“The Seven Rings” is Nora Roberts’ last book in “The Lost Bride Trilogy,” and it’s set on the rocky coast of Maine, in a beautiful manor home filled with ghosts. Some of the ghosts are members of the Poole family who owned the mansion, others worked there and their spirits still inhabit the spacious rooms. But there is one entity that doesn’t belong, an evil spirit, who longs to possess the manor home and is willing to kill anyone who gets in her way. She killed seven Poole brides and stole their wedding rings, and she is intent on being the mistress of the mansion.

In the first book, we met Sonya MacTavish who had been chosen by her uncle, Collin Poole, to inherit the mansion and a huge estate on the condition that she live in the manor house. Sonya didn’t know she was part of the Poole family because her father had been adopted as an infant. Sonya had been engaged to a coworker, but broke the engagement when he cheated on her with Sonya’s cousin. When she moved to Maine, she met Trey, the son of her uncle’s best friend, and they become romantically involved.

Sonya convinced her best friend, Cleo, to move into the huge house in Maine, and they each adopt a pet. Sonya adopts a dog and Cleo a black cat. Cleo becomes romantically involved with Owen, who is Sonya’s cousin and Trey’s best friend. They also meet the many ghosts who inhabit the mansion. All, with the exception of Hester Dobbs, the malevolent spirit, are kind and helpful. Clover, who is Sonya’s grandmother, communicates through music and plays songs appropriate for different situations. Roberts’ use of music to convey not just words, but emotions is brilliantly done.

There is the ghost, Jack Poole, who died at a young age. He loves playing with the dogs, and both Owen and Trey have dogs and they bring them to the mansion. All the dogs, and Cleo’s cat, play together, and Jack loves throwing balls for them to fetch. As we find in this novel, Jack is also an artist, like Cleo and Sonya.

In this last piece of the trilogy, Roberts slowly brings the story forward while immersing us in the daily lives of Sonya and Cleo. Roberts shares Sonya’s work in graphic design as she continues to grow her business, working on the accounts she’s won over. We witness Cleo’s newfound enjoyment in cooking and preparing meals for both the two of them, and for the two couples.

Of course Roberts is known for her romances, and in this trilogy we get two budding romances that come to fruition in this third novel. And while the machinations through which the four will vanquish the diabolic Dobbs are shrouded in mystery until the end, what is clear from the start is that the romance will end in happy ever after. So long as all four can stay alive against the witch’s malign efforts.

Sonya decides that one step to rid the manor of the evil spirit of Hester Dobbs is to fill the mansion with life and happiness. She and Cleo host parties and invite family and friends. Sonya has made friends in the small town, and they attend. She and Cleo, assisted by Trey and Owen, clear out the ballroom that has been used as storage for all the furniture and belongings of the centuries of residents.

We read a lot about the different treasures they find in the attic, the ballroom, and other rooms. We also witness the battle between Sonya and Hester as Hester tries to frighten Sonya away. But Sonya is determined to free the mansion from Hester, because she believes that in doing so, she will also free all the spirits who have become stuck there. The magic mirror, a portal to the past, is important in the climax as Sonya must travel through time to best the witch.

And finally, at the very end of the third novel, we witness the clever scheme that Sonya and Cleo have devised to finally rid the estate of the malicious Hester Dobbs and her malevolent presence. This novel is very touching as Roberts brings to life the entities whose lives were lost too soon, but whose love will live on forever. Roberts uses the concepts of love and light to banish the darkness and hatred that Dobbs brings to the house. And in the end, of course, love wins.

This review was first posed on Bookreporter.com in a slightly edited format.