A n enjoyable read about rich people and Chinese mothers with sharp tongues. Now, rich people gossip I can get behind I loved this aspect of the book. Eden was my favourite character, the girl next door, living on the estate but growing up with the earls children a doctor but regarded as not worthy to marry the Earls son Rufus by his mother. Eden lives with her doctor father. In comparison to the spoilt behaviours of others, she seems unaffected, down to earth, balanced, and just an all-around nice person. It's a lovely gossipy read and the ending concluded nicely for me wrapped up in a wonderful bow.

I wasn't really sure what to expect when I started Lies & Weddings but what I got was an absolute riot! I read the novel for an online book club and described it to them as Bridgerton on steroids! There's romance, scandal, rivalry, lots of arguments and lots of fun and I really enjoyed getting to know these characters. Kevin Kwan writes in a humorous, lighthearted way that makes Lies & Weddings easy to read - I finished it in less than 24 hours - but there are also some more serious, but interesting issues for the reader to get their teeth into.

I would describe Lies & Weddings as a mostly character driven novel. There is a character list at the beginning of the book so that you can get to grips with who's who and how they are related to each other, but I must admit that it still took me a while to get my head round it! Nevertheless, the characters are all individual and very well drawn and I was very easily brought into their lives and quickly became immersed in their problems!

Lies & Weddings has many different settings and each one is described in really clear detail. I felt like I was on a whistlestop tour of the world! The travel between times and places is marked really clearly at the beginning of each scene and I can see the novel would make a really entertaining Netflix series!

Beneath the bold exterior, Kevin Kwan actually explores a number of more serious issues in Lies & Weddings and as I got further into the novel, I enjoyed peeling back the layers and learning more about the things that had affected these characters and made them into the people we see in the novel. I actually felt quite emotional as some of these issues were revealed.

This is my first novel by Kevin Kwan but I shall certainly be looking out for more!

I received a free ARC of Lies and Weddings via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
I LOVED IT!

It’s just non stop rich people drama and chaos it feels like one giant juicy gossip session! I had to pour myself a glass of wine as I came to the last quarter, it was just so juicy!
Sometimes books feel just like gossiping with my best friends over drinks, and this is perhaps the epitome of such a book!

I can’t wait to dive into more Kevin Kwan!

Just switch off your brain and prepare to be entertained!

This was a fun read, albeit a tad too long. The reader is transported into the dazzling and ridiculous world of the ultra rich. There are A LOT of characters in this book, which initially did get confusing and took time getting used to.

There are some really obnoxious, self-centred and exaggerated characters (Arabella and Luis Felipe, I'm looking at you) but they lent to the actual humorous aspect of the novel.

One of the two normal people in this book was Eden but there really didn't seem to be much character development there. She was a complete pushover which was quite annoying.

There are amusing footnotes throughout as well as every single character's educational background. I really couldn't understand how they could all be so educated and yet be so dense at the same time.

Do not expect to relate to any of the characters.

This is the first Kevin Kwan book I have read and I am now off to download Crazy, Rich Asians. It took me a bit to get into this book but then I didn’t want to put it down as I had to see where the book took us next and what everyone was up to.

I loved that book was spread over many different locations and the descriptions of the resorts and elaborate surroundings were brilliant. The characters were fun and interesting.

Rufus Leung Gresham was a viscount and his family home was a stately home in England. His father was an English Earl whose family had lived in Greshamsbury Hall for many generations. Rufus’ mother Arabella, the Countess, was born in China and was obsessed with gentry, wealth, grandeur and showing the world how far she had come. She tried to dictate to her three children - Rufus and his sisters Aurie and Bea- who they should be friends with, what designer they should wear, who they should marry and what they should do as a career. She was very controlling and interfered in everything.

Dr Eden Tong and her father Thomas, who was an oncologist lived in their cottage in the grounds of Greshamsbury Hall. Thomas was best friends with Frances, Earl of Greshamsbury
and Eden had grown up with Augie, Rufus and Bea.

