MoodReads - Romance Book Discovery
The Stacks
DiscoverMy ShelvesReading Stats
Sign upLog in
MoodReads - Romantasy Book Discovery

because goodreads doesn't
have a spice filter

Discover

  • Discover Page
  • Reading Stacks
  • Tropes
  • Moods
  • Creatures
  • Spicy Books

Get MoodReads

  • so what is it.
  • iOS App
  • Browser Extension
  • MoodReads Premium
  • Gift a Subscription
  • For Creators
  • Share MoodReads

Go Deeper

  • FAQ
  • Roadmap
  • Request a Feature
  • vs Goodreads
  • vs StoryGraph
  • Who Built This?

The Serious Stuff

  • Values
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Support

get emails when something big happens. no spam, just news.

© 2026 MoodReads. Built by a romantasy reader for romantasy readers.

rattle the stars, bitches.

Cover of Twisted Lies

Twisted Lies

by Ana Huang

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️steamy·Twisted #4
4.7 on MoodReads (3 ratings)4.2 on Goodreads (699,767)

Rate this book

sign in to add to shelves, track reading status, and see your stats

Available on Kindle Unlimited
find similar →
ReportSpoiler settings

Ending

reveal ending

Why Read This?The one-sentence sell. What do you get for showing up to this book, even when it's hard?

You'll get a satisfying slow-burn payoff with a morally gray book boyfriend who delivers intense passion and emotional transformation.

Synopsis

A fake-dating billionaire romance from New York Times bestselling author and BookTok sensation Ana Huang. Charming, deadly, and smart enough to hide it, Christian Harper is a monster dressed in the perfectly tailored suits of a gentleman. He has little use for morals and even less use for love, but he can't deny the strange pull he feels toward the woman living just one floor below him. She's the object of his darkest desires, the only puzzle he can't solve. And when the opportunity to get closer to her arises, he breaks his own rules to offer her a deal she can't refuse. Every monster has their weakness. She's his. His obsession. His addiction. His only exception. *** Sweet, shy, and introverted despite her social media fame, Stella Alonso is a romantic who keeps her heart in a cage. Between her two jobs, she has little time or desire for a relationship. But when a threat from her past drives her into the arms―and house―of the most dangerous man she's ever met, she's tempted to let herself feel something for the first time in a long time. Because despite Christian's cold nature, he makes her feel everything when she's with him. Passionate. Protected. Truly wanted. Theirs is a love twisted with secrets and tainted by lies…and when the truths are finally revealed, they could shatter everything.

book details below may contain spoilers. some hidden

At a Glance

Christian Harper is the kind of fictional man who makes real men look like they're not even trying—a billionaire bodyguard who is absolutely unhinged about the woman he's supposed to be protecting. The fake dating premise is a delivery mechanism for some of the best tension in Ana Huang's catalog, and the power dynamic actually gets interrogated rather than glossed over. BDSM elements feel earned rather than tacked on, with praise kink and rope play woven into genuine emotional intimacy. Catnip for the dark romance crowd who still want their HEA.

trope onetrope twotrope threetrope four

Book Details

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

Goodreads RatingThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.

4.16 ★ (699.8k)

Page CountHow long the commitment is.

560 pages

PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.

2022

Primary GenreWhat type of book this is. Romance? Fantasy? A 400-page therapy session disguised as a thriller?

Contemporary Romance

PairingWho's falling in love? The gender makeup of your main romance. Helps you find your specific flavor of love story.

M/F

POVWhose head are you in? First person = deep in the feels. Third = watching from above. Dual = emotional whiplash (affectionate).

Dual POV

Romance PacingHow long until they kiss? Slow burn = 300 pages of tension. Insta-love = page 12 and it's already chaos.

Slow Burn

CliffhangerEnding type: HEA = forever happy (you'll cry happy). HFN = happy for now (open to interpretation). Bittersweet = complicated feelings. Know what you're signing up for.

reveal ending

AudiobookCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.

AvailableCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.

Yes

FormatHow fancy is the audio? Standard = one narrator. Full cast = theater kids went off. GraphicAudio = a MoViE iN yOuR mInD.

Single Narrator (unspecified)

NarratorThe voice in your ears.

Aiden Snow, Cindy Kay

Narrator Count

Dual

TropesPlot devices and story situations that drive the romance. These are the circumstances that throw characters together or create conflict, not how they personally relate.

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal
fake datingforced proximitydark romancestalker romancehidden identitysecret heir/royaltycontract/transactional romancecaptive romance
RomanceMagicActionAngstWorld
Theme Constellation

Mood & Vibe

MoodWhat you felt reading this. Swoony? Gutted? Deliciously unhinged? The emotional fingerprint.

intensedarksuspensefulromanticsteamyseductivetensedangerous

Writing StyleHow the author writes - prose style, dialogue approach, and narrative voice. This is about craft and delivery, not emotional effect.

conversationalpunchyemotionaldarksuspenseful

Story PacingDoes the story sprint or saunter? Fast = you'll miss sleep. Slow = you'll savor every word. Medium = balanced chaos.

medium

Emotional WeightHow much are you gonna cry? Light = fun feels. Moderate = real stakes. Heavy = bring tissues. Devastating = call your therapist.

heavy

Energy RequiredCan you read this on a Tuesday after work, or do you need a full Saturday and three cups of coffee? Low/Medium/High.

medium

VibesOne perfect sentence that captures the essence. Like: 'Fae politics meets forbidden romance with zero chill.'

