The Fraud Squad
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2023-01-20 06:51:28
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Kyla Zhao
- ISBN：059354613X
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
A working-class woman who infiltrates Singapore’s high society to fulfill her dreams risks losing everything in the process—including herself—in this propulsive novel by debut author Kyla Zhao。
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。
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。
Reviews
Caroline （readtotheend on IG）
，
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 bel 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。 。。。more
neide
，
A view at Singapore high society as Samantha Song fakes her way to the top， with the aid of high fashion magazines and a friendship with two socialites。 I enjoyed reading this book and there was a moment I started devouring it because I needed to know how it ended。 I wished we could have seen more of Samantha post-fraud， but I understand that was not the history the book was trying to tell。 If you're looking for a fun book to read about a poor girl who tricks the richest， this is it。 A view at Singapore high society as Samantha Song fakes her way to the top， with the aid of high fashion magazines and a friendship with two socialites。 I enjoyed reading this book and there was a moment I started devouring it because I needed to know how it ended。 I wished we could have seen more of Samantha post-fraud， but I understand that was not the history the book was trying to tell。 If you're looking for a fun book to read about a poor girl who tricks the richest， this is it。 。。。more
Kayla Plutzer
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This was a lot of fun。 I wish there was more romance and more friendship moments with Raina and Daisy。
Allison
，
I swooned over this one， with a chef's kiss to the fantastic narrator， who brought all the characters in this contemporary dramedy （with a dash of smooches） to life。 It's got the feel of a romcom--and ALL the feels， here， with times that left me shouting NO SAMANTHA DON'T while listening （apologies to people next to me at the gym， my bad）--with the emphasis more about relationships in general: friendships， romances， and family drama， too。 The title is spot on， with three friends forming an allia I swooned over this one， with a chef's kiss to the fantastic narrator， who brought all the characters in this contemporary dramedy （with a dash of smooches） to life。 It's got the feel of a romcom--and ALL the feels， here， with times that left me shouting NO SAMANTHA DON'T while listening （apologies to people next to me at the gym， my bad）--with the emphasis more about relationships in general: friendships， romances， and family drama， too。 The title is spot on， with three friends forming an alliance to fool high society， each for their own reasons。 （Some not so pure。） And at the center of it all is Samantha Song: smart， hardworking， and definitely not a socialite by birth。 With so many laugh out loud moments， coupled with a rollercoaster for my heart （swoon， squeal， scream， repeat）， this is one you NEED， and if you like audiobooks， get that version。 I did， and LOVED it。 。。。more
Laura
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This was a cute read。 Samantha wants a spot as a writer at a top magazine in Singapore but she doesn't have the right connections。 Her coworker （who is a socialite） at the pr firm she works at says she will help with another socialite。 They start a fraud squad to help her take it till she makes it。It was fun going to parties and getting pr jobs and getting higher up in society。 Then things fell apart。 Wished that the romance had a bit more chemistry。 It happened so fast and I may have just misse This was a cute read。 Samantha wants a spot as a writer at a top magazine in Singapore but she doesn't have the right connections。 Her coworker （who is a socialite） at the pr firm she works at says she will help with another socialite。 They start a fraud squad to help her take it till she makes it。It was fun going to parties and getting pr jobs and getting higher up in society。 Then things fell apart。 Wished that the romance had a bit more chemistry。 It happened so fast and I may have just missed it。 It's women's fiction and not romance so it's not necessarily the focus。 Enjoyed the friend groups and their social climbing planning。Thank you berkleypub and @netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review。Rating: ⭐⭐⭐。25 。。。more
Jame_EReader
，
This book reminds me of toned down Crazy Rich Asians。 I enjoyed it even more when the location， cultures and traditions have been added to the plot; thus， making the story colorful。 Overall， the book has its uniqueness compared to many rom-com， mystery books。 I enjoyed how the author， Kyla Zhang， maneuvered the story from several POVs to engage the readers to stay focused。 It is an easy-read and page-turner。Thank you @LetsTalkBooksPromo and @berkleypub for having me on this booktour to read and This book reminds me of toned down Crazy Rich Asians。 I enjoyed it even more when the location， cultures and traditions have been added to the plot; thus， making the story colorful。 Overall， the book has its uniqueness compared to many rom-com， mystery books。 I enjoyed how the author， Kyla Zhang， maneuvered the story from several POVs to engage the readers to stay focused。 It is an easy-read and page-turner。Thank you @LetsTalkBooksPromo and @berkleypub for having me on this booktour to read and review。 。。。more
Leith Devine
，
This is a fun romance， set in Singapore， that examines how family background can contribute to success。 Samantha comes from a humble background， but she’s always kept up on the doings of Singaporean high society through newspapers and magazines。 When she meets up with her friend Anya and Anya’s friend Timothy， they come up with the fraud squad idea。 Timothy is from a prominent family and so is Anya， so they have the tools and knowledge to groom Sam into Singaporean socialite。 She’ll be invited t This is a fun romance， set in Singapore， that examines how family background can contribute to success。 Samantha comes from a humble background， but she’s always kept up on the doings of Singaporean high society through newspapers and magazines。 When she meets up with her friend Anya and Anya’s friend Timothy， they come up with the fraud squad idea。 Timothy is from a prominent family and so is Anya， so they have the tools and knowledge to groom Sam into Singaporean socialite。 She’ll be invited to the best parties etc。 Sam’s ultimate goal is to write a column for one of the big socialite magazines。As the project progresses， Sam realizes that the socialites she studies are people with problems like hers。 They never consider that there might be people who feel deceived， and that could mean disaster for Sam。 I enjoyed the book and I especially liked the ending， 4 stars。 Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book。 Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own。 。。。more
