This book was such a fun ride from start to finish! It was not at all what I expected, but in a good way. The social commentary was excellent, and I loved seeing the different ways that Samantha’s relationships with the other characters played out. I love a good elaborate scheme and this book absolutely delivered!

Are you a fan of Crazy Rich Asians and The Devil Wears Prada?

Both are two of my favorites so when I heard that The Fraud Squad was a mixture of the two, I was giddy to get a copy. It is the story of Samantha Song, a woman living in Singapore who desperately wants to break into high society that she formulates a plan to fake her way in. This book was so much fun. It is glitz and glamor, fashion and fame and all the messy things that go along with those. There is romance and the strength of friendships and family as well as looking inward and being happy with yourself. The look at fancy society in Singapore was delicious. I thoroughly enjoyed this one with the humor, the drama and everything in between. Pub day is Tuesday so put this one on your radar.

Loved this! I enjoyed reading about high society in Singapore and found this to have a fun My Fair Lady vibe. An excellent debut that kept me entertained and intrigued until the very end. Love the AAPI rep and I can't wait to read what Zhao comes up with next.

First of all, I love all the fashion within The Fraud Squad. I've been following Kyla Zhao on Tiktok ever since this book entered my TBR. And I love her fashion critiques and analysis. This feels very much like a story only Zhao could have written with its portrayal both of fashion, but also the fashion scene. The Fraud Squad is a story about (re)invention. About a chance to go after our dreams - whatever the cost. But as Samantha comes to learn, the road to our dreams is often paved with compromises.

As you continue to read The Fraud Squad, we are able to observe the stark differences in privilege, status, and wealth. How our situation, connections, and background create opportunities. It makes us question what makes a person. Furthermore, how certain ambitions and dreams are only accessible for some. It was a delight to watch the friendships of the Fraud Squad forming. The concepts of 'faking till you make it' on a larger scale. To see them navigate these lines of pretend and real.

Happy (Almost) Pub Day to The Fraud Squad!

This was a refreshing change of pace to the other books I was reading and came at the perfect time!

I loved reading about Sam navigating this new social world with glitz, glamour, and no shortage of backstabbing. This story felt like the perfect escapism just like how Sam felt reading S magazine when her life felt like it couldn't get any further from that world.

The only parts that gave me pause were the logic of the original idea and the romance that felt insta-lovey and seemed to come in way to fast.

Otherwise, an enjoyable read for anyone who needs a quick escape from their day-to-day!

What a terrific debut novel! I really enjoyed the insights into Singapore’s high society and the rags to riches, Pygmalion-like story of Sam. This totally gave me some Crazy Rich Asian vibes, too. I loved Sam’s “fake it til you make it” attitude and how she was able to create a highly covetable “brand” from nothing.

There are a lot of layers to this story, though, not just the shallow socialite aspect of it. Sam is truly trying to figure out who she is as an daughter, a professional and as a person.

The ending really threw me for a loop, but I loved the way it all turned out. Such a satisfying resolution!!

Thank you Berkley and PRHAudio for the advanced copies of this book!

Short synopsis: Samantha an overworked PR agent joins up with two friends who are part of the Singapore elite to become a socialite and gain an invitation to the most exclusive event of the year.

My thoughts: Overall, this was a great debut novel with some insights into the culture of Singapore. We see the overly rich side, and the struggling to make ends meet side. I think both were done very well to give the reader an accurate depiction of the class differences.

I liked watching Sam as she discovered what was really most important and the growth she went through to get there. You have to hand it to her, she was determined to make a name for herself.

I did struggle with the relationship between Sam and her mother throughout the majority of the book. I understand that she was trying to hide her real background, but I felt like she did a disservice to her mom along the way. A mom who did so much on her own to provide a comfortable life for Sam.

Read if you love:
* Wealth and class disparity
* Romance sprinkled in
* Finding oneself
* Singapore culture
* Socialite society

Publication date is Jan 17, 2023.

Samantha’s dream is to work at S, a high society magazine. Samantha along with two friends who come from wealthy families come up with the plan to turn her into Singapore’s next socialite. Will she get her dream job, or will her plan backfire?

What I liked: I love reading about the elite and with all the crazy dramas and fashion and this book had major Crazy Rich Asian vibes. It was fun watching Samantha’s social experiment explode with all the invites to the glitzy parties and all the opportunities she was given once she got her name out there. I really liked Samantha’s character she was smart and wasn’t afraid to work hard for what she wanted. There was also a romance on the side that was sweet.

What I didn’t like: I thought it was a little too long, and I wasn’t satisfied with a particular storyline with one of Samantha’s friends – I feel like there was no closure.

