I didn't know I needed the audiobook of this book until I had it & I was not disappointed. I fell in love with the characters and their story reading it & then fell in love all over again getting to listen to them fall in love too.

This story was so sweet and beautiful & I ate up every second of it.

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC!

Beneath the hood by Emily Mcintire
4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
2.5🌶🌶

Beneath the hood was the first age gap romance I have read in a while, and I really enjoyed it! Our FMC, Blakely, is a 19yo heiress who has made a name for herself as a social media influencer. But behind the perfect image she shares online, she struggles with her self-image and a feeling of needing to be perfect at all times. Her life is so strictly controlled from her schedule, image, weight, even the foods she eats that she is secretly drowning in it all.

Then we have 28yo Jackson, an auto detail/restoration expert working for Blakely's Dad. Jackson's dream has always been to finish what his dad started and have their cars featured in Hollywood movies. Blakely, who is working at her dad's auto shop to learn the value of a dollar, finds it absolutely hilarious to push every button Jackson has.

Then, one night, Blake's dad asks Jackson to keep an eye on her at a club event, and suddenly sparks fly, and before long Blakely and Jackson can't get each other out of their heads. Blakely knows Jackson is the first person to REALLY see her in a long time, and she's willing to risk almost everything to keep him with her.

The ups and downs that Blakely and Jackson experience are very well written. I also appreciated the care and attention the author gave when writing about OCD as well as an eating disorder, both sensitive subjects that can be difficult to write about. It's definitely a great book that I highly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and Blackstone for the free ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Didn’t love, didn’t hate I just couldn’t really get into it enough to care about Jackson and Blakely. The sensitive and heavy topics were handled with care though which I appreciated and the narration was on point

3.5. This *barely* beat Beneath The Stars as my favorite, solely on the basis of the characters. Jackson has been my favorite character since book 1, and while it took me a while to warm up to Blakely, her mental health problems and issues with food were extremely relatable. The plot was meh, as there wasn’t really anything happening, but the characters were great

I have to say, it completely caught me off guard. I don’t usually pick up romance novels, but this one had me hooked from the first chapter. The chemistry between the two main characters was electric—it wasn’t just about the physical attraction, but the way they challenged and supported each other. I found myself rooting for them, even when they were making mistakes or letting their insecurities get in the way.

What really stood out to me was how real the story felt. The dialogue was sharp and natural, and the emotional moments hit hard without feeling overly dramatic. I could see pieces of myself in the male lead, especially in how he struggled to open up and be vulnerable. It made me think about my own relationships in a way I didn’t expect.

The pacing was perfect, with just enough tension to keep me turning the pages. And while there were moments that felt predictable, the journey was so enjoyable that I didn’t mind. By the end, I was smiling like an idiot—it was that satisfying.

This was a lot more emotional and heavy then I was expecting but I still loved it so very very much. Blakely is the seemilngly confident put together girl who’s actually falling apart and struggling to prove herself. I adore her so much. She’s relatable and has so many layers for readers to explore. Jaxson is just wow… he moves away to heal and mend his broken heart but finds so much more then that in the end I loved it so much. these two see and heal each other in so many ways. I truly really did love and see myself in this story so much.

After really enjoying Beneath the Stands (Book 2 in the Sugarlake series), I went into Beneath the Hood with high expectations—and it didn’t disappoint. This book delivered a raw and emotional journey, tackling heavy themes with depth and sensitivity while also serving up a heartfelt romance.

Rating: 4/5 Stars ⭐

💭 What Made This Story Shine
✨ Blakely’s struggles were beautifully written. Her anxiety, panic attacks, and nutritional struggles felt deeply authentic. I appreciated how Emily McIntire portrayed how those around her either overlooked or misunderstood her pain—except for Jax, our male lead, who truly saw her for who she was.

💙 Jax stole my heart. I already loved his character from the previous books, and getting to dive into his thought process and emotional depth in this one just made me love him more. He was strong, patient, and exactly what Blakely needed—but also a character with his own layers and struggles.

⏳ The age gap actually worked. Normally, I’m not a huge fan of age gap romances (Jax is 9 years older than Blakely), but in this case, it felt natural. Blakely’s life experiences and independence made her feel older than her 19 years, and Jax—well, he was just perfect no matter what. 😏

🎧 The audiobook was top-tier! A huge thanks to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for the ALC. The voice actors were flawless, making this story even more immersive and emotional.

Final Thoughts
While Beneath the Hood explores some heavy themes, it balances them well with a swoon-worthy romance and strong character development. If you love small-town romances with emotional depth, this book is a must-read!