Tanya Parmanand
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Think the Devil Wears Prada meets Crazy Rich Asians！ Such a good book - I loved the themes， the storyline， the character development， the questions for the book discussion！
Merrin Taylor
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Like many other readers， the cover art and synopsis are what drew me in。 （A working-class woman who infiltrates Singapore's high society to fulfill her dreams risks losing everything in the process—including herself。） But unfortunately， the concept was much better than the execution。Samantha （Sam） Song has a glimpse of high society life through her close friend Anya， but has nearly accepted that it will never be her own。 Until one night， Anya invites Sam to dinner with her friend， Timothy， who i Like many other readers， the cover art and synopsis are what drew me in。 （A working-class woman who infiltrates Singapore's high society to fulfill her dreams risks losing everything in the process—including herself。） But unfortunately， the concept was much better than the execution。Samantha （Sam） Song has a glimpse of high society life through her close friend Anya， but has nearly accepted that it will never be her own。 Until one night， Anya invites Sam to dinner with her friend， Timothy， who is the son of one of Singapore’s most elite families。 He should be happy because his life is picture-perfect， right？ Wrong。 His parents are letting him take a sabbatical， but fully expect him to give up his personal interests and do his duty by taking over the family business。 If only he could prove to his family that success is possible even if he strays from their carefully laid plans。 Enter， Sam—posing as a socialite herself。 I almost DNF’d this book multiple times， but decided to just speed up the audiobook and make it through。 The characters were pretty one-dimensional， the romance bland， obvious and without a speck of chemistry。 The most interesting part of this story was learning about Singapore society。 I just wish the stakes had been higher， or the characters developed more。 。。。more
Gemma F。
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This book was incredible。 I couldn’t be prouder of a local Singaporean writer who wrote such an intense and unputdownable novel。 Full review to come！
rui ♡³
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pre-readingi want this to be a decent portrayal of singapore so badly but judging by the surnames alone （song， really？？） i think it’s just another attempt to pander to the west （thanks for that， kevin kwan） pre-readingi want this to be a decent portrayal of singapore so badly but judging by the surnames alone （song， really？？） i think it’s just another attempt to pander to the west （thanks for that， kevin kwan） 。。。more
Madie
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Thanks to Berkley Romance， the author， and NetGalley for the free gifted copy in exchange for an honest review。WOW。 I really saw this book going very differently - I imagined more similar vibes to Finlay Donovan but I was SO wrong。 This was just a fiction novel with a touch of romance， but mostly a coming-of-age novel。 The rating and reviews for this one had my hopes SO high for a fantastic drama-filled romance but that was not what this was。 Overall this was an okay story and I was able to fini Thanks to Berkley Romance， the author， and NetGalley for the free gifted copy in exchange for an honest review。WOW。 I really saw this book going very differently - I imagined more similar vibes to Finlay Donovan but I was SO wrong。 This was just a fiction novel with a touch of romance， but mostly a coming-of-age novel。 The rating and reviews for this one had my hopes SO high for a fantastic drama-filled romance but that was not what this was。 Overall this was an okay story and I was able to finish it， but I definitely don’t recommend it。 。。。more
Charlotte Lynn
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This book is so fun。 Samantha just wants to get her dream job。 Timothy and Anya have the means to help her do that。 Thus， they form the Fraud Squad。 I love seeing Samantha step up， spread her wings， and do what needs to be done to get ahead in life。 Timothy and Anya were great friends， getting her into the right place， helping her find the right clothes， and teaching her the socialite ways。 While this book was a fun read， it also had lessons to learn。 The Fraud Squad is a story of figuring out This book is so fun。 Samantha just wants to get her dream job。 Timothy and Anya have the means to help her do that。 Thus， they form the Fraud Squad。 I love seeing Samantha step up， spread her wings， and do what needs to be done to get ahead in life。 Timothy and Anya were great friends， getting her into the right place， helping her find the right clothes， and teaching her the socialite ways。 While this book was a fun read， it also had lessons to learn。 The Fraud Squad is a story of figuring out what is important in life， what your goals are， how to be true to yourself， and what a good friend is。 I understood how Samantha was able to get pulled into the socialite life and how much fun it would be to live that lifestyle。 I liked that Timothy and Anya helped her， but her best friend and the person she did not know was a real friend are my favorites。 They understood the reason for the Fraud Squad but they helped Samantha figure out what was truly important to her。This is a fun， quick， and easy read。 I enjoyed the Singapore setting， but it really could have been set anywhere。 The characters were fun and there were some surprises in their relationships and lives。 。。。more
Becky of Becky's Bookshelves
，
