Gabriel’s Promise by Sylvain Reynard-Review & Giveaway

Gabriel’s Promise (Gabriel’s Inferno 4) by Sylvain Reynard-Review & Giveaway 

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 7, 2020

When Gabriel and Julia Emerson first lay eyes on their newborn daughter, Clare, they realize life as they know it will never be the same. Gabriel has vowed to be a good father when he suddenly receives an invitation to give a series of lectures in Edinburgh, Scotland–an opportunity of high prestige–but that would mean leaving his wife and newborn child in Boston. Hesitant to bring it up, he keeps the opportunity from Julia as long as he can, not knowing she has a secret of her own.

When a frightening situation arises that threatens to break their new family apart, both parents must make sacrifices. With the family in danger, the looming question remains: Will Gabriel pursue his lectureship in Edinburgh, leaving Julia and Clare unprotected in Boston, or will he abandon the chance of a lifetime in order to ensure his family’s safety?

•••••••••

REVIEW:GABRIEL’S PROMISE is the fourth instalment in Sylvain Reynard’s contemporary, adult GABRIEL’S INFERNO erotic, romance series focusing on Professor Gabriel Emerson, and his wife Julianne Emerson. GABRIEL’S PROMISE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion as there are a number of references to previous events that affect the current time line.

Told from third person perspective GABRIEL’S PROMISE picks up immediately after the events of book three GABRIEL’S REDEMPTION wherein our heroine, Julianne Emerson has given birth to their daughter Clare, a difficult birth of which Julia is slow to recover. Not wanting to put her PhD dissertation on hold, Julianne will struggle with the future of her studies when her husband is offered/wins a prestigious position overseas in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Meanwhile the Emerson family is being stalked. From the numerous appearances of an unmarked car to the mysterious break-in at their once-secure home, Gabriel Emerson battles between head and heart knowing to turn down the prestigious offer means destroying his career in the blink of an eye. But his family comes first, in all matters of the heart and our hero is willing to walk away from his career to protect the people he loves.

There is a large ensemble cast of dynamic and familiar secondary and supporting characters including colleagues, family, and friends-former or otherwise.

GABRIEL’S PROMISE is a story of family, love, vengeance and betrayal. Once again, there are numerous comparisons of, and references to Dante’s Inferno and the Divine Comedy, Purgatorio and Paradiso, as is to be expected from our leading couple, as well as the author Sylvain Reynard. The series, in part, focuses on the writings of Dante Alighieri, and references many examples applying the poetry to Gabriel’s life.

Someone is hoping to destroy the Emerson family but the list of potential suspects is convoluted and long. From both Julianne and Gabriel’s exes, to the jealousy of colleagues and former friends, threats to Gabriel, Julianne and their daughter Clare force Gabriel to take drastic measures to protect the woman and child he loves. The premise is engaging and captivating; the romance is energetic and hot; the characters are numerous, colorful and energetic.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Follow Sylvain: Goodreads / Website /Facebook / Twitter

My New York Times Best Selling Gabriel Series has been acquired by Passionflix. “Gabriel’s Inferno” is currently filming and the cast has been announced. You can read the most recent update and learn how to sign up for Passionflix here: http://sylvainreynard.com/film-series…

And you can view a video clip here:

Introducing Gabriel, played by Giulio Berruti, and Julia, played by Melanie Zanetti #GabrielsInfernoMovie pic.twitter.com/q5vcQ0VMg0

— Passionflix (@PassionFlix) November 5, 2019

Recently, Huffington Post Books ranked “Gabriel’s Inferno” as the best teacher/student romance novel.

I am honoured to have had my novels appear on the New York Times and USAToday Bestseller lists.

I was a Semifinalist for Best Author in the 2011 and 2012 Goodreads Choice Awards. “Gabriel’s Inferno” was a Semifinalist for Best Romance in 2011 and “Gabriel’s Rapture” was a Finalist for Best Romance in 2012, in the Goodreads Choice Awards, as well. The final novel in The Gabriel Series, “Gabriel’s Redemption,” debuted at #6 on the New York Times Bestseller list. It was a Finalist for a 2014 Goodreads Choice Award as Best Romance.

I’m interested in the way literature can help us explore aspects of the human condition – particularly suffering, sex, love, faith, and redemption. My favourite stories are those in which a character takes a journey, either a physical journey to a new and exciting place, or a personal journey in which he or she learns something about himself/herself.

I’m also interested in how aesthetic elements such as art, architecture, food, drink, and music can be used to tell a story or to illuminate the traits of a particular character. In my writing, I combine all of these elements with the themes of redemption, forgiveness, and the transformative power of goodness.