Beneath the Hood by Emily McIntire
As someone familiar (and obsessed) with the darker themes of Emily McIntire's Never After series and Be Still My Heart, this book was a huge change— proof that she truly can do it all. Small town? Mystery? Dark Disney retelling? She has got it locked dooown. That being said, while I’m a card-carrying member of the Emily McIntire fan club…this book was a 50/50 for me.

There are a lot of tough themes in this book so check your trigger warnings thoroughly. Blakely wrestles with intense issues with body image, an eating disorder, anxiety and OCD. She has spent her entire life in the public eye, often under the care of people who have not prioritized her health and well-being, leading to bouts of severe anxiety and panic attacks.

Jackson is her rock — there to weather the storm of her raw, fluctuating emotions. He’s the first person in her life to truly prioritize her health, gently confronting points of contention and gradually challenging her distorted self-perception. He did not try to force her into an awareness she was not ready for; he was a friend to her and stood beside her as someone she could trust and depend on.

There were a few aspects of this book that weren’t exactly my cup of tea, and that’s okay. Age gap romance usually doesn’t bother me, but when one person is newly 19 and the other is 9 years her senior, it did give me a little eye twitch. Especially when in the first several chapters, it seemed like Jackson’s only thoughts were along the lines of, "UGH, SHE'S NINETEEN, I CAN’T HAVE HER!" I prefer a casual mention of the age gap and then moving on with the story, and I do understand why it was brought up — it just felt like it was mentioned too frequently.

At times the story felt a little too much like a trauma bonding to me rather than a full blown romance. It felt like they were leaning on each other a lot to cauterize the wounds of their own traumas, and with Blakely’s somewhat still impressionable age it just seemed a bit like this romance was built under the foundation of emotional convenience and idolization. It gave, he is the only one who “sees” me, so I love him and want to be with him because the loneliness is crushing and I need something I can control.

And you know what… that’s on daddy issues. Preach sister.

Not that Jackson was off the hook here- he was not over his ex who left him for his best friend. Which… ouch. And he mentioned it OFTEN. He answered her calls FREQUENTLY even when he was developing real feelings for Blakely. It’s tough, but it just comes down to preference and I am being a bit picky.

I do see the points as to why their romance worked, especially because the spice was SPICY. I was clutching the pearlssss girl. I was listening to the audiobook so Brooke Bloomingdale brought Blakely to life beautifully and Liam DiCosimo can continue to narrate things in my ear ANY DAY BITCH. His little southern accent? I was flatlining. Respectfully. It was deeply iconic and their portrayal made it so easy to fall in love.

All in all if you are a fan of the following, this book is for you:
-small town, age gap, taboo romcom vibes
-mental health rep done with care
-themes with emotional depth and character development

HUGE thanks to Blackstone Publishing for the ALC via NetGalley!

*Beneath the Hood* by Emily McIntire is an emotional, angsty age-gap romance that hits you right in the feels. It follows Jackson, a heartbroken car restorer, who ends up babysitting his boss’s rebellious 19-year-old daughter, Blakely. Cue the tension, drama, and some seriously deep emotions.

It’s not just a spicy romance—this one dives into heavy topics like mental health, and it does it with care. If you’re into raw, emotional stories with a mix of angst and sweetness, this book will totally pull you in.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #BlackstonePublishing for providing me with a free listening copy of #BeneathTheHood. Excellent narrators, great story, I loved it! 4.5 stars! Also rated on Goodreads.

This was an emotional, spicy listen. I thought the narrators did a great job bringing the characters to life.

Jackson was my favorite character from the first book in the series! So, I was excited to see he was getting his own book. He was such a sweet, supportive MMC!

The FMC had a lot going on. I didn’t vibe with Blakey’s character as much! It might be because she read really young to me. This is an age gap romance, so the age played a big part. I struggled to believe she was the person for Jackson. He deserved more from her and he gave her forgiveness quickly.

Overall, this was an emotional and engaging romance. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

This book touches heavier topics than other romance books, be sure to check the trigger warnings.

The main character struggles with an eating disorder, and the love interest has his own issues. I really liked to see them work through them and get better.

The secondary characters felt very fleshed out and made the story even better.

The narrators were amazing and did an amazing job at voicing each of the characters in the story.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to have this arc.

Just like the first two books in this series, I devoured it. I will say, it is not my favorite of the series so far- I am not a fan of the ‘age gap’ trope. I do like Jax and enjoyed more of him. I’m looking forward to reading Lily’s story next!

I loved this audio of Beneath the Hood. This is the third book in the Sugarlake Series by Emily McIntire. This book was addicting. I loved the characters. Jackson is heartbroken but he lands his dream job, or so he thinks and he leaves Sugarlake. He thought he was being hired to restore classic cars, but he finds out its to babysit his boss's 19 year old daughter.

