Everyone is hiding something in the McTavish family, but the depths of their secrets may shock you. 🤫

I’m slightly bamboozled by this one, as I was expecting a mystery/thriller and it was more family drama/rich people behaving badly. I’d recommend going in with those expectations so as not to be disappointed. For me, I liked it and it kept my interest, but I wasn’t blown away. I kept thinking it felt like a sinister The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. 😂 The author did a great job of creating a few likable characters and peeling back their layers slowly over the course of the book. Lots of twists and turns, some you see coming and some you don’t. It’s difficult to say much more without giving the plot away, so I’ll leave it here. Also, as someone living in North Carolina and building a house at the very top of a mountain within the Blue Ridge Mountains, I was delighted with some of the parallels and it definitely added to my overall enjoyment. This author can really set a scene, and North Carolina was definitely its own character!

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a complimentary advance copy of this eBook, out 1/9/2024.

Told from dual perspectives (Ruby in letter form) Jules and Camden in present day, The Heiress is a story of the “ luckiest boy in North Carolina” going home to his castle of a home after receiving an email from his cousin. His wife Jules is ecstatic and hopes to claim the castle as their home. Camden? He already can’t wait to leave. Why does Jules want to stay there so badly? Why does Camden want to get out so swiftly?

The Heiress was incredibly well written! I will say some of the “plot twists” aren’t really plot twists at all which almost had me like UGHHHH *insert eye roll* but Rachel Hawkins had some tricks up her sleeve and still left me shocked with surprise plot twists. I think the Ruby letters were my favorite chapters to read and throwing in random news articles also gave an interesting take on the life of Ruby. I wish Jules had a little bit more depth throughout the book and some of the predictable parts is what knocked off a star for me. Overall, I would definitely recommend checking this out!

I had the pleasure of reading this remarkable book. The author's writing style is a work of art, and her ability to generate unique and compelling ideas is truly admirable. Each book I have read by her has completely intoxicated me from start to finish. This novel delves into the darker aspects of life, exploring themes of family, adoption, wealth, morals, betrayal, and love. The way the author skillfully intertwines these themes creates a story that is both emotionally charged and intellectually stimulating. It's a must-read for anyone who enjoys thought-provoking literature that challenges the mind and touches the heart.

I enjoyed this book. I was a bit worried because her last two books were a big miss for me after loving “The Wife Upstairs.” It did take me a bit of time to get into the book, but once I did, I enjoyed it. Pub date : 1/09/24!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press arc in exchange for an honest review. There’s a lot of mystery surrounding Ruby McTavish, as a toddler she was lost in the woods that surround her very rich family’s mansion in North Carolina and then miraculously found months later. Is it really Ruby? No matter, she inherits everything much to her younger sister’s dismay (and seething anger). There has never been love between the sisters especially since there’s doubt about Ruby’s true identity and when so much money is involved.
To add some more drama, Ruby has had multiple husbands and they’ve all had untimely deaths. Sad coincidences or something more sinister?
Despite the scandal, Ruby is able to go on with her life and she even adopts a son, Camden. And you guessed it, the rest of the family doesn’t have warm feelings for him either. Especially because he inherits all her money including the mansion. Camden wants nothing to do with that family, the mansion, or the money but he’s lured back under the premise that things need fixing there.
Cam doesn’t want to go back but his wife, Jules sure does. They live a modest life back home in Colorado and Jules imagines herself Queen of that castle. They have a lovely marriage but with a mansion like that, Jules envisions more for them.
You can imagine, that the trip back “home” doesn’t go so well. Lots of high stakes drama.
This book was more of a family drama with a splash of suspense to me. I was invested in it. A lot of unlikable characters but the story unravels in an intriguing way. It wasn’t the most fantastic read ever for me but it was a pretty solid, enjoyable read.

Rachel Hawkins delivers another brilliant book. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the two points of view between husband and wife and the matriarch through her letters. I love when I can get something out of a book like seeing how two people can view having money. Some think it’s the answer to all problems and don’t get when people complain about it. But having money can come with its own set of expectations and issues as we see here. You’re left feeling something for the couple and I was rooting for them through the story.

What a fun read! None of the characters are entirely sympathetic but I still got wrapped up in their secrets and lies.

