This book was so cute. I wish I would have had it when I was in high school. I like that the focus of this book isn't just the romance but also Teo and Bel's own issues. They deal with things that many teens have to deal with when struggling with the pressures of high school and college apps. It was also really cool to see all the girl power in this book. I liked the acknowledgment of how hard it is for girls in STEM. I know quite a few women who received backlash when pursuing STEM majors in college, especially anything with tech. This book is a really feel-good read for me. I highly recommend it and will be trying to get my little sister to read it.

4.5/5 but I’m rounding up bc I loved this. The pacing and main romantic conflict needed some work but it didn’t take away from how excellent this book is. This is my kind of contemporary romantic comedy. The humor was clever, the characters were memorable, the issues were relevant and the plot was fast paced. I read all day and did not put it down even while whipping up coffee. Highly recommend everyone pre-order immediately.

Thank you NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This read was so adorable!!! I found it so wholesome and tugs on my heartstrings. Academic rivals to lovers?! And also more representation in the characters. This was slow for me in the beginning but I absolutely enjoyed it. If you are into young adult contemporary romance, this is the book you should pick up

"The world is not very helpful for a smart girl. More often, it will try to force you inside a box. But I urge you not to listen."

First of all, I have to state that I'm not really into romance books, so when I say this book is GOOD you better believe me that it is THAT good.

Okay, here's the list of things that I love from this book (and why you should read it):

1. The female lead character: Bel Maier. She's a genius girl in engineering, but never realize her own potential until a teacher come up to her and force her to join robotics, which is "not a common place" for a women. Bel is kinda quirky, and she never hesitates to wear fancy accessories, and it makes people doesn't take her seriously as an engineer (because she's so girly). But a genius is a genius, no matter how sparkly her shoes and earrings are, right? I love her character development. I love how she treat everyone with kindness even to someone who acts bitchy to her. I love that she intends to support other girl. I basically just love everything about her. She's strong, and super kind, and funny.

2. The male lead character: Teo Luna. A football team captain, a robotics team leader, and a super-popular boy. He's also rich and cool and cocky (overprivileged, I guess?). He kind of reminds me of Peter Kavinsky (from TATBILB series) + Adam Carlsen (from The Love Hypothesis). Actually, I can't relate to his problems, and that makes me don't see special things that is should adore about him, but I'm a sucker for a hot, genius, and rich fictional boy, so yeah.

3. I love how Alexene wrote the gender inequality issues so subtle in young adult's life. How Teo's fragile masculinity shows up, and how Bel not easily complies to him like the others in robotics team. And I also love how Alexene depicts Bel's struggle, that she's a girl in a boy's world, with the only girl who supposed to be her ally clearly shows that she doesn't want to get involve with Bel, and yet Bel still choose to believe her! I love how "spicy" Bel when she scolds the boy who's being a dick to her at the robotics tournament and how she determines to shows them who she really is and manages to beat them. Bel is a QUEEN i love her so much!!!

4. The relationship between Bel and Teo, they're soooo cute together! I love how Teo defends and supports Bel everytime and how Bel tells what she's thinking about Teo that he's a bit too "in charge" for almost everything. But I kind of feel that the growing love between them is less detailed and less thrilling, compared to the dynamics of their relationship when they realize each other's feelings until the moment of their first kiss. But I love the couple tho, I think they're complete each other!

5. The diversity! One of my favorite scene is the Holi festival that Alexene depicts so good!
I also like the elements of Filipino culture in Bel's narration.

6. I notice that one of the character here, Neelam, the only girl except Bel who's an engineer in the team, says something that left Bel second-guessing herself. I thought it's kind of an impostor syndrome? This topic seems to be just pinned on the story so it's not explored further, even though I think it's quite interesting to discuss..

After all, this is a very enjoyable and easy-to-read book with an inspiring theme. I have a very good time reading it and yes YOU should really read this book too!

It was a 3.5/5 for me!

My Mechanical Romance was a super cute and sweet YA Contemporary Romance. I was able to read this over a few days and it was so hard to have to put it down at times.

Teo and Bel were an interesting pair, one is a serious robotics nerd and the other is the new girl trying to find what she wants to do in college. A lot of the discussions on deciding what to do in college/what you want to be when you grow up were super relatable for me as someone who is still undecided on the career path I want to take. Their romance though was pretty cute and I loved the Academic Rivals to Loves trope! I also loved that it was a Dual POV book for that full experience and that there was Filipino Representation!

As for the side characters, I would for sure give my left kidney for Ms. Voss and Dash definitely has my heart!

Overall, super fun read! I can't wait to read more from this author and pick up the physical copy when it gets released!

