The Fraud Squad took me a little while to get into, but then I mostly enjoyed it! Samantha Song has always wanted to write for a certain magazine. She convinces her coworker/friend Anya, and her new super wealthy friend Tim, to pass her off as a socialite and help her get the column she’s always wanted. I’m not sure I really understood how it directly benefited Tim, but it was a fun ride. I also wasn’t entirely satisfied with the ending, but it was a fun ride with a few twists and a little romance. ⁣

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

I was not a big fan of this one. It felt like a badly executed rip off of Crazy Rich Asians. Like the dupe of CRA. Yes, we have rich Singaporean society but it felt like an outsider imagining what it was like without the intimate, juicy details that an insider would give us. And the whole premise felt so juvenile and ridiculous. Not the fact that someone wanted to infiltrate high society but how they came together with the Fraud Squad nickname. And while the mother-daughter relationship felt believable, it felt quite shallow. I think it's fun and lighthearted and fine for a quick mindless read but not a book for me.

DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

If you loved The Devil Wears and Crazy Rich Asians then THE FRAUD SQUAD by Kyla Zhao is a book for you.

Samantha has always dreamed of writing for S a high society magazine in Singapore but she's working in PR and living vicariously through her coworker Anya. When she gets the chance to go to a socialite party with Anya and meets her friend Timothy they come up with a scheme to help Samantha make a name for herself in society but will she lose herself in trying to achieve her goals?

I liked Samantha and it was fun to read about high-society Singapore. I definitely got The Devil Wears Prada vibes in the way Samantha loses herself a little bit in trying to achieve her goals and enjoying the high society lifestyle.

Thanks to Berkley Romance for my advanced copy of The Fraud Squad.

I liked that this book was trying to be more new adult and less young adult, the age range of the characters and the issues they were dealing with. However, I found the writing skewed young adult feeling (which I know is vague but work with me here.)

I still enjoyed the read, but overall felt like it couldn't make up its mind about the age range and the voice.

The Fraud Squad by Kyla Zhao
Published: January 17, 2023
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Trigger warnings: death of a parent
Rating: 4.5/5 stars – for what it is as an entertaining rom com with some depth
Summary from Amazon:
A Good Morning America Buzz Book. A working-class woman who infiltrates Singapore’s high society to fulfill her dreams risks losing everything in the process—including herself—in this propulsive novel by debut author Kyla Zhao.

For as long as she can remember, Samantha Song has dreamed of writing for a high-society magazine—and she’d do anything to get there. But the constant struggle to help her mom make ends meet and her low social status cause her dream to feel like a distant fantasy.

Now Samantha finds herself working at a drab PR firm. Living vicariously through her wealthy coworker and friend, Anya Chen, is the closest she’ll get to her ideal life. Until she meets Timothy Kingston: the disillusioned son of one of Singapore’s elite families—and Samantha’s one chance at infiltrating the high-society world to which she desperately wants to belong.

To Samantha’s surprise, Timothy, and Anya both agree to help her make a name for herself on Singapore’s socialite scene. But the borrowed designer clothes and plus-ones to every glamorous event can only get her so far. The rest is on Samantha, and she’s determined to impress the editor in chief of Singapore’s poshest magazine. But the deeper Samantha wades into this fraud, the more she fears being exposed—especially with a mysterious gossip columnist on the prowl for dirt—forcing her to reconcile her pretense with who she really is before she loses it all.

Review: I love a good Cinderella story, so if you love this trope, pick this book up immediately. You will not be disappointed. I am also a sucker for a great contemporary romance that includes any pop culture, references to fashions or high society. Check. You might be tempted to compare this novel to Crazy Rich Asians, and the temptation is not wrong – but this story is different, but it does not hurt that it reminded me of a novel I loved so much – it won’t hurt you either. This is a friends to lovers with a twist that I will not spoil for you. I love the idea of a working girl insinuating herself into high society and earning all the perks that come with that kind of celebrity and status. Samantha is a likeable protagonist – you will cheer her on while also understanding why she feels the way she does. Will she remain true to herself despite all of the glam? Will she find love? Does she need to? I read this in a day, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Do you have unresolved dreams? What would you sacrifice to make your dreams come true? This story is also about self-confidence and knowing yourself – Samantha’s inner desires and self-doubt make her a very relatable star of this story. This was also just selected and featured on GMA Book Buzz. Perfect for the winter blues and approved by this working girl.

