Lies and Weddings is a good title for this most recent Kevin Kwan novel. Like Kwan's previous novels, Lies and Weddings focuses on romance and great wealth, and the competition that exists between Chinese families, who seemingly compete to be the wealthiest and possess the most, even when that wealth is all an illusion.

The romantic protagonists are Eden and Rufus. Kwan spends a lot of time describing the enormous wealth that the Gresham family, Rufus's family, pretends to possess. Lies and Weddings opens quite spectacularly, but then continues with a quieter shift. Since I have read all of Kwan's previous novels, I knew I just needed to wait and all the excitement would soon erupt. There is a significant emphasis on the need for wealth to compete as equals with other wealthy families. The novel ends as a fairy tale, with all problems resolved. With that sweet ending, Kwan ends Lies and Weddings as he has ended his previous novels, with happiness and the end of conflict.

Lies and Weddings was a fun, fast read, perfect for a good summer read. Thanks to Kwan, Doubleday Books, and NetGalley, for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Kwan fans will love this most recent novel.

. Rufus Gresham , the future Ear of Greshambury has a huge problem. The famous Gresham Trust is out of money. What lies ahead is nothing but debt. The solution, is for Rufus to attend his sister's wedding and seduce a wealthy woman. Could he actually marry someone just for the money or should he follow his heart and and confess his love to the girl next door, Eden, the daughter of a doctor. You'll travel around the world with this story of love, money, murder, sex and lies. And, don't forget to laugh and many of the parts.

Well written lit fic. I was immediately intrigued when I heard the author and this one lives up to its potential. Thanks for the arc!

Eden grew up in England with her physician father and their wealthy neighbors and friends at Greshambury. The three titled children and commoner (but also doctor) Eden remained close as adults, but their Chinese mother always hated Eden, who is also Chinese. In usual Kwan form, there are many weddings, ultra rich homes and cars and vacations, and over the top everything.

If you like Kevin Kwan's books, you'll love this. His style is not for everyone, and this one does seem to want to go bigger and broader (if that's even possible). It was glitzy and outrageous, and Kwan is really in a category all to himself.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

I had to read this one without stopping as it was every bit as good as his other books! I just love how the plot, characters, and details keep going and going! I could easily see this one as a movie as well!

We see the lives of Rufus and his family as they uncover truths about the past and about themselves. It is as introspective as the previous books, whereas the movies were more fun/action. So be prepared to think a little about the characters' emotions and not just what they are wearing, where they are going, and what they are doing!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. #sponsored

Unsurprisingly, Kevin Kwan's latest work was very dramatic. This story focuses on heartthrob Rufus and his childhood best friend Eden.

Rufus's family is scheming for him to marry rich since his family has encountered some financial difficulties, but he's trying to make something finally happen between him and Eden. There's lots of scheming on all sides and fabulous travel all around the world, plus major miscommunications and all around drama. I found myself rolling my eyes a lot at the characters and their situations, but in a fun escape sort of way.

I'd recommend it either on the beach or with a cocktail (or both!)

Oh, Kevin Kwan did it again! Truly fascinating and over the top.
Bouncing around from England to Hawaii to Hong Kong, Los Angeles, and beyond was so fun. Think of Kwan's Crazy Rich Asians trilogy and then add murder, natural disaster, and intense drug addiction. Of course, this is a love story at its core.
The entire cast is interesting but I particularly liked the sections about Thomas Tong. And as irritating as Arabella was, she's perfectly complex and I would love to dive deeper into her story too. The small crossover into the CRA world was a nice touch! I just keep imagining Lies and Weddings as another fabulous Jon Chu film... sigh.

I have been a fan of Kevin Kwan since Crazy Rich Asians. A book that made me laugh out loud and the series itself is the true definition of a beach/summer read. Kwan is back in fine form at Lies and Weddings. So many people will reiterate the plot but I wanted to point out is the way that Kwan draws you into the crazy situations and people he has created and makes you want more. Thank you for letting me review and read this book!

Another amazing Kevin Kwan book! I love to read about insanely rich folks & their very specific traditions/expectations with society & Asian culture, and this book did not disappoint.
This book was a bit all over the place with so many different plots stemming from each other, but I enjoyed them all & liked (most of) the characters. This book has all of the extravagant lifestyle & sumptuous wedding details that are Kwan’s signature.
I am already looking forward to his next book.

Thank you, NetGalley and Doubleday Books, for allowing me early access to Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan. I loved Kwan's China Rich series and I was excited to read this one. I really enjoyed this modern comedy of manners about exceedingly rich people and their over-the-top lifestyles. It was funny and entertaining and I didn't want to put it down until it was done. My only comment is not about the text itself, but about the format. Kwan adds hilarious endnotes/footnotes/asides throughout the book. But in an ebook version, all of these are at the end of the chapter, forcing the reader to either digitally flip through pages to read one, then return to the text, then flip to the end of the chapter again for the next one. It would make the book much more readable and fun to read if each note was at the bottom of the page where it can be found.

