✰ Bianca ✰ Janeane ✰ ARC Received for honest review
SYLVAIN REYNARD
GABRIEL'S REDEMPTION • release date: 3 December 2013
• 496 pages
• Gabriel Trilogy #3
4.9 Stars
Professor Gabriel Emerson has left his position at the University of Toronto to embark on a new life with his beloved Julianne. Together, he’s confident that they can face any challenge. And he’s eager to become a father.
But Julianne’s graduate program threatens Gabriel’s plans, as the pressures of being a student become all consuming. When she is given the honor of presenting an academic lecture at Oxford, Gabriel is forced to confront her about the subject of her presentation – research that conflicts with his own. And in Oxford, several individuals from their past appear, including an old nemesis intent on humiliating Julia and exposing one of Gabriel’s darkest secrets.
In an effort to confront his remaining demons, Gabriel begins a quest to discover more about his biological parents, beginning a chain of events that has startling repercussions for himself, Julianne, and his hope of having a family.
But Julianne’s graduate program threatens Gabriel’s plans, as the pressures of being a student become all consuming. When she is given the honor of presenting an academic lecture at Oxford, Gabriel is forced to confront her about the subject of her presentation – research that conflicts with his own. And in Oxford, several individuals from their past appear, including an old nemesis intent on humiliating Julia and exposing one of Gabriel’s darkest secrets.
In an effort to confront his remaining demons, Gabriel begins a quest to discover more about his biological parents, beginning a chain of events that has startling repercussions for himself, Julianne, and his hope of having a family.
MY THOUGHTS - Bianca
THE STORY...
"You think of everything."
"I simply think of you. You are everything."
Julia and Gabriel have happily been married for 6 months now.
Julia is busy with her studies at Harvard and Gabriel is working at Boston University.
They spend their free time back home in Selinsgrove - in the Clark's old house - which Gabriel bought from his father.
Gabriel knows that Julia wants to finish her PhD before she can even think about having a baby - but Gabriel is yearning for a child already...
 |
| Madonna and Child with Angels by Fra Filippo Lippi |
He even offers to go on paternity leave so that Julia can finish school...
Julia just completed her first public lecture - which she will deliver in Oxford.
In England we meet Katherine Picton again. And of course Christa is there too with her italian Professor. And she's out to embarrass and bad-mouth Julia and Gabriel.
But she's only embarrassing herself...
We also hear from Paul and Simon again - Sylvain lets them tell a few pages of their own stories.
About how Paul is still sad about Julia and how his ex is still trying to get him back.
And Simon is still having problems with Natalie....
There's also a little side-story about Julia's Dad and his new girlfriend - and about Gabriel's Sister Rachel and her wish to have a baby.
Then there's Gabriel's real family. He finally decided to find out more about them - even if he pretends to only do it to find out about his real family's medical history.
And of course we visit Italy again.
 |
| Florence, Italy |
(In the museum we briefly meet a mystery man - the hero of Sylvain's new Book 'The Raven' )
We also visit the orphanage again - where Gabriel falls in love with the idea of adopting a child if his vasectomy can't be reversed.
But of course I won't tell you if there will be something like this.....
in the book ☺
But there's lots of talk about it ☺
that would totaly destroy your reading pleasure ☺
____________________________________________________________
I really loved the book
I'm glad really Sylvain decided to write a third book.
And I'm also realllllly happy that somebody told him to stop using the word PLEASE too much.
The first 2 books were full of Does that please you?'s - I really hated that ☺
What still bothered me was all that praying and God-talk and religion. I hate that - but it belongs in the story - so it was ok.
We have lots of romantic & sexy scenes in this 3rd book - lots of really moving and heartbreaking moments ...
I cried a few times!
We also have cute and funny moments ☺
I would've wished for a bit more suspense or for just something more ...
but the End was perfect! ☺♥
GO GET IT
Gabriel’s story was to end with Rapture, but I am glad that Sylvain Reynard decided to continue Gabriel and Julianne's story with Gabriel's Redemption.
Gabriel and Julia's story has never been smooth sailing, and it is the same with Redemption. 6 months into their marriage, and things are still a bit bumpy.
I have to agree with Bianca that all the "pleases" are gone - I had forgotten how annoying they got in Rapture until I reread! And also with the religion talk - but this may just be me as I am not at all religious - and I did fit with G and J's upbringings.
I loved that we got more of the Emerson's in Italy, as it is such a big part of their life together
I also loved that we got to know more of Gabriel's biological family. It was always something kind of missing from the first two books, as they were pivotal in how his life turned out, but we didn't know much about them. There were a few surprises here too!
All the old players are still in force. Christa is still trying to make Gabriel and Julia's life a living hell, Paul is still sniffing around Julia. Simon and Natalie aren't done with them yet either.
Julia's dad Tom (and her uncle) play bigger parts in Redemption than in the previous 2 books - but how and why - nope, not giving anything away here!
There is also lots of baby talk - but is it Gabriel and Julia, or is it others?
For a large part of the first half of the book, I wanted to slap both Gabriel and Julia's heads together and tell them to snap out of it, stop being so stubborn. Relationships are hard, but gees they made it almost impossible for a while to see how they could ever make it!!
Gabriel's Redemption made me tear up a few times, but also laugh and smile. Carefree and fun Gabriel makes a few appearances and he is so much fun to read. Makes him seem more his age than when he is uber-serious. Sometimes uber-serious Gabriel feels like he is 50 not early 30s!
I feel that Gabriel's Redemption was a great way for the Emerson's story to come to an end.
OOOH and make sure you read the bit at the end of the book. During Redemption we are very quickly introduced to "someone" at "some stage" that doesn't really register on your radar, until you read the snippet. This seemingly inconsequential person in a scene turns out to be the character in Sylvian's new book The Raven!!
SYLVAIN REYNARD:
GIVEAWAY!!!!
Win a pair of Christian Louboutins and 25 signed sets of the Gabriel Trilogy!
Win a pair of Christian Louboutins and 25 signed sets of the Gabriel Trilogy!
