The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins
Publication Date- January 9th
Publisher- Macmillan Audio
Overall Rating- 5 out of 5 stars

Review: Review copy given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thanks again to Macmillan Audio for an early copy!

Wow, I don’t even know where to start. This blew me away. I went in thinking this was going to be a 3 star and wow was I surprised. The audio has 3 narrators and they all play the part well. Listening to this was like watching a tv show in my mind. Throughout the story we go back and forth in time and follow several different perspectives. This was not in any way confusing, it kept the story interesting and the reader engaged. One of the perspectives is reading old diary entries, we also get mixed media every few chapters. Because I listened to this on audio, I am not sure if the book does anything special with the newspaper clippings or anything. It was just so fun. If you like rich people behaving badly, this will be your jam. This is rich people behaving VERY badly. I will say, if you don’t like slower paced, more character driven thrillers you may need to shift expectations going into this one. Personally, that aspect worked really well for me.

I am from the Blue Ridge mountains which is where this story takes place. The author nailed the atmosphere. At times there were elements of southern gothic stories but I wouldn’t call it a gothic novel by any means. The present part of the story takes place in a manner, I felt transported when listening to the descriptions and the eeriness of the setting.

Though the ending was predictable, I don’t feel that it hindered the story in any way. I actually liked that things worked out the way I thought they would. There were a few too many twists than I would prefer but I didn’t dock any of my rating because I just felt like everything was done too well to not give this a 5 star. This was my first thriller by Rachel Hawkins but it certainly won’t be my last.

Thank you MacMillan for The Heiress on audiobook. This is my favorite from this author and I loved this audiobook production, the multiple voice actors really made the book come alive and the narration for Ruby was particularly excellent.

I loved this homage to gothic stories about rich families, gothic houses, and murder... The use of letters to share Ruby's past set with the present day story of Cam and Jules and the McTavish family coming together (and tearing each other apart) worked well to keep the pace and plot engaging. I did love Ruby's voice in particular, Hawkins did her justice with the way Ruby told her story and her frank no nonsense voice!.

What really stood out for me was how rich Ruby's story was, I was admittedly more invested in her voice and story as compared to the present day setting, and how much I got invested in how Hawkins was going to bring the past and present stories together, I was here for the ride as well as the resolution and that's what I want in a good suspense novel.

5 Freaking Stars!
This is my new number one suspense novel. This was full of twists and turns and kept me on the edge of my seat. It i a dual POV which I LOVE. It was dramatic, suspenseful, intriguing, and I could not put it down. This is for sure in my top 10 now. The audio book was so well done and I loved the narrators. I predict this book will have much success and cannot wait till it is released to get a copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book.

Read Completed 12/19/23 | 2.75 stars
I'm becoming less and less connected to Rachel Hawkins' thrillers and that bums me out! But each one is a little bit different and I don't think I've connected to one as much as THE WIFE UPSTAIRS. I don't love rich inheritance stories but I still had hope that I would connect with it based on my previous experience with the author. This one just didn't do it.

For a long time in this book, it felt much more like a family drama than a thriller. The majority of the interest in wrapped up in the letters from Ruby, telling her history and the story of her husbands. I felt like this really brought the book down. It was supposed to be, thrilling, I think? To hear about how she killed them all, but it wasn't the point of the book at all and was really a different concept entirely. I didn't even feel like it was a sinister thing -- at least the tone allowed for you to feel sympathy for Ruby.

The beginning of this was also excruciating for me. I didn't want to give up quickly -- again, based on my past experience with the author -- and then I had gone too far and didn't want to quit. I didn't know that Ruby's POV was going to be a POV throughout the whole book and her part was longer than Cam's and Jules' so it felt like their story kept getting cut short. I just wanted to be in the present, and this was also an issue that I had with THE VILLA so I was getting irritated by the same writing style again.

The twists were.... okay. Not enough for me to love the book or change my mind about the beginning. I can't stand the spoiled, entitled rich family and I liked the juxtaposition of Camden being the good person, not wanting the inheritance. I just wish we had gotten more from him. I guess I felt like things weren't very balanced, story-wise. The POVs didn't seem balanced until closer to the middle when we spent more time with Cam & Jules, but even then, Ruby's letters kept cutting long portions into the story. It made more sense later on when she moved past the husbands and got into more family drama & secrets. I guess I just felt mostly disconnected from everything that was going on.

