To Touch the Light

This is a very good romance novella. It's part of a series and I think the other couples show up briefly, but I've only read this one and didn't feel like I was missing any info. So it stands alone. Although Vitya's life problems are very serious, and his circumstances are extremely difficult, this book has the feel of a lightweight holiday romance (celebrating Chanukah). I didn't feel it was an angsty read.

My one criticism: Mario believes that he's really tough on his employees, but we don't really see him in action in the kitchen, only a couple times with his manager, and she deserved his toughness. I was expecting a very different kind of book, with a redemption arc of some kind - that I might have to come around to liking Mario. But Mario never seems like a jerk. It's a gentle read, and there's only one truly harsh moment, when Mario loses his temper with Vitya for a reason that's easy to understand. That conflict was resolved almost immediately and I really liked that.

The connection between Vitya and Mario is deep and romantic. There's a decent amount of sex, and it's both hot and affectionate. They fit each other's needs perfectly, and I totally believe in them finding happiness together.

Vitya is a gay cis man and Mario is trans, and Vitya is comfortable with Mario's gender at all times. I have read several trans + cis romances where that isn't the case. (Note: I am a cis reader, so be sure to seek out reviews from trans readers on that point.)

Overall, this is a sweet story that feels like a slice of life. I'm curious to read more by this author.

Thanks goodness, finally a Hanukkah romance that is better than meh. I haven't read any of the previous books in this series (and Lindsey is a completely new-to-me author) but that didn't detract from my enjoyment at all. It was so refreshing to find a well-written holiday romance that acknowledged that not everyone is joyfully celebrating with friends and family. Watching Mario and Viktor fall in love quickly (but fairly realistically - they have known each other as work colleagues but never interacted much) and banish the deep loneliness both felt was exactly the holiday spirit that I needed. In a concrete way, Mario rescues Viktor from poverty and poor health, but Viktor rescues Mario just as much by showing that he loves him for exactly who he is, a transgender man with scars both literal and figurative. And Hanukkah is part of the story organically and symbolically but not in a way that makes it look like the author is trying to cram every detail of the holiday's origins and traditions into a contemporary romance framework.

Just lovely. I will definitely be checking out the other titles in the Irons and Works series and hoping that they are just as satisfying.