Reviews
Gabriel's Redemption is the third book in the Gabriel's Inferno series by Sylvain Reynard. The first two books in this series were real hits - they were dramatic, full of suspense and tension, and romantic. This book, on the other hand, was mostly full of sex scenes and Gabriel demanding that Julia have a baby. In all honesty, I really wanted to like this book. I love Sylvain's writing style and have fallen in love with his words. His stories are smooth as silk and feel like a master class in writing. But, this time around I felt like Gabriel was a giant jerk and Julia was putting up with it. Gabriel wanted a child and Julia didn't, so they had a child. A woman was hitting on Gabriel and tried to woo him away, and that story line just... ended? I wanted to see more than it just suddenly end. It felt like it could have not been included and the story would have ended the same. Paul pining after Julia was also a story line that didn't go very far. Rachel wanting a baby also felt like it was cut short. The entire ending felt suddenly rushed too! It felt like there was a lot of wasted potential. I still loved the writing and I felt connected to this story. I like Gabriel and Julia's story so I felt like I needed to know how it ended. There's going to be another book in this series so I'm curious to see how Sylvain will make that story go. This book literally felt like Sylvain was answering some reader's prayer to continue the story, but didn't pack the punch that the last two books did. It was just a very long epilogue. The highlights of this book are as followed: Julia's Dad's story arc, Julia's lecture, the beautiful scenery described and the love story continuing. That being said, I still liked it. All of the hype built up for this book was probably why it fell so hard for me. My expectations were way too high. This book is the honeymoon for Gabriel and Julia, not the finale. I truly hope the next book finishes off some of the storyline Sylvain opened up. Especially since this book was just one giant cliffhanger. Three out of five stars. P.S. The Superman and Lois Lane comments were really funny but felt out of place. I came for the love story and stayed for the comic book references.
SAY IT ISN’T SO!?!?! Say it isn’t over! Tell me there’s more! I don’t think I can go on! Alright, now that I’m done being dramatic we can get down to business. I don’t know if Gabriel’s Redemption can be classified as suspense…but damn… There was one section in the book that had my heart POUNDING! If there wasn’t a happy ending I was going to be one seriously angry reader! Thankfully there was a happy ending and this reader is well-pleased! This final installment to the Gabriel’s Inferno series was beautifully concluded with happy endings all around. However it left this reader wanting a little bit more. Professor Gabriel Emerson is now happily married to the love of his life, his Beatrice, Julianne Mitchell. They have started a new life together, built a home in Cambridge, now all Julia wants to do is to finish her studies in order to become a Dante specialist. But all is not well in paradise. Just like any married couple they find themselves out of the honeymoon stage and have gone straight to bickering. Julia wants to achieve academic success by her own merits, but Gabriel has his own theories about how she should proceed with her research, especially when she’s invited to give a lecture at Oxford. The Emersons don’t only argue about their academic future but also about whether or not they want to start a family. This popular topic drives Gabriel to do research on his family history which ultimately leads to some eye-opening discoveries that lie in his bloodline. Book 1 was all about finding love again, finding each other and falling back into love. Book 2 was about learning how to live together, how to adjust, and then how to forgive those we hold dear. In the final book, Gabriel’s Redemption, it’s all about compromise, communication, and being open and honest with one another. Both Gabriel and Julianne learn that they can’t face everything alone, and can’t carry the weight of their worries on their own shoulders. It isn’t noble and it isn’t helping anyone. Being married means that you don’t have to face problems on your own, that you have someone to help you. Gabriel, having been alone for so long is used to getting his way and has to learn that someone else’s happiness must come before his. And Julianne must learn to accept help, especially from her husband. As much as I loved this novel I felt that there were a few questions left unanswered. The questions weren’t as important as Julianne and Gabriel’s story but I felt that they deserved justice. What happened to Tom and Diane’s baby? Do Paul and Allison get back together? Do Rachel and Aaron get pregnant? What’s life like for Julia and Gabriel after their baby is born? I do wish there were some more chapters, maybe a novella or an epilogue, SOMETHING MORE! It just…and I’m sorry I know the book is long enough but the way it ended just felt like a cop-out. There was just so much more to be said even though Gabriel was right, his baby was just the beginning of his happy ending…I’m just being selfish and WANTED MORE! Just because you find your happy ending doesn’t mean the honeymoon phase is going to last forever. Couples, like Gabriel and Julianne are going to have to work at their happiness even more now that they’re married. But they love each other immensely, and Gabriel worships her, holding onto that love and doing whatever he can to prove himself, to her which I think is extremely honourable and selfless of him. There is no one who will love her more than him and he promises to work at it every day. This is a trait that every man should have and every woman should be lucky to find. In this respect I truly envy Julia. “Every night when I fall asleep with her in my arms, I thank God she’s mine. Every morning when I wake up, my first thought is that I’m grateful she married me. I will never be worthy of her. But I spend every day trying my damnedest.” Book 3 was not my favourite but can still attribute greatly to Reynard’s amazingly eloquent style of writing. Book 1 will always be the one that has a place in my heart, with all its HEAT, FIRE, and PASSION! Gabriel and Julianne have worked hard to achieve their happy ending, I only wish my own story could be half as good as theirs. 4/5 Hearts of Love Check out the rest of my reviews at http://www.akiikomorireading.com
