More twists and turns than a race track! I could not figure out the plot until the very end! The life of Heiress, Ruby McTavish, was well told, mysterious, and strangely satisfying to read. From kidnapping to adoption, blackmail to lies upon lies, this story had me from beginning to end!

An amazing suspense that you won’t be able to put down. This story is told through three point of views. Ruby, the matriarch. Camden, the one with the inheritance and Jules his wife. Mystery, family drama and enough plot twists to keep keep you guessing.
Highly recommend this one.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, St. Martin’s Press and the author.
Publication date is January 9, 2024.

My new favorite Rachel Hawkins book! There was something about The Heiress that felt very contained and sure of itself. It's hard to explain but I feel like this book leaned into it's twists without going TOO hard or leaving too many hints.

The Heiress is about Jules, her husband, Camden, and Camden's adopted mother, Ruby McTavish. Ruby passed away 10 years ago and left her vast fortune to Camden, and now Camden has to come home to a huge mansion in the NC mountains. Cam's family still lives in the manse and feel entittled to the fortune. Jules, Cam, and Ruby are the narrators- Ruby's is in the form of letters and her voice is FLAWLESS. She jumps off the page and was the real standout to me.

I can't say much (no spoilers!) but this was fun? and breezy? and dark? I loved it! Thank you to Rachel Hawkins, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for the early read.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a story of a young man who turns his back on his palatial family estate in North Carolina that he inherited from his mother, Ruby, until he is called back by his cousins to address the issues with the house. He travels back to spend a few weeks fixing things up, along with his wife, Jules, who has designs to live in the house forever. The story is told with alternative viewpoints: Cam, Jules, his mother Ruby (via letters she left for Cam) and newspaper articles that describe the goings-on at Tavistock. This is one of those books where there's a bit of menace on every page, and I kept getting pulled in to read one more chapter to see what would happen next. It's well written and the characters are interesting (the reader peels back layer after layer with each successive chapter). I recommend it!

A very entertaining mystery with a great many twists and turns I didn’t expect. I don’t want to say anything about the plot but the characters are well-developed and very interesting, and the setting is atmospheric. Highly recommended to fans of Daphne Du Maurier and her successors.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC.

Suspenseful without being too scary, this felt like the perfect kind of thriller for me! I loved the dual timeline unfolding along with the modern story & found this one to be really enjoyable. I was hooked the whole time!

The Heiress is a suspenseful novel about the live and death of Ruby McTavish, the heiress to a large fortune and manor in North Carolina. Jules has married Ruby’s adopted son, Camden, and they have gone back to the manor he inherited to tie up some loose ends. Throughout the story, we not only learn about Camden’s complicated history with his mother and other relations but also see flashbacks of the major events in Ruby’s life and marriages, showing how she chose to try to make things right in her own way.

I loved this book. It was told from three perspectives: Jules, Camden, and Ruby. I thought that may get distracting or confusing, but as I read, the story sucked me in, and I didn’t want to put it down. I loved learning the complicated pasts of the characters. Although I was able to predict one twist in the story, it in no way impacted my surprise at the the story’s resolution. I would definitely recommend reading this book.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for an advanced copy of The Heiress in exchange for my honest review.

“You can put miles and mountains between you and home, but eventually home will call you back.”

What a great read!

I was nervous after not enjoying The Villa as much as I’d have liked but this compelling gothic tale with great characters held my attention and kept my fingers feverishly turning pages…well into the night.

It has been said that life is about making an impact, not making an income. You’ll have to read about one family who attempted both and succeeded … well, a negative impact, but along the way, proved that money doesn’t always make one wealthier, either.

In short: an infamous heiress leaves a large and complicated inheritance to a reluctant recipient

Ruby McTavish is a great character. Most of what we learn about her is through letters. I don’t normally like this format, but Hawkins was able to keep my interest. Ruby’s not only a master manipulator, but she’s also an heiress to the McTavish fortune. Ruby has been widowed four times; each of her husbands has died a mysterious death, earning her the nickname ‘Mrs. Killmore’. Her son, Camden, reluctantly inherits the Ashby House estate but wants little to do with the family who beg him to return for the funeral. Cam knows that money is a poor replacement for time spent and certainly doesn’t solve all problems. As is always the case when we’re confronted with the past, Cam has to face some demons he would rather keep buried. Returning with his wife, Jules, unleashes secrets … for many.

The gothic family drama with a side order of ‘rich people behaving badly’ will have you rolling your eyes and emitting evil cackles and gasps!

This will appeal to a wide range of genre lovers, has fantastic tension, great twists, and is shared through three different POVs.

I was gifted this copy by St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is yet another fantastic thriller by one of my favorite authors. I loved getting to know Cameron, the adopted son of (the titular heiress) Ruby, and his wife Jules- who have returned to Ashby House to claim their inheritance (very reluctantly on Cameron's part and not at all reluctantly on Jules' part). There are letters from Ruby and several other family members rounding out the interesting cast. I'm hoping the audiobook will show up on Netgalley because I would LUV to hear these characters too!! Highly recommend!!

This is, by far, Hawkins’ best work to date. The story has you in its grips almost immediately and you simply must know how things play out, what truths are revealed, and how this story will end.

As an adoptive son (and now heir) of an extremely wealthy family, Camden McTavish wants nothing to do with the estate, money, or remaining family members back home in the Blue Ridge Mountains. He’s built a new life on the other side of the country but is eventually called home to handle money matters. This time will be different, however, because he’s bringing his feisty and no-nonsense wife, Jules. As secrets come to light, the family’s destiny seems to be headed towards eminent self-destruction. Who will make it out alive, unscathed, and with their reputation still intact?

