Overall, I enjoyed the newest offering from Rachel Hawkins. We meet the storied heiress Ruby McTavish in bits and pieces as related by her adopted son Camden, who had walked away from his inheritance and anything to do with the McTavish clan for a variety of really good reasons. After making a simple but content life for himself in Colorado as an English teacher with his wife Jules, a crisis forces his reluctant return to the family homestead, Ashby House, after an absence of ten years. Once back in North Carolina, Camden finds himself thrust into a web of secrets and lies. What follows is a plethora of drama including kidnapping, suspicious deaths, and naked greed. The truth is elusive, with a slow build to a satisfyingly twisty reveal. Though I found most, if not all, of the characters quite dislikable, the book held my interest from start to finish. I’d consider it a good example of modern gothic storytelling and recommend it to fans of the genre. Thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for a fair review.

Just look at that cover! 💚

I loved this author's debut, The Wife Upstairs, but didn't care for Reckless Girls. I was a little nervous, but this one grabbed my attention early and pulled me deeper into the mystery with every page, every chapter.

Ruby McTavish is quite the intriguing character! That is a peek at her portrait on the gorgeous cover. She may have more skeletons in her closet than ANY other character I've read about. Her home is a fifteen-bedroom mansion called Ashby House. Some may refer to it as a "lion's den" and with good reason! 🦁 They needed a Enter At Your Own Risk sign!

Ashby House created a creepy atmosphere that really set the mood. If those walls could speak, they would have a story to tell and in a way they do. The portrait that hung at the top of the stairs gave me major chills and I almost expected it to come alive. I'd be sleeping with one eye open in that house! 👁️

Nelle reminded me of a Ms. Danvers ( the housekeeper in Rebecca, with her mean spirited stunts). Rebecca is my favorite gothic classic novel and this one had some strong vibes that I loved.

Expect rumors, whispers, secrets/scheming and a truly twisted house of unexpected happenings!

The Heiress is my third novel that I have read by Rachel Hawkins. She has quickly become an auto buy author for me. I must say The Heiress is my favorite yet! Dual timelines and multiple character points of view novels are my trope and are usually always the types of books I enjoy the most.

The Heiress hooks you from the very first sentence and doesn't let you go until the very end. Reading Ruby's point of view was divine and her story just kept getting better and better. What better way to grab your attention when the main character in the very beginning already had been kidnapped as a child, is very rich, has a mansion and has been widowed four times! That is just something begging to be explored.

Everyone in this story has motives and are all striving for something. Revenge runs rampant. The mystery unfolds slowly. I enjoyed the setting and loved Camden and Jules.

A big thank you to the author, publisher and to @netgalley for the opportunity to review The Heiress. My reviews can be found here:
Instagram: @hedwigsandhopes
Goodreads: Nikki- Hedwig's and Hopes

4.5 easy stars for Rachel Hawkins' newest novel!

A husband and wife who are both keeping things from each other, plus a mysterious adoptive mother with a dark past? Checks all my boxes!

The Heiress has the hallmarks I've come to expect from Hawkins: a vivid setting, a slowly building backstory, a rapid unwinding of twists and secrets at the end, and then a lingering focus on characters at the end that prompts you to think more about everything that has happened.

And it sucked me in very quickly. Kept me guessing and I loved the multiple POVs, the gothic moodiness of it (so so atmospheric!!) And just the smooth way it read!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Rachel Hawkins for this ARC

This book is good if you like:
Different point of views
Family Drama
Fast paced read
Twists


Ruby is CRAZY, and is also known as “mrs.kill more” since she’s been married multiple times due to each husband has died.
Camden is estranged, but he’s Rubys adopted son. He is left everything, her estate and her money.
He wants no part of it, but his wife Jules does.

This wasn’t my normal usual read, but it was good!

I can't remember the last time a book sucked me in so quickly. This was such a smooth read, and really kept my attention. I loved the multiple POV, and the underlining moodiness of the book. Thanks Netgalley for this ARC! This is a book I will be recommending to friends, and one that I won't soon forget.

This is the story of Ruby McTavish - a rich woman with a very colorful past. She was kidnapped as a child, she was widowed 4 times, and she left her entire estate to her adopted son Camden. Camden has avoided the house and the fortune for years, but is finally driven home after some additional deaths in the family and feeling an obligation to make an appearance. He and his wife Jules arrive at the house only to be greeted by a few relatives who were never happy that Camden existed.

This book slowly builds for the first half, as details of the characters are developed and motives start to become more clear. The twists and turns are satisfying as the truth about many things comes to light.

I really enjoyed this book! Love a good family drama with interconnected characters and a long history. I think I wanted a bigger twist, although there were many smaller twists in this one.

Don’t walk, RUN to your nearest bookstore and get this book! I absolutely adored this book. I couldn’t put it down. I can honestly say I DEVOURED The Heiress in two days (insane for me as a sahm of 4).

Did I see the twists coming? No!
Would I recommend this to any thriller loving friend? Yes!

