Rating: 
Summary: A rehash of the Lover, and not for the faint-hearted
Review: Where I found Michael sexy in her previous book The Lover, I did not really like Gabriel at all. I can see he has had a hard life, but that is no excuse for what he does-he is driven solely by revenge. Angry, mistrustful, and most certainly capable of betraying anyone and everyone, Victoria is thrust into his clutches and treated apallingly. Also appalling in the book are sentences like 'Gabriel could even make rape pleasureable' as he does exactly that to her in a back door scene which would make any reader of romance cringe, and even himself cringes as he tried to doctor her tuch after he is done with her! Aslo cringeworthy: the graphically detailed description of his last female lover, and what he did to her (fisted). There is also the lesbian modiste who fits her for dresses and does the most fascinating things with a tape measure and a feather. There is substantial same sex content in this book considering it is supposed to be a romance. Those who also are not interested in voyeurism in a brothel would like to give his book a miss. His explanation for why he is like that and the reasons for it do not make sense at all. The timetable and explanations are all wrong. That and the appallingly weak ending, are just a few more let downs in this generally bleak and grim book. Gabriel's only redeeming feature was his friendship for Michael and even that is basically destroyed, or given a sexual component which make Gabriel even more selfish than he already is. I can't see anyone as tame as Victoria redeeming a man like him, nor would she really want to. Redeeming him by allowing him full sexual licence to treat her like a sex object does not really ring true. Sorry, but there is a difference between consensual sex and sensuality, and exploring boundaries, and the exploitation of every human being in this book. It is erotica, certainly, if you like that sort of thing, but not romance. A happy ever after ending for this couple or Michael and Anne? I don't think so!
Rating: 
Summary: Unique, Surprising, Super Sensual, Not to be missed!
Review: This is among the finest romance/erotica novels I've ever read. A truly unusual "tortured" hero and a virginal heroine of amazing courage take you on an emotional journey you'll never forget. I don't think it's an exaggeration to liken Shone to a 21st century D.H. Lawrence, doing for the literary depiction of sexuality and eroticism in our time what Lawrence did in the early 20th century. This lady has talent! The novel is not for the faint of heart, nor squeamish. It explicitly explores the healing power of sexual intimacy with two people who are falling deeply in love. By far the best of Schone's always interesting work!
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Fabulous
Review: Most of the other reviewers have summarized the plot quite well, with the ex-governess Victoria putting her virginity on the auction block at an exclusive men's club, known as the "House of Gabriel", and her subsequent unexpected sexual awakening. Gabriel, a man completely walled off by choice from his own sexuality, has become a sort of "voyeur" in his house of prostitution until Victoria comes into his life under suspicous circumstances. If you are looking for a sweet love story, this is not the book for you. The sex is hot, explicit, touches on the homoerotic and may be too much for some readers to handle . Mostly, the storyline is a mesh of the erotic/romance genre and is a sequel to Schone's previous work, "The Lover". I actually enjoyed "Gabriel's Woman" more than "The Lover", for I felt there was a bit more of a plot and I enjoyed the mystery/suspence aspects. The veiled references to the "second man" may be confusing to readers who haven't read "The Lover", and this is my biggest complaint about the novel. The relationship that develops between Gabriel and Victoria is something quite refreshing and unusual. Victoria is a virgin who once is awakened, becomes a tigress. This is the one aspect of Schone's novels' I have found a bit repetitive, as does her constant mention of the length of the man's penis size. The relationship shifts then into different sexual realms. However, it is the breaking down of all of Gabriel's sexual walls that make this novel so interesting and different from my usual romance fare. Gabriel's variety of inner demons made me literally cry. The "friendship" between Michael, the protaganist in "The Lover" and Gabriel seems to be hotly debated. For me, this was not homesexual, but there were shades of homoerotocism. The very existence of this is the essence of Gabriel's torment, so if anything, it really gave me something to ponder after I read this novel. By the end of the book, in my opinion, it is my conclusion they are friends who love each other, but there is a fine line btween homo and heterosexuality both men have resolved. I am shocked at readers who did not see the love between Gabriel and Victoria. Considering all the changes in Gabriel's life after he became involved with Victoria, and how he became able to recieve love and touch from another human being, their love was clear to me. I'd love to see more of them in Schone's future works. I've read all her novels/novellas and her growth as a novelist is wonderful.
Rating:
Summary: Loved it, loved it, loved it....
Review: Robin Schone does it again. Gabriel's Woman is the sequel to The Lover. I couldn't put it down. Again, everything just falls in to place. Gabriel is your normal brooding and anguished hero whom the heroine saves with her love. Schone's books are very intense with very little humor in the characters. That's the only thing that could use improvement, but humor wasn't called for in this book.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing reading
Review: Previous reviewers put it best but I'll try to contribute. This is without a doubt one of the best novels of any kind I've ever read in my life. If you're looking for something a level or two spicier than Harlequin, this book is not for you. This book is so much more. Unlike any 'standard' romance, the women in this book, Victoria and Anne, display a level of compassion, honesty, and understanding not common to the genre at all. And the relationship between Gabriel and Michael is the hottest, most compelling, and most intriguing part of the entire novel. You ache for these two by the last chapter. The author skillfully avoids easy stereotypes and categorizing by displaying the entire emotional depth and range of her characters. I love the way this book explores love and desire in all its forms. It sets a standard for what this type of novel can be for mature, sophisticated readers.
