Loving the Liar

Silver Falls University #1

by Lola King

He lost her once. Now, he will do anything to have her back. Anything.

Welcome to Silver Falls University, where the elite come to thrive. My life as a queen bee was always traced for me. I'm rich, I come from an influential family, and I constructed my personality to become the girl everyone wants to be. I rule Silver Falls University with bright smiles and the pretense of being everyone's friend.

But in a place where toxic rich kids love to see others fall, no one is safe. Especially when my family loses its power and someone threatens to spill all my secrets. In the blink of an eye, my life as I knew it crumbles, and to save the people I love, I'm forced to initiate into the one place I thought I'd never be—the same Secret Society that betrayed my family.

Powerless, I'm thrown into a world of men who want nothing but to use and break me, and only one person can save me. My ex.

He wants to take care of me even though I hate him. He wants to protect me when he's not allowed. And he wants to make me his, even if it puts us both at risk.

I have no hope of surviving a secret society. But if Christopher Murray makes me his… I have no hope of surviving him.

Loving the Liar is an angsty, secret society, dark romance from bestselling author Lola King. This is the first book in a series of interconnected standalones. Intended for mature listeners.

Genres: Dark Romance, Romance, Second Chance, Dark, Secret Society, College, College Romance

572 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 12, 2024

About the author

Lola King is a dark, steamy romance author who loves giving happy ever after’s to antiheroes. She writes about flawed and deeply broken characters and the women who bring them down to their knees. Her books are sometimes cute, sometimes angsty, but always sexy!
Lola lives in London and if she isn’t writing, she is most likely keeping her mind busy putting together a play or making music.

Let’s keep in touch on IG @lolaking_author or on FB readers’ group Lola’s Kings !

Reviews

[Marianna Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way I absolutely INHALED this. I swear when second chance is done right… it is one of my FAVORITE TROPES!

This is for the girlies who want dark dark dark DARK romance. Please check your trigger warnings…. Don’t say a didn’t warn ya. 😀

This is also for the girlies who like their fictional men morally black and entirely psychotic. Chris Murray takes obsessed to a whole new level and I would let him manipulate me any day of the week. Bye. Don’t worry guys I’m in therapy. But also Ella girl you’re stronger than me because the way I folded for this man before he even opened his mouth….. call me a lawn chair.

These two are toxic as FUCK. And will have you wanting to scream…. They will not be for everyone but for some reason they were for me.

✔️ dark second chance
✔️ brothers best friend
✔️ secret society
✔️ elite college
✔️ man entirely obsessive and possessive and will do things that make you feel question your morals and sanity and entire existence. But that’s fine we’re fine.

Lola King CONTINUES with delivering actual plot in her dark romance books and I am HOOKED! There’s some sort of crack in her books because I simply cannot put them down.

The ending was definitely a bit rushed but other than that I had so much fun!

I literally highlighted every other page of this book.

“I miss you. Every day I wake up here, I look at her, and I miss you. Blue eyes shouldn’t look so dark. Blue skies are my favorite, and they reflect in your eyes like a crisp spring morning. Blue is my favorite color.”

“You’re my first thought when I open my eyes, my last when I fall asleep, and the main character in every single one of my dreams.”

“One woman. That’s all it takes for my heart to lose itself in an uneven symphony of beats. One word from her lips, and I’m ready to get on my knees for her.”

“Yesterday. Tonight. Tomorrow. In ten years. She’s mine. Don’t test that. You don’t want to play with a man who would blow the world to pieces for her. Because, tell me, if I’m willing to destroy myself for her, what makes you think I won’t destroy someone as insignificant as you?”

“Ella is my safe place. She’s my guardian angel. Her mere presence makes me feel invincible. Her existence makes me want to throw my life to the flames for her.”

[Larissa Cambusano · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ATE THIS UP!!!!!!!!

[Yana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m the problem I think? Idk her calling him daddy pissed me off, he also started to pissed me off at the end, and Ella (is that her name?) is lowkey dumb.

[Laura Jane ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

LISTEN if loving this toxic, manipulative man is wrong then I never want to be right 🙂‍↔️ Christopher Murray takes being toxic & obsessive to a new level & I fear I would let him gaslight me any day of the week.

So I went into this with the lowest of expectations after only reading one book from this author and not enjoying it, but colour me surprised that I absolutely ATE this up! This the dark romance vibes I want. An MMC who is so over the top possessive that he will stop at nothing to get his girl. He will lie, manipulate, obliterate any form of boundaries and make you question your morals. He literally paralysed a man for touching her - I cannot explain why this is good a thing but it is. I will not be judged for it because he can’t help being a bit psychotic - you know, he just loves her that much & wants her to be safe from everyone but him 🤷🏼‍♀️ hehehehhheehe - I don’t know what you tell you - HE CRAWLED BACK TO HER!!! Just don’t expect some kind of redemption arc, this man is does not give a single fuckkkkk as long as Ella is his - and I loved it. If I am a problem, so be it.

