Bel is the new girl at school and somehow her lack of participation has landed her a spot on the robotics team. Teo is ‘that guy.’ Everyone loves him and not just because he’s the soccer caption and resident robotics all-star. What will happen when these unlikely teammates are forced to work together? Will sparks fly? And I’m not talking about the robots… 😉 Let’s find out!

Read if you like: YA contemporary romance, rivals to lovers, girls in STEM, finding your potential, pretentious teen drama, first-person stream of consciousness, quirky girls, and infuriatingly charming boys.

Bel is sweet and so lost when it comes to what to do with her life. She’s still trying to cope with a bunch of family changes and a new, fancy school. She’s not even worried about fitting in. She just wants to get this year over with. But one excellently executed, last-minute assignment catches her physics teacher’s attention and her year is about to drastically change.

Teo goals, plans, and a truckload of expectations from quite literally everyone who knows him. He understands that he was born into a life of privilege and because of that he constantly strives to do his best in everything he does. The problem is… he does everything. But robotics is the one bright spot that he chose for himself. But now there’s an unplanned and eccentric entity in his inner circle. How will this new girl affect his perfectly planned future?

Has a rom-com book about robotics competitions ever made you cry real tears? No? Because this one did and you want to read it, trust me. I don’t read contemporary romance often, let alone YA contemporary, but this one had me hooked. I got some deliciously nostalgic 10 Things I Hate About You Vibes (no fake dating), the characters vaguely remind me of Blue and Gansey from The Raven Cycle, and who doesn’t like an underdog/ finding your passion story!? It was sweet, funny, and the romantic tension was so awkwardly real. You get ALL of this PLUS, a powerful story of girls’ struggles in STEM academia AND a diverse POC cast. The exclusive setting made me lament my own upbringing and lack of educational resources, but someone has to populate the rural areas. I guess.

Basically, this book has it all. I laughed out loud. I cried. I love the multicultural characters. I love the academics and high-pressure setting. And this YA romance had just enough steam to keep it sweet. Make sure you look for My Mechanical Love coming on May 31, 2022

[netgalley arc]

so cute!! i love when books taking place in high school have characters that actually act like high schoolers😭 the dialogue is so much more fun to read

also neelam best character <3 was kinda mad at first bc she was the "villain" but it worked out heh

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4618289169?book_show_action=false

Thank you Netgalley and Holiday House for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was like a breath of fresh air, and there are very few books like it in young adult literature. My Mechanical Romance focuses on what it is like to be a women in STEM, especially through school, and the misogyny and sexism women face. The book also manages to capture the feeling of what it is like to come to the end of education and that loss and grief you feel, I thought that was done very well. The book is told through dual perspective of Bel and Teo. We follow Bel who has just transferred to a new school, and is spotted by her teacher as having a natural gift for engineering. Bel is put forwards to try out for the robotics team and Teo the president of robotics club instantly takes a liking to her but that doesn't last long. Bel and Teo clash over a lot of things, but over time they come to like each other's company and maybe something more. We watch as the robotics club work together to get to nationals in a hope to win. This book is filled with friendship, love and teamwork, and is a must read.

This sweet book was engaging, fluid to read. I’ve not much to say about It, the writing was good, but too simple sometimes, but definitely perfect for a teen audience.

"To, you don't need to fix anything. I'm not asking you to change. I'm explaining that I think you're a very serious person because you take everything very seriously."
"So I should take nothing seriously instead?"
"No. Forget it." She turns away.

I like the way the author talks about the difficulty that sometimes is to choose a university, the general underneath theme was good and

I loved the way, @afarolfollmuth described Bel from Teo point of view, honest and humorous.

“She talks to all the kids like they're grown-ups, which is kind of funny. I can't decide whether I think she's doing it on purpose-like, if it's a proven effective strategy-or if that's just how she is.
I think it's just her.”

This was a cute read.
Definitely something you are already expecting. There's no surprise element in the plot but I'm not complaining about it. If I wished for a bit more? Yes, but this is still an arc and I know there's room to improve.
Still would recommend if you're looking for a short cute read.

