I loved this story. The author kept me engaged and wanting to read more of the story to see what would happen next. Loved it.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy of this ebook.

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.

After Ruby’s death, her adopted son Camden wants nothing to do with Ashby house or the family fortune. Camden then gets summoned to Ashby House by the remaining family still living there.

Told in multiple between Camden and his wife, Jules, as well as letters Ruby wrote before she died, we learn about the events that led to Ruby becoming a widow 4 times over and her struggle with her own identity and we learn about Camden’s struggle growing up at Ashby House and the secret that Jules is keeping.

A slow burn but magnificent story-telling once I got a few chapters in I was hooked. Clever little twist at the end.

I loved this book. It was not what I had expected. It is about a North Carolina family that is different to say the least! The interrelationships of the family is intriguing. When the Matriarch of the family dies, we are amazed by the wonderful character of Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore. She was not typical by any stretch of the imagination and her antics are what makes this wonderful story.

Rachel Hawkins never fails to paint a vivid picture in every book she writes. This particular multi-POV book follows the life of a North Carolina heiress named Ruby McTavish and her family. Mystery has surrounded Ruby since she was a young child, having gone missing and later returning. We then journey through her story of four different husbands in adulthood. A good portion of the story involves her estranged adopted son and his wife returning to Ruby’s home to deal with entitled family members. Not everyone is who they pretend to be, of course.
This book contains several twists that kept me guessing the whole time. It starts slow but was a quick, great read overall!

3.75 stars

Ten years after his adoptive mother died, and Camden inherited the entire family fortune, he and his wife Jules return to his family’s estate. He has been summoned back after wanting nothing to do with the money, estate or with his family. We learn of his family’s secrets and of his mother, Ruby’s infamous life as a four time widow and a victim of kidnapping as a child. As Jules and Camden spend time at the estate we uncover secrets from the past and the present with many twists and turns.

This domestic suspense/mystery was a good read but maybe not as thrilling or suspenseful as I hoped. I enjoyed the story and thought the pace picked up a lot in the second half. I was a little bored in the first half. Although there were some good twists and turns, I guessed the main twist pretty early in the book. I would also say the characters are all morally questionable and flawed, but that does lead to some interesting plot points. All in all it was a fun, good read!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve always enjoyed Rachel Hawkin’s books and know a lot of fellow readers who really enjoyed The Heiress. While I think there were a couple of interesting twists at the end, I didn’t like and didn’t care about any of the characters in the book. They weren’t likable and I didn’t root for any of them.
If you enjoy Rachel Hawkins’ previous popcorn thriller I think you’ll enjoy this one though.

Thank you so much @StMartinsPress for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 09 January 2024)

SYNOPSIS | Ruby is one of the wealthiest people in North Carolina & when she died 10 years ago she left her estate & fortune to her adopted son (Camden). He wants nothing to do with his remaining family or inheritance so flee's to California to start a new life. However, he reluctantly returns when he find our the mansion he inherited is falling into disrepair.

WHAT I LIKED:
- wealthy people behaving badly vibes
- Ruby's story as it slowly unfolds through letters to an unknown recipient
- a bunch of unlikeable characters with their own agendas
- following both a past + present timeline

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- slow paced (more of a character driven story than plot)
- an abundance of swearing throughout

Rachel Hawkins is becoming an auto-buy for me! I love these fast, wildly outlandish but fun thrillers! This one didn’t disappoint. I loved the mix of narrators - although the letters from Ruby held me more captivated than the others. I think I audibly gasped a few times while reading as Ruby reveals her sordid history.

I also got 'Evelyn Hugo' vibes from Ruby's character, which is one of my favorite books, and can't help but believe that Rachel Hawkins was inspired by that runaway bestseller as well.

I also loved how everything came together perfectly in the end! Very well done, and two huge thumbs up.

Woo wee! The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins was a wild ride, and I had so much fun while reading it!

Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore - you've probably heard of her. She's notorious not just for being the heiress of the 9 figure McTavish empire, or for being kidnapped from a family picnic when she was 3, but for being married - and widowed - 4 times. So when she leaves the entire McTavish fortune to her adopted son, Camden, upon her death, it's just another piece to her notoriety. But Cam shocks everyone, leaving Ashby House and Tavistock, NC behind, choosing instead to become a teacher. Ten years later, Cam and his wife, Jules, are called back to Ashby House in the wake of his uncle's death. While Cam wants to leave more than ever, Jules is charmed by the house and, in light of how twisted the family is, she is determined for Cam to keep everything Ruby wanted him to have. But Ruby was great at keeping secrets, and Cam and Jules start to realize that the McTavish inheritance may be more than just the fortune.

The Heiress is written in 3 perspectives - Cam and Jules in 2023, as well as letters from Ruby in 2013, just before she died. Switching between the perspectives kept me completely engaged and needing to know what happened next. I will say that, for the first part of the book, I found Ruby's letters the most compelling and couldn't wait to get back to them. But a little over halfway through, I found myself completely enthralled by all 3 perspectives.

It's hard to talk about books like The Heiress without giving too much away, and I definitely don't want to do that, because guessing what was coming was half the fun. But if you love intense family dramas, morally grey characters, and compelling multi-perspective books, this is a great read for you!

Many thanks to St Martin's Press, Netgalley, and Rachel Hawkins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Such a great read!!! I think ‘The Heiress’ I loved even more than Hawkins other novels. The way the story was told was the perfect choice for the plot, and I truly enjoyed the characters! The drama of this story was truly deliciously vile and the twist at the end was just gasp worthy!!

Definitely enjoyable but not my favorite twist from Rachel Hawkins. The atmosphere was enticing but the story and characters fell a bit short for me.

This author is a must read for me. Every book is better than the last!

I legit gasped when I finally figured out the connection. So well written and twisty af. Great character development (even the ones that suck)

I loved this read from start to finish. I enjoyed the characters, I enjoyed the plot and the setting and I enjoyed the writing. Rachel Hawkins is quickly becoming a go-to author for me.

I am a big fan of her books, and this one is no different!! I thought the twists were all really good and this was such an easy book to get into.

I really didn’t enjoy this book. I feel like this author’s writing style isn’t for me. I hope others can still enjoy it!

I think that this is my favorite book of Hawkins so far. The characters were dark and unlikable, but you were still rooting for them in the end. Ruby was certainly manipulative, but I liked her moves. I even enjoyed the twists even when I saw some of them coming. I actually liked that in the end Cam & Jules ended up staying together - they were a good match. I am surprised that as much of the family survived through the end.

Really enjoyed the plots twists, characters and separate story lines of this twisty mystery thriller. A dysfunctional family tale full of secrets, lies and betrayal. A mansion hidden in the woods of North Carolina owned by a wealthy family that doesn't have a member that can be trusted but whose stories keep you enthralled.

I really enjoyed this! Wealthy family drama, especially in a remote location, is my jam. Told through multiple perspectives and in different formats, this whole book was full of suspense from beginning to end. The pacing was fantastic! I was intrigued and engaged the whole time and flew through this book in 24 hours.
Thank you St Martin's Press for the copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Rachel Hawkins book and I must say it wasn't exactly what I anticipated. It was fast paced and kept my attention. The setting was well crafted, with the gothic mansion set far apart from any neighbors and the lush views.
The characters, however, were uniformly unlikable. Maybe it was the universal use of the F bomb. I'm not opposed to well placed profanity. But every character in every conversation managed to use it, regardless of age or upbringing. To me that made them somewhat indistinguishable from each other. And frankly it just seemed repetitive.
The plot was full of twists, many fairly predictable. The story was told by three different characters as well as news clippings from the past.

The Heiress is a good seasonal read for a gloomy weekend in bed. Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's press for the ARC of The Heiress.

This was honestly just so much fun. The last few from Rachel Hawkins have not been my favorite, but this compares to THE WIFE UPSTAIRS for me (also 5 stars). I loved the alternating POVs from Jules, Camden and Ruby's letters. The way the story unfolded kept me completely enthralled. I loveed learning about Ruby's past through her letters and how it affected the present as Camden deals with the inheritance she left behind. He has to deal with a lot of very unlikeable family members and it's always fun to read about rich people acting horrible. I didn't see all the twists coming and overall had a blast with this one.

I highly recommend for anyone looking for a slump busting thriller! Thanks to SMP for the gifted copy!