I was asked to review “The Heiress” by Rachel Hawkins, author of “The Villa” and “Reckless Girls.”

Camden is eager to escape his tumultuous past, managing to build a life for him and his wife, Jules, in Colorado. But the death of an uncle lures him back to North Carolina and the Ashby House, which Cam had inherited (along with a ton of money) from his adopted mother (Ruby) and had turned his back on. Yet, the more Jules learns about the family and its fortune, the more entranced she becomes, even as her husband fights to escape his family’s scandals.

This novel is told from the perspectives of both Cam and Jules as well as Ruby’s letters. The novel starts out slowly, but if you’re willing to be patient, there is quite the pay-off. Overall, I enjoyed this story and its many twists and turns.

Four stars out of five.

Many thanks to Rachel Hawkins, NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's for the opportunity to read The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins.

Rachel Hawkins rocks and this is, in my opinion, her best book yet.

Southern Gothic at its best with characters you're gonna love to hate. Think you have things figured out? Boo! Bet you're wrong.

Love this book!!!

The Heiress might just be my favorite Rachel Hawkins thriller yet! It’s got all the juicy twists and turns you could want, with an edgy, narrative style. With three POVs, there’s enough varying perspective to paint a full picture of the McTavish family. I loved how Cam and Jules seemed to be talking directly to the reader in an almost journalistic format, while Ruby’s voice is depicted through letters recounting her four marriages. This book is very reminiscent of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, but with its own distinctive flair. It’s an extremely fast-paced read and I could not put it down!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Heiress is an unputdownable, ingenious thriller with the perfect balance of engaging characters, shocking twists, and intrigue.

Our storytellers are Camden - the son, Jules - Camden’s wife, and letters from Ruby that were written before her death. Ruby was kidnapped as a little girl, and some have always questioned if the girl that was returned was the same girl that was taken. However, Ruby’s father left his entire fortune to her, with a few stipulations. Ruby has become fairly notorious throughout her life, and her family essentially owns the town and can do anything. This power and the lack of necessity to work seems to have gone to their heads, and the entire family is overall, not a particularly kind bunch.

After years of avoiding his family and his inheritance, Camden finally returns home to help out. He is met by unwelcoming, ungrateful family members who go out of their way to exclude him and question his legitimacy as heir. Jules starts to understand why Camden turned his back on his family years before. Will Camden’s family prove that he isn’t a rightful heir? What really happened all those years ago to Ruby? And what about all of Ruby’s husband’s that died?

This is a 5 star thriller from the moment you open the front cover! The reader will be yanked into the world of the McTavish family and anxious to get to the bottom of the mystery, and to learn what secrets Ruby’s letters hold the answers to. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Rachel Hawkins for the advance copy!! Pre-order this riveting thriller today!

This book reminded me of Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo! If you loved that book, you will love this one! There were so many twists and turns throughout the book. I will definitely be recommending this book to everyone I know!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the arc of this book.

This novel is very similar to the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, so fans of that book will enjoy the latest from Rachel Hawkins. This is an easy read with many twists and turns that lead to a compelling story. Flew threw this book.

I read this book in less than 24 hours. While this isn’t the typical thriller I go for, I really enjoyed this one. If you like thrillers about Southern family with a moody gothic feel, this one is for you. In typical thriller fashion is also very twisty.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

In the mountains of North Carolina, a well-known 4 time widow passes and leaves everything in her estate to her adopted son, including the infamous Ashby House. Meanwhile her adopted son, Camden, wants nothing to do with anything involving her estate. But, after the death of his uncle, he is summoned back to the house in the mountains of North Carolina for the first time in many years. There he must navigate what remains of his crazy family and all of their secrets.

This is the third book by Rachel Hawkins that I have read. I received a copy of the Heiress yesterday and was immediately consumed by it, finishing it in less than 24 hours. Compared to some of her other works it was a tad bit of a "slow-burn" thriller, but I enjoyed it none-the-less.

Thank you to NetGalley as well as the publisher for giving me a copy ahead of release in exchange for an honest review. The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins releases January 2024.

I love all the Rachel Hawkins books I’ve read before, and this was no exception! Definitely will recommend to my circles and I loved it so much.

4 stars

This is my fourth book by this author, and I'm happy to report that it's also my favorite. Folks who enjoy sinister characters, a dash of gothic, and a few twists will have a fun time with this one.

Camden and Jules have been happily married for ten years, but like all good married couples in this genre, they each have secrets and some level of mystery surrounding their respective pasts. This is all made more sinister by what - otherwise - really does appear to be a fairly healthy relationship. Ten years is a long time to fake it, so it's fascinating to find out what each is hiding, how they have changed over time, and whether or not they'll be able to grow and shift together, especially when there are so many examples in this novel of that not working out at all (for other pairings).

Both characters share perspectives, and there are also fascinating interludes in the form of Ruby's (Camden's mother via adoption) letters. Readers - and the characters - learn a lot from all of these sections. Everybody in this novel has secrets, and while some can be easily guessed, others may take folks a bit more by surprise!

I always enjoy Hawkins's novels, but I have often felt like there was something unfinished or underdeveloped that hampered my overall enjoyment, and that was not the case with this one. This is a great balance of twisty, creepy, varied in style and perspective, and speedy to read. I really enjoyed this read and look forward to whatever Hawkins has in store for us next!

Rachel Hawkins is back with another edge-of-your-seat thriller! "The Heiress" is everything you'd expect from one of the best in the genre.

