My Mechanical Romance was a cute, fun read! I really enjoyed the enemies to lovers premise. It was the perfect read for any teenager and I enjoyed reading it myself even as an adult. Both of the main characters were very believable and were fun to follow. They both faced real world struggles that a normal teenager today would face themselves such as dealing with perfectionism, confidence, divorced parents and finding yourself. Of course, to top it all off I loved that it also promoted woman in STEM! I would love to put this book in my classroom for my own students.

On a random side note, I also really appreciated the way both of the teachers were portrayed in this book. While their relationship with them was not always perfect, I liked the fact that both of the main characters were comfortable talking to their teachers and in Ms. Voss's case she became an ally to help lead Bel towards things that she thought she would be passionate about and enjoy. I found it refreshing versus a lot of teen novels that make a teacher a villain or someone to dislike.

This book had me smiling so hard! It was such a fun read that made me never wanna out it down! I loved how it was enemies to friends to lovers! Their story development was so natural and easy! I never thought robots could be so cool! The ending was realistic and wasn’t trying to be too perfect!

A swoon-worthy YA STEM romance perfect for those who love the opposites attract trope.
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Bel hates thinking about the future, but as a senior she can’t avoid it much longer. All Teo does is think about the future, but the thing he loves to do most is hang with his friends at robotics club. When Bel is voluntold to try out for the robotics team, her natural skill for engineering starts to come out. Teo and Bel are very different people, but spending time in robotics club brings them closer together.
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I adore books that deal with issues girls face, particularly those in male-dominated fields like engineering and STEM. This novel tackled that, plus feminism, race and more and I was here for it! This is a great title to add to any middle or high school collection!

CW: racism, infidelity, vomiting, illness

I absolutely enjoyed Alexene Farol Follmuth's YA debut about enemies to lovers in STEM. It was refreshing to read and inspiring to read about a young woman of color in STEM. Bel is a new student at her school and to an extent feels like she is out of place in the advanced courses she is being pushed to take. Her POV of the book even begins with her comparing how big a difference all of this is from her old school. As she eases into AP Physics and the robotics team, Bel learns a lot about the field and about Teo, who she ultimately ends up falling in love with. Teo's POV is also written into the story and we get a sense of his struggles as well. Overall, it was an enjoyable read and I would highly recommend it.

Loveley and empowering, this STEM oriented YA romance deals with the systematic problems a girl like our heroine faces when joining a men dominated feild. Bel, the heroine, has a talent for design and good engeneering skills, but she doesn.t have the nessesary background and eductation to comunicate her ideas. When she first joins the robotics team, she is not exactly welcomed and embraced until the captain of the team, Theo Luna, takes a better notice of her. But while I understood the difficulty of breaking into a boy's club, I did not understand the hostility of Neelam, the only other girl doing robotics in the club.
Both Bel and Theo deal with emotional baggage and family pressures. Bel had to change school because of her parents' divorce and she feels she must choose sides. While Theo faces a cold overacheiving father who drives him hard. Theo's character isn't as cool as Bel's, he is has everything going for him and his main trouble is being to involved and controlling.
There is nice effortless represntation in the book, and the so called "nerdy" characters were well fleshed out and not the sterotypical geeks. And though it was a bit didactic, I can wholeheartedly recommend the story. Plus it was preaching to the choir as far as feminism and girls in STEM go.
A huge thank you to publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of My Mechanical Romance by in exchange for an honest review.

In many ways this book brought me back to my days of doing college applications and I kind of have a weird nostalgia for that time my life. I thought this was fun and I really liked hot explored woman of color in STEM. Well done!

A fun rom com read that was a nice, easy flow storyline with some good laughs thrown in. The pairing was sweet with just that side of sass and ofcourse who doesn't love robots

A Bel trocou de escola no último ano do ensino médio e não faz ideia alguma do que fazer quando se formar, não sabe se deve fazer faculdade e se escolher esse lado nem sabe qual área deveria escolher, mas uma professora da nova escola parece ver os tico e teco trabalhando na cabeça da menina e a encaminha para a turma de robótica da escola.
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É lá que ela acaba se encontrando, tendo um olho bom para o mecanismo das coisas, assim ela acaba batendo de frente com Teo, que só vem acumulando coisas nas costas nesse último ano escolar.
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My Mechanical Romance trabalha bem com a questão de coming-of-age (histórias de amadurecimento), por ser um romancinho que se passa no último ano do ensino médio americano, em que seguindo os pontos de vista da Bel e do Teo, vemos eles lidando com seus hobbies, amores e as grandes decisões que ocorrem nessa época da vida.
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A Bel é meio de família filipina e o Teo é meio de família latina, e enquanto temos uns costumes aqui e acolá da herança da Bel, esse ponto é pouco trabalhado nos pontos de vistas do Teo.
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Uma curiosidade dessa autora é que ela escreve histórias de fantasia para o público adulto sob o pseudônimo de Olivie Blake, e o seu maior sucesso é o The Atlas Six (que chega em breve pela Intrínseca), um livro dark academia que fez sucesso no TikTok.

