The Heiress, by Rachel Hawkins, is suspenseful thriller that kept me engrossed until all is revealed at the end. The story is told from three different POVs: 1) Camden, the heir to a huge fortune in North Carolina, 2) Cam’s wife Jules and 3) Ruby, Cam’s adopted mother . . . all told in two different timelines.

I was hooked from the beginning and especially loved Ruby’s POV. We learn about Ruby through a series of letters to an unknown recipient. Newspaper clippings fill in the gaps. Ruby is a well-written character who readers will love despite her shortcomings.

The Heiress is a fun, twisty, enjoyable read and is probably my favorite of Rachel Hawkins’ books. The audiobook is a great listen, with a different narrator for each character

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This story sucked me in so much. I love a fast-paced read. This was it! There were three POV'S and a past and present timeline that had letters mixed in. It all flowed so well together. I loved getting all the details in the order they unfolded.

The family fortune, which of course, caused family drama, was so entertaining. The twists that just kept unraveling had me buzzing right through because they just kept coming.

Ruby was relentless, and just when I thought it was just her boy, was I surprised lol
What a tangled web this story was! Lots of juicy secrets!

Thank you MacMillan Audio, St. Martin's Press and Rachel Hawkins for sending me this to read and listen to give my honest review. It was such a well done audiobook. Loved the narrators.

The Heiress
A Novel
by Rachel Hawkins
Narrated by Dan Bittner; Eliza Foss; John Pirhalla; Patti Murin

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley.

This book is so deliciously intriguing and delightfully morbid. I know how crazy that sounds, but I really loved this book, not for the morbidity, but for the truthful (though fictional) feel of it.

What if you could expose the inner truths of 3 individuals - the inner thoughts, feelings, great points, and awful deeds? That is this book. It is all of those things taken to an extreme.

Have you ever found yourself wondering what in the heck goes through the mind of a Black Widow (human, not spider)? Then look no further than this book

Have you ever wondered what you would do faced with an impossible V.C. Andrews type of situation? That, too, can be found in this book.

It was really quite good and certainly movie material.

I have read Rachel Hawkins for years and it seems like her writing keeps improving and becoming more un-put-downable or in audiobook terms - un-pauseable!

Definitely a great listen! I highly recommend this book! But, listen on your own recognizance.

Enjoy!

If The Seven Husbands of Rvelyn Hugo was a psychological thriller it would be The Heiress!

This book is a twisted new gothic suspense about an infamous heiress and the complicated inheritance she left behind.

Ok creepy house, multimedia format, multiple POV and dual timelines are my jam. Sometimes those things can be tricky but Rachel Hawkins blends them seamlessly. I loved the twists and turns of this one! You’ll have to check it out 1/9/24 when it comes out. I cannot recommend it enough!

This book started off really slow. I was hoping for more of a thriller. The last 25% was my favorite . It really picked up fast and had some really good twists.
It had multiple POV’s and I did favor the character Jules but the audiobook was fun to listen to with a different narrator for each character. I loved Ruby’s Evelyn Hugo vibes… and her letters 😳

Set in Ashby House, an estate in the mountains of North Carolina, a family's secrets begin to unfold and each is more intriguing than the next. Ruby McTavish was kidnapped as a child. She is now the matriarch of the McTavish family and the sole heir to the fortune and owner of Ashby House. Not to mention, she is known locally as "Lady Killmore." She is the first point of view of the story.

We meet Camden, a boy (now man) who was adopted by Ruby McTavish. He inherits the 9-figure fortune when his adopted mother dies in her sleep. He wants nothing to do with the family or with Ashby house. He has spent his adult life trying to stay as far as away from North Carolina as he can. In doing so, he met his wife, Jules, in Colorado. Until, Camden's cousin, Ben - an egotistical and pretentious bully of a cousin (think a semi-attractive Dudley Dursley) - reaches out to Camden to come back to Ashby house to sort out family problem's after a family member's passing.

That leads to the third POV, Jules. Jules grew up impoverished and sees Cam's return home as an opportunity for them to have a better life together with more means, yearning for a better life that what she previously had before meeting Cam.

Ruby's point of view is cleverly told through letters written to an unknown receipient. She tells all of her tales and even explains about how her four husbands mysteriously died under suspicious circumstances, but her family's money silenced any further investigations.

I was skeptical when I began reading this, as I have previously read 2 other books by Hawkins. I ended up enjoying this one much more than "The Villa" or "Reckless Girls." I really enjoyed the sections that were from Ruby's point of view. It kept wanting to keep reading to see all the juicy details. 4/5 stars. Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC!

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
Format: ALC from Macmillan Audio

I read The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins a few years ago now (it was my first ever BOTM selection!) and was excited to see this book available on NetGalley. The Heiress is a mystery story about a family with a long, dark history and the tangled mess they get themselves into. Told from multiple POVs and in multiple timelines, this book is a puzzle for readers to put together.