Rating: 
Summary: Enough with the big penises!!
Review: ...In the Lady's Tutor, the lead male character had a penis that was around 12 inches long. Ditto with Michael, the lead character in The Lover. Once again Gabriel, the male protagonist in Gabriel's Woman, has a 9.5 inch "member." Ms. Schone tries to convince us that the sex with these men is super-satisfying, but all I could think throughout these novels was,"OUCH!!" Ms. Schone also toys with the other recurring theme in these books: pain during sex is pleasure...is pain...is pleasure, blah, blah, blah.... I, for one, ain't buyin' it. Moreover, there really is no "romance" per se in any of these three novels. Instead, the lead characters basically engage in sex therapy, Victorian style. Finally, please, oh please, Ms. Schone, abandon your very irritating habit of repeating text and dialogue throughout the book in italics ... Not only is it tremendously annoying, but I'm convinced it makes the books at least 20 pages too long. Trust me, we don't need the repetition; we were paying attention the first time we read it! These three books were sooo disappointing because I LOVED Awaken, My Love. Now that was a romance. Let's hope The Men's and Women's Club is more like that book.
Rating: 
Summary: Flawed but fascinating...
Review: This was the first erotic romance that I bought, based on a recommendation from the site All About Romance and a reviewer I respect. I was not disappointed in the read, although it is not the kind of read I typically enjoy. Those of you familiar with Schone can skip this review, since this is geared more for newcomers like me. What works in this book is the psychology, the motivations of the protagonists Gabriel and Victoria (both with traumatic childhoods, both with secret desires that have gone unfulfilled, and both with a legacy of shame and suffering). Gabriel is more in need of therapy than is Victoria, but this is late Victorian England. So instead of therapy, they have sex over three days and become intimate in other ways. Victoria is the more daring in that she takes tremendous risks to get close to Gabriel both physically and emotionally. Gabriel takes his own risks in trying to find a mysterious villain (called "the second man" in this book) who is out to destroy him and everyone he loves. I cannot say much more without spoiling the book. The book starts unconventionally enough with Victoria offering to sell her virginity for a specified sum at a high-class brothel, and thus catches Gabriel's attention. Gabriel is a former prostitute who has serviced men since his childhood, and who has reinvented himself more than once. Victoria is a former governess dismissed from her last position and reduced to bartering her virtue for the means of survival. Or is she? By the end of the book, we find out a lot more about the pasts of these protagonists, and about how pleasure can be used as a form of intimidation, a form of torture, and above all, a form of vengeance. Gabriel's emotions have been warped by his previous experiences. As a romance, this would not rate very highly since the romance, as it is, comes very late and is unconventional. This is a story about two people who need each other to survive emotionally, not about two people who love each other. (I would have to give it a 3.8 as a romance). As a psychological thriller and a work of erotica, this is very nearly perfect. If I redefine romance to mean the story of a relationship of two human beings (and the assorted baggage they bring with them to the relationship), this works far better. I am not sure however, that I am ready to call it a romance. Schone's writing has pushed her into an entirely new genre, perhaps to be called the "erotic thriller". Rating = 4.3 (deductions reflect the problems of classifying it as a romance)
Recommended = Very Highly.
Rating:
Summary: Wrong relationship
Review: This book is not a love story. The most intense relationship is the one between Gabriel and "the second man." There's been mention of homosexual overtones - I think that is a bit overstated...the real story is not between our lovers, but how much hate and fear Gabriel has that needs to be overcome before he can love again. Frankly, there was little heat between the two main characters, I don't think they even kissed before page 200. If you want to read a great book of Robin Schone's, skip this and read The Lady's Tutor,
Rating:
Summary: From one Robin to another
Review: I've only read one other of Robin Schone's books prior to this. But this book did not leave me down. I have three words for this book... HOT...HOT...HOT!!! This book did not leave me down or in any way disappoint me. I was very happy to see Gabriel get what he needed most in this world.
Rating:
Summary: longtime reader of erotic romance
Review: When the cover of the book claims "erotic romance" I expect to see both elements, and for twelve bucks I should have returned this to the bookstore for a refund. Fool me, I loaned it out so my friend could see what's she's not missing and I don't care if I get the book back or not. Regardless of how long we've waited to see Gabriel, the end result is his story is too intensive in all the wrong areas, bogging down what time should have been spent on a developing relationship. It's hard to tolerate all the pages of useless plot twists when there's very little genuine affection between a man and woman. The harsher shock elements and painful sex turned me off to any more titles by this author. I'm staying clear as well of any more like this with this publisher, until such time someone wakes up and smells the roses. What happened to tender emotions of love between two people? I've never liked harsh and unfeeling. And because I loved Shone's early books, I feel a great loss ...
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