I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Bel joins her school’s robotics club and soon finds herself at odds with the talented Teo Luna. Their rivalry soon develops into something more.

My Mechanical Romance is a cute STEM themed YA romance. I appreciate that the author wrote realistic situations into the plot - college application anxiety, not getting into the 1st choice of schools, changing academic interests. I like that while the storyline did have romance in it, it was also focused on Bel’s personal growth.

I have no words to describe how good this was. I have read previous books by this author (under olivie blake) so i knew i would like the writing style BUT THE STORY?? it was so cute. literally the perfect ya romance. i loved teo and bel they were the cutest. AND THAT ENDING?? it was actually perfect. i could cry right now.

i just finished reading so im still on that reader high but anyway I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THIS. I LOVE LOVE.

This is an ownvoices novel about biracial teenagers building robots! WHAT IS NOT TO LOVE!

I knew this was going to be good when I realized it’s Olivie Blake- but I had no idea what a RomCom by the author of The Atlas Six was going to look like. It turns out, it was hilarious & beautiful & perfectly captured the feeling of having a crush… WHILE BUILDING BATTLE ROBOTS. I love nerd love & I’m so happy to be seeing more books about girls in stem- there’s so much joy to be found in books that include positive representation.

Thank you so much netgalley & holiday house books for the eArc!

This is the STEM ya romance I would have loved to have read when I was in high school. This book is gonna mean so much to a lot of younger readers, especially girls who want to go into mechanical engineering and robotics. It tackles the issues of gatekeeping, microagressions, sexism, misogyny, and imposter syndrome, but it left me feeling so freaking hopeful. Hopeful that the younger generations will not face the same amount of gatekeeping and will know what it means to keep going in spite of that negativity.

Teo and Bel are so wholesome in this. Teo has his moments where you wanna shake his shoulders and say “how do you not see the differences?!” But I liked that he came to view the obstacles Bel faced in a different light as the book went on; it felt much more authentic that way. MMR also depicted strong, smart women but in various forms! Neelam really grew on me and Jamie and Lora were such supportive friends. Also, I loved the depiction of just how hard high school students work. This book is not spicy (obviously, because it’s YA) but it was really, really sweet! The epilogue chapter was amazing and had me tearing up 😭

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an advanced digital copy!

4.5

I’ve read a few books under Alexene Farol Follmuth’s pen name, Olivie Blake and have enjoyed them so much it was a no-brainer to pick this up.

I found both Bel and Teo so interesting and relatable - I love them so much! The tension, the banter, the little details they remembered about each other AHHHHH it was such a delight to read. I dont think it was quite the academic rivals trope i was expecting but it truly felt a lot more natural than a lot of other romcoms!

The side characters were also great! They felt familiar and endearing if that makes sense. Alexene really really fleshed them out and made them distinct and lovable. I love the friendships in this book and how supportive they are of each other,

I love that this books shows the struggles of being a woman in a male-dominated field. How hard it is to be taken seriously, how male colleagues will think you’re not good/smart enough and that you’re annoying if you do speak up, as well as how underestimated women are. It also did great on sexism, privilege, and family struggles! Also on being uncertain with your future. While this book touched on important topics, I also loved how it was still light-hearted and cute.

The Filipino rep in this book is unlike any I’ve seen before. I haven’t had the chance to see my culture represented in books but this one was such a great start. Although it wasn’t a lot, it was a lot more than other authors that just establish their characters having a certain heritage and not expounding on it. I truly commend Farol Follmuth for this! It made me feel seen being a Filipina living in North America.

I’ll definitely buy a copy of this once it comes out!

My mechanical heart has WoC in stem, a Jewish love interest and academic rivals to lovers. This was written by the same author of the atlas six just under a different pen name. I liked this a lot better than the atlas six! If you’re looking for a YA version of the love hypothesis, you’ll enjoy this! It was a cute read while also tackling important issues like misogyny. I related a lot to Bel, feeling stuck between divorced parents and really stressed out by college applications. I really liked her supportive brothers, friends and teacher though. This book is not even 300 pages but did not feel too short.

