I’ve been a Rachel Hawkins fan for a while and was so excited to get my hands on a copy of her latest, The Heiress, a family drama set in the South spanning generations of wealth and fortune. The main character, Ruby McTavish, is by far the most complex and interesting villain in the novel, and despite her darkness, you still find yourself rooting for her. Cam and Jules are simply supporting actors (or puppets) in Ruby’s theatrical world. This a great story with a stunning setting, described in an almost gothic way, making for an atmospheric read with beautiful details. However, I do wish some of the characters had as much depth as Ashby House. (I do love it when buildings take on a soul of their own in a story.)

The end of the book came quickly - it was a slow burn from the start with the conclusion going up in literal flames. I would have loved a bit more at the end. Another 50 pages and this would have been a 5 star from me.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to @netgalley and @StMartinsPress for this ARC. Camden was adopted into a very wealthy family but as he got older, he saw the darkness and evil that the money created. It has been 10 years since he moved away and swore he would have nothing to do with them....that is until he receives a letter that he must return home. Now married, his wife Jules suggests that it would help him find closure if he just went back. After just being home a couple of days, it turns out the evil and backstabbing is worse and everyone has a secret, including Camden and Jules herself. There are a lot of twists and turns in this book that I didn't see coming but ended just as I suspected. #TheHeiress #RachelHawkins #StMartinsPress #Jan2024

This is another Rachel Hawkins book that I like and would recommend for traveling as that's when I read my copy. The premise was interesting and I enjoyed the letters Ruby was writing to an unknown recipient (giving The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes which I love). While I didn't necessarily root for any one person, I also didn't hate any either. I do wish the ending wasn't so rushed though. I wanted to see more events as they occured rather than being told of them after said event.
Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ah, the world of the filthy rich! Most of us can’t even afford the drama, let alone the mansions. So there’s this legend, Ruby McTavish. Picture a drama queen with actual credentials: kidnapped as a kid and then widowed four times. Yep, she isn’t just collecting wealth; she’s gathering life anecdotes that would put most soap operas to shame!

Enter stage right: Camden. Imagine being Ruby’s adopted son and not wanting a penny of that inheritance. He’s kinda like that friend who says they don’t want fries and then eats yours. But plot twist! His wife, Jules, is all about that “let’s dig up family secrets” vibe. Honestly, I’m here for it.

“Bloom where you’re planted, people like to say, but they ignore the fact that planted is sometimes just a nice way of saying stuck, and I’d definitely fallen into that category.”

And let's not skip over the haunting presence of Ashby House. This house is a character in its own right. With its walls echoing tales of the past, the mansion stands as a testament to time. And has eyes that have seen everyone’s real truth.

The storytelling brilliance shines in Hawkins’ choice to use shifting perspectives. Through Jules, Camden, Ruby's letters written in the past, and tantalizing news clippings, she crafts a multi-dimensional view of the unfolding mystery.

Just when you believe you’re the Sherlock Holmes of the narrative, identifying every twist and turn, Hawkins throws in a curveball that says, “Not so fast, Watson!”

Got vibes of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid? Same! For those who adore the unexpected jolts of plot twists, this is your rollercoaster.

I loved the “breaking of the third wall” when the characters speak directly to the reader. It’s like Hawkins handed us an invite, whispering, “Pssst, join the drama fest!”

Exhibit A:
“So, are we good? Do you get it?”

For all my fellow thriller lovers craving some family drama and multiple plot twists, queue this up on your TBR list.

If I had to nitpick, I'd say the very end felt a tad rushed. But in a story so gripping, it's barely a blip.

My verdict? A solid 5 stars! Rachel Hawkins has outdone herself. If you haven't jumped on the Hawkins bandwagon yet, The Heiress is your golden ticket. Trust me, it's a ride you won't forget! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Hmmmm…. I am not sure about this one.

Camden and Jules meet in California and later move to Colorado. After a death in the family, they head to North Carolina, to Camden’s family’s extravagant estate.

There were many alternating view points and not a whole lot of dialogue. I kept waiting for the book to pick up speed, for something exciting to happen. There was some action over half way through and some more right at the end of the book, but for a lot of the book, I was pushing myself to continue to read, to finish.

