I received a free ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. (Thank you!)

I gotta be honest, I didn't love this book.

I mean, the characters are okay and the plot is something I've surprisingly never read about, but it just didn't click with me.
That's kinda surprising if you know me because I'm literally an engineering major, but idk, maybe I'm just not that interested in robotics. The plot dragged a lot in the start and when it picked up I had already lost interest.

So yeah, this book wasn't for me, but if you like YA and highschool stories you may like this one.

This book was incredible - I'm generally not a huge contemporary romance fiction fan but I enjoyed 'My Mechanical Romance' so much that I read it in one day! The story follows Bel, a Filipino senior who struggles to find her space in a new high school that is much more academically rigorous than her old one. It simultaneously follows Teo, a Jewish-Hispanic senior who's starting to tire of the high expectations of his peers, teachers, parents, and himself to always be the best at everything. When the two meet in Robotics Club there's a clear connection, but they struggle to overcome preconceived notions and see each other's truest selves.

I could not stop smiling throughout this book! I loved the way Bel and Teo's relationship progressed and there were so many cute moments that still felt very realistic and true to the character's ages/upbringings. Their characters are developed independently and the romance is not the driving factor for their personal growth. I was especially relieved/ecstatic about Bel's portrayal -- she has a self-described "weird" personal style and her jokes and reactions often come off odd to others. However, she never falls into the toxic "not like other girls" category, nor do other characters idolize or dislike her because of that. Instead, tensions arise from various interpersonal conflicts that she must learn to navigate. She has a great support system of family and friends, including a female teacher who mentors and encourages Bel in her academic progress. Bel is a superbly written female protagonist and I hope to see more characters like her in YA, especially girls in STEM! I didn't really have that representation in the books I read growing up, and it just makes me so happy that young girls today have stories like this where their intelligence, courage, resilience, and confidence is celebrated.

I was also pleasantly surprised at how natural and genuine the incorporation of real sociocultural problems (sexism in the STEM field, casual misogyny, socioeconomic privilege, etc.) was addressed and discussed. I've read many YA contemporary romances where such topics are shoe-horned in and come off as the author trying to show the "wokeness" of a character even though there is no narrative setup/drive. 'My Mechanical Romance' does a great job not falling into that category, and the characters reflect on their actions, realize their misgivings/mistakes, and work to right their behaviors. The characters actively shape their own growth, something that I especially appreciated seeing in Teo's perspective when he realizes he and his male peers aren't as inclusive and immune to casual misogyny as they think.

ARC provided by Netgalley.
Rating: 4.75/5 stars

Let me begin this review by saying: this book was absolutely adorable. The writing, characters, relationships, and banter all had me laughing in the middle of the night, and the romance made me want to scream at the main characters to kiss already. It wasn't perfect, but it was really really good.

My Mechanical Romance followed the stories of Bel and Teo. Bel is just trying to get good grades and graduate (though she has no clue what she wants to do after that), but after revealing her talent for engineering, she's coerced by her teacher into joining the school robotics club, led by Mateo Luna. Teo, on the other hand, has big plans--win the national robotics competition, graduate with stellar grades, and get into a fancy college to become an engineer.

As the robotics team works on their robots for Nationals, Bel and Teo face many problems--rocky friendships, high expectations, sexism, stress about their futures, family struggles, and, of course, growing feelings for each other.

This book was really good in so many ways, but the best part of the entire story was the characters. Unlike a lot of teenagers represented in books, they weren't perfect. They made mistakes. They got into arguments. They had flaws, but they weren't annoying or irritating. They were just messy and confused and trying to figure life out--which is exactly what people are like, especially as high schoolers.

Teo and Bel were also really close to my heart in many other ways. The stress that both of them felt (to do all the work, to get good grades, to win the competition, to have their whole future planned out, etc.) was incredibly relatable and felt so real to me. I feel like a lot of teens feel that pressure, from their parents or their schools or even just society, and Alexene Follmuth captured those emotions so well.

I appreciated the relationships in this book. Not only was their an ADORABLE romance that made me want to giggle and kick my feet in the air, but there were other well-depicted dynamics as well. The friendships were so freaking cute, and I loved all the scenes that showed them--especially when the entire robotics team was hanging out together. The family relationships were also really well written, because there was a great variety in the way the characters acted with different parents, or different siblings, which felt very realistic to me. I especially liked the bond between Bel and Neelam (the other girl on the robotics team) because it was complicated and confusing, and it changed over the course of the story. A+ for character development.

