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Kate Belle

Author of The yearning

4 Works 32 Members 5 Reviews

Works by Kate Belle

The yearning (2013) 15 copies
Being Jade (2014) 8 copies
Bloom (Random Romance #2) (2013) 4 copies

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Last year, I was mesmerised by Kate Belle’s The Yearning, which has one of the most fitting endings to a book that I’ve ever read. Naturally, I was ecstatic when a copy of her new novel, Being Jade, landed on the doorstep. It didn’t take for me to get stuck into this book, which is mesmerising. Once you’ve started it, you’ll find it very difficult to stop reading.

The book opens in an unusual fashion, in the first person of Banjo, who is dead. Why is he dead? What happened? You’ll just have to wait as Banjo has a story to tell first. The story of him and Jade, the love of his life since her was a young boy. Jade’s always been the only woman for him, but Jade won’t be tied solely to Banjo. She loves him, but she needs her freedom. On occasions, she takes lovers. What do these men mean to Jade and how do they define her relationship with Banjo? It’s something that Banjo found very difficult to deal with in life; will he get his peace in death? His daughter Lissy is determined to find Jade’s lovers after Jade becomes unwell, much to the disgust of her sister Cassy. Surely there’s nothing to understand here…it’s just Jade’s way to be provocative, deliberately ruffling the feathers of all around her…

Being Jade is a fascinating character study. Jade is somewhat of an enigma initially, but as I read more of her background and the deep love she has for Banjo and her children, I felt I could relate to her more. I don’t think she’s a character that one person could ever get to know fully – she has far too many layers and too many aspects of her personality for just one person to see, but I felt I could accept what she had done with her life because it was her nature. Jade raises a lot of questions with how sexuality and how women’s sexuality is perceived – why is a women with lovers a slut, and a man a stud? Why is a nude male art and a nude woman pornography? Why do we accept these divides between the sexes? I felt that Jade was a feminist in the way she pushed boundaries of sexuality and women’s roles, but I don’t think she’d appreciate me calling her that! Jade is Jade, a true individual, who appreciates the beauty in everyone and is explicitly kind across race, loss and love.

Her children, Lissy and Cassy are opposites. Each has the characteristics of Banjo and Jade, combined in the way that produces fireworks. Cassy, like Jade, is stubborn, but can’t see the numerous viewpoints that make up a person. Lissy has Jade’s kindness on display, but lacks her daring. Her children reflect just what an amazing character Jade is. The emotional journeys as the three women collide and ultimately love without the stabilising influence of Banjo is palpable. Banjo was the common factor that loved and helped these different women get along – he’s a truly good man, who is accepting but strong.

Kudos must also go to Christabella Designs, who produced that beautiful cover. The colours of the title are divine – a honey beige versus a true jade tint. Jade herself also looks just as I pictured her and I love the strength of her purple eye shadow against the red lips. This is powerful makeup, but Jade doesn’t need this – she’s a new powerful character in fiction.

If you like Tim Winton, I strongly suggest you read Being Jade. Kate Belle captures a similar essence of setting, depth of feeling and in creating complex characters that remain beside you long after the story is finished.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for the copy of this book.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
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birdsam0610 | 1 other review | Jun 14, 2014 |
After twenty-five years of marriage, Banjo Murphy finally walks out on his wife, Jade, unable to forgive her for what seems to be yet another betrayal. Hours later his broken body is discovered by the side of the road, the victim of a hit and run, and his family is shattered by the unexpected loss. As Jade withdraws into silence, seeking solace in chemical oblivion, his youngest daughter, Melissa, seeks answers to the mystery surrounding her father's death...and the truth about his life.

"Who was the Jade these lovers knew? What did her mother need to live beyond the confines of their family? What did she gain from all those other men? How much had her father known? Why had he stayed and what made him leave the night he died?"

With death, Banjo is finally in possession of the perspective that eluded him in life. Drifting in the ether he comes to understand his wife's behaviour and to forgive her the failings that tortured him during their marriage.

"I realise now it was as difficult for Jade to be who she was as it was for the rest of us to live with her"

But for his youngest daughter, Melissa, there is too much unsaid and unknown. With Jade refusing to talk, Lissy tries to find answers in her mother's sketchbook which chronicles the affairs Jade indulged in over the course of her parents marriage.

