Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a ARC of this novel. Whenever there is a book set in New York's Upper East Side crowd, I immediately want to read it. This book was seriously funny! It was hilarious, crazy and a bit dramatic (but in a good way). If you're looking for a quick beach read to take on vacation or to get out of a reading slump, then I would definitely suggest it.

Keeping up the lifestyle on the Upper East Side is most important to Julia and her friends. But when Julia’s life starts crashing down around her, she must figure out how to keep up the pretense of her “perfect” life. Her main goal is to discover the next new trend that will make her the envy of all of her friends. Keeping the secret is much more difficult than she anticipated. This is an insightful look at how shallow friendships and lifestyles seem much more important than they really are. Sometimes hilarious, sometimes sad, this book is a great summer read.


Also reviewed on B&N and Kobo under the name IrishEyes430

Many thanks to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Sophie Littlefield & Lauren Gershell for the opportunity to read this fun, snarky book - loved it! 4.5 stars for a great escape read into how the other half live.

This is about the elite in Manhattan - those who live in beautiful multi-million dollar apartments, summer in the Hamptons, send their kids to private schools, have the best nannies and go to posh gyms. And status is determined in the schoolyard dropping off those children - where everyone is always looking to one up the next person. Julia is at the top of that heap - until she finds herself not the youngest mom anymore, with extra pounds creeping up, and scrabbling to get back on top. What she needs is to discover the next new "thing." She finds that when she goes to a new gym, Flame, and sees a spin instructor, Tatum, who is struggling to fit in. Julia takes her under her wing, buying her clothes, treating her to a make-over, and setting it up so that Tatum becomes the big "thing." What could go wrong besides everything?

The best part of this book is self-discovery that unfortunately doesn't happen for many until we get older because high school tends to carry on in our lives a long time; even more so now with social media. The lesson that it truly doesn't matter what anyone else thinks is hard earned but oh so sweet!

Julia Summers had it all. The hot husband, the fashionable Manhattan address, the best school for her children, good friends, and a knack for finding trendsetters. She was an unstoppable force.

And then she met Tatum.

Tatum was the young ingenue, the girl trying to make it as a spin instructor while still having to hold a second job to pay the rent in her tiny studio apartment. Julia found her, and she decided to take Tatum under her wing. With just a little advice, a push here and there, the right clothes, and better social media posts, Julia knew that she could make Tatum her next big discovery. She could introduce Tatum to the other mothers and fill those spin classes. She could, once again, be a starmaker.

And then everything went wrong.

When Julia has to face some of the worst news she could imagine, she finds out who her true friends are and who was just playing pretend. When your friends turn against you, who can you turn to?

That’s What Frenemies Are For is what happens when mean girls grow up. A biting satire of the social rules that get played in groups of women everywhere, this fun-filled novel is a reminder of the ups and downs of the friendships we’ve encountered since elementary school. Authors Sophie Littlefield and Lauren Gershell have concocted a delicious novel of friends, enemies, and that dangerous chameleon, the frenemy.

I loved this book! I’m a Janet myself (the uncouth part, not the trust fund part), but I love watching the drama unfold around me. So I adored being a fly on the wall for this particular social group. That’s What Frenemies Are For is exactly the snarky, warm, smart, razor-sharp, fun, funny book I was needing this summer!

Galleys for That’s What Frenemies Are For were provided by Ballentine through NetGalley, with many thanks.

I have been a Sophie Littlefield fan since A Bad Day for Sorry came out ten years ago; That’s What Frenemies Are For is co-written by Littlefield and new author Lauren Gershell. Is Littlefield Gershell’s mentor? If so, she has created a literary monster.

My thanks go to Ballantine and Net Galley for the review copy. I rate this book 3.5 stars, rounded up.

Socialite Julia Summers is a stay-home mom with a nanny; her real avocation is in keeping up appearances. What would look better--build Julia’s brand, if you will--than for her to take the Nobody that teaches her spin class and turn her into a Somebody? Just think how impressed the other moms will be! But fitness instructor Tatum turns out to be more than Julia has reckoned for. This is wickedly funny satire, full of sass and snark that made me guffaw out loud in places.

