Coming soon - a big thank you to @netgalley and @holidayhousebks for the ARC!

This book wasn’t perfect (the writing could be a bit clunky in places, especially around dialogue, or big changes in time/place) but it was so sweet, and obviously a perfect fit for me and my nerdiness 🤓

While I wish that the girls on the robotics team had been able to do what my friends and I did in middle school (form our own team when the boys wouldn’t let us program, proceed to kick their butts up and down the State tournament), I was glad the story made the characters very three-dimensional and gave them room to grow while still acknowledging implicit biases and how difficult it can be to be in these situations. And that the heroine got the cute boy in the end, but she didn’t need him to save her or anything, they both brought out the best in each other.

It took me a little bit of time to get into the book - there’s a pretty big cast of characters, but it mostly works out. The absolute highlights were the way the author captured the energy of a robotics tournament (the nostalgia I felt reading that! 🥺) and an immensely satisfying ending.

ALSO THAT TITLE! Obsessed 😍

I loved this book!! My Mechanical Romance follows Bel Maier, a senior that isn’t sure what she wants for her future, and Teo Luna, who knows and has been told exactly what his future holds. When Bel gets practically forced into joining the robotics club, Teo, being captain of the club, offers to show her the ropes. What follows is a wholesome STEM based romance, that I personally give 4 stars!

The book follows Bel’s and Teo’s senior year, and the pace of the book keeps things interesting and realistic. Bel is probably an extremely relatable character to many readers her age, as it can be so difficult figuring out what you want or what you can do after high school. Along with that, she is a fun and charming character with all her interests and puns. Teo is a leader in everything he does, the shining yes man who solves anything and makes time for everything. Both characters have their flaws, but are very lovable and really make this book.

An honourable mention as well to all the side characters, I liked them all by the end, including Neelam! After taking AP courses and the traditional sciences in high school, I can understand and imagine her struggles being a young woman in STEM. There were parts of the book that made me so frustrated for both her and Bel’s sake, but they stuck to what they love and I think the book was really inspiring in this way.

Seeing Bel’s friendships developing in the new school was fun to read about, and Bel and Teo connecting over time was very wholesome. The slight rivalry they had made for great banter and teasing, and them getting to know each other in an understanding and comforting way made my heart happy for them. I really recommend this book, especially to readers who love cute romances in an academic setting, rivals to lovers, and anyone into STEM or robotics!

Thank you NetGalley and Holiday House for the eARC!!

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC from Netgalley. This book actually releases on my birthday, which is awesome!!

I cannot TELL YOU how much I loved this book.

When I first started reading, I felt like the writing was a little too wordy for me. There wasn't much dialogue but a whole lot of first person inner monologue. Luckily, that transitioned into a much easier writing style that I just gobbled right up. I read half this book in one day and that has been a rare occurrence for me as of late!

I really liked the two main characters. They were different enough that you could definitely tell who was speaking, and they each had their own pressure, expectations, interests, and behaviors. I didn't like Teo at first, but Bel definitely brought out the best in him. By the end of the novel, I really, really liked Teo.

The rest of the characters were wonderful, too. I felt like they each had enough depth for a novel as short as this and they were distinct from one another. Dash's little talk with Teo near the end about his future made me so happy, we love a king who knows what he wants.

I also just really enjoyed the STEM aspect of this book. It was really well done, and I loved how this book tackled not only women in STEM, but ALSO women of color in STEM. Even now, in 2022, women are still looked down upon in the sciences, and women of color even more so. As a science teacher myself, I know that some people believe I don't know as much as some of the men in the field. And unfortunately, some of my students think this way as well.

I'm not the biggest fan of romance novels, but I just loved this to pieces. At first I didn't think Bel and Teo had a lot of chemistry... but by the end I definitely saw how they brought out the best in each other. It was lovely and I'm so happy it ended the way it did.

My only complaint with this book? IT NEEDED TO BE LONGER! <3

Bel's parents are getting a divorce and her mother has taken Bel and her older brother Luke to live in a small apartment on the other side of the city. Her maternal instincts are going overboard and she has enrolled Bel in a snooty private school, very different to the one she has studied at until now. Here everyone is into AP classes and extracurricular work and getting their college applications done, whereas Bel just wants to hang out at the Mall with her friends.

