4.5 ⭐️ Ruby McTavish is the “black widow” of North Carolina. When she dies all of her family secrets start to unravel. Did she really murder all of her husband and why does her adopted son not want any of her inheritance? The Heiress was in my opinion is Rachel Hawkins best book. The character development and deep plot was flawless. The multiple timelines carried the novel to the last pages as you questioned the intentions and outcome of every character. This book is a must read in 2024! The audiobook was very enjoyable. Ruby’s wealthy southern dialect was fabulous.

Thank Rachel Hawkins, NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and MacMillan Audio for the advance reader’s copy of the Heiress. Release date January 9, 2024.

Thank you to @netgalley and @Stmartinspress for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to @macmillian.audio for a free download of the audiobook.

Rachel Hawkins wins again with another great suspense novel. This is a classic story of a rich family that has an entire estate left to only one family member, and the rest of the family isn’t happy. As expected, nothing is as it seems. Cam brings his wife Jules to the Ashby Estate to hash out the issues once and for all. But there’s death, there’s deceit, there’s twists and turns I never saw coming.

Grab a copy of the book or the audiobook. You won’t be disappointed! This is my favorite by @ladyhawkins

5 stars

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #stmartinspress #macmillianaudio #ltbreaderteam #theheiress #rachelhawkins #smpinfluencers

This book... what a way to start my 2024 reads!

This book follows multiple POVs: Ruby's letters, Camden, & Jules. I was a little confused at first about who is who (naturally) but it did NOT take long to get it sorted. Once I figured it out, I was hooked in for the ride. I've seen this one called a thriller, but I personally would say it is more of just suspense.

This book is fast paced, but in the best kind of way. I remember listening to the audio and thinking I was only a little ways on, only to check and see I was actually 44%! It was that good.

One thing I really enjoyed about this one is the sass and quips in Hawkins' writing. "Hugh was the saltines and tomato soup of men" LOL.

Overall, this one was fast, entertaining, and full of family drama! The characters are morally grey but not the most unlikeable. There is secrets, backstabbing, and multiple plot twists.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is one of those dark, twisty thrillers that pulls you in within the first few pages and has you dying to know how it all ends. Camden McTavish, adopted son to the infamous Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore (that's the name you carry when all four of your husbands die under mysterious circumstances), became the sole heir to the McTavish fortune over a decade ago after Ruby's passing. But Cam, an English teacher in Colorado, doesn't want anything to do with the massive wealth, or with his remaining McTavish relatives. Upon the death of his uncle, Cam and wife Jules are summoned back to the grand Ashby house, the family's great estate, to reckon with twisted secrets, shocking revelations of violence, deception and malice, and a insatiable thirst for money, power and status. The writing of this story was well executed, and the characters were well developed-- I was thirsty for the ending (did not disappoint!) and devoured this story over only a couple of days.

This audiobook checked all the boxes for me: multiple narrators, more than one POV, multiple formats (newspaper reports, letters left behind by Ruby), and an exceptional delivery of each role by the narrators on the production. The entire production felt seamless, and captivated me from the very beginning. I highly recommend the audio version!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ARC. I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

Thank You to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for an early copy of The Heiress to give my honest feedback.

This was truly such a fantastic read. I'm not always a thriller reader, but I thoroughly enjoyed this. It had just the right amount of intrigue and deception, plus a great plot with good storylines and characters! I really enjoyed the multiple POV and the narrators for each character were really great! I was so engrossed in this story and I truly couldn't put it down. This was a really fun early read to kick off my 2024 reading year!

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins was an entertaining, suspenseful audiobook. It tells the story of Ruby McTavish, an endearing and mysterious heiress to an old North Carolinian estate and the millions that go with it. Her complicated family, each with their own secrets, are brought to life with unique, authentic performances from a talented cast. Hawkins storytelling provides enough foreshadowing to grip you from the beginning and leaves bread crumbs that the reader will gobble up. I finished it in one day!

