Beneath the Stars

The Sugarlake Series, Book 1

By: Emily McIntire

Narrated by: Liam DiCosimo, Brittany Pressley

From USA Today bestselling author Emily McIntire comes an angsty second-chance romance and the first interconnected standalone in the Sugarlake series.

Alina Carson meets Chase Adams when she’s eleven years old, after he moves in down the street carrying nothing but a chip on his shoulder and dimples in his cheeks.

Immediately she falls, loving him before she even knows what loving is. But becoming best friends with Chase’s little sister means that he’s off-limits, no matter how much their connection screams for something more.

Chase never cared much for following the rules. Abandoned by everyone who was supposed to love him, he’s broken and insecure, choosing to push others away before they have a chance to hurt him. But there’s something about the girl with golden hair, and before he can stop himself, he’s sneaking through her window, whispering his deepest secrets beneath her glow ‘n stick stars.

As time goes on and they get older, he decides to give their love a chance, no matter what anyone else thinks. But old habits die hard, and when tragedy strikes, Chase is back to doing what he does best.

Ruining everything.

Chase disappears, and years pass, leaving Alina with no choice but to pick up her broken pieces and move on. Until one day, he’s back. All grown up and taking over his family’s business.

When Alina and Chase are thrown together and forced to work in the same building, old feelings resurface, and Alina quickly realizes that Chase is on a mission, determined to right the wrongs of his past.

Starting with her.

©2020 Emily McIntire (P)2025 Blackstone Publishing

Just okay, but now I’m hooked

Honestly the story was so back-and-forth that it was kind of irritating to listen to. The main character is actually a jerk and treats the girl terribly but it’s sort of left on a cliffhanger so now I have to read book too.

emotional and unexpected

I did not know what to expect when I started this but I was not ready for the emotional depth this would have. The characters were flawed and messy but such is life. I loved seeing the growth and healing chase went through and the struggle of loving someone with addiction. I am looking forward to continuing the story. I did struggle with the male narrator and his accents.

Horrible male narrator

I had to finish this book on my kindle. The male narrator made my skin crawl.

Great narration and beautiful story

Devoured this in 24 hours. This story warms my soul, seeing the characters journey in young love and then back to each other amidst their troubles.

Wonderful

If you love Emily McIntyre, just read them all! She is a true master of the page!

Everything

This book is amazing I would 100% recommend reading this.. I loved everything about it

Terrible male narrator.

liked the story and want to listen to the rest of the series but I cannot sit through his female narration another book.

Heartbreaking and Beautiful

Chase and Alina's story is a tough one. They fall in love at a very young age and before they really know themselves or how to navigate the curve balls that life has thrown their way. Chase breaks Alina's heart at the worst possible time, and my heart broke along with hers. There's so much of this story that is relatable to me, and that makes me both love it and hate it. It's beautiful how things come together in the end, but there are still some things left unfinished. I trust Miss Emily, and I know this is an ongoing story. I know we'll get a resolution somewhere in the rest of this series. :)

thoughtful

This story is emotional and relatable. The audiobook is easy to listen to and understand.

Emily’s stories are perfection

This one was much more gritty with a story that felt more real than any of her other ones. But I really fell in love with these characters. The narrators were very good.