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Member Reviews
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Thank you to the publishing company and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC!
I absolutely loved this book! From the minute I picked it up, I was captivated. Bel was such a strong lead and it was great seeing her find her place in STEM. Teo was also such a great character and it was great to see “belteo,” as fans have started calling them” start a relationship. I learned so much about STEM from the book itself and it was really empowering towards women in STEM and building up confidence for the main female character who wants to pursue a career in STEM. All of the characters were either likable or easy to understand. This has been one of my top reads of 2022. I can’t wait until it is officially released because I know it’s going to be a top read for many this year! The storyline was perfectly paced and it was a great science based romance read!
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It was one of the sweetest books i have ever read! I mean, the cutest maybe? Yess.
I loved everything about this book. The rivals to enemies trope also the nerdy love story is something reaalllyy sweet.
When i started to read the book i was thinking like "maybe this one is too easy for me." but nah! It was really fun. And it was also really different from the regular romcoms. It gives some kind of energy.
I loved the whole story, the characters and the loves makes you feel so soft.
Characters were imperfect. They have flaws and i really enjoyed reading theri flaws. Because when i read a book i really want to see imperfect characters. Such as life itself.
All i can say is if you like to read soft romcoms withe a different storyline then this is your book! I reccomend it so highly!
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This was a really cute story. The development of the story was quite enjoyable to read and very believable. The main character was hilarious, incredibly likable, smart, and unique. I love that this book managed to respectfully tackle tough issues while still keeping the overall atmosphere of the story.
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Who would not want a romance book that has opposites ,science ,a robot and is set in high school? Definitely not me!
My mechanical romance is a young adult love story between Mateo and Bel two opposite individuals who find the pull towards each other strong. I absolutely enjoyed this nostalgic book that took me back to high school. If you want a book that will take you back in time then this is the book you need to read . Enjoyed it and think the author did a good job with the story and character development
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There are not nearly enough books that represent women in STEM and so I am always happy when I stumble across them. I truly hope that the success of Ali Hazelwood's The Love Hypothesis will push the genre to represent women in STEM more.
That said, I personally am not a woman in STEM so I cannot truly speak to how well the representation was done. But, it felt very genuine to me and I definitely felt like the obstacles Bel faced were realistic and well done.
As far as Teo goes, I loved him. He was so helpful and genuinely respected Bel which I appreciated. That said, he certainly wasn't perfect but that only made him feel more human to me.
With a heartwarming romance, a diverse set of characters and a great plot, I'd definitely recommend this book. Especially to young women who wish to chase their dreams in spite of the obstacles they may face.
Thank you to Netgalley, Holiday House and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book in exchange for my honest opinions.
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This was so much better than I expected! I often judge books by their covers, but The Love Hypothesis has shown me that, that's not always the case. The same goes for My Chemical Romance. I honestly picked this novel because I was obsessed with My Chemical Romance, the rock band, as a kid. But this book was intriguing, wholesome, and I enjoyed the entire bit of it.
Thank you so much for allowing me to review this novel!
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This book was perfect in every way. It was such and adorable and fluffy read with a bit of angst. Bel a girl who just moved to a new school joins the robotics team where she meets Teo. In the beginning they get of on the wrong foot but soon get closer. I loved this book and every character and how they were all so layered. Not one single aspect of the book fell short. I also loved the fact that the story played out in a STEM field and how it was made fun to read. While reading the book I, more than once laughed out loud because of the writing style. It felt adorable, hilarious and alive. It also checks every "important" thing on my list:
- Enemies to friends to lovers
- POC characters
- a mix of fluff and angst
- badass women in STEM.
- And hot nerds
So if you love the tropes above then what are you waiting for and go pre-order.
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My mechanical romance is an incredibly heart warming romance book. The story revolves around two characters, Bel and Mateo, who tell the story through alternating first-person POV's. Bel is passionate about building and creating things but has never used her talents in any academic way. When she joins the robotics club, which is headed by Mateo, a "golden boy" and widely-admired genius, she might finally have the opportunity to answer the life-changing question thar people can't seem to stop asking her, what she plans to do after school. With their difference in opinions and ideas, Will these enemies and academic rivals turn into something else? Or are Bel and Teo destined to be apart?
I originally requested this book due to the cover but was absolutely amazed at how good it was. It was the perfect academic rivals to lovers story with an amazing combination of both romance and engineering.
The one thing I thoroughly enjoyed about this book was the academic aspect. I loved how the robotic scenes as well as the engineering scenes were written and described. It helped the reader to envision how everything was happening and sort of allowed the scene to play out in front of them.
