The super rich, secrets, and scandals, this book has them all. The story is centered around Ruby McTavish, The Heiress. She’s not only rich but quite famous, from being kidnapped when she was a child, to surviving 4 husbands, and inheriting everything from her father. Told in alternating POVs and timelines, the story moved along fast. My favorite was Ruby’s POV, how she revealed her secrets so matter of factly when those secrets were truly shocking. Everyone had a secret or two and all their lives are intertwined. I didn’t expect the ending but it was fitting.

This book releases on January 9, 2024.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley for this ARC.

I've been reading Rachel Hawkins' books since The Wife Upstairs and while there have been a few ups and downs this is definitely an up. The dual timelines are really well done and move the story along at just the right pace. Instead of waiting to get back to one pov they both held my interest and contributed to the overall tone and rising tension of the story. The Heiress has a the prefect amount of tension, twists, and deception. I also really enjoyed the setting, Hawkins is a master of describing a slightly claustrophobic and creepy house. A solid read that olds up to The Wife Upstairs.

My first read of 2024 was The Heiress which I ended up liking! There were so many elements in this book that I loved - the gothic and atmospheric vibes of Ashby House and the wealthy McTavish family, multiple POVs and dual timelines with letters from the past. This book was packed with all the family drama and suspense (I wouldn't necessarily refer to this one as a thriller!). There were a lot of twists and turns throughout the story which made it entertaining but I think I was still looking for something more out of this one.

Overall, I liked this one and rated it 3.5 stars. If you are looking for a slow burn domestic suspense book filled with a ton of secrets and family drama that is very atmospheric, check out The Heiress (out January 9!).

Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for the e-arc.

This was the perfect read to start off the new year! It was a quick, addictive read and I couldn't put it down. The mix of letters and newspaper articles within the book really added to the reading experience. It helped move the story along and I was never bored while reading. There were several good twists throughout the story and hints about those twists were expertly woven into the narrative. Like Hawkins other books, it was very entertaining and I highly recommend!

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.

Ruby’s adopted son (Camden) left all the riches behind to live a normal life. He and his wife (Jules) are called back to the Ashby House to deal with his inheritance, and the family who still lives there. The longer Camden stays, the more the walls can no longer hold the secrets. 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.

This book was a three star for me. This book was heavy on the family drama and karma, which is always a win for me. This book was a slow burn. I enjoyed this part because there was a lot of details to each character and they mattered.

The multiple formats (email, letters and news clippings), was confusing for me. If you enjoy multiple formats this is your jam to liven things up. I thought the twists were creative but still fell a little flat. I unfortunately expected more.

Thank you Net Galley for this ARC. This book arrives on shelves January 9, 2024

This book was full of family drama, secrets, and twists. I liked how this book was written, you got two stories in one through the POV of Ruby’s life through letters and present POV of Jules and Camden.

It took a little bit to get into the book but once Jules and Camden arrived at the mansion, I was hooked!

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

I love Rachel Hawkins. This one was a little harder for me to follow along with but still a great story nonetheless. Definitely recommend trying it out.

The McTavish family have owned and ruled Tavistock, NC from Ashby House for decades. When the family fortune goes to 4-time widow, Ruby, she makes sure that her sister, Nelle’s descendants don't inherit by adopting a son whom she names Camden. But when Camden is grown, he can't wait to leave Tavistock, the ruthless McTavishs and his fortune behind forever. While living in Colorado with his wife, Jules, Camden is convinced by his cousin, Ben to return to Ashby House to arrange for repairs. Jules falls in love with Ashby House and hopes that Camden will agree to stay and claim his inheritance. But family secrets, including those of Camden and Jules may prevent their happily ever after.
This story is told from three POVs, Jules', Camden’s and that of the deceased Ruby in the form of mysterious letters to an unknown recipient. I really enjoyed this style of storytelling. Ruby's letters were a very interesting way to tell her backstory. Most of the characters were easy to hate which made it difficult to determine who to suspect of wrongdoing. The twists were really unexpected and the story was overall, very entertaining.
#NetGalley #St.Martin’sPress

LOVED THIS ONE! I am such a fan of Rachel Hawkins and this book did not disappoint in any way. I couldn't stop reading this. I loved the way in which the story developed over the course of the book as well as all the characters in this. I can't wait for Rachel Hawkins next book-- sign me up!!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me the chance to review an ARC of this book. I am a big fan or Hawkins’ prior books, and couldn’t wait to dive into this one! A rich and conniving family, greed, kidnapping-and twists! This book has it all and then some. I definitely recommend this one as unputdownable.

3.5 stars

This is great if you're looking for a quick and easy read. I loved that it was part narrative, part epistolary, and it did a great job with making each POV feel distinct.

