ARC Review: Finding Gabriel by Rachel L Demeter

October 4, 2015September 17, 2016 Deanna | OkieDreams

Finding Gabriel

415 Pages

Release Date: 08/27/2015

Publisher: Pan Macmillan | Imprint: Momentum

Colonel Gabriel de Laurent departed for the war intending to die.

After a decade of bloodstained battlegrounds while fighting in Napoleon’s army, Gabriel returns to the streets of Paris a shattered and haunted soul. Plagued by inner demons, he swallows the barrel of his flintlock pistol and pulls the trigger.

But fate has a different plan.

Ariah Larochelle is a survivor. Orphaned at twelve and victim to a devastating crime, she has learned to keep her back to walls and to trust no one. But when she finds a gravely injured soldier washed up on the River Seine, she’s moved by compassion. In spite of her reservations, she rescues him from the icy water and brings him into her home.

Now scarred inside and out, Gabriel discovers a kindred spirit in Ariah—and feelings he imagined lost forever reawaken as he observes her strength in the face of adversity. But when Ariah’s own lethal secrets unfold, their new love is threatened by ancient ghosts. Can Gabriel and Ariah find hope in the wreckage of their pasts—or will the cycle of history repeat again?

Perfect for fans of Gaelen Foley’s Lord of Ice and Judith James’s Broken Wing, Finding Gabriel features all the dark romance, searing passion, and historical intrigue of The Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables.

*E-ARC provided by Publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review*

Finding Gabriel by Rachel L. Demeter is one of those books that draws you in and sweeps you up into the plights of its characters. It’s one of those rare, extremely well-written books that exists on a level all of its own. Expertly written, well-crafted, dynamic, deeply personal, emotionally raw, and all consuming, Finding Gabriel is a book you take the time to savor. To experience. To read.

This book left me in utter awe of the author’s talent, but more than that, in awe of the creation of a well-thought out, well-researched, and highly engrossing read. There is so much in this book, so much beautiful writing and exquisite descriptions of both characters and setting and emotions, that I cannot even begin to articulate how much I enjoyed this read. Not only enjoyed but loved. I loved this book, this almost epic, emotional journey. I was completely and thoroughly captivated.

Set in 1815 Paris, Finding Gabriel is the story of a disillusioned and soul-weary Colonel Gabriel de Laurent, a fighter in Napoleon’s war who wanted to die only to have fate find a different path for him instead. His desire for death is what puts him on the path to meet Ariah Larochelle, because it is she that rescues him after his suicide attempt goes array and it is she that saves him from that swirl of utter darkness and soul-deep despair inside.

This is a pretty dark book, but there’s also a desperate sort of hope to it as well. There is very much a sense of these two lost souls coming together and finding themselves in and because of each other. It is through their meeting of each other that they, as individuals, begin to heal the many scars and wounds they carry inside themselves.

A fantastic and compelling read, Finding Gabriel is one of those books that will stay with you long after you finish the last page, and its author, Rachel L. Demeter, is one of those writers you will want to seek out more and more work from. Highly, highly recommend this book.

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Rachel L. Demeter lives in the beautiful hills of Anaheim, California with Teddy, her goofy lowland sheepdog, and her high school sweetheart of eleven years. She enjoys writing poignant romances that challenge the reader’s emotions and explore the redeeming power of love.

Imagining dynamic worlds and characters has been Rachel’s passion for longer than she can remember. Before learning how to read or write, she would dictate stories while her mother would record them for her. She holds a special affinity for the tortured hero and unconventional romances. Whether crafting the protagonist or antagonist, she ensures every character is given a soul.

Rachel endeavors to defy conventions by blending elements of romance, suspense, and horror. Some themes her stories never stray too far from: forbidden romance, soul mates, the power of love to redeem, mend all wounds, and triumph over darkness.

Her dream is to move readers and leave an emotional impact through her words.

Don’t be a stranger! Rachel loves to connect and interact with her readers: