THE HEIRESS is Rachel Hawkins' best yet. While it is a bit more character driven than her other novels with lots of inner thoughts, there's a healthy amount of secrets that lie in wait to reveal themselves in perfect timing. The setting was so much fun and from page one you will already start guessing who is hiding what.

My favorite part was the letters from Ruby scattered throughout the story. Confessions, raw truth, and something not quite right about who they are for. Hawkins leaves you with one big question by the end: Does the truth need to be said if you already know it?

Nearly every character is deliciously greedy and clever, and when you put them all under one roof...It's only a matter of time before everything comes crashing down.

***Full Review at tayarunsandreads.com

I think this was one of my favorites that Hawkins has written! There was enough suspense, but nothing that was too dark that had me too creeped out to go to bed at night. I would categorize this as a family drama.

I had to slow down on the ending to make sure I was truly grasping how it all tied together. I also appreciated that it didn't end with everything tied up perfectly. I would recommend this as a read!

Trigger warnings: missing toddler (I am VERY sensitive to this topic and was able to get through this if that helps with how triggering it is), death of spouse

With your heart in your throat, this is a story that kept on giving, right to the end. There are mysteries, and yes, they unfold, and most you won't see coming!
Talk about double lives, and getting away with murder, and you won't want to be in the same house with most of these characters! Being born with the silver spoon, or adopted into it, and then the rest of the family!
A missing child, a found child, but the right one? A new marriage, a dead husband, then a new marriage, an angry sister, and her family, but does money buy happiness? Didn't seem to me that it did, but you will have to judge for yourself. Warning this is a page turner, and it will keep you up late, you will be looking for answers!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher St. Martin's Press, and was not required to give a positive review.

The Heiress is an enthralling and highly captivating mystery thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats towards the end. The novel intertwines psychological intrigue, dark family secrets, and an unexpected twists that will leave readers astonished. The author's writing style is compelling and intimate, allowing readers to feel immersed in the dark and eerie atmosphere surrounding the family estate. I loved how it switched from different points of view and the written letters. I literally couldn’t put it down until I finished!
I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital reviewer copy of this brilliant read in exchange for my honest review.

Ahhh this book was so ADDICTING! Seriously, I read it in less than a day (and it was workday!). We get the best family drama, an amazing mansion in the woods backdrop, and dual POV with letters from the past - one of my favorite tropes in a thriller. I can't wait for this book to come out and hear everyones thoughts!

(Will not be reviewing publicly)
Cam as a character was interesting to follow as his intentions and morality were never quite clear. His true relationship with Ruby is what kept me engaged with the book. I predicted the Jules' twisted motivations fairly early, and her being a plant by Ruby. Her being a Darnell was an extra twist I didn't expect.

The theme I imagine this book is trying to explore is the definition of family and family obligation. You can feel that turmoil in Ruby's letters and the reveal of the recipient being an actual family member was interesting. I'm afraid by hiding Ben and Libby's points of view and/ or depriving them of direct character exploration, they are painted as one-sided baddies. I almost feel like one of them could be cut and there would be no consequence. Libby's sole purpose is that she might have hooked up with Cam in a fuzzy consent kind of way? And that Cam is kinda okay with hooking up with people he's kinda related to, including Jules? Unnecessary. The foreshadowing of the boutique article could be accomplished with a human interest story on Ben. And that could show another side of Ben that is either public perception or a softer side.

I was super excited to read The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins as I have really enjoyed her other books. This one takes place in one of my favorite places, the mountains of North Caroline. A story of how money can rip a family apart , it was a gripping tale of love, greed, and family secrets. While I thought the beginning was a bit slow, it picked up with some great surprises at the end

Obsessed wow! My favorite of Hawkins! The two narrators were perfect first person accounts, and I love show it sounded like they were their inner monologues. There were so many twists and several I didn’t see coming. Really enjoyed the Evelyn Hugo vibes with the wealthy women spilling her confessions. Silly recommend to everyone!

