Gabriel's Redemption (Gabriel's Inferno) Paperback – December 3, 2013

Reviewed by Sharon Thérèse NuttallForeword and quotes chosen by Rachel McEwan.Rachel:Whooo hooo! Sharon has finally read my all-time favourite series! As Sharon says in her review, I have been insisting she reads these books for quite some time! Did I worry that she wouldn’t love them as much as I do? No way! I knew she’d love Gabriel and Julianne as much as I do. I don’t think I’ve ever received as many messages from her swooning over Gabriel and then the next minute, panicking about what she’d read! Don’t you just love it when your book buddy loves your treasured books as much as you? This is the reason Sharon and I read and review together as we love the same kind of books. So without further ado, take it away Sharon and tell us all what you thought of Gabriel and Julianne’s story *applause*.Sharon:They do say better late than never and this can most certainly be applied to my discovery of whom has become one of my best-loved authors. If it wasn’t for my sister-in-arms’ insistence who runs Kindle Friends Forever book blog with me, I would still be oblivious to the fact that SR writes exceptionally well. I could feign ignorance and even blame time; however, with so many good books to review, I just never got around to reading the series. I read the books consecutively, l was sleep deprived and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. You may ask why I decided to review the last book and not the others. The answer is quite simple. I was overwhelmed with the metamorphosis in Gabriel’s character and please don’t misinterpret me, I adored him in book one and two, besotted in this one.Gabriel ~ “I want to see your naked skin glow in the moonlight while I’m inside of you.”The author has described the upheavals in the terms of two academics’ relationship, perfectly. In most cases, being in love is just not enough and even though Gabriel wanted a marriage made in heaven, the author went to great lengths to show his readers that it’s not a bed of roses. I’ll talk about the bed of roses later as there are more stolen kisses in this read than in the two previous books. Gabriel knew if he didn’t face his past, it could come back with a vengeance. He had to learn to share his fears, learn to respect his partner’s decisions, learn to be more generous with his own spirit and overcome his jealousy. He had a marvellous teacher, Julia. His Beatrice. Harvard professor elite in his field and highly respected among other Dante specialists, he now has to adapt to married life. Not an easy feat for one that has pleased himself at a whim over the years. He agonizes about his past immensely, his sufferance affecting what appeared to me to be a solid bond with Julia, puts a strain on both of them in more ways than one. When there’s a will…, I was delighted that he decided to stop a bad habit, but he’s unduly protective of his wife which only adds to more frustration. He is sure his reasons are valid though. Those very reasons are entwined into the plot making this read par-excellence.Gabriel ~ “Every night when I fall asleep 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…”The subject of having children is without a doubt, the backbone of this story. And although this causes friction between Gabriel and Julia, after much discussion, he is prepared to wait until she finishes her studies. Fortunate in being adopted my two people that loved him unconditionally, he revisits an orphanage in the birthplace of Dante, Florence, hoping to find peace of mind. By doing good deeds might give him what he craves for, God’s forgiveness. While observing him interacting with the children, she understands how he feels about his need to start a family. She questions herself. Is she being selfish because she wants to finish her studies? Is he prepared to support her wishes regardless? This is when I saw the new Gabriel.Gabriel ~ “Don’t cry my sweet girl. You’re my Beatrice and my sticky little leaf and my beautiful wife. I’m sorry I’ve been such a bastard. I wanted to show you how important you are to me. You are my precious masterpiece.”Julia; Julianne, Beatrice—Dante’s inspiration, the woman who Gabriel can’t envisage living a life without. She is much younger than her husband and so gifted. Not only is her intelligence admired by her husband, try having a coherent conversation with a man who is a polyglot and constantly quotes Dante in Italian among other poets was much to my delight, splendid! Shakespeare’s Othello was not beyond her knowledge. She gave back what she was given with style and humour and this never ceased to surprise him. I must say how much I enjoyed reading these quotes without being ‘modernised’ for want of a better word. This woman is quintessential. She calms troubled waters; her honesty and her beliefs outshine throughout the story and without her, he well knows that he won’t be the new Gabriel he’s yearning for.Julianne ~ “You can’t eliminate your past but you don’t have to be controlled by it.”The secondary characters are as well developed as are the leading ones. Rachel, Gabriel’s sister and Julia’s best friend has her own cross to bear. She married her childhood sweetheart, Aaron, their problems with fertility making my heart break in two for a couple who deserved to be parents. I really felt that the author could have given them a little more attention towards the end, but on reflection, it wasn’t their story. I had already connected to Gabriel’s father in the first book and his wisdom never faltered. It abounds in this book as he’ll be the one to encourage his son to find his roots. I couldn’t possibly not forget to mention Christa. Messages between my book buddy who is an expert in this series, flew across the globe at lightning speed. Christa wasn’t a case of a woman scorned either. Spurred