real highlight of this book, all the planning that went into it and it sounded such a good time, hopefully we will have two more similar occasions in the next book as well as the rest of the histories and finally a way to save them all and free Sonya and her home!

I have been so looking forward to the book since I read the Inheritance, it has seemed such a long wait, but all is forgiven now and I’m one happy reader, well until I get impatient for the next , which won’t be long with that ending ! The Mirror is wonderfully haunting and ethereal as its predecessor , I am such a big wuss and easily spooked, but this is such a great balance for me. I just loved this so much but oh my god that cliffhanger, but I loved every page and it’s worth every moment of torture til the next.

Sonya and Cleo are still engaged in their battles with the spirit world. Found this book to be immensely readable and enjoyable but I think it would be difficult to read and follow if you hadn't read earlier novel in the series. Another sure -fire winner from Nora Roberts.

I’m just loving the Lost Bride Trilogy, as I have many of Robert’s other books.

Whilst The Inheritance introduced us to the history of the Poole family and the manor, The Mirror delves deeper into the lives and deaths of the seven brides.

It’s deliciously spooky and, as in The Inheritance, has a wonderful blend of evil and pure goodness in the supernatural themes. For someone with a low threshold for the scary, it hits just the right note to be thrilling but not terrifying.

I love Sonya and Cleo, their gumption and determination to make the manor their home. The varied cast of characters, wild Maine setting and the ordinary (and not so ordinary) events of Sonya and Cleo’s daily lives makes The Mirror just as enthralling as the Inheritance. I’m still holding my breath after that ending, and am so looking forward to the conclusion in book three!

Thank you Little, Brown Book Group UK for an early copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

The second book in the series and Sonya and Cleo are still contending with a range of ghosts in the house Sonya inherited from her uncle.
The author has a way of drawing you in. Her stories are fast paced and addictive.
An enjoyable story.

Book 2 in the series. You need to read book 1 first.
As Sonya and Cleo settle into life at the Manor, they become more comfortable with spirits residing there and are learning more about Dobb's curse on the the Manor's brides.
Nora has a way of drawing you into the story and being invested into the characters.
I can't wait for book 3 to find out how the story ends!

Nora Roberts never lets you down. The Mirror is somewhat different from the normal Roberts trilogy, but the way you slide back into the story is always perfect. It's made me want to move to my own, perhaps less haunted, house of a cliff. Always a queen at writing complicated characters, with a life you can envy and understand.
I cannot wait to find our where they'll end up.

This is the second book in this series, and continues the story of Sonya and her friends and family, living in or nearby the haunted Poole Manor.

The first book in this series ended on a big cliffhanger, which I found was actually a bit of an anti-climax in the beginning of this book. I thought much more would have happened.

This book continues the story, so there's various hauntings going on with the vicious ghost Hester Dobbs still causing chaos for everyone living there. Mostly it's about the lives of Sonya and her best friend Cleo, who lives in the manor with her, and their slow building relationships with Trey (Sonya's boyfriend) and Owen (Sonya's cousin and Cleo's boyfriend - eventually!). We also find out more about the various murdered brides and why certain events happened, with Sonya going through the haunted mirror a few times, back to the time these events happened to see the events 'live'.

Whilst I really love a Nora Roberts book, and her style of writing, this book did feel like a bit of a filler-in, in readiness for the final book in the trilogy. I really enjoyed the story anyway, but it definitely feels part of a series and not a complete story, the same as the first book in this series. The whole story could probably have been told in two books, but of course regardless of this I'll still be waiting for the final book in the series!

It was very helpful reading the book before this one as it starts right at the point the last one left the reader. It was initially disorientating but it didn't take long to recall the cliffhanger and get right back into it.

I enjoyed the book. It reads in the same way as many of Nora Roberts' other books and engages you quickly. The main and supporting characters are well-fleshed out with their own ambitions and relationships.

The plot continues from book 1 with the group of four searching for a way to bring peace to the house while the evil force within resists.

I was keen to find out what happened and I was engaged throughout it. I would definitely recommend it to Nora Roberts fans as long as they've read book 1 first.

