This isn't a bad book, not at all, it just wasn't grabbing my interest so I'm setting it aside for now. Perhaps one day I will finish it. :)

- gives off the same vibes as caraval
- A+ character development
- very loveable characters
- banter!!
- cute romance
- queer rep
- six of crows vibes

full review to come!!

ARC provided by Netgalley. 
Rating: 4.75/5 stars

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Apollo lives his life dreading and avoiding his Ascension to immortality at all costs, so his father, Zeus, presents him with a choice--spend the next year with the insufferable Prince Hyacinth, who seems determined to upstage Apollo at every chance he gets, or take his rightful place on Olympus immediately. Apollo and Hyacinth, first struggling with shared contempt for each other, begin to realize they may have more in common than they thought. When their disdain begins to blossom into friendship, and maybe something more, their lives, families, and kingdom will be put at risk. 

A Veil of Gods and Kings was an absolutely wonderful retelling of Apollo and Hyacinth’s story. Told from three first-person points of views and littered with mythological references, beautiful quotes, and amazing banter, this book grabbed me from the first chapter and held my attention to the very end.

First, the characters, and especially the relationships between them, were absolutely adorable. Apollo and Hyacinth, though they were a tad bit boring on their own, were a fantastic couple. The slow understanding they both had as they realized they were falling for each other was beautiful to see, and their back-and-forth bickering and nicknaming was so cute. I also loved the characters of Artemis, or Temi, and Epiphany. The aroace rep was absolutely delectable, and their friendship made my heart so happy. 

Another thing I really liked about A Veil of Gods and Kings was the author’s writing style. It had this natural rhythm and casual flow to it that made the book an easy and relaxing read. It wasn’t particularly polished or refined, if that makes sense, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

A couple things you should keep in mind when reading this book: It is not historically accurate, as the author actually addressed in a note at the beginning of the book, or even mythologically accurate. It almost felt like it was more inspired by the myth than an actual retelling. It’s also a series, so don’t expect the whole myth, story, or--slight spoiler warning--tragic ending in this book.

The main problem I had in this book, which was more a personal preference than an actual flaw, was that it had very little action or mystery. It was almost completely political intrigue and romance, which I completely understand is some people’s cup of tea but isn’t really mine. I wish we had gotten to see more of Temi hunting, or Apollo using his powers, or even a more detailed description of a discus game. 

All in all, this book wasn’t my favorite, but it was really really good and I definitely recommend it if you like political-based romance. I’m so thankful I got a chance to read this book, and I can’t wait for the second one to be released. <3