Love the author and yet, this was not my favorite in this series. I adored the first two in this series, but this one just didn’t work for me. An enemy (sort of) to more, second chance, age gap, small town story that ultimately addresses mental health issues in a healthy manner and how could I not adore it? By making me really not like Blakely, the FMC or her father. The level of entitlement was so over the top I found it more than a bit cringy. And all I kept thinking about Jackson was run. Run fast and far. Don’t normally have an issue with age gaps. In this one it was problematic for me as Blakely was so incredibly immature. I did get the HEA I read this genre for so that was good.

I devoured Beneath the Hood, the third book in the Sugarlake series by Emily McIntire, and I'm still reeling from the experience. Although it's part of a series, I had no issue jumping in as a standalone, as Emily skillfully weaves in enough background information to keep me engaged.

The story follows Blakely Donahue, a 19-year-old influencer, and Jackson Rhoades, a 28-year-old mechanic. Initially, I was apprehensive about Blakely's character, but as the story progressed, my heart ached for her. Emily perfectly portrays Blakely's struggles with OCD, anxiety, and disordered eating, evoking raw emotion and authenticity.

Jackson, on the other hand, had me swooning from the start. His patience, understanding, and unwavering support for Blakely made him the perfect counterpart to her chaotic world.

One aspect that took some getting used to was the age gap between the protagonists. However, the emotional depth and character development made up for this minor hurdle.

I listened to the audiobook, and the dual narration by Liam DiCosimo and Brooke Bloomingdale was phenomenal. DiCosimo's smooth, southern voice brought Jackson to life, while Bloomingdale's emotional range perfectly captured Blakely's turmoil.

If you enjoy angsty, emotional romances with complex characters, I highly recommend Beneath the Hood. Be prepared for a heart-wrenching, thought-provoking ride!

Jackson, realizing that the girl he thinks he loves will never want him decides to move where he has been working part of the time. One thing that he never expected to find is Blakely, his bosses' daughter. He has issues with the age gap at first as she is on 19 and he is 28. He fights their connection for a hot minute. When desire overcomes all, they find themselves with explosive chemistry. I definitely recommend this Audiobook. The Narrator does a great job with dual narration.

BOYYYY Miss Emily McIntire does not miss. Thank you to Blackstone Publishing for the ARC for the audio version of this book. Admittedly, I anticipated loving this story as much as I loved the first two.. ALOT. I was not, however, prepared for such an incredibly powerful message. Blakely and Jax are two souls from different worlds who find themselves wondering how to make the two worlds collide. A feel good story with a message that will leave you thinking about it for days to come!

(I listened to the audiobook version)
Thanks to NetGalley and the editors for providing this copy of Beneath the Hoods in exchange for an honest review.
I knew there was an age gap but to me it was too much of a gap, thats just not my thing but I was able to look pass it, and enjoy the story, however the way she keeps mentioning her weigh, her size and counting calories bothered me a little, Im not triggered by it but I do think it needed a trigger warning since its mention a lot, I understand the author is trying to make us understand how shallow she is but I just thought it was too much, other than those points, I really liked it and enjoyed it.
I think by now books should include a "spice meter" and a list of triggers

Loved this story and the audio, the narrators were amazing. Great representation of body dysmorphia.

Happy re-release! thanks for the ALC, Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing, Inc.!

Beneath the Hood by Emily McIntire

"I wouldn't lease my body to Jackson, I'd let him own it."
okay, gurl, werk!

"But there is no denying the way our bodies are pressed so close you can't see the space between us, no way to mask the look in his eyes or the smile on my face."


Okay... Okay, so this is my fully completed dive into Emily McIntire's work outside of the Never After series. I liked the first book in that series, but didn't love it enough to continue. With that being said, I think I found my niche. I only have one complaint and wished that the age gap was a little older, but the teenage drama is like super important to the story... It is a romance but the different plot lines are extremely well-done.

"The feeling wraps around me like a cocoon, and I burrow myself inside of his embrace, hoping that he never lets me go, that maybe if I stay here long enough, he'll transform me into something beautiful...

I've never had anyone who made me feel so drunk on lust."

Blakely's struggle with severe panic and anxiety, and her body image issues are also super relevant points to contend with for a nineteen year old--especially one in the spotlight and one that receives criticisms as an influencer. Jackson has his own struggles, stemming from grief and jealousy. The characters aren't perfect, but that's the point, because it makes them feel a little more real.

