4 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Holiday house for an ARC of this book!

I find myself struggling with ya romance these days, but this one was great! I LOVE the woman in stem trope in books, and this was done so well. The banter between Teo & Bel was everything!
One thing I really liked was the fact that the characters were pretty mature, and that’s hard to find in high school romance books.
Also, Bel is HILARIOUS. I love her and I want to be her best friend.
I definitely recommend this book!

This was a charming story with a lot of potential, but at time the writing felt flat. The plot was interesting, but I had a hard time staying engaged in the book. The dialogue was forced, and at times didn't seem like teenagers.

I'm a bit late for this, but I enjoyed this book. Of course, there were things that could have been done better in my opinion such as Theo's and Bel's rivalry going on for a little longer. The book's pacing was somewhat weird at specific points, but overall I loved this book.

As a fan of stories about women in STEM, I was excited to read this YA take on the subject. I liked how the novel balanced coming-of-age storylines (including a romance) with social commentary about sexism within STEM and the pressure high schoolers face to achieve. The story is told through dual narrators, high-schoolers Bel and Teo, and I found both of their storylines compelling. Without getting too spoiler-y, I did really enjoy how the author handled the ending, giving the characters a happy ending while also allowing them to grow individually.

My Mechanical Romance reminded me a bit of Ali Hazelwood's STEM romances for adults, and this book is a good option for teens. I'd also recommend to fans of Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong by Prudence Shen and Faith Erin Hicks.

I love a good YA romance, and I really liked how this one had more depth with real struggles. Not just surface level issues.
Teo and bel were so cute together. I loved the banter between them. The characters had such great chemistry together. I loved seeing them bond over robotics.

I’m deducting a star only because I feel like the “fall out” was just ehh. Like just a fall out for the sake of having one in there. But overall, I would recommend this one.

Thank you NetGalley, the publishers, and Alexene Farol Follmuth for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

i'll give the book 3 stars. The writing was okay, and the romance was average. Nothing remarkable, but was an enjoyable read. The Filipino rep was terrible. I think it was a decent YA book.

Extremely extremely late to giving a review on this book. But here goes.
I read this book in one sitting which is insane because I normally try my best to stay away from young romance novels.
Oh my God you guys, I'm not really into the science thing because I really don't like it, but this book was amazing.
The representation was spot on, and I love how each character that was necessary was given enough "screen time"
This book deserves nothing less than 5 stars

I'm going to be honest, it was the title that drew me to it as a massive MCR fan back in the day! That and the cover is beautiful but when I read the synopsis I got even more excited because STEM!

My Mechanical Romance is like Robot Wars with romance as well as a realistic look at what the world of STEM is like, particularly for women and people of colour. While Neelam might seem unlikeable to some given how hostile she is to Bel, she's integral to illustrating to Bel that the world of STEM isn't going to be a walk in the park but luckily the girls have one of their teachers, Ms. Voss to encourage them which was beautiful to see.

Bel was a super easy MC to relate to, she isn't sure what she wants or what she's doing and I think that's something a lot of people, teens or older, do struggle with at times. It was so satisfying to see her figure it all out and come into her own with it.

I really loved the banter and the chemistry between Teo and Bel, I shipped them so bad and I liked that Teo could open up to Bel and be different with her than the others and that Bel wasn't going to just go along with Teo and she pushed back against him.

While it did take me a little to get into this book, I really enjoyed it ultimately and the romance was really cute!

This romance was so cute and funny. The characters were all interesting and unique and I found myself rooting for them individually, not just for the relationship. The STEM themes were really well done and I enjoyed the commentary about sexism in the field.

Overall, really enjoyed this book and would definitely read more YA from this author!

edit : it has come to my attention that the filo rep wasn't depicted well and i can't say i was a huge fan of the indian rep either.

although the beginning is a bit difficult to get into, this book picked up quickly and was a wonderful journey right till the acknowledgements. bel and teo had a great dynamic but labeling them as academic rivals to lovers was a wrong choice since they had one argument which was sorted out pretty quickly. however, i loved how the sexism in STEM was tackled.

This was such a lovely book with lots of important topics, mostly concerning college and leaving high school, which should be represented more. I enjoyed how it handled all of these, and the characters all felt very mature and realistic. I really adored this book..