My mechanical romance was such an amazing read I was hooked from start to finish. I mean who doesn’t love reading about women in STEM?
Bel not thinking about much when she switched schools during her senior year thanks to her teacher and a last minute assignment submission Bel is given the option of joining AP physics to make up for it along with tryouts to the Robitics club and just as she thinks she won’t be accepted she’s quickly accepted and struggles to find her space but with the help of her team and learning what it means to be on a team Bel reclaims her space and even find a little romance along the way.
I also loved how the characters listened to each other as they talked through issues or struggles and supported each other.

It was such a cute “enemies to academic colleagues to lovers” romance. I loved how Teo and Bel’s relationship slowly built up over time and how they impacted each other especially how Bel came out of her shell and started to take up her own space towards the end and even though things didn’t go as originally planned they still worked out in the end. Who knew how much the robotics club would change her life and she’d find her passion. I will definitely be purchasing a copy for myself and friends.

I definitely didn't expect that! I loved it!

Bel changed school after her parents divorce. A school where everyone has a plan for his future, knows exactly what they love and where they want to go. She does not.
She was practically forced into joining AP Physics and a robotics club. She discovers that she loves robotics and she got a talent.
The challenges that girls faces in STEM, and the downgrading from teacher and peers.
And then comes Teo Luna the star and leader of the team, the one who recognized the potentials she has for design and engineering.

I wanted to know more what happened to Teo, with his father who was pushing him for more and more. Someone like Teo who was a perfectionist, a leader, someone who only takes thing in his hands, someone who has pressure from everyone to be an idiol. It's a miracle he didn't fall apart. In this novel, it's been shown that his relationship with Bel saved him, but.....

Anyway.. I LOVED it!

I LOVED it!! I know nothing about engineering, but that didn't matter, this was such a fun story! I loved the banter between characters (and that they were diverse), and reading about girls in STEM always gives me feels. It definitely touches on the struggles of women in STEM but wasn't preachy. It was perfect.

Such a cute, nerdy, YA romance and I'd definitely recommend it!

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc!

My Mechanical Romance was an amazing read.

Bel is a high school senior and the new girl at school who is trying to adapt to her new environment, in which everyone except for her seems to have her life figured out. Teo is the "perfect boy" to the eye but in reality he is the son of a tech mogul who has way too many things on his plate. After Bel is encouraged by her physics teacher to join the robotics team, she and Teo, who didn't start off as the best of friends, will be forced to spend more time together.

They way the author describes the struggles of not knowing what to do with your future, how everyone seems to know and how things don't always go as planned really touched me.

Bel and Teo are very lovable main characters. Although I wasn't particularly fond of them at the beginning they did grow on me as I watched them grow and the story progressed. The supporting characters were also great although I wasn't a huge fan of the "the only girl on the team hates the new girl coming in" trope.

The way it touched the struggles of women of color in STEM while keeping it age appropriate for YA books was something I really appreciated and I found the writing style of the author to be very lovely, fast and light.

Alexene Farol Follmuth's incredible ability to create such a sugary-sweet and charming book should be scientifically studied. Not only is the title clever, but the writing and the dialogue between the characters are too. This book is so much more than just a teen/YA romance. It showcases the pressure teenagers have to figure out their life and create this grand plan before graduation. It explores the different types of experiences that girls experience in STEM such as racism, sexism, and misogyny. The romance between Bel and Teo is sweet, but this book is so much more than that. I want this made into a movie immediately.

This is a cute YA romance. It’s an opposites attract story and the romance is slow burn. A lot of focus is spent on the individual character arcs and personal growth so at times the romance feels like more of a side plot.

The “girls in STEM” aspect is a big part of the book and the main character as well as other female characters face various types of prejudice and discrimination, some of which is unintentional. I liked that the book shows several of the more insidious aspects of this, for example one female character who is seen by the boys and male teacher as angry, bitter, confrontational, etc. and how this becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy when they continuously underestimate her and exclude her. A lot of this was relatable for me.

The characters were well written and their arcs and character development was handled very well. I also thought the writing was well suited to the type of book and flowed well, I found the book difficult to put down.

For about 3/4 of the book I thought this would be a 5 star read, but in the end I’m only giving it 4. The ending of the book just felt a bit too much like a fairytale. There was very low conflict, everything worked out for the best, all the characters were “coupled off” and accepted to their dream colleges, the epilogue just felt too fluffy for me. Towards the end I also felt that the portrayal of misogyny towards women in STEM lost all subtlety and it felt very much like it the message “discrimination is bad - women have to stick together” was shoved in my face. I think the author should have more faith that the reader can pick up on this without practically spelling it out.

