Taste of the Light

Izotov Bratva #2

by Nicole Fox

A list of red flags that I, Elaina Hunter, have ignored:

- Billionaire chef. (Suspicious.)
- My actual boss. (Problematic.)
- Emotionally unavailable. (Classic.)
- Secret mafia ties. (Less classic. Still an issue.)
- Faked his own death. (Honestly, at this point, I should've seen it coming.)

I should've run after the first one.
I definitely should have booked it after what I saw him do in that alley.
And yet here I am, pregnant with his baby, opening my door to him at midnight because he said pretty please.

Bastian Hale makes me want to tear my hair out.
He makes me want to cry and scream, and also kiss and cuddle.

But if he thinks I'm the same girl he ruined, he's got another thing coming.
This is a new me. Eliana 2.0.
And this version won't fall so easily.

If Bastian wants forgiveness...
He's gonna have to beg for it.

Genres: Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Second Chance, Dark, Mafia Romance, Dark Romance, Steamy

518 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 15, 2026

About the author

Nicole Fox writes smart, sexy mafia romance novels. She is a crazy cat lady in her late 30s with a coffee addiction, an overactive imagination, and a husband who somehow puts up with her impulsive need to keep buying new plants for their house.

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Reviews

[Dora Koutsoukou · Rating 1 out of 5]

Part 2/2

1,5 🙄⭐️s

Having sex when the hero is on the brink of death is a terrible and unfortunately overused cliche! ! 🙄🙄
Regardless, I skimmed through the whole story because I was bored and the execution was not at its finest…
(What happened to Zeke and Yas❓)

[LACEY · Rating 1 out of 5]

this story just pissed me off. why did Bastian needs ilianas help to rescue his little brother. is she trainedin these skills, absolutely not, in fact shes losing her vision and pregnant. seriously this plot was even thought about. so many times this book had me stratching my head. like these

A door opens and she immediately smells wintergreen from across the room, yeah okay. her other senses are heightened because she's blind, ma'am be for real, you've been blind a month. sage asks Iliana if she's pregnant, just randomly with no reason at all to ask, ma'am you are only 8 weeks, no one can tell. stating a few times that clothes are stretched tight over her belly, again are you kidding me, you are only 12 weeks now. one of the times was Zekes hoodie, I know dang well that hoodie was big, youre going to tell me that a 12 week belly was stretching it to the limit. I just feel like no effort was put into this book and I have read many of her books and love them, this though, terrible.

also why was iliana so damn stubborn, for what though. it didnt add anything to the book except to make me dislike her and draw out boring conversations. word count was obviously needed because what's up w1ith the stupid vocabulary words at every chapter, pointless and did anyone actually read them.

another issue, who let's a pregnant blind girl sleep on a pullout couch and everyone else's takes the bedrooms, these people dont like you and they are not your friends or a real man. also what kind of man finger bangs his girl with bloody fingers whiles she's wearing a torn hospital gown while sitting on a sidewalk, just gross and definately not a turn on

who gets shot in the stomach and is like im going to my girls mom's house who has no medical experience and im going to live, no way in hell. also who gets shot and 3 days later has sex. that's not sexy, that weird that you cant control your hormones to recover first. 3 days are freaking kidding me, its not like it was a graze, no straight in the abdomen. also it's not like he's laying down and she's doing the work. no, he's effing her and he's careful to avoid putting pressure on her stomach. I just cant with this book, she's only about 13 weeks now, give or take because only a few days passed since they mentioned 12 weeks. was there no proofreader. ugh

[Zenia Najarro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book

Ok seeing as I read this book, including the first one, in less than 12 hours I had to give it 4 stars. I was sucked in and NEEDED to know what was going to happen. The FMC was a bit hard to deal with at points, she was a bit too stubborn but it did add to the book and develop her relationship with the mmc. I love Bastian's growth especially after talking with Georgia(also appreciate her growth). I do feel Yas's storyline contributions were unnecessary but I was intrigued enough that I was upset when there was not a metion of her in the epilogue, especially with the trauma that occurred at the end. Essentially the ending was disappointing, felt rushed. Overall I did enjoy these books the first one more than the second.

[Luna ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

»Because I need you to understand, Eliana, that there is no line I won't cross for you. No version of myself I won't become. And I'm not sorry for that. I can't be sorry for that.«

★ ★ ★

❥ 𝑬𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒂 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
I still like her but I think she was unnecessary hard on Bastian sometimes. I love the fact she has a backbone and I‘m impressed how well she handles herself being blind.

❥ 𝑩𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒏 ⋆✮
I love this man. He does everything for the people he loves. Bastian is the perfect mixture of a dominant and dangerous but still soft man.

✥ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌
This was a solid conclusion for this duet. It‘s not as thrilling as the first book but still entertaining. For me this could have been much shorter but similar to the first one this was a quick read considering there are again over 500 pages. I can‘t say enough that I‘m not a fan of duets because most of the time this is just a money maker in my opinion. There are few duets I truly enjoyed and this was one of them. I liked the overall idea of this storyline and the characters were amazing. So thumbs up! I will definitely read more books from this author because her writing style is really good. I had fun reading this book.
I must say I understand people disliking this book because you need to switch your common sense off while reading. It didn‘t make sense that Bastian wants Elianas help (while she‘s pregnant and blind) to rescue his brother from the Bratva. Like wtf? This doesn’t make sense but it‘s entertaining so I ignored the unlogical plot. If you can‘t switch off your common sense/brain while reading then this book isn‘t for you.

𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?
Yes.

𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝟓 ׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒
plot: 3/5
spice: 1/5
humor: 4/5
couple/tension: 4/5
world building: 4/5
happy end?: yes

𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 ₊ ⊹
protective and possessive hero, billionaire, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, disability representation, surprise pregnancy, light mafia, dark, age gap

𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
#1 Taste of the Dark ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#2 Taste of the Light ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Andria · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh My God. I'm so pissed with this book. I loved the first one, but this was terrible! So many issues that had me really questioning if a 16 year old boy wrote this.

First of all, and possibly the biggest issue, is Eliana. The smart, sassy girl from the first book was body-snatched by an idiot with super human smell and hearing, weeks after going blind. It takes YEARS to develop the awareness of your surroundings and she's able to change locations daily with no issue? Bull shit. Then you have the issues with her pregnancy. No one can tell at 8 weeks. At 12 weeks, the fetus is the size of a LIME, and yet her balance is off, center of gravity is weird, and she feels like a whale?! No. Just, no. Do some fucking research.

Bastian is also extra stupid in this book. How did he become so successful with how stupid and incompetent he is? "Eliana, come help me save my cripple brother even though you just became blind." *face palm* "Let's go stay with Zeke so my ass hole brother has another person to use against me"*eye roll* "let's bring the blind and pregnant girl to sit in the car, just in case and not be surprised when she runs in and saves the day"*are you fucking serious?"

The only person that developed in a positive and believable way was Georgia. and considering we barely see her, that's saying a ton.

This was so hard to finish, and I wish i hadn't wasted my time with it.

[Haley · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think I wanted to stab my eyes like 20 times during this book. The first 50% of this book was decent and I was able to manage it but then every single page was her icing him out and continuing to say I can manage on my own like a billion times. And then the guilt after being a b****. Well guess what happens when you pushed him away (doctors office). Btw that scene after was entirely gross. Umm he just punched a dude to death in the face and then he sticks those fingers, that are coated in blood, into places that should definitely not have another random guys blood into. She has STDs for sure now. The story just kept getting more insane after each chapter. Their ragtag friends coming together and learning about him being a killer and then being okay with it was just the icing on the cake. Especially when her MOM finds out. Ummm I know you aren’t the best mother but ummm maybe have some good motherly advice her lady. Anyways, 500+ pages / time that I regret. 😂

[Ambers Book Nest · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was, I believe, the third book or series I’ve read in which the FMC was blind. It's not a subject that appears very frequently in romance novels. However, I thought Nicole Fox did a good job writing Eliana. I believe it depicted some of the terrible encounters and difficulties that a blind person would go through. Although I do feel like sometimes it could have been addressed a little further. Taste of the Light is just full of drama, danger, twists, turns, suspense and complete chaos. Each turn of a page came with another horrible thing happening to either Bastian, Eliana, Zeke, Yas or Sage. Everyone suffered in the book because of Alexei, so it was more than satisfying to see his end. I think the only reason I rated this book low was because even though there was all this drama and chaos, the book didn’t keep my attention: sometimes finishing this book became more of a chore than fun. But that all being said, I think this was a great story, and I can't wait to see what comes next from Nicole Fox, and you bet I'll be first in line again to apply for an ARC.

“I need you to understand, Eliana, that there is no line I won’t cross for you. No version of myself I won’t become. And I’m not sorry for that. I can’t be sorry for that.”

[Neapolitan670 📚🖤 · Rating 5 out of 5]

How many times will he grasp at the grim reapers cloak 😱

The second in this duet follows on perfectly, Eliana and Yas are holed up in a grotty hotel, Eliana now completely blind. Bastian has been doing his brother’s bidding and falling deeper into Bratva life. The girls find an apartment to rent as far away as they possibly can from the city, Eliana finds out she’s pregnant. Soon after they learn that Bastian Hale is d3ad, of course Eliana wants to go to his funeral, certainly not a good idea when she is being watched. From here we are thrown into their story….

“𝐼 𝒽𝒶𝓉𝑒𝒹 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒷𝑒𝒸𝒶𝓂𝑒. 𝐼 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓃𝓎𝓌𝒶𝓎.”

I really wouldn’t be able to say which of the duet was my fav, because they both have their elements. However, this second one is more intense with build ups, tension, angst, vi0lence and emotions, it is one you don’t want to put down but also one you are sat on the edge of your seat and growling 🤣 I do enjoy me a Nicole Fox read, she has a way with making you have all the feels, with her words and her visuals.

[Kat Jowett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow the second half of this duet was just as good as the first. Nicole managed to write an emotional hard hitter, with a FMC that was kind and strong. Ely is now blind and learning to maneuver the world without her sight, pregnant with only jas as her support and ya know what she's a badass never a challenge she can't face, bastian has a whole host of issues least of all his apparent death.... he has to try fix things with, Ely, zeke, jas and sage. Figure out how to beat his bratva boss brother, deal with the fbi, grapple electrical wires to rescue his disabled brother. Among other things. Safe to say there's a whole lot of drama but bastian is actively trying to be the person his family need. There's so much more to this book, there's mums trying to make amends and be better, yas learning that you don't have to push people away before you get hurt and sometimes the bravest thing you can do is love, sage has to learn to forgive day by dad when trust is desperately broken.

