What I liked:
-women in stem!!!
- fast read
-handles topics like being a teenager and having no idea of what to do after high school, dealing with the pressure your parents and other authoritarian figures put upon you and what other expect from you.

My problem:
I didn't like this one bit, the writing, the story and the characters are all proper of any YA, so I can't pinpoint exactly what is was that didn't do it for me, which is a total bummer because I thought I was gonna like this.


I'd still recommend this book, I'm sure a lot of people will love this more than I and will definitely resonate with the story.


Anyways, thank you netgalley for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

So much better than what I expected. This was a very wholesome read. I enjoyed it so much😩😩

The pace of the book was a bit slow for me but it never got boring. The author has written it so well. The plot is very investing, honestly it took me by surprise. I had thought to myself it's robotics how much fun can it get? But IT DID GET FUN!! (Please excuse, I have an arts background 😂).

The characters are full of personality, and they get along so well together. Leo Tuna (My mind kept reading his name like that the whole time, so am going to stick to that lol) is a good lead. I like how he wasn't too perfect, he had flaws which made him endearing. My girl Bel was so good. I really enjoyed her POV, she was full of energy and compassion, and you do feel that when you read it. What I didn't like about her though is the way she expresses herself, the way she communicates. I guess the author intended Bel to be like that, but I honestly didn't see the point of that. At a certain point she overused the word "like" and it did get slightly annoying. The supporting characters Ms. Voss and Dash are equally well written. Honestly, we all need a Ms. Voss in our lives.
I like how Neelam's struggles are shown. I was a bit harsh on her at first but towards the end of the book she gained my respect and I do understand her perspective. I don't agree with how she managed it, but I understand.

Overall, this was a super fun read and I would totally recommend it if you're a looking for a cute romance set in academia. Nerds are so hot! Also, women in STEM- more power to you👏

eARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.

first off i NEVER thought i'd read a book about robots and ACTUALLY enjoy it but this is...different. the vibe. the MCs. the chemistry. everything just clicks. i like the fact that Bel's style of fashion is different and the author didn't make it a weird quirk she had to have for character development or something and that Teo(sexiest name ever) accepts that straight away.
the bond between them is amazing and A++ for them not dancing around each other the first time they kiss.
there is no spice BUT their personalities make up for it (it's also YA what did you expect?)
5/5 :)

Aww some nerds so 🥵 especially robot building nerds 🙈 omg this book really really sweet!! I fell in love with all the characters 😭 I highlighted almost every sentence and I'm proud of all the women in this book!! And I loved Bel and Leo's relationship, I accepted their mistakes and I'm proud of them for who they are. I liked how this book touches on topics such as the difficulty and prejudice that girls had to face. I want to express myself about how much i love this book but i’m simply speechless😭😭

Honestly, I have zero knowledge about robots & engineering whatsoever, but seeing these two nerds talk about their passion made my heart happy! This was so cute and heartwarming, and I love the topics that have been discussed in this story <3

I liked this book. It was cute. I liked Teo and Bel but the rest of the characters were kind of flat. They did not really have much personality and were basically just there as fillers.

This book was so entretaining and so easy to read. All the characters were flawed bit when you discovered their reasons, it made you love them more.. The chemistry between the 2 main characters was coming off the page. It also taljwd about the problems of women in STEM in a serious but not the kind that will make depressed for the rest of the day, it put this into perspective on both points of view whilst being easy to read

Raise your hand if you have ever felt personally victimized by a male STEM teacher.

As someone who was the only girl in her AP Physics class and whose teacher definitely treated the boys better in that class, wow this book hit HOME. But beyond the story line that follows women in STEM and the misogyny that is faced on the daily, the intersection of feminism portrayed in this 300-something page book while still being a fluffy, adorable romance blew my mind.

MY MECHANICAL ROMANCE (which, as a lifelong MCR fan, this title had me chortling) follows Bel, a bright and kinda nerdy senior in college who… has no idea what she wants to do with her life. When she’s basically forced into joining her high school’s robotics team, she meets Teo, who sees immediately how smart Bel is but is frustrated by seemingly little she cares. These two argue a lot (a true academic rivals to lovers plotline) but with Nationals looming, these two are going to have to get on the same page – academically and romantically.

This story DELIVERS. The characters really shine in this story – not just Bel and Teo, but their families and friends. They are complex and interesting for a multitude of reasons. Dash and Neelam especially were personal favorites. The dynamics between the robotics team as well was engaging and cute and this really captures the uncertainty that haunts every high school senior during the whole college application (and waiting!) process.

