I LOVED the Crazy Rich Asians series. It was so much fun and just hilarious. I expected the same from Lies and Weddings. Once again, Kevin Kwan reaches deep into high society and gives us a fun story filled with beautiful scenery and the most exclusive places in the world. Many of us "regular folk" will never experience what it feels like to be uber-rich and in many ways, his stories give us a glimpse of the high life. That said, it was a pretty quick read that I call "eye candy" because it doesn't require us to dig deep for meaning or a special message. I read it because it was fun, hilarious, and had characters to root for and hate simultaneously. I especially liked the little explanations of terms and places at the end of each chapter. As a former history teacher, he saved me time from having to look these up on my own. While Eden and Rufus were at the heart of the story, the book itself was a bit predictable. The end was not a surprise, nor was the build-up to many of the "ah-ha" moments. However, it was a page-turner that had me laughing and crying and just plain curious about what was going to happen from page to page. Sometimes, you just need a book to take you away for awhile and Kevin Kwan did it again with Lies and Weddings.

I always really enjoy Kevin Kwan's books. They're incredibly lush and an absolute adventure. II found Lies and Weddings to be a tad long for me.... I think it got a little too winding in the middle, but overall, it was a warm yummy treat, as per usual.

A fun, over the top look at ultra rich people’s lives!

I loved Crazy Rich Asians and was happy to see this book coming back to similar approaches.

There is a lot going on. I wanted more depth in the main romance and more focus on a few of the other relationships rather than so many, but it was fun to see how it all came together (predictably, but still interesting!).

My favorite part were the amazing descriptions of locations and food! I felt like I was there!

3.5. I think this was a solid book that was well written and explored some interesting themes. I do recommend it.

Kevin Kwan creates another compelling story of over the top wealthy characters living fabulous lives until the rug is pulled out from under them. Description of exotic locales and events will have you dusting off your passport. Twists and turns in the story will surprise you and the ending is very satisfying!

The Gresham’s are known for their extreme wealth. The only problem is that no one knows the Gresham Trust has been depleted, and their place in society is threatened. As Arabella’s daughter plans her marriage, she has made it her duty to find a wealthy and notable woman for her son, Rufus. One that can save the Gresham name and fortune. Arabella’s plans fall to the wayside, though, as Rufus has his eyes set on Eden Tong. Having grown up next door to Eden, his plans to tell her his feelings about her may derail the hard work his family has done to secure his future.

How will the Greshams financially recover, and will Rufus find love and happiness or a safety net for the family name?

This novel feels like a globetrotting vacation that you never want to end. From Hawaii to Marrakech, to Los Angeles to England, the reader is privy to the inner sanctum of the extremely wealthy. Such a fun and engaging novel. I highly recommend it.


The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kevin Kwan once again supplies his fan base with a glimpse of a world most of cannot even imagine where money provides a life of privilege but at what cost! While supplying all of us a rom-com you don't want to end, you cannot help but be thankful you are not a part of the rich and famous. Thoroughly enjoyable!

Pure entertainment. After a little bit of a letdown with Sex and Vanity, this is very reminiscent of the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy. (Or maybe enough time has passed that it feels fresher?) The satirical take on the world’s ultrarich (and I guess a Trollope novel I have yet to read??) is the perfect amount of snark v fantasy. The footnotes are just perfection.
Possibly best for people who like to hate watch reality tv, read britlit, and don’t like romances to be overwhelmingly romancey.
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Rufus Leung Gresham,learns that the family fortune has been depleted. Arabella, his scheming mother has the solution. Rufus must attend his sister’s wedding at a luxury eco-resort, and seduce a woman with money. Arabella will be the most vile person in this story and the way she talks down to everyone and is always plotting ways to get what she wants. You will be wanting someone to take her down a peg or two.

This story will have you globetrotting all over the world and showing self how centered and absorbed these rich people can be.

The only down to earth person is Eden. She is a doctor and has managed to live next door to the Gresham's her whole life. She may be friends with them but never truly fit into their world.

A glimpse of the truly rich and how they spend endlessly and only care about themselves.

Kevin Kwan's latest novel, Lies and Weddings, is a rollercoaster of humor, and family drama. Kwan's ability to transport readers to diverse locations around the globe adds a rich layer to the storytelling, immersing them in a vivid and atmospheric experience. The dysfunctional family dynamics depicted in the book resonate with fans of similar themes, drawing parallels to the beloved TV show Schitt’s Creek. Overall, Lies and Weddings is a compelling read that seamlessly blends wit, charm, and a captivating exploration of familial relationships, making it a standout addition to Kevin Kwan's impressive literary repertoire. The footnotes had me chuckling the whole book, do not skip them!

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of Lies and Weddings.

We went from two chapters of talking heads to a chapter of heavy exposition and I just wasn’t enjoying it. I stopped after chapter 3 (5%). I adored the “Crazy Rich Asians” series so I was disappointed to see the new direction Kwan chose in his writing. I don’t know if this will appeal to his fans of his trilogy (it seems like it's harder for all of us to get into), but it’s not my cup of tea.

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for the ARC.

