Dearly Beloved

by Wilt Rhys

Life isn’t about the journey; it’s about who said they were “there” for you. And proved it.

When you’re damaged, people tend to handle you with kid gloves. Excuse, normally inexcusable, behavior. That, coupled with complex PTSD and panic disorder, and life isn’t a highway. It’s a rollercoaster. Renée Sutton wants off the ride. She’s ready to conquer her past. Become a healthier version of herself. Move on. Literally. Like, road trip-style. If only her friends and adoptive brother would allow her, her self-discovery. Alone.Christopher Clark wants his best friend’s sister. He’s wanted Renée for years. When Drew suggests they accompany her on an impromptu road trip, of course, he’s on board. Even if he isn’t exactly invited. Her birth family could be anybody capable of anything. He won’t allow any more distance between them. She doesn’t know it yet, but she’s his. To irritate. To protect. And his to love. He’ll fight his friends. Her friends. Even Renée herself, to claim what’s his.Renée wants nothing to do with Chris. He’s conceited. A playboy. The town bicycle. She’s not riding that ride. Her childhood crush is another thing she’s leaving in the past—if he’d just leave her alone. But, there he is. At every turn. With intensity she’s never experienced before. Is this a ploy to get her into bed? Or can she trust him? Take him at face value before a long-lost relative demonstrates the literal meaning of, “Blood is thicker than water.”

350 pages, Paperback

Published March 28, 2024

About the author

Advice writers receive: Write what you know.

I know darkness. I grew up in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and Glendale, Arizona. Knowing the uglier sides of life, there weren’t a lot of options available to me. At least, that’s what the world would have me believe. I could’ve succumbed to the hopelessness and despair that come with having the kind of childhood and adolescence better suited for a Lifetime Channel movie or a cautionary tale. Become a statistic. Or I could allow my past to fuel my creativity.

I devoured anything I could read as an escape. Writing became my calm in the storm. My constant. I published my first book at ten years old. Through college where I studied Social Work, trying to effect change from within the system—I wrote. Modeled a bit. Sang. Became an on-air radio personality. Acted. And still, I wrote. Poetry. Screenplays. Novels. Even placed in the 2010 Beverly Hills Film Festival. All roads lead back to writing. Now, I write dark. Dark paranormal romance. Dark urban fantasy. Psychological and supernatural thrillers. And dark contemporary romance under the pseudonym Wilt Rhys. Because the one thing life’s taught me, everything done in the dark comes to the light.

Reviews

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

great read (contains spoilers)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was well written and researched. I enjoyed the different layers that were touched upon. I really liked the overall hopeful message of the book. Although Renee had a very different beginning and suffered through atrocious circumstances, in the end she overcame surrounded by love.
I would love to read a part 2 of her story.

[Val · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Chris tried to pull her into his arms and protect her from whatever frightened her. He made a silent promise to her. Let it flare in his eyes. As long as he drew breath, no harm would come to her again.”

This book is a relatively standard brother’s best friend dark romance. Renee’s parents are going on vacation and need someone to house sit. They don’t trust Renee to stay by herself because of her past, so they ask her brother to help out. Of course he doesn’t show up alone - he brings his best friend with him.

I was never bored by the story and generally enjoyed reading this book. My favorite character was Renee by far. It was easy to connect with her backstory and I like that she’s still strong after everything that she went through. The pairing between her and the MMC was a good match. I always eat up the “strong woman who can finally be vulnerable around her man” trope.

The biggest problem that I came across was under-developed supporting characters. Most of them had similar internal and outer dialogue, so it was jarring when POVs switched mid chapter. I get that friends can sound similar, but you need to have more than one type of side character. Occasionally, I would also get distracted by tangents unrelated to what’s happening. There’s one part in particular where a character spends an entire paragraph talking about the importance of writing checks instead of online banking. Things like that took me out of it.

While this book had some issues, I think overall it was worth reading. There were a lot of turns that I wasn’t expecting and the main pair meshed well.

[Veronica Hooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book, and my first read by this author and it won’t be my last! Ms Rhys is a very talented writer! I enjoyed every page of this book and the storyline. Very, very well written.

Renee is our FMC. She’s had a hard start to her life with a drug addicted, mostly gone mother and absent father. Raising her was basically left to her older sister, Kathy. As hard as they tried to stay out of site so as not to draw attention of the authorities, the inevitable happened and Renee and Kathy were separated and placed into the foster care system. Renee’s life was full of abuse of many types until she was adopted at 10 years old by the Suttons. Despite being a little colored girl adopted by a wonderful white family, Renee always felt unloved and felt maybe all the people in her life who had called her “evil” were right.

As Renee becomes a young adult, she feels a strong need to find her blood family and learns a valuable lesson about what really makes a family, and it isn’t always blood.

Chris is her brothers best friend and our MMC. I love the arguing and spat banter between Chris and Renee as they fight their feelings for one another.

So much tragedy and drama in the book with a perfect HEA❤️

[ALEJANDRA (YAYA) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read!!! I thoroughly enjoyed this book had romance, suspense and that it gave you (the reader) an inside look/perception of a person who was in the foster/adoptive state system. Very rarely do we get these points of views on a Main Character. Honestly reading this book, I can picture each scene, I can actually put these people in real life, all this characters are someone we know, have known or can say to ourselves, Yup that sounds like a real life scenario.

