Book Rating: ⭐️ 5/5
Spice Rating: 🌶️ 3/5
Format: Audiobook 🎧

The third book in the Sugarlake series absolutely broke me, in the best way possible! This was hands down my favorite so far, and I am obsessed with Jax and Blakely. Ever since book one, I’ve loved Jax, so finally getting his romance and seeing him get his HEA was everything!

Jax’s story was heartbreaking, and I kept wanting to reach through the pages and hug him. The poor guy just couldn’t catch a break, yet he was always there for everyone else. And Blakely? Her journey hit so close to home. Emily McIntire captured her struggles so well that I felt every bit of her pain right along with her. I’m not even ashamed to admit I cried, more than once.

If you love an age-gap, forbidden romance, this one needs to be on your list. And when Jax said, “I love your heart,” I absolutely sobbed. Just do yourself a favor and read it!

This is my least favorite book in the series. Usually, I'm all in for an age-gap romance, but not this one. Why did she have to be nineteen?? Jacks loved her so fast that I believe she was a rebound even if he himself doesn't think so. It reminded me of anime where the high schoolers bragged that they were dating older guys. It's so disappointing 😭 😭

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕮𝖑𝖔𝖘𝖊𝖉 𝕯𝖔𝖔𝖗 𝕸𝖔𝖉𝖎𝖋𝖎𝖈𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖘˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

SKIP CHAPTER: 23, 32, 37, 38, 39, 48, epilogue

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕻𝖗𝖊-𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

I actually want to bang my head against a wall 🫠 sm tell me why I always get the second or third book in a series when I requested BOTH of the books 🙃 I really think I am cursed. Thank you Blackstone Publishing and Netgalley for the free audiobook copy - please approve my other request 🥹- 🩷

This was my first time diving into the Sugarlake series, and after listening to Beneath the Hood, I know I’ll be reading the rest! Even though this is the third book, it stands well on its own—you can absolutely read them out of order.

I really appreciated how the story tackled mental health and personal growth. The way the main character confronted her struggles and sought help was handled thoughtfully and authentically.

As for the romance, this is a slow burn, but the forbidden love angle had me hooked the entire time!

Liam’s narration was fantastic—his voice was incredibly soothing and brought the story to life in such a compelling way.

Didn’t know this was the third in the series but I didn’t feel like I missed much.
I really enjoyed it. It was a slow start but worth it.

📱 Social Media Influencer
🛠️ Age Gap
📱 Eating Disorder
🛠️ Forbidden 🚫
📱 Anxiety
🛠️ Healing
📱 Panic Attacks

It was good but not something I would read or listen to again. It was entertaining and I found the narrator did fantastic .

I do recommend

I don't think I'm disappointed here, I think I expected this. I love Emily as a human but I do not connect with her characters. This is the first book I've read from this series and it was so bland. The characters are dry and didn't connect and the story is average/predictable. I don't think I wasted my time with it but it's not something I can recommend if you've read any other influencer romance book.

Thank you to Emily, Blackstone and Netgalley for an opportunity to review this title. I attest that I'm leaving my review honestly and voluntarily.

A very well done audio book! Not my favorite in the series based on the storyline but the audio production was excellent

4.5⭐️

This is a review of the audiobook.

This is my first time reading this series and Beneath the Hood is definitely my favorite book of the series so far! I normally don't love age gap romances but this one is definitely a favorite. The forbidden relationship plus the SLOW BURN definitely helped my rating though.

I loved all of the different types of representation in this story. The progression of Blakely's mental health and disorders was so beautifully written and I was so excited to see her recognizing she needed help and getting it on her own. Plus the aftermath and her showing how she struggles to deal with her issues after her rehab stay but she's trying to do better for herself.

I also loved getting to see Jackson spread his wings outside of Sugar Lake, TN and be in his element out in California. I think it was a great move for his character considering what happened with who he thought was the love of his life running back to the man who broke her heart. Him getting away from her and the small town drama opened his eyes to the love he absolutely deserved.

I am adding Liam as one of my favorite audiobook narrators after this book as well. I'm not going to give any spoilers on this part but just trust me, he does Jackson's character justice. Brooke's voice is also very soothing and I could listen to her talk all day. I definitely love these 2 together and that they narrate all of the audiobooks in this series.