Arabella always hosted the most elaborate parties and had been spending money lavishly for years but Frances suddenly admitted they were broke. Arabella pinned all of her hopes on her children marrying well and marrying into money.

I really enjoyed this book and could never imagine what Arabella would do next as she was on a mission to save the family estate at any cost.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan is the perfect novel for holidays or whenever you are in a reading rut or hungover from a particularly stressful or harrowing read. It is full of excess and luxury and intrigue but is overall a light, gossipy and entertaining read. I loved it! If you enjoyed Crazy Rich Asians, then you will definitely also enjoy Lies and Weddings.

After reading and loving Crazy Rich Asians, this was another hilarious yet moving story from Kevin Kwan

Can’t go wrong with a Kevin Kwan. Pure escapism and perfect summer read. I got swept away with the characters and devoured this book in a couple of sittings. Loved it

Found this book very hard to get into. The beginning seemed to take forever to move forward. Didn't enjoy this book, this is my truthful opinion.
Many thanx to NetGalley, the author and publisher for allowing me to read and review this book

A fantastic beach read! The glamour, over the top wealth and drama. The style of writing was no different to all Kwan's other books so it was comfortable and familiar. I picked this up for pure entertainment purposes and it definitely delivered as book candy!

I LOVED the Crazy Rich Asians series, and if chances are if you’re picking this book up, you do too. There are some similarities - you’ll find the same Kevin Kwan signature format with a ton of footnotes (miss them out at your peril, as you’ll be missing half the story), the pop culture and obscure brand references, and the revolving door of ultra wealthy characters. Unfortunately, whilst these characters in Lies and Weddings are wealthy, they’ve not been developed as rich in actual character., some felt like caricatures. I’m going to reveal myself as basic here as I enjoyed the fact that the only two redeeming characters were the ones who ended up with happy endings, whereas the rest of the cast, who were purely unlikeable, got their just desserts. It is a fun story, lots of drama, and lots of details packed in but those details made it too long and IT FELT LIKE IT when reading.

The Canadian cover is STUNNING (navy blue with palm trees and a mountain) and I’d have it on my shelf for that reason alone. The pink UK cover – kind of Gossip Girl meets Sex & the City vibes, which isn’t quite as luxurious as the premise of the story (or the navy cover!) I’ve not seen it in an actual shop yet so hoping for the navy…

A slightly terrifying account of the doings of the super rich
I have no idea if super rich people really behave like this but Kwan’s footnotes suggest that he knows a bit about them so maybe they do. The footnotes also add a layer of irony to what is otherwise a slightly horrific tale of conscienceless, self-absorbed people spending too much money on nothing of value, insane importance attached to branding and celebrity names not to mention assorted ‘royalty’. I was taken aback to see that other reviewers describe this book as escapist – for me it was rather an icy dip into a world where people simply don’t care about climate change or suffering or refugees as long as they are cushioned by vast amounts of money. Realism rather than escapism.
At the top of the glittering pile of characters is the ‘Rich Mom’ – Arabella - who will stop at nothing money can pay for, to get her son married to a similarly rich and preferably titled, wife. Snuggled near the bottom are the ‘nice’ characters, Eden, her Dad, and Arabella’s son, who don’t have quite so much money and are amused by (and attempt to remain separate from) the antics of the super-rich all around them. Tellingly they work, and in medicine and art rather than money.
Far from being an escape, for me, this was a ‘shove it in your face’ account of the kind of stuff rich people do with their money with a nice little romance glossed over the top. And I can’t knock it! If there really are people like this in the world with this kind of power and unaccountability, we need to know about them. But I honestly couldn't say I enjoyed it!
Thanks to NetGalley and Random house for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The convoluted lives of the rich are ripe in this novel about the Gresham family. Secrets, lies and weddings.

