⚠️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.

I didn't hate it. I didn't love it, though.

Ngl, influencer AU is not my cup of tea. I'm fine with age gap. Forbidden romance can be okay.

In this book specifically, it was okay. I wasn't blown away, but eating disorder and OCD was written well. And she sought help with a specialist, no magic cock curing her which, given the romance market, is a rare thing to include in your book.

Maybe I'd like it more if influencer au was taken in a different direction, had a twist to it, since all books about social media focus on it being fake. Why so many people do it if so bad?

Romance-wise it was okay, but I didn't care for them.

For the audiobook, I think we, as a collective, the man doing high pitched female voice, and the woman doing raspy low male voice, leave in 2024. Also, the man narrated slower than the woman. Her POV I listened to x1.25, but his POV was too slow, and x1.5 for her POV was too fast.

2.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the Audiobook! I screamed when I got it. Love you Emily. Will check out the other sugarlake books as I wait for the Never After Book 7. <3

This was my first non-dark romance of Emily's and omg it was everything I needed! Jackson and Blakely's relationship evolved so perfectly. Plus the narrator was amazing!

This was so freaking cute! 🥹 Gave me all the heartwarming small town romance vibes

Jax and Blakely were fantastic mcs!

Blakely was super relatable (be careful if you have eating disorder triggers), overall just loved her personality.

The way Jax tried to be patient with her and get her to come out of her shell and break cycles was so heartwarming 🥹

I received an arc of the new audiobook releasing from Blackstone publishers and I highly recommend reading it this way! The narrators did a fantastic job bringing the characters and the story to life, easily listened to this in one go!

The only criticism I had was the age gap was a bit… too much for me 😅
But I enjoyed it nonetheless, just was jarring whenever someone would mention again that she’s only 19 cause I blocked that out lol

Thank you to Blackstone publisher and Emily McIntire for giving me the first chance to listen to this new audio rerelease ✨

- Age Gap
- Small Town
- Celebrity Romance
- Forbidden Romance
- Dad’s Employee

Beneath The Hood is a story of healing wrapped in an age-gap romance (9 years) with plenty of emotional depth. The book tackles heavy themes like mental health, OCD, disordered eating, panic attacks, and even touches on cancer. Blakely’s struggles, especially her panic attacks, were incredibly raw and relatable, some scenes were genuinely hard to get through because they felt so real.

The banter at the beginning was fun, adding some lightness before diving into the heavier emotional aspects of the story. However, the pacing felt a bit slow for me, and while I understood why the relationship developed the way it did, it leaned heavily into an intense, almost co-dependent dynamic that didn’t do it for me.

The chemistry was strong, but it often felt more lust-driven than emotionally developed. The spice also had moments that felt cringy rather than steamy.

As for the audiobook, while I enjoyed the narration overall, I wasn’t a huge fan of the MMC’s voice actor—his Southern accent didn’t always feel natural, which took me out of the story at times.

While this book wasn’t entirely for me, I am definitely intrigued by Alina & Chase’s story (Beneath the Stars) and Lily & Mason’s story (Beneath the Surface). Their dynamics already seem more appealing, and I’m excited to dive into them!

I had my doubts early on, but this one really pulled through. After spending years pining after his best friend whose found love of her own, Jackson moves to Hollywood full time to live out his late father’s dream of flipping cars for movies. His boss’s daughter, Blakely, is a nineteen year old influencer putting on a show of perfection for the internet. Her father wants her to get serious and quit the game of pretend, he forces her to work at his shop where Jackson; asking Jackson to keep an eye on her. Blakely immediately starts pushing his buttons, but the two grow on one another.

I really fell in love with Blakely and Jackson in this book. It was great to learn more about Jackson’s life in California. This book touched on some really heavy topics, including EDs, anxiety, and depression. Emily did a graceful job handling these issues on page. The story was incredibly emotional and so sweet.

📚 5/5
🌶️ 3/5

So this review hurts to write because I loved the Never After series. I could not get into this one. I realize it's an interconnected standalone, but I went back and started with book 1 and had to DNF. The same happened here. I found myself reading it just because I loved the authors work in a different series and it wasn't the same love here. This could be for you, but it wasn't for me.

Big thanks to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for the Advance Listeners Copy! 🎧

⭐️3.5 Stars rounded up!⭐️

Under the Hood is the third book in Emily McIntire’s Sugarlake series, which follows Jackson Rhoades from the first two books. I binged this series to prep for this book so I can absolutely say that Jacks is my favorite character in the whole series. I’ve been rooting for him through every book and this is definitely my favorite of the series so far!

I still loved Jackson in this book, but I felt like a lot of the charm and wit that made his character was missing in this book. His flirting never really came out for Blakely, but he was still sweet and caring. I liked how sensitively and compassionately Blakely’s mental health and body image issues were handled. I prefer my romance books on the fluffier side, but I’m glad that the author handled these heavy subjects with care. As the reader you really feel for this poor girl and how much pressure she is under with her public image.

I think the main thing holding me back with this book was the lack of development for their relationship. I wanted more focus on them falling in love. It felt very insta-lusty, which I didn’t love since Blakely had a lot of internal dialogue centered around her beauty and how she had to look perfect for people to care about her. Jackson reassured her that he loved her for more than her looks, but I felt like I didn’t get to see that development, just hear about it after the fact. In the end it was all worth it though, because what a sweet ending! 🩷

The audio version was really well done! I could tell the male narrator struggled a bit with the Tennessee accent, but the female narrator was amazing!

