I was very excited for this release after reading the author’s previous works.

This book was fun from start to finish, with intriguing characters and a very real exploration of life after highschool.

What I loved:

- An accurate portrayal of the struggles women (specifically women of colour) face in TEM and other male dominated fields.
- The sibling dynamics between Luke and Bel,
- How Bel stayed true to herself throughout the book. She made mistakes, as kids often do, and learned from them.
- The whole robotics team (and other friends) all gelled well together and you could picture their interactions playing in front of your eyes.


What I wanted more of:

- I wished there was a better explanation of the robotics teacher and why he acted the way he did. There was a moment near the end of the book but I felt it could’ve been further fleshed out.
- The romance aspect seemed rushed in some aspects and I felt took away from both Bel and Teo’s journey as individuals.
- Teo’s home life was also not fleshed out fully which was a missed opportunity.

All in all, it was an extremely fun read and I would recommend this book to others.

3.5 OUT OF 5 STARS

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

My Mechanical Romance is a cute high school romance featured around STEM and robotics. Bel is the new girl in school and quickly makes a few new friends. Her teacher recommends her to the robotics program which she is hesitant about. Teo is somewhat the leader of the robotics group and is at first, unsure of newcomer Bel. While working together and strategizing for their robotic competitions, they start developing feelings for each other. The book also reflects on different family dynamics between the two main characters.

The last time I read a book that I WHOLEHEARTEDLY wanted to shout from the rooftops and have a copy for our HS library, it was How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe. This is the second.

This book is brilliant. I love how it featured women in STEM, and how rich and multi-layered it is. It contains such relevant topics such as mental health, societal and cultural pressure, and basically everything a young adult thinks and worries about. It's also about the power of making space for yourself and claiming your life. I honestly cannot recommend this enough.

5 BRILLIANT STARS!!!

4.5 ⭐️

My Mechanical Romance is a quick cute and wholesome read. It’s dual pov, following the growth and romance of Bel and Teo. All of the characters had so much depth and were very realistic. It felt like I was actually inside this story and not just reading about it. The characters could be really dumb sometimes, but this book was still great. I loved the dynamic of the characters and the supportive teachers. It’s women of color in stem AND YA AND “enemies to lovers.”

thank you netgalley for providing me with a free eARC for an honest review

Big thanks to NetGalley, Alexene Farol Follmuth, and Holiday House for this eARC.

“Take up your own space, Bel. Don’t let other people tread over it.”

I feel like I’ve just read a perfect book. I genuinely LOVED every bit of this. I think I’ve found a new comfort book.

Something about sort-of academic rivals to lovers, the whole story being science-y, the protagonists and side characters being so likeable and lovable…. It’s a book worth every penny. I wish I weren’t broke so I could pre-order because this one of those reads where at the end of reading, I feel absolutely sure it’s a must to have this in my possession so I can read this whenever I feel like I have no place in the world.

Some thoughts about the characters:

- Bel’s character resonates SO MUCH with me. I love her with every bit of my heart. She’s so funny. I love her wit, and the way her sarcasm and nonchalance don’t come with being apathetic or unfriendly as they sometimes do. She’s so cool, I would very much love to her her friend. Bel’s got this very technical vocabulary I noticed from the first paragraph. Her POV and Teo’s POV were really distinct from each other. I wrote on my notes: From the first paragraph, I realized I’m gonna enjoy this narration. Later, I wrote: Just ended the first chapter and I’m in love with Bel. Pls be my best friend!!! I really want to be friends with Bel.

- I wish I could be best friends with Lora, Jamie and Dash. They’re all so supportive of and welcoming towards Bel. There’s this thing Jamie told Bel which was one of the most “romantic” line in the book--if not The most (Sorry, Teo)-- and it feels so fresh and delightful that it was said between friends. The quote was: “You’re this new color I didn’t know existed, and now I see it everywhere and I’m like, thank God I can see it now. Such a bummer if I never did.” Imagine being told something like this by a friend!!! I would melt over its tenderness and pure love.