Then a last minute class project brings Bel to the attention of one of the physics teachers who sort of blackmails Bel into trying out for a place on the school's robotics team (literally Robot Wars). This kind of reminded me of when Harry Potter gets spotted as a potential seeker by Professor Mcgonagall. The robotics team is led by the school's all-round high achiever Mateo. The son of a Silicone Valley CEO gazillionaire and a former super model, he is driven to succeed at everything, football, class, robotics etc. he takes the weight of the world on him and feels personally responsible for every failure. Again, this reminded me of an old Buffy episode where a little boy is blamed by his coach for the baseball team losing a match.

Bel doesn't understand the design software the robotics team uses so she sketches out a design on paper for the deceptively simple task set for potential candidates. When Mateo sees the sketch he immediately drafts her into the team, without consulting anyone else. Personalities soon clash, especially when Bel points out that Mateo is super-controlling, he doesn't really listen to anyone else's ideas or tolerate criticism.

There's lots to unpick here: parental expectations; the differences between the haves and have-nots; the impact of divorce on family dynamics; teenage romance; misogyny; robot wars; and more. I also liked the diversity of the characters, although I also have a concern that the characters' diversity was perhaps more about references to ethnic foods and festivals with a few non-English words thrown in for good measure, rather than a faithful representation of different ethnic backgrounds. Then again, it may just be that these are teenagers born and brought up in the US wit US cultural norms sitting alongside their parents and their grandparents' ethnic background.

Anyway, there's teenage angst; romance; drama; and lots and lots of robot wars. Loved it and read it in one day.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

My Mechanical Romance 🤖: I have to say this novel was a sweet & easy read. I’m so happy I was given the opportunity to read this book by NetGalley & Alexene Farol Follmuth.
First off romance & stem it’s one of my favorite things to read!! Reminded me on the love hypothesis yet the younger version lol..
I didn’t know what to expect from this book; I really loved the young characters in this book. It reminded me of when I was getting ready to do college applications & having to think about my future. I can say high school me could relate to both main characters Teo & Bel at times throughout the novel. Teo was a smart good leader that was ready & prepared for his future he was focused. But being so focused he was overwhelmed by it without evening really knowing how much others such as Mac, his father & the robotics team held him to so much. Until Bel helped him relax & realize he didn’t have to fix everything for everyone around him all the time it shouldn’t be such a heavy weight he holds over his shoulders. Bel oh she was such a sweet character I remember myself when I was having to face getting ready for my future in high school and having to figure out at least some kind of foundation as to where I was going it was so overwhelming at times as well as the expectations of others so I completely understood how Bel felt about College apps. I loved her relationship with Ms.Voss I felt it was so helpful for bel to have someone see what she was capable of and help her with just a little bit of a push to get Bel to realize what she wanted. I appreciate that Teo did the same for Bel just helping her recognize what she was capable of doing. Overall it was a sweet easy read that I feel Young adult readers should definitely read! Thank you again NetGalley For the opportunity to read this book as well as give it an honest review.

I loved this book! But I pretty much knew I would once I knew who the author was. I loved the STEM aspect and all the fully fleshed out characters that sounded and felt authentic. It really highlights all the inequalities girls face in male dominated fields and in relationships. It also shed light on the increased pressure kids face in high school. It deserves all the praise coming its way. Such a great read. I recommend everyone check this book out.



Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

I picked this book up because of course it's STEM romance and my life purpose besides reading books is reading more books which are school related. So I wanted something to relate to. And trust me all characters are so relatable especially Dash.

So coming to plot we follow a girl Bel who is smart but doesn't want to put efforts into planning for her future. This was something different from other academia novels where female protagonist has everything planned out and about eventually achieves it too. Bel is forced into robotics club where we meet Teo. Teo's cute but like he is very serious about his robotics club so the two have some disagreements. I also liked that the environment of school was about studies and not typical high school drama with parties and drugs, etc.

It took time for me to catch upto the writing style. The writing should've raised more ratings but it wasn't upto standards. All in all it was a quick read and fun too.

A cute rom-com that also manages to tackle the topic of women in STEM and dies it well? And it's also by Alexene a.k.a. Olivie Blake?

Sign my the hell up

WOMEN IN STEM!!!
This book was actually so cute and refreshing to read. I've read some of Olivie Blakes' other books and this was so different. I love how this book deals with some serious topics but keeps it lighthearted. There's also Taylor Swift references!!

thank you netgalley and alexene farol follmuth, aka olivie blake, for this eARC in exchange of an honest review.

academic rivals to lovers delivered so fine 🤌🏼
these both were such adorable nerds, I can't even.
also admire the STEM rep and the diversity in this book. 👏🏼
this was a surprise for me because the atlas six was not my vibe but this fortunately slaps 🥰

One of my most anticipated books of the year is My Mechanical Romance. I was first drawn in by the title and cover. This book reached my expectations!