Bel and Teo were both exceptional characters. Bel was an incredibly unique character. With her unusual ideas and personality, she truly made an exceptional main character. Teo was your typical genius male lead. He always tried to fix everyone else's problems and was the perfect guy for Bel. I loved how both Teo and Bel pushed both themselves and each other to be the best versions of they could be. It strengthened their bond to an amazing extent.
I really enjoyed how women in STEM were portrayed in this book. The conversations and discussions regarding this were apparent in the books and it just made it all the more interesting to read.
Overall, I think this book was incredibly enjoyable. It was the perfect quick, light-heart read with the perfect combination of love, friendship and intellectual discussions.
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A rom-com with POC main characters in STEM? Yes please!! I absolutely love romance books, but if it's nerd in love I love it even more. They were both equally as awkward and it was adorable.
Teo Luna's character made me so happy. Us Latinos are almost always hyper sexualized, so it was refreshing to see a Latine character just being goofy and nerdy.
To conclude this, yes, nerds are hot.
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Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion
My mechanical romance is a story about Bel, who can't decide on how her future should look. In the midst of the chaos that her parents' divorce causes, Bel is faced with the stressful decisions of which college to apply to.
But when she is forced to commit to the robotics team in her school, she encounters Teo, the nerd who knows exactly what he wants.
I wanted to like this YA book. But sadly, I didn't. It was filled with clichés all the way through. Starting by the romance between two opposite characters and ending with a tournament which results were foreseeable. The whole time through I felt like I was watching a teen drama movie and to be honest the only person I could identify with was Neelam, who profusely disliked Bel. Just like Neelam, I thought Bel was a privileged girl, who never had to actually work for something. I had higher expectations for this book, but at least it featured girls in STEM.
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I really can not pass up this book since I was so captivated by its cover. And this book is a treasure that completely encircles you.
Bel was forced into joining the robotics club by her teacher, who sees her potential. There Bel meets Teo Luna, captain of the club, who ignores her, and so does the whole team. Teo and Bel both have unique but distinct abilities. So, they make a secret team. However, the closer and longer their study sessions are, the greater the spark between them gets. Bel detests from thinking about the future since she has to deal with the present—dysfunctional family drama. Teo has everything planned out, and the final robotic national championship is just the cherry on top. Teo's ego is bigger than his grades, and Bel is hell-bent on breaking it into small pieces, but this might destroy their bond.
The beginning was slower for me, but after a few pages, I was so hooked. Although I hardly grasp the STEM aspects, I don't feel left out. I enjoyed the robotic parts and also the thrill of competing at nationals. It has too much to devour.
Bel's personality, her distinct ideas, and her effort to live in the present rather than plan for the future are enticing to me. That's quite relatable. And Teo is incredible, almost flawless, but it still feels like a weight to not become perfect at some point, which is so compelling. Aside from the Bel and Teo, Neelam holds a particular place in my heart, too hard to crack, a spirit strong enough to face everyone when everyone wants to ignore her.
My Mechanical Romance is much more than just a young adult romance. This book focuses on the challenges that females face in male-dominated courses. The youths struggle to pick the appropriate future for themselves, and so do those who have already made plans but still feel the burden of the unknown future. The family drama with their academics affects their thoughts. Very beautifully written.
Overall, it is a cute and fun romance read. Humor, romance, laughter, strong characters, and engaging storylines are all equally present. Although the romantic aspect is still lacking for me, it is not the one to pass on.
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Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of My Mechanical Romance.
Having read TA6, MMR was such a difference in the writing style, that obviously comes with the genre. It was quite impressive, actually.
I picked up a contemporary romance after a long time, and I wasn't disappointed. The main characters were interesting and they had me invested in their processes. Of course, love a good women in STEM rep!
The POV switch occasionally felt too much, but I'm sure it was just my inexperience with it.
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My Mechanical Romance was an unexpectedly cute YA book. I sort of had high expectations from this because I am a huge fan of Alexene (a.k.a Olivie Blake, one of my favs). The writing style was obviously quite different in comparison to TA6 and it took me a while to get used to it. But eventually, I really started enjoying it. It's a fun writing style with such great lines of dialogue thrown in. Some of the banter was so hilarious that I burst out laughing.
And as someone who is also in this odd stage where I am applying to grad schools, but I am still confused about what to do, Bel felt so relatable. I felt as though I was partially reading about myself in the pages of this book. I really enjoyed the romance too; it was very cute and made me smile so much.
