Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for letting me have an eARC of the book to read and review.

This was so cute! I love how serious and ambitious Teo was in contrast to Bel's clueless and quirky - even though that kinda got him on asshole behaviour sometimes. But my boy really grew and showed development and that's all that matters. It ended up being a very adorable dynamic between those two what with all the complementing each other and learning from each other and working together on building their robots. My cutie patootie lil kiddos.

The rest of the cast was also wonderful, despite having some pretty annoying moments (hard side-eye @ Teo's dad, I will kick your butt). The friendships they have at school is everything 🥲 all of them, I can't even begin.

The writing was easy to keep up with too; never a boring moment, never a place that's like ah I'm just gonna skip this, nope sir. Some lines were hilarious, I highlighted them just for how funny they are. But yeah I loved it and I want to know more about what happened to all these babies!!! I hope they're doing wonderfully in life.

Sweet and unique romance

Bel is avoiding thinking about the future at all costs, mainly college applications and extracurricular activities. But when she discovers a talent for engineering, she is pushed into the robotics club. But the only girl on the team doesn't like her and the boys ignore her completely. Mateo, captain of the club, is the only one to realize her potential. But he's too invested in it, with the Nationals coming, while Bel couldn't care less.

This book was super cute and adorable. I really liked Bel's personnality and her way of approaching the world around her. It was quite refreshing. The writing style was really entertaining as well, very vibrant and teenagy I'd say. It was funny and full of pop culture references that made me smile. However, the first part of the book felt really slow. Not much was happening apart from everyday life and I got a bit bored. I don't regret reading forward though because it got really cool later on. The romance was sweet and nerdy and funny. It was super nice and simple, and it made sense from the beginning. The two characters matched perfectly and although their story was a bit of a bumpy ride, they made it work and I loved it. The subplot with the robotics club was super cool as well! I liked that Bel was very smart and Mateo saw her potential and what they created together was really impressive. All in all, it was a fun, cute read!

I recommend if you like romcoms!

"Amazing how two small words can really be the right ones sometimes."

TW: sexism

Super cute STEM YA romance. I loved how the author explored the misogyny when it comes to females that participate in STEM! Overall, I absolutely loved this book!

Bel doesn't know what to do with her life (honestly, same) and just moved schools. When a female teacher pushes her (forces her) to join the schools' robotics team, she finds an unexpected passion for building fighting bots (don't ask me the details, I'm not a STEM girlie), friends for life (in the way that you find friends for life in high school) and an attraction to resident golden boy and rich boy Teo Luna.

From the top, you don't need to know anything about engineering, I tend to stay away from anything STEM related, and even I understood most of the engineering talk. The plot is fast-paced, and I genuinely believe that if the right girl reads this at the right time it might inspire her to look into engineering, cause it sounds so cool.

The writing is juvenile, and reads like 18-year-olds would speak. This book is still YA, but it's something that takes some getting used to, and might not be everyone's cup of tea. The dual POV was a great choice in my opinion, because Teo would not have been likeable if it were just his POV, or just Bel's POV.

If I were just rating it on writing, this would have been a 3-star book, but the story and characters were really enjoyable. And if you are looking for a quick read, or a palate cleanser after a heavier book, you should definitely pick this one up. However, if you pick this up because it was advertised as enemies-to-lovers in STEM (it's even mentioned in the book), be prepared to be disappointed. It's more like reluctant-collegues-to-lovers, which has a different dynamic to the beloved enemies-to-lovers trope.

Okay, this has been a completely different book from The Atlas Six (for the ones that don’t know, this author and Olivie Blake are the same 👀).

I’m in my RomCom era, so this has been so funny and fast to read! I loved the characters and the plot pretty much (I’m not a science girl so maybe that’s why I say ‘pretty much’ instead of just ‘much’).

I would recommend this book to other people that find themselves in their Romance era, if you want a fast and funny read or if you like the author (but take into account that this is absolutely different with her other works).

5/5⭐️

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

“It's a lot. Trying all the time. Trying not to screw up, just makes me feel so tired. There's all this pressure to plan for a future, you know? And like, what future?”


I LOVE STEM ROMANCES, and this just became one of my favorite books :)

I want to start by highlighting how much I love that cover. The heart around the title with like electronic stuff doodles? Incredible. I don't think we give enough recognition to the artists and it's a shame because there are so many incredible covers out there that make the book even more remarkable...this one is one of my favorites! I think the artist is @jacqlnli so thank you so much for this masterpiece.