- When I started reading this, I really wished for the male MC to not be a jerk. Teo’s definitely not!! He’s smart, he plays football (SWOOOON)…. He’s confident in a way that privileged boys and men usually are. He’s not an asshole or an arrogant jerk though, he’s just assured by and confident of his skills, but of course it comes pressure from family and mentors which he internalized. As Bel observed: “He’s pretty entitled, which, I guess he would be, wouldn’t he? With a house like that and parents like that.” Teo’s father is a popular tech business guy and his mom’s a model. They’re pretty rich. He’s bound to be somewhat entitled. Although, his character development was subtle but an crucial aspect in the story.

- The character Neelam was pretty minor but her story hold so much significance for me. Initially, she seemed like this mean girl who just hates Bel because now she’s not the only girl in the Robotics club anymore, but later it was expounded that Neelam’s hostility towards Bel was actually nuanced. Though partly, it’s just her personality -- she’s indifferent and sometimes mean. I just can’t help wondering: how much of it was shaped because she had to be tough and ungirly to be given more respect and be taken seriously by her male peers?

I love the feminist themes in the book which didn’t feel forced. It’s natural and authentic. I feel for Bel’s monologues about being a woman in STEM. The microaggression, the prejudice, the blatant sexism… I kept thinking, if she were male with the same exact situation, Bel wouldn’t suffered as she did being a girl. It’s hard to cope with being doubted not because of your skills but because of your gender, as if that tells everything one needs to know about you. I like that this was a major theme that was explored in the book.

I’m happy for all the positive feelings this book offered me. It’s got some heavy parts --mostly about gender discrimination-- but it’s also very uplifting. Bel and Teo made each other better. Isn’t that what a relationship should be like? I love this quote said by Bel: “Sometimes when Teo’s around me I feel like there’s this golden, shining thing between us. Or like maybe I’m the shining thing and the rays around me radiate further and wider and they stretch out so far that, for once, I’m not contained to the shapes of my usual worries and fears. For once, I get to feel vast and unstoppable and …bright.”

The romance was cute and kilig. There’s nothing exaggerated. It’s all very believable, very expertly written and not cringey. I am sooo impressed at how well-written this whole thing was. And I am so glad to have found and fallen in love with this book.

Ultimately, this book feels empowering. It makes me feel inspired to take on new things despite the uncertainty. To “Dare Mighty Things” as was written in the Perseverance rover parachute when it landed on the surface of Mars. It gives me “What if it doesn’t work out” “But what if it does” vibes that I really go crazy over.

TMI. I lost my hearing five years ago and had to give up my dream of pursuing medicine. Now, I’m trying to start over which includes trying to decide whether I should go pursue engineering, even when I’m not good at math, because I’d really love to be in the space science industry. Math is unnerving but I want to be in that track, that I know. It feels intimidating especially with the extra burden of my disability, but this book gave me so much comfort and encouraging. “Life is long, with plenty of chances to start over.”

My Mechanical Romance means so much to me and I thank Alexene Farol Follmuth for having written it. It feels almost like magic. <3

My Mechanical Romance is reminiscent of The Love Hypothesis, in that it's a story about women in STEM but at high school level.

Like almost every single teenager on the planet, Bel is trying to figure what she wants to do in life. It's senior year and she's transferred to a new school, one where all her classmates seem to have their futures figured out. When a teacher accidentally discovers that Bel has a knack for engineering and that she's actually good, she makes Bel try out for the school robotics team.

As you might imagine, it's a boys club. It only has one other girl member, Neelam, and most of the boys don't think much of either of the girls. Except, of course, our main love interest, Teo Luna.

To be honest, I found Teo to be a bit of a jerk at first and wasn't a big fan m. Same with Bel. But then as I got more into the book, I realised that was whole point, that these are flawed teenagers like us, not some perfect people taht you can't relate to.

The way Follmuth deals with representation is something a lot of people will relate with, I think. The blatant sexism women have to endure, the open judgment about their skills, the not-so-subtle misogynistic suggestions that are doled out - it's all too common and disheartening. But the way Bel deals with it, plus the support she receives from Ms. Voss, really bring heart to the story.

Like yes girl, show these bigots what you're made of.

