Beneath the Light of the Moon

by Lilliana Hazel

A man forced to confront the ghosts of his past becomes obsessed with the one person who makes sure that the price of her misery will be paid in the only currency that matters to them both—blood.

Mikko Romanov never wanted any of this; the money, the men he commands, or even the business of it all. Once called 'too soft' by the man that thought to force him into this line of work, he's resigned to tempting the threads of fate by speeding down the coastal highways of the Pacific Northwest on his motorcycle and drowning in the smooth burn of his favorite vodka.

Until he meets Anika, someone who unapologetically forces her way into his life. Conveniently after their tumultuous meeting, Mikko’s plans of leaving the business crumble as the mysterious deaths of his men keep him occupied, along with the flashes of a wine stained mouth and whiskey river eyes he can't seem to escape.

Anika Simmons has built walls around her heart to keep people out all while plotting against those who took everything from her. All it’d taken was a moment of weakness and vulnerability years ago for her to make a vow—never again. In an attempt to avenge the ones she loves, she grows close to the people she swore to kill.

Genres: Dark Romance, Enemies To Lovers

424 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 12, 2025

About the author

Lilliana Hazel is from a small town in Indiana and has always found her voice through storytelling. Anything dark, demented, and so very human is what she loves to explore. It’s through words that people can find and express themselves, so delving into these emotions are close to her heart and healing. Beneath the Light of the Moon is her first novel, but she has others brewing in her head that she hopes she can share one day. When she isn’t writing, she’s usually reading, listening to eight hour rain audios, or at her day job—an architecture firm.

Reviews

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

{I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review}

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"You're a bad habit." She swallowed thickly. "And you know what I do to bad habits?" Mikko asked, his other hand dragging down her thigh toward her knee, "I break them."


For her debut novel, Lilliana blew me away with the first book of this duology! Her prose is so immersive and descriptive. I felt like I was there lurking in the shadows with Mikko and Anika. She had me making sure my curtains were shut at night 👀 It's been a while since I've read a book that I could picture things so clearly and feel like I was actually there with the characters.

Mikko, although ruthless and stoic, inside is haunted by the demons of his past. Fighting against his soft and gentle nature. He is the kind of guy that gets you thinking, maybe I could fix him 🤭

Anika, ruthless and cunning, she is everything a strong FMC should encompass and such a breath of fresh air if you are tired of the helpless FMC trope. She wears the pants, and she'll let you know it.

Cristiano is Mikko's ✨bestie✨ and I can't get enough of him. Came for the dark romance, stayed for this friendship 🥹

Most of this book was a game of cat and mouse between Mikko and Anika. And the best part about it? The whole time you are trying to figure out who is the cat, and who is the mouse! They are both predators in their own sense, honing in on their prey. They are toxic and obsessive, participating in a seductive p*ssing contest. And needless to say, I was eating it up!

Overall Beneath the Light of the Moon is a highly enjoyable read, full of detrimental desire with a dash of cruelty and...blood. I am so hooked and can't wait for the second book to be released!

[Nana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book and wow!!! I’m so happy this was my first ARC!!

Everything thing about this book was amazing. Being sucked in Mikko’s obsession and Anika’s get back story was amazing. It’s everything you need in a dark romance, enemies to lovers, stalker, obsession book. It was extremely well written!

🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5 spice for my spice girls.

Truly understanding both perspectives of the stories and their background was something I really loved. I always wanted to pick up my phone and see what Mikko and Anika got into next and wasn’t disappointed. It’s slow burned but also fast paced (due to everything that happens throughout the story).

Lillian did an amazing job and I’m sure #booktok will devourrrr this book! Or Mikko a would stalk them into loving it👀👀😉 I can’t wait to get my physical edition and for the world to be introduced to my moon babies!!!

[Tabitha🐈‍⬛ · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received an ARC copy of this book and wow.. beyond all expectations. This is a debut novel and Lilliana Hazel’s writing absolutely blew me away. Every scene felt so tangible immersing you in the world and the mood, the plot was gripping and completely unpredictable.

The banter between characters is very well written. The two main characters: Mikko- neat, accomplished, tortured, obsessive and Anika- cunning, stylish, vengeful, dangerous are caught in a high stakes and dangerous cat vs mouse game but who’s chasing who and who is in more danger? They’re each other’s obsessions and each other’s greatest threats.

[Riris.books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book swept me away in a way I wasn’t prepared for!!!

Mikko Romanov is the kind of character who lingers with you long after you turn the last page. A man who never asked for the weight he carries, yet shoulders it with a quiet, aching strength. His vulnerability, hidden beneath layers of responsibility and regret, made me fall for him instantly.

