The Heiress was a highly addictive book. This is one I couldn’t put down. The format for this one was unique. This was written in a few POV’s, including letters from the deceased heiress of Ashby House. I liked this better than Hawkins’s previous book, The Wife Upstairs.
When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore kicks the bucket, she’s not only the richest woman in North Carolina, but also the town’s juiciest piece of gossip. Kidnapped as a kid and married four times, Ruby ran the show from her swanky family estate in the Blue Ridge mountains. After she bites the dust, her adopted son, Camden, inherits her massive fortune and the whole McTavish mess.
But Camden couldn’t care less about the fancy house or the money. He ditches the inheritance, becomes a regular English teacher in Colorado, and ties the knot with Jules, who’s running from her own past.
Ten years later, a family funeral summons Cam and Jules back to Ashby House. It’s still pretty, but Cam quickly remembers why he bailed in the first place.
Jules, though, has other ideas. The more she learns about Cam’s quirky family and their twisted secrets, the more she’s determined to get Cam what Ruby intended for him.
But Ruby’s plans were more than meets the eye. As Ashby House tightens its grip on Jules and Cam, questions about the infamous heiress resurface. Did she really get kidnapped as a kid? What’s the deal with her four dead husbands? And why did she adopt Cam?
Jules and Cam find out that an inheritance isn’t just what’s written in a will. Family ties go beyond the grave.
This one had me turning page till the end to find out who was hiding what secrets. The characters were all a little shady and made me question them. Ashby House gave me Rebecca (Daphne du Mauier) vibes, like being at Manderly. The twists in this one were unexpected.
A special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a digital reviewer copy of this brilliant read in exchange for my honest thoughts.