This story had three very distinct narrators, and it was done in a way I don’t remember ever reading before. I enjoyed each viewpoint and their individual personalities came out in each section to pull the story forward.

The ending threw me off a bit because it felt like we spent all this time building up the story and then to have info-dumping the last 10 pages. I would have enjoyed to “be there” for the action instead of a wrap-up. I really enjoyed the story and would like to read more by this author.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Twisty psychological page turner that keeps you constantly engaged. Told from three points of view, the first being the letters of Ruby McTavish. This deceased 4x widowed heiress started life sensationally as a kidnapped toddler and her life had plenty of secrets to share. Her adopted son Cam and his wife Jules are the other points of view. Trying to make a life of his own Cam is estranged from the family and living in California.
Reluctantly Cam ,with wife Jules, return to the McTavish ancestral home of Ashby House to settle the estate. The wealthy entitled McTavish clan have never accepted Rubys’ adopted son or his inheritance. This is a manipulative family of dark secrets. Everyone here is hiding something and very possibly Ruby herself is pulling the strings from beyond the grave. Quick read that you don’t want to put down. Thanks to netgalley and St Martins press.

I have to say, this may be my favorite Rachel Hawkins book yet. Such a fast paced read with so many twists and secrets that kept me guessing till the end.

What. A. Ride. This is my favorite Rachel Hawkins book--and I've enjoyed all of her books. I read this in one sitting - it's intriguing, fast-paced, and definitely keeps you guessing. The multiple characters are all after something different --some redemption, some what they feel they are owed, and all in it for themselves and their best interest. Don't miss this!
Thank you to NetGalley, and the publisher, for the opportunity to read this advance arc.

A great read for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. The McTavish family is known as southern royalty. Ruby McTavish is the heiress to the family’s millions. Of course, a heiress always comes with scandal. Ruby’s adopted son Camden and his wife Jules are living a wholesome lifestyle thousands of miles away. Years ago, Camden walked away from the family fortune left in his name. Now, he and Jules travel back the McTavish’s Ashby House, and Jules discovers the mystery behind Camden walking away from a fortune.

As a Rachel Hawkins fan, I couldn’t wait to read The Heiress. Ruby’s story kept me up at night and I couldn’t wait to figure out the mystery. I enjoyed the Easter eggs referring her past books. Overall, The Heiress is a great choice for anyone needing a deep family mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley & St Martins Press for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am a huge fan of Rachel’s thrillers, and even though this was an addictive and quick thriller (read it in one sitting), it just wasn’t my favorite story by her. It was a bit confusing of a read as it’s told in alternating points of view between Cam and his wife Jules, and then it’s also interweaved with letters from Cams mother Ruby detailing her life story.

Cam and Jules are finally heading back to NC to Cams family estate; Ashby House. Jules has never met any of Cams family, or been to the family house. Cam’s childhood was an interesting one as he was adopted by the rich and famous Ruby McTavish. He was plucked out of his life in foster care and grew up in the lap of luxury. But it wasn’t enough for him, and as an adult he fled Ashby House to the other side of the country in California.

Cam is hoping this trip back to Ashby House will be a bit of closure of coming to terms with the death of his mom, and tying up loose ends with the remainder of his family. But nothing is as it seems at Ashby House, and soon secrets start coming out. Will Cam & Jules still get there happily ever after even though everything in Ashby house becomes cursed?

A quick and easy read, if you’re looking for a new thriller!

A little bit of Inheritance Games meets Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I found it hard to root for any of the characters, as they were all so unlikable, This was an unpredictable and enjoyable read over all, though I found it awkwardly paced.

I liked the writing style of this book and I feel like it had a lot of potential but the ending just didn’t do it for me

This was super interesting twist on some tales that have been told before. I enjoyed the multiple viewpoints and though some elemets of the plot felt forced, over all it worked.

The twist at the end of this definitely surprised me. I really enjoyed the toxic family relationships that were in this book!

Rachel Hawkins is one of my auto-buy authors. Her books are twisty without being overly complex, and her characters are sometimes unlikeable, but always realistic and believable. The Heiress is the latest of Rachel’s fun, suspenseful novels, and, although almost all of the characters are reprehensible liars, I absolutely loved the story. It’s hard to say too much without giving away some of the big reveals, but get your hands on a copy of The Heiress ASAP!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press, and Rachel Hawkins for providing this slow burn mystery for my honest review. This is so atmospheric. I really enjoyed the pacing and unfolding of secrets. This is more of a family drama with plenty of mysteries and secrets rather than a fast paced thriller. I loved every minute of it! I really appreciated the three POV’s and couldn’t believe all the twists that took me by surprise. This is my favorite by this author and I can’t wait to read what she writes next. Thank you again for allowing me to review this twisty thriller! I highly recommend it!