A solid 3.5 ⭐ It was bit surprising to realize this shares an author with The Atlas Six, but it makes sense if you squint at the tropes (if not themes). Though the two POVs in My Mechanical Romance are set up to seem like polar opposites, personality and background-wise - Bel's steadily oddball remarks, relentless tinkering and penchant for spontaneously stumbling into things makes her the perfect antithesis to Teo's regimen of plans, privilege and perfectionism - there's a bunch that's relatable about them both, and their alternating accounts matched up so well that it overwrote some of the book's minor problems.

Bel may start off as an outsider in their science-oriented private school's robotics squad until she's taken under Teo's reluctant wing (this review warrants a minimum of one bird pun, please), but she winds up pulling more than her weight on the team after a rocky welcome rich in unpleasant prejudices and boatloads of patronization. Her stressors as a relatively aimless senior stranded in the mostly all-boy's world of high-school robotics are almost on par as the sky-high standards and relentless pressure that popular boy mechanics prodigy Mr. Always-Ready-To-Step-Up-To-The-Plate is under. They turn out to be more twin souls that they think, and the budding romance between them is realistically sweet off the bat; the academic-rivalry-to-being-in-a-relationship pipeline is pretty much always a sure thing. that, and thankfully the third-act setback typical of romance books is resolved without being too overworked.

Though it plays into stereotypes at multiple points (these are particularly rife among their respective parents, siblings and school peers), My Mechanical Romance (also, serious props for that title!) packs a powerful punch in its razor-sharp rebuke of sexist biases and the space women should take up in STEM overall, while also staying optimistic and above petty revenge whimsies.

Thank you to NetGalley and Holiday House for kindly passing on this ARC! 💫

Thank you, Holiday House, for allowing me to read My Mechanical Romance early!

I requested this title principally for two reasons: firstly, the cover is to die for; secondly, Alexene Farol Follmuth is Olivie Blake's alter ego and I want to read everything that mind comes up with. I really enjoyed reading this book, but I didn't expect any less from the author. It was fun and quirky and romantic and I loved it.

I'm a total sucker for nerd love and girls/women in STEM, and absolutely LOOOOVED My Mechanical Romance. I honestly wasn't sure what to expect from Alexene Farol Follmuth (aka Olivie Blake) given that this is VASTLY different from The Atlas Six, but this was phenomenal!

Bel and Teo were adorable. I loved the academic rivalry between the two of them and that Bel refused to be cowed by Teo Luna just because of who he was/who is father was... The pair work well together, and I loved that they were able to help each other grow and step into their full potential in robotics (and personally).

Also the representation of not only being a girl in STEM but also a woman of color was *chefs kiss*. Love to see it, loooove to see it!

Cute, enemies to lovers STEM focused high school romance that takes place in…robotics club!

Not a plot point I would have imagined, but it worked for Bel and Teo.

4,5 stars (swipe for a synopsis)
i picked this up when no other book seemed to be right for me and "my mechanical romance" was just what i needed; i couldn't put it down at all. i loved both bel, the main character, and teo, her love interest, so much! i related to both of them and even when i didn't, their struggles of being a girl in a male-dominated field and not being good enough were so understandable and seriously broke my heart. so, while this book touched on a lot of important topics, it was still light-hearted and cute and romantic. the stem part was so interesting and while i didn't understand all of it, i absolutely adored it. another thing i loved were the side characters: they felt like people and especially the stem team made me laugh a lot!!! i recommend this to everyone, especially to people looking for a more fluffy but interesting rom-com book (a lot of rom-coms are kind of boring to me, at least to some extent, but this book wasn't at all :) )

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

“Birds of a feather, right?”

This past week has been one of the worst of my life, and thank GOD for this book because it’s just what I needed. Enemies to lovers? Check. Quality banter? Check. Adorable protagonists that had me smiling into my phone like an idiot? Check check check. (I’m in love with both Teo AND Bel, and nobody can stop me.) This book even has ROBOTS!!!

The writing was so cute and fluffy and some of these pages just made my heart swell and I HAD to bookmark them so I could come back later when I’m feeling down.

I could relate to Teo and Bel both in that I feel all of the pressure to be a fixer and be involved in literally everything like Teo (we’re even both nerdy athletes!), and I’m a woman who always felt out of place or like I had to work extra hard or have all of the natural talent in “men’s” spaces.