This was am interesting story and at times the characters frustrate so much. Its easy to relate better to Eden. I did find the bracketed school, education bits a little distracting but some ofvthe footnotes were handy. The plot itself is a simple one with lots of drama. The ending however was perfect and I really liked how it came together. Its hard to like the characters but Rufus, Eden and ger dad were my fave. There's a lot of victim of circumstance in this I feel. A fun read about what being rich is like.

I loved Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan so was excited to read his new book but unfortunately it didn’t quite live up to the hype for me.

There are a lot of characters and there was just too much going on for me to really connect with it to be honest. I never really got into it and found myself skimming pages to get to the end.

This was not my usual kind of read, but seeing as I loved Crazy Rich Asians, I felt like I could give this a chance and it did not disappoint.

Full of schemes, lies, family drama and of course quite a few weddings, this novel will take you to all corners of the globe. From Hong Kong, to Los Angeles, passing by Morocco as well as Hawaii, you will like you're on a world trip in the most exotic and exclusive places on the planet.

Follow the Gresham's a well known family who own an estate 'Greshambury' as the lady of the house, Arabella, a woman of Chinese descent who married an well off English man, Francis, is trying to marry off her three kids to royalty. It does not matter which royalty, simply if they wear a crown or if they have royal blood running through their veins, she will be happy. However , of course, it does not go as planned. The youngest daughter, Bea, is not yet ready for marriage whereas the oldest, Auggie, is getting married to a prince in her mother's resort. Rufus, the future of the family, does not want to marry royalty, he wants someone much more simple, his best friend, the girl next door, the daughter of the family doctor and a doctor herself; Eden Tong. But with all his mother's plans and schemings, will he be able to finally get the peaceful life he always dreamed of. living in a surf shack in Hawaii selling his paintings? Or will he be obliged to marry into royalty to save his family from financial ruin?


Kevin Kwan did a marvellous job at showing us that even the most respected and exclusive families are not always truthful to people around them and even to their closest entourage. I wanted to murder Arabella ever since the first page in the book, I know she means well and she wants a perfect future for her children, nothing like how she grew up, so I admire her for pushing all the way, even is she almost lost her kids during the process, but I still hate her for 99% of this book. I like the change in time as well, you just have to follow the plot and make sure you know what is happening otherwise it could get a bit confusing. I loved as well knowing about the past of each character the first time they are mentioned, you know exactly where they went to study so you can figure out for yourself what kind of person they will be before they've even started speaking.

I want to thank net galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"As you breathe in, I want you to think about change. Change is part of lie. Small change, spare change, change is a perpetual state of being. We are all transforming in a multitude of ways every single day, with every heartbeat. Do not fear it, do not resist it. Let the change in you begin to manifest love and joy."

Same same but different from Crazy Rich Asians.

It's a tried and tested formula.... Nouveau riche... multi-ethnic... morally bankrupt. Honesty... vulnerability.. self-awareness. KK opens the curtain to reveal how the other side (obscenely rich) live.

Kevin Kwan does it again with another look into the lives of those with wealth and status beyond what most of us can comprehend but always with a more relatable character thrown in and some wish fulfillment too. If you liked Kwan's previous novels you won't be disappointed. But do pay attention to the chapter headers as I got a little lost in time for a while and if i hadn't doubled checked then this review might have gone differently.

Loved every word of this! Written really well! The characters help do the story justice! Always love a Kevin Kwan story!

This book was phenomenal in ways that I can’t explain, which is a terrible book review. It feels like an Elin Hildebrand novel but set in Asia and it was just perfect! The characters are all so vivid, with such personalities. The kind of book that I still think about after reading and sent me on a Kevin Kwan reading frenzy! Thank you for the ARC

Classic Kevin Wan, Lies and Weddings takes us all around the world following the lives of the wealthy, the ridiculously wealthy, the maybe not as wealthy as they think with a touch of reality to put it in focus from Eden Tong. The story has depth, intrigue, sibling rivalry, jealousy and one up manship complete with both likeable and less likeable characters (who you like anyway)!!

Perfect escapism reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read Lies and Weddings.