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Chasing Kate
Twenty-eight-year-old Kate Denai generally finds living life a challenge to her sanity. It becomes even more so when she discovers a tiny, unwanted stowaway, five-year-old Sadie Beck, in the back of her Jeep two nights in a row.
When Kate realizes Sadie may be in real trouble, she vows to protect Sadie’s innocence at any cost. They develop a deep connection on their frantic journey across state lines and over spiritual borders, but as Kate rips through the complex landscape of moral choices her prior transgressions have left her egregiously unprepared to handle, you may begin to wonder who’s saving whom.
At once hilarious and heartbreaking, Chasing Kate is a raucous voyage of self-discovery, fueled by an original and unconventional love story, wending down the road to redemption.
When Kate realizes Sadie may be in real trouble, she vows to protect Sadie’s innocence at any cost. They develop a deep connection on their frantic journey across state lines and over spiritual borders, but as Kate rips through the complex landscape of moral choices her prior transgressions have left her egregiously unprepared to handle, you may begin to wonder who’s saving whom.
At once hilarious and heartbreaking, Chasing Kate is a raucous voyage of self-discovery, fueled by an original and unconventional love story, wending down the road to redemption.
248 pages, ebook
First published January 3, 2012
60 people are currently reading
106 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Byrne
4 books17 followersKelly Byrne created photography, invented the wheel, and taught Alanis Morissette the meaning of ironic. She has broken the speed of light typing. Twice. In under a year, she’s written 1,296 novels. They’re all New York Times best sellers with over one billion sales worldwide. On a whim, she discovered the meaning of life and created a crossword puzzle with the answer. No one has solved it. She’s never prone to hyperbole, always tells the truth, and loves writing about herself in third person. Her home is a castle in the sky above Los Angeles. There, you’ll find her playing badminton with her superhero boyfriend, snuggling her very silly dog, and breaking the speed of light for the third time on her 1,297th novel while listening to an absurd number of true-crime podcasts. You can also find her saving the world’s problems at authorkellybyrne.com.
She’d love to hear from you, so if you’d like to chat about important things like the meaning of life, or chocolate, email her at kelly@authorkellybyrne.com or find her on the socials with @authorkellybyrne.
She’d love to hear from you, so if you’d like to chat about important things like the meaning of life, or chocolate, email her at kelly@authorkellybyrne.com or find her on the socials with @authorkellybyrne.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
April 23, 2024
One day, after a great lunch at PF Changs, a friend of mine and I were talking about how we tend to lose sight of our inner child as we grow older, we tend to lose our "wonder" through all the troubles and disappointments we inevitably face in life.
He said, "they should prosecute people for inner child abuse."
That simple, funny, poignant statement was the seed that sprouted "Chasing Kate" in my mind. I just let it grow from there.
Rather, Kate and Sadie let it grow. I was just the lucky witness to it all.
I hope you enjoy reading about their journey as much as I enjoyed discovering it and watching it bloom.
He said, "they should prosecute people for inner child abuse."
That simple, funny, poignant statement was the seed that sprouted "Chasing Kate" in my mind. I just let it grow from there.
Rather, Kate and Sadie let it grow. I was just the lucky witness to it all.
I hope you enjoy reading about their journey as much as I enjoyed discovering it and watching it bloom.
April 12, 2012
I read this book in one day, despite the impression potentially left by my rating. In fact I read it in a little less than 4 hours. It is very fast paced. You need not worry about spending the first few chapters languishing in exposition and character development. The author does an amazing job of slapping you in the face with action from the first sentence. In fact it might actually be one of the greatest first sentences ever for a novel.
So why the rating? Well, first off you must understand I am a die-hard lover of High Fantasy. This is not that! I truly try to rate books based upon my own enjoyment and potential to reread, which is highly unlikely that I would ever do with this book. However, I made it my mission to read this anyway, because, well, I know the author. I do think she wrote a good read here, but there were several things about the book that bothered me. Understanding that much of the angst surrounding the main character is dark and dynamic in nature, it should be no surprise that there a are more than a few delicate, even brutal subjects trodden upon by this story. However for me it was a little to abrupt and indelicate about the delivery for my taste. In fact it reminded me very much of the gutteral reaction I had after watching the original dubbed version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It was simply so brutal that I felt as though I had been violated.
As a huge childhood fan of Ray Bradbury, I made the discovery when he wrote "The Toynbee Collectors" that I am not a fan of vulgarity and profanity for it's own sake. That belief was reinforced by my reading this. Surely the setting and characters made a normal amount of daily profanity necessary for a sense of reality, but the overabundance of it, well the profanity began to take on the feel of an child attempting to raise the word count on a required paper.