Reading some of the dialogue that the male characters had in this book took me back to those days when teachers would turn down my offer of help because they’d rather have some “strong boys” take care of it or when, despite me being the best performing student in STEM-based classes (math and physics - shout out - especially), people would ask male students who were underperforming for help after I had already offered. So Neelam also ended up being a character that I identified strongly with, despite being more of a Bel in real life (I, too, have no idea what the future looks like for me, but Bel Canto figured it out, so I guess I will too. Also, as a singer, if someone’s nickname for me was “beautiful song” I think I’d spontaneously combust because that’s so cute.)

Dash, Jamie, and Lora were all such a delight, and I loved reading about them, and don’t even get me STARTED on Ms. Voss because I love her too. Healthy and amazing teacher-student relationships are my jam, and even Mac started to grow on me a bit by the end.

All in all, this was just such a nice book to read, and I enjoyed every second of it (even the angst, which is very rare).

OH. MY. GOD.
I've been an Olivie Blake reader for a while now so expected a good story going into this. But let me tell you: this was one of the most feel-good, make-you-smile romances I've read in general, not just for YA. It focused on the struggles of women in STEM in a way that wasn't at all surface level, with characters that were extremely likeable, and realistic. Bel and Teo's dynamic was so fun to read, and the "third act breakup" that all romances have to have did not at all feel forced, and neither did the inevitable HEA.
Definitely recommend for anyone wanting a feel-good romance - this book will have you grinning like an idiot.

thank you so much to netalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

5 ★

one of the easiest 5 stars i've ever given. welcome to my all-time favorites shelf.

oh my god, u guys. omfg i cant this book was so so so good.

i was giggling, swooning, smiling so hard my cheeks hurt, just never wanting this book to ever end. favorite romcom of all time, not even a question.

where do i even start..

the characters omg the characters. bel has got to be one of my favorite protagonists of all time- i just adore her personality, her eccentric little touches, how she always stood up for herself and those around her. she's also just so relatable??!? teo- god i am literally in love with him. i will cry myself to sleep every night knowing he's not real. a literal genius, star athlete, hot as hell, AND amazing personality??? he's too good to be true yall. i felt for his character so much and just jkdhgfjkag i love him.

the side characters were also incredible. it was like a little found family. the author took time to actually flesh them out and give them distinctive personalities, and i adore every single one of them. especially dash. pls this man was so funny i was actually crying from laughter. i love the friendships both bel and teo had, and this entire friend group holds such a special place in my heart.

”Hey, you still have the schematic saved on your iPad, right?”
“Yeah, it’s right, uh . . . HEY, WHERE’S MY IPAD?” bellows Dash, startling me. Teo looks used to it.
“Yo,” says a kid in my Civics class, handing the iPad to Dash from where it’s sitting on a high-top table.
“Oh cool,” says Dash happily, like he didn’t just explosively make demands on Teo’s behalf.


the romance ... im literally screaming and typing this all out with such a big smile on my face i look like an actual idiot. bel and teo had the most perfect romance. the banter, the tension, the angst, the fluff ugrhkjdghjkfd. it was such a perfect slowburn, from academic rivals-to mutual understanding-to friends-to lovers, and it was done SO WELL. it literally didn't feel forced at all: not too fast or too slow, and god the build-up was perfect, ok they were just perfect.
the way teo was so proud of her, the way he payed attention to all her little details, the way he remembered anything that made her laugh, the way this man researched and remembered taylor swift lyrics for her i cant I CANT THEY'RE SO CUTE IM LITERALLY GONNA JUMP OFF A FCKING CLIFF

Jamie: OMG THIS IS EXACTLY HOW PEOPLE FALL IN LOVE
Bel: uhhh stop
Bel: we’re friends
Jamie: FRIENDS WHO SPEND SECRET HOURS CLOISTERED IN THE ROBOTICS LAB
Bel: you watch too many hallmark movies
Bel: tell your mom she needs to stop enabling you and intervene
Jamie: SECRET!! ROBOTICS!! TUTORING!!
Jamie: this is a CLASSIC trope
Bel: this is not a classic trope


and ofc, i have to bring up all the beautiful diversity and rep the author included. both mcs are biracial, and almost all the side characters were incredibly diverse. the story actually fleshed out different cultures and traditions (the holi scene will forever be one of my favorite scenes i've ever read), while also touching on topics like sexism, privilege, family struggles, and how its okay to be uncertain about your future. also, WOC IN STEM !!!! the stem aspect, specifically engineering and physics, was so fun to read about. teo's mom is right: nerds are so fcking hot.

i flew through this book in a couple of hours, and honestly kept forcing myself to put it down bc i just never wanted it to end. the complex characters, swoony romance, hilarious banter and wit, incredible representation, and lyrical writing make this an all-time favorite, one i will never stop recommending and rereading. i cant wait till this officially releases bc i want my own copy. now.

