I very much enjoyed reading Bel and Teo's story. I like that the book was dual POV, and I absolutley loved the women in STEM representation. This book is about two high school seniors just trying to figure life out. The themes of the book were so relatable to anyone that will be, is, or has been a young adult.

Y'all, I loved this book. The women in STEM rep, the diverse characters, the sarcastic dialogue, multiple Taylor Swift references - everything exceeded my expectations. I've been getting away from YA recently, but the STEM girl in me needed to read this! So glad I did. I think there are a lot of women that can relate to Bel's experience, and I hope all the actual YA aged readers pick up the book even if its outside of their interests. I loved that Bel was initially reluctant about engineering, and I think this is an aspect of the book that is incredibly relatable and can hopefully have a similar impact on readers as it did Bel.
Besides Bel's STEM journey, I loved the variety of relationships in this book - the female friendships, the uncomfortable family dynamics, the rivalries - all of these had their moment in the book and felt fully formed even with the primary focus on the romance. The best relationship was obviously the romance though. While most YA romance couples lean more towards a 'happy for now' ending, Bel and Teo's relationship felt real and the ending like a legit HEA.
Overall, this was a really fun read that I think most YA readers can enjoy!

Robotics is not my thing, but quirky and fun characters are my thing and this was that type of book. This setting is perfect, a group of kids in an exclusive club, Robotics, they are all seniors, and they are all tapping into their potential, they are adorable, funny and nerdy, the Bel and Teo are the cutest!!!! I couldn’t get enough. This book was so different to me, the lingos and women in STEM, I never read something like that, and I loved how the author puts everything in terms that anyone can understand. I cant say this enough, this book was too cute!!!!!!

From just reading its summary I undoubtedly knew that I would love this book, yet I still didn’t expect to love it as much as I did!! This book seriously had me grinning from start to end, it made me feel sooo many things. I absolutely adored the romance between Bel and Teo. As in, even though the plot and the build up were a little slow, I didn’t actually mind because all of their banter and moments together kept the story so entertaining. And aside from the romance, the general storyline and themes just felt really important, I can already tell that this book will mean something special for quite a lot of people. Just in general this was one of the cutest books i’ve ever read and the Taylor Swift references only gave it bonus points. SO SO CUTEEE !!!! Definitely a new favourite and a must read !

I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book, provided by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I'll admit upfront I had a bit of "bog down" with this book. Or at least the first half of it. I was SO EXCITED to get to read it (mostly because the play on words with My Chemical Romance *giggle*), and I do think the characters were utterly adorable, and the way Teo thought about and spoke to Bel was so charming. When he introduced his father to Bel, my chest kinda puffed a bit when he tried to defend Bel. I had all the heart eyes.

That being said, the first half of the book I had to keep pushing. There was a lot of build-up and jargon and it could get a bit tedious at times. Maybe it's because I'm no longer a teenager? I dunno. At any rate, the second half of the book was superior enough for me to elevate to 4 stars. I loved the epilogue. I think it might be my favorite part. I also liked, and this is going to sound weird, but Teo struggling with his time management. I mean, it was a learning experience, and I loved watching him learn how to be what he wanted to be.

So grateful I could read this. As a 23 year old now, I think these contemporary YAs don't feel the same that they used to, and I can't fault them for that. These characters felt juvenile (probably because they ARE!) but that took me out of the story a bit. It doesn't feel fair to review this fully when my negative opinions and feelings predominantly derive from the fact that I don't think I was the target audience for this book, and I am okay with that! I hope other readers continue to enjoy it!

My Rating: 4.5⭐
It's a big yes from me! This was a good rivals to academic colleagues to lovers romance that had me rooting for the characters. The plot was slow-paced but their friends and Bel's brother carry the story forward for the most part of the plot. I just wish Bel and Teo got together a bit sooner. Then the third act wouldn't have felt too soon and fast. Otherwise this was one perfect Summer read.

(I'm really happy that I got to read this book early. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the free eARC of the book!)

Girls in STEM and an enemies to lovers plot?! Absolutely, yes.

