I can’t stop thinking about the Arabella character and how she was type cast into the most annoying stereotype of all time: the greedy Asian rich lady who constantly thinks no one is good enough for her or for her sons. Kwan already used this archetype in CRA with Nick’s mom (Michelle Yeoh in the movie). I think it’s not only overused but also unnecessary to have the same villain/antagonist archetype in this book. Actually I’d we did a side by side comparison, I’m pretty sure this is CRA just with different names in different locales. The Eden/Rufus plot line is Rachel/Nick! The gossipy, over-the-top wealthy, and luxurious AF vibes were all there, which made it so juicy, entertaining, and fun-to-read. I had a hard time getting into it in the beginning but then I hit a point around 40% in where I couldn’t stop turning the pages. Entertainment value is high. I don’t really appreciate the “Asian representation” factor in this one - it was shallow, repetitive, and are pretty stereotypical. I didn’t find there to be much character depth but it was an entertaining and light read.

I fell in love with Kevin Kwan's writing whilst devouring the CRAZY RICH ASIANS trilogy -- and he just gets better and better with each book! LIES AND WEDDINGS was another great work of contemporary fiction from him.

This book was so much fun. It was reminiscent of Crazy Rich Asians without being a trope. I enjoyed the various locations and how all of the questions came together in the end. And the opening of the book was so catching.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Digital Advanced Readers Copy, I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

Wonderful wonderful wonderful! Who doesn't love Kevin Kwan! Seriously - read this! Outlandish and fun and just everything.

I really enjoyed the first two books in this series. This one didn't keep my attention as much as those. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't the right book for me at this time.

This was a fun read!! I enjoyed the world of Crazy Rich Asians so was excited to pick up this book. It definitely delivered the drama and entertainment. I also loved the back stories of the characters, especially Eden and her father. Where I felt it was a little lacking was unfortunately the romance. I didn’t really buy the chemistry between the two main characters and it seemed to go from 0 to 100 pretty fast. Overall, an enjoyable read just lacking in the romance department!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!!

The language was stilted and I didn't care about any of the characters. Getting through it was a chore.

LIES and WEDDINGS was an outlandish story that I was very much looking forward to. Nobody does rich people behaving badly like Kevin Kwan. The story started off quite strong as I was pulled into the wedding drama in Hawaii immediately. The story did seem a bit lengthy considering the genre and I think it would have held my attention more with a slightly shorter story. I look forward to reading more from Kevin Kwan in the future! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Whoo hoo! While I didn't enjoy Mr Kwan's sequel to Crazy Rich Asians, and subsequently haven't read him in quite a while, this story is fabulous. I could barely put it down. The rich boy/common girl romance in which only the boy's mother really cares about that dichotomy is wonderfully portrayed, and Mr Kwan masterfully weaves multiple timelines in the same characters lives together to create a complete tapestry without it getting to far into the weeds of details. Bravo!

Lies and Weddings considers people of extraordinary and unextraordinary wealth from different backgrounds, such as European nobility, estranged children of billionaires, and normal doctors working for the NHS among the backdrop of a wedding in Hawaii.

This is my second book by Kevin Kwan and I had a good time with the first, Crazy Rich Asians. I enjoyed this one too, although it grated me for the same reason that Crazy Rich Asians somewhat grated on me. The normal "audience insert" protagonist having deep and meaningful relationships with mega rich people while not really belonging in that world. In this case, Eden Tong, the doctor who lives on an English estate and is BFFs with the children of the family is considered an outsider. However, she frequently benefits from the crazy rich wealth and is often like Oh no! They're wild and crazy and this is so much but I guess I have to wear this extraordinarily expensive dress that they're *making* me wear! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I didn't get much of a critique of the wasteful lifestyles of the ultra wealthy as the main character benefits from the wealth and privilege.

Also, the ending did NOT hit for me!!!! The volcano should have exploded everything again.

If you turn your brain off and pretend like you're along for the ride with the ultra wealthy, I think this book is fun. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Thank you to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for the eARC of this book, my thoughts are my own!

Funny, and full of heart! I love Kevin‘s work and he’s written another entertaining full cast novel. Fans of his work will definitely like this one a lot!

Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan is a fun, lighthearted read for anyone who loves stories about high society, wealth, and romance, all wrapped in humor and a bit of Asian culture. With its sharp satire, it’s sure to keep you laughing and wanting more!

I found this book difficult to follow, with a disjointed plot. Though plentiful, the characters lacked distinctive qualities, making them blur together which made it challenging to stay invested. While it gave off vibes reminiscent of Bridgerton, it fell short of capturing the same charm and intrigue. Unfortunately, I didn’t find it nearly as enjoyable, as the narrative seemed to get lost amid the many characters and subplots.

Kevin Kwan's latest is such a satisfying read for fans of his work. This saga centers around Rufus Leung Gresham's mother's goals to marry him off to a rich woman. Rufus's family riches are dwindling down to almost nothing and though he doesn't care, his mother certainly does. She will stop at nothing to make the perfect match, and she uses his sister's dramatic destination wedding as the perfect opportunity to set the wheels in motion. This is a really delightful and adventurous romance filled with travel and opulence. Come for the story, stay for the descriptions of a life you can only imagine in your wildest lottery-winning fantasies.

Many thanks to Doubleday Books | Doubleday for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to DoubleDay Books and PRH Audio for the copies to review.

It is always a good time when reading Kevin Kwan’s books, and while the Crazy Rich Asian series will always be my favorite, I thoroughly enjoyed Lies and Weddings so very much. I just enjoy his writing style, including the footnotes and side comments to the reader that he sprinkles in throughout. In Lies and Weddings, there is a lot of drama going on, which is on brand with Kwan’s writing, and this time we have a wedding that needs to happen in order to help save a family fortune that has been depleted. Things do not go according to plan, and it was a lot of fun reading this and seeing how it would all play out. I will say that I listened to this via audio and it was just ok, I might have been fine reading the physical copy on this one, but I still loved it overall. I am now anxiously awaiting Kwan’s next book!

I loved the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy. But I don't know if I'm over reading about rich people and how they navigate life, but it didn't hit like I would have liked. The characters all sounded whiney and I didn't find the relationships between Eden and the Leung Gresham siblings to be believable. How can someone from the middle class not find them annoyingly dense and shallow? I get it, they grew up together, but from how different they all were, Rufus and Eden's chemistry was just bleh.

Really enjoyed this one! I am a fan of all of Kevin Kwan’s books and this one did not disappoint. Great characters and juicy drama.

TLDR: the author of CRAZY RICH ASIANS is back with another opulent escapist love story, this time set against the backdrop of a lush tropical wedding. The book is the equivalent of a 7-course-meal of just dessert, and it’s a lot of fun. It’s not going to reinvent the wheel (leave that to Stuart Turton!), but if you’re a fan of Kwan or CRA, you’re going to have a great time with this book. Soap, sex, drama, wealthy people doing terrible things. It’s modern day Merchant Ivory, and I highly recommend it.

With a new novel that's full of heart, humor, and wacky family shenanigans, Kevin Kwan proves that he's one of the absolute best in the game. Every single one of these characters is utterly delightful (even the ones I kind of wanted to smack upside the head more than once), the plot is so well-crafted, and even the over-the-top behavior and realities of these ridiculously wealthy folks (even if there might not be quite as much in the coffers as our friends the Greshams may think...) are just...so much fun. I loved every second of getting to hang out with these characters, watching their relationships and dynamics unfold, and peeking in at the lives of a subset of humans that I, personally, don't generally otherwise encounter. (Unfortunately, no astronomically rich/titled people are in my social circle.)