“I see them…In you, I see them.” Estranged from his family and locked in a demanding job which monopolizes all of his time, Head Chef, Mario Garcia, doesn’t exactly have holiday spirit. He spends all season creating magic for others, and for himself, he’s resigned to another lonely winter. There’s a reason he’s known as the Devil in Fairfield Resort’s high-end kitchen, and he has no plans to … plans to change that. What most people don’t realize, however, is that Chef Garcia has a soft spot for one man—a half-blind, Russian dishwasher who is the first person in years to make Mario feel.
Viktor Popov’s life is full of secrets and lies. He showed up in Fairfield with a handful of suspicious papers, no past, and secured a job in the bowels of a resort kitchen. He spends his waking hours washing dishes and trying his best to manage his failing eyesight without anyone taking notice. Once upon a time, he was a man of wealth and reputation, and now he’s living day-to-day, hoping no one will ever take notice.
It’s been forever since Vitya believed in anything, and these long years of loneliness only proved to him that miracles didn’t exist. At least, until the night when warm hands pulled him out of the cold, and a soft voice whispered in his ear that he mattered.
Life isn’t easy, and both men have never expected any different. But maybe, by the soft light of the menorah, both men will finally be able to see that for each other, they’re exactly what they need.
To Touch the Light is a 43,000 word holiday novel set in the Irons and Works Universe. This book contains no cheating and an HEA.
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I absolutely adored this book! It broke my heart and then put it back together again! There were lots of sweet moments and a lot of heart breaking ones. The author did a really good job with these characters and portraying their emotions and feelings for one another. Both had their own struggles they faced daily and finding one another made those struggles more bearable. This book had all the feels and it really tugged at my heart at times both in the worse and best ways. I really love reading the kind if book that has a huge effect on you and stays with you after you read it. It shows what these characters had to endure just to be able to be themselves and the struggles they went through. It deals with a transgender man who falls in love with a nearly blind Russian immigrant who got banished from his home for expressing who he really was by being with other men. Somewhere in between all their hardships, they found something good when they met each other. In a life full of darkness, Vitya found his light when he met Mario-his solynyshko.
So many reasons to love this book, and I loved all of them!
Par for the course in this series, To Touch The Light is another brilliant story! Unlike most of the Christmas stories, this one packs a mighty emotional punch straight in the feels. Loved it!
I loved this book! The main characters, a cranky chef and a nearly-blind Russian who barely speaks English, are wonderful!! This is a great love story that feels different than most. Both main characters were suffering and the ways they helped each other were truly beautiful. The transgender issues were handled respectfully. I finished it over 6 weeks ago and it still drifts through my mind. This is saying something because I read at least one book a week. I read this as a holiday book but it would be enjoyable at any time of yea
What interesting characters. I felt their angst. Was touched by their heartaches. Was moved by their love story. And found I had to up and buy the rest of the series because I appreciated the author’s desire to bring love to characters with physical challenges rather than just connecting ‘beautiful’ people. Thank you.
I absolutely adored Mario and Vitya’s story. Vitya’s past made my heart break a little bit, and I just wanted to hold him and tell him it’s all going to be okay. I thought Mario was a perfect fit for him. It’s sometimes hard for me to read stories with transgender characters–authors don’t always know how to portray these people in realistic ways, but I thought Elaine did an excellent job. I love the tiny glimpses we get into the other Iron and Works relationships.
To Touch the Light is a perfect title for this beautiful holiday story. I love how it’s set in the Irons and Works world. That world has such wonderful characters and Mario and Vitya are no exception. I continue to love how E.M. Lindsey’s stories are so true to life and really test the human spirit. Mario and Vitya are so good for each other. They both learn about trust and acceptance by finding it with each other. They really see the other person and not just with their eyes.
This is truly a wonderful story to be enjoyed again and again and I highly recommend it.