The Heiress centers around Ruby McTavish, who is not only the wealthiest woman in North Carolina at the time of her death, but also notorious for being widowed four times over. The McTavish family is no stranger to controversy, and when Ruby’s adopted son and his wife return to the family home, where no one seems to know the full truth of Ruby’s past, the questions surrounding Ruby’s life finally begin coming to light a decade after her death. While none of the plot twists really knocked my socks off, it was still fun to listen to and put the pieces together. Most of the characters were pretty unlikable, but it did not put me off of the book as a whole.

The audio performance was stellar, with four narrators coming together to bring these characters to life (Dan Bittner; Eliza Foss; John Pirhalla; and Patti Murin)

I would absolutely recommend this book to readers who love mysteries, family drama, and rich people behaving very badly! Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of The Heiress, which publishes on January 9th 2024.

Okay HOW have I not read a book by Rachel Hawkins yet?! I have been hearing all the buzz, yet this is the first one I have read and let me tell you she is worth alllll the hype! 'The Heiress' is a twisty thriller told from 3 different points of view that slowly unravels and reveals the truth bit-by-bit.

The first is Camden McTavish - the heir to the exorbitant McTavish fortune who has chosen to forgo his inheritance in search for independence. However he gets thrust back into family life when he receives an unexpected, threatening email from his cousin Ben that calls him back to the family estate of Ashby House (located in the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina) to attend to family matters. Camden is more than hesitant to return- is it because he has carved out his own way? Or is there more to his family history?

Next is his wife, Jules, who is dutiful and supportive of Camden, yet seems a bit too enthusiastic to be returning to his childhood home. She also has a vague backstory, which makes us wonder if there is more to her than what she has been telling Camden.

And lastly, the crown jewel of this story, Ruby McTavish - Camden's mother. She was kidnapped from Ashby Home as a child, but miraculously was found a few months later and returned to her affluent family. Yet despite an initial "happy ending", woes seem to befall Ruby her entire life. She has 4 husbands, who all meet untimely fates. Whispers have circled for years that it may have been Ruby's doing, which has earned her the nickname of "Lady Kill-more" among the locals.

This book is full of secrets, and just when you think you've got it all figured out it surprises you. I LOVED the way it was written with the back and forth between present day and Ruby's letters. It had themes of nature versus nurture, family dynamics and duties, and moral dilemmas, and because of this I think it would make a fantastic book club read! I listened to the audiobook and I have to say the narration was EXCELLENT. It was absolutely engaging switching between the narrators for all the POVs. I could not stop listening, and polished it off in 2 days!! Add this one to your TBR list for 2024 you will not regret it!

I want to thank NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for providing me with a digital ARC audiobook copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Holy moly, what a book!
Southern Gothic at its finest!
I listened to this in one day. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.
EXCELLENT BOOK! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

I was instantly hooked on this book. There were crazy twists within the first three chapters which I feel like doesn’t happen normally in a thriller book. You usually have to wait a bit. The Heiress is told from a few perspectives, Camden’s, Jules, Ruby and news articles. Ruby’s POV tells her story starting from the very beginning through letters that she wrote before her death in 2013, that she has written to Camden.

Ruby was my favorite character. I loved her wit and sassy personality that shown in her letters that she wrote. She was truly a fun character who kept me on my toes. I also enjoyed hearing both Jules and Campbell's characters, their vague thoughts had me trying to figure out the ending throughout the whole book. In the end, some twists I guessed and others were a refreshing shock.

The Heiress is my favorite Rachel Hawkins book yet. It was face paced and every chapter left you wanting to go on to the next one. She did such an amazing job with piecing this story together. The flashbacks through Ruby’s letters, news articles and also pieces of the present connected all of the dots. The epilogue was the perfect ending to a wild ride.

The narrators were prefect and never once had me annoyed. They did an excellent job portraying the characters.

4.5

The Heiress was an excellent audiobook. The narrators were true to the characters and their unique personalities. I listen to many audiobooks and this one held my interest from chapter to chapter and "read" like a movie.
Ruby McTavish is the Heiress to the family fortune and this is the story of her tumultuous life as told by herself, her adopted son Cam and his wife Jules. There are dark family secrets that are best left as secrets.
Excellent book - highly recommend,

I LOVED this on audiobook! The different narrators were all great and really made the story. I don’t think I would’ve liked the book as much if I had read it instead. This is a slow burn mystery, not my favorite of hers, but will definitely still recommend!! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

🎧🔲 THE HEIRESS by Rachel Hawkins and read by a great cast of narrators is a fantastic #ThrillerThursday choice!

