Rachel Hawkins has quickly become an auto read author for me. I love how her stories are unpredictable and full of twists and turns. This one was no exception.

This page-turner follows the story of Cam and Jules, a married couple, as Cam returns to the estate where he grew up for the first time in 10 years. To say more would risk offering spoilers but at the heart of it this is a story about what defines us as good and evil, as well as how we define family.

I believe this is a story that's best approached with as little information as possible so ignore the book jacket and jump right in.

I gave this read 4.5 stars. Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for providing an early reader copy in exchange for my feedback.

I really enjoyed reading The Heiress. The story centers around Cam McTavish and his wife, Jules, returning to Cam's childhood home Ashby House. Cam is reluctant to go back while Jules is thrilled and immediately falls in love with Ashby House. What I really loved about this book was that it kept me guessing, even the secrets had deeper secrets. So if you're like me and enjoy rich people and their secrets, this book is for you.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for a free copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis

Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies leaving behind a fortune and a trail of suspiciously dead husbands. Her only heir, her adopted son, Camden, wants nothing to do with her estate and the entanglements it involves, but his wife of ten years has other thoughts. In this web of competing agendas, it is never clear who Camden can trust.

My Overall Thoughts

Twisty is an understatement. This mystery is a continuously-morphing beast. I don’t actually like any of the characters, but I think I love Ruby. She is just so deliciously diabolical. She’s one harpee you don’t turn your back on.

What I Didn't Love

The pacing was a little inconsistent. The book kept me guessing, but so much happened in the last 15% of the book that the ending just felt pretty rushed.

Potentially Offensive Content

Violence
Domestic violence
Child endangerment

What I Loved

This was so twisty. It kept me so off-balance I was never quite sure who the protagonist really was. Honestly, it kept bouncing between different characters. It was a real ride. I love the not knowing. I could not put this book down.

I Would Recommend This Book To

mystery lovers who don’t necessarily need a “good guy” to root for

CONTENT WARNING: alcoholism, death of a parent, parental abandonment, kidnapping, murder, blood, domestic violence, violence, suicide

This is my fourth Rachel Hawkins book, and I was lucky enough to have been able to buddy read this with the incredible Leslie @ Books Are the New Black. We had a great time buddy reading this one, and predicting what was going to happen next.

The first thing I noticed was that the book had typical chapters, but there was other material between the chapters. It piqued my interest, especially when I noticed that between the Jules and Cam POV chapters are snippets from newspapers and magazines, as well as letters that were written by Ruby herself, telling her own story. It was fascinating, keeping my attention focused equally on all parts of the story.

It’s easy to fall in love with Camden. He’s just a genuinely good dude, through and through, despite what he was exposed to. He consistently views Ashby House as toxic, and he isn’t wrong. Yet somehow, he escaped without it poisoning him. More about his upbringing is revealed as we read.

Jules, on the other hand, comes across as his opposite in so many ways. Where Cam is quiet and reserved, Jules is ebullient and outspoken, not afraid to say exactly what she’s thinking. Her outlook on life is dramatically different from Cam’s and we learn why as we keep reading, but I don’t want to give anything away. She leans more towards the morally gray side, personality-wise, but she’s still likable.

Ruby comes across as a sweet and charming, if a little risqué, old lady, through her letters. At least, she did at first. My opinion of Ruby changed a few times over the course of the book, especially as circumstances changed in her life. She was another morally gray character, making statements like:

“Promises are like piecrust, made to be broken.”

It was difficult to like the other characters in the book. While we get to know them superficially, there honestly isn’t too much more to them. We all know people like that, and it isn’t a shortcoming of the author, since all of the other characters are so detailed and thoroughly created. What it really comes down to is that the McTavish family seems to be vapid and horrible. It does allow the author to throw in a little shoutout to The Villa with:

“The unassuming heiress is wearing jeans with a vintage T-shirt showcasing the cover of Lara Larchmont’s Aestas album…”

Overall, this was a fantastic story, and the perfect buddy read. Hawkins keeps things slow at first, but gradually drops little twists that has the reader wondering what is actually going on. And every time I thought I had something figured out, another twist got thrown into the works and I realized I didn’t know what was going on at all. But I started to put things together little by little, and there was one plot twist that I saw coming, but a big one that I didn’t see coming at all, even if my buddy predicted it and didn’t tell me. As usual, a Hawkins book is always a safe bet for an exciting and interesting read.