This was a really cute Academic rivals to lovers type book and I really loved all the characters! It was a pretty easy read and I really loved how uniquely relatable the main character Bel was and how it had a touch of girl power in STEM Vibe ♥️

This is a cute YA romance about two young and clever people in their senior year.

Bel moved out because of her parents separation and starts her last high school year in a new place. After forgetting to do an assignment, she is forced to get into the robotic team by her professor who sees her potential.

Teo is an A+ student. Brilliant, rich and pretty. He’s a leader and everyone counts on him but do they really know him ?

I enjoyed reading both points of view.

Though, some part of the plot and their relationship were a bit too cliché and cringe (in my opinion). It was a bit disappointing knowing this book was written by Olivie Blake (The Atlas Six).

However, it was a quick read and it dealt with really interesting and important topics such as women in STEM, parental pressure and the fear of failure.

It brought back a few memories of me at their age and I probably would have liked to read about these topics.

thank you so much netgalley and holiday house for providing me with this arc. this book was everything i expected it to be and more! It was so wholesome and adorable. i love the women in STEM trope and academic rivals to lovers. I also loved that the main female character was a swiftie. this was such a good read and i got attached to the book and it's characters very quickly.

Such an adorable story! I loved the character of Bel and I’m loving all of these new stories of women in STEM. I also appreciated the character development. So good!

This was a sweet YA and I think a lot my students would enjoy it. I liked the STEM aspect of it - its like Ali Hazelwood books for younger teens.

Very different from Olivie Blake's previous books, My Mechanical Romance is a fun, cute, lighthearted ya that focuses on women in stem and teenagers unsure on their future, this book is perfect for a young audience.

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

I thought this book was very cute, but I didn’t fall in love with the story like I was hoping that I would. This book is about a high school robotics team. Mel is a senior and is new to the school due to her parents divorce. Mel ends up unexpectedly joining the robotics team. This is where she meets Teo, who has always been into robotics and has always wanted to study STEM. This book is dual POV, which I love. Throughout the book, Mel discovers her love for robotics and STEM. Mel and Teo’s relationship also starts to grow, which I adored. .

Special thanks to Holiday House and NetGalley for allowing me access to a digital copy of an ARC for a honest review

if you want fluff, cute high school romance, a bunch of nerds, and the main character being a very empowered woman who wants to get into STEM, this is for you

I ate this up!!! took me 3hrs and wow it has been a while since I last read a romance book. tbh it took me months to read this bc the start was a bit rocky for me but yay I'm glad i pushed through

the plot was so cute and relatable as a STEM girl and as somebody who was unsure about life after high school. there are a lot of cute moments. Lord, I see the things you do for others. The dynamics were nice, the friendships, the family, the stem life. pretty great. also v feminist and cute bc yes girls go crush the male ego

But we need to talk about Bel!!! I love her and I saw myself in her as a woman in STEM and as a Filipino. and that was so nice because the Filipino rep was pretty accurate and it was really part of the story. It didn't feel like a personality people add as an afterthought but a culture incorporated into the family and how Bel behaves.

Overall, 4/5

Right up front, this gets three stars from me. It was well written but I have a couple issues personally. High Schoolers who are super competitive is something that always makes me a little uncomfortable because as someone who was one of those super competitive kids, all it got me later on was burnout. Also someone who seems to be a "natural/born this way genius" is also a little hard to get behind. At least that's just me.

But seeing women in STEM and the things they face being represented this way was good. Women belong in STEM but it's male dominated and causes a lot of unnecessary problems because of that.

It's a bit slow burn and kind of hard to get into but, I've read worse.

Honestly, kind of middle of the road for me.

Three (3) stars.

I received this eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to them and the publisher.

Thank you Netgalley, Holiday House and Alexene Farol Follmuth for providing me this ARC.

With the help of a dual pov, a rival to friends to lovers trope and an excellent and very much needed message for anyone really, the author has charmed many readers, including me.

I barely have any words to express how amazing this book was. And I have to be honest, the first 20-ish pages didn't really did it for me, but thank god that i came back to it because now I can't stop thinking about this story.

We meet Bel Maier, a 19-year-old girl who just changed schools and has no idea what she wants to do with her life -which is such a mood-. With the recommendation of her teacher Ms. Voss, she is translated to an AP Physics class (do not ask me what that is I am an arts girl), and there she will meet our other main character, Teo. Personally, Bel was one of my fav characters for how relatable she is and how easily you could understand her actions and beliefs. Her "weird/quirky" personality was one of the biggest surprises she is such a dork and thats a big reason why i adored her so much -just want to hear her talk for hours-. Her outfits and accesories have so much importance to who she is, there is one symbol which I still do not know if it was written with the intention I think it was, but has such a beautiful meaning throughout the book.

