The Fraud Squad Paperback – January 17, 2023

Not sure why readers are expecting To Kill a Mockingbird from a fashion writer’s FIRST published novel. Overall, the book is extremely fun, I felt archetypal characters existed to blur any blatant coincidences between fiction and people author would know in real life, considering the author has been a part of this scene before. I thought the story was paced to perfection. Zhao is definitely not paid by the word, and unlike Charles Dickens, has a writing style that goes down easily like fine whiskey.Enjoy the read and prepare to go on thriller of an adventure.

This was a great read. I had been waiting this book for a while and finally convinced my book club to read it along with me. It gives a good look into high Asian society.

I read this for book club and had high hopes that it would be entertaining like Crazy Rich Asians as one review I read said it was. But what I found was a cheese reality TV show in written form. I felt the characters could have been better developed. The romance in it felt lack luster.

Oh wow where do I even begin? I've been looking forward to Fraud Squad for months and immediately devoured it when my copy arrived. And it's just so much fun and so very clever! I was hooked from start to finish and couldn't stop turning the pages. I finished it in one sitting and found myself craving more from Zhao. The ending was unexpected but incredibly satisfying. Great start to my reading year!

📚BOOK REVIEW📚The Fraud Squad by Kyla ZhaoRating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5Spice level: 0/3Genres: New Adult, contemporary romance, humorTropes: secret identity, different worlds, friends to loversSamantha Song has always been fascinated by Singapore’s socialite scene. Her dream is to write for a high-society magazine, but learned after graduating college that it’s hard to get those jobs unless you have high-up connections. She ends up working at a PR firm, where she meets Anya Chen (who is a wealthy socialite).During a chance meeting, Sam is introduced to Timothy Kingston, the only son of one of the most elite families in Singapore. He has no interest in taking over the family business, and wants to prove to his family that he (or anyone) can make it in high-society even without a powerful last name. They come up with a plan to get Sam introduced into high-society, which would satisfy both of their end goals.Tim gets Sam invited to all the big parties and events and Anya provides clothes, and it seems like they might be able to pull this off. Throughout the book, we learn about the backstories of Tim and Anya, and some of their “rivals” in the socialite scene. Sam learns that their lives aren’t as fun and glamorous as the magazines make them seem, and she begins to question her motivations for this scheme.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~This was a super fun read. It was written in 3rd person, which helped give the reader a more objective view to the situations in the book. The dialogue was pretty funny at times, and the situations Sam got into made me really sympathize with her (and get secondhand embarrassment).There wasn’t a lot of opportunity for “twists” in this book, but there were a few at the end that I didn’t see coming. The dynamic between Sam and her “rival” felt pretty realistic as well. The character arc of Sam throughout the book is really sweet, as well as the growth in her relationship with her mom and true friends.I really liked this book. Romance was definitely more of a sub-plot; it focused more on Sam’s relationships with her friends and career growth. It was a fun read though, I definitely recommend it to anyone who likes new adult/contemporary fiction books.

I went into this book fully prepared to love it, because I loved so many aspects! The Singapore setting (I grew up in Singapore and visit every 1-2 years) and the fact that it's essentially The Devil Meets Prada meets Cinderella meets Crazy Rich Asians, ALL of which I love.But sadly...I didn't love it. I wish I did. The cover is so pretty. I loved taking a trip down memory lane as I read about kopitiams and HDBs and the Singapore bus lines. Reading about the humidity that Singapore is so famous for. I also enjoyed reading about Singapore high society, even though I didn't recognize many of the luxury brand names (which was a problem because many of Samantha and the other socialites' clothes were described with only their brand names, which didn't help me).I didn't love the characters. They all felt very one-dimensional to me, so I didn't feel connected to any of them and therefore had a hard time rooting for them. The dialogue felt stilted and unnatural, and a bit forced. I never felt like I got to know any of the characters on a level that allowed me to connect with them, except for the two supposed villains. The romance between Tim and Samantha fell flat for me and I had a hard time feeling the chemistry between them, which goes back to not being able to connect with the characters. The tension was seriously lacking for me as well except for one part during the climax when all is revealed. Overall, Samantha got everything much too easily, and there was never a point where I felt like she might fail or not get what she wanted.What I really didn't like...I really, really hate woman-on-woman hate. Without spoilers, this happened with a couple of women that Samantha gets to know in her time with the Fraud Squad. And of course the man gets forgiven. That sort of dynamic seriously annoys me and the notion that everyone (especially the women) who doesn't like the MC are evil and jealous. Finally, I felt like I was TOLD a lot of things about character descriptions and reactions and setting descriptions, never allowing me to fully immerse myself in the world that I really wanted to go back into.3 stars because it was entertaining enough that I finished it, but that's about it.

Such a fun read.

Physically, the book was in good shape.I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters. Some of the issues got resolved too easily. The concept was good, but could have been executed better. This is not really a romance novel, but more about a woman finding her way. Very slow beginning.

The Fraud Squad is an amazing story that has major Crazy Rich Asians and Gossip Girl vibes. I was hooked right away and couldn't put this down! Kyla Zhao is a gifted writer, and her descriptions really brought the characters and the setting to life. It made me really want to go to Singapore and experience all the glitz and glam for myself. I really liked that the story also touched on social issues related to idolizing the rich and famous. I also felt for the main character, Samantha. She has problems that a lot of people can relate to, so I was truly rooting for her the whole way. And I loved the tension between her and the romantic interest. If you want to read something that combines beautiful scenery, complex characters, romance, and drama, I highly recommend The Fraud Squad!!

I loved this book so much, definitely one for fans of CRAZY RICH ASIANS but also unique in its own way. It was fun, fast and utterly captivating, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I will definitely be looking for our for more books from Kyla Zhao!

Great to daydream about being a socialite with. A fun, light read. I absolutely recommend giving this book a read.

This was perfect travel/flight material as it’s light and doesn’t need too much attention to keep up with the plot.It’s typical rom-com kind of fare, and you won’t find a lot new here. It borrows elements from some of the popular content (I’ll use movies) you can think of like How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days or 13 going on 30, with the scheming/article or wanting to be a part of the biggest magazine- to Crazy Rich Asians and its high-rolling lifestyle (unfortunately, this part could have been anyone, anywhere, we don’t get to experience as much of Singapore as I would have liked).Though we may all know the inspirations, it doesn’t keep it from being any less entertaining and a fun brain-break from the day.

The shipping was fast and the book was good quality. Also the story is so fun to read !