on by her desire for revenge against the only man who had refused her, actually has its comeuppance. And I shouted hooray out loud! Julia’s ex is still in the loop and never in a million years could I believe what I was reading. I thanked small blessings for Julianne’s uncle, Jack, here. Since the aforementioned person and one of his former lovers had really been a thorn in her side, I asked myself if her uncle would be able to address this problem with his adroit skills more than once.Katherine Picton. What an outstanding character, what an incredibly important part she played in this story. English, professor in the art of language interpretation and of course, Dante. Her stance I welcomed with open arms when events reached its crescendo.Katherine ~ “Now, I hope I’ll be invited to your house when I give my lecture series at Harvard in January. Greg Matthews always takes me to these appalling molecular gastronomy restaurants that serve deconstructed entrees cooked in liquid nitrogen. I can never decide whether I’m having dinner or sitting an exam in organic chemistry.”I have to comment on the author’s wordmanship which I found so incandescent. Up until about two thirds into the book, it had been very old fashioned. Proper, correct and with academic finesse and flair. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Gabriel was using phrasal verbs. Brilliant. Quite brilliant! Now then, before summing up, the subject of religion and matrimonial scenes has to be raised. This is by far a much sexier read than the other two. Gabriel gives Julia confidence in the bedroom. He makes her feel beautiful and wants to please her by sharing his sexual expertise; Julia literally flowers. She wants to learn, make him happy, too. And by god, does she. They can’t keep their hands of each other and this detail, for me, was really important to the structure of the story. This showed me that this doesn’t have to be an issue when religion, faith and the love of any deity is bound by the most natural act in the world. In this aspect, utmost care was taken not to offend and I honestly salute the author. Furthermore, faith is for them, a basic necessity. Julia had it, Gabriel found it. I thought I would be lost for words, and even though I had no my intentions of reviewing; here you have my honest opinion. Sylvain Reynard, your book is a masterpiece I will endeavour to reread if the god’s above me give me a break! Bravisimo!Rachel here again! Wasn’t that an amazing review! If Sharon hasn’t convinced you to one-click this book, I don’t know what will! As you can tell from the review, Sharon adored this book and rightly so. Just before we go, I’d just like to leave you with another quote. It’s a dirty one but then this is Professor Emerson…Gabriel ~ “You smell like sex.”Julianne ~ “That’s why I’m not taking a shower. We had incredible make up sex, which I’d like to remember.”

(Please note: there are spoilers in this review, so if you haven’t read the book yet, you may want to skip it!)There are books you read, and then there are books that capture your mind and heart so thoroughly that you want to live in them forever.When a beloved series ends, it can be a painful thing. We thought we’d seen the end of the story of Gabriel Emerson and Julia Mitchell with the close of “Gabriel’s Rapture.” Fortunately, author Sylvain Reynard came to our rescue when he announced he was writing “Gabriel’s Redemption,” the third and now likely final (sob!) installment in the Gabriel series. So though parting is very sweet sorrow, the book provides answers to questions that remained open at the end of the second book while giving us a wonderful look at how the couple embarks on their life together.At the end of “Gabriel’s Rapture,” The Professor and Julia had just wed and are celebrating their honeymoon. When we reconnect with them in “Gabriel’s Redemption,” they’ve been married almost a year. Gabriel has settled into his new position as a professor at Boston University, but Julia is having a hard time adjusting to the workload and the expectations put upon a PhD student at Harvard.Julia has just completed a paper which analyzes a particular canto of Dante’s “Inferno.” The high quality of her work has earned her an invitation, through the inimitable Professor Katherine Picton, to present the paper at a conference at Oxford University. Gabriel is very proud and excited for her, until she tells him that the paper’s conclusions conflict with some of his own research.Slipping into “Gabriel is an ass” mode, her husband is infuriated – and, very likely, threatened. We’d read several times throughout the series that Julia was often worried about being consumed by Gabriel, and the reader here sees one of the ways in which that can happen. But instead of being intimidated by Gabriel’s expertise and knowledge, Julia sticks to her own theory about the canto, which discusses Guido de Montefeltro and the possible role of St. Francis in saving his soul.Once Gabriel lets his anger blow past – a lesson in patience that’s encouraged by his father, Richard – he rereads Julia’s paper and acknowledges that her theory is plausible and backed up by solid research. It’s quite a departure for Gabriel, who’s know to be stubborn and arrogant in many ways, especially when it comes to his professional expertise. As I read his admission that Julia was probably right and had done fine work on her paper, I realized she had truly effected a sea change in her husband. He’d reconsidered not just for the sake of his marriage, but for the sake of research and scholarly advancement. Smart move, Gabriel. Supporting your wife helps your marriage and the annals of Dante research. As the Snarky Narrator might say, “Now, was that so difficult, Professor?”They depart for the conference in Oxford, where Julia will present her paper to an audience