Gabriel's Promise by Sylvain Reynard ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Seven years after penning book 3 in the Gabriel's Inferno series, Sylvain Reynard returns to the series with Gabriel's Promise. Fans of the love story between Gabriel and Julianne will love this new installment that marks a new chapter in the couple's life - parenthood.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

January 2020; Berkley; 978-0593097984
audio, ebook, print (352 pages); romance

I was somewhat shocked, and a lot pleased, to see Reynard return to the series that made him an international best selling author. With the release of Gabriel's Redemption in 2013, fans believed that was all for this beloved couple as their courtship had reached its culmination in the couple marrying and Reynard moved on to a new series. To get the chance to reconnect with this couple will be a delight for any fan of the series. But with a number of loose ends left at the end of Gabriel's Promise, fans can expect to see more of Gabriel and Julianne.

Though it has been some time since I read the original trilogy, I didn't feel lost. Backstory information was sprinkled throughout to connect peripheral characters from the previous books. So even if you haven't read the first three books, you will still enjoy this book.

I don't really care for romance novels, but this is one of the few series I make an exception for as the characters are really great, the plot interesting, and the writing well done. It isn't a "bodice ripper" type novel. Though intimate scenes do occur regularly. Almost too regularly. It felt like they were evenly spaced throughout the story and felt too planned. Also, they often felt separate from the story - like they were written and inserted after the plot was completed. Perhaps in some ways, this was intentional - to mimic the less spontaneous nature of parenthood.

Fans of the series will remember that the narrator is found of the parenthetical statement. I had forgotten this until about halfway through when they started to show up with some regularity. And then it became obvious that they were missing from the first part of the story. As I read an ARC, perhaps this is addressed in the final proof of the novel.

Unlike the earlier books, it is not individuals who are obstacles to Gabriel and Julianne's happily ever after. Instead, it is a very real issue for couples where both are pursuing careers. It isn't helped by the fact that they are at two different points in their careers. And while the main focus of this book is how to overcome the obstacle of pursuing their careers and maintaining their family life, there is another plot that will likely be played out over the course of the next book (and more?). And then it may be individual(s) who are threatening their happiness.

Whenever an author returns to a series that had felt complete, there is always a bit of trepidation as to whether it will be as good (or as good as you remember) as the original storyline. I can assure you, fans will be delighted. And if you are new to the series, you will be pleased to be able to just jump in (though at some point you will probably want to see how it all began).

Buy Gabriel's Promise at Amazon

You may also be interested in these posts:

Cocktails with Gabriel's Inferno - read the post
Italy with Gabriel's Rapture - read the post
Redemption by guest Sylvain Reynard - read the post
Who is Sylvain Reynard - read the post
Review: Gabriel's Redemption - read the post

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

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