when i first heard olivie blake was coming out with a ya rivals to lovers romance i knew i had to read it, my expectations were through the roof and she did not disappoint! i loved reading about bel she was such a fun smart character and i found myself relating to her so much, i would've loved a book like this when I was in high school going through all the things she was going through. highly highly recommend this book it just hits all the right spots

Source of book: NetGalley (thank you)
Relevant disclaimers: none
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.

Review contains mild spoilers.

Ahhh, this was lovely. I kind of legitimately teared up at the end, partly over the book but mostly because I just feel strongly about young women in STEM.

In any case, this is a charming YA romance that also—and this is very much my perspective—explores the issue facing (young) women, especially young WOC, in STEM with a touch more nuance that I’ve generally seen. I mean, there is an opposing team in the fighting robots competition (yes, this book is also about building robots—just be still my beating my heart) who are very much “hur hur girls suck” but they’re on page twice and their not actually positioned as more than irritating-in-the-moment. Because, the truth is, the issue of women in STEM isn’t really “hur hur girls suck” any more than queerphobia is really strangers in the street calling you the f-word. It’s essentially an institutional problem in that we basically tell AFAB people that maths and hard science aren’t “for” them in about twenty-seven six gazillion subtle and hard-to-challenge ways, and then we use the fact there aren’t as many women in these fields to justify the initial exclusion as well as implementing new ones. Basically, it’s a fucking mess and—with my dayjob hat on, as well as my human being hat—I hate it.

Anyway, what we have here is the story of Bel. She has to change to schools due to her parents’ complicated divorce and, once her talented for engineered is spotted by a well-meaning teacher (a genuinely well-meaning teacher, I hasten to add) she ends up joining the school’s robotics club. At first—despite her instinct for design—she has trouble fitting in: the boys are inclined to disregard her and the only other girl is actively hostile. Eventually, though, she manages to forge a fragile peace with the over-achievement robotics team captain, golden boy Theo Luna, and this leads to wider acceptance in the team as a whole. What follows is a fair bit of fighting robot realness, an incredibly sweet love story between two people are, basically, a pair of academically gifted nerds, a really nuanced exploration of identity and self-agency, and—without ever getting preachy about it—an unremitting affirmation of women’s place in STEM.

There are many many things to love about this book, from the witty energetic writing, to the deft characterisation, and the effortless diversity of the cast. While I can’t speak to the engineering, I can also confirm that the physics is rock solid—not that I’m claiming authority or expertise over the entirety of the field, but I do think if you’re making a case for women in STEM you kind of need to know what you’re talking about, either because you have a background in it yourself or you’ve done some research (especially because I strongly agree with one of the central tenets of the book itself: STEM isn’t hard, or at least no harder than anything else, you just have to put the work in and anyone can put the work in, regardless of their gender identity, race, academic background or how they were socialised). But, for me, what I extra mostest loved was that … this story doesn’t really have a villain? I mean, okay, there are like two boys at the robot wars regional/finals who are all “hur hur girls suck” but while they’re annoying they’re on page for, like, two seconds and nobody really sees them as a credible threat.

Or rather, the only villain is … err … systematic inequality.

For example, Bel’s parents are divorced, because Bel’s father cheated on Bel’s mum, perhaps repeatedly, and—as well as it might—this has caused deep rifts in the family, including where the children stay, their sense of conflicted loyalty and love to both parents, and the inadvertent pressures both parents put on them in terms of feeling the need to navigate this very adult situation that should, in fact, not really be their problem. What’s interesting about this is that Bel’s father is very much allowed to be a good and loving father (even if he’s also clearly a terrible husband). Similarly, the AP physics teacher into whose class Bel is transferred is initially … how can I put this … a non-ideal teacher for her, albeit in subtle and unintentional ways, for example he (unconsciously) prioritises the boys in the class, is more engaging and responsive with them, encourages them in ways he doesn’t the girls, positions benches for the boys nearer his desk, is always happy to be asked for help but never volunteers assistant to the girls the way he does instinctively for the boys, things like that. When Bel tries to push back a little against some of this, he gently suggests to her that she needs to be a better team player. Basically, these are all non-malicious, non-invasive ways that a teacher can fail to full understand their own biases and fail to properly their class: but I also appreciated that Mac (the teacher) wasn’t an out-and-out bad ‘un. He’s clearly passionate about his subject and committed to his students. There’s no direct reckoning with any of this but by the end of the book he admits to Bel that he’s learned a lot from her and we can hope he’s a more self-aware (and consequently better) teacher in the future.

