The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is just the read I needed, one that would grab me in the first chapter and keep me flipping pages to the very end.

Ruby McTavish is one complicated character. The action moves around throughout the narrative, but it always seems to circle back to her. Welcome to Ashby House, her 15-bedroom mansion. The writing and descriptions are superb; and the tension builds as we creep along through the hallways of this creepy old manor house. There’s even a portrait that looms down at visitors. The author doesn’t say this, but I just know that the eyes move and follow visitors as they walk.

This book has the feel of a gothic mystery with whispers and rumors, scheming and lying. Don’t miss this one.

PUBLICATION DAY: January 9, 2024

A family inheritance? Or a curse? The MacTavish’s are rich - and twisted. So when adopted son Camden, heir to the entire fortune, steps away to live a normal life, who could blame him? But with millions hanging in the balance, and a sense of familial duty at work, Cam and his wife Jules return to his childhood home. But what awaits them? And what will the letters from Ruby reveal??

PROS and CONS:
This is a great thriller - I loved the format of the newspaper articles and letters from Ruby to add details to the plot. Cam and Jules were two believable characters who I was cheering for. A couple of twists along the way made for interesting reading. Only downfall were one dimensional villains - everyone has a redeeming quality don’t they??? Otherwise very good!!

READ IT?
If you’re in the mood for a classic thriller, this one will not disappoint!

4 Stars

Woof this one was good!! I've always enjoyed Rachel Hawkins books, and this might be the best one I've read. I loved the way it was told from both characters perspectives mixed with mysterious notes from the mysterious Ruby. The twist (I won't mention what) was great - I saw it coming but not until almost the reveal! This was a great read and fully recommend for suspense/thriller fans. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

What more can you ask for? Gothic setting, unpredictable matriarch, unassuming heir, duplicitous family, historical references. I’ve read Rachel Hawkins’ prior books and this one is the best! Main characters had multi-layered backgrounds revealed slowly throughout the book and adding to the conundrum of the story.

The book is connected through letters written by the late matriarch, and told through the viewpoints of her heir and his wife. The matriarch’s life story is enthralling and contrasts sharply with her heir. The other family members plot to take down the heir and inherit the estate and wealth for themselves (the usual course of events), but the intricacies of the life of the matriarch and her heir make this book unique.

I could not put this down and highly recommend The Heiress.

This romantic Gothic suspense novel is told from two points of view (or maybe three). Jules tells about meeting and falling in love with Camden at a college bar in California. They have a nice life together for ten years. He's teaching English at a boys' school in Colorado and she's working at a living history museum. But things change when Cam gets an email from a cousin which pulls him back into the life he ran away from when he was twenty.

Camden has been successfully ignoring his past and his life with the infamous Ruby McTavish - a woman gone missing as a three-year-old and recovered some months later who grew up married four times, survived the deaths of her husbands, and inherited a massive fortune and a house filled with resentful relatives.

Cam was her adopted son and never accepted as a real member of the McTavish family. He was casually bullied by his cousin Ben throughout his childhood and roundly ignored by his mother's sister Nelle. Tensions rise after Ruby commits suicide leaving Cam the only heir to her massive fortune causing him to flee to California.

Now, at Jules' urging, Cam and Jules are going back to North Carolina to deal with family and the house Cam owns. But both Cam and Jules are dealing with secrets that they have never shared with each other. Cam wants to clear things up and leave. But Jules wants to stay and make a life in the beautiful house.

Additions of letters that Ruby wrote to someone telling her story which does include murdering her husbands for various reasons and using various means adds to the Gothic atmosphere of this contemporary story.

I enjoyed all the twists and turns of the plot and the slow reveal of the various secrets held by the main characters.

Oh I think this has to be my favorite of Rachel Hawkins I’ve read since The Wife Upstairs.

In The Heiress Ruby McTavish is a socialite and a lumber empire heiress. She is one of the richest people in North Carolina, but after her death, she leaves her fortune and estate, to her adoptive son Camden. And only Camden.

Ruby became famous after being kidnapped as a child, but became even more famous after marrying several husbands in a row, all apparently dying from mysterious circumstances.

Camden chooses to live a life away from his family, not touching a single dollar of his fortune. modestly with his wife Jules, teaching.

The gothic tone, the family's twists and turns, and the characterization were all phenomenal. Told in a 3 person POV, you really get into their minds.

5/5! Thanks St. Martin's Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC!

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.

Read this if you enjoy dysfunctional families, dark family secrets, and clever plot twists.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is a dark, gothic like mystery between very rich people. When Ruby McTavish is a toddler, she is kidnapped, nothing is ever the same. The McTavish family has deep roots in their town, their ancestors created the town years before, and their money continues to run it, as they see fit. Fast forward to Ruby as an adult, she has four dead husbands, an adopted son, despicable relatives, oh and she’s dead too.

