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!

This was such a fun read and it felt like a guilty pleasure as you’re getting a glimpse into high society life. I immediately liked Sam, her hard work and drive to succeed was impressive. I loved her relationship with her mom, it was really sweet and the fact that most of her reason behind wanting to better herself came from the desire to set her mother up with a better life was adorable. All of the relationships here were great actually now that I’m really thinking about it, Sam and her friends scheming was just so fun especially set against such a glitzy backdrop. Everything was so well described, from the fashions the socialites were wearing to the decadent food and the party decor you really felt like you were attending fab parties with Sam. Definitely recommended if you like Crazy Rich Asians with a side of The Devil Wears Prada.

I had a hard time getting into this one. I saw some blurbs or reviews (can't quite remember) comparing it to The Devil Wears Prada but that wasn't exactly what we got? Or maybe it I didn't exactly enjoy it due to having certain expectations for it already beforehand? I just wish that certain characters had been more fully developed because the synopsis of trying to break into the top 1% as a socialite was so great!

Samantha Song has always dreamed of writing for a glamorous magazine in Singapore but she does not have the family connections or money to gain entry to the high society world. What she does have is a high society friend who introduces her to the son of one of the elite families. Together they launch a scheme to immerse Samantha in the high society world. Samantha is dazzled and embraces it and things seem to be getting her closer to her dream but she needs to figure out what is real and what is fake and if she can be herself and still have her dream?

i was excited for this book because i love schemes and misadventures and i hate capitalism, but i don't think i got what i expected. i didn't like any of the characters - in all honesty none of the so-called "villains" who are shunned by the end do anything worse than the main characters we're supposed to support and root for and like - and in some cases i think they actually are better. i didn't think the character development or consequences fully played out by the end, and i was left feeling this book didn't live up to its full potential.

This book is interesting. I knew nothing of Singapore and we get to find out what Singapore high society looks like. It kind of reminds me of the novels of the 1980's featuring lavish lifestyles with people with too much money.

This book shows what happens when you will do anything to get into the "in" crowd. Samantha is ready to be part of this society but its not what she thought it would be and all the hoops she has to go through, dragging her own mother through it all, is ultimately not worth it.

This, to me, is the best part of this book. Kicking and clawing towards your goal, regardless of what you have to do - made it all worth the read.

There are a lot of things going on here and not all of it works, but the story is propelled by exciting stories and good writing.

It did feel a little long towards the end, but overall, this is a compelling debut - reality -vs- fraud. Your version of reality may just be my idea of cheating and pretending - basically of fraud.

DNF. The premise sounded so promising, but the way in which Sam convinces Anya and Tim to make her a socialite (with absolutely no upside for them that I could see) just destroyed the world that we were being brought into. And if you can't believe the world...

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

I had the pleasure of reading the first several chapters of this book before it was published and have been excited to read the entire novel ever since. I was not disappointed. What a page turner! Crazy Rich Asians meets Working Girl. I loved reading about all the glitz and glamour of Singapore society through the eyes of Samantha Song, a working-class young woman who, with the help of two society friends, makes her way into high society for a chance to write for her favorite magazine. I thought the rise and collapse of Sam's relationships during this transition were so well done and the romance, while subtle and not the main focus of the book, was immensely satisfying. I can't wait to read what's next from Kyla Zhao and she's a real talent!

I was interested in reading this book because of the comments of it being reminiscent of The Devil Wears Prada. Unfortunately, this wasn’t anywhere near as good. I just couldn’t get into it.

Thank you @PRHAudio for my complimentary audiobook. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the eARC.

The Fraud Squad is a fun mashup of Trading Places, Pretty Woman and Crazy Rich Asians. Fast paced with no real downtime, it is easy to binge this one in a weekend. I would label this a guilty pleasure read. It was a fun peak into high society. Some place to visit but not somewhere I would like to live.

Samantha, Anya and Tim make a great team. I love how they all worked together toward the goal of introducing Sam to High Society. But are they all really on the same team ?

Just when everything is falling into place, the bottom falls out. Will Sam be able to pick herself up and save face ?

If you are a fan of the above movies then you will enjoy this book !

This book was gossip girl for Singapore, but almost too simplistic writing to the point it was cheesy. I’ll totally show up for the movie, but pass on finishing this book.

Much thanks to @prhaudio for a complimentary audio copy of this debut from Kyla Zhao and NetGalley for an early digital copy. I really wanted to love this cross between Crazy Rich Asians and The devil wears Prada but I had a hard time really connecting with the main character and the romance didn't have the emotional depth I would have liked. It was also a tad longer than I thought it needed to be. Definitely worth checking out though if you enjoy Kpop/Kdrama style stories!

