poor girl faking her way to the top?? we love to see it

thank you Netgalley for the arc !!

i thought this was a wonderful debut book. the writing was addicting, the characters were easy to love, the plot was exciting, and so much more. i can't speak on if Singapore was portrayed accurately in the book, but based on a couple of reviews i read, the writing was cratered for a Western audience (which i definitely got that vibe, don't ask me how lol)

i did think this book would be more high stakes but it was pretty low most of the time. i was just WAITING for her to get caught, faking to be a socialite. BUT that didn't take away my enjoyment reading it !! it was juicy and i was rooting for our mc so hard. another thing was that our mc had to our rich boy (the one on the cover) over here, that helping her get into high society would help him convince his parents to let him follow his own passions... I DON'T GET HOW THAT WOULD HELP IN ANY WAY BUT OKAY. again, i didn't mind overlooking that bit but it really didn't make sense !!

overall, this was a sweet and quick read i think many would get a kick out of ♡

In this classic tale of the poor trying to fit in with the uber rich and break into high society, The Fraud Squad is the perfect mixture of Crazy Rich Asians and The Devils Wears Prada. Samantha is hoping to find a magazine writing job, so when she proposes a plan to two co-workers for them to turn her into a socialite, the trio go all in. But when Samantha starts losing herself in the high stakes world of the rich and wealthy, will everything she has to give up be worth the price of admission?

I really wanted to love this one. The premise is great and combines two of my favorite books. The cover is gorgeous. But honestly, I was fairly bored reading this one. After you get through the plotting of the Fraud Squad's plan, there is low conflict throughout most of the book, with the characters mainly going to parties and discussing fashion. The twists that do come up feel empty and only serve as distractions that there wasn't a lot of things going on.

I could see Samantha's motivation for why she did what she did, especially since she not so slowly loses herself in the process of getting to her goal. The connection between Timothy and Samantha really wasn't believable. It came out of nowhere and was underdeveloped. While the book is billed appropriately to its predecessors, it's missing that spark the other two had that kept me engaged in the story. Ultimately, this one fell flat for me.

3 What Are Real Stars
* * *
So this has someone who has longed to be part of the High Life she has seen happening her whole life. She decides to make up a way of getting to rub shoulders with the movers and shakers with the help of friends she has acquired ....and then begins to lose herself and the person she was...was it worth it...and what lessons does she learn.

The Fraud Squad centers around Samantha Song as she infiltrates Singapore’s socialite scene and aims to nuzzle her way into the career she’s always wanted. Along the way, with the help of Anya (an excommunicated high socialite) and Timothy (the heir to a throne of wealth), Sam is prone to achieve her goal. If all of the betrayals, heartache, and scheming don’t blow up in her face first!

I really enjoyed this book and found it to be entertaining throughout every chapter. There are several subplots going along with the main scheme that I felt made the read well rounded and by the last page had no loose ends.

Interesting characters, a glamorous setting, and easy to follow writing style.

I really wanted to like this book but it was just not for me. The beginning was really hard to get through because there was so much info-dumping about each of the characters and it felt really unnatural. I just didn't buy a lot of what happened in this book. The relationships felt very forced and I didn't feel chemistry between the characters at all. I believed the main character's motivation for getting involved in the scheme, but as someone who's done marketing and freelance writing work I just couldn't get past the depiction of the magazine industry and how easy a time she had getting into it. This book might work for readers who want a larger-than-life, pure fantasy rags to riches scheming, but I found it hard to connect with the characters or story because it was too unrealistic.

The Fraud Squad is a book I picked up to read on a whim because I was looking for something fun, fast-paced and light — and it delivered on all three fronts. While I didn’t necessarily fall head over heels for these characters, I did really have a fun experience with this story up until the end.

"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."

Pretense and dreams.

There were many aspects to this book that I loved, I felt for Sam and I was rooting for her the entire way. As the daughter of immigrants I could feel her struggle and that of her family, and watching her climb to the top while make friends (and mistakes) was a thrill.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! I love a good story about the upper echelons of society. What a gorgeous cover and an amazing title as well! I was really excited to dive into this one.

This story follows a girl named Samantha Song who has always been on the outside looking in, and when given the opportunity, seizes the chance to immerse herself into high Singaporean society. Her friends Anya and Timothy are there and ready to help her, and naturally, as she gets everything she wants, she questions if this is, in fact, everything she wants.

This book had major Gossip Girl vibes so I absolutely recommend this book to those who love the classic Gossip Girl with our best girls, Serena and Blair, but also to those who are enjoying the reboot. That being said, even as this book delves into the ups and downs of socialites, it is a bit basic. It was enjoyable and fun and would make an excellent, just as enjoyable and fun movie, and that's really all there is to it! Super enjoyable and definitely for those who are looking for an entertaining book. Don't expect a lot of in-depth characterizations or social commentary. Just have some fun!