The way this book gave me literal anxiety at times too… like the secret society gave me the absolute ick. A few parts I DID NOT LIKE, NOPEEEE. But we move and selectively choose to ignore them.

“If it takes until the day I die to fix this, I’ll work tirelessly every single day I’m alive. All I want is to see your beautiful eyes shining with love before I close mine for eternity.”

If you want a spicy dark romance vibe read then this is the one 🕺🏼
I have to say I was brave reading this most of this on the plane because the spice was spicinggggg - I just hope if anyone read over my shoulder they also had an enjoyable time, you are welcome.
My only other thoughts are that I wished we had a longer epilogue cause damn I’m so invested in this.

Bestie Lola you can do a lil dance that I loved it 🤣🫶🏼
It’s been a while since I’ve had a good dark romance vibe read so I’m very pleased.

As always with a dark romance, check content warnings! I don’t think it was THAT dark but we all have different levels of what we are comfortable with. If you want a MMC who is sweet, cute and has sanity, this isn’t for you. If you fancy leaving your morals at the door and thinking ‘awww’ to questionable things, hop on in.

[naima · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay this wasn’t a bad book. I liked it in fact - especially the writing style - Lola King knows how to write a gripping story alright. So why a 2 star? 2 stars purely for the character decisions in book.
Hear me out...

I really did like Ella and Chris’s character’s however, at multiple times in this book I found myself questioning ‘did he really need to do that?’
I felt as if he genuinely made life so painful for her - I know he had his own motives but seriously? Posting life altering things about her on an anonymous school gossip site so she would have no one else to fall to but him. Look, I can look past it in loads of other dark romances but this one felt a little bit all too surreal. Especially in Ella’s case - reading her pov broke me.

If there isn’t a smile on her face, I want to know why. If there’s a tear on her cheek, I want to know who. And if there’s a name tattooed on her heart, it has to be mine.

I think its safe to say my only problem with Lola king is the character decisions, like the Megan ending, the daddy kink, Hermes, - that brings me to the crass and crude way my FAV thing ever - greek mythology was portrayed in this book - I did not like it okay. 😬 greek mythology is something I take very seriously, and I do NOT appreciate slander on Aphrodites name.

That being said, here are things I did like 😵
- Peach and wren 🤟🤟😛
- The playlist which included many songs that I am fond of and hold close to my heart - I thought it could literally be mine.
- The writing style - like I said, Lola king can write.
- Peach and wren lol 🙆‍♀️
- Surprisingly, the appearance of Caden king lol, might fuck around and find out about him 👀
- Peach and wren kinda
- The twists 🗣️
- Xi and alex having a pet bunny🥹🥹🥹🥹 xi going out of his way for it
- Oooh and also peach and wren !!

[Andy ( slow) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

So listen, haven’t read anything this unhinged since Haunting Adeline. While this isn’t “stalker” romance, trust me Christopher Murray does his fair share of stalking as well. This is “ second chance “romance that is not my fave usually, but boy did I enjoyed this one 👌.
Does he have a daddy kink, yes, did I care? No, I actually didn’t find it icky ( what does is say about me is a different story). I did actually enjoy everything about Christopher Murray and it doesn’t mean that I agree with everything that came out of his mouth.

Also this might be the spiciest book I have ever read, BUT it has a actual plot.❤️

As for Ella, she isn’t your average “doormat “ dark romance FMC, I think she does have a back bone or at least she tries to have it 🙏.

The ending was BEAUTIFUL, really.

I would advise everyone before starting this book to check the trigger warnings, then turn of your brain- you won’t need it and enjoy the ride ❤️.

[becs ౨ৎ⋆.˚ (semi-ia + comment restriction)]

i started my lola king binge for xi + alex and all the silver falls university couples so words can’t even explain how excited i am to dive into chris and ella’s story!! please don’t disappoint because i have the highest hopes for this series out of all of lola’s books 😭

[—S · Rating 1 out of 5]

words cannot describe how terrible this book was.
lola king graduated from rina kent’s school of writing with a master in ridiculousness.

[Swathi✨️[semi-hiatus] · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐

🖤🖤🖤 I DEVOURED THIS 🖤🖤🖤

Loving the Liar was pure chaos, obsession, and dark romance indulgence—and I ate it up like my life depended on it.

This is not a gentle story. This is not a healthy romance. This is a book that grabs you by the throat, drags you into elite college hell, secret societies, betrayal, blackmail, and obsession so intense it makes you question your morals…and then dares you to keep reading 😈🖤

Second chance romance done right will always have me in a chokehold, and this one delivered ANGST in the best way possible. The elite college setting, the secret society with teeth, the sense of constant threat and loss of control—it all created a suffocating, addictive atmosphere that made it impossible to put down. I genuinely felt anxious reading parts of this, which honestly just added to the experience.

