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The Heiresses: A Novel
The Heiresses: A Novel
The Heiresses: A Novel
Audiobook11 hours

The Heiresses: A Novel

Written by Sara Shepard

Narrated by Ilyana Kadushin

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

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About this audiobook

From Sara Shepard, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Pretty Little Liars, comes The Heiresses—a novel about the Saybrooks, a diamond family blessed with beauty and fortune yet plagued by a string of tragic and mysterious deaths.

The only thing more flawless than a Saybrook’s solitaire is the family behind the diamond empire. Beauties, entrepreneurs, debutantes, and mavens, the Saybrooks are the epitome of high society. Anyone would kill to be one of them. But be careful what you wish for, because if you were a Saybrook, you’d be haunted by secrets and plagued by a dark streak of luck.

Tragedy strikes the prominent family yet again on a beautiful morning in May when thirty-four-year-old Poppy, the most remarkable Saybrook of them all, flings herself from the window of her office. Everyone is shocked that someone so perfect would end her own life—until her cousins receive an ominous warning: One heiress down, four to go.

Was it suicide . . . or murder? And who will be next: Aster, the beautiful but reckless girl who’s never worked a day in her life—and who’s covering up her father’s darkest secret? Her older sister, Corrine, whose meticulously planned future is about to come crashing down around her? Perhaps it will be Natasha, the black sheep of the family who suddenly disinherited herself five years ago. Or maybe the perpetually single Rowan, who had the most to gain from her cousin’s death.

A gripping, edge-of-your-seat thriller about heiresses who must uncover a dark truth about their family before they lose the only thing money can’t buy: their lives.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperAudio
Release dateMay 20, 2014
ISBN9780062331939
Author

Sara Shepard

Sara Shepard graduated from NYU and has an MFA from Brooklyn College. She currently lives in Philadelphia,Pennsylvania. Sara's Pretty Little Liars novels were inspired by her upbringing in Philadelphia's Main Line. All the Things We Didn’t Say is her first novel for adults.