"Do you know what that's like? To have your mind collapse in front of everyone and have them ignore the fall?"

"He saw the real me, the one I forgot existed. He held me when I was drowning, every time, and he loved me through every fall..."

Anywho, Blakely and Jackson's story is well-written, very spicy, overly dramatic (its perfect in the context, bear with me) and there is no part of this that feels like it was dragged on. The narrators were PERFECT too. I saw the series pop up for re-release and thought to myself, yess, this is perfect for me! Anyone else picture Jackson as a young Matthew McConaughey? I think he would've been perfect 20-odd years ago.

"Pleasure curls around the edge of the discomfort, and I give in to the sensation, losing myself to the moment. My chest swelling with emotion as I give myself to the first person who has seen me for me."

This was really different from the other stories I have read from Emily McIntire.

I didn't realise this was Book 3 in a series but I didn't find that it affected the story. It can be read as a standalone.

This is a age-gap forbidden romance.

It took a while to get into it but I really enjoyed it.

The narrators were really good

Beneath the Hood by Emily McIntire completely stole my heart. From the moment Jackson and Blakely’s story began, I was hooked. What I loved most was how real and emotional their journey felt—it wasn’t just a love story, it was about healing, self-worth, and finding someone who truly sees you. Blakely, with all her pressure and hidden struggles, felt so relatable, and Jackson’s quiet strength and protectiveness made me fall for him instantly. Their slow-burn romance was full of tension, tenderness, and genuine connection. I laughed, I cried, and I was cheering them on the whole way.

The narrators, Brooke Bloomingdale and Liam DiCosimo, absolutely brought these characters to life. Brooke captured Blakely’s bubbly influencer persona perfectly, while also showing her vulnerability in a way that hit me hard. Liam’s voice as Jackson was warm and steady, and he nailed the emotional moments—I could feel the pain and love in his words. Together, their chemistry was electric, and I felt like I was living the story with them, not just listening to it. Their performances made this audiobook so immersive and powerful.

Overall, this audiobook was an unforgettable experience. The story was emotional, raw, and full of heart, and the narration took it to a whole new level. I didn’t want it to end, and I know I’ll be thinking about Jackson and Blakely for a long time. If you love romance with depth, healing, and characters that stay with you, Beneath the Hood is a must-listen. Five stars without hesitation!

This took me too long to read. It was hard to get into it. With that said, I do love the mental health representation in this book. The struggles are real and have always been dismissed by society. What bothered me was the FMC and her teenage habits and behaviors. As a mother of three daughters, I get enough of it at home, ha! I was selected for the ALC and the narrators did a fabulous job. At first I couldn’t adjust to the male narrators voice but over time it grew on me. You know how somethings just don’t jive with your preferences? That’s what this was I think.

This book missed the mark with me. This breed si many trigger warnings. I think the think that got me the most was the constant disrespect.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Blackstone Publishing for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️.5

This was not my usual cup of tea but I loved it! At first I wasn’t sure if I was going to like the FMC as she’s so young and an influencer. I typically don’t love the celebrity / influencer romances, but this was so good! Emily knows how to write perfectly flawed characters who really develop throughout the story.

The story follows Blakely, daughter of an entertainment mogul and a huge influencer herself, as she gets involved with Jackson, a specialty mechanic who restores classic cars, hired by Blakely’s dad to restore cars for an upcoming project. Somehow she ends up opening up parts of herself to Jackson she doesn’t show anyone and Jackson sees her like nobody else.

I loved how the relationship developed through the story and Jackson’s ability to be exactly what Blakely needed. Although I don’t love the third act breakup, it was necessary here particularly in Blakely’s growth through her struggles. There were a couple of portions of this story that felt a little rushed, but overall I could not put it down and finished it in one sitting! The audio is dual narrated and I thought was well done with the female voice actually sounding the appropriate age.

I love the characters and the mental health rep in this book! It's got all the tropes- secret dating, mild enemies to friends to lovers, age gap, forbidden romance. The characters are well thought out and fun to watch interact. It's a sweet (and spicy) romcom that I would totally recommend.

