My Mechanical Romance - Alexene Farol Follmuth
🌟🌟🌟🌟

When @netgalley @macmillankidsuk offered to send me this ARC after seeing how much I enjoyed another book by this author (The Atlas Six, Olivie Blake - which is a pen name of Alexene’s!) I absolutely jumped at the chance!

LIKES
☀️ It’s enemies to lovers. It’s STEM. It has robots. Honestly, what’s not to love?
☀️ Plenty of diversity.
☀️ The cover is all kinds of adorable.
☀️ A real easy read, which was exactly what I needed this month!
☀️ I loved every character, who were all FULL of personality. In particular, I appreciated Neelam - a misunderstood, badass queen.
☀️ The nicknames 🥹 I am a sucker for a cute nickname.
☀️ While it had lots of funny moments, it also covered tougher topics.

DISLIKES
🌙 While Teo’s character development was great, the teacher’s realisation that he’d behaved like a sexist jerk was brushed over and a left me feeling slightly unsatisfied.

All in all, this is absolutely one of the cutest YA books I’ve read all year, and I’d recommend it to everyone! My Mechanical Romance is available now.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book in return for my honest opinion. Thank you to Alexene Farol Follmuth and Macmillan for giving me the opportunity to read My Mechanical Romance before its release.

At this point I honestly feel like women in STEM romances can do no wrong. I’m a huge advocate of encouraging girls to feel welcome in these study areas and building careers within them. I was the only female in my A Level Mathematics class and the pressure and stereotypes I felt just within this class were unreal, so I have complete and utter respect for people who managed to push through this and continue with their passions.

My Mechanical Romance is an enemies to lovers clean romance centred around Bel; a teenage girl who finds herself thrust into the world of Robotics after a forgotten assignment. Joining this team is full of troubles; finding herself struggling against the doubts of being the newest team member, but she also has to deal with the ingrained misogyny within the engineering field. What starts off as an obligation soon reveals her passions.
I really loved the characters within this book and I enjoyed the progression of Bel’s dynamic with Neelam; it was an important view into the effects the male centred field has not only on the relationship between men and women, but also on the relationships between females within STEM.

The romance was adorably sweet as well and I fully enjoyed every minute of this book. If you’re looking for a new STEM based romance this is THE one to read next.

I really enjoyed My Mechanical Romance even if, at times, it made me want to throw my phone (reading on the Netgalley App) across the room because of the sexism our main character, Bel, repeatedly had to face.

Follmuth did not shy away from some of the harsh realities of being a young girl, a woman, in a STEM Field - a field dominated by men. It was incredibly frustrating and upsetting to see how Bel was often devalued for her gender. It was also incredibly striking to have Bel's treatment contrasted with Neelam, another teenage girl on the team, and how she often overlooked and ignored. Neelam was a great antagonist and challenger to Bel, pointing out that her dislike for her stems from her frustration for her and because of her. She had been on the robotics team a lot longer than Bel - yet Bel is taken more seriously than her because she's more likeable. I loved the scene where Neelam confronts Bel with this - it was an incredibly important conversation for them to have.

My favourite relationship in this isn't even the romance, but rather the friendship between Bel and Jamie. The way Jamie described her friendship with Bel . . . I cried. It was just so beautiful and poignant and I loved it. Jamie was also hilarious and 100% relatable with her shipping of Bel/Teo, with her enthusiastic text messages declaring them 'enemies to academic colleagues to lovers'.

I liked Teo too, and I'm glad we had chapters from his perspective because if not I don't think I would have liked him as much - especially with his attitude and ignorance towards Bel in earlier scenes. A lot of it was misunderstandings and his own ego, but without seeing in to his thoughts, feelings and confusions I would've just written him off as a selfish jerk.

