"Tell me that you want me, or get out."

Redemption, forgiveness, and love, love, love. That is what this story is about. Forgiving yourself and learning how to love an equally flawed human being with the same unconditional love that you are to show yourself. The two main characters mirror Dante and Beatrice, and the parallels are beautiful.

This is not your typical romance. It is intellectual, poetic, intense, honest, and in my opinion, nothing short of brilliant. You don't see this type of depth in many romances, and on that note, it's not for everyone. This isn't a light, breezy read. It's serious and thought-provoking, but not without laughs. It will make you think about real love and intimacy and what it really means to value it. It's also much more than romance. It's about personal redemption and the human condition. Here's an example:

"Sometimes people, when left alone, can hear their own hatefulness for themselves. Sometimes goodness is enough to expose evil for what it really is."

This is a very difficult book for me to review because I loved so many different things about it, and it's so multifaceted. It's very, very emotional and close to impossible to put down. The author's profile states:

"I'm interested in the way literature can help us explore aspects of the human condition - particularly suffering, sex, love, faith, and redemption. In my writing, I combine all of these elements with the themes of redemption, forgiveness, and the transformative power of goodness."

This is why I fell in love with this book and the author's work--this is a writer after my own heart. This is what I love about literature and why I'm so passionate about it, so I guess I'm completely smitten with and biased toward the writing style, tone, and content. Gabriel's Inferno demonstrates the above in all of its glory. If you want a smart romance with real substance, this is well worth your time.