The Four · 2020
The Lies We TellSpice level, tropes & is it dark romance?
by Becca Steele
Spice 3/5 (Hot) · Darkness 4/5 (Pitch) · 1 trigger warning flagged
The Lies We Tell is book 1 of The Four by Becca Steele, published in 2020. Expect enemies to lovers and academy. Spice is open door (3 of 5) and the darkness is pitch dark (4 of 5). We could not find the author's own warning list yet, so check it before you start. This note is ours. It is not a publisher blurb.
First published: 20 January 2020 (first publication, per Goodreads). Book 1 of The Four.
The Lies We Tell tropes
On this shelf, The Lies We Tell is filed under Enemies to lovers and Dark academy romance. Each tag opens more books with that trope.
The Lies We Tell spice level
Is The Lies We Tell dark romance?
Yes, firmly. The Lies We Tell scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch).
Spice and darkness are separate scores. More pitch books. How we rate.
The Lies We Tell trigger warnings
Warnings not yet verified. We could not find the author's own content warning list for this book, so the flags here are only what the publisher's description makes clear. Check the author's note before you start.
Graphic (0) — open before you read
Open this before you read. These are the flags most likely to be a hard stop.
None flagged in this band.
Moderate (0)
Harm, control, or obsession that is common in this lane.
None flagged in this band.
Full The Lies We Tell trigger warnings
The Four reading order
The Lies We Tell is book 1 of 1 in Becca Steele's The Four series. Start here.
- Book 1 The Lies We Tell (this book) · 2020
Order checked against the Goodreads The Four series page on 13 October 2026.
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 The Lies We Tell
Matched on shared tropes, then the closest spice and darkness scores. Other books in the same series are listed above, not here.
- Falling Away
Falling Away
Penelope Douglas
Spice ●●●○○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Enemies to lovers, Dark academy romance
- Cruel Intentions
Cruel Intentions
Cora Kent
Spice ●●●○○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Enemies to lovers, Dark academy romance
- Watch Me Fall
Watch Me Fall
K.C. Kean
Spice ●●●○○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Enemies to lovers, Dark academy romance
- F*ck You: Term One
F*ck You: Term One
Crystal North
Spice ●●●○○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Enemies to lovers, Dark academy romance
- F*ck Off: Term Two
F*ck Off: Term Two
Crystal North
Spice ●●●○○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Enemies to lovers, Dark academy romance
- Shattered Omega: Part One
Shattered Omega: Part One
Marie Mackay
Spice ●●●○○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Enemies to lovers, Dark academy romance
- Red Thorns
Red Thorns
Rina Kent
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Enemies to lovers, Dark academy romance
- Bad Apple
Bad Apple
Selena .
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Enemies to lovers, Dark academy romance
Books like The Lies We Tell, with a reason for each
Questions readers actually ask
What is the spice level of The Lies We Tell?
The Lies We Tell spice level is 3 of 5 (Hot). Open door. The scene stays. Darkness is a separate score: 4 of 5 (Pitch).
What are the The Lies We Tell trigger warnings?
Graphic: none flagged. Moderate: none flagged. Minor: Death. Warnings not yet verified against the author's own list. Check it before you start.
Is The Lies We Tell dark romance?
Yes, firmly. The Lies We Tell scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch). Bleak on purpose. Comfort is not the job.
What tropes are in The Lies We Tell?
On this shelf The Lies We Tell is filed under Enemies to lovers and Dark academy romance.
Who is The Lies We Tell for?
For a reader who wants hate that tips over into wanting. Spice is hot. Darkness is pitch. Warnings are not yet verified, so check the author's note first.
What are some books like The Lies We Tell?
Matched on shared tropes and similar spice and darkness: Falling Away by Penelope Douglas; Cruel Intentions by Cora Kent; Watch Me Fall by K.C. Kean; F*ck You: Term One by Crystal North; F*ck Off: Term Two by Crystal North; Shattered Omega: Part One by Marie Mackay. More read-alikes, each with a reason, are on zademasked.com/like/the-lies-we-tell.
Is The Lies We Tell a standalone?
No. The Lies We Tell is book 1 of 1 in the The Four series by Becca Steele.
What order should I read the The Four series in?
1. The Lies We Tell.
How many books are in the The Four series?
The The Four series by Becca Steele has 1 main book.
What is the The Lies We Tell age rating?
We'd say 18+. Spice sits at 3/5 (hot) 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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