By: Devon Wolfe

In a genre often driven by power fantasies and fairy-tale wealth, author Kelle Z. Riley takes a different approach. Her novel Read My Lips, the first installment in the Riches & Royals series, opens not with opulence but with vulnerability, introducing readers to characters whose emotional wounds matter far more than their social status.

Read My Lips follows Claire Lennox, a woman rebuilding her life after betrayal has cost her career, reputation, and trust. Now the director of a literacy foundation, Claire is determined to move forward until a charming new client challenges her resolve. That client, billionaire chocolatier Clayton McClaine, is hiding his own secret: a lifelong struggle with dyslexia that threatens the image he has carefully constructed for the world.

Choosing Vulnerability Over Power

For Riley, beginning the series with emotional fragility rather than wealth was a deliberate choice. “Power and wealth are often the drivers for a ‘Cinderella’ story, but without adding a deeper context, the story risks becoming a cliché,” she explains. “No one has a perfect life, not even a billionaire tycoon hero.”

By focusing on character flaws and inner conflicts, Riley aims to create stories that resonate on a human level. “We all have vulnerabilities, and seeing that reality reflected in the characters from a story helps us connect with them and their journey on an emotional level.”

Two Characters Guarding Different Wounds

The pairing of Claire and Clayton brings together two people protecting themselves in very different ways. Claire’s wounds are visible, shaped by betrayal and public loss, while Clayton’s are hidden behind privilege and success.

Riley notes that this dynamic reflects a broader cultural reality. “Most people… want the world to see them as successful and confident. But the deep secret we all share is that everyone has a voice inside insisting they are a fraud or an imposter.”

At the core of their relationship is the need to be fully seen. “Real love and connection are, and always have been, about someone seeing you with all of your vulnerabilities, flaws, and weaknesses, and still loving you,” Riley says. “Love doesn’t require success; it requires emotional honesty.”

Portraying Dyslexia with Care and Authenticity

One of the novel’s most distinctive elements is Clayton’s dyslexia, which plays a central role in his character arc. Riley approached this aspect with extensive research and care. “Portraying Clayton’s dyslexia was a risk when I first wrote the story,” she admits.

Through her research, Riley discovered how adaptive those coping strategies can be. “Those who have dyslexia often have superb memories, which may lead to some amazing successes.” She also explored different learning styles, including the connection between touch and learning, weaving these insights directly into the story.

Once she understood how dyslexia affects people, Riley explains, “it was a simple matter of making that the core of Clayton’s vulnerabilities, the thing he wanted to hide from the world.”

The Cost of Secrecy and the Path to Honesty

Much of the tension in Read My Lips arises from what Riley describes as the “billion-dollar deception” at the heart of Clayton’s disguise. While secrecy may feel protective early on, the novel explores how it ultimately undermines intimacy.

“Secret keeping may be fine at the beginning of a relationship, but honesty is required for intimacy to grow into love,” Riley says. As the story unfolds, the consequences of avoidance compound. “In essence, every lie makes the truth that much harder to tell.”

Setting the Foundation for the Series

As the opening novel in a four-part series, Read My Lips establishes themes that continue throughout Riches & Royals. Riley intentionally turns familiar romance tropes on their head. “Rather than a cardboard prince or billionaire who saves the heroine, I crafted a heroine who saves the prince/billionaire.”

Readers can expect strong, spunky women who challenge the powerful men in their lives to grow emotionally, not just professionally. Disguises, both literal and emotional, remain a recurring motif throughout the series.

Connecting with Readers Beyond the Page

Beyond her fiction, Riley actively engages with readers through live events and conventions. After reader-focused appearances in the Orlando area at the end of 2025 and early 2026, she is preparing for a busy year of events across the Southeast.

Readers can follow her work, upcoming appearances, and additional information through her website, where she also invites fans to join her mailing list and stay connected.