Name: The Lies we Steal
Rating: 3.305555555555555 (36 reviews)

Monty Jay

The Lies we Steal

I started reading this after being in a pretty long reading slump, due to mental health reasons. I had went through first pages of different books without really feeling anything interest me, in the way I wanted to. 

Before I picked up this series, I didn’t expect myself to like it that much. Many of my friends had read it and loved it. I had also seen it all over social media. But as someone who rarely read popular books, I thought it was just overhyped and like most dark romances. 

I can with my hand on my heart say that I’m completely in love with these characters and this book. 

Some of the things I really liked about this book, were the writing. It felt emotional, raw, poetic and deeply analytical and reflective. This is something I rarely see in this type of genre. The plotline also had me hooked during the whole book, from start to finish. 

The characters in this story were simply beautiful. They almost felt like real life friends. Each one, managed to draw me in, making me love them, the more I got to know them. Even though I have yet to get to know the other characters in this series, I still found bits and pieces of myself in almost every character. I also loved the way each character reflected over their actions and analysed themselves, showing depth and humanity. 

From the moment I met Alistair, I immediately related to his anger. It seemed to tear him up and consume his whole being, leaving nothing but the ashes of the boy he had once been.

Sometimes anger is the only thing that’s left after years of pain and invisibility. 

Even though he had this rage inside of him, I could also see a lot of pain there. The way he never wanted to celebrate his birthday, years of wishing he never had been born, his suicidal thoughts and belief of being someone no one really needed, including the way his family had treated him. He had lived a life that no one wanted him to live in the first place. 

Although his biological family had never wanted him, I’m glad he had Silas, Rook and Thatcher. I loved their relationship and connection throughout the book. They had a loyalty that’s rare to find in real life. 

I also loved how he managed to reflect over his actions and even understand Dorian on some level, despite how he had been treated. That shows emotional maturity and emotional intelligence. Their dynamic reminded me a lot of two characters from a manhwa called Rain Curtain 

His dynamic with Rook were also very raw and real. The way he coped by inflicting pain while Rook dealt with his demons by needing more pain. This gave an element of sadomasochism that I don’t often see in books. I personally related a lot to Rook’s need for pain, the way he purposefully provoked Alistair needing him to hit him harder, were a very raw moment for me. 

Alistair’s connection to Briar, felt more obsessive and vengeful at the start of the book. There were some moments I think he took it too far with her. This doesn’t take away the love I have for both of them, including their relationship. He taught her how to embrace herself wholeheartedly, while she taught him how to let himself feel emotions without denying them. 

When I met Briar, I realised she would be one of the few characters that would always inspire me.  Her unapologetic way of being herself, never letting herself be bent, always fighting back even when it got hard. She is a true inspiration to me. In some ways I also related to her, the way she secretly were affected by how people treated her but put up a strong front, not letting anyone see how much they had really hurt her. In many ways she reminded me of Olivia Jaeger from Tryst Six Venom. They both didn’t let anyone change their hearts, standing up for themselves and having that confident look to them while hiding their hearts underneath their shields. They both inspire me so much, and even though it hurts to admit, they also remind me a lot of who I used to be. 

I didn’t only love Briar, but also her friendship with Lyra, who’s another character I can’t wait to get to know. I love the way, both of their lonely souls connected, finding comfort and joy within each other. Their friendship were both wholesome, real, honest and truly special. 

Speaking of Lyra, although I still haven’t read her book, I already felt myself relating to her and loving her. The way she were always alone yet in many way like Briar, managed to stay true to herself despite her experiences. I also found her personality incredibly sweet, genuine and caring. I loved how her mind seemed to work, always coming with new facts, analysing things, having interesting strange hobbies and expressing herself through a unique sense of style. I’m also very interested in her dynamic with Thatcher, knowing his father were the one who killed her mother.. I already have both Biblical love by Flower Face and Back to you as songs I’ve attached to them. 

Silas and Thatcher were two characters I didn’t relate to as much as the others, but I know I’m gonna love their books. I already felt for Silas, seeing how much it had broken him to lose Rosemary. Thatcher on the other hand, wasn’t necessarily someone I felt for, but rather someone I found interesting. I’m looking forward to finding out what goes through his mind and how he sees Lyra. 

I honestly can’t wait to read the rest of this series and get to know the rest of the loner society. 

Sidenote: As someone who read the devil night series and liked it. I can now understand why some people say that The Hollow Boys is better. I still like the devil night series and I always will. But the loner society has definitely became one of my favorites. I think the writing in the first series, is more straight forward while the writing in the hollow boys goes beyond the words. It analyses the characters and read behind their lines, something I would love to see more of in other dark romance books

Lulu Evensen

I started reading this after being in a pretty long reading slump, due to mental health reasons. I had went through first pages of different books without really feeling anything interest me, in the way I wanted to. 

Before I picked up this series, I didn’t expect myself to like it that much. Many of my friends had read it and loved it. I had also seen it all over social media. But as someone who rarely read popular books, I thought it was just overhyped and like most dark romances. 