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

This is a dark suspense that had me absolutely in its grip! I have read and enjoyed all of Hawkins books, but this one may be my favorite! Having a cast narrate this multiple perspective and format story made this a fabulous audio, bringing it to life! Having the digital ARC was nice to verify those changes!

Ruby was the oldest child of a lumber magnate and when she was 3, was the victim of a kidnapping that gave her lifelong notoriety, added to by the four husbands she outlived. Camden is the boy she adopted, raised and to whom she left her fortune, much to the disdain of her sister and her sister's family. Jules is Camden's wife, excited at the prospect of inheriting the amazing Ashby House in the Blue Ridge Mountains, despite Camden's clear discomfort of this place. When Camden and Jules arrive at Ashby to figure out what to do with the house after Ruby's death, all the fine facades begin to crumble and not everyone survives this crucible.

I loved the way this story was laid out! The news articles, emails, & letters interspersed throughout Camden and Jules' perspectives allowed for the tidbits of truth to permeate the rising tension. This build-up took most of the book, but it never felt like a "slow" burn! It ended with some twists that felt a bit forecasted (not wholly guessed), but certainly didn't take away from my utter enjoyment of this darkly fun tale!

I want to thank @macmillan.audio & @stmartinspress for the @netgalley access to this twisted suspense and letting me share my thoughts! This will be a hit when it comes out on January 8th, so mark your calendars or just pre-order this one!

This is a fun domestic drama about a man who stands to inherit an impressive estate, his late adoptive mother, and his siblings, who hate him. I wouldn't consider this a thriller, as it isn't really creepy or suspenseful. But there is certainly mystery, twists, and murder.

The story is told from multiple viewpoints, and the audio has a full cast to voice each of them. The most interesting is probably Ruby McTavish's, whose confessional letters we get to read. We also get perspectives from the beneficiary of the estate and his wife Jules, who knows more about his odd family than she let on.

Jules's sense of humor was helpful - I don't like when books like these, that are inherently silly, take themselves too seriously.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. My library will purchase in hardcover and audio CD.

The Heiress was a twisty domestic suspense novel that I enjoyed on audio. Great entertainment while getting the house ready for the holidays. Like in other of Hawkins' books, I suspect she has quite a sense of humor and it shows through her characters inner dialogues. Camden and Jewels head to North Carolina from Colorado to claim his inherited estate. Each chapter is in a different POV, including letters from the now deceased Ruby, Camden's adopted mother. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmilllan for an advance reader copy in exchange for my opinion. The Heiress will be available on 1/9/24.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins
Release Date: 1/9/24
Format: audiobook
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

This is my first time reading a thriller by Rachel Hawkins (though I have read her romantic comedies published as Erin Sterling and enjoyed them) and I absolutely loved it! It’s been a while since I binged a thriller in one day and I could not get enough of this messy family!

Dual POV and dual timelines don’t always work for me, but Hawkins really used this structure to keep the reader engaged and slowly reveal what the heck is going on. The letters from Ruby regarding her past marriages were scandalous and really added such a fun layer to this novel.

The cast of four narrators add so much depth and Southern charm to the family drama as well. Highly recommend listening to this one if you can!

Thank you to @netgalley for the advanced listening copy in return for my honest opinion! This isn’t one you’re going to want to miss.

This book was confusing, there were too many characters with too many storylines to follow. I also felt like “twist,” if you would even call it that, had me asking more questions than getting answers.

The plot also felt a bit unoriginal, as it was very similar to TSHOEH.

Note: this is less of a “thriller” and more of a family drama with suspense. A lot of reviewers said that they wished they had known what to expect and not knowing had negatively impacted their rating. My rating, however, reflects my evaluation of the book with this in mind.

This book was most reminiscent of Hawkins’ The Wife Upstairs. It’s rich with untrustworthy characters and has you wondering what to believe until the end. The audiobook was very well done, and I’d recommend it to those who are debating print vs. audio.

I've really liked this author's other books, so I was thrilled to get an early look at "The Heiress" thanks to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley. I jumped into it right away, both reading and listening. Quick heads up: it's not a thriller; it's more of a suspenseful family drama.

“The Heiress" is what you'd expect from Rachel Hawkins – a slow burn that’s focused on characters. In the past, I enjoyed this style because her stories got intense and had me hooked. But this time, it didn't quite hit the mark for me. There weren't those edge-of-my-seat or OMG moments. I don't regret reading it, but it's my least favorite of hers.

I love epistolary formats, and the letters crafted by Ruby were hands down my favorite parts of the book. The audiobook has a full cast and the narrators were on point! They captivated and held my attention, possibly making the audiobook better than reading it.

If you're into family dramas featuring dysfunctional families with a soap opera vibe, set in a Southern “old money” mansion with unlikable characters, "The Heiress" could be a good fit for you.

This was so great! Definitely a book where you enjoy not liking a lot of the characters. It was a nice bit of mystery.