Small-town clean romance—competitive rivals-to-lovers featuring a charming mechanic hero and a quick-witted heroine thrown together by chance, blending workplace tension, playful banter, forced proximity, and a slow-burn connection neither of them saw coming.

I'M THE GUY SHE CAN'T BEAT.

I run a good shop. Keep things simple. I'm not looking for complications. But for years, there's been one name on that leaderboard above mine. One person in this whole town who refuses to let me win. I told myself it was just a game. Then I found out who she was.

Now she works for me.

SHE NEEDS THIS JOB. She didn't plan to end up at Denver's auto repair shop. She didn't plan to work for the one person in Misty Mountain who gets under her skin. She's practical. Focused. She knows how to keep things professional. She just didn't plan on him.

TOGETHER, NOTHING IS SIMPLE ANYMORE. We've been competing our whole lives without knowing it. Same instincts. Same stubbornness. Same refusal to back down.

Turns out that's not a problem. That's chemistry.

TWO RIVALS. ONE SHOP. NO WAY TO PRETEND THIS IS JUST BUSINESS.

She tells herself it's temporary. Just a paycheck. Just proximity. Just two competitive people who happen to work well together.

She's wrong.

Because somewhere between the banter and the long hours and the way she looks when she finally lets her guard down—

This stopped being about the leaderboard.

It's about her.

And I've never been the type to walk away from a challenge.

MATCHED WITH THE MECHANIC is a sweet, clean small-town romance featuring:

• Charming, easygoing mechanic hero
• Quick-witted, independent heroine
• Rivals-to-lovers slow burn
• Forced proximity and workplace tension
• Playful banter and genuine connection
• Small-town community warmth
• Sweet, swoon-worthy romance
• No cliffhanger. Guaranteed HEA

Genre: Clean Contemporary Romance / Small-Town Romance / Sweet Romance
Subgenre Elements: Rivals to lovers, workplace romance, small-town setting, fresh start
Tropes: Rivals to lovers, forced proximity, slow burn, banter, workplace romance
Tone & Heat: Warm, witty, swoony, clean

Originally published under the name Macie St. James.