This book really was as good as the first. And I really enjoyed the overlapping scenes from the first book! Excited for the next one!! The audiobook was incredible. The representation Emily McIntire brings in these books PLUS to storyline is so good!

I really enjoyed this book. I will say it was a little less than the first book for me but overall everything I love about Emily McIntire was there. The writing, the relationships, the feeling. I loved the narration and the pacing. Everything flowed very well. If you're looking for an emotional journey - pick up this series.


Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this audio ARC of Beneath The Stands, in exchange for an honest review.

I know this series was early in Emily’s career but you would never know. Her writing is so mature and crisp. She knows how to write characters who have real feelings and deal with hardships in a way people can relate to. Sometimes the people who are suppose to love you the most take advantage of that fact. this story shows you how you can overcome to make your own fairytale in the end.

Thank you for the publisher & NetGalley for the ALC.

It’s was a cute read.
I did however expect more from the author , since the first book was a 5 star …
But I enjoyed the story .
I do recommend it .

Just finished listening to an audio arc of, Beneath The Stands. This is the second book in The Sugarlake series. This story is about two side characters from the first book, Alina's brother Eli and Alina's best friend Becca. These two knew each other growing up because of Alina but were never really friends. Eli was focused on basketball and Becca is focused on somehow always coming up short and being a disappointment as the preacher's daughter. But when Eli gets injured and his basketball career is suddenly over, he finds himself taking a coaching gig at a Florida college because he just can't go back home after everything. Becca is currently at college in Florida and planning on never going back home, but when she tells her parents they cut her off. She finally feels free but to keep that freedom she has to get a job so she can pay rent. So she gets a job helping the basketball team, and now Eli is her boss. They immediately don't get along but anger turns into attraction until they're finding themselves developing real and deep feelings for each other, just to get torn apart. After years of being apart, Becca ends up back home and is an adult still being controlled by her parents. When Eli finally comes back home, it's with a fiancé, to get married and asks none other than Becca's father to marry them. And now Becca has to plan the wedding of the guy she still loves, while he is still hurt and can't stand her. This was such a good story! The audio brought so much life and emotion to these characters, and the story was told so beautifully. I really enjoyed this one and I'm excited for the next one! 💛📚

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this audio ARC of Beneath The Stands, in exchange for an honest review.

I love the way Emily Mcintire manages to fit in relationships, personal growth, and casual kink in an effortless and cohesive way. Beneath the stands builds on the first story of Lee and Chase and I’m surprised to say I enjoyed it just as much as Beneath the Stars.

I do need to address the audio aspect as well since the ARC was for the audio book specifically. Becca’s narrator was great, with an authentic sounding twang for all Becca’s sass. I had major issues with Eli’s though, specifically when the narration had to be “saying” something that Becca or any other female would say. His feminine voice sounded like an exaggerated impression of an 80 year old southern belle. Not at all cohesive to the fiery narration of the other part.

Thank you Blackstone Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It drew me in, and I couldn't stop reading it until the gap.

This is the story of Becca, who is a senior in college and has just been cut off by her preacher father because she doesn't want to return home and join the church. Because of this, she tries to find a job on campus to cover her rent and ends up managing the boys' basketball team. This is where she runs into her best friend's older brother, Eli. He is the new assistant coach after an injury ended his chances of continuing to play in the NBA. What ensues is passionate and all-consuming.

This is where the story goes awry for me. There is a gap, and it really didn't fit. We are trying to deal with their histories, but it made their whole relationship feel only physical to me. There were inconsistencies and wholes in the plot. I feel like more emphasis needed placed on them as characters here and less on the physical. Don't get me wrong, I love spice, but there also needs to be a strong bond, which felt lacking after the gap. I really did enjoy the first part of the book and the narrators did a good job.

the was the last book in Emily's Sugarlake series that I had yet to finish and It was so nice to go back to her original series that started off her career. Her roots. I missed this series and her origins. I love that it is getting a new light for her and being brought to audio with these gorgeous new covers too.

