The Lies We Live (Hidden Truths Book 2): A slow burn billionaire romance with a workplace forbidden attraction

by Nicky Doyle

Succession meets Mad Men. A billionaire who inherited blood money and is burning it all down from the inside. Clean energy. Carbon capture. Everything his corrupt father hates.
She doesn’t know he’s rich. He doesn’t know how to be loved by someone who wants nothing from him.
A marketing lead dealing with office bullies and dreaming of leaving the corporate world to pursue her dreams.
Tropes: Secret identity, workplace romance, touch her and die, grumpy x sunshine.

402 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 9, 2026

About the author

Hello friends,

I write for strong, capable women who’ve spent years taking care of everyone else while quietly wondering… “When is it my turn?”

If you’re an overachiever, the glue holding everything together, competent to the point of exhaustion, yet still waiting for someone to see your heart and make your life easier, you’ve found your place.

My stories are for women like you, not damsels in distress, but brilliant, powerful heroines who finally meet the kind of (morally grey) man who doesn’t just adore them, but also lightens their load, fuels their desire, and cherishes their soul.

When I’m not writing dark, emotionally charged romances that make your pulse race and your heart sigh, you’ll find me juggling a full-time job, doting on animals, wandering in nature, or surrounded by my ever-growing collection of stationery and bullet journals (I have a thing for pretty pens). I’m a mix of introvert and extrovert, happiest lost in a book or laughing with friends, and blessed with an awkward sense of humor, so if we ever chat and I blurt out a bad pun, just know it’s my way of saying hello.

So, if you’ve been holding everything together while secretly wishing for a partner who truly shows up for you, come escape into my books. They’re written for you, with heroines you’ll see yourself in and heroes who will make you believe again.

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lies We Live is a torturous slow burn with just enough drama.

Emma is a recently unemployed marketing genius who is just trying to survive and find a place that values her. She is tired of other people taking credit for her hard work and treating her like someone to be saved.
Kaiden is a fixer with traumatic family ties. He is working to make the world a better place and separate himself from his family name. Together they navigate a relationship of trust and independence. Kai just wants to give Emma everything she deserves, but Emma wants to make it on her own.

I ADORE Emma and Kai's story, they are both trying to make a name for themselves with separate reasons holding them back. Their relationship is the most realistic I have read. This is what happens when a fixer and an independent woman come together. Boundaries are crossed, people are hurt, but they fight for their relationship.

I loved Kai from the beginning and understood what he was trying to do when helping Emma. But I also understood where Emma was coming from with wanting to achieve these things herself.

If you love reading about a relationship that puts in the hard work and actually works through problems together, then this is the book for you.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nicky Doyle is a new to me author but, WOW! This book was fantastic! It is technically the second in the series but totally can be read as a standalone. I’ll have to go back and read the first before the next two come out.

I’m not sure if it is billed as romantic suspense, but it definitely kept me hooked and really unable to put it down. I love the found family that exists between the guys of ELK Energy and I can’t wait for more of their stories.

Kai and Emma are so wonderful together. Really saving each other from sadness and even a bit of danger. Letting themselves be truly loved by another person was also just lovely to watch.

I really, really loved this book. ♥️♥️

[Sophie L | TeaLeavesAndChapters · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lies We Live is a suspenseful, torturous slow burn with the perfect amount of drama and a little bit of spice.

Emma is a marketing lead who has moved cities to begin a fresh start. Enter Kaiden, a billionaire with an inheritance that he’s not so fond of, traumatic family ties and working to separate himself from his family name and business to make the world a better place.

The two meet unexpectedly outside of an art exhibition and it kicks off from there. Little does Emma know, Kaiden or Kai, has a secret identity and she doesn’t know he’s rich. But all of that doesn’t matter to her, she’s just tired of feeling undervalued, undermined and treat as something that needs to be saved.

Together they navigate their relationship, Kai wants to give Emma everything she deserves but Emma wants to make her life her own and maintain her independence. And the SHOES, the shoes get a special mention (iykyk 👠)

I adored this story, SO MUCH! Firstly, as a designer / social media girl, the references to marketing, art supplies and specific terminology just made me so happy. I could see myself in certain elements of Emma and really appreciated her relatability. They are both trying to make a name for themselves in their separate industries with personal reasons holding them back but coming together and using their specific skills and knowledge to help the other - they felt real, connected, emotional and I fell for them both and their story immediately.

