Rich people behaving badly, lots of dirty family secrets. Fun! I really enjoyed this. Twists, and turns abound!

Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised with this book. It had been so long since I originally requested an ebook copy of this book, that I had no memory of what the book was going to be about. So once I got the audiobook ARC, I dove in without taking another glance at the synopsis and just expected some form of a family thriller. And while that was indeed what I got, I wasn't really prepared for this story.

Cam and Jules have to go back to Ashby house aka Cam's childhood home where he was adopted by the infamous heiress, Ruby McTavish, who was hated by most of her family. Cam is a golden boy and Jules is just excited to be there... or so we think. This story goes back in time through letters from Ruby and shows us all the crazy events in her life that led to Camden inheriting her large fortune when she died back in 2013.

While a lot of this plot felt like it was a bit easy to guess, there were some twists that I wasn't expecting! One of them in particular seemed dumb to me, but I wasn't really upset by the choice. The characters are interesting, the back story of Ruby's life is pretty cool, and I could see this book playing out like a mystery/thriller movie in my head (which is the sign of a good book that I am fully invested in).

Was it groundbreaking? No. Do I think I will remember this for years again? Maybe, but probably not. However, I had a great time and think most people will like this book.

I enjoyed this book. Some parts were a little slow but overall it held my attention and I wanted to keep reading to find out more. I loved the multiple timelines/POVs. Some of the twists were predictable but that didn’t take away from the story. My favorite parts were Ruby’s letters, I loved her attitude and sass!

I thought the audiobook version of this was great. I love love love the use of multiple narrators, it works so well for a story like this.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

3.5/5 stars (rounded up)

Thank you Macmillan audio for the advanced listening copy.

SYNOPSIS -- Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore -- as rich and notorious as her name -- left behind a massive fortune and a lot of questions in the wake of her death. Her adopted son, Camden, has made a lovely home for himself in Colorado, far away from the McTavishes and their drama. 10 years after Ruby's death, however, he and wife, Jules, are pulled back to the renowned Ashby House to deal with the fall out from their uncle's death. Suddenly forced to face the reality of Ruby's death -- and her mysterious life -- Camden and Jules uncover more secrets than they were prepared for.

As a random mystery/family drama, I really liked this one! Compared to Rachel Hawkins' other books, this was a bit of a let down! There was a lot more family drama than I was expecting, which isn't a bad thing, just different than I anticipated. I think the main thing for me is that this book was just... nothing super special. I finished it a few days ago and am already having a hard time remembering specific details. There were a few solid twists and turns, but, on the whole, nothing super shocking.

I did enjoy the overall layout of the book -- letters are a fun way to communicate with the dead and I think this was a good way of getting across a ton of really important information. On the whole, the Ruby chapters were hard for me to get through, especially on the audio. They seemed to last forever and I didn't love the narration. Where the rest of the book was decently fast-paced, these were pretty inconsistent, with some being gripping and others draggggging on. But I do think they were necessary and, again, some of them were super entertaining.

Audio note: I love Patti Murin and it was fun to hear her narrate something more sinister, because I've only ever heard her in romances before!

All in all, this was a solid and suspenseful mysterious family drama, but not up to par with Rachel Hawkins' usual works. Despite my complaints, I read this one pretty quickly and I look forward to whatever comes next from Rachel Hawkins!

The audiobook has dual narrators and was perfectly done! I loved the way the voices were done and it really gave atmosphere to the story. I would recommend this route if you're a fan of audio. It made the story come to life and I loved it!

The Heiress is a story with mystery, murder, and plenty of dark secrets. It is about a man named Camden who inherits a huge fortune after the death of his infamous wealthy and powerful mother.

There are two different storylines - one in the present surrounding the son and his inheritance, and one in the past involving his mother, Ruby...and her many husbands who all met unfortunate early deaths.

I loved how Ruby's story was told through written letters, and Camden and his wife's current story unfolds along side it. The writing felt fresh and witty and I absolutely loved this book.

I've read all Rachel Hawkins novels, and this is my new favorite of hers! It is so well written and had some hi-light worthy passages.

If you're looking for a thriller with fun twists and turns but is more smart than scary, then get this when it comes out January 9th! I will for sure be buying a physical copy for my shelves.
Huge thanks to @netgalley for the early read and listen.

I love a family drama! With twists and turns throughout, this book draws you in from the beginning and keeps you hooked until the end. The multiple viewpoints and narrarators flawlessly told this story about Ruby and her family.

If you're looking for a mystery book with lots of murder and family drama, this is definitely a book for you! I look forward to reading/listening to more books by Rachel Hawkins.