This is a debut. I highly recommend to those that love to read about high society and drama.

The Fraud Squad is a stellar debut novel about a young working-class woman who riskily navigates through Singapore’s elite class to make her magazine writing dreams come true.

When you mix Crazy Rich Asians with a dash of The Devil Wears Prada, you have an enjoyable story about a character who does all they can to shine in the high-profile Singaporean fashion world. However, it shows to be no easy feat. Sam (Samantha Song), the novel’s hardworking protagonist has a dire wish to write for the luxury fashion world, but her low-class status and the struggles of helping her mom make financial ends meet make it all seem like a world away. Her current reality is working at a not so exciting PR firm, and the closest Sam will seemingly get to her ideal job is through her wealthy co-worker, Anya.

That is until Sam meets Timothy Kingston, the only son and heir to one of the wealthiest families in Singapore. A surprising opportunity arises when Tim and Anya both want to help Samantha rise to the top of the social class. However, looking the part and attending events as a plus one is far different than being the part. Impressing the editor in chief of the most highly valued magazine in the country is all up to her. But being caught up in this fraud with every passing day only increases her chances of exposing her real background. With an anonymous gossip writer on the loose, the pressure is on for Samantha to find out what she wants, and who she was destined to be before time runs out.

Kyla Zhao does a great job with this as her debut novel. The structuring of the plot was well done because of it being written in the third person. The character perspectives of the book become much broader, and the worldbuilding stood out greatly because of this point of view. It had the necessary vibes that the elite social classes of Singapore give, and all the drama that comes with it. Sam was a great character developed by Zhao in seeing an ordinary working-class girl turn into the one of the elites of Singapore’s society. It was also inspiring to see Sam working in different modalities of the fashion world. From working to PR and Journalism, as well as getting opportunities to model and be interviewed by the country’s top magazine shows her own versatility career wise and as an individual. Getting to dive into the many luxury brands included within the Asian Fashion world was also a treat to see. Fictional or not, it gives great representation to see such names worn by elaborate people.

My favourite parts of this book were the established and newly formed relationships Sam had with other characters. Her Ma, was an essential driver throughout the plot because she brings Sam back to her roots socially and emotionally. Ma is just as hardworking (if not more) than Sam and trying her best to stay afloat financially, and she only wants the best life for her. There were a few times I teared up reading their moments together, and it just goes to show how important the family dynamic is in this story. As for Tim and Anya, their additional backgrounds as Singapore’s wealthy were fun to dive into, and they have shown how even those who have the finest things in life are imperfect humans beings at the end of the day. Another aspect I found important book was the striking and dialogue, especially those lines given to Sam toward the last third of the reading. It was well thought out, and this is something readers can discover on their own.

As for the romance of this book, it felt like the dynamics between Tim and Sam were a bit forced. It was a sweet one overall, but I wish it came more naturally. Lucia, Tim’s infamous on and off girlfriend was a real viper to deal with throughout. There were several instances where readers are reminded of Lucia, especially with that watch that Tim wore from her that stuck to him like a flea. She was a nuisance, but a necessary one to the plot.

This was a great AAPI book to be added to the contemporary realistic fiction genre! Seeing Sam living a double life, and trying to achieve the best of both worlds was a journey to see. Aside from the romance being a bit bland , the plot had some great twists and turns for the readers to enjoy and a character that young Asian women can look up to!

Read if you like:
🇸🇬 Reading Diversely
✍🏻 Gossip Girls
💰 Inventing Anna
💄 She’s All That
📰 Magazines

I absolutely adored this book! It was based in Singapore and gave me She’s All That vibes mixed with Inventing Anna vibes with The Fraud Squad’s plan to give Samantha access to the clothes and invites to events to help her infiltrate high society and to be able to break into the group hopefully to get her dream job at the classiest magazine in Singapore.

I also loved the Gossip Girls vibes pulled in with the column in said magazine where a socialite was blasting gossip about socialites in their inner circle under a pen name.

I truly loved getting to read a book with a setting outside of America or the UK as that is where most books I’ve been reading seem to take place.

Thank you so much Berkley for my ARC of this one in exchange for my honest feedback!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the digital advanced reader's copy.

So, it pains me to admit that this was a bit of a disappointment, but I think that's due to going into it with the wrong expectations.

I thought it was going to be more than it was. It lacked the sense of humor, outrageous uberwealthy antics, amazing settings, and thoughtful characters that I was expecting.

Instead, this was a straightforward romance with Singapore used as the background. It's a retelling of Pygmalion/My Fair Lady, and I think if you go in with expectations of that, rather than something different, you'll be better able to appreciate it for what it is.

