3.75. I wouldn’t say that this one categorizes itself as thriller but rather as a family drama that includes a couple of twists. While I mostly enjoyed this one and appreciated Hawkins’ unique writing style this time around, I felt the pace was pretty slow and I got bored for the first half of the novel. The ending picked up and I enjoyed it, but I still didn’t love it because I felt like I hadn’t connected with any of the characters. I enjoyed this one overall and thought the concept was interesting but would’ve enjoyed more if it had a faster pace.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC!

I read this one in a day.
I was thrilled to be given this book, I did not have to request it.
I really like Rachel Hawkins and this book did not disappoint.
Captivating, the main twist was not predictable and I felt like it read a little bit like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, mostly because of the older lady finally telling her story.
My favorite character was Camden and being from NC, I loved the setting. It read a little like its own character.
Definitely recommend and over here anticipating Rachel Hawkins next thriller.
4 stars

I have read a few of Rachel Hawkins books and enjoyed most of them. This is a quick read and I enjoyed it overall. there is more family drama with some puzzles and plot twists thrown in. if you are looking for a book with lots of family dram this is for you. it felt as if they were speaking directly to the reader, and I enjoyed that aspect. This was a good read and thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC.

A modern Gothic, set in the world of a fabulously wealthy-- and completely depraved-- family living in the Blue Ridge Mountains? Sign me up. Rachel Hawkins knows how to write domestic thrillers that manage to be more atmospheric in their thrilling elements, more of a pervasive ominous feeling than on the nose terror, and this is her best effort since The Wife Upstairs.

wow...Loved this book!! In fact, I love a book that can keep me turning the pages, and not worry about anything else but the book. This storyline was fast-paced, and I couldn’t read fast enough.

R. Hawkins has been on a bit of a decline for me (LOVED The Wife Upstairs, Reckless Girls was okay, but The Villa was a boring confusing mess) ,so i wasn’t sure what to expect from The Heiress, but it ended up being a very pleasant surprise, and I definitely am back on the Hawkins train.

The story features a very well known widow who left her extreme wealth to an adopted son, including a massive mansion in the mountains of North Carolina. The will angers the immediate family but Camden, the adopted son is unmoved and stays away from the estate, beginning a life across the country. However, when another death occurs, Cam is forced to return with his wife. What they face is years and years of secrets and death as well as a very angry Aunt and cousins.

I am a big fan of Rachel Hawkins and I jumped at the chance to read her newest book. Each book seamlessly blends multiple character perspectives along with the stories from the past and the present to create a integrated novel with layers of secrets. I cannot put down her work and end of reading through the night and this new story was no exception. No spoilers from me but do yourself a favor and pick up this book as soon as you can.

Absolutely fantastic plot! Could not put the book down once I began reading it. Cannot wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

This twisty tale will hook readers from the start. Every time a reader assumes they have it figured out, they will discover more twists and turns.

Loved this read! There were lots of twists and turns that kept me guessing. I like how the chapters showed different points of view and included letters from the characters as well. The title is intriguing since the Heiress can be multiple people depending on how you look at it. The descriptions of the home and the relationships between the characters really brought it to life and I even found myself laughing out loud.

I am a huge Rachel Hawkins fan and The Heiress did not disappoint! Rich, brooding, secretive characters drive a slow burning gothic thriller.
Ruby McTavaish was as notorious as she was wealthy. Abducted as a three year old and returned to her family months later, tragedy seemed to follow her. She survived four husbands earning her the nickname, Mrs. Killmore. Wanting to keep the family fortune away from her hateful family, she adopts Cameron, a three year old from an impoverished situation. Now we find Cam, the heir to Ashby House and the McTavish fortune, and his lovely and spunky wife, Jules, returning to North Carolina to sort out the family fortune and correct the sins of the past. We meet his aunt Nelle, cousins Ben and Libby. They all are quite unlikeable and resent Cam, claiming he doesn’t rightful deserve to inherit as he isn’t a true McTavish. Nothing is at it seems! So many twists and an ending both discordant and satisfying.

I have read two of Hawkins books: The Wife Upstairs and Reckless Girls. Both of which were enjoyable for me. I was super excited to get a copy of this for that reason! And WOW this did not disappoint. The Heiress was so unique plot wise and delivered completely different from the other two books. I loved how we heard from three viewpoints via characters and written letters!

Camden & Jules have been happily married for 10 years. But as always, they have secrets! We find out that both are harboring things from their past. Camden is an adopted orphan of Ruby McTavish, who then becomes heir to their very wealthy McTavish family. But, to surprise he dismissed his inheritance completely. He couldn’t care less about the money, his ties, and even his remaining family. After receiving and email from his estranged cousin, Jules pushes for them to return to Camden’s family home, the Ashby House to make amends so that they can move on. At first it seems Jules may want to stay and make it their own, but soon the house starts spilling secrets.

One thing about this book was that Hawkins did a great job developing the characters. I felt like I really knew them. It was quite shocking when all these secrets kept pouring out. This was a fast paced page turner for me. If you are into a thriller with some unlikable characters, family backstabbing, and some southern gothic charm - this will be a great read for you!

A special thanks to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press, and the author for this Copy. I really enjoyed reading this one! Publication: 01/09/2024

A look into the life of a woman, Ruby McTavish, who was kidnapped at the age of three, brought back home, and then married four different times. You’re able to read the full story in detail of her life, in her own letters.
After she passes, her adopted son, Camden, and his wife Jules, go back to the family’s home in the Blue Ridge Mountains, to settle some family business and tie loose ends.
I absolutely ate this book up. The letters are full of surprises, there are several twists I didn’t see coming, the storyline ends with all questions answered. A cozy story about a powerful family.