This was such a good read! Bel Canto is really smart but doesn’t really apply herself so when she agrees to try out for the robotics team to avoid a C on an assignment, her whole world is flipped upside down. When she makes the team it isn’t smooth sailing because Teo appears threatened by her (good) ideas and suggestions and the boys don’t truly respect the skills or opinions of the girls on the team.
Bel repeatedly proves them wrong (and so does Neelam for that matter).

Teo slowly realizes he’s been putting Bel down and learns to listen to her and work with her and their relationship blossoms and it is oh so sweet! I absolutely adored the scene at the Holi festival.

The side characters are great and added a great balance to the story : Ms. Voss, Jamie, Dash, Neelam, Lora, etc.

I’m a woman who works in STEM (logistics/SCM for me) and also owns sparkly Doc Martens, so Bel really spoke to me on an emotional level because you absolutely can be smart and also dress cool and exuberant and fun! I also understand the pushback and exhaustion that comes from having to prove your own capabilities over and over and over again.

I also loved Teo coming into his own and learning to set boundaries as his relationship with Bel blossomed. The epilogue of this book was also everything I could’ve hoped for, this book just made me so happy and I wholeheartedly agree with the authors note: NERDS ARE COOL 😎 ❤️🥰.

Five stars!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Holiday House for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars ⭐️
thank you netgalley for the arc!

As an engineering student, I loved understanding every physics and CAD reference. Their relationship was very adorable, and I loved how the story tackles the bad side of being a woman in STEM: men acting like they run the whole thing when they don't.

I wish Mateo had told his father to back off a little bit though, I feel like he never got to set boundaries with him. Bel's relationship with her parents didn't actually change at all either, I would have liked to see her have a talk with both of them and telling them that she wasn't going to choose any sides.

Also, I would have liked this book better if it was situated in college instead of highschool but that's just my personal preference. It was still very enjoyable!

This was a fun and enjoyable story centered on a teenage girl entering the STEM field and dealing with issues that most other women in STEM deal with daily, like guys giving them dirty looks, being sidelined, and being underestimated. And also dealt with the experience of how someone may feel overwhelmed because they are starting down a career path "late". There were many real moments in this book and I'm sure it can inspire a lot of women in the STEM field or contemplating pursuing something there or just in general.

Bel was sort of a passive main character at the start but I enjoyed seeing her progress and become so much more animated and get excited enough to put the effort in and actually plan something for her future. She clearly had the skills and natural aptitude for engineering. I was rooting for her to find her confidence and chase after her future in engineering. Bel had a unique personality and I loved that she spoke her mind a lot more as the story progressed. Now for Teo, came off as a bit of a jerk in the beginning but he just didn't know how to communicate right with Bel. But I think after Bel told him what's up, he became more conscious of his actions and words and he became the sweetest cinnamon roll. I loved them both so much together and as separate entities..They went from awkward friends to lovers and gosh, I loved it so much. Their relationship was sweet and wholesome. And all that nerd trash talk was hilariously adorable.

The cast of characters was fabulous too. I loved how diverse it was. Bel's besties Jamie and Lora, Dash, Ms. Voss, and Luke were my highlights from the secondary characters. I didn't like Mac (and other sexist boys). He was sexist but that does happen. I wished he actually apologized, but I guess he'd have to be aware and acknowledge that he was sexist. I'm petty like that. I'd hold a little grudge if I was Bel. Neelam, I understood her background and that she has a stand-offish personality. She didn't quite get along with anyone and that's okay. It happens in life. However, I felt she was unnecessarily *too* vicious to Bel. Did Bel owe her money or something? Take her first-born robot? No. Neelam's truth bombs were correct, however, didn't her bullying perpetuate the thing guys do to girls in the STEM field? I think Bel got enough of that from the misogynists. Neelam was acting just like the guys she hates toward Bel cause she had some luck and walked right in. She doesn't need to be a ray of sunshine though, but sometimes it was too far.

Onto the plot! The plot was cute. Sometimes a little slow at the beginning but it definitely picked up and got super enjoyable as Bel and Teo opened up. They learned a lot from each other. And I was here for it! I loved the ending. I thought it was sweet and perfect. I liked that the romance wasn't slathered on thick for a high school romance. It focused on the heroine finding her calling in the STEM field and navigating a whole new world to her. The romance was there, but it wasn't the forefront/main focus. It was just the right about of cute nerdy things and sweetness. I'll miss them. Their sweetness holds a special place in my heart.