Additionally, watching the character development in Bel and Teo was incredible – they really bring out the best in each other and strive to push each other to do better. Teo adopts some of Bel’s laissez-faire attitude, which is sorely needed as a privileged boy who seems to believe he needs to carry the expectations of the world (or just his wildly successful tech bro father) on his shoulders and Bel, conversely, begins to critically think about the space she occupies – the space she deserves. She stops letting life happen to her and begins to assert her desires and opinions.

Neelam played a large role in Bel’s development and she is a prickly character that is unlikeable at first but gives Bel a well-needed wakeup call that she (Bel) can’t expect everything in life to happen for her. She’s been lucky so far and she’s talented, yes, but she needs to also WORK to dismantle the misogyny she will be facing in a career in STEM. Brown women are the unsung heros, truly.

I loved how this book tackled the struggles of being a woman in a male-dominated field. I loved how nuanced it was (which is impressive because, again, it’s only 300-something pages long!). I loved how it tackled privilege and the intersectionality of identity in your struggles. I also loved how realistically it portrayed how dismissive male STEM teachers are of girls in their classes. This book was fantastic and I sincerely think it will help a generation of young girls assert themselves in STEM.

I also really want to shout out the Holi scene – it was so fun for me to read as it brought back some really fond memories of college Holi parties – down to the competition and flirting.

Special thanks to Holiday House and Netgalley for sharing this advance reader’s copy with me in exchange for an honest review!

That was so adorable! I loved every second of My Mechanical Romance. I think this is the first academic rivals-to-lovers book I've read that featured a new girl x popular kid combo so this was super unique! I absolutely loved Bel and her awkward quips, genius mind, and super cool fashion sense. Seeing her rock Teo's whole world just from her small mannerisms was everything. Their relationship was so pure and I loved how they supported each other in every way possible.

I also just loved how this book reminded me so much of my own public high school experience. Alexene nailed the diversity among the student body, the camaraderie between everyone on the robotics team, the discussions of classism (especially surrounding college), and of course the discussions of WOC in STEM. Neelam and Bel's dynamic felt so authentic even during their times of animosity. I need an extended epilogue or bonus scene that shows all these kids thriving in college--I love them all so much!

My Mechanical Romance by Alexene Farol Follmuth is a contemporary young adult romance featuring two young teens in robotics club. Bel and Teo start off as enemies, which is obviously one of my favourite tropes. The book also discusses the challenges that women, particularly women of colour, face in STEM fields and I hope it inspires some young people to work to overcome these challenges too.

What I liked: I found My Mechanical Romance and the subject matter to be accessible, even though I do not know the first thing about robotics. I was still able to enjoy and visualize the narrative without much prior knowledge. Additionally, Bel begins the story without a clear passion or drive to succeed and slowly finds her way - I like that the author showed that not everyone knows what they want to do with their life right away. I also thought that Neelam, while not the most lovable character originally, was pivotal to some of the important discussions in the story.

What could be better: Both Bel and Teo are shaped by their family life and it has an obvious impact on who they are as characters. I felt like I never got to learn enough about either family and I especially wanted more detail about how things were resolved with their families at the end of the book. Each family had a part to play in the development of the story but it was kind of brushed aside for the larger picture in the final chapters and epilogue.

I did enjoy reading My Mechanical Romance and I would give it four out of five stars. I liked the perspective into the STEM fields, particularly robotics and engineering. I also appreciated that the characters had some diversity and that it described a high school experience that was entirely different from my own.

*Please note that the ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

This book was, in simple words, stunning. Everything in this book — from the intellectual talks, to the invigorating rivalry (and chemistry), to the excellent diversity and women empowerment in STEM — this book was an absolute treat in ways more than one, and I'll be sure to recommend this to friends and family.

My mechanical romance is a entertaining, relatable coming of age read that I would say mainly focuses on Bel, a senior high school student exploring her talents in engineering as a team mate in the robotics club.

This book contains all the wonderful things I love in a romance book: dual pov, relatable charchters, humour and the plot never dragged on and went at a perfect pace (like I couldn’t put it down!! I read up until 2am it was that addicting to read)

I personally love how the story explored how overwhelming student life can be especially of making monumental decisions of choosing which universities you want to go to, what career path to choose all whilst balancing your academic subjects and maintaining the stressful expectations of your parents (I can all say that this is a universal problem that both Bel and Teo are definitely not immune to)

A quote to really summarise the trope of this book as said by the most loveable character, Jamie ‘enemies to academic colleagues to lovers’ so fans of the love hypothesis would just love this.