I’m not the biggest fan of YA romance novels. However, this was so incredibly sweet. The slow born, academic rivals to lovers trope was executed perfectly. All the characters were so developed and added to the story. I loved seeing female empowerment throughout and the friendships. It handles conversations of tough topics so well. I think this was such a very cute and easy read.
I’m such a huge fan of Olive Blake!

Thank you to the publisher, Holiday House Books, and Alexene Farol Follmuth aka Olivie Blake for approving my request of an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was everything I’ve ever needed packed in a book. Bel Maier, an 18-year old senior in high school at Essex Academy doesn’t know what she wants for her future. However, she was given an opportunity to join the robotics club at school after her professor sees her potential in building stuff, where she meets Teo Luna, captain of the soccer team and is the backbone of the robotics club. And as they figure out the road to building robots together, along with the rest of the team, they start to butt heads. This is an academic rivals to lovers in STEM and is a multicultural romance novel that is so endearing and wholesome.

I am absolutely overwhelmed by this. First of all, FILIPINO REP? I appreciated the fact that I felt seen at the mention of our traditions and culture. And as a student in STEM, I felt with the characters on a different level. Academic validation is all I’ve strived for in my life and like Bel, minus her bubbly personality, I understand how it is to be compared to your siblings or cousins that are successful and the enormous pressure that comes with your parents’ expectations. It’s difficult and you often end up losing grasp of what it’s like to have real passion or get burnt out. It’s the same with Teo. I know the feeling of trying so hard to be perfect that any mistake would ruin everything you’ve worked so hard for.

I would also like to thank Ms. Voss for reminding me of my former teacher who’s always been supportive of me and for pushing me out of my comfort zone so I could meet new opportunities. We deserve more teachers like you. :)

This was such a lighthearted read! The beginning was slow at first but the build up of the plot, characters, and conflict was so much better than I expected. I also LOVE the Taylor Swift references. But THE BEST REASON TO READ THIS BOOK? WOC IN STEM. Not only does this book offer good writing, loveable characters, adorable banter, and fluff, but it has WOC characters such as Neelam and Bel, who are two entirely different people but are passionate in fighting for the same thing: breaking stereotypes, norms, and occupy their spaces in the field of engineering. AS THEY SHOULD. The author truly knows what she’s doing and I LOVE it. This book would empower girls to put misogynistic men in their place.

With that being said, Nerds are hot AF, and FUCK THE PATRIARCHY.

First and foremost, thank you, Netgalley and Holiday House for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

"Nerds are hot."

This one took me some weeks to finished it since, well... I am not really into eARCs and yeah, too busy with assignments to do. But I still managed to keep up with the pace.

My Mechanical Romance followed a high-school student named Bel Maier, who was being forced by her teacher to enter the robotics team. So yeah, reluctantly, she joined the team and there, she met Teo Luna, the rich genius boy and the leader/captain of the robotics team.

My thoughts: I love Bel so much. She's funny, intelligent and kind of that sarcastic girly. She looked like she didn't what she's doing, but don't judge a book by its cover, she's really good in everything she's trying to do. Including designing robots.

And Teo Luna? Okay, this atta boy here made me fell in love with him too. He's a genius boy that was born into a rich genius family (of course) and such a good leader. He knew what he's doing and everyone was relying on him.

Furthermore, I love the way the author described about the real thing that also happened in real life where girls always being judged by the boys when it comes to play extreme sports and e-sports too.

Okay... to be honest, this is my first reading anything from the author; Alexene Farol Follmuth/Olive Black. You know what? Her writing style really suited my taste, so this is a sign for me to start reading The Atlas Six ASAP.

Last but not least, this book is such a fun and light STEM YA romance to read and fast-paced too. I also learned a lot of things about robotics and physics (I'm an accounting student so yeah) term too. There's a lot of funny scenes that will make you laugh out loud.

Will I recommend this to everyone to read this book once it's already out to the world so it can shine? Yes.

If you are a fan of these tropes: STEM cute romance book with robots, enemies to lovers, slowburn and full of POC and diversity characters. I beg you to please pick up this book once it's already out!

Rate: A solid 5🌟
—Feyssa.

