4.5-5 Stars! This is my first Rachel Hawkins novel and I absolutely loved it! Her writing is spectacular. I was addicted from the very beginning!

Ruby McTavish is a wealthy heiress that has lived an interesting life (kidnapped at a very young age, married four times, lives in a massive estate in North Carolina with her horrifyingly awful family members). She adopts a baby boy, Camden. Camden feels like an outsider and can't stand the McTavish family so he cuts all ties with the them and lives a quite life with his wife Jules in Colorado. Events unfold that bring Camden and Jules back to North Carolina and lets just say its a roller coaster ride of twists and turns from there up until the very end!

This story is told from multiple character POV which really adds to the story. Definitely pick this one up in January when it comes out!

Big thank you to the author, Rachel Hawkins, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC of The Heiress in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to NegGalley, St. Martin's Press and the author for an ARC of The Heiress for an honest review.

Anticipated Publish Date: 1/9/2024

The Heiress is told from three POV, Cam, Jules and letters from Ruby McTavish. I went into this blind and was shocked at first when I learned what Cam was hiding from his wife Jules. Soon Cam and Jules are on their way across country to the Ashby House where Cam grew up.

We learn about Ruby and a shocking event that happened to her as a young child. Cam, who is adopted and always felt he was not a part of the McTavish family. Jules encouraged Cam to return after his uncle died to see the house, his remaining family and see what repairs needed to be done to the house. Once there you can see why Cam left.

The Heiress is definitely a slow burn but had enough twists and turns throughout to keep you interested and say what outloud!

This latest suspense thriller from Rachel Hawkins has so many twists and turns! The plot: the McTavish family of Tavistock, NC, is extremely wealthy from inherited lumber baron money. Their 20,000 square foot mansion called Ashby House sits on a mountain top, just miles from the Biltmore, the Vanderbilt mansion in Asheville. But all that wealth hasn't made them happy or kept tragedy from their door.

In 1943, while picnicking in the mountains with her mother and nanny, three-year-old Ruby McTavish wanders off. No trace of her is found for eight months until a family in Alabama admits to having taken her. Later in her life, poor Ruby is involved in more tragedies as all four of her husbands die young and in freakish ways. She eventually adopts a son she names Cameron who is dubbed 'the luckiest boy in North Carolina' in the press. When Ruby dies, he is the heir to the entire estate--much to the chagrin of his great-aunt and cousins, Ben and Libby.

Surprisingly, Cam wants no part of that house or the money. He is married now and living in a small house in California, teaching English. So when his cousin Ben contacts him requesting he return to deal with family matters, Cam is at first reluctant to return 'home' but is talked into it by his wife Jules who would love to see the estate.

Of course nothing has changed. The remaining McTavishes are still cruel and bitter, treating Cam as an interloper. As the plot unfolds, Ruby's story is revealed in letters she wrote before her death and it's one shock after another. But wait: Hawkins has much more in store. A real page turner!

Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of this suspense thriller via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Rachel Hawkins never disappoints and delivers twists and turns in her latest novel. "The Heiress" is a gothic family drama with plenty of suspense to keep the pages turning. The perfect late night read to help set the mood as readers enter into the Ashby House where death lingers and a life is forever linked to a kidnapping that is shrouded in mystery. With the multiple POVs, I cannot wait to listen to the audio and delve in again. Definitely read with a book club; you'll want to discuss!

Ruby McTavish is North Carolina’s most-wealthy and famous woman. The Heiress of the legendary Ashby House in small town Tavistock, her connection to that home is not the only reason she has so much fame and fortune. Ruby was involved in a famous kidnapping as a child and is a four-time widower. She quickly became the prized child in the family due to the kidnapping and landed herself a hefty inheritance when her father passed. This created some problems within the McTavish family and they only got worse when Ruby adopted her son, Camden, and left all her riches to him.