Mateo Luna at first -at least for me- seemed like such an idiot who just looked out for himself -which is not completely a lie, but he does have his reasons-. However, he has such a great character development, and as we get to know him we -and himself really- understand more and more why he acts the way he does, with the help of Bel he finds his original and natural self among all the expectations and titles people put on him. Honestly, I ended up loving him and CRYING because of him -in the good way- so y'all can imagine that it gets better.

The other characters are not given such a big importance but even then you can see the influence they have in the life of our main babies, and I honestly love the little found family they created. Neelam has a huge impact in Bel's life and I loved the way they grown liking one another.

Women in STEM is a plot device that I keep coming back to lately and even when I do not understand a single shit about what was happening in these classes and competitions but the author made me want to know what was going on there and it actually gives you necessary information so you don't get lost along the way and keep you interested in the matter. I never knew I would find robots so interesting not even going to lie to you.

As I mentioned before, the hopeful message this story gives is so needed, for teenagers that are about to get into university and even for those like us who are already in but we feel like we don't belong. This book personally attacked me and made me cry several times but it was totally worth it.

I am so grateful to the author for writing this and I recommend everyone to give it a try, but I think it could hold a huge significance for girls who are very much lost in life as many are. We are important, we belong in any place we want to, and we are worth so much. I really hope each and every one of you know this. <3

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

My Mechanical Romance is a book that has cute romance, robots, and hot nerds, what more could you ask for?

We follow Bel Maier, the new student at Essex Academy for Art, Science, and Technology. There are 2 things you should know about her. 1.) She’d rather not think much about her future. 2.) She’s practically a genius at building things. Being a woman in STEM, a field that is commonly dominated by boys, you can tell she doesn’t have it easy. Between finding and trying to prove herself, and on top of that, figuring out where she’s headed, Bel has more than enough stuff in her hands.

Enters Mateo Luna, the captain of the robotics club, who happened to notice Bel and her potential. Teo has it all, privileged enough to have it all (being born with the male genital helps too).

“The world is not very helpful to a smart girl.”

First of all, let me just say how I absolutely ADORE this book. It made me think, it made me feel things. The characters aren’t just plain and one dimensional (like so many other books are, sometimes it’s not bad but most of the time it’s not particularly good), it’s one of the many things I love about Olivie (Alexene)’s writing, her characters have depth, and no one is necessarily a good or a bad person.

Like how Bel and Teo are written in a way that just makes you empathize with both of them, even when they’re not on the same side sometimes. Their relationship shows how credulous young love could be, but also how fulfilling it could make you feel.

This book does a good job in showing how women in STEM are treated, it’s so realistic that it made ME really mad at some scenes. It’s the type of ‘looking down on’ that is subtle and some can even pass it off as ‘normal’ when it shouldn’t be. It is commonly known that men have an advantage in like— a lot of stuff, and it’s frustrating how so many people can’t see it or how many people are condoning it.

There are topics that are handled that I think Alexene/Olivie did a really good job at portraying. It was relatable, and you couldn’t really blame anyone for their actions. This is one of those books that don’t actually have a “villain” villain, at most, you could say the villain is society or something.

Bel struggles with choosing her path, and she has the right to do so. I, for one, know what it feels like to be pressured to choose something at such a young age, and being sure and unsure is constantly in my head. Meanwhile Mateo is the opposite, he knows what he wants, and he does a lot to be considered exceptional. The pressure the people around you put on you and the pressure you put on yourself weighs a lot.

Together, they made the journey and development worth the read.

Oh also let me note how I love how it subtly showed Teo’s interest in Bel with him taking note of little things about her <3 and their little rivalry. I wouldn’t say they were academic rivals to lovers but they’re definitely academically gifted and hot.

“Nerds are hot now, sweetie.”

I read it so fast that I didn’t even realize it was just supposed to be a short read until I’ve gone 4 hours non-stop reading it and was already over half finished with the book. Like, I want more! It truly stole my heart. I'd recommend this to everyone who wants a cute, diverse, and fun robotics circled read that just makes your heart burst out of giddiness. Hoping for more YA books from Olivie!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4705594909

Thanks Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for letting me read this book as an e-arc.

I love this book. Bel’s character, omfg I love her. Women in STEM? sign me uppp. Even since I was little I only literally knew STEM, always wanted to be in STEM. This book is probably my new favorite book of all time. Especially when it had Filipino rep too. I love everything about this book. I don’t know I have nothing to say, I’m quite literally speechless. Finished it in less than 12 hours. My Goodness, I really love this book, I want to have a physical copy. WAIT I FORGOT ABOUT TEO, we cannot not talk about Teo, gave me butterflies throughout the whole book, like I want to throw up and I’m not complaining about it. Nerds are definitely hot