I would give this book a B compared to all other books I've read so far. I really like that this series stay with the same characters. I loved watching them grow and evolve, also the slow build up of their romantic relationship, i'm glad these characters didn't just jump into bed.

This had been in my wish list for a while & I wish I hadn't waited so long to get it. Gabriel's character is so tense,dark & handsome that he would make any story line interesting. But to see how he falls in love with the girl whom he believes is a dream he once had is so romantic. The cast of characters surrounding him & Julia just adds to the drama and bit of suspense. While Julia's, at times, mousy demeanor is annoying it's wonderful to read about how hard Gabriel falls for her. Their attempt to heal each others hearts & soul's is touching.

The story was well written but too sappy and romantic for me. The characters I liked but felt they were dated. I’m left curious what happens in the next book but not sure if I can make it through. I’m sure it’s just personal preference. I prefer more smut vs. romance.

More action earlier in the story. Seems to drag on and on.

Nope.

A little awkward.

I was really very disappointed. I read reviews and it has a great rating, but I feel lied to. It was suggested as a follow up to 50 Shades of Grey and is supposed to have inspired a tour around Toronto, but I have never had to force myself through a book until now. I kept hoping it would get better, but it doesn't get better until about 18 hours into the story. It is not hot, sexual or exciting. (If you are looking for a sex scene, skip to hour 20.) I felt as though it would appeal to a 65 year old librarian who rather enjoys British literature. I'm sure it would be great for someone who likes strictly romance, but do not compare it to 50, it does not come close.

Worst 20 hours of my life...

I really enjoyed this book. If you are intending to purchase this book because you are into twilight fan fiction or are looking for a 50 shades of grey spin off then you should move along, this book isn't for you. This book is a pretty intense listen. It will take through every emotion, it will make you anxious, it will make you sad and it will make you fall in love with both Julia and Gabriel. The way this book is read is lyrical, it is a beautifully written novel. It will give you flash blacks to high school Brit Lit and make you wish you had paid better attention and if you had had a teacher like Prof. Emerson maybe you would have.

There is a heavy thread of sexuality through this book but I would not classify it as erotica. There are many story lines woven together intricately and delicately and if I have one criticism of this novel I think there may have been too many tangents. I really appreciate the way the author used Dante and Beatrice to parallel and enrich the main story. I think the substance abuse issues were a little over kill and had I edited the book I would have not included them.

I encourage you to give this novel a chance. I really enjoyed the time I spent with Julia and Gabriel and Dante and Beatrice for that matter. I also enjoyed the sequel Gabriel's Rapture and I am looking forward to the third installment to be released in December.

It took until chapter 15 to get interesting but it still wasn't a believable relationship.

a great lover!

I don't know of a book to compare.

No, I haven't listened to John before this series.

Yes, over and over again!

I would like to start by saying that this book it IT for me, simply A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. I just have to warn you though; once you read it, you'll be ruined forever. I picked it up from a website where you can find books to read after Fifty Shades of Grey (I was going through withdrawal:). Well, let me tell you, there might be similarities between the characters, but that's where the comparison stops.
Gabriel's Inferno (very suggestive title BTW) is the most, grammatically correct, well researched and artfully written book I have ever read. It had me mesmerized from the first page to infinity. Sylvain Reynard's writing is so very realistic (if you have a vivid imagination, you can actually feel, hear, taste, love, hate, fear, visualize, agonize etc) that leaves you breathless. There is only one sex scene (wrong word - it's called love making) at the end of the book. BUT... I wouldn't trade the sensuality, passion, devotion and altruism that unfolds between it's pages, for any sex scene from any other book. I'm telling you, this book is PRICELESS. The story is all about rediscovering, learning, forgiving, loving and worshiping. It's written in the third person and I love the fact that we hear different POV. In this mix, the Snarky Narrator gives a unique flavor. The author's knowledge and research is absolutely astonishing, from literature to art, music and food, fragrances and lingerie;). I can tell, that one can find pieces of the writer in every character and scene. And for one in particular, my heart goes out to SR (SR, if you ever read this please know that I sympathize and admire you for being able to write/talk about it). Redemption is a very powerful element in this book, and makes you believe that everyone is "salvageable" so to speak.
Gabriel O Emerson is a Dante specialist at University of Toronto. The Professor is very troubled and apparently heartless, but of course, classy and sexy specimen. You'll hate him at the beginning, but I beg you, please be patient, he's all worth it, his story is heartbreaking. Jullianne is a student in his class, a very sweet and innocent young lady. They shared a moment a few years before, that she can't forget and let go. But Gabriel is oblivious to it, because of the state that he was in. He thinks that everything was just a dream and Julliane only an ideal, his Beatrice. I'm not going to say much about the story. The seminar exchange between them is my favorite and a big turner in their relationship.
"I started this c*********k by changing my lecture, but you finished it, Julianne, and you finished it with the equivalent of a hydrogen bomb."
The author's choice of music is excellent. I had to look up a few of the songs and now Mathew Barber is one of my favorites:). SR's taste in food and drinks (which are mostly used as foreplay) is exquisite. Beside the emotional love story, this novel is a very intelligent and cultivating read. I feel like I've learned so much and every time I reread it, I discover more.
Thank you, Sylvain Reynard for sharing your work with us. Your books will forever have a special place on my bookshelves and in my heart.

One of my favorite quotes : "Why not think that sometimes--just sometimes--you can overcome evil with silence? And let people hear their hatefulness in their own ears, without distraction. Maybe goodness is enough to expose evil for what it really is, sometimes."

This starts out very slowly. The first third of the book was actually pretty dull. Gabriel, the male lead, was a cold jerk and rather disinteresting, and not much was happening. It was hard to see what all the fuss was about. Things undergo a radical transformation after that though, and from there on out I was hooked!

This is a slow burner of a romance. Lots of long conversations, soul-searching, time spent in classrooms and academic settings, things like that. There’s more emotional heat than physical for much of the book. And some of the things related to the main characters’ shared history and following behavior are a little…improbable, but I was willing to let that go. It’d need to be really, to hint at the story of Dante and Beatrice.

Add all these things together and I can see how this seems to be hit or miss for a lot of readers. For me it was a BIG hit – enough for a relisten, and I don’t do that often! If a slow-building romance in an academic setting sounds like it’d suit your style, give it a shot!

Overall, very emotionally involving, and hot without being degrading which was a refreshing change!

The narrator was wonderful. He caught all the nuances of the story just right and has a great voice.

Anyone that liked 50 shades of grey and didn't want to shake the main character.

I enjoyed the Toronto backdrop in the story.

I have a hard time reading books with characters that have low self esteem. I have no sympathy for either main character.