Cam wants to leave his past in the past. Once his wife Jules finds out that Cam's past life left him rich with an estate, she will do anything that she can to live the luxurious lifestyle! Cam is very happy with their quiet & normal life in Colorado. How far will Jules go to get what she wants?

4.5⭐

If you like messy rich people drama - this is 100% the book to binge. The Heiress centers around the life and death of the famous (or infamous) Ruby McTavish. Between being the victim of kidnapping as a child and outliving all 4 of her husbands, who died under peculiar circumstances, Ruby lived a long, interesting life.

In the aftermath of her death, her adoptive son Camden and his wife Jules, arrive at Ashby House to manage the estate and legacy left to him. Between the remaining estranged McTavish family and Ruby's legacy, Cam and Jules find out more about the family than expected.

This was a fantastic time and honestly I am so mad I put off reading this. The Heiress is a fun, twisty ride that felt like reality TV in the best way possible. I have always liked Rachel Hawkins and this release was no exception. I binged this audio in a day - the multi-cast narration was a treat.
[Narrated by Dan Bittner; Eliza Foss; John Pirhalla; Patti Murin] Truly a great performance and it made every character feel different and have the charm I expected. I listened to this at 1.75x speed and everyone was extremely clear and understandable - a major plus.

Multi POV - Ruby, Camden & Jules
Family Drama & Secrets
Messy Rich People
Unhinged secrets

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin's Press & Macmillan Audio for the ARC & ALC of The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins.

Wow! Excellent gothic thriller. Thoroughly enjoyable novel full of memorable characters, and twists galore. Do not miss it! Thanks #NetGalley for the arc.

An author who I have enjoyed in the past. The Heiress took three quarters of the book for to know who was whom and what the heck was going on. That is almost too long. I think in trying to create twists, the building of the story got lost. The end twist was in the epilogue.

I don't know that I enjoyed this but I didn't DNF it. I didn't bond with any of the characters and again, wasn't really sure what was going on. The twists seemed too intentional and planned.

Not sure if I will recommend it.

**Disclaimer: I received a copy of The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this opportunity.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is an adult mystery novel.  It deals with complicated family situations and family legacy, and lots and lots of money.  I rated it five stars on Goodreads.  It was published on January 9th, 2024.


Here's the summary from Goodreads:

When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she’s not only North Carolina’s richest woman, she’s also its most notorious. The victim of a famous kidnapping as a child and a widow four times over, Ruby ruled the tiny town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family’s estate high in the Blue Ridge mountains. In the aftermath of her death, that estate—along with a nine-figure fortune and the complicated legacy of being a McTavish—pass to her adopted son, Camden.
But to everyone’s surprise, Cam wants little to do with the house or the money—and even less to do with the surviving McTavishes. Instead, he rejects his inheritance, settling into a normal life as an English teacher in Colorado and marrying Jules, a woman just as eager to escape her own messy past.
Ten years later, Camden is a McTavish in name only, but a summons in the wake of his uncle’s death brings him and Jules back into the family fold at Ashby House. Its views are just as stunning as ever, its rooms just as elegant, but coming home reminds Cam why he was so quick to leave in the first place.
Jules, however, has other ideas, and the more she learns about Cam’s estranged family—and the twisted secrets they keep—the more determined she is for her husband to claim everything Ruby once intended for him to have.
But Ruby’s plans were always more complicated than they appeared. As Ashby House tightens its grip on Jules and Camden, questions about the infamous heiress come to light. Was there any truth to the persistent rumors following her disappearance as a girl? What really happened to those four husbands, who all died under mysterious circumstances? And why did she adopt Cam in the first place? Soon, Jules and Cam realize that an inheritance can entail far more than what’s written in a will—and that the bonds of family stretch far beyond the grave.

Rachel Hawkins has become one of my favourite writers.  I loved all of her YA books I read, and I have loved even more her divergence into writing adult books.  I have also reviewed The Wife Upstairs, Reckless Girls, and The Villa.  I feel like her thrillers have only gotten better as she writes them, and while The Villa is my favourite, The Heiress is probably my second favourite.