Overall this was emotional and ended up being really sweet. I definitely recommend reading the other books in the series in order to get the full experience, and I’ll definitely read the last book because I need answers 🤣

Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. I thought the concept sounded cute but a few chapters in and I cannot connect with the characters. I understand what the writer is doing and others may like the concept, but just not my favourite tropes. So unfortunately I will have to stop listening.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the audio arc in exchange for my honest review.

Beneath the Hood by Emily McIntire? Prepare for feels! This book punches you right in the emotional gut (in a good way!). Jackson and Blakely's slow-burn romance is intense, tackling tough topics with raw honesty. Trigger warnings are a must, but if you're ready for a real, messy, beautiful love story, dive in! You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll definitely need a comfort snack.

I was lucky enough to get an early copy of the audio book ! I usually love Emily’s books, this one just fell flat for me. I found the power dynamic involved in this age age just rubbed me the wrong way. And I found the audio narrators accents and female/male voices in their chapters just had me rolling my eyes. It was still fun to listen to, just not my favourite.

Stunning socialite that has made a name for herself, meets gorgeous mechanic making a name for himself. Now add an age-gap, and trauma, SPICY!

What a wild ride! The FMC is first presented as a vapid Hollywood brat. You quickly learn in very deep details the amount of trauma she endures on a daily bases. I’m not going to lie, it was tough to read at first. But once you understand the depth of what the mental anguish the FMC lives through, she becomes so endearing. You are rooting for her!

The MMC is not stranger to mental trauma either.

I was not a fan of the age grap. Her 19 to his 28 because I know how much you still have to learn at 19 in life. However, the author did an amazing job with character development and growth!

Loved the ending!

The Narrators did a fantastic job on the voices, story telling and inflections.

Thank you Emily McIntire, Net Galley and Blackstone Media for this ALC!

Objectively speaking, the FMC’s stream of consciousness did a very good job at portraying the naïveté and insecurities of a 19 year old—so much so that I think the writing was a little too young for me at this point in my life, but well written and very successful at capturing the spirit of the character. The story dealt with heavy topics such as anxiety, body dysmorphia, and ED but had an overall lighthearted romance with forbidden romance, instant attraction, and yes, tension✨.

On a personal level, I really wanted to reach through the book and give Blakely a hug 🥺. I also want to thank Emily for bringing awareness to this specific ED because Orthorexia nervosa is a lesser known eating disorder since the behaviors associated with it are not always as easily recognized by outside observers. It honestly made my younger self feel so seen to see a character go through a lot of the struggles I did back in high school/early college. 🖤

3.5 Stars⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was my first by this author and I was not disappointed.
What a beautiful story. The way that the author portrayed such a heavy topic in a way that makes you really feel for the FMC was incredible. I will say to push through the first ten chapters. It took me a minute to really grasp how beautiful this would be.
Overall, this was a fantastic read!
Check your triggers!

3.75⭐️ | 2.5🌶️

This book was definitely better than the others in the series!

There was just something about it that kept me hooked from the beginning. I really liked the characters, and overall, I loved the story.

I was especially excited for the glimpses of other characters we got, and I was so happy to see the MMC finally get his HEA. ♥️

However, the third-act breakup was handled terribly—it was so messy. I understand that the FMC needed to work on herself, but she treated the MMC like trash. After the author spent the entire book trying to convince me she was mature for her age, her actions in the third act made her seem so immature.

That said, I still had a great time reading it, and the audiobook was a 10/10! 🫶🏽

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for the ALC.

When I got this ARC, I didn't realize that the print version of this book had been out for about 3 years and the audiobook was the only release.
I thought the narrators of this book were okay, not my favorite but they didn't detract from the story.

I have never read Emily McIntire, after listening to this book, I would go back through her other works and read them. This appears to be part of a series, I believe you can read them as a standalone but you'd get a more rounded overview if you read them all.

I appreciated that the author chose to discuss some heavy topics in a way that felt relatable and relevant to both characters.
The book had decent pacing and it was easy to get through.

Beneath the Hood by Emily McIntire
Sugarlake Series Book 3
4/5 Star Rating
2/5 Spice Level
I absolutely adored this book. At the beginning, I thought it was a bit cheesy with the plot line but the more in depth in the story got, the more the characters and the elements morphed the story into something heartfelt. Blakely is social media influencer just trying to make her own way in the world, but perfection has a cost. Jackson, who was hired to keep an extra eye on her becomes a place of refuge from the chaos that is her life. “I want to be the light to her darkness guiding her through the dark” – Jackson Rhoades. If you love sweet, unexpected romances, finding the person that makes you a better person, and grants you the courage to be true to yourself. This novel is for you!
Possible TW: Eating Disorder & Age Gap

Beneath the Hood by Emily McIntire is an age gap romance between a small town mechanic and a rich LA influencer. This book is quite cute at times but overall the age difference was awkward. Jackson would mention "I forget how young you are," and then they would make out. While I enjoyed sincerity of they're emotional conversations about parental death and mental illness, ultimately I did not love this novel.