This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance Gabriel's Redemption is a story that brings more delights from Gabriel and Juliette's story and where their relationship reach higher bounds. I have to say that I am starting to really enjoy this author's writing style but this book did feel long...it is almost 500 pages, so its a story that might seem too much for some readers. But if you enjoy the books so far, then you will enjoy this one here. I really was entranced by this book because it was a bit different. I really love seeing more growth in a couple's relationship. In Gabriel's Redemption we see Gabriel and Julia are married now and enjoying being newlyweds. There was such a sense of normalcy in this novel. I think that was my favorite aspects. Too many times in romance we don't see this element between a couple and this author really made this book seem so relatable to any newly married couple especially. Of all the gifts God gave me, he thought, the greatest one is you. There is such a growth in their relationship and definitely in seeing how they are growing as a couple and learning to communicate better (although they still have to work at it in this book) seeing them work through their conflicted intellectual interests, with Gabriel teaching and Julia going her own way throughout her own exploration of Dante. And something more happens is their exploration of having a family. We see more dynamics with their families and I am very curious to see the outcome of those unique dynamics in book four. Learning how to argue with a spouse is an art, not a science. What was most interesting was seeing Juliette really come into her own strength in this book because there were some things to her personality you just don't expect. She is more reserved and shy at times because that is part of her personality and I know some may think of her as a door mat but I honestly don't think that is the case at all. I think that term that I have seen from some reviewers is disrespectful (quite frankly its my least liked term in the romance community mostly because there are all types of strength inn men and women and we should appreciate and see them as they are) But Juliette is realizing with her working on her thesis and exploring her intellectual boundaries and getting further advanced towards her degree, she grows so much as a woman and as a person. She really has to face up to where she wants to go both career wise and family wise. I really gravitated towards her seeing that she can have both without compromising either of them. I could spend the rest of my life inside you and die happy. You're my home In our hero we see some great growths as well and we do see lots of flashbacks to some aspects of his past that I know many readers of this couple definitely need to see more of. We see his ache to have children and to protect Julia and how he learns to be a partner and let her grow within herself even if that means she has to stand up to opposition. What we find in this story especially was the balance that becomes apparent that has been building within their relationship. Overall I found Gabriel's Redemption to be a delightful exploration of Gabriel and Julia and their growths in intimacy....a treasure trove of sensuality and deep messages.
4.5 You're My Home Stars! "I could spend the rest of my life inside you and die happy. You’re my home." Gabriel's Redemption is the beautiful conclusion to the epic love story of Julia and Gabriel Emerson. The story continues with its redemption based theme in this final installment. While this was by far my least favorite book in the series I still really enjoyed it and I am heartbroken to see it end! I felt that there were some things that could have been executed better which prevented me from giving this book 5 stars. (view spoiler)[ I don't like the lack of epilogue! Does Julia become a Professor? Do Paul and Julia remain friends? What happens with Simon? Does he get the girl back or suffer alone? Do Aaron and Rachel ever have kids? What happens with Julia's little brother, does the surgery work? Also one of the things that bugged me the most was the lack of oral sex on Julia's part. I felt that since she had been degraded in the past I thought we were going to have a scene of her overcoming her fears and giving Gabriel a blow job. I didn't want the scene just for the sex, I wanted it to be shown as a sign of growth on Julia's part. Also, there was the scene where Gabriel thought Julia was dead. Now this was a huge problem to me. That scene could have been better executed and had more emotion. It didn't, and I just felt that it was out of character for Gabriel to handle is so well. That's NOT the fierce Professor that I know and love! Oh well... (hide spoiler)] This series has always held a special place in my heart and it probably will for a long time to come. "For you, my love, I would endeavor to pluck the stars from the