Overall, I really did enjoy this book. I loved how Bel had a teacher who encouraged her to try out new things and to take up space. I loved how Bel's relationship with one of her brothers began to flourish. I loved how Bel gained confidence in her abilities, but also came to terms with what she didn't know and how to be okay with that, knowing she has time to learn. I like that the book didn't end things in a totally neat bow tie. I liked how it made me laugh and rage and cry and laugh some more.

Thank you to Macmillian for sending me this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, I would like to thank NetGalley and Macmillan for providing me with an earc of this title.

So I requested this on a whim. I saw it featured once or twice on Bookstagram and I was enamoured by the title. I mean as a Millennial with a very distinct emo phase how could I not!

But it wasn't until after I had actually requested it did I realise who the author was. For anyone who isn't aware Olivie Blake (the author of The Atlas Six) is a pseudonym for Alexene Farol Follmuth and this is her YA debut.

Unfortunately, The Atlas Six was one of my most anticipated reads of 2021 but also became one of my most disappointing reads of 2021. I was devastated that I didn't love it in the same way everyone else did. I mean I am still wondering what I missed that everyone else saw in that book.

Once I realise My Mechanical Romance was written by the same author - I was apprehensive. Some of my issues with ATS was the writing style, I found it very slow and distant, I didn't connect with the characters, and the overall story just wasn't exciting.

But this was the complete opposite! - I loved it!

Firstly, this book is so funny. Follmuth's writing style in this is so much more accessible and creates such humour moments between the characters and the reader.

The story is also inspiring and touching. I haven't read a lot of women in STEM books but I think this has amazing representation. Especially from the point of view of a character who doesn't believe that STEM is for them, who comes across the sexism and misogyny within STEM, but ultimately overcoming any internal and external fear to find and peruse something that they absolutely enjoy.


And I loved every single character. Similarly to TAS, My Mechanical Romance has a plethora of side characters but each felt unique and well developed. Even our two main POV characters had a depth of personality, issues to overcome and quirks that made them so much more relatable.

If you are looking for a soft and fluffy STEM romance - I highly, highly recommend this one!

My Mechanical Romance is a fun, witty opposites attract, rivals to lovers YA debut that includes kickass women in STEM, a swoonworthy budding romance and some pretty spectacular battling robots!

When Bel accidentally reveals a talent for engineering during a last minute attempt at a school project, she’s forced into joining the robotics club. All the boys ignore her—and Neelam, one of only two other girls on the team, who doesn’t really like her either.

Enter Teo—the captain of the football team and the robotics club—who sees Bel as a potential asset. Until they start butting heads that is! But as the nights of after-school work grow longer, Bel and Teo recognise they’ve made more than just a combat ready robot for the championship: they’ve made a connections themselves.

But with graduation approaching, their differences and what they want for their futures, threatens what they’ve built together. Can they survive Nationals without breaking their robots—or their hearts?


It’s such a cute, wholesome read that manages to capture the essence (and dilemmas) of teenage life, on the precipice of change—with the expectations from friends, family and teachers to know exactly what you want for your future, which can be pretty daunting when you’re still unsure. Especially when already dealing with moving to a new school, trying to make new friends and coping with the fallout of your parents divorce whilst your siblings pick sides.

The characters were really endearing, particularly Bel, whose quirky sense of humour and self depreciating manner made her my absolute favourite character. Teo took a little longer to warm up to as he does start off as a bit of an engineering snob, not listening to the ideas of his teammates (particularly Neelam.) But he does begin to see things differently as the book progresses and that’s when he really began to endear himself to me.

I love the romance and dynamics between Bel and Teo, which is really well developed, it progressed naturally and felt authentic rather than instantaneous and I loved that! Though it’s—for the most part—a lighthearted romance, it does highlight the challenges faced by women in STEM; mainly the gate keeping of what women in STEM should look like or enjoy and the misogynistic lense through which many the characters view STEM subjects.

Neelam is a prime example, being both smart and extremely capable but treated like she’s not good enough or smart enough to be valuable to the team.