I try to use my platform as an author to raise awareness about the following charities: Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation, WorldVision, Alex’s Lemonade Stand, and Covenant House.

The Reading Cafe and Berkley Romance are offering a paper copy of GABRIEL’S PROMISE by Sylvain Reynard to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

NOTE: If you are having difficulty commenting after logging onto the site, please refresh the page (at the top of your computer).

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please LIKE Sylvain Reynard on Facebook

4. Please LIKE Berkley romance on Facebook

5. Please LIKE The Reading Cafe on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

6. LIKE The Reading Cafe on Twitter for an additional entry.

7. Please FOLLOW The Reading Cafe on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

8. Please follow The Reading Cafe on Tumblr

9. Giveaway open to USA only

10. Giveaway runs from January 8-12, 2020

 

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The Man in the Black Suit by Sylvain Reynard-Review & Excerpt

THE MAN IN THE BLACK SUIT by Sylvain Reynard-Review & Excerpt 

The Man in the Black Suit

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 19,2017

Acacia Santos excels at her job as concierge at the prestigious Hotel Victoire in Paris. When her superior, Marcel, is attacked in a supposed random mugging, she is tasked with serving one of the hotel’s most mysterious and attractive guests.

Nicholas Cassirer checks into the hotel under an assumed name every three months. Usually, he stays in the penthouse suite with a beautiful female companion but on this occasion, he arrives alone and is displeased in having to deal with someone new. A match of wits ensues as he tests Acacia’s expertise with a series of almost impossible demands. Her intelligence and creativity rise to the challenge, earning his respect.

They strike a tenuous accord until Acacia discovers a famous stolen painting in his suite, she contacts a former boyfriend who works for the elite BRB, a unit of French law enforcement that deals with art thefts.

Nicholas is questioned by police and released when it is revealed the painting is a reproduction. Irked with her behavior, Acacia’s supervisor demotes her threatening dismissal and the cancellation of her work permit.

But Acacia has already attracted Nicholas’s attention. Remorseful that she may lose her job on his account, he offers her a choice – she can wait until her supervisor dismisses her, or she can leave the city of lights behind and become his personal assistant.

Acacia initially refuses his offer, but Nicholas is persistent. He reveals himself as a man who quietly acquires stolen art in order to restore it to its rightful owners. Faced with mounting familial debts and the possibility of dismissal and deportation, she agrees to work for him.

Nicholas opens up a whole new world of beauty and intrigue to Acacia as they travel the globe. Soon the line between employer and assistant is blurred, and the two lonely people embark on a passionate relationship.

••••••••••••

REVIEW: THE MAN IN THE BLACK SUIT by Sylvain Reynard is a stand alone, contemporary, adult, erotic romantic suspense story line loosely connected to the author’s GABRIEL’S INFERNO and THE FLORENTINE series. THE MAN IN THE BLACK SUIT can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. This is concierge Acacia Santos, and billionaire businessman Nicholas Cassirer’s story line.

NOTE: The detailed blurb above covers a good portion of the story outline so I will give some format details and my concluding comments.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Acacia and Nicholas) THE MAN IN THE BLACK SUIT follows the building but reluctant relationship between Parisian hotel concierge Acacia Santos, and businessman Nicholas Cassirer, two people who live dual lives, have secreted pasts, and are about to join together in the search for a killer that will expose history, a need for revenge, and the dysfunctional dynamics of two families caught between the present and the past.

THE MAN IN THE BLACK SUIT takes the reader on a trip around the globe: from Paris to Geneva, Cologny, Santorini, Helsinki, Dubai, Morocco and Moscow where Nicholas will face down the man who destroyed his family, as Acacia comes face to face with her past-a past from whom she is on the run. Nicholas is an over protective, dominating, and powerful hero, with (questionable) legal and illegal connections. A man who doesn’t do relationships, Nicholas is drawn to our heroine from the start. Acacia is a beautiful thirty seven year old woman, on the run, who knows that to get involved with our story line hero means exposing herself to curiosity, the paparazzi and potentially, fatal harm.

Throughout the story line Sylvain Reynard weaves a tale of religious discrimination, or more so, stereotyping based upon ethnicity, faith and religious belief. Once again, the art world plays a major role from the beginning (including the aforementioned connected series) wherein several classic paintings have been stolen, and their recovery means a chance to begin healing, and moving forward.

