Rachel Hawkins’ The Heiress follows Jules and her husband Cam as they return to his childhood home in North Carolina. It’s more than a home, it’s a mansion named Ashby House. Cam’s larger-than-life adoptive mother left everything to him in her will, but he’s never wanted the baggage that comes with his inheritance. Cam returns with a dread that his wife can’t understand. The family doesn’t welcome their arrival. Ashby House, the family, and old money have a power over Cam and Jules that’s hard to escape. As they spend awkward days in the mansion, the family shows that they’ve never stopped plotting to seize the wealth.

This family drama centers on an inheritance. It’s about a husband and wife arguing over money. And it’s about the way that greed makes evil easier and quiet disagreements slip into murder. There’s a lot of suggestion and a lot of suspense about what makes this family evil. Some of it seems more like just out-of-touch people being weird. In the end, it didn’t matter to me who won this family squabble.

I’ve given this novel four stars. There’s some twists, and they’re good ones, especially at the end. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's for this enjoyable advance read.

4.25 stars
I just wanted to express my thanks for getting the chance to dive into an early copy for review purposes. I'll be sharing a detailed breakdown on my blog soon, but here’s a more technical take on it.

The book's description got me interested. It seems like Hawkins has a certain theme running with her thriller covers. Having read a few of her works before, I was hopeful about this one, and boy, did that first page grab me!

Hawkins has this thing she does with her books: chapters set in the present, mixed in with these cool formatted interludes. Personally, I'm a big fan of this style. The way she switches up the format and point of view makes the book a quick, engaging read. It’s why I keep coming back for more, even if not every story hits the mark for me.

There was something a bit odd about how one of the characters’ perspectives was written. In Jules’ chapters, it felt like she was looking back on things, telling the story like it was in the past, and then suddenly, she'd switch back to the present tense. It threw me off a bit and kind of took me out of the moment.

Overall, though, I liked this book and the story it told. The ending? It left me with that same eerie feeling I got from 'The Villa'—like maybe everything’s not quite as right with the world as it seems.

This story starts a little slow with what appears to be clippings from newspapers and letters. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it or where this was going but I am glad I stuck with it. What a unique story and writing. Everything came together so well! I loved the concept of following generations of a wealthy and powerful family and all their secrets and twists.
I highly recommend adding this to your 2024 TBR list.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

𝑻𝑯𝑬𝑹𝑬’𝑺 𝑵𝑶𝑻𝑯𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑨𝑺 𝑮𝑶𝑶𝑫 𝑨𝑺 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑹𝑰𝑪𝑯 𝑮𝑶𝑵𝑬 𝑩𝑨𝑫

➡️ swipe for synopsis 👉🏼

Special thanks for this #gifted ARC from @netgalley @ladyhawkins and @stmartinspress .

This one started out slow for me. I wasn't sure how the title had anything to do w the story that was being told and unveiling as I read on, but i was still very intrigued. I was so focused on the life of Cam & Jules and wondering how "the heiress" fit either of them.
Cam and Jules are very innocent and likable, and the rest of the tavosich family are cringeworthy in every way, shape, and form.

It unravels more, the further along as you go through the handwritten "letters" as a sort of "dual timelines" / multiple POVs.
The jaw-dropping twist comes, and now you don't know who to trust.
How can people, let alone family be so evil.
Money really does make people do evil things no matter who it's to.
The last like 15% of the book was like a tilt a whirl. Twist after twist. You think you know, but then it's something else. And each character thinks it's got the other sneaky character figured out......but that's the thing about secrets. You never know who's got one......

PUB DAY:
Jan 9, 2024

QOTD❓️⁉️❓️ Have you, or someone you know ever inherited a lot of money from a "famous" family member?

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Ruby is a rich heiress that has died and has left the family fortune to her adopted son. Her blood relatives are not happy about this and what what belongs to them. They think they have figured out how they can get their hands on it.

This book is written in a very different, but smart way. It gives you small bits of the story as it switches between 2 POVS, Cam and Jules, newspaper articles and letters written by Ruby.

This is a story where everyone has a secret and you don't know what they are until the end. This is such a twisty and keeps you guessing novel that you won't be able to put down.

Thank you to Netgalley, Rachel Hawkins and St. Martin's Press for this ARC. This review is 100% my own and honest opinion.

3.5 Stars

I know this book has suspense and murder, and maybe I should have been tense or stressed about what was to come, but it was just so fun to read!

The Heiress is told from multiple point of views: letters from Ruth (the heiress) to her adopted son; Cam, the adopted son; Jules, wife of Cam; and various newspaper and magazine articles. I love unreliable narrators and they were certainly present here.

Family drama, secrets, and the unruly rich make this a juicy suspense novel that’s hard to put down.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. I really enjoyed this book. I’m a huge fan of Rachel Hawkins, both her adult and young adult books so I was excited to read this book and it didn’t disappoint. It was very dark and I was here for it. Loved the storyline and the twists. I couldn’t stop reading.

