3,5 rounded up to 4 because this was quite a page-turner filled with betrayals and scandalous family secrets and I love a shady Southern matriarch-type who can pull the strings from beyond the grave (not a spoiler). Although it took me a moment to figure out the family dynamics / family tree in the beginning, once I did I was mostly onboard. The storytelling structure with Jules and Cam's POV and a set of letters giving Ruby's outrageous history with men was a nice way to slowly unravel the complex backstory. The twists started coming fast and furiously (especially in the second half) and I was just dying to know how this would end (quite surprising!) Overall a fun and spicy little thriller.

I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting from this novel, but it definitely wasn't a family drama. I think I went into it expecting a more fast paced, twisty thriller, and this definitely isn't that.

I did really enjoy Ruby's letter chapters, and felt the other two narratives were just fine - although I did like how Jules constantly broke the fourth wall, I thought it was fun! But overall I think I would say this book was fine - I was never on the edge of my seat, and I think the biggest miss for me was that everything seemed to happen off page.

All in all, I did enjoy the writing and will read more of this authors work!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC copy!

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

I had been expecting a thriller, but this was more of a family drama and I think that misconception may have set me up for failure. I wanted something fast-paced and twisty; instead, I got a super slow-burn story. I kept waiting for mystery, intrigue, suspense, something, anything- but not much happens in the first 75% of the book.

I did enjoy the last 25%, though. I hadn’t figured out what one character was up to and I was satisfied with their storyline by the end. If you enjoy family drama with characters of questionable morals (and maybe a little revenge), you’ll probably like this story.

The set up for this was better than the ultimate delivery. Ruby’s voice and character was great, but not a whole lot happened here, and I saw the twists coming. However, people who like light thrillers will love this.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the free book.
I have been wanting to enjoy a thriller book by Hawkins because I love her romance, and I'm happy to say this one worked for me. I found this book to be fast-paced and juicy. It was a perfect blend of mystery and rich people behaving badly. I thought the chapter structure to be interesting. Ruby's letters throughout kept me wanting to turn pages because I had to know what she would confess to next. Jules breaking the fourth wall was such a clever way to keep the reader engaged. This is a perfect binge in a day type of book. I had a great time reading this and can't wait to see what she writes next.

On paper Cam McTavish has it all. He has looks and all the money he could imagine as the sole heir of the McTavish fortune. So why is he teaching high school in Colorado while he and his wife, Jules, struggle to make ends meet?

After receiving a letter that thrusts Cam back into the childhood estate he grew up in Cam must face his relatives, his personal demons, and the ghost of his mother, Ruby McTavish. But are things as they seem?

Ruby herself was an enigma. North Carolina royalty that was born exceedingly wealthy. She made headlines when she was kidnapped as a young child and found a year later. However that was not the last of her fame. She was also married four times and all four husbands died mysteriously. Now deceased has Ruby left Cam one last secret?

I loved the intrigue of this book. Set against the Blue Ridge mountains the palatial home is a character in itself. The wealthy family home holds many secrets that have, overtime, infected the people that reside with in. The Heiress was a fun read that kept me entertained until the last page. The southern gothic vibes of this book made for a delicious read.

I had a hard time getting into this book. It felt like I was all over the place and I was confused a lot. I have read lots of books by this author and I did not love this one.

Rachel Hawkins is an auto read author for me and I couldn't wait to get my hands on the newest book. This one did not disappoint and may be my favorite of hers. The Wife Upstairs was really good, Reckless Girls was decent and The Villa was kind of meh for me so wasn't sure what to expect with this, but Hawkins has made a comeback! 5 star read for me!

The pace starts a little slow, but I never found myself bored. There is tons of family drama. I loved the setting in the old estate set in the mountains of North Carolina. There are tons of twists and turns. This one is a great one!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital ARC.

It’s Rachel Hawkins…what do you expect?? This was super twisty, full of suspense & I enjoyed it more than her last two, absolutely. If you’ve ever been a fan of hers, The Heiress will keep you reading all night, rushing to the mind blowing end. 4.5 stars!!

I have loved all of Rachel Hawkins' novels and this was no exception. Lots of twists and turns to keep me on my toes. This had Evelyn Hugo vibes for days and I could completely picture the setting in detail.

Rachel Hawkins serves up a contemporary southern gothic that grabs your attention and doesn't let go. Motive and opportunity are the watch words and the cast of characters have plenty. The gates of gates of Ashby House signal Manderley and there are traditions to uphold and secrets to be kept. Or is it time to expose them? Who is really one step ahead of the plotters? A notorious heiress, jealous relatives and the perils of generational wealth would be enough, but the real question is, how well can anyone know another?

I adore Rachel Hawkins’ books, and while I really enjoyed this one as well it was much harder for me to get into at first than normal. For some reason the amount of characters and emails and such and the build of the family had me going back and forth to remember who was who. Overall, a great read though!

4.5 stars

I was very eager to read The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins after getting my hands on The Villa and enjoying it immensely. I must say, this second book of hers I’ve read did not disappoint, and quite frankly has made her a must read author for me. Once again Rachel Hawkins has managed to draw me in hook, line, and sinker and I cannot get enough of her thrillers. I don’t often read thrillers, but when I find an author that has me devouring their books in no time at all, it very much puts me in the mood for a thriller, and this book met every mark I could possibly hold for this genre. The Heiress was easily a read in one sitting kind of book for me because I could not stop once I started and I absolutely needed to get all of the answers because the story was so enthralling.

