This is my 3rd book by Rachel Hawkins, and it fell somewhere in the middle for me. Reckless Girls was a 4⭐ read for me, while The Villa was a 3⭐.

I like a good family drama, but the first half of this book was so slow. Shady family members, unreliable narrators, hidden secrets, all of the things that you would expect to find in a family drama were all present in the latest by Hawkins. But, this book lacked excitement!! I want a book that I'm desperate to pick up and this was not it. There were several plot twists and I thought the ending was fine, but it was all forgettable.

Everyone seems to like The Wife Upstairs, but I think I'm going to hold off on reading that one for a bit.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

I would like to thank Net Galley and St Martin Press for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC.I have read other books by Rachel Hawkins before and was excited to read this one. It did not disappoint. It is a twisty, fun , thriller. I was not sure who was the "good guy " to root for through out the book- it was that twisty.It kept me guessing up until the end.I do not want to give away any spoilers, but the plot is simple( to start). Ruby McTavish was the daughter of a wealthy North Carolina family. She went missing in the 40's and was found in a home in Alabama about a year later. It was believed she had been kidnapped and then returned home. Ruby was married 4 times- with each husband dying early in the marriage. Ruby had a sister who married and had a child. Ruby adopted a child who left the family home , and although the beneficiary of the family fortune, fled to California, and wanted to have nothing to do with the family or the money. We meet the adopted son and his wife in present day when they have been called home tosort our the family house/finances after the death of Ruby's sister's son. Camden doen not want anything to do with the family, but his wife, Jules, convinces him to make the trip. The book proceeds to unravel a family history that would make the most convoluted of soap operas pale in comparison. There are lies upon lies, and nobody can be trusted.It is twisty, and sad, and terrible and fascinating all at once. I could not put it down!

Thank Netgalley , Rachel Hawkins and St. Martin press for giving me the opportunity to read The Heiress.

Unfortunately this wasn't my favorite thriller from this amazing author. This book took me a while to accomplish, had alot of character build up but hard to connect to so many unlikable personalities. I did enjoy that that chapter where slit into the husband and wife point of view which give different approaches to the truth. Also Ruth's letters were something I kept inticipating throught out the book. Though there were muplitle twist; I felt like they were all squeezed into the end. It would have been nice to have those twisted moments integrate a little sooner or at least spread out.
This book just reminded me of spoiled family fighting over what each of them felt like they deserved. If looking for a drama with some murder components this book is for you and available in store on January 9, 2024. I do always appreciate the ability to read advance copies and are very thankful once again for this opportunity.

I absolutely could not put this book down! There were so many twists and turns and Ruby McTavish clearly stays in control of her and her family’s destiny behind the grave. I want to be able to experience again for the first time…did not see the ending coming. Blood is definitely thicker than water and for Cam and Julie, the ultimate test of trust will make or break them.

The writing was impeccable and all the characters had their own voice, Rachel Hawkins is a queen! Cannot wait to read her other works.

Thank you NetGalley, Rachel Hawkins and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

When Ruby dies, she leaves everything she owns to Cam. Sure, there were some mysterious deaths of her four husbands, but she was the famous Ruby, kidnapped as a child and found. Cam however, wants nothing to do with the house or anything in it, until he receives an email from the family. Now he and his wife Jules are headed to see how they can rehab the house and put it behind Cam once and for all. Maybe?

This book pulled me in o page one and didn’t let go until the final page turned. I was fascinated by what actually happened to all of Ruby’s husbands! I also needed to know what happened that had mad Cam want nothing to do with the gorgeous house and massive funds left to him by Ruby. There were a few things I guessed while reading, but it certainly had some twists I did not see coming! If you enjoy Rachel Hawkins, you will enjoy this one just as much as her past books!

A really great read that keeps you guessing to the very end. I also really appreciated the different points of view through letters and newspaper articles.

Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to read this ARC. The Heiress was a fun read that was hard to put down. It was filled with Rachael Hawkins typical style, pulling you in and keeping you wanting to find out what happens next. The story is told from multiple points of view, which I always enjoy! The story follows Camden and Jules, who return to Cam’s family home, owned by his late mother Ruby McTavish. The story has so many twists and turns and revelations throughout that it’s hard for us divulge much more without giving away plot points. For anyone who has enjoys Rachel Hawkins’ work, I highly recommend!

This is a family drama, mystery-thriller all rolled into one and I really enjoyed it while reading. The most interesting parts to me were the historical letters written by "the heiress" who could also be called "the widower" about how she came to marry each of her many husbands, and then followed by what happened in each of their deaths. These tales, interlaced with her present day offspring, plus the mystery of how she was kidnapped as a child, mixed with her abismal, wealthy family, who would do anything for money, made for what I felt was a pretty unique storyline. Unfortunately, it is a bit forgettable, because as soon as I put this book down, I somewhat forgot about it. However, I do think this would make for a great poolside read, as it was fast and entertaining. I'll absolutely be reading more by Hawkins in the future!

Rachel Hawkins has crafted a thriller which is told in dual POV present tense and letters from the past. This is a edge of your seat page turner where the reader keeps trying to put all the clues together to figure out who's motives are genuine and who is playing for the inheritance. The setting of Ashby House and it's secluded wooded property is gothic, mysterious, and haunting.

The Heiress

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rachel Hawkins always writes such a different sort of thriller. I still can’t decide if I enjoy her thrillers or her romance books more. If you haven’t tried them, she writes the witchy romance books under the pen name Erin Sterling, and you need to read them!