I was afraid I wouldn't enjoy this book because of the rich family estate story line. I mainly wanted to read the book because of others I have read from this author. Based on the book description alone I wouldn't have ever picked this one to read. I had a little hard time with keeping up with the story line from multiple POV's. I did enjoy it but not as well as some of her other books. I would give this book 3.5 stars but since I have to go with 3 or 4, I will have to round this one down. I do appreciate the opportunity to read this one through netgalley for my honest review.

This is my second novel by Rachel Hawkins, and I loved it. The unraveling story is presented by 3 of the main characters, and it gets more and more complicated as each person has something to confess. This story will make you question your morals on what's considered good/bad or the grey areas in life. I truly believe these characters lived in the grey areas. Were the things that happened justice or a kindness to mankind? Did the chain of events stem from the first sin committed? If you love thrillers, then this one is a good way to start your year.

This is Rachel Hawkins best novel yet. Such a fast-paced thriller that kept me turning the pages. It also made a reference to Gilmore Girls so that automatically makes a great read. Ruby McTavish is the richest woman in North Carolina. When she died 10 years previously, she left her estate to her adopted son, Cam. Cam cut off the rest of his family though and wants nothing to do with Ashby House. He and his wife, Jules are living their own lives in Colorado. 10 years after Ruby dies, Cam returns to the estate to settle some deep, dark family matters. Nothing short of surprise, this was a great read.

Rachel Hawkins is an auto-read for me, I love her writing! This was faced paced and fun, and had some great twists. I appreciated the mystery of it all and it gets a yes from me!

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is my first read of the year and what a way to get things started because, wow, this is one twisty, suspenseful, impossible to put down, wildly entertaining gothic tale of family secrets, greed, deception, and murder.

The story is told through several different means including newspaper articles, a journal by Ruby, a four time widow, who, although dead, is really the main character, Cam, her adopted son, and Cam’s wife, Jules. The story begins as Cam has received a call from his family in N Carolina informing him his uncle has died and his presence is requested. Cam had left N Carolina and, despite having inherited Ruby’s fortune and Ashby House, the family estate, had left years before and has no desire to return. However, Jules wants to see the house and meet his family so he reluctantly agrees.

It becomes very evident very fast that, to the family, all of whom still live in Ashby House and depend on Cam’s money, he is and will always be the outsider, the cuckoo in the nest, who has stolen what is rightfully theirs. Cam wants to give them everything and just leave but Jules is determined they stay and fight. The question is how far will the family go to win and, in the end, what are Cam and Jules willing to pay to stop them.

Okay, I gotta say I’m a huge fan of Hawkins’ books. You can always count on a riveting no-holds- barred tale and The Heiress is no exception. There is a sense of foreboding throughout and it becomes fairly clear that there are no innocents among the characters who all have secrets, some are revealed fairly early, some I guessed fairly easily, and some, well, I have to admit I did not see coming. A definite great start to the year and one that no doubt will be on my list of favourites throughout.

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

Twists and turns galore abound in the newest Hawkins' suspense novel. Set mostly in North Carolina, this book is quite evocative in the Ashby House descriptions. I enjoyed how the title could apply to more than one character and how the back story was told through letters to an unknown recipient. I did not guess all of the twists (just some) and think this is my favorite Hawkins' novel so far.

With a tagline like “THERE’S NOTHING AS GOOD AS THE RICH GONE BAD,” how could I not pick this one up?

Ten years after his adopted mother’s death, Camden and his wife, Jules, head back to Ashby House, the family estate in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, to deal with his inheritance, but the welcome they receive is far from warm.

The family itself has quite the long history, and Camden’s mother Ruby was one of its more colorful characters. Between her disappearance as a young child to her being widowed four times, there’s plenty of speculation surrounding Ruby’s story, and the remaining family members waiting at the house seem driven by their avarice and animosity towards Cam.

How are they all connected? Are Cam and Jules safe at Ashby House? And what is the true story behind Ruby McTavish and her legacy?

