Lies and Weddings, Kevin Kwan
Lies and Weddings, Kevin Kwan
5 Rating(s)
List: $25.00 | Sale: $16.50
Club: $12.50

Lies and Weddings

Bestseller

Author: Kevin Kwan

Narrator: Jing Lusi

Unabridged: 15 hr 7 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/21/2024


Synopsis

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A TIME MUST-READ BOOK OF THE YEAR • 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.

A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK: The New York Times, The Washington Post, TIME, Entertainment Weekly, Cosmopolitan, CNN, Lit Hub, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Reader's Digest, BookRiot, SheReads, PureWow, Publishers Weekly

"Imagine Crazy Rich Asians mated with Saltburn and you've got Lies and Weddings—a heavenly summertime read!"—Plum Sykes, New York Times best-selling author of Bergdorf Blondes
 
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.

Should he marry Solène de Courcy, a French hotel heiress with honey blond tresses and a royal bloodline? Should he pursue Martha Dung, the tattooed venture capital genius who passes out billions like lollipops? Or should he follow his heart, betray his family, squander his legacy, and finally confess his love to the literal girl next door, the humble daughter of a doctor, Eden Tong? 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.

Can the once-great dukedom rise from the ashes? Or will a secret tragedy, hidden for two decades, reveal a shocking twist?

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.

About Kevin Kwan

Having been born and raised in Singapore, author Kevin Kwan, indulged in several interesting activities before he returned to his favorite.....that of writing. Kevin lived in Manhattan to pursue a BFA at Parson's School of Design. After attaining his degree, he worked for Martha Stewart Living, Andy Warhol's magazine, Interview, and the legendary design firm created by Tibor Kalman, M&Co.

In 2000 he established his own creative studio where he produced high profile visual projects for very famous clients.

Even though he was very much demanded by big name clients, he decided to return to his passion of writing. His debut novel was in 2013, Crazy Rich Asians, which is also being made into a major motion picture. The sequel, China Rich Girlfriend was a huge hit worldwide, then was followed by the last in the trilogy, Rich People Problems, which was released in 2017. Kevin still resides in Manhattan.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Yun on December 17, 2024

"Are you that cruel of a son, to stand there and watch your helpless parents wither away when all you have to do is marry a billionaire?" Ahh. While The Notorious B.I.G. may have popularized the phrase "Mo Money Mo Problems," Kevin Kwan has turned it into the anthem of his stories. I do have to sa......more

Goodreads review by Dez the Bookworm on May 07, 2025

What a FUN read!!!!! Full of drama that is definitely reminiscent of Crazy Rich Asians but updated for today’s social climate. 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 sta......more

Goodreads review by Paul on May 24, 2024

Reading this was one of the most excruciating experiences I’ve had in a long time. Every character is either Mother Teresa or Hitler, and there’s pretty much zero character development across the chart of 500 pages — the way they enter the novel is also the way they leave, despite a topsy turvy plot......more

Goodreads review by Danila on July 30, 2024

If you want a juicy dip into the world of high society, with a splash of scandal and romance, you definitely need tolisten to"Lies and Weddings (Audiobook version)" Kevin Kwan thrives on his cleverness and ability to tell a story about the 1%. "Lies and Weddings" is no exception to this roll, keep......more

Goodreads review by Shannon on May 22, 2024

Kevin Kwan can be hit or miss for me and so far nothing of his has ever lived up to how much I loved Crazy rich Asians. This destination wedding story had a LOT of characters to keep track of and also alternated timelines making it confusing and difficult to follow at times. That said it did have gr......more


Quotes

"Another beach-ready confection starring pampered people in designer clothing behaving badly — this time at a decadent Hawaiian wedding where secrets erupt with the force and heat of lava."
The New York Times

“An irresistible tale of eye-popping glamour and shocking deception...This romantic romp circles the globe, hitting luxury locations and high comic notes in classic Kwan style.”
—People

"A hilarious, richly detailed family affair that takes place around the world, from Hawaii to Venice to Los Angeles to the English countryside." 
—Megan McCluskey and Olivia B. Waxman, Time
 
"If you loved Crazy Rich Asians, Kevin Kwan’s latest won’t disappoint....Alliances are made and unmade. Fortunes are won and lost. Rich people, trying to get richer, outwit themselves. Poor girls, armed with only their stubborn integrity, stake a claim on happiness. And the laugh lines arrive punctually....Kwan has a gimlet eye.”
—Louis Bayard, The Washington Post

"Nouveau riche voyeurism at its finest....Kwan knows (or seems to know) how the ultra-wealthy, specifically the Asian and Eurasian ultra-wealthy, toss around their dough and how they disport themselves in assorted world capitals."
—Joanne Kaufman, The Wall Street Journal

“[Lies and Weddings] bounces from England to Hawaii to Morocco, with enough designer labels, priceless artwork and luxurious accommodations to make Beverly Hills seem folksy. But there’s an undertow beneath the froth.”
—Elisabeth Egan, The New York Times

“Kevin Kwan delivers more laughs than lava in his new rom-com, Lies and Weddings....Fans of Kwan’s wildly popular Crazy Rich Asians will warm to this tale of aristocratic hilarity.”
—Ron Charles, The Washington Post Book Club