The fun at the outset is in watching to see where Julia’s dominoes will begin to fall. There are at least a dozen teasers planted as it moves along, places where I see her do something so risky that it almost has to backfire. The greatest surprise for me is in seeing how my own attitude toward this entitled protagonist changes. At the start I cannot wait to see someone knock her off of her high horse, but I also can’t help but engage with this character, and as she confides in the reader through an intimate first person narrative, I find myself rooting for her in spite of everything. It’s fascinating.

The resolution isn’t as satisfying as it could be. It’s a bit like getting to the highest spot on the rollercoaster and having the ride stop so you can get off and take the elevator down to safety. Watch your step, folks. Stay behind the guardrail as you exit the cars.

Nevertheless, I found myself thoroughly engrossed for the first eighty percent , and the rest isn’t bad. Gershell is a writer to watch.

If you have a vacation coming up, toss this in your bag. It’s for sale now.

That's What Frenemies Are For is a fun read. I would not want to be Julia living such a shallow existence. If it's too perfect, it's not real-that goes for people and things. Truth is freedom. I found this story funny, relatable and intelligent. The characters were charming, ridiculous and lively. I just enjoyed reading something light and easy for a change. It's a journey through high society that shows the lifestyle for what it truly is, rather than the typical facade. Women know-frenemies are real. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

OMG am I happy that I don't live on the UES. These woman are hateful. I really enjoyed this book; I read it in less than a day. It moves quick because the chapters are on the shorter side, and there is a lot of dialogue to move the story forward. I rolled my eyes a couple of times at Julia, because she was pretty spiteful herself, and seemed like she's a terrible mother.


I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I am such a mood reader and seasonal reader, and was craving a fun, sassy book that would make me laugh out loud. I had to look no further than That’s What Frenemies Are For, the perfect summer read!

I’m telling you this book was so funny, and I devoured it! I can see this being a favorite by the pool or the beach, really anywhere this summer! It had the gossip, the drama, and all the fun that I love in a good Women’s Fiction.

As a huge fan of When Life Gives You Lululemons, the blurb this novel was being compared to, I knew I needed to read this, and it delivered in a big, feel good way!

*Thank you to the publisher and a Netgalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review

I know I'm going to be in the minority on this one, but this one just didn't do it for me. I felt the authors spent too much time building up events (Hamptons house, Flame birthday party) that were either never resolved or didn't have much bearing on the story. Other thing that should have been fleshed out (James' fraud charges) were resolved so quickly I had to go back and make sure I didn't skip pages. Overall this was just an okay read for me.

This was a highly entertaining and hilarious read about a NYC socialite and how she uses her lifestyle to lure in a young, but turns out not so naive woman to try and up her in place in society. It took me a bit to get into the story because Julia and her lifestyle was just so hard for me to relate to and it felt so pretentious. But then you just want to know where all the socialite antics lead to. Thank you to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

This book was wickedly entertaining. It's in the "rich people doing rich people things" category, and readers get to "watch" Julia as she scrabbles to ensure she's keeping her place on the totem pole while pieces of her life are going downhill. She decides to make a project out of innocent, naive seeming Tatum, a new instructor at a local boutique fitness center, and has no idea how much that plan will come back to bite her. It's an interesting look at learning how to be "real" in an image obsessed world, and finding true friends. I'd love to see this one as a movie adaptation- the drama in this one is perfect for the big screen.

I. Am. Obsessed. With. This. Book!! I read this almost two weeks ago and have been struggling ever since to write a review because I loved it so much and I always struggle writing reviews when I adored a book. (Is that weird?) I really just wanna say read this one because it was a hilarious page turner and leave it at that. Buy the damn book y’all! But I’ll give you a little more than that.

