Titan. Caveman. Beast. Dom.
Warrior. Princess. Beauty. Submissive.
In the simplest terms, these are the words that both describe and illustrate the complexity of Gina Whitney’s main characters, Abel Gunner and Gia Mastro, in her marvelously written Rocker series. But as well as these expressions define who Abel and Gia are, they aren’t nearly enough…because these two defy definition as well – together, they are forces to be reckoned with, and apart, they are chaos incarnate, shadows of themselves. They are two parts of a whole that can only be saved by each other, sustaining one another from a past that constantly threatens to pull them under and a future that isn’t quite paved yet.
At the end of Saving Abel, Abel and Gia’s relationship is blown apart by Abel’s conniving bitch of an ex, Morgana, and Abel, without waiting to listen to an explanation from Gia, jets off for his band’s tour, leaving Gia to pick up the pieces of her broken heart – something that she isn’t capable of, which sends her spiraling into a dark tunnel of self loathing and disgust. Her reaction to Abel’s rejection is heartbreaking, and Gina Whitney brings Gia’s anguish and desperation out through her carefully chosen words and depiction of a tortured woman succumbing to her demons and the voices that have always told her that she’s not enough to make anyone stay. Thankfully, Gia has a fantastic support system who reaches out to ensure her recovery and sets in motion her reunion with her Dom, her Alpha, her everything. Gia and Abel are a burning flame that can only be extinguished by one another, and while they’re hot tempered, off kilter, and even fucked up at times, they don’t work apart – Gia feeds Abel’s beast and the control that Abel takes from Gia allows her to clear her mind and feel loved and free – something that she desperately needs.
Gia and Abel both have demons…truths that they’re afraid to lay bare, but that’s exactly what will allow their relationship to endure, and when Gia fully gives herself to Abel after they almost lost each other due to Morgana and Medusa’s meddling, Gia and Abel’s connection only grows stronger. In Forgiving Gia, Gina Whitney allows readers to see a different side of Abel as Gia sheds her past at his feet. As much as he is a controlling, arrogant caveman as Abel the Dom, as Abel the man, he’s compassionate, tender, and caring, giving Gia what she needs to move forward and embrace her feelings instead of running from them. We see a more dynamic version of Abel in book two, which only endears us more to him and what he wants for his and Gia’s future.
The amount of feels this story gave me speaks to the quality of the characters and the storyline. I laughed…I cried…my heart broke…my heart soared. I went through a menagerie of emotions with all of the ups and downs Gia and Abel faced, questioning whether they were going to make it through all of the revelations and underhandedness that occur throughout the text. But that’s exactly what makes Gia and Abel’s story so addictive. It keeps readers guessing until the very end about the fallout of every action, and while that can be nerve wracking, it’s also intriguing, forcing us to read on to see how it all plays out, and at the end of Forgiving Gia, there’s still so much more story to tell in order for Abel and his Beauty to get the ending they deserve, and I, for one, can’t wait to find out what Gina Whitney has up her sleeve for Book 3.
A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
5 poison apples
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