Beneath The Surface

Flame and Frost Duet, Book 1

De: L.K. Kagey

Narrado por: Savannah Thomas, Sean Masters, Gregory Salinas

Lexi, an investigative journalist, believes she's simply uncovering the truth behind a series of mysterious fires. Her path crosses with Elijah, a smooth-talking lender whose charm barely conceals the veiled intentions beneath. His messy ties to the powerful Garza family pull her into a world where power is bloodstained and secrets are currency.

Then there’s Mateo Garza—the eldest son. He’s violent, unpredictable, and as untouchable as a ghost. As Lexi’s investigation tightens around him, his presence becomes a shadow over her every move. But is he who she thinks he is?

Determined to expose the truth, Lexi finds herself tangled in a web of growing attraction to a man she never imagined could be an ally. With emotions clouding her judgment, she enters a high-stakes game where trusting the wrong person could have catastrophic consequences.

©2025 L.K. Kagey (P)2025 Blue Nose Publishing, L.K. Kagey

A great listen!!

You know how sometimes you have books you have to stay up late and read because you just HAVE to know how it ends/where it’s going?? That was this story & audiobook for me! The story itself had me on pins & needles but the narrators?? WHEW they really freaking elevated it to the next level (and I’ll be so honest I could listen to all three of them talk all day every day)

I loved that we got to meet more than just the main characters and how they all played a role in the story itself (aside from being just a side character if that makes sense). The gasps I gusped during certain parts were definitely Oscar worthy and I’m glad I was alone during those parts bc I know people would have come to check on me LOL

The spicy scenes were 10/10 and also made me raise my eyebrows at the same time (iykyk)

Thank you to Blue Nose Audio for the advanced copy of the audiobook!!!

A book and performance work a STANDING OVATION!

Beneath the surface Audio book
This book and narrative performance should get a full 10 minute standing ovation.
Savannah, girl, I could kiss you, a voice so sweet, but words that bite! You brought Lexi to life with style, sweetness and a certain Je ne said quoi, PERFECTION. Sean, a round of applause, the depth you brought to Eli’s character was impressive. Gregory, what a dominant spirit you brought to Mateo. While his demeanor and stature is well explained by written word, you showed us what a commanding presence feels like.

The three of you-a performance to be talked about for years!

This thrilling, sexy, mysterious, spicy and suspenseful story is extremely well written. The characters are deep and dark and twisty but also have their light sweet fluffy sides.

Lexi,an investigative journalist with tenacity the size of her home state, will let nobody stop her from uncovering the truth about a slew of mysterious fires, and nothing and no one will keep her from him. Elijah, a man just trying to save what he’s got left, is determined to keep whoever gets tangled in his mess safe. Mateo a dominating presence, the eldest son, and an enigma; there’s something more to him than being the muscle…
If you love a dark romance with a smattering of daddy issues, a 🌶️🌶️🌶️ out of 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️and you like motorcycles, pool and touch her and die? Boy do I have a book for you!

This book will ruin you from the inside out! You will be screaming SHITSHITSHITSHITSHIT! And also YESYESYESYESYESYES!

Grit, Heat, and High Stakes

Beneath the Surface by L.K. Kagey doesn’t just flirt with darkness—it lives there, in the tension between loyalty, violence, and desire. What hooked me most wasn’t just the romance, but how tightly the story is wound around the brutal pulse of Texas crime syndicates and the dangerous intimacy that forms in that kind of world. This is a dark romance that feels as invested in stakes and structure as it does in feelings and chemistry.

Told through the perspectives of Lexi, Mateo, and Eli, the multi-POV approach is one of the book’s biggest strengths. Multi-narrative stories can easily tilt toward a “favorite” voice, but here each character gets equal weight and presence, even when they’re appearing in someone else’s chapter. The result is a cohesive, character-driven narrative where the focus isn’t on neat personal growth arcs so much as on building trust, testing boundaries, and forging a bond that shouldn’t exist in an environment this cutthroat. By the end, they’re all distinct, emotionally grounded, and compelling—but I’ll admit it: I’m firmly Team Mateo.

From a craft perspective, this is a very controlled book. The plot is intricate and layered without tipping into confusion, and the pacing gives tension room to breathe instead of constantly shouting for attention. The spice is used with intention—limited, well-placed, and never there just to check a box. Even if you stripped out the heat, the crime-driven storyline would still stand on its own. If you’re looking for big, transformative character arcs or a lighter take on romance, this probably won’t be your ideal match, and the darker elements may be a bit much for readers who prefer their romances on the softer side.

The audiobook pushes the whole experience up a level. Savannah Thomas, Sean Masters, and Gregory Salinas bring genuine chemistry to the narration and feel perfectly aligned with their characters. As a Deep South Southerner, I’m used to wincing at exaggerated or inaccurate accents, but Savannah’s performance lands as authentic rather than caricatured. Masters and Salinas—already two of my favorite male narrators—once again show why they’re consistently reliable choices for this kind of material.

The narrators were spot on 🖤

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧

🖤 Touch her and 💀
🖤 all the banter
🖤 multi POV
🖤 trauma
🖤 romantic suspense


Favorite quote:

“I’m not sure when it happened, Alexandra, but somewhere along the way, I decided I would die for you. And now, if you’ll have me, I want to live for you. With you.”


I absolutely ate this one up. It is the perfect blend of romance, suspense and spice. It has a snarky FMC and a possessive MMC. And the side characters are top tier.

Lexi is an investigative journalist looking into suspicious fires happening to local businesses. This leads her into dangerous territory with Garza family. She finds herself mixed up with Mateo who is the eldest son of the Garza family and Elijah a lender who is in deep with the family. It’s messy and feelings develop that shouldn’t and it gets messier. I don’t want to say more and ruin the suspense.

And as an audiobook? Absolute perfection!

Savanah Thomas did a perfect job capturing Lexi’s personality. Sean Masters was fantastic as Elijah. And Gregory Salinas as Mateo was everything. This cast together is a 10/10. And the spicy scenes were phenomenal.

Definitely grab this audiobook it’s a fast paced listen that will keep you on your toes. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

amazing narration!!

Beneath the Surface is the first book in the Flame and Frost Duet. We have Lexi, performed by Savannah Thomas, who's an investigative journalist starting to look into some suspicious fires around town. Unfortunately, her research catches the attention of a dangerous family that doesn't take kindly to her digging into their secrets. Savannah really brought Lexi's take no sh*t attitude to life and poured so much emotion into her performance.
Then there's Elijah, performed by Sean Masters. He's the charming, smooth-talking lender who crosses paths with Lexi and has some secrets of his own. Sean always nails the growly MMC vibe. His range is impressive, he can go from playing the confident cowboy to the more reserved man answering to someone more powerful, and he does it effortlessly.
We also meet Mateo Garza, performed by Gregory Salinas-the eldest son of the powerful Garza family, and someone Lexi definitely tried to steer clear of. Gregory did an amazing job playing Mateo as both the stone-cold killer and the softer side that's only for her. As soon as Mateo was introduced, I knew I was going to love him and he just kept getting better.
Initially, I caught a bit of a love triangle vibe, which I don't enjoy. But pretty quickly, I figured out who the real love interest was-and I wasn't complaining one bit. Blue Nose did another fantastic job with the production as always. I really appreciate the chance to listen to this story and these phenomenal narrators!!