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Reviews for The Heiresses

Rating: 3.403846133333333 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

78 ratings19 reviews

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    *Spoiler*Well I feel as if this story line has been done before. I was somewhat bored with this book. I really liked the outspoken red head, Anna. However, I'm kinda surprised Anna didn't bring up the subject of mistresses to her soon to be husband. If he was so willing to make Anna his mistress when he was to marry Charlotte then I would think she would want to make sure he wouldn't have one after they got married. Seems to me if she is so outspoken she would have wondered about that and brought it up. Maybe that's just me.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The storyline was (predictable but) ok. I guess I read this to take a break from mysteries. It was pleasant enough but the characters were rather thin. Their whole development was in their reputations. They were what they were because she said so. Mischievious, domineering, irresponsible...but little example was given to support the acusations. The children did some naughty things, but they went from devil spawn to angels with little for the reader to go on except being told they were better. I would have liked to have been given more evidence to come to that conclusion for myself. It is supposedly the first of the series (even if it is a sequel to Seducing Sara...see, more you just have to take her word on) so maybe the rest of the series is better developed. I felt a bit like I was reading the author's notes instead of the finished novel. ("Tricia becomes more agreeable...children become more cooperative...Ruppert becomes redeemable...)
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This book just didn't do it for me. It was a bit on the boring side - lots of telling and exposition, and very little action. I didn't really like Anna at all - instead of being a fun character, she was grating and annoying - and I really didn't believe in the romance between the hero and heroine. I just didn't feel it. *shrug* A forgettable book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A great start to this series about five brothers. Their mother left them a talisman ring which is supposed to unite the owner with their true love...the brothers keep trying give it to each other because they don't want to be married but someone ends up with it and sparks fly.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Another Sara Shepard series with a twist, these are heiresses in NYC. It's similar to all her series but, in a weird brain-candy way, I love her books. Are the Pullitzer Prize winners, no. But they are good, quick reads and always have a fun and not-so-predictable twist. This one is no exception. The characters are older than her usual high school girls but that gives them more free reign to do crazier things! I'm looking forward to the next one for sure!
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Let me tell you what I didn’t like about this book:1) The name dropping stories will (and in some cases already are) dated. This book will not hold up over the years. He talks about people, TV Shows, movies etc, that in 75 years, no one will know what they are or who they were. I had this problem when I read Napoleon Hill’s books. Stuff that was a normal mind set when he wrote the books are no longer applicable. This caused me to grow frustrated while reading it.2) The later principles talk about financial success. Where the information is sound, it doesn’t work for everyone. It is not a blanket approach. He says “Don’t think you can’t do it”. Well, let me see, if I save 50% of my paycheck in a savings account what will I be? Rich? No I’d be homeless. If you make $100K a year, then this is a possibility. If you make $40K a year, live in NYC and have a kid in college along with being a single parent, saving 50% of your check is not something you should be doing.3) A lot of regurgitated information. Most of the stuff in the earlier chapters I’ve read or heard about over the last 20 years. There is no new information in here.4) Too much book plugging for his “Chicken Soup for The Soul” books. We get it. You made money with these books. You had a million dollar idea…blah blah blah.Let me tell you what I did like about this book:1) I listened to the audio version so it was abridged. I do have the physical copy, but I don’t think I’ll be reading that any time soon.2) There is some good information in here for those who are new to Jack Canfield and or this way of thinking. If you have been a student of manifesting and metaphysics for a while, this book will be too elementary.3) I did like his principle on how you can self educate yourself. People think schooling is the only way to get ahead. Don’t get me wrong, it sure helps, but you can learn things by reading or watching educational TV or films. Or you can talk to people who can stimulate your thought process. He talks about staying away from negative people and those who will pull you down.4) He did mention Stephen King. And I do understand that this is not an instant fix. It should take years and years to master these principles. This is a great book for a 25 year old. For a 50 year old who has kids in college and gets paid minimum wage…not so helpful (financial info). Although we can all have a successful mindset, and because of that, this book has merit.This book was not very motivational for me.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A bit cheesy but a decent book about becoming successful in life
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book contains many self help principles - it gives you a taste of various theories - it's not a get from here to there book - as it just has descriptions of lots of tried and tested methods for self improvement. Its a good book to get exposure to lots of different methods.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Review posted on my goodreads account! Username: Emily25626. Also check out my blog at ehbookblog,blogspot.com for reviews and book fun!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    My description and thought on The Heiresses is limited, since my reading of this type of "woman's fiction" is at best,sketchy.Soap opera definitely comes to mind.I'll go with escapism....."the avoidance of reality by absorption of the mind in entertainment or in an imaginative situation, activity, etc."....I must admit, after reading of their antics, I'm pleased to be heir to a kingdom not of this world.To be fair, there were elements of suspense and mystery.Their convolutions were interesting at times.The heiress escapades, however, were repetitive, tiring and often juvenile.Perhaps they were meant to appear this way.....And your guess is......?For me 3 ★ and it will probably be a while before i try something like this again.====This is a real IMO book.Don't let me persuade or dissuade you.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Me giving this a 2-star rating is like going to McDonald's and ordering a Big Mac, and when it comes on 3 buns with 2 patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles and onions, I decide I do not like hamburgers with special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles and onions on 3 buns.

    The book is exactly what I ordered, exactly what it promised to be (a shallow, Real Housewivesesque tale of scandal and fortunes and sex) and I didn't like it. The writing delivers, with scenes moving easily between past and present, but there were too many beautiful people, too many stereotypes, too much Northeastern fabulousness, and too much "bleating" of cell phones.

    This book was actually on the wall -Staff Recommends- at the local library and I may have to have a few words with Librarian Sally should I ever meet her.

