Thanks to NetGalley, Holiday House, and Alexene Farol Follmuth for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

What a ride! I didn't expect that I will love this book so much. It's a wholesome read. I enjoyed it very much. There wasn't a moment to feel bored even if it was not a fast-paced one. I loved how almost every character here had their own character development, especially Bel and Teo. The story didn't only tell you about their school life in robotics, but they also tell you about Bel's and Teo's families. I love how in the end their relationships with their parents were getting better too. The romance was just right, not too little and not too much. They were super sweet.

And those robotic competitions!! I felt like I was there watching!

This book makes me happy. I recommend it to everyone.

My Mechanical Romance tells the story of Bel and her introduction to the world of engineering and robotics. Bel starts her senior year at a new and elite school where she is promoted to join the robotics team. There she meets Teo, the popular all around smart guy. From there, they form a friendship that essentially leads to more.

This book was a fun read and I loved the teen romance! Although I was lost at some parts about making robots, it was fun to imagine what it would have looked like. The romance was not your typical popular boy falls for nerdy girl but nerdy boy falling for girl who is a little nerdy.

I really enjoyed this story! Super cute and fun!

I am so grateful to have early access to this book because I can honestly say that this was so comforting and inspirational for me.

I have a massive soft spot for romance books, especially with an enemies to lovers trope so it hooked me from the very beginning.

Bel and Mateo both struggle with different areas of school and academic life. Both areas that I have dealt with myself. The themes of academic validation and misogyny are so strongly reflect but done in a way that disrupts the storyline.

When reading the acknowledgements, a newfound sense of comfort was brought to me. Follmuth reflect how there were girls and women everywhere trying to get their voices heard, trying to progress in their lives and careers. I really hope this book lands in a of those girls hands because it gave me the strength and inspiration to keep going.

The fact that this was a romance book was a massive bonus!

this was a really cute YA romance. the author really has a way with writing "intelligent" stories, ngl at some parts i haden't a clue on what they were saying bahaha but it was still very fun i really liked it

Most of the robotics-speak sailed right over my head but this was such a cute YA romance that touched upon important themes of sexism in STEM. I loved watching the relationship between Bel and Teo change as they challenged and pushed one another to become balanced and happy versions of themselves.

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0

Holy shit this was soooo good 🤩
This book was hilarious right off the bat and quickly pulled me in. It usually takes a little longer for me to get into YA books but this was an exception.
We are introduced to 'Bel', a happy go lucky girl who unlike her peers, does not have a plan for the future. She does not take any advanced classes, despite being extremely smart and has not applied to any colleges, that is until her Bio teacher recognises her caliber and pushes her to join the robotics team (LOVE SEEING SUPPORTIVE TEACHERS BTW).
Her advice to her is not to hesitate to take up your own space and that is honestly the best advice that all women should adopt in life.
From there, the story picks up but we'll talk about it in a minute.
First let's talk about how the book expertly portrays the misogyny and sexism endured by women in STEM and how it prevents girls from joining STEM. Even after proving themselves again and again, these girls are not taken seriously while their male peers get so many more opportunities even with mediocre capabilities.
Anyways so Bel joins the robotics team and starts a reluctant companionship with Teo who is our male lead.
Teo at first was a very arrogant member of the robotics team who was in serious need of some character arc. He continuously steamrolled Neelam (my girl deserved better!) And was generally an asshole.
Slowly from reluctant teammates, Bel and Teo develop a friendship which stems into a really sweet and wholesome romance. While the book is pitched as academic rivals to lovers, it hardly felt that way because we don't see them both actively rivaling for anything to be honest.
But when they do get together it's so adorable (the holi scene….SWOOOON 😍). Both of them help each other not just in studies but also to identify their flaws and overcome them. Bel's being her self doubt and Teo's being his general cockyness. I think Teo's character development was good overall but I wish he gave more credit to Neelam than Bel.
Speaking of Neelam, I think she was wronged!! She deserved to be understood for who she was and did not deserve the way she was portrayed till the very end. True she was generally cynical of most things and tended to be rather harsh while showing her displeasure but still it wasn't a negative point on her personality in my opinion and deserved to be treated better.
I expected Bel of all people to see and accept her for who she was (and to an extent she did at the end) but I did not like her calling her an asshole and defending Teo when HE was more of an asshole than Neelam.
But all the bad things aside, it was a great, heartwarming read with a plot that was easy to follow and Lovable characters and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a lighthearted YA book with lots of humor.

i loved this book way too much. i have never related so much to a character such as bel. her anxiety about the future and college is quite literally me

bel and teo are so relatable and individually both characters are super well written

i loved how it was much more than a cute romance; bel’s worry about college, teo being a people-pleaser, and the issues women face in STEM

(thank you Netgalley for providing an eARC copy in exchange for a review!)

