An amazing read...from start to finish. The Heiress focuses on the life and story of Ruby McTavish, through the perspectives of her letters, her son, Camden, and his wife, Jules. As the story unfolds, you realize that Cam and Jules's connection is deeper than their 10-year marriage. As the two return to Cam's home, the Ashby House, Jules learns more about the family that her husband tried to escape. The plot twists will grip you until you find yourself reading the final pages. I would rate this book 10 stars if I could. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I absolutely LOVED this book. It kept me engaged the entire time. It wasn't spooky but still had twist and turns that kept you flipping the pages. I read this in a day and am bummed it's over!

This thriller follows a couple who travel back to the husband's family estate after the death of his adoptive mother to claim his inheritance. Although the husband has been estranged from the family for years, he was left all of his mother's (Ruby's) assets... And all of the family drama that comes with it. As a reader, we get both husband and wife's perspectives, but also newspaper articles from the past and letters that Ruby has written. Unfortunately, I think the letters really took away a lot of the mystery and intrigue from the story. The main twist was all but spelled out in one of the letters early on, and from that point forward there was no real twist that was surprising. I think this story could have benefited from more showing and less telling in the reveals of the twists throughout. I didn't find anything about this book or the plot twists to be unique or all that thrilling. It was a very average read.

4 Stars

A lovely domestic suspense. If you love secrets of the past and family secrets, you will enjoy this. I really enjoyed the past story line joining up with the present. The old house was a character unto it self. Nothing particularly shocking but a fun ride nonetheless.

I posted my review to goodreads and story graph.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press for my review copies!

This was my 3rd Rachel Hawkins mystery, and I think my favorite of the three. I think it often does a disservice to her books to classify them as “thrillers” because they are more of a slow burn - I often don’t feel that true fear for the characters that I think really puts the “thrill” in “thriller.” And unlike many mystery novels, The Heiress doesn’t start with finding a body and then figuring out the mystery. Instead, the crime unfolds before your eyes, and it’s more of a matter of deciding if any of the characters really “deserve” to be free at the end of the book, since few are truly innocent.

The Heiress is a multi-POV mystery following the late Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore’s living family, interspersed with letters from Ruby about her remarkable life. Her heir and adopted son, Cam, and his fiance, Jules, are our main characters.

I thought this was a lot of fun. I think the lack of sun in January makes me want to read more unlikable characters - I’m certainly not at my most pleasant in the dead of winter, and I think it’s kind of fun to remind myself that my worst is these character’s best.

I think what can be tricky about this book is that it doesn’t necessarily feel like there’s a plot? Like yes, the inciting incident is that Cam and Jules show up at Ashby house with all of his horrible relatives. But that’s more of a situation than the set up for a story. If you like having a clear plot or whodunnit, this book is probably not for you. But if you like to just hang out with characters and explore their motivations, and watch some action at the end, this is the book for you!

🎧 I binged most of the book by audio, I really liked that there were different narrators for the different POVs. It really helped to add clarity about who’s POV I was in while listening, I feel like sometimes that can be more confusing by audiobook. The narrators voice acting really matched the characters and added to the atmosphere of the novel! It was especially fun to hear Ruby’s letters read by just one voice actor, she really leaned into the character. I highly recommend the audiobook!

Review – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

📗The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins
🗓️Pub date: January 9, 2024 (out now!)

Ruby McTavish is well known in North Carolina for not only her family’s fortune, but also because all her marriages have ended with her husbands dying under mysterious circumstances. Ruby never had any children of her own, so she adopted a little boy, Camden. So when Ruby dies, Camden is set to inherit all of Ruby assets. The thing is, Camden doesn’t want anything to do with her house or fortune she left behind. That is, until family secrets begin to unravel, forcing Camden to step back into the home and life he had been running from since she died. Once Camden returns, what secrets will be revealed? And will he finally accept what Ruby left to him?

I loved this story so much. I was hooked from the very beginning and could not stop reading. There were plenty of twists and turns that kept me interested throughout the whole story. I won’t go into too much detail because I don’t want to reveal any spoilers. If you enjoy a good mystery/suspense, this is definitely one for you!

⚠️TW: Domestic abuse, missing child/kidnapping, death/murder

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is a captivating blend of mystery and romance, keeping me hooked from start to finish. The intricate plot, well-developed characters, and the atmospheric setting created a delightful reading experience. While the story held my interest and offered unexpected twists, there were moments where pacing felt a bit rushed. Nonetheless, Hawkins skillfully weaves a tale of intrigue and love, earning this novel a solid 4 stars. A must-read for fans of historical romance with a touch of suspense!" 📖🌟

Okay, I love Rachel Hawkins. She is a must-check-out author for me. I’ve loved her books in the past and was stoked to get this one. Squeee!

The characters were toxic as hell (in a good way), the chapters were compelling. I liked all the POVs (with the letters being my favorite…because you always have a favorite).

