This book is a super fun, young adult read. I didn't really know what to expect while going into this one but it definitely exceeded these expectations. I liked that there was culture and history throughout the book as well. This helped me learn something and takeaway something while reading! I will be recommending this one to my friends and family!

Thank you to net galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I thought this was a great and fun YA novel! I really enjoyed the plot, but the pacing was a little off for me. It took me a while to get into it.

I can't wait to see where this series goes. I really enjoyed this book. It felt similar to Crazy Rich Asians meets Gossip Girl meets Parent Trap. It was put together wonderfully. My only hold back is that I found Gemma to be extremely unlikable a lot of the time and it put me off from her story line at times. Other than that, bravo.

This book was a solid three stars for me. There was plenty I liked but sometimes the pacing didn’t work.

I will say that if you liked American Royals, Loveboat, Taipei, or even Crazy Rich Asians this could be the book for you!

Pros:
I enjoyed the main character, Gemma Huang. She is spirited and what you expect from a MC in a contemporary YA novel. I thought enjoyed the setting and thought the concept was unique. With the mostly white contemporary section of our libraries and bookstores, it is nice to see other cultures explored and have new faces on our covers.

I also enjoyed learning more about Chinese culture and the author’s approach to sensitive issues like LGBTQ rights, and racism.

Cons:
Again, my major issue was that the pacing could be slow. The fact that Gemma was constantly questioning herself got old after a while. Characters like that always remind me of Hamlet and his "woe is me" soliloquy. After a while I just want the story to move on. But that is completely my personal feeling.

Overall, I think that Heiress Apparently was a fun book that many readers will enjoy! I still want to read more books by the author because the plot and cultural elements were interesting.

A perfect read for fans of the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy. I loved this story about Gemma, an up and coming actress, finding herself onscreen while also unravelling the mysteries of her family while filming onsite in Beijing (a place she's never been, and been forbidden to go by her mother). A wealthy socialite, Alyssa Chua, who happens to look almost exactly like Gemma provides some answers and also a fun Prince and the Pauper flavor to the story. Heiress Apparently is fun. exciting, and contains beautiful depictions of some of Beijing's most famous historical locations. I would have enjoyed more exploration of the city, as we're a little bit limited by the few places Gemma goes as a tourist and the upscale locations visited by Alyssa, but I found the descriptions of the Summer Palace, the Forbidden City, and a handful of street markets to be lovely. The main draw here are the characters, who are rich and varied and delightful to get to know. A very fun escapist read.

I stayed up until after 3:00am reading this straight through. It's a fun rom-com that has a bit of a family mystery twist. The movie making aspect is interesting and the romance is sweet. It's the proper amount of unbelievable for a romantic comedy. A little bit, but not too much. It's a book that made me smile and decide that I didn't care if it was a little far-fetched.

This is a lovely summer read or book to pick up when you need a few giggles and sighs.

Overall I just couldn't get into this book. I found myself reading it but I was not connecting to the story or characters at all. Thank you for the chance to read it but it wasn't for me.

dnf @ 40 pages. I really felt no interest in continuing with this story. I predicted the entire plot within the first 15 pages. super basic story and premise. i'd rather watch Monte Carlo.

*LINK GOES LIVE DECEMBER 1*

When Gemma took a gap year and left Illinois to follow her dreams in LA, she didn’t have expectations of making it big overnight. ..but she had certainly hoped for more than fighting for bit parts in toothpaste commercials and emptying her savings just to pay rent.

Things begin to look up with an audition as the lead in an updated take on M. Butterfly – co-directed by one of Gemma’s heroes and favorite actresses. Much to Gemma’s delight (and, honestly, shock – one of the other actresses vying for the role was a surefire hit), she receives a call from her agent announcing she’s landed the part. The only catch? Filming will be taking place in Beijing…a city her parents have strictly forbidden her from ever visiting.

Going against her parents’ wishes (aka not telling them and hoping for the best that they don’t suddenly decide to hop a plane to LA for a visit), Gemma accepts the role and takes off for China. The moment the plane lands, eyes begin turning her way, cameras and cell phones are suddenly whipped out. Turns out Gemma is practically the spitting image of Alyssa Chua, a social media superstar with millions of fans and followers…and a grandfather no one would ever want to cross.

With each passing day – and each new photo snapped mistakenly identifying her as Alyssa – Gemma digs deeper into the mystery of her family and, more importantly, why her parents were so adamant she never visit.