Ruby’s son, Camden, has been requested back to Ashby House, the mansion left to him by his mother as well as all the family money, which he refuses to touch. His aunt, and 2 cousins still live there. When his uncle passes away, Camden returns with his wife, Jules, to see what needs to be done to fix up the mansion that is falling apart, but for Camden going back isn’t easy. He doesn’t have any good memories of growing up there. But Jules assures him everything will be fine, and wonders why they can’t live in the house with the money left to him. Meanwhile, Ruby’s letters explain her past, like a voice from the grave, adding to the mystery of the family.

I need to say I really like Rachel Hawkins books, this one wasn’t a favorite of mine. It was a little slow for the first half, then it seemed every twist and turn was mashed together at the end. Not everything was explained, so there were a lot of loose ends. I felt the end was predictable as well.

I would like to thank Netgalley, St Martin’s Press, and Rachel Hawkins for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Don’t let this book stop you from reading the other books by Rachel Hawkins, this may have been a one off.

A true gothic suspense story lies between the cover of this book! An inheritance that is designed to pull the strings of the remaining family members and cause jealousy, anger, and revenge. When Ruby McTavish dies and lives the ancestral home and millions of dollars to her adopted son, Camden McTavish, he leaves the home amid questions surrounding her death, and his desire to have nothing to do with the inheritance. The story wraps us through the lavish lifestyle of the McTavish family, and the infamous stories that surround her. Were the deaths of four husbands all accidental? We learn about Ruby's life, and the truth to those rumors, by letters that she had left behind. As Cam and his wife, Jules, return to Ashby House to settle some estate issues, the welcome he receives is less than joyous and the drama begins. The family secrets that come to light as the battle over the estate pits each person against another leads to a suspenseful and twisting story that has a conclusion that will have the reader flabbergasted. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NetGalley #TheHeiress

Wow! I absolutely loved this novel by Rachel Hawkins. The drama of a wealthy southern family, kidnapping of a young child and the ruthless climb to be the rightful heir. I thought the characters were well developed and the descriptions of the small mountain town just made this a very enjoyable read. Thanks to #Netgalley for this advanced copy.

What a dark, creepy, wonderful gothic mystery. I wasn’t so sure when I first started reading because it felt a bit scattered and confusing. Once I got into it and understood who the cast of characters were, it just flowed and I couldn’t stop reading to find out what would happen next. And what great characters, especially Ruby and Jules. Twists, turns, and surprises were everywhere right up to the last page. Another five star read from Rachel Hawkins.

There's something about watching a rich family crumble when all of their secrets are revealed...and WOW, there are SO MANY secrets. This was an endless ride of surprises, drama, and plot twists. I wasn't sure who I should be rooting for until the very end. Rachel Hawkins truly outdid herself with this one.

I am obsessed with this book. I couldn't put it down once I started. It's been awhile since I've read a book that held my interest through the entire read. This should be at the top of every TBR list for 2024.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the early access in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to @netgalley and St, Martin's Press for the chance to review The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins. Hawkins did it again! She nailed this gothic tale. We follow Cam McTavish, who was the adopted son of a very wealthy and infamous, four-times widowed Ruby Kenmore. He rejected his inheritence and went about a quiet life. He is pulled back to Ashby house, where his mother's legacy was ever-present. Cam starts to uncover secrets about Ruby's kidnapping as a child and her four dead husbands. Dark and twisty, I could not put this book down!

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!

I really The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins this take of dysfunctional families and how many can corrupt people.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for allowing me this ARC copy. This is my second approach to Hawkins work, the first being The Villa last year which I truly enjoyed.

The Heiress is a book about the wealthiest woman in North Carolina, Ruby, her family and how everybody is fighting to get a piece of her estate. The book is told from 3 point of views: Ruby herself, Cam her son and Jules, Cam’’s wife

If you like multiple POV, family secrets and twists, this book is definitely for you.

A fun and mildly twisty thriller featuring an estranged (and very dysfunctional) family and a multimillion dollar inheritance. The pacing is great, and I tore through the story in a couple of days. The two main narrators are Camden and Jules, a married couple who are each hiding a few things from each other. We also hear from Camden's dead mother, Ruby, through letters she wrote confessing to some pretty serious crimes. As with all thrillers, the less you know, the better, so I'll leave it there. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital review copy.

I have only read The Villa by Rachel Hawkins and it was only an okay story for me. I was kind of skeptical going into this book, but it was so much better. I love some good family soap opera drama and this gave me everything I wanted. I follows the normal formula and hits all the beats, but is very well executed.

I always try Rachel Hawkins books and I always have the same reaction. They just are ok for me. I really think it is just me. I have heard rave reviews of this book and her others so maybe this is just not an author for me. I will say that the book was interesting and it was a page turner. I think people that like mysteries would really like this. It just didn't wow me.

Rachel Hawkins is a hit-or-miss author for me and this was a hit! I like that she went from YA fantasy and rom com to adult thrillers. The thrillers are better! I really enjoyed this, even if I called some of the twists early on (I think we all did). It was still an enjoyable ride. I liked that the appearances of the past were either in letter form or newspaper articles. The descriptions of Ashby House were breathtaking!