If you've ever wondered what it was like to date a nice guy who was a secret multi-millionaire, this is the book for you. Turns out, it's not quite as much of a dream come true as you'd expect when he comes with a wacky and infamous family. Rachel Hawkins shines at her usual excellent characterization and suspense building, although this book is more of a slow burn than some of her others. A worthy read with a fun ending.

"The Heiress" by Rachel Hawkins is another delightful addition to her collection of books. As a fan of her work, I found this novel to be a true treat. The storytelling is engaging, and Hawkins once again delivers an enjoyable reading experience. A special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and appreciate this book.

I loved this book! It was creepy in places but not scary. It had some shades of Knives Out without quite as much of the whodunnit-ness. Just lots of rich people intrigue, surprise twists and interesting characters.

Thank you to the publisher - I received a complimentary eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book took twists and turns I never saw coming, which is pretty par for the course when it comes to Rachel Hawkins!

The way she manages to craft a mystery that ultimately pieces together so beautifully by the end still astounds me.

When it comes to details, I don’t even know where to start with this one. There were so many intricate details woven together to create the overall story, and I have no desire to spoil the journey for you. What I can say is that I was thinking this book would maybe only be a 3 star read for me throughout, but once I saw how everything came together and read through the ending? There was no doubt in my mind it was a 5 star read. That said, you have to give it a chance. You have to hang on for the slow-burn that it is and remember the details as they are leaked to you throughout, because they’ll all be important in the end.

I will leave you with this, though: Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore is both caring and conniving, manipulative and mysterious, and while you might predict some of what’s going on behind the scenes, I don’t think you’ll figure it all out on your own.

I should start by saying I'm not the biggest thriller fan and I often find that the thrillers I enjoy aren't the ones other people usually rave about for whatever reason. While I don't think The Heiress is going to be the most memorable book for me, I did really enjoy the reading experience and it held my attention more than many thrillers do.

Camden McTavish is heading back to his family home in North Carolina. He is the adopted son of an extremely wealthy woman, Ruby McTavish, who passed away years ago and left him her family estate and fortune. However, we learn that the relationships with his other family members are fraught. After all, he is Ruby's adopted son and has inherited everything and his mother's sister and her grandchildren (who are his age since his mother adopted him later in her life) and incredibly angry. They still live at the family's home, Ashby House, while he now lives in California wanting nothing to do with the family or the money he was left. He married Jules, and they live pretty normal lives, working hard at their jobs and certainly not living a life of wealth. But she's certainly a bit curious about Ashby House and really wants Cam to reconnect with his family at least a little bit. So, they head to Ashby House together.

Oh, I should also mention that in the mist of this, we get the chance to read letters from Ruby sharing information about each of her four deceased husbands.

This is a fast-moving, easy read that I finished in less than two days. I appreciated the little twists and overall, really enjoyed my experience reading this one!

I've really enjoyed Rachel's other books (especially Reckless Girls), but this was such a SLOOOOOOOOOW burn. Almost too slow. There were many times I wanted to DNF, but I trudged through. Maybe the audiobook would've been a better fit for me. I did enjoy Ruby's letters and getting her POV on her marriages. I wasn't surprised by the "twists", but I still liked the last 20% of the book!

Loved this one!!

I thought the way this story was told - from Cam’s POV, Jules’s POV, and letters from Ruby - really added layers and depth to the plot that a single POV wouldn’t have been able to offer

Everyone, and I mean everyone, has their own motives and secrets in this book!

The twists weren’t over the top shocking, but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment of this easy read.

I really enjoyed this slow burning thriller, especially the letters from Ruby. Learning her story and about her four husbands kept me hooked!

This was my first time reading anything by Rachel Hawkins, and before I even made it halfway through, I went on Libby & requested more of her books.

Thank you @stmartinspress for sending me a @Netgalley widget in exchange for my honest review that I am shamefully just now posting.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins was a speedy read with a boring plot. Nothing really happened. EVER. The highlights of the book were the creepy mansion where everything took place and the multiple genres (letters, newspapers, flashbacks). Otherwise, I didn’t really care for the characters and the ending was lackluster.

Twists and lies and creepy goings on - - this book has it all. It started slow for me but steadily picked up speed until it was practically flying to the end, distributing new clues right and left, each one more disturbing than the last until the final page - - that leaves the reader with yet more questions.

The characters are realistic, the setting stunning, and the story oh-so-compelling. Rachel Hawkins has become one of my 'must read' authors.

Thank you so much NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-copy to read in exchange for an honest review!

This was my first Rachel Hawkins book but it certainly won't be my last!