Rich in-laws, a gorgeous estate and a mysterious woman with a deadly past. This story is told from multiple perspectives, one of which is in the form of letters. Dark, twisty and a total page turner — I didn’t want to put this one down until I had all the answers.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book drew me in quickly. I wanted to know ALL the secrets of the McTavish family. There was suspense throughout, and the ending seemed just right. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars.

The Heiress is a book that follows Camden and his wife Jules. We learn about his extravagant upbringing and how he fled because of the toxicity. We also see the story through news articles and letters from his adoptive mother, Ruby.

This book has so many plots on different timelines, and this author did it well. I’ve tried reading from Hawkins before, but the subject matter wasn’t for me (Reckless Girls). This book? Amazing. It’ll stay with me for a while.

I loved Cam and Jules. The ending is what bumped the book from four stars to five. The pages went by so fast because I couldn’t stop reading. Before I knew it, it was over.

I only had a couple of issues. The news articles didn’t read like articles to me, which is fine. Ruby’s letters said “darling” about 3,000 times. They also didn’t read much like letters. They read like the rest of the book with “darlings” thrown in.

The dual perspectives for Cam and Jules were written perfectly. I could tell whose chapter I was reading just by the writing style.

I’d recommend this book. I’d also read it again.

I love the way Rachel leaves her readers wondering. If her novel, The Wife Upstairs, we are left wondering what really happened to the antagonist. Is what the wife upstairs sharing true? Is what he said true? Is he alive?

In The Heiress, it ends the same way. Jules and Cam have to go back to Cam's childhood home to tie up some loose ends. He hasn't been back in years and there are very specific reasons why. With Cam's secrets come Jules' secrets as well. Jules is the main character of this story even though Cam and even Ruby seem to be at first.

I did not like the different narrative perspectives. I understand why they are necessary in the book and without them I probably would be saying I wanted them, lol. But, I think it took away from the book. I think they entire thing should've been from Cam's point of view with Ruby's letters, and then find out the epilogue about Jules.

I critique the books I read on characters, plot, pace, and enjoyment. I think the characters are good. I could personally picture each character in my mind; I actually could cast a movie with how clearly I could see them! The plot was okay. I think it could've been a little more concrete, like I mentioned above, but it was definitely different from anything I've ever read! The pace was a little more dragged out than I would've hoped. There wasn't a ton of fluff but I do think some could be taken out and it wouldn't change anything. Lastly, the enjoyment aspect, I really liked it. I read it in 3 days, and it could've been 2! I read it on the Kindle App and would recommend this way to anyone looking to read it! I love the cover of the book so I will probably still buy it to have on my bookshelf.

Ruby McTavish is famous, some would even say infamous, for the fact that she went missing when she was just 3 years old in the mountains behind her family home, Ashby House (the family is rich enough to basically own the whole town in which the house is located). She was found 8 months later living with a poor family who were accused of kidnapping her, and Ruby would grow up being the subject of gossip for the kidnapping as well as for having 4 husbands die on her. When she dies, she leaves her entire fortune to her adopted son, Cam, who wants nothing to do with it since it comes with strings, namely Ruby's hateful biological family, who deeply resent Cam's very existence in their lives. He moves across the country just to get away from them, where he meets Jules, who he marries and builds a life with. When his uncle, Ruby's son, dies, Ben's cousin sends him an email asking him to come home just long enough to check out some major repairs needed on the house, and cut the check to pay for them. Ben has been gone for 10 years, during which time he hasn't touched his inheritance at all, and he doesn't really want to go, but Jules is so excited to see where he grew up, he agrees to the trip. Unbeknownst to him, Jules has checked out the house on social media and has decided that once they get there, they are going to kick his family out and live there themselves.

I enjoyed this book so much! It was told from multiple points of view, including Ruby's, which was a very interesting way to give us her backstory. The characters were well written and the pacing was spot on. The story took many, many twists and turns - just when you think you know what's going on, bam!, another twist! The ending was a complete surprise, which is always a good thing.

All in all, I loved this book very much and highly recommend it!

5/5 stars.

*** I would like to thank NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Rachel Hawkins for the opportunity to read and review this book.,

Ruby McTavish is infamous. Her whole life surrounded by scandal. As a child she was kidnapped, then followed a string of dead husbands.