The other really wonderful thing about this book was that it addressed several really important issues. Not just the pressure that teenagers experience, but also the sexism and racism in STEM. It was very cool to read about that, particularly through Bel's perspective as she struggled with the rest of the robotics team ignoring her ideas and opinions, and even Teo's, as he realized some of the mistakes he was making and grew from them. (Again, the character development in this book was fantastic.)

The only major flaws I have with this book are that (1) the ending felt a tiny bit rushed, especially the last chapter/epilogue, and (2) the characters complaints were a little bit tiresome, specifically in the first few chapters. But neither of these greatly impacted how I felt about the book, and I honestly really liked it. I definitely recommend My Mechanical Romance if you're a fan of cute contemporary romances, and especially if you like robots. <3

Thank you so much to NetGalley for this eArc. All thoughts are my own.


Book review time ✨

I read My Chemical Romance by Alexene Farol Follmuth. This book follows Theo and Bel as they go to high school in Silicon Valley. There’s a heavy emphasis on stem and robotics in this book. The premise follows Bel as she takes on her senior year of high school. Bel is a new student and doesn’t have any friends, but when a teacher suggests she join the robotics club, she finds her friends in an unlikely assortment of people. Teo son of a tech genius who everyone in school (including the teachers) idolizes. However, Teo is immediately intrigued by the new girl Bel. He finds her to be smart and able to stand up to him (something everyone else fails to do). He soon learns that differing views on a team make for a stronger outcome. These characters are navigating all the ups and downs that come with prom, college applications, and the final goodbyes that come with senior year. It’s the perfect read if you’re looking for something cute and fun! It’s all about stem and the importance of finding your passion.


The plot was incredible. I felt like it might’ve been a little slow at the beginning and a tad repetitive, but it picked up about 20% through the book. Fullmuth also did such a great job of tying in all these complex feelings towards school and family and wrapping it all together in this one character of Bel. Bel had so many challenges and honestly, I’m so glad that someone else’s writing about figuring out your passions. Even her side characters in Bel’s brothers showed the different sides to graduating high school, from trade school jobs to traditional college programs. I felt isolated and alone in high school when faced with the decision for my future. Fullmuth was able to draw out the complex emotions and help her main protagonists reach satisfying conclusions. Whether it be a traditional 4-year college, or something else, it was nice to see all the options listed in the book. It was heartwarming to see someone talk about endings in such a way that makes it feel like more of a beginning. This book is perfect if you like to read about families and futures, especially if you are unsure of the next steps to take!

I loved this book so much!

I was really drawn in by the book cover and the synopsis!

As a woman who is in STEM I related to Bel and her struggles to figure out who she was and what she wanted her future to look like.

Themes in this book: Women in STEM AND Academic rivals to lovers

Things I liked about this book:
I liked a lot of elements of the book My Mechanical Romance. I really enjoyed the writing in this book as well as how the author gave us POVs from both Bel and Teo because it portrayed the perspectives of two different characters who were at two different points on the path to their future. Teo who knows exactly how he wants his future to look, and Bel who has no idea and keeps avoiding thinking about it at all. I also really liked how this book portrayed characters that were unique and diverse and there were no two characters that were the same. None of the characters were perfect and they each had their own flaws and faults but throughout the book you can see them developing and overcoming various challenges and aspects of their lives. This book really works to show how women are treated in STEM environments by being ignored or completely passed over for ideas and contributions.

Things I didn’t love about this book:
One thing that I did not love about this book is how Teo treated Bel in the beginning of the book, dismissing her and Neelam’s ideas and telling them they were wrong even in situations where they were correct. BUT, I understand that the author did that on purpose to show how women in STEM are treated and to show Teo’s character development. Another part of the book that I personally did not love was Neelam’s character and how she treated the other characters including Bel. Throughout the book, Bel continued to stand up for Neelam, and tried to befriend her but Neelam kept being mean towards Bel and the robotics team. Additionally, I felt like the book slowed down a little bit in the middle but it wasn’t so slow that it lost my attention, it was slow and gave us a chance to really get to know the characters more, but I will say that I definitely enjoyed the second half of the book more.

