This story really went full on from the start. A mix of a time hop of the present with Cam the Heir and the passed Heiress Ruby. She writes letters that reveal lots of facts that no one else knew about while she lived. It was really interesting but the ending was not as climactic as I thought. I did kind of guess where it was going for the major points so that kept it from a 5 for me. I wanted a big WHAT?? Type ending.

This thriller has finally reconnected me back to my beloved thriller/suspense book genre and made me fall in love again!! I cannot say enough amazing things about this twisty book. It literally had me stuck on the couch for 2 days binge reading because I had to know what would happen. I could not put this book down for very long and when I did, it was all I thought about. The characters all gave me the creeps in the best ways possible, as you don't know who to trust. The mansion felt like it's own character and gave off claustrophobic and sinister vibes. I thoroughly enjoyed the various POVs as a way to further draw the reader into this story. By the ending, I was biting my nails from the drama and suspense. I'll be reading this author's work in the future now all because of this 5 star book.

A gothic, Appalachian tale? Yes, please!

Rachel Hawkins never disappoints. This one was moody and earthy but also with the glitter and glam of the rich. Quite a neat juxtaposition. Complete with a nice twist at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'm starting all of her previous novels! This was amazing, and so many twists! I loved it, couldn't put it down. It is a mix of suspense, mystery, romance vibes! It was truly spectacular. I did have trouble keeping up with the ages and names but nothing that would deter me from reading it. I had to know what happens!

Unputdownable! Rachel Hawkins created a masterful story within a story & when it unfolds - your mind will be blown. There's no way you could predict how this will turn out. Hawkins artfully leaves clues, adds suspense, and builds characters in a way that you will be on the edge of your cozy reading chair.

The story of a man trying to escape the grips of his sketchy, wealthy family but thrown back into the mix will leave you wanting more. Add second story line of finding out just how this family's matriarch lost husband after husband and you won't be able to read those pages fast enough!

This book felt like a cross over of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Ginny and Georgia and You. It was a page turner- the way the story was being told. You wanted to know what was going to happen next, how the story would unfold. I was able to predict some of it- but not entirely. When I say it reminds me of "You".. think season 2. It was my first Rachel Hawkins novel, and I definitely need to check out more!

This is an engrossing tale of secrets, lies, greed, family dysfunction and murder. Secrets are slowly revealed through multiple points of view - Camden, Jules and Ruby - each have their own stories to tell! The McTavish wealth has helped to hide a multitude of sins, but secrets don’t tend to stay hidden forever. Will those revelations destroy everyone they touch? This is a thoroughly fascinating story that keeps you riveted to the pages until all the shocking truths are revealed!

Another solid domestic thriller with a extremely messed up family by Rachel Hawkins. It's hard to write much in a review without spoiling anything, but I enjoyed the twists in this one!

4.5 Stars
The Heiress is my favorite Rachel Hawkins to date! Old money, a historic estate, dark secrets, a kidnapping, and four dead husbands! The story was riveting!

This twisty mystery unfolds through three POVs: Ruby “The Heiress”, Camden, Ruby’s heir to Ruby’s large fortune, and Jules, Camden’s wife. I think Ruby’s POV had to be my favorite. What happened to three-year-old Ruby when she was kidnapped? Was she that unlucky in love? Why did Camden leave, and will he now stay home and take up his position as heir to the great Ashby House? Everyone had at least one secret!

A fast-paced, glued-to-the-pages kind of read! I was eager to see how it all turned out! Of course, I was rallying for a happy ending for Cam and Jules.

I alternately read and listened to The Heiress. Dan Bitner, Eliza Foss, John Pirhalla, and Patti Murin’s performances were excellent! I listened at my usual 1.5x normal speed. I recommend either format!

When Ruby, a wealthy heiress with a checkered past dies, her adopted son, Camden is in line to inherit her fortune. Her surviving blood relatives will go to any lengths to keep that from happening. Camden reluctantly moves back to her home, Ashby House, with his wife, Jules, to settle the estate. Once there, he is face to face with the family turmoil as the unearth scandal from Ruby’s past. Will buried secrets nullify the estate, or will fate re ESL the rightful heir? Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. This is my honest review.

I couldn’t out this down. It’s Evelyn Hugo meets dark family thriller. My first 5 star read in a long time. This is definitely Rachel Hawkins at her best and I would love to read more about Cam and Jules in the future. Excellent read.

This book was such an intriguing mystery thriller. I could not put it down! This has multiple POVs and was very easy to follow. So many secrets and suspense throughout and it kept you wondering what was going to happen next. I really enjoyed this thriller filled with murder, greed and mystery. Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel Hawkins and St. Martins Press for my advanced copy.