The emotion I felt reading this Nicole did a fantastic job writing from the perspective of all these people with such different feelings and situations and I loved it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Intel Chicky Reads Romance (Kara Merideth) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting conclusion!

Story: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1\2
Trope: Workplace romance
Angst: 😱😱😱😱😱
Smexy: 🔥🔥

Overall, this was a really good conclusion to the story. It was a little slow paced at times, but it picked up again toward the end. All the drama, greeat banter, and accidental babies that you expect with a Nicole fox book. Always a 1 click.

[Juliette Harden · Rating 2 out of 5]

✨Vibes: Romance, Mafia-ish
💕Favorite Quotes: "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."
"Love just is. Like gravity. You can fight it all you want, but eventually, you're gonna fall."

Would I recommend: **IT'S A HARD NO FOR ME**

💭Thoughts: Ummmmm.....the math just wasn't mathing for me in this book. AT ALL. I was very disappointed as this would make my 43rd book of hers that I have read (which I LOVE her mafia books so much, I tell everyone they should read them) and it fell so flat, it was hard to get through. Let's just say, I am not a DNF'er and I almost succumbed because of how bad this was. Here is a list of just a few things that had me scratching my head or that just left me so dumb struck at the ludicrousness of this book:

1. If homegirl is blind, how the hell would she have seen what the pregnancy test said being as though she didn't want to tell her best friend yet?! Did she happen to pick one in her blindness that spoke to her. Did she get lucky and get one that had brail that she can now magically read? It didn't make sense at all.
2. Why all throughout the book did it have her "seeing". I swear the author forgot that she wrote a blind character sometimes. There were moments where it was like okay she would say something in the book and then remind us well she just assumed that is how they looked or what they were doing because she was blind and then in other moments it straight up was written that she could magically see for that scene alone. WEIRD
3. The most tragic scene in this book though was reading how he defended her in this moment that she needed it and he killed a man. Not the point here though.....It talked about how bloody his hands were multiple times, to the point where as a reader you are like dang okayyyyy his hands are covered in blood (we get it) all to say that and then they end up on the side of the road on a sidewalk where he then presumes to finger bang her.....**WITH HIS BLOODY FINGERS 😬** I mean if that doesn't scream DISGUSTING, I don't know what does. Definitely screams unsanitary, need to get tested immediately.
4. The ending was atrocious. What the hell happened to the best friends?!?! Like did they die? Did they survive? Are they living happily ever after? Are they still together? WTH happened????

**STICK WITH WHAT YOU KNOW SIS.....MAFIA MAIN CHARACTERS AND MAFIA TRUE STORYLINES**

***Not me realizing there is an extended epilogue that I read and liked more so than the actual real book. FYI for anyone who didn't read it, you do find out where the best friends are and how they are doing. At least I got that answered for me.

[Carly Crawford · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was so bad. I can't get past some of the more ridiculous scenes in this book.
There were just so many unrealistic storylines, the pregnancy symptoms, the reality of blindness ... it was just not well done.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get comfortable with your favorite bottle of wine, your snacks, your cozy blanket because you aren’t putting this down until the last page has been turned picking up where we left off. Eliana is left to pick up her new reality without vision, without the man she fell in love with, her world continued to change with her trying to keep the ones she loves safe but for her that means sacrificing herself it seems to be the only way. Bastian we have learned to love him because of the tender moments he shows his girl he doesn’t let her blindness stop her or them, will stop at nothing to protect the ones he love and I love that he supported her, allowed her to have her own independence just cleared some of the hurdles and was there to catch up telling her she can do it. But Eliana had to realize that strength within herself but the one thing I can say she did things like she wasn’t blind and once she realized that Bastian wasn’t going to leave her well that just gave her the wings she needed to fly on her own but where are they headed, where will they land, they push, they pull, they fight every thing for the love but will they win that love, the more they fight the stronger the pull towards one another, and through it all will they find their own happiness somewhere along the way?

[Caroline F · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m breathless! What a wild ride! This was a dark and spicy story that was, at times, pretty tough to read. It was heart-thumping and heart-stopping, and towards the end I seriously thought there was another cliffy coming!

There was no denying that Eliana and Bastian belonged together but what an arduous path they trod to get to their HEA. They kept getting hits right up to the final chapters. I could see time left in book was getting very low and wondered how the author was going to wind the story up. Yes, it did feel a bit rushed but, honestly, I was just so glad their horrible ordeals were over that I didn't care that we didn't get more of them in the aftermath.

Poor Bastian! I had moments of sheer devastation for him and the hard decisions he had to make. Eliana was so hard on him that I wanted to shake her for her stubbornness and hardheadedness. I loved the family unit they made with Sage, Yas, Zeke and Georgia.

This book was heaps darker than the first one and, as I mentioned earlier, it was hard to read at times - I could hardly bear the cruelty portrayed. However, in the heart of the story was the love that endured between Eliana and Bastian - undeniable and stronger than they could ever imagine.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/review/R2CAVPX...

[Winfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book is worth reading... slow burn (YES) but oh how it burns once Bastian and Eliana get started it's flaming. Then we toss in their best friends passion you have a story that will not let you go.

The ending will make your jaw drag the floor.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one sucked, to put it bluntly. I skimmed the middle and read part of the end. It got dark.

[Ohh look · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book was a hot mess I'm actually annoyed at everybody who was giving it five stars.