I did feel that Libby's character didn't add a lot to the story, and it wasn't until about 60% in that I felt like I had to know what happens next. Also, it's billed as a "gothic thriller" but I don't feel it was atmospheric enough to be considered gothic.

Overall, I enjoyed it and was entertained!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own. I'll be posting my reviews to Instagram and my blog on the 12th.

Very quick but satisfying read! I think this will be a hit for many. A classic who-dun-it that gets straight to the point. Easily digestible, not necessarily innovative (definitely reminded me of a mystery version of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo). I think this will be popular! Thank you NetGalley!

The Heiress was a good read with a decent story. Rachel Hawkins is a great writer; I understand why people flock to her books after reading this. That being said, nothing about this book really impressed me. Considering her reputation as a writer, I expected it to wow me and keep me captivatingly turning pages, and that just didn't happen.

I will say it is the perfect length for a cross-country flight. I could read the book entirely on my flights over my holiday vacation. That and the smooth writing make it a great vacation book.

An heiress with more than just one secret. An heir just wanting to escape. A family that will scheme to get what they feel they are entitled to. Rachel Hawkins nailed this book, painting a picture of a woman that you hate that you love. Told from multiple POVs and by multiple formats (traditional chapters, letters, and news articles), The Heiress keeps you on your toes and wondering how everyone's stories are truly connected. My first mystery read of 2024 certainly delivered!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she’s not only North Carolina’s richest woman, she’s the most notorious. Ruby is the famous victim of a kidnapping as a child and a widow four times over. In the aftermath of her death, Ruby’s estate and fortune are left to her adopted son Camden. Much to everyone’s surprise Camden rejects his inheritance and attempts to live a normal life in Colorado, marrying Jules and working as a teacher. Ten years later, his uncles death pulls Cam and Jules to North Carolina and the life Cam has tried so hard to stay away from. Can and Jules soon realize an inheritance can entail far more than what’s written in a will.

What a page turner! I was hooked from the first page. The suspense, twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat until the end. Rachel Hawkins does an amazing job of bringing the characters to life. I haven’t been swallowed up by a book like this in quite some time. And now I’m looking at the cover in a new light.

Rachel Hawkins doesn’t disappoint and like her other stories, she had me intrigued from the beginning. I love the twists & turns, the backstabbing, beyond wealthy family, jumping from the past to the present, and always wondering when the other shoe will drop! I love the rollercoaster of suspense she creates.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
4.25 stars! I’ve enjoyed Rachel Hawkins’s other books and this one was no different! The Heiress centers on Ruby McTavish, a famously kidnapped and returned child, now the richest woman in North Carolina with four deceased husbands, and what ensues after her passing. We get the story through Camden, Ruby’s adopted son and heir to her fortune, and Jules, Camden’s wife, along with media clippings and letters. This was fast-paced, twisty, dark, and very enjoyable. The narrators are unreliable and while it lacks a bit of the shock factor, it really works in this book as the reader uncovers more about the past of this rich family. I was entertained and engaged the entire time. I would definitely recommend this to anyone wanting an easy-to-read yet riveting family drama.

There's just something about this cast of absolutely horrible characters that kept me riveted to find out what shocking thing would be revealed next. The story is told with alternating chapters between main characters Jules and Camden and letters by the dead heiress Ruby. I loved this author's previous twisty thrillers and I was so excited to get an early copy of this one. If you love thrillers with unreliable narrators set in creepy old houses, this book is perfect for you!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ruby McTavish, an heiress, was infamous for her high profile kidnapping as young girl and then later being safely found. Amassing her father's fortune and a widow several times over, Ruby eventually adopts Camden and makes him the sole heir of her fortune. As Camden becomes an adult, he wants nothing to do with the estate and the fortune after Ruby dies and runs off to live a simple life with his wife Jules. But when his uncle dies, Camden is forced to deal with the estate, the greedy family that wants their share and the secrets that everyone is hiding.

I enjoyed this suspense/thriller, even though I guessed what was going on early on. I liked the unfolding of the story and the secrets as they were revealed. This was definitely better than the last 2 novels I read by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an early digital review copy of this book. It releases in the US on 1/9/2023

If, like me, you are a fan of Rachel Hawkins, then you know exactly what to expect and <i>The Heiress</i> does not disappoint. Hawkins’ novels are twisty, smart and complex – yet simple. The time around she couldn’t have created a more unlikeable cast of crafty characters from beginning to end. The setting, a small town in the mountains of North Carolina, provides a majestic background for generations of the rich and entitled McTavish family.

On the flip side, the plot is actually a quite simple and somewhat familiar with a tangle of sub-plots and shifting timeframes that are borderline confusing.

The bottom line is that the illusions and twists created by all of the smoke and mirrors turn out to be the stars of this book. The result is a fast-paced thriller that both intrigues and puzzles the reader right to the very end. And if that’s what you are looking for then put this one at the top of your list.



FYI - I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.