Fabulous, YA, STEM, multicultural, romantic comedy

Lovely Isabel (Bel) Maier is ethnically Asian-Filipino, with sleek, dark hair, and a tan complexion. She lives with her mother, a hard-working ER nurse, and feels very conflicted about loving and missing her father, since his infidelity is what led to the rancorous divorce that blew up her family in the recent past. It is her senior year, and she is attending, for the first time ever, an exclusive, private school, the Essex Academy for Art, Science, and Technology (“Essex”). Her mother enrolled Bel in this school as the fulfillment of one of her main financial demands of Bel’s dad within the terms of their divorce settlement. Essex is located in Sherman Oaks, a ritzy area of the San Fernando Valley, in Los Angeles County, about 10 miles away from where Bel used to live before the divorce—and where her father still lives—in a working-class area in Van Nuys. Though Bel routinely makes all A’s in school, she takes that impressive feat for granted and doesn’t realize how brainy she actually is. Her current goal in life is to be as invisible as possible to her teachers at Essex and avoid being railroaded into attending college, since she has no idea what, if any, career path she might want to choose. None of her life-long friends in Van Nuys care about doing well in school, participating in extracurricular activities, or going to college. All they ever do is hang out, both inside and outside of school hours, in a care-nothing huddle. Like crabs in a bucket, anyone who tries, in the smallest way, to escape from the dead-end of their group-think is yanked back down by the others into their mutual bucket of mindless mediocrity. This fate is not only the assumed inevitable destiny of the boys in Bel’s former world, but it is a fate that is practically written in stone for the girls. In addition, Bel’s parents don’t outright discourage, but never particularly encourage, her obvious intellectual giftedness, her superior mechanical-design-drawing skill, or her notable ability at building things, by utilizing the extensive stock of tools owned by her father, a general contractor, which includes, among many other things, a complete set of welding paraphernalia. Bel likes to stick to pursuits she already knows she is good at, because her biggest fear about trying anything new is that she might fail at it and make a fool of herself in public.

For the past six weeks, fellow Essex senior, Jamie Howard, a beautiful, bright, hugely ambitious Black girl, who is on track to be class valedictorian and plans to become a high-powered attorney someday, has been Bel’s Transfer Buddy. Among her many extracurricular activities, for years now Jamie has volunteered to be the assigned guide for new transfer students. In Bel’s case, what might have been just another routine, unimportant relationship has evolved instead into a close friendship. Unlike Bel, Jamie prefers literature to math and science, but she is in AP Physics to pad her application for Stanford. Bel is not currently in any AP classes—which were virtually non-existent in Van Nuys, so they are not something that she has naturally gravitated toward. As a result, she is taking regular Physics with a teacher named Ms. Voss.

As the story opens, school has been in session for three weeks, and it has been two whole weeks since Ms. Voss assigned a project to the class to build a model of a catapult and write an accompanying explanatory report. When Jamie brings up the fact to Bel that her catapult project is due that very day—in exactly 15 minutes when her Physics class begins—Bel suddenly realizes she forgot all about that assignment in the midst of a raft of other overwhelmingly challenging assignments from all her other classes. Rather than just giving up and taking an F—an unthinkable prospect for Bel—she decides to take advantage of the few remaining minutes available to her. Using a pen, a rubber band, part of a tape dispenser she filches from the school library, and two caps she removes from plastic water bottles she scrounges from the school’s recycle bin, Bel “MacGyvers” a working catapult.

