Book Review: The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

Pages: 304

Genre: Adult Fiction

Pub. Date: January 9, 2024

Publisher: St. Martin's

Source: Publisher for review

Other Books By Author: Reckless Girls,

The Villa, The Wife Upstairs and Hex Hall

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 

Goodreads says, "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."

 

 

Ruby McTavish is famous throughout North Carolina for being an heiress and also surviving a kidnapping as a young child. Years later, she has blown through four husbands and managed her family's fortune. Her sole heir is Camden, her adopted son, who as an adult moved to California and is now a teacher. After Ruby's death, Camden has to return home to deal with Ruby's will and his inheritance. He is met with much resistance from the McTavish clan and a can of worms opens. Camden brings his wife, Jules, home to Ashby House, the expansive McTavish estate, and while there sorting things out, the two learn more about Ruby, her intentions for Camden, Ruby's former husbands, and long kept family secrets. The story is told from Cameron and Jules's point of view, but through Ruby's letters in which she unloads a lot of family secrets. The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is a family drama filled with twists and turns that kept me flipping the pages.

 

Ruby McTavish is such a fun character in The Heiress. Simply put, she is a bit of a sociopath, but also extremely entertaining. I couldn't help but be drawn to her story as well as her snarky letters. The entire time I was curious as to who she was writing these letters to and as the story unfolded, it definitely took me by surprise. It starts with her kidnapping, which is questionable to begin with. A lot of plot holes surrounding this, but they are intentional, and as the years go by, readers move on from that to Ruby's adulthood and her many husbands. I felt for Ruby, especially all the things she had to deal with regarding her first husband, but slowly readers realize how questionable her intentions and behavior are as the years go on. Then comes Cameron, her adopted son, who I felt bad for immediately as I am sure it wasn't easy growing up in that house. However, the entire McTavish clan is a bit like the Roys in Succession--cunning and morally bankrupt half the time.

 

Then there's Jules, Cameron's wife, and readers know she is also questionable right from the start as she admits she is hiding secrets from Cameron. So, there are many balls in the air in The Heiress with a lot of big question marks floating throughout the story. A few twists and turns took me by surprise and I wasn't sure which characters could be trusted.

So, if you enjoy a family drama filled with a lot of twists and turns, check out The Heiress this winter. I like it more than Hawkins's other thrillers as this one sucked me in much more! Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and if you have plans to read this book.