In summary I really enjoyed this book and would have enjoyed it even more as a teenager. It’s the book equivalent of a teen romance Netflix movie. I would definitely recommend it to teenage girls interested in STEM.

this is the best thing ive ever seen i mean nerds in stem ??? it incorporates pop culture without being cringey, talks about important topics such as feminism and family struggles, and accurately portrays what its like being a teenager in california. and it does all of this whilst having the cutest love story ever. this book fr had me kicking my legs and twirling my hair AND while im sick (so u know im not lying about it being a 5 star read !) i love that this book had underlying plots and themes that weren’t just romantic so this book wasn’t overwhelming at all. the writing was very different compared to alexene’s (better known as olivie blake) previous works but i loved it just the same and it reminded me so much of how she talks on twitter- go follow btw she’s hilarious💝🙌 BUT ANYWAYS this was a great read very lighthearted (very much needed since im currently also reading long way down☹️) also i adored the taylor swift allusions (seven- which mightve been unintentional-, nothing new, and the shake it off reference). anyways im super lucky to have read this before its been released and bel & teo r my babies foreal go read it as soon as it comes out u wont regret it💝💝 also also this felt a little.. ok well autobiographical isnt the right word but like the way jo march is based on louisa may alcott is like how i feel bel is based on alexene and i might be wrong but like thats so cute and makes me love both of them even more

A perfect YA contemporary romance if I've ever seen one!
I already love and respect Alexene for her work as Olivie, so I was beyond excited for this new direction that she was taking. And I am incredibly impressed and happy that I got to experience this book.
It was a quintessential YA romance; it had everything I love about the genre and more. Bel is such a relatable character, I actually think she may be THE MOST relatable one that I've ever read about in this type of books. She is flawed, she is confused and lost. I love how other play significant roles in her finding the right path for herself. <spoiler> I love how she found this particular path, the one that is not attending an Ivy and all, but a great path nonetheless and she still became extremly successful, no matter where she went to school. It deftly breaks this toxic narrative that you need to have it all figured out in high school and attend the best schools to become successful. I wish more people would see it that way. </spoiler> Hence, I really do believe a lot of people my age (last year of high school, big decisions ahead) could use representation just like this.
Her family dynamics may be really relatable to a lot of people as well and I think it's really great to show this perspective. I loved the side-characters a lot and maybe secretly wish they could get their own books, because I would love to see our dear Dash or lovely Jaime continue their journeys and maybe find some people to enjoy them with.
And then we have Teo who is such a great guy. <spoiler> I wish we could have seen him get more closure with his dad because it really was toxic and sad to experience how he was with Teo. </spoiler> But I loved his relationship with Bel, all their pining and Bel's "it's definitely not a crush". I loved how he genuinely cared about her and other people even if he himself had some maturing and self-discovering to do.
I just honestly love everything that Alexene produces and she is my favourite author ever. The acknowledgements (especially the ones to her to her husband) were just the sweetest. We cannot forget how great of a representation women in STEM got in this book. I believe it could majorly change some girl's lives or at least shift their perspectives a little.
Ah, to read it again for the first time...

the premise was so cute and it's an olivie blake so i went in knowing i would probably get confused by the science speak
but thank god i'm taking ap physics rn because that kinematics knowledge was coming in clutch
i thought the relationship between teo and bel was so sweet and i liked that they were their own person and had their own struggles
but this book is just far too short to deal with individual development AND a fully formed romance so i felt like i got cheated out of both
the identity issues got resolved way too quickly at the end?? and i would've enjoyed seeing the belteo relationship develop more because some parts felt glossed over
super super standard ya so it's trope-y and cringe-y (and felt like follmuth had not spoken to teenagers in decades - the AOC mention??? BECHDEL TEST???? babes,,, nobody talks like this in real life)
but it's sweet it's cute <33

I was hooked from the very beginning on this book! This was a great read. Bel and Teo's story is so exciting and unique, and can't lie some parts gave me butterflies. They both push each other to be their best versions all the time. That is what makes their love so adorable - their banter and funny jokes! Bel and Teo's story is one I wish I could read again. This was an amazing story! Do not hesitate to read this book!

Jesus, wow. This book is really, really, really wow and awesome and amazing and - yeah, I'll stop now.

The cover? Devastating. Just look at the art there with Bel's bird and blue and red team! Muah!!

Gosh, I have got the worst book hangover over this book.

I mean where to even start? Everything in this is perfect. High school enemies to lovers, banters, cute and slow burn and so much more.