The moment I first heard of Heiress Apparently I knew it was one I wanted to read: comparisons to American Royals, secret descendants of the only officially recognized empress regent, references galore (Crazy Rich Asians, Kim’s Convenience, etc)! I’m thrilled to say this book is every bit as fun and breezy as I had hoped.

While Gemma loves her parents, they’re the only family she has. She knows her mother has relatives back in China, but the topic was a forbidden one growing up. Gemma knows her mom was kicked out of the family, but she doesn’t know why and any time she tries to hint at questions, she’s instantly shot down. So when she finally lands a part that looks like it could be a real start to her career (not to mention she gets to work with a woman she fiercely admires), having to fly to Beijing to film is both exciting and worrisome. Surely there must be a reason why her parents warned her to stay out of the city, right?

What follows is a rapid-fire, page-turning adventure as Gemma takes in famous landmarks, makes a stand for herself at work (she has an image of her character and it most definitely does not involve disgusting stereotypes), and gets hounded by both the paparazzi and fans. When Gemma isn’t working, she’s delving into the mystery of her family, aided by Eric, the son of a family Alyssa’s family detests.

As a history lover, I was pleasantly surprised by how much it factored into the story. Heiress Apparently isn’t just a light-hearted Hollywood-meets-China story. Instead it’s one that addresses Communism, censorship in China, and the Tienanmen Square massacre head on and does so unflinchingly. I found myself constantly pausing to Google places, landmarks, and people – specifically Wu Zetian who plays a massive role.

Another aspect I greatly enjoyed was the exploration of being Chinese (and Asian in general) in Hollywood, particularly when it comes to portrayal of characters. Asian characters are rarely seen as the leads, instead are relegated to the comic relief roles and are often subjected to racist and degrading stereotypes for that humor. To watch Gemma rise up and push back on the (white) director, telling him that no, she wouldn’t play up her character’s ‘Asianess’ that way was an absolute joy to see. There’s also an LGBT storyline and so much focus on women/women in history.

I went into Heiress Apparently expecting a fun romp through Hollywood and Beijing with some royalty mixed in. What I got? A fun romp through Hollywood and Beijing with some royalty mixed in but also a brutal take down of how the film industry treats Asian actors and actresses, a shocking look at how certain historical events (such as the Tienanmen Square massacre) are portrayed in China as opposed to the rest of the world, so much cultural history and women’s history, a look at China’s views on LGBT individuals and rights. I tore through this book cheering every second of the way and can’t wait for the sequel!

Thank you NetGalley and Abrams Kids for this book in exchange for an honest review. As always all my opinions are my own.
Short Summary: Heiress Apparently follows Gemma, a girl trying to start an acting career. When Gemma is offered a part in a new rom-com movie, she accepts. The only drawback is that the movie is going to be filmed in Bejing, a place her parents have forbidden her to go to. Gemma ignores her parent's rule and goes anyway. Eventually, she will find out the shocking reason why her parents didn't want her to come.
Opinions: I thought this book was okay. I thought that it was a bit slow at first but got better at the end. Also, the main character Gemma was kinda annoying in my opinion. I also thought that the story felt sloppily put together. Still, the plot was interesting and kept me reading.

I wasn't sure quite what to expect between the title and the cover that made it look like a simple twist on all the rich people YA series. But I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the actual plot of this book. It was nice to see some of the obvious tropes being sidestepped, and a few twists I didn't quite expect. I'm recommending this to a certain Chinese American teenager I know who has been looking for something to read, it's much appreciated to have another option of something that's not just another white person story.

I love royalty fiction, and I was eager to read this book! While the pacing lagged at times, it was an enjoyable read. I liked the main character, but the best part of the book is the focus on Chinese history and culture. It was integrated naturally as part of the plot, and I found myself wanting to visit places as Gemma explored her ancestry. It was almost as the location became another character in the book.

Overall, it's a fun read for fans of royalty.

I received this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts are my own.

I love the style of this book and the representation. I thought the voice and tone were just fantastic from the beginning. It did take me a while to read this one, as I kept losing interest in it. I don't know exactly why, but maybe the setting was something I was into. The whole "Hollywood" setting in YA stories can be a bit of a yawn since that is all we see on television nowadays. However, the representation was fantastic. I missed the romance, I didn't have that aspect which is why I wanted to read it, but it was a good read. I have to say, this is one of the few that I regret not finishing in one sitting. It did have a lot of what I expected and wanted, aside from the lack of romance.