Boundaries get crossed, people get hurt but they fight for the relationship they’ve made and fight for each other. I loved them both from the beginning, Kai trying to do good and help Emma, but also understanding why she felt the way she did and wanting to prove her worth to herself. They felt real, they put in the work and aimed to solve their issues.

For those in need of a grumpy x sunshine, touch her and die type vibe. I cannot recommend this enough. I WAS HOOKED 🎉

Thank you so much to Nicky Doyle for this ARC!!! 🫶🏻

[Kate Bellamy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating
5/5
Spice
2/5

If you want a Billionaire Romance with slow burn and suspense , this is the book for you. The lies we live is book 2 of the hidden truths series by Nicky Doyle. This series focuses on different couples, each is a standalone; you do not need to read the books in order but highly recommend as we see a lot of the other characters through out the book. I firstly would like to thank Nicky Doyle for an ARC and an important note there is some triggering content so lease check the trigger warning before reading.

The story and the plot are amazing, it is very much both a mix of character and plot driven book. It was really good seeing parts were it would be plot focused and others where it was character focused. Having the hidden identity trope added so thrilling and high stakes points that had me struggling to put the book down. Adding another layer to suspense it had me thinking when or if it would all fall apart.

Emma's and Kaiden's characters are written really well. We see Emma as person trying to prove not just to others but to herself that she deserves her Job and works really hard, even if it means putting up with shitty people in office. Kaiden's is very much a person who is protective of his friends, who he considers family, will do any thing for them. Kaiden is very much a person who "will sacrifice the world to save" Emma. There meeting is so cute and you can see there love blossom from the start . Kaiden always would listen to her and make sure she was comfortable with everything, even allowing her to set the pace of the relationship. Which was a great way for the relationship to develop into something more.

Overall I highly recommend this book. I am adding Book one to my TBR now. Hope you all enjoy this as much as I did and happy reading.

[Susan McWhinney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not one to hand out 5 star reviews lightly, but this book! ..Wow, just Wow!
Nicky Doyle is a new Author for me and I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of story telling that she encompassed in this book. It was amazing!
You will enjoy the way the MFC, Emma grows emotionally and becomes quite a badass as the story develops.
She is down on her luck when she meets Kaiden, and something clicks between them.
Kaiden, all his life has tried to keep his "blood" family away from his business achievements. Having Logan, Ethan and Maddox at his side, he has made a name for himself by working with clean energy. ELK, the company he and his friends built up from nothing was heading in the right direction, until his father tries to sabotage the company. Or does he?
Kaiden finds Emma is someone he didn't know he needed. Emma, struggling after a failed relationship finds it hard to trust, and being skittish, Kaiden know he needs to tread lightly so as to not frighten her away. He knows early on in the story that she is what he wants and needs.
It takes Emma longer to realise that she can actually trust Kaiden, until secrets are revealed and she decides that their relationship is based on lies. How do they overcome such a big hurdle and find their way back to each other?
The emotional roller coaster has you tied up in knots. Kaiden would do anything for Emma to keep her close to him and safe.
A great backstory helps the story evolve with plenty of plot twists to keep you vested. Understanding that both the MC's are broken and just need to find the right person to help put them back together again.
An overall great book full of drama, angst and mystery with that dash of romance that everyone loves and wants in a story.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re a fan of the kind of tension that makes you want to scream into a pillow, The Lies We Live is your next obsession. Nicky Doyle really put me through the emotional ringer with this one, and I am still recovering.

This story is the definition of a torturous, simmering slow burn. You know that feeling when two people are so clearly meant for each other, but life, secrets, and their own stubbornness keep them at arm's length? That is Emma and Kaiden. Emma is a marketing genius who is fiercely independent—she’s done being "saved" and just wants to earn her own seat at the table. Then you have Kaiden, a billionaire "fixer" trying to outrun the shadow of his family name. He wants to give Emma the world, but he has to learn that the most romantic thing he can do is actually step back and let her lead.