Christopher Murray is not a man you root for because he’s good. You root for him because he’s Unhinged. Obsessive. Possessive. Manipulative. Fully morally black. He does not seek redemption. He does not apologize for who he is. He wants one thing, and he will burn the world to have it 😩🤌🏻🖤

And yes, I folded immediately.🤭

Chris is my perfectly broken, dangerously beautiful, emotionally complex, dangerously captivating, whiskey-eyed, heart-wrecking, spine-tingling, soul-crushing, everything-I-never-knew-l-needed, tortured genius with the rizz to bring me to my knees and the ability to make me forget how to breathe-my heart's deepest obsession and unspoken addiction. Hehehe🤸🏻‍♀️

Ella as an FMC wasn’t perfect—she frustrated me at times—but I couldn’t hate her. Her inability to stand firm against Chris felt painfully real. If I’m being honest, I would’ve folded too.🤭 Their dynamic was toxic, combustible, and addictive in the worst and best ways. This is very much a “leave your morals at the door” kind of romance.

The secret society plotline was wild—sometimes brilliant, sometimes a little much—and the pacing did drag in the middle. The ending also felt a bit rushed compared to the build-up, and I desperately wanted a longer epilogue because I was not ready to let go 😩🖤

Still, the twists, the obsession, the spice, the tension, the sheer audacity of this man? WORTH IT.

⭐ 4-star read
Unhinged, dramatic, anxiety-inducing, and ridiculously addictive.
If you love dark romance with obsessive MMCs, second chances, elite chaos, and secret societies—this one will absolutely ruin you 🖤🖤🖤

Check trigger warnings. SERIOUSLY.

~pre-read~
Let me confess.
I AM HERE FOR CHRISTOPHER MURRAY💃🏻
My bestieee Grace Harper convinced me with just one review🤭
Let's goooooooooooo🤸🏻‍♀️
🖤💗🤍💗🖤💗🤍💗🖤

[Bookishness · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You’re the first thought when I open my eyes, the last one before I fall asleep… and somehow, you’re in every single one of my dreams.”

Okay… I went into this completely blind per usual and wow. If I knew this was second chance romance, brother’s best friend, forbidden, stalker, secret society… all wrapped into one I would have read this much sooner. In my opinion it’s like Edge of Darkness trilogy and Torment duology had a baby.

“Yesterday. Tonight. Tomorrow. In ten years. She’s mine.” My heart liquifies, melted by the dangerous heat in his voice. “Don’t test that. You don’t want to play with a man who would blow the world to pieces for her.” His voice lowers to a grave baritone. “Because, tell me, if I’m willing to destroy myself for her, what makes you think I won’t destroy someone as insignificant as you?”

If you’re looking for obsessed, possessive, “I will do absolutely anything to get her back” Christopher Murray is that man. No hesitation, no limits. It will make you question your mortals your values, even your sanity!! yes!!!! (I am doomed) I know...

There were such soft, sweet moments like the journal, “If I ever give you this journal… remember they tried to keep me away from you. And remember I still came home to you. I will always come home to you.”


Then other moments where you feel completely manipulated. One second you don’t want Ella anywhere near him, the next you feel bad for Chris and almost understand him. That emotional push and pull? That was chefs 💋 .

“Ella Baker. My beautiful obsession. The one who still thinks I’ll allow her to move on from me. I might be stuck with a manipulative woman, but once I’m done with her, Ella will be mine. Even if it takes unconventional convincing.”

“It feels so good to be jealous and possessive over you. Like a drug I can’t get enough of. Why should I feel anything but pride in knowing I’m utterly obsessed with one woman? Why should I feel regretful or ashamed that I want to destroy any other man who gets near you?”

“It’s the delusion that she can move on. She can’t. She never will because I won’t let her. She underestimates my obsession, and she puts people in danger with that mindset. She puts herself in danger. Because the further she tries to run, the tighter her leash becomes. And the harder she tries to escape, the more creative I have to get to make her see I am her only option if she wants to live a peaceful life.”

I literally could not put this down 500 pages in less than 24 hours. That’s how good it was, did I loose hours of sleep?? Yes yes I did, do I regret it? NOPE, not one bit.

I’m already reading book 2.

[Heather]

~ I am not the target audience for this book. For one, I can’t stand the FMC. She’s so self-absorbed and very obviously thinks she’s the best thing ever. Being in this bitch’s head was downright nauseating.

“People love hanging out with me. And if I don’t want to acknowledge them, they hang around me until I give them the time of day.”

“First day of junior year. For some, it would be another year closer to the reality of the outside world. For us? The real world doesn’t exist. There’s rich. There’s richer…and then there’s us. The Stoneview kids.”