  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    Deleting this at 23% -audiobookPoor little rich girls, who have to deal with having it all handed to them with some expectations. Aww, how sad. Imagine being expected to act with decorum in public, family, work and socially ?!?! Who has to do such a horrible thing, right ? We should all be drunk, cheating, lying, manipulating, disrespectful spoiled jerks free of judgement. All these expectations make a spoiled rotten little princess upset Oh the horror for these precious sweet trust fund angels when when daddy steals money from the poor and puts their fortune in danger and they have to.... oh it's too ugly, < shutter >, work. Yes they have to work ! I hope you didn't faint. They don't have to work with the common folk at least. No, they work for their family business, in their tower, with their name on the building. I'm a princess, she's a princess, you're a princess. Well, now lets gets this on the table because there isn't enough specialness unicorn sprinkle powder already. Somebody or somebodies, I didn't care enough to get their names, is semi royal and oh so precious. I know this because it is mentioned over and over already. Snobbery, brand name dropping, social status lines, selfishness, self centered horrible characters. I couldn't dislike this book more. Good bye oh so precious princesses
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Dragged in the middle.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was a fun weekend read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I finally finished this book. I kept having my friends swipe this book, so I had to read it in small portions. I enjoyed this book more than other books written by this same author. This author does make her characters true-to-life. This story was very entertaining.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Opening in tragedy, and confined by tragedy, The Heiresses follows the lives of the five—well, four—Saybrook heiresses: their lush, rich world, their deeply personal problems, and fate's cruel affinity for hurdling their family into a string of mysterious, sudden deaths, otherwise known as the Saybrook Curse by the public.Upon the unthinkable loss of one of their own—the perfect Poppy Saybrook—the remaining four cousins set out to solve the dangerous, wildly eery crime, but approach a dilemma when they realize Poppy's murder can only be solved by revealing the scandals and secrets of their past. Each Saybrook cousin has a life-threatening secret—that one personal demon they want to take to the grave—and as each figures out who is a witness, who is an alibi, and who is a backstabber, the dark secrets are slowly revealed.I was so enchanted by this book. Dramatic irony keeps it running, and the suspense is absolutely electrifying—hair-raising—in a creepy "someone's watching you" kind of way. I couldn't stop reading it because I was too scared to put it down! In the vein of the Gossip Girl series, Sara Shepard masters the sinister, omniscient tone that, in the backdrop of high-society New York City, is as extravagant as its characters are.The Heiresses is not your average chick-lit novel; it's not just another happy day at the Hamptons. The calamities and misfortunes of the world-famous diamond empire will stun and frighten you, as well as teach you a thing or two about the dangers of money, misconceptions, and pride. It's a story of the consequences of deceit, greed, and lies from one generation to the next, but beneath it all, it's also an examination of four courageous women who bond and discover the values of fortune, trust, and always: family.Pros: The ending!!!! // Characters aren't deep, but are understandable and lovable // Scintillating suspense // Cinematic, dramatic—I can easily see this being made into a TV show or movie // One of those books you can't put down // Eery, startling tone is so well doneCons: Literally everybody is screwing everybody... this book is centered on infidelity and illicit sexual relations // Not a super deep, meaningful novel, but still a hell of an entertaining oneVerdict: With the addictive, crippling voice akin to Gossip Girl, the darkly comical tone found in Desperate Housewives, and allusions to the Kennedy curse we're all so familiar with, Sara Shepard's newest novel reads like Pretty Little Liars all grown up. The Heiresses is a juicy, sinful mystery about a legendary American dynasty so blessed with fortune and beauty, yet cursed in the worst of ways. I admit at times the plot resembles that of an overdone soap opera, but that doesn't make it any less entertaining; this series is bound to become everyone's newest guilty pleasure.Rating: 9 out of 10 hearts (5 stars): Loved it! This book has a spot on my favorites shelf.Source: Complimentary copy provided by publisher via tour publicist in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you, Harper Collins and TLC!).