The tension in this book is elite. It’s not just about physical attraction; it’s about the slow build of trust in a world full of corporate lies and hidden identities. Every glance, every "almost" moment, and every boundary pushed felt like a high-stakes game. It genuinely feels like Succession met Mad Men, but with a romance that is painfully real. Because it’s a slow burn, when that tension finally ignites, the payoff is absolutely massive. It doesn’t feel rushed; it feels earned.

Honestly, I loved watching them navigate the messy reality of two people with big goals and even bigger secrets. If you want a billionaire romance that actually makes you work for the "happily ever after" through layers of suspense and raw emotion, you need this on your TBR. (Just a heads up to check those trigger warnings first!)

[Pà · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way I'm freaking obsessed over this book. My gosh. I loved every single page. I was completely pulled into Emma and Kaiden’s story, and how painfully realistic they felt. Emma was sharp, totally independent, and absolutely done with being treated like someone who needed saving, while she still carried the weight of a bad past. How loved how realistic she felt, I related to her throughout the whole book. And then there was Kaiden. My gosh. He felt intense in that quiet and dangerous way, deeply loyal, shaped by his toxic family legacy, and clearly desperate to build something clean and meaningful that had nothing to do with his name. I freaking love how their connection grew through small, careful moments rather than grand, dramatic gestures. Their relationship wasn't perfect, but it was messy and so realistic. Some boundaries were crossed, both of them were hurt in their own way, and both of them were forced to confront how much fear they carried into something that could actually be good. Watching Emma slowly reclaim her confidence and watching Kaiden wrestle with guilt, loyalty, and the cost of truth made the romance feel layered and adult. It was always about choosing each other when it would have been easier to walk away. The corporate tension and the family sabotage created a constant pressure in the background, and I genuinely enjoyed how the story was balanced without losing its emotional core. The found family around Kaiden felt warm and grounding, I loved Logan, I can't wait to know more about him, and I was so happy to see Maddox. To say that I absolutely loved this book, isn't enough. I can already say that it's definitely one of my top reads of this year

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

MMC/MFC: Kaiden and Emma

Tropes:
* Workplace romance
* Secret identity
* Grumpy x sunshine
* Touch her and…
* Found family

Be warned, mentions of stalking, stalking behaviour, street racing, violence, DV, toxic parents, conspiracies and organised unalivings.

Wow, this had a lot packed in, but it didn’t feel like too much. The way it all weaved together just worked. And the twists? Some you see coming, and others just blindside you!

This is pure suspense, boardroom drama, and telenovella style family betrayal, and it is so much fun!
And, all from a random invitation to a museum….

Suspense, intrigue, betrayals, drama, a little steam, and a great storyline! This was my introduction to Nicky Doyle, and it certainly won’t be the last I read of this author.

Thanks, Nicky, for the advance copy!

[Bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lies We Live by Nicky Doyle absolutely wrecked me in the best way.

This story is a masterclass in slow burn romance done right. The tension simmers from the very first page and never lets up, weaving together forbidden workplace attraction, emotional vulnerability, and high stakes family secrets. It genuinely feels like Succession collided with Mad Men and somehow made the result painfully romantic.

Kaiden Rhodes is the kind of hero who stays with you long after you close the book. He is layered, conflicted, and driven by both guilt and purpose. His fight to dismantle his father’s corrupt legacy while protecting the woman he loves makes every choice he faces feel heavy and real. Watching him wrestle with the cost of truth versus survival had my heart in my throat more than once.

Emma is just as compelling. She is strong without being hardened, cautious without being cold, and her determination to rebuild her life on her own terms is incredibly refreshing. Her vulnerability feels earned, and the way she pushes back against power, privilege, and emotional manipulation makes her impossible not to root for.

The romance is intense, intimate, and emotionally charged. Every glance, every almost moment, every secret held back adds to the slow burn until it finally ignites. When the truths start to surface, the emotional fallout is raw and powerful, proving that this story is about more than wealth and attraction. It is about trust, accountability, and choosing love even when it costs everything.