forbidden desiremorally complex

Characters

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

FMC ArchetypeWho is she? The female main character's core identity/role. Assassin? Healer? General Badass?

sunshine/optimistsoft/gentlecareer woman

MMC ArchetypeWho is he? The male main character's core identity/role. Your exact flavor of book boyfriend.

morally gray MMCpossessive alphaprotective love interestsecretly soft

Relationship DynamicsThe interpersonal dynamic between the main characters. How do they relate to each other? This is about character energy and connection style, not plot situations.

mutual piningslow burnforbidden lovetouch her and diehurt/comfortobsessive love interestpower imbalance

Spice Details 🌶️

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
Spice Level 4

Spice StyleNot just how much spice, but what kind. Emotional intimacy? Explicit but vanilla? Plot-driven heat? Know your flavor.

intense / passionatefilthy / dirtyrough / aggressive style

Getting SteamyGentle kinks. Fun but nothing too crazy. The appetizer, so to speak.

praise kinkdirty talk (sweet/playful)wall pinningmarking hickeyssize difference focusrough but consensualaftercare on pagebegging kinkteasing control

Bringing the HeatFor those who know exactly what they came for. This is where you find your exact brand of chaos. The good stuff.

rough/aggressive intimacychoking/breath playbondage/restraintdegradation (light)markingdominanceBDSM elements
Browse more books by spice level →
This stuff might hit different. No shame in needing to know what's coming. (10)▼
spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal
mention of suicidekidnappingattempted murderchildhood traumaemotional abusedeath of a parentviolencestalkingcyberstalkinganxiety
Browse books by content warning →

World & Setting

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

World TypeWhat kind of world are you stepping into? High fantasy = full secondary world. Urban fantasy = magic in modern cities. Portal = starts here, goes there.

contemporary

Primary SettingWhere does the story physically take place? Court intrigue = palace. Dark academia = campus. Cozy witch vibes = small town. This is about location, not world rules.

big city / metropolispenthouse / apartment

Fantasy CreaturesWhat supernatural beings populate this world? Fae courts, vampire covens, dragon riders, or just regular humans doing their best.

humans only

RepresentationIdentity representation in the book. LGBTQ+, race/ethnicity, disability, neurodivergence, body type, age and more.

Latinx MC

Reading Context

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

Emotional PayoffWhat you get for showing up. The catharsis, the growth, the 'I'm a different person now' moment. This is why the hard books are worth it.

romantic fulfillmenttension finally satisfiedbook boyfriend/girlfriend acquiredthe angst deliveredobsessed

Best Time of YearSeasonal mood rings for books. Summer romance reads different than winter gothic.

anytime

When & Where to ReadContext matters. Some books are Beach Trip energy, others are 3am Bedtime spiral-reads. Trust.

summer eveningat night

Twisted

Twisted Love

#1 Twisted Love

Twisted Games

#2 Twisted Games

Twisted Hate

#3 Twisted Hate

Twisted Lies

#4 Twisted Lies

this page is just the start

  • import your Goodreads or StoryGraph TBR. we tag every book with spice, tropes, CWs, mood, all of it
  • tell us a vibe (“enemies to lovers fae, high spice”) and BookMatch finds the book
  • 4,000+ romantasy books searchable by 45 fields
  • book clubs, reading challenges, and a community of readers who get it
free account

Quick Facts

Spice LevelThe heat scale. 0=wholesome, 1=kisses, 2=fade-to-black, 3=tasteful spice, 4=explicit, 5=you need a cold shower. Know thyself.🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️steamy
PagesHow long the commitment is.560
PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.2022
GoodreadsThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.4.16 ★ (699.8k)
EndingEnding type: HEA = forever happy (you'll cry happy). HFN = happy for now (open to interpretation). Bittersweet = complicated feelings. Know what you're signing up for.reveal ending

SeriesThe series this book belongs to and where it falls in the reading order.

Twisted #4
Similar picks →

My Notes

Loading...

Short Takes

quick 280-character reactions for this book. drop a thought, rate the vibe, keep scrolling.

Sign in to share your take.

Loading...

Book Chat

live reactions, hot takes, screaming into the void about Twisted Lies

Similar Books

Cover of Savage Lover

Savage Lover

Brutal Birthright, #3

Sophie Lark

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️·dual POV
dark romancemafia romanceopposites attract
Cover of The Finisher

The Finisher

Dark Verse, #4

Runyx

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️·dual POV·✓
marriage of conveniencedark romancemafia romance
Cover of King of EnvyKU

King of Envy

Kings of Sin, #5

Ana Huang

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️·dual POV
fake engagementforbidden loveforced proximity
Cover of Twisted (Never After, #4)KU

Twisted (Never After, #4)

Never After, #4

Emily McIntire

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️·dual POV
villain gets the girlarranged marriagefake marriage becomes real
Cover of TyrantKU

Tyrant

King, #2

T.M. Frazier

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️·dual POV
captive romancedark romanceforced proximity
Cover of The Maddest ObsessionKU

The Maddest Obsession

Made, #2

Danielle Lori

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️·dual POV
mafia romanceenemies to loversforced proximity
Cover of Stolen HeirKU

Stolen Heir

Brutal Birthright, #2

Sophie Lark

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️·dual POV
beauty and the beastcaptive romanceforced proximity
Cover of The Darkest TemptationKU

The Darkest Temptation

Made, #3

Danielle Lori

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️·dual POV
dark romancecaptive romanceforbidden love