Overall, a really fun and enjoyable read from the author of The Atlas Six (using her pen name Olivie Blake) that’s perfect for YA fans looking for fast paced, STEM related rom-coms.

Also thanks to Macmillan Childrens Books and Netgalley for the e-arc.

Truth be told, I didn't even read the blurb for this book and I am so glad I didn't because it makes you think that this book is all about a nerdy romance when its not JUST that.

This book shows how in depth people can be and how they can go through life differently. Bel- last minute planner, has no clue what she wants, eccentric but doesn't really believe in herself. Teo- organised to every last detail, knows what he wants and is almost too arrogant. Their differences balance each other out and the romance wasn't the big focus of this book (which is a good thing). It was about teamwork, friendship, dealing with sexism and making a space for yourself.

The only reason I gave this 4 stars is because it reads quite young. Once I settled into the author's writing it was fine but at first I thought everyone was about 14 with her weird staccato writing at the start and how she went about introducing her characters. Also, while the engineering was very clever and descriptive, as a non-engineer I couldn't picture a single thing they were talking about and still have no clue what their robots looked like.

Anyways, I absolutely swooned for a good part of this book and yet again, felt very very single.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for giving me the eArc of My Mechanical Romance to review.

This wasn't a bad book! I loved how it delved into the depths of STEM, especially from the point of view of a woman, within high school.

It took me a long time to like Bel as she isn't that enthusiastic, her humour is a little strange and she seems like a tough cookie. Luckily throughout the book Bel does grow and some of her behaviour is very understandable.

Teo, the love interest, was likeable almost from the start for me and with the book being dual POV, we also saw why he acts the way he does.

I will say, I wasn't too fond of one of the other girls being mean as at first I thought it would fit into the stereotype of two girls cannot be friends however, there were other girls within this book and I gradually came to like the girl who was mean.

I was on my way home from a My Chemical Romance gig when I received an email inviting me to read this and decided that was fate telling me I was going to enjoy this!

And I really did enjoy it! I rarely read romance but this was such a wonderful novel. My Mechanical Romance is by the author of The Atlas Six, and I honestly preferred this. Bel is sent to an elite school where one of the teachers sees the potential in her and pushes her to try out for the school's robotics team. Bel inadvertently (and very reluctantly) makes a big impression on Teo, the all rounder, highly successful head of the robotics team. Bel begins to find herself and her future whilst overcoming the stigma girls face in the world of STEM.

I thought this would be a cute little predictable romance, but there was so much more too it than that. I love how Bel grew throughout this and, yes, it was a very cute little book. It explores the challenges females face in a world that's still traditionally dominated by males and how wanting to forge a future in this field remains a challenge. I love how it didn't go the way I initially thought it would and the two main characters of Bel and Teo are just so sweet and cute! I was rooting for them both from the start.

Thank you so much to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an honest review.

My Mechanical Romance is a cute romance, immersing us in the world of robotics…and having been an avid watcher of Robot Wars when I was younger I could understand the appeal (even if the creation of these things was not in my sphere of interest).
Bel is reluctant to think too deeply about the future. She is a capable student but hasn’t considered her future, isn’t sure what she wants to do at college and hasn’t even thought about how to make herself an interesting potential student. Teo, on the other hand, has his future planned with precision. He’s single-minded in his pursuit of academic excellence and is scarily focused on his extra-curricular activities being tailored to give him maximum advantage. Each has their reasons for behaving like this, both of which are revealed as we read, and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for any young adult caught in this kind of academic pressure cooker.
The focus on academia sounds heavy, but it is very much in the background. Our key interest is Bel’s involvement in the Robotic club and their preparations for National competition. It’s intense! There’s a couple of moments that had me rolling my eyes in frustration - the well-timed illness and the annoying sexist opponents- but these do offer something to the narrative.
I enjoyed the developing relationship between Teo and Bel, and it was certainly an interesting read to look at women in STEM and the institutionalised barriers that may impact on those wanting to get involved/feeling they can’t get involved. For a YA romance this was a little more nuanced than I was expecting (and that was a good thing) and it has reminded me that I really need to get on with reading Atlas Six (penned by the author under another name)…

