3.75/5
This was a very fun read and I enjoyed the author’s work a lot. I loved reading about Ava and Grace’s relationship and seeing them finally come together. I also loved that it was based around bowling, which isn’t something you read about often.

I do think this book moved very slowly, and there wasn’t much of a climax. It was not a bad read whatsoever, I just don’t think it was for me and that’s okay! I still enjoyed it and enjoyed myself a lot!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC!

"The 7-10 Split" by Karmen Lee is a poignant exploration of human resilience, love, and the intricacies of relationships. Set against the backdrop of a small town bowling alley, Lee masterfully weaves together the lives of her characters, drawing readers into a world where personal struggles and triumphs intersect with the universal themes of connection and redemption.

The story follows protagonists Ava and Grace as they grappling with the reconnecting after a youthful dalliance and an even more youthful heartbreaks me separation. As they navigate their feelings for each other through their shared love of bowling they also deal with family, bosses and life in a small town.

Lee's prose is evocative and immersive, capturing the essence of small-town life with vivid detail. Through her skillful storytelling, she delves into the complexities of human nature, offering readers a glimpse into the hearts and minds of her characters as they confront their pasts and forge new paths forward.

What sets "The 7-10 Split" apart is its ability to balance moments of heart-wrenching emotion with unexpected humor and hope. Lee's characters are flawed yet relatable, and their journeys resonate long after the final page is turned.

What a delightful and unique book. I loved the small town teacher aspect of this story as a former teacher myself. I also loved the entirely unique premise of a bowling league. The flirting via trash talk paired with the immaculate tension between the main characters made this book immensely enjoyable.

I felt that the conflict with Ava and Grace’s mother was out of left field seeing as there was no real set up of breadcrumbs earlier in the text. While it did feel unexpected it did eventually make sense for the characters. I think the laying of bricks could have used more but the heart of the conflict was perfect.

Overall, a wonderful novel.

OMG the cover is stunning! The story was so dang heartwarming and filled with so much humor. Grace and Ava's chemistry was so freaking fun to read about. Also, I've never read a book centered around bowling so it was such a fun, unique concept. The yearning for each other was done so well I was eating it up!

This book just didn't do it for me. It took me days to read because I just kept falling asleep. I know that I struggle to read and connect in third person but this felt like even more than that. I just didn't connect with anyone (and honestly I didn't even like anyone that much). The side characters and stories felt disconnected and pointless and I just didn't really believe them.

After getting her request for a bowling club denied (again!), English teacher Ava Williams is losing hope when she runs into an old friend or rather an old ex-friend. Grace is the new science teacher, fresh from university, a college bowling athlete, and most importantly Ava's ex-something. Years ago, they used to be friends in high school and competed in bowling competition as a team when Grace moved away to another school, and as relationships do they grew apart and left on bad terms.

Now Grace is back and the principal favors her, unlike Ava. Together (not without incidents) they manage to build the high school bowling club again and coach the kids they once were. However, years of resentment and several misunderstandings leave Ava bitter. I've seen people criticize her as unlikeable but honestly, from her point of view I get it. Grace gets everything she asked for at school for years, she was left behind, and made feel insignificant I'd be bitter and unlikeable too. That is why it's more enjoyable when the misunderstandings are cleared and Ava finally lets Grace in.

While it's a dual POV, Ava did feel more like the main character, as Grace had little going in her life besides the third-act conflict. I really like Grace's kindness and soft side versus Ava's more prickly personality, it did give off sunshine/grumpy vibes.

This is not my first Karmen Lee title (it's my third or fourth) but definitely my favourite and I will recommend it to more sapphic readers.

Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for this arc!


This book follows Ava and Grace as Grace returns to her hometown. These two have a history as they were best friends as teenagers. However, they had fallen out and never spoke again. Since Grace is back in town and she is the new science teacher, it puts them in a space where they can not ignore or avoid each other. When the principal announced that Grace and Ava would be running a bowling team and it was Grace's idea, Ava was fuming.

This book spent much time building the relationship and showing how badly they wanted each other. I found the small-town aspect to be cute and I loved how everyone was teasing them. I enjoyed the bowling aspect of the book. I loved seeing Ava and Grace play and the team. Ava and Grace had so many cute moments like Ava complimenting Grace's hair.

