I had been seeing this one all over bookstagram, so I had to read it! And I was pleasantly surprised! It was a cute, witty, and compelling story for sure!

Alexene (aka Olivie aka The Queen) wrote the cutest book ever!! It had EVERYTHING you could possibly want and more! 😍

✔️GIRLS IN STEM
✔️light academia
✔️teen angst
✔️first love romance
✔️academic rivals to lovers
✔️dual POV
✔️POC main characters
✔️Taylor Swift references
✔️robot fights
…my list could on!

It’s been actual years since I picked up a book about teenage romance in a high school setting! And oh my god how much I missed this 🥹💕

Alexene did an amazing job at highlighting the struggles young girls face in STEM. Especially when you’re a girl but also a person of colour. It was amazing to watch Bel slowly change a few characters stance and how they view girls in STEM!

Bel’s internal monologuing is utterly hilarious! This cute weirdo has carved a place in my heart ♥️

The banter in this book is top tier 😌 it’s what search for and what I’m used to when it comes to Alexene’s writing 🥰 (ngl, I’m still not used to referring to Olivie as Alexene 😂)

Being someone who’s devoured everything she’s put out since 2017 - through her books and fanfics - her words are my comfort. The jokes feel like inside jokes 🥺 I get ALL the references and I feel like I’m IN on this secret language pattern she’s created ♥️

(disclaimer: I still haven’t read The Princess's Guide to Popular Statecraft because I’m not ready for that world to end 🙈)

But anyway, this is actually the perfect book for anyone still in school or out! If you loved The Love Hypothesis, you will adore this 🥰

So please please get your pre-orders in! They really help authors in the biggest way! ♥️ especially as this is her YA debut under her real name 🥹 you don’t want to miss out on this swoon worthy perfection 💕

*4.5 stars

When I found out that this book had a STEM romance with academic rivals to lovers trope, I read it right away and it did not disappoint!! This was a wholesome lighthearted read with an interesting plot, you’ll be surprised when you found out how fun robotics can be.

Except for the point where she gets to date the cutest geek in school, I relate so much to Bel's character. She's bright and compassionate, but she does have one flaw: she struggles to see the best in herself, which is... one reason why I relate to her. I'm not going to say much about Teo, but my my my, he's an absolute dream guy to date. Intelligent guys is my weakness, and Teo is certainly one of them.

The supporting characters are also excellent. Especially Ms. Voss, she’s a very supportive teacher, I believe we all need someone like her in our lives. And Dash?? Oh my God, that man brings the comedy to this romcom. It was hard for me to like Neelam at first but then I realized she's just like Paris Geller.

TeoBel’s romance is SUPER CUTE!! through the dual pov chapters, we can see how they both developed feelings for each other and secretly crushing, just how I imagined my high school romance would go if I ever had one. But despite the use of the word "romance" in the title, I like how this book was not only about teenage angsty drama. There was a lot more than that: about figuring out what you want and overcoming the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated field. the feminism is wonderfully portrayed.

The diversity and representation in this book is a amaaazing!! characters with various backgrounds, the chatter, the cultural foods and events?? I’ll let you find out yourself but my favorite scene is cheerful and colorful.

And I love how the STEM topic is actually highlighted and portrayed, instead of just having characters with STEM background or interest.

Thank you Netgalley, HolidayHouse, and the author Alexene Follmuth for the ARC in exchange of an honest review!

“The world is not very helpful to a smart girl,” says Ms. Voss. “More often it will try to force you inside a box. But I urge you not to listen.”

Ok so first of all, I had no idea that this was Olivie Blake, the author of the Atlas Six! Either way, I loved it. I'm not so hooked by YA romance anymore, but I read this in one sitting and couldn't stop.
Firstly, the characters. Bel went through so much character development, it was amazing to see her become more confident and assertive and believe in herself more. I will never stop loving women in STEM and this was done so well. Bel didn't really think about engineering as an option for her, but once she started, she couldn't stop.
Second, Teo. I didn't like him as much as Bel, because of his super pushover vibe, and he was very dismissive of Neelam, the other girl. He only really listened to Bel because he liked her, which doesn't say much about him, in my opinion. He could have had a bit more development so that he's nice to everyone, not just Bel.

Next, the plot. I love reading books about things I don't know much about, so engineering was definitely a new one. I liked the competition and the race to build a robot that would win, and the dynamics between the characters. I did think that the Neelam-Bel rivalry thing was unnecessary. I know they resolved it, but there was no real reason that Neelam hated Bel, it just seemed like added drama.

