Temptation always leads to trouble…

Claire Lennox thought she could have it all—until trusting the wrong man destroyed her career, her reputation, and her heart.

Now, as director of a literacy foundation, she has new ambitions. But when a sexy client tempts her to love again, does she dare?

Billionaire chocolatier Clayton McClaine risks everything—even his heart—when he goes incognito, hoping to overcome the dyslexia that haunts him and threatens to destroy his carefully crafted image.

They’re perfect for each other, except for one little thing—the billion-dollar deception that lies between them.

Titles in the Riches & Royals series include — Read My Lips –

This is an adult 18+ story that may contain language, possible violence, and/or sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

Title:  Read My Lips
Series:  Riches & Royals #1
Author:  Kelle Z. Riley
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Published:  September 7, 2021
Publisher:
My Rating:  4 stars

Read My Lips begins the Riches & Royals series with a complex romance between two people with major trust issues.  Claire has good reason to not trust any man in a powerful position after such a man not only broke her heart but destroyed her career and reputation all in one swoop.  Clayton is already at the top of the chain command of his company, a self-made billionaire who should have the world at his feet yet he’s hiding a secret from the public and many in his inner circles as Clayton has dyslexia and is somewhat terrified of that condition becoming public.

Currently, Claire is the director of a literacy foundation – the very foundation that Clayton’s business sponsors.  As Clayton finally makes the decision to get professional help in dealing with his dyslexia he’s made the choice to do so incognito and definitely undercover.  That’s a decision that will come back to bite hard as his relationship with Claire, his teacher/therapist heads into romantic waters that get muddied even more when he doesn’t correct the lie that brought them together.

Overall, I enjoyed Read My Lips.  There were issues that I consider nitpicking and my own preferences that do not pertain to the well-written story that touches on a few subjects that aren’t always addressed in Romance, so I’m choosing not to go into them here.  The one that I will mention is the continuation of Clayton’s lie of being “Artie”.  As time moved on with their romance, as real feelings began to develop between them that lie was always going to be a heartbreaking moment when finally revealed.  There were many times, in my opinion, that he could have told the truth and still maintained the romance with Claire.  Yet knowing her trust issues, how she’d been destroyed by another lie… yeah, it went on far too long for my enjoyment.  And, again, that is my own opinion you’d have to make that call based on what you enjoy in your Romances.

We get a few hints of what is yet to come in the series, meet several secondary characters who will most likely end up with their own stories one day, and resolve Claire and Clayton’s issues by the story’s ending.  I’ll keep an eye out for the next one.  Read My Lips is a good story that many will enjoy.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own – good, bad, or indifferent. I was not financially compensated for this review and no expectation of a positive review was promised.*

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