sky, only to shower them at your feet." Redemption picks up with Gabriel and Julia married, together and blissfully happy. Julia is hard at work to attain her degree, and Gabriel is teaching. There's still some hardships and secrets, but for the most part married life is going really well for them! "I won’t find happiness without you.” “For how can a man live without his heart?" The love that is shared between Julia and Gabriel is really awe-inspiring to read about. I'm not married and I'll admit after reading a love like Gabriel and Julia's I don't know how anyone will ever add up to The Professor's love for Julia. Their love is so sweet, fierce, protective, passionate, tender, sexy and consuming all at the same time! I just soaked it all up! "If you were Francis to my Guido da Montefeltro, you’d come for my soul, wouldn’t you?" Before anyone thinks that Gabriel and Julia's love is too perfect, let me stop you right there! One of the things that I loved so much about this book was how realistic everything was. Their relationship isn't perfect. While they love each other fiercely, both of them still make mistakes and they do fight at times, but they always make up and learn from the mistakes they make. Before they can get their HEA after though obstacles and questions arise from Gabriel's past that he has to be able to overcome if he wants to move forward with his life with Julia. Will they get their HEA? Or is there love destined to be tragic like Beatrice and Dante's...? “You think of everything.” “I simply think of you. You are everything.” In conclusion, Gabriel's Redemption was a very good conclusion to a series that I would recommend to everyone! The writing style of Sylvain Reynard is so poetic and beautiful that I can't imagine anyone finding fault in it. And last but not least lets not forget about Professor Gabriel Emerson. Let's all be honest ladies, he made this series! Without him our hearts wouldn't have swooned and I wouldn't have gone on a David Gandy hunt looking for all my perfect Gabriel pictures! Gabriel's character was so perfectly written and executed. His love and devotion to Julia make him one of the best book boyfriends of all time and I teared up just reading abut the love he had for her. If you haven't read this series yet, GO PICK THEM UP RIGHT NOW! Of all the gifts God gave me, he thought, the greatest one is you.
I liked the story of Julia and Gabriel. The only problem I have with the story is that the two main characters are extreme stereotypes. She's the sweet innocent student and he is the worldly older professor that falls in love with her. Other than the characterization, the story was interesting and did delve into real world problems that married couples face.
Originally posted at Booklovers For Life Gabriel’s Redemption was an absolute delight to read, and I thoroughly enjoyed the conclusion to Julia and Gabriel’s heartfelt, enchanting love story. “For you, my love, I would endeavor to pluck the stars from the sky, only to shower them at your feet.” This third and final book of the Gabriel series picks up a few months after Gabriel’s Rapture, and Gabriel and Julia are married. In the beginning, they’ve adjusted to married life pretty easily, dealing with Julia’s upcoming lecture and Gabriel’s new job. Julia’s graduate program brings her much stress, but her husband takes it upon himself to ease her, and he does so very well. Gabriel shows his love so thoroughly and completely, and yet sometimes he still can’t accept that he’s been given a chance at happiness. In Gabriel’s Redemption, all of Gabriel’s anxieties and fears come to light. Gabriel still has demons from his past rearing their heads, and they strain his marriage. Julia and Gabriel are in love–there’s no doubt about this, but Gabriel’s past–his biological parents, his past drug use and drinking problem–all of his flaws are all he sees in his marriage. He wants to have a child with Julia, but he’s terrified he won’t make a good father. But no matter how deep into the darkness Gabriel falls, his love for Julia holds him strong. They support one another, as a couple should, and their marriage solidifies and grounds their love. Gabriel goes through much emotional growth throughout the series, but especially once he’s married. He has to deal with his family history, finding out more about his biological father and his family, and he finally gets his answers. There’s quite a bit of religious undertones in Gabriel’s Redemption, and I felt SR handled it with skill. Mostly, it’s of keeping faith and believing in redemption for Gabriel. He’s lost his way, and truly believes he can’t be redeemed, but Julia lights his way through the darkness. Gabriel’s journey toward happiness is so heartfelt and heart-wrenching, but I also loved how all of the secondary characters are dealt with too. We get a solid conclusion for Julia and Gabriel, as well as for Paul and Christa. Loose ends are tied up, and SR does it all with his gorgeous writing. “I love you more now than I did before we were married.” Julia wore a contemplative expression. “Marriage is the strangest thing. Almost without realizing it, I feel as if our lies and out hearts became knitted together. I don’t know how it happened.” The Gabriel’s Inferno series is an absolute must-read. It’s beautifully written, and Gabriel and Julia’s love story is one of the best I’ve ever read. Gabriel’s Redemption was a perfect conclusion to the series, and I was really happy with how the story played out. Quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change in the final version. Thanks to the publisher for generously providing me an ARC to review. Liked this review? Subscribe to Booklovers For Life for more!
