Unfortunately, DNF at 56%. I really don't like to DNF arcs, and I really liked the 7-10 split, but I struggled deeply with the lack of a plot in this book. There was also a lot more spice that had no real purpose beyond being spice. I know that works for a lot of people, but it doesn't for me, especially in this quantity. I really do like Lee's writing overall and was legitimately excited for this one but it's a miss for me. Hoping the third book will come through with plot like the first one did! Thank you so much for the arc.

Fantastic continuation of small town love in Peach Blossom. Karmen Lee's latest is an exquisitely written tale of saphhic love in the South. Thoroughly enjoyed!

Thank you to Harlequin - Romance | Afterglow Books by Harlequin and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

This book was a fun, small-town romance!

Jessica and Vini meet when Jessica has car trouble, and Vini is the cute mechanic who saves the day. Vini is a successful and competent Black woman in a male-dominated profession which I loved reading about!

I also appreciated that the book featured a biracial love interest. Jessica is Black and Asian (Korean, specifically).

I thought the author did a great job of balancing their quick physical attraction with the gradual development of feelings.

The ending felt a bit rushed to me, especially considering that the 3rd act conflict seemed predictable. But regardless of that, the book was a good read, and I thought Jessica and Vini were a cute couple. Personally, I enjoyed this book more than the first one in the series.

ARC Book Review: The Relationship Mechanic by Karmen Lee
- Read this if you are listening to “Casual” Chappell Roan on repeat
- situationship to relationship
- open door spicy scenes
- best friend’s sister

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

i really loved Lee’s last book but sadly this one fell a bit short for me. the plot was not as engaging and felt one dimensional. it was a bit more spicy for my taste as well. i did think it was a cute story and liked some elements but it wasn’t the book for me. I will continue to read Lee’s books however since i love her writing.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin, and Afterglow Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

A cute and sexy small town romance continuing in the Peach Blossom series from Karmen Lee. I haven't read the first one yet, but I liked The Relationship Mechanic enough that I will continue in the series. I'm just going to start letting my car break down near a sapphic mechanic shop. Their strangers to friends with benefits was fun and sexy. I also liked that they had to reconsider what they actually wanted in their future.

The Relationship Mechanic by Karmen Lee is a delightful addition to the Afterglow Books series, following 7-10 Split. This small-town rom-com is packed with charm, sizzling chemistry, and laugh-out-loud moments that will have you rooting for Jessica and Vini from start to finish.

First, let’s talk about the cover—gorgeous! It’s absolutely stunning, with a vibrant, inviting design that perfectly captures the warmth and charm of the story. I couldn’t stop staring at it, and it’s definitely one of my new favorite covers.

Jessica Jae-un Miller is a city girl through and through, stuck in Peach Blossom, Georgia, after her car breaks down. Enter Lavenia “Vini” Williams, the local mechanic with a heart of gold and the ability to stir up all kinds of feelings. Their dynamic is the perfect mix of fiery banter and undeniable chemistry, both in and out of the bedroom. The flirtation and tension between them are fantastic—Lee’s humor shines in their witty exchanges, and their steamy moments are next-level hot!

One of the great things about Karmen Lee’s storytelling is the natural integration of diverse characters. Vini and Jessica’s relationship feels authentic and beautifully layered, exploring themes of self-awareness, vulnerability, and what it means to find home and love. The book’s use of “situationship” as a central plot conflict gave me pause and yet I found it refreshing—it’s a term rarely seen in romance novels, but it captures a very real and relatable dynamic. While the lack of communication between the characters can be frustrating at times, it’s also realistic, and I’m sure many readers will see themselves in their struggles.

The straightforward writing style might not be for everyone, but it works well here, keeping the story accessible and engaging. Lee excels at creating a cozy, small-town setting full of charm and personality, and the relationships—both romantic and familial—add depth and heart to the story.

