Published March 18, 2025
Trigger Warning: OCD, Disordered Eating, Anxiety, Mental Health, Parental loss, PTSD, panic attacks

Beneath the Hood by Emily McIntire was so emotional, raw and beautiful. This is the third book in the Sugarlake series, but it is also an interconnected standalone book. This book stole my heart, Emily really knows how to write about love. I love Blakely and Jackson. Blakely is so relatable with her struggles, she puts a mask on so others think she is perfection and has no problems. She is a social media influence and her father wants her to get serious about life, so she has to work in his shop where Jackson works. Jackson was friend zoned by his long time best friend so he ran to Sugarlake to live out his father’s dream of building cars for movies. This is where Jackson falls for Blakely, who really knows how to push his buttons especially with the age gap between them Blakely being nineteen and Jackson being twenty-eight.
Emily really knows how to portray mental health issues in a book. It was raw and real adding so much to this book. The angst between Blakely and Jackson is wild, both think they aren’t good enough, yet they would do anything and everything for those they love, even if it means they will break their own heart in the process. I really hope there is a book 4 in thus series because I need to know what happens next I can’t take it with cliff hangers. But I loved this book and couldn’t stop listening to it.

Thank you Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ALC audiobook. This review is voluntary and all my own words.

Emily McIntire’s Beneath the Hood is one of the best ALCs I have ever received. Beneath The Hood is book three and an interconnected standalone book in the Sugarlake series. There is no way Beneath the Hood won’t steal your heart and remind you what true love is really about. This book isn’t just a spicy rom-com, although it has its moments of hilarity. But there is so much depth to this book that isn’t always found in a romance novel. When you think of the age of the two MCs, 19 and 28, it makes the heavy subject matter all the more intense that these two deal with throughout the book. Loss of parent, mental health issues, and eating disorders, only to name a few. As with any McIntire book there is lots and lots of good spice to be had. This is an age gap trope but it’s not a dirty age gap trope, if you get my drift.

The narration by Brooke Bloomingdale and Liam DiCossimo was EXCELLENT! In dual narration I prefer the female to speak all female parts throughout, etc. instead of during the MMC’s chapter, he speaks even the FMC’s part. But in Beneath the Hood I didn’t notice that lack of shift, which I was grateful for as it didn’t pull me out of the story. Full of angst and grief, Bloomingdale’s was able to keep the FMC 19 without making her a child. DiCossimo kept the MMC a caring, warm 28 year old without becoming demanding and domineering.

A beautifully done narration of a book with seriously important topics to discuss.

I received an ALC of #beneaththehood from #netgalley in lieu of my honest opinion of the book and its narration.

Emily McIntyre is an absolute goddess. I don't think that there is anything she could write that I wouldn't read. Just like its predecessors, this book was a slow burn to happily ever after that left the reader wanting more.

I am going to wait to post a social media post because I want to do something for the entire series.

Complete honesty, I was not a fan of book 2 in the series so I went in cautiously optimistic that this one would be better, or at least not as bad as the previous one. I gave the author another try and I have to say this one was better, not great, but still an improvement. 3⭐s is being generous

In the book we meet Jax, a recurring character on the first two books in the series, who works restoring cars for movie sets. Now if you didn't read the first book in series, it will be kind of difficult to understand his relationships with the characters in his hometown. We get snippets here and there of his life and his past trauma, but it does not dive in his issues as if you were meeting the character for the first time, thus making it harder to connect with the character as a whole. Blakely is a wealthy socialite and social media influencer, who nobody seems to take seriously.

Jax (28) is tasked, by his boss, to follow around his daughter, Blake (19) and keep her out of trouble. While I normally don't have an issue with most age gaps, it made me feel some type of way that they kept calling her a "child" or "kid". Just.... no.

Jax seems to think of Blake as a thorn on his side, just annoying and in his way, when all of a sudden he finds her irresistible and can't seem to stay away, though they don't try very hard. I wish there were more of a build up to their relationship, more chemistry, instead of a light switch they just magically seem to find on a random day.

I like how the author handled Blakely's undiagnosed OCD and eating disorder. I know it is a delicate subject to broach but she did a good job describing Blakely's daily struggles and triggers. We see Jax being so caring and patient with her when she has her panic attacks. It was good to see how significant others handle their loved ones with such compassion during difficult times. Now if real life mental health issues don't just resolve themselves in 30 days in rehab, like in the book, but we do see her making a conscious effort and putting in the work.

