Tell Me You Like It

Legacy of Lies #1

by Evelyn Austin

Devious games. Obsessions. And a campus king determined to break me.The Sacred Sons are University royalty, And the most vicious pricks on campus. They’re as beautiful as they are cruel. And him. He’s their leader. Their twisted king, who’s chosen to make me his personal property. Roman Rush. The more I fight him, the more he tightens his grip. I want to be left alone, to disappear into the shadows. But when my best friend goes missing, I’m pulled into a world full of dark secrets—a world where Roman reigns supreme. I need his help, but around here, nothing comes for free. And the price Roman is demanding? It’s me, body and soul. This is a dark academia college romance, and contains themes that may be triggering to some readers. Please check my site for more detailed content warnings. This is the first book in a four-book series, following the same couple, and does end on a cliffhanger.

Genres: Dark Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Dark, Romance, College, New Adult, Contemporary

220 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2024

About the author

Evelyn has been telling stories in her head for as long as she can remember. She lives on the west coast with her family, and a menagerie of pets. She loves lattes, all things Disney, gaming, and writing dark, wildly sexy stories that give readers all the feels.

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Reviews

[❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

'T𝐄L𝐋 𝐌E Y𝐎U L𝐈K𝐄 𝐈T' Is a full length book within the 'legacy of Lies' series by new to me author Evelyn Austin. Spoken in 'dual perspectives.'

With a woman on a mission I oneclicked this release day, once on my ipad I dived right in and couldn't put it down.

This pulled me in straight away
Ticked so many boxes
New to me author
Secret society
Best friend gone walkabout
A douchecanoe possessive alpha a-hole
Layers and layers of secrets.

This was a strong start to what I can only imagine is going to be a series I will devour, so I'm kind of anticipating the next book because this landed on one bitch of a cliff hanger!! Only bonus to that is the second book isn't too far away.

This was like a puzzle with missing pieces so it was hard to piece together what had happened for her to have a target on her back, but a target she did have. And he wanted her to sumit, he wanted her broken, and someone that points to his half brother, we're not yet privy to what went down but I'm guessing more will be divulged the further we get along.

This kept my attention throughout, I loved the push and pull, and she didn't budge one bit which I love in my heroines, and yes he looked like a puppy dog stalker, always on her heel, no matter where she was on campus he'd find her.

[Ari Loves All The Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay Evelyn.. I'm going to need to read the second book ASAP!! because this whole book has me on edge. All the twists and turns and where's she and whose who!! It has kept me invested in this book series now.

[˚₊‧꒰ა vruxreads ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ · Rating 1 out of 5]

The biggest CRINGE FEST of the year.

[Valerie · Rating 2 out of 5]

***spoilers***

Okay...the plot is there but it's also all over the place. So far this isn't a real dark romance. Roman is a Douche complete rich boy gets what he wants.Air again doesn't know the word no. Lux, female in town/college tries to hold her ground with Roman but(she constantly runs away from problems)has a bad sob story about shit that happened in her life a year ago. It's about a guy name James, who we know is Roman's half-brother. But we don't know what happened. Just James is in trouble, and Roman thinks Lux is the cause.

Lux's BFF Bree went missing, and no one seems to care. She is stressed about it and trying to find her. And Roman kinda helps her look for her but not really.

Sex happens after Lux see Roman get a bj from a random girl. She likes him but doesn't want to admit it. Roman likes her because she is a challenge. Sex happens and Roman has mixed feelings about it.

Lux gets a text from a random number pretending it's Bree but Lux knows it's not, due to whoever sent the message spelled Brees name wrong.....she runs away from Roman and gets hits by a car....cliffhanger.....