I am extremely aware that there are a lot of blurred lines and gray areas in life between right and wrong choices, but for me I found myself all to often at odds with the characters and feel of the book. The moral overtones and justifications often became more of a distraction to me and made the book an almost too uncomfortable read.
The author has a great gift for the use of words, but I struggled not to put the book down after the beginning of chapter three, when the attempt to flourish landed the author in a place of remarking something wholly racist in my view. Although the context was clearly not intended for that purpose, and I am certain that the author would not see it in that light, it does nothing to lessen my disappointment and distaste.
So why the rating? Well, first off you must understand I am a die-hard lover of High Fantasy. This is not that! I truly try to rate books based upon my own enjoyment and potential to reread, which is highly unlikely that I would ever do with this book. However, I made it my mission to read this anyway, because, well, I know the author. I do think she wrote a good read here, but there were several things about the book that bothered me. Understanding that much of the angst surrounding the main character is dark and dynamic in nature, it should be no surprise that there a are more than a few delicate, even brutal subjects trodden upon by this story. However for me it was a little to abrupt and indelicate about the delivery for my taste. In fact it reminded me very much of the gutteral reaction I had after watching the original dubbed version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It was simply so brutal that I felt as though I had been violated.
As a huge childhood fan of Ray Bradbury, I made the discovery when he wrote "The Toynbee Collectors" that I am not a fan of vulgarity and profanity for it's own sake. That belief was reinforced by my reading this. Surely the setting and characters made a normal amount of daily profanity necessary for a sense of reality, but the overabundance of it, well the profanity began to take on the feel of an child attempting to raise the word count on a required paper.
I am extremely aware that there are a lot of blurred lines and gray areas in life between right and wrong choices, but for me I found myself all to often at odds with the characters and feel of the book. The moral overtones and justifications often became more of a distraction to me and made the book an almost too uncomfortable read.
The author has a great gift for the use of words, but I struggled not to put the book down after the beginning of chapter three, when the attempt to flourish landed the author in a place of remarking something wholly racist in my view. Although the context was clearly not intended for that purpose, and I am certain that the author would not see it in that light, it does nothing to lessen my disappointment and distaste.
February 21, 2012
It's a rare story that can make you laugh on one page and later bring you to tears, but this is it. Kate Denai has made a mess of her life. In the beginning of the story, I found myself laughing our loud at her wry observations. Kate is a smart aleck, but despite the predicaments she winds up in, you know that deep down she's a loving, strong individual. It takes a serendipitous little stowaway, Sadie Beck, to bring out that side of her. Bit by bit, Kate inspects her past and what has brought her to this point. As her options dwindle, she's forced to take an uncomfortably close look at old wounds. She doesn't want to go there, but events keep pushing her in that direction.
Kate's new little friend Sadie is an absolute darling! A huggable 'old soul' whose innocence and optimism are precisely what Kate needs. Sadie and Kate are some of the most memorable characters I've ever come across and Kelly Byrne's ability to bring us so close to them and her gift with words make this one of the best books I've picked up in years. Do not miss this one!
Kate's new little friend Sadie is an absolute darling! A huggable 'old soul' whose innocence and optimism are precisely what Kate needs. Sadie and Kate are some of the most memorable characters I've ever come across and Kelly Byrne's ability to bring us so close to them and her gift with words make this one of the best books I've picked up in years. Do not miss this one!
January 15, 2018
Part of my rating system depends on whether I can keep reading a book through as long as I don't have something absolutely pressing to take care of. Chasing Kate fits that requirement.
WARNING: There are frank descriptions of sexual abuse in this book. If you're seriously triggered by such, don't read this book (or steel yourself, if you want to try, anyway). This book is a quick read, but that doesn't mean it's easy reading, emotionally.
Without giving away the the plot, this story involves a young woman on a road trip with a young girl, getting into a lot of trouble, and the moral quandaries that go along with it. There's quite a bit of the "wisdom of a child" trope, but in the context of the book (how it's written, the basic subject matter, etc.) it works. There are some cases where I would roll my eyes and remove a star, but not in this case.
This book is written in the first person, so we get to "hear" Katie's internal monologues as well as her interactions with her wayward charge, Sadie, and they're the main bits of plot, whereas the outside interactions feel a bit superficial. I found myself reading for reactions rather than interactions, toward the end (though obviously you have to read what Katie's reacting to, else you won't know what's going on). This journey is obviously about Katie - the rest of the story's characters are the planets revolving in her universe. While this may be technically true of all first-person novels, in this case it's especially true. There is none of the "I couldn't have known that [character] was actually [situation, feeling, etc.], and that I was, in fact, only seeing [superficial thing]." In this book, everything Katie sees and reports, outside of herself, is largely superficial. She often makes the wrong assumption, which makes her very human and subjective.