Now I will say sometimes our main female character, Renee, got on my nerves and not just her. Oh no, her leading man Chris Clark also got on my nerves. Their banter was just annoying at times, but lets face it there are people who are just like them.

Overall, please give this book a try. You get spice, you get romance, true life events, relatable scenarios of just a group of friends hanging out helping a friend try and find the truth of their past their blood relatives. Someone who just didn’t feel enough to be given the chance to love someone or be loved in return. Someone who just needed to learn their true worth.

Sorry I was all over the place with this review, but the author had me feeling a certain way at the end of this.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful story that evokes a wide range of emotions. You go through all of the trials and tribulations with the main characters.Speaking of main characters, the chemistry between them is undeniable from the get go. The trauma Renée goes through is heart wrenching and you cheer for her to find what she's looking for. Chris is more than what he seems at first as well and the way he pursues what he wants no matter the obstacles is easy to identify with.

The supporting cast is also well written. They have just the right amount of intriguing characteristics and story lines without overshadowing the main characters. I especially enjoyed the one around Drew and the secret he was keeping from the others.

Overall, it is a great read with good pacing and a lot of ups and downs. You didn't know what was going to happen next. There were elements that certainly caught me off guard, but made the story that much better. I look forward to reading more works from Wilt Rhys. She is on my watch list!

[Axrrow_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

First time in a while I’ve read a book without POV’s. It was confusing at first but I got used to it. I enjoyed getting to know all the characters and their personalities. I LOVED Chris and Renee’s relationship and how she was able to find the missing piece in her family and friends. I was nervous for her when she took the journey of meeting her family but with Andrew’s protective side coming out I knew she was in good hands. She had a great support system behind her and I’m glad she was able to see it.

In my opinion, the flashbacks were heartbreaking but so important to the story. I couldn’t imagine the story without it. Having it be based off of true events definitely added to it. I thank the author for sharing this experience with her audience and allowing us to get to know Renee for who she truly is.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first time reading anything by Wilt Rhys. Let me tell you, it didn't disappoint. The main fmc Renée has been through so much in her life, and her life journey and the internal battles she faces will grab at your heart. Renée is on a self-discovery path to find her biological family and to try to uncover the truths of why her life took the certain turns it did. Chris, the mmc was swoon worthy and was there for Renée even when she didn't want him to be. Her brother and friends included made this book a great read. You'll enjoy the laughs and deeply felt moments.

⚠️Check your triggers, please!

[Jasmine Jauregui · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this story 🥺❤️

Tropes: brother best friend, enemies to lovers,slow burn but lots of tension


I think Renee is so strong and after everything she’s been through is so amazing how she’s still able to be so strong after that ❤️ I also love Chris and how much he cares for Renee 😭 I love how much he just wants to be there for her and take care of her 😭they are perfect for each other ❤️

please check your tw before reading it ❤️


4.5⭐️

[Ryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

♡ Slow Burn
♡ Brother's Best Friend
♡ Mental Health Representation
♡ Enemies to Lovers
♡ Check Trigger Warnings
♡ He Falls First

Our FMC Renee suffered from so much abuse/neglect as a child which made her feel unworthy of love. The MMC Chris is Renee's adoptive brother's best friend. Chris has loved Renee for years and when he hears that she is going on a road trip he is determined to go with her.

[Mrsz_reads13 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Renee has lost hope in herself and since she was left by her mother as a child, feels as if she can't be loved. While on a road trip with her brother and friends. She understands love and family doesn't come from blood. Her family which adopted her love her as her own. Her friends as well. Also while on the trip she finds her brother's oldest friend Chris has loved her from afar for years.

[Wren James · Rating 4 out of 5]

This whole story is just WOW... I can't explain how invested I was in this story. The trials that Renee had to go through just to heal are heart wrenching. Chris understood the assignment when it came to what Renee really needed. It was phenomenally written.

[Jessica Felix · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first read by this author and I must say it was great! This book had me so emotional. That flashbacks 😩 I absolutely loved Chris and Renee’s relationship! After all she had gone through it was so amazing to see the people she surrounded herself with. They most definitely had her back!! She deserved that love. Knowing this book was based on true events took me to a whole different place. I most def believe this book is a must read!! Great job!!

[Gracie Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

* Slow Burn
* Brother's Best Friend
* He Falls First
* Circle of Friends


Loved this book. It has a great representation of mental health. I loved the family dynamic and circle of friends. Check your triggers, this is a dark romance and has heavy family situation discussions however it moves the story along and develops the character within the story.

Chris has crushed on his best friend's sister for years. He is such a loveable character and the way he teases and protects Renee is a cherry on top.

Renee is a damaged soul BUT with the help of time, her family, friends, Chris, and HERSELF she has found her worth and realizes she is loved and cherished.

As a mom, my heart broke for her. I wanted to take young Renee and her sister and protect them, shield them, and love them. Her journey is not easy, yet she overcomes so much and finds her happily ever after.

A well deserved ending.