Lies and Weddings, by Kevin Kwan, contains the same kind of frothy lifestyle fun as the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy. Basically everyone in this novel is constantly wearing something beautiful and constantly eating something delicious. There's social climbing, secret relationships, deep love, manipulation, huge financial secrets, and inner discoveries, with nods to classic British novels. It's a manners novel, and a comedy, and an inheritance drama, all at once.

The three adult Gresham siblings are fabulously wealthy and privileged children of an English earl and a Hong Kong fashionista.  Augusta, Rufus and Beatrice have had everything, but now their mother's constant out-of-control spending on her designer projects and their father's secret borrowing might be bringing that to an end. So, they've got the title and the estate (mostly) and the famous names and connections, but the actual cash is gone. Well, I mean, they still have way more money than you or I do, of course. Rich People Problems, you know.

But their mother has a solution -- the three children children can marry money. Her oldest, Augie, is already marrying a European title, with the social and financial benefits on their way to her, and her other two children can get moving on seducing some cash. It's a classic plot, with Lady Gresham as a wealthier and much more stylish Mrs. Bennet. Rufus, the middle child and only son is in love with the girl next door, in a romance with serious Doctor Thorn vibes. But Lady Gresham is determined that only an insanely wealthy heiress will do for her perfect (newly cash-strapped) son, and sets her plans in motion. Of course, I loved all the matchmaking machinations and all the hyperwealthy characters, but personally, I absoluting loved meeting Martha Dung, a venture-capital genius and an amazing addition to the British inheritance drama. 

The girl next door, Eden Tong, is a doctor and daughter of a doctor. The Greshams are, naturally, so wildly rich that a mere doctor isn't on their level. She's basically the daughter of the servants. Eden has -- of course -- a  perfect heart of gold, working as a busy NHS doctor, with concerns for the working classes.  (Yes, it's a bit much but that's kind of the book's vibe.) Eden was perfect and pretty and understanding through the whole book. I simultaneously understood completely why Rufus loved her, and I didn't understand why she wanted to be friends with Augie and Bea at all.

In all the frothy lifestyle fun and tea-spilling drama of Lies and Weddings, though, there's a thoughtful element, too. A few times, Eden is mistaken for the maid or for an assistant, and although no one specifically says they assumed she was staff because she's Chinese, it's still there. There are sharp observations about class and expectations throughout the novel.

Lies and Weddings is such a fun read, with page-turning pacing. First, there's an ultrarich, ultra-dramatic teaser scene, but the novel basically opens with a glamorous wedding, where the Greshams' oldest daughter is marrying a title and the wealth behind it. The book also closes with a glamorous wedding, and without spoilers, there's a nice symmetry between the two weddings, the two brides, two grooms, the money,  the expectations, etc. In between, the whole novel skims between gossipy intrigue and a British inheritance drama, straight out of reading list of classic British manners novels that Corinna Ko-Tung recommends to social-climbing Kitty Pong.  Huge wealth, huge losses, secret paternity, and a mysterious pregnancy test are all key to the plot, with plenty of time for beautiful settings, tempting food and high fashion, in that fantastic Kevin Kwan way.

Crazy Rich Asians was super fun, but part of the reason it resonated was that the main characters were likable and the reader was rooting for them. It feels like every subsequent book has only featured the horrible people surrounding Nick. Yes, the couple in this book is sweet but Rufus is a little too clueless to be fun and everyone is horrible and not in the fun way it felt like they were in the first one.

This book totally gives off Crazy Rich Asians. There were parts of the book that tickled me so much I had to re read certain parts. I loved how the characters developed and the storyline actually told a story. It also gives a fell of having to make choices that better suit you or others. There was a great message in this novel for sure.

I was nervous to explore a book outside the CRA universe (I haven't read "Sex and Vanity") but this really delivered, There are some familiar themes here -- scheming mothers, mysterious deus ex machina parentage, unrelenting wealth -- but also new explorations. The story and characters were compelling and fun. It's just what it needs to be.

Hands down, one of my favorite books of the year. Kevin Kwan has a way of writing characters that are relatable yet are still fictional. There are two things I would have changed. Arabella would have had her comeuppance and I wish Francis grew a pair and defended his kids more. The way Arabella treated Eden is absolutely awful and the way everyone just accepted it was heartbreaking.

This is his best book yet!!! So fun. Set around the world but mainly Hawaii. His escapist social commentary books are always fun!

KEVIN KWAN IS BACK!!!!!! Amazing read - couldn't put it down! Everything is fantastic - likeable and hateable characters, opulent fashion, gorgeous locations and the footnotes are BACK! Happy, happy joy, joy - I was in a reading slump before grabbing this and am now energized to dive into my TBR pile. Thank you thank you thank you for the opportunity to receive an ARC copy of Lies & Weddings - please let me know when I can expect a sequel!!!!

Another absolutely fantastic humorous book written by Kevin Kwan. I thoroughly enjoyed the Crazy Rich Asian trilogy - so I was very excited when I got approved for an ARC version of this book. The story line was great, it kept me engaged. The anger and hatred I felt for Arabella was real. I wish in the end she ended up on the streets. Ha! And the ending made the book completely worth it! Cannot wait to read more by Kevin.

Big thanks again to NetGalley and the publishers.

Since Crazy Rich Asians, I have looked forward to Kevin Kwan's outrageously lavish and darkly funny stories of love and excess wealth. This is another fun entry in his series of frothy, fun reads.