Review: Great romantic read!  Historically accurate and unique story line!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 2, 2014
This novel follows Jeyne and Thomas on Thomas’s family plantation.  It is written from the perspective of Thomas and focuses on his love for Jeyne, one of his slaves.  From the very beginning, it is a controversial and often uncomfortable piece to read.  The perspective and “politically incorrect” telling of a slave master and the relationship he has toward someone he calls a slave is one that is hard to read based on the clichés our American culture has fed us for so long about the evil of slavery, the suffering of slaves and the entitlement of the slaveowners.  Their long-time friendship flourishes despite the fact that Jeyne and Thomas’s social status should not be compatible. The Memories of Bellevue is a well-researched novella as well.  The details on what will become known as the antebellum era before the Civil War are incredible and they are used well as the background and conflict to the plot of the novella.  Thomas and Jeyne are both extremely real characters.  They have an extremely complicated relationship and the way that they both deal with that relationship is very real and very heart-wrenching.  As much as I wanted to dislike Thomas, Jeyne continued to show me that he was a trustworthy man despite the impending danger of the social and political situation around them.  It is an extremely passionate, well-written piece.  The characterization is incredible.  The dialogue is amazing.  The romance scenes are, to say the least, extraordinarily steamy.  And the plot—without spoiling it—is jaw dropping to say the least.  This is an amazing piece to add to your Kindle collection.