When his mother passed, Camden couldn’t escape the Ashby House fast enough. Not wanting anything to do with the house or the fortune, he moved to California, become a teacher and met his wife, Jules. Escaping Ashby House couldn’t last forever and shortly after his uncle died he was summoned to the Ashby House. While Camden couldn’t be less enthused about the situation, Jules could not wait to enter the gates of the Ashby House and immediately fell in love with it.

During their time staying at Ashby House, Cam and Jules find themselves unlocking pieces of Ruby’s history both together and individually. Was there any truth to anything Ruby has done and who she really is?

I personally love when books have more than one POV and Hawkins executed this one perfectly. The perfect amount of twists and turns and mysterious factors from all 3 perspectives will keep you guessing the entire time, right to the end.

The Heiress tells the story of a Hallmark movie town ruled by a family that's ruled by its own secrets. Ruby was a widow many times over, filthy rich, and her husbands' bodies aren't the only skeletons in her closet. Cam is the prodigal son who fled the family home, detests the money and the family's obsession with it. For decades, it was Ruby and Cam against the entire family in a battle for the money (and truth).

It's a great read that I would've powered straight through if my schedule allowed. The multiple perspectives are effective, the secrets are juicy, and the gossip is compelling. There are some abandoned plot points, and I flipped back a few times to see if i missed something. Overall, however, the author gives us is delicious family drama/mystery. The Heiress weaves a strong commentary on the power of the rich, the weakness of the poor, and the danger of each side.

I LOVED this book!! Rachel Hawkins has always been one of my favorite authors but this - this is her best work yet! I was obsessed with the storyline from the very beginning. This gave Evelyn Hugo meets mystery and I was HERE. FOR. IT! Every time I thought I had this one figured out another huge twist would come taking me right back to square one. It’s rare that a mystery book actually keeps me guessing but this one was a breath of fresh air. This story had twists coming out all the way through the epilogue! I cannot say enough good things about this book - HIGH recommend when it comes out January 9th!

Wow! What an insane, twisting ride of a book. I have to say, most of the turns and surprises, I didn’t see coming until I was right on top of them. I love Rachel Hawkins writing, and she’s written another best seller for sure!

She’s filthy rich and notorious yet, Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies. Set in the North Carolina mountains, Ruby was the victim of a famous kidnapping as a child and has been widowed four times.
four dead husbands, hmmm….

Ruby ruled the tiny town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family’s estate high in the Blue Ridge mountains. After her death, the estate, along with a nine-figure fortune and the complicated legacy of being a McTavish, is passed on to her adopted son, Camden.

Surprisingly, Cam wants little to do with the house or the money and even less to do with the surviving McTavishes. He rejects his inheritance, and settles into an ordinary life as an English teacher in Colorado and marries Jules, a woman just as eager to escape her own messy past.

Jump forward 10 years when Camden receives a summons in the wake of his uncle’s death. This event brings him and Jules back into the family drama at Ashby House. The views are just as impressive as ever, its rooms just as elegant, but coming home reminds Cam why he was so quick to leave in the first place.

Jules, however, has other ideas, and the more she learns about Cam’s estranged family and the bizarre secrets they keep, the more determined she is for her husband to claim everything Ruby once intended for him to have.

Just by being there, Ashby House tightens its grip on Jules and Camden, and questions about the infamous heiress come to light. What’s behind the persistent rumors concerning her disappearance as a child? What really happened to those four husbands, who all died under mysterious circumstances? And most if all, why did she adopt Cam in the first place?

The book us another well written work of Rachel Hawkins, and quite dramatic. While entertaining, I didn’t find it suspenseful.

How far would you go for your independence?

That’s a main question that comes into play for our main characters. Being adopted into a wealthy family sounds extremely lucky, but Camden McTavish wants nothing to do with his family or his inheritance once his adoptive mother passes away. It’s not until years later, after his uncle passes, that he dares to brave a return to Ashby House. This time he has his faithful wife on his side and isn’t alone.

This had some twists and turns that made it fun and made you pay attention to the little details all the way up until the end. This story was like an onion, with each chapter peeling away another layer of the mystery.

