I was conflicted about my rating of The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins so I had to walk and think through it. Kudos for an inventive, creative, engaging story. I had issues with too many twists and turns to the point it detracted from the plot for me. There was plenty of foreshadowing but some of the twists were late in the novel and were, in total, quite bizarre. That I didn’t want to put it down settled me at the higher rating.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This story played well due to the seamless transition between different points of view (Camden, Jules, Ruby's letters) and various news articles chronically the infamous life of Ruby. I highly enjoyed the pacing of this story and the truly awful family. Some of the plot points were expected but WOW was this an enjoyable book. I wish there was more of Ruby because her letters were like talking to someone talking with a perpetual twinkle in their eye.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

What a perfect, twisty ride! I was sufficiently entertained and surprised throughout the whole book. I read it in one afternoon, just desperate to learn what was going to happen next, The characters were well developed. I loved the dual POV, well three, when you count Ruby's letters. I thought they were expertly placed throughout the novel to keep it moving along well. I will continue to recommend Rachel Hawkins to everyone I know. The Heiress may have become my favorite of hers yet.

Camden McTavish and is wife, Jules, lived a simple life in the Colorado mountains, until the tentacles of his previous life wound around him, forcing him to return to his family estate in North Carolina. His socialite mother,Ruby, bequeathed him Ashby House, and all of the blood sucking relatives that came with it. When Camden was plucked out of an orphanage at an early age, the newspapers dubbed him “the luckiest boy in North Carolina,” The treachery and corruption of the life he had been trying to escape, is revealed slowly, and satisfyingly by the author. Rachel Hawkins is at her best when she takes supposedly ordinary people and unveils their secrets.

I was so excited to read this as I’m a big fan of Rachel Hawkins previous titles but this one fell very flat for me. I found the story to be very disjointed and the pacing was l off. I didn’t find myself eager to keep reading until about 70% through. Once the story did pick up, I found that I had predicted every twist and turn until the very end. Every character was unlikeable and I found that not one of them had a redemption arc for me. I didn’t think that Ruby’s letters added much to the story and I truthfully think there was just way too much going on (the death of the husbands, the kidnapping, the secrets each family member had, Camden’s adoption, etc.) I’m so sad I didn’t enjoy this novel but I look forward to reading any of Rachel’s future works. Though this one was not for me I highly recommend The Villa by her to anyone looking for a fantastic read.

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

Overall, the book was well-written and I enjoyed the formatting of jumping back and forth between perspectives as well as the letters/news clippings. It helped build on the story in a way that simply telling the tale would not have achieved.

I was, however, a little let down on the actual story and the twists and turns I expected to see… I was expecting a thriller (based on previous reads from author) and got maybe a “mystery-lite” at best. This was more just a family drama with a few reveal moments of new twists in the family tree or the past of family members and main characters. I would have expected the ending/big twist to be more than what it actually ended up being. I also felt like there wasn’t as much character building as necessary to help readers truly connect and care about the married main characters. Loved Ruby and her tales of life events through her letters made me admire her even with the wrong doing that occurred, I wish I would have felt as in-depth about Cam or Jules!

I did enjoy that the author chose to break the 4th wall and engage the reader, as if we were sitting together and being told the story!

I got 60 pages into this book and I am really confused and also very bored. I don't believe in reading something just to finish it if I'm not enjoying it then I will not be continuing. Not a book for me. I do like this author however. I wish this book was less confusing and had a more interesting premise. I also don't like the way it's broken down there's letters there's newspaper articles there's different people's povs. Very considering.

Great story line. Very slow moving at times. I prefer books that I hate to pit down. The Heiress was a good read but I was so into it that I couldn’t wait to read the next chapter

I loved this book. If you’re into rich people behaving badly & long-standing family secrets, you will too. The description of the house made me wish I could visit it in real life. The ending was satisfying as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are mine.

Jules has never cared about her husband Camden’s inheritance, despite knowing that his adoptive mother left him a fortune. Until he receives a message from his cousin, summoning him home to settle the family estate. She finally starts to let herself wonder what their lives could be like in the town of Tavistock, NC, where his family has lived as all but royalty for over a century.

