Say It, Even If It Hurts: A Dark College Romance That Pulls No Punches

When secrets collide with desire, love comes at the cost of control.

Tell Me You Like It by Evelyn Austin isn’t here to make you comfortable. It’s not sweet. It’s not safe. It’s dark college romance at its most raw, where secrets fester beneath Ivy League polish and desire is twisted up with power, pain, and lies that refuse to stay buried.

Set within the charged, elite halls of a private university tangled in legacy, politics, and privilege, this story is part of the Legacy of Lies series—and it pulls readers straight into a world where nothing is clean, and no one walks away untouched. If you love stories that flirt with danger, dig into trauma, and turn every glance into a battlefield, this book will keep you up all night.

Where dominance meets damage, and the line between love and control blurs

The heroine of Tell Me You Like It isn’t new to pain—but she’s tired of pretending it doesn’t matter. Her past is messy, her future uncertain, and her present? Complicated by the presence of a boy who was never supposed to look at her that way. But he does. And worse? She likes it.

The male lead is part of the school’s elite—powerful, brilliant, dangerous. A golden boy with shadows in his eyes and a need for control that isn’t just about dominance—it’s about survival. He doesn’t fall easily, but when he does, it’s with teeth bared.

What begins as a hostile clash becomes a dangerous game. Every kiss, every whisper, every say it between them is loaded with risk. Because here, emotions are currency, power is foreplay, and nothing—not even love—is ever safe.

Dark romance done right: intense, immersive, unflinching

Tropes That Burn:

• Dark college romance — secrets, legacy pressure, and twisted passion on campus
• Enemies-to-lovers — biting insults, unspoken attraction, and the slow unravel
• Bully romance — the line between cruelty and craving is razor-thin
• Possessive love interest — control as protection, desire as an obsession

Themes That Leave a Mark:

• Trauma and survival — neither lead is whole, and that’s the point
• Power dynamics — not just physical, but social, emotional, sexual
• Redemption and ruin — this story isn’t about being saved; it’s about burning down the lies to rebuild something real
• Consent and control — written with nuance, tension, and care

Austin walks a careful line, never glamorizing abuse but refusing to shy away from darkness. The emotions here are visceral. The romance doesn’t bloom—it erupts. And for readers who crave stories that explore the grey areas of attraction and morality, this one hits hard and stays.

Who Tell Me You Like It is written for

This book is not for the faint of heart—but it’s perfect for:

• Readers who devour dark romance with emotional complexity
• Fans of bully romance where the emotional payoff is hard-earned
• Women who want heroines with fire, flaws, and agency
• Anyone who’s ever loved a messy, morally grey love interest and didn’t want a redemption arc wrapped in a bow

And if you’re a fan of series like Devils’ Night, Verona Falls University, or Sinners of Saint, Legacy of Lies is about to be your new obsession.

Final thoughts: Say it, mean it, survive it

Tell Me You Like It doesn’t ask for your comfort—it demands your attention. It’s sharp, it’s sensual, and it dares to explore what happens when broken people find something worth bleeding for.

Evelyn Austin writes with fearless intensity, unafraid of the darkness her characters inhabit. And through it all, she crafts a romance that isn’t about fixing each other—it’s about surviving together, one shattered truth at a time.

So if you’re ready to fall into a story that hurts before it heals, tempts before it comforts—read this book.

And when you’re done? Say it. Say you liked it even if it hurts.