I utterly adored this book! Rachel Hawkins is a master of the thriller genre, everything she has written thus far has been devoured by me immediately upon beginning the book. I hope everyone loves this one as much as I did. It reminded me mildly of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo but with more grit.

Against the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains, an estate worth millions is up for inheritance. Camden, the adopted son of the notorious heiress Ruby McTavish, has returned home reluctantly with his sweet wife, Jules, to end the dispute once and for all. This book was easy to get into, it was twisty, and took the “rich people behaving badly” in jaw dropping directions. I loved the letters left by Ms. Ruby McTavish, her glam vibe was everything! While there were moments that were predictable, the story was so much fun to read, I didn’t mind them. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

The ultimate “rich people behaving badly” trope—The Heiress follows the story of the wealthy McTavishes & what happened when their daughter Ruby was kidnapped as a child. Fast forward 80 years to meet Cam, Ruby’s adopted son, & his wife Jules as they return to the family home in NC. Everyone in this story is keeping secrets & none of the characters are likeabke…. There are quite a few convoluted twists and agreat ending. This one was quite a page turner!

This is my new FAVORITE Rachel Hawkins book! So twisty and sinister and dark with an ending you cannot even fathom! Jules and Camden McTavish live a modest lifestyle in California. No one could guess that Cam, the unassuming teacher, is actually heir to millions of dollars and a huge estate in the Blue Ridge Mountains. When Jules convinces him to travel back home, she hopes he will take ownership of all he is entitled to. But Cam has no interest in the money or the house, he fled that poisonous family to start a normal one on purpose. What evil family secrets could cause a man to turn his back on that large inheritance? Plenty my dear, PLENTY! Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on January 9, 2024

4+ stars

This book makes four consecutive novels from this author that I’ve really enjoyed, all for their own reasons. The stories are different, but even so, the writer’s style is consistent no matter what type of story she’s crafting. I was intrigued by the premise of this one; I’m a sucker for a story that promises to be suspenseful and that has a vaguely gothic setting. I actually enjoyed the back and forth of the chapters and letters that wove together to create the story, and the ending was compelling, satisfying, and still a bit unexpected. I know I say it about a lot of my favourites, but I truly can’t wait to see what this author brings into the world next.

Thank you @stmartinspress @macmillan.audio for a copy of this book. This is my favorite book by this author. I always love a book with a large inheritance and people fighting for it. In this case, Cam wants nothing to do with the house but his cousins all want a piece of the estate. The story is told in dual timelines and with multiple narrators and POV. They all did a great job with bringing all the characters to life. I loved all the twists and turns to the story.

I can see why people enjoy Rachel Hawkins, but unfortunately her books tend to fall flat for me. The Heiress is about a man who goes back to where he’s from following a death, to face the trauma of his past. He has a horrible family trying to get in the way of his inheritance, and every time he tries to leave, his wife convinces him he needs to fight for what’s rightfully his.

I enjoyed the multiple POV’s, especially Ruby’s letters! Overall though, the book was simply alright. There wasn’t much of a wow factor and even the plot twist didn’t do it for me.

Ruby McTarvish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore lived an eventful life; she married five men, and each of those men died in freak accidents. Were they accidents or was she really Mrs. Kill-more like the people whispered behind her back?!

Ruby was born into a very rich family, each of them with a heart of ice. There was no love vibrating inside the walls of the Ashby House, an extravagant mansion, where they lived. In 1940, when Ruby was three years old, she was kidnapped during a family picnic in the woods outside the Ashby House. She was missing for seven long months until she was miraculously found living in a shack with a poor family. She doesn’t have any recollection of the kidnapping, and has this weird feeling that she’s not the real Ruby.

This was a dual timeline mystery that’s told between the POV’s of Camden, Ruth’s adopted son, and his wife Jules. Before Ruby’s death, she started writing letters to her son, or anyone that would find her confessions. Family secrets are shared, private detective findings are exposed, and it’s up to Camden to inherit her estate and money, or leave it all behind.

This book was addicting! I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish it, and feel like I’m still processing the cycle of events that completed the story. It’s a fast paced family drama with twists that never stop, and make you want to read it again, from the beginning, to fully understand the mind of Ruby McTarvish.

I know that when I pick up a Rachel Hawkins book, I’m going to like it. But, of all her books, so far this one is my favorite! A slow burn thriller with twists and turns, some I truly couldn’t see coming.

I enjoyed the way this book was written. The letters that helped tell the story and the multiple POVs. Just so good.

I’ll leave my review at that so I don’t spoil anything!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital ARC!

Well that was fun! A thriller set in a mansion in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. A dysfunctional family full of secrets fighting over a toxic inheritance by the recently deceased matriarch. The story shifts POV and time jumps between a kidnapping on the property in the early 1900s to the battle over her inheritance in the current day.

This drew me in more than Hawkin’s book The Villa. I wasn’t able to put it down towards the end and the short chapters helped! This was an entertaining, quick read for me and I would recommend it if that is what you are looking for.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a fun, twisty thriller! Every year I'm excited for the new Rachel Hawkins novel, and this one didn't disappoint. While it wasn't quite as much of a page turner for me as some of her previous novels, I enjoyed every revealing page. Knowing how her books go, I knew there would be some twists coming, and there certainly were... Not a likeable person in the bunch (well, I liked the guy who owned the hardware store :) ), but I couldn't put it down. I can't wait for the next one! Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance digital copy.

What a brilliantly drafted story full of turns, twists, mystery, and drama.

One of North Carolina's most famous and richest women, Ruby McTavish, has died, leaving an inheritance to her adopted son. At the age of three, she was kidnapped at a family picnic, and nine months later she was found safe. However, the mystery of her disappearance remained unsolved. In her final letters to Camden, she revealed some of the secrets of her life, including her disappearance and death of her four husbands.