[Joy · Rating 1 out of 5]

horrible

I didn’t even finish this book. It didn’t need to be a duet. A lot of stuff could’ve been resolved in the first book.. please don’t waste your time

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one had a lot more action and suspense. Twists and turns until the end!

[Ali · Rating 1 out of 5]

What?

So many ways to move this story forward, and this is what was chosen? Firstly, this duet should have only been one book. Secondly, the characters went from likable to just ridiculous. Thirdly, just no. So much wrong with this ending.

[Kim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Despised it.

I absolutely could not stand this book. Unfortunately I am not one who can DNF a book. I always feel like it'll get better. Surely it has to get better. This will have an upswing, right?

I need to stop being so optimistic. Because this book was garbage. And I would not recommend this series to anybody. Let me tell you why and spoil it all.

For starters, there's too much garbage going on. Every 5 minutes they're on the run from the brother. Listen, two times? That's cool. Four times? No. That's excessive. I'm over it. I have never wanted a book to end so badly.

The whole blindness thing too. Cool, she went blind. But she was able to do things and "see" things she shouldn't be able to when blind. So for her to say stuff like, "he was leaning up against the dresser with a smug look on his face." Really? Cuz your blind eyes can see that? Your blind eyes that can see nothing and you live in the dark, can see how he's standing and the look on his face? Honey, I think not. There were so many examples like that where she was "seeing" things. She saw a notification on her phone. No she didn't. She might have heard a notification. She might have been alerted to a notification. But she did not see it because she's freaking blind! There are probably at least 50 different examples of stupid stuff like that that just ruins the book in my opinion. And then, she's out here fighting and running into a building to save Sage and Bastian because he drew the place on her hand multiple times? How does that account for the other guy who's there who could have come in behind her? Bastian didn't really know the inside layout of the building. So how does she? He didn't know where the stairs were located. Bastian knew which window his brother was at, But to have her go in blindly after crossing the street and inside the building, up the stairs and smash the guy upside the head with her walking stick. I forget what she calls it already. That was just not believable at all. And while I do love a book that has unrealistic visuals, I want that with the men. They're all 6'2+ bulky beyond belief with a manhood that'll tear you apart. That's the unbelievability I want. The rest of it needs to be semi-realistic.

Zeke also seems to just keep getting his butt kicked all the time. He didn't seem to be that much of a weakling, but the poor guy was beaten over and over and over at this point as a secondary character. It was too much.

I normally love to read my books. I typically read one at a time because it gives me the time to devote to it and then I can move on to the next one. But I did not want to read this book... Because it was that awful. It took me days to read this dang thing and it shouldn't take that long. I don't even remember when I started it. I just know that it strung out for way longer than it should because the entire story was just so unrealistic and so ridiculous all around that I got sick of reading it and just wanted it over but didn't want to even read it to make that happen! And that saying something because I really truly love reading books.

I should have taken better notes on everything that I really truly despised about this book, but I kept on trying to think that it would get better. The fact that she's even blind in the first place is lame too. Like, why?

And Bastian... I'm still not clear his freezer timeline. I thought he was like 12 years old? But then I read on another part where he was like 8 or 9 years old? I'm so confused. But I didn't even care enough to go back and check because the book was just that bad. Usually I will actually go back to see if I read something right or if I interpreted it wrong. But I did not even care enough to do that in this book. I just wanted the book done.

Oh and speaking of finishing, let's go there for a minute. I am all about having adult shenanigans in all locations. Don't get me wrong. However, in someone's bush, yes you read that right, out in the real world, that was gross. And when he had bloody fingers and was then fingering her, also disgusting. And then towards the end, when they had all the family over, and she's on the counter in the kitchen and he's feasting on her delightful center... Also, no! Go clean yourself up. Go do it in a place that is not somebody else's yard or in the bushes/weeds and where people can literally walk in when you're hosting a party. Again, sometimes the possibility of being caught can be very sexy. In this book, it was not. At all.

-100/10 do not recommend this series (Yes, that's a negative 100/10)

I need to look up and see if I have read this author before. She doesn't stand out as someone I've loved in the past, but I've read so many random books, I truly don't know if this is just a one-off series or if this is common. I probably should have looked into that up before I read this review so I could wrap up whether or not I would ever read anything else by her.

Too bad 0 stars isn't an option.

[Marisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave the first book the benefit of the doubt but somehow this book is even worse. Don’t even get me started on the typos. There are entire words missing from sentences which means half the time they have to be read 2-3 times to understand what is (trying to be) said. It’s as if this book was written in one go on a cell phone, words are close but not correct as if texting and your phone autocorrecting wrong (which again means you have to reread the sentence to understand what is was supposed to say). And then no one went back to proofread, they just said good ‘nough and clicked publish.

Should we talk about how the blind girl is able to describe everything in minute detail even though SHE IS BLIND?! How do you walk into a room and describe the exact way a man is standing when YOU CANT SEE HIM??? Or describe the exact way a house looks like it was drawn in crayon BUT YOU CANT SEE IT?!?!? It’s not like “my friend described it to me and it sounds like xyz” no it’s literally all in her POV with nobody but her +/- the one other person who she is describing.

There’s also just really teeny irksome inconsistencies. Like how does she drop her cane “in the gutter” then her whole person is immediately scooped up by someone and carried off “while clutching her cane” when did she pick it up??? And without a whole scene of her on her hands and knees fumbling around trying to find it?? There were AT LEAST three separate scenes in which she dropped her cane and then it magically reappeared in her hands without anyone having picked it up.