This book is not an instant favorite but I would recommend it to others. I am interested in Vini's story

The 7-10 Split is a friends-rivals-lovers small town sapphic romance. I was looking forward to the small town aspect and reading my first teacher romance, but the setting didn’t really feel like a part of the story.

I wanted to see fun moments with students at school, and while we do get a bit of that, it didn’t feel well played out.

I loved Grace, Brad, and Thomas, but I found Ana unlikable (feel bad cuz the antagonist also finds her unlikeable but I’m also not the only one who felt this way) There’s a conflict point where Ana is mad at Grace for how things ended between them, and when you finally find out it’s like??? Wtf? The dumbest reason ever. She was also very heavy on self-sabotaging the relationship the entire time but there’s really no back story as to why.

The ending wrapped up way too quickly. We went from having a conflict introduced in the last twenty pages to immediately skipping forward in time (I think?) and wrapping up every conflict that had shown up in the book in one paragraph.

I don’t think I’d recommend this to anyone because I didn’t really feel the chemistry, the small town and teaching aspect was pushed to the background, and the pacing was pretty off.

I actually felt like this story would have worked better as a YA novel from when the characters had been in school. Because the backstory was mentioned so often, but never really examined in depth, meaning we were just Told that the characters have chemistry, but never saw it.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange with an honest review.

Overall a fun sapphic read. I loved that the main characters were bowling coach’s. I wish we got more into Graces bowling career. At times I found Ava frustrating but I enjoyed the ending. I’m excited for Vinis story next.

ccute but definitively not gonna be a fav cause some of the chars really didnt quite work. thanks so much for the arc.

Harlequin - Romance, Afterglow Books by Harlequin and NetGalley provided an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

I really wanted to love this book. I love a good small town Black Romance but, this book missed the mark.

My first issue is that Ava is written in a way that makes me wonder why anyone likes her at all. Second, we spend too much time reading about the main characters’ internal thoughts and not enough time tying up loose ends or resolving major conflicts.

Unfortunately, I ended up disappointed.

DNF 37%

When a book is dragging, it's rare for me to blame to author, because it had to go through the editing process and someone's job is to say "These ten chapters could've been two." There had still been no bowling by the time I quit out, which admittedly is my own expectations letting me down, not the author. One of my fondest memories of Harlequin reading when I was younger was learning new things about the character's careers and hobbies, and I'd been looking forward to learning about bowling here. I just couldn't get through the little moments to get there.

I think this book would be good for someone who loves all the little moments, but I can't say for sure because that's not for me.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC! This one didn't really work for me, unfortunately. I felt it spent too much time with the 2 main characters discussing their the other main characters with the various people in their lives. I wanted more ground to be covered between them, and I wanted more bowling.

That said, I think this could really work for people looking for a small-town, sweet, light-hearted romance with light spice, and those who love a bit of nostalgia in their romances. I appreciated that there wasn't any big miscommunication trope in Act 3 that happens with so many romances, and I think that's a huge plus for a lot of other readers too!

This book is absolutely fantastic. It's a beautifully written romance that captivates from the first page to the last. The author has a unique ability to weave a tale of love that feels so real, so raw, and so genuine that it's impossible not to be drawn in.

The pacing of the story is one of its strongest aspects. It unfolds in a way that feels incredibly natural, allowing the reader to fully immerse themselves in the world the author has created. The progression of the relationship between the main characters doesn't feel rushed or forced, but rather it develops organically, making it all the more believable.

What's truly remarkable about this book is that it proves that romance novels don't need to be lengthy to be effective. Despite not being a 400-page tome, it manages to develop a deep and meaningful relationship between the characters, as well as strong, well-rounded individuals. This is a testament to the author's skill in character development and storytelling.

The side characters are another highlight of the book. They're not just there for the sake of filling up space; they have their own personalities, their own stories, and they contribute significantly to the overall narrative. They're so well-written and relatable that they remind me of my own family and friends. They bring a sense of familiarity and warmth to the story, making it even more engaging.