[Erika Braga · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the first book of a series that appears not be standalone, you must read in order, and as a first book it did the job.
I was sucked in from the beginning. Full of secrets and mystery. The MMC is obviously the all powerful rich gorgeous asshole that is very possessive and a major duche. He is not used to hear the word no, specifically from women. They run a secret society and they are treated as royals because they own the whole university and the town. Roman being the most popular and powerful one. He sets his focus in Lux, but it is for a reason and it’s not a good one. He means to destroy her for something she did, will he be able to?
Lux is not the average FMC, she wants nothing to do with the popular crew, as a matter of fact she rather hide in the shadows. She doesn’t want the attention and she certainly doesn’t want Roman despite the attraction she has for him. And she is strong though. She is focus on finding her bff that mysteriously disappeared in the very beginning of the book and no one seems to care. This book ends in a cliffhanger and I am reading the second right away

[Norma · Rating 4 out of 5]

First and foremost I am honored to have been chosen to do an ARC read for this book. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and plot and devoured this quickly. I'm left wanting answers to my questions and the cliff hanger ending has me teetering with madness while I wait for the second book to come out. I recommend reading trigger warnings before reading this.

[Plottwistsandchill · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, wow. I don’t even know where to start with this one. The plot had potential, but honestly, it was all over the place. Roman is a total douche, Lux keeps running from everything, and Bree… don’t get me started. She’s supposed to be a friend but spends most of the book making things worse. I get that some drama is needed, but this just felt exhausting.

The romance? Meh. It’s messy and kind of gross at times — the whole scene with Roman and the random girl was unnecessary and just left me rolling my eyes. There’s some tension between Lux and Roman, but it barely lands because the characters never fully click and nothing really feels earned.

The writing was repetitive, the plot dragged, and the characters… yeah, I didn’t really care about most of them. Felt like a whole lot of nothing happened - and not really interested in continuing the series

[Sneha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nope not for me! I don’t know what to say but every time the mmc calls her chick made me want to kill him!! And the mystery vibes are okay. But the way story flows is not for me.

Well!
2💫

[Jodi Coy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book… I didn’t know what to think at first. But the more I got into it the better it got. So many twists and turns and the spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Leaves you on a cliff hanger though, for sure!

[Kaitlin Swanson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would I recommend this book? No. Am I going to finish the series? Yes.

[Katelynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This felt far too short with too many secrets and now I'm anxious after that cliffhanger. Lux and Roman have a lot of sparks and a mysteriously intertwined history we get just enough hints at to create intrigue. I love Lux's determination and love for her best friend. She definitely is not ready to accept anything less than the knowledge Bree is okay. Roman balances a hate and spark with Lux that will most definitely be an issue later. I liked towards the end seeing his conscious hint at deeper feelings towards his prey. This book includes mysteries and secret societies with an elite crew used to getting there way. I'm extremely excited to see how this plays out

[Ashley - The Tattered Page]

NOTE: In the first two books, there's technically cheating. He gets a BJ from OW on a few occasions. It stops in the third book.

FMC miscarries

[Virgo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why do women not know how to write about women. Fed up with weak FMC whose bodies are “whores” for the MMC when they have just met.

[Abstract ♥ Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

ALL MY REVIEWS CAN BE FOUND ON MY BLOG: ABSTRACT BOOKS



Star Rating : 4 / 5 Stars

POV : Dual

Cliffhanger : yes

Hero : Roman

Pace of the story : Moderate

Angst Rating : 5/10

Heat Rating : 5/10

Overall Opinion :
It’s been a while since I have read a good dark romance high school romance and I am happy to say this one checked all of the points. There was some great plot , character development and the series was well written in a way that it kept me hooked until the very end and before I knew it I had binged all the four books of the series.

Roman will definitely intrigue you from the start like he did with me. I knew there was something big coming from him at the end of book one and I was right. The enemies to lovers trope in this one is amazing and I loved those banter scenes between the main characters because the h gave as soon as she got. This one was definitely tame compared to the level of dark high school romance books I like so keep that in mind. I would call this somewhat contemporary with a touch of dark romance.

Recommending this one to all the dark romance loving people out there.