The writing was, obviously, amazing. I'm pretty sure I teared up a little bit at some of the more emotional bits. Quote worthy and cute, I loved it!

The romance was average. It definitely wasn't bad, it just wasn't the main focus of the book. It was cute, angsty, prety much a typical well written YA romance.

Overal, I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes women in STEM, engineering (even if you don't!), rom coms and general badassery.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Holiday House for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is really fun read with a wholesome story and a very sweet romance!

The books biggest strength lies with its characters. They all felt like real people.
Since it’s a dual POV, the reader gets an great insight into the thoughts and life of both the main characters - Bel and Teo. I loved their romance, as you can see how it developed from almost a rivalry with each other, to an understanding of the other and real love.
The robotics club and the STEM aspects provides a nice backdrop not usually seen in YA contemporary.
The friendships is also something I love in this book. Especially the female one between Bel, Jamie and Lor. It’s just a really lovely friendship!

My biggest problem with this book is the writing style. Overall it’s not bad, but especially for Bel parts it’s sometimes written in a very personal way. Meaning it went from the usual formal writing style to a very "everyday" way of writing, mostly in Bels parts. It not a big deal, but it took some time to get used to. It does add a genuineness to it all, since it’s first person. But I just found it a bit hard to read, especially in the first few pages where it was a lot of it.

But overall I highly enjoyed this book, so if you want a STEM themed YA contemporary - or just a really nice high school love story - this is the perfect book for you!

"Take up your own space, Bel. Don't let people tread all over it."

Thank you to Alexene Farol Follmuth, Holiday House & Netgalley for the opportunity to do this ARC review.

I was drawn to this book the minute I saw the cover. I'm a sucker for amazingly illustrated cover art.
Honestly it took me a bit to get into the story but that didn't last long because as soon as Bel & Teo started interacting I was hooked.

As Jamie, Bel's awesome best friend stated, this is the perfect ship. "Enemies to Academic Colleagues to Lovers"

I am absolutely here for female representation in STEM programs & this is a big topic in the book as it follows the struggles that females face in Academia.

The romance only starts unfolding in the second half of the book but it was so worth the wait. These two are so pure and cute, I found myself smiling like a fool at some parts and totally freaking out in others.

I am definitely so invested in Bel & Teo's story and I have my fingers crossed for a sequel because that epilogue was the nest and I didn't want it to end.

#MyMechanicalRomance #Netgalley

4.5 ⭐️

“Today she’s wearing a sundress that’s kind of an ugly color, like rust or copper. It’s certainly nothing I would choose, though it looks sort of nice on her. Like a sunset.”
“He nudges me and I realize I missed the smell of him. Laundry detergent and boy. (Hormones are honestly the worst thing anyone’s ever invented.)”
“He rifles his hair and oh no, oh no, oh no. It looks so soft.”

SO. DAMN. CUTE.
God this book was so adorable and funny and just 🥰. I have so little tolerance for teenagers and their aNgSt, but wow this was so much fun.

It’s so easy to forget/ignore that teenagers suffer the most while being virtually incapable of helping themselves, and in their haste to be all grown up, they forget that they still are, essentially, CHILDREN, which only adds to their own difficulties. But it’s not their fault, really. Like here, especially with Teo taking on more than I could fathom to take on myself now at 23, let alone at 17. Let the poor boy rest ffs. I loved his ending so so much. It felt bittersweet at first but as he himself comes to realize, it was all for the best, and ultimately made him see himself more clearly.

BEL. I love her. She deserves the whole world and I love her. Such a refreshing mix of quirky and badass and awkward and smart aka THREE DIMENSIONAL. It is so devastatingly uncommon to find a female teen protagonist that is as real as Bel is. All of her relationships were just so interesting and dynamic. Her questioning what she would do with the next chapter of her life was relatable and, again, real. Girl’s just trying to get through the day, she does not care for your constant, anxiety-inducing questions, seriously.

MVP: DASH, MY CHILD.
““That’s my mom,” he says, pointing at a woman in the crowd with dimples and a carbon copy of Dash’s dreamy expression. “She’s really embarrassing,” he adds, though he’s smiling broadly when he catches her eye and she points to a T-shirt that reads DARIUSH’S MOM.”
LITERALLY ME I WILL DIE FOR HIM

(Thank you to NetGalley and Holiday House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.)