This was my first book by this author, despite her books having been on my TBR for quite some time. After reading The Heiress, I am more inclined to read her other books,

Written from multiple POVs, including letters and newspaper articles from the past, the writing style kept me hooked throughout the entirety of the book,

The beginning was a little slow, but about 50% of the way through the book I found that I was unable to put it down. The protagonists are likable and the antagonist are equally dislikable, which adds the perfect amount of suspense throughout the book.

Twisty and clever, highly recommended.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Rachel Hawkins is really coming into her own as an author. For me, every one of her books has been incrementally better than the last; I really disliked The Wife Upstairs but decided to give Reckless Girls a try. I liked that one enough to pick up The Villa and enjoyed it so much that The Heiress was a must-read. It didn’t disappoint! Reminiscent of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo with a dash of gothic, multiple viewpoints and morally ambiguous characters - all very much my cup of tea. I devoured this. Rachel Hawkins just made herself an auto-buy author in the likes of Lisa Jewell and Ruth Ware.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
I loved The Villa and I think I loved The Heiress even more.
Great atmosphere set at the old Ashby Manor. The woods and the mountains. A weird and eccentric family.
Then Ruby and her revealing her history of her life.
So many storylines yet they are perfectly placed and woven together.
Loved this book even more than the previous one by Hawkins.

Thank you, NetGalley for an early copy of The Heiress in exchange for an honest review.

The Heiress had all the factors that I love in a book. Old money home with old money problems. Rich man in love with an "average girl". And the constant implication that there's something more going on.

However, I think most of these elements that I love so much fell flat—for example, the house. Throughout the story's beginning, Ashby House is built up to be an eery presence that draws you in and, through some fantastical forces, doesn't let you leave. Yet, that element doesn't appear when our main characters, Camden and Jules arrive to Ashby.

And the plot twists... I LOVE plot twists. I love being surprised by them, and having an "OMG" moment. I did not have an OMG moment with this book. All the major plot twists were heavily foreshadowed. The only one I truly didn't expect was <spoiler>Jules being the receiver of all of Rubys' letters. Other than the interaction she had with Ben, I don't remember much foreshadowing of her suspicious relationship with the McTavishs. She's a sus character, please let her have sus moments!</spoiler>

As for the characters....it was hard to like them.
I'm not sure if Hawkins wanted me to like Ruby, but I did not. She was a murderer. Other than her first husband, all the men who died at her hands were innocent. It's like glamorizing Jack the Ripper.
And Jules? I understand she came from very little and would love nothing more than to be financially comfortable, living in a beautiful house for the rest of her life. But the way she talked about Ashby felt so greedy and dirty. Like Camden was ridiculous for rejecting everything. And maybe he was? But the way her character presented the situation felt icky.
Camden was Ok for me. I didn't love him but I didn't hate him.
Finally, Libby, Nelle, and Ben. There was no grey area with them. They were just evil. And that made them, truthfully, not very interesting.

All in all, I enjoyed the book. It didn't have me gripping my tablet with anticipation but I also wanted to know the conclusion to the tale. I truly believe that with a little more editing this could be a fantastic thriller book. Right now, however, it reads more like a general fiction book with thriller elements.

This was such a thrill to read and I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this one! This is only the second Rachel Hawkins I’ve read and I didn’t enjoy Reckless Girls as much as I’d hoped but this was fantastic!

When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore, the wealthiest woman in NC dies, she leaves everything to her adopted son Camden who really wants nothing to do with the money, her estate, or the McTavish name. Not only was she wealthy but notorious for her kidnapping at 3 years old and the fact she’s a widow four times over. A decade later, when Camden’s uncle dies, he’s called back to Ashby House to sort out some things with the home and his living aunt and cousins along with his now wife of 10 years, Jules. Nothing is as it seems and everyone has secrets.

I love how it’s told in multiple POVs and told as a story to the reader themselves one on one. Almost epistolary style with some news articles and letters as well; we hear from Camden, Jules, and Ruby. Mostly spent at the atmospheric Ashby House, the whole story gives you the feel of something unsuspecting and sinister that might happen. There were so many twists Rachel Hawkins set up perfectly! Some were predictable but not until they were almost revealed and others weren’t and I was caught off guard several times saying, “OMG!” The end was really twisted and so much came to light. This was a psychologically thrilling page turner and so much fun to read!

Another fabulous read by Rachel Hawkins. Even though it was predictable and I guessed the ending, I still enjoyed every page. This book was very binge worthy and I couldn’t put it down.

Camden and Jules have been married for 10 years. When Camden’s family finally makes it through to him to come back to take care of the fortune he inherited that is when all the secrets begin to unravel. I got some Verity vibes at the end too. Clever, fast paced and suspenseful!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC!

To begin, I am a Rachel Hawkins fan.

I love the quick, witty, article/letter-interrupted pace that her books have. I find that I read her so very quickly. The Heiress did not disappoint. I loved The Villa, but I think that The Heiress quickly took over any lingering thoughts of that book and quickly replaced them with Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore.

The amount of twists and turns that this book had was perfect. I think some were predictable and some weren't. but even those that were a bit more guessable, I wanted more -- I found myself saying out loud, "WHAT?!" a few times! The audacity of this family, the sinister nature of one, Ruby herself. This book will have you flipping the pages so fast, try not to get a papercut.

This book starts out slow but then delivers twist after twist. It wasn’t quite what I was expecting but definitely kept me reading. Not your usual thriller but more of a twisty family drama that plays out through several viewpoints and letters.
Definitely a change in the backdrop of the Villa; from sunny to gloomy and ominous.