I really enjoyed this book. It was well-written, had an engaging pace, and a really interesting mystery. I've read many mystery and thriller books in the past and one of the flaws that I've found is that sometimes the narrative will begin to drag. However, in this book, the multiple POVs and the quick storyline kept me hooked and I finished reading it very quickly. I also liked the format of getting information through letters. Also, I love Gothic vibes (Rebecca is one of my favorite books) and this book had it! Bonus: gorgeous cover.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for an ARC of this copy!

4.5 rounded up to 5!

What will someone do for money? The McTavishes seem like they will do anything, even write off their own family members. Ruby McTavish was determined to do something to make the world better, but is that enough?
This story follows the son of Ruby, Cam, his wife Jules, and her (Ruby’s) extended family, and Cam’s return to his childhood home. This complex family with a large bank account to boot lives among one of the most infamous estates in North Carolina, but there is a darkness hidden between these walls that will take you on a journey from start to end. What won’t someone do for money?
This was an excellent read and one of my favorites for 2023. Thank you to the publisher and Rachel Hawkins for the ARC.

The Heiress is probably by favorite Rachel Hawkins novel yet. This book had me glued to my screen and going to the next page so fast. It's a suspense filled family drama full of dark secrets, a huge web of lies that span decades, the greed that comes from having money, & the danger of an inheritance that comes from such darkness. How can one family be so despicable?

The McTavish family is full of unlikable characters, so if that's something you enjoy then you should definitely add this to your TBR list immediately.

Thank you, Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#theheiress #rachelhawkins #suspense #familydrama #darksecrets #moneyandgreed #inheritance #netgalley #netgalleyarc
#stmartinspress

My new favourite of Rachel Hawkins! This book was dark, twisty, and even though I had figured out a lot of it, it still gave me the shock factor. It was a slow burn, but it was a really great build up slow burn. I really enjoyed the multiple POVs and how they changed throughout the story to give us the full picture.

It was almost addictive, I couldn't put it down. I read most of it, but I found myself listening to bits when I didn't have the time to physically read because I just couldn't get enough and I needed to keep going to find out what happened next.

I was provided a free advanced copy of this from @netgalley in exchange fory honest review.
Camden was adopted at the age of twelve by the famous and mysterious Ruby McTavish. She is the richest woman in North Carolina and her family has a lot of influence on the small town their estate is near. But when Ruby dies, Camden rejects his inheritance and tries to live a normal life, marrying a woman who doesn't know about his past and becoming a teacher. But ten years later he's called back to Ashby house, to settle some issues after his uncle's death. He and his wife, Jules, come to terms with why he left this dysfunctional family, why Ruby might have adopted him, and some of the family secrets that they thought were hidden with Ruby's death!
This is a family drama, mystery, with lots of twists and turns! The reader is informed about some of Ruby's past through letters, but there are still many surprises ahead! It definitely kept me on my toes and guessing what would happen next.
I definitely enjoyed it and will be checking out some more of hers.
It is set to be published in the new year, 9 January, so add it to your TBR if it sounds interesting to you!
#NetGalley #TheHeiress

A fun thriller, I read straight through it in one sitting. Everyone is hiding something and it’s fun trying to figure it all out. I think I’ve read every one of Rachel Hawkins’ books and this one will definitely keep me coming back for the next one.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to St Martin’s Press.

Cam McTavish is the heir to a fortune he never wanted- not if it meant having to deal with his adopted family. With his uncle dead and the estate falling into disrepair, Cam is called back home to Ashby House where the secrets and lies of the past threaten his wife and their future.

Told from alternating POV and with letters from Ruby, Cam’s adopted mother, this is a story full of family drama and tangled webs. I fully enjoyed it, even if it was not very suspenseful.

Last book read for 2023!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader copy of The Heiress.

I enjoyed this book so much more than The Villa which I read earlier this year. Lots of cool twists and turns.

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for The Heiress
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Release date: Jan 9, 2024

This story has it all: estranged family, creepy estate, murder, wealth and fame, and secrets upon secrets.

In true Rachel Hawkins fashion, the story grips you from the beginning and doesn’t take long to suck you in. I couldn’t stop turning pages and ended up finishing this one in a day.

The story in told from multiple points of view: Jules, Cameron, and a series of letters. The flow of Cameron and Jules chapters was great, fast moving, without much unnecessary filler. The letter chapters were interesting, and did provide some needed insite, but for me they were much to long and descriptive without the descriptions adding much to the story. Overall though, the flow was good and the story kept me guessing and turning pages.

