This was a great story that had me on the edge of my seat! Rachel Hawkins does not disappoint! I am a sucker for a book about an old house and this thriller was no different!

Ooooh boy, the McTavish family sure puts the FUN in dysfunctional!

What a crew.

Let’s see… there’s Ruby, the titular Heiress, who’s been widowed four times — yes, four — with each of her husbands meeting an, ahem, untimely death under rather mysterious circumstances.

The plot of this kept me interested but I had a hard time rooting for any of the characters (I guess except Cam). There were some fun twists but I had figured out early on who Jules was. Way too much unnecessary language for my liking. Overall I’m glad I read it but it won’t stay with me in the future.

I flew through this one. The writing flowed well and the story was easy to follow. I guessed the twist and ending pretty early on, but that didn’t take anything away from enjoying this one. I will say, I’ve seen a few reviews say that this reads as more “mystery” than “thriller” and I do agree with that. I’ve read a few of this author’s books and I think this one is my favorite so far 👀 I really love a mysterious widow trope and will probably always eat that up. I also will always love a big creepy house and a rich family. This delivers on all of that.

Rachel Hawkins is a great writer! This book is not an exception. I gave this one five stars because once you pick it up you will not want to put it down!

I enjoyed this “rich people behaving badly” book. I felt like a couple coincidences were a little too coincidental, and I thought there were a couple loose ends not tied up enough, but it kept me reading. Giving it three and a half stars, rounding up to four.

Rachel Hawkins knows how to write a compelling thriller with twists. The Heiress is about Ruby and the secrets she keeps from her rich family, and the consequences of those secrets.
I really enjoyed this book and found it compulsively readable. The twists were surprising and I was happy with the ending. There were both likeable main characters and very unlikeable side characters, which I appreciate in thrillers.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this novel, but it really grabbed my attention! The plot was very different than everything else I have read, and I loved that I didn't know where the story was going! Great story to take with you on a trip! The vivid descriptions and details make it easy for you to get lost in the story.

The Heiress was a wild ride. I am not someone who reads synopsizes often, so I honestly had no idea what I was getting into with this one. I have read almost all of Rachel Hawkins's books. This ones started out with a cute little romance with some weird underlying secret.
It quickly delved into a dark history and a crazy family. There were quite a few twists and turns that kept me intrigued. I really enjoy the plot that started when a child was taken from a family picnic and then returned to her family, and the generations of trauma that spurred from that moment.
I think my favorite aspect was the location, I loved the southern Appalachian mountains and the huge house. That set the coolest vibes in the story.

I. Loved. This. Book.

It was truly un-put-down-able 👏🏻 I love Rachel Hawkins writing so much with her previous releases and this one’s no different.

The different point of views really help shape the story and make it even more fun to read with all of the twists and turns! Can’t recommend this one enough

Thank you to NetGalley and Rachel Hawkins for an advanced ebook copy 🤍

Really enjoyed the twist and turns. This book had me turning pages, dying to see what was coming next. This was my first Rachel Hawkins book, and I def want to read more!

I enjoyed reading this story. The characters and their complicated relationships seemed relatable at times. There were twists I wasn’t expecting. I especially loved the ending. Well done!

The McTavishes were the biggest fish in the small pond, and their wealth was traditional and legendary. When Baby Ruby McTavish disappears on a family picnic, the community is turned upside down trying to find her. Ruby was gone for nearly a year when she was finally discovered living with a family who had lost their own infant daughter and were claiming her as their own. Ruby was rescued and the family was relived the direct heiress to the McTavish fortune had returned. But was everything as it seemed?

Was Ruby the real Ruby?
Was Ruby's kidnapping a hoax orchestrated by an extended family member in the hopes of inheriting the substantial wealth?
What is the connection between Ruby's adopted son's wife and the family?

Many questions that could easily derail the plot and scatter the story lines are deftly pulled and held together by Hawkins. I'm impressed with how she navigated this story and kept the reader engaged through the various "past and presents" of several characters. This is a great domestic thriller that is skillfully written.

When his uncle dies, Camden and his wife Jules leave their lives in Colorado to travel to Ashby House in North Carolina. The house has fallen into disrepair in the years since Camden inherited the house from his adopted mother, Ruby McTavish. Ruby, who is also known as Mrs. Kill-more, had been kidnapped as a child, and widowed four times when she adopted Cam. The McTavishes never believed that Can was the rightful heir.

The story is told from three points of view and in dual timelines. There is kidnapping, murder, vengeance, greed, lies, and secrets. I totally enjoyed this book.

I loved this thriller so much!!!! I loved that it kinda gave Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, but with a murderous twist haha! The writing was great, characters were great, plot was great! Only thing I will say is that I was getting kinda lost in the family relationships. I had a hard time differentiating who was who and how they were related to the main character.

Fast paced and great twists. I did not see a few of them coming. Have come to really enjoy this author. While this one was not my favorite, it was pretty high up there. I loved Ruby's letters (and her narrator in and die was fantastic!). Cam was annoying in his whole ungrateful attitude. Even in the end, I don't get why he didn't want the money to at the very least do something great with it even anonymously. That just seems so stupid. Alas, definitely entertaining, solid read.

In 1943, three-year old Ruby McTavish vanished during a family picnic. Eventually found eight months later, she grew up to be one of the richest women in North Carolina, having inherited most of her family‘s immense wealth, including their mansion, Ashby House. But even with all that money, tragedy seems to follow Ruby, who married four times but is also a widow four times over. After her death, her entire inheritance passes to her adopted son Camden, who wants nothing to do with the money, Ashby House, or the remaining McTavish family, whose members all despise him. His return to Ashby house more than a decade after Ruby‘s death, his wife Jules in tow, will finally reveal decades of family secrets, lies, passion, murder, and greed.

The story is told from the POVs of both Camden and Jules, interspersed with truly delightful letters by the late Ruby that serve as her backstory/confession, as well as some newspaper articles to provide background info. This clever method of storytelling really moves things along nicely, though Camden and Jules‘ chapters sometimes drag a bit.

While I sadly found not a single one of the ultimate twists surprising and the uber-evil relatives were a bit of a cliché, this book still made for a fun, twisted, engaging, and well-written read that kept me hooked.

Thank you to the author, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the second book by Hawkins I’ve read! I loved both The Wife upstairs & now The Heiress. The Heiress is a great mystery thriller that hooks you in from the beginning. After Ruth Mctavish passes away her estate is passed on to her adopted son Camden. Initially Camden decides to stay away from the Ashbury House until his cousin reaches out to get Camden’s help with the property. The mystery behind the estate & Ruth’s childhood & death develop into a great read!

I like this author and I have enjoyed other books by her. This one grabbed my attention early and kept me entertained with the mystery. Full of drama and very addicting, this book kept me enthralled.

This was just okay for me. I'm a big fan of Rachel Hawkins in general, but I didn't love this one. I liked the gothic, spooky elements, but I didn't find it too memorable.