“Kevin Kwan is the king of summer reads. . . [An] outrageous comedy of errors. Imagine a rom-com paired up with a psychological thriller, and you've got Lies and Weddings....From Hawaii's black-sand beaches AND Marrakech's dramatic skies to Los Angeles' glitzy bachelor pads and England's oldest estates, Kwan delivers a juicy, hilarious, and sophisticated tale where love, ambition, and lies intertwine in unexpected ways.”
—Savoir Flair

“The Crazy Rich Asians author is back with more lavish weddings and lusty affairs of the wealthy.” 
—Hailey Eber, New York Post

“If you’ve missed the twists, laughs, and jetsetting of Kevin Kwan's glamorous novels, check this one out immediately. IOHO, it isn’t summer without him.”
The Skimm

“Private jets, $40,000 dresses, and a benevolent bachelor blissfully unaware that he’s on the brink of bankruptcy: It’s a trifecta that can only come together in a Kevin Kwan novel....In his latest, Lies and Weddings, he goes back to the well to deliver another delicious romp through the lifestyles of the rich and wannabe famous….Hopping among Hawaii, Marrakech, the British countryside, and Beverly Hills, Kwan tells a story like only he can, sending up the 0.01% while underlining that the heart wants what the heart wants, regardless of tax bracket.”
—Sheila Yasmin Marikar, Bustle

“[Kwan's] latest book chronicles challenges faced by the biracial children of a British duke and a former Hong Kong model. There’s an opulent Hawaiian wedding with a palace carved out of ice, a murder and, of course, an Asian mother who is intent on meddling in her children’s lives.”
—Saira Khan, Wall Street Journal

"Kevin Kwan one-ups his Crazy Rich Asians series with Lies and Weddings, a luxuriously frothy book about secretly poor billionaires with love problems."
—Greta Johnsen, WBEZ Chicago

"Delish and deceptive." 
WBUR

"This novel is vintage Kwan and this time we take a hilarious dive into the Anglo-Asian billionaire scene which is populated with fierce Chinese moms, power-mad aunties, penniless English Lords, fabulous weddings, stately homes and too many secrets to mention. Imagine Crazy Rich Asians mated with Saltburn and you've got Lies and Weddings—a heavenly summertime read!"
—Plum Sykes, New York Times best-selling author of Bergdorf Blondes

“Known for his style, humor, and love of decadence, Kevin Kwan's latest novel follows Rufus Gresham, the future Earl of Greshambury, and the owner of a whole lot of debt. It doesn't take long before his scheming mother comes up with a plan—win the heart of a women with money at his sister's luxe wedding, duh! . . . But when a volcanic eruption exposes his family's true intentions, can the family rise again from the ashes or will a secret tragedy hidden for over 20 years reveal a shocking twist?”
—Chaise Sanders, Cosmopolitan

“[A] sly, hilarious comedy of manners about the high class, the low class, and the rich with no class....Kwan dishes out another juicy, satire-tinged romp about the lives of the opulent class with aplomb. The characters behave to the standard his fans have come to expect [and] the third-person omniscient narrative voice follows each character's movements with the chattiness of a gossip columnist....Readers hungry for an escapist tale with a soupçon of social criticism and a dash of true love overcoming obstacles should find Lies and Weddings a delicious diversion.”
—Shelf Awareness

“[Kevin Kwan] has entertained millions of Americans….If you think the mother in Crazy Rich Asians was a terror, wait until you meet the mom in Lies and Weddings.
—Traverse City Record-Eagle

"Kevin Kwan...is back with another page-turner of a romance." 
Book Riot

"The author of international sensation Crazy Rich Asians has returned with a new story you won’t be able to put down....A sprawling, globe-trotting adventure, filled with deceit, murder, love and humor."
SheReads

“In [Lies and Weddings], Kwan continues to wrap fairy-tale love stories in glitz, glamour, couture, fine art, and delicious wit….Still more brilliant escapism among Kwan’s 1 percenters. Too much is never enough.”
Kirkus (starred)

“Kwan returns with another irresistible comedy of manners….[Lies and Weddings] allow[s] Kwan to indulge in his flair for vivid party scenes [and he] delivers on his reputation for breezy prose, encyclopedic references to art and haute couture, and quick-witted dialogue laced with Cantonese. The author's fans will devour this.”
Publishers Weekly

“Rollicking...Delightful...Like every Kwan novel, Lies and Weddings is chock-full of scheming characters and breathtakingly lavish scenes....Kwan remains a cheekily hilarious writer....I drank this book up like the chilled bottles of Sancerre these characters are constantly drinking. Pure pleasure.”
—BookPage

“Kwan is back and better than ever....From the beaches of Hawaii to Marrakech, and Los Angeles to England’s oldest family estates, Kwan’s latest is a juicy and hilarious story of love, money, murder and sex.”
—PureWow

"Kwan mines the trials and tribulations of the uberwealthy to great effect in this winning, modern-day comedy of manners...Kwan weaves together the drama of a nineteenth-century novel with timeless themes about identity, love, racism, and family loyalty, all while dropping snarky asides via footnote and details of the decadent lifestyles of the rich and famous. A fizzy, delightful confection perfect for devouring by the pool."
Booklist

"Kwan took us to Singapore in Crazy Rich Asians, and he’s whisking us away to Hawaii, Marrakech and the English countryside in Lies and Weddings....A hilarious tale of love, lies, sex and money." 
Readers Digest