Bel Marier is a senior student who transferred and joined the robotics team due to her abilities and potential. Ended up butting heads with Teo Luna, the team's captain and the son of a tech genius. With other member's underlying dislike makes it difficult for her to strive in excellence.

I love how this book shows how girls should know to take up their space and never be afraid of it. That being a girl is not a sign of weakness and Bel here is ready to break that barrier and stereotype. A person of color, with Asian representation, and being a woman in STEM.

Bel is a vibrant character with a lot of personality. A realistic character who demonstrates how exhausting it is to study and apply to colleges. And I connected with her on a deep level. Being Asian, girl, and surviving in STEM, where men dominate the strand. But hey, if men can do it, who said we can't?

I'm so impressed with Teo Luna. An A student, a soccer player, team captain of robotics team, with a job on the side, and a bunch of AP classes. That is so admirable. One thing that makes Teo unique is that his character development. Or more on how he became mature as the story goes. He became laid back and finally understood that not everyone has life plans written out for them.

The writing style was enjoyable, and the reading was made much more amusing by a bunch of relatable pop references. Character development is great, and the characters are likeable.

A great and lighthearted YA romance, featuring women in STEM, Asian representation, and my most favorite trope, academic rivals to lovers. I had fun geeking out with Bel and Teo, and I would highly recommend it!

This book was so much fun. A light fluffy YA read that I couldn't put down.
Girls of color in STEM? Yes, please.
Academic rivals? Always.

Bel's growth throughout the book was phenomenal. I loved the inclusion of complicated family dynamics and such diverse characters. Definitely recommend!

This is a YA romance along the lines of enemies to lovers. Most of the kids in the school seem really focused on what they want to do after high school. Teo, our male lead, wants to go to MIT and major in engineering, Bel, our female lead, isn't quite sure what she wants to do or even what she's really interested in. Bel and Teo are both on the robotics team at school, but they don't really get along. The other kids on the robotics team are a little miffed when Bel is taken onto the team very suddenly. Even Mac, the AP Physics teacher has doubts about Bel's contributions to the team, which seems awfully sexist. And of course, you see this one coming a long way away: Bel and Teo end up working together on a robot for the robotics competition and they end up falling in love. It was pretty predictable, but cute.

thank you to netgalley for the opportunity to read this wonderful story!! my mechanical romance hooked me from the title if i’m honest lol. an enemies to lovers story about a girl new in STEM? yes please!

one of the things i love about YA is putting myself back at that age. and bel was one of the most relatable characters i’ve ever read. the uncertainty and pressure that she felt about her future was something i think so many seniors experience, i know i wasn’t fully sure of what i wanted to do at that age (hence me changing my career path after graduating). bel’s growth over this entire story was inspiring. one of the best things about this story was how the women and girls in her life helped and encouraged her to take up space in a male-dominated field!

teo was also so wholesome and supportive. at first he sees bel as an adversary but once he realizes how smart and capable she is, he pulls out all the stops to support and teach her 🥺. his growth was so heartwarming and he was so cute with bel!

i really loved how important supporting women and girls in STEM was to this story. in bel’s own words: “Ms. Voss once told me that I needed to take up my own space in this life, and as right as she was then, I think I’ve managed to take it a step further. It took me some time, but I think I finally know the secret: that you can stand up without standing alone.”

stand-alone rating 📚
* my mechanical romance ⭐️ 4.75

p.s. this is the same author who wrote the atlas six, which is another amazing book! if you’re into dark academia/urban fantasy things check that one out!!

I really liked this book. It was a quick and very sweet read. I found myself relating to some of Bel's journey and it really helped me connect to this story. I also think the relationship between Bel and Teo was really well done. Overall, I would definitely read it again.