She's very selfish, and the book doesn't try to hide that; in fact, that's driving (no pun intended) most of the plot. This book is written as though she's running away because she's hurt, and in large part that's obviously true. Then it becomes about her survival. Sadie is almost incidental, toward the end, though it's clear Katie cares about her very much. Sadie is a tool Katie uses against those she interacts with, and along with the "wise child" trope, that made the last couple of chapters a bit like cotton candy: it looks great on the surface, but when you bite into it, it's just a glob of sharp sugar.
Unlike some books, Katie does meet the end she should, and Sadie meets the end we hope. It's all very neat, but is a surprisingly satisfying conclusion.
WARNING: There are frank descriptions of sexual abuse in this book. If you're seriously triggered by such, don't read this book (or steel yourself, if you want to try, anyway). This book is a quick read, but that doesn't mean it's easy reading, emotionally.
Without giving away the the plot, this story involves a young woman on a road trip with a young girl, getting into a lot of trouble, and the moral quandaries that go along with it. There's quite a bit of the "wisdom of a child" trope, but in the context of the book (how it's written, the basic subject matter, etc.) it works. There are some cases where I would roll my eyes and remove a star, but not in this case.
This book is written in the first person, so we get to "hear" Katie's internal monologues as well as her interactions with her wayward charge, Sadie, and they're the main bits of plot, whereas the outside interactions feel a bit superficial. I found myself reading for reactions rather than interactions, toward the end (though obviously you have to read what Katie's reacting to, else you won't know what's going on). This journey is obviously about Katie - the rest of the story's characters are the planets revolving in her universe. While this may be technically true of all first-person novels, in this case it's especially true. There is none of the "I couldn't have known that [character] was actually [situation, feeling, etc.], and that I was, in fact, only seeing [superficial thing]." In this book, everything Katie sees and reports, outside of herself, is largely superficial. She often makes the wrong assumption, which makes her very human and subjective.
She's very selfish, and the book doesn't try to hide that; in fact, that's driving (no pun intended) most of the plot. This book is written as though she's running away because she's hurt, and in large part that's obviously true. Then it becomes about her survival. Sadie is almost incidental, toward the end, though it's clear Katie cares about her very much. Sadie is a tool Katie uses against those she interacts with, and along with the "wise child" trope, that made the last couple of chapters a bit like cotton candy: it looks great on the surface, but when you bite into it, it's just a glob of sharp sugar.
Unlike some books, Katie does meet the end she should, and Sadie meets the end we hope. It's all very neat, but is a surprisingly satisfying conclusion.
October 26, 2019
Loved it!!
I absolutely loved this book! The main character Katie is hilarious and drew me into her craziness right away. I'm not a fan of reading "baby talk" but I didn't mind it so much here. There was so much sweetness and sincerity in little Sadie. The way Katie's past come out a little bit at a time was very well done, it made you understand why she just wanted to keep running. Would recommend to anyone!
I absolutely loved this book! The main character Katie is hilarious and drew me into her craziness right away. I'm not a fan of reading "baby talk" but I didn't mind it so much here. There was so much sweetness and sincerity in little Sadie. The way Katie's past come out a little bit at a time was very well done, it made you understand why she just wanted to keep running. Would recommend to anyone!
August 9, 2023
Ok except for language!
I am not a fan of books with lots of cursing and this one had the f word, gd, and was liberally sprinkled with others - often in front of the young child who sometimes then proceeded to repeat them. I did finish the book to see if there was redemption but I saw part of the plot coming about halfway to the end. It was somewhat sad to me knowing that this is real life for some people but somewhat good also knowing the child was greatly helped.
I am not a fan of books with lots of cursing and this one had the f word, gd, and was liberally sprinkled with others - often in front of the young child who sometimes then proceeded to repeat them. I did finish the book to see if there was redemption but I saw part of the plot coming about halfway to the end. It was somewhat sad to me knowing that this is real life for some people but somewhat good also knowing the child was greatly helped.
April 23, 2024
Very true-to-heart story. I wish there were more stars to give. I loved this debut novel. Kate is gritty and real and sarcastic, everything I love in a heroine. She definitely doesn't want to be a hero, and fights it as hard as she can, but ends up doing what needs to be done. I can't wait to see what Kelly Byrne writes next!