THE MAN IN THE BLACK SUIT is a detailed story line about family, retribution, revenge and second chances. The relationship is slow to build as Acacia is determined to remain professional in the face of potential danger, as Nicholas begins to develop feelings for the woman that calls to his heart. The premise is intricate, comprehensive and engaging; the characters are energetic and passionate; the romance is sensual and inspiring.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

The Man In The Black Suit teaser

excerpt

Nicholas sat back on one of the benches and pulled her to straddle him. He spanned her hips with his hands, under the water. “Kiss me.”
She tilted her head to take his mouth and tasted his lips leisurely before she pushed her tongue inside.
His palms slid up her back and crushed her against his chest.
She inclined her head the other way and tugged at his upper lip.
Nicholas kissed his way to her chin and down to her neck. He licked at the skin and pulled it into his mouth.
Acacia exposed her neck even more.
He nipped a path to her collarbone and traced it with his finger. When she shivered at the sensation, he cradled her breast above the water and wrapped his mouth around her nipple.
Acacia hummed and squirmed in his lap at the sensation.

About The Author

Follow Sylvain: Goodreads / Website /Facebook / Twitter

My latest book, “The Man in the Black Suit, (#TMitBS), is a contemporary romance/suspense standalone novel, set in Paris. It released December 19th: https://t.co/pdpHlvVtjO

The final book in The Florentine Series, “The Roman,” has been released. The paperback edition has additional content. An audiobook is also available.

The second book in the series, “The Raven,” was nominated by RT Magazine as Best Paranormal Romance Suspense novel of 2015.

Recently, Huffington Post Books ranked “Gabriel’s Inferno” as the best teacher/student romance novel.

I am honoured to have had my novels appear on the New York Times and USAToday Bestseller lists.

I was a Semifinalist for Best Author in the 2011 and 2012 Goodreads Choice Awards. “Gabriel’s Inferno” was a Semifinalist for Best Romance in 2011 and “Gabriel’s Rapture” was a Finalist for Best Romance in 2012, in the Goodreads Choice Awards, as well. The final novel in The Gabriel Series, “Gabriel’s Redemption,” debuted at #6 on the New York Times Bestseller list. It was a Finalist for a 2014 Goodreads Choice Award as Best Romance.

I’m interested in the way literature can help us explore aspects of the human condition – particularly suffering, sex, love, faith, and redemption. My favourite stories are those in which a character takes a journey, either a physical journey to a new and exciting place, or a personal journey in which he or she learns something about himself/herself.

I’m also interested in how aesthetic elements such as art, architecture, food, drink, and music can be used to tell a story or to illuminate the traits of a particular character. In my writing, I combine all of these elements with the themes of redemption, forgiveness, and the transformative power of goodness.

I try to use my platform as an author to raise awareness about the following charities: Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation, WorldVision, Alex’s Lemonade Stand, and Covenant House.

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The Shadow ( The Florentine #2) by Sylvain Reynard-Review and Giveaway

THE SHADOW (The Florentine #2) by Sylvain Reynard-Review and Giveaway

The Shadow Banner

THE SHADOW
The Florentine #2
by Sylvain Reynard
Genre: contemporary, adult, paranormal, romance
Release Date: February 2, 2016

 

The Shadow

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / The Book Depository /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 2, 2016

Raven Wood’s vampyre prince has returned, pledging his love and promising justice for every wrong done to her. In the wake of their reunion, Raven is faced with a terrible decision—allow the Prince to wreak vengeance against the demons of her past, or persuade him to stay his hand. But there is far more at stake than Raven’s heart…

A shadow has fallen over the city of Florence. Ispettor Batelli will not rest until he uncovers Raven’s connection to the theft of the priceless art from the Uffizi Gallery. And while the Prince hunts a traitor who sabotages him at every turn, he finds himself the target of the vampyres’ mortal enemy.

As he wages a war on two fronts, he will need to keep his love for Raven secret, or risk exposing his greatest weakness.

••••••••

REVIEW: THE SHADOW is the second full length installment in Sylvain Reynard’s contemporary, adult THE FLORENTINE dark paranormal, romance series focusing on ancient vampyre Prince William York of Florence, and Uffizi Gallery art restorer Raven Wood. Their continuing story finds the Prince and his people targeted by the human, and Vatican run Curia whose job it is to destroy the living dead. On the hunt for a betrayer within his Florentine Underground, the Prince finds himself having to chose between the woman who calls to his heart, or the vampyres he has promise to protect. There is a character crossover with the series as the Prince is also on the trail of Professor Gabriel Emerson and his wife Julianne from Reynard’s GABRIEL‘S INFERNO contemporary romance series. Emerson was in possession of some stolen art-art that once belonged to the Prince. You can find the background information in the prequel novella-The Prince. THE SHADOW should not be read as a stand alone.