Plot:
The protagonist of the book is Bel, a senior in high school who is still undecided about her field of study until one of her teachers recognizes her potential for engineering. Bel is then kind of forced to join the robotics team, where she is treated poorly by everyone. Teo Luna, the robotics team leader and essentially Prince Charming, is the other main character. Teo helps Bel comprehend how robotics function and other related concepts after spotting her talent. Then, while competing in robotics competitions, their relationship begins.

“The world is not very helpful to a smart girl. More often it will try to force you inside a box. But I urge you not to listen.”

What I love the most about STEM romances is usually the feminism aspect of it, and this was no exception. Throughout the book, we get to see the difficulties of being a woman in a field that is predominately male through Bel and Neelam, who had to work harder than many of the boys only to be given little to no recognition for their work, which as sad as it sounds, is still a crucial part and realistic to women in STEM. Even with the book focusing on such a hard topic as sexism, it still was light, and the way it was added (subtlely) I think made it more enjoyable while still getting that aspect of it. The same thing can be said about how Teo and Bel's struggles are incorporated into the story, Teo with the anxiety of all the extracurriculars and AP classes to please his father and Bel going through her parents' divorce. I think most people have experienced at least one of these things, so will easily relate to both characters.

"Get ready to hear no. Get ready to hear you can't. Get ready for I just don't like her or she's not likable. Sure, you're lucky, you're pretty and bubbly and people like you," she added with another look of annoyance, "but you're even worse off than I am for that, because they won't take you seriously."

The plot was easy to follow even with all the science-related stuff (even if you know nothing about robotics, it's still easy to understand)fast-paced, funny, lighthearted with important topics, and well-written!

Romance:
I'm such a sucker for Teo Luna.... and Bel is too. It's completely understandable because even with his flaws, that man is aghhhh.

"Because I think about her all the time. Because she surprises me, because she makes me laugh, and because this, whatever it is with her, is the only thing I ever do that's easy. Because wherever I am, I want her close by."

High school romances, in my opinion, are quite difficult to write because you have to balance having them look realistic and somehow relatable with avoiding making them sound either too immature or too adult. But this was executed flawlessly. Their relationship initially followed the rivals-to-lovers cliche, but as it develops, we see them first as friends and then as a couple. The development was perfectly paced enough that it didn't become redundant or boring. The problems in the relationship were also handled in a very mature manner, and I think they took the perfect decision towards the end.

“It’s probably really stupid how much it unravels me to look at her right then, but I’ve never seen eyes that make me think about the mysteries of the universe the way hers do.”

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. They had mutual respect and admiration for one another, and they supported each other through their struggles and helped one another grow individually.

Characters:
- Bel: she's funny, strong, and relatable. Throughout the book she faced many challenges: the subtle sexism in her robotics team, her parents' divorce, and feeling lost in life, not knowing what to study or what to do in the future. She had very good secondary characters (like her physics teacher and her friends) that were there for her when facing these conflicts. She had great character development and I'm super proud of her and everything she accomplished.

- Teo: his character is the perfect representation of a lot of teenagers. I think we all feel the academic pressure that comes from our parents, trying to do as much as possible as well as possible, to get into a great college and demonstrate how great we are. At least, I've experienced it.
However, before we knew how much Teo was going through, his character came off wrong? I don't know, he just struggled to listen to others' input and to work with others. Nevertheless, he realizes what he does wrong and how entitled he is and grows from there. I really liked his character development and he's very sweet, smart, funny, and ambitious.

Overall, one of my favorite books. It has great characters, a cute romance, a diverse cast, important themes, and an entertaining and fast-paced plot!

In Alexene Farol Follmuth’s My Mechanical Romance, high school seniors Isabel Maier and Mateo Luna discover first love and unexpected truths about themselves and balance different approaches to building battle robots designed to win at Nationals. In dual POV, this lighthearted romance explores competitive high school teen robotics with vibrant descriptions and relatable, authentic characters, drawing you in from the first scene. Follmuth creates a world populated by characters rich in individuality and diversity of interests, cultures, and ethnicities, taking her time exploring her characters’ lives and cultures with a down-to-earth, natural tone filled with warmth and familiarity. I love Fullmoth’s lively, humorous, candid dialogue and character interactions, excellent world-building, and the empowering and sincere relationships Bel shares with her BFF girlfriends. With nuance, Follmuth honestly and straightforwardly depicts the sexism, misogyny, racism, and unfairness that young girls and women of color experience in STEM education and careers. It starts in schools with how girls are treated by their teachers and classmates, beginning in students’ homes, and reinforced by society. Lastly, the robotics competitions are exciting and so much fun.

