Four stars. Riveting and compelling. Wonderful characters and plot. Will be recommending and reading anything in the future from this author. Thank you for the title.

The Heiress is the first book I've read by Rachel Hawkins and it won't be my last. After many years away and under the impression that as the sole heir to his family's fortune that he never wanted but needs to help oversee, Camden McTavish returns to the family estate he swore he would never go back to, and brings with him his wife Jules. Set high in the Blue Ridge Mountains the setting for the Ashby house is suspenseful from the very beginning. Inhabited by several extended family members, each with their own agenda, the cast of characters are intriguing and deceitful. I enjoyed how the author used several points of view to tell the story of Camden's mother Ruby, her many marriages, her kidnapping as a child, and her relationship with her son. Layered with multigenerational disfunction, jealousy, and greed, each character has their own story to tell. This book has many plot twists, several that I did not see coming, and is a very enjoyable, fast paced read. Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for this advanced copy, all opinions are my own.

2.5 rounded to 3. I don’t think it ever took this long for me to finish 1 book. I just couldn’t get into it. I’d fall asleep every time I picked it up. It was just OK. I finished it 3 days ago and had to look back to see what it was about.
The very beginning was ok and I thought it had promise. Then it got so boring. The last 25 % got better. But the rest bring was convoluted, like the author finally decided to spice things up. None of the characters were very likable. I would not recommend this to a friend.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book to read.

This was my favorite book by this author so far! The pacing was great, I was invested in the characters and the dialogue was well-written. I'd definitely recommend this as a book you can easily get sucked into and read through really fast. I kept finding myself wanting to ignore my responsibilities and pick it up.

I’m not quite sure I enjoyed this book. This was my first Rachel Hawkins book. I liked the writing style but the events were quiet boring. The end had a twist but it wasn’t too crazy. I liked reading Ruby’s letters, about her life and the drama Camden went through but it wasn’t too crazy as far as thrillers go. I hear good things about Rachel Hawkins so I will continue to read her books.

Holy cow this book is good. So many twists and turns and I was spellbound to the very end. I think this might be her best book.

I received an ARC from the publisher and Netgalley.

This was the first book I've read by Rachel Hawkins, and I was not disappointed.
The Heiress follows Cam and Jules as they return to Cam's family home—Ashby House in NC, a place he hadn't stepped foot in for ten years. Filled with family drama, the writing of Rachel Hawkins kept me turning the pages. Told through multiple points of view, the different perspectives added another layer to the story. The characters were well portrayed, especially Ruby (Cam's adoptive mother and Heiress to Ashby House). The descriptions were on point, and I loved the gothic feel of Ashby House.
Releasing January 2024, The Heiress is a must read. 4 out of 5 stars.

I would like to thank Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC of The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins in return for an honest review.

OOOO Rachel Hawkins strikes again!! I'm surprised I haven't read more of her books because man they can be addicting. This starts with a news article describing the disappearance of Ruby (main character) at 3 years old. Ruby happens to be born into a very very wealthy family. Later, you'll find that Ruby gets married 4 different times only to end up widowed... ( reminded me of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo **one of my favorite books**) Ruby passes along her inheritance to her adopted son (Camden), who happens to what nothing to do with his mother. Why? You'll have to read the book to find out... The rest of the family is upset with Ruby for giving the inheritance to someone who doesn't share the same blood as the rest of the family.

Okay okay, so getting into the meat of the story. Camden's uncle dies which brings both Camden and his wife (Jules) back to the house he has avoided for so long. Now what do you expect to happen during this time? secrets, secrets start to come out... about ruby, camden, the rest of the family

The book switches between 3 different POVs; Ruby, Camden (Ruby's adopted son), and Jules (Camden's wife). The family dynamic is SO intriguing and I loved the timeline switch. It was as if Ruby was telling her story from the past, allowing the readers to gather information along the way. EVERYTHING came together so smoothly (depending on your definition of smooth hehe). the twists, the secrecy, the anticipation of what's true or not!

I REALLY liked the main character: Ruby the most!! Jules came in close second beside Camden. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to be gifted SO much money, with the ones you call your family turning their backs. Rachel Hawkins might just be an automatic buy when it comes to thrillers and mysteries.

This was gifted by Netgalley & the publisher for my honest opinions.

In this book, we are following the aftermath of a very rich woman passing away, potentially murdered? In her youth, she was known, mostly for a kidnapping that happened when she was a child now that she is dead, her family estate, along with her wealth is being passed to her son, in which she adopted. Nobody expects it when he doesn’t want the house, or the money that his mother left him. He moves on with his life and marries a woman who is also running from a past that she doesn’t like. However, years later they come back to the estate and Cam, the woman’s son quickly remembers why he wanted nothing to do with the house. However, his wife has other ideas.