(Referring to herself in the 3rd person in her impression of how people react to her) “Ella Baker asked to borrow my pen! Wow. Tell your diary!”

~ The FMC is also VERY promiscuous and, I’m completely ok with other people liking that sort of thing and finding it empowering or whatever, but I do not like it nor do I relate to it in that way. I’m not trying to preach by no means, but for me— I like the idea of women valuing their bodies, and being selective as to who they share it with because not every man that comes along deserves to have that kind of access to it.

(In reference to a guy that’s part of her friend group she hangs out regularly with) “Matias and I aren’t even a thing. We fuck from time to time because he’s halfway decent at it, and I’m a way for social climbers to get to the top. Fuck the queen bee and become a subject in her court.”

(In reference to a different guy in her friend group— Achilles) “In high school, I was prom queen, and he was king. We never dated, never even slept together, but people liked to imagine we did because we would have been the perfect power couple.” (She says this as if sleeping with him would have been a more normal conclusion than actually dating him— but no she didn’t even do that! [Cringe])

~ I finally decided to DNF after she goes off on this huge tangent about having to meet her friends in the library where THEY have to study, but not her because she’s above having to do something as desperate as studying— then proceeds to walk in and announce enthusiastically that she slept with their professor! And when it’s not met with as much praised approval as she was hoping, she starts defending herself saying that she never would have had to if her dad hadn’t made her switch majors and she was making such a terrible grade in his class…. So I guess studying a little bit wouldn’t have been such a bad idea after all, huh?! But no, she’d rather earn that grade on her back. 🤷‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Bottom line: This book is NOT for me. All the current, high [misleading] reviews would appear to be from ARC readers too since the majority of them were posted before the book was released. No rating, as I did not read enough to feel like it would be fair to leave a rating.

[Brittany Ferraro · Rating 5 out of 5]

FUCK, where is my damn neck brace? The whiplash I experienced reading this book was out of control. I was laughing. I was raging. I was crying. I was heartbroken . I was blushing all in the matter of minutes.
Actual footage of me -
😋😖😤😳😮‍💨🤭🥵🫢😡🥹😭😊

Man if you haven’t dipped your toes into Lola’s writing, you don’t know what you’re missing. She can make you fall in love with the worst of them. Chris is the golden boy with a hero complex. He loves to be there for everybody, to be the knight and shining armor, but there is an another side to him that he reserves only for Ella. AND FUCK that side of him is so manipulative, conniving, controlling and dominant. Just when you think he’s done the worst of it, he proves you wrong. Like this man is a master manipulator, probably the best to ever do it, and somehow I fell in love with him along the way….. I don’t know if it was the gaslighting but by the end of this book, I found myself rooting for him so hard & just wanting these two to get their happily ever after because they both have been through so much.

The circle (a secret society) has so much depth to it, and I feel like could branch off into so many storylines and directions because of how many people are in so deep and I can’t wait to continue to explore that. And Hermes (the gossip girl of Lola’s world) is such a nice touch. Everything this woman writes is gold and she’s going to take you on a true emotional roller coaster every time.

LIKE YOU NEED TO READ THIS, it’s gonna give you everything, it’s forbidden romance (brothers, best friend) wrapped up into a second chance romance/ secretly dating. One of the most possessive Mmcs, secret Society, the spiciest spice, and a plot that will keep you fucking feral as you flip those pages as fast as you can.

“remember the day they tried to keep me away from you and remember I crawled home to you. I will always come home to you” 😭😭😭



OH PS FUCK MEGANNNNN

[purlpur · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️
я не очікувала від цієї книги таких емоцій 🤯
тут стільки контрастів. тендітні та чуттєві моменти, безжальні та жорстокі, легкі та милі, болючі та драматичні, добіса гарячі та смачні. весь спектр в сюжет завезли. це дуже сподобалось ❤️‍🔥

сюжет насичений протягом усієї книги, мені не хотілося від неї відриватись. тут вам:
✔️ вайби пліткарки з її елітним коледжом.
✔️ таємне товариство, яке нагадало подібне з серії l.o.r.d.s. by shantel tessier. аналогію гери/афродіти з леді/обраницею важко не помітити 😏
✔️ складні стосунки з емоційними гойдалками між гг 💔

крістофер. я очікувала побачити токсичного, одержимого маніпулятивного гг. чи такий він? absolutely fucking yes! ще той червоний прапорець. але більшу частину книги не вдається його ненавидіти. його турбота, піклування, готовність зробити усе заради елли.. знає як підкупити, чортяка. а потім ти дізнаєшся його приховані вчинки і вже ненавидиш. потім знову любиш. і знову ненавидиш. і таких гойдалок достатньо протягом книги 😵‍💫

