The successor to Olivia Goldsmith's blend of frothy fare, Kevin Kwan delivers another vapid yet entertaining slice of high-society soap opera that plumbs the annals of English country life.

The characters are flat - from the snobbish lady of the manor to her ludicrously stereotypical kids to the girl next door with a heart of gold - the plots are outlandish and for such normally steamy fare, Lies and Weddings is decidedly unerotic (save for one bar encounter so wincingly bad it may make the Bad Sex Writing shortlist).

Despite all this, it is entertaining and pacy enough as a future beach read, leaning into its Shirley Conran-esque camp full tilt. Kwan never seems to be able to resolve his conflict over the so-called moneyed elite - can you mock a class of shallow folks and yet still venerate their lifestyles? - but in a book full of volcanoes, gurus, mysterious pasts, shrooms trips, and enough absurdly expensive fashion to sink a cruise liner, maybe just camp is just fine.

Fans of Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich Asian's won't be disappointed with his latest offering - this was an extremely fun read from start to finish! I was slightly nervous after not being so enthusiastic about Kwan's previous release 'Sex and vanity' but to my mind this was a return to form.

The Gresham family estate is in danger, and the Countess of Greshamsbury thinks the solution lies in marriage - marriage between her son, the future Earl and any suitably wealthy heiress, but he has other ideas and is heart is already spoken for, so when disaster strikes at another family wedding, best laid plans go awry and capers ensue!

Set between Hawaii, Los Angeles and England, this is an intelligent, fun and snarky peek into the lives of the ultra rich, with a cast of characters to love and hate, and in my opinion, perfect summer reading.*

*The footnotes are a joy as well!

A fantastic summer read, to escape into!

Kevin Kwon knows how to write an entertaining story and this will not disappoint!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK and Cornerstone for sending me an advance copy of the E book of Lies and Weddings for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Just in time for the season, the perfect juicy summer read has arrived! Lies and Weddings is a delight.Kevin Kwans has created a fabulous collection of well-rounded characters in this wonderful, fast-paced, glamorous novel.

The story begins with a shocking event back in the nineties, but then immediately jumps to the present day. There we meet Rufus Leung Gresham, heir to the Greshambury fortune (or perhaps more accurately, lack thereof) who finds himself unwillingly forced into the search for a wife by his fortune hunting mother. This is further complicated by the fact that he is struggling with his feelings for the girl next door.

Lies and Weddings has a strong plot with lots of twists and turns, moving between 1995, the present day and the years in between en route to a surprising and satisfying conclusion. Highly recommended.

Loved it, everything you'd expect from a Kevin Kwan and more. Will give more complete feedback asap, currently unable for personal reasons

This book was wild! The Gresham family are the sort who will buy a house in the Bahamas just because it was easier than trying to make a reservation at a resort. They're rich, rich. Except due to the crazy spending it turns out they're not in fact rich, rich. But soon to be insolvent. The ensuing affairs of Rufus' mum trying to set him up with all a manner of billionaires all whilst he's making puppy dog eyes at his childhood best friend is everything.
I do admit the start was a bit of a slow burner for me. There was a slot of characters being introduced and the time jump to past and present didn't help. But once I was through that it was such a fun read.
I did guess as to the ending as it wasn't the most high class mystery but the book promised lies and weddings and it did 100% deliver on them.
I'm looking forward to reading more of this author when I get the chance and would absolutely read this book again!
Favourite Quote - "In all my years living in England, I've never once set foot in an Accessorize!"
"That's because you're a snob. There's a very nice one on High Street Ken."
Favourite Character - Martha

Kevin Kwan's books are always a cause for celebration - glitzy, glamorous, and jet-setting, a peek behind the curtain into rareified worlds. They have always been such treats to read - and Lies and Weddings is no different!

In Lies and Weddings, a forbidden affair 'erupts volcanically' against the backdrop of a tropical destination wedding. As always, the ridiculously rich are ridiculously fun, and Kwan brings just the right amount of humanity to insane situations. A fun-filled summer read that I'll definitely be recommending!

Reading this book was like coming home. Even though I by no means live an extravagant life as close to the characters in Kwan's books (I wish), I had missed that 'Crazy Rich Asians' escapism and this just brought it all right back. 'Lies and Weddings' spared no expenses when it came to high drama and lush backdrops. It made my heart flutter the way it jumped from locations to location (I wish I could go to all the place!) Less to the degree of craziness of CRA, I thought this book had a tasteful amount of extravagance. It kept me on my toes and I really couldn't put this book down. What I also loved about this book is that it has a real light and shade to it. It touched upon things such as racism and bankruptcy rather than heading down the full-on glamour route. I thought that was a nice element to the story line. And of course, who could forget the sweet little sprinkle of romance there.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a fun and exciting kind of adventure and I would definitely recommend it for that little bit of escapism.

An entertaining and dramatic read, reminiscent of Kwan at his best. The perfect beach or travel read it moves along at a pace and is full of chaos, humour and all sorts of extravagant narrative. (Copy received from Netgalley in return for an honest review).

It begins with a killing. But hold on, Kevin ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ Kwan hasn’t lost it, he proceeds to slay in his latest novel of the lives and loves of the super rich.

Eden Tong, a capable NHS doctor, lives with her father in the shadow (actually in the garden) of their lifelong friends the aristocratic Greshams. Led by bumbling Brit Lord Greshamsbury and his formidable wife Lady Arabella (née Leung), all seems fine until their only son and heir announces his undying love for the non-U Eden. The family goes into meltdown after a volcano disrupts their daughter’s massive wedding and ruins Lady Arabella’s showcase Hawaiian resort. Things truly fall apart as family secrets, bad actors, penury and loss of status threaten an end to the ancient house of Gresham.

