I love Rachel Hawkins’ books - this was a great read and kept me interested throughout - plenty of dark and twisty twists and turns; many of which I didn’t see coming which I always appreciate! Also was a quick read for me - something I constantly wanted to pick up and continue reading.

The Heiress has a bunch of twists that I didn’t see coming! What would you do if you were from a wealthy family that has all kinds of secrets? Walk away and not use any of the money? Or use it and not care where the money came from? I really enjoyed watching the whole story unfold!

I've only read one other book by this author, which I really liked. This book was ill defined. It began with a gothic vibe and gradually fell into a dysfunctional family drama.

There were times when I couldn't keel track of some of the female characters.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the chance to read this ARC. This is my honest review.

First off, how dare you write such a juicy mystery/thriller? How dare you? I started this book on the 4th of July, late at night when I realized I would not get any sleep from all the fireworks going off. I finished it yesterday, which is fast for me.
I loved the family drama and the setting of North Carolina mountains. I thought the comparisons to the Biltmore and that family were sensible. I loved how you would give reminders of the time period by linking Ruby to the president and other notable figures without it feeling like you were hand-holding the readers.
One gripe I have is that I did get confused at times when it came to the female characters, especially when the Darnell family was introduced. There were a lot of female names and people mentioned. The details about the setting and time period are superb.
Camden's reveal was hinted at early on so I was not all that surprised by the ending. Jules reveal was a little more shocking. However, Ben mentioned to Jules something about her doing what she was supposed to do, that I think never got answered. I thought there was a connection between those two (maybe I missed it) but it seemed like it never was followed up on.
I like the structure of the chapters. I can't believe I never asked myself who was reading the letters but I assumed they were there for the reader, who knew. The points of view are great. I was always looking forward to getting back to Ruby's letters.
Right when I was starting to ask why would Camden kill Ruby if she was so loving to him, you answered that question. So, the killing makes sense. I also knew something was up, early on when he would refer to her as Ruby and he alluded to there being foul play with her death.
I liked the ending but I can see some readers feeling like there were too many reveals and too many twists. It kind of felt like you were trying too hard--just a little.

Some edits/typos I noticed
p. 57 3rd paragraph should be, "Duke's voice was as low as mine now,"
the word "balm" was used numerous times (in my opinion because it sounds odd to me--in this context).
p. 190 towards the bottom of page, should say, "when I realized Jules is tugging at me, her feet planted."
p. 200 midway through the page, should say, "I didn't know what to say to that."
p. 218 1st paragraph should say, "Money, which you say you don't care about, but also freedom."
p. 219 towards the middle of page, this is a confusing sentence: "I don't even think, I don't let himself think."
p. 223 The word "Timbuktu" was used multiple times. I don't think this reference matches this group of people: White, educated, cultured, aristocrats. Of course that is my opinion though.

Great writing
p. 53 3rd paragraph really sets the tone and remind the reader the kind of woman Ruby is

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and if you have any extra copies lying around, please please think of me.

Here is my confession…

Rachel Hawkins is usually a hit or miss with me. I thought “Reckless Girls” was an excellent thriller. It lived up to its narrative. “The Villa” was less than entertaining, and the “Wife Upstairs,” albeit a solid story, one could see the twists coming from a mile away, or I could, but keep in mind , Thrillers, are my genre and I read an average of 4 a week.

So, I was excited to be offered an opportunity to read “The Heiress.” Truthfully, I’m not sure where this falls. It’s a gothic thriller, maybe. I’m not sure I’d describe it as a thriller? Personal opinion. It’s more or less about family drama and their secrets, and how all of those secrets come to the forefront. I just didn’t feel any thriller aspect. Then again, the twists were obvious, for me, and the ending, sadly, way too abrupt.

On a positive note, Ruby, is an incredible character; A strong, independent and somewhat devious individual. Camden, actually, a really nice guy and his wife Jules. Now Jules, she’s got secrets and she is no wallflower and her dialogue had me laughing out loud in spots.