This adorable YA romance is a must read for every woman in STEM or in typically male-dominated fields or want to go into any of these fields!

We meet Bel, a senior high school student, who’s new to a private school full of extracurriculars geared toward getting into the Ivy Leagues with no direction for college herself. In comes a science teacher that sees something in Bel and voluntells her to join the robotics club. Bel is hesitant to say the least…

Then comes Tao, the captain of both the soccer team and the robotics club who has the weight of the world on his shoulders as he tries to manage everything to get into MIT early admission. These two definitely clash at first but eventually come to a truce and become friends and maybe even more…

This story was so adorable and more than just a YA romance as the author addresses the struggle that comes with being a woman on STEM including topics like sexism and elitism. I highly highly recommend picking up this book when it releases at the end of this month!

Thanks to NetGalley and Holiday House for this ARC!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

My Mechanical Romance

by Alexene Farol Follmuth

Pub Date: 31 May 2022

I admit this book was so much more than I was expecting! Yes, there is a cute, sweet, enemies to love story that I adored, but it goes beyond. This is also a book on finding yourself. There is also a storyline about family relationships. The struggle Bel is going through with her parents' divorce, the betrayal of the dad, and finding a balance of still loving him, but feeling guilty she will hurt her mom because of it. It was so real! Teo also has family issues, the pressure of perfection placed on him, but also a disconnect because his parents don't truly "parent" him in a traditional sense. There are two teachers who have a strong effect on Bel: one who caters to boys and puts limitations on the female students and the other (everyone needs a teacher like her!!) who is so supportive and sees Bel's potential and nurtures it fully. Throw in some science/STEM/ and cutthroat robotic competition. This book had a little bit of everything but didn't lose any focus. I would get so frustrated for Bel when she had so many (boys, engineering teacher, Neelam the other girl on the robotics team!) all putting her on the backburner, limiting her potential and just giving her grief simply because she was a girl! The ending was perfection...
Highly recommend! 4.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. This was such a wholesome read. An enemies to lovers, stem and also POC representation!! I loved it. The characters were amazing. I felt that this book delved more deeper into the characters then their romance per say. Which is not a bad this, it’s great. Bel trying to find who she really is in a changing world. Overall, this book was amazing. The plot was great, the characters were great. This is a well written book.

My Mechanical Romance is a delightful YA rom-com that works for me on almost every level. It follows Bel and Teo, two high school seniors who are in the robotics club together. Teo has been involved in the club for a while, and practically runs it, while Bel is new to the club and challenges everything he thought he knew. This is barely a rivals to lovers story, but it is still so sweet. These two balance each other perfectly and make each other better all the time. Teo especially sees some major growth and gains a ton of empathy for the women he works with.

Besides the romance, this book has a super fun and nerdy friend group, interesting family dynamics, and some slight feminist undertones. Arguably the most interesting and easy to root for character is Neelam, Teo's nemesis. Neelam is smart and tough, hardened after years of being seen as lesser because she is a woman in a field mainly made up of boys. Every character learns from her, and she never compromises her ideals to do this. The rest of the side characters are fun too. Bel's best friends are sweet and smart, and Teo's is a giant dork who has a few touching moments of his own. Overall, this cast is fun to follow and all bring something different to the table.

I'm rating this 4.5 stars. I got a little bored of the physics stuff at times, but the characters always brought me back. I can't wait for YA contemporary from this author and am almost tempted to read The Atlas Six. What a delightful surprise!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC of My Mechanical Romance.

A casual and compelling look at being a teenager and the myriad expectations that come along with that.

Bel transfers into a new school after her parents' divorce, and at the prompting of a concerned teacher, she joins the robotics club... only to face the ingrained structure under team leader Teo and his somewhat sexist sycophants, along with vitriol from the only other girl on the team. Teo is intrigued by Bel but resistant to incorporate her new ideas. Will their rivalry evolve to friendship? Who can say!

Overall, I'm enjoying this one (about 50% of the way through). It's somewhat slow to get off the ground, and the eARC formatting has some challenges that detract from the reading experience, i.e. multiple characters having dialogue in the same paragraph. I'm sure (I would hope!) this gets fixed before publication. There are some petty details about the writing style that aren't my favorite but probably wouldn't bother other readers.