Overall, this was a cute read! I personally enjoy mathematics, so seeing a romance set in such a STEM-based environment was refreshing! I enjoyed the robotics terminology and watching the characters be so passionate about their craft.

I will say, I was expecting a bit more on the academic rivals to lovers front. It’s what the book is advertised as, and yet the “rivals” aspect wasn’t very present aside from a few altercations at the start. I also wish we got to see more of the characters’ developments regarding their home lives, specifically Teo’s! I liked the scene with his dad at the end, but I wish there would’ve been a bit more closure for him. I think a bit more exploration there would’ve made both characters a bit more relatable.

Aside from all that, I really liked the overall message of taking a leap and making a space for yourself, even if the environment you’re in doesn’t accept you. I think that’s so important and can encourage readers to stay true to themselves. I rate this 3.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley and Holiday House for this arc!

A STEM YA romance? Yes please!

I loved the epilogue it was just what i was hoping would happen through the whole story. This was a great read and i flew through it in one day.

Thanks to netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

A YA romance, enemies to lovers trope, and STEM? I think i have found the perfect book! I truly loved this book, the characters development, the discussion of hard topics and the technical aspects of this book was my book nerd fantasy come true. I could go on and on about how i enjoyed this book but truly you need to give it a read if you enjoy any of the things i have mentioned!

Thank you NetGalley and Alexene Follmuth for letting me enjoy this book early!

Oh, if there ever were a novel to make me nostalgic for and to remind me of my high-pressure, lightly traumatic high school experience.

I've read Olivie Blake's dark fantasy novel, The Atlas Six, but I wasn't entirely sure what I would experience going into her first YA romance—certainly not a heartfelt, hilarious story that portrays teenagers without ridiculing them. Follmuth perfectly captures the sense of being young and unsure about the future, a mood particularly poignant to me, a former high school student who struggled with feeling lost among my peers with more "well-planned" goals. The author's portrayal of a high-stress high school—an environment flush with AP classes, college application discussions, and shiny STEM trophies—is eerily accurate. I can hear the conversations about making it to regionals or about calculating GPAs down to the tenths place in my head without having to read the dialogue word-for-word. I'm pretty sure I've performed some of those monologues myself.

Often high school is depicted in media as a secondary thought for students, something that they have to attend and suffer through. Rarely are the overachievers centered—rarely are the kids whose whole lives are school centered. For so long those stories have been typecast as boring. But Follmuth proves that there is more beneath the surface, that simply because the events themselves are nothing dramatic—taking tests, playing sports, going to robotics competitions—that does not mean the underlying considerations are not critical. I understand if readers might view Essex Academy as unrealistic or even fictional; but it is dramatically true to my own experiences.

And, of course, the characters themselves shine bright. Bel is an incredibly human protagonist whose opinions on college is something I've entertained myself, and empathizing with Teo, an overachiever who feels the weight of the world on his shoulders, is achingly easy. The entire secondary cast is unapologetically unique—the kind of innocent candor that is unique to young adults.

And lastly, the romance. This novel reminded me of just how beautiful YA romances can be, how earnest they are. Bel and Teo may not be the most intense couple, but Follmuth's exploration of first love and friendship is beautiful. This is a story for those who are just a bit tired of the darkness of literary fiction, just a bit tired of the otherworldliness of fantasy and sci-fi. Reading this novel felt as though I was returning to my roots, connecting with the type of fiction I was too in a rush to outgrow in high school.

I feel as though this novel was written for me, for the people I knew in high school who were anxious, driven, intelligent, and teenagers all at once. This book made me feel seen, digging at adolescent memories I didn't know were still raw. The authenticity is a true testament to Follmuth's writing skills.

