Lovin' los libros

 

My Review:

 

I remember picking up both Gabriel's Inferno and Gabriel's Rapture last year. I confess I had just read FSOG and was looking for more adult romances. I stumbled across a readers forum and everyone was raving about SR's books. Having graduated with an Italian major, one of my all time favorite courses was one I took about Dante and medieval culture. I first read The Divine Comedy in high school and I was hooked ever since. Having read Dante's Divine Comedy in Italian was one of my biggest challenges and also one I am most proud of. Naturally, I loved the idea of Beatrice and Dante. Seeing how SR incorporated that into these books was absolutely brilliant and I really connected to Julianne and Gabriel on that level- I know what it's like to step into the Uffizi or walk the streets of Florence and experience the same wonders they did, so these books appealed to me on a more personal level.

 

One of my biggest concerns about picking this up was that I didn't have time for a re-read of the other two! However, once I got going, I found myself recalling who certain characters were and the roles they played in Julianne and Gabriel's life. These two have not had it easy. I read the first two books with a twinge in my heart, constantly afraid of the outcome. I felt similar apprehension with this book, but I am so relieved SR took this final book in the direction he did. I felt he did his characters justice and really did an amazing job of tying up loose ends and other plotlines. I also feel this book is so appropriately named. Redemption is a huge theme in this final book and watching Gabriel battle his inner demons, while heartbreaking, was inspiring also.

 

Oh, Professor. How I missed you! It's been one hell of a ride, that's for sure. Gabriel has lived a tumultuous life and I am really proud of the man he has become. His love for Julia is beautiful and while he can still be a jerk, he is nothing compared to the angry, withdrawn man we met in the first book. Julianne really is his brown-eyed angel. She inspires him to be better, she calms and soothes his soul when it is ravaged and hurting, and her love for him shines like a beacon. I really loved seeing this side of their relationship. As newlyweds, they are adjusting to married life and realizing that marriage is not always bliss. Julianne is focused on finishing her doctorate, while Gabriel expresses his desire to start a family. Julianne isn't against starting a family, but prefers to wait until after she finishes her graduate program. However, this is only one of the many issues these two face. Not only do old enemies resurface to cause problems for them, but Gabriel's past also weighs on both of their shoulders. I admire that he tries to lay his demons to rest, but he is still haunted by some of his past decisions. He fears those past mistakes will affect his future with Julianne and instead of communicating with her, he tends to hold it in. There were a few times I wanted to hog tie him up for being such an ass, but that's just Gabriel. He's gotten a lot better about his outbursts, but in keeping things from Julianne, he is still inadvertently hurting her. However, the majority of the book is about how passionately and desperately these two love one another and that definitely made me sigh like a dreamy schoolgirl.

 

I also liked Julianne much more in this book. Gabriel's love empowers and emboldens her (And not just in the bedroom either!), which I really liked.  She really wants to make a name for herself and is determined to do things her way. She is one of the most compassionate, loving, tender characters I have ever read about. She offers forgiveness and compassion to people who don't deserve it, and while I sometimes wish she would have stood up to certain bitchy graduate student, she is more passive and tries to let things go, rather than make a scene like Gabriel would. However, she still has her own battles to face in this book. She is under A LOT of pressure with her graduate program, and not to mention all of the obstacles that are thrust at her and Gabriel. My heart broke for her on several occasions, but I feel everything worked out as it was meant to.

 

Despite the more emotional content, I love that SR parenthetically interjected some witty one-liners throughout the book. It's nice to see Gabriel's playful side and his humor really made me giggle. I also felt the way the POV's switched was handled really well. We are never away from Julianne and Gabriel for long, but I felt those other characters POV's were essential to the story and the development of Julianne and Gabriel's HEA. I did feel this book was on the longer side and could have done without a few scenes, but that definitely did not detract from my enjoyment of the novel as a whole.

 

I think SR has done a brilliant job of wrapping up his series and I felt Gabriel and Julianne have really come full circle in their relationship. While the novel may primarily have to do with the theme of redemption, the ending certainly is one of hope, happiness, and unconditional love.

 

 

 

About the Author:

 

I'm interested in the way literature can help us explore aspects of the human condition- particularly suffering, sex, love, faith, and redemption. My favourite stories are those in which a character takes a journey, either a physical journey to a new and exciting place, or a personal journey in which he or she learns something about himself/herself.

 

I'm also interested in how aesthetic elements such as art, architecture, and music can be used to tell a story or to illuminate the traits of a particular character. In my writing, I combine all of these elements with the themes of redemption, forgiveness, and the transformative power of goodness.

 

I try to use my platform as an author to raise awareness about the following charities: Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation, WorldVision, Alex's Lemonade Stand, and Covenant House. For more information, see my Twitter account.

 

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