When Rachel Hawkins writes a book, I’m ready to read it. So when the early reviews were mixed for The Heiress, I got curious at why. I don’t know about anyone else but I thought it was fabulous! Filled with family drama and lots of twists I was captivated the whole time. I think readers thought it would be more thriller but I I thought the storyline was rich and I would love to have met the interesting Ruby in real life. Do yourself a favor and read another hit by Rachel. 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ruby is pretty well known firstly as the Cavendish that was kidnapped for a few hours and after as a 4 time widower. Her adoptive son Camden is happily married to Jules living far away from his adoptive ultra rich family that he wants nothing to do with. Until he receives an email that is calling him back home after his uncle death. He is hesitant to go but Jules is really excited, not that she has told Cam all the reasons why she wants to go there. When they get there secrets begin to unravel.

This book gave me such a soap opera feel (as a Brazilian, I've seen a lot of those haha); the unending reveals (each more scandalous than the other), the drama, the back-to-back twists (sometimes in the same paragraph), the private detectiveS (I kid you not, more than once), and the ending. There is a scene that encompasses that feeling so well. All the characters are together and Ben reveals a secret, Cam reveals that he already knows the secret, and Ben practically says "but I bet you didn't know about this other secret" - dramatic gasps all around. That goes throughout the entire book. And the funny thing is all characters think they are keeping secrets but everyone always know everything.

It's fun at the beginning. But since it keeps happening on and on and on, the fun of the drama and of the twists simply disappears and loose the freshness. Since every character knows everything, it feels as if we're just being told the story without following it.

I did have fun at the beginning though and the book is extremely readable. I did really like Ruby's character; I wish we've followed her story as it was unfolding instead of just being told about it.

By the end, it's a fun book that can be read really fast. But it's not one I'll be thinkin about.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.

I have enjoyed other Rachel Hawkins pieces but this is the wildest ride she's thought up and I enjoyed every twisted minute! Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to preview #TheHeiress which is my first 5☆ review of the year!! Can't wait for her next release.

Camden reluctantly returns to his childhood home, with wife in tow, to deal with the large estate left to him by his adoptive mother. He’s been estranged from all surviving relatives for years and none of them are happy to see him again. Just about everyone in the family has secrets and ulterior motives, and as usual, money is at the heart of all of it.
I enjoyed this, particularly the flashbacks of Camden’s mother as a young woman.
Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for this #arc of #theheiress in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. From the beginning, I struggled to connect with any of the characters. They were all unlikable to me, and therefore, I struggled to enjoy this book. Yes, it was twisty. There were unexpected secrets revealed. But I just didn't love it.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

Thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the e-arc.

This author is always an auto-buy author for me. I know I can rely on her for quick thrillers that pull me right in.

I've heard comparisons to Evelyn Hugo, and I see the parallels- rich older woman, accounting her lives, including many husbands. The empathy that I had for Evelyn was not present for Ruby. She was not written to be a likable character. I honestly didn't like any of the characters. Camden was a bit whiny about the family and the house, but didn't do anything to change his situation (other than leave). Jules was fine until she wasn't, and I just thought it was gross. Not to mention money hungry family... it was quite the group in this home.

I felt there were some things missing and some plot lines that got forgotten. I wanted more from Cecilia, the housekeeper. I wanted something more climactic to happen at the house- it felt like an afterthought. There was a lot of talk about this dangerous hike, but it never came to be relevant. Also the Libby plot line never felt addressed, either.

While I enjoyed this story for entertainment purposes, it isn't my favorite book from Rachel Hawkins.

This is one of Hawkins' stronger books. The rich and mysterious family and their rich and mysterious home is a gleefully dark and lush setting for the mysteries at hand. As we learn about Ruby through letters it feels a bit like a murder mystery version of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. As if often the case in Hawkins' books, class and the role of money in how safely or comfortably one gets to live is explored, offering interesting motivations for all the characters. Once you think you've enjoyed the final twist or final reveal, there's yet one more. Satisfying and fun.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending the ARC of Rachel Hawkins’s The Heiress for review. All opinions are my own.

The Heiress was quick to grab my attention and held it all the way through in one sitting. There are multiple POVs in different timelines, keeping the reader addicted throughout. There are unexpected twists and a satisfying conclusion.

Ruby McTavish, an uber-rich North Carolina widow, dies, leaving her fortune to her adopted son, Camden. Camden has no use for the fortune, but ten years after Ruby’s death, returns home to the isolated Ashby House (Ruby’s estate), in the wake of his uncle’s death. Camden brings his wife, Jules, along for the visit to the grand estate. Camden and Jules dig into Ruby’s past, unlocking various pieces of the puzzle of her life along the way.

Read if you like themes of the power of money, family drama, long held secrets, possible truths, gothic suspense, to name a few.
Publication date: 1/9/24