This was such a cute read! We love a good STEM book with female representation! It was a bit of a slower pace but never felt like I couldn't go on reading.

It made me feel like I was in the same room as Bel, feeling ignored just because she is a female and accidently figured out she was good at something naturally vs working hard. People can get jealous so quickly and make others feel isolated.

I loved the flirty romance between her and Mateo, that first puppy love we all experience. Overall it was a really nice read, perfect for older YA readers and those who enjoy quick romance, fluffy type books with good vibes! I wasn't sure what to expect going into it, maybe a bit of a cheesy read but it actually had a lot of depth and really compelling story with great writing.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc in exchange of my honest review.

Amidst of being lost trying to figure out what to do with her future and trying to navigate her new school, Bel is made to join the robotics club but she didn’t expect to fall in love with STEM, and much less to find love during the meetings.

Teo has his life figured it all out, he is on the soccer team and he is the captain of his school’s robotics club and he has his application to MIT ready to go. Could new arrival, Bel, change the way he views his life and future?

My mechanical romance is a rivals to lovers that feels more like an acquaintances to friends to lovers as we learn more about Bel and Teo and their lives. It’s the perfect book for a quick read, it’s cute, nerdy, funny and charming! you can’t help but adore and cheer for the main characters blooming relationship.

However, the ending conflict and its resolution did feel a bit rushed.

Read this if you like: romance, warm feelings, women in stem, good ol’ fluff.

I love the author's work under her pen name so I was really excited to receive this e-ARC from NetGalley. I LOVED the banter in this book! The humor between the characters had me laughing out loud, which I love in a book and is not always easy to find. The characters felt like teenagers but not like caricatures of teenagers. Sometimes it's so clear that an adult is writing adolescents because they make everything so dramatic. And yes, adolescence is dramatic, but so many authors do too much. It was one of the more realistic portrayals in my option. I also found the characters relatable despite their privileges or different identities.
The sexism is the book made me furious, which I'm sure just means it was an effective representation of what so many girls and women experience regularly. The most effective representation of this was the subtler ways in which the male characters left out, did not notice, or dismissed the female characters. So much sexism is ingrained in our little behaviors and communications that can often be overlooked. The overt sexism is most noticeable, but the smaller moments really add up to create self-doubt, frustration, or feeling devalued.
Another aspect of this story I enjoyed was the diversity of the "nerd" identity. There were some characters that were very interested in other sciences and nerdy stuff and others that were artistic or athletic. They characters had dimension and were not reduced to one stereotype of what a nerd is expected to be or how they are often portrayed in media. Overall, I cannot wait for this book to come out and to see others really love it. I plan to purchase the book to support the author, and there are a few people in my life that I think would really enjoy it and find it empowering.
A couple of quotes I loved:
"Because even if they couldn’t have gotten here without me, I wouldn’t be anywhere without them."
"There’s a lot more kinds of strength than just being outwardly tough, and it’s a lot to ask of anyone to succeed when most people in the room are waiting to see you fail."

Thank you NetGalley for the digital arc!

So I picked this one up not really expecting *that* much. It had a cute description and I figured it would be fun. I was right, but it was SO much more than that.

I loved every moment of this book and every character in it. I loved to see the growth of both Bel and Teo - both together and separate. Also academic rivals to lovers? 👀

Let’s talk about how much I love Bel. She’s FUNNY. A little weird but in the way that just about all teenagers are, and so uncertain of herself and her future it hurts. I do acutely felt that in high school and I wish I’d had this book then. I never knew what I wanted! The thought of leaving and going to college, while expected and exciting, was also terrifying, and it would shut me down! I wish I had had a character like Bel to show me that things end up okay. I won’t spoil the ending but I think it diverges nicely from what I expected from the genre.

All the scenes in robotics meetings/matches were super fun and broke up the regular teen life scene nicely. I thought it was well-paced, had heart, and realistic. I had a smile on my face the whole time. Definitely a must read if you like fun, coming of age teen rom coms.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for this ARC! This book releases on May 31st 2022.

“Being nerdy is hot now.”
Grab your remote and get ready to rumble. This book contains everything from enemies to lovers, woman of color in stem, AND robots!🤖

Meet Bel, who has no interest in figuring life out yet, couldn’t care less for extra curricular activities and throws college applications like confetti to the sky.

Meet Teo- athlete, captain of the robotics club and a boy who is set for life.