I liked that we got dual perspectives of both Camden and Jules in this book.  It was interesting to see the secrets that each of them were hiding and to learn more and more as we saw it through their eyes.  That was incredibly fun.  However, I also liked that she included lots of news articles and things that helped to develop the story from an outsider's perspective.  What did the public know?  Turns out not too much.  The cherry on top of it all was the letters written by Ruby McTavish.  It was very fun to hear the real story about what happened.

I loved how well-plotted this story was.  You could tell that the author put a lot of thought into the story, and that she was doing her best to keep us guessing about what exactly what going to happen next.  I don't think that there was a single twist that I predicted; I was strictly along for the ride and I had an excellent time with it.  She does a really good job at writing characters that are unlikable but likable. 

I liked the family dynamics at work in this novel.  They were complex and it wasn't really clear who liked who and if anyone trusted anyone else in the family.  It had interesting themes about how money can be a corrupting factor in people's lives, and I really liked the way that was shown.

Overall, I highly recommend this book.

3.5
Rachel Hawkins, shows that the most complicated relationship you have is one with your Family:

The McTavish family name has always had money and power in the small town in North Carolina, and when the heiress Ruby dies and leaves the fortune and Ashby House to her adopted son Camden, everyone is shocked that he wants nothing to do with it. Camden flees and becomes a teacher and wants to forget everything that is associated to the McTavish Name and Ashby House. But as much as Camden wants to forget his relatives and house keep calling, and he wife Jules finally convinces him that it is finally time to go home and confront everything. Everyone has their secrets and all of them seem to buried in Ashby house, it's whether they are buried deep enough to keep them safe that matters.

This is a good domestic suspense book as it is all about family and all the complications that families have. This is especially true when the family has money and influence, and the feeling like they are being left out with the money. This is really seen when Jules and Cam return to the house and the ugliness and pettiness that comes out of Cam's cousins and great Aunt is just appalling. I do not think that there is one nice things said to them while they are there, everything is extremely petty, snide or cruel. You can understand why Camden left and never wanted to return.

There are so many lies secrets, double crosses that you don’t know which voice to trust in this book, as you can tell that they are all holding on to a few secrets along the way. There is quite a bit of family meddling that goes on in both timelines and sometimes that meddling is between people that you did not think that it would occur between.

This was a quick and interesting read once you get into it, but I will say that I found the very beginning a bit slow. It wasn’t until we got the first few chapters from Ruby's POV that I really found myself invested in the book. I found that Ruby's POV was the most interesting one, but not the only one with twists. I was able to figure out Jules' twist but only some of Camden's. Really, I think that if Hawkins did Camden's character a disservice, he could have been interesting and I wish that Hawkins would have had more to him. I do find it interesting that although he wanted nothing to do with Ashby House and the money, yet he never actually got rid of either. Maybe it was just a small act to keep going what Ruby wanted, but it is never really explained why he did decide to still hold on to it.

I enjoyed the letter format that Hawkins used for Ruby's part and it just makes sense overall in the context of the book as it allows for 2 timelines of events but have them interact in a seamless way. I also liked that Jules breaks the fourth wall throughout the book, makes it feel like she is talking directly to you as the reader.

This was a good book and once I was able to get into the story I did enjoy it. If you enjoy a book that has a lot of family meddling and secrets, then you will enjoy this one.

Enjoy!!!!

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is a mystery and family drama novel that I had a hard time putting down. In this novel we are introduced to Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore, the wealthiest woman in North Carolina - but also one of the most notorious! She was kidnapped as a toddler, returned to her family, widowed four times, and adopted a son to ensure that her wealth got passed down to him and not her sister. As the story unfolds, we are treated to letters written before Ruby's death to an unknown recipient - letters that detail the deaths of her husbands among other family secrets. Her adopted son, Camden, who has indeed inherited this wealth, has to come back to Ashby House to settle some issues with the other family living there. He really wants nothing to do with the home, the family, or the inheritance - he lives a quiet life as a teacher in Colorado with his wife Jules. As much as Cam wants nothing to do with North Carolina, Jules is intrigued and very excited to journey back "home" with him. She falls in love with the estate and has hopes to persuade Cam to kick out his cousins and take up permanent residence in Ashby House. But everyone has secrets and bad things happen when these secrets are revealed.