Camden, the adopted son of a wealthy four-times over widow, returns home to the estate he inherited, after a lengthy absence, to settle things once and for all with his aunt and cousins. The story alternates between his perspective, that if his wife, and intriguing letters written by his adopted mother, Ruby, in which she comes clean about her four husbands.

The story delves back and forth into the past, exploring the life of Ruby, marked by a kidnapping in childhood and the early deaths of her four husbands, and the present-day of Camden and his wife, Jules, who, once back at Blue Ridge mountains, uncover the family secrets and face the jealousy and wicked games that Camden had left behind, in order to live a quiet life.

A perfect summertime reading!

great book wow. recommend having nothing else to do but read for a day or 2. the character development was great as as well as the plot.

I want to preface this by saying I really like Rachel Hawkins books and may be biased but this was another great ready by her!

Family drama, secrets and betrayal abound in this thriller set in a creepy mansion. Cam left his lavish life behind to start a new life in California. He marries Jules and he thinks he's left it all behind, but then a death in the family pulls him right back into what he left behind. Jules and Cam head back to his family home to find that not much has changed with the dysfunctional people that inhabit the home. The walls of the mansion hold so much and family secrets are slowly revealed in a series of letters that Cam's mother wrote a decade before her passing. Jules also falls in love with the mansion and wants to stay but knows she can't remain with the other family member still living there and she knows she'll have to figure that out so she can become the lady of the house.

The book is told from multiple points of view (which I love) including letters from a character who's already passed away when the book starts. I loved the different perspectives that each character gave from their view and the secrets from the past revealed in the letters. There were several plots twists that I didn't see coming and felt myself wanting to keep reading so I could see what would happen next. Some twists were more obvious than others but most completely shocked me and I didn't see them coming. The ending was just perfect and I'd highly recommend this book!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I LOVED The Heiress! Ruby McTavish has left quite a legacy and a trail of unhappy family members after her death. 10 years after her passing, her prodigal son and his wife have returned to deal with the estate and his greedy, vindictive family. I loved the three points of view—Ruby, Jules and Cam. This family can only be described as TOXIC! The extended family, Ben, Libby and Nana Nelle were a trip and I give credit to Cam for even staying one night in that house with them around.
I loved how the story unfolded and how each character gave us a piece of the puzzle until we learned the whole truth or rather truths because there’s multiple secrets here. Ruby had tragedy follow her from three years old, yet when a pattern develops, it’s only natural to wonder if that may have been a bit self-inflicted. Cam, unwillingly, became a pawn when he was adopted into this dysfunction and then made the sole heir of Ruby’s home and fortune.You know the old saying—sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me, well that is the opposite in this book! Words do hurt and man you are going to pay the price for them at one point or another! I found the pace quick and I was highly addicted. Who wouldn’t want to stay in the gorgeous Ashby house located in the beautiful North Carolina mountains? Cam couldn’t run away fast enough from the memories it held and Jules was determined to plant her feet firmly in the soil and stake her claim. It all comes down to how much one is willing to deal with or deal out for a life of luxury. Secret secrets are no fun, secret secrets hurt someone—they absolutely do!
Highly recommend!!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

No, "The Heiress" is not a retelling of the 1947 play or the 1949 film adaptation.

"The Heiress" by Rachel Hawkins is a gripping mystery set in the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina. Camden and his wife Jules return to Tavistock to settle affairs at Ashby House, where Camden is the sole heir. Jules is enchanted by the mansion and dreams of living there, but secrets and jealousy threaten to turn their dreams into nightmares. The story is told from different perspectives, with Jules directly speaking to the reader. The novel explores the question of whether anyone is truly good or bad. Overall, "The Heiress" is a suspenseful read that will leave readers pondering long after finishing it.

Rachel has done it AGAIN! But I’m not surprised- the last 2 books I’ve read plus this are gold stars. Like thrillers? Want something different? Pick this one up!

Thank you NetGalley for an arc in exchange of an honest review!

I was super excited to receive this ARC as I had just finished Reckless Girls a few days before.

Quick. Easy. Suspenseful.

I wasn’t so sure how I felt about the MCs Camden and Jules. Jules sounded a little crazy and Camden just seemed to be a little spoiled but started to like them both as the story progressed.

