I think this could have been a really great book, but the spice was so random. It just felt like spice thrown in to say it was spicy. I do really like the back stories of some of the characters and I wish Becca could have shoved her happiness in everyone’s face for sl*t shaming her so horribly.

I assumed this was a series in the way the Hooked, Scared, etc books are a 'series' and that they'd all be standalone. Which it's not but it honestly could be. So while I did not read the first book, I had no problems enjoying this book.

I received an audio ARC. I loved the narrators. I wish it was a duet read and not dual read because his voice for her is a little comical. But both narrators were super easy to follow at an increased speed. I thought I'd get tired of the southern drawl but it was really good.

I really liked the story. As someone who 'left the church' and all the drama that come with that I loved our FMC. I loved that the romance wasn't the entire plot. Both of our main characters experienced a lot of growth, which I especially liked because there is SO MUCH MISCOMMUNICATION! Like damn just talk to each other!

This book made me laugh out loud pretty early on "basketball voodoo" and it also made me tear up. Very well rounded. Never in my life did I think that I would love a sport themed romance.

Im a huge Emily McIntire fan. I was so excited to receive this ALC.

This was a fun second chance story. I enjoyed how I could pick up in the middle of the series and still understand.

Thank you!

Review: Beneath the Stands (Audiobook)
by Emily McIntire
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Beneath the Stands is a beautifully emotional and deeply moving story of first love, heartbreak, and the second chances we never see coming. Becca and Eli’s journey is raw, real, and layered with pain, growth, and hope. Emily McIntire does an incredible job exploring difficult themes with honesty and grace, while still delivering a romance that completely captures the heart.

The audiobook narration was stellar—each voice fit the characters perfectly, and the emotions in their performances made every scene hit even harder. I felt completely immersed from beginning to end.

This isn’t just a love story—it’s about healing, forgiveness, and choosing yourself without losing the people who matter most. A standout in the Sugarlake series, and an absolute must-listen for fans of emotional, character-driven romance.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Beneath the Stands as an ALC.

I think it's important to say that this book might be much better for someone else and that there were certainly redeeming qualities about it. I did love the small town aspect and, although it mostly takes place outside of it, there were many references to the pitfalls of being in a small town and the relationships of the people in it. In addition, I am a sucker for a good enemies to lovers trope, so I was certainly here for the angry banter / steamy tension between the main characters.

Unfortunately, I did not love the execution of the enemies to lovers plot, nor did I find myself rooting for the characters at any point. Becca, our main female character was way too in her head, to the point where it felt like she intentionally miscommunicating with Eli. Eli, on the other hand, was completely obtuse when it came to understanding anyone's feelings but his own. They were both so over the top frustrating, that it made it difficult to enjoy.

The pacing of this book felt wildly off to me as well. Our main characters went from hating each other to basically panting one another's name with nothing happening in between to really get them there. In the next heartbeat, they'd be back to hating each other and still...there was no real story that allowed the reader to come along for the ride. It was bit of emotional whiplash, if you will. The way in which Eli spoke to Becca and about Becca also left something to be desired because it went beyond being bossy and calling her out and really just more insulting and like he ACTUALLY hated her a bit. The time jump that came 3/4 of the way through the book came out of nowhere and really didn't seem like it fit. Lastly, in a race to wrap the book up because it did seem to be dragging out, it seemed the author threw in a near cheating trope just to rip the bandaid off and get to the ending.

In the end, this book might be a great read for some, but it just wasn't for me. I didn't like the way the characters treated each other and I found the pacing frustrating.

4 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone for the audio ARC!

Loved the audio. Loved the narrators. They did a great job and I’m always a sucker for duel narrations. I love this series. I love this book. Eli is amazing and so is Becca. I am such a sucker for second chance romance. High recommend this whole series.

WOOOOOO. i really enjoyed book 1 of this series, but this one topped that for me. It is absolutely a trust the process book. It is heartbreaking and heart warming and the writing is excellent.

I really really enjoyed the MCs in this! They felt relatable and they had such strong personal growth that I never stopped rooting for them even when I feel like it would be easy tooo.

You’ll find:
-Basketball Romance
-Second Chance Romance
-Best Friend’s Brother
-Small Town Romance

I really enjoyed that we got the first chance & the second chance of the romance in this! That’s all i can really say without giving it away! 😉

The narration was done really well. I loved that it was a woman and a man. I loved audiobooks with different voices for the different POVs. My only ‘complaint’ was the male POV felt like it wasn’t a clear recording. Almost like he had a blanket over his microphone to make it sound muffled or far away. It didn’t take away from the audio as a whole.

Overall, the vibes were vibing and I had a great time!