What I found quite enjoyable were the different points of view/timelines as well as writing style (a character speaking to you, but then a letter, and back and forth); this really helped to develop each of the characters and their motivations. It made you want to know their backgrounds and what they would do.

I also liked the backdrop of the house and other small town it was located in because I could picture it clearly in my minds eye.

I’m always curious to read what Rachel Hawkins writes and I can’t wait to read what she comes out with next!

Thank you so much to the author, Rachel Hawkins, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the arc ebook of The Heiress in exchange for my thoughts!

5 ⭐️

This book had me at the book cover. I was completely immersed in Jules & camdens quaint little like in CO…. Until you foresee that the ish is about to hit the fan.

There were several other narratives happening synonymously, ruby had quite a bit to say through her letters. This is the part where you are completely engrossed in this tragic story of someone who has lived a mostly privileged life. The details start to seep out and there is just no stopping them.

We find out Camden left for college and wasn’t supported bc he didn’t do all the things ruby preferred so she cut him off until he was at the point he was forced to go home to hopefully reckon with her. I will leave this for you to find out in the book.

All in all, be prepared for a very juicy, convoluted familial story. Just when you think you’ve reached the Pennicle you likely have only touched the tip of the iceberg.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a psychological thriller esp around family drama.

"New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins returns with a twisted new gothic suspense about an infamous heiress and the complicated inheritance she left behind.

There's nothing as good as the rich gone bad.

When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she's not only North Carolina's richest woman, she's also its most notorious. The victim of a famous kidnapping as a child and a widow four times over, Ruby ruled the tiny town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family's estate high in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

But in the aftermath of her death, her adopted son, Camden, wants little to do with the house or the money - and even less to do with the surviving McTavishes. Instead, he rejects his inheritance, settling into a normal life as an English teacher in Colorado and marrying Jules, a woman just as eager to escape her own messy past.

Ten years later, his uncle's death pulls Cam and Jules back into the family fold at Ashby House. Its views are just as stunning as ever, its rooms just as elegant, but the legacy of Ruby is inescapable.

And as Ashby House tightens its grip on Jules and Camden, questions about the infamous heiress come to light. Was there any truth to the persistent rumors following her disappearance as a girl? What really happened to those four husbands, who all died under mysterious circumstances? And why did she adopt Cam in the first place? Soon, Jules and Cam realize that an inheritance can entail far more than what's written in a will - and that the bonds of family stretch far beyond the grave."

The best part of the new year is that we get a new Rachel Hawkins book.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is the master of gothic suspense!
This is definitely a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Hawkins has filled the pages with mystery, suspense and plot twists to make this impossible to predict.
This is definitely an intriguing read which has kept me hooked, been impossible to work out and I’ve devoured in just one sitting.
Brimming with eerie mystery and hair-raising details. Rachel Hawkins does not disappoint! A unique and suspenseful thriller that will leave you wanting more.

Thank You NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

4.5⭐️I loved this book! This was a 5-star book the entire read.. until the end. I got confused. I feel like I missed something. There is just one loose end and I don’t know if I missed it or it just wasn’t addressed. I found myself going back and rereading parts as thing started to come together and fall into place, so it’s possible I just forgot?? But other than that one plot point that is destroying my mind, this book was SO good! Everyone should read this book. I loved the style and layout of how this book was constructed/written. The story was moved forward in such unique ways. In the chapters, I could feel the voice of the characters. I am obsessed with this book. I had to force myself to stop reading at parts because I didn’t want to rush it and didn’t want it to end. Also the end of chapter 13: iykyk👀 If Rachel Hawkins other books are like this, I will be wanting to read them. This book will not be leaving my mind for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for this twisting and darkly beautiful ARC!

"The Heiress" by Rachel Hawkins is a captivating exploration of legacy, family, and the enigmatic Ashby House set against the backdrop of North Carolina's Blue Ridge mountains. The novel begins with the death of Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore, a woman whose life has been marred by a notorious kidnapping and a string of marriages. As the narrative unfolds, the focus shifts to her adopted son, Camden, who surprises everyone by rejecting his substantial inheritance and choosing a simpler life as an English teacher in Colorado.