An excellent book about a girl who is pushed to realise her potential in the world of STEM and robotics.
There are a number of things I loved about this book. First, just because there is more than one girl in the robotic club doesn't mean they have the same privilege and experience. Bel's being thrust into that world and Neelam's fighting for it every step of the way make such a great divide and really bring across the juxtaposition of pretty privilege and actual hard work.
I loved Neelam.
Secondly, the attraction/romance aspect was slow and realistic, without resorting to too many tropes. I could genuinely see them falling in love rather than just being a plot device.
Thirdly, Teo's reaction to his friends' differing aspirations and futures was adorable and heartbreaking.
As someone who has the same sort of ground-level understanding of electronics as Bel I appreciated her 'dumbing down' terms but still had no clue what they were talking about. 'Spinny bot go fast might flip' is about my level.
Still, I really enjoyed this. it was a solid read and anyone who likes books about realistic teen relationships and girls in STEm should enjoy it.

Thank you so much MacMillan and NetGalley for early access to the arc of My Mechanical Romance by Alexene Farol Follmuth who wrote The Atlas Six under the pen name Olivie Blake. I’m not normally the romance reader, but I was intrigued by the invitation to read this after I’d completely fallen for the The Atlas Six, bearing that in mind I was shocked by how much I enjoyed this book and totally fell for the romance between Bel and Teo.
This book is simply a joy that I would recommend totally, it not only delivers an enemies (kind of,) to lovers trope, but it also puts the spotlight on girls/women and STEM, which is a major plus! I’m old enough to remember and love Robot Wars being on the television, and doing everything I could to ensure I never missed an episode. I’m not scientific, I’m not an engineer, and it’s definitely not an area of expertise for me…which I can truthfully say is primarily because I don’t have the skills or the leaning for STEM, but I also believe it’s because there was no direction or encouragement for women to be in STEM when I was at school.
And I really have to say that everyone needs a teacher like Ms Voss in their lives. Her consistent and supportive encouragement of Bel “Take up your own space, Bel. Don’t let other people tread over it…” is absolutely amazing. Despite the continued misogyny, barriers, assumptions that females have no interest in STEM, can’t perfom as well as men and all the snide comments, and dism issal women do and can succeed in STEM, and this book highlights both the challenges and the fight that many women still face. I absolutely loved the moment in the Robot battle towards the end where Bel encourages the sister of another competing team member to go for it, and that if the girl’s brother could do it, it can’t be that hard!

This book doesn’t just challenge the misogyny in STEM, it also focuses the spotlight on the challenges of relationships, friend, romantic and familial. The expectations that are loaded on to all us and the incorrect beliefs that this creates. Bel is working through the changes in her family as her parents are divorcing, and being human i.e. fallible in how they handle it, and Teo is constantly working to meet the standards and expectations placed on him by his father…his development path is a joy to read.

And finally, I really have to recognise one more key aspect from this book, Alexene describes perfectly the pressure, expectations and demands that are put on us all as teenagers. There is a view that if you don’t know what you want to do, don’t have your life completely planned out, that you are failing…just at a time when physically, biologically and mentally so much is changing and developing. If you don’t do as well in your exams or don’t achieve a certain goal, it seems like it’s the end of the world, when in reality it isn’t. The perfect route or roadmap for one person is not the same for another, and Alexene describes the educational, parental and societal pressure that is put on teens to achieve or have this perfect roadmap! And I’ll tell you a secret, those roadmaps change, the life/career objectives you have in your teens are rarely the same as you get older, I wanted to be an interpreter when I was a teenager but, life happened and I’m now a Business Architect

If you’re looking for a read that will totally pull you in, deliver a wonderful romance, lots of STEM, robots, female friendship and mutual support, and a little dose of advice delivered in the best way, then this is the book for you! Bel, Teo, Dash, Jamie, Naleem, Lora and all the rest of the gang are an absolute delight and you really need to meet them!