Camden (Cam) was Ruby's adopted son and sole heir to the McTavish estate. He didn't want money or anything to do with the McTavish family. Ten years ago, he made the decision to leave Ashby House and never return. The death of his adoptive mother changed his mind and he had to come back to sort out legal issues, which ultimately meant dealing with an angry family. But this time he wasn't alone. His wife Jules accompanied him, excited to see the mansion she knew from the Internet. Camden never talked about his life. He had secrets, just like Jules did

There were many suspicious stories behind the walls of this mansion, and there were many secrets and tragedies surrounding the McTavish family.

What I liked about this book:
🔹short chapters told from three points of view
🔹exciting storyline
🔹secrets hidden by all three narratives
🔹turns and twists
🔹page turning

What a great book with gothic suspense and thrills that will grab your attention from the very beginning. I would recommend this book to anyone. 💚

Ruby was North Carolinas richest woman but she was also the most notorious women after the kidnapping when she was a baby and the death of her four husbands. Ruby was the first born and when her father died he left it all to her and her family was so complicated that she left the families fortune to her adopted son Cam. Cam was always different from the rest of the McTavish and they never failed to cast him as an outsider and remind him that he’s not one of them. He has this entire estate and doesn’t want anything to do with it and he doesn’t even touch the money. After his uncles death he returns to North Carolina with his wife’s Jules. While there the family secrets are starting to be discovered and told. Cam has always been loyal to Ruby and will continue to hold secrets for her.
I am a huge fan of Rachel Hawkins and every book is different from the last and so entertaining. I love that the book has Ruby explaining everything that happened in her life and all of the secrets while the story unfolds through the viewpoints of Cam and Jules. This was such a fast read for me because I was so hooked!!

This thrilling novel begins with a slow burn but soon the propulsive plot and unexpected twists make it impossible to put down. The surprises kept coming and the plot driven story was excellent.

Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies North Carolina’s richest woman and most notorious. She survived a kidnapping and is four times a widow. When she died, everything was left to her adopted son Camden, but he doesn’t want anything to do with it. After rejecting his inheritance, he settles into a normal life, marrying Jules, who also wants to escape her past. Ten years later, his uncle passes and he is summoned back to the place he couldn’t wait to escape, the Ashby House, and questions about the infamous heiress come to light.

The Heiress had its grip on me as soon as I started listening to it! Completely engrossed in this story, it was ridiculously addictive for me. It’s a story about a dysfunctional family with a ton of secrets. This drama filled story is worth all the stars! I can’t tell you enough how much I enjoyed this book. I was fortunate enough to receive The Heiress as an ARC and ALC, and hybrid read/listened to the book (my favorite way to read) and I can tell you that I enjoyed them both equally and both experiences were exceptional. I absolutely love Rachel Hawkins’ writing style and the multiple narrators did a phenomenal job bringing this story to life! The Heiress is out 1/9/24 and it’s one you’ll definitely want to read. I know I will be getting myself a physical copy to keep in my personal library!

Thank you so much NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copies and the chance to read/listen and review it honestly.

Happy reading!

Camden McTavish returns to his home, Ashby House, with his wife, Jules, to sort out his inheritance. Camden’s adoptive mother, Ruby, is infamous for her kidnapping story when she was younger and the wake of rumors following her around in the years after. Cam long ago left behind his inheritance and wants nothing to do with Ashby House, but when he finds himself back after all these years, he’s forced to come face to face with his mother’s past.

The Heiress is full of twists and turns that kept surprising me with every turn. Every time I thought I knew where the story was going, I was surprised by the next twist. I really loved the main characters of Camden and Jules and after hearing her whole story I really liked Ruby too. I am a fan of Rachel Hawkins’ work in general by and I wasn’t surprised that I loved this book, but this one still surprised me. At the beginning, I did find the story a little slow and felt like I didn’t connect with it, but the more I read the more I got pulled in and loved the way everything played out. I definitely recommend this to anyone who loves twists, turns and mystery!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

I have always been a Rachel Hawkins fan and will continue to be after reading The Heiress. I love a multiple POV book and really enjoyed how the story unfolded with all of the characters. It reminded me of a "Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" with a thriller/mystery element. 4/5 stars! I can't wait for Hawkins' next one!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press & NetGalley for the ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The heiress by Rachel Hawkins

Brilliantly smart writing!! I did not want this gothic type thriller to end but at the same time could not put this down!!! True markings of a great novel right there!!

I had the kindle version but think this would be great in audio! Told from alternating pov of Camden, heir to Ruby McTavish and his wife Jules, with some thrown in letters from Ruby. Extremely easy to follow. Ashby sounds absolutely chilling and beautiful at the same time. Such excellent writing with numerous reveals/secrets woven throughout!! Really wish the story would continue with a second book!


Honestly can’t recommend this one enough!!! Read it!!! Will be at the top of my best of 2023 reads!!!

Huge Thank you to Netgalley, the author and St Martins press for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

#NetGalley #StMartinsPress #TheHeiress #RachelHawkins

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is the story of a family. The McTavish family has great wealth, but many issues with regard to money, relationships, deaths, family rivalries and a kidnapping. Once the matriarch of the family dies and leaves all the family money to her adopted son, the intrigue starts. A good novel with lots of twists and turns. I enjoyed this novel.

I liked this book! I think it was perfectly paced, and appropriately twisty. I really liked how none of the characters are perfectly innocent; they all have secrets we learn along the way. In particular, I liked how Jules’s chapters are set up like she is speaking to the reader. It matches the same feeling as the letters we see in the novel. I didn’t want to put this book down, so it was a quick read, and I was entertained the whole way through.