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[Alissa Gupta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uh. I didn’t want this book to end! I didn’t like it ending on a cliffhanger! I need to know what happens next! Tell Me You Liked It, had me in a chokehold! I couldn’t put the book down and wanted to find out what was going to happen.

Lux is a strong-willed girl with some trauma. She is attending college with her best friend Bree. They were invited to a secret society party where she ran into a guy who was about to shake her life up.
Roman is your typical rich frat guy. Everyone wants to be with him and his friends. He walks on water and can do no wrong! He is hyper-focused on Lux and on a mission to make her his but has not admitted why. He is trying to get even, but deep down Lux does more to him than he wants to admit!
The story develops quickly and has you guessing why Roman is so fascinated with Lux! I can’t wait to read the next part of this story! It’s killing me not knowing what happened to Roman and what trauma Lux is hiding!!
Thank you, NetGalley, for allowing me to read this book and leave a review! Thank you, Evelyn Austin, for writing a well-written book that continues to keep me engaged and questioning! I can’t wait to read the next part of this book!

[Serena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ooooh this is interesting!! Can’t wait to continue this series & find out what happens next!

[Cristina]

Note to self: the H get BJ from OW. 😓

[🦉Maggie Whitworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋💋
🥵
👿

Oooh!
So good.
I can’t wait for the next book in this series, this is thrilling, tense, fast moving and so much better than others I’ve read in this genre.

Roman is a dark, intense character who’s very charming and charismatic, he has many secrets and strengths that are unknown as yet , but the fun is in the reveal.

Lux is a strong young woman, we know something happened in the past, and it’s causing her anxiety.
When Bree her best friend, disappears it’s a problem she must solve, but no one seems worried except her.

This is a slow reveal over a few books, so this ends on a cliffhanger, but it’s so worth the read.
Loved it!!

I received an Arc copy of this book and chose to post this review

[Kristine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ehhh not sure if I’m going to continue with the series…. for a few reasons.

1. It doesn’t seem like the story is bad or anything, but I feel like nothing happened in this whole book. Just 200-ish pages of prologue or something.

2. Editing- a lot of spelling/grammar/misuse of words/timeline inconsistencies

3. Female character is your typical annoying, self-righteous, naive, know-nothing

Reason number 2 and 3 wouldn’t really bother me so much, but the book was kinda just boring. I felt no connection to Bree so I don’t really care about solving her case and that seems like the main reason we’re supposed to continue on to the next book. The “cliffhanger” wasn’t a huge, “OH NO!” moment since she’s the main character so you know she’ll be fine.

It’s just your typical rich guy who everyone loves and wants to looooveeee 🍆😉, who is in a “we own this town and get away with everything” society. Enter your girl with some unknown trauma who is brought to the besstttt school ever, but literally knows nothing about anything. BFF disappears. Nobody cares. “Everyone help me find her”. Nope. “I will use the main guy to help me”. The end.

[Allia Reads (semi hiatus)]

Self note:

The H gets BJ by OW in the first 2 books and he stopped in the third.

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

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Skimmed it after 30%

[Laci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tell Me You Like It completely sucked me in from the very beginning. While it’s a standalone, it’s very clear this is a you must read in order series, and as a first book, it absolutely did its job. Secrets, mystery, tension. I was hooked fast.

Things take a dark turn when Lux and her friend accidentally stumble upon Roman and his ritual on the beach, and from that moment on, nothing feels safe again. Roman is exactly what you expect: rich, powerful, gorgeous, possessive, and a major asshole. He’s not used to hearing “no,” especially from women. He and his inner circle run a secret society and are treated like royalty because they literally own the university and the town - with Roman being the most powerful and popular of them all.

Roman sets his sights on Lux, but not for a good reason. He intends to destroy her for something she did, and watching that obsession unfold was intense. The tension between them is dark, messy, and addictive.

