Loved this book!! In fact, I can't remember the last time I read a book so fast. This storyline was fast-paced, and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.
Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and the author for an ARC.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC of The Heiress!

What a great way to start off my year of reading! I have had a Rachel Hawkins book sitting on my shelf for a little while and haven’t picked it up yet and boy am I kicking myself after reading this one!

The Heiress starts with mysterious circumstances and immediately draws the reader in tempting them to know more. I have a soft spot for alternate forms of writing in books so I loved that it is written in different formats (emails, diary, newspaper, etc). Everyone has a different story to tell and this aspect left me constantly on the edge of my seat. There were twists and turns in what seemed like every chapter. Although some of them were easy to predict, it didn’t take away from the desire to continue reading. I enjoyed that all of the loose ends were connected at the conclusion. Needless to say, I will definitely be reading more of Rachel Hawkins in the coming year.

Happy publication day to The Heiress! So far, I think this is my favorite of Rachel Hawkins' novels. It's billed as a suspense/thriller, but to me it lacked the fast pacing of a thriller. It was more of a suspenseful family drama, more character-driven than your typical thriller. The characters were well-drawn. Even though I saw pretty much everything coming, it was fun to watch them revel in their vengefulness. I'm a sucker for epistolary novels, so the letter portions were a bonus for me. Overall a great escape read. I never would have thought "rich people behaving badly" would be my thing, but I quite enjoyed this book.

From the second I started listening to The Heiress, I was all in. I can’t put my finger on exactly what made the story so immediately compelling. Rachel Hawkins’ writing always draws me in, and this one started with an article about a missing child who was later found that immediately made me want to know more. And the full-cast narration of the book is absolutely pitch perfect.

I don’t want to say too much about the plot because there are surprises from the get go, but it’s the story of the heirs of Ruby McTavish, North Carolina’s richest and most notorious woman. She was the victim of a famous kidnapping as a child, widowed four times, and smarter than most of the men in her life combined. After another death in the family, her heirs—some who want everything, and some who want nothing to do with the family’s legacy—have to come together to figure out what to do.

This one is definitely twisty and thrilling, but it almost felt more like a family drama to me. The more you learn about the history of the family, the more the landscape of the book shifts so you’re seeing things through different frames. No one in the story is exactly likeable, but I ended up really loving a couple of the characters throughout, even as my understanding of who they were changed.

The audiobook for this one was fantastic. I love a full-cast recording and this one definitely immersed me in the world of the book. I really couldn’t put it down. I’d recommend The Heiress to any reader looking for a twisty stories where nothing is quite what it seems, and the audiobook is a great way to go.

Rachel Hawkins skillfully crafted a captivating gothic narrative filled with elements of murder, mystery, and substantial wealth. The story intricately weaves together multiple characters, shedding light on their imperfections and flaws. Hawkins adeptly challenges conventional notions of family, illustrating that it may not always align with preconceived expectations. Having thoroughly enjoyed all of Hawkins' novels, "The Heiress" is no exception. I wholeheartedly recommend it to those who appreciate tales set in small towns, opulent estates, and rife with family intrigues and betrayals.

This was the perfect blend of Seven Husbands Evelyn Hugo and the opulence of Gossip Girl.

I ate. this. up.

It was so faced paced, juicy, and scandalous. So many shocking moments.

All three POVs were so interesting but I think my favorite was Ruby’s. She had such bad b*tch/Kris Jenner energy.

If you’re nosy as hell and love old money vibes, you’re going to be obsessed with this. 🔥

Is she or isn’t she? Ruby McTavish is North Carolina’s wealthiest woman. She has outlived four husbands. Her adopted son moved away years ago to avoid the speculation about the cause of those deaths as well as Ruby’s past. Invited back by his cousin, Cam and his girlfriend Jules make the trip to North Carolina. While Jules, who grew up poor, sees what could once again be a grand estate and a perfect place to raise their unborn child, Cam is not so sure. Cousin dearest also eyes the mansion with desire. This is a fast, don’t put me down read. The answer is obvious, but you’ll want to read it anyways.

I think I’m the only one on the planet who didn’t enjoy this book. I found it hard to keep returning to, because I thought I was in for a fast paced thriller. Instead, it’s an extremely slow burn that leans more towards family drama (and none of the characters drew me in enough to start caring about them). I’ve been lukewarm on the author in the past, perhaps this is a “me” problem and she is just destined to not be one of my favorite authors.

The Heiress" by Rachel Hawkins takes you on a rollercoaster ride through the tangled web of family drama, secrets, and a hefty inheritance!

