My Mechanical Romance 🤖: I have to say this novel was a sweet & easy read. I’m so happy I was given the opportunity to read this book by NetGalley & Alexene Farol Follmuth.
First off romance & stem it’s one of my favorite things to read!! Reminded me on the love hypothesis yet the younger version lol..
I didn’t know what to expect from this book; I really loved the young characters in this book. It reminded me of when I was getting ready to do college applications & having to think about my future. I can say high school me could relate to both main characters Teo & Bel at times throughout the novel. Teo was a smart good leader that was ready & prepared for his future he was focused. But being so focused he was overwhelmed by it without evening really knowing how much others such as Mac, his father & the robotics team held him to so much. Until Bel helped him relax & realize he didn’t have to fix everything for everyone around him all the time it shouldn’t be such a heavy weight he holds over his shoulders. Bel oh she was such a sweet character I remember myself when I was having to face getting ready for my future in high school and having to figure out at least some kind of foundation as to where I was going it was so overwhelming at times as well as the expectations of others so I completely understood how Bel felt about College apps. I loved her relationship with Ms.Voss I felt it was so helpful for bel to have someone see what she was capable of and help her with just a little bit of a push to get Bel to realize what she wanted. I appreciate that Teo did the same for Bel just helping her recognize what she was capable of doing. Overall it was a sweet easy read that I feel Young adult readers should definitely read! Thank you again NetGalley For the opportunity to read this book as well as give it an honest review.

I loved this book! But I pretty much knew I would once I knew who the author was. I loved the STEM aspect and all the fully fleshed out characters that sounded and felt authentic. It really highlights all the inequalities girls face in male dominated fields and in relationships. It also shed light on the increased pressure kids face in high school. It deserves all the praise coming its way. Such a great read. I recommend everyone check this book out.



Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

I picked this book up because of course it's STEM romance and my life purpose besides reading books is reading more books which are school related. So I wanted something to relate to. And trust me all characters are so relatable especially Dash.

So coming to plot we follow a girl Bel who is smart but doesn't want to put efforts into planning for her future. This was something different from other academia novels where female protagonist has everything planned out and about eventually achieves it too. Bel is forced into robotics club where we meet Teo. Teo's cute but like he is very serious about his robotics club so the two have some disagreements. I also liked that the environment of school was about studies and not typical high school drama with parties and drugs, etc.

It took time for me to catch upto the writing style. The writing should've raised more ratings but it wasn't upto standards. All in all it was a quick read and fun too.

A cute rom-com that also manages to tackle the topic of women in STEM and dies it well? And it's also by Alexene a.k.a. Olivie Blake?

Sign my the hell up

WOMEN IN STEM!!!
This book was actually so cute and refreshing to read. I've read some of Olivie Blakes' other books and this was so different. I love how this book deals with some serious topics but keeps it lighthearted. There's also Taylor Swift references!!

One of my most anticipated books of the year is My Mechanical Romance. I was first drawn in by the title and cover. This book reached my expectations!

Bel Marier is a senior student who transferred and joined the robotics team due to her abilities and potential. Ended up butting heads with Teo Luna, the team's captain and the son of a tech genius. With other member's underlying dislike makes it difficult for her to strive in excellence.

I love how this book shows how girls should know to take up their space and never be afraid of it. That being a girl is not a sign of weakness and Bel here is ready to break that barrier and stereotype. A person of color, with Asian representation, and being a woman in STEM.

Bel is a vibrant character with a lot of personality. A realistic character who demonstrates how exhausting it is to study and apply to colleges. And I connected with her on a deep level. Being Asian, girl, and surviving in STEM, where men dominate the strand. But hey, if men can do it, who said we can't?

I'm so impressed with Teo Luna. An A student, a soccer player, team captain of robotics team, with a job on the side, and a bunch of AP classes. That is so admirable. One thing that makes Teo unique is that his character development. Or more on how he became mature as the story goes. He became laid back and finally understood that not everyone has life plans written out for them.

The writing style was enjoyable, and the reading was made much more amusing by a bunch of relatable pop references. Character development is great, and the characters are likeable.

A great and lighthearted YA romance, featuring women in STEM, Asian representation, and my most favorite trope, academic rivals to lovers. I had fun geeking out with Bel and Teo, and I would highly recommend it!

This book was so much fun. A light fluffy YA read that I couldn't put down.
Girls of color in STEM? Yes, please.
Academic rivals? Always.