I can see why people like this book but ultimately, it wasn't my style. I DO like trying to read different thriller vibes and I always like to try to read the books of authors I've enjoyed in the past, but this one just didn't click for me. (It actually happens a lot for me and thriller authors.) I'm glad I finished it to see what it was all about, but the beginning was so hard to overcome, and the finale just wasn't really that exciting for me.

THE HEIRESS by @ladyhawkins is my favorite of her books thus far. Camden McTavish and his wife, Jules, are going back to his inherited estate…an estate that Camden wants nothing to do with. Camden’s adoptive mother, Ruby, held secrets her entire life and as more and more are uncovered, Cam wants nothing more than to leave the Ashby house, family, and his inheritance behind. Jules was hopeful he will claim what’s his but even she starts to have her doubts. There are plenty of twists in this one and the pacing is great. I also loved Ruby’s letters woven throughout the story. I really enjoyed the spice and sass that Jules brought to the family.

I listened to this on audio mostly but also had a digital galley to read before bed —and it went fast. I was eager to get back to it— the cast of characters were perfectly casted for the different POVs. Thanks @macmillan.audio for this ALC and to @stmartinspress for the invitation to this galley! The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins will be available 1.9.24 so add it now!
4.5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this advanced copy of "The Heiress"

This is my first book by Rachel Hawkins as her writing is not not my usual genre. I've seen her books on Bookstagram and BookTok so thought I'd give this one a go.

I thoroughly enjoyed it! It was so twisty, dark, and unbelievable. It starts with Ruby and takes you on the wildest ride. I loved how the POV changed and how you thought you knew what was happening and then you didn't. Was it original? Probably not... but worth a read!

-Rachel Hawkins is now on my radar.

Rachel Hawkins has done it again! This thriller unfolded with expertly paced plot twists and satisfying reveals. Everytime I thought I knew what was going to happen, Hawkins pulled the rug out from under me. I’ll be recommending this book to everyone I see!

I love an ensemble cast and these voice actors are perfect for the individual points of view. A great listening experience!

Thank you for the ARC! This one was pretty interesting throughout. All the characters were pretty frustrating, it was hard to like any of them. Lots of POVs. I do enjoy a good book with letters from the past which this one had. Not her best work but not bad.

4⭐
Genre ~ mystery
Setting ~ Colorado, North Carolina
Publication date ~ January 9, 2024
Est page Count ~ 281 (p+ 17 chapters + letters +e)
Audio length ~ 8 hours 20 minutes
Narrators ~ Dan Bittner, Eliza Foss, John Pirhalla, Patti Murin
POV ~ multiple 1st
Featuring ~ family drama, greed, domestic abuse, secrets, revenge, slow burn

Cam wants nothing to do with his inheritance or the infamous Ashby House. His wife, Jules, convinces him to visit the estate after another death in the family 10 years later.
Ruby tells us her life story ~ the good, the bad and the ugly ~ through letters. These were my favorite parts of the book.

A juicy plot where secrets are plenty and family drama is high. It was a bit of a slow burn, but it kept me engaged and entertained and had a few nice zingers.

Side note ~ I don't know if I noticed this more because I listened to it with my daughter, but holy moly there is an abundance of swearing. F bombing to the max.

I was fortunate enough to have both a kindle and an audio copy, both were equally enjoyable.

Narration notes:
Yay for 4! They all did a lovely job. I don't have any complaints.

WOWWWWW. Thank you NetGalley for this advanced reader copy! I absolutely love Rachel Hawkins and her books never cease to have my jaw dropped on the floor. The Heiress is a twisty tale spanning generations and evoking a bit of a "Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" feel, but in a completely unique way. Loved it.

Why is it that rich people always take the worst traits of humanity and bring them to completely another level? Well, this book will not answer that question, but it will suffice as proof to justify the hypothesis.

Jules and Cam are a regular couple who live in one of those awesome states that have views and mountains. Both of them tho have their secrets. Cam comes from an extremely rich family, for whom he's the sole heir and the time has come for him to come home and deal with some family issues As we follow them, we also learn more about Cam's caregiver, the rich heiress with a highly iridescent life. When she was done with all her 4 husbands' dead shenanigans, she decided to adopt a boy. Now she writes a letter in which she explains her motives leading to this decision.

In the story of watching characters intertwine, there is a sense of foreshadowing and following the footsteps of ancestors. The way it was written tickled my interest enough to be glued to the book for a longer time. I had my theories and some came to fruition, some didn't, and I caught myself thinking how obvious the clues were.
Overall, I enjoyed this ride. The writing flows, yet at times it felt overexplained. Some things don't have to be repeated from each point of view.

