I had to take a pause on this at 50%, even with reading the trigger warnings the disordered eating, body shaming and body issues got to be too much for me. I will try to return to this, I have loved the previous two books in the series!

Ahhh I absolutely love this series so much and this installment is no different. I loved the romance, the setting and storyline. The characters have amazing chemistry, I love how their relationship grows and evolves. Just a beautiful book, absolutely adored it!

I just…. could barely care. I didn’t really find the characters likeable, and had a full on ick on the MMC the entire entire time. His dirty talking was NOT it for me. I was so intrigued by this being a “forbidden age gap” and I was hoping for yearning and slow burn and I felt like it was more insta love with no spark or chemistry. I was not aware at the time of requesting this ARC that it was part of a series, so maybe that’s why? Did I miss some part of their connection in previous books? I also personally don’t like when a male character is so turned on and keeps hammering on about how the FMC is “untouched”. It weirds me out, ESPECIALLY in an age gap, that they’re so turned on by being “the only one to ever touch/have/fuck/kiss/etc” them.

With all that said, I did enjoy the elements of what it’s like to be in the public eye and how much is contrived, and how much is secretly going on that the public never sees. Especially with the FMC having an eating disorder, and how much public commentary fed into it for her, along with her later OCD diagnosis. I feel like this kind of representation is really powerful, and if felt mostly well done.

i did the audio, so I think it may have been the male narrator that contributed to the ick i had for the main character. This is a personal preference - but when you’re already doing the audiobook as a duet *please* just have them read out their own parts regardless of whose POV it is. Nothing pulls me out more than having to listen to a guy put on a weird girl voice, or a woman trying to put on a deep man voice. It’s off putting to me. also, while this does not affect my rating, there were really long silent lags in between chapters and I kept thinking the audio turned off. It didn’t flow super well.

ʕっ•ᴥ•ʔっ Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for sending this ALC for review consideration. All opinions are my own. ༶ .⁺˖

Hello again my new friends!


@blackstonepublishing kindly accepted my request to listen to @itsemilymcintire Beneath the Hood.

I don't know about you but I cannot pick up a book in the middle of a series and have it at. At least not knowingly anyway.

Beneath the Hood is the third in the Sugarlake Series. I confess, I put off reading this series because cutesy covers are not my thing. Emily posted on several platforms that she doesn't do cutesy romance. Sugarlake is filled with stories of growing up, look for love, second chances and emotional damage.

Check your trigger warnings especially on this book. This is an age gap romance. Our MMC, Jackson, has permanently relocated from Sugarlake to Hollywood to carry out his father's dreams of putt cars on the big and get over the hometown girl. Our FMC is hardworking influencer who has made a name for herself by perfecting her outward appearance.

He's 28, and she's 19.

This book is rife with emotional development and it absolutely put my heart through the ringer more so than the two books prior.

It's beautiful love story. Blake Bloomingdale and Liam DiCosimo in duet narrated audio books. 5 star performance

5 stars for Emily


#netgalley #audiobooksarebooks #bookstagram #reader #readerforlife

TW: eating disorder, OCD, panic attacks
please protect your mental health if these topics are hard for you 🩵

I really enjoyed the book overall. I liked the plot and our MMC a lot. I enjoyed the focus on some heavier topics and was excited to see a heavy character growth in our FMC.

i feel that Emily did an outstanding job at handling a book that heavily revolved around eating disorders. I feel like it was handled with care while also being very blunt and honest at the same time, which i liked. I think it’s important that an author makings the reader slightly to very uncomfortable with these topics because they’re real and are uncomfortable.

I had some issues with how the OCD and panic attacks were handled. While i did like seeing them on page and getting the raw, unfiltered version of them i had an issue with how our FMC acted afterward. I wish we would have seen her inside the rehab more and seen more on page therapy and getting that help more. I feel like there was some spots earlier in the story that were pretty repetitive and slow that could have been cut so we could have had the character growth side of our FMC. When we got to the point where she agreed she needed help it was all within the last 10ish % of the book and felt really rushed.