THANK YOU NETGALLEY AND RHE AUTHOR FOR THE EARLY COPY.

I loved this book.

i know nothing about engineering or robotics or about the STEM or anything about electrical stuffs, but i was so hyped up about the story that now i’m sure in an alternative universe I am an engineer. (Or I just remember the movies with this kind of plot and I was totally into them and that’s why I can’t say anything bad about this book).

I find the characters fascinating. Teens falling in love, boys being silly, girls showing what it’s like to be a feminist and how unstoppable they are, the feeling of panic and being lost about your future, the midlife panic at 18. I really enjoyed reading about this. It’s a good reminder that we are all humans and we can be anything we want to be one day.

Maybe I liked it because I related to Bel so much about picking an university and choosing a life stuff at 18. I was just as lost as her but I needed three heart break to figure out what i want to do with my life. And I loved this book about this part. I understood it very well.
And cmon I just find it very entertaining and interesting. I like to read about these king of ya books.

Having not read anything by the author I did not know what to expect going into it. The premise however intrigued me, academic rivals to lovers, robotics, STEM and women in stem. I love that more books and YA books are exploring these topics as they are very important for anyone nowadays! I was immediately hooked and fell in love with Bel and her quirkiness, she was a well explored character and I definitely related to her not knowing what she wanted to do with her life. Teo was also a great character, again not 2 dimensional at all and I love Bel and Teo's chemistry. The rest of the characters too were great and I felt that there was a good balance between the main characters and the side characters. I did also like Neelam because she spoke a lot about the issues that women have to face in any industry!

Overall I really enjoyed this book and now I want to go and read the authors other works! Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I adored this book. It is the perfect blend of the coming-of-age and romance genre, and lightly touches on topics of class, culture, family dynamics and intersectional feminism. The character development is thoughtful and the cast is diverse, with humour sprinkled throughout. It’s definitely one of my favourite and most unique YA novels. Would highly recommend if you enjoyed titles such as Not Here To Be Liked (YA) or The Love Hypothesis (Adult). 4.5 stars!

After reading and falling in love with The Atlas Six, I knew I had to read everything Alexene/Olivie wrote, even if it was in a different genre. My Mechanical Romance brought me straight back to High School when I tried to figure out what I wanted to do with my future and dealing with the pressure of studying in a mainly male-dominated field. Alexene wrote such a wonderful story about figuring out your future, your place in the world, family and lastly first love. Bel has a special place in my heart - she is my fave STEM gal. Also, one cannot help but admire and love the relationship between Bel and Teo. I love them with all my heart.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of "My Mechanical Romance" by Alexene Farol Follmuth. This is a YA debut by well known author Olivie Blake.

When I got asked if I wanted to try this, I immediately said yes. The concept was spectacular and when I started, I knew it was executed perfectly. Both Teo and Bel were beautiful characters that weren't one dimensional. They felt like actual students and Alexene didn't shy away from portraying doubts about the future and careers. I loved that about this book.

Overall, this book felt like a book from heaven and I clung to every fibre of it. I am so excited to see if she writes more YA romances (I hope its on one of the side characters from this book because I will pay as much money as I physically can for that to happen)

My Mechanical Romance is an adorable, nerdy, feel-good read that will leave you blissfully satisfied. Not only is the cover so pretty, but the story is cute and relatable and matches it perfectly. As soon as I saw rivals-to-lovers and women in STEM, I was sold. But this book is so much more than just a love story. As a woman in STEM myself, I understand how it can feel like you don't belong or are undeserving, so this book is so damn relatable. I loved not only Bel's character growth, but also the growth of the side characters, I loved how it felt real, like not everyone gets into their dream schools, not everyone can get into an ivy league, but it all works out in the end. My favourite character was Dash, oh-so-lovely Dash. No offence Teo, but I would take Dash over you any day. All of the characters were great and I liked that we finally got an insight into Neelam's behaviour. I especially loved the litte quirks Bel and Teo had when they were talking to each other, it felt unique and not like most teen couples.