And then there’s Anika. Fierce, guarded, and beautifully complex, she’s everything Mikko doesn’t expect but everything his soul seems to recognize. Their connection isn’t just romance—it’s magnetic, it's forbidden, it’s healing, it’s fire and tenderness tangled together in a way that feels both devastating and inevitable. Every stolen glance, every moment of tension between them, had my heart racing.

The writing is stunningly immersive; it made me felt like I was right there with them; on those rain-slick highways, in the shadows of loss, in the quiet moments of vulnerability that broke me and healed me at the same time.

This story is emotional, and unforgettable. I needed Book 2 the second I closed the last page. Truly, a beautiful debut!!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — unforgettable!
3🌶️

[urarchive · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 4 stars for me!

I have no words... Mikko is soooooooo unhinged hahaha. Well, both Anika and Mikko are lol.

I love the banter and the games they’re both playing. This book kept me on edge the whole time and made me keep guessing who did it!!

And what was that ending?! Oh wellll, I’m waiting impatiently for book 2.

P.S. I need more Cristiano plsssssss. I hope he gets his own story someday (or soon). Although, it would be even better if he were real. I wouldn’t even mind him changing his hair color every week lolllll!

[Bree ♡︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is how an enemies to lovers should be done!👏🏼 though these characters absolutely despise each other, there is still that delicious tension between them that they try to fight but succumb to with the slightest touches.

anika, you beautiful badass, i absolutely ADORE you. anika is getting revenge for something that happened to her as a child, and with this revenge brings a wrathful woman who isn’t afraid of stepping on toes to get what she wants. around every turn in this book, i was shocked by her. knowing she’s a strong character and witnessing it were two different feelings that had me falling in love with her.

mikko, mikko, mikko 😮‍💨 that man could stomp on my throat and i’d kiss his shoes in apology. mikko had taken over his fathers real estate company, trying to change the previous way everything was ran when he stumbles into the spitfire that is anika in one of the clubs he owns. is it purely coincidence, or was this a meeting written in blood?

the banter between mikko and cristiano was probably one of my favorite parts of this book, and if cristiano doesn’t get his own book then i might scream, okay? i love him so bad 😩

i’ve spilled my love for the characters, so now here’s my love for the writing and author. the writing in this book is so beautiful, it makes it so easy to fall for the characters. usually reading in 3rd person is difficult for me, but something about this book just sucked me in and had me too enthralled to even notice it. the pacing and descriptions of everything were so well done, it left me clinging onto the storyline for more with every turn of the page. i cannot wait for book 2 to find out what more will unravel between anika and mikko.🤭

[Vulgxr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was TORTURE (in the best way of course)
The chemistry was electric between Mikko and Anika the entire time. I’m not a slow burn girl at all but this book had me forgetting about that little fact. After the ending I am HURT this book is the first in the series and it’s not even released yet because that means I have to wait for the next one! My only “grievance” was a couple typos but as it was an arc and not a released print I received it wasn’t an issue whatsoever<3


Side note, I think I am in love with Cristiano??? 🤭


Thank you to Liliana for allowing me to be an ARC reader, as my first ARC it was perfect for me. I was always scared to sign up for an arc application because I am a heavy DNF person if the book doesn’t grab my attention immediately and I didn’t want that pressure, so I’m very glad I took the leap and applied for this one. 5/5 for my first one! Need book 2 NOW!

[Lorin Coffler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun read! Morally ambiguous characters clashing in a cat and mouse in which it’s difficult to tell who is the cat and who is the mouse? Yes please! I was on the edge of my seat as Mikko and Anika took turns upping the ante in their little game, all while battling their attraction to one another. The end snuck up on me, and I’m eagerly awaiting the next installment in this tortuous slow burn series! This was a great dark romance.

[Jessica's Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has got me hooked i need the second book asap!!! I love the characters and cannot wait to see more of them. Such a good read i really enjoyed it so much!

[Senna Lark · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Let me worship you, malyshka.” His lips skimmed across her hip bone. “Let me make it up to you.” A soft kiss planted right atop her landing strip. “Let me beg.”

Everyone say it with me now — MEN 🗣 WHO 🗣 YEARN 🗣 ARE 🗣 MEN 🗣 WHO 🗣 EARN!

