Gabriel's Woman

Rating:
Summary: Erotic Romance for the Intellect
Review: There's nothing I hate more then shelling out good money for a book that bores me... Robin's work, NEVER does that! Her work is frank, sensual, and true artistry. Gabriel's Woman delivers that which I think every woman secretly desires. To reach in, touch, and heal the man she loves. Many times "mainstream" romance novels will not deal honestly with circumstances that happen in character's past for the sake of escapism. I like that Gabriel's Woman not only deals with things truthfully, so as not to insult our intelligence, but it also leaves us with the hope that we can overcome our circumstances, to find love. This book is not for the faint of heart but it is well worth every penny and hour spent in enjoying it. Forget Susan Johnson pick up a real story like Gabriel's Woman!

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Summary: I am Enraptured
Review: I am an avid reader, and have read a lot of erotica. But never any "romance". This is the first romance type of book I have ever read, and I am a new fan of Robin's. This book had me from page one and I stayed up all night to read it and did not even read the one that came before it. I just bought it today! The second book, Gabriel's woman, stands all on its own as far as I can tell from reading. I do not feel as if I am missing anything. It is very well written, descriptive, beautiful. It has been so long since I have read any characters of whom I feel love, fear, desire, hope, and anger. I felt as if I knew them, or so very badly wanted to. This is my new favorite book right behind The Great Gatsby. How sad it woudl have been never to have read this book!

Rating:
Summary: Sensual, sexy and definately a keeper
Review: After reading the lover, I didn't think anything could better it but this one did. As with everything Robin writes it is extremely sensual, but she has such wonderful talent. There are not many who can match her style of writing.

I loved the way she portraied Gabriel. He was such a tortured soul who needed to be saved. His relationship with Michael was closer than brothers. Victoria is just perfect for Gabriel. She need him as much as he needs her. They complement each other beautifully.

I'm so glad she bought Michael & Anne(The Lover) back in this story. I'd love to see them all in future works by Robin. Please, please please bring them back in future books.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Read
Review: The thing that I love about this book is that the characters are flawed, making them more real. The female lead is older than one normally finds in romance novels and both she and the male lead come with some serious baggage. This was the first book I read by Ms. Schone and I finished it in one night. Then I promptly purchased all of her other works. Her books are not for everyone but I have found them all to be interesting and well worth the price. I cannot wait for her next book.

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Summary: Great sequel to The Lover; brooding, dark and erotic
Review: If, like me, you were intrigued by Gabriel in The Lover, and his relationship with Michael, you'll want to read this book. Gabriel, remember, is the other angel; the boy who grew up with Michael, whom Michael taught to read, and who in the end killed 'the first man' to save Michael's life.

Now, Gabriel is back, running the House of Gabriel - a whorehouse, to be blunt, where both male and female prostitutes operate - and waiting, knowing that the second man will come for him, to finish what was started earlier. He's protecting Michael and Anne in the best way he knows, with guards posted to be aware of any danger, and he's doing his best to draw the second man to himself - after which one of them will die.

Until one evening a woman, covered from head to toe in a shapeless cloak, comes into the House and offers her virginity for sale - for the same price that Gabriel himself was once sold for. He knows that the second man is involved here, and that this woman must be in on it; so he buys her and tries to get her to tell him the truth. However, after a while he realises that she's also an innocent pawn - which means that her life is in danger. He must hold her prisoner to save her life.

Gabriel, because of his past experiences, hates to be touched. Victoria, because of her background, her age (she's a 34-year-old spinster) and the fact that she's been living on the streets for the past six months, needs to feel wanted - he bid for her virginity, but makes it clear that he has no intention of taking it. She has also, over the last few months, been receiving anonymous letters which awakened her sexuality, making her want to experience passion between a man and a woman.

So, feeling rejected and not understanding Gabriel's rejection of her, she sets out to seduce him.

The love scenes in this book are erotic; they're also rough, raw and blunt. They're not for the timid; if you prefer your sex dressed up in pretty phrases in Harlequin books, you won't enjoy this. There's also some violence here and there, which is understandable given that a dangerous psychopath is out to kill Gabriel and will gladly kill anyone else who gets in the way. But very quickly Gabriel and Victoria come to depend on each other, and we see that Gabriel would protect her with his life. She's come to mean as much to him as Michael.