There is no suspense really, but a whole Pandora’s box of secrets. The story is told through letters from the past, and Cam and Jules POV. In this case multiple POV’s keep the story moving and the reader is engaged.

In my opinion, the story could have been told just from Ruby’s POV as she was a strong and pretty cool character. Rachel Hawkins, is a really good writer, her books are fun, sometimes edgy, sometimes really predictable but overall an author who holds my attention, and I will continue to seek her novels out.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending me an ARC of The Heiress in exchange for an honest review.

As a boy, Camden was adopted by Ruby McTavish, a four-time widow who’s the wealthiest (and perhaps most scandalous) woman in North Carolina. But it was a difficult childhood, as every other member of her family hated that Cam represented a threat to their inheritance. So during college, he fled North Carolina and Ashby House, his ancestral home, for California. He stayed away even after Ruby died, and he inherited her entire fortune and estate. Ten years later, married to Jules and living a simple life in Colorado, he finally returns to Ashby House to settle matters with his extended family once and for all. But everyone has their secrets, and their own motivations for this reunion, maybe most of all Jules….

The Heiress is a story of mysteries and secrets. There are multiple mysteries about Ruby’s life—her kidnapping as a young girl, the deaths of each of her four husbands, why she chose to adopt Cam—told through a series of letters and newspaper articles that flesh out who she was as a person and the effect she had on those around her. And there are the secrets of the present-day characters, Cam, Jules, and the surviving McTavishes (Ben, Libby, and their mother Nelle). The storylines of the past and the present eventually all come together for a satisfying ending. The story is straightforward (unlike Ms. Hawkins’ last book, the much more complex The Villa), but it is a fast, fun, entertaining read. Recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Heiress.

This author's books are always hit or miss with me. I like the premises but the narratives always leaves me wanting.

The Heiress falls somewhere in the middle.

I like the premise; the adopted son of a wealthy heiress returns home after her death; entitled, privileged relatives fighting for their share of the dough, and a wife who isn't who she seems.

Told through through the heiress' Ruby's personal letters, and the POVs of Cam, the prodigal son, and his wife, Jules, we soon learn everyone has something to hide, but that isn't surprising.

There's no suspense, no urgency, but bucketloads of exposition as readers are offered a glimpse into Ruby's salacious past, her sordid marriages, and the secrets she didn't quite take to the grave with her.

Some of the twists you can see coming a mile away, or I could, since I read a lot of books in this genre.

Ruby's true identity, what really happened to her husbands, Cam's confession, and I knew Jules was up to something but I wasn't sure what until the end.

I did like how Ruby was sly and devious, not a damsel in distress or wilting flower, but a woman to be reckoned with.

It was nice to see a happy marriage between Cam and Jules.

In these books, the husband is usually a scumbag, but Cam is a genuinely nice guy

There was no excitement, some family drama but that was to be expected, and the ending was abrupt, rushed.

I liked this book better than the author's previous, but the narrative wasn't suspenseful.

So many amazing elements to this book that I love: It is set in my home state near my favorite city, shoutouts to UNC and UNC bball, the clear Bobby Dunbar parallels, a murderous heiress...but the book somehow fell flat for me. My favorite parts were the chapters from Ruby's POV and I would have read an entire book of just her story.
As with most books in the thriller genre, there's a lot of foreshadowing and buildup to the big "twist" ending and it seemed a little too obvious by the big reveal. Hawkins is a really fun writer though, and I finished this book fairly quickly.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for the ARC!

I LOVED this! A smidge predictable in some ways but that did not take away from my enjoyment. This is definitely Hawkins best!

