Gabriel’s Redemption takes us to the conclusion of Gabriel’s
Inferno. Julianne is still working on her PhD, she’s been asked to present at a
conference and all is going well. Gabriel is teaching at a nearby university
and they are in love.
But everything is threatened by their pasts. People in
Julianne and Gabriel’s past is causing problems. Gabriel’s past is threatening
them. It could all come crumbling down.
While I still love Julianne and Gabriel, I really wanted to
hit Gabriel. He continues to keep things from Julianne even though it hurts
her. He knows it does. He says he doesn't want to hurt her, yet he insists on
keeping things from her.
Julianne is too good to be true. She is sweet, forgiving,
and full of hope. At times I thought she was too forgiving. However,
understanding that she is Beatrice to Gabriel’s Dante means she has to be
forgiving. She is grace.
I enjoyed this story a lot more than the second one. While
it was still full of literary references, it wasn’t as full of them. I didn’t
find myself looking things up this time around. I did enjoy the parallels drawn
between Gabriel and Julianne and Dante and Beatrice. It added an extra layer
throughout the trilogy.
We finally find out more about Gabriel and his past. He
discovers things that both hurt him and help him. But even those things that
hurt him, help him heal.
We get conclusions to everything that has happened in the
past stories. We find out what happened to everyone. Even those that would harm
Gabriel and Julianne. It was all tied up in a neat little bow.
Now, as in real life, things don’t always happen the way we
want them to happen. Surprises come along, unexpected events that can bring joy
or sorrow. And just like in real life, how we look at those unexpected events
can help us or hinder us.
I really enjoyed this trilogy. I’m so happy I got to find
out what happened to everyone. And most importantly of all, through Julianne’s
grace, Gabriel finds his redemption.
Gabriel’s Rapture picks up right where Gabriel’s Inferno
leaves off. Gabriel and Julia are in Italy. They spend a wonderful vacation
there and return home with the hopes to continue their relationship. Only,
nothing goes as planned.
I love this story. It’s romantic, loving, sexy and full of
angst. Both Gabriel and Julia have pasts that harm them. Pasts that keep them
from having a completely open, honest and healthy relationship. It’s only
through breaking up that they learn how to be heal and have healthy
relationships.
Julia is a contradiction. She’s naïve, sweet, forgiving.
Yet, at the same time, she’s uncompromising and demanding.
Gabriel is old-fashioned, romantic and sexy as hell. He’s
also difficult, over-bearing, and hedonistic.
They are both wonderful contradictions. They are realistic
in their contradictions.
I reveled in the bloom of their relationship, I cried at
their breakup, I railed at Gabriel and Julia for their stubbornness. I went
through it all with them. But most satisfying of all, was seeing them begin to
make peace with their past, for that is the only way to build a future.
Just like the first book, this one if filled with literary
references. Many of them are explained in the story through dialogue and
exposition, but some are not. I’m very familiar with the references in the
story, but if you are not, it can keep you from getting the full enjoyment of
the story. You will still enjoy it, but maybe not as much.
About Sylvain Reynard
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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1 comment:
i have not started this series, looking forward to read this soon. thank you for the chance :)
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