The last quarter could have been written a little better. Jax calls Blake out on her issues, she leaves very upset and then encounters her father who gives her an ultimatum, stay with Jax or save his job. Knowing how important it is to Jax that he fulfill his father's dream, Blake decides to make it seem as if she has moved on from him. He didn't even fight for her, or try to COMMUNICATE! He just packs up his things and goes back to his hometown, all the while she's in rehab. He takes no responsibility for his words or actions and has the nerve to tell blake "I forget how young you are" insinuating that Blake and her age have been the issue all along. He then tells her than he doesn't know if he can forgive her all the while never apologizing himself for the hurtful things he said to her.

Be sure to check for trigger warnings as there are quiet a few in this book.

*Thank you Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Okay every time I close an Emily book it’s like my brains wipes out how much I love her writing!

How she immediately sucks me in and I feel for the mc’s. This book is absolutely no different. I loved both Blakey and Jackson.

This was my first of the Sugarlake series so I obviously have some others to read but if this is how they all are easily sold.

I devoured it in like 6 hours. I felt such a connection to Blakey, her issues. Wow Emily just wow. Thank you for the mental health representation. I cried of course, I laughed and I swooned.

And let’s not forget the spice. Phew is it hot in here? Nope it’s just the spicy parts. *fans self off*

Now for the nitty gritty:

I enjoyed the audiobook, the narrator for Blakely really nailed it. The emotional part were great, the part that made you giddy all of it I felt it right along with.

The narrator for Jax- well I enjoyed it but the accent was a bit rough to listen to. Because of the accent I was pulled out of the story a bit but it was easy enough to get back in.

Overall if you are an audiobook listener and a fan of the series, I’d recommend.

Thank you Emily McIntire and Blackstone publishing for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This captivating book is the third installment in the series, and it truly delivers on emotional depth. Blakey quickly became my favorite character, and I can't help but admire Emily's incredible writing style. Overall, it's a great read that kept me hooked from start to finish!

Listened at 1.75x (ADHD speed)

This book, like the other books in this series, focuses on some heavy topics. Blakely really struggles with her image, her need to please, and other mental holds.

Jackson works for Blakely’s dad. He has been annoyed with her presence and complain to his friends back home. Until, he is asked to keep an eye on her.. Then he finally sees her. She needed someone like him to see her.

The male narrator struggled with Alina’s voice, but that is my opinion. I am from the South.. And we talk with a twang, but its also a twang that can be hard to duplicate.. The way he handled other’s voices and the main voice of Jackson was smooth and I would listen to him again.

The female narrator was excellent!

I believe they were both able to convey the emotions of each character.

Thanks to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for this ALC

I listened to this book, and I thought the narrators did a fantastic job showcasing the drama and emotion throughout the novel. While I’m not a huge fan of age-gap romances and struggled with this one for some reason, I still gave it four stars because of the important and underrepresented issues the characters face. The female lead struggles with anxiety, panic attacks, and an eating disorder, while the male lead is dealing with the grief of losing his father. I really appreciated how the author connected these two characters, allowing them to support each other on their individual paths to healing.

This book is part of a series, and while it can be read as a standalone, there were moments where I felt like reading books one and two first would have given a fuller understanding of certain aspects of the story. Overall, it’s a powerful read with meaningful themes, and I’m glad these topics were explored.

3.5 Stars

TW: panic attacks, anxiety disorder, eating disorder, parental loss, PTSD (brief mention)

I did not realize that Emily McIntire wrote other books besides the Never After series and while I enjoyed the first one of that series I did not see her writing a contemporary romance after that! BUT I'm glad she did! This was pretty emotional and I was pretty disheartened and sad through out it. Mainly all the sadness was for the FMC, Blakely, an influencer/socialite, who's just trying to make it her own way in the Hollywood spotlight. She experiences brutal panic attacks and has some real issues with food that are not healthy in the least. She's surrounded by people who don't really look out for her and actually don't care about her at all as long as she brings in the paychecks. Enter our MMC, Jackson. He's trying to achieve his father's dreams of having his cars in big Hollywood movie productions and happens to work for Blakely's father doing just that. Blakely has constantly bugged him and acted like a total brat but there's something about her that Jackson can't get out of his mind. When Blakely's dad tells Jackson to start attending events with Blakely to look out for her, things get heated quite quickly.

I enjoyed this for the most part. I do think I would need to be in the right frame of mind to read it again, because like I said...it was a real downer at sometimes with all the stuff that our characters go through. But it made me cry and laugh and I count that as a good book!

