The Fraud Squad by Kyla Zhao was a fun, quick read. To me, it was a combination of Crazy Rich Asians and The Devil Wears Prada.
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The lifestyle of Singapore’s elite will never fail to fascinate me. I enjoyed this story of a working class girl infiltrating high society, posing as a socialite “Pygmalion” style. Samantha Song is a writer who dreams of writing for elite fashion/society magazines. When she meets a couple of true socialites, Anya and Timothy, they hatch a plan to get her in front of the grand dame of society publications and prove to Tim’s parents that a persons family doesn’t have to dictate who they can be. The Fraud Squad has been born.
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I can understand how Samantha got swept up in that world but it hurt a bit to see what she left behind to do it. I felt like there was a lot between the lines about relationships that made this a fuller story.
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4.5 stars

This was a great debut! Full of the glitz & glam of Crazy Rich Asians; The ambition and intrigue from The Devil Wears Prada; As well as the reinvention, miscommunication, & “it was all a bet?!” vibe you get from some of my favourite rom coms, like She’s All That, and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days - this book was packed with so many of my favourite things.

I loved Samantha’s relationship with her mother. I felt like it gave the story a really beautiful and strong emotional core, and we got to see Samantha at her most unfiltered and vulnerable with her mom - the good, the bad, and the ugly. I also really loved so many of the side characters and many of Sam’s friends. I find myself really hoping this will become a series, because I want to know what happens next!! Will certain relationships be successful? Will certain broken fences get mended? Will careers be successful? What happens next in this world and with these people??

While The Fraud Squad is wholly original, I drew SO many parallels to Crazy Rich Asians, and I continue to do so. Partially because the setting (not just Singapore, but the world of the wealthy and elite); and partially because I think some of the themes and ideas, and even character foundations were similar. Daisy reminded me of Astrid. Anya reminded me of Peik Lin. Sam was a version of Rachel who was more willing to change and adapt. Tim was another clueless hot Nick. Not exactly in the way they carried themselves, but in The ✨vibes✨.

Ultimately, this was a fast and really enjoyable read. I can’t wait to read more from Kyla Zhao.

I really really wanted to love this. I loved the concept and it was giveng Crazy Rich Asian Vibes. However it fell through just a bit. I didn't love the main character and everything felt a bit rushed. I wouldn't go so far as to say it wasn't believable as it was supposed to be dramatic and far fetched but I just wanted more.

In The Fraud Squad, Samantha, with the help of her friends, Anya and Tim, decides to infiltrate the realm of Singapore’s high society by passing as a fellow socialite. She’s doing this in order to be able to bump elbows with some of the most important people in journalism in hopes that this will help her climb the corporate ladder and help her and her mother get out of the tight financial situation they are currently in.

I’m not sure if this book was being marketed as a romance initially, or if I imagined that. But in any case, I believe comparing it to Crazy Rich Asians solidified that idea. This book is clearly not a romance, so that was where the first disappointment came in.

While the writing itself isn’t terrible, it’s also just not interesting. I found the narrative to be very flat and unimaginative. I was intrigued and hopeful about being submerged in Singapore’s culture the way I had been with previous own voices novels I’d read—or at the very least, the way Crazy Rich Asians did. There isn’t a moment in Crazy Rich Asians where you don’t feel the culture surrounding you, even while constantly reminding you that this is how the better half live in that country.

I saw someone in another review say that this story could’ve taken place anywhere and it wouldn’t have affected the story, and I agree. Using Crazy Rich Asians as a comp is truly misleading in many ways, to say the least.

Unfortunately, the plot bored me. There seemed to be a lot of talk about what Anya and Sam were wearing. Then there’s a lot of snobbery from the socialites, and though Sam relays her emotions she seems generally pretty detached from everything. The most appealing moments and with the most depth were when Sam was having an interaction with her own mother. It was then that the story got interesting and it was then that the neurons in my brain would wake up and start paying attention again.

Overall, I’m really disappointed because I feel the way this book is being marketed is misleading and it was definitely not an enjoyable experience for me, but one that dragged on.

In Fraud Squad, a working-class woman who infiltrates Singapore’s high society to fulfill her dreams risks losing everything in the process—including herself. A propulsive debut novel.

I love a good con story! This was a fun romp involving a trio of friends who scheme to propel Sam from low-level PR girl to socialite, with the goal of landing her dream magazine job. I loved the teamwork, the friendships, fashion, food, and event descriptions throughout. Pick this up for a lighter, bingeable read with a touch of romance and intrigue!

3.5 stars

A fun and fresh debut that will definitely appeal to readers interested in fashion. Will work best for the coming-of-age YA-to-NA audience.