Where the book’s willingness to embrace complexity shines most specifically, though, is with Neelam, the only other girl in the robotics club. Despite Bel’s best attempts to connect with her, Neelam is angry, frustrated and unfriendly. And while it can sometimes be … problematic … to portray women as in conflict with each other (especially since the ‘evil other woman’ trope still looms over us a bit) I actually think it’s also important to allow women characters to be specific individuals who experience unique interpersonal dynamics with other people (including other women). Obviously it’s great when marginalised people can support each other but the automatic assumption that people marginalised within their context are automatically obligated to be instant best buds is … kinda messed up. Intra-community conflict IS a real thing. And Neelam does, in fact, have her reasons for her anger and frustration, and her anger and frustration with Bel in particular. But also, when it comes down to it, she is there for Bel and, in return, Bel is there for her, I guess the point being, that you can still support someone because you recognise their experiences and their struggles, want them to succeed, but you don’t have to be super snuggly besties to do it. I should also add that Bel has female friends who are not involved in the robotics club: and I really enjoyed this gentle teasing apart of support and friendship. Like, both are great, and you can’t really have a non-supportive friendship, but you don’t HAVE to be friends with someone to support them. I felt that was a subtle and unusual relationship dynamic to explore, especially in YA, especially as regards women in STEM.

The other theme I appreciated the book taking on very gently was that of (and here we’re getting a bit more explicitly spoilery) failure. At one point the heroine, discovering her love of engineered, is encouraged to apply for MIT. She does not, however, get in. She does, of course, find her own path after this but I kind of loved the fact we see a YA heroine want something very sincerely, do her best to get it, and still not … get it? For reasons that are probably fairly justified. It kind of honestly took me by surprise when this happened—I’m very used to feel-good romances and YA stories following a pretty direct line from lostness to commitment to success entirely the way the character envisages it. The fact that Bel’s story can encompass disappointments and setbacks (and all the emotions attendant on such things), without these things ruining her life is refreshing and, I felt, very vital to a story that I hope a lot of young people will read and be inspired by. After all, growing up is very much an exercise in figuring out what you want and then figuring out how to get it, even if (especially if) your initial attempt to get it didn’t pan out perfectly. Whether that’s building a robot, going to college, or falling for someone.

I will also add that Bel’s insecurities and her brushes with real and significant serve to make her a very three dimensional and relatable heroine. Again, this might just be me and my oldness speaking, but I like the way that she is allowed to have natural ability, but that her natural abilities are never allowed to substitute for actual work. I’m afraid the hero, Teo, didn’t come across quite as successfully to me: he’s very charming and I got the broad outlines of his character (he’s the son of a very successful tech billionaire, who puts a huge amount of pressure on him to succeed) but, even though the book is told in dual POV between him and Bel, his emotional arc felt less coherent. There’s a bit near the end where circumstances force Teo to let go of his ruthless control of everything and accept that his team can support him as well as be supported by him but that’s … like … one incident? He does also tell Bel that before he met her he felt like he was drowning, and couldn’t be himself, but … I don’t know. For me, his story didn’t cohere into a growth arc quite as cleanly as Bel’s does. I mean, it might just be that “I was lost, now I’ve realised I’m good at something and I have an idea for my future” is more accessible then … um, “I feel I need to control everything because I’m so brilliant and my dad?” Of course, Teo’s fine at the end, so he must figure it out. But I didn’t feel as intimately involved in his side of the narrative than I did Bel’s.