Thank you to Holiday House and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This book was such a joy to read! It was easy to slip back into remembering what it was like to be a senior and relate to these characters.

The dialogue in this book was so fun. It felt true to the time in the characters life and the age they are. I felt like a teenager again with the inner ramblings of both Bel and Teo.

Bel was a breath of fresh air in her uniqueness and personality though I did find her to be annoying sometimes, but that made her more real. I especially appreciate all the growth she goes through in this book.

Teo was not exactly what I would expect from the son of a CEO, but was glad he broke the stereotype of a trust fund kid. He was drowning in responsibility and I found I could relate to being the student who always took on too much and forgot to take time for fun.

I think Bel and Teo compliment each other really well.

There was so much depth to this book. The bringing to light of women struggles in areas predominantly dominated by men, the complex feelings that come from divorce and not being seen by your parents. The free fall that is young/first love.

I’m glad to have been able to read this book early and share my thoughts in hopes for others to pick up this book and give it a chance!

Funny, quirky and sweet My Mechanical Romance is a wonderful read.

With a perfect dose of female equality and a showcasing of women in STEM, alongside great characters and an engaging plotline, this book is fun to read, flows just right and full of important life lessons and messages.
I really liked both Bel and Teo. Bel's uniqueness and quirkiness alongside her bright mind adds so much to her character and Teo's seriousness and intensity while trying not to buckle under pressure are so easy to relate to and together they make up the perfect team.
As her debut YA novel, Alexene gives us a great story, full of divers characters, an important social agenda, sass and sweetness and I fully enjoyed it!

4.5 stars and a circuit board

This book was slow to start for me. I found it picked up and hooked me around the 20% mark. However, I was invested in the characters long before then.

There is lots of internal dialogue and thoughts throughout the book which maybe weren’t always necessary. But the characters are sweet and charming and likeable and I fell in love them with all very quickly.

Brilliant representation of women and girls in STEM. Written beautifully. A wonderful slow burn romance story that will have you finding it difficult to put it down.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! I loved reading Bel and Teo’s relationship develop!

Bel and Teo are soulmates, no questions asked.

They literally embody the true meaning of first love and high school sweethearts. Like it's just so CUTE. I was giggling and snorting in my room in a very unladylike way.

Bel was a true feminist (along with Neelam) and BOY is she badass. Like I would bow to her (she is queen). ;
; Note to self: buy jeans with birds on them.

Teo was a HAWT nerd (Adam vibes). He's mature, smart and listens...what more could a girl ask?

My favorite part though was just how much STEM was incorporated into the story. It wasn't just mentioned once or twice in a blue moon, it is the main drive of the whole story. Also, not only are the successes shown, but also the failures and the sheer amount of effort to get something small right. As someone involved in this sort of thing, I really appreciated that the author put this much effort into showing that STEM isn't just about knowing formulas or doing math problems, it is more about imagining and analyzing using basic skills you already know.

I also enjoyed the diversity in characters. They are all not just one race or another and it really helps to show how clubs bring people from different races and backgrounds together. Getting to experience a bit of different character's cultures was also exciting, I mean who doesn't love Holi 😏😏 (you'll understand the reference after reading the book).

IDK if this is series, but I definitely need a book focusing on Kai, Jamie or Neelam. They are such interesting characters.

This book is published on 21st May 2022 and I have been given an advanced copy (thank you!) This review is my own opinion though :)