The narrators voices don't seem to fit the characters they are portraying. I have a hard time listening to it. This is going to be one of the books I will need to read instead of listen to.

*ARC audiobook received from Netgalley in exchange for any honest review *

Spice: 3

Trope: Age Gap, Forced Proximity
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The audiobook was wonderful. Brooke Bloomingdale and Liam DiCosimo are the perfect voices for Blakley and Jackson.

Jackson Rhodes finally leaves Sugarlake for California to pursue his dreams and escape the woman who has never chosen him. He is a charmer and a relentless flirt that everyone loves. Jackson wants to fulfill his fathers dream and work on cars that end up on the big screen. He's been working for a big Hollywood production company and he's about to get his chance to have his cars in a big movie.

Blakely Donahue is one of the world's biggest social media influencers. Everyone knows who she is, except her father's new employee, Jackson Rhodes. At her father's request to work an "actual" job, Blakely works at the front desk in the auto shop.

When Jackson is asked by his boss to keep an eye out for Blakely during some of her events, Jackson discovers he's not just there for his boss. He's there because he can't stay away.

Blakely definitely has image issues from the environment she is in on a daily basis. The public eye has not been kind to her. Jackson realizes that Blakely needs help and he is the only one that is willing to do what's best for her. Listening to the two of them find their peace and solace in each other was perfect.

“Every time you speak, the world quiets so I can listen.”

"And I’ll keep coming back, so she isn’t alone. The lighthouse to her darkness, guiding her through the shallow waters."
I read this story years ago but was really excited for the new content and to hear the audio. It was absolutely perfect!
Emily McIntire has this way of writing that gets you so invested in thr characters that you feel the intensity, you get nervous for what will happen, your heart breaks for them. She also makes storylines that are not typically relatable, feel like something you can relate to. And this book especially did all that. This story was a beautiful emotional surprise. I was a huge fan of the first 2 in this series and even though I was eager for this release, I wasn't quite sure where Jackson's story would take us. But it sure did take us on a ride.
The story starts with Jackson being more annoyed with Blakely and her doing her best to annoy him. But the closer he gets to her, the more he sees the real her, and not the persona she puts on for social media. And Blakely realizes that Jackson is the only one who sees her. Their love is real and beautiful, and a little bit forbidden due to the age gap and her father being his boss.

If you read the first 2 novels you would notice that they also touch on his pain for being there for a friend and falling in love with her when she chose the man who broke her heart the first time. I felt his pain, but I really like them bringing Chase from the Beneath the Stars back and him explaining to Jackson how he hurt him too.

The epilogue... All I can say is I will be anxiously awaiting the next book

The audio really made me hear different emotions then the first time I read it. I think the narrators did a great job with becoming the characters

Emily McEntire does it again! My first intro to her was Hooked from the Never After series. I am so glad this indie series has been picked up and especially excited I got to review two of them on audio as I didn’t do any of the NA series on audio. Collect all this series! And soooo looking forward to her new series coming later this year!!!

Love the author and yet, this was not my favorite in this series. I adored the first two in this series, but this one just didn’t work for me. An enemy (sort of) to more, second chance, age gap, small town story that ultimately addresses mental health issues in a healthy manner and how could I not adore it? By making me really not like Blakely, the FMC or her father. The level of entitlement was so over the top I found it more than a bit cringy. And all I kept thinking about Jackson was run. Run fast and far. Don’t normally have an issue with age gaps. In this one it was problematic for me as Blakely was so incredibly immature. I did get the HEA I read this genre for so that was good.

I devoured Beneath the Hood, the third book in the Sugarlake series by Emily McIntire, and I'm still reeling from the experience. Although it's part of a series, I had no issue jumping in as a standalone, as Emily skillfully weaves in enough background information to keep me engaged.

The story follows Blakely Donahue, a 19-year-old influencer, and Jackson Rhoades, a 28-year-old mechanic. Initially, I was apprehensive about Blakely's character, but as the story progressed, my heart ached for her. Emily perfectly portrays Blakely's struggles with OCD, anxiety, and disordered eating, evoking raw emotion and authenticity.

Jackson, on the other hand, had me swooning from the start. His patience, understanding, and unwavering support for Blakely made him the perfect counterpart to her chaotic world.

One aspect that took some getting used to was the age gap between the protagonists. However, the emotional depth and character development made up for this minor hurdle.

I listened to the audiobook, and the dual narration by Liam DiCosimo and Brooke Bloomingdale was phenomenal. DiCosimo's smooth, southern voice brought Jackson to life, while Bloomingdale's emotional range perfectly captured Blakely's turmoil.

If you enjoy angsty, emotional romances with complex characters, I highly recommend Beneath the Hood. Be prepared for a heart-wrenching, thought-provoking ride!