If you love billionaire romances with depth, morally complex heroes, strong heroines, and a slow burn that delivers maximum payoff, this book is a must read. Hidden Truths Book 2 raises the bar and leaves you desperate for more.

[KV · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was much more character driven than the first book in the series. It still had some of the in universe drama, but it had more of a standard romance novel vibe than the first book. I loved the slow burn and the interactions between the two MCs. The FMC wasn't taking any nonsense and not just instantly falling for the MMC. She made him work for it and that was nice considering her background. 

You don't need to have read the first book, but it will definitely help you to know the overall world and the other characters that come up. This book is less action packed than the first one, but still has some stressful situations if that's what you are looking for. I'm excited for the next book and like that the author has a range of writing styles.

[Mrs Reads Between The Lines · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lies We Live by Nicky Doyle is an exciting romantic suspense! A gripping mix of corporate intrigue, dangerous conspiracies, soul-crushing betrayals, and toxic families.

Between strategic corporate eliminations and adrenaline-fueled street racing Kai and Emma find safety and love in one another. A type of family they always wanted, but never thought possible. Their journey spans the boardroom to the bedroom… a true power couple!

*Please read trigger and content warnings.*

I received an advanced copy. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Lisa Conant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good hidden identity trope with suspense and solid plot! This was both character driven and plot driven and that's often a harder balance to find find well.

I loved the mix of of suspense, conspiracy, twists, betrayal, and drama. Kai is so protective in the most respectful way. An absolute gem of a man fighting for his own identity and to be seen as who he really is. Emma is a strong fmc and it was lovely to see his their relationship felt natural in its growth.

Truly an exciting story that pulls you into to the intrigue and this couple that you root for so hard!

[Cadence Rush · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful slow burn romance with suspense and a plot that keeps you guessing! Nicky Doyle delivers once again with a spicy page-turner that was exceptionally well-crafted! This is a billionaire romance with sharp social commentary and themes that explore corruption, greed, and power, all while being sexy and emotional. I was really rooting for Emma and Kai, and I loved the bromance too. Maddox’s cameos were also *chef’s kiss*…. At this point, if Nicky writes it, I’m going to read it and so should you.

[KizzasBooked · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoy billionaire romances that actually have emotional bite, stories built around: secret identities and high‑stakes, no one can know tension, and hurt/comfort moments that land straight in your chest. Then this one is for you.

The chemistry between Kaiden and Emma charged 🙌🏽 The stolen glances are my weakness, especially when paired with a hero who falls first and would quietly burn the world down for the woman he loves.

[Victoria Marsteller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, this book was such a great read! I loved how the author clearly felt passionate about the story. I really appreciate when writers put their emotions into their work. The characters were awesome, and the plot twists kept me hooked. It made me think about my own giving and receiving, too. Definitely recommend this for a cozy read on a rainy day.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is pure, intense slow burn with all the drama, suspense and stubbornness you could want! These characters are so real, you can connect with them and understand their motivations and stubbornness, while you're rooting for them to just get it figured out because they're perfect for each other.

[The Book Ssirren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great story. I loved the intensity of this book and the characters themselves. It was fun to get cozy with this one and just dive right into this. This was one the really held you intrigued and wanting more. It was a great afternoon read for a nice quiet weekend.

[Dee Layton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by Nicky Doyle and I am so glad I did. I want to say thank you so much for the Arc.

This was the most amazing book. Kaiden and Emma's story was the sweetest. Emma was recently out of a job and trying to do it on her own. she was tired of everyone giving her pity, so she was determined. Kaiden was trying to overcome toxic family trauma at the same time making the world and things a better place. Emma and Kai were so good together, he just wanted to give her the world, and she wanted to earn it on her own. They faced thing I love how they managed it together and worked through it together. This was a slow-paced book which I loved I felt it showcased the relationship and love building in a more natural place. I ate this book up in one sitting it was an all-day thing because once I started, I was hooked. I loved everything about, plot, characters, and the HEA. Overall, I recommended this to everyone it is so worth the read. I look forward to many more from the author because this was that good.

[Readingwithdesi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tropes:
* Workplace romance
* Secret identity
* Grumpy x sunshine
* Touch her and…
* Found family

This was my first book by this author and it was so good