I swear this entire book was just written as rage bait.

Edited to add:
How did I forget to mention the fact that everyone was in a bed in their own room EXCEPT THE PREGNANT WOMAN?! Nah she gets a lumpy couch, ur fine stop complaining. Or, what reeeeeeally made me mad, this girl doesn’t smoke but now that she’s pregnant she’d like to try it again after not having smoked since college or whatever? Do you WANT the baby to be more effed up than it’s already going to be with yall as parents?? Also she’s barely even pregnant but somehow the size of a whale. I haven’t finished the book yet but unless there’s a twist of her being pregnant with 13 babies this she has no business acting like her clothes actually don’t fit her at this point. I get a bigger belly when I bloat on my period (or eat too much pizza by myself) but she’s been pregnant for 30 seconds and is acting like she’s about to pop?!

Also explain to me how this blind pregnant chick was needed to rescue Sage? He could have done that sht on his own, but no he wanted to control her again. I am a diehard dark romance girlie and I love me a controlling mafia man, but this dude was just a straight up asshole. There was not one singular redeeming quality about this dude (even the orgasms can be got elsewhere, BOBs for the win (; ). The only reason I don’t feel the need to bash Bastian (lol) is because Eliana was just as awful. “We’re on the run from the law and the mafia and I’m blind so I better go out alone and rip the dick off of anyone who tries to tell me that I’m clearly a fcking moron”. That child ain’t gonna live very long with such a moron of a mother, let’s be real.

Also. I may not have ever run from the law before personally so maybe I’m wrong… but isn’t step 1 to ditch your cell phones and stuff? So how is she on the run but her mom was trying to call her (and Eliana knew this because she was screening the calls). Let’s say that she did get smart eventually and replace it with some cheap burner phone… do they have smart burner phones? Like I always picture some rinkydink flip phone, so how is she sending voice messages and stuff back and forth to Yas? And motel hopping makes sense to avoid the cops, but then they settle into an apartment and she gets set up with a coach person thing for her blindness? You don’t think some blind girl on the run isn’t going to stick out like a sore thumb??? There is absolutely no way they weren’t found by the cops yet unless they’re literally just watching them and letting them think they’re getting away with something because they feel a lil smidge of pity for them because how can someone possibly be THAT BAD at “disappearing”. It’s like playing hide-and-seek with a toddler and they’re giggling so hard that you have to actively pretend you don’t know precisely where they are. That’s the cops. “Do they really think we don’t see them?” while munching on donuts at the table next to them.

Also don’t have the blurb tell you straight up that he faked his death and then trying to spin that as a MAJOR TWIST that he’s shockingly not dead even though it says so right on the back of the book. It could have been worded differently, like here she is navigating life without the father of her unborn baby and then when you read it “oh no, he dead?! ):” and then a second later “oh no he NOT dead 😮”

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taste Of The Light is book second of the Izotov Bratva duet which ends with a happily-ever-after. This is Bastian and Eliana’s story. Their romance started in book one, Taste Of The Dark. Each book is a book full-length standalone novel. A spicy office romance where finds herself pregnant with her billionaire boss's baby after he faked his death. A brilliantly written story with two flawed and damage souls and a complex and twisty storyline that captures the audience attention from the start and keeps you hooked and turning the pages. An unputdownable and addictive read. A definite page turner with enticing erotic scenes that's filled with burning hot panty-melting passion, longing, cravings, angst, heart-stopping emotions and tension.
A fast paced, thrilling, and dark story. Decadent. Dirty. Captivating. Compelling. Taste Of The Dark is a sexy sizzling, emotion-filled delight. For those looking for there next Fifty Shades fix, look no further. An instant addiction and a complete escape. A book that demands to be read and screamed escape from the everyday life and gave that something extra that you craved and never knew you needed. "Holy Hell this book is smoking HOT." Christian Grey has nothing on Bastian Hale.

TROPES:

💰💸Billionaire Alpha Hero Romance
💀💀☠️Bratva Romance
👨‍🍳🥘🥞Chef /Foodie Vibes
☑️Enemies-to-Lovers Romance
☑️Boss/Employee Romance
🏤🏢Office Romance
☑️Forced Proximity Romance
☑️Contract/Fake Relationship Story
☑️Forbidden Relationship Romance
💀Morally Gray,Tattooed Reformed Bad Boy
👩‍🦯👩‍🦯Disability (Blind Heroine)
🪣🪣🗒📝Bucket List Romance
🌞Power Dynamics & Alpha Male Control
🩸🩸🔫Mafia-Lite Romance
☠️☠️Dark Mafia Romance
♟️♟️Romantic Suspense Story
♟️♟️Contemporary Romance
👰‍♂️🤵Fake Marriage Romance
👶👶🍼Secret Baby Romance
♟️♟️Action & Adventure Romance
💀💀Women's Crime Fiction Story
♟️♟️General Romance
🩸🔫💀Murder, Bloodshed, Violence
♟️♟️Trauma, Healing, Forgiveness
Elaine learned that Bastian family was in the mafia and that his brother Aleksei, the pakhan as dragged him back into it. There was a long list of red flags that she have ignored with Bastian and should've ran when she walked in him on with blood on his hands. But she she stayed, she got tired of it and ran. Elaine decided to run with her best friend as the disease worsen and the last of her vision is fading. They fled to American and worked as a chef. Bastian is having a rough time with his brother having do things that he had walked away from. His little brother Sage is very unhappy with him, and is now in danger because his brother knows where he is and will use him at anytime in order to control him.
He's worried about Elaine and can not find her. Bastian didn't know that when Elaine fled that she was carrying his heir. He's going to get the shock of his life when he finds her. He needs her help to get away from his brother. Bastian is desperate to get away from under his brother's thumb. They will be some fear, betrayal, backstabbing, steam, double-cross, kidnapping, threats, attacks, heartache, hurt and pain, sadness, power and control, family issues, drama, loyalty, friendship, darkness, madness, acceptance, witty banter, gun fight, redemption, love and so much more. When Bastian finds her she knows that she should keeps him at arms length. He thinks that she's the same girl that he ruin but he as another thing coming. Because she's now Elaine 2.0 and this version won't fall so easily. The two will work together to defeat his brother and dismantle the Bratva. Will they be successful against Aleksei? Will they get their HEA? How will Bastian react to learning that he was going to be a father? Will they keep Sage safe from his brother? How will Elaine navigate motherhood and the loss of her sight? Will she seek life changing surgery for eyes?