I was gifted an ALC and got to listen to most of this one. The female narrator, Brook Bloomingdale, was fantastic! I loved her voice and she was really great with her inflections and tones. Unfortunately I can not say the same for the male narrator, Liam DiCosimo. Jackson is supposed to have a southern accent, and poor Liam could just not do it justice. He also sounded a bit off on the pauses and inflections...I really felt like this would've been better with just Brook's narration.

Overall a solid contemporary romance by a great author. I will definitely look into continuing the Sugarlake series! Thank you so much to Blackstone Publishing for gifting me with this ALC in exchange for an honest review!

I want to start off by saying how much I loved the narration for this audiobook. Both of the narrators had a voice that was pleasant to hear and accurately fit the characters in my opinion. I listen to many audiobooks but I will easily dnf them if I can’t stand the voices. But this one I will recommend to all of my friends to listen to.
This follows Blakely an influencer whose job is to make club appearances. In comes Jackson who works for Blakey’s dad. He moved to La to restore classic cars but instead his boss makes Jackson keep an eye on his daughter.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review! I’m disappointed to say that unfortunately, I DNF’d at 23%.

The FMC’s narrator was excellent—she sounded like a seasoned professional, and I really appreciated the emotion she brought to her chapters and Blakely’s character.

Unfortunately, the MMC’s narrator detracted from the story. His “southern accent” for Jaxson leaned heavily into Forrest Gump territory, and the voice he used for female characters felt borderline offensive. It really took me completely out of the story and made it difficult to stay engaged.

Beyond the narration issues, the storyline itself was underwhelming. The connection between the hero and heroine felt flimsy at best and nonexistent at worst. I didn’t love that Jaxson was using Blakely to work through his grief, and Blakely’s character felt one-dimensional.

Overall, really bummed to DNF as I loved the first book in this interconnected series.

3.65 stars! 🌟 Huge thanks to Blackstone Publishing for the ALC via NetGalley! 💌

AGE-GAP ROMANCE + ANGST + HEARTBREAK + HEALING = EMILY MCINTIRE DOING HER THING!

This book had a LOT going on, and honestly? I was kinda unsure about it at first. The age gap? The emotional baggage? The messy, self-destructive choices? But the more I listened, the more it pulled me in. 😮‍💨💖

📖 THE STORY:

Blakely Donahue is a 19-year-old influencer—gorgeous, famous, and absolutely drowning under the weight of perfection. Social media loves her, but no one actually sees her. Her entire world is controlled—her diet, her workouts, her schedule. The pressure? Crushing.

Enter Jackson Rhoades. 28 years old, heartbroken, and just trying to focus on his new Hollywood job restoring classic cars. Except… SURPRISE! His real task? Babysitting his boss’s ‘rebellious’ daughter.

And you already know where this is going. She’s too young. He’s off-limits. But they’re the only ones who actually see each other. So yeah, lines get crossed, rules get shattered, and hearts get tangled.

💭 MY THOUGHTS:

🔹 Blakely was so raw and real. Her struggles with OCD, anxiety, and disordered eating were handled with such care and accuracy that some parts actually hit too close to home. Her pain, her loneliness, the way she grasped for control over her life through numbers and routines—it all felt painfully authentic. 💔

🔹 Jackson was a freaking dream. This man was patient, kind, and so aware of Blakely’s struggles. He didn’t try to ‘fix’ her—he just stood beside her. And honestly, that’s the kind of love story I live for. 😭

🔹 The AGE GAP THING? Look, I don’t always vibe with it, and this book definitely didn’t let me forget it. It’s mentioned A LOT. I mean… NINE YEARS. That’s a big one, especially when one person is still a teenager. It wasn’t my favorite trope, but the emotional depth made up for it.

🔹 THE SPICE? 🌶️ Oh, it was SPICING. And the narration? CHEF’S KISS! Brooke Bloomingdale brought Blakely to life beautifully. And Liam DiCosimo? His Southern accent was smooth as honey—deep, rich, and completely immersive.

📌 FINAL VERDICT:

✔ If you love angsty, emotional romances with deep character growth? You’ll eat this up.
✔ If mental health rep is important to you? This one’s handled with care.
✔ If age-gap romances are your thing? You’re gonna LOVE this.

