⭐⭐⭐ Was I hooked by that book? Yes and no. As Hester’s patience wanes with Sonya’s continued presence in the manor (and vice versa), it becomes even more imperative to find a way to break the curse.

Long ago, Arthur Poole built a grand house overlooking the turbulent ocean, in a Maine village that bore his name. Today, Sonya MacTavish lives in that house—a manor that has been cursed for generations. Within its walls, she has witnessed the deaths of seven brides and the thefts of seven wedding rings. And now, to break the curse and banish a malevolent spirit once and for all, a difficult task must be completed.

After Sonya, her boyfriend, Trey, and their friends are forced to hear, see—and feel—the suffering of the house’s many ghosts as their torment is reenacted by the evil presence, their bond only strengthens and their anger is renewed. Refusing to let her spirit be broken, Sonya searches each room for clues to her ancestors’ hidden story, putting the picture together, unearthing small treasures, and uncovering the moments of joy that existed among the sorrows. She’s determined to bring light to this haunted place—to fill it with people, with life and hope, once again.

But the enemy in the black dress continues to hover, to come at her in frightening forms. They may be illusions—but illusions can be powerful enough to wound and kill. She feeds on fear, and lies are her weapon. This dark-hearted witch wants to be mistress of Poole Manor, at any cost. And Sonya will need to fight a battle across two realms to finally take possession of the house on the clifftop—and of her own future…

MY THOUGHTS

Most of the book was just regular life in the manor with the ghosts helping out and Hester occasionally throwing something bad in their direction. That frustrated me a bit. It did show that Sonya and her friends were going to continue living their lives and not let Hester’s antics disrupt them. But it also meant the story developed slowly and I guess I was hoping they would put more active effort into finding the key to breaking the curse. Hester slowly escalated her efforts to scare our heroes off, and it was all described really well. There was a certain level of anxiety running through the story the entire time. So maybe it was just the waiting that was killing me.

Chloe and Owen had a more playful relationship, whereas Sonya and Trey were a bit more sedate. Outside of the ghost business, their lives sounded idyllic. Jobs were going great, the sailing, the meal making, redecorating the manor, smooth relationships. Not that we needed extra tension, just saying. On a separate note, I could definitely do with a bunch of helpful ghosts in my house.

The ending was edge-of-your-seat tense, with scary reactions from Hester, and a mad dash to beat her to the finish line. All the visits through the mirror finally revealed their purpose in this final showdown.

This trilogy should definitely be read in order. It is highly dialogue driven with intense moments of suspenseful action. I can recommend these books if you like a sweet low-key romance, with ghosts and a deadly curse.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Were you hooked by that book? Let me know in the comments below.

Genre: Romance, Suspense
Published: November 18, 2025
Sensuality Rating: Warm
Series: Book 3 of The Lost Bride Trilogy
Other books in the series: Inheritance, The Mirror