For me, it was a bit lacking in the setting build up and I dont think we actually got much physical description of any of the characters (or maybe I'm just forgetting). I prefer more description to really feel like I'm absorbed in the book. I would also liked to have seen a bit more family interaction, there's only maybe two small scenes with Bel's brother Gabe. Other than these minor points, this book was excellent and I would deffo recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

🦾My Mechanicsl Romance🦾

By Alexene Farol Follmuth @afarolfollmuth

A few weeks ago I got an email from @netgalley giving me early access to review this book because I had previously reviewed - and loved - The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake. @olivieblake is the pen name of Alexene Farol Follmuth.

Description:

Nerds are so hot.

Especially battle–robot–building nerds.

When Bel accidentally reveals a talent for engineering at school, she’s forced into joining the robotics club.
Enter Mateo Luna, perfect on paper – captain of the football team and the robotics club – who recognizes Bel as a potential asset, even if they couldn’t be more different. And as the nights of after–school work grow longer, Bel and Teo realize they've made more than just a combat–ready robot for the championship: they’ve made a connection themselves.
But with graduation approaching, their differences and what they want for their futures, threatens what they’ve built together.

Can they survive Nationals without breaking their robots – or their hearts?

Although it couldn’t be more different than The Atlas Six, I really enjoyed this YA romance. The high school STEM aspect was really well done and not secondary to the romance at all, but really drove the story along.

The romance itself was the kind of sweet, anxious, first love type stuff typical of YA. The characters were likeable despite the usual teenage angst, and I was really rooting for them.

I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this for fans of The Atlas Six as it’s so different but it was a really fun read and I definitely recommend generally!

Thanks to @netgalley and @macmillankidsuk for the early access arc in exchange for an honest review. My Mechanical Romance is available for request on NetGalley now and will be released on the 23rd of June.

Alexene Farol Follmuth's new novel 'My Mechanical Romance' is like a warm hug which I could not get enough of! It is an adorable teen romance, set with the fun backdrop of a high school robotics team. The vibes were giving Robot Wars crossed with your favourite enemies to lovers high school romance. What more could you want?

Teo is an overachiever, captain of both the football and robotics team at his exclusive high school, destined for MIT and greatness. His path has been set and he is on track to take the world by storm. Enter Bel, a transfer student from a less academically intense high school, a girl who has not been given the opportunities to shine previously but who clearly has untapped talent when it comes to design and engineering. Teo is so used to all of the attention from teachers and peers that he struggles to handle this forthright new student questioning his decisions. We are left to wonder whether Bel and Teo can put their differences aside for the good of the team (and perhaps acknowledge their romantic chemistry along the way!).

If you think you know what happens in this novel, you would probably be spot on with your guesses. However, I do not care about the predictability. I love Bel finding friendships she deserves in her new school and being taken seriously as an engineer by her teachers and estranged father. I love Bel and Teo's competitive banter which spirals into an adorable relationship. And I love the side characters and what they add to the story, particularly angry and underappreciated Naleem and ADORABLE best friend of Teo, Dash (I want all the good things in the world for him!).

Overall, I sped through this book and loved every minute. I cannot wait to see where Follmuth goes next with her novels for young adults as this is a fantastic start! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillian for an advanced copy of this book in return for my honest opinions.

I really enjoyed this YA romance. The relationship between Bel and Teo and their friends were believable and enjoyable. I also really liked the representation for girls in STEM and also appreciated that the author gave a more realistic and accurate portrayal of finding the right path and hard work that is required for university/working out your career. There is a lot of pressure on young people to have it all figured out and that’s not always helpful when it all works out easily in books/movies.
This was an enjoyable, easy to read YA book.