I won't lie, the beginning was a little slow for me, and I actually thought of Teo as a priveleged, egotistical boy, but my opinion was turned around pretty quickly.

Another good thing about the book was the side characters - both Teo and Luna have complicated families and they're shown well. Plus, the friendships aaahhh.

This is one of the best YA books I've ever read, especially with the story of figuring out one's future and what you're supposed to do in life.

Talk about cheesy nerd stuff! These two, man. This was different from most books I read and I loved it! Robotics and all that good stuff and love!

"Sometimes I think I'd rather be forty and wondering where my life went instead of seventeen and relentlessly hounded about my future."

This is one of my favorite authors so you can imagine how I felt when I got approved by Net Galley for the arc I LITERALLY SCREAMED and decided to drop my cr (sorry Jane Eyre, I'll be back now) and pick up this one (which I read in one sitting, y'all)

My Mechanical Romance tells us the story of Bel and Teo, opposites in every sense but complementary (btw they are ACADEMIC RIVALS, I will say no more about that; but if you know you know) I was laughing the whole time reading this and even tho it is a funny and entertaining read it also goes into some topics that should be ALWAYS discussed, like misogyny in STEM and the effects of divorce on children, how parents can make their kids (even if they are not kids) take sides and the toxicity of it all. Oh and btw, it is dual pov, DUAL POV.

Bel is such an amazing characters and so it's Mateo but we also get amazing secondary characters (including a girl that I could only define as Paris Geller from Gilmore Girls, she is the kind of "mean girl" you cannot help but love and truly enjoy, the embodiment of female rage) also I really loved Dash, he is hilarious and such a great friend and Jamie is basically how I wanted to be when I grew up.

I think Alexene does a great job of showing us how the stress of "figuring out the future" can drive one crazy, it is ACTUALLY realistic and the fact that we get Taylor Swift reference and Lizzo like c'mon THIS IS GREAT CONTENT (the girls that get it, get it) I will read everything this author publishes, truly. EVEN A COOKING BOOK.

I'm glad that we truly get to see the depth of the characters, not just a superficial conflict but we say their day to day struggles and become a part of it with them.

I hope this review was helpful and that y'all give it a read, it comes out this 31st of May and I am telling you it is a 100% worth the read.

Here are some quotes I really liked to see if I can convince you:

"And now I understand how Rome was able to distract everyone from destitution and starvation with gladiators. There's a real trill to carnage, even if it's just metal parts"

"It's probably really stupid how much it unravels me to look at her right then, but I've never seen eyes that make me think about the mysteries of the universe the way hers do."

"Collect all the keys, pass Go" (reminded me of Alone With You in the Ether)

songs that I thought about while reading: Enchanted & The Man by Taylor Swift

PD: the chapters have TITLES, BRING BACK BOOKS WITH TITLED CHAPTERS

'kay, I'm out
Bye

Such a wholesome read.

Bel is aimless when it comes to her future, so when a teacher pushed her to join the robotics teams she expects very little. Teo, the club leader, and her start off on the wrong foot. With Robotics and Teo being two things she’s wary of, how will this year play out?

My favorite things about the book:
- As a high school Junior I really related to Bel and her struggle of finding something she’s passionate about.
- Neelam is such a great side character and she really puts everything in perspective.
- Just all around a fun read!

My least favorite things about the book:
- Felt “woke” washed at some parts (it wasn’t too distracting)

I liked this a lot more than I thought I would.

I loved the characters and the development in this. Both the two main characters had me intrigued and I liked both their perspectives. They both went through quite a bit of development throughout the book and I really liked the way it was done and how it was shown. I really liked the side-characters as well, and how they were gradually more built up as well. It made it easier to feel for them as well, the same way i did with the main characters.

The book could have been paced better, but despite that, I was never bored. I was interested continuously. Both in the individual storylines, in the robotics aspects and in the romance.

I really liked how the romance was built up. It was the perfect amount of slow-burn. I also liked how it was a very prominent part of the story, but not overwhelmingly so. The main part of the story was still about the main characters and their individual journeys, while also seeing how their paths intercepted.