Absolutely Amazing Thriller!

I LOVED this book! Freeaakkking LOVED IT!

Oh I am such a fan girl for old money stories but Rachel Hawkins said…..hold my champs….and got to work! Whew!

I love that this is not your average thriller, it has the twists of course but it’s so much more. It immediately takes hold of you….impossible to put down. Did I mention that I loved it?

Hands down top 5 read of 2023 and major bonus points for the line about the movie The Labyrinth. The goblin king would approve!

This book is not being released until January 2024 and I will be telling everyone Who will listen to me to put this one on their radar. Rachel Hawkins is a little hit and miss for me. I actually DNF'd Reckless Girls after I really liked The wife upstairs. I devoured the Villa in less than 12 hours and I was delighted to find one of the characters from that get a cute little wink in this book.

Sooo. This. Book. I loved it. Every little bit of it. The writing style is perfection. It pulls you in and does not let go until you're done. Ruby McTavish is a straight up unlikable character that I adored. Actually, the entire family is a very wealthy dumpster fire. But they are just plain fun. Nobody is exactly what they seem in this one. The setting is perfect southern gothic. The mysteries are stacked on top of each other and while I actually guessed one of the final reveals I had such a good time reading I'm only taking off half a star . Rounding up. to 4.5. If you like atmospheric mysteries with over the top characters you won't soon forget put this at the top of TBR!!

The North Carolina McTavis Clan are rich as sin, and sins and secrets are something that for generations they have hidden and glossed over with rumors of scandal until grand matriarch, Ruby’s, final wishes after a decade must ultimately be fulfilled in Rachel Hawkins’ latest suspense mystery, “The Heiress.” This is an absolutely fascinating page-turner that will keep readers enthralled from it’s beginning to the very last scrumptious word.

TheBookMaven graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Rachel Hawkins, and Publisher St. Martin’s Press for this Advanced Reader’s Copy (ARC).

I was very optimistic when I began this book following I haven’t read but a couple of Rachel’s works. Considering I read this within two hours says a-lot. From my point of view, this was a face paced and inducing read. I did feel the need or the drive for something more. Something more vigorous. I felt that mid way through the book, it fell short of some of Ruby’s narrative where I would be very confused. I felt the ending and the plot twist had me quite confused but intrigued. But I will defiantly be picking up some more of her work and look forward to the release of this face paced thriller.

I think a quiet life in Colorado would have been so much better than dealing with all the drama and infighting that awaited Cam and Jules as they made the long drive to the Ashby House mansion in North Carolina. Just looking at the house made me shiver and Cam’s relatives were every bit as scary as the house. They all had a reason to despise Cam and they did everything in their power to make him feel unwelcome.

“The Heiress” is an interesting title because at first I was certain who it was alluding to but I was sadly mistaken. It didn’t take me long, though, to realize that another character was scheming to have it all. The story of Cam’s mother, Ruby, was rich with gossip including some mysterious letters sent to an unknown recipient. As time on this earth was slipping by for Ruby she decided to come clean about her many dirty deeds which made this correspondence scandalous and priceless. These letters play an important part in the book because once all the secrets were revealed, we had a clearer picture as to why Cam and Jules were really there. Everyone in “The Heiress” was related in some way but one character's connection to the past took me completely by surprise. The twists and turns had me guessing until I read the shocking ending, which I found to be diabolical and disturbing. Ms. Hawkins’ storyline was intriguing as well as frightening, and I am so glad I didn’t finish reading her book in the dark of night.

You expect a twist, or two even, when you read Rachel Hawkins! In The Heiress she does not disappoint.

The story features a very well known deadly widow who dies leaving 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.

A great entry of gothic southern family thrillers - The Heiress will keep you reading and guessing til the very end. If you like thrillers, back stabbing family member or are just in the mood for a twisty gothic story, The Heiress is for you!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an advances copy #TheHeiressnovel #RachelHawkins #StMartinsPress #NetGalley #Ladyhawkins

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Rachel Hawkins for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review! I’ve read three of her books before and enjoyed them all, but this one was even better. It reminded me a lot of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, especially with Ruby, the main character, and her history. The format is unique and made it read very quickly. I also really enjoyed the mystery and trying to figure out what was going on! Overall, this is a really strong book that readers of multiple genres will enjoy. I highly recommend checking it out!

I devoured this book in one setting! The twists and turns I was not prepared for at all. I enjoyed this book and can’t wait to see what this author comes out with next!

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

"The Heiress" is a twisted gothic suspense novel from the New York Times bestselling author of "The Wife Upstairs." This was my first Rachel Hawkins thriller, and I will definitely be reading more!

When infamous heiress Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she leaves her nine-figure fortune and family estate in the Blue Ridge mountains to her adopted son, Cam. But Cam wants little to do with the money or the house, so he rejects the inheritance. Instead, he settles into life as a teacher in Colorado and marries Jules. Ten years later, the death of Cam's uncle brings him back to the family home—and reminds him why he left in the first place. The more Jules learns about Cam's family, however, the more she is determined that her husband claim everything Ruby left him. As questions about the heiress come to light, secrets are revealed.

This was such a page-turner, and I could not put it down. The story is told from the dual POV of both Cam and Jules, news articles, and letters from Ruby. I always enjoy this type of format so that I can get into each character's head. There were so many unexpected twists and turns, which made this a very engaging thriller. I highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This review will be posted to Goodreads, Storygraph, and Instagram closer to the publication date.