Rachel Hawkins has an extremely addictive writing style! This one sucked me right in with the blurb about those who go missing in the Appalachian forests. However, I will also say I felt like this gave away a major story plot of the book that isn’t revealed until the ending.

Overall I enjoyed the story, but didn’t find any of the twists or turns surprising. I think the setting and the family story had a lot of potential but unfortunately it was lacking something for me. I also felt no connection to any of the characters making me not care too much about the outcome.

What a twisted story!
I received a ARC of this book quite some time ago, and FINALLY got to my list and finished this book. Family secrets come front and center when letters are discovered . . .
Lots of family drama and this book had be guessing and turning the pages so quick! Recommend!

4 stars

I am not sure why this didnt send and for that I am sorry! I found this book to be just okay. I was unable to get fully imersed into it and found it to be a little bit on the unexciting side. I was hoping for more from this book and found myself not really caring about the characters.I found it to be more of a typical thriller mystery book with a hint of Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo with the letters. I will read more from Hawkins though and look forward to her next book.

🛁 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 🛁
The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins
“It was a strange feeling, being caught between two lives.
I think that’s something you might understand.”

Synopsis: After the death of Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore, North Carolina's richest and most notorious woman, her adopted son Camden rejects his inheritance and attempts to live a normal life in Colorado. However, ten years later, he and his wife Jules are drawn back to Ruby's estate, Ashby House, where they uncover dark secrets about Ruby's past, including mysterious deaths and unsettling family ties, revealing that an inheritance can be far more than just wealth.

Rachel Hawkins has done it again with another incredible thriller! I will say, after Reckless Girls, sis had me nervous, but I truly loved both The Villa and The Heiress.

What I love about Rachel Hawkins books are the layers. Not only in time period, where we are reading about both Ruby’s past at the same time as Cam’s present, but even in the way the content is presented. We read about Rubys insane life and marriages through a series of letters, and there are accompanying newspaper articles, magazine interviews, and more to help enhance your understanding of the story.

I did feel as if, towards the end, there were possibly one too many characters (maybe we only needed Libby or Ben, not both?) which left me a bit confused but other than that the twists in this book kept on coming and just when you think you have it all figured out, you’re hit with another whammy that will have you questioning EVERYTHING.

If you’re looking for a unputdownable thriller with themes of generational wealth, the things we do for love (and money), and what it’s like to truly go home again, I recommend this book wholeheartedly!📚🛁✌🏽✨

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is a deliciously twisty, suspense-filled read that kept me on my toes from start to finish. Imagine a cocktail of opulent mansions, dark family secrets, and a sharp, well-paced plot—shaken, not stirred. Hawkins knows how to blend glamour with danger, giving us a peek into the kind of wealth that feels more like a gilded cage than a dream come true.

The characters are the perfect balance of likable and morally questionable, making you wonder who's actually the villain and who's just caught in the web of their own bad choices. I won’t spoil the fun, but let's just say there are enough twists to make your head spin—sometimes in the best way, other times in a "wait, what?" kind of way.

The pacing is snappy, the setting is lush and evocative, and the suspense builds steadily until it’s practically choking you with anticipation. Hawkins' writing is sharp, engaging, and wickedly fun. The only thing I wished for? Maybe a little more depth in some of the characters. But overall, The Heiress is a fantastic, fast-paced psychological thriller that’ll keep you turning pages long into the night.

Four stars. It’s a compelling read—just don’t expect the typical "rich girl meets royal" story; there's a lot more to it than that.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins attempts a suspenseful narrative through three perspectives: Camden, his wife Jules, and letters from his adoptive mother, Ruby. While the premise had potential, the execution felt like a messy mash-up of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Home Before Dark. Ruby's recounting of her four late husbands mirrors Evelyn's storytelling, but without the same depth, and the haunted house trope à la Sager falls flat due to too many narrative voices and unresolved plotlines. Jules's sections, in particular, felt extraneous. The book's twists lacked impact, leaving questions about minor characters and subplots frustratingly unanswered. Though engaging in parts, it ultimately fails to deliver the gripping punch expected from Hawkins. A decent read, but not her strongest. Thanks to NetGalley for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This, like most of her books, was another great read! i would love to reread this one in the future

I must say this book wasn’t bad. I enjoyed how it was witted and it kept me engaged. I have this a 4 star rating.