Told from several third person perspectives, THE SHADOW follows the Prince as he tries to stabilize the building animosity and political instability of his vampyre ruling council-The Consilium-and the growing number of dissidents calling for the Prince’s abdication and his head. There is a betrayer in the midst, and the focus of many an investigation is on the growing number of bodies, drained of their blood, within the boundaries of the Prince’s Florentine principality. While the Prince battles his own, Raven is targeted by the man she has grown to call ‘father’- an outside influence that tears at Raven’s heart and her allegiance to a sister who denies the past. With the Prince’s attention divided, Raven becomes a pawn in a battle she cannot win. The story line ends on a cliffhanger-be forewarned.

THE SHADOW is a dark and seductive vampyre story wrapped in a blanket of old world charm that blends the Renaissance artistry and gothic nuances with modern day technology. The secretive underground of the Florentine principality is dangerous, seductive, and hauntingly dramatic. The characters are impassioned, provocative and deadly; the romance is passionate, sensual and heartbreaking. Sylvain Reynard traverses time and era; artist and artistry; the supernatural and the human world. THE SHADOW and THE FLORENTINE SERIES is a passionate exploration of the dark and forbidden world of the vampyre.

Reading Order
The Prince
The Raven
The Shadow

Copy supplied by the publisher

Reviewed by Sandy

giveaway

The Reading Cafe and Sylvain’s publisher are offering a paper copy of THE SHADOW to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

NOTE: If you are having difficulty commenting after logging onto the site, please refresh the page (at the top of your computer).

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please tell us to enter you into the giveaway.

4. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

5. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

6. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

7. Please follow The Reading Cafe on Tumblr

8. Giveaway open to USA only

10. Giveaway runs from February 4-8, 2016

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The Prince (The Florentine .5 / Gabriel’s Inferno) by Sylvain Reynard-a review

The Prince (The Florentine .5/ Gabriel’s Inferno) by Sylvain Reynard-a review

The Prince

Amazon.com / Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 20, 2015

The unveiling of a set of priceless illustrations of Dante’s Divine Comedy at the Uffizi Gallery exposes the unsuspecting Professor Gabriel Emerson and his beloved wife, Julianne, to a mysterious and dangerous enemy.

Unbeknownst to the Professor, the illustrations he secretly acquired years ago were stolen a century earlier from the ruler of Florence’s underworld. Now one of the most dangerous beings in Italy is determined to reclaim his prized artwork and exact revenge on the Emersons, but not before he uncovers something disturbing about Julianne …

Set in the city of Florence, “The Prince” is a prequel novella to “The Raven,” which is the first book in the new Florentine Series Trilogy by Sylvain Reynard.

“The Prince” can be read as a standalone but readers of The Gabriel Series may be curious about the connection between The Professor’s world and the dark, secret underworld of “The Prince.”

••••••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW:  THE PRINCE is the prequel novella in Sylvain Reynard’s adult, contemporary The Florentine paranormal series-with a character cross over from the author’s best selling Gabriel’s Inferno series that bridges between the two. If you are a fan of Gabriel’s Inferno by Sylvain Reynard, you will be pleased to know that Professor Gabriel Emerson and his wife Julianne play a significant if not unwitting role throughout the introductory novella.

The premise follows the true Prince of Florence (or Master as he is also known); a supernatural being; the ruler of the underworld and a man set on vengeance against the Professor for an act of betrayal.

Approximately 140 years earlier the Prince was in possession of a set of priceless illustrations of Dante’s Divine Comedy that fell into the hands of thief of unknown name and origin. Fast forward to present day and the Prince will take his revenge on the current owners-Gabriel and Julianne Emerson. While the Prince follows the lovers home, he will encounter a group of assassins, not unlike himself, who have been ordered to take down the Prince and end his life. An attack against the Prince finds heads rolling; the security team on the defense; and his people preparing for war with the Venetians.

We are witness to Gabriel and Julianne’s explicit and continuing romantic love affair; a voyeur along with the Prince at every encounter as Gabriel claims his wife. Their highly sexualized relationship continues to grow stronger but there are warnings on the horizon that not all is well with Gabriel’s wife.

THE PRINCE is a revealing, fast paced, introductory storyline that sets the premise for Reynard’s The Florentine paranormal series. The Italian imagery is breathtaking; the Uffizi Gallery a work of art; the Underworld is mysterious, dark and dangerous.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

Reviewed by Sandy

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