The Heiress started really slow for me but towards the end it started to pick up. I was really excited to read this book because the premise of it sounded so good but I found myself bored until about 70% in. I really did love the end of this book with all the twists and turns so it’s definitely worth it to stick through until the end. I also really liked how the author incorporated the letters Ruby wrote and news articles into the book. Overall, I did enjoy The heiress for the most part, especially towards the end.

You can never go wrong with a Rachel Hawkins book! I think I enjoyed this one the most out of the other 3 I’ve read!

Thanks to netgalley for this book. This book was by far, my favourite Rachel Hawkins book! You’re constantly trying to untie all the knots tied up in the Mctavish family secrets. It begs the question, just how far is someone willing to go to hide their secrets. Baby Ruby goes missing and is later found on a farm, claims of her being stolen by a farmer is the starting point to her famous existence. Next up are accusations of murdering not one, but all her husbands. The book bounces between present day when Rubys adopted son, Camden comes home and letters written by ruby herself to “darling”, as well as interviews with various characters. From the beginning to the very end, the book will keep you wondering what is going on at Ashby House!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for the advanced reader copy of Rachel Hawkins’ newest novel, The Heiress.

The McTavish family is one of the richest families in North Carolina, and for generations has occupied an estate almost as famous as the Biltmore, not to mention also owning half of the town. But when the elder sister Ruby passes away and leaves the entire family fortune to her adoptive son, Cameron, the rest of the family is out to get a piece of their own.

A decade after Ruby’s passing, Cameron reluctantly travels across country with his wife, Jules, to take care of some issues with the house. Though Cam has wanted no part of the family fortune, Jules is ecstatic about finally getting to see the estate he grew up in, and hopefully convince Cam to finally claim it as his own.

Told from the point of view of Cameron, Jules, and Ruby —-via letters she had written—- we find out more about the terrible family dynamics and what really happened all those years ago.

I found The Heiress to have similar vibes to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, but with a bit more family drama and mystery.

Solid 4/5 stars. Pub date 1/9/24.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. I enjoyed this book, but it took me a long time to get engaged in it and finish it. I didn’t enjoy Jules’ chapters at all (though she grew on me at the end) and the different styles and tenses and narrative styles took me out of the book a little. Rubys letters were by far the most engaging. Though the overall narrative voices were shallow and a lot of the side characters were very one-dimensional. The mystery was very predictable, there wasn’t a lot of tension till later, and I feel like by the first few chapters it was pretty obvious how it was going to play out. Overall I still thought this book was enjoyable and would probably recommend it with a few caveats.

3.5 stars/5 stars. I've read and dnfed a few of Hawkins thrillers. I ended up enjoying this one, it was an easy read but it did not amaze me or keep me glued to the page. However, I do recommend checking it out, the plot and characters were well crafted. Thank you for the early copy!

I have read several of Rachel Hawkins' books and this is by far my favorite. A modern Gothic tale, with flashbacks into the past of a wealthy family full of characters we love to hate. The tension between all the family members is palpable and leaps off the page. The plot has twists, secrets, unreliable, and reliable narrators, all revolving around the theme that money is the root of all evil.
The book is very well written and has a quick pace. The different flashbacks are well-placed and serve to inform the plot without getting in the way.
Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Heiress is a book set in North Carolina at the mysterious McTavish Estate. The story unfolds through the POV of three of the central characters: Jules, Camden, and through the letters of the ten years deceased Ruby McTavish. On the outset, I’ll say that this book is laced with profanity and on occasion, some of the descriptions are vulgar and crass. For all that though, it didn’t spend a lot of time or waste pages with flowery descriptions of sexual relations. For all the profanity and less than polite descriptions, The Heiress was a very enjoyable and well written book. Reading it was like driving headlong in the dark up winding and twisty mountain roads where you can’t quite be certain of what’s around the bend. And the view from the top has a fireworks display that I never saw coming.

Jules and Camden live together in a small town in Colorado when one day, Camden’s family calls him home to accept responsibility for an inheritance he never wanted. Jules is excited to see the estate she’s only seen on Google Maps but Camden is seriously shaken by the summons. Nevertheless, they rearrange their lives and hop in their car driving to North Carolina to accept responsibility for an estate falling into disrepair and the three estranged family members who inhabit it. The mystery of all the family members and how Jules and Camden play into it begins unraveling quickly and will keep you guessing until the very end.

This book reads quickly and is satisfying in the way it leaves very few mysteries remaining at its close.

