Short plot synopsis-Julia tries to have it all and rule her rich mom circle by finding the "next big thing," which just happens to be the fitness center called Flame. This leads to her trying to do a Mean Girls makeover on Tatum, a young and dumb instructor. Naturally, the plan backfires.



Look. The book isn't terrible...but it isn't the best thing ever written. The whole time I was reading it I kept thinking that this plot has been done before, and better at that. In a world where Mean Girls AND Heathers exist, this book isn't really anything special. Julia is a rich snob. She has everything, but she's still so miserable. OMG, CRY ME A RIVER. When it came to Tatum, I knew exactly what type of girl she would end up being.



I don't know. It was a nice enough book. If you're looking for something of no substance to kill time, this is a good one. I've just read too many really good books this year to not be a little disappointed by it.



🌟🌟🌟/5 stars

This book felt incredibly niche. Maybe I'm no longer interested in reading books about rich people on the upper East Side of NYC? Or is it because I’m not a mom? Maybe I don't care about NYC in general? Either way, this book felt like a beach read at it’s best. It was a fun read, but since you know the downfall is coming from the start (it’s talked about in the first chapter), I spent the first half of the book dreading it and not being able to enjoy the book. It just felt like secondhand embarrassment and I was just uncomfortable.

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Julia Summers lives a privileged life in Manhattan’s upper east side. She has a hardworking husband, two children in a private academy, and many well-heeled friends. When an accident turns her summer plans upside down, Julia find herself investing in a new gym, workout routine, and protégé. Focused on impressing the Jones’s, Julia gets herself into trouble and discovers what really matters along the way.

I loved this book. So fun and I really got into it. Perfect for fans of the Shopaholic series and The Devil Wears Prada series. It is well-written seamlessly by two authors.

I really loved the commentary on the competing nature of moms and wanting to one-up the person next to you.

This was a cute, snarky, inside look into the lives of women on the upper East side of Manhattan. I found the main character to be unlikeable for most of the book but she redeemed herself in the end. I liked the overall theme of learning not to worry about what people think about you, which I am slowly trying to do!

For once, the title says it all! What a fun read--nd in all the best possible ways. I really enjoyed this and hope the authors do another book together again.

Cute, chick-lit but I really wonder if Julia really learned anything from her experiences with trying to create her own monster.....

That's What Frenemies Are For is a bit of a difficult book for me to review, because my opinion on it is somewhat mixed. It took me FOREVER to get into it. When I got about 35% of the way, I considered not finishing it because I was bored. I stuck it out though, and while it wasn't the best book I've ever read, it wasn't absolutely horrible either.

Julia, our main character, befriends a spin teacher named Tatum and decides to help her get with the "IN" crowd, not realizing that sometimes stuff like that can come back to bite you in the butt. And bite you it does. I am not generally fond of cringe-y type humor,and this book had a lot of it in there. It also reminded me of why I don't have a ton of female friends--girls are just too much. The story dragged quite a bit and took a while to finally peak my interest, but I managed to get through it and actually liked the ending. It won't be a life changer of a book but if you're looking for some sort of chick drama, take a shot on this one.

Julia Summers seems to have it all: a Fifth Avenue apartment, a successful husband, and two adorable children attending the best private school in the city. She relishes wielding influence over her well-heeled girlfriends . . . but her star appears to be fading. That’s why, when stranded in Manhattan for the summer as the entire Upper East Side flees to the Hamptons, Julia is on the hunt for the next big thing that will put her back on top. But as with all things, if something seems to good to be true, it probably is. And Julia may just have to find that out the hard way and in the process figure out who her real friends are. review: This book was a great escape after reading a few “heavy” books back to back! This characters felt like a mix from Real Housewives and Gossip Girl, complete with all the petty, snark worthy behavior. The writing was really great & easily kept me flipping the pages to see what antics Julia would come up with next. There were times that I felt like the behavior of grown adults was a *little* much and Julia was certainly not always likable, but I enjoyed how the book wrapped up! This book reminded me a lot of When Life Gives You Lululemons. If you’re looking for a quick, witty read be sure to pick up this book! rating: 3.5 out of 5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for a ARC of this book.

This book was an easy read and entertaining. It is about two women who are out to get what they want. The premise of the book is a little shallow and although many readers may be turned off by the main character wanting to prove her friends that she still "has it all," deep down I think most women can identify with fighting age and trying to keep up with the Jones'.

Recommended for those moments in life when you need to identify with some mean girl tendencies.