This story centers mostly around Jules and Camden who are traveling back to Cam’s family estate that has been left to him. Through stories and letters from his late mother, we learn about a twisted family who can never seem to have enough.

These crazy characters are so calculating it just makes you reel afterwards. I loved how slowly you got to see the secrets unfold through multiple points of view. While I did guess some of them, this was still an enjoyable thriller!

Wow. This was my first Rachel Hawkins book. I can only hope her others are as good as this one. There were so many twists and turns none of which I saw coming. I was about 70% thru and realized I didn’t have a clue where the book was headed. I suggest waiting until you have some time because you are not going to want to put it down.
The story starts innocently enough. A man and his wife decide to go back to the town where he grew up, a place he left ten years ago, and a house he inherited from his adopted mother. Still living in the house (as a stipulation of a will) are his family members, a crew that might make you seriously reconsider going home for Thanksgiving. The story is told from three perspectives: the husband, the wife, and the deceased mother whose tale is told via a series of letters.
Secrets are revealed is all I am going to say to avoid spoiling the fun. And I seriously hate descriptions that people give about books saying secrets are uncovered etc. This was different.
I loved the book and can’t wait to go back and see what else this author has written.

I was really excited to read this book because I loved "The Wife Upstairs" by this author but after reading up to 20% of this book I decided to DNF.

When North Carolina's richest woman dies, Ruby also dies the most notorious. When she was a baby, Ruby was the victim of kidnapping and she was a widow four times. Her adopted son, Camden, wants nothing to do with his inheritance but her and his wife get pulled back into the family drama after his uncle's death. He and his wife leave their quiet life in Colorado to find out that the inheritance may not be worth all that they have to give up.

I love Rachel Hawkins so I will forgive the face that I called all of the twists and turns in the book. I thought it was an interesting storyline, though.

Thank you for the ARC! This one was pretty interesting throughout. All the characters were pretty frustrating, it was hard to like any of them. Lots of POVs. I do enjoy a good book with letters from the past which this one had. Not her best work but not bad.

I have read a few other Rachel Hawkin's books but this is definitely my favorite!! The book was so full of twists that it really kept me on my toes one how it was going to turn out. I loved that all the characters each had their own secrets we had to uncover and how juicy they actually were. SO GOOD!

Rachel Hawkins does it again!! She never fails to surprise me with her insane plot twists. The story was so unpredictable, I’m glad all my predictions were wrong.

I loved Camden and Jules, they were incredibly well written characters. Although they were both morally grey, I was rooting for their happy ending the whole time. I’m definitely going to continue to read everything Rachel publishes.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Rachel Hawkins for granting me access to the advanced reading copy of The Heiress

Thank you, @LadyHawkins @StMartinsPress @NetGalley for an ARC of The Heiress!

This was my favorite Rachel Hawkins novel to date! For me, it’s the best one yet! She also SLAYS with the cover art game.

Ruby McTavish is famous for being the richest woman in North Carolina, but she is also notorious for having been married four times and each of her husbands dying in not-so-natural ways. She is also well-known because she was kidnapped as a toddler and missing for almost a year before being found & returned to her home.

Upon Ruby’s death, the fortune & home she inherited from her father is bequeathed to her adoptive son, Camden. The only problem is that Cam hates the rest of the McTavish family & the feeling is mutual. He doesn’t want any part of the money or mansion that belong to him, but doesn’t want the greedy family to have it either.

Jules, Cam’s wife, secretly knows that her husband is uber-rich & can’t fathom why he would not want to bask in his fortune while instead, living in near poverty with her in Colorado.

Finally, after a plea from Cam’s cousin to return, 10 years after Ruby’s death, Cam & Jules visit Ashby house where Cam is quickly reminded why he left to begin with & Jules gets to learn of his wretched family & their twisted history.

This story alternates POV’s between Cam, Jules and letters written by Ruby McTavish before her death. It is also had that amazing gothic vibe that I love so much & it just sucked me in. The big twist at the end was not predictable at all, but it was so perfect & fit well with what we learn of the characters from the rest of the book. The pacing was quick & compelling. My interest was held throughout. This one was subperb!

#RachelHawkins #TheHeiress #Heiress #Changling #Mystery #Adult #Thriller #Suspense #Contemporary #TBR #2024 #Fiction #ARC #Review #Bookstagram #Read #Books #Influencer #BookSlayer #Reading #Family #Kidnapping #Disappearance #Toxic #Rich #Inheritance #Southern #Gothic #Murder #Marriage

I thought it was a well done book. I loved the multiple POVs and the crazy plot twists. Sometimes following the letters was a little confusing but overall very enjoyable!

Note: Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC.

I started 2023 lucky enough to meet Rachel Hawkins during her book tour for The Villa which I completely devoured in a day…her latest novel was no different. Although I was able to guess some things as the story progressed, there was no shortage in twists. I also really love her writing style and the anecdotes, literature passages, and news articles she incorporates into the story. They provide clues that I believe make her stories so fast paced, as you race to try to solve the mystery. From what she discussed during her book signing, she pulls inspiration from other great works of literature and to me, this felt like a more sinister version of the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. (She stated she was a fan of Daisy Jones & The Six - cue the rock and roll vibes for the Villa). All in all, a fun popcorn read.

This book was so fun! I was hooked from the beginning and I thought about it when I wasn't reading it. The characters, the secrets, and the twists were all incredible!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!!