My one problem with Schone is that she leaves a lot to the reader's imagination. I'm not incapable of drawing my own conclusions about things, but I'm a big fan of introspection - especially in books about brooding, tortured heroes such as Gabriel. So I'd have liked more insight into the characters' psyches, motives, intentions, fears and so on.

As far as Gabriel's relationship with Michael is concerned, there is clearly a homosexual past of some kind - the reader who thought it was implied but not intended didn't read the two books closely enough! Gabriel clearly has conflicted feelings about Michael, however; he associates homosexual love with the shame he felt when he had to admit that he enjoyed what the second man did to him, and so he's not at ease with his feelings for Michael. That was the one big disappointment for me: the two clearly do love each other - though not to the exclusion of Anne and Victoria - but the fact that Gabriel found it so hard to kiss Michael, at a point when it could have saved their lives, seemed wrong to me. (Okay, I wanted them to kiss, anyway!)

Rating:
Summary: Beyond My Expectations!
Review: Robin Schone has done it again. I was sooo moved by Gabriel in The Lover and hoped to hear more about him. Gabriel's Woman is everything I hoped it would be and more!! I cried, I laughed, I couldn't put the book down until the end. The way Robin Schone writes not only captures you but paints the most exhilirating pictures in your mind. Truly Captivating. I loved Victoria because she is someone you can relate to, not like some other characters I have read. You can feel her pain, know what she is thinking, and she's not PERFECT. Like so many other books that make the character out to be flawless. I just love Gabriel. He is not only beautiful on the outside but inside.You are drawn into Gabriel and Victoria because you CAN relate to them. They need love, they need desire, they need to heal from the pain. I own every one of Robin's books and can't wait for the next one.

Rating:
Summary: INCREDIBLE!!!
Review: I have had Gabriel's Woman on my bookshelf for about three weeks. I was saving it as a reward for myself after completing an arduous 3 month task. I finished it in two days, and I feel truly rewarded. I have no words to express my utter joy at this book. It is quite Gothic, and full of suspense. I would not recommend it if you are not truly honest with yourself about your sexuality. The sexual interactions between the hero, Gabriel, and the heroine, Victoria, are beyond intense at times. The relationship between Michael, of The Lover, and Gabriel is further explored here, and we see the depths of the love they feel for each other. Great job Robin!

Rating:
Summary: Moving
Review: If you have read The Lover, you understand that the need to concentrate while reading these books. Although there are parts that usually would make me cringe (talk of homosexuality), it was written so well that I barely noticed its meaning until after. You become so focused on the hero and heroine you don't notice much else. It was beautiful, and I didn't want it to end.

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Summary: Erotically charged
Review: Victoria Childers walked into the House of Gabriel with only one goal... sell her virginity to the highest bidder. After living on the streets of London for six months and having run through what little funds she had, she no longer has a choice but to become a mistress, which was the very thing that put her on the streets to begin with. Once a governess, she'd been dismissed from her position when her employer's wife discovered her husband's penchant for Victoria.

What Victoria doesn't know, though, is that she's nothing more than a pawn in a game with far higher stakes. A game where people will die and lives will be ruined. Her destitute position made her the perfect lure for a madman with the goal of reaching Gabriel himself.... (...)

Rating:
Summary: It's gritty, raw and lusty... Everything it should be
Review: After reading The Lover I was eager to sink my 'teeth' into this tome and I found that I liked this story even more. It was a bit more brutal in the imagery as well as the emotions evoked when you get to know Gabriel and Victoria. Fractured and flawed, wounded by cruelty, Gabriel is one of those dangerous men wise women approach with caution. Victoria doesn't strike me as wise but she is sympathetic enough to venture near and her love fine tunes her instincts. She does have the fortitude to offer love, unconditionally, to a man who desperately needs it and wants to be capable of returning it. Gabriel is wounded in spirit and believes the ugly things thrown at him most of his adult life, and after the assault on his person, his psyche is bruised and in need of the balm of unconditional love.

He also needs a little humor, but there isn't any to be found until the very last page. This book, as I said, is gritty, raw and in your face but it as a marvelous read. You get the flavor of the time period and you really want to tap Victoria on the shoulder more than once to offer a few bits of sage advice before she tries to seduce Gabriel for his own good.

This is a great rainy day in front of the fire book and I suggest that once you open it, you make sure that everything is within arm's reach because you won't want to put it down!