It basically just felt realistic. It felt like a genuine depiction of high school and teenagers and I really like that. We all know 'unrealistic' is my least favourite thing, which means realistic has to be good.

Overall I loved this. I have been thinking about it so much since I read it. I flew through it.
Would definitely recommend!

With a title like that, how could you not fall in love with this story?

I devoured this book, y’all. DEVOURED IT.

Alexene (aka Olivie Blake) is a talented writer, and she does such an amazing job writing about hot nerds in STEM falling in love, while also touching on serious issues.

The characters in this story are all wonderful - even the side characters! Every single one of them is well developed, and interesting. My boy Dash is one of my absolute favorites - he does not disappoint! And of course, the plot development is just as great, and I just loved every minute of it.

Now, I am not the smartest person (I am more of a social sciences person..), but the portrayal and discussions of robotics, physics, and engineering completely enraptured me. I never felt lost or confused, and I was actually excited to see these nerds build things???

Aside from that, seeing the challenges and discussions of being a woman in a male-dominated field, and how they were interpreted by different characters on the page was great to see. This novel tackled a lot of serious issues including heavy family dynamics (divorced parents), but it was still funny, lighthearted, and romantic.

The romance itself was cute, funny and soft. I liked Bel and Teo together and on their own. They're really smart, clever, also funny, and just a couple of nerds. And the way that Bel transformed Teo into a Swiftie?! Bel and Teo are a sweet reminder of how young love can be gullible yet thrilling.

Truly, my absolute favorite thing was how this book wasn't just about robotics and love. It’s about finding out what you want, discovering your strengths and passions, and how it’s not always that easy to make your way in some career fields.

This book has to be one of my favorites now!!
It has so many key tropes/concepts: academic rivals to lovers, women (of color) in stem, dual pov, cute nicknames, and amazing banter!

My favorite thing may be Teo becoming a swiftie for Bel, the cutest thing ever!!! If somebody did that for me, I would love them forever.

Bel is such a relatable character and that will reach out to young girls everywhere, she defied the misogyny in STEM and so did Neelam (who had serious character development that I loved!). She’s also a very strong main character and had so much personality! Don’t even get me started on her family situation, it’s so similar to what I’ve been going through for a couple years and I know how difficult it is <3

The side characters were really well written, they all had strong personalities and their own stories despite not being the main characters. I love Jamie so much, she deserves the world!
Teo definitely needed some humbling in the beginning, that boys ego was so high. But I really liked how knowing Bel and hearing her speak just shifted his perspective in a healthy way :)

It was super interesting to read about robotics, especially since I’ve never gotten into that and I know absolutely nothing about the subject. But this book had great descriptions of the robots, and it’s clear the author did her research!
Definitely a must read, easily 5 stars!!!

My Mechanical Romance was such an adorable and fun read! All the characters were amazing, I loved this book.

So we follow Bel, a high school senior who just transferred to a new private school. Her physics teacher soon sees Bel's intelligence and potential and encourages her to join the robotics team at the school. She later meets Teo, the robotics club leader. Teo and Bel both have different ideas for the club and they argue constantly. It's dual perspective, following Bel and Teo's first-person POVS.

I really like how this story is not just about Bel and Teo's relationship, but also about their own struggles within their families and at school. I found Bel to be very charming and just an amazing main character as we see her deal with all the different battles in her life. Teo is also a great character; his actions are questionable but as we learn more about him, we understand and empathize with him. I think the author did an amazing job with character growth and getting the reader to emotionally connect with and invest in the characters.

Overall, I think this book was great! It was very quick and easy to read, but the story and plot is interesting. I found My Mechanical Romance to be a bit slow at some parts, but I appreciated it, because it allowed for me to understand the characters and their motives, feelings, and emotions. Great YA read, I enjoyed and devoured this book! Thank you so much to Holiday House and Alexene Farol Follmuth for sending me the ARC!

Following Bel and Teo on their senior year of high school, My Mechanical Romance is Alexe Farol Follmuth’s debut YA novel. The book contains the well-loved academic rivals romance trope, which will make it appealing for so many individuals, but what truly makes this book a successful piece of literature (in my opinion) is the representation of women in stem. Although, the world is becoming more and more progressive, sexism and misogyny are still very much prominent, especially in the world of science. Pushing and stretching these boundaries with representation and encouragement is essential to change these expectations that are built into the foundation of our society.