I love Rachel Hawkins's books, and "The Heiress" is no exception. Ruby made me think of Evelyn Hugo but murder-y. This family is toxic in the most entertaining way, and there are so many twists and betrayals to keep you hooked in the story. The letters were my favorite chapters, but I liked how the plot unfolded in the others. The audiobook had a good cast of narrators that really brought the characters to life, even if the accents were a little off at times.

3.5⭐️ Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore is notorious in her town of Tavistock, North Carolina. Not only is she the widow of a handful of husbands, she is the survivor of a famous kidnapping she endured as a child. Her only remaining family tie is to her adopted son Cameron. When Ruby passes away, she leaves Cameron both her fortune, and the legacy of being a McTavish. Ten years later, a death brings Cameron and his wife Jules back to the estate where buried family secrets are soon unearthed.

I am still on the fence as to whether or not I enjoy Rachel Hawkins writing style. I loved The Wife Upstairs, but felt sort of meh re: The Villa. I went in to The Heiress with an open mind, but as I write this, I am still unclear as to whether this book worked for me or not.

I am such a sucker for classic mysteries and this book had definite old school vibes as we learn all about the mysterious Ruby, her kidnapping, upbringing and the misfortune of not one, but *all* of her husbands. Hawkins always writes an atmospheric tale and The Heiress, set in the mountains of North Carolina on the sprawling family estate known as Ashby House, is no different. There, secrets lurk behind every corner. The plot line, and unfolding of each of the secrets, kept my interest and I enjoyed the twists and turns along the way.

What did not work as well for me is the character development. For some reason, these characters felt at a distance. I struggled to connect with them and see them as people that could exist off the page. They felt more flat in nature and as a result, I found myself not really caring about what happened to them.

All in all, this is still an entraining read, and one I would recommend if you are a fan of Hawkins or slower burn domestic suspense that is more plot driven then character driven.

Read if you like:
•domestic thrillers
•dual timeline/dual pov
•North Carolina setting
•atmospheric reads
•slow burn thrillers

Thank you {partners} @stmartinspress and @macmillanaudio for my gifted copies.

I loved the setting (where I live!) and the plot aspect of a kidnapped baby in the 1940s. I enjoyed Ruby's letters the most in the book. It was written well in that I wanted to keep reading (listening) to find out what happened. There were a few twists at the end. The full cast for the audiobook was excellent.
Pet peeve: One of the narrators pronounced Appalachian as App-uh-lay-she-un. 🤦‍♀️

I loved this book! It was so great to listen to the audio version and really enjoyed the actors portraying the different characters. I am a new Rachel Hawkins reader and LOVED The Villa - so i was so excited to pick up the Heiress. And what twists and turns. Surprise after surprise. I am excited for more people to read this one!

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC of The Heiress, in exchange for my honest review! The narrators Dan Bittner, Eliza Foss, John Pirhalla; and Patti Murin were perfect for their characters' roles. PERFECT!

I was so excited when I got the chance to listen to another Rachel Hawkins book! I enjoyed the multiple narrators because it made it easy to follow and multitask. I'm a busybody so I loved that I was able to follow this book while running errands. I was hooked from the start and finished it in one day - I couldn't stop listening.

The story is about a complex and murderous messed up family. Adopted or related? Natural death or murder? All the above?! Lots of plot twists and turns. I can't say that they were intense scenes because there were some predictable moments, but the ending sure got me! Again, love the alternative POV from the different characters and narrators and the book was a fun read.

THE HEIRESS review

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/5

🖼️The year just started and I’m ready to dive head first into 2024 releases. 👏 I read THE HEIRESS in just over a day and found it to be a quick, family drama. I didn’t love Hawkins’s 2023 release (THE VILLA) but this one was better imo!

🖼️Here’s a summary of the plot:👇
A notorious North Carolina heiress passes away and leaves behind her fortune and a looooot of family secrets for her only child. Surviving a kidnapping and having multiple spouses die of mysterious circumstances are only scratching the surface of the secrets this heiress has left behind. But secrets aren’t only for the dead and her surviving family have plenty of secrets of their own…

🖼️I went into this one expecting a thriller but it was definitely a family drama. Not necessarily a bad thing, it just wasn’t what I was expecting. I saw a couple of the twists coming but several of them took me by surprise. I loooooove this cover! Rachel Hawkins always has some of the best thriller covers and this one might just be my favorite. Especially after reading the book and truly understanding the significance of the cover. 👀 Overall, I enjoyed this one and would recommend checking it out if you enjoy family dramas!