This book is fact-paced, filled to the brim with drama, and makes you thankful for the very normal family you have.


Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Rachel Hawkins, and NetGalley for this ARC.

This was such a great, quick read! I would say this is my second-favorite RH book so far. The setting, family drama, and absolute craziness of some of the characters made this an easy read! My only con to this was that the ending seemed just the teensiest bit rushed (but not enough to ruin the book for me). 3.5/5 stars

The Heiress is another great psychological suspense thriller from the great Rachel Hawkins! I love a contemporary novel with a gothic spin. In this one, a young couple named Cam & Jules return to Cam's childhood home, a huge mansion in the Blue Grass Mountains. Cam is the heir to the mansion and his adoptive mother's fortune, but he wants nothing to do with the home or his remaining family who still live there. The mansion is surrounded by mystery and toxic family dynamics, will Cam & Jules survive the visit?

This book started out so good! Missing toddler who reappears but isn't who they are portrayed to be. I was hooked!!
The Heiress is told through multiple points of view: Ruby (letters), Rubys son Cam and Cams wife Jules. The Heiress weaves through multiple time periods.

There are multiple deaths, a major fortune and so many shady characters and secrets in this novel!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest revie

A husband and wife who are both keeping things from each other, plus a mysterious adoptive mother with a dark past? Sign me up! This has the hallmarks I've come to expect from Hawkins: a vivid setting, a slowly building backstory, a rapid unwinding of twists and secrets at the end, and then a lingering focus on characters at the end that prompts you to think more about everything that has happened. Some reveals I saw coming and some I did not, but I enjoyed the entire ride.

Very fun and engaging thriller.

Book is told on the POV of the 2 main characters, plus letters from a third and some articles about family. Though none of the characters are really likable, story was very interesting and book was very well written - I read it in a few days. I did find the ending a little unsatisfying though, but may be just my expectations and the fact that as said prior, I did not sympathized with any of the characters.

I recommended read, and will check out other books from the author!

Thanks Netgalley for the arc exchanged for a honest teview

Murder, mansion and twists galore this book is a must read. I don't recommend picking it up when you have anything to do that day because you will not want to stop reading it. I devoured this book in one day with no regrets. Rachel Hawkins does it again.

"The Heiress" by Rachel Hawkins follows the story of Camden and Jules, a married couple traveling back to Cam's hometown where his family is considered "old money" and his adopted mother's reputation as "Mrs. Kill-More" precedes her. Will Cam and Jules find out all the secrets of the McTavish family and live to survive them?

This book was giving Evelyn Hugo during the adopted mother, Ruby's, letter writing flashbacks. I enjoyed it more towards the end when the secrets started to unravel. It read a little slower than I would like for about 65% of the book. The end really made up for it though. I definitely recommend this one so keep an eye out for its release on January 9, 2024!

Big thanks to St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

#theheiress #rachelhawkins #netgalley #arc #stmartinspress

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

My rating:
5/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is the story of the McTavish’s. When Camden returns to his childhood home, he brings his wife Jules. They leave their small town life to come back to the house because of his Uncle’s death. Told in the perspectives of Ruby, Jules and Camden, you slowly figure out the family history and even some family secrets as well.

Okay this one got me 😅
I definitely was thinking this book was a solid 4 the entire time but once I got to about 70% I was absolutely hooked and had to round up to a 5. I pretty much figured out one of the main plots but I was a little off. The pace of this was a lot of build up and then it really sped up towards the end.

This book reminded me of the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by TJR so if you liked that, I think you’ll enjoy this one as well!

I really enjoy this author! My other fave by her was The Wife Upstairs. Another solid thriller.

Thank you netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC! I absolutely recommend this one. The Heiress comes out in January of 2024, so make sure to add it to your TBR now as a reminder to order it once it comes out!

#netgalley #bookrecs #books #theheiress #rachelhawkins #Arc #thrillerbooks

This one started a little slow for me but I plodded on and it sped up as I got to know the characters. I really enjoyed the chapters in the different character views. Meet the McTavishes! What a family!

The Heiress is an addictive, fast-paced read, perfect for a summer treat. The characters lay all their cards on the table, or do they? The characters are morally Grey, and have questionable motives. This book kept me turning the pages to see if I could guess what their real motives were. This novelist told through the perspectives of both of the main characters in through a few snippets of mixed media, including letters, newspaper clippings, etc. Though I did predict some of the twists, I really enjoyed this read, and I’m looking forward to reading more from this author. 3.5 stars rounded up for me!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley, for my advanced reader copy.

Scandalous right down to the very last page. I really enjoyed the story and the plot twists. I was definitely constantly left guessing. To be honest, the only reason I rate it 4 stars instead of 5 is because I really didn't care for the characters. But, spoiler alert, the more I dwell on it, the more I believe that this poor taste in my mouth left by the main characters was deeply intentional on Rachel Hawkins part. And, in that case; mission accomplished!