Cocktails with Gabriel's Inferno by Sylvan Reynard

Again, I have another great summer read for you. Gabriel's Inferno is a classic romance novel. While I was hesitant to read about a love affair between a professor and a graduate student, I was able to move past that and enjoy the story. I really like Sylvain's writing, though I wonder how many people actually use "mercurial" in every day (or even occasional) conversations. Thankfully it was only used a couple of times, but I did giggle each time.

There seemed to be something a bit old fashion about the wording which made it a little difficult for me to believe it was modern day. Even Gabriel's mannerism are old fashion. He is suppose to be in his mid-thirties. I went to a conservative college and even looked at an ultra-conservative university (women and men weren't even allowed to walk along the same sidewalk). Most universities have a policy against fraternization, some more stringent than others. Even going with a most stringent policy, I was still caught off guard by Gabriel's thought:

I don't know many 33 year old men who would have such a thought. I went on a field trip alone with a professor while in undergrad. The professor was old enough to be my father, but I don't think he thought about the fact he was taking a female student off campus alone in his car.

But I think this old-fashion style added to the fantasy of a romance novel. Every girl wants that debonair gentleman. And it played well with the art of seduction that was portrayed throughout the story. I'm not a huge romance fan, but I do enjoy the build up to a relationship. I love the courtship. Unfortunately too many romance author these days rush through that stage and have the characters hoping into bed by the second chapter. Thankfully, Sylvain went the route of more classical romance authors. That doesn't mean there isn't sex in the book. Every page is filled with intimacy and foreplay, but at a poetic level that modern romance authors often do not attain. It leaves the reader swooning.

Gabriel's Inferno would be a great read while you vacation this summer. And if you happen to need a bit of refreshment, there is even some drink recommendations. (I'm sort of stealing Cabin Goddess's idea of pairing a book with a recipe). I made a reference to what I think would be paired well with a summer read in my review on Tuesday and it came from reading Gabriel's Inferno: The Flirtini:

Photo by Donna

It's (1 oz) vodka, (2 oz) champagne, and (2 oz) pineapple juice, garnished with a cherry. However, there is a variation that was possibly seen on Sex and the City and maybe closer to the cocktail Julia orders: raspberry vodka, cranberry juice, and pineapple.

Now any drink that has a cherry in it ranks high in my book of good drinks, but this may very well become my cocktail of choice. It was more like drinking punch and if you aren't careful you could quickly drink this down. I suspect the one with cranberry juice would be a slow sipper (at least cranberry drinks tend to be for me)

I know many book clubs match libations with their read and this would be a good choice. Or perhaps, you are looking for something a bit different for girls' night out. Why not head to your favorite drink establishment and do a read-a-long? While sitting in Magnolia last night sipping my flirtini with friends, I thought it had the right atmosphere for a ladies' book club.

I know I'm late to the game on reading Gabriel's Inferno and since it is the second most popular keyword search to my blog, I am hoping to answer most of the search queries. I've provided a couple of quotes (though I learned my Nook did not save the ones I highlighted). Goodreads.com has a good selection of quotes if you want more). There is sex in the book, but intercourse is not the focus of the plot. It is about seduction, courtship, foreplay. I will admit I skimmed over the one true sex scene (I don't care to read that kind of thing), but it wasn't full of moans, groans, and OMG. I will leave it to you to decide if the sex is good or not. For those searches for the audio version - it isn't available, but it is a possibility. Audio books take a bit more work and technical skills, so be patient with a newish, small publisher while they work through those issues.

If you are a romance novel fan, read Gabriel's Inferno. If you like romance in the true sense, read Gabriel's Inferno. If you are looking for escapism/fantasy, read Gabriel's Inferno. If you have read Gabriel's Inferno, make sure you pick up the sequel that is now available - Gabriel's Rapture (see my review). If you need more recommendations for what to read next: I've seen several recommendations for Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire. I think you should try Sempre by J.M. Darhower (it's on my summer reading list). I read an early draft of Take the Cake by Sandra Wright, but really enjoyed it so maybe check it out, too. If you don't mind a little kink, Slave (see my review) and Need (see my review) by Sherri Hayes would be a good choice.

Buy Gabriel's Inferno at Amazon

Alright, I think I addressed all the search queries. I'm now off to enjoy my vacation with some great reads. What's on your summer reading list?

Kicking off my vacation with a little review research. Photo by Angel

Book Info: 
Published April 2011 by Omnific Publishing
ISBN13: 2940012336156
Read June 2012
Source: publisher

Girl Who Reads is an advertising affiliate with Amazon; a small fee is earned when purchases are made using the above links. A free book was obtained from the source mentioned above in order to provide an honest and free review.

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