I also wasn’t entirely convinced about the early “academic rivals” part of their relationship because it felt a bit forced? Like, it requires Teo to dismiss Bel either because of unexamined sexism or personal bullshit—and later she does decide she hasn’t been great to him either, but I didn’t really see any evidence of that? I just saw him using privilege and his position as team captain to disempower her. Again, it’s not a big deal and once Bel and Teo are a team their relationship is delightful and mutually supportive … but I do think the “we are rivals for 5 minutes” bit didn’t reflect super well on Teo and came across to me as an external deployment of a trope than a natural dynamic between two particular people.

Random nit-picks aside, though, I loved this. By the end, I had some many young women in STEM warm fuzzies that I actually teared up. I wish I had, like, twenty-seven daughters I could give it to, although I’m pretty sure they’d refuse to read it because their embarrassing dad had foisted it on them. If you, however, twenty-seven (or even one) daughter to foist this on as an embarrassing parent, I strongly encourage you to start foisting. Also read it yourself because it’s a brilliant balance of nuance, complexity, wit and tenderness.

(Oh, and if you’re a fan of The Atlas Six, this is the, um, non-penname—is this even a thing—of Olivie Blake. Super impressive genre-hopping from this author.)

You've got rivals to love while they compete in a robot battle competition in this YA romance. Amazing.

Bel is at a new school and somehow ends up trying out for the robotics club. She has no clue what she wants to do after highschool and pretty sure a robotics club isn't going to help. Teo is the captain of the robotics club and they don't need anyone else. However, he sees how skilled Bel is and picks her to join. But, he soon comes to regret this decision when she seems to question everything.

As someone who loved watching Robot Wars growing up this storyline was everything. But, oh man did my blood boil at the microagressions around girls (and women) in STEM. I had a similar teacher in maths at highschool, so his character I hated.

I found the relationship between Teo and Bel quite cute. While neither character was perfect, I appreciated them realising (eventually) their mistakes. Even if I did want to shake Teo a few times. I did enjoy the very realistic teenage decision-making skills (or should I say lack of).

I particularly found the ending very adorable and fitting. Without spoiling anything I very much enjoyed the decisions Bel made.

The moment I saw this cover and the title I knew I had to read this. I have grown quite fond of contemporary romance novels and this one was just beautiful.
If you love:
Witty and funny
Academic rivals to lovers
Diversity
STEM
Dual POV
Cute with a breath of fresh air romance
Then this book is a read for you!

This book might not be for you if you not a physics or robots lover as there is references to this and different terminology used. But the authour did an incredible job in making it understandable and feel like you were there in the robot fights.

The author did a fantastic job in her writing in describing the relationships in this books, you could really feel the friendships throughout the characters interactions. Bel was also a very relatable character in that she was unsure about what to study, or where she was going in and I think we all have felt a little like this at some point in our lives. She is such a nerd/weirdo and I absolutely love it!

I just love Bel and Teo as a couple! An academic genius power couple 💕 I don’t want to give to much spoilers away!

thank you to netgalley and Colored pages Blog Tours for the free copy in exchange for an honest review!!

I love the fact this book exists. there, period. the main reason is that it will inspire little girls and teenagers to be what they want to be in their life and don't let anyone (specially men) take them down. and I also adored how different the MCs were: her having her odd likes and attitudes, him being completely pressured for everything, they were such an amazing couple where opposites attrack and I couldn't stop smiling during their scenes. I barely understood a single thing when they were talking about the robotics team and physics, yet I could sense their passion and love for it (it made me wish I had a small interest in it while in high school). and as always with these books, I adore the final realisation: that luck is not enough to get what you want, you have to work for it, and in case for us women we have to work harder since everyone will try to take us down and say we won't be enough
we need more STEM books in every genre!! and I just loooved this one. everyone said it was a fast paced read and yep, they were absolutely right, I couldn't put it down and didn't want to, either. gosh I really will miss this story 😍

My Mechanical Romance by Alexene Farol Follmuth is the robot-building YA romance novel I have been waiting for. Spotlighting women in STEM, I loved the main character’s transformation throughout the book as she begins to view herself as having a place on the team and in the field, and her experiences are realistic. The author also draws attention to the difficulties women face in these male-dominated spaces, which provides great balance to the romance at the story’s centre. This is a cute and empowering read that I’m sure will resonate with many.