I really enjoyed this book! I liked the alternating viewpoints from Cam and Jules. I liked the letters from Ruby and how you think they're intended for someone specific, BUT then you realize they're not being written to who you thought! This one was a really fast read for me and I read late into the night to finish.

I have found Hawkins books to be a little hit or miss for me personally. I really enjoyed The Wife Upstairs and The Heiress, but felt like The Villa and Reckless Girls were not for me. But don't get me wrong - I will reach for Hawkins again and hopefully soon!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The Heiress - Rachel Hawkins
After the wealthy Ruby McTavish Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, her son Cam rejects everything left to him, the house, the money, and the family. He strives to live a normal life with his girlfriend Jules, leaving the family history and secrets behind him.
However, it's hard to keep it all in the past when his uncle passes away. After numerous attempts to contact him, Cam gives in. They pack up and make the trip back to Ashby house, to see what work the house may need, how he can be of service, and to keep the secrets of the past where they belong.
I was skeptical going into this book, thinking typical rich kid problems, but I was pleasantly surprised. Ruby gives off the vibes of Evelyn Hugo, with a past that would make your jaw drop. She paved the way for herself and got what she deserved. This book kept you itching for the truth, and it didn't let you down. If you're looking a thriller to devour in a day, this is it. It's fast paced, an easy read, and one that I'll continue to recommend. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Thank you so much Netgalley for the ARC!

Another St Martins Press Title that I've read / listened to and can't share my thoughts on.
It saddens me that they haven't addressed the racist, homophobic and Islamophobic content that their employee posted on social media.

After not being the biggest fan of Hawkins two prior novels, I was happy to report that The Heiress was definitely a winner for me - who doesn't love family secrets and rich people behaving badly?!

I hope Hawkins future novels continue in this vein!

My expectations were pretty low going in because I haven’t really loved the previous Rachel Hawkins books I’ve read, but this one was great! The layers of secrets were great! And I loved the way this one ended. So many fun twists!

What a treat! I will read more by this author. The pacing spot on. Some backstory was revealed but just the right amount was held back. The mystery made sense and did not try to top itself with over the top twists, This was just a very enjoyable book.

#TheHeiress #NetGalley
When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she’s not only North Carolina’s richest woman, she’s also its most notorious. The victim of a famous kidnapping as a child and a widow four times over, Ruby ruled the tiny town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family’s estate high in the Blue Ridge Mountains. But in the aftermath of her death, her adopted son, Camden, wants little to do with the house or the money—and even less to do with the surviving McTavishes. Instead, he rejects his inheritance, settling into a normal life as an English teacher in Colorado and marrying Jules, a woman just as eager to escape her own messy past. Ten years later, his uncle’s death pulls Cam and Jules back into the family fold at Ashby House. Its views are just as stunning as ever, its rooms just as elegant, but the legacy of Ruby is inescapable. And as Ashby House tightens its grip on Jules and Camden, questions about the infamous heiress come to light. Was there any truth to the persistent rumors following her disappearance as a girl? What really happened to those four husbands, who all died under mysterious circumstances? And why did she adopt Cam in the first place? Soon, Jules and Cam realize that an inheritance can entail far more than what’s written in a will––and that the bonds of family stretch far beyond the grave.
Loved it so much. Highly recommend this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for giving me an advance copy.

This is my second book from Rachel Hawkins - I read The Villa last year and gave it 3 stars. I was excited to give her writing another chance as I normally enjoy wealthy, domestic suspense/thrillers. I saw in another review that compared this book to Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid X Home Before Dark by Riley Sager (which I loved both books). I 100% felt that from the plot. Just like Evelyn, we are introduced to Ruby (the matriarch) who has multiple dead husbands...who we find out about from letters. Camden (Ruby's adopted son) leaves home and comes back as an adult, now to deal with the trauma (similar to Maggie from Home Before Dark). Was the plot super original, not really and I felt there was some filler added that we never got answers to, but was it still enjoyable to read - yes. There were some great plot twists and the ending had me on the edge of my seat. The biggest thing for me was following the family tree. There was some confusion for me, but I don't want to say to much and spoil it.

Rachel Hawkins, I love you so much - but this wasn't the best. I missed the grit of The Family Upstairs and The Villa.

The Heiress wasn't particularly groundbreaking or new but I enjoyed it from beginning to end. The setting was luxurious and the family was scandalous and intriguing.