One of the best parts of this in building the curiosity and need to know more was definitely the letters of the books title, Ruby, the heiress. Though Ruby has long since passed in the present timeline, there was a lot of obscurity surrounding her life and the events that took place. Namely, the mysterious deaths of each of her husbands, and the even more mysterious event of her childhood where she disappeared for a number of months before being found once again. In these letters throughout the book, Ruby explains the details of her life and these events bit by bit, which I loved every minute of as it built the tension and broke down the uncertainty of these events. Having them scattered throughout had me wanting to race forward to find out more, and they really revealed what a fascinating character Ruby was despite all these twisted events.

In the present telling the story is Cam, Ruby’s adopted son who is also the recipient of all Ruby’s inheritance, money and the McTavish home. However, he wants nothing to do with this, particularly the McTavish family who resent him for getting all of the family money despite not being blood. But he returns with his wife, Jules, who is the alternating perspective throughout the entirety of the book, and pushes him to return to his family home. In what I already feel is typical Rachel Hawkins style, there are twists and turns, much intrigue and a gripping story that readers won’t be able to put down. I loved both perspectives and found they worked off of one another nicely, and as stated previously, very much enjoyed the letters that were a glimpse into Ruby’s perspective and fascinating story.

I very much recommend The Heiress for thriller lovers out there because you will not be able to put it down, and it is such a gripping read. I’m a little sad that it’s over and quite honestly cannot wait for the next book Rachel Hawkins comes out with because I am very much a fan.

This was such a fun book! Camden McTavish and his wife, Jules, are returning home to Ashby House in the mountains of Carolina to deal with his estranged family one and for all. He inherited a fortune after his mother died. She was the infamous Ruby McTavish who was kidnapped as a young child and returned home months later. She adopted Camden and left everything to him, much to the dismay of the McTavishes who never considered him family and made that clear to him as he grew up. He moved across the country as soon as he was old enough and never looked back.

His uncle recently passed, and his cousin Ben has implored him to come home. Jules has always wanted to see his estate and meet the family he never speaks of, so she convinces him to return, even if it’s just for one final goodbye to that life. Of course, they are just as awful as she suspected, but she falls in love with Ashby House and the land. She’s determined that Camden should reclaim his home and provide them both with the life they deserve. But his family has ulterior motives for asking him back and long-held family secrets are about to spill. But when all truths are revealed, will the family be united or torn apart worse than ever?

The story is told from alternating perspectives, including letters written by Ruby to an unknown person shortly before she died. Between Camden and Jules, the reader is privy to secrets they keep from each other, and the letters tell the true story about Ruby’s four deceased husbands. Just when you think everything’s been revealed, there’s another crazy twist, and then another, and it just keeps going! The McTavishes are a perfect example of entitled old money who buy their way through life and who have literally no redeeming qualities. I could totally see this as a movie, it’s dark but comedic and I tore through it in one sitting. You cannot let this one slip by, it’s campy fun that will make you rethink the definition of family and perhaps make you see that yours could be so much worse!

I’m a big Rachel Hawkins fan and devoured “The Villa” in one day so I was VERY excited for the chance to read an advance copy of “The Heiress”

This book grabbed my attention from the first chapter and held it the entire time. It was fast paced and I found myself equally invested in Jules, Camden, and Ruby’s stories. There were plenty of twists and turns most of which I wasn’t able to guess in advance which is always a plus. I really enjoyed reading this book and strongly recommend it!

**Spoilers for “The Heiress” “The Villa” and “The Wife Upstairs” below**

The only criticism I have with the ending of this book is that I feel like it’s so similar to the endings of the above mentioned books. In the end it turns out that both Camden and Jules had nefarious reasons for being at Ashby House that they admit to each other. They of course both immediately understand why the other has done what they did and live happily ever after. Essentially the same thing happens in “The Villa” with Chess & Emily agreeing to kill Matt and then releasing a highly successful book together. It’s also similar to the end of The Wife Upstairs where both Eddie & Bea had done horrible things. We don’t get as clear of an answer with that book as to if they live happily ever after but I still feel like the evil couple thing has been a bit overdone. I would have really liked to see either Jules or Camden be truly innocent in the end but I definitely enjoyed it regardless.

Thanks St Martins for the chance to read this ARC I really like all of Rachel Hawkins books. Give this one a shot you won’t be disappointed. Will definitely telling friends and family about it.

Rachel Hawkins is a must read author for me, so it was an easy choice when her new mystery, The Heiress, became available as an ARC. In her newest novel, Cam and Jules return to Cam’s family’s estate in the North Carolina mountains to confront his family and demons from his past. I finished this book in less than 24 hours, the pacing was good and it kept me interested throughout. There was some foreshadowing of twists throughout the book, and I’m still undecided if I like how they advanced the plot or not. This was definitely a plot driven book, which you’d expect from a mystery, so the characters weren’t deep. However, I would have liked a bit more to make me care about them more. This isn’t necessarily a criticism of the author, as it’s common in mystery/thrillers.

Overall, this was an excellent addition (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) to Rachel Hawkins’ bibliography, and I highly recommend it to fans of the mystery/thriller genre.

Holy smokes! Rachel knocked this one out of the park. The twists, the turns. I never knew what was coming next and was shocked page after page. Well done!!!!

This book was fantastic! This story is full of suspense and secrets. Just when you think you know what is happening, another twist comes. Absolutely loved it!

Fantastic! Just when you think you’ve figured it out there is another twist. Loved and hated all of the characters. Probably the best Rachel Hawkins book yet!