Book review ⬇️ 📚

ARC COPY! Thanks to @netgalley
and @stmartinspress for the ARC.

The Heiress - Rachel Hawkins (@ladyhawkins)
Genre: Thriller / Mystery
Read on E-book
Pub date: Jan 9th 2024
🌟🌟🌟🌟

Synopsis :
When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she’s not only North Carolina’s richest woman, she’s also its most notorious. The victim of a famous kidnapping as a child and a widow four times over, Ruby ruled the tiny town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family’s estate high in the Blue Ridge mountains. In the aftermath of her death, that estate―along with a nine-figure fortune and the complicated legacy of being a McTavish―pass to her adopted son, Camden.

But to everyone’s surprise, Cam wants little to do with the house or the money―and even less to do with the surviving McTavishes. Instead, he rejects his inheritance, settling into a normal life as an English teacher in Colorado and marrying Jules, a woman just as eager to escape her own messy past.

Ten years later, Camden is a McTavish in name only, but a summons in the wake of his uncle’s death brings him and Jules back into the family fold at Ashby House. Its views are just as stunning as ever, its rooms just as elegant, but coming home reminds Cam why he was so quick to leave in the first place.

Jules, however, has other ideas, and the more she learns about Cam’s estranged family―and the twisted secrets they keep―the more determined she is for her husband to claim everything Ruby once intended for him to have.

But Ruby’s plans were always more complicated than they appeared. As Ashby House tightens its grip on Jules and Camden, questions about the infamous heiress come to light. Was there any truth to the persistent rumors following her disappearance as a girl? What really happened to those four husbands, who all died under mysterious circumstances? And why did she adopt Cam in the first place? Soon, Jules and Cam realize that an inheritance can entail far more than what’s written in a will––and that the bonds of family stretch far beyond the grave.

My review ➡️
Overall, this book was a good one! I enjoyed it for the majority. The beginning of the book was a bit slow but it really picked up at around 70%. I found that some parts were a bit difficult to understand and I had a hard time following.

The twists were surprising and I didn't see them coming at all. I particularly loved the letter that Ruby wrote.

I didn't really like this, but something kept compelling me to go forward. I think it was that I kept hoping that I would care about the characters more, or that The Big Reveal would feel satisfying. This is very much a gothic novel (which I take is the author's current specialty, having read her last three) and I do appreciate that part, but it doesn't feel fully formed. There's both too much going on and not enough fleshed out, if that makes sense.

Ruby McTavish is North Carolina's richest and most notorious woman. With this title comes a checkered past and horrific family. Her pride and joy is her adopted son, Camden. Camden's mission is to escape his toxic family and start a life of his own. However, when Camden and his wife, Jules, return to the McTavish estate, they are roped right back into the toxicity of the McTavish family and their estranged ways.

The Heiress is a quick and suspenseful read. The McTavish family is one you will love to hate. Ruby's character has a lot of depth, and her twisted love for her adopted son keeps you guessing to the very end.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this suspenseful and enjoyable book.

Bravo!!!! A masterpiece of storytelling full of secrets and lies. Twists and turns from the three main characters, Ruby, Camden and Jules. Loved how the characters are speaking to us the reader directly. Reminiscent of film noir and classics like Jane Eyre and Rebecca. Please someone in Hollywood make this into a movie.

Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read in exchange for honest opinion.

4.5 rounded up
Well developed characters, some quite unlikable. Good story with twists. Excellent use of multiple POV. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

I Absolutely loved this book. By far my favorite from this author. It had quite a few twists that surprised me. I really liked the reference to The Villa which i really liked that book also. Rachel Hawkins is an auto buy author for me. Her books just keep getting better 5/5 stars for this one

4.25- 4.5 stars! This was a lot of fun. Complicated family drama with plenty of suspense. Had me completely engaged racing to finish. Had many elements that I enjoy in a suspense/mystery novel: rich people behaving badly, potentially unreliable narrator(s), creepy old house, mixed media presentation and lots of secrets..
Told primarily through three POV: Cam, Jules and Ruby. Intermixed with the POV are newspaper and magazine articles about the McTavish family
Ruby goes missing as a toddler but is eventually found. But is the little girl really Ruby? Ruby’s disappearance impacted her relationships with her parents and sister and ultimately who she became as an adult.
Very early in the book the definition of a changeling was presented which made me wonder if this would have a supernatural element. I was pleased that it did not. This definition was used to help create doubt about Ruby’s disappearance.

