Review by Booklist Review
Sonya MacTavish will do whatever it takes to make sure Hester Dobbs doesn't win the battle for Lost Bride Manor. Soon after moving into the beautiful Victorian mansion on the coast of Maine, Sonya discovers its tragic history. Over the years, seven Poole brides have died, all victims of a curse cast by the vengeful witch, Hester Dobbs. Recently a mirror has appeared in the mansion, which offers Sonya a glimpse into the past. Will this prove to be the key Sonya needs to shatter the curse? Picking the story up right where she left off in the first title in the Lost Bride trilogy, The Inheritance (2023), best-selling and magically creative and prolific Roberts continues to cast her own spell over readers with this bewitching story. With plenty of chills and thrills, this paranormal romantic suspense tale also brilliantly celebrates the importance of family, friends, and love.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The suspenseful second installment of bestseller Roberts's Lost Bride Trilogy (after Inheritance) brings more cozy romance and heightened ghostly scares. Sonya MacTavish and her best friend, Cleo Fabares, have settled into a comfortable life in Lost Bride Manor, the haunted house Sonya inherited in coastal Maine in book one, despite increasing antipathy from one of the manor's many ghosts, the evil witch Hester Dobbs. Over the previous two centuries, Dobbs murdered seven brides who married into the Poole side of Sonya's family and it's on Sonya to find the brides' wedding rings and break the curse Dobbs placed on the manor. Along with her beau, Trey, and cousin Owen (who has strong chemistry with Cleo)--as well as their loyal pets--Sonya is determined to flourish in her new home. This volume digs deeper into the haunting of Lost Bride Manor, elucidating more of the players and expanding the worldbuilding through effective flashbacks that deliver necessary backstory without slowing the momentum. The result is quintessential Roberts: richly detailed wish fulfillment seasoned with the mounting tension of a carefully plotted mystery. Captivating characters and a cliffhanger ending will leave readers eager for more. Agent: Amy Berkower, Writers House. (Nov.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A woman works to cast out the evil witch haunting her inherited home in the second book of Roberts' Lost Bride Trilogy, followingInheritance (2023). Sonya MacTavish inherited a mansion in a small coastal Maine town, only to discover it was haunted by ghosts known as the lost brides. In 1806, a malevolent witch named Hester Dobbs wanted the mansion and its owner for herself, so she killed his bride on their wedding night and then sealed the curse by killing herself. The first woman in each subsequent generation was killed by the curse on her wedding day. Dobbs has become a poltergeist that controls part of the mansion, while the rest is inhabited by the ghosts of her victims. Roberts follows her typical trilogy plotting: In this middle book, the forces of good retrench, gather information, and build their forces, saving the final showdown for the last volume. Sonya builds a small cadre of supporters around her here, including her cousin, best friend, and lover. Inside the mansion, the foursome discovers a magic mirror that shows them scenes from the past, but as family members, Sonya and her cousin can also travelthrough the mirror. On the other side, they become ghosts, able to experience the murders of the brides as if they were present in the room. Sonya and her friends treat these visits as fact-finding missions, hoping to use the information to cast out Dobbs and end the curse once and for all. Meanwhile, Dobbs builds her own power, hoping to intimidate and frighten Sonya away. Roberts is a masterful storyteller, weaving together the tales of Sonya's ancestors, not only the murdered brides but also desperate survivors who did monstrous things to avoid the curse. It's a fascinating look at the destructive power of ambition, greed, and weakness while Sonya marshals the power of creativity, community, and togetherness. A quiet yet mesmerizing story reveals how a family was impacted by a curse over the centuries. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