The romance was adorable and the ideal representation of what a relationship ought to be like. Although there will always be conflicts and obstacles, communication is essential, and I loved how they understood this and began to discuss their issues more. I find the writing quite adorable and the characters quite relatable. I just love these nerds!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the arc in exchange for a review!

A super cute enemies to lovers wholesome romance. It’s the second STEM book I’ve read recently (first one was The Love Hypothesis), and like that one, I found the technical aspects of My Mechancial Romance interesting and not boring or ‘over my head’ at all. I love Bel, she is determined and highly capable, and I appreciate that in a female character. Great banter. Highly recommend!

A huge thank you to the publisher for an ARC!
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Academic rivals in STEM? Say less. This book was honestly so adorable and relatable. Being in STEM and Asian, it was amazing to see the different forms of representation throughout the story. And not to mention the the cute relationship between Bel and Teo (the way Teo cares for her absolutely makes my heart melt).

I had no clue this was written by the same person who wrote the atlas six! The book was so fun. I was able to relate to the two mcs so well and their stem love was fun to watch. I don't read ya romance very often but it was great.

The Filipino rep was treated as something to be laughed at, and I found that revolting. Can't stay silent on this the way the author stayed silent on the Philippine elections.

my mechanical romance is genuinely one of the best ya romance books i've read in a while. though it didn't top my favorite olivie book (alone with you in the ether), it still stands on its own. i LOVED the characters. bel is amazing and i would break a neck for her if she wanted me to, teo reminds me (a little bit too much) of my high school crush, and i truly deeply love them both. their individual stories are not exactly new but it is still told with utmost care. the filipino rep made me so SO happy. i've never really thought of seeking it out and now that i've read it, im just now realizing how badly i wanted to see my own culture reflected back at me :( anyway, i love u olivie. my five stars will always be happily offered to you <3

This book understood the assignment.
This was such a well rounded and well done academic rivals to lovers. I’m in love. The characters are adorable

I loved this book the characters are amazingly written and feels so real and romantic that you can't put the book down even for a second. It's amazing must ready for everyone.

Young Love + Women in STEM + Senior Year of High School = One fantastic and enjoyable story! When Bel’s teacher pushes her to engage in a higher level of science and join one of the school’s competitive teams, Bel could not be less enthusiastic. She’s used to floating under the radar and doing just enough, quite the opposite of Mateo Luna, the captain of the team, who does it all. As Bel and Mateo begin to work together, they challenge and push each other to be the very best they can be, on and off the team. Hilarious and empowering, “My Mechanical Romance” by Alexene Farol Follmuth is definitely one to read!

I absolutely ADORED Bel, one of the main characters of this story. She feels entirely real and reminds me so much of the students in my classes. Her sense of humor is quirky, and her inner struggle with when to speak up and when to go with the flow leads to some awkward but necessary confrontations. I loved those moments because I feel like they give teen readers a model for addressing what’s bothering them and shows that a person’s wording doesn’t have to be perfect in order to be important. Bel’s friendship with the other girls in the story is so supportive, and the one relationship that appears to be a more “girls tear each other down” type of situation ends up revealing an impactful lesson, too.

I wasn’t as enamored with Mateo’s (Teo) character, but his parts were still enjoyable. Teo’s role (in addition to being the 2nd of the dual POV) seems to be that he is representative of ways in which men have privilege in STEM, ranging from the subtle to the overt. However, when Bel would point out that Teo had these advantages, there wasn’t really conversation or change from Teo beyond variations of “No, I don’t; I work hard” and “Yes, you’re right; moving on,” which felt frustrating at times. That being said, Teo is certainly a high-achiever and struggles with meeting the expectations he has for himself as well as the expectations of those around them, something that many high schoolers may find valuable to see in their stories.

Prior to reading this, I never understood the thrill of battle robots; now I do. I’m also absolutely going to be putting this book on my classroom shelves due to the realistic portrayal of teens, the focus on the journey of women in STEM, and the moments of wrestling to figure out who you are, what you want to do, and how to make it happen. Readers who enjoy contemporary young adult fiction, stories with a focus on STEM, and novels with a theme of coming-into-your-own will enjoy this book.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

i loved this book. i feel like the characters were perfectly fleshed out and the plot was ACTUALLY intresting. i also relate so much to bel, i love her. thanks netgalley for the arc :)