This book missed the mark for me. 2.5⭐️.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of the book The Heiress in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book had me so invested in the lives of this family and all the thread of lies that each person was trying to protect. The mystery novel is about an Heiress to one of the wealthiest North Carolina families, her life was mysterious from the start as she was kidnapped as a toddler and then as an adult is a widow four times over. Her family estate is a rarely publicly seen home in the dangerous Blue Ridge mountains that each member of the family wants as their own.

Overall this is one of the better mystery novels I have read this year, the twists and turns were satisfying even though I guessed one pretty early on in the book. This did not dissuade me from reading, it only made me more interested as to how the author would tie it all together. The Appalachian Mountain setting and the small town were well done and atmospheric. I cannot think of another book I have read set in this part of the USA and found it super interesting. It definitely aided the mystery for the novel to be set in a dangerous and remote mountain area. Some parts of the book gave me darker Evelyn Hugo vibes which then became my favorite portion of the book. I overall enjoyed how this story was told in alternating POV's, letters and newspaper clippings it told the story in a unique and engaging way. This is my first mystery book by this author and since I enjoyed my reading experience I will definitely have to check out her other books.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

An Engrossing Page-Turner

3.75 stars

"I had gotten away with murder, and I was glad for it."

The Heiress is a thriller about the wealthiest woman in North Carolina, her heir, and the cutthroat battle for her estate.

Ruby McTavish, the richest woman in North Carolina, died 10 years ago and left her estate to her adopted son Camden (Cam). Upon Ruby’s death, Cam fled to California and started a new life, cutting off the only family he had ever known. Forced to return, Cam, along with his wife Jules, must confront deep, dark, and demented family secrets to claim what is rightfully theirs.

There are three main POVs: Ruby’s, which is shared through letters to an unknown author, Cam’s, and Jules. Ruby’s narrative is the most compelling as she reveals her true self. Her controversial marriages and scandalous childhood are captivating. In contrast, Jules and Cam’s voices felt interchangeable. All three are hiding dirty secrets from each other.

The timeline alternates from the present to the past, which covers Ruby’s childhood and her four tumultuous marriages.

The characters are conviving, crass, and dysfunctional. They don’t shy away from controversy--they are devious and determined to win.

If you are offended by profanity, don’t read this. F*ck seems to be the characters' favorite word --one even comments on how much they enjoy using it. I wish they could have at least mixed up the choice of profanity, as it made all three voices sound similar. The characters are connected in other ways, so this was not necessary.

The Heiress is a combination of Megan Miranda's The Last to Vanish (for the setting) and Taylor Jenkins Reid's The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo for the letters and recounting of the many marriages of Ruby, but the writing is very different from both. I didn't love Hawkin's last book, The Villa, but there is a reference to one of the characters, which was fun.

The mystery behind the estate, Ruby’s childhood, and the surprising ways in which the characters are connected kept me glued to the pages. There are many twists and turns which culminate in a surprising showdown.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press.

✨ ARC review✨

What a ride! Talk about skeletons 💀 in the closet. Another wicked and suspenseful read by Rachel Hawkins. We loved The Villa so we were excited to receive The Heiress for our first advanced reader copy!🤓

Camden is left with a significant inheritance when his adopted mother, Ruby McTavish (widow x4) passes away. Camden wants no part in the inheritance and the family drama that comes with it. His wife Ruby is able to convince him to visit the mansion full of secrets and reenter the toxic web of lies and deceit🕸️🤫

Rachel Hawkins paints a gorgeous backdrop at the Ashby House. She had us wanting to wake up in the mountains for our morning cup of coffee ☕️🏔️ The letters from Ruby were our favorite part of the story and made this a very binge-able read. I will admit that we did not see the twists and turns coming. The second half of the book really picked up and we loved the cliff hanger chapter endings.

Be on the lookout for The Heiress on January 9, 2024. Thank you @ladyhawkins and @netgalley for our *FIRST* advanced reader copy!🙏🏼

Such an interesting story. I really felt it was going to go in a certain direction but I was way off. The story really wrapped up nicely at the end too!

3.5 stars rounded down. Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

We meet Jules and Camden living in California living normal lives. When Camden is contacted by his family back in North Carolina everything is turned on its head. Camden’s adopted mother Ruby died years ago leaving him as her heir, but the family isn’t happy about it.

The book alternates between multiple viewpoints as well as using letters to tell the backstory. I enjoyed the way it was written, but didn’t find it particularly surprising or twisty. It was an easy to read book, but nothing to write home about.

This was my first novel by Rachel Hawkins, but I have heard good things about her books previously. I would read another, but likely choose an audiobook to see if the experience is improved by a good performance by the narrator.