But when they arrive, Jules starts to realize just what lengths this family will go to to protect their fortune from Camden, who they view as an outsider. And there are all those rumors about his mother, Ruby, and how each of her four husbands died… she might just be in over her head with this family, but she’s never been one to give in without a fight.

This might be my favorite of Rachel Hawkins is Gothic mysteries/thrillers! It kept me on the edge of my seat, and was just creepy enough without being “put the book in the freezer“ level creepy.

I enjoyed this mystery from Rachel Hawkins. I have read all of her previous adult thrillers and enjoyed this title more than The Villa. It is a quick, light read. It is an interesting family drama concept with enough twists and turns to keep me guessing, The varied perspectives and letters added a lot to the narrative. Thank you for the ARC.

It’s important to note that this is not a thriller, despite that being this author’s mainstay and the setup that makes it sound like it will be an intriguing mystery. It’s neither of these things.

This is largely a family-saga drama, with some mystery elements therein. It’s incredibly slow moving and I was deeply bored. This is, however, one of the few times where an ending actually redeemed a book - and that was certainly the case here. In the end, this felt juvenile (like intended for a YA audience) and just, honestly, too long.

Read the full review and view a recipe that matches the book here: https://bakingthroughbookclub.com/202...

Ruby Ann McTavish (Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore) was kidnapped when she was three years old while on a family picnic. Her dad, one of the wealthiest men in North Carolina, offered the highest reward ever offered for information on her disappearance. Eight months after she disappeared, she was found in Spanish Fort, Alabama, living with the Darnell family. Her kidnapper, Jimmy Darnell, died trying to escape from jail before the trial began.

Ruby’s chaotic childhood was a precursor to her tumultuous adulthood. Ruby married four times, and each husband died a mysterious death. On the surface, it appeared as if all of them had died tragically. Her first husband was shot by intruders. Her second husband was electrocuted. Her third husband battled a chronic illness before he finally passed away. And, finally, her fourth husband drowned while out partying on a boat. Even though each death had a plausible story, Ruby still earned the nickname, “Ms. Kill-More.” Were these deaths truly tragedies, or was something more sinister lurking in the shadows?

Ruby’s account of each death was recorded in a series of letters interspersed between the real story, which follows her adopted son, Camden. Ruby died ten years ago and left her estate, Ashby House, and everything she owns to Camden. However, she also left a stipulation in her will that said that her sister, Nell, nephew, Howell, and great nephew and niece, Ben and Libby, could continue to live at Ashby House indefinitely. The rest of the McTavishes are selfish, terrible people who made Camden’s life miserable, so he wanted nothing to do with Ashby House upon Ruby’s death. Even his relationship with Ruby was interesting. He had respect for her, but Ruby was never a warm, caring mother.

Howell, Ruby’s nephew, is an alcoholic who finally wraps his car around a tree one night. When Howell dies, Ben writes Camden a letter begging him to come home and handle the estate once and for all. His wife, Jules, is excited to see this legendary house in all of its glory. Camden agrees to go and soon discovers that all of the McTavishes have hidden secrets…including Jules.

The Heiress is one of those books where the reader is constantly switching back and forth between different characters and storylines. Even though a lot was going on, I never found myself bored or confused. There wasn't a single character that made me think, "Ugh, I'm so tired of this person's story." The book brilliantly wove together in the end, and I love how every single storyline felt complete. I hate when books containing multiple perspectives don't wrap up each character's tale and leave the reader hanging.

I’ve heard grumblings from other thriller lovers that Hawkin’s last two books, Reckless Girls and The Villa, weren’t as good as The Wife Upstairs. I liked The Villa, so I don't agree with those opinions (You can read my review of The Villa at https://bakingthroughbookclub.com/202...). However, I believe that The Heiress might battle The Wife Upstairs for my favorite Rachel Hawkins book. I’d love to hear what you think!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Heiress
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

If you want a mystery/“light” thriller, this is your book. Written in such an interesting and captivating way, you get the point of view from multiple people throughout the book. Right when I thought the ending was going to be “eh,” she threw one last twist in there. Big fan of Rachel Hawkins and I felt like this was one of her better books in my opinion. I could see where you can easily read this in a day.