This was a fun read and even though I have read books with a similar plot, I thought this one really shined on its own.

The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Samantha Song. She has watched the high-society world from the outside for a long time, mostly through a magazine she wishes she could work for. Through her job at a PR agency, she meets Anya and through her Timothy. Both have connections to that world and they make a plan to turn her into a socialite.

Samantha is an interesting character. Sometimes I disliked her and other times I felt for her situation. I understand why and how she could act the way she did because fame and popularity can definitely cause a big head. I just felt so bad for those she mistreated, especially her friend who was also on the lower side of society. Samantha did have good qualities though. She cares for her mother and wants to see everyone be able to mingle. I also like that she is opinionated.

The other characters were decent but I feel like they didn’t get the same attention and felt a bit one-dimensional at times. This is also why the romance was on the meh side.

Where this book shines is the plot! I couldn’t put it down when it came to her becoming a socialite. It was cool to see her shine in a place outside of her own. She did it with such grace. I wish I had her confidence.

Overall, this was a good read. I am looking forward to what she writes next.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Samantha Song has always been on the outside looking in at all the beautiful people she reads about in posh high society magazines. Samantha and her widowed mother live close to the poverty line even though she has a good job with what she considers a less than exciting PR firm. Samantha dreams of writing for the top society glam sheet known as simply “S.” A friend she made at work, Anya Chen, is one of the privileged rich girls who get jobs because of a family connection rather than merit on her part. Anya’s best friend, Timothy Kingston, is also a poor little rich boy who is resisting his parent’s decree he work in the family business or else.

When Samantha comes up with a wild idea to pretend to be one of the in crowd, Anya and Timothy agree to help with her quest to enter into that rarefied atmosphere of the rich and famous. Samantha has schooled herself for years in designer clothes, high fashion jewelry, and knows all the important people on the A-list whose whims and pronouncements rule society.

While Samantha immerses herself in the glitz and glamour world with Anya’s help of all the right clothes, and Timothy’s limitless access to invitations for the party scene, she starts to lose those parts of herself that really matter. Samantha has no time for her best friend, or even her mother who works long hours, sometimes in pain, as a manicurist to pay back a massive debt. While Anya and Timothy seem like true friends, they are from a very different world with pressures and demands Samantha is only just beginning to understand.

The vacuous and pretentious world of wealthy Singapore is the backdrop making it clear that those at the top live in a gilded cage, especially the women, where money and status is the end-all be-all their lives. There is quite a bit of name brand overload in this story not surprisingly given the subject. What happens to the trio’s subterfuge and the outcome is easy to guess. Rather than an HEA for Samantha, there is more of an HFN with the possibility of a relationship which suggests this book is the start of a series.

Fraud Squad 💅🏼💵


Samantha uses her work friend to get into Singapores “high society.” This one started off so strong. Gave me major gossip girl vibes (mirrors it by an anonymous magazine writer who leaks gossip). It became super repetitive and boring. Ending was a bit of a let down as well. 🥲

Ty for the ARC! Review will be on my Instagram page on pub day.
2⭐️

The Fraud Squad reads a little like Crazy Rich Asians, but with one friend that isn't a part of the socialite scene (but really wants to be). The three friends concoct a scheme to make her a socialite as quickly as possible to try to win her an invite to the most coveted social event of the year and possibly her dream job writing for S magazine.

This book has friendship, deceit, an angry ex searching for revenge and so much more! It's a quick read that I tore through.

Samantha fakes it til she makes it to move forward in her career. Being in low-middle class, helping her mom financially, she teams up with her friend and coworker Anya and a billionaire’s son Timothy to prove that anyone can be a socialite. Will Samantha fit in with the upper class, or will she risk exposing herself as a fraud the deeper she gets into this new lifestyle of the rich and the famous?

I got major Crazy Rich Asian vibes here, definitely. There were secrets, manipulation, and faking it, but there was still humility in there. It was well-written, immersive, and fun, with a bunch of characters who had vivid personalities. Was it me? Or, I swear, I could totally see Henry Golding as Timothy Kingston, with the British accent and all. THE FRAUD SQUAD would make an awesome Netflix mini series!

I wasn't sure what to think while reading this. From the cover and the blurb, I was expecting a ROM COM with plenty of drama, but 60% in, and there was no ROM or COM, just drama.

I felt the romance between Sam and Timothy was a bit forced and didn't fit into the plot.

Samantha Song lives a dreary life, trying to repay her late father’s many debts, but at least she has her magazines to escape to. In between the glossy pages, she sees all the socialites in Singapore, and can dream of belonging to their elite group. And when an opportunity presents itself for her to join them, to pretend to be a part of them with the help of two of her friends, of course she takes it. In her heart, she knows this can only be temporary, but how much will these months of being part of the most exclusive group in Singapore change who she is?

I received an advanced reading copy of The Fraud Squad in exchange for an honest review.