One thing that I loved more than anything in this book was Bel’s style. This is a very weird thing to point out, but her quirky way of dressing is exactly what I wish I had the confidence to do. I love her with my entire heart.

I found that I could relate to both main characters. Bel had this loss of direction in career, while Teo had this overwhelming sense of responsibility of doing everything right and making the right judgements. Further, the characters were very personable because they genuinely had real-life problems and they didn’t just disappear out of thin air. I really loved this aspect. Bel and Teo’s relationship also showed this side of a healthy connection, where people who truly care about each other can built the other up, instead of breaking them down.

The book itself was relatively short, however, I still felt like there was a lot of content. It rounded the story out really nicely, however, maybe I felt that it finished a little too abruptly. I’m not saying that it didn’t end well, but it might’ve been just a little unfinished. This would probably be my only negative comment, otherwise this book was exceptional.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author and Holiday House for providing me with an ARC of this book.

5/5 stars for girl enginerds! Bel is a waffler and Teo is forced to be too decisive. This book does such a good job of showing different types of kids on the cusp of so much change. Some are daunted by having to make decisions or just don't even know where to start. Some are pressured to have certain goals and then just create more pressure on themselves.

This book took on some hard topics in very approachable ways that I think teens will find understandable like implicit bias. The female friendships in this book are everything. The girls are supportive and open-minded, and I even felt empathy for Naleem by the end.

Overall I would call this book just squeezable cute. I really was hugging my tablet by the end with all the warm feelings.

Thank you NetGalley and Holiday House for the eARC!

From the very start, My Mechanical Romance grabbed my attention and held fast.
This "enemies to academic colleagues to lovers" is a quick, well-paced story that revolves mainly around Bel, who I felt was not only likeable, but relatable too, And Teo, the nerdy Mr Darcy-esque jock/genius who at first came across as quite narcissistic. The high school robot wars theme shows the reader what extra challenges girls and women face in a predominantly male environment.

This book was amazing! The main character had a lot of depth and was very relatable. Her relationship with the other mc was so cute and I had a lot of fun reading this book. Can't wait to see more from this author!

Thank you so much to Holiday House for the eARC!

5 stars!!!!!

It's a rare occasion for me to give this rating, but I mean it. I loved so many things about this book. The women in STEM, the descriptions and explanations of physics and bot designs, the in-depth dual POV, and so much more.

I went into this book expecting academic rivals-to-lovers in the setting of a robotics club, but I didn’t know that by reading this book, I would be getting unique, refreshing, and fun characters and an admirable connection between two people trying to figure themselves out as well as the rest of their lives.

Bel was an intriguing character and the struggles she faced were very real and relatable. Teo displayed his various layers and how there was much more to him than what it seemed like at the surface. Both characters showed how they made decisions while coming from different backgrounds and how they handled various types of pressure and burdens. The writing in this book was also unexpectedly poetic at times and I could feel myself traveling into both Bel and Teo’s minds, practically feeling what they were feeling.

On the other hand, there was some dialogue between characters about modern tropes and it kind of felt like the fourth wall was breaking and that the characters were more self-aware than I thought, but it didn’t bother me that much and I was laughing as I read it. I probably could’ve done without it, but times are changing and the term “enemies to lovers” seems to be in everyone's vocabulary.

Overall, I would recommend this book to just about everyone, but specifically to women in STEM and anyone who has an appreciation for anything science-related (physics, engineering, and robotics in particular). Also to those who are in need of a good romance book, those who are worried about not having a plan for the rest of their lives, and Swifties.

The relationship in this one is just so immature. I understand they’re in high school, but it just wasn’t for me unfortunately. I think that this would be a good book for a high schooler (I can usually enjoy YA but this one seems to be an outlier unfortunately because I wanted to love this one!)

DNF at this time. This book was not a good fit for me at the moment but I think it will be better for me when it comes out on audiobook.