When Tell Me Lies first premiered on Hulu in 2022, it struck a nerve. Based on Carola Lovering’s bestselling novel, the series follows Lucy Albright and Stephen DeMarco through the intoxicating highs and devastating lows of a college relationship that leaves its mark for years to come. Produced by Belletrist—the celebrity book club and literary production company founded by Emma Roberts and Karah Preiss—the show is as addicting as Lucy's obsession is with Stephen, offering an enrapturing exploration of what it feels like to mistake toxic intensity for love.
Since its founding in 2017, Belletrist has built a reputation for championing literature and translating powerful stories from page to screen, curating over 75 books for its growing community of readers and producing two hit Netflix shows. Tell Me Lies captures an electrifying, obsessive relationship rarely portrayed on television and has become one of Hulu’s most talked-about dramas, placing conversations about toxic desire at its center.
We’re thrilled to announce that Lit Society is teaming up with Belletrist for an exclusive eight-week watch-along and challenge that dives headfirst into Season 2. Ahead of the third season’s launch, we’ll take you deep into the series, exploring why messy heroines captivate us, why toxic relationships haunt us, and why Tell Me Lies feels especially urgent in 2025. But first, you’ll need a Lit Society membership to join the conversation.
Why Tell Me Lies (and Why Now)?
Season 2 of Tell Me Lies isn’t just a guilty-pleasure binge; it taps into our cultural obsession with toxic relationships and the allure of the “messy heroine.” Think of the feverish fandoms around Fleabag’s confessions, Gone Girl’s cool-girl monologue, or even Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well” (10 Minute Version)—we’re hooked on narratives where love and destruction are intertwined.
Lucy and Stephen’s entanglement is set in the late 2000s, but the dynamics feel uncomfortably familiar today. We live in a moment where “red flags” are TikTok shorthand, “toxic” is a meme and a diagnosis, and every group chat has dissected someone’s situationship. Tell Me Lies holds up a mirror to that reality, asking why we mistake obsession for love and why we root for girls who seem destined to fall apart.
The show belongs to the same cultural lineage as Normal People, Euphoria, and even the literary chaos of Wuthering Heights—stories that blur the line between passion and destruction. In 2025, when conversations around mental health, gender, and desire dominate both feeds and friend circles, Tell Me Lies isn’t just entertaining but deeply resonant.
The Lit Society x Belletrist Watch-A-Long Challenge
For eight weeks, Lit Society members will dive deeper into Tell Me Lies with weekly prompts, pop culture deep dives, and three live events that bring together the author, the creators, and Emma Roberts herself.
Event 1: Author Talk: Carola Lovering on Tell Me Lies & the Messy Heroine (Oct 2)
We’ll open the Tell Me Lies Watch-Along with bestselling author Carola Lovering, joined by Karah Preiss (Belletrist) and Jacqueline Bond (Bond & Grace). Together, they’ll dive into the origins of Lucy Albright, the enduring allure of the “messy heroine,” and why characters who spiral still capture our empathy. The event will also spotlight Carola’s experience seeing her novel adapted for television, offering members a rare behind-the-scenes look at how stories evolve from page to screen.
Event 2: Styled for Self-Destruction (Oct 30)
A Halloween-aligned salon with Hulu’s Tell Me Lies costume designer Charlotte Svenson, unpacking how fashion becomes disguise, armor, and betrayal. We’ll trace visual lineage from The Picture of Dorian Gray to TikTok’s “sad girl summer” edits and ask: What are we trying to conceal—and what are we accidentally revealing?
Event 3: Toxic Love, Lasting Obsessions (Coming in November, exact date TBA)
The grand finale with Emma Roberts and Karah Preiss. Together we’ll reflect on why Tell Me Lies hits so hard: the breakups we never escape, the idea of closure we can’t stop romanticizing, and how the media teaches us to confuse longing with love.
And this time, we’re raising the stakes with a Tell Me Lies Weekly Challenge Engagement—designed to spark conversation, creativity, and connection. Each week members will watch one episode and dive into themed activities like:
- Episode Quizzes & Polls (“Truth or Lie?” trivia + interpretation questions)
- Prompts & Creative Challenges (reaction GIFs, breakup texts in 10 words, character debates, playlist drops)
- Mid-Challenge Confessional Box (anonymous submissions on lies, crushes, or messy college stories)
- Style & Symbolism Challenges (Halloween costume design, early-2000s moodboards, spotting episode motifs)
Why Join Lit Society?
As a member, you’ll get…
- Exclusive access to monthly book-inspired virtual talks.
- Access to Lit Society, our members-only digital portal for connection and conversation, where the topic is always tea.
- First dibs (and discounts) on curated book picks, events, and drops.
- First to know about IRL events, gallery openings, exhibitions, and intimate dinners near you
- Members-only virtual salons, pop-up soirées, hot take roundtables, and creative culture deep-dives.
- Quarterly “Lit Lists” with the sharpest quotes, references, and dinner-party ammo from Lit Society convos.
Join Lit Society to reserve your spot and be in a Zoom room with Emma Roberts!