If you enjoy morally grey characters, dual timelines, multiple points-of-view, and mixed media in your mysteries and thrillers, this book is for you. I liked guessing what would happen next and trying to predict the twists as I learned more about the past from Ruby’s letters and the various newspaper and magazine articles and as the characters in the present revealed more about their own stories and motivations.

Rachel Hawkins excels at capturing the sense of entitlement and less-than-flattering underbelly of her wealthy characters, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading her portrayal of a family ingrained in old Southern wealth here. I also enjoyed experiencing the different decades through Ruby’s descriptions of her marriages.

I received an advance copy of the ebook from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

The Heiress was a book I wasn’t too sure about. The premise sounded interesting but I’ve been fooled before. But I was pleasantly surprised! The story is told by 3 main POVs. Camden, his adopted mother Ruby, and his wife Jules. I loved the chapters Cam and Ruby narrated. I could’ve done without Jules because her chapters always seemed boring to me. But Ruby’s?! Baby she knew how to write a letter! 4⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Friends, this one is so good! It’s short and fact paced, I binged it in a day and a half. There are strong Evelyn Hugo vibes. I love a good rich people behaving badly storyline and add in some family drama and I’m here for it. Lots of twists in this thriller/mystery and they’ll keep you guessing until the end. This is by far my favorite from this author and it’s available tomorrow!

This is my favorite book I’ve read from Rachel Hawkins. The mystery, suspense, twists and turns were just what I need In a mystery novel!

Family drama most time ensues when there’s a death in the family and money is involved. Ruby McTavish’s adopted son Camden, could not care less about all that. His wife, on the other hand, is enthralled by the idea as they travel back to his childhood home. The glitz and glam, big house and money is not all they find. The same family that dislike him remain the same… However, the secrets of his adoptive mother and what really happened to her years ago start to unfold and we are taken on a ride with this one.

The way we find out pieces of the puzzle with Ruby’s letters was genius. It felt as though I were the one really finding the pieces as I read and putting together past occurrences. We are given small breadcrumbs along the way that make you want to continue reading to find out the past and truths! Loved it and highly recommend picking it up! Especially if you’re into the family drama that can happen with the wealthy heirs and the bitter family!

The Heiress has gotten a lot of pre-publication press and it’s worth the hype! It was the PERFECT way to start out the year! If you liked The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo I’d definitely suggest this book. It’s written in a similar format but with way more drama, suspense, and unexpected twists. At no point did I see this ending coming and absolutely loved it.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a unique blend of suspense and mystery about a husband and wife who each have a boatload of secrets about their pasts. Just when I thought I’d figured out the ‘real’ story I discovered I was completely wrong and totally missed the point. It was dark and twisty and hard to figure out who was the character to trust. The end is even more unsettling. This sounds as though I didn’t like the book, but I loved it. I was on a looong plane ride and the entire book so engrossed me we landed after 6 hours and I hadn’t even realized the trip was over. A great who done it!

I'm a big fan of Rachel Hawkins' work and was thrilled when I saw the cover reveal for this gem.

From the publisher: 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.

I loved this book. Hawkins' storytelling abilities really shine here, and this might be her best work yet. The pacing is spot on and I enjoyed the twisty unraveling secrets.

Big thanks to St. Martin's and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

I devoured this. It felt very Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo with some mystery mixed in. I liked that the bulk of the story was told through letters and newspaper clippings with some character inner thoughts chapters in between.

A compulsively readable mystery that kept me guessing from page 1. Admittedly, the conclusion comes quickly and things are resolved a bit too cleanly, but the journey was a great deal of fun.

The Heiress
Pair this with some dom rose 🍾 iykyk
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Happy Pub Day and a huge thank you to @stmartinspress
#StMartinsPress and @ladyhawkins and @netgalley
#theheiress #RachelHawkins (COMES OUT TUESDAY 1/9!)
This was absolutely un-putdownable family drama thriller, I loveeeeed every second!
➡️ multiple POV
➡️ SO. Many. Twists.
➡️ DRAMA. With a capital D.
➡️ Wealthy North Carolina estate

After having read every other thing written by Rachel Hawkins, she’s officially an auto-buy author for me 🥰👏🏼 this was a little less “thriller”-y than some of there other books but I was HERE for the story, and there are zero complaints from me.
Cannot wait for more from her, her style is 10/10. Highly recommended this one!