2-3-4 Challenge Book Discussions #2 discussion

The #1 New York Times-bestselling author concludes her compelling Lost Bride trilogy as two women—one dead, one alive—prepare for a terrifying final showdown…

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…

Settings
Boston, Massachusetts
Poole’s Bay, Maine

Table of Contents
Part One - Madness
Prologue
Chapters 1 - 10

Part Two - Conversations
Chapters 11 - 20

Part Three - The Seven
Chapters 21 - 31
Epilogue

Lost Brides
Lost bride #1 - Astrid Granville Poole (1806)
Lost bride #2 - Catherine Poole Cabot (1828)
Lost bride #3 - Marianne Poole (1864)
Lost bride #4 - Agatha Windward Poole (1892)
Lost bride #5 - Lisbeth (Lissy) Anne Poole Whitmore (1916)
Lost bride #6 - Lillian (Clover) Crest Poole (1965)
Lost bride #7 - Johanna Poole (1996)

Character List
(view spoiler)[
Sonya MacTavish: Graphic artist. She’s 28-years old with long brown hair and green eyes. She’s in a relationship with Trey.
Oliver (Trey) Doyle, III: Attorney from Maine whose father represented Collin Poole. He’s 32-years old with black hair and blue eyes. He’s in a relationship with Sonya.
Winter Regan MacTavish: Sonya’s mother and Drew’s widow. She works for Marshall Tibbetts’s law firm.
Andrew (Drew) MacTavish: Sonya’s deceased father. He was an artist
Cleo Fabares: Sonya’s best friend. She’s an illustrator for children’s books and a painter. She’s in a relationship with Owen.
Owen Poole: Collin’s nephew, Sonya’s cousin. He’s in a relationship with Cleo.
Oliver (Deuce) Doyle, II: Attorney from Maine and Collin’s best friend.
Corrine Doyle: Deuce’s wife, Trey’s mother. She’s an amateur photographer.
Anna Doyle Miller: Trey’s sister, married to Seth. They are pregnant with their first child. She’s a potter. She’s 28-years old.
Seth Miller: Anna’s husband.
Anson Miller: Seth’s father.
Oliver (Aces) Doyle, Sr.: Trey’s grandfather who founded the family law firm.
Paula Doyle: Aces wife, Trey’s grandmother.
Collin Arthur Poole, II: Drew’s twin brother, recently deceased. He died from a fall down the stairs in the mansion.
Johanna Poole: Collin’s wife, a teacher, who died on their wedding day (1996) from a fall down the stairs. She was the seventh lost bride.
Charles (Charlie) Poole: Married to Lillian, he was Drew and Collin’s biological father. He committed suicide shortly after Lillian died. Patricia and Michael’s son.
Lillian (Clover) Crest Poole: Drew and Collin’s mother who died giving birth to them (1965). She was 19-years old and had long, straight blond hair and blue eyes. She was the sixth lost bride.
Lawrence Poole: Charles’s twin brother.
Gretta Poole: Patricia and Michael’s daughter. She adopted and raised Collin, never married. She now has Alzheimer’s.
Patricia Poole: Married to Michael. Charles, Gretta and Lawrence’s mother, Drew and Collin’s grandmother.
Michael Poole: Married to Patricia. Charles and Lawrence’s father, Drew and Collin’s grandmother.
Clarice Poole: Owen’s sister. She handles the business side of the shipbuilding company.
Connor Poole: Owen’s brother. He handles sales.
Mike Poole: Owen’s brother. He handles designl
Clay Poole: Owen’s brother, Cathy’s twin. He and Cathy live in Europe and handle the international side of the business.
Cathy Poole: Owen’s sister, Clay’s twin.
Hugh Poole: Owen’s youngest brother who works in finance in New York.
Hal Coleson: Chief of police.
John Dee: Man contracted to help manage the estate grounds. He’s married to Kevin.
Diana Rowe: Owner of A Bookstore.
Anita: Diana’s partner at A Bookstore.
Lucy Cabot: Volunteer who fosters rescues at her home.
Sadie: Deuce’s legal secretary.
Michael: Ace’s legal assistant.
Jill: Trey’s legal assistant.
Bree Marshall: Head chef at the Lobster Cage.
Lisbeth (Lissy) Anne Poole Whitmore: Owen Poole’s daughter, married to Edward (1916). She died on her wedding night of multiple black widow spider bites. She was the fifth lost bride.
Edward Whitmore: Married to Lisbeth.
John (Jack) Poole: Lisbeth’s brother who died of scarlet fever when he was 9-years old. He’s the ghost that plays with Yoda.
Agatha Windward Poole: Married to Owen. She was the fourth lost bride. She was poisoned by Hester on her wedding day.
Owen Poole: Married to Agatha (1892). He had a twin sister, Jane.
Hugh Poole: Was married to Marianna (1864) until her death. Remarried to Carlotta.
Marianne Poole: Married to Hugh, she died in childbirth, delivering twins Owen and Jane. She was the third lost bride.
Astrid Granville Poole: First lost bride who was murdered on her wedding day. She was married to the first Collin Poole.
Collin Poole, Sr.: Married to Astrid, Connor’s twin. Arnold and Letitia’s son.
Connor Poole:Collin Sr.’s twin. Arnold and Letitia’s son.
Arabelle Poole: Connor’s wife.
Catherine Poole Cabot: Second of the lost brides. Connor and Arabelle were her parents. She was married to William and died on her wedding day (1828). She went out into the night and froze to death.
William Cabot: Catherine’s husband.
Arthur Poole: Founder of the family shipbuilding business. Collin and Connor’s father.
Letitia Armond Poole: Arthur’s wife, an heiress.
Molly O’Brian: Name of the ghost who likes to clean and organize. She came from Ireland.
Hester Dobbs: She murdered Astrid, escaped from her cell before she was to be hanged and later leaped to her death from the manor sea wall after Collin committed suicide. Witchcraft tools were found with her belongings after her death. She created a curse where a bride every generation dies—on her wedding day, or within the year.
Brandon Wise: Sonya’s ex-fiancé.
Summer: Sonya’s aunt, Tracie’s mother, Winter’s sister.
Laine Cohen: One of the owners of By Design, the firm Sonya worked for in Boston.
Matt Berry: One of the owners of By Design, the firm Sonya worked for in Boston.
Marshall Tibbetts: Winter’s boss and Sonya’s attorney.
Tracie: Sonya’s cousin.
Miranda Ryder: Head of Ryder Sports.
Bert Springer: Works for Ryder.
Yoda: Sonya’s new puppy. He’s a Boston terrier and dachshund mix.
Mookie: Trey’s dog, a retriever.
Jones: Owen’s dog, a rescue. He’s missing an eye.
Pi: Cleo’s cat.
Xena: Sonya’s plant.
(hide spoiler)]

Spoiler Info
(view spoiler)[
Lost bride #1 - Astrid Granville Poole (1806)
Lost bride #2 - Catherine Poole Cabot (1828)
Lost bride #3 - Marianne Poole (1864)
Lost bride #4 - Agatha Windward Poole (1892)
Lost bride #5 - Lisbeth (Lissy) Anne Poole Whitmore (1916)
Lost bride #6 - Lillian (Clover) Crest Poole (1965)
Lost bride #7 - Johanna Poole (1996) (hide spoiler)]

Thank you, Jonetta! I've got the audio ARC and was having trouble following and remembering everyone.

I’ve got the audio, too!