Cam and Jules perspectives are given through real time narrative. Ruby’s story is told through letters she writes to a mysterious person. Ruby’s back story was very unexpected. She was a much darker character than I originally thought. The use of letters to tell her story worked really well.

Cam left the family home and never looked back. He has no intention of keeping the house or the inheritance.
Jules is happily married to Cam but has some secrets and hidden motivations. When Cam is asked to come back to the family home to help with repairs and sort out inheritance issues, Jules hopes to encourage him to stay at Ashby house.

The remaining family relatives at Ashby House do NOT like Cam and have every intention of finding a way to get the money they need and get rid of him. Relatives I am glad are not mine.

The alternating POV, letters, emails and articles tied made this a fast read. The format enhanced the suspense and kept me guessing. Definitely did not see all of the twists and secrets that were revealed.

highly recommend to mystery and suspense readers! Loved it!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Heiress is a fast-paced family drama with plenty of mystery, backstabbing, and money-hungry family members.
It's told from three POVs: Rich heiress Ruby (through letters after her death), her adopted son Camden, and his wife Jules. I loved the inclusion of the letters with Ruby's sarcastic tone and the newspaper clippings throughout added a good element to the story. And I really like Hawkins' writing style.
The McTavish's were certainly an entertaining bunch. Camden's cousins are just after the family money. Other characters are keeping secrets as well (of course).
It was somewhat confusing towards the end when the family connections come out.
Overall, a good, twisty family drama.

I don’t think I have ever finished a book so quickly. I couldn’t put it down and had to know what happened in the end. The Heiress is an enthralling masterpiece that masterfully weaves together elements of suspense and mystery, captivating readers from the very first page until the astonishing conclusion. With its well-crafted plot, richly developed characters, and an atmosphere drenched in intrigue, this book stands is a must read if you love the mystery genre.

“Until that moment I had never realized that you could feel someone's voice like a touch.”

“"Promises are like piecrusts, made to be broken."

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

My absolute favorite Rachel Hawkins book to date.

Told from three different POV’s Camden, Ruby, and Jules. A true “gothic” southern family drama. This story will keep you on your toes and guessing until the end. Many twists and turns in true Rachel form. I will say the beginning was a bit slow and weird for me, but once past a couple chapters I was hooked. I devoured this book!

Thank you for St. Martin’s Press and Netgally for the e arc! Publishing date is January 9th, 2024. A must read!

It's what I wanted The Villa to be, but like The Villa it fell a bit short. I adored the "Evelyn Hugo" vibes. This story read like TJR's novel, but with a mystery. What became a bit ridiculous was all the connections at the end. Overall it was a great story. Love the idea of family history and the House of Usher undertones. I think pop culture has conditioned use that changelings are usually an evil imposter, and if you were expecting a novel with this type of fantasy/magic realism, you would be dissatisfied. The way there book starts suggests there's more going on in the woods at Ashby... But that part off the plot falls flat.

There is much left unexplored in this novel, but still better than her last.

Hawkins delivers another great domestic thriller that satisfies everything I want in the genre. Suitably creepy location? Check. In this case, a crumbling Southern gothic mansion. Dysfunctional family? Check. Hidden resentments are revealed and everyone has a motive to kill. An ambiguous death…check.

Recommended.

Things you need to know about me:
1. I loveee a wealthy family drama
2. I love Rachel Hawkins’s writing

This binge-able novel has generational rumors, an estate where EVERYONE has something to hide, multiple timelines featuring a woman with an “unlucky”, haunting past that is writing letters to tell her story?! Trifecta!

