Such a wholesome read.

Bel is aimless when it comes to her future, so when a teacher pushed her to join the robotics teams she expects very little. Teo, the club leader, and her start off on the wrong foot. With Robotics and Teo being two things she’s wary of, how will this year play out?

My favorite things about the book:
- As a high school Junior I really related to Bel and her struggle of finding something she’s passionate about.
- Neelam is such a great side character and she really puts everything in perspective.
- Just all around a fun read!

My least favorite things about the book:
- Felt “woke” washed at some parts (it wasn’t too distracting)

I liked this a lot more than I thought I would.

I loved the characters and the development in this. Both the two main characters had me intrigued and I liked both their perspectives. They both went through quite a bit of development throughout the book and I really liked the way it was done and how it was shown. I really liked the side-characters as well, and how they were gradually more built up as well. It made it easier to feel for them as well, the same way i did with the main characters.

The book could have been paced better, but despite that, I was never bored. I was interested continuously. Both in the individual storylines, in the robotics aspects and in the romance.

I really liked how the romance was built up. It was the perfect amount of slow-burn. I also liked how it was a very prominent part of the story, but not overwhelmingly so. The main part of the story was still about the main characters and their individual journeys, while also seeing how their paths intercepted.

It basically just felt realistic. It felt like a genuine depiction of high school and teenagers and I really like that. We all know 'unrealistic' is my least favourite thing, which means realistic has to be good.

Overall I loved this. I have been thinking about it so much since I read it. I flew through it.
Would definitely recommend!

With a title like that, how could you not fall in love with this story?

I devoured this book, y’all. DEVOURED IT.

Alexene (aka Olivie Blake) is a talented writer, and she does such an amazing job writing about hot nerds in STEM falling in love, while also touching on serious issues.

The characters in this story are all wonderful - even the side characters! Every single one of them is well developed, and interesting. My boy Dash is one of my absolute favorites - he does not disappoint! And of course, the plot development is just as great, and I just loved every minute of it.

Now, I am not the smartest person (I am more of a social sciences person..), but the portrayal and discussions of robotics, physics, and engineering completely enraptured me. I never felt lost or confused, and I was actually excited to see these nerds build things???

Aside from that, seeing the challenges and discussions of being a woman in a male-dominated field, and how they were interpreted by different characters on the page was great to see. This novel tackled a lot of serious issues including heavy family dynamics (divorced parents), but it was still funny, lighthearted, and romantic.

The romance itself was cute, funny and soft. I liked Bel and Teo together and on their own. They're really smart, clever, also funny, and just a couple of nerds. And the way that Bel transformed Teo into a Swiftie?! Bel and Teo are a sweet reminder of how young love can be gullible yet thrilling.

Truly, my absolute favorite thing was how this book wasn't just about robotics and love. It’s about finding out what you want, discovering your strengths and passions, and how it’s not always that easy to make your way in some career fields.

This book has to be one of my favorites now!!
It has so many key tropes/concepts: academic rivals to lovers, women (of color) in stem, dual pov, cute nicknames, and amazing banter!

My favorite thing may be Teo becoming a swiftie for Bel, the cutest thing ever!!! If somebody did that for me, I would love them forever.

Bel is such a relatable character and that will reach out to young girls everywhere, she defied the misogyny in STEM and so did Neelam (who had serious character development that I loved!). She’s also a very strong main character and had so much personality! Don’t even get me started on her family situation, it’s so similar to what I’ve been going through for a couple years and I know how difficult it is <3

The side characters were really well written, they all had strong personalities and their own stories despite not being the main characters. I love Jamie so much, she deserves the world!
Teo definitely needed some humbling in the beginning, that boys ego was so high. But I really liked how knowing Bel and hearing her speak just shifted his perspective in a healthy way :)

It was super interesting to read about robotics, especially since I’ve never gotten into that and I know absolutely nothing about the subject. But this book had great descriptions of the robots, and it’s clear the author did her research!
Definitely a must read, easily 5 stars!!!

My Mechanical Romance was such an adorable and fun read! All the characters were amazing, I loved this book.

So we follow Bel, a high school senior who just transferred to a new private school. Her physics teacher soon sees Bel's intelligence and potential and encourages her to join the robotics team at the school. She later meets Teo, the robotics club leader. Teo and Bel both have different ideas for the club and they argue constantly. It's dual perspective, following Bel and Teo's first-person POVS.

I really like how this story is not just about Bel and Teo's relationship, but also about their own struggles within their families and at school. I found Bel to be very charming and just an amazing main character as we see her deal with all the different battles in her life. Teo is also a great character; his actions are questionable but as we learn more about him, we understand and empathize with him. I think the author did an amazing job with character growth and getting the reader to emotionally connect with and invest in the characters.

Overall, I think this book was great! It was very quick and easy to read, but the story and plot is interesting. I found My Mechanical Romance to be a bit slow at some parts, but I appreciated it, because it allowed for me to understand the characters and their motives, feelings, and emotions. Great YA read, I enjoyed and devoured this book! Thank you so much to Holiday House and Alexene Farol Follmuth for sending me the ARC!

Following Bel and Teo on their senior year of high school, My Mechanical Romance is Alexe Farol Follmuth’s debut YA novel. The book contains the well-loved academic rivals romance trope, which will make it appealing for so many individuals, but what truly makes this book a successful piece of literature (in my opinion) is the representation of women in stem. Although, the world is becoming more and more progressive, sexism and misogyny are still very much prominent, especially in the world of science. Pushing and stretching these boundaries with representation and encouragement is essential to change these expectations that are built into the foundation of our society.

One thing that I loved more than anything in this book was Bel’s style. This is a very weird thing to point out, but her quirky way of dressing is exactly what I wish I had the confidence to do. I love her with my entire heart.

I found that I could relate to both main characters. Bel had this loss of direction in career, while Teo had this overwhelming sense of responsibility of doing everything right and making the right judgements. Further, the characters were very personable because they genuinely had real-life problems and they didn’t just disappear out of thin air. I really loved this aspect. Bel and Teo’s relationship also showed this side of a healthy connection, where people who truly care about each other can built the other up, instead of breaking them down.

The book itself was relatively short, however, I still felt like there was a lot of content. It rounded the story out really nicely, however, maybe I felt that it finished a little too abruptly. I’m not saying that it didn’t end well, but it might’ve been just a little unfinished. This would probably be my only negative comment, otherwise this book was exceptional.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author and Holiday House for providing me with an ARC of this book.

5/5 stars for girl enginerds! Bel is a waffler and Teo is forced to be too decisive. This book does such a good job of showing different types of kids on the cusp of so much change. Some are daunted by having to make decisions or just don't even know where to start. Some are pressured to have certain goals and then just create more pressure on themselves.

This book took on some hard topics in very approachable ways that I think teens will find understandable like implicit bias. The female friendships in this book are everything. The girls are supportive and open-minded, and I even felt empathy for Naleem by the end.

Overall I would call this book just squeezable cute. I really was hugging my tablet by the end with all the warm feelings.

Thank you NetGalley and Holiday House for the eARC!

From the very start, My Mechanical Romance grabbed my attention and held fast.
This "enemies to academic colleagues to lovers" is a quick, well-paced story that revolves mainly around Bel, who I felt was not only likeable, but relatable too, And Teo, the nerdy Mr Darcy-esque jock/genius who at first came across as quite narcissistic. The high school robot wars theme shows the reader what extra challenges girls and women face in a predominantly male environment.

This book was amazing! The main character had a lot of depth and was very relatable. Her relationship with the other mc was so cute and I had a lot of fun reading this book. Can't wait to see more from this author!

This book was wonderful! There was so much more to this than I was expecting, especially with it being a YA novel. I thought that this was well-written and had incredibly realistic characters.

I loved Bel as a main character - she is so good and passionate and driven. It was so fun to see her find her space and discover where her true passions lie, and I love that this story recounted how lucky you can be to discover what you're good at and what you want to do with your life so young. Bel discovering where she took up space made me ache because I wish I had been that lucky. And the same goes for Teo - it was really great getting to see how he handled everything that he had on his plate and learn what he really wanted to stick with. We too often have so much that we are expected to do and accomplish just because it's what other people anticipate for us - narrowing all of that down or throwing it out of the window completely and finding your own options can feel like such a rare gift.

Bel wanting to have control over her own space was so valid and I thought that her taking a step back to reevaluate why she landed where she did was so important. She really challenged herself and I thought it was so valid! To doubt yourself when things start to feel right and then seeing what you can bring to the table yourself. These are all messages that I wish I had learned earlier or at a younger age, and I thought that this was written so intelligently throughout this story.

Despite this being a YA novel and taking place during the characters' senior year of highschool, I honestly didn't feel like I was reading a typical highschool story. This again felt very realistic and very mature in terms of the characters and their "drama". They were going through the same things that I feel like I was going through, and I could really relate to a lot of their internal struggles. Their problems felt very age-appropriate and made sense given the space that they were in.

A great story about finding your own space and where you fit in with the things you love and are good at. So excited for younger readers to get their hands on this book and feel reassured if they're ever feeling lost or pressured in their academic space.

Thank you so much to Holiday House for the eARC!

5 stars!!!!!

It's a rare occasion for me to give this rating, but I mean it. I loved so many things about this book. The women in STEM, the descriptions and explanations of physics and bot designs, the in-depth dual POV, and so much more.

I went into this book expecting academic rivals-to-lovers in the setting of a robotics club, but I didn’t know that by reading this book, I would be getting unique, refreshing, and fun characters and an admirable connection between two people trying to figure themselves out as well as the rest of their lives.

Bel was an intriguing character and the struggles she faced were very real and relatable. Teo displayed his various layers and how there was much more to him than what it seemed like at the surface. Both characters showed how they made decisions while coming from different backgrounds and how they handled various types of pressure and burdens. The writing in this book was also unexpectedly poetic at times and I could feel myself traveling into both Bel and Teo’s minds, practically feeling what they were feeling.

On the other hand, there was some dialogue between characters about modern tropes and it kind of felt like the fourth wall was breaking and that the characters were more self-aware than I thought, but it didn’t bother me that much and I was laughing as I read it. I probably could’ve done without it, but times are changing and the term “enemies to lovers” seems to be in everyone's vocabulary.

Overall, I would recommend this book to just about everyone, but specifically to women in STEM and anyone who has an appreciation for anything science-related (physics, engineering, and robotics in particular). Also to those who are in need of a good romance book, those who are worried about not having a plan for the rest of their lives, and Swifties.

The relationship in this one is just so immature. I understand they’re in high school, but it just wasn’t for me unfortunately. I think that this would be a good book for a high schooler (I can usually enjoy YA but this one seems to be an outlier unfortunately because I wanted to love this one!)

DNF at this time. This book was not a good fit for me at the moment but I think it will be better for me when it comes out on audiobook.

This was a cute rivals to lovers, which was easy to read and quite enjoyable.

The main plot follows Bel joining the schools robotics club, and eventually finding her place at her new school, and passion, which gives her a path for the future whilst also navigating her personal life and family drama. There was a nice balance between quirkiness and more serious topics, and I enjoyed that. The story is quite slow at first, and there is a lot of science and technical terms that I was unfamiliar with, but regardless, the story was cute, and the robots were cool.

The character's were difficult to like at first, but thankfully, there is a lot of development and they challenge each other and become a lot more bearable. I could relate a lot to Bel not being certain about her future and lacking passion, but eventually finding it, and it was nice to see her grow in confidence and stop selling herself and her contributions short.

I was unaware that this was written by the author of the atlas six, but enjoyed it and would be interested in seeing more young adult works.

This book was sweet and cute. It was nice to see another book about a female in the STEM program love the inclusion of it. It was a fun book to read and one of my favorite tropes enemies to lovers. It was a little slow in the beginning and I did get lost with some of the terminology but it could be due to my lack of familiarity with the terms. Don't let that discourage you from reading it though it is worth it. The character development is great and relateable. Bel is so indecisive and wary to step outside of her comfort zone but with Ms. Voss encouragement it helps her navigate a male dominate enviornment . Teo is the star athlete/ student that everyone goes along with what he says. In reality it shows how he has so much pressure to live up to his family name and be the star of everything. It is very relatable becaus real pressures of high school and then college looming with applications and decisions to be made. The robots were awesome and i loved reading about it! I did not think I would enjoy it as much as I did but to me I would definitely reread it again. Thank you Net galley for my ARC!

Fun, romance and robotics, everything that I like!
I really loved this book. The author creates these academic rivals to lovers that is so good, I really would read a series about these couple and their friends. I liked all the college environment and the robotics competition. I think that this book talks about important themes about knowing what you want to do in your life and the toxic masculinity in the engineer area. I loved the development of the main couple, building from enemies to friends and then lovers. I would reread it 1000 times!

Thank you NetGalley and Holiday House for the ARC!

I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH!

To be honest, right now I'm practically not very interested in reading about the story of a youth who is looking for their dreams. However, one thing that attracted me to this book was because it deals with robots, girl and STEM. Maybe the reason is too personal because I also felt that way when I was at school and I was trapped in there.

As I said above, this book will follow Bel who still doesn't know what kind of future she wants. Where will she continue her education or what major she will pursue. Until finally she worked with the robotics team which she unexpectedly would become her favorite thing and of course there was Teo Luna there.

This book tells a lot about the robotic team and their matches. It might be difficult to imagine with many robotic terms and parts but I like these moments because I think the author is able to build the excitement and atmosphere of a tense match and all the excitement of the competitors.

The story about Bel and Teo who also have to start thinking about their future is also fun to follow. Especially when those who initially kept arguing and then spent a long time together until they finally fell in love. Because there are two points of view, we can see clearly what they really think and feel for each other and it's cute. I love them as a couple!

If you like story evolve around academic especially in STEM, I highly recommend this!

I’m not going to lie, it was a bit difficult to get into and read through mainly because i didn’t understand have of the things there were saying in BUT it was so cute. I loved how awkward, how angsty, how heavily “teen” it felt, it was all so relatable. From the way everyone spoke to eachother, from the “enemies to lovers”, to how school can be, etc. so so wholesome !!

4.4 stars

-Academic rivals to lovers
-Women in stem
-POC representation
-Dual POV

This book was adorable, and I adored it! The rep was pretty impressive compared to the other novels I've read, and the joy I got when I found out there was POC rep was terrific. This is the first time I've read anything by Alexene Farol Follmuth or Olive Blake, most known for her work on Atlas Six, and I'm confident I'll enjoy her other work as well.

Bel and Teo's points of view were displayed throughout the book, which was quite refreshing, and I absolutely enjoyed it since I am a major sucker for dual povs. They're a force of nature and hilarious. Their tiny flirting remarks at the start of the book were to die for, and the character development was incredible. With Mateo, as a Latino, and Bel, as a Filipina, you can witness a tiny representation of their culture, whether in their home life or daily.

The one thing I really admired about Bel was that she had a strong personality and wasn't changing her entire attitude simply for a male. Bel's character development, in particular, I felt was significant and needed because, as a high school student myself, it's challenging to figure out what you want in life honestly. Especially in your final years of high school, the pressure and stress can become overwhelming, leaving you in utter confusion about what you want for the future.

The robotics aspect was entirely new for me because I'd never read a book dealing with STEM in any way. Still, I saw it as a trip down memory lane and enjoyed it since, a few years ago, I was on a robotics team, participating in competitions with friends and the feeling of adrenaline pouring through my veins.

I ALMOST FORGOT THIS, BUT THE HOLI FESTIVAL PART WAS SO CUTE!

Overall, as you read the book, you become aware of the various challenges that women, particularly those of colour in stem, face, which I found enlightening because I didn't know much about the subject. Bel and Teo were adorable, and the book does a good job of depicting the realities of high school relationships.

Thank you to NetGalley and Holiday House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on May 31, 2022!

Such a cute read! I love the uprising of “women in STEM” books, and I thought Bel was a great character! Her character growth and strength were inspiring.

Obvi I’m always here for the romance, and Bel and Teo were adorable! Hot nerd are the best. The rivals-to-friends-to-more trope worked well. I know zero about robotics but really enjoyed learning through the characters/story.

Certain parts felt a little slow, but overall this was a really enjoyable read. Thank you to Holiday House and NetGalley for the advanced copy!