Thank you Netgalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

*4.5 stars*

This book was so sweet! It's perfect for any fan of YA contemporary romance. It perfectly captured the feeling of being back in high school and experiencing first love. I love how it focused so much on women in STEM. It reminded me a lot of The Love Hypothesis, but set in high school instead.

I really enjoyed how this book went deeper into the struggles girls face with sexism in STEM. The female protagonist, Bel, at many times felt inferior to her male counterparts, even coming from her male teacher. It was frustrating to read at times because of that, but it is such a real issue that so many girls of any age experience.

The romance in this book was so sweet and wholesome. Bel and Teo worked really well together, and it was so obvious they both respected each other. I love the academic rivals-to-lovers trope, and I thought the author did it really well. I felt that the third act conflict was pretty realistic in regards to what seniors in high school go through towards the end of the year, and I'm glad the conflict wasn't drawn out too long. I also loved all the diversity in the characters, and how they all come from different backgrounds and cultures.

Overall, this is a super cute, low angst read that will for sure make you smile. The ending was so sweet. I'm so glad more and more authors are writing about women in STEM, and I look forward to reading more about it in the future!

*3.5/5
this book was really cute, i wasn't a big fan of the writing but there were many quotes that were just so good that i couldn't help but highlight them. the romance was cute as well, bel and teo were two complex characters. teo thinks he can fix everything himself and bel doesn't really know what she wants to do with her life. throughout the book, they both manage to figure out their flaws, not without the help of other characters. i also liked reading about neelam, who i ended up loving in the end, as she wasn't afraid to call bel out and make her realise how hard women in stem have to work in order to be taken seriously. i also really loved dash, he was funny and kind of stole the show sometimes. in general, i loved reading about nerds but i have to confess that i couldn't understand most of the mechanics/engineering/physics talk but that's on me.
overall, this was a nice, quick read and i definitely recommend it!

arc provided by netgalley and holiday house in exchange for an honest review

This was such an unexpected cute read that got me an academic rivals to lovers, read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Definitely one that will take you away, give you a good time and both relate and grow to love these two way overachievers that almost missed out on something great.
So glad I too, took a chance, dove in and had a great, heartwarming time.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Thank you NetGalley for sending me an arc if this book.
This book was amazing! If you loved the love hypothesis and are looking for a more lighthearted version of it this is the perfect book for that. The characters were very lovable and relatable. If you have watched the show trinkets on Netflix and wanted to see more of Moe and Chase, this book really reminded me of their relationship (without the love triangle). Please give this book a chance it is beautifully written and a very fun read.

(Posted on GoodReads)

THIS BOOK WAS EVERYTHING. I’ve read a lot of this author’s work under the pen name Olivie Blake and I was so excited to she what she did in the YA genre! I was not dissapointed. This book was so cute. It included so many of my favorite things: dual POVs, academic rivals to lovers, and women in STEM. I enjoyed every part of this book, especially the pacing. It was one of the few books where I did not lose any interest in the beginning of the novel. I love Teo and Bel and definitely recommend this book!

First of all, I’d like to thank NetGalley and Holiday House for the opportunity to read this early copy in exchange of an honest review.

In ‘My Mechanical Romance’ we follow Bel and Teo’s story in a dual POV book — which I don’t normally like but I guess it worked just fine here — and even though I know nothing about robotics, this one got me hooked from chapter 1. Bel and Teo are great main characters, I really liked them as individuals and it felt really good to watch them growing from the beginning to the end. YOU GO BEL! I love her development, specially.

As we go to their romance I couldn’t be more satisfied with how well the author built their relationship, they have the cutest and the funniest moments and they were so FREAKING ADORABLE THE WHOLE TIME!!! I love them *cries*

All that being said, I never expected to love this as much as I did, it’s a short book so if you’re in a reading slump or even if you’re not don’t hesitate to pick this up because you’ll not be disappointed and if you like STEM it’s a bonus! One of my best readings of the year so far.