Gabriel's Inferno by Sylvain Reynard: Book Review & Annotations

This is a book I never really saw myself reading, and now I'm hooked. I actually watched the movies first, not knowing there was a series of books that the movies were inspired by. Being the bookworm that I am, after watching the first few movies (there are six movies and counting, I believe) I just had to order the book and relive the excitement all over again. I'm going to go through the pros and cons of this book; what I loved and what I could have lived without. Given that this book is larger than most that I read, this review will be a bit longer. (P.S. This review includes spoilers! You've been warned!)

Pros of Gabriel's Inferno by Sylvain Reynard

Slow Burn

The pacing of this book is perfect for the type of story it tells. If the characters had rushed into their relationship it wouldn't have been true to character, but rather the slow burn fit perfectly. The main characters, Gabriel and Julia, spend a lot of the book getting to know each other, really connecting emotionally before anything else. Gabriel constantly checks in with Julia to make sure they aren't moving too fast for her as she's a shy, reserved and traumatized young woman whereas Gabriel has a lot of experience with women. The slow burn really allows readers to appreciate the development of the two characters, making them even more likeable. Gabriel is extremely accommodating toward Julia, stating on page 512, "He'd (Gabriel) would be damned if he'd push her to do anything even remotely uncomfortable." He wants to take things as slowly as possible to make sure she won't regret any of her decisions regarding their relationship.

Romanticism and Chivalry

It's no secret in this book that Gabriel has - for lack of a better word - slept around a lot, whereas Julia hasn't slept with anyone before. Although she's inexperienced in the physical aspect of a relationship, Gabriel is just as inexperienced emotionally. That being said, the pair exchange more than the average book couple in my opinion; by that, I mean they spill their souls to each other far before even thinking about being involved physically. Given the agreement between the two, they are very romantic with each other. Between Julia sneaking into Gabriel's room because she can't sleep without him and telling each other their deepest, darkest, most twisted secrets, they build a very strong, romantic connection. Gabriel cares deeply for Julia, and she reciprocates just as much, and he tells her constantly how much he adores her, cares for her and ultimately loves her. Of course, Julia does as well but it's more surprising coming from Gabriel. He's the ultimate gentleman, courting her properly, even preparing toiletries in his house for her whenever she may need them.

The Whole Florence Trip

I love Italy. So, whenever there are scenes in a book about Italy, I just squeal like a little kid. It makes so much sense that given their love of all things Italian, (mainly the relationship between the philosopher-poet, Dante and his beloved Beatrice) the pair find themselves in front of the Dante statue himself.

Academia

There's something about a professor who wears black Prada glasses and has a bowtie for every day of the week that attracts me like nothing else, and that's Gabriel Emerson. The whole book is very smart because the main characters teach (Gabriel) and study (Julia) Dante at the University of Toronto. Side note, I love that it's based in my home city because it really brings the story to life. The book talks often of poetry, philosophy, history, literature and art, which makes me feel like I'm not reading a romance novel but I'm also learning a little bit about certain topics, although brief, it's still more than I knew before.

Cons of Gabriel's Inferno by Sylvain Reynard

Certain Interactions Between Julia and Gabriel

I really loved the romance between the couple but there were a few scenes that I felt could have been left out, such as the several scenes where Gabriel insisted on feeding Julia. I found them awfully descriptive and too frequent, as well as just cringy. Maybe to others, it's romantic, but to me I found it to be unnecessary.

Paul Norris

Again, maybe some people found him endearing but I just found him pathetic. He so clearly pines after Julia even after she's told him that she has a boyfriend and thus is unavailable. The phrase "that should be me" comes to mind when thinking of Paul. He also has an "endearing" pet name for her, calling her "little rabbit" or variations of that, and it's just juvenile and cringy; then again, Paul isn't meant to be as mature and established as Gabriel, so it's understandable. He treats Julia like she'd die without him around, and acts as if she's his girlfriend. He constantly offers to fight her battles for her, between her and Gabriel, or her and Christa. I hope in book two he just calms the hell down because he's a lot to deal with.

There aren't many things I didn't like about this book. I did find that if I had read the books first, then watched the movies, I might not have had the inspiration to continue reading just because it is a slow book, and a large one. Having watched the movies first and seeing the characters, the actors and how they have such chemistry, in my mind, Giulio Berruti and Melanie Zanetti are the embodiment of Gabriel Emerson and Julia Mitchell. Some keywords and tropes that this book explores are second-chance romance, forbidden romance, age gap, academia, professor/student, rich man/poor woman, devotion, emotional, slow-burn, romantic, mildly erotic, complicated history and mysterious.

Have you read Gabriel's Inferno by Sylvain Reynard? Are you thinking of reading it or watching the movie? Let's have a chat, find me on Instagram @cozyannotations or leave a comment here!

A presto,

Melissa