I was excited to see a new Rachel Hawkins book available and while it took me a long time to get into it once I did I thoroughly enjoyed it and couldn't put it down. I saw some of the twists coming but this did not take away from my enjoyment. That being said I really struggle with the rating of this between 3 and 4 stars because of how long it did take me to get into it. Ultimately I went with 4 but it is probably closer to a 3.5.

This was a very fun read, I always find Hawkins’s books to be instantly entertaining. Atmospheric and spooky, Ashby House is an amazing setting for a twisted family thriller. The format of the book was also unique and engaging. The POVs swapped between the two MCs while some chapters were in written letter format from the late heiress herself. Other snippets were framed as articles from interviews, news columns, newspapers and blogs. I would say my least favorite thing about this book would just be how completely unbelievable all the chaos is - I mean this family has a lot of murder going on. But with suspension of disbelief, it’s a fun ride with good twists and fun characters that you love to hate.

4.5- Very clever, very unique, very unexpected! I thoroughly enjoyed the storytelling in this novel as it was creative and “out of the box”. The plot unfolds via the points of view of several characters (one from beyond the grave), letters, and old news articles. While the storyline unraveled slowly, I felt that it was artfully done, revealing just enough pieces of the puzzle at a time to keep you wanting to read on without feeling bored. The author made you care what happened to characters who, theoretically, should be extremely unlikeable. I appreciated the sense of humor, particularly during Jules’ narrative and dialogue. The plot kept twisting in unexpected directions, and, just when you thought all was revealed, “but wait, there’s more!”

I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Rachel Hawkins for this free ARC digital copy.

This is Hawkins best one yet! I couldn’t put this one down, really enjoyed it! The characters were absolutely addicting. If you have enjoyed this author’s other stories, you will be rocked by this one!

Gothic setting and extreme wealth, how can you go wrong? Rachel Hawkins kept me up turning pages as the story kept ramping up to a satisfying conclusion. Twisty and suspenseful, Loved it, I can picture someone reading this from a comfy chair, late at night, cup of tea beside them, with a blizzard raging outside . Well done!

The Heiress, by Rachel Hawkins, is the type of mystery that will keep you guessing from the first page and scratching your head long after the last. Ms. Hawkins is an expert at suspenseful storytelling that never crosses the line into creepiness nor gore, and for that I am grateful. The story follows an extravagantly wealthy family in the North Carolina mountains and the strange happenings within their ancestral mansion and their lives. Throughout, and quite honestly until the last page, secrets are revealed leading the reader to think twice before trusting anyone. I highly encourage mystery fans, and non-mystery fans, to check out Ms. Hawkins and most especially The Heiress.

An intriguingly dark family mystery. Thank you for the ARC.
Murder, manipulative wealth and many, many secrets, familial obligations and guilt spread generously, all to create an insulated world where wealth controls everything. Or does it?. All these entwined together wrap up Hawkins' newest novel, a fabulous mystery that kept me reading and guessing about all the characters right until the very end!!

Ruby McTavish, an heiress, is North Carolina royalty. Her colorful life includes multiple husbands, endless conflict with her resentful relatives, and a kidnapping episode that will shape her legacy - and her relationship with her own heir (Camden) - in dramatic ways.

A thrilling story of old money, family strife, and murder, spanning multiple generations! Hawkins delivers twist after twist, even on the final page.

5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was my first book to read by this author, but it won’t be my last.

I absolutely loved this book! Rachel Hawkins has a way of making you feel like you know her characters.
Hang on to your seat while you follow Camden and Jules as they travel back to Camden’s childhood home after getting everything from his dead mother. Told thru both of their viewpoints and as well as letters written from ruby, camdens mother, and the heir to the McTavish fortune.
There is so much murder, suspense, and mystery.
You’ll be left in total shock when you discover what is going on, up until the last page.

A convoluted plot that dragged on and then everything happens all at once. The different storytelling from Cam’s viewpoint, to Jule’s viewpoint, to letters from Ruby, to article snippets, it’s too much. There has to be a better way to tell a story than having to rely on TELLING your readers info, instead of showing them. Also, the word “darling” was overused at a whopping 33 times. There really wasn’t one character that was the most interesting and I didn’t really feel for any of them, not even Cam. It had some predictable twists and now that I think of it… what even was the point of all the husbands deaths? Anyways, a miss for me.