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Sara Shepard is best known for her YA book series, Pretty Little Liars, which was turned into a successful television series. Her latest novel, The Heiresses, is an adult novel, but geared toward her older YA readers ready for a terrific beach read.The Saybrook family made their fortune in diamonds after WWII. Patriarch Alfred and his partner began their business after returning from the war; they became wealthy and hugely successful, and now most of Alfred's family works in the business.After Alfred's death, his son Mason became president of Saybrook's. He and his wife have two daughters: Corinne, the type-A, hardcharging daughter engaged to a Texas oil heir she fell in love with at Yale, and Aster, the ultimate party-girl, with no job or responsibilities.Mason took his niece Poppy under his wing after her parents died in a plane crash. He was supposed to be on that plane, but at the last minute didn't go. Rowan is Mason's other brother's daughter, and she is also works for the family business. Natasha is the last heiress, who moved away and hasn't spent much time with her cousins.The family is the subject of intense public interest, much like the Kennedy family. Also like the Kennedys, people have said they have a curse- the plane crash, a grandson kidnapped at age four and never found, and the man who was to have been the new CEO mysteriously drowned at a family celebration five years ago.A tabloid website has been set-up that seems to have inside information on the Saybrook family secrets. Who is behind it? One of the heiresses dies, but did she commit suicide or was she murdered? The heiresses are in a car that is hit head-on, and another ends up seriously injured in a coma.The main mystery of the novel is who is trying to kill the heiresses and why. There are plenty of suspects, and a careful mystery reader may pick up on enough clues to figure out who is behind it. I'm not a big mystery reader, and even though the characters and the plot seemed at times formulaic, Shephard kept me turning the pages to see what will happen next.Shepard includes a family tree at the beginning, which is so helpful in keeping the many family members straight until you get a little in to the story.After we find out who is trying to kill the heiresses, Shepard gives us another, even meatier, mystery involving a big secret that goes back many years. I like how she tied that into the murder mystery.Matriarch Edith is one of the most fascinating characters. She's always cold and wears her fur coat no matter the temperature. She says what she thinks, and is critical of her granddaughters. I wish we had seen more of her. Edith has a great scene at the end of the novel that sets up the sequel, and I have to say bravo to Shepard for hooking us into reading the next book. There is no way I'm not putting that one on my TBR list when it publishes.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was the first book I read by Sara Shepard. Yes, it is about rich people behaving badly. There is a supposed curse also following the Saybrook family. But I had so much fun escaping into this book. It was exactly the sort of guilty pleasure read that I was hoping to find.This is a mystery and it seems like the "heiresses" of the Saybrook family are being targeted. When popular Poppy plunges to her death, it begins to look more like murder than suicide.The ending was a bit over the top for me, but then I am thinking there may be a second book involving the Saybrook family.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I received this book as a bound galley/uncorrected proof copy from a GoodReads giveaway.At first this book didn't seem like something I was going to really get into. The Prologue was pretentious and had me cringing but I kept reading and hoping it was going to get better. I am glad that I kept going because the book turned out to be really interesting mainly because it built up a great mystery and had me guessing until the very end. Shepard weaves an interesting story of love, lust, family, jealousy, and scandal. Everyone has secrets, even the socially elite and movie stars, and that is what this book is mainly focused on. Each chapter is told in third person but is focused on the thoughts and actions of one specific heiress at a time. I found this really interesting but also confusing at points because it was honestly really hard to keep track of who was who at first. As the book wound on though you could start to pick out who was who through the writing.I would definitely peg this as a contemporary that is at the upper end of young adult. This book does have swear words in it, including a scene where mothers are talking about their daughters favorite curse words which of course certainly happens in our society because people think it's cute when the kids are young... Anyways, there are also a few sex scenes (though not overly descriptive) in the book and of course lots of lies and scandal that surrounds this elite family. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone under the age of 16 just as a precautionary note because I know lots of parents these days who wouldn't want their young teenagers reading a book with these themes.Overall, I really did end up enjoying this book and all of its twists and turns. It was fast paced, full of mystery and intrigue, and gripped the "gossip girl" inside me. I have not read anything else by Sara Shepard but this kind of makes me want to try out her other books as well.(Cross posted on GoodReads)