I feel like this was a little bit different for Rachel. I read all of her other books, and this one felt like it leaned a little bit more whore and some of the other books. Her other books seem to fall more within the mystery category and this one definitely was thriller/horror. It was fun to see her step out just a little bit and I enjoyed the story but I feel like I’ve read things that were done better than this. It is a fun time if you’re looking for a quick and easy read.

This was such a crazy read! I always feel that way after reading Rachel Hawkins' books, but in a good way. Who doesn't love a messed-up story about nasty family, secrets, and a relationship that may or may not have been set up by someone else? I was completely pulled in and intrigued from the beginning. I whipped through this pretty quickly, even though I started to get a little confused about how people were related or not related--and that's saying a lot because it takes A LOT to confuse me. It was still a decent thriller that kept me guessing and I absolutely hated some of the characters, which helped me enjoy the story more.

Rachel Hawkins does it again… I would say this is my favorite of her books yet. If you liked Reckless Girls you’ll love this one. You get three POVs through Camden, Jules, and Ruby. It’s feels like a true crime story with all of the twists and turns and deaths.

Another Rachel Hawkins winner!

This book—the dual timeline of both a hugely rich (but normalish) guy and his wife coming home to rural North Carolina AND the letters of his adoptive mother (who killed four husbands)—is another suspenseful, atmospheric read.

I loved the characters in this book. Cam and Jules are both normal, loving people (obviously with secrets, who doesn’t have them). Ben and Libby? Ugh. Classic silver spoon kids all grown up. Nelle? Whooooo boy. No thanks. Ruby? My favorite character in the book.

I loved how Ruby’s letters were interspersed with Cam and Jules’ chapters, and how additional news articles and interviews were also in the mix. It really helped to paint the complete picture of who these people really were.

The emotions (individual and between family members) was evident. And let me tell you—regardless of how good or evil anyone involved in the story is, it made me so happy to see emotionally stable main characters!!!

Ruby McTavish was kidnapped as a young child, returned to her wealthy North Carolina family, and grew up to be an heiress widowed four times over. Upon her death, she left her fortune, including the beautiful and historic Ashby House estate, to her adopted son. Camden wants nothing to do with Ruby or his inheritance and has chosen to live a quiet life in Colorado. Ten years later, Cam and his wife, Jules, travel back to North Carolina at the request of his cousin. Generational secrets and mysteries unfold as he’s thrust back into the world he once rejected.

What can I say? I can’t resist a mystery told through multiple perspectives. The Heiress is a page-turner, with small bits of information being revealed along the way like a breadcrumb trail. Ruby’s sordid history is also intertwined with the present day.

This was a 5 star read for me! Thank you to @netgalley, @stmartinspress, and the supremely talented @ladyhawkins for the opportunity to read and review!

Evelyn Hugo who? It’s all about Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller
Kenmore now! She definitely is worthy of the sobriquet “Mrs. Kill-more” (haha!) BUT did she really kill all four of her husbands? Or was she just born with really bad luck even though she was part of such an affluent family?

Wow, this book really was such a fun ride! I know I say that often but it really does describe the journey I went on with this book. At its core it is a mystery and the twists and turns and FAMILY SECRETS? Mmm, they were juicy and scandalous! When you think there couldn’t possibly be any more secrets, our pops another skeleton from someone’s closet!

The chapters weren’t that long so it was no surprise that I flew through this book in one day—I just had to know more about the McTavish family. You want dysfunctional? Oh boy does this family deliver! The Ashby House too was a great character of its own, lending the story an added layer of Gothic atmosphere.

I’ve been a fan of Rachel Hawkins since The Wife Upstairs and I can confidently say that this is her best work yet! I love how we had three POVs in this story and one was told through letters. I highly recommend this to fans of this author previous works or if you’re in the mood for a story with mysteries, schemes, and juicy family drama!

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Ruby McTavish was the heiress to one of North Carolina's richest and prominent families. When she goes missing on a family picnic in the nearby woods at the age of five it makes national headlines. When she is found eight months later it is cause for celebration. As an adult Ruby seems to be followed by tragedy as she marries four times only to be widowed shortly. She adopts a young boy Camden and grooms him to be her heir. Yet upon her death Camden wants nothing to do with Ashby house or the surviving McTavishs. Choosing to live a simple life as an English teacher in Colorado and living in a rented house with his wife. Ten years later following the death of his uncle his cousin asks him to return. He is reluctant but his wife Jules is determined to meet his estranged family and is eager to live the life that his inheritance would provide. Upon arrival they are met with hostility and it is clear that the estrangement continues. Jules discovers that Ruby was a devious, complicated woman and begins to question. What happened during her abduction? Who was Ruby? Who were Camden's biological family? What really happened to Ruby's unlucky husbands? I had read and enjoyed some of this author's YA novels and was glad to find an adult novel. I found this narrative immersive and read it quickly to fit the puzzle pieces together. Camden and Jules were engaging characters and the plot unfolded like the layers of an onion slowly revealing the truth. I will now seek out other works from this author.