In the middle of Bel’s Physics class, Ms. Voss escorts Bel into the hall to talk to her privately. Bel is afraid she is going to be scolded for her careless completion of an assignment that is half her semester grade, but Ms. Voss tells her that her catapult is far and away the best one created by anyone in the class, even though it is obvious to the teacher that Bel threw it together at the last second. She tells Bel that the catapult is amazingly ingenious. Unfortunately, she informs Bel that the best grade she can give her for it is a C, since she did not turn in the required report. A-student Bel absolutely does not want a C and asks what she can do to bring up the grade. Ms. Voss hesitates only a moment before telling Bel there are two things she must do to earn an A. First, she wants Bel to transfer to AP Physics (the same class that Jamie is in). Second, she wants Bel to go to the tryouts taking place in a couple of days for the Essex robotics team. Ms. Voss also strongly suggests that Bel consider applying for college programs in mechanical engineering, since she obviously has a talent for design. She urges Bel to not allow the world, which is universally unfriendly to smart girls, to force her into a box and persuades Bel to take a risk on herself. Then she sums up her pep talk by asking Bel if she *can* do robotics, not if she is *willing* to do it. Overwhelmed by a type of praise and support that she has never encountered before, Bel finds herself admitting that she *can* do robotics and committing to participate in the robotics tryout. However, Bel doesn’t say anything when Ms. Voss tells her that, for the tryout, she has to do a project called an “egg drop,” in which participants create an engineering design in computer-aided design (CAD) software, which requires the use of physics and math to generate a structure to protect a computer-animated egg from breaking when dropped. Bel has never had any opportunity in her previous, underfunded, public school to learn CAD, but she figures it doesn’t matter. She believes she will feel nothing but relief if she fails the tryout and avoids the scary prospect of being on the robotics team. All Ms. Voss requires is that she participate in the robotics tryout, not that she win the competition.

Mateo (Teo) Luna has attended Essex straight through since kindergarten and is in his senior year. His father is a world-famous, billionaire, tech genius, and his mother is a former model and current, enormously successful, social-media influencer. Teo is half Latinx through his father and half Jewish through his mother. He has sleek, dark hair, a tan complexion, and is handsome with a ripped, athletic physique. He is captain of the robotics team and captain and offensive midfielder of the Essex soccer team. He is enrolled in six AP classes and has already submitted his application for early admission to MIT, his dream school. His fallback applications are to Stanford, Caltech, Michigan, Berkeley, and Carnegie Mellon. He lives in a gigantic mansion in the Mulholland Drive area of LA where a lot of celebrities live. Teo has been on the award-winning, Essex robotics team since freshman year and, as far as he is concerned, everyone on the team who is any good only joined because he recruited them. Every year that Teo has been on the team, Essex has gone all the way to Nationals, and last year they were the winning team. Teo resents the fact that he is required to recruit a new member for the team, because he absolutely does not want to have one more hassle piled on his already over-filled plate of leadership responsibilities. It will be up to him to train the new member to overcome any, inevitable, robotics-related deficiencies they might have. However, since there is no way to avoid this issue, the factor he will put the most weight on in the tryouts is an already existing ability to do welding.

The day of the robotics tryouts, Teo is bored and just wants it over with. While a bunch of freshmen demonstrate their egg-drop entries in CAD, he notices out of the corner of his eye that Bel has begun busily sketching on a piece of paper. Little by little, everyone in the room starts watching her instead of the tryout demonstrations and, finally, Teo’s own curiosity is roused to such a degree, he leaps up and strides over to Bel. Barely pausing to lodge a perfunctory request for permission, he snatches up Bel’s drawing—and is stunned at the high quality of the design she has tossed off within mere minutes. Casually aborting the current egg-drop display on the computer at the front of the room, with practiced ease, Teo programs Bel’s design into the CAD software and runs the program. As he already suspected from his quick but comprehensive glance at her drawing, the physics of her design work perfectly. His entire focus on Bel, he asks her if she knows how to do welding. When she says, yes, he instantly dismisses all the other hopeful applicants with a negligent wave of his hand and, to Bel’s stunned dismay, informs her that she is now a member of the robotics team.

This book is absolutely fabulous. It is one of the best YA romances I’ve ever read. In every possible way, it is extremely well written. It has an original, exceedingly entertaining setup, which instantly grabbed my avid attention, and the Meet Cute is tremendous. Throughout this novel, there are moments of quirky humor and moments of enthralling poignancy. And each and every relationship of the main protagonists to various subcharacters adds to the story in important ways. No page space is ever wasted on boring fluff.