This romance was extremely difficult to digest. The male main character, Teo, has a history of both actively and passively gatekeeping a critical high school STEM opportunity, and marginalizing his female peers in the years before he meets Bel. He learns to delegate on the robotics team, but never apologizes to Neelam, a female peer whose attempts to contribute Teo systematically ignored for years, or acknowledges that his behavior undoubtedly contributed to peers opting not to participate in robotics. He's also the beneficiary of extreme economic privilege, and all the tutoring, classes, camps, home equipment and other resources that come along with that. Those advantages are never addressed. Instead, we witness him internally judge his classmates' academic work in harsh, ableist terms.
Bel is described repeatedly as "weird"—the weirdest person Teo has ever met—when the only textual support for her supposed extreme weirdness is her style of dress. I'm a secondary educator, and Bel, as she appears in text, is a conventionally attractive, stylish, behaviorally typical teen. As a neurodivergent reader, flagging Bel as Teo's most inscrutable peer made me question the demographics of the private school setting, as well as the writer's familiarity with truly unconventional behavior and contemporary schools with integrated Special Education services. I would have been all-in for an autistic or ADHD Bel written by someone who understands what it means to behave in perceptibly divergent ways.
According to Teo, cute, outgoing Bel is "weird." His peers' academic work is "inadequate." Teo is both Jewish and Mexican, and we love to see it, but to what extent has he been exposed to socioeconomic diversity beyond, ostensibly, his grandparents? Neurodivergency? Disability? Otherwise typical kids who do geniunely, discomfortingly weird things because it serves some unknowable purpose? Does his school exclude students with support needs? If so, why did the writer choose this setting? If not, why is Teo so self-centered and ableist, when the best real life student leaders in inclusive schools are the opposite?
Teo's shift in awareness is minor, and entirely propelled by his relationship with Bel. Despite the novel being described as enemies to lovers, Bel befriends Teo quickly and returns his feelings in a typical friends to lovers arc. What does this story look like when the new kid Teo's tasked with integrating into his personal robotics fiefdom is autistic? Or physically unattractive to him? Or doesn't return his feelings? Or is trans or gender nonconforming? Or requires supports to be successful? Why would it be the responsibility of any of those peers to change him? Why is the reader expected to romanticize the sort of person who makes STEM workplaces at best unwelcoming, and at worst hostile?
I've worked with many kind, inclusive, gender conscious Gen Z youth who are STEM passionate and talented. Bel could have experienced both a burgeoning passion for STEM and a romance with someone who didn't need to learn to delegate from his girlfriend. The problematic/toxic love interest is a common fantasy frequently explored in enemies to lovers YA, and that's fine. However, this novel explicitly sets out to address social issues in a serious way, in the context of a realistic contemporary adolescent romance. Why does this male main character need so much work, and ultimately do so little?
Two stars for an adorable cover, diverse ethnic representation, and centering girls in STEM.

This book reads fast, and well-paced, although at times I felt like there was context missing from certain sections. But that might just be because I'm not at all a mechanical/technical person. This book is kind of reminding me of 'The Code for Love and Heartbreak' - the base concept seems similar, in a good way!

Isabel, or Bel as she prefers to be called, is an oddball, with questionable social skills at times, a brain for building mechanical devices and a quirky personality I really like. We follow her as she is enrolled in a new school after her parents are divorced, where she learns about the challenges girls face in STEM, in this academic setting.

The other point of view is from Mateo, or Teo, who is an overachieving rich guy who strives for nothing less than perfection in every aspect of his life, feeling that is what he owes his father. And when Bel becomes a part of the robotics club, she challenges everything Teo values and expects.

What I loved about this romance was the slow fall, slow burn, they knew they liked each other fairly early on, but got to know each other, had awkward moments, fought and slowly grew closer too...

This is one of those 'take your time and enjoy the journey' kinds of romances! Adding in the friendships and competitive edge of a male-dominated study field, this book will teach girls that enjoying building things and being smart is definitely cool and if you really want something, then fight for it!

I absolutely loved My Mechanical Romance. It managed a fittingly fun and lighthearted tone while still containing important and well executed themes of insecurities, oppression, tumultuous familial relations, and the general throes of growing up and coping with the fear of growing apart. I saw a lot of myself in Bel, down to her experience in the field of STEM and engineering and how she carried herself in an environment where she didn’t initially feel she belonged.
I admit at first I did have concerns about the apparent girl on girl rivalry. To put it simply, I don’t enjoy seeing smart, talented, badass female characters pitted against each other. That being said, I do understand that it happens, and the satisfying resolution of the conflict made up for it entirely, as well as the side friendships with other female characters. Overall, it wasn’t an issue and I ended up loving the other character! She and the MC reminded me of Paris and Rory from Gilmore Girls, which I am so here for.
I found Bel’s academic experience to be very relatable and empowering, and I think that many others will feel the same. The author expertly depicted such a difficult and stressful time in a young person’s life and really captured how overwhelming it is to feel as though your entire life and future is being boiled down to one pressurized decision. The transition from high school to post secondary is a big one that’s very built up by society and the media, and My Mechanical Romance did a wonderful job at addressing that and showing the different paths a person can take in a very encouraging way. Overcoming adversity and coming into ones own was a big theme present in MMR, and I absolutely loved it and think it was perfectly executed.
The writing style flowed brilliantly and the vocabulary definitely read like the age group it represented and was intended for.
Beyond all that, this truly was a funny and enjoyable read that I had such a hard time putting down! I would definitely recommend it to fans of YA rom coms and women in STEM representation! 🥼🔬⚙️💕