This was an enjoyable low-stakes read of the classic poor/rich culture clash. It felt a little slow and repetitive and I wish Sam had a better relationship with her mother. Predictable but also low angst and a fun look into the world of the rich and fancy. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Rating 4/5
Plot 4/5
Writing 4/5
Character Development 4/5

[I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book]

“The Fraud Squad” is Kyla Zhao’s debut novel. This book tells the story of a working-class woman who “fakes it till she makes it” to fulfill her dreams in Singapore’s high society. Samantha Song has dreamed of writing for a well-known magazine however, being part of the lower class and constantly struggling to support herself and her mom makes her dream feel more like a fantasy. When Samantha begins working at a PR firm, she lives vicariously through her wealthy coworker and friend, Anya Chen. During her time at the PR firm, Samantha meets Timothy Kingston. Timothy is the son of one of Singapore’s elite families. They both agree when Samantha proposes asking Timothy and Anya to help her climb the social ladder. As Samatha’s dream becomes a reality, she questions if she can keep up with this act or if her fears will be exposed and the truth will come out.

This book gave Crazy Rich Asians x The Devil Wears Prada vibes, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I love the cover, plot, and characters and found this to be a great debut novel. If you’re interested in contemporary romance, Asian literature, and adult fiction, this one is for you!

3.5/5 stars!

It's definitely giving that Crazy Rich Asians meets Gossip Girl for me. For these authors debut I really enjoyed the glitz and the glam of Singapore's wealthiest and most elite. Watching Samantha try and to fit into that world was entertaining to say the least. Overall, I thought the characters were fun to follow but I will say at times I felt the dialogue lacking in parts, but I felt the ending really made up for it!

Thanks, Netgalley for the E-arc for an honest review!

Really entertaining and bingeable. The plot was super interesting and the characters were great to follow.

This book gave Crazy Rich Asian vibes with a mix of The Devil Wears Prada and I was all in.
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Samantha Song always wanted to work at S magazine (think Vogue) but she just couldn’t find her way in the door. She finds herself living vicariously through her co-worker Anya. Her stories are the closest she has come to life as Singapore Socialite until Anya introduces her to Timothy. Timothy is one of Singapore’s elite but all he wants to do is explore the arts instead of taking his spot in his father’s hedge fund.
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Over drinks they come up with a plan for Samantha to win her dream job at S by “making” her a socialite overnight. I’m 100% aging myself here but imagine a Can’t Buy me Love scenario where she goes from “totally geek to totally chic”. Sure there were parts that were predictable in this kind of story but it still was fun and I’m excited to read whatever the author writes.
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This book is out today!
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Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads and @netgalley @prhaudio for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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An engaging debut! As someone who is interested in all things fictionally related to Singapore’s wealthiest class, I had a blast following Samantha’s journey in trying to fit in with a class she has never belonged to. The characters were fun to follow, and I enjoyed the slight mystery with the gossip column alongside the tension between Timothy and Sam. Some of the dialogue did feel a little off, and the middle part stalled just a bit, but overall a slam dunk for me. If you’re looking for a quick, juicy read, this is it!

This was a supper fluffy read, definitely a great addition for collections where Crazy Rich Asians circulated well.

The Fraud Squad by Kyla Zhao was a fun and entertaining story that was a nice break from my heavier suspense and thriller books. I liked the glimpse into Singapore’s high society and could relate to Sam’s big dreams and struggles. It is a light read and if you liked Crazy Rich Asians, you won’t want to miss this one.



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.

The Fraud Squad is a fantastic debut and had all The Devil Wears Prada and Crazy Rich Asians vibes! Samantha Song is faking her way into high society with the help of her two friends, Anya and Timothy. She wants to relaunch her career and get a job at a high society magazine, so she plans to turn herself into the next socialite. The deeper Samantha goes into her new world, the more she fears she will risk everything.

This story was a fun read. The plot was well executed, though a little predictable, the writing still made the story interesting. I wish the stakes were a little higher for Samantha, but all of the glitz and glamour was a fun aspect. It was fun seeing all the high-class parties and seeing how far Samantha could climb up the ladder. I loved Samantha’s character and how determined she was to get what she wanted. The romance between Samantha and Timothy was sweet, but it felt like the build-up was nonexistent. Overall it was a fun, fast-paced story that was enjoyable to read.

Thank you to NetGallery and to Berkley Publishing for giving me a copy of the book.

A perfect read for anyone enamored with high society. The Fraud Squad follows Sam who aspires to be a socialite. The only problem is she doesn't have the money to support that lifestyle. She elicits the help of friends to infiltrate the high society.

Sam makes some bad choices, makes some new friends, snubs some old friends, and overall makes some questionable choices to achieve her goal.

I am not personally envious of that lifestyle so I did find it hard to relate to the characters. I was happy to see some of the characters having big hearts and being grounded.

My thoughts on this one are all over the place. It’s a little bit of a smash up of Crazy Rich Asians and Pretty Woman (with no hookers). Maybe even throw in a little Cinderella vibes. Samantha is from a poor struggling family and she is trying to get her dream job by posing that she is part of high society. She befriends Timothy who is part of that elite society and wishes he could be more normal.

I liked Samantha and Timothy and was rooting for them to open their eyes to each other through the whole book. I liked that it centered around Samantha wanting to be a high society writer.

I’m always a fan of a book showcasing another culture, but this one left me a little disappointed on that front. While it takes place in Singapore, it focuses more on the economic differences in the characters rather than allowing the culture to seep into the story. I was also a little disappointed that the classism was sensationalized more than taking a stand. But this could be all me expecting more than what the book promised.

All that said, I did enjoy the romance and would be interested in her next book.

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.