As far as audiobook goes, I liked the narrators cast and the delivery was perfect.

Rating 4 ★

Rachel is quickly becoming a must read author for me (2nd book this mon!) This book is full of mystery and surprises. I don't think I have ever read a book that had me gasping so much in the epilogue. As the family's secrets come out, it pulls you in and makes you want to know everything. So what really did happen that day Ruby went missing? Why is Jules pushing for the inheritance? Why does the McTavish family despise Cam? I guess you'll have to read to find out 🤫

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and MacMillan Audio for my copies of the digital book and audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Ruby McTavish is a notorious wealthy heiress whose sensational kidnapping as a child led to her life of notoriety. It didn’t help that she later married four times (each husband dying under mysterious circumstances) and after her death, Ruby bequeathed her daunting estate home, Ashby House, to her adopted son, Camden, infuriating her blood relatives. However, Camden’s tumultuous childhood leaves him wanting as much space and distance from his Ruby’s legacy and his inheritance of estate in the mountains of North Carolina. He’s spent the last 10 years since his mother’s death living small with his wife, Jules, out in Colorado. But now Camden’s uncle has also passed away and his distant cousins plead for him to come to NC and settle the estate. Jules and Camden arrive at Ashby House and the scheming, posturing, and secrets start to test the bonds of family and their marriage. Readers are provided glimpses into Ruby’s past marriages through letters Ruby has left behind, but the intended audience is kept a secret; who is she writing to? what really happened when she was kidnapped as a child? How and why did each of her marriages dissolve and her husbands die? Why did she adopt Camden?

This is a brilliant, captivating, atmospheric, and chilling mystery. The multiple POVs and the dual timeline format added depth and smashed my ability to predict the twists and reveals! I binged it in two days. Kudos to the narrators for their accent work and ability to build suspense throughout their performances. In particular, when Ruby’s chapters/letters were being read I felt as if I had to hold my breath; an incredibly commanding performance bringing this huge character to life!

I can’t wait to highlight this book during publication week early in 2024.

Oh wow! My queen of drama and suspense does it again!!! This book is perfect, interesting characters, just enough suspense and mystery to keep you on the edge of your seat, a quick read because it’s just so interesting.
Ruby is fierce and I wish I knew her in real life. The multiple points of view were woven in perfectly to tell just enough to keep the reader wanting more.
Thank you Rachel for this masterpiece and thank you NetGalley for the arc!

📚 Book Review 📚

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“There's nothing as good as the rich gone bad.”

Rachel Hawkins stays true to her style in this page turning thriller! It’s safe to say, expect the unexpected. The book is told in three perspectives, letters written by Ruby McTavish, her adopted son Camden, and his wife Jules.

The book is about Ruby McTavish, North Carolina’s richest woman, who also has a notorious reputation. Starting out as a child she was abducted from her family’s estate, only to be returned months later at great expense to her father. As an adult she is widowed four times. When Ruby dies, she leaves everything to Camden, her adopted son. Through out the book Ruby reveals how each husband met their untimely death in letters to Cam.

After having been gone for ten years from the family estate, Jules, Cam’s wife, talks him into going back to help straighten out some family affairs. While there more family secrets, betrayal, and lies surfaces.

The drama and twists along the way made this a fun read!

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I wouldn’t really market this as a thriller, but boy was it captivating! I really got sucked in and ended up loving it!

This is almost reminiscent of Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo but murderous. I’m actually really impressed! Rachel Hawkins is typically hit or miss for me but this one is exceptionally good! The only thing I would doc it for is the multiple POVs. Although, at times, it really does add to the story, it really just distracted me from Mrs. Killmore’s story (which of course, is the most interesting one!)

I enjoyed this audio. I still think my fave is The Villa. This was definitely engrossing, trying to figure out everyone's motives. All the twists and turns and secrets. The things people will do for family and money.

This was soooo good!! Thanks to @netgalley for the chance to review The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins. I read the Kindle version, and was so excited to listen to the audiobook! Camden and Jules are a married couple who are returning to Cam’s childhood home, Ashby House. His adoptive mother, who had been a widow four times over, left him a great fortune, but other family members are standing in the way. The narration of this gothic novel was so perfect, and there were many twists along the way. I absolutely devoured this book!! #netgalley