Such a fun twisty drama with family secrets galore! I always love books about the uber rich as it is something I'll never attain. This book is about money and power and greed and what some people will do keep it. I loved the Ruby character and rooted for Jules and Cam. I felt it was more mystery than thriller but still a great read.

Ms. Hawkins does it again! I read this book cover to cover in 24 hours, I could not put it down.

Jules and Cam have been happily married for the past ten years; living in their small, rented home. Cam is a teacher and Jules is making ends meet by working as a living history actor. They are content with their life and with each other.

Then, an e-mail arrives...requesting that Cam return home to his family's compound, Ashby House. You see, Cam is a multi-millionaire heir to his adoptive mother's (the infamous Ruby "Mrs. Kill-More" McTavish) estate. Begrudgingly, Cam agrees to return home to North Carolina, there are affairs to settle and while he is not thrilled, Jules is overly supportive in going to the McTavish home.

Upon arrival, Cam immediately regrets going back. Jules, however, is quickly enamored with Ashby House and encourages her husband to focus on what they came there for.

The secrets, the twists, the ending...this book was fast paced, well-written, and held my attention the entire time. I am already looking forward to Ms. Hawkins next book.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley, and the author for this ARC.

This one started a little slowly for me, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, plus I was worried by the early hints that the two likable protagonists might turn out to be not so likable after all. As it turned out, they do have secrets from each other and the reader that don’t put them in the best light, but even in the face of a few doubts that came and went throughout the novel, even to the very end, I never really stopped rooting for them. Possibly because their antagonists proved to be so vile, but also because Cam seemed like such a good person, and Jules was such a force to be reckoned with in her support of Cam.

It’s hard to review a thriller/mystery the way I usually do because it can’t usually be done without spoilers. I will say that this was very smart and very entertaining. I was really in the palm of the author’s hand once Jules and Cam finally arrived at Ashby House and the action really got going. When I read one of these types of books, part of the enjoyment is trying to guess the reveals and the twists while the author is trying to throw you off and misdirect you. I did guess correctly that two aspects would come back into play as important factors but not in the way I thought they would (but in hindsight, should have guessed.) The reveals were clever and surprising and there weren’t just one, two, or three. There were at least eleven by my count! And they were all “Whoa!” worthy.

I really liked the use of 3 points of view to tell the story. Cam is the adopted son of the late Ruby McTavish, “The Heiress.” He hasn’t been back home in 10 years, since her death. He has turned his back on wealth and privilege (lots of wealth and privilege) to scratch out a living in Colorado as a school teacher. His part of the story is told in the conventional first person. Jules is his wife of 10 years whom he met there. Her perspective is also told in first person, but often breaking the fourth wall and speaking directly to the reader.
“So, I guess I have some explaining to do, huh? I know, I know. It looks bad….Second act plot twist, your heroine is actually a potential villain.
The third perspective is told in the letters Ruby wrote shortly before her death to someone she refers to as “My darling”. They are confessional. She tells the truth about how her 4 husbands met their demise as well as other secrets, filling the reader in on her back story and motivations. I started to like her. She was frank and funny. Then things changed. The author kept me turning the pages by ending each of these “chapters” on a cliffhanger before going to another narrator or the objective point of view of a clip from an old newspaper or magazine article on the milestones in the lives of the famous and powerful family.

The book barrels to an exciting climax before we get two remaining letters and an epilogue that reveal more secrets and answer more questions. It ends as well as I could expect such a book to end. It was satisfying. This was a clever and entertaining novel that I recommend without reservation to readers who like mysteries or thrillers with strong gothic overtones along the lines of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2--One of the most compelling mystery/thrillers I've ever read! Wow! Talk about compulsively readable. It's clever, conniving, and just when you think ALL of the secrets have been revealed, you're WRONG!! Twists and turns abound when it comes to Mrs. Ruby McTavish, the Heiress. She is one tough cookie, but loves her son, Camden, with all of her being. Ruby will do anything to keep him happy and make him the sole heir of her fortune. Put on your seat belt for this one...you're going on a wild ride! I'm hoping for a sequel! Thank you @netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received a temporary digital copy of The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins from NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and the author in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

After the death of his uncle, Camden McTavish is asked to return to his family's ancestral home to deal with his inheritance and Ashby House, a place where he has refused to visit in almost a decade. Ruby, Camden's adoptive mother, wanted Camden to inherit everything; however, he has different plans and wants nothing to do with the money because the cost is too great. Will he and his wife Jules be able to survive their time at Ashby House or will his family destroy everything he has?

The Heiress had a ton of twists and each character is hiding information from the ones they love. This was not a novel where I figured it all out forty percent of the way in. Hawkins keeps you guessing until the very end.