I had a hard time getting into The Wife Upstairs, so I was a little hesitant about starting The Heiress. However, i found this novel so much more interesting and shocking than her previous book. I loved how it reminded me of a more mysterious and messed up version of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Enjoyed the atmospheric, gothic vibe and I thought the Appalachian Mountains was the perfect setting. My only complaint was that I didn't find Jules' sections as interesting as the others and I kind of wish the author cut her parts out entirely. Appreciated the twist at the end and I imagine this book will stay with me for awhile.

To me, this was an odd book, although one I read compulsively after I started it. There is a lot of family friction - I wondered why more of the family members would just not move away and make their own lives. You could say that money is definitely the root of all evil among this family - money and ambition, but also secrets and lies.

The matriarch of the family, Ruby McTavish, had been kidnapped as a child and was not returned to her family until several years later. Ruby had four husbands in her lifetime and died in the house. Her adopted son, Camden, inherited the house and the money but wanted nothing to do with the estate. His wife, however, had other ideas ... and had her own secrets.

I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher St. Martin's Press via NetGalley, and voluntarily read and reviewed it.

While I enjoyed the writing style and the pace, I found the present day storyline to be quite predictable, but thoroughly enjoyed reading the chapters set in the past.

Another amazing book by Rachel Hawkins!! If you loved the Villa, you will love this book! Told in multiple POV and different media including newspapers articles and personal letters we follow a very rich family who are at odds with the sole heir to the family fortune. The author gives hints that things are not as they seem, which kept me wondering what was true. The twists are thrilling. I loved reading this book so much I read it in one sitting!

One of my favorite authors! I really loved this book!! It has been a while since I have had a book capture my attention and keep me reading so quickly! Quick read that I really enjoyed!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this review copy

I love this author and this book is no exception!

Thank you for the ARC that was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I tried to listen and read this one and I just could not get into it or follow along. I have enjoyed Rachel Hawkins in the past, but The Heiress was just not for me. Because I saw many 4 star reviews I thought it was me and I missed something but I tried again and my thoughts were the same...this seemed incomplete and messy. There were some plot holes that I wish were filled. Characters were mentioned but not developed and ending up adding nothing to the story but it led you to believe they would be. Again, it could be me but I have read better by Ms. Hawkins..this was missed the mark for me.

This book was so thought out and my first by Rachel Hawkins. The first half had me dying to know more... I was sucked it. Every POV character is connected in some twisted way, which was wild to learn about.

This was a fantastic read that I had to finish in one day, just because I NEEDED the know.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I look forward to reading another by Rachel Hawkins.

Lots of secrets, a famous kidnapping, and an unwanted inheritance- this sounded like it had all the elements of a fun and twisty mystery. However, the plot is just extremely unbelievable and the ending was just.... not good. It was a quick read, which was a perk. But overall, this one was just not for me.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed The Heiress, especially since I've seen some less than satisfactory reviews of it but it was a really great story. The book was definitely a little slow and picked up only towards the end. It wasn't overly detailed or unnecessarily long which I appreciated. Hawkins told the story pretty compactly and everything connected in a way that I wasn't expecting. Sometimes books with such robust back stories can drone on and on for too many pages but I didn't find that to be true with The Heiress; I felt like I got everything I needed in a decent amount of pages.

I really loved this book; it was a thriller and a mystery without being gory or graphic. The Heiress was filled with lies, secrets, mind games and family trauma. It had everything you could want out of a book and I personally think this would be a great 'thriller' for people who do not like those types of books. It's also a great book to pull you out of a reading slump.

This has been my favorite Rachel Hawkins book so far. I really enjoyed this story and was surprised by the twists. Reminded me of Evelyn Hugo but with a mystery.

Camden McTavish grew up in Tavistock, a small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains, as the adopted child of Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore (yes, I had to cut and paste that). She is wealthy and powerful, living in a mansion high above the town.

Cam gets as far away as possible as fast as he can, never to return – at least not until he is summoned there after the death of his Uncle because he has been named in the will.

He is happy with his life as a schoolteacher in Colorado, but his wife is considerably more interested in the inheritance.

The Heiress is a turducken of a mystery with unanswered questions at every turn. How did so many of Ruby’s husbands die? Why did she adopt Cam? Why is he determined to reject his inheritance? Do his cousins have a rightful claim?

I recommend The Heiress to fans of thrillers or domestic suspense.

I received this Advanced Reader Copy of The Heiress from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.