I loved the character journey and growth in this book. Blakely is 19 and has to navigate being a commodity as an influencer. She works through battling others opinions, panic attacks, issues with her body and food, as well as an absent father. Jackson goes from standoffish toward his boss’ princess daughter to being the only one that understands her. It’s an emotion book that battles demons, but it does it in such a beautiful way.
Thank you Netgally, the publisher, and authors for the advanced audiobook. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed a large majority of this book. The story, the characters and the lessons. The only issue I had was that I dropped the ball and didn’t check the trigger warnings. As someone who personally has struggled with disordered eating and OCD, I had a hard time when it was described. HOWEVER— the author did the work and did a great job realistically portraying it. I could relate and that’s what made it more difficult than not. I really appreciated the story as a whole!

There’s just something about an audio book that captures you. These narrators capture Blakely and Jackson perfectly. The emotion and realness that Blake was going through tugged at my heart. The love between them was beautifully written. Can’t wait to drive into the next book in the series!

Thank you to the author, publisher, narrators and Net Galley for providing a free e-audio of this title in exchange for my review.

This one was so-so for me, and maybe it's just my age vs the book. I'm so tired of influencers, and it all just makes me feel old. The Mental Health representation was pretty well done, though, so a saving point. The romance didn't do it for me, though, so really only the Mental Health aspect was worth reading for me.
Maybe because I was listing to the audio vs reading the print version, I felt lost a lot of the time for 'is this a conversation or a thought process?' and that really took me out of the story.

2.5 stars, rounded up

“So I’ll stay in my spot. And I’ll keep coming back, so she isn’t alone. The lighthouse to her darkness, guiding her through the shallow waters.”

I was not sure how to feel about this book when I first started it. I was convinced it was gonna be a 3 stars at best but I changed my mind! This book is filled with a shit ton of issues but they were described and worded so well that I just had to go 4 stars.

This book follows Blakely. Blakey is a famous instagram influencer/model who got a career thanks to her dad being extremely famous in the Hollywood industry. She takes her job very seriously but does not get taken seriously herself. The people around her see her as “just a 19 year old girl” and presume she has no idea how to handle the real world because in their eyes she’s a kid. Everyone around her treats her the same. Resulting in Blakely feeling very lonely and misunderstood. Everyone, but one single guy. His name is Jacks.

Jacks seems like the ideal guy. He understands her problems and takes the time to listen to her and offer help the best he can. There are only two problems. First of all, he’s 28. A liiiiiittle too old for 19 year old Blakely. Second of all, he’s her dad’s employee. Neither of these things seem to stop them though. Jacks is currently heartbroken because the one girl he’s ever had feelings for, chose his best friend over him. He’s desperately looking for ways to get over her. Moving to California was one of those ways. Sleeping around with random women is another. Overall though, he is very tentative and kind hearted. I could not find a single red flag about him except his age. Age cap is not really my kind of trope and it was very upfront in this book. It got mentioned about every other chapter which got a little on my nerves.

Blakely had OCD which results in her obsessively checking what she eats, marking her calories and spending hours upon hours a day in her gym. As someone who tends to struggle with food, this was kind of hard to read sometimes. There were moments where I resonated with Blakely a lot and there were moments where I felt very triggered by things that were said and done. Blakely also had extreme panic attacks which in my opinion were written perfectly. Reading this felt very realistic. I guess it didn’t at first which is why I was hesitant on my rating. The eating thing felt very exaggerated but as I kept reading I’ve come to realize it’s not. I am so proud of Blakely for the girl she has become and I hope she’s gonna start loving life the way every human deserves to.

This book is cute, heartfelt, sweet and fluffy but also extremely heartbreaking and sad. I wanna keep these characters save forever and make sure nothing and no one harms them. Also I do recommend reading these books in the reading order provided by the author. This was the first book in this series that I read and I do think that my reading experience would have been more fun, had I read the first two books first. especially towards the end when a certain thing happened and I felt very clueless and confused because I had no idea what it was about. This series is definitely worth your time!

I want to say thank you to Emily for giving accurate OCD and anxiety representation. I have never felt so seen within a book. Emily never fails to give us well-written and emotional books, I will never pass by her books. The age-gap was realistic and not outrageous which added to the story. I was happy to hear that Jackson was trying to fix Blakely and make all her “issues” go away. I will never pass by Emily’s books.

This amazing book is book 3 in the series. It’s truly filled with emotional depth and a lot of heart. Blakey quickly became my favorite character. I loved the characters and the narrators who embody them! This book kept me hooked from start to finish! I love all the stories Emily McIntire writes and this one is no different! Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this book!!