Once upon a time, I wrote a
post slamming Fifty Shades of Grey.
I hadn’t read it then and I still
haven’t read it now because my “sexy book” series obsession started with
Gabriel’s Inferno. I don’t need a
replacement or competition – both of those would be impossible for me
.
Just a month ago, the author Sylvain Reynard came back for a
second act in the new book Gabriel’s
Rapture. I’ve gotten TONS of blog
hits out of my Fifty Shades tirade,
so it can only benefit me to drop kick it again.
But in all seriousness, I have to ask what are you thinking if
you haven’t picked up Gabriel’s Inferno? I gave my readers a chance to get on this
bandwagon with me months ago and now the sequel is catching lots of attention. Here’s your second chance and a few
compelling reasons why you should read Gabriel’s
Rapture ASAP.
1. Smoldering hot guys are IN. Gabriel, the co-main character in the book,
oozes sexuality. For me, his charms jump
off the page. Whenever he’s seducing
Julianne (see point #2), it seems like I’m witnessing it from very close by or experiencing
it myself. Gabriel’s Inferno introduces you to just how smoking Gabriel is,
and Gabriel’s Rapture makes him a
complete person – a guy with sex appeal for days AND brains, heart and soul. This only multiplies his smoldering
hotness.
2. Tough chicks are IN. Julianne, the other co-main character, loves
her man and stays true to their commitment when times get tough, but she
doesn’t put up with his crap. She helps
him become better and celebrates his goodness.
I love heroines who have experienced suffering, can commiserate with
those who suffer and cause suffering without being cruel. Julianne is that girl who gets it all and
never looks back to gloat – which is the kind of girl I long to be. You know, that whole bit about living well
being the best revenge.
3. Transformative love stories are IN. In fiction these days, it’s not enough for a fictional
man to meet-cute with a fictional woman and fall in love. Readers want twists and turns and obstacles
(that’s why authors are writing more than one book for every story). Gabriel’s Rapture has ALL of that – it takes
you further down the road that was forged in the first book and shakes
everything up along the way. In fact, if
you rush through it (because it’s so awesome and you can’t slow down), you’ll
have to go back and read it again. There
are clues and hints that help you understand the ending that you can’t
appreciate unless you give the book its due.
I think this is the strongest argument why Gabriel’s Rapture is some of the best fiction out there. It’s so good that you don’t realize how good
it is until you’re finished.
4. Mysterious authors are IN. I don’t even know if the author’s name is
really Sylvain Reynard. I’ve never seen
a picture of the guy. I don’t know if
he’s really a Dante specialist or if he’s just a killer researcher. (How could a lay-person know Dante that
well??) I kind of suspect he’s my former
college professor whose shares the initials SR, which disturbs me more than a
little. I’d hate to know that my
professor could write such hot stuff.
Seems wrong… but keeps me guessing!
5. Sexy books are IN.
There used to be a lot of stigma about sexy books. You know what I’m talking about – those ones
with the tawdry cover art that women would hide inside newspapers. Everyone wants to talk about Fifty Shades but none of its fans
can spit out the words to describe it because it’s so far out there, it’s not
even polite for discussion. Honestly,
I’ve even heard that some people have to Google the stuff in that book because
they don’t understand it! Ladies, we
don’t need all that mess. We just need passion. Gabriel’s
Rapture is the sort of sexy that I’m comfortable with anyone reading over
my shoulder or discussing at the office.
Furthermore, no Googling necessary.
This is the kind of sexy you can live out in your own life without
building a special room in your house (weird), and described in a way that
makes it the farthest thing from dirty you can imagine. Speaking of which, did I mention the amazing
use of words in these books? SR uses the
most evocative and descriptive language I’ve ever read, and I’ve read a lot of
books in my life! Truly, second to
none.
6. Book series are IN. I sort of alluded to this earlier, but
there’s a little more to my theory when it comes to Gabriel’s Rapture. Yes, this
is book two but you are all set if you read these two. So if you’re weary of being roped into
another book series or waiting for another book to be released in a year, don’t
worry, Gabriel’s Inferno and Gabriel’s Rapture are a complete set. Only yesterday did the author hint that there
may be a third. If you love the Gabriel
series like I do, you might get lucky and get one more book but you won’t have to
die waiting for it or be forced to harass the author for more. The idea is out there and you’ll survive if
it never happens – or rejoice if it does.
The wonderful thing about this book for me, as someone who
is constantly on the computer, is that I feel as if I know Sylvain
Reynard. With Facebook, I’m able to comment
on his news and sometimes get a response.
Have you ever loved an author so much that he finally learned who you
were and you didn’t even have to go all psycho-stalker on him to get that
kind of attention? In case SR reads this
love letter to him, I want him to hear this loud and clear: You are one of the
most talented authors I have EVER read and I fully appreciate the sweat, labor
and love that you poured into these pages!
Now book lovers everywhere, go out and buy these books! Hurry!!