I received an advanced copy of this book via Booksprout and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Taste of the Light (Izotov Bratva, #2) by Nicole Fox

⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

‘Taste of the Light’ begins right on the fall-off of the prior instalment. Readers are witnessing Yasmin Kaur and Eliana Hunter on the run after a tumultuous night of murder, the unveiling of secrets and the hurt of a lost love. With a whirlwind of personal revelations, this novel narrates Eliana and Bastian’s journey towards forgiveness, and attempting to rid of Aleksei’s hold of power.

In the first instalment, Aleksei uses loyalty and the success of Project Olympus as a motive towards Bastian murdering a target for him. However, in this novel, the motive becomes unsubstantiated, and as audience we no longer understand why the youngest brother is being used as the vessel to handle killings. A lot of resentment is shown by Aleksei, specifically in his strictness towards keeping the Bratva within the family. Nonetheless, his use of his younger brother doesn’t exhibit the desire to expand a family empire, instead revealing the privilege to manipulate and abuse a man who is successful in the corporate ladder. Unfortunately, majority of the plot coincided with this testament—in which it was confusing, baseless and the integrity of characters was lost.

The air in ‘Taste of the Light’ is much more sinister, and eerie. It’s impossible to feel settled or content in Eliana’s blindness, and the tumultuous twist of Bastian Hale’s life. There is an overbearing sense of caution and protectiveness that I felt as a reader whenever I had to witness Eliana experience life on her own. Despite my understanding to not be weary or scared for individuals with a disability, the looming threats and involvement of the Bratva, made me anxious for Eliana throughout the novel. This instalment is not settled in the slightest. Chapter after chapter, readers are tormented with violence and turbulence of a once cherished and admirable relationship. The existing humour and banter is gone, in sacrifice of crude language.

Nicole Fox always provides such thrilling plots, and I do believe her use of the blurb or the short description in the beginning of the novel does ruin what is a great reading experience. A lot of the twists and turns are acknowledged in the blurb, and so readers are left with no anticipation on the future of Eliana and Bastian. I would suggest if you have not read the blurb yet for this novel—don’t. The reading experience is way more suitable for one with no context.

The final instalment in the Izotov series is tumultuous and definitely one that is not a content, satisfying read. Whilst I absolutely adore Nicole Fox’s articulation on the brevity of the Bratva world, the constant feeling of being unsettled challenged my enjoyment of the novel.

Successes of this novel:
- Nicole Fox’s mature writing style, being able to encapsulate the numerous plot developments definitely is a skill
- Despite the lack of a foundation, this novel was extremely entertaining
- The female lead having a notable disability is archetypal in the romance world

[Kim Cass · Rating 5 out of 5]

When we last left off, everything was in absolute shambles. Eliana is left picking up the pieces of a new reality without her vision and without the man she loves. And just when it feels like her world cannot possibly fall apart any further, new changes come crashing in and shift the game entirely. Faced with impossible choices, Eliana has to decide how far she is willing to go to protect the people she loves, even if it means sacrificing herself in the process.

Y’all, I was so on edge after the ending of the first book that I had no choice but to binge this one all night just to see how it would end. And let me tell you, NO REGRETS AT ALL. My tired raccoon eyes say otherwise (and so does my boss who does not understand who Bastian and Eliana are or why they were worth losing sleep over) but still…worth it.

��I’m done dying for you, Eliana,” he swears. “From now on, I’m going to try living instead.”

Bastian had so many huge moments in this book, and the sacrifices he made genuinely broke my heart. But that is exactly the kind of man he is. He steps up, every single time, and will do absolutely anything for the people he loves. His mental health struggles were hard to read, especially seeing how much weight he carried on his shoulders and how far he was willing to go. His love for Eliana was pure and unwavering, like not once did her disability get in the way of how he saw her. He always supported her, enabled her independence, and stood by her through every shift in her life without hesitation.

And Eliana…this girl is forever iconic. Her disability never dimmed her strength or her fire. She was willing to do whatever it took, refusing to let anything stand in her way. I also loved that once she finally accepted Bastian for who he truly was, she gave him that same unwavering devotion right back. She fought just as hard for him as he did for her. Her resilience, her strength, and her determination made her impossible not to admire.


“We fit together like nothing in my life has ever fit me.”