The best part about this book was the series of letters penned from Ruby McTavish right before her death. The letters are sprinkled in throughout the book and they are truly a delight to read and keep you intrigued and glued to your seat. The short chapters in different perspectives keep the storyline progressing quickly and make it easily digestible. There is a nice balance of likeable characters as well as horrible ones.

I started this book and immediately couldn’t put it down. I dreamt about the plot twists and the ending because my mind was so engrossed in the story. I had a “book hangover” following the conclusion of this book and wasn’t ready to start another book right away, as I was still reeling from the conclusion. I would recommend this book to all Rachel Hawkins fans, fans of thrillers/mysteries, and readers who enjoy multiple POV chapters throughout books.

I flew through this book in one day - when I wasn’t reading it, I was still thinking about it. This may be my favorite of Rachel Hawkins’s books. I loved the gothic feel and the two stories in one, though I did prefer the narrative of Ruby’s letters - more a reflection of my preferences than anything else. The characters were all unlikeable and untrustworthy but I was still invested in their stories. Even twists I anticipated were executed in ways that kept me surprised. The ending felt a bit rushed but overall I still greatly enjoyed it and the ambiguity.

This book has lots of twists and turns! It seemed odd that the author included the definition of a ‘changeling,’ though, seeing as how there didn’t end up being any folklore/supernatural elements to the story.

One topic the author really wanted us to be left with is a strong dislike of having an obscene amount of money. I already dislike the idea, but I do even more so now.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

This was an amazing book I really enjoyed the twists and turns - did not end up where is thought it would!!

Cam inherited a whole lot when his mom died, including the Ashby house where his aunt and her family live. Cam wants nothing to do with the house, so he moved to Colorado to get away, and send money for upkeep.

Ten years later, Cam is summoned home in the wake of his uncles death. His wife falls in love with the house, but Cam doesn’t see the appeal. When his wife learns that all of this is Cams, she tries to convince him to stay. But the family has other plans. Nothing is as it seems as Ashby house.

Two authors I love wrote new books recently. I have really enjoyed their previous works and consider them auto buy authors. But oh boy, their new books! They are top shelf! They are the best work yest from these authors, and one of them is The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins.

This book drew you in, had you thinking things were one way and then here’s a twist. It was beautiful. And it didn’t just happen once in the book, it was a few times. Just when you think you are starting to figure it out, oh boy, here comes a twist. And the ending on this one. Amazing. Just such a nice way to write an ambiguous ending. I usually preferred a nice clean ending with a boy on top, but this one just worked every which way for me. The writing was superb and top notch. I couldn’t put this one down.

I cannot wait for you to get your hands on this book. It is so good. Pre-Order, order, get it and devour it. You won’t’ be disappointed.

Highly recommend. This book was exactly what I look for in a thriller.

Thank you to the publisher St Martin’s Press, @stmartinspress, and Netgalley @netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 rounded to 5

additional links will be added once posted.

What a crazy ride!! Non stop twist and turns! And the plot thickens with each chapter! I could not put this down!! What a great story!!! So many plot twists!! I am loving Rachel Hawkins more and more with each book I read!

I wasn't 100% sure how to feel going into this one after the Villa because that one fell a bit flat for me. However, I was pretty blown away by this one! Definitely a great comeback for my girl Rachel Hawkins. I loved the "wealthy" aspect to this one. Overall a great read and I highly recommend!

Engaging and twisty, most of the plot is original and just creepy enough. Unfortunately, I did find the ending a bit cliche but enjoyed this read nonetheless.

This was my first book by Rachel Hawkins and I was not disappointed! She's been on my radar but I've been dubious as she seems to churn them out quickly and I have a tendency of equating numbers high in quantity to low quality and I know Hawkins released another book shortly before this one. (or else time just goes by much faster than I realize which is very possible.)

This was part thriller, and part family Saga. This story revolves around a very wealthy family and it's matriarch and all the secrets and shady happenings that have been taking place within this family for generations. It was twisty and scandalous and an absolute page turner. I read through this in two sittings and stayed up late to read this which is always a good sign! I don't always love domestic thrillers but this one was one of the good ones.

This was in 4 star territory from start to finish and I will definitely be checking out Hawkin's backlog.

A huge thank you to #NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book. This was my first Rachel Hawkins (author who wrote The Villa) and I was really impressed with the character development, the clarity of background she gave, and the stylistic choices in the format of the book. The book goes back and forth between different characters, namely, Ruby, Camden, and Jules. The twists in it are shocking and I did not see them coming at all. It is a good "murder in the backyard" kind of a read and it was well done!

Camden McTavish is heading back home with his wife. Jules is so excited to see the beautiful McTavish Asbuy House where her husband grew up. Camden was adopted as a child into the richest family in North Carolina. His mom, Ruby, was famous in the eyes of every North Carolina resident. As a toddler, she had been kidnapped. After being found and returned to her fmaily, Ruby went on to be married four times. Ruby was surrounded by sadness. Every husband died more tragically than the last. Now after Ruby's death, Camden must come back home and deal with Asbuy House and Ruby's estate. Jules is more than happy to help her husband deal with what is left of Ruby's estate but little does she know what is waiting for them as they return back home.
Rachel Hawkins delivers another great story, filled with mystery and suspense with The Heiress. Told from Camden's point of view and Ruby's letters written before her death, the story keeps you guessing and turning the pages long into the night. I loved Hawkins storytelling! This was the book I needed! I have been in a reading rut and I thoroughly loved this book! I will definitely be recommending The Heiress to others and will always be on the lookout for other works by Rachel Hawkins. Special thanks to NetGalley, Rachel Hawkins, and St. Martin's Press for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion. #NetGalley