When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore, the notorious and rich heiress of North Carolina, passes away, her adopted son, Camden, surprises everyone by rejecting the massive fortune and complicated legacy of being a McTavish. Instead, he opts for a quiet life as an English teacher in Colorado with his wife, Jules.

Fast forward ten years, and a family death summons them back to Ashby House, the grand estate that was once ruled by Ruby. But coming home dredges up memories for Camden, and Jules has her own ideas about claiming what Ruby intended for her husband.

The story unfolds with Ruby narrating her life story through letters, revealing the good, the bad, and the ugly. These letters, my friends, are the crown jewels of the book!

This juicy plot serves up secrets, twists, and a healthy dose of family drama. While it might be a slow burn, the story kept me hooked with its engaging narrative and a sprinkle of zingers that hit the mark.

What sets this book apart is the unique approach of unfolding Ruby's life through her letters. It adds a layer of depth to the narrative, keeping you guessing until the very end. Just when you think you've got it all figured out, Hawkins throws in a curveball that'll leave you in awe.

In a nutshell, The Heiress is a captivating journey through love, wealth, and the intricacies of family ties. If you're up for a gripping tale that explores the dark corners of inheritance and the secrets that bind families, this one's a winner. Highly recommended for those who love a story that keeps you on your toes until the final page!

First read of 2024 in the books (sorry I think I used that joke last year too). Also my first read of last year was also Rachel Hawkins, so this might be becoming a tradition and I love that for me.

The premise of this one was all about an inheritance and the heiress behind it with a very twisted past (one that is slowly unraveling throughout the book) and what she left behind (secrets, stories, money-lots of it, and an adopted son to figure it all out). Filled with lots of twists and turns until the very end. I did really love that the twists were revealed throughout the book and not just piled on at the end. The pace of this book was perfect- not too slow but not moving too quickly.

I would add Hawkins books to my list of automatic buy/read/recommend thriller authors now (and I don’t add to that list lightly!)

The Heiress, by Rachel Hawkins, is an addictive read that I could not put down until I read the final twists, the final revelations, and the final question!! And there many of the above to ponder!
Told from their first person POVs, Jules and Camden are a hardworking couple married for 10 years and living modestly in Colorado. When an email from Cam’s cousin Ben in North Carolina arrives, Cam is catapulted into feeling long-suppressed emotions about his mother Ruby, the McTavish heiress, and his unsavory McTavish relatives still living in the Ashby House mansion and its local area. Cam is urged by Jules to return to North Carolina, face the family, and confirm his claim on his inheritance.
It is fascinating to see the threads of this story unspool. Even the most upright, seemingly well-motivated characters have secrets and practice subterfuge. As Cam muses, “growing up in Ashby House…silences and secrets clung to the draperies…spun webs just as deadly as…black widow spiders."
The plotting is well-paced, with revelations around every corner. The story of Ruby McTavish is also told in her first person POV through letters she wrote to her descendants, detailing her long-held secrets in a witty, smart, acerbic tone. Ruby is the star, as she is unveiled as a master manipulator and user of her family members. Even Ashby House is an important character, and Cam comments, “I feel the house before I see it.”
With each new novel, Rachel Hawkins’ writing gets better and better. I loved The Villas, and I enjoyed this book even more, with its multiple POVs and story-telling devices—newspaper articles and Ruby’s letters.
I highly recommend this novel if you like a mystery with complex plotting, and a strong dose of family drama.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my unbiased review.

There was a lot going on in "The Heiress." With alternating timelines, between present day, Camden and Jules POVs and via letter Ruby, Camden adoptive mother, Hawkins weaves together a familial story of murder, betrayal, and twisted love.
With the death of Cam's uncle, he and his wife, Jules are drawn back to Ashby House in the small town of Tavistock, ostensibly to aid in fixing up the house and grounds, as Cam has control of the family money. The rest of the family has only been granted the right to live there, with no access to Ruby's fortune. Those poor fools must live off whatever monies they can make on their own. Their bitterness that all this wealth is going to an ADOPTED son has not faded with time, and is on full display from the moment Cam and Jules arrive.
The most interesting parts are the letters Ruby has left behind, though we don't find out who she was writing to until the very end, detailing her life, and her husbands.
Overall, a good fun, twisty read. I thing I would have enjoyed alot more about Ruby's life and how she lived, especially between husbands!, than the modern day spite between spoiled "it should have been mine" relations, but still an overall enjoyable read.

There were a few minor plot points that seemed to go no where- the mention of missing hikers and the dangerous trails alongside the waterfall? Was that just red herring thrown out there? Or just a cut off story possibility?