I definitely recommend reading the first 2 books in the series before picking this up just for some backstory things you'll miss if you start in the middle and then go back. That being said, they probably could be read out of order if you weren't aware of the series order.

I thoroughly enjoyed Beneath the Hood by Emilie McIntire. From start to finish, the book kept me hooked with its deep exploration of identity, self-discovery, and the secrets we keep. McIntire does a fantastic job of creating characters that feel real and complex—each with their own struggles and layers that unfold beautifully throughout the story.

The emotional depth in this book really resonated with me, and I found myself reflecting on the themes long after I finished reading. The pacing felt just right, and the plot kept me intrigued without ever feeling rushed or bogged down. If you enjoy stories that explore the complexities of relationships and personal growth, Beneath the Hood is definitely worth picking up!

Emily McIntire never disappoints. I felt so connected to these characters and loved the journey they took to find themselves and each other. I loved how she portrayed the difficulties of mental illness and disordered eating from a first and third person perspective without losing the romance aspect of the book. So good!

this is one of my favorite emily mcintire series, so when she did new covers, i was stoked. the covers are hands down stunning. beautiful.

i loved this even more listening to it this time, it's just soo good to be back in this world, i was thrilled to get the chance to listen and i was absolutely not disappointed. Brooke and Liam were outstanding for the characters of Jackson and Blakely.

this read was such an emotional one for me the first time I read it and now listening to the audio? even more so. Brooke and Liam absolutely brought the characters to life and the story itself. this audiobook will definitely go on my list of relistens bc it waqs absolutely beautifully down and great job to the narrators for the job they did and to emily for picking such amazing narrators to bring Blakely and Jackson to life.

I instantly added Jackson to my book boyfriend list for life. He has the look of a bad boy but the good guy act down packed. Blakely was "ok" she annoyed me at times with her naivety. Books where you have to hide your boyfriend can go a few different ways because it's a very over done trope. I did like it and would put it nicely in the 3 star rating.

Thank you Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Third instalment of the Sugarlake series -I haven’t read the others. I am hoping I did not missed anything significant.

Anyway, I did enjoy reading this one and the plot line was great. It was a heartwarming and a good story.

The narrators did an excellent job.

Thank you NetGalley and to the publisher Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks.

This is the third book in the Sugarlake series. Jackson is one of my favourite characters from this series and I had high hopes for his book but it just fell a bit flat. The romance didn't make sense to me and it was all a little too drawn out for my liking.
The narrators did a great job! It was one of the only bright sparks in the listening

This one was really tough for me to rate… because I loved the story and the characters individually. The character development really helped to boost my rating.
The main problem I had with the book was the relationship they had. Although there is nothing wrong with a 9 year age gap, (i too have a large age gap in my personal relationship) something about this just felt wrong. Blakely comes off as super immature for the majority of the book, and something is just off putting about a 28 year old taking an immature 19 year olds virginity. I know it’s legal, but to me her immaturity just made it feel wrong😅
I wish she was aged a little bit older (maybe 21,22) because then I would have been able to rate this a little higher.
As for the audio book itself, I really liked Blake’s narration. She played the character beautifully. On the other hand, I wasn’t in love with some of the choices made by the male narrator, but all in all a decent audiobook. 4/5 on the audio 3/5 on the story.

4.25 ⭐️, 4🎧
This is the 3rd book in the Sugarlake Series and the first one that I am reading. Actually, it is the first time I am reading any Emily McIntire books. I am so glad I took a chance on this audiobook from NetGalley. The narrators, Brooke Bloomingdale and Liam DiCosimo due a fabulous job in bringing this story to life. The way they convey the different emotions that each of the characters go through is so heart felt. It made it really hard to actually stop listening to it for the day.

This book is the story of Jackson Rhoades, the local mechanic in Sugarlake that has been pursuing his dream of heading to Hollywood and using beautiful cars on the set of movies. This was a dream that he and his father shared. When he lost his dad, he became even more convicted to pursue it.