I can with my hand on my heart say that I’m completely in love with these characters and this book. 

Some of the things I really liked about this book, were the writing. It felt emotional, raw, poetic and deeply analytical and reflective. This is something I rarely see in this type of genre. The plotline also had me hooked during the whole book, from start to finish. 



The characters in this story were simply beautiful. They almost felt like real life friends. Each one, managed to draw me in, making me love them, the more I got to know them. Even though I have yet to get to know the other characters in this series, I still found bits and pieces of myself in almost every character. I also loved the way each character reflected over their actions and analysed themselves, showing depth and humanity. 

From the moment I met Alistair, I immediately related to his anger. It seemed to tear him up and consume his whole being, leaving nothing but the ashes of the boy he had once been.
Sometimes anger is the only thing that’s left after years of pain and invisibility. 

Even though he had this rage inside of him, I could also see a lot of pain there. The way he never wanted to celebrate his birthday, years of wishing he never had been born, his suicidal thoughts and belief of being someone no one really needed, including the way his family had treated him. He had lived a life that no one wanted him to live in the first place. 

Although his biological family had never wanted him, I’m glad he had Silas, Rook and Thatcher. I loved their relationship and connection throughout the book. They had a loyalty that’s rare to find in real life. 

I also loved how he managed to reflect over his actions and even understand Dorian on some level, despite how he had been treated. That shows emotional maturity and emotional intelligence. Their dynamic reminded me a lot of two characters from a manhwa called Rain Curtain 

His dynamic with Rook were also very raw and real. The way he coped by inflicting pain while Rook dealt with his demons by needing more pain. This gave an element of sadomasochism that I don’t often see in books. I personally related a lot to Rook’s need for pain, the way he purposefully provoked Alistair needing him to hit him harder, were a very raw moment for me. 

Alistair’s connection to Briar, felt more obsessive and vengeful at the start of the book. There were some moments I think he took it too far with her. This doesn’t take away the love I have for both of them, including their relationship. He taught her how to embrace herself wholeheartedly, while she taught him how to let himself feel emotions without denying them. 

When I met Briar, I realised she would be one of the few characters that would always inspire me.  Her unapologetic way of being herself, never letting herself be bent, always fighting back even when it got hard. She is a true inspiration to me. In some ways I also related to her, the way she secretly were affected by how people treated her but put up a strong front, not letting anyone see how much they had really hurt her. In many ways she reminded me of Olivia Jaeger from Tryst Six Venom. They both didn’t let anyone change their hearts, standing up for themselves and having that confident look to them while hiding their hearts underneath their shields. They both inspire me so much, and even though it hurts to admit, they also remind me a lot of who I used to be. 

I didn’t only love Briar, but also her friendship with Lyra, who’s another character I can’t wait to get to know. I love the way, both of their lonely souls connected, finding comfort and joy within each other. Their friendship were both wholesome, real, honest and truly special. 

Speaking of Lyra, although I still haven’t read her book, I already felt myself relating to her and loving her. The way she were always alone yet in many way like Briar, managed to stay true to herself despite her experiences. I also found her personality incredibly sweet, genuine and caring. I loved how her mind seemed to work, always coming with new facts, analysing things, having interesting strange hobbies and expressing herself through a unique sense of style. I’m also very interested in her dynamic with Thatcher, knowing his father were the one who killed her mother.. I already have both Biblical love by Flower Face and Back to you as songs I’ve attached to them. 

Silas and Thatcher were two characters I didn’t relate to as much as the others, but I know I’m gonna love their books. I already felt for Silas, seeing how much it had broken him to lose Rosemary. Thatcher on the other hand, wasn’t necessarily someone I felt for, but rather someone I found interesting. I’m looking forward to finding out what goes through his mind and how he sees Lyra. 

I honestly can’t wait to read the rest of this series and get to know the rest of the loner society. 



Sidenote: As someone who read the devil night series and liked it. I can now understand why some people say that The Hollow Boys is better. I still like the devil night series and I always will. But the loner society has definitely became one of my favorites. I think the writing in the first series, is more straight forward while the writing in the hollow boys goes beyond the words. It analyses the characters and read behind their lines, something I would love to see more of in other dark romance books

Mumtaz Obsiye

Dnfed at 26% and I'm still really mad I made it past 3% bc this was such a horrible book urgh

Nala

Macy

If you are a fan of the Devils Night series by Penelope Douglas, please give this book a read. I was hooked from the moment I started reading this. I always have a soft spot for broken characters who end up together. 🥹❤️

brittney arthur

Renata

yall i ate this upppp, it gave me major devils night vibes but damm the mystery and the relationship between briar and alistair uau. i just need to keep reading this series, probably out of order bc im wayyyy to excited for thatcherlyra 

- "There was something inside of her that was more interesting than her looks. The way she didn't run from me. She didn't allow her fear to overcome her. No, she was curious. She let her curiosity win, she wanted to see what I would do."