I rate this novel a solid 4 out of 5, acknowledging its artful execution despite a few predictable plot twists. One of the strengths of Hawkins' storytelling lies in her ability to weave suspense and gothic horror seamlessly into the narrative, with Ashby House emerging as a character in its own right. The eerie ambiance and mysterious history of the McTavish family residing at the estate contribute significantly to the novel's atmospheric charm.

The narrative perspective alternates among Camden, his wife Jules, and even the deceased Ruby, through her old letters. This multifaceted approach provides readers with a comprehensive view of the events, as each character brings their own lens and motives to the unfolding story. The changing viewpoints add depth to the storytelling, allowing readers to connect with the characters on a more profound level.

Rachel Hawkins gives us an inside look into a dysfunctional family, a wealthy heiress' fortune, and the things we would all do for money. From her early days in "The Wife Upstairs" to her most recent release, "The Villa," Hawkins has done well in creating the right air of mystery, keeping you interested just enough to keep going. "The Heiress", her latest thriller releasing in January 2024, checks all the right boxes as maybe her best thriller yet.

Told in multiple POVs, Hawkins delves into the life of North Carolina's richest woman, Ruby McTavish, her adopted son, Cameron McTavish, and his wife, Jules, to tell the story of where the wealth and fortune ends up. While Cameron and Jules' commentaries are in the present, Ruby's words come from letters written to an unknown source. Let the drama begin!

This was the first of Hawkins' books that I found incredibly difficult to put down. Every second felt important, every detail vital to the ending of the story. The few twists in the book proved to be gasp-enducing, but nothing too outlandish.

The characters themselves were definitely interesting and I found myself more in awe of the supporting cast, including the disturbingly rude Ben and the ridiculously ignorant Libby. Their presence on the page really added to the feeling of overall uncomfortable vibe of Ashby House and all that house is about.

Overall, the vibes were immaculately creepy, the characters believeable, and the ending left much too be desired while also answering some of the big questions. Definitely a thriller to check out once released. Hawkins definitely has a hit on her hands!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for this honest review!

I really enjoyed this book. The story has a lot of twists, and it keeps you in suspense. The story is written from the perspective of the two main characters, and we get a glance into the past in the form of letters and newspaper articles. It was a well-written, gothic story, but it still left me pondering about some unanswered questions.

I devoured The Heiress! I loved the multiple point of views and quite enjoyed the multiple methods of unveiling the story (letters, articles, character POV). Even though I caught onto a few of the plot twists, I could not put the book down! I just had to know how it all played out! I did experience flashes of other stories and movies as I read. It feels like a new story that felt familiar.

ARC via NetGalley

This is my third experience with this author and I continue to really enjoy each unique reading experience. She really kept me on my toes with this one and hooked me from the start. I binged it in two days and loved the multiple povs. So many secrets!! Definitely recommend to those wanting a quick and fun read.

4.25 stars
I enjoyed Hawkins’s last book, The Villa, but this novel was a whole step up in terms of everything.
There are three main characters in the novel, Ruby, Jules, and Camden. We meet Jules and Camden as they’re living a loving yet slightly lower middle-class existence in Colorado. Kim has chosen to turn his back on his inheritance (almost $100 million dollars) and his hideous family back home in Asheville, North Carolina- until he gets an email that speaks to him in some way that all previous entreaties from his family have not. He decides along with Jules that it is time to go home to Asheville and face his family- and the family secrets that exist amongst all of them. I really enjoyed this novel, and the way that the author chose to tell it. Hawkins uses a combination of present day perspective and events in some chapters and chapters in the past from Ruby’s perspective. She also uses letters to an unknown audience from Ruby, talking in her real voice, and as her real self, not bothering to cover up who she really is, so even though Ruby died 10 years before the start of the novel we really get to know her and her voice. She is a really interesting and compelling character. If you enjoy thrillers, I think that you would really enjoy this book. I highly recommend it.