This is not my first Rachel Hawkins book and won’t be my last - I always find myself sucked into her stories.

This story was gripping from the first few chapters and kept me guessing the entire time! This story follows one super rich and horrible family but focused on Ruby and how she lived her life with her four (dead) husbands.

It is full of twists and turns and I couldn’t figure it out until it was spelled out for me at the end. This was a great book!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and the author for the complimentary advanced reader copy. The opinions below are my own.

Ruby McTavish leaves behind quite the legacy in the wake of her death. A notorious widow x 4, childhood kidnapping survivor, and oldest daughter of the wealthiest dynasty in North Carolina. She bequeathed her fortune to her adopted son, Cam, but he has distanced himself from the remaining family members and refuses to acknowledge his inheritance. That is, until another passing in the family forces Cam and his wife, Jules, to return to Ashby House and confront all the figurative demons he has been avoiding for the past decade.

Greed. Envy. Pride. Deceit. It’s all here in spades in this gripping, gothic thriller. I enjoyed the dual POV between Cam and Jules, as well as the third perspective from Ruby through letters indulging her deepest, darkest secrets. Every single character had skeletons in their closet threatening to be exposed and the tension held me through the entire novel. I kept turning the pages, anticipating the next reveal. I also felt immersed in the isolated, mist-clotted Appalachian mountains. While Ruby’s past was quite sordid, I couldn’t help but like her character most. She was giving Evelyn Hugo vibes - right down to the green gown.

This was my first Rachel Hawkins novel but I know I will now be exploring her backlist. If you love rich-people-behaving-badly stories with layers and twists, this is one you won’t want to miss.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!
This book was something! It was a little slower paced than I usually enjoy. There were letters thrown in between chapters that gave just little bits of background to the current day story, they always left me wondering and slightly confused! I kept reading and the story REALLY picks up in the last 1/4! I was reading so fast, I couldn’t wait to find out more! I loved the story and even though I was left with a few questions in the end, I felt there were a few other things that could have been touched on to really wrap up the whole book, however, I still enjoyed the current ending and overall this book was 5 ⭐️!!

Rachel always succeeds in top tier mystery - you'll seriously be unable to put this one down. Something I don't see enough in these books, MULTIPLE POV!! Also- short chapters! In a book like this, short chapters work so well as they keep you moving throughout the story and mystery unfolding.

This book had me up way too late. I could not put it down. As soon as I read the first page it sparked a need to devour this book as quickly as possible. First let us discuss the Ashby House. It is a perfect setting for a wickedly rich family. The mansion is nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. It is eye catching, stately, everything you would want if you were rich beyond your wildest dreams. As soon as you step through the doors, everything around you cease to exist. You become a part of it, you cannot escape its grasp. The McTavish's is the family that has graced the hallways, the endless trails, the beautiful falls, and the woods that takes people at its will. The McTavish's are a family that you would never want to be a part of. They want everything, bend the rules to their will, and destroy whatever is around them.

Ruby McTavish died ten years ago. She was an insanely interesting woman, who kept everyone on their toes. From the moment she was kidnapped as a young child. To the questionable deaths of her four husbands, to the adoption of the nicest boy this family has ever witnessed. On her death, her adopted son, Cameron, inherited everything. The house, the staggering amounts of money in the bank, EVERYTHING! Instead of becoming the lord of the house. He decides to head west, hardly ever touches the money, and has no intention of returning. That is until his cousin Ben sends him an email. An email he cannot say no to. Cameron and his wife, Jules, make the decision to see what the family wants. Jules is excited to see where Cam came from. To witness everything, she has googled. Their arrival is not met with Joy, just more harsh words. That Cam is not blood and should not have inherited. As this family's story is exposed, my jaw inched closer and closer to the ground. It is fantastic! I cannot say anymore, or I will ruin it for you!

You need to put this book on your list. I am giving it all the stars! Thank you to Rachel Hawkins and St. Martin's Press for this phenomenal family drama.

I was given the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Rachel Hawkin’s upcoming thriller, ‘The Heiress” and I jumped on it! I have enjoyed each one I’ve read, but this may be my favorite!

The title refers to Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore, a notoriously wealthy widow. As a child, she was the victim of a famous kidnapping, and since then, she has ruled over her family’s estate, as well as the neighboring town. Her adopted son, Cam, had left the family early on, refusing his inheritance. However, when there is another death in the family, he and his wife must return and face the music.
Chapters alternate between the past and present, dropping tiny morsels of information. It is a slow burn, and BAM! The ending sneaks up on you. Every family member has secrets, and no one trusts each other. This family is beyond dysfunctional!!
I loved the suspense and not knowing the truth until the very end. This book was well-written and thoroughly enjoyable.

**Will be posted to Instagram (@readrestrecharge) closer to publication date

What started off as a very promising read soon fell flat. I usually love this author's books but this story had way too many characters and soon got very confusing.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc of The Heiress in exchange for an unbiased review. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading this book - it’s a story of family tension and trauma, with some surprisingly good twists.