4 5*
Thank you to netgally and the publisher for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review. I really really liked this book, it was pretty funny (I laughed out loud on few occasions which is mildly embarrassing but whatever), it was inspiring and it was addictive. I finished this in like two days.
So what did I like:
~ I liked that Bel was girly and a stem girl
~ I really love Teo even though I can't relate to his situation his internal thought were very real and relatable (which by the way is coming from someone who doesn't like dual pov but it worked really well in this one).
~it was super nerdy which is always a plus
~it distracted me from my assignments
~Naleem's arc
~Third act conflict made sense for the characters
~realistic end that was still cute
Overall a super fun romcom but with a little more depth. Definitely recommend <3

Super cute YA romance! I think so many people will enjoy this book and reading about Bel and Teo. I liked the women in STEM representation in the book but thought that the applying to college process depicted in the book was not realistic. Overall, easy and enjoyable to read, great cast of supporting characters and an accessible story. Could be pitched as The Love Hypothesis but for younger readers.

This book was extremely cute. (So cute that I would even read it again! ) I think the book really under-expressed how hard the college process is. Getting into schools like MIT is so difficult. With an acceptance rate of around 4%, Teo had no idea what he was saying when he was like “just come with me to MIT”. I thought it was so cute though. I’m glad the book didn’t go into a lot of detail about the college experience, though, because it would have been boring. On a more important note, I loved Bel. Women of color in stem!! I think yes!! Discovering her love for mechanical engineering was the best part of the book:))

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5 Stars
My Mechanical Romance
Author: Alexene Farol Follmuth
This is a cute enemies to friends to lovers high school STEM romance. The main character, Bel, has a talent machine oriented tasks, and, to save her Physics grade is pretty much coerced into joining the Robotics team. She gets involved in an adorable romance with the captain of the team, Teo, and, despite their initial disagreement form a delightfully adorable friendship.
Pros:
- Super light, easy read
- I liked how the conflict (‘cause, come on, there’s got to be one) is actually something relatable that a lot of high school students suffer from, but also tied in nicely with her personality
- All of the characters were well rounded and developed nicely
- The title! I saw the title, and the evilest, most excited girl spread across my face!
- The writing. I mean, the author manages to pack so much into so few pages. I read this in one sitting, and am legitimately sad that I didn’t savor it
Cons:
- Okay, I don’t know if these are just phrases, but I spotted few comedic references from various stand up artists’ routines (for example: https://c.tenor.comL6W9wne9BNoAAAAC/like-a-liar-liar.gif)
- This next one is just something that kind of confused me. In the blurb it says that Neheem is the only other girl on the Robitics team, but there’s another girl Lora, which kind of confused me for a while
Would I read it again?
Absolutely, without a doubt in my mind

thank you netgalley, holiday house and alexene farol follmuth for the arc <3

"I mean come on, boys can do it. So how hard can it be?"

This is my first YA romance in a long while and I have loved every second of it.

POC representation, girls in STEM, witty and smart young adults? YES PLEASE!

This book follows the story of Bel Maier, a girl who joins a new school in her senior year. And joins the robotics team led by Teo Luna, son of a tech genuis and a millionaire who has set the bar high for his son.

What can be better than academic rivals to friends to lovers?

I love how this book focuses on girls taking up their space, on not being afraid to be the most authentic self you can be. Loved how girls prove again and again that you can be successful and strong and smart and do it just as good as boys can. I feel like girls are programmed from early childhood to be quiet, not stick their nose out and not be a leader. I loved the friendship Neelam and Bel develop, how the characters talked about how they feel and explained their feelings to each other. A lot of times YA romance books portray teenagers as these bratty little kids who have no idea how to communicate with each other.

Bel is hilarious and I want her jeans with the birds on them NOW. I love the journey she went on, how she chose to be her authentic self despite people saying that she can't do something or simply not having faith in her. Her relationship with Luke is amazing and I love how the car was the safe space for them.

I loved Ms. Voss - she knew how important it was to support Bel, to guide her. Sometimes that's all you need - one adult to give you a nudge, to give you advise on what to do - when you're 18, you're lost, you can't have it all figured out but if someone sees your potential, sees what you are capable of and gives you genuine help - it means the world.

I loved the character growth of Teo, and I loved seeing his thoughts. I don't usually have anything to say about male characters for some reason but I did love seeing a guy who is kind, determined, has a good heart.

And Mac has pleasantly surprised me by the end of the book.

Needless to say, the writing of this one is superb. I've loved every page of it. I'm usually wary of the miscommunication trope but it was done great here, not giving me the ick it usually does in romance books.

Take up your space, don't be afraid to show everyone your worth and don't give up on your dreams as much as sometimes it feels like the easiest way out.

4.75/5, cute, light YA romance that doesn't just center around the romance itself but gives us so much more.