June 10, 2024
This was an up and down read - funny and poignant, sad and uplifting with a happy ending. Katie the adult is messed up and Sadie the child is sensible and down to earth - they are a good foil for each other as Katie fights her past and her self involvement to right the wrong done to the little girl. I received this as an advance copy from the author and am leaving this review voluntarily
October 21, 2024
Sadie will steal your heart. You will want to slap Kate silly for some of the stupid things she does. There are so many touching moments that deal with past hurts and carrying that around with you. Families are complicated, at least that has been my experience. I enjoyed the author’s writing. At times she made me laugh and other times I almost cried, something I rarely do.
January 25, 2020
You will want to CONTINUE to chase Kate
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Generally speaking, it was about trashy things surrounding a center of sweetness. The sweetness overcame the trashy ! Super character development and lots of understated humor.......in the end, redemption.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Generally speaking, it was about trashy things surrounding a center of sweetness. The sweetness overcame the trashy ! Super character development and lots of understated humor.......in the end, redemption.
November 17, 2020
2.5 stars
While the book was fast paced and moved really quickly, it also seemed that there was just too much happening to dear old Kate. And some of the grammar was a bit off.
I didn't like the super wise child (one of my peeves) or the written accent of said child (another of my peeves).
While the book was fast paced and moved really quickly, it also seemed that there was just too much happening to dear old Kate. And some of the grammar was a bit off.
I didn't like the super wise child (one of my peeves) or the written accent of said child (another of my peeves).
September 3, 2023
I enjoyed this book! It was a little difficult to get started but once I got into the story I couldn’t put it down! Kate’s life is a mess! The bond she forms with Sadie helps put the pieces back in the right places. This book had me giggling one minute and brought me to tears the next!
December 11, 2024
This book caught my interest and kept through to the end. I struggled to get through the first 3-4 chapters but then was caught up in the story. Her choices in those first chapters were more extreme than I prefer. The story and characters are interesting and engaging after that.
February 27, 2021
This book was okay. I didn't know this going in, but there are some triggers for sexual abuse.
March 16, 2025
read this book
It’s is wonderful to hear what goes on inside the mind - while making choices - good or bad. Right or wrong.
It’s is wonderful to hear what goes on inside the mind - while making choices - good or bad. Right or wrong.
November 16, 2023
This was an adventure for a woman and little girl full of bonding, comfort and heartbreak. The woman is trying to navigate remembering her own traumatic childhood along with helping Sadie through hers and learning how to care for the stowaway little girl. Sadie is trying to learn this new life without her mom, escape her home and help Kate heal. This story really pulls on the heartstrings. Dont forget to read Sadie's story (one chapter) after finishing this one!
June 15, 2014
Chasing Kate opens with the kind of line that makes you ask, “WTF?” From that moment, you’re compelled to find the answer.
Kate is a lost, broken, closed-off woman who is a professional at making bad choices. I found myself whipsawing between feeling sorry for her—after all, she did have just about the crappiest childhood one could imagine—and wanting to take my motherly foot and shove it up her rear. Just when you soften to her, when you see her vulnerability and struggle with doing the right thing, she does something so asinine you want to scream.
Kate has spent her whole life wrestling with blaming everyone else for her current state and trying to figure out how to take responsibility for the questionable choices she’s made that have brought her to where she is now. It’s only after she looks beyond her navel and into the eyes of old-young Sadie and her pitiful life that she’s able to correct the trajectory of her future, and make sense of and peace with her past (which is eerily similar to Sadie’s).
Are you looking for a laugh? Longing for a heaving, cleansing cry? Then Chasing Kate is for you. I can’t wait to read Kelly Byrne’s next work.
Kate is a lost, broken, closed-off woman who is a professional at making bad choices. I found myself whipsawing between feeling sorry for her—after all, she did have just about the crappiest childhood one could imagine—and wanting to take my motherly foot and shove it up her rear. Just when you soften to her, when you see her vulnerability and struggle with doing the right thing, she does something so asinine you want to scream.
Kate has spent her whole life wrestling with blaming everyone else for her current state and trying to figure out how to take responsibility for the questionable choices she’s made that have brought her to where she is now. It’s only after she looks beyond her navel and into the eyes of old-young Sadie and her pitiful life that she’s able to correct the trajectory of her future, and make sense of and peace with her past (which is eerily similar to Sadie’s).
Are you looking for a laugh? Longing for a heaving, cleansing cry? Then Chasing Kate is for you. I can’t wait to read Kelly Byrne’s next work.