This was RIGHT up my alley. I loved hearing Ruby’s story through letters and her sarcastic tone was endearing with such a strong voice. Is Ruby my favorite character I’ve read this year? Very possible…

As with the Villa, I found myself stopping to try to google some of the stories in this novel as if they were real.

Overall an absolute delight!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I am so thankful for this ARC! Rachel Hawkins has done it again. I fell in love with The Villa last year and have been so excited to read the latest! Scandals and family secrets permeate throughout. I love how the entire book is directed at the reader and from the main character’s point of view. Highly recommend! Great read!

Rachel Hawkins has written another great read!. Having inherited her father's fortune, Ruby McTavish is the richest woman in the state of North Carolina, but she has hardly lead a charmed life. At the age of 3 she was lost in the woods or perhaps kidnapped during a family outing. Found 8 months later, she was returned to her family estate of Ashby, She was widowed 4 times and given the nickname "Mrs. Killmore" Unable to bear a child, she adopted a son, Cameren. Upon her death, she bequeathed the fortune and Ashby to to her son.
Cam wanted nothing to do with the estate of the money. He went to California and worked as a bartender, where he met Jules, who would become his wife. They move to Colorado where Cam is a teacher and the live off of the money they make, never touching a cent of the McTavish money. When his uncle dies, Jules convinces Cam it is time to go home to visit and settle things with his family. There they are greeted by Ruby's long disgruntled sister, Nelle and Cameren's cousins, Ben and Lilly.
The story is told through 3 POVs:
Jules, who can from a poor upbringing who sees Ashby as dream life come true, if she can only convince Cam to stay.
Ruby, whose story we learn through letters she wrote to an unknown recipient.
Cam, who wants nothing more than to be rid of the estate that brought nothing but torment to him throughout his life.
Be prepared for the secrets, lies and truths that will astound you as soar through the pages of The Heiress.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book.

This was a lot of fun. I didn't feel like it needed the "twist" of both members of the couple having secrets but I guess it went with the whole "do you ever know who you married" theme of the book.

My only quibble was that I wish we got more in the town that mansion was in. There was just enough---that it was basically a company town and we meet a few locals--that I wanted to know more but then they'd switch back to the letters and the current-day family drama. I think I would have rathered the author left the town stuff out if it wasn't going to be fleshed out more. There was a lot going on and it kind of got dropped.

This is my favorite Rachel Hawkins book yet! I loved the way the book was structured with chapters from different perspectives, letters, and news articles. The mix of mediums within the story made it feel like the book flew by while reading it. I found that this story had some twists and secrets that were relatively easy to pinpoint but I loved the unexpected twists that were revealed as the story went on.

Jules and Ruby were fantastic characters and I loved reading from their perspectives. Each characters POV had a distinct voice and it was easy to follow the story. I would recommend this to thriller or mystery readers who are looking for a captivating read that doesn't rely on gore or horror.

I was so excited for this ARC!
I really like Rachel Hawkins and especially loved Reckless Girls so I anxiously waited to see if I would get this one.
This book was twisty, full of secrets and a creepy isolated mansion. It was exactly what I wanted from a book.
It entertained me and kept me fully engaged the whole time. There were a few parts where the dialogue felt clunky, but I enjoyed this book otherwise.
If you love an unreliable narrator, a feisty woman and uncovering family secrets this one is for you.
Look for it January 2024.
received an advanced reader copy from NetGalley in return for my honest opinion.

Like Rachel Hawkins' other books, I think this will be popular! I didn't quite enjoy it as much as some of her other books, mainly because I pretty quickly figured all the things out, but I read it in a matter of hours none-the-less. Definitely will be recommending to the mystery/thriller crowd, which seems to be growing by the day.

This is now my favorite Rachel Hawkins book! it was an intriguing with a mix of expected and unexpected turns. She gave us a wonderful mystery without relying on being creepy or scary to be interesting.