Beneath the stands audiobook #review
Well, that was delicious 😏
The tension, the angst, the chemmmmistry.
Chefs kiss 💋 oh and a HEA to boot 🤩

I need to start off by thanking Netgally and Blackstone publishing for the opportunity to review this audiobook ❤️

Honestly, I forgot JUST how funny Emily McIntire is, to the point I was cackling OUTLOUD at the gym. That’s right, heads were turning and I still couldn’t stop laughing and shipping Becca and Eli from the very beginning. Reading/listening to her books is always a shot of dopamine straight to the brain.

That’s not even mentioning the NARRATORS! My god. Brooke Bloomingdale and Liam DiCosimo could narrate a telephone book and I’d be sitting there happily enamored.

I felt like we got two books in one here, and I absolutely adored it. Bit of a “YOUVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME” moment and saying “oohhhhhh noooo” out loud about 20 times (when you’re there you’ll know 😂), but the characters needed it for their developement. Just because I get it Emily, doesn’t mean I have to like it 😩😂.

Seriously though, this book made me pause it and leave a 10 minute long voice note ranting to my book besties about what was going on in more than one part of this book, and that only happens with the good ones. I absolutely loved this book. It made me feel allll the feelings my cold barren heart tries not to feel, and that’s a feat in itself. I’d rate it 10 stars if I could 🥺

Overall Rating- 5✨
Narration- 12847282 (5) ✨
Spice- 3.5 🌶️

This sports romance was a good story but I found some of the character lines hard to follow due to the book’s pacing which could definitely be from listening to this book and not reading it. I personally did not read the first book so again the confusion could be from not reading book 1 and jumping into this book. I enjoyed the sports romance storyline, I laughed about how Becca needed a job and became the manager of the basketball team while not knowing anything about the sport. The attempt of “rivals” or “enemies to lovers” type story line is a little forced in my honest opinion, they end up with each other very quickly and often. Others have said this is a slow burn but I have to disagree there.

After Becca eventually calls things off, the literal next chapter is about how Elliot and Sarah are getting married and it dives into how Becca’s father who is a preacher is going to marry Elliot and Sarah. Becca then is put in charge of planning the wedding of Elliot and Sarah when just a couple chapters back Elliot was offering to drop everything and have Becca move in. The pacing is just off, and it felt like the wedding planning and everything came out of no where. Then later on Elliot shares all about this with Sarah and they split, just for Elliot and Becca to reconnect and are back to their previous antics like nothing happened.

Becca’s comebacks and smart remarks along with the southern accent had me fully entertained throughout the whole book, but the storyline was so up and down it was very hard for me to follow and stay invested in the characters. Seems like a story full of self destruction and toxic relationships in the sense of no one seems to really know what they want.

Eli and Becca grew up together and somehow made it to the same college. Only Eli is the coach of the basketball team and Becca needed a job. Eli finds solace in his sister’s best friend and Becca starts falling for her best friend’s brother. The only problem is Becca’s parents have made her doubt love. She’s afraid to love anyone because she’s afraid they will get bored and cheat. This book was so so good and I’m honestly super happy I got to listen to it. I think the narrators did a phenomenal job and they couldn’t have picked better speakers. I definitely recommend listening to this series (or even just reading it if audiobooks aren’t your thing)

Thank you Emily McIntire, NetGalley, and Blackstone Publishing for a copy of this ALC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the chance for this audiobook this is my first chance to do give my opinion on an audio book and i was not let down. I have not read the first book but i still enjoyed it. The characters the plot and it was very very emotional listening to. One i will pick up a physical copy and read again. Well done Emily loved this audiobook.

I had to DNF this. The narrators were great, but the storyline I just couldn’t get into.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free audio in exchange for my honest review.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book on Netgalley. I started reading it because it was by Emily Mcintire, so of course I had to listen to it.
I thought the cover was super cute and I was immediately shocked by the foul language the main female character uses, but I loved it. After 20% of the audiobook they were already in a spicy scene, and quite spicy...

I found the stage set by family relationships, especially with our parents, to be very important. When we enter into a relationship, what we were taught at home or what we saw growing up comes with us and influences us.
The narrators are also to be congratulated because they interpreted the emotions very well. What I would change is the fact that in their POVs (female and male) when the other spoke it was not their voice but rather the current POV pretending to be the other's voice... I didn't like that very much but it didn't take away from the merit of this wonderful book.

