“It’s just that I’m in love with you."
•

Lies and Weddings is a whirlwind tale of family drama, jet-setting, opulent lifestyles, and love stories that will have you gritting your teeth in frustration, cackling in laughter, and gasping in shock non-stop.

while it follows many different characters and perspectives, I did find the book to be a little slow at times, but it didn't take away from the grandeur of it all!
•

this and that:
♡ art
♡ childhood friends-to-lovers
♡ fashion
♡ globetrotting
♡ high society
♡ hot air balloons
♡ money on money on money
♡ secrets
♡ spiritual gurus
♡ weddings weddings weddings
♡ whale watching
•

triggers:
☞ classism
☞ colorism
☞ financial issues
☞ infidelity
☞ microagressions
☞ racism
☞ toxic parents
•

notable quotes:
・When someone has seen you empty your bowels into a hole you have just dug in the sand with your bare hands, I don’t think they have to call you ‘Serene Highness’ anymore.”

・Rufus couldn’t seem to take his eyes off the nobody.

・“Not a chance, I’ll be loyal to you forever. There’s no one in the entire world I’d ever marry except you. You’re going to be my countess.”

・“It’s just that I’m in love with you.”

・“I’m utterly, crazily in love with you”

・“Beauty attracts fortune. Your greatest asset now is your beautiful son.”

・He had a sense that this woman...was somehow going to change his life as well.

・This whole city, she realized, was tinged with sadness.

・“You’re not rushing. I’m in love with you, silly rabbit.”

・“It’s time you realized something, Mother. The only woman I will ever marry is...”
—

thank you to Doubleday Books for sending me an early copy for review!

Fantastic book! Great story told in movements that capture the intricate and overlapping stories of multiple families and generations. Kwan makes funny and biting observations about money, class, race and their effects on people. It’s just a fun read and a great book. I especially loved the ridiculous endnote notations and school listings.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

As always, Kevin Kwan’s writing is a delight. The author knows how to create endearing characters, crazy opulent settings, and heart-rendering stories that make you want to keep flipping pages to find out what happens next. And it seems like the season of crazy rich wedding books, as I just read this on the heels of Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren, both of which I would highly recommend to everyone. And on the heels of my very own, the opposite of opulent wedding! I read this book on my honeymoon.

I can’t wait to see what Kevin Kwan does next. His books are autoreads for me and this new book cements his status on this list for me. Can they also make this book into a movie or tv show? It lends itself well to the screen. Can’t wait to see what’s next!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Absolutely love this author…he never disappoints!
Highly recommend this hilarious Rom-Com. I couldn’t put it down and read the entire book in a few hours.

Kevin Kwan is back with his stories of wealthy Asian families trying to manage their wealth, social appearances, and family lines. Much of it is hilarious, and I love the window into cultural norms. Grab this one for a lighthearted, outside-of-the-norm beach read.

I was thrilled when I received the galley for "Lies and Weddings," and it certainly lived up to my expectations. It embodies the classic Kevin Kwan style, reminiscent of "Crazy Rich Asians," yet it ventures into new territory of its own. Once again, Kwan presents characters who are delightfully over the top, accompanied by his trademark hilarious footnotes, and set against stunning backdrops. Whether you're a fan of "Crazy Rich Asians" or simply seeking an immersive escape, "Lies and Weddings" is a must-read. Many thanks to Netgalley and Doubleday for providing the ARC.

This was a fun read that feels exactly like "Crazy Rich Asians" but with enough new elements to differentiate itself. All of the characters seem to have a CRA counterpart, but the two stories feel sufficiently different. I enjoyed the flashback portions at the beginning of each section, which heightened the mystery. The variety of ways in which some chapters were written was also entertaining. The book does highlight and hint at some commentary on very serious and real, pressing issues, but the overall tone is fun and lighthearted. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed the Crazy Rich Asians series, and anyone looking for a light read with lots of drama and scandal.

Lies and Weddings is the first book that I've read by Kevin Kwan. While a little slow moving at times, I enjoyed this story about Eden and Rufus, and their families. The book takes you all over the globe to observe British aristocracy and Hong Kong billionaires as they travel between the English countryside, Hawaiian resorts, Venetian palazzos, and everywhere in between. Characters include a mother who just wants the "best" for her children, down to Earth billionaire who helps her friends, doctors for the NHS, an artist/viscount, and many more who take you on this journey to exotic locations. (4.5/5 stars)

I loved this book! I wasn’t sure what to expect going in, but it sucked me in. It certainly had many similarities to crazy rich asians, but since I loved that series, that wasn’t a bad thing.

First off, let me state that I have read all of Kevin Kwan's books. I loved Crazy Rich Asians. His books exploit how rich Asians live which is in the excessive. They have no concept of money and just spend, spend, and spend. In this book, the spending catches up with them and the Gresham Trust is exhausted. Arabella, the matriarch of the family, feels that the only way for them to keep up the family status is to have her children marry into rich titled families.

I truly dislike Arabella. She is probably one of the most self-centered women ever and nothing about her was endearing. It was all about her with no regards to her children's desires or wishes.

At this point, I believe I am done reading these books. Reality seems to delude rich Asians.

I have loved Kevin Kwan's writing since that very first smash hit, so I was super excited to get this one before release. Kwan delivers exactly what his readers expect from him at this point - a dizzying story full of social climbers desperately clinging to all the trappings and clout that comes from their riches (or assumed riches). This one packs a little bit more of a heart wrenching punch in the gut, though, with how things work out for some of the characters. Still, there's a happy ending in there, you just have to wade through a bunch of lies and some really awkward weddings to get there.

