Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

5 reviews

kelly_e's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Title: The Heiress
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 3.00
Pub Date: January 9, 2024

I received a complimentary ALC from Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad

T H R E E • W O R D S

Ominous • Entertaining • Predictable

📖 S Y N O P S I S

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.

But in the aftermath of her death, her adopted son, Camden, 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, his uncle's death pulls Cam and Jules back into the family fold at Ashby House. Its views are just as stunning as ever, its rooms just as elegant, but the legacy of Ruby is inescapable.
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.

💭 T H O U G H T S

I have certainly seen all of the hype and love for Rachel Hawkins, yet I had never been inclined to pick one up for myself, until now. Why now? There was an intense discussion about her books at one of my in-person book club meetings that piqued my curiosity. Not really knowing where to start I decided to go with her most recent The Heiress.

Told in multiple POVs, this novel read like it was trying to be The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo's (a book I loved) suspenseful cousin. Because of this fact nothing felt original and it was easy to predict the twists and turns. The characters were all kind of icky and engaged in questionable behaviour.

My favourite aspect of the book were the letter from Ruby. This element allowed me to get a glimpse into Ruby's mind, despite her being dead. Additionally, the audiobook narrated by a full cast of Dan Bittner, Eliza Fossn John Pirhallan and Patti Murin, added so much personality to the characters. The standout in the narration was Ruby's voice. I will say the pacing of the narration is very slow and one that will likely need to be sped up.

In my opinion, The Heiress was yet another run-of-the-mill domestic suspense that was entertaining while reading, yet nothing really shocking happens and it's not something I will remember a week or two from now. I would definitely give this author another chance and can understand why there is so much love for her books.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• isolated settings
• gothic elements
• inheritance plot lines

⚠️ CW: kidnapping, toxic relationship, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, alcohol, death, death of parent, violence, gun violence, murder, fire/fire injury, adoption, cursing, suicide, classism, mental illness, alcoholism, drug abuse, injury/injury detail, pregnancy

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"There should be some kind of warning when your life is about to change forever." 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Violence, Gun violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Death of parent, Death, and Cursing

Minor: Drug abuse, Pregnancy, Suicide, Classism, Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Injury/Injury detail

adoption

prairieraven's review

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Vomit, Death of parent, Abandonment, Ableism, Cursing, Grief, Sexual assault, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Sexism, Stalking, Terminal illness, Miscarriage, Addiction, Blood, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Cancer, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, Classism, Misogyny, Suicide attempt, Infertility, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Medical content, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Car accident, and Child death

helenferg's review

adventurous mysterious

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual violence, Murder, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Death, and Fire/Fire injury

jasminegalsreadinglog's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is a story of riches and family legacies. It's also a story of a convoluted family whose matriarch was notorious since she was three years old. She is dead, but she leaves behind secrets and answers as well in the form of letters. Who is she writing to, and is everyone as innocent as they seem to be?

This book is told in three voices. Camden's, Jules, and Ruby's in the form of letters. I loved Ruby's story told in the form of letters. Ruby is an intriguing, interesting, and very morally gray character. The story is interesting and gripping. However, the transitioning of the characters in almost every other chapter made reading a little difficult for me. Also, the other gripe I have is that I wanted to know more about the side plotlines that the author introduced once Camden is in Ashby House. The ending does, in some ways, make up for these. 

Thank you St.Martin's Press, for this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Death, Kidnapping, Addiction, Abandonment, Violence, Alcohol, Suicide, Murder, Mental illness, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, and Grief

iamnita's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious relaxing sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

As a big fan of The Wife Upstairs (top book of the year that year) and let down by Reckless Girls I was very unsure how this would go. I'd say the formula is back for sure. Once I started reading it, I had a hard time putting it down and found myself trying to figure out the relationships and the connections and the story whenever I wasn't reading it. While the layers were in some ways predictable (I've read a few thrillers in my day), I was never disappointed by them, and in fact was happy the story went the way it did. It never got into outlandish or goofy territory (the land of disbelief) which I so so so so personally appreciate. The multiple perspectives, and the multimedia throughout made this an absolute gem and an absolute banger to start my year on!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism

Moderate: Terminal illness, Blood, Chronic illness, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug use, Violence, Mental illness, Gore, Murder, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Suicide, Infidelity, Death, and Fire/Fire injury