In this razor-sharp novel for fans of When Life Gives You Lululemons, a Manhattan socialite turns her spin instructor into a fitness superstar to impress her friends. But can she keep her little project under control? Or has she created a monster? Julia Summers seems to have it all: a sprawling Upper East Side apartment, a successful husband, and two adorable children attending the best private … attending the best private school in the city. She relishes wielding influence over her well-heeled girlfriends . . . but her star appears to be fading. That’s why, when stranded in Manhattan for the summer as her entire crowd flees to the Hamptons, Julia is on the hunt for the next big thing that will make her the envy of her friends and put her back on top.
Enter Flame, the new boutique gym in her neighborhood. Seductive and transformative, Flame’s spin classes are exactly what Julia needs—and demure, naïve instructor Tatum is her ticket in. But rebranding Tatum as a trendy guru proves hard work, and Julia’s triumphant comeback at summer’s end doesn’t quite go as planned. Tatum begins to grasp just how much power her newfound stardom holds, and when things suddenly get ugly, Julia realizes she’s in way over her head.
Julia’s life is already spiraling out of control when her husband is arrested for fraud and bribery. As her so-called friends turn their backs on her, and Tatum pursues her own agenda, Julia is forced to rethink everything she knew about her world to reclaim her perfect life. But does she even want it back? Witty and incisive, Sophie Littlefield and Lauren Gershell’s That’s What Frenemies Are For provides an engrossing glimpse into the cutthroat moms’ club of the Upper East Side.
Advance praise for That’s What Frenemies are For
“Pack up your beach bag and put your phone on Do Not Disturb: This modern-day Pygmalion story is juicy fun! Fans of Lauren Weisberger and Jill Kargman will delight in this delicious romp about how the other half lives.”—Jamie Brenner, bestselling author of The Forever Summer and Drawing Home
“Whether this book hits a little too close to home or offers the perfect escape, readers will love the insanity of Julia’s social ups and downs in this clever novel.”—Laurie Gelman, author of Class Mom
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I read this book in one night and I NEVER do that. With delicious twists and bendy turns, I enjoyed the shear fun of it. I happen to love satire on uppity people with status issues and this story slices pretense with surgical precision!
I am grateful to the publisher for receiving a copy of the ARC.
Whether this book hits a little too close to home or offers the perfect escape, readers will love the insanity of Julia’s social ups and downs in this clever novel.
A deliciously funny, behind-the-scenes look at the loves and lives of Upper East Side families, That’s What Frenemies Are For is an out and out entertainer for lovers of smart, sassy fiction.
I was all ready for a laugh out loud story about a well to-do upper east side mom and her new best friend, her spin instructor. Boy was I wrong! This story had bit of humor but was more heavy on the dramedy. The main character tries to stay relevant with all her “friends” at the elementary school and thinks by befriending a out of luck spin instructor and molding her into the next best thing, her status as one of the top dogs will remain. The story definitely shows the fickleness of friends and really who your real ones are.
Once you start this book, be prepared to not want to put it down until the very last page. The pacing is quick, the twists and turns are plentiful, the road is unpredictable, and the drama is high. I have not been this invested in a book in a long time. While I initially disliked Julia, her character development was intense and I was really pushing for her by the end (and proud of the changes she made). There were moments I was close to tears, especially as they related to the way Julia was treated by her so-called friends. In truth as well as in fiction, women can be so catty and disloyal and it hurts no matter how old you are. This book is a reminder to be true to yourself and not let the mean girls get to you and to treat others as you’d want them to treat you! I highly recommend it to fans of Lauren Weisberger and Candace Bushnell.
I had so much fun reading this book, which follows Manhattan socialite Julia as she desperately tries to hold on to her status in the cutthroat world of private school moms and gala attendees. When Julia meets Tatum, a spin instructor at a burgeoning gym, she takes her under her wing as her new pet project, thinking that if she can turn Tatum into the Next Hottest Thing, she will impress her friends and continue to climb the social ladder as the one who discovered Tatum. But soon, this Pygmalion plan goes awry as Tatum reveals that she has plans of her own, which might just leave Julia in the dust. This was an addictive read. Even though I found myself feeling very annoyed at all the privileged, self-absorbed women with which Julia surrounds herself (and not to mention Julia herself!), it was SO FUN to indulge in that annoyance, to get to roll my eyes at their actions (and, yes, judge them a little), all while Lauren Gershell and Sophie Littlefield expertly and cleverly explore just how toxic the high society world can be. People often talk about unlikeable characters (and particularly unlikeable female characters) as a flaw in books, but I LOVED reading about these unlikeable characters, particularly because the authors do such a wonderful job humanizing our narrator and helping us see the pressure and expectations that can lead one down such a self-serving, manipulative path. Who is the real monster here—the woman who’s using another to gain social capital, or the society that taught her that social capital is the value by which a woman’s worth should be measured? With witty, smart, and engaging prose, and dialogue that sizzles with all that ISN’T said, THAT’S WHAT FRENEMIES ARE FOR is one of the most fun reads I’ve come across this year.