So I was given the utmost honor of getting to know Mr. Romanov and my new favorite dark femme minx Anika right in the beginning conception of this work of art — and what a journey it has been!! I was simultaneously the Alpha and Beta readers for this absolute masterclass beast in tantalizing games of cat & mouse and I have loved every second of it. 🙂‍↕️

Mikko is such a complex character, a prime example of showcasing how one's mind can be both prison and predator — he's a deeply flawed man that grapples with the expectations of a dead father that had all but carved the path of life he was on with blood-stained hands; where his only reprieve was found in the gentleness of a mother that was gone from his life far too soon. Every moment with Mikko was painted with a visceral, emotional prose that I think Lilliana absolutely nailed! It truly goes to show that you never know what is hiding behind one's mask — or maybe, in this one, a helmet? Both?? Definitely both 🤭

And Anika? Ahem, excuse me, ma'am?? MA'AM??? 😩😩😩 I am on my KNEES for this snarky, cunning, vengeful goddess of a woman. Whew. Everything about Anika compliments Mikko so well; with her unfaltering thirst for retribution, her ruthlessly sharp mind and enough conviction to start a war she has no plans on losing, I think one would be hard pressed to find a better dark romance FMC that is worthy of all the veneration that a certain real-estate mogul would happily lay at her pretty little feet 😌 The darkness that Mikko seems to want to ride away from along those PNW coastal highways is readily embraced by Anika, and she absolutely revels in it 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️ The dark deprivation, the raw honesty, the sharp snapping fangs of the unfettered beast that she is? Move over Mikko, she's our Queen, now 🫦

And let me not forget about Cristiano — MY MAN, MY MAN, MY MAAAAAAN 🧎‍♀️ 100/10, no notes, he's perfect. Next.

All in all, this debut from Lilliana is going to blow anyone out of the water; where a game of predator and prey is both storm and salvation, reckoning and reprieve — and it gets tangled with the bodies that start dropping and you're left reeling with the desire and obsession that bleeds across the pages... amongst other things that bleed if we're being honest 😏

I can't wait for everyone to love these characters and I can't wait to (lovingly) bully Lilliana for details on the next installment of this series! 😇

With that, I think it's high time to —

"Let the games begin..."

[Lux · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meet the Characters:

Anika is the FMC of my dreams - a complex character with many different facets that we discover over time. She’s strong-willed, a career woman, a plant-lover (see any room she can decorate ever), and has a penchant for revenge. Shrouded in mystery, we learn her motives and her goals as the story progresses.

Mikko is a real estate tycoon by day and a less-than-savory “businessman” by night. He navigates running his businesses while dealing with unhappy players who would rather not see him in charge of Romanov Real Estate. A cold and calculating man on the exterior, when we see underneath the mask (or motorcycle helmet), we find a creative (with red-flag outlets) who can’t help but to admire a good sunrise.

Review:

First, I would like to thank Lilliana Hazel for the opportunity to receive an advance reader copy of Beneath the Light of the Moon. This was my first ARC, and I couldn’t have asked for a better one to start with!
Hazel immerses readers in the world she’s created with vivid details from the atmosphere to the architecture. We quickly learn that Mikko is not safe, and we unravel that mystery breadcrumb by tantalizing breadcrumb alongside him. We also witness his descent into madness fueled by his newest obsession - a woman with far too many secrets for his liking.
The dynamic and banter between the two main characters is off the charts in this slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers story. You won’t want to put this book down, especially as you near the end. Thank goodness this is a duet, because you’ll definitely want to know what happens next!

[Alijo · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨ARC Review✨

You get:

🪻Cat and mouse game
🏍️ Morally grey characters
🪻Mystery
🏍️ Mafia
🪻Revenge
🏍️ Cristiano (IYKYK)

I don’t know how to review this without spoiling it dammit!! This book is when you take a dark romance and throw in some Freida McFadden twists.

Mikko took over as mafia boss after his dad died and has some… questionable morals. When he goes to one of his clubs one night to… put some fear into one of his men, he meets Anika and will knock his world upside down. As he is playing a cat and mouse game with her… such as him breaking into her house and doing interesting things in her bathroom when she’s not there… his men start ending up getting murdered and disappearing.

This book was a dark romance thriller and I ate it up. The whole time I was thinking I knew what was going on and let me tell you, I gasped, loudly, when I found out I did NOT in fact know what was going on. I loved Anika and how strong she is, she takes no shit, especially from Mikko, who is not used to people not being afraid of him. Also, I have to mention Cristiano and his ever changing hair colors. He gave such good comic relief as Mikko’s bff.

This book is an easy 5 stars from me.

I’m going to need the next asap please.

[mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

BENEATH THE LIGHT OF THE MOON — LILLIANA HAZEL 🌖⛓️🥀🔪

first, i wanna thank the author, @authorlillianahazel for sending me an ARC of her book in exchange of my honest opinion! ☺️

discovered her work through a mutual friend and i was excited to read her book, the theme and the aesthetic was calling my name! i was so happy to receive my ARC and be able to read Lilliana’s book.

