If you’ve read any of my books, you know I love a good slow burn. I’ll keep you simmering in longing for 200 pages and then toss in one soul-shattering kiss that knocks your emotional teeth out. But with The Fire Beneath the Frost, I took a different approach.
This one’s hot.
Like secret-touching-in-a-factory-bathroom-while-the-USSR-collapses hot.
Yeah. That kind of heat.
Why turn up the temperature?
Because repression demands release.
The Fire Beneath the Frost is about two men—Dimitri and Petyr—living under one of the most brutally anti-queer governments in modern history. Every glance is risky. Every touch is treason. So when they do give in to their desire, it’s not just sex—it’s defiance. It’s freedom. It’s the only language they have left to say, “I see you. I want you. I won’t let this world erase you.”
There’s a pivotal moment halfway through the book (you’ll know it when you read it) where the sex is rough, desperate, and almost violent—not because they want to hurt each other, but because they’re both hurting so much. Writing that scene tore me open. But I needed to show that intimacy can be messy, painful, and still sacred.
Is this romance… or erotica?
Honestly? It’s both.
There are multiple sex scenes in this book—more than I usually write—and every single one is emotionally significant. They move the story forward. They reveal something new about the characters. They aren’t just for spice (though let’s be real, the spice is chef’s kiss).
If you’re here for high-heat with heart, this book is for you.
If you’ve ever felt like queer desire is something to be hidden, shamed, or swallowed, this book might make you cry a little. (It made me cry a lot while writing it.)
TL;DR:
The Fire Beneath the Frost isn’t just a love story. It’s about survival. It’s about the kind of love that burns bright, even when everything around it is frozen. And yes, it’s sexy as hell.
Preorder is live now. Come meet Dimitri and Petyr.
Bring tissues. And maybe a fan and a pair of oven mitts to hold your kindle. 😘
Preorder your copy of The Fire Beneath The Frost today from your favorite online bookstore!
Ian O. Lewis and Luke Jameson 