Book Rating: ⭐️ 4.25/5
Spice Rating: 🌶️ 2.5/5
Format: Audiobook 🎧

I liked the first book in the series, but book two is where things really picked up for me! I love a good redemption story, and this one delivered. Eli and Becca’s second-chance, slow-burn romance had me hooked from the start.

If you weren’t a fan of Eli in book one, this one might just change your mind. Getting his backstory added so much depth, and you really start to understand his actions, even the questionable ones. And Becca? She was a whirlwind of surprises. Her journey put me through every possible emotion, and I loved every second of it.

Fair warning, this book does not hold back on the heartbreak. It crushed me in the best way, and now I’m even more excited to finish this series!

Book Review: Beneath the Stands by Emily McIntire

Emily McIntire’s Beneath the Stands is more than just a story—it’s an emotional journey that left a lasting impression. Experiencing this book through audiobook was truly immersive, bringing the characters to life in a way that made every moment feel intensely real.

Becca’s story, in particular, resonated with me in ways I never expected. Her struggles, her growth, and the raw authenticity of her character made me feel seen—almost as if parts of my own life had been woven into the pages. The tension throughout the story was gripping, the emotional highs and lows kept me hooked, and the character development was deeply satisfying.

This book isn’t just a fleeting read—it’s one that will stay with me forever. Beneath the Stands has earned its place among my all-time favorite recommendations, and I know I’ll return to it time and time again.

"Resentment sticks to your insides. Scraping it off may hurt, but at least it cleans the residue."

These narrators gave me life! Brooke gave the impression of a genuine Southern accent. And Liam gave me tingles down my spice when delivering Eli's lines.

This story artfully blends tension and chemistry between the main characters, with dramatic family dynamics that mould and shape the way they function in relationships.

Recommend all around.

Emily McIntire does it again! Beneath the Stands is an emotional, angsty, best-friend’s-brother, second-chance romance that hits all the right notes. The story unravels beautifully, with a realistic progression and perfect pacing that keeps you hooked from start to finish.

The audiobook? Fantastic. The narrators did an amazing job bringing Becca and Eli to life, keeping my interest throughout the entire listen. Their performances made every moment—the tension, the heartbreak, the heat—that much more immersive. I’d love to see Emily explore duet narration in the future, with the same voices for each character. I think it would add even more depth to her already captivating stories!

I’ve been a fan of Emily’s writing ever since Hooked, and there’s no turning back now. If you love angsty, emotional, and deeply addictive romances, this one is a must-read (or in this case, a must-listen)!

Thank you, Blackstone Publishing Audio and Netgalley, for a copy of this e-audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book in the Sugarlake series, and I enjoyed it. I would say the first book is a little bit better, but overall, this is a solid romance. This book follows Becca and Eli's story. I like how it recapped their story from college and then into adult life that overlaps with book 1. I did love the tension between Eli and Becca and felt like they truly loved each other. I do think some of their choices were annoying, and why I would say Beneath the Stars was better. The narrators did a great job adapting the book. I love a dual narrator, and each one did a great job with the country accent. Overall, I would recommend and I am super excited to read Jackson's story next.

To say that I loved this audiobook is an understatement. This was a audiobook I didn’t want to stop listening to. Although this is book 2 of the Sugarlake series, it can be read independently. The voices aligned with the characters well, which is a must for me in audiobooks. This was my first time reading a book by this author, but it will not be the last. I loved everything about the plot, well-developed characters and McIntire’s writing style. It’s the perfect balance of love and spice.
Rebecca Sanger might be the preachers daughter, but she can have a mind of her own, even if it means falling hard for her best friend’s brother, while she’s away at school. Elliot Carson can’t believe his luck, when he runs into his sister’s best friend on his first day of work, coaching FCU basketball.
As the days go on, he can’t seem to keep his mind or his mouth off of her. Just when Elliot thinks they could be a match made in heaven he wakes up to Becca suddenly gone from his life. Years later, Becca realizes how messed up her family really is, and all the mistakes she’s made, especially with Elliot, just in time for him to return to town with his fiancé.