What a fun and sassy book! I really enjoyed this page turner. I just couldn't stop reading it! There were so many twists and turns. If you're in the market for a funny and fast read, this is it!

Hilarious, snarky and sarcastic summer read with a moral to the story! My kind of book!

Turning your Soul Cycle instructor into a celebrity superstar is actually quite the hilarious process. If you think New York Socialites can be hilarious, this is your book.

Fun, sassy with just the right amount of humour.

That's What Frenemies Are For was such an entertaining read!

I couldn’t wait to dive into this book. Unfortunately, all this was filled with was superficial women who only cared about their social status. They were extremely self absorbed. This was worse than any Real Housewives episode. From a child getting into drugs thinking it was candy to a group of women calling 911 a bit too late because they were more concerned about molesting this woman and only thinking about themselves. I was bored until the big “shocker” of the book and then I really couldn’t wait until it was over. The best part was the end and all I could think was I hope the main character learns to just not care what others think about her. I’m giving this 2 stars and maybe that’s too generous.

That’s What Frenemies Are For was a fun read. Sophia Littlefield and Lauren Gershell wrote a witty novel that will have you loving and hating everyone in the book. I love how easy it was to breeze threw this book. The storyline was seamless and like I said the character are epic you will love them then hate them then love them again.

I look forward to reading more from Sophia and Lauren!

This book tells the story of the high society of New York. It tells what goes behind those mushy instagram posts and the too good to be true friendships. Staying alive in that society requires a lot of hard work and you need to be smart and cunning enough to survive.

It was fun to read this book but it took a long time to build up the story. It reminded me of Gossip Girl and how friendships changed within days based on how your profile was in the society.

I would rate the book 2.5/3 stars.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.

This book was...not great. Although I did decide to finish it, which is why I bumped it up from 1 star. Overall, the execution was clunky. The most dramatic moments of the book were confusing and poorly executed, as though the author had not done enough foundation building for them to make sense. I do like brain candy, but there was not enough “brain” in this one. The main character is not entirely unlikable, but her motivations often don’t make sense and her dialogue is not natural. Most of the other characters are one dimensional save for Tatum, who was by far the most interesting. This book may have worked better from a dual perspective, giving us more insight into her. The ending also fell extremely flat and the secondary plot involving James was quite rushed.

This book was so cute. Reminded me of an adult gossip girl.

I loved the quirkiness of the story. And the character development of Julia. I spent a few nights in a row reading this book until late. I blame this captivating story for my lack of sleep lately!!

Julia has it all, a successful husband that makes good money, a fabulous NYC apartment, a house in the Hamptons, and a Nanny who practically runs her household. Why do we know this? Because Julia tells us chapter after chapter. Julia came from money and made it her life mission to remain at the upper echelon of the New York social circle.

One day, after school drop off Julia and her two besties, Grace and Lindsay are making summer plans for the Hamptons. When Julia receives a frantic call from her husband, her planning comes to an abrupt end. Faced with a large scale renovation, Julia is forced to spend the summer in the city.

After dropping a $500.00 donation to a school silent auction, Julia wins a gift basket with a gift certificate for a private spin class lesson with newbie Tatum. Soon with nothing else going on to fill her days, Julia decides she is going to take poor little unsophisticated, clueless Tatum under her wing. After a series of unfortunate events, Julia is dethroned from her pedestal and must find a way to claw her way back to the top.
It’s hard to discuss this book without revealing spoilers. Julia is a hard person to root for. Between the mundane rants, her over 35 mean girl mentality, and narcissistic behavior I was over it. In fact, around chapter 33, I was hoping she got whatever was coming to her. Julia could not or would not take accountability for her behavior! EVERYTHING was EVERYONE else fault. Julia takes little to no responsibility for anything that goes on around her. The way she treats the people in her life will make you scratch your head.

I wanted to give up after a few chapters but kept going because I wanted to see how it ended. There were a few parts that weren’t plausible, and after everything that happened, we assumed that Julia redeemed herself. Really? She doesn’t deserve redemption; she deserves a swift kick in her Hermes Bag.

Frenemies fit the bill as a quick summer read and reminded me of When Life Gives You Lululemons by Lauren Weisberger. One thing I must admit, all the talk about spin class made me sign up for one at my gym!!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was worried this might be a little...fluffy... before I started it; I am glad I was wrong. Although the protagonist, Julia, was manipulative and self-centered, I still found myself rooting for her. This was a classic case of a woman having to lose everything she thought was important in order to find herself-- but with a modern, relevant twist. I'm so glad I requested this; it's probably one of my favorite "women fiction" books of all time.... compulsively readable.