Oh my goodness. The Heiress hits the list of my favorite books of 2023.
I loved this way more than I thought I would and my only regret is that I didn't pick it up sooner.
Something about a strong female lead..
I loved the MCs and how nicely everything tied up, but that epilogue has my jaw on the floor.
Loved the twists. Some I saw coming from the start, but that did not take away from the story for me at all.
Would recommend this read to everyone!

Once again, Rachel Hawkins has created mystery that has you hanging on at every turn. Much like my other favorite of hers, The Wife Upstairs, The Heiress was full of suspense and had me truly wondering what would happen next!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Cam and Jules are on a cross-country road trip back to his childhood home. He’s been putting this off for years now since his adoptive mother passed away. Cam moved from North Carolina to California years ago and built a new life for himself away from the chaos that is the McTavish family and their legacy. But now his two worlds are set to collide as he introduces Jules to the family and their less than loving ways. Adding to the drama is the legacy Ruby, Cam’s mother, left him – a small fortune, a house in dire need of repairs, and a long legacy of questionable deaths. Will Cam’s marriage survive this trip back home or will they become another casualty of the McTavish clan?

New York Times Best Selling Author Rachel Hawkins is back with a new thriller to delight readers! The Heiress follows both Ruby, the matriarch of the clan, as she divulges the secrets of her life, and the latest heads of the family – her son Cam and his wife Jules. Utilizing flashbacks and letters written by Ruby to the younger generation, Hawkins seamlessly transports readers through the timeline allowing the backstory to slowly develop. Full of twists and surprises, this novel is about family bonds and shows that true power isn’t in the money, but the way you treat one another.

I give The Heiress 5 out of 5 stars. Not typically one for thrillers, this book had me enthralled with the family drama and storyline from the first chapter! I found the characters relatable and well-developed – from the reluctant heir in Cam to the eager-to-see-the-family-money Jules, the motivations behind their actions were clear and compelling. Each chapter brought a small twist I didn’t see coming and something that compelled me to keep reading. I thought I had an idea of where Hawkins was taking the storyline, but was completely surprised by the end!

If you loved Rachel Hawkins’ other works like The Wife Upstairs or The Villa, you will love this novel, too! This book is true Hawkins at her best – a gothic thriller with lots of twists. Given the discussions of death (and murder!), I would direct this novel to readers over the age of 13. This would also make a great choice for book clubs with so much to unpack from all the twists through each character’s perspective.

I have been a fan of Rachel Hawkins since reading The Villa a few months back and jumped at the chance to review her latest work when it became available on NetGalley! Set in one of my favorite areas of the country (Ashville, North Carolina), I was drawn to this book by the description- a notorious widow with a legacy surrounded by rumors leaves everything to her adopted son at the despair of her other relatives. This is truly southern gothic meets murder mystery at its best!

The Heiress will release January 9th. You can pre-order your copy today on our Bookshop.org page!

*possible spoilers*

This was one book I definitely didn’t expect. Rachel Hawkin’s books have been hit and miss for me, so I wasn’t sure what I would think. But, I really enjoyed it. I’m glad I had a chance to read it.

This novel is filled with mystery from the first page. You quickly learn that Ruby was kidnapped as a child, though soon found and returned to her family. Then, as she grew older, her husband’s were passing away after marriage from mysterious accidents. After adopting her son, Camden, she then left her estate to him when passing away, even if he may not have wanted it.

When Camden and his wife return to his childhood home, mystery and family drama surrounds them. Though he was reluctant to return, with poor relationships with the family waiting for him at his home, little did he know that his wife also had her own reason for visiting. Through the story, answers would unfold. What happened to Ruby as a child when she was kidnapped? What were the mysteries surrounding the passing of her husbands through the years? Why was there bad blood in the family?

This book was an interesting surprise. I appreciated how the story unfolded throughout, and the use of articles and journal entries. It, to me, gave more depth to the story, and multiple POVs as to what different characters were thinking.

Also, it gave me a better understanding of the characters’ personalities. Did I like the characters? No, I really didn’t. But, I thought that their characters were well written.

It was a gripping story, and really was difficult to put down. There was just so much happening. But, surprisingly, it was easy to keep up with. I had no trouble making sense of the different story lines and each one was interesting. It also wrapped together nicely.

So, check this one out if you like:
💎a complex thriller
💎twists in your story
💎family drama

If you like thrillers, check it out! Pub date is January 9, 2024.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, received from St. Martin’s Press and Rachel Hawkins through NetGalley. However, all thoughts and views reflected are strictly my own opinions.

Wonderful book! If you love a suspense/thriller that keeps you hooked from beginning to end - this book does just that! There are numerous layers of mystery embedded into the storyline and Rachel Hawkins does a masterful job at keeping the reader guessing until the end. This was a quick and easy read, but also a fantastic story, highly recommend! 4.5/5 stars!