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.

Thanks to Emily, her publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ALC of the re-release of her novel, Beneath the Hood.

3.5/5 ⭐️
1/5 🌶️

I absolutely love Emily’s books and was excited to see her publisher pick up her first series to re-release them! This one follows Blakely, a 19 year old social media influencer and Jackson, a 28 year old, who works on prop cars for movies. They meet because he works for Blakely’s dad’s business.

This book has:
- age gap romance (9 years)
- virgin(ish) FMC
- mental health rep
- disordered eating rep

It was cute and had a lot of stuff you see in an age gap romance. I appreciated Emily’s take on mental health (panic attacks, anxiety/depression, OCD) and disordered eating.

The audiobook: I loved Brooke Bloomingdale as Blakely. I didn’t love Liam DiCosimo as Jackson. His fake southern accent felt really wrong and not genuine for the part. Especially considering Jackson didn’t live his whole life in the south (Sugar Lake, TN).

⭐️⭐️⭐️½ | 🌶️🌶️🌶️ | 🏎️ Age Gap Romance

I went into this expecting bratty-influencer-meets-grumpy-mechanic vibes and got WHIPLASH because this book has LAYERS, people!

Jackson's all "escaping heartbreak to fix vintage cars" but ends up babysitting his boss's daughter instead (classic). Meanwhile Blakely's out here being Instagram-perfect while secretly drowning in anxiety. Their forbidden chemistry? INEVITABLE.

The vibes we're tracking:
🚗 Under-the-hood tension (literally)
🧠 Mental health rep that doesn't pull punches
🌡️ Age gap that's more emotional than just spicy
📱 Social media facade vs authentic connection

The narration? TOP TIER. That southern accent had me WEAK. Not the steamiest read I've encountered (solid 3/5 spice) but the emotional depth caught me off guard in the best way. Quick listen that's way deeper than the cover suggests!

*♡Thank you to Emily Mcintire, Blackstone Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC of this audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion♡*

I adored Blakely and Jackson's story!!
Dont let the cover fool you.. although this is a spicy rom com it dives deep into mental health struggles, eating disorders, the grief of losing a parent and the impact that social media has in society. Emily does an amazing job at using these in a respectful way to really make the characters back stories lack a punch.
I feel in love with both of the characters straight away and the slow burn between them was delightfully drawn out, making the end result well worth the struggle!! Deliciously spicy, as Emily always is!

**3.5 stars
Please note that this book deals with eating disorders, OCD and anxiety.

I listened to this audio book at 1.25 speed and it is dual narration.

I really enjoyed the female narrator (Brooke Bloomingdale) for this book, although I was a little unsure of the male narrator (Liam DiCosimo).

This story is about Blakely who is a 19 year old 'rich' influencer with a 'rich' dad and Jackson who works for Blakely's father and 10 years Blakely's senior. He comes from Sugar Lake from a less wealthy family, but moved to fulfil his deceased fathers dream restoring cars. Blakely's father asks Jackson to keep an eye on her at some of her events, and from there you can feel their immediate attraction to each other.

As mentioned this story revolves heavily around an eating disorder and anxiety. The author handled these situations well. I did feel the story did drag out a little, but I am only new to listening to audiobooks.

This was an enjoyable book. While I’ve never struggled with an eating disorder, the way the FMC is portrayed and her struggles around eating felt very believable. I found myself getting anxious for her. The romance in this book was cute. I wished there was a little more groveling in the resolution, but still romantic. Emily McIntire’s writing is always very easy and enjoyable!

Ａｕｄｉｏｂｏｏｋ Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ
🌟🌟🌟🌟.2
This new cover art is gorgeous and very eye-catching. 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.

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.

This book was beautifully written, and I like how the author handled the mental health issues Blakely was experiencing. This is book three in the Sugarlake series, and honestly, I haven't read the other two, and I felt like I wasn't missing a beat. I enjoyed this book. It did feel like it dragged a little at some points.

The audiobook was good; it's dual narration, and they did a great job telling the story and bringing it to life. It was super easy to listen to and understand. I listened at 2x speed.

Thank you, Netgellay, and Blackstone Publishing for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

The new Audiobook is coming out this week. Brooke was the perfect for the FMC, she got the right voice and emotion level for it. Liam narrated the MMC and it felt slightly documentary-ish and didn’t love it.

The book in general was so wild, the FMC is an influencer with daddy issues. While the book does great at tackling OCD symptoms and eating disorders her personality falls a little flat and feels unrealistic.
He is broody and about 10 years older than her bit still behaves like a 21 year old so while the book attempts to be an age gap romance is completely irrelevant.

Also it felt it dragged…

Triggers: eating disorders, abandonment issues, sex on page, OCD .

Thanks neg galley for the advanced AudioBook