Thank you NetGalley and Holiday House for providing me with this eARC!

I really enjoyed this book! It was cute, fluffy, and heartwarming! It had a great message for young readers, especially those who put a lot of pressure on themselves at such a young age. Plus, I'm a sucker for stories with girls in STEM! They make me super happy. This book had great rep and is a must-read for everyone who loves sweet YA contemporaries.

Thank you NetGalley and Holiday House for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

A YA novel centered around women in stem, sign me up! I was so excited to be approved for this netgalley read! We follow Bel who wants to think about anything other than her future. However, she has been hiding a secret talent for engineering and has been recruited to sign up for the robotics club!
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This was such a cute nerdy romcom that follows Bel and Teo and I loved to see their relationship blossom. Though I don’t know much about robotics or anything really related to engineering I didn’t find myself getting too confused and I thought the author did a wonderful job of not making things too complicated for the reader. I love reading books that are centered around a predominantly male-domanited field and the MC being a woman who is able to kick some real ass! I thought that it made for such a unique storyline. I also think that it has such a great potential to show its readers that you can be anything you want to be, no matter what stereotypes might say. Overall, I thought this was a really good read and would recommend it to anyone who loves romcoms!

This review will be posted to my Instagram blog (read_betweenthecovers) in the near future!

I really enjoyed this book it was super cute and I loved TeoBel (the main couple). I however did NOT love the unnecessary break up and Bel’s little pity party, I felt it was just thrown in there for no reason. Authors often do this to add drama and what not in books and I really am not a big fan. I also really wish TeoBel had more romantic scenes where it was more focused on them as a couple. I get the book is about them and the robotics team but more romantic scenes focused on their relationship would’ve been nice.
Overall this was a quick and fun read, also THE EPILOGUE??Too cute.

I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!

I really struggled with this book. I wanted so bad to like it but I felt like it was just dragging on and on. I kept forcing myself forward! I know this has plenty of amazing reviews so I know it will do well but this just wasn’t for me.

In her YA debut, Alexene Farol Follmuth,explores both the challenges girls of color face in STEM and the vulnerability of first love with unfailing wit and honesty. With an adorable, opposites-attract romance at its center and lines that beg to be read aloud, My Mechanical Romance is swoonworthy perfection.


Even tho I am not a STEM kind of gal I really loved this book. Fun and quick read for sure.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

THIS BOOK!
This came right on time for me, since I'm starting my electrical engineering degree this October. Seeing Bel struggling to find her place and then how she manages to 'make a space for herself' gave me so much hope for my future, and for girls in STEM in general. Her relationship with Teo, and his character on its own, were amazing from the start. I could see myself in both of them, and it's something that is very important to me in stories.
I didn't expect to like it as much as I did, it was such a great read!

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My Mechanical Romance was a very cute nerdy romcom. Even though anything scientific makes me eyes gloss over, this was a fun book to dive into. Especially after meeting Bel and Teo. These two had some serious nerdy tension and I couldn't wait to see what would happen between them. Also, the robot creating and fighting was entertaining too.

While reading this, it definitely reminded me of the show BattleBots. My dad used to be obsessed with that show while I had no desire to watch it. Now reading about it sort of gave me the same impression but Bel and Teo made it a bit better to digest it all. Other than watching these two dance around one another, I also enjoyed the friendships, teasing, and bantering throughout as well.

In the end, I'm happy with how everything turned out. The drama was a little predictable and the romance could have been a bit better in my eyes. They definitely had cute moments and some weird/awkward ones too. I'm so happy that I got the chance to jump into this and look forward to the next book Alexene writes!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC copy in exchange for a review

This book was adorable and such a fun read and easy read.

The STEM romance was incredibly exciting to read. I’m in no way a robotics genius, I’ve never read og worked with anything like that, but I was never bored and not once did it feel too complicated.
The author does a very good job of writing it in a way that makes even me understand it. And I loved how it set the foundation for Bel And Teo’s romance.

I loved how Bel got to kick some ass in what is a predominantly male-dominated field. And it was amazing to see how the girls/women in this book had each others back and supported one another (for the most part)

This book has such a diverse group of characters, who are all so unique, and it makes for such an interesting dynamic. Both in the robotics lab and outside of it.

4,5/5 stars

Special thanks to Holiday House for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 4 stars

I'm still sort of trying to figure out how exactly I feel about this book. There were a lot of things that I did end up enjoying and I think there's potential for this to generate great discussions amongst its readers but the parts of the story that irritated me *REALLY* irritated me to the point where I just felt a lot of angsty anger! To be honest, this had a really rough start. The writing was fun, very young and sassy/sarcastic in a way that I can imagine won't work for everyone. It took a while for me to warm up to it too and there were times where it still came across as trying too hard, but I did find it cheekily entertaining and the style added some levity to the more serious subjects addressed. My Mechanical Romance isn't simply a fluffy academic rivals-to-lovers romance but it also talks about complex biracial family relationships and the issues that women and WOC in STEM face. It also sheds light on education inequality and the unrealistic expectations placed on teenagers to have it all figured out by the time they finish high school.

What I liked:
- There's a very empowering vibe that runs through the story and the author's acknowledgement at the end made me appreciate it more. The misogyny, micro-aggressions, condescension, prejudice, and the pervasive imposter syndrome that these young women of colour experienced in STEM was infuriating, relatable and sadly, not surprising. That said I loved how the author addresses the issue through empowered young women who refuse to let the patriarchy have the last laugh. These characters were so driven and it was pretty inspiring.
- Other than maths and the sciences, I never had STEM specific classes in school and although they were probs my least fave subjects, I actually really enjoyed reading about it in this book. These kids were so passionate and driven and though the competitiveness was a little wild, I loved to see how they got really creative with solutions.
- Though most of the characters took their time to grow on me, grow on me they did. There were a few I loved from the beginning including Dash, Jamie and Lora, and I absolutely adored their positive and enthusiastic energy. Our MCs, Bel and Teo took a little longer for me to like but I thought that they were realistically portrayed teenagers who had a lot of personal issues to deal with and who experienced considerable growth as the story continued.

I wish that Bel had been a little less apathetic at the start but though she required a lot of pushing from others to become a little more proactive, it was great to see her start taking up more space. She's incredibly smart, has a very inquisitive mind and I loved that she was so comfortable in her own skin, quirks and all. I 100% related to her situation with college and not knowing where to apply or what program to apply for. It sparked some discussion with the friends who I read this book with about the unrealistic expectations that are placed on teenagers to have their lives figured out at such a young age. I can't believe we expect 18yos to know what they want when I still struggle to figure it out some days! I'm glad that Bel was able to figure out what she wanted by the end but I've no doubt many readers will be able to empathise with her.

I wasn't sure that I'd like Teo at the beginning as his arrogance and misogynistic attitude was quite off-putting. However, I did sympathise with his home situation. He has so much pressure on him and I felt sorry for him at times because of how that made him feel like he had to be in control all the time in order to ensure he succeeds. He does care about others and wants to see them succeed but he felt he was the only one who knew the best way to do that. It was aggravating at times but he was open to learning and I respected that about him. I thought the romance between him and Bel was pretty sweet. I like that Bel was unafraid to call him out on his BS even if he hated it and it made his ego feel fragile. I think she grounded him in a way and I think he helped her feel more confident in her abilities whenever she felt like an imposter in the group.

What I struggled with:
- Again, Teo wasn't always the best guy to everyone but Bel. For example, how he treated Neelam was horrible and yes, I wasn't a fan of her either, but one of the main reasons she had difficulty in the robotics club was because he didn't take her seriously and everyone else followed him. He does have a moment of acknowledging this to himself at the end but I wished had a moment to acknowledge it with her as well.
- Neelam. Oof, I really... Did not like her and tbh, I hated the decision to make her so horrible. There were moments that I sympathised with her because yes, she was treated horribly but what I didn't like was how she treated Bel horribly in return because she felt like she didn't deserve her place in the club. I hate when girls/women are pitted against each other and this irked me the most in this book. Neelam might have had to work harder than Bel to "earn" her place in robotics but is that really a reason to tarnish or degrade someone else's achievements or hard work? They could have been there uplifting each other for a more powerful 'girl power' moment and instead, one is made to be bitter and the other to be insensitive. I'm over that whole line and it REALLY bothered me that her character was done this way.