Rating: 4.5/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion.

This book is about the McTavishes family and what it means to be one. You will see that this family has plenty of their own secrets, betrayals, lies, and family drama…. But maybe you will also uncover a coldhearted murderer in that family as well.

This was my first Hawkins book, and it will not be my last. I loved her writing a lot, I felt as though the characters were right in front of me telling their side of everything. I loved that it wasn’t confusing on who was talking and you really get a deeper connection with the characters this way. The book is told in multiple POVs, which are from Cam, Jules (Cam's wife) and Ruby (who is Cam's adopted mother).

I loved all the breadcrumbs that you will get throughout the book to try to figure out who did what and what is really going on in that family. I loved getting to guess at the secrets that were going to be told and who was keeping the right secret.

I loved that every character in this book (even the side characters) all have a little secret that they’re hiding from one another or from one person until the timing is just right. However, is it one that will change everyone’s lives for the best or the worst?

I really enjoyed this book, it was fast paced, with a lot of mystery, a little bit of suspense and a lot of drama in that family. I was able to read this book within 10 hours and that was only because I knew I had to eat dinner and sleep, or I would just keep going. I loved uncovering all the skeletons that each character had in their closets and to see if I guessed right or not, I was a little bit right, but I didn’t see a few parts and they were amazing.

If you love mysteries, thrillers, suspense, a little gothic, great pace, wonderful writing style, and some southern charm, I recommend this book for you.


I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to review this book.

4.5 stars. Oh my goodness, this book is DELICIOUS!!! More than one unreliable narrator. So many twisted secrets. I adore Ruby - she made me chuckle so many times (which may say more about me than her, but she's FUN). There are zero characters without secrets. Jules and Cam are an interesting couple. Honestly, I'm not going to say much more, for fear of ruining it, other than that you should read this book.

When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she’s not only North Carolina’s richest woman, she’s also its most notorious. The victim of a famous kidnapping as a child and a widow four times over, Ruby ruled the tiny town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family’s estate high in the Blue Ridge mountains. In the aftermath of her death, that estate—along with a nine-figure fortune and the complicated legacy of being a McTavish—pass to her adopted son, Camden.

But to everyone’s surprise, Cam wants little to do with the house or the money—and even less to do with the surviving McTavishes. Instead, he rejects his inheritance, settling into a normal life as an English teacher in Colorado and marrying Jules, a woman just as eager to escape her own messy past.

Ten years later, Camden is a McTavish in name only, but a summons in the wake of his uncle’s death brings him and Jules back into the family fold at Ashby House. Its views are just as stunning as ever, its rooms just as elegant, but coming home reminds Cam why he was so quick to leave in the first place.

Jules, however, has other ideas, and the more she learns about Cam’s estranged family—and the twisted secrets they keep—the more determined she is for her husband to claim everything Ruby once intended for him to have.

But Ruby’s plans were always more complicated than they appeared. As Ashby House tightens its grip on Jules and Camden, questions about the infamous heiress come to light. Was there any truth to the persistent rumors following her disappearance as a girl? What really happened to those four husbands, who all died under mysterious circumstances? And why did she adopt Cam in the first place? Soon, Jules and Cam realize that an inheritance can entail far more than what’s written in a will––and that the bonds of family stretch far beyond the grave.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

I write this review at 5 am after having been awake all evening reading The Heiress. I could not put this book down. It was twist upon twist, one shocking revelation to the next, leading to an ending that leaves you thinking about and wondering what happens next. Every twist flowed so perfectly to the next, so seamlessly connected that it’s a work of art.
I haven’t had a book manage to surprise me the way this book did in a long time. If you’ve been craving a book that keeps your mind racing, this is it.

I have posted this review on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/p/C15UkZjLAnG/?igsh=NWhiMWFpMmp1OXly

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/126919284

And Amazon

I love Rachel Hawkins. She’s become an auto-buy author for me and this one, I think, is her best one yet! I loved the alternating POV narration from Cam, Jules, Ruby’s letters, and the mixed media of newspaper articles, book excerpts, etc. The alternating formats and the short chapters really held my attention and made this an easy book to fly through. The McTavishes are one dysfunctional family and although it took a little bit for the drama to start, I was immediately sucked in once it happened. This is a slow burn without feeling like a slow burn. The plot held my attention throughout and I honestly was thinking about it a lot when I wasn’t reading. I highly recommend The Heiress to anyone who loves slow burn thrillers with messed up family dynamics!

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review!