- "His name is Rook. Rook Van Doren. Son of the district attorney. He's the most..approachable of the four. You'd think his boy next door features would make him the sweet one. But the match is there for a reason," 
"People joke that the match is there to light his short fuse. Last year he burned down the town's oldest Willow tree. No reason behind it. Just did it because he likes to watch things burn. Every fire, every arson crime, everyone knows it's him. But that's just what I've heard."(...) "Thatcher Pierson. Death manifested into one perfectly made human.""Capable of choking you with his bare hands and not feeling anything in his cold, dark heart. He is incapable of feeling anything. Which is why, it's believed the apple didn't fall far from the tree. His father was Ponderosa Springs' one and only serial killer." (...) "Uh, Silas Hawthorne." "Heir to a technology empire. Diagnosed with schizophrenia when he was twelve. Of course his parents tried to cover it up, but there is nothing that stays quiet in Ponderosa Springs. Not forever, anyway. He never used to talk much, but now, since Rosemary, he's practically a mute."(...) "That's Alistair Caldwell. They'd never say it out loud, but everyone knows he's the one calling the shots. His family owns half the town, one of his great-grandparents founded Ponderosa Springs. He fights at The Graveyard every weekend, and he's never lost. I doubt anyone has even laid a hand on him."(...) "The sons of the torturously wealthy. Ponderosa Springs' worst nightmare. They are the Black Death of this town. Not because they are popular, but because they have the power to scare people. Legends. Pretentious and they own every single bit of it. I just, I don't know why they are here." 

- "She was ruining fucking everything. Her smell, the pathetic moans, over eager hips and panting were ruining my concentration. Her existence was fucking up my life. So consumed with her, with getting rid of her, with keeping her quiet that other women were a blur.
All of them out of focus and hazy because my sights were so dialed into what she was doing, where she was, who she was talking to. The night in the pool, she'd done everything I'd wanted her to. A puppet on my wire. Showing her that she was nothing but a toy I could control. It wasn't my intention to have her ride my thigh, but it was my plan to watch her find out who exactly was in charge of this situation. I knew she wouldn't back down. Not even if she was pissing her pants afraid. There is something in Briar Lowell that refuses to allow her to turn away from what frightens her. And I want nothing more than to crush it with my bare fucking hands."

- "I knew who Briar was. I knew the girl she was and who she could be the moment I saw her at that party. I knew the damage she could wreak on this place.
Now it was time for her to see that for herself."

- "How right now, all I wanted was to really have her. Not just to toy with, more than a game. But I wanted to have her laughs. I wanted to swallow them whole and see if they would heal all the rage in my soul. I wanted to bathe in the peace that came with being next to her after sex, when we'd draw lazy circles on each other's bodies and nothing else mattered except the steady sound of her breath on my skin. I knew her fear, but I wanted to know what drove her. What made her smile, why she always wore the same pair of shoes, and what she wanted to be when she grew up. I wanted to be more than the man who scared her. I wanted to be a man she could love even if I had no idea what that meant for me." 

- "I don't know what any of this means if I'm being honest, Briar. I'm not sure how to describe how when I'm around you my heart feels like it's beating for the first time or you make me feel alive." "I'm not sure how to take any of that, what that means for you, for me, for us." (...) "But I do know, I'm obsessed with the way you feel pressed against me. The way your lip curls when you're angry makes me want to piss you off just so I can see it. I'm constantly angry when I hear other people make you laugh, it makes me want to hurt them, because for a moment they were making you happy and I want that job." "And right now, I could stay here for a lifetime just feeling your heartbeat rise. I'm not sure what I can give you, but whatever is left of me, whatever I have, it's yours, for as long as you want it."

- "Whatever you have to give, I want all of it. All the dark, all the scary. I want it. Forever." Just like that, the shadow child learned that you don't have to step into the light to find happiness. You just need to find the person willing to step into the gray area. "It's yours. Every warped part of me. It's yours, Little Thief. I hope you like playing in the shadows, we will be staying here for a while."

- "I heard her heartbeat, just like I did the night she ran from me in the woods. It was beating for the darkness. Beating for me. I tried to catch my breath, listening to my own heart. Listening to it match her rhythm. Two hearts destined to be alone found one another, joining hands and kept beating. Together."

Vanessa

Little Thief

This was the perfect palate cleanser between books. Dark, angsty, spicy. 

There were spelling mistakes along the way, and if that’s something that bugs you, just keep that in mind. Overall, good and easy read!

JoLee

Good read with murder, suspense and revenge. Four best friends since childhood, Alistair, Rook, Thatcher and Silas. All come from wealthy families but have trouble past. All have their own personalities that I am interested in. Alistair is the possessive, jerk ahole hero and Briar the heroine at the wrong place and wrong time that changed her life forever. I loved the suspense plot but did feel it over took the romance a bit. I still enjoyed the New Adult bully romance, enemies to lovers and good amount of angst. Good set up for the next book and couple.

The Lies we Steal

Reviews

Highlights