Most of us are knee deep in looking for the next great summer read to take on vacation and while I’ve recommended quite a few already this summer, go ahead and put this one at the top of your list. It’s the ultimate beach read with bite, mainly because it’s full of razor sharp writing and cutting wit, you’ve never seen drama like Upper East Side drama and these women came to play. Admittedly I hated most of them because they’re awful and gossipy and incredibly catty but I could not stop reading about them either. Julia was the clear favorite for me and she underwent a surprising amount of growth by the end so despite the light and fluffy appearance, there is also some depth too.

If you’re a fan of books like When Life Gives You Lululemons or shows like Gossip Girl you will love this one! Highly recommended by me, it was so fun and even has some surprising twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting.

That’s What Frenemies Are For in three words: Snarky, Funny and Sharp

Right when Julia's picture perfect Manhattan life starts unraveling, she meets Tatum and decides to make her a project for the summer. Tatum's spin classes help Julia get back into the best shape of her life, and Julia's style, design, and personal branding info seem to help Tatum start transforming into the life she had dreamed of. Except Tatum isn't really who she seems, and Julia's husband has been hiding truths about his business situation.
Told entirely from Julia's point of view, I enjoyed watching her reevaluate the relationships she had with friends, her husband, her kids, and what was truly important in her life. The book was interesting and a fairly quick read.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had mixed feelings about this book. While it was funny and an easy read, the plot’s focus on women feeding on each other to climb and maintain their status on the social ladder was quite frankly dated. The book improved significantly, however, after the main character fell from grace and was forced to become herself when her “frenemies” abandon her.

Thanks to Random House for an ARC of this novel.

this book was perfectly balanced with the right amounts of funny/truth/snarky/and mean. and even with the mean,i loved to hate both Julia and Tatum and still sort of rooted for them.

and i say all of that with affection.

i also enjoyed the message at the ending.

it's a fun quick read and i hope these authors team up again for another book

Fun! Seriously, fun. And funny. This is a wonderful send up of those who want to be in control and be "influencers" but are, honestly, quite tone deaf. Julia thinks she can remake Tatum, a spin instructor into someone and something that will do her credit (because it's all about Julia). Not happening. There are a few serious twists here that I didn't see coming (no spoilers!) and which will keep you turning the pages. Julia is self absorbed and when things go off the rails for her because of her husband, she doesn't initially realize what the impact will be on her. AND, she has to figure out how to retool herself. There's a little serious undercurrent here that will make you think about the faces we show each other and how we treat others which elevates this beyond the fluff. Thanks to net galley for the ARC. A perfect beach book but also just a plain old good read.

Life on the Upper East Side is a game of who has the most. When a burst pipe ruins her house in the Hamptons and Julia realizes she is going to be stuck in the city for the summer, she decides she will need to do something to keep her relevant among her friends. Julia decides to adopt Tatum, a down on her luck spin instructor, as her per project. She gives Tatum a physical and emotional makeover and plans to take credit for finding the next "it" thing when she arranges a spin class fundraiser. But Tatum has other ideas.

It was difficult to find any of the characters in this novel likable which tells me I would never survive in the Upper East Side society. The characters are snarky and downright mean. Very Gossip Girls with adults. The ending provided a small glimmer of redemption.

Such a deliciously fun, guilty pleasure type read! I wasn’t sure who to root for at times, which made for a fun analysis of the main character’s moral code, Would be a great beach read!

The first approximately two thirds of this story were a light, fun read but I kept asking, do we really care about these people and their problems? Then, with a twist of fate for the main couple, the book took a redeeming turn. This makes a perfect summer/beach read.

Oh my goodness all the love and snarky stars for this little gem!!

That's What Frenemies Are For is a sharp, witty, sassy, and fun look Into the world of privilege and up to date trends! I couldn't get enough of Julia and her group of friends.

This truly makes the perfect summer beach read to curl up to! All I have to say after reading this is to keep your friends close and your enemies closer ;).

This reminded me a little bit of Gossip Girlish... which made it extra fun to have drama, gossip, and lies galore! I would definitely recommend this one to see how Julia pans on in this world of gossip and drama. Can she really count on her friends in this world of privilege?

Loved it! 4 stars!!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Random House Ballantine for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date: 7/30/19
Published to GR: 7/24/19