If you're looking for a fun, quick read into the world of society and fashion, there's a lot of that in this debut novel. There are some plot holes and the author has a habit of including an action tag with every line of dialogue, and often the same action. I don't know how many times I've read a character "rolled their eyes" or had a "twinge of guilt" or that their "breath hitched". Also, not clear as to why the protagonist's friend Anya would help her in her fraud.

The Fraud Squad is a fantastic debut the explores Singapore’s high society and what it takes to be a socialite. It follows Samantha Song, a working class journalist, who teams up with her two wealthy friends, Anya and Timothy. Together, they create a false identity that will allow Samantha to make a name for herself in the industry. However, the more absorbed she gets by the glitz and glamor, the more she gets lost in it.

Overall, this was a fast-paced and captivating book that was truly a mix of Crazy Rich Asians, Gossip Girl and a Devil Wears Prada. Zhao vivid descriptions transported me right to the streets of Singapore, and I loved learning about the fashion and lifestyle trends, the media industry, local/traditional foods, and the social classes. While there is romance in the story, it certainly not the focal point, so I would know that going in. What made this story special was all the other relationships explored, particularly the relationship between her and her mom and her and her friends. While I primarily read this book, I listened to a few chapters on audio and was truly impressed by Siho Ellsmore and how well she depicted each character.

Read if you like:
-Singapore setting
-Fashion/media
-Character growth
-Devil Wears Prada/ Crazy Rich Asians

Thank you Berkley, PRH Audio, and Lets Talk Books. Pub Date 1/17/22

The Fraud Squad by Kyla Zhao reminds me of becoming Anna if you love to learn about the world of the elite and how some are able to be apart of that world with the money or fame. You will love this book. It well written and has a lot of turns to keep you turning the pages to find out what happens next!

Fraud Squad has all the Gossip Girl/Crazy Rich Asian vibes and I loved it! Samantha Song has always dreamed of being a socialite, and when her socialite friend Anya asks her to dinner with her friend Timothy, the disillusioned heir of an elite family, they come up with a plan: make Samantha the new It girl. The more absorbed she gets into the glitz and glamor though, the more she gets lost in it. I blitzed through this book. I loved the drama and depiction of society painted in this Singapore high society in contrast to Samantha’s more “normal” life. There’s some predictability in the story, but that didn’t take away from the story at all. The characters and writing were vibrant and interesting, and I loved Samantha’s journey. There is so much individuality in this book and the characters and relationships are so good and well developed. I highly recommend Fraud Squad.

I really really really wanted to LOVE this book. It was fun and I really liked the plot, but it's hard to read a book on this topic and not compare it to Crazy Rich Asians. I just wanted more description, more opulence, and a few more personalities. We were just starting to scratch the surface of this world by the time the book ended!

*3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Pub for giving me an eARC of this book!

Kyla Zhao has spun a fascinating debut story of uncovered secrets behind the glamorous socialite life and a young-woman's plan to achieve the career of her dreams, plus representation of the struggles working class immigrants experience, all in one.

I, for one, am always down for a good career-driven, girl boss success story and this one definitely hit that mark. Especially given the heartfelt portrayals of Sam and her immigrant mother's struggles, I found myself eager to follow along with her journey to write at a famous fashion magazine and finally see her reach her dreams.

I do wish we got to see more of the cultural aspect of Singaporean life, besides just the delicious food, as I was looking forward to that element of the book and didn't see as much of it integrated as I'd expected. I also felt the character relationships were a bit lukewarm, especially with Sam and Tim. I so badly wanted to feel more for them, but I just never fell in love with their romance. Similar with the plot points, they were often obvious and the stakes were usually low.

This is a more personal thing, but I have trouble getting fully integrated with books when the main character "is the problem but doesn't realize it". While I fully support Sam's plan, it really pained me to see her prioritize it over the people who cared about her (like Raina! I love Raina). All I could think about was how it may blow up in her face by the end. She just wasn't my favorite main character to follow along with, but I liked her storyline nonetheless.

As for the ending, I really loved the way the author wrapped everything up and the final "drama" points were super entertaining to read through. The last third of the book was definitely my favorite. Overall, this was a fast-paced read that will immerse you in the alluring world of high society.

The cover and synopsis of this book are so stunningly interesting, I'm disappointed I didn't like this book as much as I thought I would. I usually love reading about scams and glamorous lives but something about this one lacked the depth to make me invested in their schemes. Sam seemed really intriguing and I wish the story took time to explore her backstory and motives before moving forward. And all of this lead to an unsatisfying ending that didn't go with the flow. It's an entertaining read, I'll give you that and would absolutely win me over if it was more thoughtfully written.