I have conflicting feelings about Jade that are never fully resolved. I admire the way in which she is unapologetically true to her self, to her own needs and desires, regardless of the judgement of others. Yet Jade's demand for freedom comes at a steep emotional cost to those that love her best, namely Banjo and their daughters.

In exposing a woman who defies what is expected of her, Being Jade raises provocative questions about how authentic we truly are in our relationships with others, and with ourselves. The author challenges the notion of unconditional love, exploring the ways in which we narrow the definition to suit our own purposes, and how this family comes to understand and accept love isn't as simple and everyone wants it to be.

A searing portrait of the complexities of love, intimacy and truth Being Jade is an eloquent and powerful piece of storytelling from author Kate Belle.
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shelleyraec | 1 other review | Jun 5, 2014 |
It would be easy to write off The Yearning as a book in the vein of Fifty Shades given its frequent steamy sex scenes. But if you continue reading, you are rewarded with a novel that explores deeply the effect of previous relationships, the power balance between men and women and how idealism can ruin your future.

The novel begins as a new teacher, Solomon Andrews moves into a country town in the height of a hot Aussie summer. His next door neighbour, an unnamed student, watches him move in…and continues watching. At first, she is forced to by a school bully, but then watching Solomon go about his daily tasks becomes a lovesick ritual. When she witnesses an act in Solomon’s study, she decides to start sending him letters expressing her devotion and yearning for him. Solomon (who has been in some ‘trouble’ at his previous school) is entranced by the letters, being a firm believer in good sex but no love. Things start to get dangerous when he invites her inside his house – nothing stays secret in a country town for long, and nothing will be the same for either of them…

Belle evokes a hot, never-ending sense of Australian summer in the initial part of the book – the heat, cloying and unending, is almost like another character of the book. The weather acts as a force to exemplify how ‘hot’ (read: sexually attractive) Solomon is and how he sets all the women’s hearts aflutter. The sticky weather also serves to intensify the depth of our heroine’s feelings for Solomon and when things come together…BOOM! It’s like a summer thunderstorm, drenching the thirsty ground.

You might have wondered why so far I haven’t revealed the female main character’s name yet- that’s because that’s something you have to look forward to because Belle doesn’t name her until the very end of the book (I’m not telling you which page as you might cheat). I thought it was an excellent choice and brought a wry smile to my face given the events that took place. At first it seemed a bit odd that she hadn’t been named, but I got used to this – this character is (generally) an everyday woman, prone to making mistakes, having good and bad times, which made her easy to relate to (except for her initial relationship – that was unique). Her journey seems somewhat the wrong way round – from the ultimate to the mundane, but it’s an important one.

Now, what about Solomon? Even though I personally don’t care for the long hair and skin-tight jean look, not being a child of the 70’s – Belle creates a character who is hot Hot HOT! In more modern terms, Solomon is ‘sexy and he knows it’. He prides himself on giving pleasure to women when it was uncool to do so, knowing the Kama Sutra and never giving into love. This takes on a whole different twist when we find out his motivation for this, plus one of his final scenes has a pitying, almost laughable conclusion.

This book has a myriad of themes and insights into the human psyche that I could go on and on about (rather like Solomon *wink*) – please don’t dismiss it as erotica; this is an insight into human relationships (positive and negative) that should not be missed.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and The Reading Room for the copy of this book.
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birdsam0610 | 1 other review | Jul 15, 2013 |
By: Kate Belle
Published By: Random House Australia Publication
Age Recommended: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 4
Book Blog For: GMTA
Series: Random Romance #1
Review:

"Breaking the Rules" by Kate Belle was the first in a series: 'Radom Romance' of erotic novels by this author. This will be a read where you find the writing sensuous and erotic and with the character Grace that allures the character by the name of Ramon Mendez. Now, let me say up front this is a mature adult read. Not for the faint hearted. The idea behind this read was that this heroine needed to learn to let go and be able to let herself feel. For years Grace has been career minded and she 'forgo' men, marriage and children to focus on her career. Well, things were going fine until Roman Mendez, a PhD student walks into her office. This is where I say you must pick up the read because it is HOT, sensuous and erotic. By 'their supervisory meeting will Roman teach the teacher?' I enjoyed this novella and if you would like to see how this author in "BREAKING THE RULES" was able to provide a way out of this situation and will leave you the reader satisfied, I would recommend this read.… (more)
 
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arlenadean | Jun 3, 2013 |

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