Beneath the Stands by Emily McIntire is an emotionally intense and steamy continuation of her interconnected series. Becca and Eli’s relationship ignites quickly, going from zero to sixty in just a few chapters—a pacing that feels thrilling rather than rushed. Their chemistry crackles, leading to plenty of satisfying, steamy scenes that romance readers will devour. Since this is book two, the storyline is tightly tied to the events of the first book, and revealing too much would spoil both. What stands out most is how McIntire answers lingering questions from book one, giving readers the payoff they were hoping for. At the same time, she expertly lays the groundwork for book three, building anticipation with subtle hints and character development. Altogether, it's a gripping, sexy installment that leaves you eager for more.

The audiobook had me BLUSHING!!!!

Such a good book. I gave it 4.5. We have Becca, who is a college student, cut off by her father. She gets a job as the basketball manager. When she leaves her interview she literally runs into Eli Carson her best friend's (from back home) brother & new couch of the basketball team. Head coach decides Becca needs to learn more about basketball and tasks Eli to teach her.

Beneath the Stands is book #2 of The Sugarlake series, a small town romance series of 4 interconnected standalones by Emily McIntire.

Becca and Alina grew up together in the small town of Sugarlake, TN and have been life long friends. The same could not be said for Alina’s older brother, Eli. He was aloof and never all that friendly to Becca. Dispite that, Alina and Becca were with each other through thick and thin, even as they started getting older and going in two different directions. Alina stayed in Sugarlake to take care of her dad after their mom died, but Becca needed to get out of Sugarlake - and out from under her father’s thumb. He was the local preacher and she never quite lived up to his high expectations. So she moved to Florida to attend FCU.

But in the start of her senior year, when she mentioned to her parents that she planned on staying in Florida, even after graduation, her parents cut her off. In order to stay at school and in her off campus apartment, Becca needed to get a job. A friend recommended she try for equipment manager of the women’s basketball team. They had flexible hours and the pay was decent, so although Becca didn’t know much about the sport, she thought she would give it a shot. Unfortunately, the women’s team didn’t need anyone else, but the men’s team had an open spot. Even more unfortunately, guess who was the team’s new assistant coach…Becca’s best friend’s brother.

When reading Beneath the Stands, you can expect:
- Enemies to lovers
- Forbidden romance
- Best friend’s brother
- Workplace romance
- Second chance romance
- Substance abuse
- Family dynamics

This book, along with most of Emily McIntire’s writing brings some serious heat! I saw a post of hers once that said Becca and Eli walked to James and Wendy (from Hooked) could run - and she wasn’t lying! And the best part for me, personally, was every time Eli’s eyes darkened (IYKYK), he would call her by her full name, Rebecca - which also happens to be my name. Swoon!

Just like with Beneath the Stars and Beneath the Hood, this seemingly innocent contemporary romance, tackles some really deep subject matter around substance abuse as well as mentally abusive parents, so check your triggers.

So far, this was my favorite of the series. Now off to read Beneath the Surface, the fourth and final book of the series. Wish me luck!

Becca and Eli were most definitely enemies to lovers, in such a real and raw way. I love the way religious trauma can present itself and the damage it has upon people and the way that Becca had real character growth was everything! I also really like how we got to see the events from book 1 in a whole new perspective through Eli's eyes. I love how intertwined the series is so far!

3.5 ⭐️ I enjoyed this book. I liked the five year leap. It was a really nice surprise because I wasn’t totally sure where the story was headed for a while. Jumping ahead added new energy into the plot. It let us see how choices ripple out over time, and I enjoyed watching the characters navigate their new obstacles.
The ending was good and semi-relatable—tying up loose threads in a way that feels earned rather than forced. You really never know who the real toxic parent is, even in books, and McIntire nails that messy, human truth.
While the time jump adds spark, it also makes the middle feel a bit disjointed. Some plot threads build too slowly before the leap, then wrap up a little too quickly afterward.
Beneath the Stands is a heartfelt, twisty ride that’s full of relatable family drama and moments of genuine surprise. If you don’t mind a few bumps in pacing and enjoy a story that isn’t afraid to flip the script on who you think is “good” or “bad,” this one’s worth a read.

Ooooh, how I wanted to love this... book 1 in the series was 5⭐️ why was this one 2⭐️ (and I think I'm being generous given how mad I am at it)? I hated both MCs (particularly Eli). The pacing of the book was all wrong. They went from I hate you to I will die if I can't touch you in less than 50 pages. School was starting, then it was Christmas, then it was March Madness, and all in a 100 pages, with no real connection or evolution in between. And that 5 year jump right in the middle of the book was downright insulting. I was already not super involved up to that point, but I completely disconnected at that point and skimmed the rest of the book because I just did not care about what was happening anymore. And in that second half, we already know what happens because we've already seen it all from Eli's sister's perspective in the first book. Had I not read the first book in the series, which I absolutely adored, I probably would not have powered through this one, and now I wish I didn't.