If you’re looking for a fun, steamy romance with realistic conflict, relatable characters, and a dash of small-town magic, The Relationship Mechanic is a great pick. Vini and Jessica’s journey is sure to leave you smiling, and I can’t wait to see what’s next in this series! Plus, th

3.5 rounded up - and thank you to Afterglow and Netgalley for this arc!

Starting off - Vini, baby, come home the kids miss you.
That being said - this is such a cute romcom!! If you love cozy, opposites attract, small town romances with steam (bc these two entangled a LOT) you’ll love this! Very sweet read 🫶🏾

When Jessica's car break down right before she comes to stay in Peach Blossom and avoid scandle, she meets Vini, the local mechanic who is not only extremely capable but also attractive. With only 6 weeks to spend with each other it makes sense to keep things casual. But what happens when they start to develop actual feelings?

Jess and Vini have so much chemistry; they both really like the other one and indulge quite frequently. You start to feel dread as those short weeks gets closer and both struggle with what they want out of life and relationships. Jessica travels very frequently and never stays anywhere or with anyone for too long. Vini on the other hand runs her own buisness and despite wanting a relationship she compromises her wanting for having fun for once. Down to the ending I want never sure how or if they were gonna make this work, but along the way they had fun and so did I.

I haven't read the previous book in this series "7-10 split", and I don't feel like much of the reading experience was lost because of it. All the characters are well realized especially the sisters, they're all very different people. I do wonder if I had read it, I would have liked Ava, Vini's older sister, more. She's antagonistic throughout the whole book and I dreaded their interactions. But that is the purpose she serves in the narrative. Dani the middle sister is less present but bridges the gap between the other two and I am looking forward to her book.

This was a fairly cute friends with benefits to lovers sapphic romance. Jessica is headed to Peach Blossom to visit with a friend while she runs away from a scandal when she meets mini mechanic Vini. The attraction is almost instant a they enter a hot & steamy situationship that should only last while Jessica is in town. While I enjoyed the book I think it dragged on a bit too long. We were well aware of the friends with benefits portion of the relationship but I think the turn in the relationship came along too far into the book. I felt that Vini always wants more but I really didn't get the same from Jessica. Their sexual chemistry was very evident but I never got the same for a potential relationship, If you're looking for spice this is the book for you.

Thank You to Net Galley for the ARC

The Relationship Mechanic by Karmen Lee is about small town mechanic, Vini, and Jessica, a globe trotting voice actor. Jessica comes to Vini’s small town of Peach Blossom, GA to lay low at her best friend Grace’s house after some relationship drama with two of her mom’s co-stars. (Grace is from Lee’s earlier book The 7-10 Split)
Vini and Jessica meet and the attraction is instant, but with Jessica only passing through town and Vini firmly rooted they have to deal with growing feelings and limited time.
I really enjoyed the characters in this book. The family dynamics for both Vini and Jessica were interesting and endearing.
The chemistry between Vini and Jessica sparked quick and honestly I wish there had been more focus on their non-physical chemistry. This book had a lot of spice between the main characters and it started feeling a bit redundant.
Overall, a good book is you enjoy spice and are looking for a cute romance.

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin- Romance, and Karmen Lee for the ARC.

The cover is so pretty and I really wanted to like the book but I just didn't. I don't feel like it dove far enough into the characters motivations and it felt like Vini was a lot more developed than Jessica. They also didn't talk about anything until the end of the book, I think I just wanted more than the book was going to offer me.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Jessica Jae-un Miller came to Peach Blossom, Georgia, for a visit, not a breakdown. But when her rental car dies on the outskirts of town, mechanic Lavenia “Vini” Williams provides a tow—and a very welcome jumpstart to Jessica’s heart. It’s been a minute since Jessica’s last fling—her relationship specialty—and Vini checks all the right boxes. If only the sexy car whisperer seemed interested…

Vini knows herself and what she wants. She loves her job, her family, her hometown—but she’d love to fall in love. Jessica stirs up all the right feelings, but the city girl has no intention of staying in Peach Blossom. Why sign up for a broken heart?