LET ME TELL YOU, I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED AT ALL.
we follow the journey of Mikko and Anika. Mikko is the son of a wealthy and powerful man that died and he has now the control pf his father company. he didn’t have the best relationship with his dad and he keeps trying to make him proud even though he is not here anymore. One night he meets this beautiful lady, named Anika. since, that night, Mikko became obsessed with her. his obsession starts to be very unhealthy. he isn’t scared to stalk her and discovering more about her even if it means to bypass things legally. right after meeting her, strange things about to his men. they are disappearing and found dead. brutally. Mikko tries to tell himself it is not her, but slowly things make him believe otherwise.

Anika is not who she pretends to be. she seems like a normal, innocent young woman that works in a man field. she is a very strong woman, not scared of anyone. slowly, throughout the story, we learn more about her and her past. how her family was wronged by Mikko’s father. Anika is hungry for revenge and she isn’t scared of anything. her plan? hurt Mikko for what his father did. even though she hates him, there’s a part of her that quite enjoy Mikko and his stalking tendencies.

this book was so good and the details!! read nothing like this before and i really loved it. it was explicit, raw and unhinged. i loved everything about it and i can not wait for book 2 🧎‍♀️‍➡️

TW: there’s a lot of mention of m*rder, bl*od and explicit content. be aware!!

5✨
4🌶️

Book out on november 12, 2025! it will be available on KU

[Rhiannon Cheyenne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beneath the Light of the Moon - Lilliana Hazel

I loved the cat and mouse game between Anika and Mikko. I really enjoyed the chemistry and banter between these two. I also really enjoyed the banter between the main characters and Cristiano and Levi. I really enjoyed the relationships and the dynamics between everyone I love, strong female main characters, and I like that in so many parts of the story Annika is smarter than Mikko.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Out of 5 Stars ⭐️

🌶️ / Spice Rating ☀️

# of Pages 🌙 424 pages

Release Date 🌟 11/12/25

Format 💫 Gifted Digital Copy

Series 🌙 Hidden Within the Light Duet, #1

Genre/Tropes ✨ Dark romance, mafia romance, morally grey MCs

Favorite Character ☀️ Anika

Favorite Line 🌟 “Something better be on fire, because I had just gotten my pillow fluffed right to fall asleep.”

‘When Anika saw something she wanted, she fucking got it.’

[Paige Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story had me hooked from the beginning and I loved the game of cat and mouse that was played throughout the book. The characters were well thought out and I had an easy time seeing the story from their eyes when in their POV chapters. There are a few chapters from an unknown perspective and the only reason I wasn’t a huge fan of it was because of the way it was written, it made me feel like I was the person they were writing about and it took me out of the story some. Other than that I could not recommend this book more!

*was honored to receive an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest review*

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic read!! I joined my friend’s book club and this was Decembers read. I am SO glad I did.
Mafia, Revenge, Obsession…
MIkko is trying desperately to come out form his fathers shadow in the mafia world and be better than him. Anika is looking for revenge for her father’s death. When these two collide it’s a recipe for disaster.
The world building is done so well, and I truly appreciate things like that. When an author takes the time to really give you the vision it makes the story that much better. The cliffhanger at the end was not expected lol.. I thought we’d get some kind of closure or answers but I suppose we have to wait for book 2!

[sads · Rating 5 out of 5]

good god, THIS IS HOW YOU WRITE A DARK ROMANCE STORY !!! mikkoanikka, I LOVE THEM SO MUCH???? They're both so unhinged, so you know they're made for each other. The slowburn was actually slow-burning in this book. They were such unique characters, god I LOVE THEM SO MUCH??? And Cristiano, HE'S SO FUNNY 😭

This novel, being Liliana's debut novel, is actually insane; her prose and writing style are so immersive, I was astonished just because of the language itself 😭

I CANNOT WAIT FOR BOOK 2

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It was a spicy dark romance with enemies to lovers. Mikko is yearning, broody, tortured but slightly ruthless MMC. Anika is tough, guarded and on a revenge kick. She busts her way into his life and he just has to accept it. They had great slow burn tension and great chemistry. I loved it. I can't wait to read the next book. Also, I would like to read a book with Cristiano. His banter with Mikko was fabulous.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a phenomenal debut. I loved the mystery and the BANTER. My goodness, the banter was everything. Thank you to the author for giving us a brown eyed beauty to fall for. I am in love with Anika, okay, deeply and truly. I'd definitely let her step on me. All jokes aside (or are they), she is one of my most favorite recent main characters. I love a good story of vengeance and a woman who doesn't take any man's nonsense.

I adore Mikko and Cristiano's friendship. I annotated a few of the things they said to one another, but the fact that Mikko thinks his bestie is too sweet to say no to? Gagged and obsessed.

I will not be getting over Mikko's obsessive nature any time soon. He obsesses over Anika the same dang way I know I would if she existed in real life. Kindred souls and all that jazz.

If you like women with amber eyes and stabby dispositions, this book is for you.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the story, the fun cat and mouse elements and really interesting characters. It was a really fun read!