Madison Kate · 2020
LiarSpice level, tropes & is it dark romance?
by Tate James
Spice 4/5 (Explicit) · Darkness 4/5 (Pitch) · 7 trigger warnings flagged
From Tate James, 2020: Liar, book 2 of Madison Kate. Readers shelve it for mafia, stalker, why choose, enemies to lovers and academy. We score it spice 4 (explicit) and darkness 4 (very dark). The heaviest flags readers report are stalking, violence, murder. Our scores lean on what readers report, not on a full reread, so treat them as a guide. This note is ours. It is not a publisher blurb.
First published: 2020. Book 2 of Madison Kate.
Liar tropes
On this shelf, Liar is filed under Mafia dark romance, Stalker romance, Why choose / reverse harem, Enemies to lovers and Dark academy romance. Each tag opens more books with that trope.
Liar spice level
Is Liar dark romance?
Yes, firmly. Liar scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch).
Spice and darkness are separate scores. More pitch books. How we rate.
Liar trigger warnings
Book-specific flags taken from reader-submitted content warnings on The StoryGraph (top flag reported by 35 readers), grouped by us. Also on that list: sexual content, panic attacks/disorders, gun violence, death of parent, injury/injury detail, toxic relationship, drug abuse, trafficking, cursing, drug use. See the reader-submitted list.
Graphic (7) — open before you read
Open this before you read. These are the flags most likely to be a hard stop.
Moderate (0)
Harm, control, or obsession that is common in this lane.
None flagged in this band.
Minor (0)
Present, and usually not the reason someone puts the book down.
None flagged in this band.
Madison Kate reading order
Liar is book 2 of 4 in Tate James's Madison Kate series. Start with Hate.
- Book 1 Hate · 2020
- Book 2 Liar (this book) · 2020
- Book 3 Fake · 2020 not on our shelf yet
- Book 4 Kate · 2020 not on our shelf yet
- Book 4.5 · novella Vault · 2021 not on our shelf yet
Order checked against the Goodreads Madison Kate series page on 9 October 2026. The Madison Kate series in order.
Who it's for
Shelf note written for this site. We do not copy reviews or publisher blurbs. Outbound links are search pages, not quoted ratings. Kindle Unlimited and endings are only flagged when we were willing to mark them. How we rate.
Missing a book? Suggest it.
Books like Liar
Matched on shared tropes, then the closest spice and darkness scores. Other books in the same series are listed above, not here.
- Pack Darling - Part One
Pack Darling - Part One
Lola Rock
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Dark academy romance
- You're Next
You're Next
Tate James
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Why choose / reverse harem
- The Wallflower
The Wallflower
J.L. Beck
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●●
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Dark academy romance
- When Sinners Play
When Sinners Play
Eva Ashwood
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●●
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Dark academy romance
- Eternal Reign
Eternal Reign
Susanne Valenti, Caroline Peckham
Spice ●●○○○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Stalker romance
- He Hates Me
He Hates Me
Isabella Starling
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Stalker romance
- Maniacs
Maniacs
Sheridan Anne
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Why choose / reverse harem
- My Bloodline
My Bloodline
K.C. Kean
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Why choose / reverse harem, Enemies to lovers
Books like Liar, with a reason for each
Questions readers actually ask
What is the spice level of Liar?
Liar spice level is 4 of 5 (Explicit). On-page sex, clearly written. Darkness is a separate score: 4 of 5 (Pitch).
What are the Liar trigger warnings?
Graphic: Stalking, Violence, Murder, Blood, Death, Psychological abuse, Kidnapping. Moderate: none flagged. Minor: none flagged. These are book-specific flags reported by readers on reader-submitted content warnings on The StoryGraph (top flag reported by 35 readers), grouped by us. The author's own note may list more. Read it before you start.
Is Liar dark romance?
Yes, firmly. Liar scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch). Bleak on purpose. Comfort is not the job.
What tropes are in Liar?
On this shelf Liar is filed under Mafia dark romance, Stalker romance, Why choose / reverse harem, Enemies to lovers and Dark academy romance.
Who is Liar for?
For readers hunting mafia and stalker with explicit spice. Read the warnings first. Start earlier in Madison Kate if you can.
What are some books like Liar?
Matched on shared tropes and similar spice and darkness: Pack Darling - Part One by Lola Rock; You're Next by Tate James; The Wallflower by J.L. Beck; When Sinners Play by Eva Ashwood; Eternal Reign by Susanne Valenti, Caroline Peckham; He Hates Me by Isabella Starling. More read-alikes, each with a reason, are on zademasked.com/like/liar.
Is Liar a standalone?
No. Liar is book 2 of 4 in the Madison Kate series by Tate James. The series starts with Hate.
What order should I read the Madison Kate series in?
1. Hate; 2. Liar; 3. Fake; 4. Kate; 4.5. Vault (novella).
How many books are in the Madison Kate series?
The Madison Kate series by Tate James has 4 main books, plus 1 novella or bonus story.
What is the Liar age rating?
We'd say 18+. Spice sits at 4/5 (explicit) and darkness at 4/5 (pitch). That's our recommendation, not an official rating, so read the trigger warnings as well.
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