елла. не скажу, що вона сильна особистість, хоча намагається показувати себе такою для оточуючих. вона ніби гарна ваза на поличці, яка візуально усім подобається, а насправді всередині в ній купа тріщин, які от-от зламаються. але я все рівно прониклась цим персонажем, її біль і тривога не залишать байдужою 🥲

єдиний мінус. в кінці хотілося складнішої розвʼязки з планом кріса. ніби очікуєш чогось більш грандіозного від такого маніпулятора. а то кипіння пристрастей досягло апогею, а розвʼязка трохи meh 🫤

окрема згадка.
сцена в бальній залі під coldplay така чуттєва, я розтанула 🥹

в цілому знайомство з авторкою пройшло на відмінно. тепер хочу прочитати інші її книги 👌

[Fahmida · Rating 1 out of 5]

Before you read the review, I'll be pleased to inform you that I am the no.1 Rina Kent fan. Meaning if she has no fans, I'm dead.

I crawled out of my cave to hate rant about this book and forgive me if it's a little jumbled because my blood is boiling right now.

Before the lovers of this book come for me, I'll make it clear that I did read the trigger warnings and I do read the occasional dark romance. But this was HORRIBLE. This was so bad. This book made me feel itchy in places I didn't know could feel itchy.

Let me pain the picture for y'all:

She goes, “There is absolutely nothing you can do to get me back. I wouldn’t go back to you if you were my last option on earth."
And then he says, "I wouldn’t go back to you if you were my last option on earth."
That broke my heart.
Now you have to put it back together."

On first thought, you may think this is sweet, right? I did too. But this freak takes it to the next level. He orchestrated her initiation and EVERYTHING HORRIBLE she went through or had to go through because he felt like the only way he was gonna get a second chance is when he destroys her completely so she'll lean onto him.

“You said you didn’t want me even if I was your last option on earth. Do you have any idea what kind of damage that did? I had to make myself that last option and show you you’d choose me. I had to have you.”

Again, this sounds sweet taken out of context, doesn't it? But NOOOOOOOOO. The whole plot happened because of his obsession with this sentence. This man plotted the ENTIRE destruction of the fmc's life and what did she do? She let him. Why? BECAUSE SHE HAS A FUCKING BODY BETRAYAL SYNDROME. And ohmygod, I skipped through like all the spicy scenes but I read one and the overused 'daddy' made me gag.

The fmc, Ella started out good. I was really liking her character at first. But then, after Chris came into the picture, she became a fucking doormat. I'm begging these 'female' authors to write strong fmcs. How hard is it to write a strong fmc? HOW HARD? Both the mcs are shallow, stupid and boring.

The book ended so abruptly. One minute Ella was raging about how manipulative, toxic and forceful Chris was but the next, it all went poof. And then after her plan with her brother went through, she suddenly realised her love for him and he crawled out of his grave for her and then the society forgave him? And you're telling me that Chris, who wasn't willing to give Ella any choice up until a few hours ago magically understands that he wants Ella to be with him willingly after forcing her for the whole book?
Yeah, nice try shawty.

I love me a good secret society book. and the secret society part of this book is nicely crafted, I'll give the author that. But on a realistic note, it's absolutely sick and horrifying. And you CANNOT convince me that such things don't happen irl. Most men are SICK and urghhhhh....this is a very good representation of that. This triggered my inner feminist and every once in a while, I felt like teleporting into the book and kicking all these men's asses. But what bothered me is that the book ended with Chris doing nothing about it. He got Ella after all his twisted, manipulative mindgames and then that's it. But I'm guessing the plot will continue throughout the next series. Unfortunately, I will not be sticking around to find out.

That being said, I've seen ppl saying this author's books are similar to Rina Kent's and they could not be more wrong. Do NOT ever compare mother Rina to this atrocity. And yes there are questionable mmcs in rinaverse too but NONE would EVER hurt their girls to this point.

[Andra🧚‍♀️✨(hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 2.5⭐️(?)
⤷ To be honest, I’m just glad I finished it.There were more parts that I did not enjoy, and especially the plot twist or whatever that was, and I think Chris is one of the worst mmc I’ve ever read about.He hurt and manipulated Ella and made her a literal mess.For years.He literally ruined her.

⤷ Everytime Ella got some sense, she immediately lost it.When she realised she hated Chris, she loved him the next chapter.It was a an unending cycle 😐.

⤷ It was bad, but, entertaining.Idk what’s up with this author and her books.Or perhaps what’s up with me for continuing reading her books even if I don’t fully enjoy them🤷‍♀️.

Did I mostly enjoy the book?𝓝𝓸.Would I read the next one?𝓨𝓮𝓼.Will I finish the series?𝓨𝓾𝓹.

