Gabriel's Rapture by Sylvain Reynard

Professor Gabriel Emerson has embarked on a passionate, yet clandestine affair with his former student, Julia Mitchell. Sequestered on a romantic holiday in Italy, he tutors her in the sensual delights of the body and the raptures of sex. But when they return, their happiness is threatened by conspiring students, academic politics, and a jealous ex-lover. When Gabriel is confronted by the university administration, will he succumb to Dante's fate? Or will he fight to keep Julia, his Beatrice, forever? In Gabriel's Rapture, the brilliant sequel to the wildly successful debut novel, Gabriel's Inferno, Sylvain Reynard weaves an exquisite love story that will touch the reader's mind, body, and soul, forever.

Initial Thoughts: You can read my review of the first book, Gabriel's Inferno, here. I love love LOVED that book, so reading the follow-up was a no brainer.  The Pros: Okay. Let's get this straight. Sylvain Reynard is a PHENOMENAL writer. Each sentence felt like poetry. As in the first novel, the continued references to literature, art, and architecture were not only interesting to read about, but I felt like I was actually learning along the way. Imagine that, LEARNING from a romance novel! (Although, I did learn the geography of the Portland area through 50 Shades...) The scenes in Italy were straight out of a fairy tale romance, even with a villain :) The fact that Gabriel and Julia had to face responsibility for their actions was refreshing. Many novels you think, "you would never get away with that in real life!" and in this one, they didn't get away with it. They had to face devastating consequences. Julia finds strength through the challenges she faces, growing from the immature college student, to a mature woman. Like in the first, passion is key in this novel. Everything from a simple kiss to the sex scenes conveyed the passion they felt for one another. Cons: What happened to Paul? What happened to Christa? I felt like there were a few ends that weren't tied up. Julia kind of made me a little crazy in this book. She seemed a little immature. Gabriel made a few rather large decisions about their relationship without consulting Julia. Not cool, buddy. The protective man-ness can only be considered hot up to a certain point. Then it's just annoying. The Wrap Up: 4.5/5 Another outstanding read from Sylvain Reynard. It was almost as good as the first, but really, how can you top that? Favorite Quote: "She is not my equal; she is my better. She is my sticky little leaf."