I have become a big fan of Rachel Hawkins' novels. The Heiress did not disappoint. It is a fast-paced thriller that, if you allow it, will dominate an entire day. This page-turner was hard to put down and made me wish I had an audiobook for times when I could not be reading it myself. If you think your family is dysfunctional, just wait...Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with an ARC ebook to review.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of The Heiress.

This was my First by Author Rachel Hawkins and I loved it! I was sucked in from the very beginning. The Heiress was Fantastic!!!
I love books with multiple POV. It had family drama, secrets, and Murder!
Best book I have read so far this year!

Run! Don’t walk to grab this book when it is published. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. This book was fast paced and un put downable!

This book was a page turner and my favorite of the Rachel Hawkins books I have read. I wouldn't classify it as a thriller, but a complex family mystery, with greedy people and evil intentions. I liked the format of the book with multiple viewpoints -- chapters by both Cam and Jules, the main couple in the book -- plus letters from the Heiress (Ruby) herself, and general background provided through things like a (fictional) news article or magazine interview. I found the title interesting as it focuses more on the long deceased Ruby, and not the living family members left behind, but in the end the story is an exploration into her life, piecing it together to see how her decisions (not all good!) have impacted those in the present.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

THIS. BOOK. Easily one of my top fives for the year. I’ve read Rachel Hawkins other books (the wife upstairs, reckless girls, the villa) but this one tops them all. I loved the story line, the way this was written and the twists got me for sure. Definitely add it to your TBR. You won’t regret it!

The Heiress was fantastic. The first 10-15% was a bit hard to get into and I was a bit lost in the back and forth and who was who. After that thought and after studying the family tree, I dove right in and fell in love with the story. Great pacing, great characters, and a great twist at the end.

This book is SO GOOD. I am a big fan of Rachel Hawkins. I’ve read all of her works and I like that they are all different. I did not know what to expect, I like going in completely blind for authors I like. And this book is it. The secrets. The story. The ending. I got to the last couple of pages and I kept thinking “ugh she’s not resolving XXX plot” and then she did! It was a great book. I hope it does really, really well.

My only notes would be to include a family tree at the beginning of the book to see the McTavish line talked about in the book and make sure all “chapters” have titles- even the newspaper or magazine articles with the titles at the end.

I really enjoyed this rich people drama! I don't know that it was as much thriller but definitely a fun read with lots of twists. I would say this was a moderate burn as the story kept progressing nicely.

Seems every little bit it threw in a new 'woah' event. Definitely kept me guessing the whole time.

Did I like or dislike the characters? Hard to say as it kept changing as the story went on! I definitely had some people I was waiting for karma to catch up with.

If you like rich people drama, I highly recommend this! It was my first Rachel Hawkins book and will not be the last!

Thank you Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

If you were to take a lot of dysfunctional family drama and mix it with a splash of Evelyn Hugo and a dollop of murder you would get The Heiress.

I am always a sucker for a good twist. I’d give the book as a whole more of a 4.5 but the end got it rounded up to a 5. I enjoyed reading this and enjoyed it was out of the overdone normal thriller tropes many books these days land into.
Definitely an enjoyable read!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Its rachel hawkins and was better tgwn her last two. This book had me stqy up late just to finish it. I liked the way the book went plot wise and i like her writing style. I did end up liking the plot . There were family drama (lots) and many secrets. The main character was likeable

I admit that I had high expectations coming into this book because I've read all of Hawkins' previous works and have loved them. The Heiress did not disappoint. In fact, it might be the best of the bunch simply because the twists and surprises just kept coming.

Getting the perspective of three different viewpoints kept the pace very crisp and made this book hard to put down.

The couple at the center of this story - Camden & Jules - have been married for a decade. But they are keeping secrets, and Camden is the heir of a huge fortune in which he is uninterested. Jules, of course, is very interested because that kind of money provides the security for which many long.

To appease Jules, Camden agrees to return home, but his extended family is hostile because he's adopted, not "one of them, and has basically been left everything.

Jules loves the house and the idea of staying, but soon enough, the conflicts and secrets start to rear their ugly heads, challenging the couple's relationships and putting them at risk. Despite their dishonesties, I found myself pulling for Jules and Camden.

You won't know all of the twists in this book until the very last page. It's a quick, enjoyable read, and I'd highly recommend it.

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This is one of the best books I have read all year. As someone that has read all of Rachel Hawkins books, I have to say this is her best work yet. The characters and atmosphere are wonderful. I live near where the story takes place and truly hope Rachel writes more books that capture the spirit the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Wow! What a great book! So many layers, secrets, deceit and subterfuge. A seemingly normal, loving couple and a mother turn out to be anything but. Little by little the clues of who did what and who they really are will keep you guessing and turning pages. Definitely my favorite Rachel Hawkins book so far!

I loved this book! I was sucked in from the first page and couldn't put it down until I found out the truth! I don't always like multiple narrators but it was done so well and I truly loved all of the characters, flaws and all! Another 5 star read by Rachel Hawkins!

Oh my goodness! This book is a brilliantly smart and extremely addictive read that you won't be able to put down. With unexpected twists and heart-throbbing pacing, it draws you into a captivating mystery set within the claustrophobic Ashby House. The secrets hidden behind its closed doors, along with its notorious and heartless inhabitants, add to the intrigue. And let's not forget Ruby McTavish, also known as "Lady Kill-more," whose unreliable, sarcastic, and intimidating personality seals the deal.

I must admit, after reading the author's previous work, "Wife Upstairs," I didn't enjoy their subsequent releases as much. However, with this ominous and engaging thriller, they have made a triumphant return. The story is filled with intertwined mysteries that fit together like puzzle pieces, making you want to read faster to uncover the big secrets.