Twisty and mysterious and filled with wealthy people’s drama, this book was pretty fun all the way through. I enjoyed both the currently timeline and the letters though I feel like, while the letters were interesting, they added very little to the actual plot of the story. Nevertheless, I did like learning about Ruby and her marriages and her journey to adopting Camden and all the dramatics that ensue because of it.

The pacing was great. I never felt like there were moments dragging or being pushed too quickly. I’m also always impressed when the twists catch me by surprise but not without clear explanation. My biggest gripe was the epilogue. It felt like too much exposition for the end of a book and I think some of those details could have been placed somewhere else in the story or omitted entirely.

Overall and entertaining read and I particularly enjoyed all the narrators.

Thanks so much Netgalley and MacMillan for the opportunity to listen to this early!

The Heiress is a fast paced, entertaining twisty read that completely consumed me. It was gripping and addictive from the start, I couldn't stop. I just needed to know the motivations, the secrets, the why. Very enjoyable!

These characters are entirely morally gray, they are Liars, backstabbers and full of drama. Did this make the book even more enjoyable, yes yes it did ! They are conniving and devious, they just want to win. I didn't know who to trust or what to think, I was kept on the edge of my seat through it all.

There were multiple plot twists that were carefully placed and left me breathless. This was a highly enjoyable mystery/thriller that will keep your heat racing.

I listened to this one, the narrators were great and did a great job with the tones, the emotions, they really kept me hooked.

If you're looking for a fast paced mystery/thriller that's highly entertaining and will keep you guessing this might be the one for you.

✨️Thank you to @netgalley, @macmillanaudio & @rachelhawkins for my free ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This suspense novel felt more like a family drama, but I still liked it a lot!

I've enjoyed all of Rachel Hawkins's books, with The Villa being my favorite. The Heiress employs a dual timeline, with current events alternating with letters describing events from the past.

I thought I knew where the story was going, but there were a few surprises I didn't see coming!

I listened to the audiobook of The Heiress, which features four different narrators (including the inimitable Patti Murin!). All of Hawkins's books have been completely immersive on audio, and this is no exception. I definitely recommend this format!

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is a very strong book and also a great audiobook. The multinarrator cast is great and really adds to the story. The format reminded me a bit about the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones and the Six (in a good way) so if you enjoy that kind of books, then this one is for you as well. The Gothic aspect was very strong as well. I loved the inclusion of the articles and letters into the story. I thought it was an interesting, compact and effective story. It never dragged. I enjoyed it a lot and I definitely recommend it.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this audio book. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was probably Rachel Hawkins best work yet. This mystery thriller had my full attention after just a few pages. As an audiobook it just got better. Dan Bittner, Eliza Foss, John Pirhalla and Patti Murin were the narrators and they were excellent . I read and listened to this and recommend both. I felt like I was there and oh what a ride. Cleverly written with many twists and turns that had a fitting ending. Great story and I was grateful for the opportunity to get advanced copy before release.
These are my thoughts and feelings about the novel.
Thanks St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley.

I read this book and loved it so I scooped up the audiobook. Knowing the ending did not make this any less enjoyable. The narration is perfect! It is audiobook gold!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio copy to listen to in exchange for an honest review.

Ah this was sooooooo good! I listened to it in a day. There was just so much happening ALL.THE.TIME. The characters were forever shedding new light on a situation. The multiple perspectives of Ruby, Jules, and Cam made everything so easy to get into. I absolutely loved it.

3.5* I have read all of Rachel Hawkins adult mystery books and I can say as I read more I think she is getting better. They are always a quick read with interesting plots! This book felt like a mix between the seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo mixed with Riley Sager’s the only one left (two books I loved btw)

My thoughts on the one are mixed. I really loved the way she crafted this story. The family drama was just fantastic. The setting was something I just loved, a rich big fancy house is the perfect place for this story. I loved getting to see camden interact (fight) with his family & in contrast seeing Jules want so desperately to be involved/a part of the family is the plot I was wanting. I liked the slow reveals that ruby told throughout her letters. The confessions of what happened to her husbands were just silly & fun. I was not expecting her to go there!

Here’s where I fall short with my love. Rachel Hawkins sucked me in! With everything going on, multiple timelines, ruby’s husbands, seeing how Camden fit into the family, the kidnapped baby story, everything was SO interesting! AND THEN. The big reveal. I’m not even kidding I was like are. you. serious. No ma’am. How are you gonna build up this fantastic story with so much going on to that?? I felt like she had this great idea and just didn’t know how to end it, or how to wrap Jules into the story so her motives made since. Idk I just did not enjoy how it ended.

My thoughts on the audiobook are very positive tho! This is the first time I’ve listened to one of Hawkins books instead of physically reading & I will say I enjoyed it! I really liked how we got different voices for cam, Jules and ruby. My only critique would be I wish for the few articles there was a different voice (only a minor complaint tho!!)