I’m ranting a bit:

⤷ I read the title of this book and I didn’t think much of it.”Loving the Liar”.He is a liar but not lovable 😭😭😭

⤷This book left me … numb.While reading it I was curious and hooked and also extremely annoyed and betrayed, but now after I finished it I don’t feel anything anymore😭😭.This guy ruined me too ig.

•» 🎀 𝓕𝓲𝓷𝓲𝓼𝓱𝓮𝓭 𝓸𝓷 2𝓷𝓭 f𝓮𝓫𝓻𝓾𝓪𝓻𝔂 🎀 »•


ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭

•» 🎀 𝓢𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓸𝓷 25𝓽𝓱 𝓳𝓪𝓷𝓾𝓪𝓻𝔂🎀 »•

So I’m in a slump, and from what I heard, this book is not as unhinged as Beautiful Fiend, and even though there were a lot of scenes that I did NOT like in that book, it definitely kept me hooked. So hopefully this book will get me out of the slump 🤞🤞

[♡Gabi♡ [grad school hiatus] · Rating 5 out of 5]

rtc, but WOW, what a WILD ride chris and ella took me on omfg. i love them sm 😭

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

The way this had me in a chokehold from beginning to end is Insane!! I’m a sucker for a second chance romance and this was done so right!! It’s been a while since a dark romance had me this hooked; it was giving LOG & Gossip Girl vibes and I ate it up.

The plotting was plotting and I really like the small found family in this group. Also the tension, angst and yearning between Christoper and Ella , yeah it was super good, toxic, but super good.

Christoper Murray… it is always the quiet ones!! The mouth on that man should be illegal because I was hanging onto to every word that that man spoke and he barely did!! His devotion to Ella was everything!! I love me a man who would burn down the world for her… the man literally crawled out of a grave for her!!

Ella tbh wast one of my fave fmc’s. She had her moments where I really liked her, but for the most part her decisions were not it and she ended up annoying me. I did love that she did stand up to Chris from time to time.

only reason this wasn’t a higher rating was because it didn’t need to be this long and the pacing was a little off , but I still loved it!! can’t wait for to jump into the next book!! Also pls check your TW’s

“When your heartbeat picks up mine is already racing. When your lungs feel tight from the overwhelming love between us, mine are crushed.”

“If I ever give you this journal, remember the day they tried to keep me away from you… I will always come home to you.” 🖤

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

'L𝐎V𝐈N𝐆 𝐓H𝐄 𝐋I𝐀R' Is the first full length book in the (Silver Falls University) series by Lola King. Ella & Chris.

After seeing that the next book has released, and it’s been popping up on my feeds, I gave in and one clicked this, took me a wee while to get into, then once I hit my groove I didn't put it down..There's soooo much to unpack in this book.

Ella is the girl everyone wants to be, Queen B on campus, everyone wants a piece of her, her power, her status, but like everyone else she's hiding behind a mask, she's as insecure as most of her peers, she just doesn't show it..

Until things start unravelling around her.

First her father supposedly commits suicide, and all her family's dirty little secrets come to light. Her father has left behind a mass of debt and the only way to clear it, is to succumb to the 'Circle' which comes at a price, first you need an invitation to be initiated, which can go either way, marry her chosen 'Shadow' or be used and abused by all within the 'Circle.' But either way, you are given one wish, and if her wish is to clear her family's debt she'll use it, the 'Circle' is her only choice.

Her only hope is that her ex, Christopher Murray will be the one that saves her. He's her dirty little secret, one her brother doesn't even know about. Christopher is back in town and he wants Ella back and will go to any lengths to get her back in his good graces.

If a boy becomes so obsessed will he kill anyone that comes too close, to the girl he loves?!? Yes he will!!

Meet Chris..aka Daddy

This guy was a walking red flag 🚩
But he was one hot 🔥 red flag.

He was toxic, but his love burned like a scorching flame and he would do anything to protect the girl he loved, a manipulator behind a secret circle society where he pulled strings to get her where he needed her.

[Lovinmyshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread and it is still everything and more to me… 100% one of my favorite books ever. Chris and Ella have crawled into the folds of my SOUL and live there now. I cannot wait to get my hands on loving the reaper in April AHHHHHH🤩

————————————————————————————————————————————-

This book was EVERYTHING and more. The various emotions I felt while reading this absolute roller coaster of a ride…. It was complete and utter perfection. I would not change a thing about this book. Chris and Ella made me every emotion I could imagine. I felt anger, pain, happiness, etc for them and their story.

Chris was by no means a perfect MMC. He is toxic. He is manipulative. He is everything and more to be quite honest. I did not condone his actions and the things he would do to manipulate Ella into relying and turn towards him. But through that all I could see his pain, I could see his love for Ella and how that drove him to obsession and ultimately madness. And I loved him more for it in the end… now what that says about me idk but I still stand by my statement.