Overwrought along with silly characters. If you like navel gazing characters this would be for you.
I love reading about this socialite world. I can’t relate to it whatsoever, but it’s neat to live vicariously through this story. The authors really nailed Julia’s personality, and as I moved the through the events in her life, I was able to understand her motivations, emotions, reaction, etc. The way she plucked Tatum out of obscurity and turned her into her newest frenemy is something most women can understand. This is a nice, light read.
The spin class is a great metaphor for Julia’s life: she spins her wheels and gets nowhere. She has no job, no goals, little interest in taking care of her of her own children, and little regard for her husband except to the extent that he’s her personal ATM. She only cares about her socialite world, her fancy clothes, her pathetic reputation and her pretend endeavors.
I downgraded this book from an initial 4 stars to 3 because it went on too long and lost my interest. Julia’s choices got worse and and worse and I was exhausted at 70 percent. I still give this book a solid 3 stars. I liked it. But i stopped loving it and i stopped loving Julia.
Julia Summers lives on the Upper East Side of Manhattan with a beautiful summer house in the Hamptons. Her husband is a successful real estate developer, her two kids attend the prestigious Graylon Academy and they have a full-time nanny/housekeeper. Her life would be the envy of many. However, the circle she runs in is cut-throat, competitive and full of “frenemies”. Julia works to keep her place in the group, priding herself on her “discoveries”. However, it’s been a while since her last one, finding a jewelry designer named Jakobine.
When her Hamptons house suffers major damage from a leak, they are forced to spend the summer in Manhattan. Julia worries that spending a summer away from everyone will cause her to be forgotten. If she can have an amazing new discovery over the summer, her friends will return and her place in the group will be reaffirmed. She learned about a new boutique gym called FLAME! at Graylon’s fundraiser and decides that this could be her big “find”. When she meets the spin instructor, Tatum, she decides to mentor Tatum to become the hottest new thing. When her friends return from their summer homes, Julia will be known as the one who discover FLAME! and Tatum. What could go wrong?
This was a quick read and it was a fascinating look into the lives of some wealthy Manhattan moms. The lengths to which these women will go to keep or elevate their place in the group is amazing. They learn that their “friends” aren’t really people they can truly count on and the people they are quick to dismiss can be the most loyal and dependable people. I would have loved to see more growth in Julia after her experiences but the ending seemed realistic for this group. This was a great, summer read!
Let me start by saying that I usually like chick lit. Especially when it’s witty and sharp, so I dove into this one hoping for an entertaining read. I mean, come on, it has the potential. The blurb sounded so promising, so I dove in, and it didn’t take long for me to be ready to dive right back out. Don’t get me wrong, the book does have its moments. I even chuckled a time or two. But – oh, yes, there’s a but – I didn’t find a single likable character in the bunch, and I couldn’t relate to any of them. It’s a whole lot of gossip and one-upsmanship, and a bunch of women who seem to care only about social status. Quite possibly, and most probably, this is just not the book for me. In fact, if you enjoy shows like Desperate Housewives, then you’ll probably like this one more than I did. For me, it just felt like an incredibly long book that took a long time to get through.
Pack up your beach bag and put your phone on Do Not Disturb: This modern-day Pygmalion story is juicy fun! Fans of Lauren Weisberger and Jill Kargman will delight in this delicious romp about how the other half lives.
Sophie Littlefield and Lauren Gershell have hatched a witty, wise romp through the lives of the status-seeking parents and would-be influencers of Manhattan’s upper echelons. With a delicious plot and a surprisingly winsome heroine, That’s What Frenemies Are For is a smart escapist read.
This smart insider look at today’s Upper East Side will be your dream come true!