The narrative unfolds through three distinct points of view. First, there's Camden, an orphan boy who unexpectedly inherits a nine-figure fortune from the McTavish family. His decision to reject the family's money and sever ties with his living relatives may be scandalous or considered a foolish move. He moves to Colorado, becomes a teacher, lives in a small rental with his wife, and never looks back. That is until his cousin Ben, his childhood tormentor and a pretentious bully, contacts him after their father's death to deal with the family's problems.

Our second point of view is Jules, Camden's beautiful and supportive wife. She finally sees a glimmer of hope when her husband decides to return to Ashby House. Having grown up in poverty and working a dead-end job at a museum, where she portrays historical figures by churning butter for tourists, Jules yearns for the wealth and lifestyle they deserve.

The third perspective connects with readers through the letters left behind by Ruby McTavish, the infamous heiress and presumed husband killer. Ruby's four husbands mysteriously died under suspicious circumstances, but her family's money silenced any further investigations.

The story introduces us to other estranged family members, including cousin Ben, an estate lawyer who wears fake smiles and has unnaturally white teeth, and his sister Libby, a spoiled and cunning woman willing to go to great lengths to claim her share of the inheritance. We also meet great aunt Nelle, Ruby's resentful sister, who has harbored jealousy towards Ruby for years and doesn't hide her disdain for Camden's existence.

Behind the closed doors of Ashby House, numerous secrets lurk. Is Ruby truly a cold-blooded killer? Or is she a miracle child who was kidnapped at the age of three, only to be found living with another family who insisted she was their daughter?

But these aren't the only secrets that will upend the delicate balance between family members. Each character hides larger truths that have the power to change their entire lives, including Camden and Jules, who may seem better than the McTavish clan but have their own skeletons in the closet.

Expect the unexpected as you dive into this gripping read. It will keep you on your toes, and you'll find yourself wanting to devour it in one sitting, even if it means staying up all night. In my opinion, this is the author's best work yet.

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 thoughts.

Who holds the most secrets and can you ever truly trust anyone? These questions and more are answered in The Heiress, which takes the reader on a wild ride. I was a little confused at the start of the book, but once I got going I found it hard to put down and I just wanted to see what the ending would hold.
Told from multiple points of view the reader is placed into the lives of the McTavish family and all of their secrets both past and present.
I enjoyed the quick pace and the overall story. Another winner from Rachel Hawkins.

Three and one-half stars

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

Jules and Camden, married for about a decade, seem relatively content with the simplicity of their lives. He teaches English in an all-boys prep school, she portrays a pioneer woman at the living history museum in Golden, Colorado.

But both have secrets in their pasts, and when Camden’s family asks him to return to Ashby House in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, will the truth of his past come to light? And what of Jules’s secrets? Who has more to hide . . . and who has more to lose?

=========

Prefacing the story itself, information from Bill Naracott gives some information about those who go missing; a newspaper article provides the basic information about three-year-old Ruby’s disappearance.

Throughout the telling of this dark tale, chapters switch between the points of view of Camden and Jules as well as between past and present. Interspersed are newspaper articles that provide background information. Also peppered throughout the telling of the tale, readers will find expository letters written by Ruby to an unidentified person; additionally, at several points throughout the narrative, characters seems to be speaking directly to the reader.

These characters, mostly unlikeable [mostly despicable], give new meaning to the term “dysfunctional family.” Everyone holds secrets; everyone seems to have some sort of checkered past; everyone seems to “get away” with abominable behavior simply because of their “family money/donations.”

As the twisty plot slowly provides revelations, readers will find themselves pulled into the messy melodrama created by each of these family members, many of whom consider themselves “entitled” to everything without any effort on their part. Astute readers will identify the “surprise” twist in the plot early on, thanks in part to the inclusion of a definition and relevant examples.

There’s a strong sense of place throughout the telling of the tale. However, the extensive use of a particularly offensive expression is certain to be off-putting for many readers and lowers the rating for this book.

I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley
#TheHeiress #NetGalley

In classic Rachel Hawkins form, this book had me enthralled. I couldn't put it down.
If you think your family is bad or messed up, this will make your family look wonderful, trust me. The secrets, lies and betrayal never stopped and had me reading for hours on end. The story flow was great and all the characters were flawed, even the ones you think might be ok and that is what I like about this kind of story. When you ask yourself, "can it get any worse?!", and then it does, oh yeah, that makes for a great story.
I loved how at the end of the book you were still guessing and wondering "what really happened?!" Some don't want a book to end like that but sometimes it's nice to have it open ended like that or have more questions then answers. But it has to be done right and this one was done right.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. I truly enjoyed it.

Who has the most secrets? Camden marries Jules after meeting her on wing night at a bar. Seems like the making of a classic modern romance… there is so much more beneath the surface. He is the heir of a fortune back home in NC, but he does not want his millions. Why? Is Jules really okay with her butter churning living history museum job in Colorado? An attentive reader will catch clever details scatted throughout this back and forth, past and present style story. Slow to start but quickly becomes quite intriguing. 4/5

This was a delightful little "onion" of a book- meaning that the reader kept peeling off layer after layer, revelation after revelation. I was absolutely floored once I realized who Ruby's confessions were written to, and that was only ONE of the twists in this roller-coaster novel.... so many "mystery/thriller" books I've read recently end with some damsel in distress, hiding/running from/facing off with a weapon- wielding protagonist of some sort, and it was an unbelievably welcome relief to be free of that in this book. Maybe that's an odd thing to be grateful for, but as a reader and a bookseller, I was thankful for the elimination of that cliche.... I really was rooting for Cam and Jules, and I don't think a better ending could have been written for this book. I think Rachel Hawkins is quickening a really big name for herself, and this book will only add to that. I'm excited to see what she writes next.