🖼️Thanks @macmillan.audio and @stmartinspress for the advanced digital copies! THE HEIRESS publishes January 9th!

I went into this book knowing just a little about what it was about but what I didn't see coming was all the twists and turns this book took. It had me guessing throughout the whole books which is what I love about a good mystery/triller.

Pick this book up if you love Rich People drama and some good solid twists. Also the full cast audiobook is a great way to go too. They narrators match the characters so well.

I did not think that Rachel Hawkins could top last years book, The Villa, it you know what.. she has! i was thrilled to be approved for the audiobook for The Heiress and I binged it on my first day back at work this year. I seriously could not stop listening. I only had about an hour to go when I got home, so I put my headphones on before bed and finished it off. I did wake my husband up with my cries of NO 😆

This book is so good. The audio is narrated by multiple people and they all did a fantastic job. The story is told between letters and the present day and I loved every minute of it.

Camden is the adopted son and heir to the infamous Ruby McTavish’ fortune. But he wants nothing to do with the money or the family. He has moved away, got himself a good job and a wife and is happy with his life. But then the family contact him and beg him to come back to Ashby House and discuss the house and the will. The blood relatives are not happy that Camden got it all and the house needs urgent attention.

Go into this one knowing no more than that, trust me. The twists and shocking turns will be worth it. Seriously jaw dropping twists. You have got to read this book.

Published on January 9th, what a great way to start my 2024 reading journey.

A fun, twisty, turny ride. I especially enjoyed the narration read by a cast of three. Very distinct voices that well suited the characters and clearly delineated the chapters.

This is a very screwed up family. They are a murderous bunch! The story is told from the perspectives of Ruby, Cam, and Jules, and the audiobook narrator did a great job of differentiating the voices. There were a lot of twists and turns, some I could predict, but most left me spinning in another direction. I listened to it all in a day.

Intriguing from the start, the book captures your attention with the mysterious life of Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore. The unexpected twist adds depth to the narrative. I enjoyed the exploration of family dynamics/drama and the legacy that transcends generations. The characters' journey kept me hooked, and the unraveling secrets made for a compelling read.

I also want to note that I adored these narrators.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for this ARC.

"A haunted house where the ghosts hadn’t had the courtesy to die yet."

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins was an absolutely dazzling Southern Gothic tale! It had great prose, an exciting pace, and characters that were witty and mysterious. There was no filler. Every part felt important. The book just flew right by!

Camden and Jules are 10 years married- happily, but somewhat unfilled. This is surprising because Camden doesn't have to struggle to make ends meet. He's a McTavish, which is basically a royal family in the Southern US.

Camden always knew he'd have to go home eventually. His adoptive mom passed years ago and the family mansion is in disrepair, and since he is the rightful owner, he needs to go get it sorted and Jules wants to see the place anyway.

Jules is trying to act natural but she's ecstatic to be going to this amazing pile of bricks. It's rightfully theirs after all, and she can imagine herself as the lady of this manor. If only she could rid it of pests he calls his extended family. They've always resented him for not being blood so you can imagine how they feel about him having power over the family home.

Along the way we meet the relatives but we also hear from Ruby, the late matriarch and Cam's adoptive mother in letters. She's finally decided to lay it all bare and none of them will be the same after this visit.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read, listen, and review! The narration was fantastic.

Rounding up from a 3.5! Not really a thriller like I expected but a fast paced, wild family drama full of secrets and characters you can’t help but root for a little bit. This is our book club pick for January and I can’t wait to discuss with the others. I would say I probably would have preferred it off audio because of all the characters and timelines / letters.

Ms. Hawkins - did not disappoint. Definitely not what I was expecting and suspense built quickly. Also has me guessing the whole time who was connected to who.