ALC Review~ 3.5 ⭐️

This is the 3rd book in the Sugarlake Series and I was so excited to receive this audiobook, having read everything by Emily McIntire except for this series. I wish I would’ve read the 1st and 2nd book since they are interconnected standalones, but you are still able to fully understand the plot and characters if you start with this story. I really enjoyed the narrators and the MMC’s southern accent!

When I tell you I love an age gap and this book definitely had it. Blakely, who is 19 and a Hollywood social media celebrity and Jackson, who is 28 and moves to Hollywood for a job restoring classic cars for Blakely’s dad. Jackson is then asked to keep an eye out for Blakely, who is forced to work in her dad’s shop. Blakely always had her eyes on Jackson and knew just what to do and say to push his buttons. The forced proximity and tension in the story was so good!

I really felt for Blakely throughout the story, being so young and having to deal with anxiety, panic attacks, and the pressures of the media. And Jackson! Well he was perfect in every way and deserved the world. Having moved away from his hometown to heal from heartbreak, he was always there to calm and center Blakely, but he knew that she did so much more for him than she realized. I enjoyed Blakely and Jackson’s story and think you should give this series a read or listen!

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for this ALC! I’m looking forward to finishing up this series!

I’m so happy that Jax found someone. I felt bad he was tied up on Alina. The age gap was done well, I was nervous. Loved getting the audiobook

I felt extremely awkward listening to this book. A romance with a teenager that is dealing with a lot of mental health and body issues insta love with a guy 10 years older?

Not for me. Narrators did a fine job, I wish the guy didn't try to go so high on womens voices.

This is an easy to listen to romance that tells the story of two people that should not fall in love. The age-gap between them and the way they grew up is only the beginning of their differences. He has lived a lot of life and she is just figuring out who she is. They come together in a big way making it her first ever true love. This book has some depth in the issues that each one of them face. The audiobook is from duel perspectives with a male and female voice reading the respective chapters. I was not a big fan of the voices but I do enjoy when they have different actors reading the parts. If you are looking for an easy read/something easy to listen to romance with a touch of spice, this could be the book for you.

Thank you to Emily McEntire and Blackstone Publishing for the ALC via NetGalley!💌✨

Beneath the Hood is the third book in the Sugarlake Series, which features four interconnected standalones. This is my first Emily McEntire book, but I’ve heard so many great things about her Never After series, so I was really excited to dive into this one.

Please be sure to check trigger warnings, as this follows an FMC with an eating disorder, panic attacks, and anxiety!

I think the audiobook was such a fun way to experience this story! It had me laughing at times and kept me entertained, but I would have loved it more if the narration was done in duet style, just because there was a few times that made me giggle when the narrators read each other’s parts.

While I enjoyed the story, I struggled to connect with the characters and to feel their chemistry. I feel like the story was a little dragged on and repetitive at times. I was not particularly thrilled about the ending. I really try to be a girls girl, but the way Blakely acted was just so out of pocket and unnecessary.

I loved the mental health representation and feel like it was portrayed accurately, especially for someone, such as Blake, who is surrounded by the pressures of social media.

Overall, this was a decent read! I think it just was a little too immature for my liking. If you’re interested in a forbidden romance, then I would definitely recommend checking this one out.

I’m usually not into age gap romances but this one just made sense. Jacks deserved so much love. Ever since I read about him in book one, I needed him to have a happily ever after and I’m glad it was delivered. The story about Blakely and her struggles was beautifully written and executed. The spicy scenes were so good and the reunions between couples was everything I wanted. THE ENDING?!? I can’t wait to read about Lily

This was a good read, and I liked how she has represented disordered eating. I didn't feel the chemistry too much with the main characters, but still intrigued throughout on where the story was going

Beneath the Hood by Emily McIntire had me completely hooked! I genuinely couldn’t stop once I started. Blakely’s character felt incredibly honest and vulnerable, and the way her inner struggles were portrayed gave the story unexpected depth. I like that making her more relatable. She’s a young woman living under constant pressure, and watching her try to reclaim her sense of self was both heartbreaking and empowering. Jackson was the kind of character who brings quiet strength to the story—supportive without being overbearing. Their connection felt sincere, even with the noticeable age gap. The romance was tender, the tension was strong, and the story had just enough spice to keep things interesting.

This audiobook was enjoyable, however I found the anxiety and eating disorder affect of the book more annoying rather than relatable. I think it felt more superficial to me rather than something deeper but as the book went on it didn't bother me as much. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what about it bothered me. Definitely might not be good for someone if they are not comfortable with those topics as they are a big theme in this book. I'd give it 2.5 stars.

I really enjoyed this audiobook! I’ve been a fan of Emily McIntire for quite awhile and have been wanting to read this series. I should have started with the first two, but I’m excited to go back and read them now. I adored the characters in this one and I loved their romance together. The female lead especially stood out to me in this one. I loved how real and relatable she felt, despite being a celebrity. Overall, I really loved this one and would definitely recommend!

I was initially hesitant to read this book because it seemed to cover a wide range of topics, including an age gap, an influencer, anxiety, and eating disorders. However, I must say that I was thoroughly captivated by it. The writing style was engaging, and I found the character development and the health representation to be particularly good. While I usually don’t prefer age gap romances and find them particularly problematic when they’re heavily emphasized, I found Jackson’s character to be likable. I also appreciated that even though Jackson was a mature man, he didn’t pressure Blakely into doing things she didn’t want to do. Instead, he was incredibly supportive and attentive to her.