I’d like to thank St Martins Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Yes! This has got to be Hawkins best book so far! Starts off with a kidnapping, moves to murder and secrets, hidden letters, throw in more wealth than most of us can imagine and a house that I can only picture as the Biltmore and you have The Heiress! I could not put it down!

i DNFed this. I have enjoyed Rachel Hawkin's past books, but this one I was just not interested or invested in. It's a no from me

This is more of a family drama than a thriller. I loved the multiple points of view; it kept the story interesting. Overall, a little slow but I really enjoyed the writing and storyline.

Rachel Hawkins is back, and this might be her best yet. Full of the twist and turns we’ve come to love about Rachel’s storytelling, The Heiress had me gripped from the beginning and I couldn’t put it down.

After inheriting his late adopted zillionaire mother’s estate, Cam left it all behind. Ten years later, he and his wife Jules are finally going back to settle things with his estranged remaining family and the darkness that he left behind.

It is told from 3 perspectives: Cam, Jules, and his mother Ruby. Ruby’s parts are told through letters she wrote about her life and are very reminiscent of TJR’s Evelyn Hugo. I couldn’t get enough of them. The book is a perfect mix of modern-day time along with the gilded age of old money royalty in the mid-20th century.

The Heiress comes out January 4th.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the advanced reader’s copy of this one. I’ll be getting a physical copy to put into the LFL when it comes out!

I loved this book! It was a wild, twisty, addictive book that you could easily devour in a day. The motives of all involved were well-hidden and I could never quite guess what each person ultimately wanted or where the story was headed. This is my favorite Rachel Hawkins novel to date!

I’ve heard good things about this author so I wanted to check out this book. It started off strong, but it felt like nothing was happening until the last few chapters of the book. I wish there had been more suspense or anticipation built into the story.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.

Ok, where do I start? I LOVED it. The story itself was refreshing and fun, and I haven't read anything with a similar story line. Even though it was told via multiple views, it was easy to follow and keep the characters straight. Great twists and a satisfying ending. 5 Stars.

Having read "The Villa" by Rachel Hawking I was interested to see what her other books were like. It wasn't my favorite book of the year, but it was solid and I enjoyed the plot twists that author manages to pack in so I went into this book with an open mind.

I'm glad to say that "The Heiress" was another solid book, and did not disappoint. I really liked how you start this book knowing what happened, and then spend the whole book trying to figure out the why and how. It was different from most mystery books I read, and definitely a format I would like to see more. I also really like the way the author goes between past and present, and interweaves letters from the deceased Ruby and newspaper clippings that further highlight her stories. It broke the story up nicely, and made it easier to digest at a reader.

This book keeps you on your toes to the very end (and I do mean to the very end). I look forward to reading other works from this author in the future!

Twisty and suspenseful, but not in an urgent way -- it was made obvious very early in the story that neither of the narrating characters (Camden and his wife Jules) had been fully honest with each other about who they were, and as the story rolled on it became clear that their histories were the central mystery of the book, as everything about Ruby (the titular heiress) had been telegraphed pretty clearly from jump. Still, a very enjoyable read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this in advance of publication!

Loved this one!

The Heiress is told from three different POV’s alternating between past and present. It started off a teeny bit slow but quickly caught my attention and held it until the end. I really enjoyed hearing Ruby's story through letters and newspaper clippings, etc. We glean more insight into this family and all of the secrets that they hold. Each character has their own secrets to share which adds to the overall suspense and mystery of the story.

Family drama, secrets, betrayals and twists along the way made for a very enjoyable and quick read. I can't wait to see what Rachel Hawkins comes up with next! 5 stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A big thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book, greatly appreciated!

I had a lot of fun with this one! I’m a huge fan of Rachel Hawkins and I think this is one of her best. I loved Ruby, weirdly enough. She was so unlikeable that she somehow became likable? And the twist at the end was pretty fun/shocking but tbh was confusing to follow at first. It was a bit confusing how some characters didn’t catch on to each other… overall it was excellent

All of Rachel Hawkins books are great! I love her story telling and writing style, it keeps me extremely engaged! This story is about Ruby, her death, and her adopted son, Cam. He looks to get her inheritance. He is living in Colorado and married to Jules. Upon returning to the Ashby house, things begin to fall into place. The epilogue is where the reader finds out the whole story! Told in POV of Jules, Camden, and Ruby A. McTavish.
Unexpected Twists, Page- Turning, and Family Drama! 4 stars

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC! This one will be a huge winner, released in January 2024.