This is the Author's second book in her Lost Brides trilogy and in my opinion reading the first book is a must
to set the characters/times /worldbuilding in place

I enjoyed this book just as much as the first in the series - however I must say that it dragged a little in the middle
third with not much happening except repetition of stepping through the mirror alone against her promises not
to do so . The interactions with the house ghosts are now almost commonplace as are Hester's shenanigans whilst
general life goes on ........... lacking a sense of purpose - until the final third of the book . Perhaps the book is
suffering from middle book syndrome ...... where the first book sets the scene and the last creates a brilliant culmination
There was one encounter that I particularly enjoyed and where Sonya managed to put her ex in his place ,
when he sought to undermine her pitch for a new contract but not realising he had been overheard - a great moment !
The book finishes on an almighty cliff hanger ( I HATE CLIFFHANGERS) which will draw the reader in to grab the last
book with both hands - as will I

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

All the spooky vibes! I enjoyed this second installment in the Lost Bride trilogy just as much as the first one! Sonya continues to be a very relatable character and I love the way she has claimed the manor for her own and will not back down to the evil presence. I’m totally rooting for her and friends to finally free the manor from the bad spirit that is haunting it. The good ghosts of the house are the main highlight for me in these books and I enjoyed that they got more time to shine in this one. We get a lot more backstory on them, and a lot more backstory on the antagonist as well.
I will say that the first half of the book was a little too similar to the plot of the first one for me, which is why I’m not giving 5 stars (although I consider the series to be a 5-star-series as a whole). But the pacing picked up in the second half when Sonya decides to visit someone who has a new perspective on the story, and when more of the backstory comes out and becomes more dramatic. The side plot with Ryder Sports was also really interesting and I loved that Sonya got some closure for some stuff that happened in the first book. The highlight for me was the Event and getting to know more of the characters (especially Cleo’s grandmère). And the “scooby gang” of Sonya, Cleo and their two guys was fun throughout.
I’m looking forward to the third installment because I’m hoping we will finally get to hunt down the rings to defeat the evil (which I thought might have already started in this book, another reason why it’s a 4 star read for me).
The main thing I love about the book series is the spooky atmosphere of the manor and the dynamic of the friendship group.

(Thank you to NetGalley, Nora Roberts and Little, Brown Book Group/Piatkus for providing me with an eARC for this book in exchange for my honest feedback. All opinions in this review are my own.)

A haunting mystery with ghosts!! I loved it! It sets the scene with strong, real down to earth characters experiencing a out of this world mystery that just needs to be solved to restore peace. I like Sonya and the dogs are adorable. Sometimes I could feel goosebumps travelling up my arms and other times my shoulders shook with laughter. A enjoyable read that takes you on a pleasant journey.

WOW . The prefect read for Halloween. The story continues from the pervious book, Loved the each interaction with most of the ghosts is so friendly and Hester Dobbs is highlighted throughout the book as the antagonistic soul. loved how they were able to travel via a mirror and witness events as they happened is in the past.

Nora Roberts always writes about strong women, they may stumble at times but they will overcome anything and everything in their path.

Thoroughly enjoyed the novel, waiting in anticipation for the next one

I was lucky enough to get an e-arc from netgalley for this book. I enjoyed the first one, which ended on a cliff hanger so was looking forward to this book.

Sadly it didn't quite meet expectations. I think it suffers a bit from middle book syndrome. The first book set up the mystery and presumably the last will solve it but this one kind of felt like not much moved forward. In the same way the characters become nonchalant about ghost shenanigans so did I. There is also a lot of a character thinks things through and then has a sudden revelation.

Overall I did enjoy the mix of cosy Rom-com and ghost story so still a worthwhile read just not as good as the first.

There was also one short scene including a pregnant women drinking as if it was a common occurrence which made me a bit uncomfortable and I honestly have no idea how it made it through the edit.

I was so excited to be given the opportunity to read and review the 2nd book in this trilogy as I loved The Inheritance. I have to say I was a little disappointed with this book. It seemed to drag and I didn’t like the amount of repetition, the same experience repeated to Cleo, Trey and Owen, the same witnessing of Hester’s jump. The gold room but only entered once. Sonya’s character didn’t build in this edition, I would have liked more focus on Cleo and her gift. However I did enjoy getting to know the brides, finding out about the relationship between Colin and Drew via the mirror and how the saga started with Arthur’s encounter with Dobbs. I am looking forward to reading the final book as I’m rooting for happiness all round.