Bel fears the future, so she avoids thinking about or planning for hers. With no idea where she wants to go to college or what she wants to do afterward, Bel’s uninterested in filling out college apps or participating in extracurricular activities—she doesn’t like team sports. However, one of her teachers sees her talent for engineering and forces her to join the robotics club. At robotics tryouts, team captain Teo sees Bel’s innate potential to help the team win and encourages the team to choose her. Unfortunately, the team’s boys ignore her, and Neelam, the only other girl on the team, acts like she doesn’t like her at all.

Meanwhile, Bel and Teo get off to an antagonistic start because of differences in personality, ideas, and style conflicts. Teo is obsessed with preparing for Nationals, and Bel, not so much. Still, she comes up with helpful ideas and plans for improving the robots. And as they work together building robots, they grow closer, becoming friends with the promise of more.

Bel’s sarcasm, authenticity, free-spirited nature, sense of style, and tendency to lie at the drop of a hat make her a fascinating character. Her innate ability to make things work efficiently without necessarily having the scientific and mathematical foundations is remarkable and admirable. Along those lines, her uncertainty, lack of confidence, and inability to view her ability through the lens of science and math is something with which many readers, especially teens, can relate. Bel’s uncertainty about the future and what she wants to do with her life just yet also is relatable. Initially, she’s completely uninterested/unwilling to fully invest herself in being part of the robotics team. Still, she is drawn in by the robots and the mechanics/process of building robots despite herself.

The development/transition of Bel’s relationship with Teo from antagonistic to friends to romantic is believable and sweet. Their banter and interactions are fun to watch as they learn to work together. Their relationship is life-changing for both. Sometimes you don’t know what you’re capable of until you’re pushed out of your comfort zone and challenged. Having someone believe we can do amazing things is just what we need to encourage us to take risks. But ultimately, Bel has to believe in her own capabilities and realize she doesn’t need Mateo to be strong, capable, confident, and successful. However, it’s only one step on her road to success in STEM if she chooses to go all in and pursue it.

Having Bel in Teo’s life helps him grow as a person. For most of the novel, Teo’s not a particularly kind or noble person with whom to be in a close, intimate relationship. Instead, he’s an egomaniac, who’s superior, dismissive, controlling, and unkind to people he views as beneath him or unworthy of his time or attention—particularly Neelam and, at times, Bel. It’s unsurprising based on his relationship with his father, friends, team members, teachers, and fellow students and how they view/worship him. Having a relationship with a person like Bel, whom he respects and whose opinion matters to him on a deeper level, makes him question himself, who he is, and his perception of himself concerning the world and others’ views and treatment.

My Mechanical Romance is a sweet, engaging, enlightening, funny, rivals-to-lovers/enemies-to-lovers YA romance with a creative and compelling storyline and an inclusive, diverse cast of excellently developed, relatable characters.

This was a very well done and well rounded novel. I really enjoyed the characters and the development of the plot throughout.

Thank you for the author (Alexene Farol Follmuth), the publisher, (Holiday House), and NetGalley for the arc!

“It took me some time, but I think I finally know the secret : that you can stand up without standing alone.”

I adore this book!

I love how the focus of this book isn’t entirely on the romance, but also on each of the characters’ development, and, my favorite, it also points out the double standards and how women are ever so often looked down upon in STEM.

Every time Bel, Neelam. and also Jamie and Lora put them on their place and wipe that smirks off their faces, i feel like cheering and celebrating. Cheers cheers.

“Last time I was trying to blend in and be taken seriously, but now I feel like the way people perceive me should be based on a lot more than whatever I chose to wear. There’s no rules saying I can’t have birds and ribbons on my pants and still be a great freakin’ engineer, so I fix my hair and makeup until I feel good about the version of myself looking back at me in the mirror.” 👏👏👏

And I love the romance too! It’s so cute.

And, look, i am PERFECTLY aware that there are a lot more to their relationship than this, but Teo listening to Taylor Swift’s discography just to learn all the lyrics that make Bel smiles >>>>>>>

That’s when I’m sure he’s a keeper. That’s the moment I knew he’s partner material.

And, obviously, first of all, Bel being a swiftie and endlessly playing Taylor Swift songs when in the car with Teo >>>>>>>

In all seriousness though, (even though THAT was also a serious point of their relationship in my humble opinion),

“The sun is high and the joy is sharp and everything is rich and saturated and glittering, technicolor, and exhilarating, us and the universe connecting symphonically in that kiss. It’s like everything we’ve ever learned about force in physics, about materials that connect, about strong bonds and magnetic ones, about gravity and mystery.”

Like, isn’t that just lovely?