I’m getting so attached to the characters in this series! I love how they are interconnected but follow completely different plots and tropes. I really enjoyed the story for this book, but wasn’t crazy about parts of the narration. I would give the plot 4.5 stars and the narration 2.75. I can’t wait to continue on with this series! It even left on a bit of a cliffhanger

Becca, Eli, and the small town of Sugarlake are the perfect ingredients for a second chance romance. Every family has their secrets but Becca and Eli’s family secret hold the power to destroy them. The love of a lifetime, new beginning, and the power to make your life your own sets the tone for a perfect ending!

Liked it (rounded up)

So, I rounded up because GR doesn't allow 1/2 stars and I always feel bad rounding down.

I discovered this was the debut series (I think?) and it shows. Good news, Emily's writing has grown so much since this series. I did not read book 1, but it didn't take away from the story for me.

Maybe I'm at the age now where I don't connect with college students anymore. Maybe it just wasn't the story for me. I'm not sure what it was, but i just didn't connect with either of them.

It was entertaining enough. Enemies to lovers, workplace romance, forbidden romance, coach/student, best friend's brother. All the tropes lean to me loving this story, but I feel like there was just too much that wasn't believable or too far fetched. I just couldn't suspend reality enough I guess. There was also a lot that was alluded to in the story that we didn't get to see as readers. I would've loved to see more of the sneaking around at away games.

The banter and the spice was fantastic and I'm glad I read the book, I just don't think I'll continue with the series.

Liam DiCosimo and Brittany Pressley did wonderful jobs with the audio.

Thank you, NetGalley for the audio.

This is book two in the Sugarlake Series and although I haven't done book one yet, I don't feel like I missed anything as they seemed to run concurrent to one another, whereas it was only towards the end when we discovered the couple from book one were together. It's definitely one I want to go back and read. (I will say there was a little confusion as books one, three, and four are all listed as book three on the cover).

I had mixed feelings about this book. I felt like it ran the gambit of emotions. The relationship has the tension we know and love from enemies to lovers, and their ability to not resist one another was engaging and fast-paced. And for those who need the details, the spice was definitely spicing. I loved the independent woman vibe that Becca has going on. Her wanting to stand on her own two feet and live life on her terms. Wanting to break that generational, religious bond with her family. But then things fell off a little for me. When we skip ahead five years, it was one of those, WTF moments. I felt like it was truly difficult to understand her motivations and add in there were a couple of things that felt like plot devices but were never given a resolution, and I was left wondering what the heck was going on. That being said, I also think it's important to remember that she was still young and so I was able to see past a lot of it. I felt the second half of the book was more angst-filled. I mean, she was planning his wedding, what sort of torture was this?

This is a dual narration by Brooke Bloomingdale and Liam DiCosimo. I thought Brooke was the perfect voice for Becca. Her performance really captured the essence of a young woman wanting to forge her own path with the innocence and naïveté that go along with that. The subtle and not-so-subtle voice changes for different characters were flawless, it was incredibly easy to know which character was speaking and the emotion that went along with it. Liam was great as Elliot, and I really enjoyed his performance of the character. When it came to the male characters, Liam did a brilliant job of making them identifiable. I did struggle when it came to the feminine voices, for me it became distracting as they didn't particularly sound the way one would want a female portrayed. The production was great with no major issues. Overall, an enjoyable listen.

The book includes family and religious trauma. Addiction. Alcoholism. Emotional abuse and gaslighting. Friends that aren't really friends. Heartbreak and angst. And a HEA.

Thank you so much for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Emily McIntire has always been one of my favorite authors, so when I heard about the opportunity to listen to this audiobook I couldn't resist. I read the original version of this story when it was first released, so I was eager to hear it brought to life through a narrator and try to detect the revisions made. The original book was a 5 star read for me, so this audiobook edition had a lot to live up to.

If possible, I would rate this 6 stars! It surpassed every expectation. The narrator did a fantastic job!

This charming romcom with a sports twist is one of the more delightful love stories! It really shines a light on mental health, particularly how family therapy can help with addiction. There's a good mix of drama and romance, which adds to the fun. I just wish the character development was a bit deeper, but overall, it's a great watch!

Thank you Netgalley and Emily McIntire, for the ALC.

Unfortunately this one missed the mark for me. The story line didn't quite grab me and pull me in...