The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins was one of my most anticipated reads for 2024. I have read two books by Hawkins in the past, and I remember enjoying them!

I had originally requested this ARC to read during Christmas break, but alas, the stomach flu ruined all of my reading plans. The book came out this past Tuesday, but I still wanted to read it as soon as possible. I am excited to share my thoughts with you!

As always, a huge thank you to Netgalley and the publishers to releasing an ARC of this book to me. I am forever grateful I get opportunities like this to review books.

Basic Info

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Adult

Publishing Date: January 9, 2024

Pages: 304

Average Rating on Goodreads: 4.17

Spicy rating: 🌶

SYNOPSIS (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.

I decided to pick this one up yesterday to distract myself from all of the essays I need to grade for semesters, and my god. I absolutely devoured this book. I turned on the audiobook while I cleaned my classroom, I listened to it on my short drive home from work, and then I continued to listen to it while I did dishes and made dinner. I did not stop listening to this book until I finished.

After a day to reflect on the book, however, I have developed some mixed feelings. I will keep this spoiler free but as always, I recommend going into thrillers blind unless there are certain tropes you know you dislike.

I will say, do not go into this expecting an action-packed thriller. After reading previous books from Hawkins, I was expecting more stakes. However, The Heiress reads more like a psychological family drama.

The Characters

Jules and Cam, a couple married for ten years, have spent most of their years together living modestly in Colorado. Despite Cam’s hidden wealth of millions, he shuns it due to a troubled past and strained relationship with his adoptive mother, Ruby. After her death, Cam left and never returned, but he’s still tied to Ashby House. When his uncle dies, Cam is called back to handle the neglected estate. Initially reluctant, Cam agrees to a brief visit, while Jules secretly hopes for a permanent stay.

The book follows three different perspectives: Jules (the wife of Camden), Camden (the adopted son of Ruby) and Ruby (the rich–and dead–mother who was famous for being kidnapped as a child and for having four husbands in her life time). This is all I can really say without giving anything away.

The most unique part of this book was the reveal of the past through Ruby’s “perspective,” which was letters to an unknown person where she SPILLS SOME TEA.

Reading the letters of Ruby’s was probably my favorite part of this book! She was a complicated, but interesting character, and I found myself wishing she was alive so that I could have more.

The Plot

Part of the reason I requested this book, besides the author, was that the premise sounded great! A huge house in North Carolina, rich snobs, and family secrets…What’s not to love!? The story was fast paced, and while the suspense wasn’t intense (like I said, this was not really action-packed), I still wanted to know what happened!

However, I have extremely mixed feelings about the story as a whole. When I was 85% through the book, I had loved every aspect of the story to that point.

“Not One of Us. Could’ve been the McTavish family motto.” – Camden

But by the time I finished, all I could think was, “What was the point?” It felt like everything that the book built up to didn’t matter because of some actions that were revealed on the last page. It was, quite literally, the last thing the reader is left with.

Now, I think this might be a bit of an unpopular opinion for this book because I have seen people rave about this (including the ending). But sadly, it brought down the overall rating for me. I am looking forward to reading more thoughts on the book as more people read it.

Overall Thoughts

While the ending fell short for me, I am not upset that I decided to pick this one up. Everything leading up to the end was fantastic, and Rachel Hawkins always has been a strong writer.

I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves reading family dramas and unlikable characters. It is definitely the most important and most entertaining aspect of the book.

Final Rating: 3.5/5 Stars