Overall, if you're looking for a lighthearted and fun read, then I'd recommend My Mechanical Romance!
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3.75!!
first of all, the cover is just the cutest!!!! bel and teo??? the cUTEST!!!! the robots?? pERFECTION!!! their team??? I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!!
I was never a physics girl in high school but this made me wished that i was!!!! i wanna build robots and watch them fight each other!! I also just loved that Bel didnt really have a plan and it was great to see how she dealt with it because it feels like you have to have things figured out in highschool, but it doesnt have to be like that!! I really liked the epilogue because she was exactly where she wanted to be even if it hadnt gone like she had planned LOL !!!
can we just talk about the robots really quick tho because???? WOW!!!!!! those scenes were so badass !!!!!!! ii freaking loved them kicking some robots butt!!!!!!!!!
Thank you Netaglley and publisher for the earc in exchange for an honest review. !! Look out for this sweet read that comes out may 31st, 2022!!!!!
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Academic rivals to lovers supremacy this book was immaculate. Bel and Teo were so beautifully suited for one another and their chemistry was so marvelously written. I love this authors writing just as I’ve loved all of her previous work. This book had me muffling my screams at 1 am because it was just adorable. Every now and then I feel as though I’ve outgrown the YA genre then a book like this comes along and sucks me right back in. It was just so beautiful and included important themes on women of color in stem. Everything about this was beautiful and I have already preordered the book.
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i loved this book soooo much! there’s a certain essence you need to capture when writing rivals to lovers, and this book got it perfectly! (especially in the epilogue oh my goddd). i very much recommend this to anyone who’s looking for academic rivals to lovers! this book is about bel maier, a girl who doesn’t know what she wants to do with her life and ends up joining the school robotics team where teo luna is the captain. i don’t know anything about physics, but this book wrote everything in a very easy but scientific way that i was about to follow along!
i really loved how fleshed out every character was. they all had their struggles that we got to see even if it was only in two povs (neelam, dash, etc). also loved the girl power! i love seeing badass women in stem. i found myself being able to relate a lot to bel and her struggles throughout the book, and i really adored teo and their relationship! it was really refreshing to see a male character who was a nerd. a nerd. he’s my nerd i love him. i do wish the book was longer only because i wanted more of them. i can’t wait to be able to talk with everyone about this book!!
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Giving this book anything below 5 is an offense and I'm extremely biased towards the author. I loved reading this, definitely a lot lighter than her previous books but has made an impression on me. Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
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I love watching Battle Bots with my husband so I was drawn to this book's premise. It did not disappoint. The characters were easy to cheer for, the slow burn was delicious and the ending was delightful. I am so excited to see such a quality YA romance that is centered around STEM.
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Thank you Net Galley and publisher for an advance copy of this book. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
Y’all probably already know by now that my collegiate background is a degree in chemistry and my love for stories about women in STEM is unmatched. This story gave me everything I needed from unexpected romance, strong female friendships, and learning to take up your own space. This was such an important story of growth for our main character and I was so happy to see that she got a happy ending.
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Thank you to Holiday House for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
My Mechanical Romance by Alexene Farol Follmuth is an absolutely adorable YA rom-com that is basically To All the Boys Before meets MacGuyver. The story revolves around two characters, who tell the story through alternating first-person POV's. Bel loves building things but has never considered using her talents at school. When she joins the robotics club, which is headed by Mateo, a "golden boy" and widely-admired genius, she might be in over her head. Will these enemies turn into something else?
Here is a funny excerpt from an opening chapter which is from Bel's point of view:
"Hmmmm. Crap.
Okay, so I know the catapult project was probably (definitely) in the syllabus, but in my defense, there was a huge essay due in English last week and I have a quiz this afternoon in Statistics plus a group project in Civics, and anyway, it's really not my fault my grasp of time is so flawed. Aren't there a million different scholarly articles about the impact of academic stress on teens or something? I'm pretty sure I could find at least a dozen if I really put some effort into researching. (I won't, but it's a valid thought, right?)"
Overall, My Mechanical Romance is a lovely YA romance with a witty main character. One highlight of this book is Bel's narration, which is as great as Veronica Mars's. I also love how different this book was from the author's previous book, The Atlas Six. I loved that book also, but that one is definitely adult, while this one is on the younger side of YA. If I had to complain about 1 thing, I would say that I don't really enjoy alternating first-person POV's. I'm sure that many other people won't mind it though. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're fan of YA romances in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in May!