Like a display case in Tiffany’s, the dramatis personae are opulent and sparkling. Kevin Kwan doesn’t short the reader on details, offering educational pedigrees for each character so that we, too, can get our snob on. Each carries a chance for redemption but it hurts so good to revel in the bad. (I imagined uber-matriarch Lady Gresham in a pointy black hat clutching a poisoned apple when she appeared). The book has lots of old money and new money, but everyone’s got money. Even the weird Guru character turns out to be landed gentry of the DAR type. There’s lots of delicious name-dropping too so take notes for googling later. The mystery of that killing is woven in like a golden strand from a Persian rug.

‘Lies and weddings’ is a glorious slice of escapism for our paper plate lives. A peek into the problems of the super-rich (they do it so you don’t have to) is immense fun. The cast is diverse and their perils are cathartic. Kevin Kwan has also included a subtext of eco-responsibility that keeps the story relevant with a moral undertone amid the excess. I found this to be the best thing I read over Spring break. The fantasy of wealth and greed was balanced against the trials and tribulations that are all too human and recognisable.

Thanks to NetGalleyUK and Random House, Cornerstone for the eARC.

I'm a huge fan of the Crazy Rich Asians series and have been looking forward to reading Kevin's new novel. I saved it for a long train journey and am so glad I did, because it was brilliant and full of his trademark humour and amusing characters. I loved how global this book was, taking us to Hawaii, Devon and Venice. If you love Crazy Rich Asians, you'll love this, and I'd say it's worth saving it to read until you're on holiday. Sheer bliss.

I was so happy when I saw Kevin Kwan's new book because I loved Crazy Rich Asians and I missed that world full of luxury and drama but love as well and this book definitely didn't disappoint because it's full of exactly these three things luxury at its maximum and the drama in the family and out of it but it doesn't lack the love either I mean the word weddings (I know not all weddings happen because people love each other) is in the title. I was happy to see that some of the characters could communicate their feelings and weren't afraid of expressing themselves when it was about love or family.

Thank you to Netgalley for letting me read my first Kevin Kwan novel. The story is full of drama and keeps you wondering whats going to happen next. The characters are mainly likeable with the exception of Arabella. Hoping for a next installment.

I love 'Crazy Rich Asians' and so was excited to read Kevin Kwan's new novel 'Lies and Weddings.' The Gresham family, more specifically the matriarch of the family, Arabella, is desperate to stay relevant and overcome their deep money problems. The solution? Marry each of the children off to someone rich and relevant themselves, starting with a huge wedding on Hawaii (who cares if there is an active volcano - just good backdrop). Heir to the family title, Rufus, has been in love with the normal girl next door since they were children. Will he get his happy ending?

This book was funny and bonkers in the best way. We travel the globe with these characters from wedding to wedding and extravagance to extravagance. (I am not sure why I didn't think of getting married on a *spoiler* hot air balloon!). I love the juicy layers Kwan weaves in this story with twists and turns, secret relationships and flashbacks to the past. There are a myriad of characters to follow and remember their connections, both past and present, but the soap opera like pay-off is totally worth it. A great return to form for Kwan and worth the read! 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The book is so good like a roller coaster ride filled with a lot of unthinkable happenings, truths, secrets, lies, scandals, betrayals and twists. It will take you to places and in the life of each character. I think this will make a great film.

A secret that a mother is keeping from her son and her son wants to confess his love for the one he loves. A man is drowning in debt and his mother’s plan will go in vain if he will not approve of the choice made by his mother. Get yourself ready to enter in the world of ultra wealthy family. Where you can expect secrets and lies rise on surface with scandals and betrayal. There were a lot of gossips, family drama and amusing moments as well. I absolutely loved the book.


Thanks to the Publisher, Author and Netgalley.

This isn’t my usual type of read, but I loved this.

I was hooked from the first page. Wrapped up in this crazy life the other half live.

Lies and weddings is a drama filled novel based around Rufus Leung Gresham, future Earl of Greshamsbury and son of a former Hong Kong supermodel, is drowning in debt. The only solution, according to his mother, is for him to attend his sister’s wedding and seduce a woman with money.

Will it be the French hotel heiress with a royal bloodline? The venture capital genius who passes out billions like lollipops? Or will Rufus betray his family and confess his love for his best friend and ‘girl next door’ Eden? But when a volcanic eruption burns through the nuptials and a hot mic exposes a secret tryst, the Gresham family plans – and their reputation – go up in flames, making Rufus’ choice all the more impossible.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6346640862

A fun, easy read, lots of scandal and romance, and a look at how the other half lives. I might have to Google the author to see how he knows so much about the uber wealthy. Very well done for this type of book. Thanks to him, the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Loved loved loved this new novel from Kevin Kwan! Smart, witty and deeply cutting!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced reading copy.

This was a really funny time. This was my first Kevin Kwan and he's a solid writer and his characters so likeable!

The true meaning of serendipity: looking for a needle in a haystack and finding the farmer’s daughter/son. ‘Lies and Weddings’ proved a serendipitous read for me – and I wasn’t even looking for a needle.
The dialogue is quick, slick, satirical, sarky, funny and accurate. Ditto the characters, who carry off this marvellous romp with charm and flair, salaciousness and a great deal of artful humour. The ingeniousness of delivery is pure therapy in these miserable days of political shenanigans. Matchmaking, romance, volcanoes, juicy jealousies, social climbing, name-dropping, the most outrageous weddings you could never imagine, settings to tempt the palate, inside info on those settings, blended with a wee mystery on the side guarantee enjoyment and escapism. The footnotes are superb. The ARC was a joy to read.