Lux isn’t your typical FMC. She wants nothing to do with the popular crowd and would much rather stay hidden in the shadows. She doesn’t want the attention, and she definitely doesn’t want Roman, despite the undeniable attraction. What really made me love her is her strength and focus: she’s determined to find her best friend who mysteriously disappears at the very beginning, while everyone else seems to not care at all.

This book lives firmly in morally grey territory and isn’t for everyone, but that’s what made it so compelling. And that cliffhanger?! Omg.

[nafla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay so Lux goes through something fucked up (god knows what) and somehow she gets herself in a similar mess then the last year when she gives this rich asshole the time of her day because her friend thinks it's a good idea? yeah, fuck no.

If my friend, who knows what I've been through still wants me to go a cult meating (and 🤚🏼 don't even bother trying to tell me the 'secret society' isn't a freaking cult because IT IS), she's a shitty friend but whatever

and then she goes missing and NOBODY GIVES A FUCK?

The most wild thing is that this book has the time frame of like a week or something because Bree didn't disappeared long ago so.....

About the characters: didn't liked them.

Lux seems fine but she's so dumb sometimes that makes me want to eat my hand then put it on a grinder just for shock effect, 'cause WHY are you following this other dumb bitch into a unknown place with unknown people and then getting pissed because something happened that you didn't exactly consent? well, maybe because you didn't even tried to find out where you were going???? don't piss me off

Roman sounds like a pussy so far, sorry 😐 there's no more to be said. He's just not all that.

The whole "is she in love with you?" IT'S BEEN A WEEK! Do you think this a romcom? they don't even know each other ffs

Honestly, I had high expectations and they weren't met, but I'm here for the journey

[CeCe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lux is obsessed with her own large breasts. She talks about all her body parts frequently and repeatedly (thick this, large this). I got the picture. Also, Lux talks about Roman body on repeat as well. The same adjectives. It became repetitive. Cut and paste.

Lux makes bad choices in men. Her words, not mine. Lux mentions how she loves how Roman is “chasing” her. Then she hates it. Ugh! Make up your mind!
Bree, her BFF, has gone missing and Lux is frantically looking for her. However, Lux describes how Bree has a tendency to be ditzy and flaky. She likes the excitement with certain crowds. Bree also has a history of disappearing for days in her cousin’s basement after a guy dumped her.

I bought the audiobook. The female narrator sounds like she is telling the story at a campfire. She does not sound like a professional voice actor.
The male narrator is fine. Not bad, but not amazing.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Rating: 4.5/5

My Thoughts: Lux and her best friend Bree stumble upon a secret society. Unfortunately for Lux, she becomes the latest obsession of the leader of Sacred Crown, Roman Rush. She continues to find herself in his path. To her dismay, she becomes his chosen one. His powerful connections become her only option for finding out what happened to someone close to her that is missing. This book is a suspenseful romantic slow burn, enemies to lovers, secret society, dark romance book. There is a lot of tension and buildup between these characters as the story is set up. While this book has a little spice, those spicy scenes make up for it. This book has trigger warnings and ends with a major cliffhanger. I recommend checking those warnings. I enjoyed this book and can't wait to continue this series.

[Courtney Witkowsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This ARC definitely surprised me. At first it seemed like your typical girl meets guy, enemies to lovers, girl embracing her trauma story. But then bang! We get dual pov from Lux and Roman, learn that there is more to the story than meets the eye, and have a disappearance which may or may not be related 🤯 I really enjoyed this arc novella and can't wait to read the second in the series.

Thank you Evelyn Austin and Netgalley for allowing me to get my hands on this early!

[Emma Bowen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terribly unrealistic plot with Wattpad dark boy vibes who likes the “girl who’s different?” It’s terrible. Give me 20.

[Abbey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh, it was nothing special.

[Gracie Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cliff hanger was so good the book was quite short but this book does have elements of mystery and romance

[Meg LaForge · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many typos but I still loved it.