Ella is an FMC that I don’t normally gravitate towards. She is not a strong individual to start. She puts up this perception of perfection, but in realty she is broken. However, throughout this book, and through everything she is forced to endure, she became a character that I actually ended up loving and becoming emotionally attached to. Her pain, and her struggles with anxiety and negative thoughts that turned into self destructive behaviors, became something I could not only relate to but also something I could sympathize with. This made her into a character that felt REAL.

Absolutely amazing story by Lola King, and this has set the bar so high for when I dive into her Beautiful Fiend series (which I am hoping to do soon!!).

P.S. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU LISTEN TO EAHC SONG LISTED AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH CHAPTER. IT MAKES THE READING EXPERIENCE 100 TIMES BETTER IN MY OPINION!!!

Star Rating: 5 🌟
Spice Rating: 4.5 🥵🔥

[Kseniia ✨️]

DNF 46%

➸другий шанс
➸елітний коледж
➸таємне товариство
➸токсичні стосунки

Мабуть моя ера токсичних романів пройшла. Мені сподобався сеттінг, але не сподобались гг і все, що з ними зв'язано. А ще було нудно. Невиправданно велика книга. Може в нас щось би склалось, якби вона була на третину меньше. А так, я прочитала майже половину і з цікавого була лише ініціація з біганиною по лабіринту.

Що ми маємо? Елітний коледж, повний багатих діточок. Тут є своя альтернатива пліткарки. Хтось під ніком Гермес розповідає чужі таємниці. Ай лайк іт👍
Ще маємо таємне товариство пов'язане з грецькою мифологією під назвою Мовчазне Коло. Чоловіки - Тіні. Запрошені жінки - Гери (дружини) чи Афродити (коханки). Все залежить від того як пройде ініціація. Якщо не встигнеш піймати чоловіка, то тебе будуть пускати по колу все життя. Мені цікаві таємні товариства, але тут все тримається на соплях і більше питань, ніж відповідей. В чому суть товариства незрозуміло. Все дуже поверхнево розкрито. Поки що це виглядає, як збіговисько ґвалтівників.

Елла. Багата, дурненька, не підготовлена до життя дитина. У неї немає персоналії. Підлизує всім дупці, бо по-іншому не вміє жити це життя.
Бідна, нещасна дівчинка, яка має daddy issues, і авторка робить все, щоб змусити читача їй співчувати. Але я хз як це зробити, бо ВОНА НЕРЕАЛЬНО ТУПА ТА ЙОБНУТА. Просто найтупіша книжкова героїня ever.

Кріс. На людях скромний джентельмен, який полюбляє книги. А в душі гниль. Егоїстичний, маніпулятивний, контролюючий виродок. Я люблю одержимих чгг, які зроблять все заради неї. Але коли він руйнує героїню, а потім робить з себе рятівника та заново збирає її й прив'язує до себе, то ЙДЕ ВІН НАХУЙ. Чєл, не треба б було нічого збирати по шматочкам, якби ти не зламав.

Любовна лінія. У нас тут match психічних порушень. Вона шукає дорослого, який би взяв повну відповідальність за її життя. Він хоче повністю контролювати її. Просто пара створена на небесах. Мені переказали книгу і їхні стосунки це піздец. Рада, що закинула, шкода, що витратила на це один день свого життя.
Спайсі сцени мені не зайшли. Не дуже люблю цей кінк, але іноді читаю. І є книги з хорошо прописаними сценами, але тут для мене це було більш крінжово, ніж сексуально. Коли вона його сто разів за секс називала дедді, я перегортала, щоб не бачити цього іспанського сорому. Ну і звичайно вона кінчає сто разів, коли не знає хто взагалі її трахає. А чєл має волину, яку не обхватити чотирма руками.

Але я дам шанс 2 книзі, там мої улюблені тропи і має бути НЕ токсік.

[Lola King]

Available now!

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3xfbF7P
Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/LovingtheLiar

Narrated by: Corvin King & Heather Firth
Listen today!
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Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/45oYCNz

- Dark second chance romance
- Secret society
- Elite college
- Boy obsessed is an understatement
- Daddy k!nk

[Grace Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christopher…. I owe you an apology. I wasn’t really familiar with your game 😂😂

Yes, he may be an unhinged, CONTROLLING psycho…. but he’s also a sweet baby angel 🧸

Your honor, pls forgive him 🙏🏻 he’s just a man in love 😫😫😫😫

I’ll admit when I realized just HOW crazy he was, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. And then of course, he manipulated me right back into understanding every action he’s made. I’m no better than Ella 😩

Is this realistic? I mean… no LOL. But who gives an f? Not me

This is dark, but I had fun 🤸🏻‍♀️ and christopher was so damn fineeeeeee, so I loved that too

[currently being delulu · Rating 1 out of 5]

So he broke up w her bc he was to scared to tell her brother .. then started dating ow but she started being a bitch and blacking him .. and o guess this made him realize he wanted to be w the heroines he starts ruining her life so she can get back w him oh yeah he’s sooo. Hot & possessive …




I laughed so hard when his dad died that’s what you get you bitch ass

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.9⭐️

“𝘐𝘧 𝘐 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭, 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘐 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”

Okay I LOVED it ! I had already read a series from this author a few months back (that was in the same universe as the series btw which I LOVED, i could see the characters I loved again) and I knew I was going to love that book. And it did not disappoint. I guess I’m still not a huge fan of the whole society thing (kinda gives the same vibe as a cult in my opinion) but I still loved everything!