Also, the unrequited love of his life, Alina, reconnects with the love of her life, Chase Adams, Jackson knows he needs to take his broken heart and move on with his life. While he never told Alina exactly how he felt, he thought for sure she would fall for him since Chase had cheated on her and left her for his career. Now that Chase is back and Alina is slowly learning to trust him again, Jackson knows that it is time to move on. See her with Chase hurts too bad.

As he makes his slow transition out to Hollywood, he thinks he has been hired to restore cars for Mr. Donahue. Unfortunately, his boss also asks him to keep an eye on his young daughter because she tends to be a little unruly and is very strong willed in making a name for herself.
Blakely Donahue is a force to be recokoned with. She is followed by millions on the social media platform but struggles to feel like she is truly loved. Her mother died giving birth to her and her father has completely withdrawn love and affection from her because she looks so much like her mother. Blakely feels very alone in a very demanding world that requires you to look perfect all the time.

Jackson is not convinced that Blakely is as bad as she makes herself out to be. Jackson knows that there is something deeper that Blakely is hiding from her father and the rest of the world. What he soon discovers is that Blakely suffers from severe anxiety and has an eating disorder. Blakely must control every bite that goes into her mouth along with the fact that she exercises 3-4 PER DAY. Jackson recognizes these unhealthy habits and slowly tries to help Blakely cope with them. Unfortunately, Jackson cannot help but fall for Blakely. Not for her beauty but for her sweetness and her passion for what she is trying to accomplish for herself without using her dad’s name in a very cut throat industry.

This age gap romance is everything you need it to be – sweet, hot, and a huge emotional rollercoaster. The care and tenderness that Emily McIntire takes in putting this type of mental health struggle on the page is absolute perfection. You feel every panic attack that Blakely has and you feel how deeply Jackson wants to help turn her around.

Enjoy reading - Peace ☮️ and Love ❤️ my friends!

Thank you #NetGalley and #Blackstone Publishing for the ALC of this book. I am definitely going back and reading book 1 and 2. #Beneaththe Hood is a must read.

4.25⭐️ 3🌶️

I really enjoyed Jackson and Blakely’s story. There was excellent mental health representation throughout the book. The way Jackson was always there for Blakely was sweet and heartwarming. The amount of pressure Blake was under was ridiculous. The ending was sweet and perfect!

I was so excited to finally get to Jackson's story!

Blakely Donahue is a 19-year-old influencer—gorgeous, famous, and being crushed under the weight of expectations and wanting to be perfect. Social media loves her, but its not the REAL her.

Enter Jackson Rhoades. 28 years old, heartbroken, and just trying to focus on his dead Father's dream job of restoring classic cars for Hollywood movies. Except… His real job? Babysitting his boss’s young, fake, socially obsessed daughter.

She’s too young and he’s off-limits. But they’re the only ones who actually see each other. Heartbreak, love and healing make this a wonderful read.

I was so happy to see Jackson get his HEA. I loved how the author tackled the challenge of social media and our idea of perfection. Blakely represents people with anxiety, depression and eating disorders.

I did not enjoy this book, primarily because of the age gap. I don't think a 9 year age gap is too significant, except when the younger side of the gap is a literal teenager. I did not appreciate that fact prior to requesting the book, so I will apologize because I am certainly not the target audience. In addition to the age gap, I felt there was a large maturity gap between the FMC and MMC and did not buy into their chemistry.

This book was sweet. It is definitely a good introduction to this small town for me (this was the first one I read … oops I read them out of order) and it did a good job foreshadowing (or referencing past books if you read in order) to the characters that clearly have a passionate love story.

I loved our female main characters depth and her acknowledgement to a lack of a support system and inability to see her relationship with food for what it was. It shows when you are so deep in it that you cannot see what it looks like from the outside in. The one thing I really took issue with is that this romance was so one sided because he worked for her father and their age gap that when they got over that so fast at the start of seeing each other it just felt like a relationship of convenience or a friends with benefit situation at the start. I love when romances show they can overcome anything as long as the love is there which this book does at the end but I would have like to see more internal conflict towards the beginning. That being said I will definitely be reading more from this author and more from this series if there are more because I really enjoyed the world and the character in it.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this story!