I really enjoyed the letters written by Ruby woven throughout the book. Helped me understand her and the reasoning behind Camden’s decisions to leave.

In true Rachel Hawkins fashion, you’ll think you know what happens until the twist at the end.

Rachel Hawkins is someone who i automatically add anything she writes to my TBR pile. She always has unique and interesting characters and 'The Heiress' did not disappoint. Great mystery, and a lovely ending.

"the heiress" starts slow, but boy does it ramp up fast.

jules and cam are married, living a simple life. but cam has a family he has tried to run away from for as long as he can remember. ruby, the matriarch, rich as can be, was a stunning heiress in her day. when she passes away, she leaves her estate to cam who must go home to claim it. but the other family members are not so pleasant to handle.

this is a fun novel. it's a quick read, full of twists and turns. stick with it, because the payoff at the end is worth it. ruby is a woman you can't help but love, despite the darkness within her. she was captivating, even in death.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Cam McTavish wants to do ANYTHING but drive back to Ashby House in North Carolina with his wife, Jules. He is happy living in Colorado as a boring English teacher. But, when his mother, Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, Cam is summoned back to his house where he grew up as an adopted son. He left secrets behind he no longer wants to revisit. Not to mention that he doesn’t get along well with the rest of the McTavish family.
What secrets will be uncovered on his return? Cam has secrets; his cousins, Ben and Libby, have secrets. Ruby certainly had secrets; and even Jules has some secrets she has been hiding.
The story is told in the present with Cam and Jule McTavish’s trip back to Ashby house and is also told by letters from his mother, Ruby, telling of her four husbands and her life as a McTavish.
The twists and turns kept coming throughout the whole book – the secrets and lies that EVERYONE had!
I read this book in one day – couldn’t put it down. Rachel Hawkins has done it again – can’t wait to see what she writes next. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers!

This book was interesting enough but I was hoping for a little more excitement in the plot. I would definitely read more from this author! Thank you for the opportunity to read it!

The Heiress is a twisty family drama, by Rachel Hawkins. The McTavish family has so many things; a mysterious kidnapping, a sprawling mansion, their own town, wealth and influence… but they also have fights, jealousy and a history of untimely deaths. After Camden left the family home, he severed all connections and refused to come home…. but now he is summoned home with his eager new wife Jules in tow. But what will he find, that time has healed his wounds or that there are even more secrets? I thoroughly enjoyed this latest book by Rachel Hawkins and recommend this book. I received an ARC, but all opinions are my own.

Revenge, love, murder and jealousy are the common threads weaved throughout this story. The story of Ruby McTavish, ultra wealthy socialite who always gets her way. Camden McTavish her adopted prodigal son, who wants nothing to do with his crazy McTavish clan, is forced to return home and take care of some family business. Cam travels with his seemingly innocent wife of ten years, Jules, to his stunning childhood home. From here the plot takes many twists and turns as various narrators take turns explaining Ruby’s engrossing life and legacy.

Ashby House, the family’s crowned jewel, is nestled in the rolling green hills of North Carolina and it’s where the McTavish clan have dominated for a generation. The house and it’s property are the home of many of the family’s deepest secrets. As the tale is told, these secrets are systematically revealed to the reader; chronicling Ruby’s kidnapping at age 3, to the suspicious deaths of all four of her husbands and more.

The story compels the reader to wonder “nature or nurture?” Is it nature or nurture that creates an individual capable of evil? The reader will question right from wrong, how much “truth” should be shared with your partner, and how will Cam and Jules relationship be unscathed after all they endure?

I really enjoyed this digital ARC of The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins. Thank you Net Galley and St Martin’s Press. Be sure to check out this mystery for yourself 1/9/24, The Heiress’s official release date. You won’t be sorry!

This is my 3rd Rachel Hawkins read and once again I was totally absorbed from the start with her latest, " The Heiress." This story is about of a family inheritance and its' beneficiaries. Families are messy to begin with but adding the cocktail of generational wealth at your fingertips can be toxic and then some. Almost everyone is so hungry for the money and/or happiness that they will go after it no matter than consequences or cost. I liked how there were multiple points of views and the story is told in present and past time. Numerous twists will keep you going. Thank you #Netgalley and #stmartinspress for an advanced copy of this enthralling new novel by #RachaelHawkins