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

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. I’ve been a huge fan of Rachel Hawkins and was excited to see this book. Without giving anything away this book revolves around a very affluential family with more secrets than you can imagine and their not the run of the mill secrets most fictional rich families have. The story has a domino effect. Each secret opens another secret. This book switches from letters from the past to current day. It sucks you in, making you want to turn the page. Murder, mystery, and a little comedy all mixed into one excellent book.. It was a fabulous read and one I would highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley & St. martins press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed The Heiress. Multiple times it went in a direction I did not anticipate in the slightest - and honestly, that’s what kept me so engaged. I did not particularly find myself attached to the main characters, Jules and Camden, but I was deeply interested in Ruby, and the story all together.

I was surprised by the ending. I do wish there were a tiny bit more clues dropped - I actually feel like some things weren’t hinted at ENOUGH, and would’ve liked to see some things fleshed out more. In the end, though, I very much enjoyed The Heiress, and I do recommend it for any thriller fans.

The Heiress is not your typical thriller. A missing child, a small fortune, murder, and an adopted son running from all his responsibilities.

This book was a page turner and it got me hooked very easily even though it tended to be predictable. The predictability was still written very well and did not take the enjoyment our of it for me. I do wish there were a few more surprises and I still had a few burning questions at the end. The style of writing here is very interesting, with news articles, letter and dual POV to give you an interesting perspective to everything.

I also actually really liked the characters and overall plot. I liked Jules and Camden and the rest of the family was typical rich folk, vain and expecting everything to be done for them. it was easy to be against them and want them to lose. the story also begged the question of, does having money truly bring you happiness?

Overall, loved the story even though it was a bit predictable and really enjoyed the writing style.
This is not my first Rachel Hawkins book and I know it wont be my last!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the E-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This novel was so good. Great characterization and dialogue, full of suspense and drama., entertaining and engaging. However, the last twenty percent was too far-fetched and the storyline was going in too many different directions. I still give it 5 stars though because the majority of the novel was extraordinary.

3.5. This book opens with a whopper. I couldn’t wait to dive in after the two-page introduction about missing persons. Sucked me right in.

A toddler goes missing while at a picnic and is missing for 8 months when she is found. This missing child is the sole heiress to a small fortune.

And then the plot begins to waiver a bit. I knew the characters weren’t who they said they were and there were a few surprises while reading it but I just wasn’t drawn in by any of them. The chapters are divided by characters and letters being written. I’m not a fan of books that address me as a reader and several chapters do that here and it just seems odd to address the reader. There were a few surprises which kept me reading the book to the end for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel Hawkins and St Martins publishing.

Story about Cam and Jules. They are living a normal life in Colorado but then Cam is called home to North Carolina to deal with his family’s estate. He inherited everything 10 years ago when his mother died, but he walked away from the family and has not contacted them since. Jules thinks he should claim his inheritance and live on the property, but first they have to deal with his relatives.

I liked the start of the book. I was instantly intrigued to find out what secrets Cam and Jules were keeping. I also loved the descriptions of the remote house and North Carolina’s wilderness.

The story is told in the present day and also in newspaper articles about Cam’s mother, plus letters she wrote. I liked the use of these and thought it was a neat way to explain what happened in the past.

There are a lot of twists and turns in the story. I liked some of them but found others strained credulity. I also found the secondary characters a little one dimensional.

I loved The Wife Upstairs and Reckless Girls by the same author. I didn’t enjoy this one as much. The writing is still really good though and the plot has all the twists and turns you want in a thriller, so I’ll still be eagerly looking for her next book.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins
Just Finished this book and all I can say is WOW!!! If you’ve liked Rachel Hawkins other books, you will absolutely LOVE this one. It blew me away. Read it in 2 days. It was not your typical thriller but it worked and will immediately pull you in.
Ruby Mctavish is not your typical heiress. Born into a very well to do family, she’s kidnapped when she’s 3 years old and miraculously found 9 months later living with her kidnappers family. Now she’s not only rich but famous. She grows up and marries 4 different times, each marriage ending in each husbands death. This is her story of each of these marriages and her outlandish family. Her story will blow you away. Eventually she adopts a young boy, Camden (never having any of her own) and this too causes animosity among her family. In the end she leaves everything to Camden and he eventually is forced back to the famous Ashby House to settle the chaos.
The story is told in Rubys, Camdens and Jules (Camdens wife) POV’s. There is also snippets of newspaper articles about the many interesting aspects of Rubys famous life.