I am personally a major fan of adult and YA STEM romances between two mentally sharp protagonists. In that regard, Bel and Teo are a superb match, and their personalities are vividly and compellingly drawn. They are both brilliant, both emotionally damaged in their own unique ways, and both have a strong, emotional growth arc. I love the way Bel, over the course of the novel, comes into her own and realizes how talented and intelligent she is. And I was very impressed with the way that Teo learns to become, as one psychologist put it, a “human being, instead of a human doing.” It is truly outstanding the way this author presents the progression of their relationship from strangers, to team partners, to friends, to romance.

I am very grateful that this novel is constructed in the manner of adult romance novels, with the dual point of view of both Bel and Teo. This allows the reader to deeply get to know Teo, who is a wonderful romantic hero. However, in keeping with the conventions of the young-adult genre, this story is written in their alternating first-person points of view, rather than the deep-third POV typical of adult romance.

I particularly enjoyed the fact that this story is completely multicultural. As far as I can tell, there is only one white character. The cast includes the following ethnic groups: Asian-Filipino, Latinx, Jewish, Black, Chinese, Korean, and Portuguese. None of the members of this delightful cast are stock figures. Even the most minor characters are drawn with great sensitivity and depth, especially the female characters.

The writing itself in this novel is smooth and polished and a pleasure to read. I am not someone who typically enjoys it when a novel is written in present tense, as this novel is. But it is so exceptional in every other way, I was able to easily overlook that artistic choice.

I am very much looking forward to the release of the audiobook version of this novel, which will allow me to experience this fantastic story on an even deeper level. This novel is a total keeper, and I look forward to re-reading it many times in the future.

I rate this book as follows:

Heroine: 5 stars
Hero: 5 stars
Multicultural Cast: 5 stars
Romance Plot: 5 stars
STEM Plot: 5 stars
Setting: 5 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Overall: 5 stars

Thank you netgalley for giving me an arc for this I enjoyed this book so much. I loved watching the characters grow especially Bel who was forced into the robotics club and seeing her potential grow was amazing. Teo and Bel being the complete opposite in many things where they butted heads a lot. Rivals to lovers being one of my top favorite genres made it such better. It was nice to have an mc who didn’t have their life planned out and was still trying to figure things out.
Women in STEM making this book even better.
I loved the banter even tho I didn’t understand anything when it came to robotics I still enjoyed every moment of this book and think Alexene/Olive did an amazing job and I just know I will love everything Alexene/Olive writes
INSTANT 5 ★

I would like to start this review by say that I do NOT understand anything about engineer or robotics. Now, with that being said, My Mechanical Romance is not just about that, it’s also about romance, friendship, self-discovery, and girl power.

Bel is the new girl in an elite private school. Her procrastination lands her a spot in the robotics team (it doesn’t make sense I know 😅 but it will when you read). We navigate through her journey as a new member of the team, as she makes new friends and enemies, as she struggle in and out of school, and as she experiences love.

We also read and learn about Teo, the captain of the soccer team and the leader of the robotics team. He’s good at everything he does and he knows it, and he kind of uses that to his advance (which made me not like him as much in the beginning). Teo is the opposite of Bel, he loves to have control of everything and to try to fix everyone’s problems.

Overall, it was a very interesting book taking into consideration how I don’t understand anything about engineer or robotics but the author was gracious enough to explain the terminology as we read 😅

I loved how organic Bel and Teo’s relationship was written. As a reader, we notice how they’re obviously attracted to each other in the beginning but the relationship itself, felt very genuine and not rushed. I also loved the secondary characters. The family members were very interesting and the friends were really great.

I would have loved to read more about Bel and her mom. They had such an interesting dynamic and I wanted to read more about it instead of being told what happened.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! I absolutely loved this book! It is a super cute YA romance, but it also explores deeper themes surrounding women in STEM.
I, like a lot of young people I'm sure, related a lot to Bel, not knowing what to do in my future and feeling extra lost when people around you are so sure. I loved seeing her growth throughout the book, from being unsure of her abilities and taking a backseat, to realising her potential and standing up for herself and others and what she believes in. I also loved her relationship with Teo, from when they initially clashed, to when they realised they were better when they worked with each other. Bel wasn't afraid to stand up to Teo and be honest with him which I found really refreshing and I liked that the chapters alternated with Teo so we could understand him better and not just see how how everyone saw him. They were both really mature and took the opportunity to become better people rather than be offended when they did something wrong.
The supporting characters were all amazing as well! I loved Ms. Voss who was such an awesome role model. Dash was hilarious and I liked how he put his friendships above everything else. Neelam was a very tough character to like initially as she is very abrasive, but she's super tough and resilient and I respect her strength. By the end of the book she lets down her walls a little bit and I was glad to start to see her underneath everything.
Really recommend this book, it was a really amazing YA read!