Gemma is an actress who gets her big break in a movie roll. She heads off to China, where her parents are from, and said she can never go there. While there she unravels the mystery about her parent's past.

One thing I really liked about this book learning about China, its history, and places to visit.

Heiress Apparently by Diana Ma was a fun read following a young actress as she lands her first movie role and sets off to China. I learned so much about China's history and finished the book wanting to make a visit to Beijing myself. I enjoyed the drama, which gave me Crazy Rich Asians vibes in the best ways, but I felt the LGBT threads were really heavy-handed. Overall, I liked this book, but I don't know that I'd recommend it to students or continue reading if it continues as a series.

Pack your bags because you’re traveling to Beijing in this captivating novel. I was reading an ARC of this book to decide if it’s a contender for my organization’s book club and it exceeded expectations. Four gorgeous stars for Heiress Apparently! This novel was Crazy Rich Asians meets Lizzie McGuire Movie meets American Royals and I finished it in one sitting. It weaved fashion and glamour with history and culture beautifully and I loved learning more about Chinese culture and history. I’m already looking forward to more from the Daughters of the Dynasty series! Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Though I really wanted to like this book, I struggled so much to make it through. Perhaps it was the time in which I was reading, but the introspection and circular thoughts of Gemma were exhausting. However, I did enjoy the acknowledgment of casual racism and problematic behavior. It's an interesting premise and hits some good notes, but overall, this would be a secondary purchase for me.

3.5 stars
HEIRESS APPARENTLY is a story following Gemma, a young actress traveling to China to film her first movie while also discovering more about her family’s secrets and herself. This was a light-hearted and really enjoyable read. Gemma as a main character was a good narrator, but I didn’t have a real feel for her personality; I didn’t feel as connected to her as I wanted to, seeing as she is the main character. That being said, I did really love our side characters and the relationships built over the course of the book. The element of family and heritage was so strong in this book, which was something I wasn’t expecting but enjoyed so much. The romantic relationship wasn’t my favorite but the development for it was present. There was also a good bit of Chinese history and a lot of culture sprinkled throughout this book and it made the setting so much more authentic. This book also focuses on Gemma wanting to make a difference in the movie industry by changing her character in the movie she’s acting in, which allowed for a lot of time on set. There is discussion of many different stereotypes in the film industry (especially regarding Asian actors and characters), and I liked seeing Gemma challenge these with her acting throughout the book.

Shoutout to Amulet Books for providing me with an arc via Netgalley.

The first twenty percent of this book I was enjoying myself, but not fully convinced that it was going to give me the vibes I had assumed I was going to get based off of the synopsis. I have to say that once they story was firmly in Beijing I was far more invested and the vibes that I had thought I was going to get started to really shine through the text.

I appreciated Gemma’s connection to her parents back home, but also her desire to find out why it was that her mother never wanted to go to Beijing. I appreciated getting to see Gemma discovering more about her parents and all of the messy situations being in Beijing brought her. Even her dynamic with Eric was more enjoyable than I thought it was going to be based solely on their first interaction.

The only real low point for me was how little the movie became after that first meeting with Eric. It started to feel like Gemma’s passion as an actress and that whole subplot was more a vehicle to execute this particular family reconnection story than something that was really important. Which might not even be the correct phrasing seeing as how important it was in shaping Gemma’s outlook in regards to her family life. Whatever the phrasing it did feel neglected for essentially the entire middle portion of the book only to come back into play late in the third act for a moment that didn’t quick click as believable even if it was for a character moment that felt earned.

Overall I enjoyed the book, it delivered on all the things I thought I was being promised by the synopsis and what I enjoy in a contemporary read. I look forward to continuing on with the series and I appreciate how this first book managed to still tell a complete story while getting me invested enough in the characters to see where they go from here.

Gemma Huang’s biggest desire is to be an actress in L.A. She only needs her lucky break. What she doesn’t count on is landing her dream job only because she’s the doppelganger of a famous Chinese Influencer, Alyssa Chua. Despite the “why,” when offered the leading role, she embraces the opportunity to launch her career and work alongside her idol, Eilene Deng. But when she finds out the movie is filming in Beijing, she’s thrust right into another dilemma—her mother has forbidden her to ever go to the city of her ancestors. Read more....http://booksuplift.com/heiress-apparently/