Okay now onto the big spoilers:

The thing that made this book quite different from others is that you didn’t have to suspend your disbelief, usually when I read YA contemporary romance book I sometimes just ponder how a series of events a character would go through is even possible, but this book maintains it’s funny and entertaining side; all things a fictional book should posses but also makes sure to have some realism in the plot.

This is shown when Bel applied to MIT, and unfortunately did not get in (which would have been the expected ending, I mean come on has anyone seen the kissing booth we’re used to fictional characters succeeding at extremely difficult things that people in the real world would have worked tirelessly over years for.) It made sense and is realistic that regardless of her being the main character, she did apply super late and was really only interested in MIT cause that would benefit her romantic relationship, so it wouldn’t have even been a fulfilling ending for Bel.

Her rejection acted as a great a conflict that allowed her character to grow and also strengthened the relationships around her.

Overall, a fantastic read that was entertaining, relatable and a plot that made sure not to suspend our disbelief so high that you would need one of those space telescopes to see it.

My Mechanical Romance is one of those books that I would still buy even after having already read it. YA romance isn't my go-to genre and I admit I'm just exploring it but I couldn't be more glad that this was my first YA romance. I loved how realistic this was. It showed the struggle almost every 17/18 year old goes through very well.

The pressure teenagers feel about having a plan for the future, to live up to expectations, to figure out the confusion around what path to follow... All of this topped with the challenges that women have to face in a male-dominated field. I related a lot with the characters having myself faced some of the issues. Another reason why this book instantly earned a place in m y heart.

While in the beginning, Bel did seem like the cliché I'm not like other girls type of female lead but I loved how her personality and circumstances later explained all of that. One more thing I loved was that even the side characters had their own unique traits. Even the sort-of-antagonistic Neelam had her reasons (and pretty valid ones) for her behavior. It made the story more lovable.

All in all, I loved the story to bits. Can't wait for the book to get published so I could have a copy of it on my shelf.

Thank you Netgalley and Holiday House for the ARC.

This is a cute read. The writing is light and easy to consume, and the pacing is pretty good and consistent for the most of the book, only speeding up near the end.
I liked the dynamics between the characters, though I didn't quite connect to them. I found that a lot was kinda convenient for the characters. Also, it might be just a pet peeve of mine when the main character is great at everything and is clueless about it at the same time. I didn't like that bit.
However, the book is fun and enjoyable. It wasn't the greatest choice for me but I think that other readers will love it.

My Mechanical Romance (I love the play on MCR) follows Bel who has just transferred to a new high school after some family changes, and after her teacher encourages her to try out for the robotics team (to ensure that she is given more than a C on one of her assignments) she finds herself wrapped up in the world of robot battling, and under the scrutiny of robotics leader Teo. This sharply funny, academic rivals to lovers romance explores both the challenges girls of colour face in STEM and the vulnerability of first love with unfailing wit and honesty.

I love the found family and friendships throughout the book, and they way that they all developed so well, and the robotics team were such a lovely group that I honestly just want to join now! I loved Bel and Jamie’s friendship and the way it changed from Jamie just being a transfer friend to one of Bel’s best friends and amazing supporter. The easy banter they both shared was brilliant, and I love the way that the book sometimes wall breaks, such as with Jamie mentioning that she completely ships Teo and Bel and loves how they are enemies to lovers.

4.5
I really enjoyed the multiple perspective throughout the boo, flitting between Bel’s and Teo’s perspectives, it really gave them both more depth and help develop their relationship better too as you were able to see both characters thought and feelings, and I loved the slow burn between the two of them, I like Jamie completely shipped them too! There were so many moments that were just heartfelt and cute, such as their first kiss, I could easily see this book as a YA TV adaptation, and I would be completely down to watch that!

I love that the book approaches some of the challenges that must young people face in high school, that at the age of 17/18 they are expected to know what they want to do with their life, and adults all seem to be obsessed with whether they have completed college applications or have chosen a subject to study further, and it was refreshing to see characters such as Bel and Luke who were completely honest with the fact that they did not have plans for their future, they still weren’t ready, and I like the fact that the book showed that this is okay, you do not have to have a life plan at that age. Plus, the diversity in this book is fantastic and explores the challenges that girls of colour face within the STEM community.