August 6, 2012
Grabbed hold of my bumper & never let go! I got the chance to read the beginnings of this story a few years ago, before it was the polished and addictive tome it has become. I had every intention of reading it slowly, savoring the opportunity to find out how Kate and Sadie ended up. Instead, I found myself unable to put my phone (hooray for the Kindle app) down for an entire day. Okay, there was the occasional need to place it on a counter or balance it on my knee (and I think I discovered new and creative ways to continue reading while my hands were occupied...there may have been a nose involved at one point). Thankfully, my family took my alternating bursts of laughter and tears in stride. Author Kelly Byrne manages to take us on a roll coaster ride of hilarity & heartbreak, wit & woe, sarcasm & sweetness - all in exactly the right amounts. If this is her freshman effort, I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next!
October 9, 2013
Unfortunately I still read the old fashion way… no kindle… no iPad… it means I miss out on books like Chasing Kate
That said… I was lucky enough to get a hold of an advanced copy years ago. I loved it, the only problem was that it was such a good read ...I was finished to quickly and I felt like I had lost a good friend… Kate and Sadie we’re so well developed that I felt as if I knew them and missed them when it was over!
I recently recommended it to a friend… she summed it up best… “Chasing Kate was the craziest, most fun I’ve had reading in a long time, I laughed, I cried… I couldn’t put it down.”
Read it!
That said… I was lucky enough to get a hold of an advanced copy years ago. I loved it, the only problem was that it was such a good read ...I was finished to quickly and I felt like I had lost a good friend… Kate and Sadie we’re so well developed that I felt as if I knew them and missed them when it was over!
I recently recommended it to a friend… she summed it up best… “Chasing Kate was the craziest, most fun I’ve had reading in a long time, I laughed, I cried… I couldn’t put it down.”
Read it!
December 11, 2015
I loved this book. The main character is a wonderful, messy, funny, screwup that makes you laugh, cry an cringe. And that is part of why I love this book.She is very human and therefore believable and relatable. And Sadie? Oh Sadie...I fell in love with Sadie.
I read it in mere days which is rare and I always love it when that happens. I love the writing style of Kelly. Which is why I also started following her blog. Lots to love there too. (Clear your afternoon, you will want to keep reading).
I read it in mere days which is rare and I always love it when that happens. I love the writing style of Kelly. Which is why I also started following her blog. Lots to love there too. (Clear your afternoon, you will want to keep reading).
September 21, 2014
It's a rare book that can grab you in the first line and keep you hooked until the end. I laughed and cried and fell in love with little Sadie (who wouldn't?). The author does a great job of showing the character arc for Kate, who is deeply flawed but relatable. My only advice is to make sure to read the last couple of chapters in the bathroom with the door locked and the water running so nobody will hear you crying!
August 13, 2016
Great voice, great humor, great characters, great message. Kate isn't always a sympathetic character, but she's one we can all understand, and her journey with stowaway angel Sadie is a comedy of errors that hauls us along--if just to see what happens next. How it could end anywhere but in flames, as the well-done cover suggests? Readers want to know and will love this debut novel.
May 25, 2012
I stopped reading this book because I couldn't stand it any longer. I wasn't a fan, at all. However, to be fair, I kept thinking about the book and after reading another one, I came back to it. I liked the ending and I'm glad I finished it. While it's not my favorite book, I give credit to the depth of the characters and the storyline because it brought me back.
July 3, 2012
I liked this book!! The "wild, crazy and promiscuous" Kate in her 20s was so understandable when you learned about her early life. As she absconded with a precious 5 yr. old, fleeing from child abuse, Kate gained wisdom and strength to take ownership of her own life. While this book dealt with a very serious topic, there were many "laugh aloud" moments.
December 2, 2014
Not my usual cup of tea, but good. The main character, Kate, is a believable mess. At first the tone of her adventures crosses the line into slapstick, but the story enters much darker territory. The word "bittersweet" was coined for tales like this. There's enough edge to prevent the taste from getting too sugary. The family story is strong, and the voice of the child is especially well done.
May 28, 2014
This one of the best books I have ever read. You know you have a great book when you are mourning the loss of the characters 3 days later. Katie and Sadie will always have a place in my heart. I laughed and cried...all at the same time!
November 25, 2016
This novel was a quick read, thankfully. Kate's life is a train wreck. I was often frustrated with her because I have a low tolerance for hysterics and chaos and she has plenty of both. But everything turns out ok in the end, which is a story element I am quite fond of.
May 7, 2012
I enjoyed this read. Plenty of action, some soul searching and just a tad of dark humor. Will Kate every start making good decisions? You'll just have to read and find out :)
July 26, 2012
Loved, Loved, Loved this book. I could not put it down. You feel every emotion there is when reading this book. You laugh, you cry, you think! Great self-published author!
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews