This is my first time reading something by this author and I really enjoyed it. The story caught my attention from the beginning and held it all the way through. This is a fun and romantic comedy and I enjoyed every minute of it. The characters were wonderful and felt so relatable, I couldn't help but fall in love with them. The storyline had a nice smooth flow and the romance was wonderful and there were plenty of humorous moments that had me laughing out loud or just generally left me with a smile on my face. Enemies to lovers is always such a fun trope and add the element of STEM - simply wonderful! I enjoyed reading The Love Hypothesis, and this gave me a similar vibe. The author did a nice job with describing the scenes and characters and really made them come to life. I felt like I was experiencing their thoughts and emotions right along with them. Bel and Mateo were just so nerdy and cute, I loved them!
And the chemistry was definitely there. This was a sweet, fun, and entertaining story and I am glad to have had the opportunity to read it.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Ah, this was a lovely and quick read. It was easy to read seriously. Bel and teo's romance was sweet and cute. I also loved the friendship between Bel and Jamie and how this book showed that female can be engineers too.
Thank you Netgallery for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of the most difficult book reviews I have ever had to write - not because the book was that bad, but because it was that good. I am struggling to find the words to describe what this book meant to me, and what it will mean to young girls all over the world.

Growing up, it's so difficult to be a woman interested in STEM. Whether biases are conscious or not, it's practically a given that a man's perspective is deemed to be worth more than a woman's. This book exposes the difficulties of being a woman in a male-dominated field, and it shows how these blockages can be overcome. As women, we can inspire each other to do and be better, and show men that we are just as worthy as they are.

Bel is a force to be reckoned with, and I definitely want to be her when I grow up. She's strong, resilient, smart, funny, and learning what it means to take up her own space. She's flawed, of course she is, but her journey is a beautiful exploration of what it is to reach your full potential, while being open and receptive to the feedback of others. Watching her grow from not knowing what she wanted to do with her future to being a successful woman in the engineering field was beyond inspirational. Her story was one I could easily see myself in.

Teo was also an extremely relatable character, and his growth was also amazing and realistic. His relationship with Bel was natural and lovely. He spent a lot of the book learning, and that was an important role to have in a book like this.

Their relationship blossomed and was beautiful and textured. Seeing them open up to each other was emotional and wonderful. It's difficult to call any book relationship perfect, but theirs was as close as it comes.

The other characters, like Dash, Jamie, Neelam, and Ms. Voss were brilliant. I could happily read about any of them, and I sincerely hope we get a book about Jamie's future in law, or Neelam's experiences at university.

I still don't think I've done "My Mechanical Romance" justice in my review. This book is something I will cherish and return to many times. I strongly urge you to read it. It may be classed as a YA romance, and it is, but it is also so much more.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Holiday House for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review. And thank you to Alexene Farol Follmuth for writing this book.

I’ve been a fan of Follmuth’s writing and reading works under her pen name (Olivie Blake) for a few years now so I was excited to get into this one! I’m not the biggest YA reader (I can’t even think of the last YA Contemporary I read) but I do enjoy it from time to time and this was a cute read. I’ve been seeing an increase in women in STEM stories as of late and I love that it’s spreading to the YA genres as well. The characters are well fleshed out and relatable, although the story did drag a bit for me at times.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Holiday House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this! It was such a refreshing, colourful yet realistic and relatable story♥️

Some of my favourite things:
🤖I think I've been hugely deprived of both MC's being POC for too long because this was soo nice to read. We get little tidbits of Filipino and Mexican culture in a natural way. I could relate to both MCs and their worry and pressure of feeling like they need to do well and live up to their family's expectations.

🤖 We got awesome female students and teachers in STEM. Alexene shows the harsh reality and struggle of what it's like for women and women of colour trying to make it in male dominated subjects. I also really appreciated how she didn't give Bel an unrealistic, female MC free-pass of being perfect at using the software better than others, or automatic Harvard and Yale scholarships like every Netflix female lead (apparently it's that easy 🙃).

🤖 The back and forth between the couple was adorable.Their friends were so sweet and supportive..and I loved the whole Holi scene 🥹❤️ We also got dual POV (yay!) which I think really helped us understand their behaviour and mindset.

🤖I loved the robotic engineering and robo fight details. It gave me 'Big Hero 6' and 'Real Steel' vibes in the best way!

I think it's been a while since I enjoyed a Teen, YA romance this much.. I loved how they weren't whiny teens wallowing in issues I can't relate to. This was a smashing debut for Alexene in the YA market...and I can't wait to read more from her! 🤩

Thank you so much Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this arc ❤️

I personally adored this book. It was light, and delightful. Bel had a quirky personality, and I liked that she and Teo were flawed. Feelings were hurt (rightly or wrongly!), and they didn't always quickly own up to that, as a 17-18 year old also wouldn't. Jamie's homage to "enemies to lovers" troupe and how she "shipped" them was fun and the book read like watching modern teenagers. I loved it.

And the underlying discussion around women in STEM was fantastic, but I thought it didn't just stick to women in science, but the need for women to support each other and be recognized in ALL fields!

This is a really quick and cute read . I'm always up to reading about women in STEM, which is a big plus for me. I loved the Bel's character.
Over all it was a quick and fun read

5 stars
A cute story between Bel and Teo. I love Bel’s character and I got sucked in by the first page. One of my favourite parts is when Bel is an example for little girls that girls too can do mechanical things. The character’s reactions are realistic and relatable. Can’t wait for everyone else to read this!!

Every once in a while, I read YA books and I am glad I got to read this one.
It is a fun read!
Women in STEM and the constant struggle!
Young adults trying to figure life, some romance, an interesting plot, well developed characters.
I liked how the author has addressed diversity as well.
**
Thank you to Alexene Farol Follmuth, @netgalley and Holiday House Books for an Advance Reader Copy.
**

A cute quick read! Takes me back to high school days when you think everything matters so drastically (when in fact it doesn't). It was an interesting spin on a high school setting as it focused on the robotics club and abandoned typical stereotypes. It was feminist-centered while still being a romance book.

DNF @ 20%

I struggled immensely trying to get through even this far. I didn't love the way the author wrote these high school seniors. The constant use of the word *like* and other dynamics made it hard for me to connect with the writing style.

Maybe best for a younger audience. I did love the concept and ideas, but could not push through with everything else.

As was expecting oh this was just a sweet and charming YA romance that was just a delight to read and fly through.
A romance between two people in a Robotics club was definitely a new reading experience for me and oh I loved it plus can’t go wrong with a bit of originality in a genre that does love to reuse certain sun genres, ideas.
So fresh, imaginative new writing material is always fun to read.

Really had a wonderful time reading this one and until I had finished I didn’t even realise it was the same author who wrote The Atlas six! Definitely need to get to that one soon now too.

Since finishing this book I can't stop thinking about it. It was a cute romance and the relationship between Teo and Bel was so sweet and refreshing. But I got so much more from this book. There was more than romantic love that was important. Bel learned that friendships matter, loving yourself matters, finding your space in a world dominated by men is important. I loved how Bel was able to find herself throughout the book. I loved that even though her brothers took sides in her parents divorce she understood that she didn't need to. Bel was able to be herself, even when high school can be absolutely horrible about that. This book shows girls that they belong in STEM. Again this book as a romance was cute but I think digging deeper into everything else is so much better.

wait, that was really cute. I rather enjoyed this one! women are so badass. I’m excited to see what future YA books this author writes! This was a stellar start!

4.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Holiday House for presenting me with an ARC of this book in exchange of a honest review.

A perfect blend of reality, humour, romance, struggles and science, MY MECHANICAL ROMANCE single-handedly saves the YA Romance genre.

Now, if you know me, I'm not really a fan of romance novels especially because I find them—especially the overhyped ones—to be a recycling of a same plot but with different characters. The female interest is quirky and innocent while the male lead is the most gorgeous person in the world. And their story continues, on miscommunication and poor development, but finally they get their happily ever after because hey, the book wouldn't be published if otherwise.

But, this book isn't like the others. As you can say, I initially thought this was the same ol' boring plot with bland characters without lustre, so I didn't request. But after knowing that this was by Alexene Farol Follmuth, who also goes by Olivia Blake (author of THE ATLAS SIX), I couldn't help but give it a try. And boy, I wasn't disappointed.

MY MECHANICAL ROMANCE is about Bel and Teo, and the people in between. It's a coming of age story about the experiences of POC women in STEM. Bel is your average high schooler, who's new to the school and is doing moderately well, until one day she totally forgets her assignment so she has to do it last minute. But as tables turn, her teacher sees potential in her—for engineering. And so, she pushes Bel to join the Robotics Club, where she gets in.

Teo, on the other hand, is the popular hot intellectual at school. He's everything Bel's not—with super rich parents, highly privileged education, etc. And he's the leader of the Robotics Club and recruits Bel when she shows potential.

As many may misunderstand, this isn't just a love story. I hardly shipped Bel and Teo until they themselves caught feelings for each other. And honestly? I was indifferent to them being together. I loved all the different aspects woven carefully into this story—family, friends, teachers and breakups. And the side characters were all fun, too!

All that being said, the only aspect I didn't like of this book was the writing. It kinda read a little to cliché? Especially in the beginning, where Bel's monologues felt a bit forced. But later on, the writing felt normal, or it could be just that I got used to it. Either way, the first few pages weren't really a great start. But being such a great story, I breezed through the entire book in just a single day!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and will now recommend this to everyone I can once it's released!

3.75/5 - i’ve been in a ya romance kick lately so i really enjoyed this book. it follows our two characters bel & teo aka the biggest nerdy nerds to ever nerd. i enjoyed their nerdy flirting so much it had me cheesing so hard. 😁

while the romance was adorable, i honestly felt lowkey cheated because i went into this expecting them to be academic rivals because that’s what the book was advertised as but.. they really weren’t? like they just clashed a few times at the start but i didn’t really feel the rivals tension? i also feel like i needed to see more of their connection if that makes sense? i still enjoyed their cutesy wholesomeness though.

i also liked how it highlighted the issues girls in stem majors face compared to the boys. and i appreciated the way both bel & teo’s coming-of-age struggles were portrayed.

This book was enjoyable. It was light and fun (for the most part).
I didn't like Teo that much in the beginning but I did warm up to him eventually and in terms of Bel, I loved her.
A part of me feels like their relationship wasn't very developed, but we aren't really here for serious, developed relationships here, we are here for fun, sweet teen romance and that's exactly what we got.

"'Bel, nothing is easy for me. Before you, I felt like I was drowning.' I've never told anyone that before, but I mean it. 'Before you, nobody in my life was really trying to see what I actually was, good or bad. They just wanted parts of me,'"

thank you Netgalley, Holiday House, and Alexene Farol Follmuth/Olivie Blake for the arc!!

this book was so relatable, wholesome, and thoroughly thought out and then executed so well. from the dual povs you get to know Bel and Teo, seeing all of the passion and love they find for each other and robotics.

alexene really helps you connect to the characters in the way of capturing teen's minds, essence, and even down to how they talk/text insanely accurately. as a teen myself, i know how it feels to get ready for college, not know what to major in or have plans for the future, having higher expectations placed on you, be at a new school, feeling left out of things or being appreciated, not wanting to disappoint anyone, and avoiding / disregarding feelings, change, family, friends, responsibilities, etc.

i don't want to reveal too much about their romance but the tropes>>!!!!!! such a cute ya romance that really doesn't seem childish at all. was hooked throughout the whole book and because there was never a dull moment, i sped through this book like it was nothing. perfect to get out of a slump. easy to understand what they're talking about like nerds. nerds are hot. very reoccurring theme LOL. these two were made for each other. they bring the best parts of each other out, while introducing new things to better themselves.

i found that when they put themselves first, everything felt so realistic. of course they are going to have problems, but how they fix it!! such a sweet pair who brings diversity, power, smarts, and t-swift to the game. so did the supporting characters. you really learn to love them all.

addictiveness: 4.5/5
sadness: 2/5
characters: 5/5
setting: 4/5
plot: 4.75/5
plot execution: 5/5
writing: 4.5/5
romance: 4.75/5
comedy/banter: 5/5
smut: 2/5 (obviously)

overall: 5/5 so satisfied with this book! will forever be grateful for my first arc read.

"𝘐𝘧 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧, 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮."

Where do I even begin? I’ve been in such a horrendous reading slump lately and this book literally yanked me out of it. I’m so picky when it comes to YA romances but THIS?? This exceeded my exceptions and left me utterly and wholeheartedly satisfied.

First off, the tropes. There's academic rivals to lovers, opposites attract, dual pov… This baby has managed to pack them ALL. Plus the diversity in characters and women in STEM representation was amazing. Follmuth does a spectacular job displaying the micro-aggressions girls have to face when entering the male-dominated world of STEM.

Every character was so well-written and I mean EVERY character. Dash was the sweetest friend to both Teo and Bel and an entire comedian too. Jamie was a QUEEN and the best hype woman. Don’t even get me started on Teo and Bel. Teo was absolutely whipped from the very beginning and Bel??? An entire icon with her funky fashion sense and badass comebacks. I adored them both so much and their entire romance was just too cute (plus their banter was *chef’s kisses*)

There are way too many reasons to love this book. Teen angst, robot battles, TAYLOR SWIFT REFERENCES! Plus I learnt what a hydraulic pump is and I’ve never felt smarter <3)

**ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

*4,5 stars*

I absolutely loved this little romcom. Though since it was partly about women in STEM I kind of assumed this was going to be about university or college but some American terms completely flew over my head and it took me a chapter or two to realise it was set in high school.

The rivals-to-lovers trope just keeps on winning urg.
Bel and Tea are such awkward but also carefree nerds and I love that about them. The friend group also felt really well-rounded, especially for the amount of pages this book has. Also the modern pop-culture references didn’t even feel cringe! Which many books fail to achieve. The texting also felt pretty realistic, the writing was honestly really well done.

I also liked that this book was just fundamentally YA romance, but also actually a coming of age story and a young adult trying to find their way in life and looking for what they want in the future. And of course we can’t forget also dealing with difficult relationships in your family. I kinda like that they didn’t try to make her super close with her brothers, some books just make it seem like it’s always sunshine and rainbows in families. This book was actually very realistic in many ways while still being whimsical and magical in other ways.

Now for the one thing that bothered me and kept it from being 5 stars (besides the life lessons being a but too on the nose but it’s YA and was done in a cute way) will be under the spoiler tag.

It absolutely wasn’t a dealbreaker for me though, still I loved it to pieces and I might get a physical copy when it releases so I can reread it.





//////////SPOILERS\\\\\\\\\\\\






The ‘i will break up with them for their own good because im making them worse’ trope.
That scene honestly felt a bit pulled out of nowhere and made because they needed a little drama and a breakup… now what I would’ve preferred is the dad forbidding him from having a gf or idk no college funds or something? But then again I did like the drama of ‘oh i fucked up’

It’s also a bit weird how Bel suddenly didn’t even let Teo speak, even when he wanted to make things work she was like ‘nah I wasted my time’. But then afterwards she’s like ‘oh will he call me? This can’t be the end right? He’ll fix it eventually?’
Which is ironic since you broke up girl why would he and also you’re the one trying to teach him that he shouldn’t be the one to try and fix everything lmao

Still urg amazing book.