So apparently this book is written by the author of The Atlas Six, just under a different name, and I haven't read that yet, but after reading this, I think that I will gladly devour anything this author writes! This had such a dry wit, I laughed at so many moments, and there was just so much to love about the book. It highlighted the joys of women in STEM but also the problems, because let's face it, there's gonna be, and I thought it showed different perspectives on that really well. The romance in here is just the cutest, I am obsessed, I would die for them, I love them dearly. The pining, the banter, this was peak friends-to-lovers and I am HERE. FOR. IT. Really pleased with this read, and I'll definitely be picking up a physical copy for a reread!

“Some boys still can’t take the idea that a girl in sparkly doc martens belongs in robotics, but I’m always happy to prove them wrong.”

“I need to take up my own space. I need to be my own push”

“I’m in my own space now.”

“I mean come on, boys can do it” … “So how hard can it be?”

“I don’t owe it to anyone to smile and act like I’m happy when I’m not.”

“Life is long, with plenty of chances to start over.” < my favourite quote.

thank you to NetGallery, Holiday House and Alexene Farol Follmuth (aka Olivie Blake) for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review

firstly I want to start by saying this is the CUTEST freakin’ cover for a book I have seen! it’s honestly so perfect, I love it!

secondly, when I heard this book was academic enemies to lovers…in STEM. I was sold. However, the story felt *very* fast paced and the ‘academic enemies/rivals’ part is fast lived and we don’t get to see much of this ‘rivalry’ between the two MCs (Bel and Teo), with only Bel standing up to Teo a couple of times (before and after she joins the team) before they become friends.

As the book feels fast paced, it moves on from the smaller ‘interaction’ bits (such as Teo helping Bel to learn the software after school - something which could have progressed their relationship better and made it easier to understand their relationship) and focuses on the STEM side of things (rather than the romantic side), and included (what I hope) are real facts about how things worked and different aspects to robotics. From this, the book touched on serious matters such as women (and WOC) in STEM and other male led industries and the pressures faced with this!! (I think most of my highlighted parts from this book were to do with this subject)

I did love the dual POV! Reading both Bel and Teo’s POV provided a well rounded story, with their backgrounds and the struggles they were facing both academically and at home were appreciated as I feel this is something that can be easily related to. I also loved the side characters, especially Dash, who I wish we had more interaction with, and Bel’s friend Jamie, Lora and even Neema.

This is exactly the book I wish I had had my senior year of high school when it seemed like nothing was working out for me in my future. This book tackles the issue of what comes after high school in a very relatable way that many YA novels seem to ignore.
I normally don’t like multiple POVs, but it really worked for this book to give different perspectives on what high schoolers see for themselves in the future.
Also, how can I leave out how cute the main romance is! The Holi scene is too perfection!

thank you so much to holiday house for this arc!

4.25 stars from me!

Whew! This book was truly a refreshing read for me. I recently been getting a little bit back into why a romances and this book reminds me why I love the genre so much. The story is written solo, it’s incredibly easy to follow and the plot is interesting as well. I love the main character, Bel, she is one of my favorite characters I’ve read this year actually. I love her entitle dialogue as well as just who she is as a person. I love that she is not afraid to stand out amongst the crowd and not stay in the shadows for long. Her character growth throughout the story is notable and I really enjoyed it. Teo was a really interesting character for me to read. He’s pretty different than most heroes I read about in the YA genre! He was pretentious to a fault, but he was also very easy to sympathize with and when you learn more about who he is a person he’s very easy to love. The relationship between these two is substantial. I absolutely adored them as a couple and as individuals. I love how the relationship progress throughout the book and how we got to see their feelings develop for one another. The side characters in the book are all lovable except I was not a big fan of Neelam she was not someone I could connect to or really understand. As a woman in STEM, I am used to constantly being in spaces that are filled with men and usually male dominated, so I can understand a distain towards someone who would walk in to a room and get the easy way in. I just felt like Neelam was overdoing a lot of her reactions as well as just her overall distaste for Bel! Overall I really enjoyed this book and that’s why it gets a 4.25 stars out of me