It's a romance between a weirdo girl and nerdy types hot boy. Haven't related to a character as much I did to them. Bel was amazing and she was so like me yet wasn't. The struggles of women in an academic field which is dominated by men are shown beautifully. I loved everything in here. I loved this book so much.

Do you get mesmerized while reading a great story? Like you can feel each and everything character feels, like you are practically living it? I did. This book made me. Author's writing style is sooo great!

And now My Mechanical Romance has became my one among my many fav. For a person who doesn't do re-read often, I'm sure as hell I'mma gonna pick this book soon. Again.

Thank you NetGally and Holiday House for the e-ARC.

My Mechanical Romance by Alexene Farol Follmuth

I loved this book. A young girl can rule the world ok not yet but in this story Bel a talented young girl who really is lost in what she really wants to do when she graduates high school. A teacher Mrs. Voss saw potential in her and pushed her to go into AP Physics and to try out for the robotics team. This story was great. I enjoyed every moment as I turned the page. It was well written and it was nice to see a book about young girls trying to find their way in STEM.

The author really showed how hard it is for young girls to succeed in fields that are supposedly meant for boys in academia. Then you mix in a cute high school romance when Bel and Teo find love in the robotics lab. It was so sweet and wholesome to see such a young love and reminds me what it felt like to fall in love for the first time.

I cannot stop praising this book it is well worth the read and anyone who loves YA romance and want something a little different with academia this book is for you. Maybe one day young girls will not be afraid to dream that they can do just as good as boy in any field of study and succeed. I hope one day that our education system will stop forcing young girls into certain directions and young boys into certain career choices. Girls are good at math and science too and can make great engineers!

Thank you Netgalley and Holiday House for a free copy of the book for an honest review.

Actual Rating: 3.75 rounded up

I love reading about Women in STEM! As a woman in a STEM field myself I love the representation, because let me tell you, we have it hard!

This book was the perfect mix of addressing a prevalent issue that is usually overlooked, and a cutsie romance; I really liked Bel and Teo and enjoyed reading from their POVs.

One of my favorite parts was how the author managed to show that discrimination against women can come even as the men in question are unaware or haven't set out to undermine a woman simply based on her gender.

Teo is amazing, but he couldn't even see the favoritism him and the other guys were getting from their teacher or how the teacher and even them often dismiss the girls, because this sort of behaviour is simply ingrained in their environment and it takes someone repeatedly pointing it out for him to actually notice.
Because people don't notice subtle injustices or dismissal of others when they're not the target of said behaviour.
I was often told that women aren't dismissed in my field, because I and a select few others managed to get where we are; sometimes even by other women who aren't in STEM, why? Because no one notices that we have to work twice as hard to get half the recognition men get!

That being said, I have to admit Bel wasn't exactly the best person ever, however I love that Neelam put her in her place by showing her the facts she was blind to, and that she did in fact learn from that.

Overall, this was such a fun read and I do recommend it.
Here's to more stories about women in STEM!

4.5 stars!
*Thank you so much to Netgalley for providing me with this advanced reader copy* I honestly went into this book completely blind in regards to plot, the cover was really the main thing that drew me in. However i’m genuinely so so happy I read this book! I was not expecting to love it as much as I did but it was so unbelievably cute! Both main characters had such different and unique personalities but putting them together was like peanut butter and jelly. The slow burn build up from being acquaintances to friends to eventually lovers was done beautifully. Last but not least, I am a sucker for a cute first kiss, and this book had easily one of the best written and cutest first kisses i’ve ever read. The build up alone to the scene of the first kiss had me absolutely melting. Overall this book was beyond cute from beginning to end.

Thank you Netgalley and Holiday House for the arc.

This was a young adult book the surprised me in a good way. Bel was a senior in high school transferring for her last year to a higher caliber school. When she stared she didn’t know what she want or her passions. But thru the help of a cast of very animated side character and especially high achieving Teo she finds not only her place at the school but a few passions and most of all her self. Teo one his end finds somethings he was missing as well. This book also introduce me to the world of robotics that I truly enjoyed reading about.

I saw myself in Bel in a lot of ways. That was one of my favorite things about this book. I experienced some of the thing the main character did and the author did such a good job capturing those kind of feelings in the moment. Also loved the robotics aspect of this. I knew very little about it going in but came out wanting to know more. Always happy to read involving young women getting into STEM. These characters also felt like they where in high school and not grown up which I appreciated. The romance between Bel and Teo was also one of the highlights for me, it was adorable to read them as a couple. The supporting cast was also a present surprise.

Overall this was a great young adult read that I would recommend. It was light hearted, with good banter and an overall enjoyable read. Giving it four stars.