Money can’t buy you happiness, or a normal family, in The Heiress. As she’s done in some of her previous novels, Rachel Hawkins has created a domestic thriller with complicated characters that you’re not sure if you want to root for or completely hate, all set in a place that almost becomes its own character in the novel.

The book centers around the Ashby House and the estate of the infamous Ruby McTavish. After surviving four husbands, she leaves her fortune to her adopted son, Camden, much to the dismay of his surviving relatives who he hasn’t seen in 10 years after leaving town. After returning with his wife Jules, many family secrets are coming to the surface.

The Heiress would make a GREAT book club book—there is so much to discuss and explore. You could probably spend an hour just chatting about nature vs. nurture!

I loved the unique POVs included. There are chapters from Jules, Camden as well as letters from the late Ruby herself, plus chapter interludes that include snippets of articles that align with the story, which I found was an engaging add to the book.

While I was able to guess the plot a bit, there are more than enough twists and turns to make this an enjoyable ride!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this novel. There were twists and turns, most unpredictable. You wanted to hate the bad guys and love the good guys, but who was who? The plot was good, I felt that it moved along at a good speed and the ending was unexpected. Overall definitely recommend..

I recently had the pleasure of reading "The Heiress" by Rachel Hawkins, courtesy of NetGalley, who provided me with an ebook version in exchange for an honest review. Let me start by saying this book is a rollercoaster of suspense that had me hooked from start to finish.

One of the unique elements of the story is Hawkins' choice to let each main character narrate their own perspective, creating a personal connection with the reader. The inclusion of "news articles" and letters from Ruby adds a layer of insight into the complexities of the family dynamics. The narrative revolves around an infamous heiress and the intricate inheritance left to her adopted son, Camden.

What struck me the most was the constant sense of mystery and uncertainty. Hawkins skillfully keeps the reader guessing, with revelations and twists unfolding throughout the narrative. The "letters" from Ruby to Cam gradually unveil the truth, adding a compelling layer to the storytelling.

The characters in "The Heiress" are haunted by their own demons, and Hawkins masterfully brings these struggles to light. Secrets are revealed, some remaining hidden, creating an engaging and unpredictable plot. The author drops subtle hints about each character, leaving readers on the edge until the moment of revelation.

Hawkins' descriptive writing immerses readers in the world of Ashby House, capturing the beauty and mystique that surrounds it. I felt like I was right there with the characters, experiencing the twists and turns of the story

"The Heiress" is a standout suspense novel, earning a well-deserved 5-star rating from me. It's one of the best reads in the genre that I've encountered this year, keeping me captivated until the very end. If you enjoy gripping mysteries with well-developed characters and a touch of family drama, this book is a must-read.

🎉 HAPPY PUB DAY! 🎉

Ｂｏｏｋ Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ

Rachel Hawkins has done it again! AND I love each one of her books even more than the last!

This novel revolves around the wealthy heiress, Ruby McTavish (Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore, aka Mrs. Killmore) starting from when she was kidnapped at the tender age of 3, to her 4 marriages (deaths of her 4 husbands), the adoption of her son, Camden, down to all of the secrets she kept until her death.

Camden, who inherits this massive estate once Ruby passes, wants nothing to do with the inheritance. He walks away from it for the past decade until he receives an email from his cousin that there are issues with the estate that need to be taken care of. So he and his wife, Jules pack up and return to North Carolina to the family mansion, the Ashby House.

This book is filled with crazy twists and turns. It’s loaded with family secrets and scandals. I was hooked from the very beginning! If I hadn’t been sick, I would have finished this in a day! I absolutely loved the letters from Ruby!

I loathed the living McTavish’s - Ben, Libby & Nelle. What hateful, deceiving people - even from the beginning when Camden was first adopted. I wasn’t a fan of the physical abuse but it was part of Ruby’s story (which is just a tragically amazing story). I thought that Jules was selfish for most of the book, especially knowing how Camden felt about the estate but I did change my feelings of her closer to the end of the book.

I absolutely adored the ending of the book when all the lingering questions were answered. The found article is the icing on the cake! Loved so much!!! Rachel Hawkins truly has a way with words and the way she slowly ties up all the loose ends of the plot is just an art. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thrillers, suspense, mysteries that have a twisted darkness!

𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℍ𝕒𝕤:
Kidnapping
Murder
Romance
Family Scandals/Secrets
Dysfunctional Family
Multiple POV’s (Camden, Jules & Ruby)
Alternating Timelines

𝐂𝐖: physical abuse, alcoholism

Thank you to @netgalley, @stmartinspress & @ladyhawkins for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.