Lies and Weddings is a story of the Viscount of Greshamsbury, Rufus and a doctor named Eden. Eden and her father have lived on the Greshamsbury estate and has known Rufus since she was a child. Now that Rufus is next in line to inherit the estate, his mother is on the hunt for the perfect bride. Rufus is secretly in love with Eden, but his mother is not a fan of Eden. Rufus must decide if he wants to be true to himself or listen to his mother and marry to protect their family name.
This story is romance all the way! Perfect for the readers that like romance without all the spicy details. I enjoyed reading the relationships between all the characters!

Lies and Weddings is a fun, quick read. Perfect to read on vacation or for when you just feel like escaping for a few hours.

While reading and immensely enjoying I heard or read somewhere that this is a loose retelling of Dr. Thorne. I can totally see that, but most likely wouldn't have thought of that. Kevin Kwan writes in such a fun and engaging way. I loved this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC! 4.5 stars

I don't know what it is about Kevin Kwan books but I start to read them and just get sucked in to the silly superficial characters and plot lines. This was great! I liked it as much as Crazy Rich Asians.

Summary: Rufus Gresham, the future duke of Greshambury and his siblings try to find love and fortune with the help of their scheming mother. Eden Tong is the girl next door.

Kevin Kwan has done it again! I loved the Crazy Rich Asian series and Lies and Weddings is even crazier and richer! This is the first “can’t put it down” book I’ve read in a long time. I highly recommend this smart, funny, enjoyable read!

I enjoyed everything about this book, from the sweeping lushness of the globetrotting settings to the lovably flawed characters (even though a few of them were a bit trope-heavy to the point of seeming cartoonish). I would not be surprised if this ends up becoming a film in the same vein as Crazy Rich Asians did, and I'd greatly look forward to seeing a film adaptation. One of my favorite aspects, however, that didn't feel written-for-film and added so much voice and character to the novel were the tongue-in-cheek narrator's interjections and footnotes. I laughed out loud, even going back to re-read parts of many chapters again after getting more context from the footnotes. The "shocking twist" is pretty heavily broadcasted ahead of time, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment and satisfaction when the book came to its HEA end.

Some of Kwan's characters from previous books appear in this one, but it isn't necessary to have read the others to enjoy this one as well.

Eden Tong, a physician, has grown up next door to the Dukedom of Greshambury and with the three children. Her father, also a physician, has assisted the current earl in hiding his financial disasters from his family but time, and money, are running out.

Rufus, the heir, is presented with the task of marrying money to rescue the family estates. The only problem is, he loves Eden, whose family isn't well off. Follow the over-the-top adventures of his family as his mother, Amanda Leung Gresham, plots to prop up the family and schemes to find her three children wealthy spouses. As the luxurious wedding of one daughter is interrupted by not only a volcanic explosion, but also an explosion of secrets, Amanda is afraid all is lost.

Don't worry, an age-old mystery presents some twists and turns so that all ends well. Presented with Kwan's humor and irony, this one is not to be missed.

𝒜𝑅𝒞 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌

𝙇𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙒𝙚𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨
by Kevin Kwan
448 pages
@doubledaybooks
To be published May 21, 2024 in time for summer reading...

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.

Rufus Leung Gresham, future Earl of Greshambury and son of a former Hong Kong supermodel has a problem: the legendary Gresham Trust has been depleted by decades of profligate spending, and behind all the magazine covers and Instagram stories manors and yachts lies nothing more than a gargantuan mountain of debt. The only solution, put forth by Rufus’s scheming mother, is for Rufus to attend his sister’s wedding at a luxury eco-resort, a veritable who’s-who of sultans, barons, and oligarchs, and seduce a woman with money.

In a globetrotting tale that takes us from the black sand beaches of Hawaii to the skies of Marrakech, from the glitzy bachelor pads of Los Angeles to the inner sanctums of England’s oldest family estates, Kevin Kwan unfurls a juicy, hilarious, sophisticated and thrillingly plotted story of love, money, murder, sex, and the lies we tell about them all.

I needed a little treat this holiday break, so I started this on my flight, and I did not stop reading it. Smart, sexy, satirically hilarious romp of a story - had many of the fun elements that made me fall in love with Crazy Rich Asians. It also had some deeper and more somber and reflective moments on what a life of wealth and privilege does to people.
This comes out in May 2024, and should be added to your beach read TBR!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5/5 stars Kwan is an auto-buy author for me.

Another fun read from Kevin Kwan. As in the CRA trilogy and Sex and Vanity, Kwan does a great job in world building here. The (occasionally over the top - but that’s the point) cast of characters of Lies and Weddings bounces around numerous unique (and occasionally over the top - but that’s the point!) settings. Read the Netgalley copy on a late Fall plane ride & will certainly re-read when it comes out for some good Summer escapism.

Lies & Weddings has everything we love from Kevin Kwan and more!

If you were a fan of Crazy Rich Asians then you will not be disappointed by this book! It has all of the name dropping, drama and gossip of CRA. On top of giving us all the juicy details of the lifestyles of the rich and famous, there’s also a murder and a family secret that’s been buried for decades. I loved how this story took us all over the world. Rufus and Eden were so grounded and wonderfully written, I felt like they were a good balance to their family members. Arabella was complex and aggravating but also probably the character I empathized with the most. Overall, this was a fun read and I always enjoy diving into one of Kwan’s books!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Kevin Kwan, and Double Day Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!