Bel's growth throughout the book was phenomenal. I loved the inclusion of complicated family dynamics and such diverse characters. Definitely recommend!

This is a YA romance along the lines of enemies to lovers. Most of the kids in the school seem really focused on what they want to do after high school. Teo, our male lead, wants to go to MIT and major in engineering, Bel, our female lead, isn't quite sure what she wants to do or even what she's really interested in. Bel and Teo are both on the robotics team at school, but they don't really get along. The other kids on the robotics team are a little miffed when Bel is taken onto the team very suddenly. Even Mac, the AP Physics teacher has doubts about Bel's contributions to the team, which seems awfully sexist. And of course, you see this one coming a long way away: Bel and Teo end up working together on a robot for the robotics competition and they end up falling in love. It was pretty predictable, but cute.

I really liked this book. It was a quick and very sweet read. I found myself relating to some of Bel's journey and it really helped me connect to this story. I also think the relationship between Bel and Teo was really well done. Overall, I would definitely read it again.

4 5*
Thank you to netgally and the publisher for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review. I really really liked this book, it was pretty funny (I laughed out loud on few occasions which is mildly embarrassing but whatever), it was inspiring and it was addictive. I finished this in like two days.
So what did I like:
~ I liked that Bel was girly and a stem girl
~ I really love Teo even though I can't relate to his situation his internal thought were very real and relatable (which by the way is coming from someone who doesn't like dual pov but it worked really well in this one).
~it was super nerdy which is always a plus
~it distracted me from my assignments
~Naleem's arc
~Third act conflict made sense for the characters
~realistic end that was still cute
Overall a super fun romcom but with a little more depth. Definitely recommend <3

Super cute YA romance! I think so many people will enjoy this book and reading about Bel and Teo. I liked the women in STEM representation in the book but thought that the applying to college process depicted in the book was not realistic. Overall, easy and enjoyable to read, great cast of supporting characters and an accessible story. Could be pitched as The Love Hypothesis but for younger readers.

This book was extremely cute. (So cute that I would even read it again! ) I think the book really under-expressed how hard the college process is. Getting into schools like MIT is so difficult. With an acceptance rate of around 4%, Teo had no idea what he was saying when he was like “just come with me to MIT”. I thought it was so cute though. I’m glad the book didn’t go into a lot of detail about the college experience, though, because it would have been boring. On a more important note, I loved Bel. Women of color in stem!! I think yes!! Discovering her love for mechanical engineering was the best part of the book:))

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5 Stars
My Mechanical Romance
Author: Alexene Farol Follmuth
This is a cute enemies to friends to lovers high school STEM romance. The main character, Bel, has a talent machine oriented tasks, and, to save her Physics grade is pretty much coerced into joining the Robotics team. She gets involved in an adorable romance with the captain of the team, Teo, and, despite their initial disagreement form a delightfully adorable friendship.
Pros:
- Super light, easy read
- I liked how the conflict (‘cause, come on, there’s got to be one) is actually something relatable that a lot of high school students suffer from, but also tied in nicely with her personality
- All of the characters were well rounded and developed nicely
- The title! I saw the title, and the evilest, most excited girl spread across my face!
- The writing. I mean, the author manages to pack so much into so few pages. I read this in one sitting, and am legitimately sad that I didn’t savor it
Cons:
- Okay, I don’t know if these are just phrases, but I spotted few comedic references from various stand up artists’ routines (for example: https://c.tenor.comL6W9wne9BNoAAAAC/like-a-liar-liar.gif)
- This next one is just something that kind of confused me. In the blurb it says that Neheem is the only other girl on the Robitics team, but there’s another girl Lora, which kind of confused me for a while
Would I read it again?
Absolutely, without a doubt in my mind

thank you netgalley, holiday house and alexene farol follmuth for the arc <3

"I mean come on, boys can do it. So how hard can it be?"

This is my first YA romance in a long while and I have loved every second of it.

POC representation, girls in STEM, witty and smart young adults? YES PLEASE!

This book follows the story of Bel Maier, a girl who joins a new school in her senior year. And joins the robotics team led by Teo Luna, son of a tech genuis and a millionaire who has set the bar high for his son.

What can be better than academic rivals to friends to lovers?