The Fraud Squad is a novel by Kyla Zhao. It’s a novel that takes place in Singapore and features socialites and people who want to belong to those groups. It’s not the kind of book that I’d usually pick up, but I had a great time reading it, and actually found it to be a breath of fresh air after all the fantasy I’ve been consuming lately.

This book is just a lot of fun. From Samantha, who’s a flawed but realistic character that any reader can identify to, to the plot that has a familiar comforting structure, but just enough surprises to keep you guessing. It’s a book about dreaming big, and what can actually happen if you end up getting everything you wished for. How would you change? I know a lot of us would say that we wouldn’t, which is why I found it fascinating that Samantha changed so much here. It felt actually realistic, even though I won’t say exactly how she changed throughout, since it’s a big spoiler. I’m pretty convinced I would change in the exact same way in those circumstances, though.

The other characters also made a lot of sense to me. Zhao made sure to give them all backstories that explained their personalities, and all their decisions. I know that books like these are often more focused on the romance aspect, but I appreciated how much of The Fraud Squad was focused on friendships, and specifically female friends. We have Anya and Raina here, who are pretty much opposites, but each was a real person in the scenes she was in.

As I mentioned earlier, the plot was mostly predictable, but in a comforting way. It’s nice to know what you’re getting into sometimes, and I did also say that there were plenty of surprises still. Also, the fact that I thought I knew what was coming made it so that there was still tension. In fact, when I was nearing the end of the book, I had to set it aside. I had really grown to like Samantha, and I was terrified of what I was sure what about to happen. I had to give myself a minor pep talk, reminding myself that the end of the book would probably be happy, before I picked it up again. And I’m glad I did, because that was a great ending.

The Fraud Squad is the perfect quick and entertaining read. I would recommend it for anyone looking for something fun and light, and especially recommend it if they liked The Devil Wears Prada or Crazy Rich Asians. I had a great time reading this book, and I’ll have to keep an eye on Kyla Zhao and pick up whatever she writes next.

The Fraud Squad will be released on January 17. You can preorder your copy from Berkley Books here.

I received a gifted galley of THE FRAUD SQUAD by Kyla Zhao for an honest review. Thank you to PRH Audio, Berkley Publishing Group, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review!

THE FRAUD SQUAD follows Samantha, a young woman who has long dreamed about writing for a high-society magazine. Instead, she has settled for a job in PR. She has grown up as part of a working class family struggling to make ends meet, but she knows more about Singapore’s high society than most socialites themselves.

When she meets Timothy Kingston through her wealthy friend Anya, she learns that he is burned out on the life his family wants him to lead as the son of one of Singapore’s most elite families. Samantha comes up with a wild plan to have Timothy help her infiltrate high society, passing her off as a socialite herself. With Timothy’s connections and Anya’s wardrobe, what could go wrong?

I didn’t know what to expect going into this book and by the end I would still say that it is a tough book to pin down in terms of genre. While it is flagged as romance on Goodreads, and it does have some contemporary romance elements, I don’t know that I would necessarily label it as such. Regardless, his was a fun rea with a lot of good commentary along the way about the differences between the different levels in society.

I enjoyed Samantha as a character and while she did make some bold moves that I didn’t necessarily agree with, she was very grounded in many respects. I loved the relationship she had with her mother and the way she looked out for her as her mother struggled to make a better life for Samantha. Samantha had big dreams and she definitely put a lot on the line for her passions in life. She was thrown some big twists and she grew a lot as the story progressed.

I really enjoyed reading this one! THE FRAUD SQUAD came out yesterday so it is available now!

I only made it about 10% in before I decided to DNF this. I found the writing to be very basic and the motivations of the characters and plot to be lackluster. The justification for making Samantha a socialite just did not make sense in my opinion. Overall, this just wasn't for me.

I really struggled with this one. It was an amazing concept but I felt as though the writing lacked the next level of emotions that I love. I will check out what Kyla puts out next

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of The Fraud Squad! This was a fun book!

Star Rating: 4⭐️
Genre: Fiction/Romance
Pub Date: January 17, 2023

The Fraud Squad was such an impressive debut book! I honestly almost can't believe this book is a debut because it is so good! I was hooked once I knew the main character was trying to scheme her way into high society, and it gave me a bit of Gossip Girl vibes at times!

This book has a lot of really good elements. I especially loved the angst between Tim and Sam + the way Singapore's high society is depicted. The setting and the connection between the characters really made ME feel. connected to the book. I thought Sam was a great main character because she was so relatable. Sure, she made some questionable decisions, but I love a good morally gray character!

This book was fast paced, interesting, and was so enjoyable to read! I think it will be ESPECIALLY good on audio. I also really liked the ending. So many books wrap up too fast and leave too many loose ends, but The Fraud Squad was wrapped up nicely. It left me feeling satisfied with the story but still wanting more from the characters in a good way.

Overall, this book gave me everything I wanted, and I highly recommend it!