A really promising debut, great for fans of Gossip Girl or Crazy Rich Asians! The pacing was a little inconsistent, and I didn't 100% understand everyone's motivations here, but I would absolutely pick up more by Zhao. Can't wait to see what she does next!

Okay, I really liked how this one was pitched but I think the second half of the novel wasted its potential like there are so many possibilities that the heist can push through but we had what is a bit expected.

TITLE: The Fraud Squad
AUTHOR: Kyla Zhao
PUB DATE: 01.17.2023
SYNOPSIS: Swipe Above

Vibrant
Glitzy
Exquisite

The Fraud Squad was a fun novel that read like I could be watching this in a movie. I loved and enjoyed reading about the Singaporean elites and high society, and I just adored MC Samantha Song - her determination to succeed as a socialite, and lift herself up from poverty was admirable. I loved her squad, and the sweet relationship with her mom made this such a fun read.

A gorgeous story twist on My Fair Lady!

Pick this up if you enjoyed Crazy Rich Asians and The Devil Wears Prada.

Samantha’s dream is to write for a high-society magazine, but her working-class background prevents her from accessing certain opportunities. When she meets Timothy Kingston, the son of one of Singapore’s more elite families, she finds her chance to get into the high-society in-crowd. With the help of her new friends, Samantha pretends to be a socialite, with the goal of impressing a certain magazine editor without ever revealing her humble background.

This book was compared to Crazy Rich Asians meets The Devil Wears Prada, and I think that is the perfect description. It has the lavish antics of the Singapore elite mixed with the story of one girl desperately trying to fit into society. However, the pacing was slow at times and I didn’t feel like much happened throughout the course of the book. There was not as much drama as I expected, and while the book was enjoyable and the characters were lovable, I wanted a bit more from this.

Thank you to Berkley for the advance copy and to @berittalksbooks and @dg_reads for the buddy read.

I DNF'ed this book halfway through. I was very intrigued by the concept, but the writing felt quite flat and one-dimensional. So far in the book, it felt like it could have taken place anywhere in the world; I wasn't really getting the Singaporean setting at all.

This book is marketed as Crazy Rich Asians meets The Devil Wears Prada and Gossip Girl, and that is the perfect description! The absolutely stunning cover perfectly captures the glitz and glamor that fill the story from beginning to end, making for a consuming story that is nothing short of cinematic.

Samantha Song is hands-down one of my new favorite book heroines. A working class woman who proposes a scheme in which she will infiltrate high society as a socialite, Samantha was savvy and powerful in all the best ways. Naturally she gets a little too drawn into the benefits of her new lifestyle, but I had so much respect for the way she

As for the other two members of the Fraud Squad, Timothy absolutely stole my heart. His connection with Samantha felt so natural, and there were so many times when I was blushing, giggling, and kicking my feet over him. As for Anya, she was such an interesting character to me, and I wish I got to see more of her. She was so uniquely situated within society as someone who was shunned, and I would have loved to explore that more.

In a lot of ways, I love the story so much that it left me wanting more- more of this world and the characters, more of the glamor and scheming, and more of the friendships and romance that I adored. So long story short, you all should DEFINITELY read this book, and I would not be opposed if we got a sequel someday (maybe? please??).

I really loved this one. I loved Sam and the relationship she had with her mother. I always have wondered why rich people get so up in arms about someone who doesn't come from their background being in the same events. I loved Tim, I wish we got to know his parents more. I was right about Anya from the minute I started reading. I would have loved more moments of Raina and Daisy and Samantha.

What a fun read! Loved the Fraud Squad. Sometimes it seems you might like to have riches and fame, but at what cost? That's exactly what the Fraud Squad must discover. Highly Recommended!

This was a cute read. Samantha wants a spot as a writer at a top magazine in Singapore but she doesn't have the right connections. Her coworker (who is a socialite) at the pr firm she works at says she will help with another socialite. They start a fraud squad to help her take it till she makes it.
It was fun going to parties and getting pr jobs and getting higher up in society. Then things fell apart.
Wished that the romance had a bit more chemistry. It happened so fast and I may have just missed it. It's women's fiction and not romance so it's not necessarily the focus. Enjoyed the friend groups and their social climbing planning.