Now mix these two together and place them on the same robotics team, and you get a mixture of POV’s, head butting, academic rivaling, stolen glances and the slow developing of teenage love.

As someone who is also in STEM, I enjoyed the aspect of robotics in this! It took me a while to get into this book, and how the team treated Bel infuriated me many times( typical toxic masculinity.) I love how real it was explained how hard it is for girls in the stem field. The character development was beautiful and I love how strong they were written. Every characters arc gave much needed insight and I think my favorite redemption arc was Neelam. She really gained my respect at the end of the book.

It was a good fun read, think I would have liked it more if it wasn’t teenagers but rather more early 20’s characters. Overall if you are looking for a cute romance in academia this should definitely be on your TBR asap.

Thank you to Netgalley and Holiday House for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book was astonishing and refreshing- it had multiple diverse characters. The romance was a slow burn and very sweet. I loved how the misogyny was written in this book. It was relatable and well-written. Most characters were lovable, especially Neelam but it might take some time to warm up to her since she will seem kind of cold or rude at first. One of the characters I didn't like and liked was Mateo. To me, I didn't like how he was kind of self-centered. But I like that he was able to show the audience what it's like having so many expectations set forth on you, especially at a young age. Mateo shows that it's exhausting and tiring- you feel the need to be perfect all the time. I didn't like him since I didn't see his development as a character. Also, I don't think this book is enemies to lovers like they only had one fight and then got along pretty well after that.

3.5 Stars ⭐️

I will start this off and say the characters are very well written and I really enjoyed getting to know them throughout the story.

This book is based around the world of STEM so I will be quite frank and say that sometimes as I was reading I had trouble understanding some of the words that was written cause i, myself am not part of this growing and interesting world so I at times didn’t really understand what was happening. But - even with that being said I did really enjoy this book and this did give me a good beginner insight of this part of the world of STEM.

I would highly suggest reading this if you want to see the world of STEM or just want something great to read that is different.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchanged for my honest review.

Sadly, this book was not appealing to me. I have read other works by the same author, and I went into “My Mechanical Romance” with very high expectations. I’m usually not a fan of YA romances, but this one intrigued me; however, from its early chapters, the novel is filled with clichés and all-too-familiar tropes. I got to the 23% mark before I decided to stop reading. I really think this book would appeal to a much younger audience (<20yo) than me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Holiday House for providing me with an ARC of this book! All opinions are my own.

Very sweet YA romance. Encouraging to young women in STEM. Definitely something I can recommend to young girls looking for an uplifting book.

I ended up enjoying this much more than I was expecting. Right off the back the dual POV was fun and is always one of my favorite ways to tell a romance story. Follmuth perfectly balanced the two characters and wrote them in a way that even though as the reader we hear each character's head, they grow on us as they grow on each other. in the beginning it did have a bit of the info-dump about characters problem that many books fall for, but the rest of the book's pacing was fantastic so the beginning being a lot was forgivable. For me what really shines in this book is that with so many diverse and different characters, you see them all grow throughout the book.

Thank you Netgalley and Holiday House for an eARC of this book in exchange for a review.

While I started this book expecting a cute YA romance, it ended up being quite a bit more. I really appreciated the author's attempt to explore a range of issues within this book (women in STEM, mental health, divorce etc.)- albeit with it sometimes being a bit surface level (which is expected of a YA book). It's well written and a quick read. I also liked that the author consciously included diverse characters that are representative of our current world. The only reason I didn't give this book more stars is because it's not really a book I would re-read and I usually reserve 4/5 stars to books that I would want to keep coming back to.

Cute,funny and nerdy!!
I feel like it truly protested how women are treated in a male dominant environment!

“The world is not very helpful to a smart girl. More often it will try to force you inside a box. But I urge you not to listen.”

★★★★★

this book reminded me of everything i love in a YA romcom. i was actually surprised by how much i enjoyed this, including so many moments of light, witty banter that made me chuckle out loud

as the FMC Bel joins her school's robotics club and is thrust into the male-dominated world of engineering, this story naturally delves into the topic of gender discrimination issues, giving continuous reminders that girls often have to work twice as hard to be taken seriously. i think Alexene portrayed this aspect in a very realistic way

i really loved the highly diverse and fun cast as well as the cute and soft romance between Bel and Teo. and aside from the fact that i have zero knowledge in mechanics and was therefore slightly confused every time someone was explaining something, it was an absolute delight to read

thank you to Holiday House and NetGalley for the e-arc!
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