Tell Me Lies

Tell Me Lies was written by Carola Lovering and published in 2018 by Atria, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc. It is a new adult romantic drama novel that follows Lucy Albright, a new student at the fictional Baird College in California who becomes entangled in a turbulent relationship with junior Stephen DeMarco. Stephen pursues a sexual relationship with Lucy but proves to be a destructive and toxic influence on her life. Lucy finds herself struggling to let go of him even though she knows he is not good for her. The novel explores the themes of Manipulation and Control in Relationships, The Ongoing Influence of the Past, and The Tension Between Desire and Moral Clarity. The novel takes its title from the chorus of the Fleetwood Mac song “Little Lies,” and the music of Fleetwood Mac is a motif that supports the novel’s themes.

This guide refers to the 2019 Atria paperback edition.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of mental illness, death, disordered eating, emotional abuse, sexual violence, animal cruelty, animal death, substance use, sexual content, and cursing.

Plot Summary

In August 2017, Lucy Albright leaves her sales job at The Suitest in New York early to serve as a bridesmaid at the rehearsal dinner and wedding of her friend Bree Benson and Bree’s fiancé, Evan Donovan. When she arrives, Lucy starts reminiscing about her first day at Baird College in California in 2010.

The novel flashes back to 2010. Lucy says goodbye to her parents on her first day of college and makes friends with her dorm roommate, Jackie Harper, along with two other college women: the friendly, extroverted Pippa McAllister and the shy, studious, and kind Bree. On a trip to Lake Mead with her friends, Lucy meets junior student Stephen DeMarco, whose eyes draw her to him and who charms her with his charisma. However, Stephen is in a complicated, on-and-off relationship with fellow junior Diana Bunn and is secretly a sociopath who uses charm to advance his goals and satisfy his desires. After Diana breaks up with him, he begins to pursue Lucy. She feels drawn to him despite some misgivings. After getting drunk at a party, she goes home with Stephen. He makes a sexual advance, but she’s too exhausted and inebriated, causing her to vomit. They meet again at the library and again outside a Christmas party. At the Christmas party, Stephen tells Lucy about his mother’s mental illness. Later, back with Stephen, Lucy reveals “The Unforgivable Thing” that her mother did, explaining that she now calls her mother “CJ” because she is angry with her for having an affair with a man whom Lucy had a crush on. They then spend the night together.

The novel shifts back to 2017, with Lucy enjoying the wedding rehearsal but dreading seeing Stephen there.

In 2010, Lucy sleeps with Stephen after telling him about her mother’s affair with Gabe Petersen, her childhood best friend Macy’s older brother. Lucy and Stephen start seeing each other, but Stephen still wants to be with Diana. At a party in May 2011, Stephen and Diana get back together, leaving Lucy devastated; she realizes that she loves Stephen. Lucy is also grappling with a worsening eating disorder; she loses an unhealthy amount of weight, which scares her friends and CJ. Stephen tries to reconnect with Lucy, but she does not want to talk to him.

Back in 2017, Lucy enjoys Evan’s speech at the rehearsal dinner and tries to prepare herself for confronting Stephen.

In January 2012, Stephen visits Lucy’s dorm to apologize and explain that he wants to be with her but needs to wait until he and Diana graduate and separate to make their relationship public. She agrees and starts having sex with him again. Meanwhile, Stephen reflects on how his arrest for driving under the influence has impacted his law school prospects and how he accidentally killed a girl while driving under the influence on a separate occasion but has managed to keep the incident a secret.

Stephen invites Lucy to a graduation party in his hometown of Bayville, and she chooses to attend this party even though it means giving up her dream of attending the Writers on the Riviera program, which she was accepted into. After Stephen and Diana leave their relationship open-ended, Lucy visits Stephen in June 2012, and he surprises her with a night on his friend’s boat as an early present for her 20th birthday. After spending the summer with Stephen, Lucy returns to Baird, and Diana starts a relationship with another man from her hometown who is going to her graduate school in Saint Louis. Stephen then starts a relationship with a woman named Alice Edwards.

This devastates Lucy, whose depression and eating disorder eventually reach a peak. Jackie accuses her of abandoning who she is in pursuit of Stephen’s affection. Lucy also lashes out at CJ by secretly disposing of the jewelry collection given to CJ by her beloved aunt Marilyn. Soon after, Lucy starts seeing psychiatrist Dr. Wattenbarger and is diagnosed with clinical depression. Dr. Wattenbarger tells her that Stephen is a sociopath and narcissist. Lucy starts to improve and begins a promising relationship with a handsome and kind student named Billy Boyd. However, Stephen grows bored of Alice and visits Lucy. Realizing that she still loves him, Lucy has sex with Stephen that night, and Stephen says that they can be together after she graduates.

In 2017, Lucy walks with the other bridesmaids and sees Stephen staring at her in the church pews. This causes her to panic internally, but she remains strong for Bree.

In May 2014, Lucy gets a job at The Suitest and an apartment with Bree. Billy has broken up with her because of her infidelity, and she continues her affair with Stephen as he dates Alice. However, she soon confronts Stephen and convinces him to break up with Alice. Two months later, her childhood dog, Hickory, dies, and she meets Stephen’s family. Lucy is also haunted by the death of Macy, her old best friend who died several years previously, supposedly while driving home an older boy she was dating. It is revealed that Macy is the girl whom Stephen killed; Stephen was the older boy, but he was driving intoxicated when they crashed. Stephen then moved Macy to make it look like she was driving. Lucy remains unaware of the truth.

In October 2014, Stephen becomes increasingly busy with law school while also grappling with his fear of being ruined for accidentally killing Macy. In addition, he is tired of Lucy’s suspicions and distrust. After avoiding her for a couple of weeks and missing Lucy’s half-marathon run, Lucy meets him at a bar, and he breaks up with her, revealing his cold and cruel nature to her at last. She leaves and breaks down emotionally, and Bree calls CJ to help her.

CJ drives Lucy out of the city, and while on the road, Lucy confronts CJ about her affair. CJ breaks down and confesses to having had an affair with Gabe. She tells Lucy that she regrets it and that she worked through it with Lucy’s father, who forgave her. She then apologizes for the affair and for not telling Lucy. Lucy also confesses to disposing of Marilyn’s jewelry, and CJ forgives her. They embrace and go home to take her father and her sister, Georgia, on a trip to spread Hickory’s ashes.

In 2017, Lucy panics on the way to the bridal reception, but after seeing Bree and Evan’s love as they dance, she feels stronger. Stephen talks to her and tries to charm her, but Lucy no longer feels anything for him. Lucy suddenly recalls Macy’s words that she was dating an older boy from Bayville, Stephen’s hometown, and asks Stephen if he knew her. Stephen denies knowing Macy, but Lucy knows he is lying and walks away. She then calls CJ, telling her about almost everything and revealing that she is unhappy with her job and life in New York and wants to devote herself to her dream of travel writing. CJ supports her, and they tell each other that they love each other before Lucy returns to the reception.