I will say that this one was particular hard to track, at least at first, so don't put this book down once you get started. You'll start to forget all the players and the jumping in timelines will confuse you even more. Reading this was akin to being strapped to a merry-go-round that never stops. After awhile, things start to blur together, but eventually, the ride stops and everything becomes clear. There were times when I doubted that Kwan could even bring this one back around - that's just how much of a mess these characters are - but sure enough, all loose ends were neatly tied up before the last page. And what a relief it was to finally be done with some of these characters, which shows just how adept Kwan is at making them seem so real, you feel like you're actually hanging out in their self-absorbed, social climbing obsessed presence. But, the more I hated the accessory characters, the more I loved Eden and Rufus for being different from the pack.

Fair warning, though, some of the language and stories told in this book are shocking and a bit foul. Don't say nobody warned you ;)

Lies and Weddings
by Kevin Kwan
Pub Date: May 21, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
A TIME MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK • From the iconic internationally bestselling author of the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy: A forbidden affair erupts volcanically amid a decadent tropical wedding in this outrageous comedy of manners from the iconic author of Crazy Rich Asians.
I enjoyed the storyline, following a man who wants what the heart wants and a mother who wants status instead. The heart opens with a doozy of a predicament and shocking start. As we move though the story, the characters come to life, and I found myself engrossed in the choices they were making and where this story was headed.
Overall, if you like a little romance with a a LOT of money, societal discord and familial drama, this right here just might be your jam.
4 stars.

I just love Kevin Kawn’s style of writing and this novel did not disappoint! The detail on every page is incredible, my favorite part is the footnotes, the stories there alone are wonderful. Just like any of his books it takes a moment to get to know all his characters but soon enough I was immersed in the world and fell in love with the people inside. Such a fun read and I can’t wait to celebrate its release!

Kevin Kwan has a skill of introducing so many amazing characters and you find yourself fully invested in each one. I did not want it to end. Such a great read. Loved it and highly recommend. Thanks NetGallery!

Lies and Weddings is another solid story by Kwan. If you like stories with family secrets, this is one for you. There is also a solid female lead character who comes into her own. Eden Tong should be self assured, the daughter of a physician, a physician herself but yet she is cowered by the constraints of the established norms of British immigrant prejudices and the desire for standing in an archaic society. The desire to be part of the accepted society is not just the Asian story but one the Kwan know well. All of the characters in this story struggle with expectations that they assume they must meet but do they have to meet them to be happy? Like other Kwan books, the wealth is astounding and this glimpse into the mega rich is intriguing. At the same time, the level of waste is astounding and we find the two main characters struggling against conspicuous consumption. While Kwan’s previous works dealt with Asian/Chinese wealth, this book extends his examination to the UK and Los Angeles, CA. Kwan continues to confront the notion of wealth and society and the desire to find happiness. The end is both an ending and maybe a beginning which we may see Kwan continue in a subsequent work.

I was excited to see the new book by Kevin Kwan, Unfortunately the more I read, the more disappointing it became. There was a good story embedded in the book that got lost in the cheap name dropping and gossip sheet text. The listing of schools and connections after each name quickly got tedious. There was a lack of charm, compared to the “Crazy Rich Asian”. Series. The over top life styles is one of the fun bits of reading Kwans earlier work. I went way too far in the book and tramp,Ed over the core story. It made the narrative hard to follow at times. Not sure even a deposit editing can make this book work. Kwan’s mean spirited description of Los Angeles was a very low point that made me want to put the book down.
Good ideas, not well executed.

Fun and decadent read. I enjoyed the wild wealth described- it was a great escape. I was a little disappointed at the ending with Rufus and Eden- it left it kind of up in the air. A definite resolution to their relationship would have been more satisfying. But otherwise I enjoyed this book!

This was pure escapism. I’ve never read a Kevin Kwan book before and while I know the plots are over the top, I still enjoyed the ride. It felt like a slightly meatier romance with many luxurious details that put you right into the scenes like the descriptions of exotic locations, mouth-watering food, and envious fashions. But with that being said, I’m probably not the target audience for a book like this. The amount of wasteful spending and excessive consumerism was a bit of a turnoff for me. I fully understand that this is supposed to be a fantasy life and that even some of the main characters in this book are also turned off by this display of wealth, but the frustration I felt took me out of the story some times.

With all that being said I did like the characters and their struggles. I did see the end coming but that didn’t matter so much to me seeing as how it was a quick and fluffy read. 3 1/2 stars. And thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy!

I'm a huge fan of Kevin Kwan but this book was not my favorite of his. The story itself was good but I struggled with the dialogue. Arabella was not realistic was a person, she was dramatized to an extreme that really pulled you out of the story. There also was an unrealistic pregnancy that didn't make sense. I'm sure there are readers who will enjoy this book, but it was not my favorite. I will still read whatever Kevin Kwan writes though! Thank you to Doubleday and NetGalley for this ARC.

This book is the type of thing Kevin Kwan does best-frothy, OTT, lifestyles of the rich and famous satire with an HEA. It does a good job of earning its title, with plenty of lies and multiple completely ridiculous weddings. Many of the characters are totally extra, Arabella especially. But Kevin Kwan is great at writing down-to-earth leads that make you root for them because they are untouched by the chaos around them.

I gave this four stars because of five because I think the satire carried the book-the plot itself was basic and predictable. It was still a fun read, though, and had everything that I love about Kevin Kwan's novels.