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.
Let me start by saying that I am a big fan of historical romance and, any well-written book that bears this label, has always been close to my heart.
The story Rachel L. Demeter has chosen to bring to life – that of a tormented man saved by a woman, who manages to convince him that he isn’t the person he thought he was – became one of the best I have read so far.
After losing his family and experiencing the tragedy of wars and countless fights, Colonel Gabriel de Laurent makes up his mind and decides to kill himself. Without any trace of faith or hope, the last thing he expects is to be saved from his own doing and be given a second chance.
“Broken and alone, Gabriel had returned from the battlefields months earlier. And he’d departed for the war fully intending to die. But things hadn’t gone according to his plan.”
Ariah Larochelle has been through a lot in her life, but she still has a lot of goodness left in her soul. When she stumbles across a wounded soldier who only has minutes left to live, she immediately decides to take him under her roof.
Both Gabriel and Ariah are survivors of awful events that marked their lives and themselves. Their relationship unfolds beautifully and, together, they heal each other’s wounds.
“Thoughts of Ariah and his past invaded his mind, refusing to grant him rest. He wanted to hate her – non, he wanted to despise her – for thwarting his plan. He’d finally mustered her courage to do what should have done long, long ago… then she’d appeared.
Indeed, she’d appeared within the darkness, like a lighthouse among the jagged sea cliffs, steering him away from destruction.”
I fell in love with their story immediately. Gabriel’s stubbornness and passion and Ariah’s compassion and capacity of love made this book even more marvelous. Also, the other characters made the book even more endearing to me.
The author’s writing is simply alluring and flows naturally as she vividly portrays her characters and the Paris of the nineteenth century. I highly recommend it!
I live in the beautiful hills of Anaheim, California with Teddy, my goofy lowland sheepdog, and high school sweetheart of eleven years. I enjoy writing dark, poignant romances that challenge the reader’s emotions and explore the redeeming power of love.
Imagining dynamic worlds and characters has been my passion for longer than I can remember. Before learning how to read or write, I would dictate stories while my mom would jot them down for me. I hold a special affinity for the tortured hero and unconventional romances. Whether crafting the protagonist or antagonist, I ensure every character is given a soul.
I endeavor to defy conventions by blending elements of romance, suspense, and horror. Some themes my stories never stray too far from: forbidden romance, soul mates, the power of love to redeem, mend all wounds, and triumph over darkness.
My dream is to move readers and leave an emotional impact through my words. ♥
2 comments:
Thank you so much for the beautiful and heartfelt review, Diana! :-) <3
My pleasure! I'm glad you liked it. :)
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