I love how this book focuses on girls taking up their space, on not being afraid to be the most authentic self you can be. Loved how girls prove again and again that you can be successful and strong and smart and do it just as good as boys can. I feel like girls are programmed from early childhood to be quiet, not stick their nose out and not be a leader. I loved the friendship Neelam and Bel develop, how the characters talked about how they feel and explained their feelings to each other. A lot of times YA romance books portray teenagers as these bratty little kids who have no idea how to communicate with each other.

Bel is hilarious and I want her jeans with the birds on them NOW. I love the journey she went on, how she chose to be her authentic self despite people saying that she can't do something or simply not having faith in her. Her relationship with Luke is amazing and I love how the car was the safe space for them.

I loved Ms. Voss - she knew how important it was to support Bel, to guide her. Sometimes that's all you need - one adult to give you a nudge, to give you advise on what to do - when you're 18, you're lost, you can't have it all figured out but if someone sees your potential, sees what you are capable of and gives you genuine help - it means the world.

I loved the character growth of Teo, and I loved seeing his thoughts. I don't usually have anything to say about male characters for some reason but I did love seeing a guy who is kind, determined, has a good heart.

And Mac has pleasantly surprised me by the end of the book.

Needless to say, the writing of this one is superb. I've loved every page of it. I'm usually wary of the miscommunication trope but it was done great here, not giving me the ick it usually does in romance books.

Take up your space, don't be afraid to show everyone your worth and don't give up on your dreams as much as sometimes it feels like the easiest way out.

4.75/5, cute, light YA romance that doesn't just center around the romance itself but gives us so much more.

So much better than what I expected. This was a very wholesome read. I enjoyed it so much😩😩

The pace of the book was a bit slow for me but it never got boring. The author has written it so well. The plot is very investing, honestly it took me by surprise. I had thought to myself it's robotics how much fun can it get? But IT DID GET FUN!! (Please excuse, I have an arts background 😂).

The characters are full of personality, and they get along so well together. Leo Tuna (My mind kept reading his name like that the whole time, so am going to stick to that lol) is a good lead. I like how he wasn't too perfect, he had flaws which made him endearing. My girl Bel was so good. I really enjoyed her POV, she was full of energy and compassion, and you do feel that when you read it. What I didn't like about her though is the way she expresses herself, the way she communicates. I guess the author intended Bel to be like that, but I honestly didn't see the point of that. At a certain point she overused the word "like" and it did get slightly annoying. The supporting characters Ms. Voss and Dash are equally well written. Honestly, we all need a Ms. Voss in our lives.
I like how Neelam's struggles are shown. I was a bit harsh on her at first but towards the end of the book she gained my respect and I do understand her perspective. I don't agree with how she managed it, but I understand.

Overall, this was a super fun read and I would totally recommend it if you're a looking for a cute romance set in academia. Nerds are so hot! Also, women in STEM- more power to you👏

eARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.

first off i NEVER thought i'd read a book about robots and ACTUALLY enjoy it but this is...different. the vibe. the MCs. the chemistry. everything just clicks. i like the fact that Bel's style of fashion is different and the author didn't make it a weird quirk she had to have for character development or something and that Teo(sexiest name ever) accepts that straight away.
the bond between them is amazing and A++ for them not dancing around each other the first time they kiss.
there is no spice BUT their personalities make up for it (it's also YA what did you expect?)
5/5 :)

Aww some nerds so 🥵 especially robot building nerds 🙈 omg this book really really sweet!! I fell in love with all the characters 😭 I highlighted almost every sentence and I'm proud of all the women in this book!! And I loved Bel and Leo's relationship, I accepted their mistakes and I'm proud of them for who they are. I liked how this book touches on topics such as the difficulty and prejudice that girls had to face. I want to express myself about how much i love this book but i’m simply speechless😭😭

Honestly, I have zero knowledge about robots & engineering whatsoever, but seeing these two nerds talk about their passion made my heart happy! This was so cute and heartwarming, and I love the topics that have been discussed in this story <3

I liked this book. It was cute. I liked Teo and Bel but the rest of the characters were kind of flat. They did not really have much personality and were basically just there as fillers.

This book was so entretaining and so easy to read. All the characters were flawed bit when you discovered their reasons, it made you love them more.. The chemistry between the 2 main characters was coming off the page. It also taljwd about the problems of women in STEM in a serious but not the kind that will make depressed for the rest of the day, it put this into perspective on both points of view whilst being easy to read