My only negative about the book is that there is a lot of sexism and stereotypical behaviour that females should not be in the robotics department/business, and whilst characters such as Neelam did call out certain other characters for these views I feel more could have been approached on this. Other than that, the book is so beautifully written, I adore all the characters (even those who were questionable at times such as Neelam and Mac) and feel that they were all written superbly, there was a lot of emotion in this book there were times I laughed aloud (“You two are about as subtle as a brick through a window. And in this case the window is my eyes) as well as “aww” moments and times that I genuinely felt angry and sorry for Bel.

This is definitely a lovely high school academic romance that is engrossing and completely adorable, and it does its best to prove that not just jocks are the winners of high school, I mean as the book states “nerds are so hot”

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

This was a sweet YA romance in a STEM setting. It had a diverse cast (which is so great to see in YA) and I really enjoyed the push to highlight how male privilege significantly impacts women in STEM.

I confess that I got a little lost with the robotics (I found it hard to visualise what the bots looked like), but I loved how the author didn’t skimp on the science.

A few things felt a little undercooked, which is why I’m sitting on 3 stars:
- There were some interesting storylines with the parents that felt unresolved
- The complication in the romance felt like it was simultaneously not a big deal and a huge deal. Bel seemed to get over it super quickly with not much reflection?
- I wanted more time with the characters together!

In short: as a 33 year old reading YA, I thought it was fab - and will hopefully serve as inspiration for lots of young girls who love physics and science!

This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review

The first thing I loved about this store was the double point of view from both of the main characters.

Bel is a bright student who has an eye for designing things and seeing the faults in designs before anyone does. There's just one problem, she's not sure about heat she wants to do with her life. So when her teacher sends her to try out for the robotics team, she takes up the challenge nonchalantly.

Teo Luna, captain of the soccer team and robotics team. His the son of a tech company ceo, and a former supermodel. He's the one student everyone has a secret crush on. He's brilliant, he's a born leader, and he hates failing.

Bel and Teo meet and these two polar opposites will have to learn to coexist around each other. Bel will have to learn what it means to be a team player and Teo will learn he alone can't run the whole schematics of the robotics team.

This book has so much reliability for any high school student who picks it up. It shares its focus on the characters, what they love the most, their personal struggles, their friendships, fears of becoming adults, family and societal expectations. Its the perfect coming of age book for any nerd student. Because guess what, Nerds are Hot.

There wasn't some cheesy miscommunication trope to set the bar for the conflict. Rather, there were valid concerns a young adult would have. Like experiencing life on a different spectrum from everyone else. Learning that your friends would most like leave you behind, and you'll have to learn to make new friends when you get into university.

There's also some heavy science work that I lived it so much. It rattled my brain, bringing back memories of me working in my physics lab building different projects.

I think every STEM Romance enthusiast should read this one. It's slow burn, set at a good pace, lovable characters, beautiful plot that doesn't seem too complex but real because it's something kids experience. It's safe to say I loved every 272 page of this book, and I'm glad I got to read it.

This book was such a nice surprise ! The romance was adorable, and i am obsessed ! I loved the main characters and the dual pov. The background story was also super interesting and it was so nice to see representation for girls in science. My only complaint is that it felt a tiny bit too short, especially towards the end. I would have liked to see things take a bit more time to resolve. But overall, it was a very cute lighthearted read. And very well written too !! Can’t wait to see more by this author.

4 💫
The cover, the title, women of colour in STEM? Academic rivals-to-lovers? 💳💥💳💥 Take my bloody money!

This was such an adorable, easy read. Love the rivals to lovers trope. Such a great young adult romantic comedy. The banter, the humour, it was everything.

My Mechanical Romance follows Bel, who joins the robotics team at her new school. As she meets Mateo ‘Teo’, as they spend more time together with after school work, they realise they have a lot more in common and really help each other grow.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Holiday House for the digital ARC 😊

Review was also posted to Goodreads and Instagram Bookstagram account both on the 5th March 2022

My Mechanical Romance is about Bel, a reluctant high school robotics engineer who struggles to find herself; while pushing through the gender barriers that exist for women in STEM. This book did a great job of digging deeper into the why of the characters' behaviors. Another fantastic thing about this book is the representation! The main characters were from diverse backgrounds and Yiddish, Tagalog and Spanish words were included. I couldn't put this book down, it was witty and from the heart. I loved it.