Aspiring actress Gemma Huang has the opportunity to really hit it big working with her idol and taking on a role in an updated version of M. Butterfly filming in China. But her parents have forbidden her from traveling to her ancestral home which means she'll have to keep her casting a secret while convincing them she's still in California. Before long, Gemma starts to get hints as to why her parents don't want her in Beijing in the first place and it's a story of international intrigue she can hardly believe.

Like a lot of other readers it would seem, I was really excited by the premise of Heiress Apparently but ultimately found the execution to fall a bit flat. The most glaring issue for me came down to the pacing, which seemed to be largely driven by the distribution of plot points and lackluster prose. Despite the relatively low page count, I found myself again and again struggling to get through pages of Heiress. As other reviews have pointed out, the title effectively giving away the "twist" of the book may also have had something to do with this. It was difficult to feel motivated to read on and find out what happens next when the title already gave it all away. One thing that kept me reading on was not even the book itself, but rather the sequel, which goes back in time to explore Gemma's mother's past.

As far as narrative structure goes, the book operates as books should, pacing aside. Gemma experiences ups and downs and ultimately some character development aided in part by her idol-turned-mentor. She meets a boy and, naturally, falls for him. Refreshingly, Gemma starts out with a boyfriend and their relationship's questionable future adds some interest, as does Gemma's relationship with her new-found cousin and romantic interest's sister.

Heiress Apparently was just okay for me and I recommend checking out reviews from Chinese-descended readers for evaluation of the elements specific to identity in the book.