I loved the narration, these audiobooks have been super enjoyable to read and I do feel like they add to my overall enjoyment of the book.

Vibes:
-Eating Disorder Representation
-OCD Representation
-On page panic attacks
-Age Gap
-Forbidden romance
-third act conflict

As much as i love emily’s writing and her other books, i found this one on the more boring side and i hate to say that . I found the story line to be lacking

Check the trigger warnings on this one (honestly, it’s Emily McIntire, you’ve been warned).

I did a combination of listening and eyeball reading for this one and while I enjoyed a lot about the audiobook, the way the MMC narrator said Princess was… not for me.

Pros: Emily does not right light and airy romcom. She writes grounded, complex characters who are struggling with real world concerns. Because of this, the characters feel lived in - like you could run into one of them on the street or they could be your best friend. I also think this book works as a standalone (seeing as I didn’t read the other books in the series before this one 🤣).

Cons: just one - I REALLY wish the FMC had been in her 20s. The MMC is 28 and the age gap comes up a lot throughout the story.

Do I now want to go back and read the other books in this series? But again, I don’t think that’s a barrier to enjoying this story AT ALL!

I cant get over how much emotion is packed into this series. Each book has some amazing mental health aspects imo and I know book 4 is going to GET ME. This is age gap, bosses daughter. He works on cars on movie sets and she is an influencer trying to make her own way. There is some issues with control and eating in here that really resonated with me 🫶🏻 the audiobook and accents were chefs kiss - this was my first @blackstonepublishing audio and it definitely won’t be my last

Don't let the adorable cover fool you, this book is so much more than a cute little romance (though I also love those too). At its core it's an age gap romance (19-28) between a mechanic and his bosses social media superstar daughter. But it also delves into some pretty serious issues like eating disorders, the loss of parents and panic attacks and it handles these issues well. It also had a good amount of spice. I listened to the audio book and overall I really enjoyed the narration and the story. I will definitely read the other books by this author.

Beneath the Hood by Emily McIntire is a gritty, emotional enemies-to-lovers romance with a swoony age gap twist. Jax and Blakely’s tension is electric, and the mental health representation adds depth and heart. Gritty, raw, and addictive. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was a fun read, but I wonder whether I would have connected to the main characters more if I'd read the first 2 books in the series, so entirely my fault for not doing!
The book deals with some serious topics e.g. eating disorders, panic attacks, so it's worth just double checking these if they could be a trigger. I think these were portrayed well though, and the female narrator did a good job of conveying Blakeley's anguish in relation to these. She isn't the most likeable main character, but I did feel for her.
Jackson? I couldn't make my mind up about him. I know the age gap isn't a really bad one, and people read 'age gap romances' for various reasons, but the fact it was mentioned quite a lot that he worked for her dad and had for a while did make me feel a bit icky in parts! However, the way he supports Blakeley and wants to help her through her issues is really sweet.
But if you like a slow burn, spicy age gap romance you might just enjoy this one!

This is book three in the Sugarlake series, and I think it’s the most captivating so far. We follow Jackson and Blakely as they meet and connect in California. Narrators Brooke Bloomingdale and Liam DiCosimo bring these characters to life with such raw emotion, and their performance truly sold the story for me.

Jackson has always dreamed of honoring his dad’s legacy by working on cars for the big screen. What he didn’t expect was to be asked to babysit his boss’s 19-year-old daughter, a rising social media influencer.

Blakely is determined to make a name for herself without relying on her family’s status. Despite her packed schedule and dedication, her dad refuses to acknowledge her hard work.

As Jackson and Blakely spend more time together, they begin to see each other in a new light. Their attraction grows steadily, and eventually, it becomes impossible to ignore. Though complete opposites, their chemistry is undeniable.

This story tackles some heavy themes, and I appreciated how Emily McIntire brought them to the forefront. She didn’t sugarcoat Blakely’s experiences, which made her story feel that much more authentic. Jackson’s patience and support only made me love him more. The mental health representation in this book was honest and impactful.