Overall, easily a 5/5 ⭐️

“take up your own space, dont let other people tread all over it.”
this book is everything that young girls need. It is our reminder that we can do anything we put our minds to, that we are not less worthy of taking up certain spaces, we are not less than just because we were born women. I loved this book so much.
It showed a lot of the blatant sexism women face in stem, but also went further and showed the casual, almost not noticeable forms that seem to get ignored constantly. It pointed out so many important things, and called out the toxic behaviour that so many girls genuinely go through- and I loved that. the main character bel was amazing. she called out the boys for their crappy behaviour, had deep feelings about her life and her family, she had a storyline that wasn’t centred around romance, and she was lost. there have been so many times whilst reading a book where a female main character has fallen flat for me because they don’t have anything to offer, this was not the case here. there were so many layers to all of the girls in this book. there was girls who study too much and have their entire lives figured out and get so scared of failing, girls who don’t let anyone close to them because they are so afraid if they’re nice they won’t get taken seriously, girls who were way too nice because they don’t want to be seen as a bitch and not get taken seriously. the range was amazing.
I also loved the idea that the male main character was super privileged, and he started off really ignorant to the fact, but over time you see him learn and make changes. he begins to acknlowedge the advantages he has because he’s a man, and because he has money, and he begins viewing the world and people differently (almost more fairly) and i think that was super important.
I loved the writing style, it was short and quick and easy to read, but still provided a lot of information about the scenes and characters. the dual POV was great too, seeing how STEM is for different people and how they get treated side by side just gave it another layer.
ALSO the romance was super adorable, i wouldn’t say it was enemies to lovers, but maybe rivals to lovers? or rivals to friends to lovers? either way it was super cute, slow burn that took a while to happen but once it did i loved it. I really liked the couple together, and the epilogue of their lives after high school as actually one of my favourite parts.
overall it was a super fun, cute book with so many important messages- I really liked it.

Ummm…This book was everything I wanted and more!
I mean:
- Women in STEM
- POC representation
- opposites attract/ academic rivals to lovers
- Dual POV
- Cute pet names
- TAYLOR SWIFT!
- funny and cute banter
- big friend group

I gotta admit, I had high expectations for this book when I saw that it was written by the same Author as The Atlas Six (which is published under her pen name Olivie Blake). I WAS NOT disappointed! Also, I am almost 22 years old and I think this YA romance healed something in me.

What I liked/loved:
- Bel‘s struggle to find her passion in life is something I think a lot of teenagers can relate to. It felt really impactful and important to me that this was such a big part of the book. Making decisions and trying to meet everyone‘s expectations is very hard. Bel‘s journey showed that you don’t have to have your whole life figured out when you are 18!
- LOVED the women in STEM representation! It really showed all the misogyny young girls who are passionate about male-dominated topics like mechanics/robotics have to face. Why do girls have to work 3 times harder to accomplish what their male classmates get practically served on a silver platter?
- Teo is such a cutie and I get why all the girlies at school have a crush on him. He is so attentive and always trying his best to help others (and his Team!)
- All the family dynamics! This felt so realistic to me and all the side characters (Bel‘s siblings, the parents) did not fall flat but were actually fleshed out charcters.
- Mrs Voss was EVERYTHING! I which I had a teacher like her when I was in high school…
- The conflicts were believable and actually added to the story and the characters (especially Bel!)

What I didn‘t like:
- There is only one thing that I would critique…I expected there to be more rivalry between Bel and Teo in the beginning. Yes, they got off on the wrong foot and there was some animosity at first, but there was never a time when they hated each other. I was really hoping for all the ANGST about falling for the enemy

Thank you to NetGalley and Holiday House for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!