Gabriel's Rapture

It was a full follow on to Gabriel ‘s inferno. A continuation of the story. Very good.

This was bought for my girlfriend, she seems to like this sort of book and it kept her quiet long enough.

after the relative slow start to book 1 this truly made up for it, had me gripped from start to finish. Great story line!

When I first read Fifty Shades of Grey it was out of curiosity since romance was not my genre of fiction reading, I then read it several times, bypassing the bdsm (was educational) but it does not float my boat, thought this was an exceptional and erotic love story and the best romance story I ever read. Subsequently when I could read no more, I suffered from withdrawal and bought several authors who all came out of the woodwork to capture the FSOG audience, I threw all those books in the garbage. There are currently 6 authors I will re-read in this quality of romance and Sylvain Reynard (SR) is at the top of the list. Not into bdsm romance, chic lit, YA, paranormal, vampires etc.Stumbled over the Gabriel Inferno/Rapture and stayed up till the break of dawn enthralled with this erotic love story, with an intellectual point of view. I love books that have a takeaway, and the Gabriel series did that for me, I am so intrigued with Dante and Beatrice and Renaissance art and literature I was left wanting to know more. Not particularly inclined to poetry but am open to experience what I never learned. Some might balk at the religious inference but the life of Dante was during the 13th century was when religion and politics influenced each other, keeping in mind Dante's questioning of his life and his redemption was based on biblical teachings and it was obvious Dante was of the catholic faith. I loved the life of St. Francis of Assisi even though I am not of the catholic faith; the current Pope is an example of St. Francis. The Gabriel series made me yearn to visit Assisi.I thought SR captured the relationship between Dante and Beatrice and skilfully wove it into the lives of the Professor and Julianne and made it current. Who did not fall in love with this troubled, enigmatic, sexy Professor? His sartorial elegance seemed to be a cover for how conflicted he feels about himself and his demons. I loved that he was not a pretty package and that he was so highly educated and intellectual and enjoyed the finer things in life, some of which was not so complimentary. I was somewhat perturbed by the way he `worshiped' Julia, as if she was the epitome of perfection, which she was not. But it later turns out he was seeking redemption - maybe thru her own goodness and spiritual beliefs, he somehow finds the better parts of himself as his love for her evolves and escalates into a heated affair to the exclusion of jeopardizing his job and tenure the University of Toronto. Thought the Professor's choice of radio stations were boring......CBC and BBC!! I loved that the Manulife building is a place I have known and all the familiar sights and sounds of Toronto, what a pleasant change to most books written in and around the U.S.Julia with her innocence and her abiding love for Gabriel who captured her heart at 17 and influenced her career as a Dante specialist, takes us on her tumultuous journey from her troubled childhood to becoming Gabriel's post grad student unbeknownst to him at the time. I loved that she never gave up on him no matter what, or maybe until she thought he deliberately broke her heart. I loved all the intellectual bits and pieces and the reality of politics even in academia.I loved the whole premise of love, forgiveness, faith, redemption which gives us all hope thru our own belief system. I loved the whole courtship until it was no more, loved all of the experiences in Italy, made me want to pack my suitcase and take off and go drink some wine in Italy. I loved the storytelling between these two and how healing her love was to Gabriel who was trying to escape his demons. Courtship today is unheard of.Looking forward to the release of Gabriel's Redemption and the continuation of this most passionate, romantic love story that just grabs your attention from the first go and doesn't let you go. Well done SR, you are a keeper, now have purchased the whole trilogy for my bookshelf.

I thought that Gabriel's Inferno was excellent, but the sequel, Gabriel's Rapture is absolutely fantastic!!! Usually the first book in a series is the best, well not is this case. Sylvain Reynard is growing as a writer and this book proves that. To be honest, I didn't know what to expect when I begun reading it. I did have some questions left unanswered from GI, but for me the end was complete and wasn't asking for more. Again, like in the first book, you'll find the author's knowledge and taste in literature, art, music and food amazing and exquisite. Reading this book makes you want to book the next flight to Italy, sniff Aramis/Agent Provocateur, taste the food, drink Chianti, listen to the playlist etc. (yes, guilty I've done a few of those things)The story starts exactly where GI had left of. I don't want to reveal too much, I will only say that Julia will surprise you. The way she endures the agony of separation is remarkable and shows how strong she really is. I was touched by the way that Julianne and Gabriel's relationship blooms and the real soul mates emerge. The author takes us into a journey of redemption, forgiveness, sensuality, unconditional love and pure happiness. This novel was heart wrenching and deeply emotional, but well worth it in the end. At times I felt like my soul was crying along with my eyes and other times I felt euphoric, my heart swelling with joy. It's such a beautiful story that I could read times and times again.This is now my all time favorite book. It left a deep imprint on my soul. I can't wait to see what Sylvain Reynard has in store for book # 3. Knowing him, it will definitely be astonishing.Thank you, Sylvain Reynard for writing and sharing such a beautiful masterpiece.My favourite quote: "Everyone wants to know where evil comes from and why the world is riddled with it. Why doesn't anyone ask where goodness comes from? Human beings have a tremendous capacity for cruelty. Why is there any goodness at all?"