Samantha Song, the financially-struggling daughter of a hard-working single mom, dreams of being a socialite without a care in the world other than what dress to wear to the next big event. When she makes a connection and hatches a plan to move herself into the circles she's always dreamed of, she can hardly believe what's happening. However, will becoming a new person mean losing herself in the process?

I liked the premise, but the execution was a bit rote and flat. The story goes exactly as expected, and the characters are predictable as well.

All in all, pleasant fun for a romantic retelling of a myth and a nice weekend read.

*occasional language

‘The Fraud Squad’ is a glamorous, face paced and light read. Think Gossip Girl set in Singapore but you actually like this universe’s Dan Humphrey (Sam) and add in a lower stakes heist. Samantha is a very like able main character, I loved her ambition and drive. I didn’t rally like the other two members of the “fraud” squad, which included Tim, the love interest. His story didn’t make as much sense to me, didn’t work as well as Samantha’s did for me. The ending came together really well and it was all in all an enjoyable read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 (rounded up for GR)

Okay I really enjoyed this book.

This book was like if She’s All That, Can’t Buy Me Love/Love Don’t Cost a Thing, and Crazy Rich Asians got married and birthed this stunning story about a no-name girl pretending to be a socialite in order to get her dream job as a magazine columnist.

I loved Samantha, our narrator. She spent her life getting lost in the glossy pages of magazines, immersing herself in the lifestyles of the rich and influential. Her escapism was deeply relatable, and I also identified with her struggles of hoping for more for her life and at a loss for how to make it happen. Her tenacity, strength of character, and dedication to any task she takes on were highly admirable.

The crew of side characters was wonderful, too. I absolutely adored Timothy and how right from the very beginning, he was prepared to do whatever he could to help Samantha succeed.

I loved how the romance between him and Samantha really took a backseat to the growth of these characters. The slowburn, friends to lovers was great. With that said, my only gripe about this story would be that I wish we got more from their relationship. It all felt very sudden despite the slow burn, and the ending for me left a lot to be desired. I would’ve loved some sort of epilogue.

Samantha works for a PR firm but her dream is to write columns for the high fashion magazine S. However, Sam doesn't belong to the wealthy socialite set that usually graces the covers of S and concocts a plan with her friends, Anya and Tim, to see if she can pretend to be a socialite and meet Missy, the editor of S. Tim's family owns the media company that publishes S and Anya helps provide Sam with the clothes and tips that helps her blend in. The more Sam fits in and learns about the elite world, the more she wonders if its what she really wants as it affects her relationships with her mom and friends. Overall, a fun quick read that kept you interested in finding out if Sam would succeed in her goal. The romance between Sam and Tim was a bit sudden and a little farfetched, but it came around in the end. Despite being set in Singapore, it wasn't utilized very much and felt like it could have been set anywhere. Readers of woman achieving their career goals will like this one.

This just wasn’t for me. The cover and the title lured me in immediately but I just couldn’t get into it.

I was honestly going to give up and mark this book as DNF about 30% in. Why? A good chunk of the book at that point was exposition dialogue. Nothing was happening at all. I was very bored.

The descriptions were odd too. Items were just described as the brand name without any other descriptors as to style. There’s a difference between a Gucci dress and Bottega heels and a midnight silk Gucci dress and a black Bottega pumps.

I didn’t even remember the story was set in Singapore until the characters went to the kopitiam.

All of the characters felt very one note so it was hard to root for them or really care about them.

I was entertained and I noted a lot of potential. I did like the S gala and what conspired there and all the backstabbing that happened afterwards. That was fun!

Thank you, NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Perfect for fans of Crazy Rich Asians and Devil Wears Prada, THE FRAUD SQUAD by Kyla Zhao is a dazzling read that takes you into elite singapore, through columns of gossip and glamour, featuring complicated asian families, richer friends, so! much! fashion!, frauds and schemes.

If you've ever wanted to read something that's so indulgent and fashionable, The Fraud Squad just might be the perfect choice for you! with characters like Samantha, Anya, Timothy, Daisy and Raina, you'd never want to miss out this terrific debut.

Besides, with all the gleaming descriptions of all the outfits and galas, this filled my little heart with all those visual imagery. Featuring ambitious and headstrong characters who can definitely go wrong, THE FRAUD SQUAD is the one for you!

The Fraud Squad is a captivating story of a working-class woman who infiltrates Singapore's high society in pursuit of her dreams; She risks everything in the process - even her own identity. Follow this courageous protagonist as she embarks on a thrilling journey of self-discovery.

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.