Cam and his wife Jules have been called to Ashby House, a mansion in North Carolina that has been willed to Cam by his adoptive mother. Jules has never met Cam’s family, and he has always been super secretive about his childhood and his mother who had four husbands, all who died under mysterious circumstances.

This one started off a little slow for my taste, but it alternates between Cam’s mother Ruby telling the story of her wild life and the present day of his rude extended family wanting Ruby’s inheritance. There are so many twists and turns in the back half of the book! I was very satisfied with it.

Check this one out on Jan. 9 if you like dark family mysteries and unreliable narrators. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital ARC!

4 stars

This might be my favorite book by Hawkins so far! I wasn't a fan of the last two - but this one was twisty and fun while keeping you on your toes. I was hooked at all the mysteries surrounding this strange family.

I did enjoy the alternating POVs and everyone seemed to have hidden secrets. Ruby's journals were my favorites and while I guessed some of her plot points I still enjoyed the ride to finding out what really happened. There's so much going on that you won't want to stop reading. This is the first book in a while that I couldn't put down.

None of the characters are really "likeable" but that was part of the fun for me. I wanted to know Jules and Camden's motives and I loved that we were still left with some questions to think about. This is definitely going to be a good release for the beginning of 2024.

Easily a 4-star read with all of the twists, turns and dark family secrets. I highly recommend this for fans of Hawkins other books and twisty family drama authors such as Sally Hepworth and Lucy Foley.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book.

Oh. My. Goodness!! This one is really hard to put into a category. Just when you THINK you get it, you DON'T. At all. It took me a minute to get into it. I doesn't start out with a bang, but keep with it. This is probably the BEST book I have read this year!!

Cam McTavish is an English teacher at a boy's school in Colorado. Married to Jules, a woman who wandered into the bar where he was working and never left. They have now been married for 10 years and he has never adequately explained about his family, THE McTavishes of South Carolina. So when he gets a message from his cousin that the family estate is in sad disrepair and Cam needs to come take care of the problems, Jules is just along for the ride, not knowing exactly what to expect and why Cam never talks about his family or their home that he fled years ago.

But, WOW, is she in for a surprise when she sees the place. Although she has secretly looked it up and seen pictures, the reality is something else. But so is the remaining family, Cam's mother's sister and her two grandchildren who have tormented him his whole life. Because Cam was not born a McTavish, but his mother, Ruby adopted him and then left everything to him when she died. With a lifetime of being told he doesn't belong and doesn't deserve, is it surprising that he is not excited to return?

But there is more, a LOT more to this twisted story, and in the end, even Jules is not exactly who she seems.

4.5 Stars

This was the first book I’ve ever read by Rachel Hawkins. The book’s blurb caught my attention and the story really drew me in. I loved the twists and turns, the mystery, the wondering… All I can say is this is one messed up family. "Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!" I think that quote aptly applies to every character in this book. The story certainly kept me guessing until the very, very end.

"The Heiress" by Rachel Hawkins tells the story of a dysfunctional family with a ton of secrets. It's told from multiple perspectives, skillfully alternating between past and present through the reading of handwritten letters.  The characters range from likable to cringeworthy, but they all add to the overall complex dynamic of the story. This one drew me in and then was a sort of slow burn at the start. The more I read, the more drama unfolded with astonishing twists that had me  on the edge of my seat. The finale is so twisted that it leaves you with narrative whiplash.
This is for fans of multiple POVs, dual timelines, creepy houses, and twists.
Money might just be the root of all evil causing people to do some truly dark things. The Heiress is a must read in 2024.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for providing me with a digital ARC.

The Heiress, by Rachel Hawkins, is suspenseful thriller that kept me engrossed until all is revealed at the end. The story is told from three different POVs: 1) Camden, the heir to a huge fortune in North Carolina, 2) Cam’s wife Jules and 3) Ruby, Cam’s adopted mother . . . all told in two different timelines.

I was hooked from the beginning and especially loved Ruby’s POV. We learn about Ruby through a series of letters to an unknown recipient. Newspaper clippings fill in the gaps. Ruby is a well-written character who readers will love despite her shortcomings.

The Heiress is a fun, twisty, enjoyable read and is probably my favorite of Rachel Hawkins’ books.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the arc of Rachel Hawkins’ newest book!

Let me just say I devoured this! I was hooked from the beginning and didn’t want to put it down. I loved the multiple POVs & characters. Their stories unfolded and intertwined beautifully and I love how everything came together in the end.

The chapters are the perfect length and usually end with you reeling and ready for another reveal. I felt the pacing was just right for this story, not too slow but doesn’t jump into everything right at the beginning.

This book has the perfect mix of family secrets & drama, unreliable narrators, and twists to keep you intrigued.

Twisty thriller - some things I predicted but others I didn’t. These are characters you’ll love to hate as they all have flaws. I’ve read other books by Rachel Hawkins and this has my favorite of hers. Special thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.