Through a combination of interesting formats (personal letters, newspaper articles, alternating POVs and timelines) THE HEIRESS manages to create a chilling Gothic vibe within a contemporary thriller that feels like a classic (picture a Daphne du Maurier or Agatha Christie novel), Full of unreliable narrators (my fave!), secrets, lies, greed and a long line of dysfunctional family dynamics, this book was a real page turner. I was wholly invested in Ruby's story, from her childhood kidnapping to the scandals and deaths of each of her four husbands. I could not put it down!

I highly recommend this clever and twisty murder mystery! It will keep you guessing the whole way through.

My favorite Rachel Hawkins to date! At first it was a little difficult to follow the format, but once I figured out how it was written, I was HOOKED. I always love a story of deep family secrets and this one delivered.

The beginning was slow. I had to try a few times to get into it past the first chapter. However, Once I was invested, this was a quick read and I finished it within 2 days.

Adored the setting as I am from North Carolina and at first legit thought that this was a book about Biltmore.

By the end of the book, I didn't really like ANY of the characters but boy, was there twists and turns galore that had me reeling by the end and going back through the plot piecing things together that I'd missed.

Maybe a 2.5 stars?

Flat out honesty here? This book was immensely boring. The characters were flat and overused archetypes and the plot was incredibly obvious which isn’t what I want out of a mystery/thriller. The writing itself was fine and the letters and articles mixed throughout were clever, but I saw the ending to this book coming a mile away. Maybe if you were new to the genre this book would have been more entertaining or shocking, but for me I had to drag my feet through it. I do not recommend for the avid mystery/thriller fan.

I had received this book through NetGalley, so thank you to them and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read this early (even if I ended up not reading it early 😅).

I had a lot of fun with this book but just wished some of the plot points had been cleared up at the end. I was left with some questions at the end. The book was thrilling with good pacing and interesting characters.

The Heiress follows a fabulously dysfunctional wealthy family and gradually unravels the deep secrets of the primary heiress and her four deceased past husbands. I had a lot of fun with this book but just wished there was a bit more development, I was left with many questions I was hoping for closure on. The book was fast-paced and I flew through it, which I do love in a thriller! Can't wait to see what else Rachel Hawkins writes!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

Thank you netgalley for a copy of the heiress and here’s my honest review HOLY SHIT 4.5 stars
this book has everything drama letter dual povs deaths that are ominous!!! cam and jules my GOD how did that happen. ruby’s letters were the most interesting part tbf. MUST READ

Most of Hawkins' books have been total wins for me and I am not complaining! I've seen a lot of them (especially lately) be kind of hit or miss for people. Her latest, THE HEIRESS was a very quick read... both due to the plot and short length! It follows Camden and his wife Jules as they head back to his family's estate years after his mother died and left it all to him. His cousin calls him back and he finally obliges. Jules is super curious to see why her husband left town and never returned, but she has secrets of her own.

This reads like a general domestic thriller with gothic vibes for the majority of the book. Not a complaint, but I think I was expecting something...spookier? I really liked the direction the story went and the overall format though. It alternated between Camden and Jules POVs while also mixing in articles and letters that provided his deceased mother's perspective. There was kind of a lot going on but it really worked!

I saw someone compare it to THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO, which I can kind of see. Camden's mom had four husbands and they all died under mysterious circumstances. 


There were a ton of reveals in the final chapters and I really didn't predict any of it... and basically all of the characters were keeping secrets from each other. I don't know the last time I read a book with this many twists and reveals, all the way through the end... especially after a slow start. It didn't take me long to read - it wasn't slow in that way. It was more like a suspenseful buildup, wondering what is going to happen and when.

I think readers who haven't loved some of of Hawkins' other books may like this one. It pulls on some of the same gothic vibes but is a new story for sure.

I have heard this book described as Evelyn Hugo but darker and that is bang on! I really enjoyed the way this is written. It’s almost as if the reader is a character that everyone is telling their story to, trying to explain themselves and their motives.

There are letters from Ruby and articles about the family mixed throughout the chapters which are told from Cam and Jules perspectives. The mystery of who Ruby really was begins to take shape as the book progresses.

The Heiress sucked me in immediately and I was completely glued to its pages until the end. The characters are complex and dynamic and the story is full of mystery and secrets. I found it really entertaining, I was never bored and the bits of humour balanced the darker images well.

Gothic, gritty, and un-putdownable...this one sucked me in from the get go. I love that Rachel Hawkins novels are so varied- yet they all hold me absolutely captive.

Reading this was reminiscent of playing a game of clue, who had motive, who had opportunity? Just when you think you know, you realize this isn’t your everyday whodunnit. Ruth Ware skillfully unfolds layers as she weaves this clever tale.

I loved the characters, I loved the drama, and I loved the intrigue that was Ruby’s life. This is a decadent account of a famous/infamous woman’s life that will leave you wanting more.