I want to express my gratitude to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks for providing me with this audiobook. The narrators did an excellent job of bringing Blakely and Jackson to life, and I particularly enjoyed their portrayal of their southern accents.

Beneath the Hood is third book in the ‘Sugarlake Series’ by Emily McIntire, and wow, what a ride!

Blakely is a Hollywood social media celebrity, and Jackson is the rugged, patient mechanic working for her dad. When Blakely is forced to work in her father’s auto body shop, the tension between her and Jackson becomes undeniable. The forced proximity, the banter, the emotional push-and-pull, and the way Blakely knew exactly how to push Jackson’s buttons had me hooked.

But what really stole my heart was the raw and authentic portrayal of Blakely’s struggles with OCD, anxiety, and disordered eating. Her need for control and the constant battle within her mind were written with such care that it was impossible not to feel her pain.

And Jackson is absolutely perfection. The man was a rock—patient, kind, and endlessly understanding. He didn’t try to fix Blakely; he simply stood by her, loving her through it all. That’s the kind of love story that stays with you. Definitely a must add to TBR! 💖

🎧Audio Notes🎧
The audiobook narration by Brooke Bloomingdale and Liam DiCosimo absolutely nailed the narration. Liam’s Southern accent? Pure honey. Rich, smooth, and totally immersive. Seriously, I could listen to him all day.

Both audiobook and paperback re-released on 3/18/2025!

Thank you Blackstone Publishing and @netgalley for the ALC opportunity in exchange for my honest review, it was a wonderful read 📚💖

Ahh this was just not my cup of tea. I can’t find myself to care about these particular characters. It’s hard for me to listen to eating disorder inner dialogue.

I'm not usually a fan of age gap romances, but it really worked in this story. Blakely has an eating disorder and Jackson's maturity in showing up for her was really touching. I thought the tough subject was written very gently and I appreciated getting to understand it a bit better. I listened to the audiobook and it's a fantastic way to really enjoy these characters and their journey to their happily ever after.

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this audiobook ALC!! I went to this as a standalone and it was a fun read! I was giggling and kicking my feet! Made me buy the first book of the Sugar Lake series because I need more!!
I honestly appreciated the topics the story covered because it is important to talk about them and hopefully help more people understand better.
It was truly moving.
Definitely recommend, which i did to my best friend ❤️

I love JAX! The best male character in this entire series (so far?)! The emotional depth we get in this regarding grief/guilt and eating disorders and body image and also really important and done so respectfully. I loved how Blakely's father shows up for her by the end too. Excited for book 4 and to finally hear Lily's story

Beneath the Hood was a feel-good romance with impactful underlying topics that made this read so complete for me! The romance between Blakely and Jackson is one that would seem isn't fit to be right to anyone looking from the outside in, not just based on compatibility but also in age. She is young and organized with her days scheduled by the minute with intention toward social media success. He is from a small town simply seeking to reach a goal that his father would be proud of. What the simple eye does not see is that Blake is suffering from anxiety, something that the people around her either do not see nor understand. Jacks knows anxiety all too well based on his family experience and he knows exactly how to be the person Blake needs, but he is also in love with someone else and trying to put distance between them so he can free himself from that love that is not reciprocated. Blake wants to be the person to help him heal. They fit so perfectly and balance each other enough to help each other heal.

I appreciated the aspect of mental health added into this romance. It portrayed the social media pressures, anxiety, and eating disorders in a way that can shine light at the importance of seeking help and taking care of yourself.

Overall, this was a really good read!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing and the author of this book Emily McIntire, for allowing me the opportunity to listen to this Audio ARC.

First book by this author and it won’t be the last! Can’t wait to go back and read the first two books!

🔹 Blakely was raw, real, and so heartbreakingly relatable. Her struggles with OCD, anxiety, and disordered eating were written with care and honesty. It hurt in the best way.

🔹 Jackson? Literal dream. He didn’t try to fix her—just stood by her with quiet strength. That’s the kind of love I crave in a story.

🔹 The age gap? Yep, it’s a big one—9 years, and she’s still a teen. It’s mentioned a lot. Not my fave trope, but the emotional depth helped balance it.

🔹 Spice level? Off the charts. And the narration? Brooke Bloomingdale nailed Blakely. Liam DiCosimo’s Southern drawl? Smooth as honey.

📌 FINAL VERDICT:

✔ Angsty, emotional romance lovers—this one’s for you.
✔ Want sensitive mental health rep? It delivers.
✔ Age-gap fans? You’ll eat this up.

Blakely strikes as an empty shell and empty head at first and wanted to slap her all the time. She had such a meaningless life and called carrier a social media account, it sounds really pathetic.
Jackson seemed like the man on earth that a woman can die for, but somehow I could not even like him.
So both Jackson and Blakely seemed unlovable and unrelatable to me. The age gap also seemed exaggerated.
After half of the book was finished I started liking both characters, specifically towards the end of the book, Blakely being without a mother and technically without a father, her lone struggle struck and I guess her illness somehow created an understanding in me.
Nicely done.

Emily does it again getting me wrapped up and obsessed with her characters. I love how these books focus on one couple but still give so much of the other characters I’ve grown to love. I was worried I would t love this one as much as the other 2 but it was so good and the ending has me dying to get my hands on the last one! I received an audiobook of the rerelease of this book thru NetGalley and it was so well done.