But the temptation is real as Vini goes out of her way to drive a carless Jessica around town. The pair can’t seem to keep their distance—or their hands to themselves.

I picked this up for the gorgeous cover, plain and simple. Unfortunately, the story fell flat for me, and I didn't really connect with either of the characters. It was a quick read, but unfortunately one that won't stick in my memory very long. 3⭐

I received an advanced complimentary digital copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

This was a really cute read. I’m always for a meet cute that leads to an even cuter live story. I enjoyed reading about Jessica and Vini and I hope we get more love story’s in peach blossom

The Relationship Mechanic is the very cute second installment in the Peach Blossom series by Karmen Lee. I really enjoyed the chemistry between Jessica and Vini. Karmen knows how to write tension between two characters. The small town setting provides a charming background for their love story. This romance is more insta-lust than a slow-burn, but it's done very well.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a sweet Black sapphic romance with a little angst.

Thank you to NetGalley and Afterglow Books (Harlequin Romance) for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin - Romance for this ARC!

Relationship Mechanic felt so real. I enjoyed a woman in a man’s field standing up for herself, the southern hospitality and how it can make things worse accidentally, and the real-feeling portrayal of a lesbian situationship. I found myself rooting for Vini and Jessica and my heart breaking for them in moments where things didn’t go perfectly smoothly. This book felt like home to me and I would highly recommend you pick it up, too!

I'll start this by saying, this is not a bad book. However, it was not what I was expecting. The story is very firm in the contemporary romance genre for sure and is enjoyable for fans of the genre. I did enjoy parts of the story but also found myself skimming or skipping parts as well. The book focuses very strongly in on the FWB, situation-ship of our two main characters which in itself is fine, I just felt there was more smut and not enough story to go along with it. So if you are into that, you will enjoy this book very much! I just found myself wishing there was more to the story. Overall, the story was well written and I would recommend it to some, but it wasn't for me.

First let me start off by saying I think I liked this one more then the first one!!!


From day one the chemistry was there between Vini and Jess. So ofc they had to see where it takes them.

Jess is just passing through small town Peach Blossom after a big media scandal that had her running for the hills. What she didn’t expect was her car breaking down on her way to her bestie Grace’s house. And she also didn’t expect the sexy ass shechanic she met. But oh was she so not disappointed!!!

Vini being the baby of the family always stayed to herself never really branched out. Has one friend. Simple career. Nothing else. So when Jess’ car breaks down she decides to be a helping hand not knowing they would be spending much time together with her being her sisters girlfriends bestie. But she won’t let this opportunity go to waste.

But ofc it was some drama sisters are always going to be damn sisters man.

They were my fave couple hands down, idk something about them just did it for me very well! Yes they were cute ass hell. I loved this so much I def ate it up any chance I got!! I can’t wait to get my hands on the physical!!!

I was so hoping that this book would be wonderful. I enjoyed the writer's voice in the previous book, but had issues with the communication between the two leads. I was really hopeful that this book would be better and make it so I could also enjoy the third book in the series. However, this book was laden with the same deep lack of communication and incredibly unbelievable fighting as the last book. Plus, the reveal of the main characters' relationship/hookup situation lead to the main characters from the first book having the same absolute nonsensical fight as in their book. The lack of growth didn't inspire me to be confident about reading book three. I really wanted to like this one. I think that with another 100 pages, this could have been a really fun book. However, with the Afterglow page count, it feels like this book was just 5 sex scenes and a bunch of characters who are unwilling to have conversations where anything slightly difficult is discussed.

DNF at 20%. I like Karmen Lee, but I don’t know if her books with Afterglow are for me. This one got steamy super quick, before I even really cared about the characters, and that’s always a turnoff for me,

We are back in Peach Blossom!

Cute and spicy sapphic secret romance.

Vini is a car mechanic and meets Jessica (her older sister’s gf’s bestie) and sparks fly! Lol insta love, some spice and some cute personal growth!

Enjoyable.
I hope we get the last sisters romance soooon.

Thanks to netgalley and harlequin romance for an eARC.