REVIEW: Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan

In Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan, Rufus Leung Gresham has always known that even though he prefers to travel the world and work on his art, he’s in line to be the next Earl of Greshambury back in England. It’s not something he feels compelled to do–rather it is expected of him. Just like Rufus knows his mother, the countess, will forever be matchmaking until she finds him the perfect bride. But he already knows who he wants to marry. He just hasn’t told her yet. Eden Tong has been his neighbor and best friend since they were about six years old. Now she’s a brilliant doctor, much like her wonderful father who is an oncologist, and brightens Rufus’s life every time they talk. His timing, though, when he finally admits the truth to Eden is lacking. As always. Because it comes at a time when his sister is getting married in Hawaii, just before a natural disaster ruins the entire wedding week.

“It’s just that I’m in love with you.”
“Whaaat?” Eden stared at him in utter shock.
“I’m utterly, crazily in love with you, Eden. This entire week has made me realize how special you are to me, how special you’ve always been.”

To say Eden is shocked when Rufus shares his true feelings with her is an understatement. She never let herself entertain the idea of them becoming a couple considering her status in life is vastly different from his. She knows Rufus’s mother would not allow Eden to enter into a romantic relationship with him as she has no title, no amassed wealth, and no powerful connections in society or the business world. But as one rich, entitled woman after another is paraded in front of Rufus (much to his chagrin), Eden is knocked down even further in his mother’s eyes as one issue after another befall the Greshams and Tongs. Not one to stand idly by, she goes into damage control mode and tries to set things right for everyone around her. A tough task, but one Eden believes in wholeheartedly.

‘Since Eden was very young, she’d had an intuitive awareness of her place in the Gresham hierarchy. She wasn’t to the manor born–she was the girl next door, the daughter of the family doctor, nothing more, and she knew her place well.’

LIES AND WEDDINGS was a madcap adventure that spanned the globe, taking readers to some of the poshest, most decadent of locations while it also explored love, friendships, family drama, lies, and tons of excess.

‘How was it that a man born into such extreme privilege could have managed to be filled with so much humility, to be so utterly lacking in pretension and ego and any interest in material trappings?’

CW: View Spoiler »Racism, classism, drug use & overdose resulting in death, cheating (secondary cast), murder, end stage cancer « Hide Spoiler

With a multitude of characters, POVs, and relationships that were evolving–or devolving, in some cases–LIES AND WEDDINGS was a whirlwind of a story. It followed several people who were all tied together in some way as they navigated the ups and downs of being part of the upper crust of society. Once I got used to the format of author Kevin Kwan’s writing and became familiar with the many cast members, I had a good amount of fun. It was very much like a modern-day version of the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, albeit with an even deeper dive into the socialites’ lives–which was as shocking as it was funny at times.

The main couple we followed was Rufus and Eden. They came from very different backgrounds–he was in line to an earldom, grew up on an English estate; and she was raised by her oncologist father in a modest cottage on Rufus’s family estate grounds. But even though they should have been as different as night and day, Eden and Rufus were the best of friends, with very deep feelings running between them. I loved that he fell first for her. Eden didn’t even realize how her feelings had shifted to something more than friendship until Rufus declared his love for her. And then everything changed.

It was after that grand declaration that Rufus’s sister’s wedding week in Hawaii was ruined by a volcano. Then, little by little, secrets came out, fortunes were lost, and relationships were changed drastically. It was a fairly outrageous series of events. But it made for some drama that I became hooked on pretty quickly. From the pretentious people in both Rufus and Eden’s world to the schemes and plots happening around them, I think readers who like dark comedy and melodrama galore will enjoy this book.

QOTD: Have you read the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy or seen the movie? If so, what did you think?

Book Info:

Publication: Published: May 21st, 2024 | Doubleday |

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.

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.