After transferring schools in her senior year, Bel struggles with college applications and mapping out her future. However, when she accidentally reveals a talent for engineering, a teacher pushes her to join the robotics club, giving her the opportunity to apply her skills and explore the field. The school’s robotics club seems interesting enough, except the boys on the team ignore Bel, the only other girl doesn’t like her, and she can’t seem to get along with Theo, the club’s captain. As Bel works toward building a robot for a national competition, she slowly realizes she has a place on the team and in STEM, and that she has more in common with Theo than she initially thought.

❀ EMPOWERING MAIN CHARACTER

I enjoyed Bel’s character, and I found her journey of self-discovery empowering. Her situation is relatable for so many women, as she is incredibly smart but has never been encouraged to seriously consider engineering as a career path. As the book takes place during her senior year, she also struggles with college applications and making major life choices, which are depicted realistically. I loved reading about Bel’s gradual realization that she does belong on the robotics team, and I appreciated this representation of women in STEM.

❀ REAL DISCUSSIONS ABOUT BEING A WOMAN OF COLOUR IN STEM

What I especially enjoyed about this one is the way it balances the sweetness of Bel and Theo’s relationship with very real discussions about being a woman of colour in STEM. Throughout the book, Bel’s intelligence is discounted, and in competitions, she is viewed by many as simply “diversity points” for the team. Bel must work twice as hard to prove herself as a capable competitor, and I enjoyed the way she stays strong and smashes the competition every time. Another plus for me was the way Neelam, the other woman on the team, has different experiences than Bel. I have to admit, I didn’t necessarily agree with the reason why she dislikes Bel, or rather the extent of this dislike, but she eventually won me over, and I liked the plurality of their experiences.

❀ RELATABLE AND HONEST

My Mechanical Romance by Alexene Farol Follmuth is a sweet and empowering story about a robot-building competition. I loved the representation of women in STEM, and the main character is realistic. At the centre of the story is a discussion of the unequal treatment women face in the field, making this one a relatable and honest read with both social commentary and a cute romance.

Okay, I have come to the conclusion that maybe YA books aren't for me. But the plot wasn't boring or cringe and it made me so happy while reading! I found myself giggling a couple times. Unfortunately, the characters felt a little bland. And at the beginning, everything started so slow, I wanted to DNF it. I am glad I didn't though.

"...and I think she knows what I'm thinking about.
I think she's thinking about it, too."

I have never, ever, EVER felt this much chemistry between two characters. I read (a lot, if that information helps) and for the first time in a long time these characters felt so real. I genuinely connected with them. Even minor storylines about side characters had me hooked. Teo and Bel........ everything to me. I love everything about their relationship, how it progressed, and just-- that epilogue. Wow. Wow. Wow. I could literally feel sparks flying, even at the very beginning of the story. This gave me everything I want in a romance, the meant-for-each-other couple alongside the ups and downs of a relationship, just enough tension to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Another shoutout to having male POV, and also characters that are in high school (?). Even though I'm in high school, I just realized I never really read about characters my own age and now I'm craving for more. Also the holi scene & frequent mention of samosas and Taylor Swift? This book has everything I ever need from a story.

“Taking up your own space is honestly really hard to do.”

The title of My Mechanical Romance is a little misleading.

Yes, there is an adorable love story, and it’s very Pride and Prejudice meets high school robotics. At the end of the day, though, My Mechanical Romance is about a teenage girl falling in love with physics and engineering, embracing her talents and interests, and making space for herself in a field where she is both exceptionally skilled and severely underestimated.

“Honestly? Physics is easy. What’s hard is feeling like I want to be invisible all the time.”

When we meet our other protagonist, Teo, he is single-handedly taking on all of the responsibility (and stress) of making sure the robotics team functions like a well-oiled machine. At the same time, he feels immense pressure to get perfect grades and fill his college application to the brim with meaningful extracurriculars and leadership roles. As a boy, he doesn’t face the same problems as Bel as he pursues his interest in science, and he is largely unaware of the contrast at first. His place on the robotics team is expected and encouraged, while Bel’s well-deserved position is reduced to “diversity points” in their opponents’ eyes.

Teo’s perspective highlights important disparities between how girls are treated in school when they express an interest in STEM fields compared to boys. His story also emphasizes that it’s impossible to be everything that everyone else needs you to be all at once, and that being part of a team means learning how to trust others.

I had so much fun watching Bel and Teo go from reluctant teammates to friends to more, but this story is also about what it means to have different expectations for yourself than what the world—or even your family—wants or expects from you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Holiday House for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This is such a sweet romance that takes place between two rivals on the high school robotics team. For Teo Luna, robotics is his passion, and he wants to be sure that everything goes perfectly his senior year. Bel is new to the school, but after impressing her physics teacher, ends up trying out and making the team. Bel and Teo immediately butt heads when Bel points out flaws in his robot's design.

I really enjoyed the rivals to lovers in a STEM club setting. I thought the commentary on how not knowing what opportunities are out there negatively affects students, who didn't know they needed to be preparing for a dream job they didn't know existed. I also loved the robot competitions.

My Mechanical Romance

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“I’ve never seen eyes that make me think about the mysteries of the universe the way hers do” - Teo Luna

A STEM romance, need I say more?! This story follows Bel Maier struggling to find her feet at such a pivotal time in her life. It touches on so many important aspects of life as a teen/young adult and reminds us all that it’s never too late to chase our dreams. We see Bel and Teo struggle with the academic stress placed on them by their parents, Bel coming to terms with life after her parents divorce and the pressure that comes with deciding your future at the wise old age of 17. For me, Bel is one of the most relatable characters I’ve ever read. The diversity of the characters and the cultural references made throughout are just another refreshing reason to love this book!

Can I get a round of applause for Teo Luna? His character development throughout this was wonderful to see. I loved how he not only realised the errors of his actions but also of those around him and pushed Bel to be the best she could be. Also best nickname award definitely goes to Bel Canto, this just made my heart fuzzy!

STEM has always been a huge part of my life growing up and continues to be so into my adulthood. I loved Alexene’s approach to highlighting the favouritism and sexism that women face in this industry which is so important we speak about. I am so happy to see more and more authors showing young readers how exciting the world of science can be!

Finally I’d like to say thank you to @afarolfollmuth aka @olivieblake @holidayhousebks & @netgalley for sending me this arc and giving me the chance to give an honest review! I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy!

Rating: 4.5 I started this book expecting an academic rivals to lovers but it’s not??? Though I love the banter at the beginning I would not call this as
academic rivals. While this book tackles important topics such as female in male dominated field, I love that it’s also so wholesome, and such a fun, light read.

also added points for the filipino rep

Thank you netgalley for providing this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Okay this book was amazing, at the beginning I really thought that I would hate Teo until the plot twist of the book. But noooo, I super understand Teo, and the pressure he has on his father. Bel is the typical teenager who is in her senior year and doesn't know what to do with her Life . it was so beautiful to see Teo's love growing for Bel, they were made for each other, they help each other to get the best of themselves and be a better person. So much so that I think the book could have finished at 70%. And even with 30% more to go, the book was still a pleasant read and not a rushed read, which all happens quickly. Congratulations to the author, I would really recommend this book to my friends

This was super cute! It follows Bel, a Senior who isn't sure what's she wants in life and what career she wants. Then there's Teo who has his life completely planned out. Bel likes building things so ends up on the robotics team at her new school, which is led by Teo.

I really loved this novel that heavily explores being a girl in STEM. It made me remember being back at university. I think most of us have had some dude tell us we're not good enough or being unsure of our abilities.

Anyway, this was fun. Loved the friendships. The plot was cute. Boys suck.

This book was great! I was recommended to request this book by a friend who is in STEM because she said the STEM rep was great in this book and she was not wrong! As someone who participated in science-related extra curriculars in high school & whose brother was actually in robotics, I loved this book. I thought Bel was a really strong main character, you had a reason to root for her and she really wowed me throughout this book, of course there was a lot that she had to improve on, but I still thought she was a strong main character with a good story, and the relationship arc between her and Teo in this book was just simply, the cutest thing. Loved it!

YA is not normally my bag, but I'll read anything Alexene Farol Follmuth/Olivie Blake writes, so here we are.