I was recommended this book by a friend, and I absolutely loved it! The representation of women in STEM was perfectly done, and I cannot believe how fast I read this. Originally, I thought I would read this in about three days as that is my average time. I got so hooked that I ended up finishing it the second night, staying up until 4 AM for this magnificent read. The romance had its ups and downs, and it had the perfect amount of realism. I especially loved Jamie, as she was basically myself as an outside perspective into the romance. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book!

“𝙄’𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙖 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨, 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙡𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙮, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨.”

I DEVOURED this book & loved it so much! I cried when I reached the ending 😭🫶🏼
The plot was about teenage love, the gossamer of youth’s dreams, and most importantly WOMEN IN STEM!

Bel & Teo’s journey from being academic rivals to colleagues to friends to LOVERS was so wholesome! They both accepted each other’s foibles while at the same time pushing each other to be the best version of themselves 🥺❤️

The side characters were awesome too & I loved the robot battle tournaments 🤖
The story brought a lot of attention to how it’s difficult for women in STEM. Women don’t have it easy in any field but more so in STEM.

The ending was perfect & I FREAKING loved the moments in the robot matches when I nearly lost my breath but GOD it was so worth it! The thrill of it!

Thank you NetGalley & Holiday House Books for the e-ARC in return for an honest review!

I absolutely adored reading this book to the point I pre ordered instantly once I was done. Super easy read & you get to see both characters grow in a way. I can’t wait for everyone else to read this as well so I can talk about it with my friends.

By deciding to read this on a whim, I found one of my new favorite YA romances OF ALL TIME, and I couldn't be more grateful!

I don't think I could have possibly related more to the two main characters in this book, Bel & Teo. Bel is an adorably eccentric, Taylor Swift + embroidery-loving girl who doesn't know what she wants to do in the future and therefore avoids thinking about it — even though she does have things that she is passionate about. Teo is a soccer star + robotics nerd who has his whole future planned out but places a lot of weight on his own shoulders trying to meet everyone's high expectations of him. Combine these traits, and you get high-school-me — needless to say, I had a hard time back then, as I'm sure most people do in high school.

I absolutely loved the dynamic between these two characters and their development from "enemies/rivals" to friends to lovers. Bel & Teo were so freaking cute, and the progression of their relationship felt so natural; they are exactly what the other person needs in life. Their crushes on each other formed in such subtle and adorable ways — I kid you not when I say I was squealing and kicking the air because of how previous these two are. And Teo being such a simp for Bel was everything! For example, Teo decides to learn Taylor Swift's entire discography for her and gets her items to match her embroidered jeans, LIKE?!? Goodbye, I'll be sleeping on the highway, please & thank you.

Another thing I loved about this book was that it was dual-POV. Not only did it make the romance better (because you got to see what was really going through their heads), but it also helped to get to know both characters better and really see their individual growth throughout the book. It's rare that you see dual-POV in YA books (at least, in my experience), and I really wish more YA books were like this one in that aspect.

Overall, this book was perfection for me. I even enjoyed the robotics portions of the book, which I didn't expect (I also found it easy to follow along, even though I don't know a single thing about robotics LOL). On top of the cutest romance, the women in STEM themes + diverse representation + good development of the side characters made for an amazing story. I can't wait to see what else this author comes up with because you best believe I'll be reading anything she writes from here on out. If you've made it this far, thank you for reading my love letter to this book, and please go read it for yourself! <3

i'm really not sure if this is a 3.5 or a 4 because i really enjoyed it but it took me a but to get into, and there were some things that felt like they pulled me out of the story. i did read the last 50% in one go, however, and refused to put it down even while i was getting ready to go out and on the bus. i found myself sitting at the bus stop because i was there too early and wanted to finish this book right then and there. the last 50% really gave me everything i needed to be thoroughly consumed by this book and the characters. and i did love most of the characters, bel was perfect to me and teo was an experience i'm glad i had, but it felt like side characters could have been developed better or even just written better, they had the right formulas but the execution was a miss. overall, i did enjoy the STEM romance, i loved experiencing these moments with the characters and i do recommend it, even if there was just a few too many things to take this away from being a 5 star read like i so badly wanted it to be.