In true Ruby fashion she leaves her fortune to her adopted son Cameron. Cameron might have grown up in the McTavish house but he is far from being a member of the family. Determined to make it on his own, he moves to CA and gets a job and falls in love.

Jules is Cameron's wife and when she hears Cameron's uncle has passed she encourages him to return home, to Ashby House.

I enjoyed this book. The story was interesting and kept you wondering what was going on.

“The Heiress” is an interesting title because at first I was certain who it was alluding to but I was sadly mistaken. It didn’t take me long, though, to realize that another character was scheming to have it all. The story of Cam’s mother, Ruby, was rich with gossip including some mysterious letters sent to an unknown recipient. As time on this earth was slipping by for Ruby she decided to come clean about her many dirty deeds which made this correspondence scandalous and priceless. These letters play an important part in the book because once all the secrets were revealed, we had a clearer picture as to why Cam and Jules were really there. Everyone in “The Heiress” was related in some way but one character's connection to the past took me completely by surprise. The twists and turns had me guessing until I read the shocking ending, which I found to be diabolical and disturbing. Ms. Hawkins’ storyline was intriguing as well as frightening, and I am so glad I didn’t finish reading her book in the dark of night.

this book is about a man and his wife coming home to see about his inheritance. it has lots of twists and turns. very good read.

What would you do to live in the most magnificent mansion on the east coast? That’s the question that Jules is faced with after learning about her husband’s estranged family. Unless she already understood….

Hawkins takes you on a journey into a family’s past. Told in alternating views along with flashback letters you get an all-around understanding of what this family is like, but still with mystery to be solved. Cam is not happy about having to come back to his family home after 10 years of staying away, and it doesn’t take long to realize why once he is back in the McTavish mansion. In this family drama you will see how far a family will go to keep their name on top.

I had a hard time getting into this one for the first 60-65% of the book, but then it takes a turn and kept me reading. I felt like it was a slow burn at first, but in the end it wrapped up well. I wouldn’t necessarily call this a mystery/thriller but more of a family drama with some questionable characters and maybe even a little revenge.

A special thank you to Rachel Hawkins, St Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for this advanced copy of The Heiress.

I thought I was good at keeping secrets, but the characters in The Heiress know how to take them to their graves!

Jules Brewster is finally going to get a chance to see her husband Camden’s famous family home, Ashby House, which was left to him by his even more famous mother, Ruby McTavish. As they leave their modest life in Colorado behind to take care of the estate, Jules and Cam become unwillingly swept up in the McTavish family drama. While Camden wants to leave the drama–and the entire estate–far behind him, Jules realizes that she wants to fight for Camden’s inheritance–a fight that threatens to leave death and destruction in its wake.

Told from the perspectives of Jules, Camden, and Ruby (in the form of letters written before her death), The Heiress proved to be a novel that was difficult to put down. I thought the pacing was really good, and the three perspectives really built off of each other and maintained suspense. I generally liked all three characters’ chapters equally well, which isn’t always the case. There were some twists, but nothing too surprising or shocking, and indeed I didn’t rate it five stars because I thought the book was a bit predictable. Overall, a great book and I had a lot of fun reading it!

What a fun wild ride of a book! Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this thriller!
I was already a huge fan of Rachel Hawkins and once again she did not disappoint!
After North Carolina's most richest and notorious women dies and leaves everything to her adoptive son Cam, Cam shockingly doesn't want anything to do with his inheritance or house that was left to him. However, after ten years Cam and his wife Jules finally move into the house and discover a long line of mysteries and shocking secrets.
This was such a fun book! It kept me on the edge of my seat and guessing the entire time! It was very suspenseful and fast-paced. I flew through this book! It was such a great summer thriller! I loved it! I can't recommend it enough!

This was wildly good! With dual POVS, newspaper clips, letters and oh the twists. Talk about some family drama! Releases January 9th, 2024. You’ll want to pick this one up and then you won’t be able to put it down!!

Thank you net galley and author Rachel Hawkins for providing me with the e-ARC of this book!