This was super sweet and wholesome and I did really enjoy the women forward message that was at the core of the story. The relationships were solid and supportive and I learned a lot more about robotics than I ever thought I would. As per usual, Follmuth/Blake really knows how to craft beautifully constructed sentences, and it was fun to see her usual tone take a lighter approach.

I liked that Bel and Theo (and all the characters, really) were so unabashedly themselves, and beyond that all had very strong senses of selves. They were very fleshed out characters that challenged each other in different ways and because of that, helped them make each other better.

I don't think I would rate this higher, because as I mentioned, I'm not really a YA reader and this read younger to me than I usually enjoy reading, but I thought it was a nice and fast paced book that was fun and enjoyable.

Thanks to Holiday House and NetGalley for the arc!

📕 REVIEW: My Mechanical Romance

⭐: ☆☆☆.5 / 5
👩🏻‍💻 Author: @afarolfollmuth
📃 # Pages: 270

𝙎𝙔𝙉𝙊𝙋𝙎𝙄𝙎
Nerds are so hot.

Especially battle-robot-building nerds.

When Bel accidentally reveals a talent for engineering at school, she's forced into joining the robotics club.
Enter Mateo Luna, perfect on paper - captain of the football team and the robotics club - who recognizes Bel as a potential asset, even if they couldn't be more different. And as the nights of after-school work grow longer, Bel and Teo realize they've made more than just a combat-ready robot for the championship: they've made a connection themselves.
But with graduation approaching, their differences and what they want for their futures, threatens what they've built together.

Can they survive Nationals without breaking their robots - or their hearts?

𝙍𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙀𝙒
When I first saw the cover I was so excited! It looks amazing, a lot of the reviews sounded amazing but honestly, this book just wasn't for me. I think there was a lot of potential but it just didn't hook me in and I found myself having to just read what the characters were saying and I skimmed over majority of this book.

I haven't read 'The Love Hypothesis' as of yet but MMR gave me the same sort of vibe (both being a women in STEM, and  romance novels).

I believe all the characters were written amazingly so I don't know what it was that didn't make this a great read for me, but I'd definitely love to hear your thoughts! 💛

Lastly, I'd just like to thank @netgalley @holidayhousebks and @afarolfollmuth for the eARC copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review✨

I was utterly CHARMED by this book. Yes, it's got an academic rivals-to-friends-to-lovers romance, which is where I live, but what got to me was the celebration of hot nerds, how easily I related to the characters, and how the book presented academic pressure and sexism in STEM.

Perfectly lighthearted and fluffy, Alexene incorporated honest and essential discussions of misogyny and the experiences of women of color in male-dominated spaces with fantastic writing, quality banter, and loveable characters. Bel and Teo, without question, became fast favorite characters, but so did the rest of the cast. The friendships were believable and charming, and the robotics team dynamics were organic.

Years out of high school, I am still profoundly affected by the pressures built there, and I always find a home in books that confront that. This book is no exception. I hope those who struggle with internal and external pressure like this find comfort in this book. Perhaps you'll see yourself as I did in Teo's stubborn planning and ambition and Bel's uncertainty about her future. If nothing else, I hope you fall for Bel and Teo as you should.

I wanted to read this book because it's from the same author of The Atlas Six and because the cover is beautiful. I had certain expectations at the level of writing but didn't really know what to wait for the plot or the romance. But I have to say that he left me very happy, I loved it.

My favorite character was Bel, I love her with all my heart, I cried with her achievements and her falls. I had a strong connection with the character because I felt identified in several aspects, reading she could not stop thinking that in some moments of my life I felt things she was feeling. I couldn't stop reading because I needed to finish the book and see that I had a happy ending because she deserved it.

It is a bit slow burn, but super cute when they are finally together. ¡d have liked to read more moments of them together at the end, I know they have a solid relationship and have future plans, but I still wanted a little more of them, perhaps a second epilogue focused on the couple.

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you so much to Holiday house for sending me an ARC of this book!!! Stem, robots, science! All things I love!!! I loved this book so much even bought a physical copy of it as soon as it came out. I loved being able to see genius women in stem represented. And make her fall in love? Yes please!