Title: The Heiresses
Author: Sara Shepard
Publisher: Harper
Release Date: May 20, 2014
Acquired Via: TLC Book Tours
You know the Saybrooks. Everyone does. Perhaps you've read a profile of them in People or have seen their pictures in the society pages of Vogue. Perhaps while walking along that choice block on Fifth Avenue, you've been tempted to enter the ornate limestone building with their family name etched into the pediment above the door.
The only thing more flawless than a Saybrook's diamond solitaire is the family behind the jewelry empire. Beauties, entrepreneurs, debutantes, and style mavens, they are the epitome of New York City's high society. But being a Saybrook comes at a price—they are heirs not only to a dizzying fortune but also to a decades-old family curse.
Tragedy strikes the prominent family yet again when thirty-four-year-old Poppy, the most exquisite Saybrook of them all, flings herself from the window of her TriBeCa office. Everyone is shocked that a woman who had it all would end her own life. Then her cousins receive an ominous threat: one heiress down, four to go.
Was it suicide . . . or murder? In the aftermath of the tragedy, the remaining heiresses—Corinne, the perfectionist; Rowan, the workaholic; Aster, the hedonist; and Natasha, the enigma—wrestle with feelings of sadness, guilt, and, most of all, fear. Now they must uncover the truth about their family before they lose the only thing money can't buy: their lives.
The Heiresses is a whip-smart mystery that simmers with the wicked sense of humor and intrigue that made Sara Shepard's number one New York Times bestselling Pretty Little Liars series a must-read, must-watch phenomenon.
My Review
Oh dear Bob, The Heiresses... What can I say? I've never read anything by Shepard before, but I was sold on the premise alone. (I found out the author's bio and stuff later.) Was it what I expected? Oh yes, and so much more. Drama, betrayal, mystery, and hot mess fills this book as well as any daytime soap opera or copy of Star. The Heiresses is delicious, delicious trash, and I loved every second of it.
Okay, I don't know if this is on purpose, but this family shares the last name as one of the main characters on the one-time soap opera, One Life to Live. (It's not important why I know this, so don't judge me.) That was on the forefront of my mind when I started reading The Heiresses because I knew a "Saybrooke" that had some drama going on, too!
I knew going into the book that Poppy was going to die. However, I found myself really getting attached to her as her character was developed. She seemed to be the glue that was holding the family and her cousins together, despite all of the family drama. I loved the way she made Rowan, Aster, Corinne, and Natasha feel special despite all of the crappy stuff going on in their lives. And then she dies. I was wondering why it was so important to have so much of her in the book at first, and then... BUMBUMBUM! Maybe there was more to Poppy going on than meets the eye. *raises eyebrow*
The other Saybrook girls that are important to the story are: Rowan, a lawyer for her family's business and tomboy who is secretly in lurve with someone she shouldn't be; Corinne, the perfectionist, foreign rights (or whatever) contact for Saybrook Diamonds, and the token non-strikingly beautiful person; Natasha, the person who gave everything up to get out of the family; and Aster, the poor little rich girl who has to get a job since daddy cut off her allowance for partying too much. I liked Rowan and Aster a lot, even though they both did some pretty wretched things. But what heiress doesn't have their scandal?
The world-building in The Heiresses consists of fancy houses in New York City and "the Vineyard", the swanky company building on Fifth Avenue, and really really awesome clothes that I would like to borrow, please and thank you. There are also some restaurants that are mentioned in showing how rich the Saybrooks are that I would like to eat at. It's fun fluff to go around the delicious trash that I mentioned earlier.
Yes, I've called The Heiresses "trash", but only in the very best way. It's a guilty pleasure that I enjoyed immensely and possessed the same spark of something special that kept soap operas on the air for so many years. If you're a lover of chick lit, gossip magazines, or celebrity watching, I have a feeling that you'll love The Heiresses.
Buy Links
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound
About the Author
Sara Shepard graduated from New York University and has an MFA in creative writing from Brooklyn College. The author of the bestselling young adult books Pretty Little Liars and The Lying Game, as well as the adult novel The Visibles, she lives outside Philadelphia with her husband and dogs.
Website | Twitter | Goodreads
Follow the Tour
The Heiresses Tour Schedule
Tuesday, May 20th: Mystery Playground
Wednesday, May 21st: The Gilmore Guide to Books
Friday, May 23rd: Write Meg
Monday, May 26th: No More Grumpy Bookseller
Tuesday, May 27th: Kritters Ramblings
Wednesday, May 28th: From L.A. to LA
Thursday, May 29th: From the TBR Pile
Monday, June 2nd: Excellent Library
Tuesday, June 3rd: Stephany Writes
Wednesday, June 4th: Bibliophilia, Please
Thursday, June 5th: Peeking Between the Pages
Monday, June 9th: bookchickdi
Tuesday, June 10th: Book-alicious Mama
Thursday, June 12th: A Bookish Way of Life
Monday, June 16th: BoundbyWords
Tuesday, June 17th: cupcake’s book cupboard
Wednesday, June 18th: Books à la Mode
Wednesday, June 18th: Great Imaginations
Thursday, June 19th: Books in the Burbs
TBD: My Bookshelf
To satisfy FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received a copy of the novel from the publisher through TLC Book Tours in exchange for an unbiased review. It has in no way affected the outcome. All expressed opinions are awesome, honest, and courtesy of me.
Thanks for being a part of the tour! I'm featuring your review on TLC's Facebook page today.
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