Solid, solid 4.6 for me.

My favorite Rachel Hawkins book thus far. The Heiress tells the story of Ruby McTavish who was kidnapped as a child and then returned to her very rich family. Married and divorced four times as an adult, Ruby never had children, and thus when she passes away, her remaining fortune falls to her adopted son, Camden. Cam wants nothing to do with the fortune or the McTavish family. Years later, Cam's uncle passes away, and he and his wife, Jules, go back to the McTavish family home, Ashby House to sort out the affairs. While Cam wants nothing to do with the lavish life of a rich McTavish, Jules has other plans. No one is prepared for the secrets that have been kept through the years and the surprises in store from Ruby ad her plan for Cam.

This is a story of family secrets that are revealed throughout. This is told from multiple points of view and from the past and present. I enjoyed the letters and news articles that are inter dispersed between the chapters. There is strong character development of the MCs but I don’t know that I like any of them or the other family members. The town has some interesting personalities as well which make for a good storyline. There is so much drama that happens and this family is truly dysfunctional. This story truly solidifies the fact that family acts differently and can have ulterior motives when money is involved. Overall this was a good read however I have read better thriller/mysteries.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, this is a voluntary honest review.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and Net Galley for the advanced review copy!

I'm already a fan of Rachel Hawkins, and this new book did not disappoint. I loved the premise of the story, the family drama, beautiful descriptions of the Ashby House, and the twists and turns. This was a nice page turner and it kept me guessing the whole way through. I always like Rachel's writing style and nothing was too grandiose or unbelievable, even with such a wild story.

I've already recommended to others!

I absolutely loved this book! We follow the complicated life of Ruby McTavish. She is not only the richest woman in North Carolina, but she is the victim of a famous kidnapping as a child and widow four times over. After she passes, she leaves everything to her adopted son, Camden. Camden wants nothing to do with the money or the house but after ten years he goes back with his wife Jules.

This story is so twisty and was such a fun read! I was curious to find out how this would end. Even though you get some answers near the beginning of the story, it’s still not at all what you might think. Definitely recommend!!

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is a novel that really surprised me. It had much greater depth and complexity than I expected. The novel takes twists and turns that you might not expect. The characters were intriguing and realistic. Readers who love mysteries, thrillers, or women’s fiction will love this book. Great book overall! I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

This was a mystery/thriller that left me a little underwhelmed. While I enjoyed the pacing, and the storyline from the past, I ultimately never felt invested in any of the characters from the present-day storyline. I have loved the other books by Rachel Hawkins that I read, but this one just wasn't a favorite. Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A resounding 5 stars. Loved the pace, the alternate viewpoints interspersed with letters and news articles, and I loved trying (and largely failing) to figure out exactly what was going on. Really impressive!

This book was fun but ultimately I was let down by the ending. I saw the twist coming from a mile away and the ending felt a little abrupt, with little in the way of a dénouement.

Camden McTavish and his wife, Jules, comes home to Ashby House, the mansion he grew up in that was owned by his adopted mother, Ruby. After Ruby’s death, Camden inherited everything but left because life at Ashby House was too stifling.

Fast forward some years and Camden brings Jules back so he can deal with his inheritance and his estranged extended family. This story was rife with drama, murder, secrets, and family against bitter family. I enjoyed the different point of views (especially Ruby’s) and I really liked the little twist at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC. The Heiress is out now.

Another Rachel Hawkins delivery! I loved how fast pace the story read. It gave me 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes which I loved.

The back and forth POVs in addition to the letters from Ruby made the story layered and kept me wondering how and why with each husband. Every reveal had me gasping and loving her character even more. This is definitely a story you’d watch on the big screen in theaters. I really enjoyed it. My only complaint was the ending. It felt too messy and rushed. It was a great twist, but I wanted a little more clarification. I even reread certain parts and I wish it was revealed differently.

Thanks so much NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for the arc.

Rachel Hawkins has become an auto-buy author for me over the last few years and when I heard the premise for The Heiress, I knew this was one I didn’t want to miss. Give me all the Gothic, old money, sprawling estate in the South vibes!

Hawkins delivers a fun and dramatic story about a family you are going to love to hate. They’ve got all the hidden secrets and more to be discovered as the reader settles into the Ashby house. The main narration comes from Jules and Cam, but there are excerpts from letters by Ruby that completely sold and hooked me on this book. I loved learning her secrets and how they played into the present day storyline.

There are lots of questions that need answering in this book and the synopsis in my opinion does a great job of setting the stage for the reader, but to review the details of how things unfold would be too spoilery.

My thoughts:
Do you like drama?
Do you like families with lots of hidden secrets?
Do you love getting a bird's eye view into people’s lives?
If you answered yes to any of these, check this one out!

🎧: Bonus points – This is a multi-cast production!

I love this author & I loved this book! Very clever writing & twists. Definitely recommend!

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.