Thank you berkleypub and @netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.25

Thanks to Berkley Romance, the author, and NetGalley for the free gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

WOW. I really saw this book going very differently - I imagined more similar vibes to Finlay Donovan but I was SO wrong. This was just a fiction novel with a touch of romance, but mostly a coming-of-age novel.

The rating and reviews for this one had my hopes SO high for a fantastic drama-filled romance but that was not what this was.

Overall this was an okay story and I was able to finish it, but I definitely don’t recommend it.

This is a fun romance, set in Singapore, that examines how family background can contribute to success.

Samantha comes from a humble background, but she’s always kept up on the doings of Singaporean high society through newspapers and magazines. When she meets up with her friend Anya and Anya’s friend Timothy, they come up with the fraud squad idea. Timothy is from a prominent family and so is Anya, so they have the tools and knowledge to groom Sam into Singaporean socialite. She’ll be invited to the best parties etc. Sam’s ultimate goal is to write a column for one of the big socialite magazines.

As the project progresses, Sam realizes that the socialites she studies are people with problems like hers. They never consider that there might be people who feel deceived, and that could mean disaster for Sam.

I enjoyed the book and I especially liked the ending, 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

I am beyond SAD to say that I really disliked this book.

I picked this book up for a vlog on my YouTube channel, and was excited to dive in. However, I struggled with this book in nearly every way.

First, the characters lacked. The main character had confusing morals and I struggled to understand her decisions. She was praised for being sweet and kind, but would also choose herself over her friends. All the side characters felt like they didn't have depth and only existed to support the main character.

The romance was also just not there? The main guy had a girlfriend for most of the story and I felt like the romance he had with the FMC was out of left field.

Overall, I felt sad and frustrated with this book. I was expecting the glamor of gossip girl, but felt underwhelmed in every way possible.

Billed as “Gossip Girl” meets “Crazy Rich Asians”... I can definitely see where those vibes mesh in The Fraud Squad.

First things first. THIS IS NOT A ROMANCE. Just so you know going in. There is a tiny romantic storyline, but don’t expect what you’d typically expect at the end of a romance…

Samantha Song is a working-class woman in Singapore who longs for a shot at writing for a high-society magazine. Through her PR firm job, she meets Anya Chen. Her new colleague is living the life Sam’s always dreamed of in the Singapore socialite scene. Anya introduces Sam to another wealthy friend and the three immediately hit it off. Timothy Kingston is a member of one of the most elite families–but he’s sick and tired of relying on his family name for everything. The trio hatches a plan to help Sam infiltrate the socialite scene. For Sam, it could launch the career she’s always dreamed of. For Timothy, he could prove to his parents parts of their high society life are just an illusion.

The story leans very YA, but the characters do have a decent amount of growth. It was a fun little romp in an elite world. I wasn’t sure what to expect with the cover. Would we get a throuple? A love triangle? High-stakes heists? None of the above? There’s lots of glitz and glam and backstabbing and drama and fancy brand name dropping I’m not cool enough to know actually exist. A few parts were predictable, but there was a good twist that was intriguing to watch play out. Shout out to Daisy for being the best character of the bunch!

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for the review copy!

This book was a fun, modern twist on Pygmalion or My Fair Lady.

Samantha Song aspires to write at S Magazine, Singapore’s top magazine that all of the socialites read and pay attention to. However, Samantha doesn’t have the money or social status to get there. But when her work friend Anya and Anya’s best friend Tim hatch up a plan to transform Samantha into a socialite like they are, Samantha jumps on the opportunity. But will she get swept up in all the glitz and the glam? Or will she stay true to herself?

Overall, this was a wonderful read. It was light and engaging from start yo finish. As a character, I found Samantha to be a bit naive, but she was able to learn a lot from her experiences. While she was able to gain a lot from faking it as a socialite, she may have been better off in some aspects if she had stuck to her life as-is. While some of the plot was predictable, there were a couple surprises that I didn’t see coming, which was fun.