Book Review: Lies and Weddings | Kevin Kwan

Kevin Kwan’s trilogy starting with the smash hit, Crazy Rich Asians took the world by storm. He’s back with a new novel that delves into the world of extreme wealth, an opulent wedding, and more secrets than you can count with his new novel, Lies and Weddings.

What is Lies and Weddings about?

Rufus Leung Gresham, future Duke of Greshambury and son of a former Hong Kong supermodel has a 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 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. (synopsis from Goodreads)

What did I think?

A soapy and often humorous story of love, money, murder, and betrayal, Lies and Weddings brought the same combination of salacious stories of the upper echelon of Asian wealth as readers grew to love in his previous books. The lifestyles of his characters is so over-the-top that it makes for fun reading. The expensive clothing, the decadent food, and the affairs all give us that delicious peek into the lives of those who have it all, except the truth.

Augusta, Rufus, and Beatrice Gresham are the wealthy, privileged children of an English Earl and a Hong Kong supermodel. In outward appearances, the Greshams are still spending money like it’s water. However, their mother’s spending and their father’s secret loans mean that the family is hiding behind a secret—they have the titles and the esteem, but no money. They’re broke.

Rufus is devastatingly attractive and the future Duke of Greshambury. The combination of the two make him one of the most sought-after bachelors to try to lock down for marriage. Rufus has been in love with a young doctor named Eden Tong since they were children. There’s no one Rufus would rather spend his life with than Eden. Unfortunately, Rufus’s mother, Lady Arabella, feels differently. She and Lord Gresham need Rufus to enter into a profitable marriage that will restore their dwindling cash flow. Arabella is pushing for all three kids to marry into money and secure her lifestyle.

Meanwhile the eldest child, Augie, is marrying a man with both a title and money. It’s wild to think that a doctor would be considered too low to marry her son, but of course these are people of insane wealth and status and Lady Arabella is pretty entitled and out of touch. Eden is a pure character and stands out as a beacon of hope amongst the spoiled and wealthy elite that populate this book. You’ll love to roll your eyes at them and you’ll love to root for Rufus and Eden.

The book opens with Augie’s wedding and eventually it closes with another wedding. I won’t say whose it is, but it added a symmetry that I found satisfying. The opening wedding is set at a luxury eco-resort, and is disrupted by a volcanic eruption. The volcanic eruption isn’t even the most explosive thing to happen at that wedding, as a hot mic reveals some hot gossip!

This isn’t an action-packed plot, but it is fueled by the outrageous wealth and the juicy secrets that come spilling out everywhere. Secret trysts, affairs, lies, scandals, and betrayals are being exposed all over. And through it all, I was rooting for Rufus and Eden to be together!

A perfect popcorn worthy escape read!

Thank you to Penguin Random House for my copy. Opinions are my own.