Releasing next week, you don’t want to miss the latest page turned from Rachel Hawkins. It will keep you up all night as you creep the halls and try to figure out all of the family secrets.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's press for a digital copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

I enjoyed Rachel Hawkins' novel, The Wife Upstairs, so decided to give this one a shot. While I did enjoy it, especially her use of mixed media (letters, newspaper articles, etc) to help tell the story from multiple timelines, I found it to be quite predictable and a little underwhelming. The use of multiple timelines and the mixed media help with the pacing, but overall I didn't feel like there were really any major plot twists or surprises. With that said, it was a good story and I will definitely read more by Hawkins in the future

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC of The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins. This story had me hooked from the start with multiple POVs and timelines, the story that just kept me on my toes! We meet Ruby, richest woman in North Carolina, notoriously widowed four times, she was also the victim of a child kidnapping at the age of 3. Following her death, her son Camden and his wife, Jules, are soon immersed in the consequences of the family's actions. Deceit, death, and disorder are in store!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for a honest feedback.

Listen, the book was a little predictable at times but I could not put this one down! You can’t tell who’s good, who’s bad, what’s true or not right until the very end (and even now I don’t know what really to believe because the POV changes so much!).

Easily one of Hawkins best books. I read it in a day so this is one of those books you need to start well in advance of bedtime.

I absolutely loved this thriller! Normally, I don't enjoy rich people drama but having the "outsider" of the family be our primary focus made the story engaging and more relatable. I also really enjoyed the POVs from our MMC (Cam) and FMC (Jules) while getting the letters from Cam's adopted mother (Ruby) and the holder of the McTavish fortune. Hearing about Ruby's four husbands in her letter confessionals was almost as entertaining as the current day plot playing out. Each chapter left you wanting more from that character's perspective while also incorporating quite a few cliff hangers and wild twists I didn't see coming. Overall, this story was really well-done and I can't wait to recommend it!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

I like Rachel Hawkins books, and this is definitely my favourite so far. 10/10 recommend to anyone who loves a good thriller with excellent writing.

I can’t get enough of a gothic horror. This had the beautiful mountain settings, the gorgeous mansion and the dysfunctional family. It only starts with the lost baby Ruby McTavish. Absent mom, busy nanny and the baby disappears until one day she just reappears. That baby grows up to become Heiress Ruby Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore. Each last name is a husband that mysteriously dies. Ruby leaves her vast fortune to her adopted son instead of the rest of her family who have been eagerly anticipating her death.

This was an incredibly entertaining story about family, secrets and lies. The story is told using various points of you. The main one being Ruby herself from beyond the grave and it covers many different timelines and eras which I really loved.

The mansion and the portrait are almost additional characters in this story full of twists and many many turns. We have her son, his wife, Ruby’s sister, niece and nephew. Perfect set up for the most dysfunctional family reunion. Some twists and turns you might see coming from miles away, others will definitely make you gasp.

Great quick read.

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press for a copy of The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins.
This might be her best book. I was hooked from early on and there were a few twists where I audibly gasped and had to re-read to make sure I heard it correctly!

The narration in the audiobook was fantastic and I highly recommend listening!

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first introduction to Rachel Hawkins. Although, I was familiar with her name and other books I had yet to actually read any of her work. I feel like this was a great first novel to read from her. I was intrigued throughout the novel and was guessing where the book was going the whole time. However, I had some difficulty fully attaching to the characters. Even as fairly big plot twists were occurring I found myself just a little underwhelmed. Overall, this was an enjoyable read but not quite as thrilling as I had been hoping.

This book knocked my socks off. I started it in the early evening and finished in the same night. Tense, taut and complex, it is a compelling read. Camden McTavish knows he was adopted by wealthy heiress Ruby McTavish, but after living with his horrible relatives, he leaves the estate after Ruby dies vowing to never return and turning his back on the millions of dollars he inherited. But return he does throwing himself into the lions den again and trying to cope with the greedy relatives. But there are surprises in store of Cam and for his wife Jules. You have to read the book to find out what they are. Well worth it.

Heiress Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore has had more than her fair share of marriages, deception and familial angst. She adds to her family's dysfunction when, upon her death, she leaves her vast fortune to her adopted son Cam instead of the rest of her family who have been eagerly anticipating her death. Ain't family great?

This was an entertaining story about family, secrets and lies that has some good twists and scandal. The story is told using three POVs - the dead heiress Ruby through letters from the past, Cam and Cam's wife, Jules and the story alternates between the past and present. My favourite POV was Ruby who is a fascinating character with a unique past, a handful of dead husbands, secrets and snarky humour.

There's a gothic vibe with the old, reclusive family mansion setting, but the strength of this story is in its slow burn but well-paced storytelling, its entertainingly shady characters and a few good twists (even though I saw one of the big twists immediately).

This domestic drama/suspense story is filled with family dysfunction, deception and greed that is an entertaining, escapist kind of read - a perfect pick to be one of your first reads of 2024.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to St Martin's Press for the complimentary digital copy of this book which was provided in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really wanted to like The Heiress, but I much preferred the author’s novel, The Villa. This one just didn’t grab me. As always, I loved the author’s dialogue, descriptions, and sense of place. It was just missing something for me.