Btw, shoutout to the red flags list in the beginning that had me absolutely losing it, hilarious and painfully accurate. I loved how this duet was written and that despite the emotional distance between them, the chemistry was still very much alive. Their banter never disappeared, even when everything else felt broken. They truly loved each other so deeply, but their love had also torn them apart. They were fighting each other while simultaneously fighting for the chance to be together, and that tension made every moment hit harder.

Their happy ending did not come easy. It was earned through pain, sacrifice, and growth. And honestly, that made it all the more satisfying in the end. This duet was emotional, intense, and completely worth every sleepless hour it took to finish it.

[Michelle Frater · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I waited for the sequel to Taste of the Dark with bated breath, I found myself both thrilled and mildly frustrated by the result. Picking up right where Book 1 left off, we find Eliana and her BFF Yas on the run—hiding from Yas’s ex (and, let’s be honest, maybe Bastian too), never staying in one place long. Eliana is now completely blind and, to her shock, pregnant. Meanwhile, Bastian is spiraling ever deeper into his brother’s blood-soaked grip, slowly transforming into the very monster he’s feared he was becoming all along. With every life Bastian takes for Aleksei, another piece of his soul is stripped away. But with Aleksei still holding his disabled brother hostage, Bastian has no choice but to toe the line—until he devises a bold and dangerous plan, one that requires him not only to die, but to finally make things right with Eliana. What I loved most was how Bastian took the darkness within him and redirected it toward something meaningful. He doesn’t suddenly become a “good man”, instead, he weaponizes his brutality against his Bratva brother. Even better, Bastian fully recognizes the depth of pain he’s caused Eliana and understands that redemption isn’t a given. And to my surprise? He actually grovels. He steps up, makes real sacrifices, and proves he’s willing to die for the people he loves. Eliana’s pregnancy only amplifies the poignancy and angst. Yet Bastian never tries to smother her or strip her of her independence. He respects her boundaries and never demands more than she can give. Best of all, once Eliana truly accepts all of who Bastian is—the good and the bad—she fights for him and beside him with the same fierce, unwavering loyalty. What kept this book from earning a full five stars were the moments that stretched believability a bit too far. Eliana’s blindness, for one, was inconsistently portrayed. At times, it felt as though she could see, as in: “Later…I find Bastian alone in the bedroom. He’s leaning heavily against the dresser, one hand pressed to his bandaged abdomen, the other gripping the edge of the nightstand…” How would she know that? Then there’s Aleksei, who always seems to be one step ahead—even when only Bastian, Eliana, Zeke, and Yas were privy to certain information. And the biggest eye-roll of all? Bastian’s near-superhuman ability to survive everything Aleksei throws at him. From gut shots to impossibly brutal torture. And not only survive, but get up and walk away like it’s just another bad day. That said, the story is packed with drama, danger, chaos, twists, and intrigue, all of which kept me glued to the pages. In the end, the entire journey can perhaps be best summed up by my favorite quote:
“Anyone can die for someone. But living for them…that’s the hardest part.”.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[v.xxxvcvggggftfddaweety · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am genuinely confused. I liked the first book in this series. It didn’t blow me away, but it was an engaging, easy read: decent writing, story was going in an interesting direction, and the ending had me ready to dive into the next book to find out what happened. Then book two.
I’m definitely going to miss pieces that didn’t make sense, but I’m going with what I remember. To start with, these two women are on the run for weeks, staying at different motels, constantly moving, but with what money??? I know they’d both been working, but it didn’t seem like either of them had substantial savings. Also, why? Why did they think running was better than going to the police? And, having been upstanding, law-abiding citizens up until this point, how could they have actually evaded the police effectively? All while Bastian is just murdering a bunch of people, because…. I’m still unsure. The part with his restaurant being held over his head made some kind of sense, but the fact that he just jumped right back in? After the restaurant was fixed and opened, he just keeps killing people? And then allows Alexei to take Sage, right before hatching an insane rescue plan. Why not just put up a fight before hand? Again, why not go to the police? No one’s decision-making makes any sense to me. There are very few logical threads of thought for these characters. There is not a lot of solid reason behind their decisions or at least none that we’re privy to. Plus, it feels like the author sometimes just forgets she’s writing from the perspective of someone who is supposed to be blind. Getting an actual person who is blind to contribute here could have done wonders. For just one early example, when Eliana went to buy a pregnancy test without wanting to tell anyone. Please explain how she was going to use that?? She cannot see the results! Or how she just magically knew which box was the pregnancy tests on the shelves. Not to mention the times she knew someone’s position in the room or just inexplicably navigated new spaces. I would have found it way more compelling to actually learn how a person with blindness navigated the world.
There was also a lot of whiplash. The sudden character development, while definitely needed, just came out of the blue. Where did the moms sudden epiphanies come from? To go from a manipulative, alcoholic mess to just suddenly accepting all her own culpability and wrong doing is a wild turn around. Unless she was getting some major counseling off page this did not make sense.
And poor Yas. This girl’s story line was just a giant mess that never even gets resolved. I was invested enough to finish, but barely. The author’s actual writing isn’t bad, but I think the whole book could have done with some more thought to the actual character’s perspectives and motivations.

[mary ♡⋆ ࣪₊ꫂ᭪݁⋆˙ · Rating 3 out of 5]

★★★.25

I was NOT ready for the angst. My heart broke for these two.
The book picks up where the first one left off. Eliana has officially lost her sight and is now trying to live her life relying on her other senses. Her best friend, Yasmin, helps her through it all.