At times, however, it felt a bit too much like Rachel Hawkins was taking inspiration from the 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo with the famous green formal dress, multiple husbands, and 'wealthy woman from a poor background' narrative but the plot was different enough and I found it interesting if not phenomenal.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an easy domestic thriller to read on vacation. It'll hold your attention and there are no plot holes or loose ends.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review. RACHEL HAWKINS HAS DONE IT AGAIN! This was an incredibly addictive dark domestic family thriller. Certainly an engrossing page turner!
The story is told through three main characters; Ruby, Cam and Jules.
Ruby was an incredibly wealthy member of the McTavish family who was kidnapped as a child and goes on to marry four times. Upon her death her adopted son Cam turns away from from the immense inheritance. However ten years later following the death of an uncle he and his wife Jules must return to the family mansion and address the inheritance and the maintenance of the estate.
What follows is a twisty ride with death certainly bringing out the worst in a family. Perhaps the most interesting parts of the story were the tell all letters as told through Ruby’s voice.
I would have to say that the ending was a bit of a surprise and extremely clever. All in all very captivating and addictive!

My initial thoughts when I first started this book were: Wow I am loving the format and it kind of has Evelyn Hugo vibes with a prominent female telling her story.

We get a dual POV, plus the story telling, PLUS articles about the Heiress and her family.

This one definitely kept me on my toes and had a few twists I didn’t see coming at all. There’s nothing more you can ask from a thriller really.

If you’re into secrets, deception, and females who do what they want no matter the costs, you’ll love this one.

Definitely a book I’ll be recommending to friends and family!

Rachel Hawkins’ books are kinda hit or miss for me. THE WIFE UPSTAIRS and THE VILLA were okay and i thoroughly enjoyed RECKLESS GIRLS. I am always intrigued to see what she does next.

I strongly suggest that readers go into THE HEIRESS without expecting a twisty, fast paced thriller. if you enjoy slow burn type of thrillers, you may enjoy this! The last quarter of the book definitely picks up and I appreciated the twists when they were revealed. I don’t think that this book would fall on my list of favorites from this author, but would still recommend to slow burn mystery enjoyers!

Thank you St Martin's Press for the eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own!

This story had me hooked from the very beginning. The idea to keep Ruby in the story with the letters was genius. The twists and turns were unexpected and delicious. This story is probably my favorite by Rachel Hawkins so far! It is such a unique story and keeps you wanting to keep reading. I enjoyed that we saw it from Camden and Jules perspectives as a married couple coming back to the family home.

Synopsis:
When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she’s not only North Carolina’s richest woman, she’s also its most notorious. The victim of a famous kidnapping as a child and a widow four times over, Ruby ruled the tiny town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family’s estate high in the Blue Ridge mountains. In the aftermath of her death, that estate—along with a nine-figure fortune and the complicated legacy of being a McTavish—pass to her adopted son, Camden.

But to everyone’s surprise, Cam wants little to do with the house or the money—and even less to do with the surviving McTavishes. Instead, he rejects his inheritance, settling into a normal life as an English teacher in Colorado and marrying Jules, a woman just as eager to escape her own messy past.Ten years later, Camden is a McTavish in name only, but a summons in the wake of his uncle’s death brings him and Jules back into the family fold at Ashby House. Its views are just as stunning as ever, its rooms just as elegant, but coming home reminds Cam why he was so quick to leave in the first place.Jules, however, has other ideas, and the more she learns about Cam’s estranged family—and the twisted secrets they keep—the more determined she is for her husband to claim everything Ruby once intended for him to have.

But Ruby’s plans were always more complicated than they appeared. As Ashby House tightens its grip on Jules and Camden, questions about the infamous heiress come to light. Was there any truth to the persistent rumors following her disappearance as a girl? What really happened to those four husbands, who all died under mysterious circumstances? And why did she adopt Cam in the first place? Soon, Jules and Cam realize that an inheritance can entail far more than what’s written in a will—and that the bonds of family stretch far beyond the grave.

Content: major swearing (f words), murder, domestic assault/abuse, lies, family abuse, manipulation
Read if you enjoy:
Twists
Suspense
Murder mysteries
Old Money stories