I enjoyed that the primary plot was interspersed with newspaper and magazine articles as well as journal entries from Ruby. I quite liked the plot of this one and the reveals. They weren’t unexpected, but they were written well, and their predictability didn’t detract from my enjoyment. The characters in the primary plot were written well enough not to detract from the book but weren’t anything special. I loved Ruby, though, and how her personality shone through the letters that were included. It honestly made me wish the whole book had been about her life rather than having it as the secondary plot. While the primary plot was the weakest, it was still enjoyable.

Part of what kept my rating from being higher is just how much swearing is present throughout the work. I don’t mind profanity, and I certainly use it in certain situations, but the way it was incorporated felt like the characters were preteens who just discovered dirty words for the first time. It was absurd. Also, yet again, this is not a thriller in ANY sense of the word. However, it’s an interesting family drama with some mystery and plenty of secrets incorporated, so adjust those expectations.

This was an easy and enjoyable family drama that kept me turning the pages until late into the night - it would be a great vacation read.

The inheritance of the vast estate demands that Cam, the adopted son of the notorious Ruby Tavistock, must return to Ashby House. After being repeatedly summoned by its current inhabitants, he unwillingly agrees to return, but only to repair the neglected property for a quick sale. Cam has not been in contact with his family for over a decade, and he only accepts the invitation at the insistence of his curious wife. Upon arrival, Cam and Jules are met by his vengeful aunt, dilettante cousins, and an overeager estate lawyer. Resentment simmers as his relatives attempt to nullify his claim to the estate since they assert that they are the rightful heirs. Ruby’s motive in her bequest is unknown, and the powerful matriarch had been mysteriously dubbed a “black widow” by the people who knew her. News clippings, emails, and letters are interspersed among the alternating narratives of Cam and Jules as they uncover the unscrupulous history of the whole Tavistock family. Hawkins explores themes that include: the corrupting influence of wealth, the contribution of heredity to human nature, and the damaging consequences of revenge. Filled with a corkscrew of twists, The Heiress attempts to slowly connect relationships between all the characters, an effort that becomes slightly unrealistic and contrived. The novel contains little overt action until the end, with most of its tension provided by interior revelations and flashbacks. Hawkins has gained a reputation for her clever sleight of hand and unpredictability, and this latest work will appeal to fans of complex plotlines enacted by a cast of despicable characters.

Thanks to the authors. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Overall, a great read. I liked the way letters were incorporated to give background. The dual points of view between Jules and Cam felt true. This is a four star read for me because it took me awhile to get through. I really enjoyed it, but read it when I had time. For be, a five star book makes me make the time to read it versus read when I have time.

Rachel Hawkins can do no wrong! The Heiress was an amazing thrill ride through the history of an affluent family in North Carolina, the secrets they hold, what brings them together, and what could tear them apart.

Firstly, I will say I am a huge fan of all of the author's books and this one did not disappoint. The book followed Camden and his wife, Jules, as they return to the family estate following the death of Camden's uncle. Camden has always been very secretive about his family, and upon arriving at the estate, Jules starts to understand why.

The narration jumps between Jules and Camden, and then delves into the past with letters written by Camden's mother, Ruby. Ruby herself was a well known public figure due to her disappearance (and reappearance) as a three year old, to the death of all four of her husbands under suspicious circumstances. The way Ms. Hawkins weaves all of these generational stories through different narration made for a fast paced book that I could not put down. The complexities of these characters allows you to cheer for them at some parts and shake your head in disbelief at others.

I highly recommend this book to people who love family dramas that keep you guessing! Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy and give my feedback!