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!

I loved this. It pulled me in right away, I loved the storytelling. I found it really creative. The writing is excellent. Rachel tells a good story that is more interesting than anxiety inducing and I really appreciate that.

My anticipation for this one was high after reading and loving author Rachel Hawkins’s other books. The atmospheric and rich writing made this a hard one to put down. I binged it in less than 24 hours. I couldn’t wait to see where it was going. Overall, this is another solid read from the author, and I savored it for the most part.

Absolutely devoured this master piece from Rachel Hawkins. Thank you for this ARC as this book had different timelines and POVs.

The Heiress is about Cam and Jules, a modern-day normal couple who are leading a pleasant life in Colorado. Then, Cam gets called back to his home state of North Carolina to tend to some family business. Through letters written by his deceased adoptive mom, the reader learns about the family's sordid, twisted past.

I really, really enjoyed this one. I read it in less than a day. It was the kind of reading experience where I found myself annoyed that I had to put down my book in order to tend to everyday life. I loved the letters in the book as well as the news articles. (PS: I would recommend readers get their hands on a physical copy of the book because of the clippings.) I enjoyed all of the twists and surprises. I guessed one big twist, but I didn't guess some of the smaller ones. The pacing of the book is excellent-it unfolds quickly and the plot never got bogged down in the details.

If I were going to offer any criticism, it would be that Libby's character needs some more explanation. I'm not exactly sure where she came from and I'm also not convinced she deserved the end that she got.

A reading comp for this would be The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, but it's different enough that it can stand on its own.

A HUGE thank you to the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book. The publishing date isn't until 2024, so this is one to keep on the radar for next year!

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 convoluted mess) so i wasn’t sure what to expect from The Heiress, but it ended up being a very pleasant surprise, and I definitely enjoyed it more than her last two.

this one’s more on par with Wife Upstairs in terms of reveals that make you wanna keep turning the pages - I binged this one really quickly and the reveals and pieces of the puzzle are plotted and timed really well, and I was surprised by most of the twists. it’s a quick, easily digestible read, which also means it won’t be the most memorable book ever but i had a lot of fun with it!

Ok finally another good one by Rachel Hawkins! Her best since The Wife Upstairs. I felt like her last two books weren't that great. But this one definitely redeemed it for me. It was so good.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this as the beginning kind of confused me. It took me a second to figure out the family dynamic. However, once I did, the book was fantastic. I enjoyed the multiple points of view and slow unraveling of secrets. It’s not the typical thriller I’m used to reading, but I enjoyed it just the same. I look forward to reading other books by this author and will post a review on my IG closer to the publishing date. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review your book!

Thank you Netgalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was honestly one of my most anticipated reads of the coming year and I screamed when I got the email from Netgalley. I think everything that Rachel Hawkins writes is like magic, and this was no exception. I was completely enthralled after the first chapter and could not put the book down. I felt tense throughout the book and could not get enough of Ruby's letters. I was thoroughly entertained by all the surprises and was left shocked when I closed the book at the end. Rachel really does a good job of connecting the reader with the characters, whether they are good or bad. I really loved this one and can't wait for it to be out!