If you’re looking for an emotional, character-driven story with real depth and chemistry, definitely give Beneath the Hood a listen.

Another brilliant book in the Sugar Lake series, Beneath the Hood is equal parts sweet, spicy, and painfully realistic. An age gap romance between a successful influencer who struggles with the weight of fame on her psyche and a professional fighting to realize his father’s dreams make for a beautiful story that is a joy to experience. Extra kudos to the narrators for bringing this book to life in a way that draws you in deeper into their story.

Absolutely incredible, not a surprise since it's by Emily Mcintire. The narrators voices worked so well with each other, but they also matched the characters incredibly well for me.

The characters were lovable, and relatable. The writing was absolutely incredible, if there's one thing Emily is able to do, it's draw you in, her writing style is one that leaves you needing more once the book is over. I cannot believe Emily had me falling for a blonde man tho 👀

I liked the book, but there were some parts I struggled with. I don’t love the character of Blakely. I admired her perseverance and strength, but I thought she was a selfish character. I also didn’t love the woman narrator.

First off I’m real behind on this review. But hey I eventually got there. So for being book 3 in the series I was really hoping for this to knock my socks off. Jax has been one of my favorite characters this entire series and I was ready for his story and to finally get his girl. However, the execution wasn’t great. Now don’t get me wrong I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either.

My biggest issue with this was the stressing of the age gap. Jax being 28 and Blakely being 19. Maybe I’ve been reading too many dark romances with age gap tropes but this age difference never bothered me. Yet the book constantly made it clear that the reader should feel like it’s taboo. And I get it for some it might be, but for me in this day and age it doesn’t bother me. So the way that it was repeatedly shoved in our faces to the point where we should feel bad for shipping them made the reading experience uncomfortable.

This book already deals with some pretty heavy topics like panic attacks, eating disorders, OCD. But the age gap taboo overshadowed bigger issues that I think resonate more with people. I wish We would’ve spent more time handling these. Now again don’t get me wrong when these topics were addressed they were handled well. I just feel like they could’ve been flushed out more.

My favorite parts about this book and this series is the importance of therapy. Each book is a journey and every character seeks help through therapy. I love that Emily used this series to bring light to the topic and the importance of speaking up and seeking help. Our world struggles with so many mental health issues. It’s so refreshing to see authors using their platforms to write such relatable and relevant stories.

Now my last minor thing I read and listened to this in audiobook in tandem. I gotta be honest I wasn’t the biggest fan of the narrators. The guys impression of a woman’s voice clearly needs some work. And the woman impression of the man’s voice also left little to be desired. So if you’re choosing the physical or audiobook copy my recommendation would be physical copy.

Overall, even though this isn’t my favorite in the series. I still highly recommend this book and the series as a whole. Lastly Thank you NetGalley & Blackstone Publishing for providing me with the Audiobook!

Overall, this was a good story. Once again, I love that the author actually tackles heavy subjects and that the characters actually work on their healing using professionals. I loved Jackson in previous books and this one was no exception. Blakely was not my favorite heroine, but she was still ok. I can't wait to read book #4.

I am not entirely sure how I feel about this, story-wise and content-wise.

The narrators were good and I enjoyed the narration. However, the story and especially the age gap did not quite sit right with me. Especially since the guy knew her since before she got legal. I just felt uncomfortable reading it, and lowkey did not want to finish it,

I thought this was an okay audiobook. I think I was just not in the mood for a fluffy romance at the time I read it which is exactly what this was at the end of the day. As a palette cleanser, it could be amazing.

Sugarlake has quickly become my new favourite romance serves with each book getting better and better.

If you want to feel all the feels and enjoy all of the spice: meet Jackson and Blakey, swoon! This promises great banter, smart writing, a true character arc and all consuming romance. Some sensitive issues such as disordered eating dealt with in a really mature and respectful way.

As an aside; before this series I had really only known Emily’s darker contributions to the romance genre which I loved. It can be hard to separate the two or see how she would tackle a series like this but this is really a multi faceted author who can truly deliver both for her audience. She is now an auto-buy/read author for me!