of Dante specialists from around the world. She’s naturally nervous but shored up by the encouragement of Professors Emerson and Picton. The scene where she discusses her findings, and then fields questions from experts with years of experience ahead of her own, is one of my favorite in the book. It’s a joy to see Julia’s strength and confidence as she more than holds her own in a roomful of intimidating tweed jackets...and an obnoxious enemy from the past.While at Oxford, Julia and Gabriel run into their old nemeses, Christa Peterson and Professor Giuseppe Pacciani. The two are still involved with each other, a relationship fueled by the need for sex and revenge. Deluded as ever, Christa is determined to seduce Gabriel in spite of his marriage to Julia. The reader will note gratefully that she is no more successful this time than she was in the prior 24,389 times she attempted to lure him since she’d shown up in his classes at the University of Toronto.All joking aside, Christa is relentless in her determination to have The Professor for herself. She could be the most disliked person in the Gabriel series. And while readers may get satisfaction from the scene where she is publicly embarrassed at the conference in England, she is later the victim of an assault. It’s an upsetting event; for all Christa’s hard-heartedness, we know she must be deeply wounded and traumatized when she is raped by her lover. I have a lot of sympathy for Christa because of what happened to her. Sad to say, women are victims of vicious and cruel crimes, and Sylvain Reynard shows that anyone – male or female, wealthy or poor, educated or not – can fall prey to a predator. It’s a cautionary tale which emphasizes that victims come from all backgrounds and circumstances. (Julia was nearly raped and probably would have died at the hands of Simon in “Gabriel’s Inferno” if Gabriel hadn’t arrived when he did.) The blame for this incident should be rightfully put on the perpetrators of such acts – here, the twisted, duplicitous Pacciani.There are also many joys in the series, and one of the greatest is witnessing the personal growth of both The Professor and Julia. That’s something that continues in “Gabriel’s Redemption.” Through his love for his wife, Gabriel learns to become more vulnerable, more forgiving and patient, and less in control – all lessons that Julia teaches him, gently and by example. And he, in turn supports her work and her devotion to her scholarly pursuits while reaffirming that her character - her compassion and charity - are among the qualities that make her highly desirable. She learns to have more confidence in herself and her choices.I think this is made most evident in the intimacy between Gabriel and Julia. There are a number of love scenes in the book, but as always, Reynard writes them lyrically and sensuously; they are never gratuitous. To me, they underscored how Julia grew in confidence and in her ability to accept that she was physically desirable, and that she deserved the ardor of the man she’d loved for so many years. She has grown past much of her shyness and feelings of inadequacy. I was struck by this most in a scene where Gabriel and Julia are in bed, enjoying a sexual position that recalls one of the famous black and white photographs that Gabriel had in his bedroom in the Manulife Building a lifetime ago. When Julia had first seen the picture, she was repulsed by it, believing that it represented a sexually dominant side of The Professor. Now, however, she welcomes the chance to explore different facets of intimacy with her husband, including activities that might have frightened her before. She trusts Gabriel; she knows he only wants her pleasure and fulfillment, and it’s brought her light years ahead of where she was when they met. It’s wonderful to see how comfortable she is and how their love is expressed so thoroughly (and frequently) together.In spite of the progress and their ability to work through the professional disagreement, Julia and Gabriel face another obstacle: his strong desire to become a father. While Julia wants a family too, she and Gabriel are not in sync over the timing. She’s worried that a child would derail her schooling and her research for her PhD. It’s a difficult situation which inspires the reader’s sympathy: this is one difference for which there is no compromise. Mother Nature takes the situation in her own hands, as it turns out, and while it may have been a shock to Gabriel and Julia, it’s immensely satisfying to the reader.The question of children in the Emersons’ future is also tied to what I think is a major theme of “Gabriel’s Redemption:” the importance of family. From the start of their marriage, Gabriel finds his home with Julia; they are already family together. Some of the most significant events in the book involve Gabriel’s discoveries about his biological family: his mother, his father and his half-siblings; and a grandfather whose academic, religious and charitable achievements were well known to The Professor, even as he never knew they were directly related. Julia’s father remarries, and he and his wife give her a baby brother. Paul, who has returned to Vermont to be with his parents and recover from his broken heart, reconnects with an old love; that flame, it seems, didn’t completely go out. Simon finds true love and redemption only to see it snatched away by a past girlfriend and family ties that place political advancement above matters of the heart. And the wonderful Richard, Gabriel’s true father, finds peace through a magnificent dream about his late wife that helps him keep going and again be a loving participant in his own family.I will never tire of these characters, but if “Gabriel’s Redemption” is really the last book in this series, it’s the perfect way to end it. Thank you, Sylvain Reynard.