First of all thank you Net Galley and St.Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

This is very much a slow burn thriller that’s filled with unlikeable characters. I found the first half of this book very slow. It was hard to get into, but it’s not a bad book. Personally, I’m just not a fan of slow burns. On the other hand, these unlikeable characters did have my attention and I wanted to know the secrets that they kept. I really like that we can read from Ruby’s POV. That’s probably my favorite chapters of the book. Ruby’s story had my attention the most. I truly didn’t care for the other main characters. As usual, Rachel Hawkins is going to give you a plot that has a lot of twists and turns. That’s what I love most about her writing. I think fans of family drama with some thrill will like this book.

Prepare to be engrossed in an enthralling narrative that immerses you in a world of relentless suspense and family turmoil. This fast-paced thriller/drama delves into the lives of a family facing a seemingly unending string of misfortunes that leave them reeling. Secrets, temptations, and shocking revelations abound, keeping you on the edge of your seat as you eagerly delve deeper into the gripping plot.

What sets this novel apart is its clever use of dual timelines, which allows the story to unfold in a captivating and unique way. Alongside the main narrative, intimate and heartfelt letters are skillfully interwoven, lending an extra layer of depth and emotion to the characters' experiences. You'll find yourself emotionally connected to the protagonists, sharing in their joys and sorrows through the heartfelt correspondence.

The beauty of the dual timelines lies in how they effortlessly bridge the gap between the past and the present. As you journey through the pages, you'll witness the invisible connections that link the characters across generations, gradually unearthing the family's enigmatic history. Each revelation in the past illuminates the challenges the family faces in the present, keeping you captivated by the intricate tapestry of their lives.

Throughout the story, the author expertly sprinkles unexpected twists and turns, leaving you on tenterhooks and eagerly anticipating what comes next. As you try to predict the outcome, the plot throws surprises your way, showcasing the author's brilliant storytelling prowess.

At the heart of the narrative lies a series of murders that send shockwaves through the family and the readers alike. Unraveling the truth behind these heinous acts becomes a quest for answers, driving the suspense to new heights as you piece together the puzzle.

The characters in this gripping novel are both flawed and intriguing, each grappling with their own temptations and dark secrets. You'll find yourself entangled in their emotions, torn between empathy and curiosity as they confront their demons.

The emotional rollercoaster doesn't stop there, as the family's relationships are put to the test, and loyalty is questioned. The dynamics between the characters are riveting, making you care deeply about their fates and yearn for a glimmer of hope amid the chaos.

As you progress through this extraordinary tale, you'll be swept away by the power of the written word. The letters, in particular, offer a profound insight into the characters' innermost thoughts, evoking empathy and understanding, while also leaving space for mystery and intrigue.

In the end, this captivating thriller/drama leaves an indelible mark on your mind, lingering long after you turn the final page. The intricacies of the plot, the emotionally charged moments, and the well-crafted characters all contribute to an unforgettable literary experience that will stay with you, tempting you to revisit the world the author has skillfully created.

I really enjoyed this book! I really enjoyed the story as told by Ruby’s letters. There really wasn’t much more than family drama going on in the present day storyline but I felt like the back and forth perspectives made the story flow well. This book was ultimately about a family rooted in secrets.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC

Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this book before it’s publishing date. This was very much a slow burn with multiple characters and POVs, as well as different timelines. It took me a while to get used to the characters and get into the story but it was interesting nonetheless. If you’re in the mood for a slow burn with lots of family drama, this one is for you. I’m rating it a 3.5 for me.

Rachel Hawkins does it again and has quickly become a go-to author for me! I loved this book and couldn’t put it down. I loved the different POVs, the story, how everything connected. SO SO GOOD!

I enjoyed the mystery and intrigue behind Ruby’s life and the mansion. But the back story that came to life about Jules and Cam was predictable and not very exciting. It was a fast read but not memorable for me in the end.