“What he and I have is the best thing we’ve ever built.”

Overall, I think this book is perfect for you if you love YA contemporary romance.

✔️ Diverse cast of characters.
✔️ Not boring, not bland, explored, well-developed characters.
✔️ Lovable main and side characters. (Like each of the characters are actually distinguishable you guys, can you even believe that? 😦)
✔️Lighthearted cute romance.
✔️ WITH DUAL POVS.
✔️Well-written friendships.

It’s a 4.5 stars for me!

Keep in mind that these are subjective and are just my opinions!😊

We want more romance in S.T.E.M! I said what I said. I don't know why but science is sooo attractive! I loved the chemistry between the characters!
Enemy-to-lover? I'm all in!

The romance between Beli and Theo was really cute! I only regret the fact that sometimes there were lengths and the book almost lost me sometimes! But it was an ovevrall really good read, perfect for summer!

I loved the academic aspect that played a significant role in this book. It was so cute and fun and just what I needed! I loved it.

This book had great characters, good chemistry, and I loved the S.T.E.M. setting! I especially love female characters who thrive in male-dominated fields.

This was a fun and fresh read!

This super cute Romcom was a nice plate cleanser and I loved it.

The writing was amazing, and the storyline was down to earth. I really enjoyed this story, maybe due to my son sharing one of the characters names.

I also liked the troupe of enemies to a couple. Even though this was a YA romance, I thought it had the right amount of real life situations. It kept me intrigued and wanting to know more about the main characters.

Bell and Teo were cute, and I loved that the story went past their High school era.

This was such a cute YA romance set amongst a high school robotics team. I loved seeing our leading lady Bel find her way and prove her worth in the male-dominated world of STEM. I enjoyed the opposites-attract romance with Teo and seeing how they pushed one another to be the best versions of themselves.

It was a fun and heartwarming read that hits on important topics without being overly-sciency.

Thanks NetGalley and Holiday House for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Bel would rather die than think about the future. College apps? Extracurriculars? No way. But when she accidentally shows she has a talent for engineering at school, she’s basically forced into joining the robotics club. Meet Mateo (Teo) Luna, captain of the club, who recognizes Bel as a potential asset—until they start butting heads. Bel doesn’t care about Nationals, while Teo cares too much. But as the nights of after-school work grow longer and longer, Bel and Teo realize they've made more than just a combat-ready robot for the championship: they’ve made each other and the team better.

This book was an easy read from the start, as most YA books are. Bel was a likable and relatable character and Teo seems to be picture perfect to his peers, even though he's not and is struggling under the pressure he puts on himself. There is almost instant chemistry between Bel and Teo and I was hooked on what would happen next in their relationship as much as what was going to happen with their robotics competition!

I loved this book from start to finish and recommend it to fans of YA books, romance, coming-of-age stories, or fans of great books.

I rate this book as 5 🌟!

I'd like to say a huge thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

#readingchallenge #reading2022 #summerreading2022 #booklover #bookworm #bookwormlife #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #netgalley #readinggoals #MyMechanicalRomance #alexenefarolfollmuth #alexenefarolfollmuthbooks #YAbooks

I loved this book way more than I expected since I've been drifting from YA novels. I love how the characters are, and how they stand up for themselves. It was adorable and I really appreciated the feminist aspect in the book.

I will admit that I was drawn to this title because it reminded me of "My Chemical Romance" and boy am I glad that it drew me in. I didn't know what to expect with the robot building of it all because my only experience with that in media is Big Hero 6 but I was shocked by how much I enjoyed it. Who knew robotics could be that much fun? Even though it was YA it still packed a punch in my opinion. All of the characters were really well fleshed out and I was truly rooting for all of them. I thought Teo was just adorable and I think YA readers near and far will really have fun with this one.

thank you to netgalley for providing me with an arc!

as a former robotics team member I loved reading about teo's and bells individual characters. this was an unexpected cute read and I was hooked from the very beginning. this will always be one of my favourite academic rivals to lovers reads. I had really good time reading this, and with the plot, the writing and every little thing about this book I grew to love the two main characters and side characters. glad that I took a chance and dove into this amazing book

This was an adorable novel. I am a big fan of romance novels that are academic rivals to lovers. It was very sweet and I appreciated the feminist and women in stem kind of aspect that was playing in the background.

olivie blake has done it again creating a fantastic book that captures your heart i love to see more stem based book out there and it really feels empowering to see poc girls crushing it in stem aka a make dominated field and holding there own , i thought bel was a fun and awkward character that felt like a story about real teenagers and the teenage experience was captured perfectly