This was my first ALC and I loved it. This is the 3rd book in the Sugarlake series, it can be read as a standalone and it's AMAZING.
I really recommend to take the TW's seriously, the story tackles mental health issues like anxiety and panic attacks, but also eating disorders for example. I really could relate to it and that can be triggering.
I loved the MC's alot. The FMC is Blakely, a young influencer that is quite popular but still feels unseen and struggles with anxiety, eating disorder, OCD and panic attacks.
The MC is Jax, a heartbroken, friend zoned good guy that is an employee of Blakely's father and has to babysit Blakely who is 9 years younger than him.
I truly loved the fact that the whole story is filled with this ugly true life angst and this beautiful love story.
The dual narration in the audiobook really added dept to the story.

Thanks to Netgalley, Blackstone Publishing and Emily McIntire for the ALC and trusting me to write my honest opinion about it.

Emily McIntire is a guaranteed good time, so it was no surprise that this book gave me ALL the feels!

I am honestly and voluntarily leaving my opinion.

Getting the audio version of this book was an absolute treat! Brooke Bloomingdale and Liam DiCosimo are geniuses together. They catapult Blake and Jax from the page into the space that you inhabit! They are music together!

Forbidden love, age gap, younger woman/older man, eating disorder, body dysmorphia, daddy issues, lost love, failed friendships, all wrapped into a sweet cozy package and pushed under the hood of a studio set car.

I actually love the dynamic between Jax and Blakely. Their emotional rollercoaster jumped off the page. All of the tension, the insecurities, the love—it was so liquid! I LOVED IT!

The patience and understanding that Jax used when dealing with Blake was so sticky, syrupy sweet, there were a few moments where I could myself saying Ahhhh

In true Emily fashion, the spice was spicy, like hot honey!

I have read many books by Emily McIntire, and I think this one is my favorite.


Thank you to Netgalley, Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks, and Emily McIntire for the ALC of this sweet and spicy romance.

I was so freaking lucky to get the ARC of the audio book for Beneath The Hood, the third book in the Sugarlake series and I did my first ever immersive read!

If you’re unfamiliar with an immersive read, it’s where you listen to an audio book while also reading the book itself! This audio book was narrated by Brooke Bloomingdale and Liam DiCosimo

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️

Kindle Unlimited: Yes

Book Boyfriend Ranking: 36 out of 38

I want to start off by saying, I LOVE Emily McIntire, she’s easily one of my favorite authors. But something about this book, just didn’t hit for me. I felt like the characters were so one dimensional. 95% of Blakely’s personality was about her issues and eating disorder. It was really hard to see what Jackson found so great about her when she was just kind of there and damsel in distressing all the time. Jackson also lost a ton of the personality that made me love him in the first two books, he only started to get it back when he went back home to Sugarlake. That was really my biggest gripe with the book.

One thing I think that’s interesting about this series is the different perspectives and how everyone sees the same situations differently. Not only is it crazy accurate to real life, but also just something books don’t tend to do. Especially with this many love stories and perspectives on the same time frame.

Overall, I liked this book, but I will say it’s my least favorite of the Sugarlake series so far. I do love how it set up the last book and I can’t wait to dive into that one next!

Thank you so much to Emily McIntire, NetGalley, Bloom Books, and Blackstone Publishing for the audio ARC! All opinions are my own.

*post is live on Goodreads, Lemon8, Instagram, & TikTok*

This was my first Emily Mcintire book and it won’t be my last. This is the story of an influencer and the older man that’s been asked by her Dad to keep an eye on her. I am all about a good age gap romance and this one was done well. Personally I like a little more angst in my stories but overall this was an enjoyable story. Blakely struggles with body dysmorphia, eating disorders and panic attacks. Sue struggles with the pressures of social media and keeping up the perfect life she has create for it. And doesn’t have anyone that she can truly trust in her life, until Jackson enters the picture.
Looking forward to reading more by this author.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 Stars)

Emily McIntire delivers another dark and captivating romance in Beneath the Hood, and the audiobook format brings an extra layer of intensity to the experience. With a gritty, forbidden love story and emotionally charged characters, this book keeps you hooked from start to finish.
The narration is a standout aspect—both voice actors do a fantastic job of embodying the characters, adding depth and emotion to every scene. The chemistry between the protagonists is palpable, and the darker elements of the story are handled with just the right amount of tension.
While the pacing felt a little slow at times, the compelling character arcs and steamy romance more than made up for it. If you enjoy dark, twisted love stories with morally gray characters, this one is worth listening to.

🎧 Highly recommended for fans of intense, forbidden romance with an addictive narration!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narration: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Duration: 10 hrs
Narrated by Brooke Bloomingdale & Liam DiCosimo
Publication Date: 03.18.25

“The lighthouse to her darkness, guiding her through the shallow waters.”