Thank you @PRHAudio for the complimentary audiobookThe Fraud Squad is by Kyla Zhao read by Siho Ellsmore shares the story of Samantha Song who lives with her single mom trying to make ends meet。 She has spent her life in Singapore’s public housing dreaming of a better life while reading high society magazines。 She is currently working at a PR firm willing to do almost anything to change her life。 Enter the Fraud Squad。 Samantha， Timothy and Anya conspire together to get Samantha into the high so Thank you @PRHAudio for the complimentary audiobookThe Fraud Squad is by Kyla Zhao read by Siho Ellsmore shares the story of Samantha Song who lives with her single mom trying to make ends meet。 She has spent her life in Singapore’s public housing dreaming of a better life while reading high society magazines。 She is currently working at a PR firm willing to do almost anything to change her life。 Enter the Fraud Squad。 Samantha， Timothy and Anya conspire together to get Samantha into the high society of Singapore。 What could go wrong？ This novel was glamorous， gritty and genuine。 （I could not help myself with the g’s） The author had such insight into the world of both what it was like to be incredibly wealthy and to make ends meet。 I felt like I had stepped into Singapore’s high society and enjoyed reading about all that entailed while still getting a glimpse of daily life in Singapore。 The themes of true friendship， that things are not always as they appear， and the complexities of family no matter your wealth made this story resonate with me。 This women’s fiction debut was great fun to listen to。 I enjoyed the slow and thoughtful build of the story。 There is a touch of romance， and I loved the ending。 I recommend the story。 I was given a copy to listen to and not required to write a positive review。 。。。more
USOM
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（Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher。 This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest。） 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 af （Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher。 This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest。） 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。 。。。more
audy （brekker's version）
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singapore？ low girl trying to crawl to the top？ asian rep？ and did i mention SINGAPORE？？yes， please！！！***okay， this was actually really good？？？ this was so addicting too。。 i love books with like posh PR magazine shiz and i。 ate。 this。 UP。 and so much fashion omllllook i don't let this side of me very often but all the glam descriptors of the galas and stuff literally got me jelly and THIS IS A DEBUTE WHAT？？？ also all the schemingggg ahh4。8/5LOVED this。 singapore？ low girl trying to crawl to the top？ asian rep？ and did i mention SINGAPORE？？yes， please！！！***okay， this was actually really good？？？ this was so addicting too。。 i love books with like posh PR magazine shiz and i。 ate。 this。 UP。 and so much fashion omllllook i don't let this side of me very often but all the glam descriptors of the galas and stuff literally got me jelly and THIS IS A DEBUTE WHAT？？？ also all the schemingggg ahh4。8/5LOVED this。 。。。more
Erica
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This book was a fun， modern twist on Pygmalion or My Fair Lady。 Samantha Song aspires to write at S Magazine， Singapore’s top magazine that all of the socialites read and pay attention to。 However， Samantha doesn’t have the money or social status to get there。 But when her work friend Anya and Anya’s best friend Tim hatch up a plan to transform Samantha into a socialite like they are， Samantha jumps on the opportunity。 But will she get swept up in all the glitz and the glam？ Or will she stay tru This book was a fun， modern twist on Pygmalion or My Fair Lady。 Samantha Song aspires to write at S Magazine， Singapore’s top magazine that all of the socialites read and pay attention to。 However， Samantha doesn’t have the money or social status to get there。 But when her work friend Anya and Anya’s best friend Tim hatch up a plan to transform Samantha into a socialite like they are， Samantha jumps on the opportunity。 But will she get swept up in all the glitz and the glam？ Or will she stay true to herself？ Overall， this was a wonderful read。 It was light and engaging from start yo finish。 As a character， I found Samantha to be a bit naive， but she was able to learn a lot from her experiences。 While she was able to gain a lot from faking it as a socialite， she may have been better off in some aspects if she had stuck to her life as-is。 While some of the plot was predictable， there were a couple surprises that I didn’t see coming， which was fun。 。。。more
The Bookish Soup
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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 t 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。 More details to come to a Youtube video soon！Otherwise， an enjoyable read for anyone who needs a quick escape from their day-to-day！ 。。。more
A Booked Reader
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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 fe 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！ 。。。more
Tristen
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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 accurat 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 societyPublication date is Jan 17， 2023。 。。。more
Emily Skye
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Read this for work。 Quickly realized it wasn't for me， so I mostly skimmed it， no rating。 Read this for work。 Quickly realized it wasn't for me， so I mostly skimmed it， no rating。 。。。more
MiKayla
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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 i 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！ 。。。more
Jennifer
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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 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 。。。more
Magen
，
‘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 w ‘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。 。。。more
Magen
，
‘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 w ‘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。 。。。more
Amanda Chaperon
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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 relat 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。 。。。more
Lea Rummel
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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！
Jasmine
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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 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。 。。。more
Lovely Loveday
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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。 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。 。。。more
Michelle
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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 per 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！！ 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Fraud Squad
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Fraud Squad&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Fraud Squad&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0