Overall, I thought this was a pretty good contemporary debut by the same author who wrote the extremely popular adult fantasy, The Atlas Six. I'd definitely be interested in reading what else she puts out in the future in either genre.

I'd like to say thank you to NetGalley and Holiday House for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I'll admit, I was initially a little nervous to review this ARC. Whilst the plot seemed to be right down my alley (hello, STEM nerds), I was curious as to how this book would handle relationship growth in a stressful, competitive high school environment. As it turns out, I was wrong.
This book is everything you'd ever want from a geeky teenage romance. The two leads have adorable chemistry and the sweetest relationship, and it made me wish for a Teo of my own.
Maybe to some people, the inclusion of complicated physics and robotics terminology may be a detractor, but it just increased my enjoyment.
Every interaction between Teo and Bel is extremely well written, and you can feel their shared passion as a reader (as well as for other things, not just robotics!)
Personally, I really enjoyed Bel's journey of self-discovery, which I identified with on a personal level, as well as Teo's academic determination.
To anyone who is thinking of reading this book, I would highly recommend it, and I can't wait to see where Follmuth's foray into YA leads to next!
Rating: 5/5

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review 😊

This book was such a fun and cute YA read!! I was a little nervous going in because I didn't know anything about robotics but I found it so interesting and loved the representation of women in STEM. I hope more books get written about it because it's so important! I loved how Alexene showed the struggles that women face when joining a club which is mainly male dominated and how they have to work so much harder to be taken seriously. I found this so relatable and loved that the main character Bel learns to be confident in her abilities throughout the book. Shoutout to all the amazing women in this book 🙌

Bel was a strong and funny main character and she never apologised for being who she was. I completely saw my high school self in her, having all this pressure from parents, teachers and friends to know what career you want to go in. It was great seeing her friendships develop and the support system she had. When Teo chooses Bel to join the robotics team the relationship from sort of enemies to lovers is such a cute ride 💛 I loved that we got Teo's perspective and to see the societal pressures he feels constantly from his family and friends to always be at his best. Bel and Teo were perfect for each other, the way they understood each other 👏

I liked some of the pop culture references but sometimes it took me out of the story especially the abbreviations. Did it have lots of cheesy moments? Yes but it was so cute and gave me YA Love Hypothesis vibes👩‍🔬

For me, this was absolutely YA perfection. I was intrigued by this because of the content: a story around a robotics competition, since I have a child that participates in this type of competition as well. So, I knew I would love it for that aspect alone. But this was so much more! It’s so well-done, perfectly combining STEM and fun, and the teen/family dynamic that I love in a YA read. The characters were well thought out and their struggles were handled perfectly. I think this is a great book that really addresses the stresses teens feel in the later part of high school… and the romance was absolutely adorable!

Thank you netgalley for the advance copy

Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was such an incredibly cute YA romance that had me hooked right away. Bel and Teo are a STEM academic rivals to lovers story, they were very much first love/high school romance but it felt so genuine. Both character were so cute and awkward and watching them go though the whole ” do they like me” “do I like them” was so funny. In addition to the romance this book deals so well with complicated family issues and especially the difficulty of women/girls in STEM. I’ve been avoiding YA romances because lately they’ve been very hit or miss for me but i’m sooo glad I gave this one a shot because it did not disappoint at all! Also just wanted to add that i’m so happy with the epilogue because it felt so fitting for both characters.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC copy in exchange for a review .
3.5 ✨️
This book turnes out to be a surprise for me !
Say woman in stem , and I AM IN !
And academic rivals ??? give me more !
This book is a young adult story about a team of students who are in their senior year; a senior year that entails fears, ambitions, passion etc.
It was such a cute read!
And dual POV tied everything.

"I've never seen eyes that make me think about the mysteries of the universe the way hers do."

But I wanna say that the ending was super rushed. like everything was resolved in last 15 pages !

My Mechanical Romance by Alexene Farol Follmuth: this book was honestly so much better than i anticipated. Its opposites attract. It also takes on a lot of relatable issues in the world through the characters, ex: society. The friend group in this book was so cute. The epilogue was so fitting. I can't wait to buy a physical copy and annotate it when it comes out.