Contemporary Romance
Small Town
Forbidden Romance
Enemies To Lovers
Forced Proximity
Age Gap
Opposites Attract

Book Overview
From USA Today bestselling author Emily McIntire comes an angsty age-gap romance and the third interconnected standalone in the Sugarlake series.
Jackson Rhoades has a perfect smile and a broken heart. When he gets offered his dream job in Hollywood, he packs up his shattered pieces and leaves Sugarlake for good.
He thought he was hired to restore classic cars, but instead his new boss tasks Jackson with keeping an eye on his unruly nineteen-year-old daughter.
Jackson agrees reluctantly, not realizing doing so will change his life forever.
Blakely Donahue is one of the biggest influencers in North America. She’s followed by millions, but has never felt more alone. Obsessed with counting calories and drowning under the pressure of perfection, she’s barely holding herself together. When her father’s new employee starts hanging around, Blakely can’t help but feel a pull.
Jackson is nine years older and entirely off-limits, but he’s the first person to look beyond the surface and see Blakely for who she truly is. Before either of them can stop it, they’re crossing boundaries and breaking all the rules.
They know better than to get too close, but for some reason, neither can stay away.
Even if it means destruction for them both.

“Beneath The Hood” by Emily McIntire was another awesome story. She always has great character development and world building. I love the healing aspect of the story and how much growth there was. There’s depth to the characters and she was able to approach the heavier topics with ease. Whilst, still having the raw emotion there that left it relatable to the reader.

Jackson and Blakey had very slow burn kind of romance. A lot of emotions built up. I wish there was a little more angst and flirtation. However, the raw emotions and how perfect they were for each other definitely makes up for it. I loved watching their story play out.

As far as the narration goes, I think they both did a wonderful job. It was smooth and they helped to bring the characters to life even more so than reading this a while back.

Overall, it was another great book from Emily. I have loved all her books and this definitely didn’t disappoint. I do recommend this book.

Thank you Netgalley and Blackstone for this ALC.

⚠️PLEASE CHECK TRIGGER WARNINGS⚠️

This audiobook was a solid 3.5 star listen for me.

This is book 3 in the Sugarlake series, and can be read as a standalone. It's an age gap, boss' daughter, forbidden romance.

Blakely is a famous influencer, who's father works in Hollywood. He doesn't think the influencer thing is a real job, so he has her helping out with his business during the day. Her insecurities around food, and the pressures of social media to be perfect are not a good combo for her. She's 19 and her age really shows.
Jackson is fresh off a heartbreak when he's offered his dream job in Hollywood. He leaves Sugarlake to work for Blakely's father. Little did he know, his boss would be asking him to to keep an eye on his daughter for him.
I like that it starts off as him not wanting anything to do with her, and turns into them not being able to fight the pull they have to each other. Jackson is 9 years older, and it's his boss' daughter, so I loved the forbidden romance and secrecy aspect to this story. It was enough to pull me in but not too heavy.

There's an emotional aspect to this story, with mental health and ED rep, but I still found it was a quick and easy listen that flowed really well. I thought the female narrator Brooke Bloomingdale was perfect for Blakely's character, and I really enjoyed her performance. I wasn't sold on the male narrator Liam DiCosimo as Jackson, and I really didn't like the voice he did for Blakely's parts. It was difficult to listen to some of the spicy scenes because of this.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing-Audiobooks + NetGalley for the opportunity to provide my honest opinions and review of this ALC!

Age-Gap Taboo & Emotional Storytelling at Its Best

Jackson’s story is one of unrequited love, quiet heartbreak, and ultimately, self-discovery. As the sweet best friend who spent years in the friend zone with the love of his life, his decision to leave Sugarlake for California felt inevitable. Pursuing the dream he shared with his late father—building cars for the big screen—was his way of reclaiming his own path.

Going into this, I wasn’t sure I’d like Blakely. On paper, she seemed like the type of character I’d struggle to connect with—a privileged social media influencer, a teenage socialite seemingly out of touch with reality. But I was wrong. Blakely is so much more. She’s a survivor, mature beyond her years, and her depth took me by surprise. Her journey is raw, painful, and deeply emotional, making her a truly special heroine.

That said, this book isn’t for everyone. The author includes multiple trigger warnings, and they should be taken seriously. This is a heavy, emotionally charged story, but if you trust the process, as the author suggests, it’s worth it. I’m so glad I did.