After what she saw Bastian do, she can’t get the image of the blood dripping from his hands out of her mind. He gutted a man’s body and looked completely lifeless. Now she’s running away from him with no money, no job, and while pregnant with a child he has no idea about.

Bastian’s personality became worse in this book. He sounded so lifeless. His younger brother, Sage, hates him. The love of his life left him. His older brother, Aleksei, has officially ruined his life, and on top of that, he has Sage and is using him to force Bastian to do the dirty work and kill for him. I hate him so much. I don’t think I’ve despised a character as much as Aleksei in a long time. Everyone suffered in this book because of him.

But Bastian knows what he has to do, and it’s the only thing that matters to him: find Eliana. Even if he doesn’t deserve her anymore.

I do have a few issues with this book. I reached 40% and strongly felt like these two had no connection anymore. It wasn’t a lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers situation, it felt more like a “did you ever even have feelings for each other?” situation, and I stayed conflicted until about 70%.
when Eliana said “You can’t lose something you never had in the first place.” that summed up what was happening between them

“Because I need you to understand, Eliana, that there is no line I won’t cross for you. No version of myself I won’t become. And I’m not sorry for that. I can’t be sorry for that.”

Their relationship had its ups and downs. So many secrets were unraveled, and Eliana finally understands why he left the first time. Bastian had to suffer through a lot, and I honestly thought the book wouldn’t end with a HEA until I read the epilogues.

Overall, the writing was fantastic and the storyline was really good. It could have been shorter, though.

____________

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[Pamela Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sooooo Mad. WTH 😡. How do you end a book and not resolve the status of two integral supporting characters. How do you leave two characters that are pretty important to the main characters injured and bleeding on the hardwood floor and not resolve what happened to them? Who does that.
While I’m at it and because it seems to be becoming a habit of some of these authors. The contradicting your own selves, not remembering what you wrote previously that and I don’t care if it’s fantasy werewolves and vampires or normal human characters certain parts of the stories at least need to have some realistic value to them do a little research or remember what you wrote in the first damn book.
Here’s a simple easy one. Some people might not have noticed unfortunately I did. The epilogue. Bastian ask her if she remembers the morning at the lake and she says she can still feel the cold concrete on her butt. Please tell me exactly how she remembers the feel of the cold concrete on her butt when the two of them were bundled up in blankets in the back of his Land Rover, making out & watching the sunrise, their butts were never on the concrete.
And next, the really big one. Olympus, I can’t remember exactly how many stories it was. I think his office was on the 12th or 14th floor, and that being said that makes it a high-rise building. Definitely not built of timber. Those heights of buildings are normally built from steel beams, and when something inside of them catches on fire, the roof doesn’t start buckling from the fire, even if it did he’d certainly no notice it from the ground floor, and the building doesn’t collapse in on itself. Those types of buildings take lots of explosives to collapse them. Just disappointing is all.
But the biggest disappointment is leaving those characters stories unresolved.
WHAT HAPPENED TO JAS & ZEKE ???

And why was Eliana needed to help him save Sage, also he told her he couldn’t go to Zeke cause that’s first place Al would look and Yet, once he got Eliana to agree the first place they went was straight to Zeke’s. The story is so full of ridiculous contradictions. And WHY DID they remain at the “safe house” after she was attacked at the Dr appt. Their location was obviously compromised. She had to have been followed. They didn’t just stumble across her at the Dr. ughhh so frustrating

[Nour 🇵🇸🍉 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am so disappointed by the conclusion of this duet.
I was so looking forward to it. Especially with how book 1 ended

With both Eliana and Yas on a run from Brandon (Yas’s psycho ex) and Bastian (who now became a murderer for his brother Aleksei to protect his restaurant and brother Sage)

Eliana becomes blind. The writing however, in some instances, i makes it feel like she could still see.

There is a scene from Eliana’s pov that said and don’t quote me exactly. “I looked at Yas, who looked at Sage, who looked at me”
Like girl, how did you know? And that happened in more than one scene. It was so confusing to read and needed a better editor.

Also, the pregnancy timeframe? She is 8 weeks along and can’t fit her clothes already? People can tell she is pregnant just by looking?? She is 8 weeks along?? How is that possible?

I hated how the ending didn’t wrap up everything.
Like what happened to Yas and Zeke?? They were both beat up by Brandon and Yas is pregnant? It didn’t say what happened with them. That was so disappointing.

Also, when they were facing off with Brandon, Eliana was doing all the fighting and knew his location from the sounds he was making. She was able to attach him with a broken mirror and to put it successfully in his thigh. She kept fighting and hit him with her cane.

Im sorry but how is she aiming perfectly? Lets not forget she recently became blind, there is no way she developed her other senses to compensate for her sight that fast.

Also, why didn’t Yas help while Brandon was distracted by Eliana? Yas could see and would have been able to help. Eliana is also pregnant so its not an excuse. The story didn’t even mention why Yas didn’t help. Sage was trying to help and he is in a wheelchair.

It was so unbelievable and disappointing.

Lets not forget that Bastian the hero “died” twice and Eliana mourned him twice. Aleksei told him to fake his death a third time and to travel far away and work for him. But he refused. I mean enough is enough.

And I really wanted to know what happened after with Zeke and Yas. I read the 20 years later epilogue on Nicole’s website. They are both alive and have a daughter. But it didn’t mention what happened to them and how were they able to survive.