This book was so wholesome in so many ways. I love the messsage that girls can do and are capable of anything they want to do.
This book personally hit close to home because just like Bel, I didn´t know what I wanted to do after high school, and got overwhelmed when all of my friends and classmates started applying to schools and planning their lifes when I didn´t even know what I was going to do the next week. And even now that I am in college and studying something I like, I still don´t know what direction to take in my future. So I feel like this book is perfect for anyone who might be struggling with that, and let them know that is okay if it takes longer for you to figure out what you want, and that life is full of opportunities so it doesn´t matter if the first one doesn´t work, you´ll always get another shot.
The character development in these characters is great. We have the boys in this book learning to treat woman as equals, learning that girls are as capable of anything as they are, and I think that is so valuable because even now we still get treated differently in so many ways for these micro things. So watching these girls fighting that and working to show everyone that they are wrong and watching the boys learning these it´s so precious for me as a woman.
I think this book checks every box of what I love in a book. It has been a long time since a book has made me laugh out loud. The characters are so likeable and in a way I felt like they were real, and I wish I could hug them and be their friend.
I really wish I had something like this a year ago, but I´m glad other 17 year olds have it so they don´t feel like there´s something wrong with them for not knowing what te future looks like.
Definitly going to read whatever this author publishes.

The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wanted to read just for the cover and title, but found a surprisingly wholesome young adult romance about a girl of color in STEM! The characters are vivid, the science interesting, and the romance very sweet. Really enjoyed and would recommend!

I really enjoyed this story - way more than I expected to. For a YA in a high school setting, the characters are really relatable. I enjoyed the dialogue and the surrounding cast of characters - how they were woven throughout the whole story and included in the ending so there was a conclusion for not just the two main characters, but the rest of their friend group as well.

The topic of girls in STEM - especially engineering and robotics - is such an important one, and this book handles it beautifully. I honestly was envisioning my daughter in this story (I'm well past the high school / college age). This is such a cute, funny, easy read that is focused on such important topics. It doesn't sugar-coat experiences in this arena, especially for girls. I really appreciated the fact that Bel didn't get everything handed to her at the end. There is an acknowledgement of privilege and how some kids just get lucky that is such an important lesson to learn.

The acknowledgements are beautiful - who this was written for - "the girls that we are and the ones that we were. The women we will be' the many who will come after us and find, if we do our job right, that there is room for them here." I think the author did an amazing job with this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Holiday House & the author for an advance copy for me to read and review!

I loved this book!

Let's start there. It was really cute and after a hard week in my own coding courses it was a really nice refreshing read. I loved the backstory we got about bel's family and how she was feeling about all the recent changes in her life. I loved how we also got to see it from Teo's point of view and how he wasn't a stereotypical a-hole and I just thought he was really well developed overall.

This is a story about discovering what you love, and giving yourself proper credit. Bel showed amazing growth and she was a really amazing main character. I love how Bel is able to realize her mistakes and the way she went about righting them was fantastic.

I also appreciate how the author made me dislike Bel's adversary in the robotics club(Neelam) for no reason but when I found out why they were adversaries I began to understand her and I love that the author was able to make me think about how I myself treat other people.

The sidecharacters were also sooo good, well fleshed out and pretty funny.

The romance coupled with the angst, robots, and overall relatability as a women in stem myself made this book exactly what I needed after a hectic week programming.

The cover was also adorable. I just love everything about this it was so good.

I recommend this book to literally everyone. If you like romance books you will most likely love this one. The characters are multifaceted and the entire book just had me smiling. I just love this book. It was really good and you should go and buy it when it comes out. I think we should petition for a movie as well because I would love that!