I will continue to give Rachel Hawkins another chance bc I think she’s almost there! I’m hoping her next book will really hit & pull off the ending I so desperately want from her!

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins grabbed me from the first chapter. The story has many twists and turns that I didn't see coming. The characters and story setting were great. I found myself completely immersed in their universe. The story is told from the point of view of different characters. There are multiple actors reading this book, and they do a superb job of it! This is a highly entertaining audio book.

Camden ran far away from his inheritance and the family home of his adopted mother, leaving North Carolina for California. He is married, living in Colorado, and in love with his wife. He won't look back. Until his family asks him to come home to sort things out, his wife encourages him to return for closure. What could go wrong?

This is a crazy book full of unlikeable characters and lots of twists. I think it's my favorite book that Rachel Hawkins has written to date. The audio narration was fantastic as well. You should read this one.

EVERYONE HAS A SECRET TO HIDE! In this book, there are a lot of characters, but our main characters are Camden, Jules and Ruby. This book is told in different POVs and Ruby's POV is told in the past timeline. It was so well executed that it wasn't difficult to follow, which sometimes is the case with multiple timelines and multiple POVs.

Camden is trying to get as far away from Ruby's family and legacy, while Jules (his wife) encourages him to go make peace with his past. The supportive wife, or is she? Jules has her own motives for wanting Camden to return to his past. Everyone is hiding something in this family, and there are truly so many good twists and turns. Ruby's POV is told through a series of letters and they were quite honestly the best and most suspenseful part of this book. Very well done!! Can't wait to see what this author releases next!

This thriller explores the complexity of a dysfunctional family full of secrets.

Cam inherited his adopted mother, Ruby’s estate when she passed away and gave it up.  When his uncle passes away he and his wife are asked to return to confront the family secrets he left behind.

Told in three POVs, Ruby shared through letters, her adopted son Cam, and Cam’s wife, Jules.  I found myself completely enraptured in learning about Ruby. There was so much more to Ruby than being one of the wealthiest women in North Carolina.  Ruby’s life is full of secrets, but she’s not the only one.   Ruby's story reminded me of Evelyn Hugo, if Evelyn Hugo was widowed four times, surrounded by power and dysfunction, and lived in a gothic-style mansion.

It took me a few chapters to get a feel of the story, but once the family drama started I was completely addicted.  The weaving of the three POVs and build-up of the story to the cleaver ending was seamless.

I listened to the audiobook and was completely captivated by the narrators. Let me just add that the narrator portraying the wealthy, aristocratic, southern Ruby was a marvelous casting.  I highly recommend the audiobook.

Perfect for anyone who enjoys dysfunctional families, dark family secrets, and clever plot twists.

I really enjoyed this book. This was the story of quite a dysfunctional family and how money can corrupt.

Rating: 5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Think Evelyn Hugo and a bit of Home Before Dark - only more dark and twisted with a little more greed/family drama and less “ghosts”!! I had absolutely no plans of doing this review today, but this one had me absolutely engrossed from start to finish. I literally finished this one in one sitting it was so so so good!
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The Heiress is told in multiple points of view, through the viewpoints of of MCs Jules and Camden and through letters by the late Ruby; there are even some newsletters and interviews thrown in there for extra pizzaz. This one starts out strong and just maintains an intense and addicting storyline throughout the entire book. Legit obsessed.
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There are plenty of twists throughout, and I’m going to pat myself on the back as my basically full blown detective self was able to figure out one big twist (which I AM OBSESSED WITH and was actually throwing my hands up in the air at how proud of myself I was). But they are all perfectly placed, and the end twists - buckle up because they are all thrown at the you in quick succession you’ll actually have whiplash. Hang on tight friends this one is a freaking doozy! It’s a wild ride and I LOVE IT!
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From start to finish The Heiress is fast paced, enticing and will have you trying to figure out just what is going on with this family. There is plenty of suspense/tension, family drama, greed, secrets (which ALL get revealed), manipulation and of course murder. This book was absolutely *chefs kiss* brilliant. I loved every single second of it and I know this is going to give me a huge book hangover.
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Listening to this while reading was such a treat. The full cast of Dan Bittner, Eliza Foss, John Pirhalla, and Patti Murin were incredible. Each narrator played each character perfectly and managed to transport me into the world of the McTavish family. I am blown away by this audio and story and will be recommending for a very long time.
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This will be the book to get in 2024, it’s Hawkins best work yet. The Heiress releases on 1/9/24, pre-order it now, you won’t want to miss out on this one! Huge thank you to Netgalley, Rachel Hawkins, MacMillan Audio, and St. Martins Press for the eARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review!