At some point, I did feel like it was getting a bit to long but once I got to the plot, I was glad the author took her time because it kinda distracted me from trying to figure everything out, because when we get to the plot, it actually makes sense and it could’ve been something that I would’ve figured out if it were shorter.

About the characters, I absolutely loved Chris ! More precisely his obsession with getting Ella back 🤭 and how composed and calm he looks most of the time despite being… well, him. About Ella, I really liked her but I couldn’t get a good read of her at first tbh. There were times she was scared and would panic, and that was not the image I had of her, at first. That’s why I was surprised but then I got to see how she was and I started really liking her. Also, I felt so bad for all the things happening to her 🥲

Anyway, I definitely recommend this book (after reading the TWs of course)

[khadeja · Rating 2 out of 5]

lowering my rating cuz i just found out he started liking her when she was a freshman and he was a senior

[Abby (booksinthefreetime) · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW

5/5⭐️ 3.5/5 🌶️

Ummmm I’m pretty sure Christopher is the most possessive and unhinged MMC I’ve ever read…. WOW 🥵

This is the first book I’ve ever read where it’s second chance but with all the twist. I went in blind not reading the description and I’m actually so glad I did.

This is hands down my favorite Lola King book 😍

Chris is this sweet golden boy who what seems to be level headed and smart guy among his group of friends. That is until you keep reading and find out that he’s really this manipulative obsessive psychopath 🫠 But why did I love it so much 😂. Ella is the epitome of what you would call the “It Girl”. She desperately wanted a man who would be willing to do anything for her… and girl you definitely got one.. 🔥 They are complete opposites but fit perfectly together.

If you haven’t read a Lola King book before.. FYI… the spice will always be top tier 🥵🥵🥵

If you love…

-Second Chance
-Dark Romance
-Forbidden Romance
-Daddy Kink
-Manipulative/Possessive MMC
-Boy Obsessed

READ THIS BOOK!!

Thank you Lola for the ARC! You have out done yourself again!! ❤️

[Wobilba · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was utterly ridiculous and i kinda ate it all up, not gonna lie.
I almost gave up during the initiation scenes but i'm glad i stuck to it because iy got juicier from there.
My favourite part of this story was how manipulative the MMC was. Loved every minute of it!

PS: Why does this book read like a Rina Kent book?

Story: 3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Heat Level: 4 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Anastasia G · Rating 1 out of 5]

A Masterclass in Disappointment

I’m genuinely at a loss for words after finishing this book —and not in a good way. From the very first chapter, I could tell this book wasn’t going to work for me. There’s no cohesive storyline, no meaningful love story development, and the writing itself feels painfully juvenile.

The characters are shallow and unlikable. The MMC is a borderline psycho, while the FMC is written as naive and frustratingly senseless. Their interactions lack any real depth or chemistry, making the “romance” feel forced and nonsensical. To make matters worse, the plot is riddled with cringe-worthy scenarios that don’t make sense, as though the author tried to jam every popular trope from other books into one, resulting in a disjointed mess.

It feels like the primary goal of the book was to deliver as much smut as possible, with a flimsy excuse of a storyline to hold it all together. If you’re looking for substance or originality, this book is not it. The scenes come across as forced and unoriginal, borrowing heavily from other works but failing to execute them effectively.

By the end, I was baffled at how a book could feel this shallow. I pushed through only out of sheer curiosity to see if it would improve—it didn’t. This is, without a doubt, one of the worst books I’ve read this year. Save your time and energy for something more worthwhile.

[↬ Ⓛ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“When your mind begs you to let go and let it happen, mine is already far down the rabbit hole. You will never love me like I love you, Ella. It hurts, and it gives me false hope. It drives me insane and pulls me back every time. You can’t possibly ever feel the same way. But I’ll take anything you give to me.” He takes in a shaky breath. “Anything, please.”

I’m not jumping on the Megan hate train. Megan is me and I’m Megan who will do anything anyone everything to get and be with my man Chris. 🙃 🔪

[Ariana · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 50%. Lol, I tried. 😩 I just couldn’t torture myself any longer. The FMC Ella is a spineless gnat who is also a hoe